CHAPTER 2

The next morning when Harry came outside he was vaguely disappointed that Ginny wasn't there. A small part of him had really hoped that she would meet him and they could watch the sunrise together. Harry frowned, he hadn't seen much of her the previous day and she had missed their trip to the village, she had said she was looking forward to that trip. Bill and Charlie had left earlier that day and had disapparated at about twelve before Ron, Hermione, Harry, Percy and George had headed off.

Harry felt a little strange going without Ginny, but Ron had gone up to ask and came down saying that Ginny didn't feel up to the trip.

When they got back Ron and Hermione walked off for some alone time, George disappeared to the flat above his joke shop in Diagon Alley and Percy secluded himself in his bedroom. Harry had passed Ginny's bedroom on the way to his and had considered knocking but had caught a faint snuffling sound like crying and thought better of it. Ginny was a fiercely independent witch who hated being coddled. Even later at supper, she was hardly her talkative self and Harry didn't know what to do, even the normally omniscient Mrs. Weasley had seemed to be at a loss to help.

He was therefore surprised a few minutes later when the door suddenly opened and a small female body with flaming hair sat down next to him. He looked at Ginny and could see that she was still upset. Deciding caution was the better part of valour; Harry said nothing and instead conjured a blanket for Ginny to wrap herself in and a steaming mug of Hot Chocolate.

She sipped the Hot Chocolate before obviously deciding it was too hot and blowing on it. Harry couldn't help but give a snort of laughter, but stifled it as she glanced at him warningly. Harry braced himself for the inevitable until he saw that she wasn't going for her wand. He relaxed again. She was not going to hex him, but it did not seem like she was interested in talking. She just seemed too wound up, too unlike Ginny. He only hoped she stayed longer this time.

Harry was over the moon. Not only did Ginny stay the entire time, she had even leaned against him unconsciously after finishing her Hot Chocolate and they watched the sunrise together. He was careful; he couldn't let her know how that simple act affected him. He sat really still and missed most of the sunrise because he could smell her hair. To his surprise, he smelled a fragrance that he dimly remembered smelling in Slughorn's dungeon in sixth year. Harry turned an intense red when he realized which potion had emitted a particular blend of treacle tart, the woody smell of a broomstick handle and the flowery fragrance that was now working its way through his brain.

Amortentia!

He remembered vaguely something about the powerful love potion smelling differently to everyone according to what attracted them! This really was going to be difficult.

He was disappointed when she finally got up and went back inside although he could hear Mrs. Weasley stirring upstairs and he did not want to get caught cuddling with the Weasleys' only daughter on the front step. When the door closed, he slowly let out a breath that he hadn't realised he was holding and smiled, getting up to follow Ginny in. It was going to be ok.

Looking back, Harry thought he should have known better. She had been slightly more like Ginny throughout Tuesday, even playing a quick game of quidditch with George, Ron and Harry that she and Harry won hands down. They had an enjoyable lunch in the kitchen and if Ginny wasn't quite as animated as usual, it was still better than Monday.

Ginny hadn't come out on Wednesday morning and Harry assumed that she was catching up on some rest now that whatever was bothering seemed to have resolved itself. She showed up halfway through breakfast, ate and helped Mrs. Weasley and Hermione with the chores. He and Ron were sent out to de-gnome the garden while George managed to weasel his way out by saying he was needed at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes for stocktaking.

"Liar!" snorted Ron as George disapparated from outside the family's wards. "He told me yesterday he's meeting Angelina for lunch. And that's not for two hours yet."

Admittedly that's how long it took for the two of them to get rid of the gnomes, for they seemed to have multiplied over the time between de-gnoming's and Harry was glad when they finally caught the last stubborn gnome ("Gerroff Me!") and sent it sailing 40 yards over the hedge.

At about one o' clock, an unfamiliar owl showed up for Ginny. Harry was surreptitiously watching her from the corner of his eye – trying desperately to seem as though he wasn't watching her – as she read the letter when he saw her face drop. Suddenly there seemed to be no expression as she crumpled it up and dashed upstairs.

Harry looked at Ron in confusion and Ron just shrugged back, clearly as mystified as Harry.

"What do you suppose that was all about, mate?" he whispered to Harry. Harry couldn't answer. He felt a bit helpless and confused, not that he would tell Ron that.

"No idea," he said. "Looks serious though."

"Maybe Hermione can find out…?" Ron tailed off as Hermione came into the room.

"Find out what?" she asked brightly.

"Ginny just got a letter and took off upstairs. She looked upset."

Ron's protective streak was kicking in. Hermione looked over at the owl, which was drinking some water before leaving.

"Oh," Hermione was saying before Harry's brain had caught up with the conversation. "That's Luna's owl. Her father bought him after that night at the Ministry."

There was no need to ask to which night she was referring. Harry and his friends had broken into the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic to try to save Sirius from Lord Voldemort. It had been a trap and they had to fight off a number of Death Eaters before the Order of the Phoenix had shown up.

Hermione continued, "He's awfully smart for an owl. He's been here a few times this summer for Luna. She says he's part owl, part bearded Dren-finch. I looked it up and there's no such thing. I sent her a letter back with him once telling her what I found, but she said that Tomeworms probably ate the Dren-finch page in my book. She said they like to eat pages where you've read a passage and then need to find that passage again quickly."

Ron choked on his juice at that and required several well aimed thumps on the back before he was able to wipe away his tears and stop laughing. Harry exchanged a glance with him. Luna's oddities were well known; in fact, she and her father regularly went on expeditions to find something called the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Hermione, again, was adamant that the animal did not exist. Harry tried to be sympathetic to Hermione, but as always, he found Luna and her creatures highly entertaining. Hermione only looked frustrated at Luna's unwillingness to look facts in the face.

Before he knew it Harry found himself drawn back to the topic of Ginny and asked, "But why would a letter from Luna upset Ginny like that? Luna may be slightly crazy but she's a really good friend. Is there anything we can do to help?"

Hermione gave him an odd look, as if she was putting together a rather difficult jigsaw puzzle. She was about to reply when Ron spoke up,

"Nah, best thing with Ginny is to let her be. This is girl stuff, mate, we'll only get hexed an' I'm not that keen to have bats flying out my nose thanks."

"Maybe she'll be glad that someone cares enough to try and find out why she's upset?" Hermione said haughtily. "She doesn't always hex people, Ronald."

"She might turn you into a Dren-finch, Ron," Harry chipped in. Hermione laughed and added, "Or a donkey."

"She wouldn't, would she?" Ron asked anxiously looking at both of them.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Ginny's temper was well known and feared – for good reason.

"She would," they said together.

Harry and Hermione laughed and Ron muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "I'd rather you than me" under his breath. Hermione was still laughing as she left the kitchen.

"I'd rather you than me." That seemingly throwaway comment floated around in Harry's mind all day. Actually, Harry would rather it was him. At least if Ginny got angry with him she would be back to normal and not depressed. Harry had laughed when Hermione told him he had a 'saving people' thing. Maybe she was right, he thought. He needed a plan, something subtle.