"If it makes you happy
It can't be that bad;
If it makes you happyThen why the hell are you so sad?"
Ginny felt the jerking sensation that signalled that the port key was working and that soon she would be back at Hogwarts. She felt like somebody was using a hook to try to pull her somewhere she did not want to go. She also thought how strange it was that she was happy to be going home, to see her family again after a year during which they had had no contact; but that she was devastated to be leaving the friends she had made during her time in Australia.
Whilst they had been travelling to the academy and during those first horrible weeks when she felt that she had never been more alone in her life all she had wanted was to be able to be back at Hogwarts, to hear her brothers teasing her and to receive owls from her mum – even if it was a howler. But now she was on the way home and she wished she were not. Well, that was not quite true she was glad to be going back but she wished it were not quite so permanent.
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Eventually the spinning stopped and the world reappeared around the pair of them.
"Welcome Back"
Opening his eyes, Harry looked straight into the concerned eyes of Albus Dumbledore.
The old headmaster smiled down at Harry and Ginny benevolently his silent appraisal taking in the obviously signs of recently dried tears on Ginny's face and the hardened looked in Harry's eyes which said all to clearly that he was trying to hide his true feelings.
Silently he gestured to them to sit down in the seats next to Fawkes perch and conjured three steaming mugs of tea and a plate of chocolate biscuits – a finding on a recent trip to a muggle supermarket.
Smiling at them as he handed them their mugs of tea he let them simply sit and drink their tea for a few minutes before speaking.
"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley" he said startling Ginny when he finally did speak "as I said, welcome back. I know that there are a lot of people waiting to see you but I thought perhaps you might appreciate the chance to adjust a little before you saw them."
Harry looked over at Ginny and seeing that she was still a little shell-shocked took it upon himself to answer.
"Thank You, Sir. I think we could both use that." But then he was not quite able to resist giving voice to his next question "What's going to happen next?"
"For now simply a chance to relax, spend time with your friends and families before returning to school on September 1st with everyone else"
Upon hearing she would soon see her family Ginny smiled for the first time "Harry is coming to The Burrow with me isn't he?" she asked, not wanting him to have to go to The Dursley's and have to deal with the aftermath of where they had been and everything they had left behind alone. To be truthful she did not want to have to deal with it by herself either. She loved Harry and she needed him with her.
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They spent a few more minutes with Dumbledore quietly sipping tea, eating chocolate biscuits and discussing the events of the past year both at Hogwarts and at A.A.G. Then at their request Dumbledore left them alone for a few minutes to say a private goodbye before they were reunited with the Weasley's and Harry had to travel to stay with Professor Lupin for the summer.
As she felt Harry wrap his arms around her and pull her close to him, she snuggled closer and tried to resist the urge to break down and cry again. She could not believe that after everything they were going to be separated. Sure, it would only be for a few weeks but she did not want to be separated from him. Even though she knew that Professor Lupin would take care of him, she would still worry about him every minute of every day that they were separated.
They had both been through so much over the years and things had happened whilst they were in Australian that they could not share with anyone else for there own safety but which haunted them…
Sighing softly to herself Ginny pushed those thoughts away and gave herself up to simply being in Harry's arms and a long, sweet kiss….
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A/N: this is a short kind of in between chapter that doesn't really do much but it will get better soon, I promise!
R/R as always please!
