A/N: I should really be putting my life in "order," but I haven't written anything other than school essays for a long time. So here I am!

Disclaimer: I am not the owner/creator of Harry Potter and crew.

Something More

Twenty-five-year-old Ginny Weasley sat at her desk with a mug of hot chocolate in her left hand. Her right hand picked up her sketchbook and pencil and opened to her latest project – she was a fashion designer for the muggle firm Trelizè Designs. She began to extend the train on the wedding dress she was almost done sketching.

Ginny turned toward her fireplace and stopped what she was doing. She had chosen her muggle London flat only because it had fireplace. She thought she would need it to keep her company on her lonely days and to warm her heart on her down days. But for the past few months, she had left her fireplace cold and stale – something like the way she was feeling.

Ginny lifted her mug to her lips and just as she took a sip, Pop! There was a head in the fireplace – Ron's head, to be exact.

Ginny choked on her hot chocolate and it came streaming through her nose onto her sketchbook. She whipped her head around to look out the window: there were no signs of her muggle neighbors outside.

"Hey, Ginners," Ron chirped cheerfully.

Ginny ignored her brother and turned to her design in horror. She didn't even try to wipe it off; it was hopeless.

She sank down into her chair and covered her face with her hands.

"Ginners, what's wrong?" Ron asked obliviously. "Aren't you glad to see me? I finally found your fireplace!"

Ginny's head snapped back up. "Oh – you. How did you find my fireplace? How did you find my house, actually?"

Ron smiled even wider. "Good to see you again, too."

"No, really. How did you find me? I didn't tell anyone where I went when I left."

"Sister, you've forgotten that our family has its ways. We missed you. So we looked for you. After we found your address, we hooked your fireplace up to the Floo and, well, here I am."

Ginny groaned. "I knew this would happen. Remind me – why do I have to have such a behemoth of a family? Any ordinary family would have just let me find my own space. I wasn't leaving forever, just long enough to…"

"Forget Harry?" Ron provided helpfully.

Ginny glared at him. Without replying to his suggestion, she said, "So does everyone know you're in my fireplace?"

Ron nodded, his face assuming a slightly more serious expression. "In fact, they're on the other end of the Floo waiting for me to report back."

"I see."

"So, um, would you like to come back now? You've been gone for eight months. When we found your farewell note, mum almost had a seizure. We looked everywhere, but we never thought you would be here, in muggle London, so close to the Burrow."

"The safest place is the most dangerous place, you know," answered Ginny.

"Yeah, but you're not safe anymore! Mum will slaughter me if I tell her I saw you and didn't take you back home."

Ginny sighed. She wanted to explain why she had left after Harry defeated Voldemort in his seventh year – they had planned to resume their relationship after the war, but Harry had been hospitalized for memory impairments and such. When he woke up, he appeared to remember everything – except Ginny.

"Gin, the whole family is waiting for you. I think mum is pinching my leg," said Ron.

Ginny nodded and tried to breathe. After eight months of considerable solitude, with the exception of her co-workers and her old neighbor Mrs. Higley, she wasn't sure if she wanted to go back to a world full of familiar faces.

"I'll apparate," said Ginny. Ron smiled and his head disappeared.

Closing her eyes, she thought of the Burrow and felt herself apparate for the first time in eight months.

…………………………………………………………………………………………...

Ginny arrived outside of the Burrow.

"Same old, same old," she whispered to herself. As she approached the door, her mother came tearing out of the house.

"Ginny!" Molly grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and thrust herself at her daughter. Thus began the torrent of tears.

Ginny patted her mother on the back and said softly, "There, there, mum. See? I'm back. I'm alive, I'm healthy, and I'm -"

"-still beautiful!" sobbed Molly into Ginny's shoulder.

Ginny smiled – a real smile, her first all day.

While Molly pulled away and wiped her face withthe handkerchief Ginny had made for her almost a decade ago, the rest of the Weasleys came pouring out of the house.

Ginny was then accosted in a friendly manner, if there is such a thing, by four brothers, Arthur, and Hermione.

She looked around. "Where did Ron go?"

"Your favorite brother is right here, Ginners!" said Ron as he embraced his sister.

Fred and George looked particularly indignant at Ron's last comment.

"Excuse me -" said Fred.

"-but we -" said George.

"-are her favorite brothers," finished Fred.

Ginny giggled. Who would've known? My family is the only thing that can make me smile. Maybe I should have come back earlier.

Molly clapped her hands together. "We made all of your favorite foods. Oh – and we invited the Order to come celebrate your homecoming. In fact, they should be getting here about… now."

At her last word, Remus, Tonks, Moody, and the rest of the crew began to trickle onto Burrow territory. As the members of the Order flocked over to welcome her home, she noticed that Remus and Tonks were holding hands and the latter had her hand on her stomach.

"Tonks! Are you having a baby!" yelped Ginny as she bounded over to the expecting woman.

"Wotcher, Ginny," Tonks said with a wide smile. She hugged Ginny tightly and whispered, "Don't panic when you see a stranger."

As Ginny pulled away, she tilted her head in thought.

"Stranger?" asked Ginny.

Tonks nodded and looked toward the doorway.

"Ahem."

Ginny froze with her back to the door. Harry's voice. That's Harry's voice. She turned around slowly and her family's chattering died away.

Harry Potter stood in the doorway of the Burrow, staring straight at her.

Ginny's heart began to skip beats wildly and her eyes were lighting up. Then she noticed how Harry was looking at her – no sign of recognition.

Ginny felt her heart snap in two.

Looking around in confusion, Harry asked, "Guys, what's going on? Why is everyone looking at me? Is there someone to introduce me to?"

Nobody answered.

Somewhere in the crowd of Weasleys, there was a muffled sob – Molly, no doubt.

"Harry?" called a female voice from inside the house.

Ginny tensed again. Oh gosh, a female voice? An unfamiliar female voice?

A girl with dark red hair walked out of the Burrow.

Harry turned to her and took her hand. "Michelle, sweetie, no one will tell me what's going on."

Ginny had thought Harry not remembering her was painful. It was nothing compared to what she felt now.

Each half of Ginny's already severed heart was pulverized by some invisible force into powder; one puff of the wind, and Ginny's heart would float away forever.

So that's the stranger. The new girlfriend kind of stranger.

Coming home didn't seem so great now.