1Note: Remember to check out my other story at freewebs .com /rokerbaby93087 (without the spaces) and click on story in the left menu.

Warning: HBP spoilers. Not that any of you haven't read it, but just in case...

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Harry was in his office checking papers. He heard someone come in, but let it go. It's probably a house elf or something, he thought. He had so much work to do that he didn't even bother looking up.

Then he felt someone massaging his shoulders. He looked up. "Ginny? What're you doing here?"

"I came to make sure you're not dead yet. I haven't heard from you in a while."

"I've been really busy."

"I can see that." She pulled him away from the desk a bit and sat on his lap. "You need a break."

"Yes, yes I do. But I also have to do all this work."

She put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. He put his head down and kissed her neck. "That's more like it." She came up and kissed him, then went back to his shoulder.

She suddenly pulled herself up, looking a bit shocked. "What?" he asked.

"You've lost weight."

"Really?" Harry looked down at himself. He didn't think he had...

"Yes. I worked for years on that."

"Sorry."

"No you're not."She put her head back on his shoulder. Harry wrapped his arms around her as well. It felt nice to have her like this again. It had been a while.

"How's it going at home?"

"Same as it always is. Nothing much has changed." She looked up at him again. "You need some sleep."

"I need to finish this work."

"No, you need to sleep." She touched his face, running her thumb under his eye. "Do you know how horrible you look?"

"Thanks."

"You need some rest. Come on." She got off of him and pulled him towards his bed. He followed slowly. He fell into his bed and Ginny crawled in next to him. "I missed you."

"Obviously." They put their arms around each other. "I missed you too." Harry felt himself drifting off...

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James came into his dad's office slowly. It was late Friday night, and he had a quidditch match the next day, but he wanted to see more of the memories. There was someone at his desk, but not who James expected. "Mum?"

"Hello."

"What are you doing here?"

"Came to make sure your dad hasn't killed himself yet."

"Oh... where is he now?"

She nodded to the cupboard where the memories were. "He expected you'd be coming."

James went over there and looked in. His dad threw a bottle at his head. "Good thing you caught that. Go on then." James went over to the pensive.

"Why did you decide to show him?" Ginny asked Harry after James had gone into the memory.

"He wanted to know."

"Well, it's good. He should know. With all the rumors that are floating around..."

"I know. I thought it would die down a bit over the years, but obviously not."

"Nope. They'll never let you go. So... how far along is he?"

"Halfway through the year after Dumbledore died."

"Oh... then that's why you're not with him."

"Mmhm. If you would have come a few days earlier you could have seen that really good memory."

"The one that looks like this?" She came over and kissed him.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Darn me for waiting until the weekend. He's almost done watching them, then?"

"Yep. Soon he can leave me alone."

"You know he'll be pestering us until we die. All of them will."

"Nice thing to look forward to."

"That's the price for having children."

Harry went back to checking papers until James came out. He looked a tad upset. "Okay?" Harry asked him.

"Yeah. I - I think I've had enough for one night."

"Fine then. Give it here." James brought the bottle to him and left quickly.

"Traumatize him, why don't you," Ginny mumbled.

"Like I said, he wanted to know. He has to watch the rest of it now. There isn't much left."

"But, you know this isn't going to be easy to believe. All that happening to one person... it seems more like a story than a life."

"I know. I lived it. At least it is an interesting story." Ginny put her arms around him and pulled him up again. "What?"

"You need to rest more."

"I just got up."

"Well, you need to go back down."

"Gin -" He sighed and got up. "Fine."

"You need to come back home with me. You work too hard here."

"I didn't work at all at home."

"Exactly. But, you'll be back soon. Right after Christmas... Right?"

"...Right..." Harry said. He hadn't told her that he might have to come back after Christmas. The real professor had been missing for a month. They thought he might have been eaten by a plant or something. But they assured Harry that it wouldn't be much longer than a month afterward... "Right. At Christmas."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Because you sometimes do, when you don't want me to know something because you think I'll get mad." Harry looked away from her and sighed. "Harry?"

"They told me I might have to come back for a bit after Christmas. They lost the real professor."

She was quiet for a second. "Oh. How long is a bit?"

"I don't know. A month or so."

"Sure."

"Gin, what do you want me to do? Walk out?"

"No, you can't do that."

"Well, unless you can clone me..."

"I just don't know why you have to lie to me."

"I knew you'd get upset."

"I'm more upset that you had to lie."

"Sorry."

"You keep saying that..."

"I mean it this time."

"Alright." She hugged him. "I don't mind if you have to work. You started it, so now you have to finish it. And it is getting us more money." They were both quiet. "I should go, before McGonagall has a fit."

Harry walked her to the front entrance. He kissed her. "Be careful." She nodded and left.