"Hullo, Harry."

Harry's eyes bulged and he stepped away slightly. This must be what shock feels like, he thought randomly. "Ginny?" he said carefully.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Very good, Harry. Now what color hair do I have?"

"You're here," Harry said evenly.

"Yes. So are you."

"But I'm *supposed* to be here," Harry tried again. "Why are *you* here?"

Ginny sighed and looked away suddenly. "It doesn't matter."

Harry tried to decipher her coded answer. "How?" he finally settled for asking.

"I get top marks in Transfiguration," Ginny said proudly. "And believe me, I'm very grateful for my skill. I've been trying to concentrate on being a book for *hours*. I figured a book would be best so that you'd think Hermione had just meddled in your bag."

Harry nodded and moved to sit on the bed where all of his belongings were spread out. "Why are you here?" he repeated.

Ginny put her hands on her hips and gave him a look that dared him to reprimand what she said. "Because I want to be. I'm not leaving either."

"Oh, yes, you are," Harry said, standing up. He pointed into his bag. "Transform yourself and I'm Apparating you back home. Where you belong."

"That's not where I belong," Ginny said, looking down at her feet.

"Really? So you belong in Dublin, huh?"

"No. I belong wherever you are," Ginny corrected very quietly.

Harry stared at her, dumbfounded. "Ginny, if this is because of that crush-- "

"It's not," Ginny interrupted, looking greatly offended. "You, Harry Potter, have the biggest head I've ever met if you think that's why I'm here!"

"But you *just said*--"

"That's not what I meant," Ginny said vehemently. "What I *meant* was that I know why you're really here and I'm not going to let you do it alone!"

Harry's voice seemed to have left him for a few seconds. Finally he gulped. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm here on holiday. I just wanted- -"

"To get away, I know." Ginny didn't looked as though she believed him.

"You know, interrupting is never polite," Harry informed her, annoyed.

Ginny shrugged carelessly.

"Even if you have some theory as to why I'm really here, you're going back home. Whether you belong there or not. I'm not going to get your brothers all riled up when it's *your* fault you're not going home."

Ginny folded her arms and stood stock still. "Make me."

Harry looked a little surprised at this. "What?"

"Make me," Ginny repeated. "If you think that you can drag me back home, then do so. I assure you, it's an impossible task."

Harry sighed. "Ginny, I'm not picking you up and I'm not transfiguring you either." He looked up at her and met her eyes pleadingly. "Just get in the bag, all right?"

"No," Ginny said very firmly. "I'm staying with you no matter what you or anybody else says."

"You're a child!" Harry said exasperatedly.

"I'm not even a year younger than you," Ginny cried out indignantly.

"That's different," Harry said. "Look into my eyes and tell me I'm really seventeen."

"Look into mine and say that I'm sixteen," Ginny said calmly. "I think you all forget, but I've been through hell too. I know Voldemort's grasp better than anyone besides you. Harry, we're the only two people who have lived after Voldemort wanted us dead. I don't think either of us are really children anymore."

"Ginny . . ." Harry said softly. Nobody liked to talk about what happened to Ginny in her first year -- it was better to just ignore it; pretend it never happened.

"Harry . . ." Ginny whined. She stomped her foot. "Just let me go."

"This is you telling me you're not a child?" Harry asked doubtfully.

Ginny threw her hands up in the air. " *You* are impossible," she growled. "It's very simple: just let me go with you wherever you go. I think I deserve it, don't you? I deserve revenge as much as you do."

Harry looked away; her words were true and he had always been a believer of fairness. It was only fair that he took Ginny with him -- her arguments were true. But he didn't want her there. He didn't want anyone with him. This was something he had to do alone.

Harry looked over at Ginny again and saw the fire in her eyes, the energy radiating off of her skin. She was right, he could find no traces of a child inside her.

This disturbed him greatly, so he walked over to the dresser to lean on it and stare at the wall, trying to decide whether to take her or not. On one hand, he actually wanted her to go. He knew that she didn't come, if she weren't there, that he might do things that he would forever great. Things that would separate him from his friends forever. She would keep him sane. But that part of him, the part that wanted to do the unspeakable things, the part that would change him beyond recognition . . . that part told him to send her home.

Harry finally turned around, his face full of doubt. "I . . ." he trailed off.

Ginny took a step closer to him and looked up into his eyes. Her eyes were full of emotion as he met them, and his heart lurched uncomfortably in response. "Please, Harry. Just for the summer."

Harry let out a deep exhale. "Just for the summer," he repeated, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, Harry!" Ginny squealed. She closed the remaining space between them and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much."

Harry pushed her away awkwardly. "Well, you're dealing with your brothers."

"Consider it done," Ginny said, beaming at him.

"Then do it now," Harry pressed. "Nobody's seen you since this morning and they might start to worry. Especially since we're so far away it will take about a week for Hedwig to get there."

"They won't worry terribly," Ginny said, her eyes twinkling.

"What did you do?"

"I just left a note inside of Hermione's book. I figured she wouldn't start reading until you were gone."

"So they won't blame it completely on me?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Well . . ." Ginny blushed slightly and shrugged.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Dear Hermione," Hermione read aloud, her voice shaking slightly. "I have to do this. I know none of you will understand, but if I don't go with him, he'll become something I wouldn't be able to stand. None of us would. I can't let him go alone. Talk to Ron for me. I'll owl you when I arrive. Love, Ginny."

Ron looked very calm, which only served to scare Hermione more. Her palms went cold and she wanted to shake Ron, to get a reaction out of him somehow.

Ron suddenly shook his head very angrily. "Harry will send her back. I can't believe she'd do something this stupid. *How* did she do it?"

"Transfiguration, I suppose," Hermione said quietly.

"What did she do -- Transfigure herself into a pair of Harry's pants?"

Hermione suppressed a giggle as she thought that Ginny might have liked that suggestion. "I hope not, Ron."

"Harry will send her back," Ron said again, nodding his head. He noticed Hermione didn't nod or acknowledge that he'd said anything. "Harry will send her back, right?"

Hermione looked away. "Who cares what I think?"

Ron moved so that his face was very close to hers. " *I* do."

Hermione sighed and looked down at her hands. "Honestly? I don't think so. I think Ginny's right. Her and Harry have an understanding of each other, something deeper than either you or I share with him."

"Love?" Ron asked doubtfully.

"No. Not yet, at least," Hermione said. She finally looked at Ron. "Second year, there were two likenesses there. One, Harry saved Ginny's life. You know as well as I that a bond is created between two wizards in such a case."

"And the other reason?" Ron asked, his voice thick from the reminder of Ginny's first year.

"You Know Who wanted Ginny dead. As they say, when He wants you dead, you don't live. Ginny survived, though. She and Harry are the only two people who have survived You Know Who's grasp. That has to stand for something."

"I don't think so!" Ron said indignantly. He made a sound deep in his throat. "Harry *does* these things, you know. Couldn't he have at least let my sister alone?"

"I think that Ginny's the one who made that decision for him," Hermione said gently.

"Still," Ron said. "He's like a-a disease of some kind -- everyone that he's ever known has gotten hurt somehow."

"Ron!" Hermione said shrilly. She stood up suddenly. "I can't believe you'd ever say such a thing like that about Harry!"

"Well it's okay most of the time -- but not when my little sister is being dragged across Europe with him. I say we Apparate over to Ireland and get her. Bring her home."

"She won't come," Hermione said. "You know she won't. She's too loyal to Harry. And, Ron, I really think that Harry needs this."

"You think Harry needs Ginny?"

"Yes, I do! As Harry's friend, I think she's good for him. If you took a second to be his friend instead of Ginny's older brother then you'd agree."

"Well I'm not taking that second to consider," Ron said defiantly. "Before your friend, before Harry's friend, I'll be Ginny's brother."

Hermione sighed in defeat, then tried for a new tactic. "He's only on a holiday," she said. "He's only on a holiday."

"Do you really believe that?" Ron asked very quietly.

"No," Hermione whispered, looking up at Ron, eyes full of emotion. "Why did we let him go?"

Ron kicked the edge of his bed swiftly. "Because we're very bad friends. And brothers."

"We should follow him . . ."

"No," Ron said, his face showing struggle. "This is hard to admit, but you're right. We need to let Harry do this. And I don't want to think of what he'd do if Ginny weren't there."

"You're okay with her going?"

"I understand why she's there and I accept the fact that her reason is valid," Ron corrected. "The only problem is convincing the rest of my family that it's best for him and her."

Hermione groaned. "I hope your mum sends them a Howler for making us be the ones to try and explain to five overprotective brothers that their sister is tramping across Europe with a boy that she's had a crush on since she was ten."

"Now that you mention it . . ."

"Oh, shut up."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Author's Notes: What can I say? I don't know. This is weird -- usually I can't stop talking. Oh, I thought of something! I was purposefully making Ginny say Voldemort's name towards the beginning, I don't know if that was believable. I was just trying to show that Ginny's doing it because she's faced him and even though she is afraid of him and what he can do, she's still strong and brave enough to call him by his real name. I don't know, maybe that sounds false. If so, catch me on it, and I'll change it throughout the story.

Also, I may not have made this clear, but Voldemort IS dead. We think . . . ;)

~Haley