It broke Rory's heart to say goodbye to Harry at the end of Summer. Knowing that he and the others were facing danger made it that much harder to watch him disappear through the fireplace in the inn's lobby.

They had grown so close in the time they spent together and neither of then realised how wonderful it was to be in love as they had become.

When they were gone, Rory noticed how quiet it was in her sleepy little town. She tried to find comfort in it but all did was make Rory miss him more than ever.

Adjusting into a muggle school was nearly impossible. The questions the other kids asked were nearly impossible and hiding her newfound magic abilities was even worse. Lane was amazing, helping Rory's secret remain that way and fobbing off the toughest of questions about why she had missed so much school.

"That's because she went away to school in England." Lane's answer was pretty true, but there was more to it than they would ever know or comprehend. Rumours went around the school that Rory was expelled. Others said Lorelei couldn't afford to pay her tuition. Rory felt more and more like a freak as the term progressed and thanked her lucky stars Lane was there or she would have felt completely alone.

Harry was true to his words when he said he would owl her regularly. Rory looked forward to his letters, but it wasn't the same as being at Hogwarts with him. He told Rory about the dementors that circled the school grounds, waiting for Black to inevitably show up there. He didn't tell her, however, that he had been knocked off of his broomstick by one, hundreds of feet above the earth. He had been paralysed with fear by the floating clones of darkness and its kiss was close to sucking the life out of him. As far as Harry was concerned Rory didn't need to know that. Instead he filed the parchment with loving words, telling her how much he missed her.

Instantly, Rory put quill to parchment in response.

Dear Harry,

You don't know how much it cheers me up to receive your letter and read you lovely words. I miss you too, more than you'll ever know. I'm counting down the days until its safe enough to return to Hogwarts and to you.

After she finished, she signed her name and attached the letter to Hedwig's leg. She barely had a moment to scratch the owl's soft feathery neck before he flew off back to England.

Each letter exchanged was a few days apart. Then a lengthy letter arrived.

In it, Harry explained that Sirius Black had indeed set out to find him, but not to kill him. In a strange twist of events, Harry had learned that Scabbers, Ron's rat was really Peter Pettigrew, the man who had blabbed the Potters' whereabouts to Voldemort and framed Sirius. Harry had learned that Black was in fact his godfather and his father's boyhood best friend. Harry wrote about how much he missed Rory . All Rory could do was cry tears of sadness for missing Harry and happiness that Harry finally had someone, an adult that would care for him.

It would be a long time before he could leave the Dursley household and live with Sirius as Harry explained in the letter, for the rest of the world thought he was guilty, but for Harry, Ron Hermione and Dumbledore. The rat, Wormtail as Pettigrew was called had escaped before Sirius' name could be cleared. Pettigrew was still at large so Sirius would have to remain in hiding.

Rory knew Harry would be bummed about it, so she suggested he come and stay with the Gilmores for the Summer.

Harry, happily accepted Rory's invitation and that summer, when Harry stepped through the fireplace, Rory flew into his arms. "You don't know how much I've missed you," she sobbed as he stroked her hair.

"I'm here, now, Rory. Don't cry," Harry whispered.

"He's right, you know," Lorelei, who was wiping tears out her own eyes, said. "He's here, now, Kid." She dabbed her eyes with a Kleenex and then immediately moved to take Harry's large trunk. "What do you have in here, everything you own?"

"Pretty much everything that's important to me," he answered, glancing nervously at Rory. "Almost everything. Here let me help you with that!" He exclaimed, picking up one end of it. They moved it into Rory's room and and set it down at the foot of her bed. She let her end go and groaned as she straighten up. Then she caught Harry's eye and smiled. "Welcome back, Harry." She left the room and they could hear Lorelei rustling around in the cupboard in the hall for extra bedding.

Rory took advantage of their moment alone to embrace. Their lips met and neither of them wanted this kiss to end. He brushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. Rory closed her eyes and enjoyed Harry's closeness and his touch, but it ended all to soon, yet just in time to not be caught by Lorelei.

Lorelei burst into the room with a pillow and linen to make up the the cot beside Rory's bed.

"We can do that, Mom." Rory said, taking the bedding from her mother.

"Okay, Sweetie, well I'm going to Luke's and then to run some errands." Lorelie kissed her daughter's head and then she was gone.

Rory busied herself making the bed up, while Harry assisted. When they were done, Harry sat on the cot, pulling Rory down beside him.

"You know, when I was face to face with the dementors, all I could think about was you. You're what got me through it, Rory." He was caressing her cheek with his thumb as he spoke and Rory sighed, happily.

"I hated not being there, Harry," Rorry whispered.

"I know."

Their lips met again and Harry's hands rested on her back, while Rory's arms were draped around his neck and shoulders. For the rest of the summer, Harry Potter was all Rory's.