Chapter 2: Something's not right

September 7th:

The battle's been over for months now. Things are still slowly coming back to order, but there's one thing that's not right. Harry. We got back together, a few weeks after the final battle, but he's just not been the same. Kissing him is different, hugging him is different. He doesn't stand there and hold me anymore, and I'm beginning not to like the new Harry. I wish he would talk to me.

We've all been at the Burrow since the war was over. Sure, Hermione and Ron took off for about a month to go find her parents and return them to Muggle London, but we've all been here. Charlie has stayed with us, and plans to return to Romania when we leave for school tomorrow. Bill and Fleur have been with us because Bill wants to be with us for a while. Percy's quit his job at the ministry, and he's been bringing 'round a girl named Audrey Thompson who's hit it off with Hermione really well, since, she too is a muggle born. The twins have been busy as ever making new products to sell at their shop, mum's not too happy about that. Ron's been caught snogging Hermione more than once, always right after she's yelled at him for something. As for me? I've been trying to figure out what the hell has gotten into my boyfriend while trying to relax and get to know Audrey better. I do hope Percy keeps her around.

Ginny eyed Harry as he made his way to the table and sat down beside Ron. This was the first any of them, other than Ron, had seen him in a few weeks. He didn't return her gaze, but he sat there quietly.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Well Harry, you've been locked in that room for a few weeks now." Hermione spoke up.

"Yeah, and what's wrong with that Hermione?" he asked angrily.

"It's just that, well, we're worried. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine! Alright, why doesn't everyone get off my case?" Harry exploded. He stormed out the door. Ginny started to rise to go after him, but Hermione held her down in her chair.

"Stay, it'll only make things worse." Hermione said. Ginny desperately was longing to go after her boyfriend, but she didn't.

"Something is definitely up with Harry. I hate seeing him like this." Ginny whined

"Ginny, it's going to be okay he will come around, I mean it was only a few months ago that he defeated Voldemort. He's probably overwhelmed. I mean, think of what he has to deal with when we get back to school." Hermione said, trying to comfort her young friend

"Hermione's right Gin. Come on you know this has to be hard on him. All his life he has had this huge battle that he has been destined to do, and all the sudden in a few short minutes it's all over. And now we are going back to school, and after last year, with Dumbledore and Snape..." Ron trailed off

"I know, It just hurts to see him like this, but is it me, or whenever we bring up Malfoy he gets jumpy and flushed?"

"Well, he was a Death Eater, and I think it just hit him that it's over Talking about one of them will probably bring up the issue that we just discussed. Heaven only knows what they are going to end up doing when we get back to school tomorrow. That reminds me I have some last minute packing to do." with that Hermione went up stairs to finish packing.

Ron and Ginny went and played a round of wizard's chests until Mrs. Weasley told them it was time for bed.

"Ron can you go get Harry form outside please?"

"Sure mum."

Ginny went to bed that night without a goodnight kiss, or anything else they usually did before they departed into their own rooms. That was the only time she saw him now, was at night before she went to bed.

They were standing in front of the Hogwarts Express wishing her family well and telling them goodbye. Ginny was carefully watching Harry, he still seemed off. Maybe it was because he was coming to finish school and he wasn't quite ready to see the castle yet. For a moment, she thought she saw him look over and catch Malfoy's eye. She wasn't sure what to make of that. Maybe they were going to try to be friends this year. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

As they boarded the train and it began to leave the station, she sat down across from Harry. He continued to stare off into space, sometimes he'd smile at a thought he was having, and other times he would have a blank expression on his face. She desperately wanted to know what was wrong with him. She sat across from him for the entire ride, saying nothing.

In the Slytherin compartments Pansy Parkinson flanked by Gregory Goyle and Blaise Zabini, attacked Malfoy.

"Hey mate, how was your summer?" Blaise asked giving Draco a hug.

"Hey guys, it was okay." He hugged the rest of them and they sat down.

"So did you tell your parents yet?" Blaise and Pansy asked almost simultaneously.

"Tell them what?" Malfoy asked, wondering what they could be talking about.

"Tell them about you being in love with Potter!" Pansy giggled.

A worried look came across Draco's face.

"KEEP YOUR BLOODY VOICES DOWN! I don't need the whole school to know!" Draco shouted as he slammed the compartment door shut.

"Well did you at least tell them that, you know, that you're gay?" Goyle asked innocently.

"NO! Are you guys' nuts? They would kill me if they found out."

"Well you're going to have to tell them some time mate." Blaise asked.

"I know, But Blaise, they won't be as understanding as you guys are."

"Sure they will, they love you Draco, well at least your mum will. Potter saved your bloody arse remember? She would want you to be happy." Pansy said putting her arm around him to comfort him. Crabbe left the compartment to go and get food.

"Thanks Pansy." He said giving her a smile and a hug.

"No problem Draco." She said returning the smile. Then the train stopped.

"Don't worry, everything will work out, you'll see." Pansy said as she left the compartment.

Ginny sat there and watched as Hermione tried to get Harry's attention. They both were tired of Harry spacing out and not talking to anyone. Ginny was ready to smack him and demand he tell her his problem.

"Harry, Harry, Earth to Harry Potter!" Hermione snapped her fingers in front of his face, and finally he snapped back into reality.

"What? Oh sorry Hermione. I was just thinking about something."

"Harry, are you okay? You've been spacing out a lot lately."

"Yeah, Hermione, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind that's all." Harry seemed to shut up quickly when Malfoy walked into the Great Hall, late.

"What's with Harry and Malfoy?" Ginny wondered. She was going to figure this out sooner or later. Harry turned to her and started talking to her, a first since the other night. She was suspicious still that he had something else on his mind.

"Harry," Ginny started slowly. He turned his head back to her. "Are you okay? You can talk to me you know, I'm not going to judge you or anything" she said.

"I've just got a lot on my mind. It's hard being back here. I mean, its just a lot" He said trying to console her. It didn't work. She was sure he was thinking about Malfoy.

"That's it!" she thought. "Malfoy's a death eater. He's probably trying to figure out what he's up to so that the stupid git will end up in Azkaban where he belongs." She smiled. She and Harry both watched Malfoy leave, and it wasn't long before Harry spoke up.

"Guys, I'm tired going to bed see you later."

"Bye Harry see you later." They all said.

When the feast was over, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione headed up to the Gryffindor tower. They decided to lounge around in the common room for a while because they really weren't tired.

"I'll be back," Ginny said as she dashed up the boy's staircase. She was going to check and see if Harry was in his dormitory. She came to the seventh year's boy's dorm, and let herself in. He wasn't in there. She looked out the window and spotted two figures in the distance. One looked like Harry, the other like Malfoy. Ginny smiled to herself.

"Maybe he's teaching the git a lesson," she thought as she headed back down to join Ron and Hermione.

"Oi, turn it down a bit," Ginny giggled as Ron and Hermione broke apart at the sound of her voice. "I leave for two minutes and you can't keep your hands to yourselves? Come on Hermione, you're head girl!"

"Shut up Gin," Ron said, as he threw a pillow at her. "Harry up there?"

"No, he's outside. I don't know what he's doing, but I saw him out the window. I'm sure he'll be back in here sooner or later." She said as she sat down in front of the fireplace.

The three of them made small talk as they waited for Harry. When Ron thought Ginny wasn't paying attention, he'd lean over and kiss Hermione. Ginny sighed. She wished that she and Harry could be like that again. Now that the war was over, and she was his girlfriend again, she didn't understand why they couldn't be care free, and kiss in the rain, and be together, like her brother and best friend were.

Finally Harry came into the common room looking happy. When he saw his girlfriend and best friends sitting on the couch, he came and joined them

"Hey guys, what's up?" he asked.

"Hey Harry, nothing, you seem happier you okay?" Hermione asked concerned. She looked at Ginny who seemed to share her confusion.

"Yeah I'm great. I'm going to bed, night." Harry said, quickly dashing away before Ginny was able to tell him goodnight.

"I'll let you two alone, see you in the room Hermione," Ginny said in a small voice, looking somewhat disappointed. Hermione watched as her friend slowly disappeared up the stairs.