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The chapter title is totally lame, but I'm stuck for a title – sorry

I don't own any of the characters or settings – I'm just playing in the universe created by the brilliant JKR!

Chapter 4 The Next Day continued

Mr. Weasley left the room moments behind Kingsley, muttering something Harry couldn't hear as he went upstairs. Mrs. Weasley looked between the trio squeezed on the sofa, Ginny and Mr. Weasley's retreating back. Not sure who needed her more at this moment, but knowing that her husband was alone and the others were together, she followed her husband up the stairs.

As soon as the door to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bedroom had closed, Ginny turned to Harry, her eyes flashing in anger, "What was that about Harry?" she shouted.

Harry looked at her, seeing the anger, the pain in her eyes "What…"

Ginny interrupted, "You won't tell us what you were doing. We spent the past year worrying every day – You don't know what it was like waiting here, waiting for someone to show up at the door, to hear that you were dead. Then, that moment, that awful moment, when Hagrid carried you out of the forest and we thought you were dead! Harry, I thought I was going to die seeing you in Hagrid's arms. Then, miracle of miracle, you were in the Great Hall, alive, protecting my mother, and battling Voldemort. And, you won – he's dead. You did it. You did what everyone hoped you would do. You were there as we started to clean up, but then, you just disappeared AGAIN! The three of you just left. DO you know how worried I was, how worried Mum and Dad were when suddenly they couldn't find you? What do you mean you can't tell us???? WHY? Why can't we know? Why won't you go to the funerals? Don't you care about what anyone else is going through?"

Ginny had started off softly, but by the end, she was shouting – everyone in the Burrow had heard her, Harry knew. He thought he heard doors opening upstairs, people coming down the stairs. He walked over in front of her and kneeled down in front of her, looking directly into her eyes. "Ginny, I DO care about you, about everyone in this family. I don't know what you went through last year, but I know it wasn't easy." Ginny's eyes remained locked on Harry's, still blazing, and still full of anger and pain as Harry continued. "Ginny, I want to go to Fred's funeral, and Remus, Tonks, Colin, Professor Snape's and those I knew. I just don't think I can be the person everyone wants me to be. I can't go to all those funerals – people I don't even know. Ginny, I want to be here, with my family, with Teddy, NOT out with a bunch of people who want me there because I'm some hero, because I'm not a hero."

Harry took a deep breath, not sure what else to say. He knew she was hurting, they all were. He didn't know what to do to make it easier for her, and her eyes were still blazing in anger. He couldn't remember ever seeing that much anger in her eyes before. "What about telling us what you were doing the past year? What was so important that you had to leave for a year? It's over now, you can tell us? Or don't you trust us?"

"Ginny, I trust you completely," Harry replied. "What we did this past year, some of it was so terrible, I want to forget most of it, but I know I won't. We will tell you and our family what we did, just not right now. Give us a couple of days, some time to process it all. We will answer your questions, but not today."

"Harry's right," Ron said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him, for the whole family had returned to the living room. Harry kept his eyes locked on Ginny's. "Ginny, what we went through will give me nightmares for the rest of my life. I know it will Harry and Hermione as well. We need time to stop sleeping with our wands in our hands, to stop jumping at every noise."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement. "Remus told us that he thought we would be facing magic that none of us had encountered or imagined before. And he was right. We saw things that I could not have imagined in my worst nightmare. I don't think any of us could have imagined most of what we encountered." Harry grimaced slightly at Hermione's words, remembering. Hermione continued, "Even though I felt safe being back here last night, I couldn't get to sleep without my wand in my hand. Ginny, when you left the room last night, I didn't hear you – but when you came back, I heard the door opening and I almost cursed you. Before I can talk about what happened, I need to feel safe again. I need to know that I'm not going to turn around and curse someone I care about because they walked into a room." Ron pulled Hermione into a hug.

"I'm sorry for what all of you went through this year," Harry told everyone. "I can't imagine what it was like for you, worrying and not knowing, not being able to go to work. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I would give anything to keep you from being hurt. I wish I could take it all away, but I can't."

Bill spoke next, "You didn't hurt us Harry. None of this is your fault, so don't think that. We don't blame you. I know this past year wasn't easy for the three of you, either. We do want to know what happened, but we can wait until you're ready to talk about it. We are just glad that all three of you are safe."

Ginny was still staring at Harry, her eyes still glaring. "Is that OK with you, Ginny," Harry asked hesitantly. "Give us a little while?"

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she answered.

Not the Harry – Ginny you thought it would be, but bear with me