I don't own anything in the HP universe, it's all JKR's, and for good reason.

I own nothing but the rain.

–HH

Storm Part I

"The weather today will be wet, with the possible chance of thunderstorms in the lower regions near London and Cambridge. . ."

-Frank Murray, BBC Weatherman

Ginny Weasely sipped her tea as she looked out the café window into busy streets of London, thinking back to a time of her life that no longer existed, dwelling on events that happened just over a year ago.

There wasn't a time in her life that she hadn't loved Harry Potter. As a child, she often heard stories of the infant hero, only a year her senior, who miraculously survived the unforgivable killing curse, leaving nothing left but a small lighting shaped scar on his forehead, and banishing the Dark Lord Voldemort into the shadows for what seemed like forever.

It seemed like the oldest of myths the way Ginny's father told the story of young Potter's victory over the Dark Lord and then vanishing himself into the Muggle world himself for the next ten years. When she had found out that this boy, this hero, had come out of hiding to begin his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to be in the same year as her older brother Ron, she was ecstatic to say the least. Even more amazing was that Ron had become Harry's best friend at Hogwarts, and her hero worship had quickly worked itself into a major crush that lasted several years.

He wasn't much to look at in the beginning, a rather scrawny looking kid with dark, untidy hair and round spectacles. But behind those spectacles were a pair of brilliant green eyes. It was these eyes that intrigued Ginny the most, allowing herself to be captivated by his quiet strength and seeing beyond the so-called heroism to see the tortured soul within him. He was simply the most beautiful person she had ever known.

Clouds soon rolled into Ginny's life however, in the form of an enchanted diary she had come across in her first year at Hogwarts. Being the naive, and insecure young girl that she was, she had become possessed by the fifty-year-old memory of Tom Riddle, the same young man who would someday grow up to kill many, many wizards, including the Potters' and making the failed attempt upon young Harry as well.

Riddle used her the way he used everyone he came in contact with, forcing her to undergo a series of torturous nightmares, and unleashing a horrific monster upon the school, petrifying several Muggle-born students. Harry Potter again came to the aid of the wizarding world, slaying the monster and vanquishing Riddle, saving Ginny from most certain doom.

Neither really knew how deeply this would affect them at the time, but a bond had formed between Harry and Ginny then, and from that moment on she knew that they were destined for each other. She waited patently for him, both of them growing up as did their friendship. Finally, at the tender age of fifteen, as Ginny began to blossom into womanhood, Harry took notice of the young woman that had suddenly grown up right before his eyes. It was then that he swore his own undying love and devotion for her.

It was the most amazing time in young Ginny's life. They loved each other deeply, able to share each others deepest concerns and secrets without fear. Their lovemaking was passionate, as though they were the only two people left in the world. And for the first time in her life, Ginny felt like the emptiness that Riddle left behind inside her had finally gone.

But all was not right with the world quite yet, for Harry had to battle a resurrected Voldemort one last time during Ginny's sixth year. It was a long and epic battle that rocked the entire wizarding world, involving hundreds of wizards, Muggles, and magical creatures of all kinds.

Unfortunately, Voldemort still had an unnameable power over Ginny, and during the final battle with Harry, he had used her and her love of Harry against him. Darkness possessed Ginny once again, and under the imperious curse, she was forced to attempt the life of her young lover.

"Crucio!" she shouted.

Broken and bloodied, Harry screamed in agony on the ground, writhing in the pain that engulfed his already weakened body.

She fought desperately to push Tom away from her mind, but his possession over her was far too powerful, he knew her soul far too well.

"Now kill him," Voldemort's voice echoed in the back of her mind. He was barely alive himself, burns all over his body, she couldn't imagine how he wasn't dead yet.

"I hate you Tom," she cried as she once more tried to fight the will to raise her wand.

Voldemort laughed in his high-pitched voice, taunting her through the happy void of her body and mind from the curse he had on her. "I don't know why you bother to fight it Ginny dear. This is your destiny. Now kill Harry Potter!" he echoed.

Through stifled cries of pain, Harry pleaded with her once more. "No Ginny. Please!"

Ginny raised her wand and turned to Harry. The lights from his emerald eyes were beginning to dim, becoming dark with the fear of imminent death.

Suddenly, the thought of that light diminishing from his soul fueled her anger somehow, giving her the strength to fight Tom.

"NO!" she shouted with everything she had. With her resistance, her own senses came flooding back, along with the pain of her own injuries. In exhaustion, she fell to the ground near Harry, dropping her wand. The last thing that she could see before she blacked out was Harry, released from the curse Ginny had on him, crawling beside her and taking her wand . . .

Ginny woke in the Hogwarts infirmary the morning after, Harry in the bed beside her, barely alive himself.

She had so many questions racing though her mind as Ron, Hermione and Professor McGonagall explained to her how Harry used her wand to finally defeat Voldemort once and for all.

But it almost didn't happen at all, because of her. "The dark lord may be dead," she thought, "but there are those out there that still follow him, even in death. It will never end. There will always be someone out there that will try to use my love for Harry against him."

She decided at that moment that she had to leave Hogwarts. Leave Harry. Leave all her friends and family behind forever. So much had been destroyed already, her home was gone, and many of her friends had died. She could never live with herself if she were to be used that way again to destroy the people she cared most for. It could never happen again.

A wash of silent tears fell over her cheeks as she packed one of her smaller bags in the dark. It killed her to do this, to leave everything behind, but in her heart she knew it was for the best. The thought gave her a quiet resignation that helped ease the pain in she felt in her heart.

Ginny snuck down to the hospital wing one last time to see Harry. She gulped hard as she caressed his scarred face, running her hand through his untamed hair. Kissing him sweetly on the forehead, forgetting to wipe the tears that had fallen from her face onto Harry's, she laid a note on the bedside table along with her wand.

"Goodbye Harry," she whispered softly into his ear. "I will love you forever."

And she hurried out of the infirmary before her cries became audible.

Ginny made her way around the lake to Hogsmeade, where her brothers successful joke shop, Weasley Wizard Wheezes was located. She was grateful that they had not asked many questions when they found her on the doorstep early that morning, waiting for them.

Though they begged her to tell them where she planned to do with the large sum of money they gave her, she said nothing. She thanked them well and left by the floo network to the Leaky Cauldron.

A silent tear fell down Ginny's face as she looked at her cup of tea. She looked back out onto the streets of London, thinking that it was probably the best place for her to have hidden. They would have expected her to leave the places she knew well, Wales perhaps, but they would have never guessed that she had stayed in the city.

Living as a Muggle didn't seem as difficult as she thought it would be. With Hermione as a Muggle-born best girlfriend, a Muggle-obsessed father, and ex-boyfriend that lived half his life as a Muggle, having also taken Muggle studies at Hogwarts proved more useful than she expected. She lied about her age and worked as a waitress in the café she was in now. On the weekends she would take walks around the city, or enjoy some of the fascinating entertainment such as the theatre, where she could watch films. She often laughed to herself as she remembered her father wondering how on earth Muggles got along without magic. It wasn't too difficult at all.

It was far too cold to be walking around the park that afternoon, and there were no movies that she was keen on seeing, so she had decided to go to the café, have a cup of tea and watch the people go by. Taking another sip of her lukewarm tea, she thought she saw someone with dark hair, staring at her in the bookstore as she glanced across the street. She swallowed hard as she put down her cup to get a better look, but by that time they were gone.

It wasn't unusual for her to see things like this every so often. In the park or on the street. Really, anywhere she looked it seemed. She missed Harry terribly, and she thought she was having these delusions merely to quench the thirst of her sorrow for a moment.

She sighed deeply as she looked at the clock on the wall she could see from her booth, and hailed the waitress for the check.

Ginny was digging through her purse for some money as she suddenly felt warm breath against her ear and neck.

"You forgot something miss," said a familiar voice in her ear, making her freeze up.

An arm reached around her, presenting her with a nine and three-quarter inch wand, willow, with a dragon heartstring inside.

It was her wand.

Unable to move, she turned her head away from it, closing her eyes, not even wanting to look at it, at him.

"You should not have come looking for me Harry."

"You shouldn't have left," he countered, easing his way in the seat opposite her, setting the wand on the table. "You don't really think I would've let you go that easily, do you Gin?"

Unwanted tears began to burn in her still closed eyes, wincing at the nickname she'd not heard in so long.

"You know why I left. I thought I made myself clear."

"You did," he said quietly. "But you're wrong. Wrong about everything."

Ginny finally opened her eyes. There he was, just the same as she remembered him, except now for the look of weariness on his face. The same untidy hair and brilliant green eyes that had always captivated her were still there, wanting her to come home.

But she couldn't go home.

"How did you find me anyway?"

"Well the Ministry of Magic and I've been watching you since you left, for protection's sake. Your mother insisted that we keep our distance though, let you work things out on your own, until you were ready to come home," Harry explained in an even tone, like he would when they argued sometimes, irritating her.

"And what gave you that idea," she said sharply.

"George. He showed me a letter not too long ago that had not come by owl. You mentioned that you were alright, but most importantly, that you missed everyone. I knew then that it was time for you to be found."

"Damn you George," she thought.

"Well, I'm afraid you are the one who is wrong Harry," she said coldly. "I'm quite happy here living as a Muggle, so I'm afraid that you are simply wasting your time."

She grabbed for her coat and bag, and started to scoot out of the booth.

"Ginny," Harry said with desperate tone to his voice, grabbing her hand across the table, inflaming her body with his touch. "I can't allow you to throw away your life like this, your friends, your family," he paused a moment, "Me."

Ginny rolled her eyes at him, but didn't move from her seat, or away from the warmth of his hand.

"Voldemort is dead. He's gone now. Most of the Death Eaters are in Azkaban. It's time to come home where you belong, and begin your life again. You don't have to be afraid anymore. We have each other. I love you, and I know you still love me. You don't have to do this."

She pulled her hand away. "Voldemort will never be gone from me Harry. He is inside of me. Dead or alive, I will carry a part of him in me for the rest of my life. I'm nothing but a danger to us all. Besides, I can't go home anymore. The Burrow is gone, Malfoy made sure of that!"

"Ginny," he reasoned, "It doesn't have to be that way. You still have a year of school left, but after that you can stay Hermione, or with the twins and your Mum. And you can always stay with me and Sirius."

Harry gave her a penetrating look that sent shivers up her spine. "There will always be that lingering fear haunting you. It haunts me too. Don't think that you're the only one who still has nightmares about him. But if you continue to live in fear of him, he wins. You can't allow yourself to let him run your life this way."

Ginny softened for a moment by his words. There was nothing more she wanted than to be with him again, and to let go of the past. But how could she? It was too hard. And what if he was wrong, and he died. She could never live with herself after that.

"I'm sorry Harry. I just can't do this," she shook her head, blinking away the tears in her eyes, as she got up from the table and began to walk out of the café.

"Ginny, wait!" he said, rushing out after her into the street. It was raining harder now, the storm was finally here.

"Harry!" she turned around at him, her anger swelling to its peak. "It's over. Do you understand? Over! And there is nothing you can do or say on earth, heaven or hell that will make me change my mind, so just leave me alone!" she spat at him, leaving him with a look on his face as though she'd just slapped him.

She simply walked away then, leaving him in the rain.