Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just love them.

A/N: This story comes from a past of mine. It is my first attempt at fanfiction, so be kind, rewind. Wait no be kind, review.

As Harry sat in the Great Hall, exhausted after the last year of turmoil, looking around at all the sadness and celebrating, crying and laughing, fear and security, he realized that he would finally be part of a family. A family, Harry thought. A real family; a family that he cared about; a family that cared about him. A smile crept across his smudged and dirty face.

"What is it, Harry?" Ginny said softy in his ear. "Nothing Gin, just glad it is over." Not really over he thought to himself. How could this really be over? The smile that made him feel safe and warm inside slowly slid off and tears began to pull at his tired, weary eyes.

"I am exhausted," Harry began, "I am going to take a shower and get some sleep."

"Great idea, Harry dear," Mrs. Weasley chimed in. "I think some rest will do us all some good," she said fighting back the tears and sobs that have been escaping the last couple of hours. No one disagreed.

"Sorry Fr...Sorry Ton...Professor Lup...Sorry...Sorry...Sorry...I." Harry shot straight up in bed not knowing where he was for a second. Trying not to remember the dream that shattered his much needed rest, he laid back down. Ron, still asleep, barely stirred. The room was already bright. Must be morning already. Harry didn't feel much like eating any. Shortly after his head hit the pillow he was asleep.

"Harry...Harry, you awake mate?" Ron said gently shaking his arm. "No, I'm still sleeping. Leave me alone," he said groggily. "Lunch is being served down in the Great Hall. Mum said you need to eat. Plus they are talking about the funerals for Fr..," Ron trailed. "For all those that died and medals for those that fought. I think they want you to make a speech or something at the funerals." Harry figured as much. People, really only wizards and witches, for some reason always wanted to know what he thought about things. This, he supposed, is what I have to do for bringing down the greatest Dark Wizard in a century.

"Good afternoon, Harry," Ginny half smiled at him. "Afternoon Ginny." The one thing above all others that kept Harry going through out the last year, Ginny, the most beautiful, intelligent, and stubborn girl he has ever met. If only she knew how much that half smile made his heart race and mind forget all that has happened.

"Harry, we would like it if you could say a few words at the funerals tomorrow," Professor McGonagall said. With that Harry was snapped back to reality. The funerals. So many have died Harry thought. So many that didn't need to, Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin, so many more. My fault he yelled in his head. If I was quicker with the Horcruxes, I could have done this some where else. They didn't need to die. But before the tears came Professor McGonagall said, "Harry, you don't have to if you don't feel up to it."

"No Professor, I think it only right that I say something to the families of those that fell because of me." And with that Harry departed the Great Hall. Everyone within earshot was speechless. Even Hermione was so shocked by what he had just said she could not come up with a retort fast enough.

"Ron we need to find Harry. We need find him quick before he does something that he will regret."

"Righht," Ron said chewing the last bit of food he shoved into his mouth before Harry dropped the bomb.

After an hour of searching, they still couldn't find Harry. They returned to the Great Hall to see if he had been there. Ginny beamed as they walked in, hoping to see Harry and finally talk to him. The beam quickly faded and Ron and Hermione knew at once new that he had not been back.

"Wonder where he got off to?" Ron asked shaking his head. "I mean we checked everywhere. The Room of Requirement, the dormitories, the library, and we even went to Hagrids. We can't find him anywhere."

"I hope he is ok," Hermione replied with the faintest shiver in her voice.

"I might know where he is," Ginny piped in. "Where is that?" Hermione asked.

"A place we went when we were together, before he bro..." She paused. "Before the search began."

As Ginny went down the front steps of Hogwarts, she finally saw all the devastation, all the death that was caused the day before. Tears streamed down her soft cheek. As she closed in on the lake she could hear the faint sounds of sobbing. When she got to the spot she expected to see Harry, nothing. But she could still hear the sounds of someone crying. Then she remembered the cloak. He must be under the invisibility cloak.

"Harry," she spoke softly. "Harry, are you here? Everyone is worried. Harry?"

"I just want to be alone for a while."

"But I thought you..." she shook just slightly. "I...could maybe talk."

"Talk about what? Talk about how I feel? Talk about all those that died? How I wasn't fast enough? How I should have made smarter choices? How the Chosen One failed to save his friends? How I LET THEM DIE?"

"Harry, it isn't your fault." Each time he spoke she closed in on where he was.

"YES IT IS." He said through the tears pouring down his face. "THEY ALL DIED AND IT IS MY FAULT." She found him next to a big tree. "FRED, YOUR BROTHER, IS DEAD BECAUSE OF ME."

Ginny pawed the air around the tree until she gently found where Harry was. Slowly sliding the cloak off him, Ginny knelt down in front of him.

"You listen to me Harry Potter," she stared into his puffy, tear drenched green eyes. "You listen to me good. It is not your fault that Fred and the others died here. It was Voldemort's. He set you on this path when he murdered your parents. He created this destiny for you. You didn't have a choice. Besides, everyone knew that people would die in the fight. They knew the risks and they chose to fight. They didn't do it for themselves they did it for us all. They sacrificed their lives in order to stop him. They did it to make the world safe again for families, safe for children, safe for us."

Us Harry thought. Ginny, I don't think you know how much I want 'us'.

"Now let's get back to the Great Hall, I think they are starting the feast soon." With that Ginny kissed his forehead gently, put her arm around him and helped him to his feet. For the first time in a long time, Harry felt he might be able to get through this and get back to a 'normal' life. As normal as a life for the boy you took down You-Know-Who. But those thoughts were pushed out of his mind as they walked back up to the school. His arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist, they just walked silently.

People were already eating as Harry and Ginny entered the Great Hall. As they approached what once was the Gryffindor House table, Mrs. Weasley stood and grabbed Harry by the shoulders and stared at him for what seemed like hours. She squeezed him till Harry thought his ribs would break.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again," Molly scolded him. "Now sit and eat something you look like you haven't eaten in ages."

Harry felt like he hadn't eaten in ages. His last real meal was at Bill and Fluer's wedding. That seemed like so long ago and much more happy times. I wonder if they, she will ever be happy again. Especially with me being around. A constant reminder of what was lost here today.

Most of the Weasley family, Hermione, and Harry didn't talk much through the meal. Though Harry didn't mind helping himself to a second helping of pudding. After everyone had eaten their fill, small talk about tomorrows funerals started. How was going to be buried where and what time to start. Most talk was followed by tears from most people. Harry just stared off to the wall, not really looking at or thinking about anything in particular.

"Harry," Professor McGonagall said softly, snapping Harry out of his half trance. "Would it be alright if you did your speech after we read the names? Before the individual funerals?"

"Huh...Oh...yeah that will be fine," Harry said, again starting to look off to nowhere.

"Mum, I am worried about Harry," Ginny confessed to Molly. "He thinks that Fred and everyone else died because of him. He hasn't said much to me or anyone since yesterday."

"I know Ginny dear. We all are worried about him. He has been through a lot in the last year and now that it is all over, the full weight of events is hitting him all at once. It may take a while for him to open up and let the guards down he had to put up to survive," Molly said softy to her youngest and only daughter. "Maybe after another good rest he will be better."

"I hope so mum. I miss the old Harry."

"Let us hope we can get some of that Harry back."

After what seemed liked days of silence, Harry finally spoke up. "I am pretty tired. I think I am going to grab a shower and go to bed."

As Harry started to long climb back to the Gryffindor common room, he heard foot steps coming fast behind him. It was Ginny. It was his Ginny. But he didn't know what to say to her at the moment. He want to run and meet her. Pick her off the stairs and swing her around and hold her till the end of time. But his feet were glued to the floor. Ginny stopped no more than a half a foot from him.

"Harry, I," she thought for a sec. "I wanted to say thank you for all you did for everyone. And want to say welcome home." And with that she wrapped her arms around his midsection and just hugged. And for a split second Harry didn't know what to do. He want so badly to take her to the tower and tell her everything that happened. How he thought of her every day. How he feared that something might happen to her. He wrapped his tender arms around her slightly slumping shoulders. Ginny began to cry.

Harry, while still holding her in a tight embrace, kissed the top of her head.

"Ginny, I am so sorry. So sorry about everything. I love you."

"I love you too," she muffled out through Harry's now tear soaked shirt. "I love you too."