Disclaimer: Not mine.


Ginny stood in the center of her living room. She moved to the couch and put her head in her hands. She didn't cry now. All she could think about was Harry. He'd been so mean to her. His eyes were blazing and she could feel his anger searing through her heart. Or was it sadness? Ginny knew that he was a proud person and would never admit to his weaknesses. She just wished that he could have given her a reason to stay. A promise. Even an empty promise would have done, but he just gave up. Giving up was something that was not common for Harry Potter.

Sighing, she swept a finger along the coffee table. A gray layer of dust could be seen. She frowned to herself. Her flat gave off the appearance that no one had been in living there at all. It was a nice apartment and Ginny and Harry had found it for a good price, but their schedules often put them out of the place. Well, at least Harry.

Getting up, she shuffled to their bedroom and peered into the room before entering. The place felt like a distant memory; one that she didn't want to remember. The bed was made, but the covers were wrinkled still and looked used.

Moving in awkwardly, she walked to the dresser on the left side of the room. She looked at the random items scattered on its surface and grinned. In the front of everything sat a picture of her and Harry smiling and laughing with each other. It was a reminder of happier times. The times when her heart swelled at the very sight of him and her knees buckled at his butterfly kisses. Next to that was an old mirror that Sirius had given him sometime before he died. Harry had never discussed it much with Ginny, but she knew it hurt him more than anything to think of Sirius. Beyond those lay a dragon tooth necklace from Charlie, an old Quidditch magazine with Oliver Wood smiling from the cover, and random newspaper clippings about people she had known at Hogwarts. She kept in contact with all of the people in Dumbledore's Army and the Order, but she rarely spoke to any of the others. One of the clippings was about Michael Corner and Cho Chang getting married. Ginny sighed and moved to the closet. She didn't want to remember everyone else's happiness.

There really weren't that many things she owned as she was beginning to see. A few old cloaks, some muggle clothes, and other random knickknacks were about it. She had never been a materialistic person considering how many siblings she had, but she liked to think she had more than just those few things. She stuffed all of her things into a bag and took one last longing look around her home.

The place didn't have a warm feeling like the Burrow did. The walls were blank and white, seemingly drained of all life. The sofa was sagging from nights she had fallen asleep waiting for Harry to come home. The refrigerator was empty and the stove was unused because they never had time to eat at the table together where a vase of dead and wilted flowers sat in the center. The place was quieter and more eerie than a graveyard and Ginny wanted nothing more than to leave and find peace somewhere else.

Looking down at her feet with a defeated attitude and a gut-wrenching sadness, Ginny thought of what she would tell her family when she showed up with her bag in their kitchen. Her mother would probably have a heart attack, but would just be glad to have one of her children back in the house. As for her father, he might just ask too many questions and that was something that she would rather not deal with. Was there anywhere else that she could go? Not really. Everyone she knew was a close friend of Harry and she didn't want to explain anything to them either. Maybe the best thing to do would be to enjoy herself, have a few drinks, and just stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the night. Yes, that was as good a plan as any...especially since alcohol was involved.

Ginny shouldered her bag carelessly and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.


Harry was feeling a twinge of guilt as he thought about Ginny. Ron was eyeing him constantly over Hermione's shoulder and he knew he would have some explaining to do. Moody was still being paranoid as ever, so he just allowed himself to zone out and forget what was going on. He had been cruel to Ginny to save face. He had been bitter and mean to her and all she had been was honest with him. He knew that she wouldn't tell Ron about what went on between them, but he was sure that, being her brother, he would figure out the obvious.

Maybe if he just talked to her about everything he might not lose her. That's what made him act that way. He didn't want her to leave him, so to save himself the feelings of loss and sadness he just went off. What he'd done, though, was dug himself into an even deeper hole and every second that ticked by he felt the need to get out stronger and a way to get out harder. He needed Ginny there for him. She was always there.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a deep grunt and looked over to see Moody glaring at him. "You know, I don't talk just to hear myself speak," the retired Auror said irately as his magical eye bulged slightly.

"Nobody's out to get us as you seem to think. Your dark detectors must not be working correctly. We haven't found anything in our department to suggest what you're saying," Harry answered flatly.

"Constant vigilance!" Moody shouted, causing the entire room to turn and stare even though they were accustomed to his regular outbursts.

"I think that you're starting to lose it," Harry stated, crossing his arms over his chest and appraising the scarred veteran before him.

"I think that you need to learn to respect your elders, boy," Moody growled dangerously low.

Harry didn't say anything to Moody, but turned to Shacklebot instead. "Are we done here?" he asked rudely.

"Yes, I guess so," Kingsley replied and with that everyone went and got their cloaks and apparated out.

Harry stood next to the curtained portrait of Mrs. Black and thought for a moment. Ginny said that she would be going to the Burrow. Maybe he could go over there and talk to her. She had to listen. He was sure that if she did, they could make up and move on. So, with that he apparated out of the renovated 12 Grimmauld Place with a quiet 'pop.'


Ginny walked into the Leaky Cauldron to see the normal characters there. The odd and old, young and out of place all sat enjoying the little tavern. Waltzing up to the bar, she saw Tom, the landlord and barkeep, who gave her a friendly toothless grin.

"And what will you be having this evening, Miss Weasley?" He beamed at her and she smiled back, taken in by his kind nature.

"I'll have...hmmm...fire whiskey, Tom," Ginny grinned.

"Long day, huh?" Tom asked.

"More like a long year," Ginny answered sadly. Tom handed her a mug of Ogden's and left to tend to another customer.

Ginny left the bar and sat at a small table in a darker corner of the room. She sat and watched some of the people in the place and wondered why she had never noticed some of the things she now saw. The gateway to Diagon Alley had always seemed such an enchanting place, but now she saw some of the shared sadness and grief that she had been blind to before. A lot of people came here to get away from what was bothering them and that was apparent to her now. She looked down into her mug and swooshed the liquid around absentmindedly as so many things were beginning to become clear.

"Well, well, if it isn't one of the little blood traitors," a voice from above her said.

She looked up into the steely gray eyes of none other than Draco Malfoy who she had hated for years. For some reason, she smiled at him weakly and said nothing at all as she returned to looking at her drink. The fiery Weasley spirit was beginning to die.

Draco scratched his head in a confused fashion and looked her over. She wasn't the same redhead he had known in school. She looked different. Her brown eyes weren't as bright and she seemed more passive. He knew that she'd been dating Potter for a long time, so why wasn't she giving him hell? "Weasley, what in Merlin's name is wrong with you?" Draco sneered at her.

Taking a sip of her whiskey, she looked up at him. She knew he was a Death Eater. She would be in trouble if she even thought about talking with him. "Sod off, Malfoy," she said firmly while averting her eyes.

This only encouraged him to harass her further. "How's our dear Scarhead doing?" He smirked at her victoriously as her face darkened. He knew that he had struck some kind of a cord.

"I recall telling you to sod off, Malfoy," she snapped.

At this, Draco sat down and planted his own mug on the table. He could see that he was getting to her and he was enjoying it. "What? Did Potty up and find someone else? One of his screaming fans possibly?"

"No," Ginny answered, looking him square in the eye.

"Hmmm...Did his ego finally get the best of him? He decide you're not good enough?" He was now just making things up off the top of his head to upset her and he was. Her face was turning a dark crimson as she held back her anger. "Or did he finally come out of the closet and tell you he doesn't like women?"

That was it. Three strikes. Ginny couldn't take it anymore and before she knew it, she had thrown her drink right into Malfoy's face. He sputtered angrily and wiped at his eyes, sending her a vicious stare. Ginny returned it and left the table heading for the bar.

"I need a room, Tom," she said quickly.

"Okay...Room eleven is available. Here's the key," he said, handing it over.

Ginny hauled her bag up the stairs and walked into room eleven remembering that was where Harry stayed in his third year. She closed the door and backed against it, crouching down. She could hear the traffic from the Charing Cross Road and the crowd in Diagon Alley. She opened her bag quietly and looked at one of the few things she owned that mattered to her. Staring up at her was the picture of her and Harry.


"What do you mean she isn't here?" Harry asked worriedly.

"I haven't seen her all week, dear," Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Is something the matter?"

"Ummm...No. She just said that she would be coming over here tonight and I needed to talk to her is all," Harry answered quietly.

"Oh, well, if I see her before you do I'll tell her," she said. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes," Harry lied, smiling. He felt guilty taking food from them at that moment.

"Alright. Take care of yourself and come and see us again soon," Mrs. Weasley said right before giving him a big hug.

"I will," he said as he pulled out of her grasp.

Harry apparated back to his flat thinking only of Ginny. He looked around quietly and saw nothing out of place. For a moment, his heart soared. As he walked into the bedroom and saw the top of the dresser cleared and part of the closet's contents missing, reality struck him. He felt suddenly deflated and all alone. She had left him just like she said she would. Sitting on the bed, he thought of all the ways he could get her back.


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