A/N: Sorry I haven't updated for a couple days- but I'm back! Who's seen the last HP movie? I'm not seeing it until the 22nd. :/. And more sad news- this story will be completed by the 28th. It's been so fun to write this one...I just hope you guys don't hate me as the end approaches...for a few reasons. I was thinking anyway- how cool would it be- if someone was a youtube vidder and made a trailer for my story? That'd be wicked awesome...I'd love that person forever...A little side note- Pansy is pretty much out this story, so don't worry about her :). And I've been listening to my Ipod a lot lately, and I've realized that not only is the Story of Us a great song for Dranise...but so is Into Your Arms (The Maine), The One that Got Away, and Thinking of You (Katy Perry) Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. And don't forget to REVIEW! (And sub, and alert and fav! ;))

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"Ginny, they're here!" I cried with joy, and we, along with Mrs. Weasley, rushed out of the Burrow onto the back lawn where Harry and Hagrid were standing.

"You are the real Harry, right?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

He nodded and I threw my arms around him. "Harry, I'm so glad you made it!" I smiled, pulling away. Ginny had turned her back to us.

I had come to the Burrow three days ago and before I left home, I visited Cedric's grave again, scared it could be my last visit.

I just spoke to the headstone like it was him, and spoke of everything new and exciting, to the boring and dull. But when I reached the subject of Draco, I clammed up. I couldn't tell even Cedric that stuff- all the horrific things that had happened only a month ago.

I choked, my exact words being, "Yeah…And then there's so much going on with Draco, a lot of stuff you wouldn't believe…"

I took a deep breath and was back beside Harry and Ginny, listening to Harry explain how the Death Eaters and Voldemort had been waiting for them…and that Hedwig was a casualty of the fight.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Ron and Tonks, Mr. Weasley and Fred- had missed their port keys.

Pitch jumped into my lap and curled up on my lap, purring soundly. My little Jessie, my Pitch. I didn't know how to talk, Hedwig, the beautiful owl I'd come to adore was dead…I never had an owl- just my cat. Cedric had the owl…I just prayed no one else got hurt this night.

Then Lupin and George appeared, but George's face was covered in blood.

Thankful it wasn't Fred injured, but also scared for George, I ran and opened the door for everyone to get through.

After he was laid on the sofa, we gasped. His ear was gone. Cursed off.

And after Lupin went berserk for a minute, checking to see if Harry was really Harry, I grimaced. I was so stupid! I could've checked! There were things only Harry knew about, things only we had done, without Hermione or Ron. Then, when everyone talked about the whole issue of the escape- how the Death Eaters knew, my stomach plummeted. Someone had not only ratted us out; betrayed us…but Draco was a Death Eater. What if he had been in that battle? What if he had gotten hurt?

George's ear had been lost forever, but at least it wasn't his life.

"Did I just hear someone else in the yard?" Ginny asked. And to answer her question, Kingsley and Hermione walked in. Then Fred and Mr. Weasley. The two Weasley's were pale, but unharmed.

"Oh thank goodness!" Mrs. Weasley ran to her husband, as I did to Fred.

"Fred. Oh, Fred." I said with a huge relief in my voice, getting emotional, and I hugged my ex-boyfriend tightly, wrapping my arms around him a scared embrace.

Fred said nothing but he pet my hair, stroking for a good few seconds, looking over me to gape at his twin.

I let go and motioned for him to move forward and he rushed to his brother.

Two bad jokes from George, the return of everyone else, and one realization of Mad-Eye's death later, while we were all sipping our firewhisky's with tears tracking down our cheeks I quietly got up and went upstairs to Ginny's room- since I was rooming with her. I went over to the window and crossed my arms over my chest, looking out onto the darkened horizon. The only light was the moonlight, and it illuminated the room.

I heard Ginny excuse herself, and her footsteps on the steps. She swung into the room.

"'Nise…" she started. I turned away, to have my entire back facing her. "Dee…you need to stop this." She out a soft hand on my shoulder and I shook it off. She sighed. "Denise, you need to stop hurting yourself over him. Last month, maybe he lied, maybe he was punished…" she trailed off for a second. I knew what she meant. Maybe he was dead, and that's why he hadn't come to find me yet, like he'd promised by the gates last month, or maybe he was just in huge trouble, and it was unsafe for him to get me, or he couldn't get to me. "And tonight, that wasn't your fault. You don't know if he was there or not. You don't know if helped kill Mad-Eye or curse George…you don't know if he was still alive, that he could've died tonight…you need to think realistically-"

"You think I don't know any of this!" I practically shouted, spinning around on her. "I know he could be dead! I know he might've lied! I hate how everyone is assuming things about him and me. You're all thinking that it'd be better for me if he was dead! Just so he couldn't hurt me anymore? I love him! And I know he loves me! Unlike you and Harry." I spat. "He'll come." I turned back to the window and lowered my voice to a dreamy, yet sad and desperate tone. "He has to."

Ginny backed away, obviously upset. "Denise- you don't mean that. I know you're upset about Draco, but Harry and I are totally different from your kind of relationship with Draco."

I laughed, crazed. "You mean the levels of love? Last time I checked, Harry and you were broken up- because he wanted to "protect" you."

"Dee, you're not in a much better place! At least Harry is here, and he's safe! At least he's not evil! At least he's honest! At least he's near me! At least I know where we stand right now! Unlike you and Draco! How can you be so sure he's even alive, much less that you're together?"

I let out a shaky breath. She was right. Draco was not here. Harry was. She could rest easier knowing the man she loved was okay, just a few steps away. But I never slept well- worrying of the images that'd cloud my mind, as my subconscious played every little clip of the terrors I tried so hard to deny happening.

Ginny's eyes widened, obviously surprised at herself. "No, Denise, 'Nise…I didn't mean that. I just…" She came around to face me.

I looked at her for a second, then I shook, even my hand that I raised up to my mouth to stifle my sobs was rattling. Wet, salty tears hit my hand and I collapsed into Ginny. She held me up and rubbed my back.

"But you're right! He could be…he could…I don't know how he is…I miss him so much! And…and I…"

"It's okay. I get it." She brought me to her bed and put me on it and kissed my forehead. "I'll be right back."

She left, and I shuddered on the bed, my gray eyes letting tears leak onto Ginny's pillow. I looked still out of the window from where I lay, and then I heard two pairs…then three…then four….then five pairs of footsteps coming up the stairs. Ginny and Fred were the first ones to come in.

Fred sighed. "Dee…"He came over and pulled a chair next to bed and looked straight at me. He blocked my view of the window, and I looked up at him for one instant, then shifted my gaze to the bed sheets.

Then Harry and Hermione burst in.

Hermione crawled onto the bed and lounged on the bed, beside me. She stroked my hair and then Ginny sat on the remaining space left on her bed.

Ron and Harry came closer to the foot of the bed and they all watched sadly, then came to soothe me.

Being surrounded by my best friends was not even a comfort, just a distraction.