Author's Note: For this story, I have made it so the Dursleys are more abusive than they were in the books. Rowling had even said there would have been physical abuse, but she had to cut it to make sure it stayed a children's book. I will be staying with largely canon pairings and many things from the books. Yes I like vanilla ice cream and white bread, why do you ask?

I do not own the characters of the rights to Harry Potter, sadly

All was quiet in the West Tower, seeing as most of Hogwarts was either celebrating their new champion, or sleeping after the events of Halloween. But tucked away in a corner of the tower was a 14 year old, raven-haired boy. Harry Potter was hiding from pretty much anyone: Hufflepuffs because they believed he usurped their moment in the glory, Ravenclaws and Slytherins believed that he had put his name in the goblet, just to get a bit more fame. He was hiding from his fellow Gryffindors because they were celebrating his breaking of Dumbledore's age-line, and currently were having a massive party in the Common Room. Somehow he managed to slip away and come up to the tower. This had been one of his spots he'd go when Ron and Hermione were in the middle of one of their famous fights. He was hiding from Ron now because Ron hated him and he was hiding from Hermione because she just wasn't that good at helping with this sort of thing - a byproduct of being a bookworm during her early life. However, little did Harry know that he was being watched by someone.

She'd followed him discreetly after he slipped out of the Gryffindor Common Room. She assumed that Harry was too deep in his own thoughts to notice her following him, corridor after corridor, staircase after staircase. During the previous year, she'd gotten good at just slipping around unnoticed by anyone. Though- she did have a suspicion where he was going to go, she'd also visited there a couple times during the previous year. She could tell he wasn't crying, but something was definitely bothering him. She guessed her git of a brother must've said something to him. She never knew what went through his head sometimes. She knew he needed someone to be there to give him comfort, but she wasn't sure if she was the one to do it. So she kept her distance, watching from the shadows.

'Of Course it had to be me! I just wanted to have a quiet year this year.' Harry thought, shaking his head. 'Now my best friend hates me. Why can he not get it through his thick head that he didn't want this.' He burrowed his head into his knees and just took in the crisp October air. He wished that the events of last year had gone differently, he might have been living with someone who actually cared about him, beyond some protection from him just being there. 'Ha!' he thought, between the dream he'd had during the summer, in addition to now being forced to compete in the Tri-Wizard, now Quad-Wizard tournament, 'Maybe one of Trelawney's predictions from last year will come true! Though she did have one come partially true last year with Pettigrew's escape.' He admitted to himself. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't - years of hiding his emotions at the Dursley's. While he was deep in thought, he heard a bit of movement behind him.

She watched on, her heart went out to the boy. She gathered that his life was not a bed of roses: She had seen him sheltered and lied to last year when Black was on the loose and headed for Hogwarts, and during her first year, when he'd been shunned by all the other houses when he'd been accused of being Heir of Slytherin, or so she'd gathered. She watched as he kept burrowing in on himself. She decided that she had to do something so she summoned up her Gryffindor courage, and took the first step towards Harry.

Harry looked over his shoulder and saw a petite redhead walking towards him

"Ginny, what are you doing here?" He asked. It seemed as though she didn't hear him as she continued moving towards him.

"Ginny?" He called out again.

"Yes, Harry?" She said, in a voice barely above a whisper. Her nerve was being stretched.

"How - Why?" He whispered back.

" I followed you when you left the common room. I learned how to hide from people over the last 2 years." Ginny said, with her nervousness clearly showing in her voice. She still hadn't truly gotten over the events of her first year.

"I'm guessing you think I put my name in the Goblet. All the Weasley's do, apparently." He grunted, his rising anger clearly visible.

"No, I don't." She said firmly. "And I know for a fact that neither do the twins." Harry tried to interject, but Ginny cut him off, "I believe you are in fact referring to my prat of a brother named Ronald Billius." Harry nodded.

"I'm sorry." He told her.

"It's Okay-" She tried to reply but Harry cut her off again.

"-No it's not okay. You're the one person who has genuinely been nice to me today, and I bite your head off." Harry said, hanging his head, ashamed and embarrassed.

"It's not your fault Harry." Ginny assured him as she grabbed his hand with hers. She noted a small flinch and saw his hand twitch but he kept it there. She opted not to bring it up.

"So did you like the Quidditch World Cup?" Ginny asked, "At least until the Death Eaters showed." she added hastily.

"Yeah, I was looking forward to attempting the Wronski Feint this year against Malfoy." Harry said, with a small chuckle.

"I was actually thinking about trying out this year, but seeing as-"

"Yeah. What position?" He asked curiously

"Seeker." She informed him with a sidelong glance. Harry looked at her, dumbfounded, until she grinned and then he realized she was messing with him. "Nah, I'd rather be a chaser. Being a seeker is fun, but pretty slow."

"And how would you know that, you've never flown." Harry asked

"If you tell another soul, you'll see why the twins cower from my wand, but I've been sneaking out for years at night to fly one of the old brooms in the shed." Ginny told him, quietly.

"Cool. How would you try out though, I didn't think Alicia, Angelina or Katie were graduating though?" Harry asked

"I was going to talk to McGonagall about opening a reserve team, you know since some people on the team are always injured." she said with a small grin at Harry, who just shrugged. They just kinda sat there for a bit, seeing the moonlight cast long shadows over the sloping lawns of Hogwarts, and feeling the cool Autumn air.

"You know Harry," He looked up from his brooding, "I think you could win against Krum." Ginny mused out loud. Harry looked at her, startled.

"I'm not a professional, Ginny, Krum is!"

"But you've got natural ability, with time you will probably surpass him." Ginny assured him. They talked about quidditch for a little longer, until Harry glanced at his watch and saw that it was past 1 am.

"Hey Ginny" He called out to her. When she looked at him, Harry told her, "We have to be getting back, it's well past curfew." She nodded, moved and got herself up. Harry reached into his jacket and pulled out his invisibility cloak.

"Harry - What. Is. That?" Ginny said, pointed at the cloak.

"My insurance that we won't get caught." He said with a grin, as he flung the coat over himself. He heard a gasp from Ginny as he disappeared from sight.

"Harry, that's-" Ginny started

"An invisibility cloak, yes." He said emerging from under the cloak. "C'mon. Let's get back before the Fat Lady wanders off." They huddled up under the cloak as they slowly made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. As they made their way back to the Common Room, they saw Peeves the Poltergeist swapping around limbs on the suits of armor.

"This is so eerie…." Ginny whispered to Harry with awe in her voice.

"Shhhhhh!" Harry hushed her, "Just because we are invisible, does not mean we can't be heard." Ginny realized what she'd done and nodded.

It took a little longer for the two of them to arrive back at the portrait of the Fat Lady than it would have been with Ron or Hermione, because they had years of experience creeping around the school wearing the cloak.

"Wattlebird." Said Ginny, pulling the cloak off of her.

"Why did you-" Harry started

"People are likely still up from Fred and George's Party. It'll be easier for me to slip by than you." Ginny said quietly. They climbed through the portrait-hole, and Ginny was right- Fred, George, Lee Jordan and a few others were still huddled in the Common room. They paid Ginny no mind and she, followed by an invisible Harry went to where the staircases took them up to the dormitories. She looked over to right where she knew Harry was and gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

Harry crept up the stairs, and slipped into his dormitory, and into his four-poster bed. He listened and heard snoring from all his room-mates and breathed with relief that Ron's snoring was with them.