A/N: As much as I'd like to own the billion dollar series, and all the la-dee-dah that comes with it, I don't. J.K. Rowling does.

I realize that the timeline is a little off. I moved up the story a few years. Harry's new date of birth is 31 July (as always) 1983 (original 1980), making him 18 in 2001 (really 17 yrs, 11 months)…I think…, where our story begins.

Also, this is my first fanfic. I hope you like it (I do admit the first chapter is written poorly, I was working w/o proper nourishment…a.k.a. I couldn't find any chocolate). R&R I'd love to hear some suggestions.

20 July 2001

Ginny stares in the mirror, pushing her freshly curled hair out of her face. She sighs, as her hands run down the black dress she had just bought herself after a year of drama.

"Ginny!" Her mother called from the kitchen, "Harry is here!" Ginny gave herself a final look in the mirror and rushed down the stairs of the Burrow. She had her speech prepared; she knew exactly what she wanted to tell him.

"Harry," Ginny ran to him and squeezed him. She was hoping he'd squeeze back, but his arms were limp, and body was stiff. Ginny shrugged it off, and stepped back, examining Harry. His face was screwed up into an awkward smile.

"Gin, I missed you," Harry sounded unsure of himself as he dusted off his sweater.

"You don't sound much like it Harry," Fred exclaimed, Ginny jumped remembering that her entire family was in the living room also.

"Enough, enough," Mrs. Weasley uttered, "Who is hungry?" she ushered them into the dining table, and motioned for them to sit. Harry mumbled something to Ron as he sat next to Ginny.

Mid-meal, Ginny cleared her throat and turned to Harry as the rest of the family continued eating and talking. "Harry, I really missed you while you were away," Harry looked up from his soup and nodded.

"Same,"

"Well," Ginny forgot her speech all together, "You don't seem like it." Harry's back straightened. He looked directly into Ginny's eyes; his green eyes glowed with anger.

"Excuse me, if I'm tired," He started, "Excuse me, if I've been trying to save the entire wizarding world. Excuse me, if I'm angry that Lord Voldemort slipped through my hands, and I wasn't able to kill him, as I thought I would, and I'm only coming back here to take a break from it all to get some rest. So I'm sorry I've been so busy trying to save your family, friends, and everyone you know, and I don't show that I miss you." He bit off the last part, and then noticed the entire table was staring at him.

Ginny made a noise and stuffed a piece of dinner roll in her mouth. Hermione leaned over Ron to whisper something to Harry. They whispered for a few minutes, until Ron got impatient and pushed Hermione out of his food. Hermione gave Harry one last look, in return Harry nodded.

A few minutes later Mr. Weasley and Hermione started a conversation about this new fangled muggle electronic, what they called an iPod, or as Mr. Weasley pronounced it, "ip-ode". Harry put his hand on Ginny's leg, and gave her an "I love you" look. Ginny gave a weak smile, and squeezed his hand. Harry quickly turned his attention to Fred and George, who needed some suggestions for new candies. Ginny mumbled, "How about a happy pill?" and Harry's hand flew away from Ginny's. The rest of dinner was spent in small talk, and catching up.



Ginny cleared the table and put the dishes in the sink to pull her wand out. Ginny was about to cast her spell when Harry took her wand out of her hands. "What are you doing?" Ginny stared straight at the dishes.

"When I stayed with the Dursley's, I did the dishes by hand, I think you should too." Harry stepped behind her and turned the water on while running his hands over her stomach. Ginny pulled his hands off, and nudged him away. "What is your problem?"

"What's my problem, Harry," Ginny's voice rose, "what is yours? It's hot and cold with you. You love me, and then you can't stand my touch." Harry tilted his chin up.

"It's not like you'd understand," Harry said hushed, trying not to make a scene, "The most stress you've ever been under was the OWLs."

Ginny snorted, "You don't think I'm stressed about my boyfriend being gone, and a possibility of never seeing him again?" Her voice rose, she forced her hands into the hot dish water, the pain was soothing. "You think I'm just a kid, just like I was when I met you when I was 11. Look at me Harry; I'm not a little girl. I am capable of processing things, of taking responsibility, of thinking logically." Ginny blew her copper bangs out of her face and stared him directly in his emerald eyes.

"Really, what did you think was going to happen now that I'm back for what, not even a month?" Harry matched her gaze, "Did your logical thinking tell you that I'd decide to stay and live here with you forever, and some day we get married and have 80 kids and the Voldemort situation will just dissipate?" Harry's thick black eyebrows rose.

"I said nothing like that, why are you talking like this?" Ginny scrubbed a dish furiously. "I just thought, oh maybe you'd be happy to see me." She threw the dish on the drying rack.

"Maybe everything isn't all about you," Harry stated. "I mean, come on Ginevra, I'm Harry Potter." Ginny's jaw dropped. "I've got more to worry about than a girl."

"Woop-dee-flippin-do, you're Harry Potter, and maybe you'll never have to worry about a girl, such as myself, again." Ginny turned to face him, leaning against the sink. Harry's was mortified.

"I didn't mean that Gin, I swear," He was wringing his hands, "I just, sometimes don't think, when I speak, you know how I get."

"I've had enough of putting up with your drama," Ginny ran her fingers through her hair, and looked at him. "Off and on relationships aren't healthy."

"Ginny, please, I won't be healthy without you," Harry stepped towards her, reaching down to her face to move her head to look at him. "I know we've been through a lot. Please. Please."

"No." Ginny took his hands in hers, and pushed them back to his torso. "This was the last straw. You only want me for eye candy. You don't want me completely."

"Yes I do," Ginny looked to the door and saw an Elastic Ear. She pointed her wand at it and cast a silencing spell. "I want your cleverness, your determination—"Ginny put her hand up to stop him.
"Flattering won't do anymore," Ginny shook her head, "I can't take this emotional roller coaster anymore. It's over." Harry's face completely fell, and then he composed himself.

"Alright, but you'll be wanting me back anytime now. I know you're needy." Harry said hotly.

"Oh wow," Ginny rolled her eyes, "Yeah, because you know me better than anyone. Harry, when is my birthday? Yeah, you've never remembered it. It's like you're incapable of being in a relationship." Harry was offended by this.

"You may think I'm incapable of being in a relationship, but I'll have you know that the only reason why I'm like this all the time is because you're so clingy. You love to be the center of attention. You and your ugly hairstyle, and skanky dress." Ginny wanted hex him. "That's right, I noticed. How do you not notice something like that? You're always trying to make yourself not look like a girl who doesn't come from a poor family, like you don't fit in with this unfortunate bunch. They're good people mind you…"Harry began to ramble as Ginny ran up the stairs to her bedroom, tears streaming down her face.



She locked the door behind her and put all of her things for school in her trunk, as Harry pounded on the door.

"Ginny! Come on! I didn't mean that!" Ginny threw the last of her books, parchment, quills, and opened the door, dodging Harry's fists. "I'm sorry."

"Harry, I'm leaving for a while. I hope you think about what you said about my family, and how much they've done for you. Wingardium Leviosa" Ginny cast the spell upon her trunk and wrapped her cloak around her back. She followed her trunk down the stairs and passed by the sitting room. Her family was sitting awkwardly. "I'm guessing you heard all of that."

"Up until eye candy, then it all went silent." Ron said as Hermione elbowed him. He yelped and silenced.

"I'm going to be staying somewhere else until he leaves, or until school starts again." Her parents nodded. "I'll owl." She walked a half mile down the road and stood at the side of the road with her wand pointed into the road. The Knight Bus shows up promptly. "I'm going to the Leaky Cauldron, thanks."