Disclaimer: Nothing that seems familiar belongs to me.

Ginny Weasley thought that she'd never get away from Harry Potter and his constant following. She believed that she'd be forever trapped in his shadow as the quiet girlfriend. She felt like there'd be no escape for her if she stood by and watched him smile for his photo ops and save the day like the hero he was born to be.

There was one thing, though, that scared Ginny more than anything else. Harry would find someone better. It wouldn't be hard considering that girls were always throwing themselves at him. She didn't think of herself as gorgeous and seeing those beautiful women always left her a little insecure.

She loved Harry. She always had. They'd been dating a year, but Harry hadn't ever said it. She wondered if he ever had time to even think about their relationship. His job as an Auror and the Order kept him extremely busy. Did he have time to love her?

Ginny sat next to Harry in the Order meeting that day and just listened. Moody was being paranoid as usual and Remus was trying to mediate the two. Tonks was changing her hair. She had grown tired of the pink and was now moving on to a lemon yellow color. Ron and Hermione were paying too much attention to each other to notice anything off key. Kingsley looked thoughtful, but said nothing. This series of events had become quite common since the second war had begun.

Harry stopped debating and huffed angrily in response to Moody's words about Bellatrix Lestrange. They thought that they had killed her in an attack on Hogsmeade led by Death Eaters, but recent reports had spotted her in Knockturn Alley. Harry always got touchy when Lestrange came up, but he was even more infuriated by the thought that the evil murderer could still be alive.

Ginny knew he was upset with Moody and everything. She reached out her hand gently and squeezed his just to give him some support, but he pulled away without even glancing at her. Ginny's face fell and she felt hot tears welling up in her eyes. He really didn't care. She stood up slowly and walked to the door, ignoring the calls of Ron and Hermione. Grabbing her cloak, she prepared to apparate when a pair of strong arms pulled her aside.

"Where are you going?" She looked up into the blazing green eyes that she knew all too well. Harry was frowning at her.

"No one needs me. I thought that I should leave if there's no point in me being here," Ginny said slowly as she watched his frown deepen.

"I need you," he said firmly. His eyes were piercing right into her soul. Somewhere inside of herself, she found her voice.

"No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be so distant," she answered. She could feel her cheeks burning as he bent down and kissed her lightly. Those kisses used to send butterflies hurtling through her stomach, but now they were empty. His touch was cold.

"I've been busy is all," he said grimly. A bit of candlelight reflected off his glasses as he placed a strand of her hair behind her ear. That used to feel like such an affectionate and sweet gesture, but now it was just annoying.

"I don't see you anymore, Harry. That's really saying something, too, considering we share a flat. Don't you want to spend time with me?" Her eyes began to flood with tears again. Tears that she didn't want him to see, but he did. She couldn't hide anything from him.

"You know I do," he responded, wrapping an arm around her slim waist. She shuddered at his touch, but he didn't notice.

"Knowing isn't like seeing. I don't need promises, Harry. I can't be with you anymore," Ginny whispered against his neck as salty tears rolled down her cheeks.

"What? Why are you doing this here, Ginny? You're just being emotional," he said softly into her auburn hair.

"I mean it, Harry. I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend. I'll pack my things tonight and go stay with Mum and Dad at the Burrow. I can't live a lie," she sobbed, clinging to his shirt.

Harry let go of Ginny and stepped back, appraising her. She couldn't leave him. He needed her and she needed him. She was going crazy. It must have been that awful desk job she had at the Ministry or those gossipy friends of hers. She wouldn't leave him. He wouldn't let himself get hurt like that. "You know what? That's a great idea. I don't need you anyways. Go find some other bloke to bother. I'm sick of your blubbering," he lied. With that he swung around and with a swish of robes he was back at the meeting.

Ginny stood there stunned. His words cut her like knives. His coldness was unusual and it hurt. Soon enough, she heard him arguing with Moody again and realized that he wouldn't miss her. With that thought in mind, she apparated out of 12 Grimmauld Place and into a new chapter of her life.