Chapter 9: Running Away From Me

I am running. Not literally, of course. I'm not a big fan. Bad knees; much prefer brooms as a mode of transportation. But I am, none the less, running away from everything. And I don't think I've had to do anything this hard in my entire life. That might change once the baby arrives, but for right now, I feel so alone and lost.
Seeing everyone leave this morning for Hogwarts was one of the most painful things I've had to witness in my short life. Saying goodbye then looking at their sad, yet eager faces as they got into the car to go to the station brought on a waterfall of tears that I've never been able to produce before. I don't even know who was hardest to say goodbye to.
Draco tried, he really did. No matter how many times I told him that I was alright, he never believed me. When he said goodbye, he gave me a hug that I never dreamed was possible coming from someone who had been so cold and callous only a short time ago. From him, I know I'll always know that people can change. We aren't always who we were programmed to be.
Without fail, Harry made me cry first. "Ginny, I swear that if you want, I will marry you and be the best father to this baby that I can be. We can even get married before the baby is born."
At that, I burst into tears. "Don't sell yourself short," I whispered. "Marry someone who'll give you babies that are yours, and only yours."
He smiled weakly and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Be strong," he said. Then he got in the car.
From Ron I saw the most emotion that I think he is capable. He cried. "If you need me for anything, just owl me," he said through a few stray tears. "You're my baby sister and I'll do anything you ask."
Of course, I couldn't hold back my own emotions and threw myself into his arms. "I love you Ron, and I'm going to miss you." Then he left me.
I guess I do know the hardest person to say goodbye to. Hermione. She didn't even speak a word as she held me and we just cried. After a few minutes and the gentle prodding of my father, she kissed my forehead and waved back at me as she got into the car.
"By Mum. Dad," I said as they got into the car after my friends. I took a picture in my mind of how they all looked waving to me. I ignored the look on my mother's face and imagined a smile like the ones she used to give me when she would take my brothers to the station before I got into Hogwarts.
A cloud of dust blew up and the car sped off into the distance, leaving me alone to pack and take my leave of the Burrow possibly forever.
An hour and a thousand tears later, I took my clothes and what little money I had and flu powdered myself to Diagon Alley. For now, I've rented a room in the Leaky Cauldron, but in the morning I plan to find my brothers in their store. I'll Hermione and my parents in the morning to let them know I'm at least safe.
Right now its just cold.