Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I hope you know that, because unless you think that I'm JKR in disguise, it really doesn't make sense for me to own anything.

Notes: This chapter is basically a bridge chapter. Next chapter will be extremely important, so don't give up on me because I had to make a boring in-between chapter! :-P

~*~

Harry sat staring at the letter in silence, completely dumbfounded. Tentatively, his hand reached out to lift it delicately. The parchment unrolled as if it had been read over too many occasions. He winced at the thought, wondering how many times Ginny had read it. It took several moments before his eyes focused on the words enough to make the fading ink clear. He read the letter, remorse enveloping him as he sat alone in The Leaky Cauldron. His fingers traced the words with a gentleness they hadn't held for years, before one thought fought its way to the surface.

Why had Ginny kept it over all these years?

It was a difficult question, and as he rolled it over his mind, he found no answers. The best way, the only way he would know would be to ask Ginny, but she was already gone. Snatching up his letter suddenly and leaping to his feet, Harry charged out of the pub, concern snapping his brows together. She couldn't go running around the muggle world alone, that was why he was supposed to be protecting her! Fat lot of good he'd done, drudging up the past.

Halting on the sidewalk outside, he scanned the crowds worriedly. When she could not be found, he groaned softly. For all he knew, Ginny had just apparated in Hogsmeade. Stepping back towards The Leaky Cauldron, he suddenly realized just how stupid he was acting. All he needed was something of Ginny's to track her, and he had that.

Drawing out the letter, he tapped his wand lightly to it. "Tracetus," he whispered, grinning as golden footprints appeared along the sidewalk. He found himself delighted with the Auror training; there were so many useful tricks. He strolled after her; ignoring the few stares that came his way because of the ebony robes that draped around his lean form.

Picking up into a light jog, his grin spread as the footsteps steadily grew brighter, the sign that they were fresher than those of a faded gold. It wasn't more than ten minutes until a flash of red alerted him to Ginny's presence, and he automatically cut off the street to catch up to her. It appeared that she still hadn't noticed him, most likely because her head was ducked towards the cement beneath her worn tennis shoes. Hesitant once more, he rested a hand on her crimson clad shoulder.

She spun hurriedly, drawing her wand as she did so and ending up with it directly against his chest. "Oh," her voice was disdainful. "It's you… Again. Don't you know the meaning of 'no'?"

One hand raised to pluck her wand from her fingers before she too notice, which only caused her to suddenly cross her arms and give him a furious glare. He sighed, tucking it into the pocket of his robe. "Why the hell did you keep it?" He asked, his tone one that demanded no arguments.

However, Ginny wasn't about to obey his demands. "What does it matter to you?" She would have walked away, but not when her wand was in his pocket.

Harry sighed bitterly, fingering his own wand apprehensively. "It matters a lot to me. I never meant for you to carry it around till the end of your days, I just wanted you to toss it into the fire and forget about me."

She gaped at him, chocolate lamps revealing just how flustered this conversation was making her. "You expected me to just throw away the best year of my life, and… and forget about it? Just how mad are you?"

The best year of her life? How could that possibly be when half of it had been spent with him always dashing away for fear of Voldemort? If that had been her best year… well, Harry didn't want to think about how awful all the other nineteen had been. He ran a hand through his hair, a subconscious habit passed down from his father. "Ginny, really, you have to understand; I didn't know what was going to happen…" He trailed off, his eyes pleading.

But Ginny was not going to hear any of it. "Give. Me. My. Wand!"

It was like a tornado suddenly hit Harry. His face paled incredibly, half stumbling to lean against a nearby building, burying his head in his hands. He was muttering jibberish, trembling ever so slightly, what with his last vision of Bill and Ron. It was all his fault, what had happened to Ron. There was nothing he could do, and it was all his fault. He hadn't been good enough…

He found himself shaken out of his reverie by Ginny, her firm grip on his shoulders dragging him back to the present. "Harry, Harry, are you alright? Harry?"

He took a deep breath, blinking slowly to bring the world back into focus, like adjusting the lens of a pair on omnoculars. Freckles danced before him, so close he felt his breath catch in his chest as her face came into view. He found himself thinking, for the second time that day, that Ginny was absolutely gorgeous.

He was disappointed when she drew away from him, as if he were a hot brick. "What's wrong with you?" She asked crossly.

"I'm sure you could answer that one for me."

Ginny looked like she was struggling to hold back a laugh, and the corners of her lips were twitching slowly upwards. "What are you doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be off chasing Lestrange?"

He was surprised that she knew they were still hunting Bellatrix, until he remembered that her closest friends were Luna and Neville. Longbottom was just as dedicated to hunting Lestrange as he was, after what she did to his parents. "Naw, I'm leaving that to Neville. Things are more than settled, they don't need me."

She arched an eyebrow, surprised by this casualty with which he declared his statement. "Well, what are you up to then? Lazing about, seein' as how you're one of the few people who has enough gold to do so?"

He frowned and shook his head, subconsciously slipping a hand in his robes to touch the schedule. "No, I'm not. I'm playing seeker for the Cannons, at least until Dave Johann comes back." The astonishment she felt was clear, he would have bet fifty galleons that she thought he had been lying about quitting his work. At least this temporary job was good for something, she seemed convinced.

"Oh," Ginny said softly, glancing down the street. "Well, I'm off." She turned to go, but Harry reached out swiftly and caught her arm.

"I still have your wand." He pointed out, with something of a smug look on his face. Ginny's hand dropped to her pocket, suddenly remembering.

"Why, you-!" She lunged towards him, but reflexes sent him leaping back, before he turned and began to trot towards Diagon Alley swiftly. Ginny followed just as he had hoped, but it soon became evident that he would need more than a jog to keep ahead. Switching to a light run, Harry maneuvered between the crowds, grinning cheerfully as he kept Ginny a constant ten paces behind him. The look on her face was murderous, but it was for her own good. Wandering around the muggle world wasn't the safest thing to do.

The run back was far shorter than his tracking of Ginny had been, and he soon found himself in the miniature space behind The Leaky Cauldron. She followed, crimson locks now thoroughly mussed from her dash after him, coffee eyes snapping in ruthless fury.

"You infuriating prat, give it back to me!" Ginny cried, and Harry found himself feeling just a tad bit guilty.

"Well that's not a nice way to go about it." He told her, lifting it from his pocket and twirling it idly between his fingers. Suddenly, he found himself reminded of the time in his second year when Tom Riddle had towered before him, twirling his wand. It had not been comforting, to find an enemy holding your best defense weapon. Putting Ginny in the same situation seemed rather cold. "I'll give it back to you… On one condition."

Ginny eyed him suspiciously, crossing her arms. "And what might that condition be?"

"You have dinner with me tonight; I'll come get you at seven."

"You don't know where I live," she declared.

"Seventy-three Golden View apartments, Erised Alley," he listed rapidly; having had it drilled constantly into his mind that morning.

Her eyebrows drew crossly together, and she scowled. "Why are you keeping tabs on me?"

He hated acting, Moody rarely had him do it; lying was similar enough to cause him to pause for just a few seconds too long. "Er… Fred and George told me."

Bow eyes narrowed at his answer, clearly disbelieving. "Fine, you know where I live. What would it be, anyway? Because 'm not dating you."

He shrugged, smiling slightly. "It will be an informative meeting."

"Informative meeting? Does that mean you're going to tell my why the hell you wrote that letter?"

"Only if you tell me why you kept it," Harry declared, holding her wand out. She gripped it, but he didn't let go. "Promise me, Ginny."

"Fine, I promise to come to your informative meeting, Potter." With that, she yanked her wand out of his hand, tapped the correct brick, and stalked back into Diagon Alley.

Now Harry only needed a decent excuse as to why he wrote the letter.

~*~

Hermione strolled down the hallway in the Ministry of Magic, her steps revealing perfect calm. Inside, however, she was in turmoil. This place always gave her the creeps. The walls were washed perfectly white, and the entrances into each room were merely openings in the wall, there being no need to cage this people. She stopped at the final gap, smoothing her sapphire blue robes hesitantly. It had been a long time she had entered this room, for the hurt and pain it brought was almost intolerable.

She entered slowly, her eyes resting on the figure in the corner. He stood, perfectly straight, staring vacantly forward. The robes he wore were a dull black, contrasting his vibrantly red hair. The figure didn't even glance towards her as she stepped a few paces closer.

"Hullo Ron," Hermione whispered.

~*~

There, Ron's not dead. I hope you're all happy! I wanted to have him dead, but instead I found a use for him! It's even a use that's going to explain all sorts of stuff! Lol, I'll include more later. That just seemed like a good place to stop. Review, please!!!!