Author's notes: I apologize for the long delay. Real Life has interfered greatly with my writing muse. Unfortunately, this portion of the story has not been beta-ed, so any and all reviews, good or bad are greatly appreciated. Just a few more chapters to go and this story will be wrapped up! Thanks for reading.

When Ginny returned home she was emotionally exhausted from the day's events. She wished fervently that there had been something more she could have done for Willow, aside from being there for her. Ginny knew that Willow was very appreciative that she and Demelza had visited her today, but she still left feeling helpless. She detested the fact that she would have to return to Hogwarts soon, and would be so far away. The only way she would be able to communicate with Willow would be by sending letters and at the moment Willow was in no state to answer them. Hopefully, as time went on she would emerge from the depression engulfing her.

Ginny stood in the lane, looking over the gate at The Burrow. It was eerily quiet, probably the quietest she had ever seen it. However, the whole summer had been this way thus far. After the funerals, Ron and Hermione had left to search for her parents in Australia, leaving Ginny and Harry home alone with her parents. Well, George was there as well, but unsurprisingly, he spent most of his time locked in his room. It was horribly depressing and Ginny felt selfish when she had moments where she silently wished her mother had allowed her and Harry to accompany Ron and Hermione. Unfortunately, her mother had put her foot down, saying Harry was free to do whatever he liked, but under no circumstances was she allowing Ginny to leave the country while still under-aged.

Ginny had to say she was getting very tired of her age being an issue and couldn't wait until her birthday in August, since then her mother would no longer be able to use it as an excuse. It would be interesting to see what her mum would come up with then, if anything.

She knew that Harry had hoped to go with Ron and Hermione for a couple of reasons, number one to aid his best friend, and number two to get away for a while. However, when her mother had vetoed that idea, he had dropped the notion, apologizing to both Ron and Hermione. Hermione had, of course, understood and told Harry so, but no doubt he still felt guilty about choosing to stay with Ginny over going with Hermione.

"Ginny?"

Turning around, Ginny saw Harry standing behind her in the lane and flung herself into his arms, nearly knocking him over with the force of her embrace.

"Harry," she breathed, clinging to him. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Me too," he said bemusedly, rubbing her back. "Are you all right, Ginny?"

"Yes, I'm sorry," Ginny said, stepping away from him. "I went and saw Willow today and I was just thinking about how lucky I am, and how badly I feel for her."

"So, er," Harry started, hesitantly. "She's not doing well."

"No, not really," Ginny answered honestly. "I think it did her some good having Demelza and me visit her, but I left feeling so helpless."

"I'm sorry, Gin," Harry said, guilt flashing in his eyes. "She's that bad off?'

"Well," Ginny began. "She's – she's, er, pregnant." She felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment at the admission.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise and all he managed to utter was "Oh." Ginny knew what he was thinking. No matter that Colin had grown up and had only been a year younger than Harry, Harry still thought of him as the little boy who had followed him around with a camera.

"I know," Ginny said. "I was kind of shocked at first when she told me, but they had been dating a long time, so maybe it's not so surprising?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed, suddenly finding the gate latch extremely fascinating to avoid looking at her. "Is she, er, is she going to be alright?"

"I hope so," Ginny replied. "Her mum will take good care of her. Anyway, are we going to stand in the lane all day or do you think maybe we should go in?"

Harry finally looked up at her, smiled slightly, and opened the gate for her. She reached over and took his hand, and started to walk down the garden path.

"Where did you go?" she asked.

Since his best friends had departed Harry hadn't left The Burrow except to accompany her to Colin's wake and the few times Kingsley had requested his presence at the Ministry for one thing or another. She knew there were many reasons for his seclusion, but the main one being he wasn't ready to face the Wizarding world as a whole. Not that she could blame him. The last time he had gone to the Ministry, Kingsley had personally escorted Harry back to The Burrow because someone had leaked that Harry was there and the entrance had been mobbed with witches and wizards wanting to see him. After that, he hadn't set foot outside the gate.

"To visit Luna," he replied.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Even after what her father did"

"He didn't do anything wrong," Harry remarked. "He was just trying to save Luna. I understand that, but he wasn't there anyway. Luna said he saw me coming up the lane and ran out the back door to the creek, saying he needed to catch some Freshwater Plimpies. Seems that's their go-to excuse when unexpected company arrives."

Ginny couldn't help but giggle. "He's scared of you?"

"Apparently so," Harry said, not finding the humour in it as she did.

"Oh, Harry, don't feel badly about it," she reassured. "I'm sure he's simply embarrassed about everything."

"I suppose," Harry said, but she could tell he was still troubled by the notion that anyone would be frightened of him.

"How's Luna?" Ginny asked.

"She's great," Harry said, brightening. "Did you know she's seeing Dean? She wouldn't stop talking about him."

"I assumed as much. They became close during the Final Battle. So, speaking of Hogwarts," Ginny said brightly to change the subject. "We should be receiving our letters any day now."

Harry gripped her hand tighter. "Er, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. Kingsley sent me a letter a few days ago..." He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a rumpled piece of parchment and handed it to her

Ginny looked the parchment over, saw the official seal of the Ministry and quickly scanned the letter. Kingsley was asking Harry to attend the Auror Academy in the fall. "But, you haven't finished school. You never took your NEWTs."

Harry nodded. "I know, but he's making an exception for any seventh year who fought in the battle, but wasn't able to finish. I mean, none of the seventh years took their NEWTs whether they were able to attend last year or not."

"So, you're telling me you aren't coming back to school after all?" Ginny asked disbelievingly.

"I can't, Ginny," Harry answered quietly. "I've thought about it quite a bit and I'm sorry, but I think my time at Hogwarts is past."

"We just got back together," Ginny replied, morosely. "And now you are telling me we are going to have to spend more time apart?" Could this day get any worse? First Willow and now Harry.

"Don't say it like that," Harry admonished. "It won't be like last time. You'll know exactly where I am. I'll come see you as often as I can and write every day."

"I want to see you every day," Ginny pouted, knowing she was being unreasonable, but not being able to stop herself. She and Harry had already spent nearly a year a part, she didn't think she could handle another one.

"You know I feel the same way," Harry replied sincerely.

"Oh, Harry," Ginny said sadly, but couldn't think of anything more to say.

Apparently, Harry didn't either and they continued on in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Ginny supposed it had been naïve of her to assume that Harry would be returning to complete his seventh year with her, but she had been dreaming of it all the same. The idea of being in the same classes as him, sitting next to each other, sharing nearly every hour together had slowly been filling her mind as the summer progressed and the new term crept closer. Now, in a moment those unspoken desires had been dashed to pieces, and she realized that they had been nothing more than silly daydreams.

They'd reach the back steps and Harry pulled her down on the top stoop next to him, placing his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him and sighed. He was silent a few moments longer before taking a deep breath and speaking again.

"I love you," he said softly. "I'll do anything for you. If you tell me this is a bad idea, I won't do it. I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, Ginny. If that means you need me to go back to Hogwarts, I'll do that."

Ginny sighed again, knowing she didn't have the right to ask him to attend Hogwarts, but wanting to all the same. She knew he wanted to be an Auror more than anything else in the world. She also knew he had wanted to go with Ron and Hermione to find Hermione's parents more than anything else in the world. However he had chosen to stay with Ginny instead because he loved her and knew they needed the time together more than Hermione needed him.

She had no doubt that he was telling her the truth; he would do anything for her, even go back to Hogwarts, and probably be satisfied with that. Spending the summer with her was one thing, but to force him to attend Hogwarts when she knew how much pain those walls held for him, well, that would be something else entirely, and it would be wrong.

"You know you won't write every day," Ginny finally said. "Once a week will suffice, and you have to come to every Hogsmeade visit."

"That's a given," Harry remarked. "In the meantime, we still have well over a month to spend together."

"As long as I can spend it with you," Ginny replied.

They spent the next couple of weeks flying on Fred and George's old Cleansweeps since neither of them had brooms of their own. When they weren't flying, they would sit in the garden or by the pond and talk about good times in the past or what the future might hold for them. Neither of them wanted to dwell on the war or the losses, but all the same, Ginny found herself crying on Harry's shoulder occasionally when thoughts of Fred or Colin overwhelmed her. He shared in her grief and she gladly returned the favor the times he became engulfed in remorse of his own.

Ron and Hermione had still not returned by Harry's birthday, but they sent him a boomerang that was more or less the Australian version of a Fanged Frisbee. When Harry threw it the first and only time it headed straight into an apple tree in the orchard and began eating all the budding apples in sight. When they tried to climb up to retrieve it; it snarled at them and threatened to bite their arms off. Eventually Harry resorted to using the Incarcerous Charm on it and yanked it out of the branches before it could bite through the ropes. Her father confiscated the errant boomerang and said he would take it to work to see if there was any way of taming it.

Professor McGonagall stopped by personally for a few moments and gave Harry Professor Dumbledore's perch he had used for Fawkes. She told him she was sure Dumbledore would want him to have it and Harry was very touched. She also handed Ginny her Hogwarts letter and expressed her regret that Harry would not be attending. When Ginny opened her letter, the golden Quidditch Captain's badge fell into her lap.

She was over the moon with the promotion and was even more thrilled that Harry appeared to be just as excited, telling her she deserved it. He even gave her his playbook, saying he wouldn't need it. After breakfast, she tucked it away in her trunk, wrapped in his Quidditch jersey along with his Captain's badge; both of which she planned on keeping until all that remained of them was a tattered rag and a tarnished bit of metal.

Later in the afternoon, when Harry and Ginny took a walk she gave him her present. It was a modified Remembrall that Fred and George had been working on. Instead of turning red if you had forgotten something, it would show you a picture of the person you love and miss. Ginny had added several pictures of herself as well as ones of all her family, and Hermione. When Harry opened it and held it in his hand, the white smoke cleared and a picture of Ginny flying on the Hogwarts pitch in her Quidditch uniform appeared, followed by a picture of Ron and Hermione.

"I suppose I'm going to miss seeing you play Quidditch just as much as I miss Ron and Hermione," Harry commented, turning the ball in his hand. "It's a great present, Ginny. Thanks."

She kissed him then and they spent the remainder of the afternoon by the pond not talking.

hghghghghghghghg ghghghghghghghgh

When Hermione and Ron returned from Australia, both of them had received letters from Kingsley as well, but Hermione decided she wanted to finish school properly. She had tried to talk Ron into going back to Hogwarts with her, but he, like Harry was ready to move on.

For Ginny's seventeenth birthday, her parents gave her a heavy golden locket that hung from a long gold chain. When Ginny opened it, she gasped to see rotating pictures of her family and friends.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, hugging her parents.

"My mother gave that to me on my seventeenth birthday," her mother explained. "It meant the world to me."

"It already does to me too, Mum," Ginny replied, taking one last look at the beautiful locket before placing it around her neck.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and George had all pitched in and given her the latest Nimbus, the Nimbus 2007. She had been left momentarily speechless by the gift, but had quickly overcome it to run outside and try out the new broom.

The rest of the summer had flown by literally and figuratively, and most of the remaining days were spent on the makeshift Quidditch pitch playing two-on-two Quidditch, just like the summer two years ago, although in many ways it felt like a lifetime ago. Ginny was glad to have had the added distraction of practicing Quidditch.

She finally heard from Willow again near the end of August. Her friend had written a brief letter informing Ginny she was doing better and had actually spent a few weeks with Dennis and his parents. They had been thrilled to find out Willow was expecting and her parents had invited them over for dinner before Dennis returned to Hogwarts. Ginny was relieved to hear her friend was at least surviving.

Harry had been right; it was different this time when she returned to Hogwarts. She wasn't going to say it wasn't difficult parting at King's Cross, but knowing that she could write to him whenever she wanted helped some. Regardless, Demelza had to grab her arm and drag her away from Harry, or they might still be standing on the platform kissing good-bye.

Hermione and Ron weren't much better. Hermione ran into a compartment and opened the window to lean out and wave good-bye. Ginny knew it had to be especially hard for her friend to be returning to school without either Ron or Harry since they had been together since the very beginning; just as Colin and Willow had been with Ginny. Ginny was having a hard time imagining what Hogwarts would be like without all of them, and thought it was probably best not to agonize over it too much.

Ginny joined Hermione as the train was pulling out of the station and didn't care if the two of them looked like idiots hanging out of the compartment window to have one last look at their boyfriends.

Demelza sat in a seat grumbling under her breath about how glad she was to not be attached to a boy if that was what you turned into. Ginny and Hermione flopped down into their seats only after Ron and Harry disappeared from sight. Ginny stared up at the ceiling, composing her face. She had promised herself she wasn't going to cry, but she couldn't help the slightly anxious feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach. Hermione had opened a book and was hiding her face behind it under the pretense of reading, but the occasional sniffle gave her away.

Luna joined them later and when the lunch trolley rolled by they all helped themselves to pumpkin pasties, chocolate frogs, as well as bottles of pumpkin juice. It felt extremely strange for everything to be so incredibly normal. Ginny couldn't remember a train ride like this one since her first year, but she quickly shoved that memory aside as it involved Fred and George teasing her and she didn't want to cry again.

Ripping her chocolate frog open she bit its head off before it could hop out of her hand, but nearly spat it back out when she caught a glimpse of the card she had received. Swallowing quickly, she dropped the remainder of the chocolate on the seat beside her, ignoring Demelza's yelps at how disgusting that was, and pulled the card out, staring at it. It was Harry.

"Merlin!" Demelza squeaked, stopping mid-rant when she saw the card. "Is that Harry?" Harry looked extremely embarrassed and immediately walked off the card.

"Demelza!" Ginny cried. "You scared him away!" She flipped the card over to read the back:

Harry Potter

aka "The Boy Who Lived" or "The Chosen One". Only known wizard to survive the Killing Curse twice, and especially known for his defeat of the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort (1998). Youngest competitor and winner of the Triwizard Tournament (1995), as well as youngest Quiddtich player in the last century, playing Seeker for Hogwarts Gryffindor House (1991).*

"He is going to detest this," Ginny remarked, handing the card to Hermione, who had looked up from the book she was actually reading when Demelza yelped.

"Quite honestly, I'm surprised it took them this long," Hermione commented after reading the back of the card, and starting to shake it, trying to draw Harry back out. Ginny snatched it back from her, glaring, and causing all her friends to snicker.

"It's not like that's actually Harry," Luna stated.

Ginny's cheeks flushed, startled at how sane Luna actually sounded compared to Ginny's actions, but she ignored them, tucking the card carefully in a book in her rucksack. After all, Harry was her boyfriend, and she had to look out for him, even if at the moment it was merely a Chocolate Frog card. Alright, that may be slightly irrational, but she missed him already. She peeked over at Hermione, who had returned to her book, but her eyes weren't moving and Ginny knew she wasn't really seeing the words on the page.

Sighing, she looked out the window at the passing scenery. As they drew closer to Hogsmeade, the strangeness of returning to Hogwarts intensified. It was like it was some bizarre dream. What would it look like? Had they been able to rebuild all the sections that had been damaged or would there still be piles of rubble scattered about? She hoped not. Ginny didn't think she'd be able to spend a minute there if that were the case.

Her father had said that the reconstruction team had ensured that all the dormitories that had been damaged had been repaired first, as well as the Great Hall, and then had focused on the remaining damage.

It was nearly dark when they arrived, and Ginny followed her three friends out of the compartment. It seemed she wasn't the only one who was apprehensive about returning. None of the students in the corridors were saying much, and those that were spoke in whispers.

Stepping onto the platform at Hogsmeade, Hagrid's warm and welcoming voice boomed over the shuffling students, and Ginny let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Hermione turned back to her and smiled. "I know," she said. "We should go say hello."

Ginny nodded, and she and Demelza followed Hermione as she pushed her way through the crowd to reach Hagrid.

"Hello, Hagrid!" Hermione called, waving her hands to gain his attention.

Hagrid turned from where he was gathering first years and beamed at the three girls. "Hermione, Ginny, and Demelza!" he called. "It's good ta see you three!"

"Hi, Hagrid," Ginny said.

He strode over to them and pulled them into a huge bear hug. His rough furred coat scratched at Ginny's cheeks, but she wouldn't have pushed away for the entire world.

"How ya been?" he asked them when he finally let them go.

"Good, Hagrid," Hermione replied, smiling up at him.

"Come ta visit me sometime after things settle down," he said.

"We will," Hermione answered. "We'll see you soon!"

They waved good-bye and headed to where the carriages waited to carry them up to the school, and Ginny gasped when she caught her first look at a Thestral. They were just as horrifying as she had imagined them being, but she instantly could see that they were truly gentle creatures. Hermione was staring in wide-eyed wonderment at them.

"Now we see what Harry and Luna always saw," she whispered.

Ginny glanced at her and remembered a long ago thoughtless statement Hermione had once made in Harry's presence about wishing she could see the Thestrals. Her friend now looked at the creatures with tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry, Hermione," Ginny said softly, touching her friend's elbow. "They're beautiful."

"I know," Hermione sniffed.

They climbed into the carriage and settled back into the cushions. The apprehension that had abated when Ginny heard Hagrid's voice was creeping back into her belly. One more hurtle to cross, seeing Hogwarts and then hopefully she would be able to rest easy. Hermione was leaning forward trying to catch a glimpse of the castle as the carriage ambled up the lane towards the school gate.

It crested a small rise in the lane and Hogwarts appeared before them. Its towers rose majestically towards the sky and every window was glowing with a warm, golden light. The Entrance Hall doors were flung open and Ginny could just make out figures standing in the entryway. It looked as if all the professors were waiting there to greet the new and returning students.

Nowhere did she see any signs that only a few months ago a fierce and final battle had been fought. All the piles of rubble had been removed, and to all outward appearances Hogwarts looked whole again.

Hermione wasn't even trying to hide her tears this time and was holding a handkerchief to her nose as she cried. Ginny took her free hand and squeezed it tightly.

The remainder of the evening flew by with the sorting of new students, and catching up with friends. Luna caused quite a stir when she decided to sit at the Gryffindor table with Dean, Ginny, Hermione, and Demelza. There were hushed whispers at first, but then other students from the other houses followed her lead and chose to sit with whomever they liked. Only the Slytherins refrained, and Ginny was happy to note that they received the fewest new students than any of the other houses, and overall their ranks were quite diminished.

Ginny, Hermione, and Demelza fell into bed that evening exhausted. The hardest part was over, and before she had arrived Ginny had thought for certain that she would have difficulty falling asleep, but she didn't even remember her head hitting the pillow.

The next morning at breakfast, Professor McGonagall passed out their schedules, and Ginny groaned when she saw how busy hers was and that she had to begin the day with Double Potions. She was bemoaning this fact to Hermione and Demelza, neither of whom was sympathetic since they were all in the same class, when the air around them filled with the usual flurry of owls.

The owls swooped all around the Great Hall bringing letters reminding students of things they may have forgotten or delivering actual items that had been left behind, as well as Daily Prophets. Hermione, of course, still subscribed to the paper and her daily edition was delivered by a large barn owl, which plunked it down next to her bowl of porridge and waited patiently while Hermione placed her Knuts in the small leather bag attached to his foot.

Ginny hadn't forgotten anything and wasn't expecting a delivery when Demelza gasped and pointed to a beautiful tawny owl with the blackest eyes Ginny had ever seen that dived down from the ceiling and landed next to Ginny's plate of toast. It thrust its leg out and looked at her expectantly.

Untying the parchment, Ginny's heart leapt when she saw Harry's handwriting. Breaking the seal, she unfolded the letter to find a short note:

Gin,

After you left yesterday, I went to Diagon Alley with Ron for lunch. I hadn't expected to buy anything, much less an owl, but as we were passing by Eeylop's this owl caught my eye. It was a tough decision to make, but I thought we could use one that would be reliable, so I bought it for us. She doesn't have a name yet, but you're good with coming up with creative ones, so I'll leave that task up to you.

Also, would you mind asking Hermione how to make a jealous Phoenix happy again? When I brought this owl home, Fawkes was none too pleased, so I told him the owl was for you.

Love always,

Harry

Ginny laid the parchment down and looked up, with stars in her eyes. "We're an 'us'."

"What?" Demelza asked, stroking the owl's downy feathers. "This owl is gorgeous. Have you seen its eyes?"

"He said we are an 'us'," Ginny repeated. "As in him and me; me and him. He bought the owl for us."

Hermione looked over at Ginny. "What did you think you were? You are seeing each other."

"Yes, but did you hear what I said?" Ginny asked. "He bought the owl for us and wants me to name it!"

"I don't know why you are so surprised!" Hermione huffed as if she were talking to a child.

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed. "This means he's serious!"

"Ginny, he came back from the dead and you are just now realizing that Harry is serious about you?" Hermione asked in astonishment.

"Well, when you put it that way," Ginny said grumpily, knowing that Hermione was just upset because Ron hadn't sent her anything for her first day back.

"What are you going to name it?" Demelza asked.

"Well, it's female, so…" Ginny said. "The last time I named an owl was Pigwidgeon, and Ron hated it." Ginny gave the tawny owl bits of her toast as she contemplated her. "She has very soulful eyes; I can see why Harry liked her. How about Alithea?"

The owl nipped affectionately at her fingers as Ginny fed her another bit of toast and Ginny took that to mean she was pleased with her new name. Stroking her feathers one last time, Ginny told her to find a roost in the owlry and she would visit her later. Alithea shook out her wings and sprung from the table, soaring out onto the grounds of Hogwarts.

As they were gathering up their books to attend their first class of the day, Ginny remembered Harry's other request.

"Oh by the way, Hermione," she said as they walked out of the Great Hall. "Harry said that Fawkes was very unhappy when he brought Alithea home. Do you have any ideas how to appease a disgruntled Phoenix?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I can find something in the library. Honestly though, he knows how to find a book just as well as I do."

Ginny smirked. Sure Harry knew how to look things up, but if he started doing that, Hermione wouldn't feel useful. Either way she would complain, but at least this way she would feel like he still needed her.

The first half of term went by much faster than Ginny had anticipated. Between her classes, already revising for NEWTs per Hermione's orders, Quidditch try-outs, and then Quidditch practices she barely had time to eat, let alone think.

She had been pleased with the turn-out for the Quidditch try-outs. In the end, she wound up with nearly all the same players from her fifth year. Dean and Demelza returned as Chasers, and she didn't find anyone better than Jimmie and Ritchie, as Beaters. The exceptions were the Keeper and Seeker, of course. A burly fifth year, named Kevin Koonce had come out of the woodwork to try-out for Keeper and he had proven to be quite adept at blocking all the Quaffles Dean and Demelza threw at him. The Seeker position had been more difficult to fill, but in the end, Ginny chose a mousy-headed second year named, Mary Roberts.

The first Hogsmeade visit was scheduled for Halloween, which happened to fall on a Saturday, so everyone was excited that following a day in the village, the Halloween feast would be served. Ginny and Hermione were doubly enthused because not only were they going to be able to spend the day with Ron and Harry, Professor McGonagall had opened up the feast to any student who wanted to invite family members. That meant, Harry and Ron would be staying for the feast and Ginny's and Hermoine's parents would be joining them as well.

It was turning out to be the most normal year Ginny had ever had at Hogwarts, and she couldn't complain – much. If Harry and Willow had been there it would have been nearly perfect.

TBC

*Abridged version of Harry's chocolate frog card in the Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets video game, written by JK Rowling.