Chapter 6 – A Departure.

Harry walked into the small, bright kitchen of the Burrow. Sat at the table was Ginny, wrapped in a yellow dressing gown with her head resting in her hand.

"Morning, sunshine!" he said brightly, and she flinched at the sudden noise.

"Sshh!" she said, tapping her head. "Headache!"

Harry laughed, "Hangover, more like!"

He looked at the sorry figure at the table. She was pale and sleepy, with dark circles under her eyes.

"'Hangover' doesn't even begin to describe this! Urgh!" she grimaced.

"You enjoyed your party, then?"

She looked up, blearily. "Apparently. I don't remember much after Mum and Dad went to bed."

"Oh-ho! Well, in which case, you missed some of the highlights! Let me fill you in!" He sat next to her, passing her a mug of tea. "After a few shots of Firewhisky, Hermione decided to dance for Ron, and the rest of us! Let's just say the memory of it will make her, and me, blush for the foreseeable future!"

"She didn't!"

"Yup – seems bookish little Hermione has a right little minx inside her and we unleashed it last night!"

Ginny giggled delightedly. "I can't believe I can't remember that! What else?"

"Ron had a little… accident. He decided to go for a pee in the bushes, as the bathroom was too far away in his inebriated state. But he lost his balance, and fell into the nettle patch by the fence, stinging some rather delicate body parts in the process!"

The tea that Ginny had been sipping snorted out of her nose. "You're kidding!"

"I only wish I was – I was the one who had to and pick him up!"

"Oh, Merlin!... Tell me I didn't do anything as mortifying as that…"

He grinned at her. "No, nothing quite like that! You DID tell Fleur that you loved her, even though, and I quote, she's hoity-toity and stuck up! And to hammer the point home, you did a wicked impression of her!"

She gasped, her hand over her mouth.

"Don't worry, she saw the funny side of it!"

Ginny just shook her head in horror.

"And I did have to give you a fireman's lift to bed. But other than that, you were the model of good behaviour and restraint!"

She buried her head in her arms and groaned. "I am so sorry! Why didn't you use magic instead of carrying me? I must've weighed a ton!"

"I would've liked to, but you were using my wand and yours as drumsticks on my back whilst singing the entire back catalogue of Weird Sisters singles at the time."

"Oh, kill me, kill me now. I am so, so sorry!"

He laughed at her embarrassment. "Don't worry about it – you only come of age once. Besides, I think it did us all some good to let our hair down. By the way, did you like the birthday present I got you?"

Her face lit up with a quick enthusiasm. "It's brilliant, Harry – thank you so much! I've never had my own broom before. And the StarClimber is the best on the market – you shouldn't have spent so much on me! I'm going to out on it as soon as I've stopped feeling like I'm going to die!"

He smiled and glowed inwardly at her evident pleasure. "Gryffindor's star chaser needs a good broom! I got one for myself at the same time – Which Broom? Gave it a five star rating and it comes with a six-month warranty. I was hoping you'd like it."

"I love it. Thank you. What about you? Did you like your gifts?"

Harry's birthday had been several days before Ginny's, and the Weasley family had presented him with a beautiful tawny owl as a present.

"Mercury? He's great – it was a really thoughtful present. I don't think I could've bought another owl myself, not after losing Hedwig. When I was at the Dursleys, she was the only thing I had that linked me to the magical world. She was the only friend I had, at times. It was horrible, losing her. But it's really nice to have an owl again."

She smiled with sympathy, and said, "What about the one I gave you?"

She'd given him a silver-framed photo of the two of them after a Quidditch practice. It showed them laughing uproariously, Harry with his glasses splattered with mud and Ginny with her hair wild in the wind.

"I love it! Thank you. And I think it's about time I started collecting some happy memories like that one."

"That's exactly what I thought. To tell you the truth, that picture used to be mine."

He raised his eyebrows at her questioningly.

"Lat year, when you were off doing all that saving-the-world stuff, I kept it by my bed to keep me company. Of course, I enchanted it to make it look like a picture of my family to everyone but me. The Carrows would have loved some more ammunition to get at me. But in a way, that just sort of made it more special to me…" She looked away, shyly. "I used to stare at it and wonder where you were, and if you were safe. It made me feel closer to you. But I don't need it anymore, do I? You're here. So I thought maybe you'd like it." She sipped her tea quietly, her face slightly flushed at the admission, and looked at him from under her lashes.

"I used to do something similar," he admitted. "I used to get my Marauders Map out at night, when I couldn't sleep or if it was my turn on guard duty, and watch your dot for a while. Once I could see you were in your dorm, I'd feel… calmer. I used to wonder if you could feel me watching you…"

"Really? You used to think about me?" She looked at him, wide-eyed.

"Of course I did! I missed you! I really missed you, Gin."

They looked at each other, almost smiling, savouring the moment. All those nights when he'd laid awake, thinking about her and worrying about her, she'd been doing the same thing. It hadn't mattered how far apart they'd been, they'd been connected, somehow. A tingling warmth spread through him at the thought of it.

Feeling braver, he leaned closer to her and whispered, "Can I tell you a secret?"

She nodded, and leaned towards him, conspiratorially.

"I think I liked last year's present better…"

Her mouth opened in surprise, before a mischievous look settled on her face.

"Can I tell YOU a secret?" she asked.

Harry nodded, not taking his eyes off her.

She leaned closer and murmured, "I preferred giving last year's, as well."

They were so close.

Harry swallowed, and his heart pounded in anticipation, the blood rushing in his ears.

Her face was so close to his, he could feel her soft breath on his lips. He inhaled the scent of toothpaste and flowers, and felt his own breath catch is his lungs.

Ginny inched closer to him, angling her face so that her lips were barely separated from his. He saw her eyelids flutter closed and her tongue dart out over her lips.

He was so, so close… so agonizingly, deliciously close to kissing her…

H felt his eyes close and leaned in just a fraction when-

CLATTER THUMP CLATTER THUMP CLATTER THUMP!

Ron swung open the kitchen door, having bounded down the stairs. The pair sprang apart violently at the sudden noise, knocking over Ginny's mug in the process. Harry dived across the room to reach a tea-towel, and the two of them engrossed themselves in the task of mopping up the luke-warm tea.

"How's the hangover this morning, squirt?" he asked over his shoulder whilst inspecting the contents of the fridge.

"Fine!" She glared at him, muttering, "Yet again, perfect bloody timing, Ronald…"

"Hmm? Sorry, what was that?" He turned to look at them.

She smiled sweetly at him. "I was just wondering how your nettle rash was this morning… You know," she said, lowering her voice, "…on your 'bits'?" She burst into laughter as he choked on a mouthful of sausage.

Ah, yes, thought Harry, revenge is sweet! He caught Ginny's eye and grinned.

They would finish this conversation later.

However, the day had different plans for them.

The next time he saw Ginny, she was dressed and looking considerably less hungover. The colour had returned to her cheeks and her eyes sparkled. Harry found himself wondering when the last time was he'd seen her look so… alive.

He walked into the kitchen and saw her sitting with Mrs. Weasley.

"Wow, you look much better!"

"Thanks," she said. "George gave me some of his homemade hangover potion and I rejoined the land of the living in no time!"

Mrs. Weasley eyed her suspiciously. "If it had been up to me, you'd have had none and been left to suffer to teach you a lesson!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and a voice said, "Now, now, mother! Don't you come over all innocent!" George appeared at the door carrying a large bag and his jacket. "If I remember correctly, you had a rather hefty nip of that potion the morning after Auntie Muriel's hundredth birthday party!"

Mrs. Weasley's face coloured as she said, "I certainly don't remember that!"

George smirked, "Story has it you don't remember a lot of that party! Wasn't it you who suggested the skinny dipping?"

He managed to duck just in time as his puce-faced mother aimed a playful cuff in his direction, whilst Harry and Ginny roared with laughter.

George leaned sown and ruffles Ginny's hair, much to her annoyance. "Right then, you, are you going to give your big brother a goodbye hug?"

"You're off, then?" She stood and embraced him warmly. She buried her head in his shoulder, sniffing, "Good riddance, as well."

As she pulled away, Harry could see that despite her joking, Ginny was finding it hard to say goodbye. Her eyes had filled with tears and her smile was sad.

Mrs. Weasley picked some imaginary fluff off his t-shirt and said, "George, are you sure you want to go just yet? You know you're more than welcome to stay as long as you like. It is your home, after all." Her expression of annoyance had morphed into one of concern as soon as she realized George's departure was imminent.

"Oh, Mum, we've been through this – the shop needs me. I've been away for far too long as it is. And, if I'm honest, I need the shop! I'm going to need to get back into a routine at some point."

Mrs. Weasley gave him a watery smile.

"Besides," he said, "it'll be no fun here once this lot go back to school! Who will I have to torment?"

Harry stood and offered his hand to George.

"What?!" cried George, aghast. "Behave, you! Give me a hug!" He pulled Harry into a bear-hug, whispering into Harry's ear so that no-one else could hear, "Look after them for me, eh?"

Harry nodded, almost imperceptibly, and after a couple of seconds of back-slapping and throat-clearing, they released one another.

George quickly placed a kiss on Molly's tear-moistened cheek, saying, "Right, I think that's all my goodbyes said – I caught the others earlier."

He stepped into the kitchen fireplace, taking a handful of Floo powder.

"Oh, and if you get a chance, send me a Hogwarts bog brush! It'll go well with all the toilet seats we knicked over the years!"

He gave them a quick wink before stating his destination and disappearing in a flash of green.

Soot scattered all over the kitchen floor, and Ginny and Mrs. Weasley immediately sank to their knees in an effort to tidy up the mess.

"I'll do it, Mum."

"No, no, let me," Mrs. Weasley said, trying to extract her wand and wipe away her tears at the same time, all but pushing her daughter out of the way.

Ginny sank back on her heels, saying, "Okay. I tell you what, I'll go and peel some potatoes ready for dinner, shall I?"

They stood simultaneously.

"No, Ginny, I'll do it."

"It's fine, I don't mind…" Ginny said, taking a bag of potatoes from the kitchen worktop and opening it.

"Ginevra, will you just leave it! Please!" Molly snapped, snatching it back and thumping it on the table. "I may be losing children left, right and centre but please, at least allow the courtesy of looking after the ones I have left!"

Ginny recoiled, visibly stung by her mother's sharp tone.

Mrs. Weasley stood at the sink, her back to them, resting her weight on her hands. She heaved a great sigh before looking up and turning to them.

"I'm sorry, dear." She tried to smile at them. "I know you were only trying to help. Why don't you and Harry go outside? It's a lovely day, still. Go on, I'll take care of this."

She gave Ginny's arm a pat and turned her face away.

"Okay," Ginny nodded, and they walked out into the sunshine.

Neither said anything until they reached their tree and sat on the grass.

"She didn't mean to be short with you," Harry said gently.

Ginny didn't answer for a second. "I know. She finds it hard when she hasn't got people to fuss over – it's her way of coping with things. It's difficult to know what to do to make things easier for her."

He looked at her face, etched with worry, that had been so alive only a matter of minutes ago.

He nudged her playfully. "What about you? How are you doing?"

She looked at him openly, as if debating whether to tell him the truth.

"Honestly? I'm tired. And I'm sick, I'm sick at heart. I can't bear to see them grieving like this. Part of me wants to run away and escape it all, but at the same time, I'm not sure how I could stand to leave. Do you understand that? Needing to go and needing to stay at the same time?"

Harry's heart ached for her. He'd spent so long wishing he could escape his life and the inevitable destiny that seemed to dog his every step, praying that he would be brave enough to face it when the time came. He knew how it felt to be torn between – how was it Dumbledore described it? What was right and what was easy. He felt every ounce of her turmoil, but at the same time he knew that she, like him, would always do what was right, no matter how difficult that was.

She continued, "I feel hurt, and disappointed that we didn't get the happy ending to all of this that we deserved. And I'm confused, because I can't think of the future without being terrified, just when I ought to be looking forward to it. But above everything else – I feel guilty. Because when it comes down to it, I've got no right to have any of these feelings. I have no right to complain when so may have sacrificed so much. It isn't fair."

She pushed her red hair back from her face and expelled a sigh of frustration.

Instinctively, Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She rested her head against his shoulder and he breathed in the scent of her.

He felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude – gratitude that she was there, in his arms, that he could be there for her and comfort her

"Bet you wish you hadn't asked, now," she muttered.

"Of course not," he replied softly. "I'm just glad you can tell me."

He leaned his head against hers, and together they watched the sun's descent below the horizon.