A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update! I have the next chapter ready to post, and chapter 6 is nearly complete.
I would like to thank my many associate muses: Auror198, Phoenixfox86, LittleLotte, and Angeli0722 (in no particular order ~_^)
Please review! Thanks for reading!!! ~AE~
IV. Dreams & Diagon Alley
Still clasping her shoulders, Harry whispered, "We need to talk." Ginny nodded as Harry stood and reached his hand down to help her up. Once upright, she put her dressing gown on and followed Harry silently down the stairs. She sank, still shaking, into the welcoming cushions of the couch, while Harry went and prepared her a cup of tea.
"Here, this should help calm your nerves," he said, handing her the steaming mug.
"Thanks," she said as she wrapped her cold fingers around it. "So how much did you see? In your dream, I mean."
"Not too much. I was standing in the middle of a room, and I could see Lucius Malfoy backing into a corner. Between us, facing Malfoy, was a tall wizard in dark robes. I couldn't make out who he was, but I'm willing to bet it was Vol – You-Know-Who."
He stopped himself from saying "Voldemort" so as to avoid upsetting Ginny even further. Ginny didn't miss the reference, though, and smiled at him for the sentiment before confirming his suspicion.
"It was Voldemort, Harry. Yes, I said his Voldemort. I figure if I have to see through his eyes every time I sleep, I should take a leaf out of your book and call him by his name."
"You actually see through his eyes? How? Why? How long has this been going on?"
"I wish I knew, Harry. All I know is what I've dreamt. It all started when the Chamber of Secrets was opened. I started having nightmares about...about what I had done..." Ginny hung her head with guilt. "Then, after it was all over, I had occasional dreams about that night in the chamber; the night that you rescued me. About a year ago I started having nightmares every night. During the third task of the tournament, when they said that you and Cedric were missing, I...I was really upset, and I went to my dormitory. I cried myself to sleep and... and then I saw..." Ginny couldn't finish because she had begun to sob.
Harry comforted her and soon she calmed down enough to continue.
"I saw you Harry. I saw you in the graveyard. I felt the hatred seething through Voldemort's veins. I heard him...I heard him trying to kill you." Harry's eyes were huge with astonishment. He remembered that night all too clearly, and he couldn't imagine how much it had frightened Ginny.
"I had no idea. I'm so sorry you've been going through this, Gin. I wish you had told me sooner." Unlike his normal reaction of anger at being left out of the loop, Harry was sad that Ginny had been dealing with such a dark and painful secret all alone.
"I wanted to tell you, especially since the tournament, but I didn't want you to feel responsible. You take on so much already that's not your fault."
She looked at him with ...respect? ...adoration? Harry wasn't sure.
"Well, when Voldemort cast the curse, I woke up. I thought you were done for. I was so relieved to find out that you were all right. I thought my dreams would go back to the way they had been...that my vision had just been a fluke. Instead, my dreams are different every night. I always see from Voldemort's point of view…sometimes the dreams are very clear, sometimes blurred. Most of the time I can't understand more than a few words of what's being said, however the hexes and curses are always clear – as if seeing the effects of them wasn't bad enough," she shuddered.
Harry's eyes filled with sorrow as the pain in Ginny's cut into his heart. He held her as she cried, while holding back his tears of sympathy for her.
Ginny wasn't holding anything back. After years of damming up her emotions, her revelations to Harry had opened the floodgates to her heart, and she didn't possess the strength or will power to fight the waters of truth anymore.
Eventually, Ginny's tears ran dry, and she looked into Harry's eyes once again. They were both exhausted, physically and emotionally, so they decided to return to bed and talk again the next day.
Once again it was the middle of the night and the two were at Ginny's door.
Harry tipped her chin up so that she was looking at him, his eyes reaching deep into her soul. He knew he was terribly lucky to have such a sweet, caring person as a friend.
"Ginny, you're a really special person, you know that? We'll find a way to fix this, I promise." He leaned forward…and kissed her forehead.
"Ron's like a brother to me, Ginny…and so you're the closest thing I have to a sister. I'll do everything I can to get you sleeping soundly again."
Ginny was very confused. She wrote a quick entry in her journal by the moonlight:
Tonight I finally decided that I'll never love anyone like I love Harry. Why did he have to go and make things so complicated!?! He's do damn caring, and compassionate, and…oh bloody hell, the only thing WRONG with him is the fact that he can't see that I can be so much more than a surrogate sister to him. If that's the way he feels, I guess I'll just have to deal with it. If I can't have him, so be it. I won't go making a nun of myself…I'll just get on with my life…Yes, that's it. I need to move on. Hogwart's is full of wizards that I could stand to date, so why should I stay single for HIM?
~Ginny
~
The sun rose early on the Burrow, pleasantly waking Hermione and Ron, and forcing Ginny and Harry to pull their duvets over their heads in defiance of the dawn's arrival. Those awake tugged and tickled the two sleepyheads until the latter (reluctantly) arose and got ready for the trip to Diagon Alley.
Once everyone was dressed and fed, they lined up in front of the fireplace and one by one shouted their destination into the Coke-bottle green flames.
~
After everyone had dusted the soot off of themselves in the Leaky Cauldron, they headed to Gringott's, the wizarding bank. Once they had made all the necessary withdrawals, and in Hermione's case exchanges, Mrs. Weasley relayed instructions for the day.
"Now, we're going to have to split up if we're to get everything done today. I expect you all to stick together – at the very least stay in pairs. When you're finished shopping, wait in the parlor of the Leaky Cauldron. Understood?"
A chorus of Yes, Mum's rang out, and the six Hogwart's students stood on the corner, deciding where to go first. Fred and George, after quickly sizing up Ron, took off for Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Harry grinned, sure in the fact that the twins were fulfilling their promise to him that was made at the start of the summer holidays.
Turning back to his friends' conversation, he realized that Ron and Hermione were arguing (again) and that Ginny was standing there trying to figure out how to stop them.
"I say we should go to Flourish & Blott's first, before they run out of anything important."
"Hermione," Ron pleaded, "do you really want to lug around all those books? I can't imagine how many there'll be, what with O.W.L.'s this year and all."
"All the more reason to get them now, O.W.L.'s are – " she began to huff before Harry spoke up and interrupted her.
"Enough! Let's just work our way down the road. Flourish and Blott's won't run out of the books we need, because they know how many students are at Hogwart's! And, if necessary, we'll just have them temporarily shrunk until we get back to the Burrow, all right? Honestly, you two make blast-ended skrewts out of flobberworms!"
After apologetic glances all around, the foursome began their trek down the alley, stopping in a variety of shops to find all the potion ingredients, quills, ink, parchment, books, and other supplies for the year. They finally reached the end of the street; standing outside the Leaky Cauldron, Ginny remembered that Ron & Hermione still needed to get supplies for Harry's party and quickly generated a plan of action.
"Oh my goodness! Hermione, didn't you say you needed to get something at the Magical Menagerie for Crookshanks?" she said while rolling her eyes suggestively towards Harry.
Catching the drift, Hermione expertly replied, "Oh, yes! And Ron, you need something for Pig, don't you?"
"What the –" Ron began, then Hermione stepped on his foot and shot daggers at him with her eyes. "Oh! Right! The – er – thing for Pig...I forgot."
"Harry, is it all right if we leave our packages with you and Ginny? The Menagerie is all the way back past Gringott's, and we'd make it there and back ever so much faster empty-handed."
Harry, glad at the opportunity to speak to Ginny alone, didn't notice the obviously feigned innocence of his friends.
"Sure, no problem. Fancy a sundae from Fortesque's, Gin?"
"Sounds great," she replied as she winked at Hermione and Ron, delighted that their plan had succeeded.
~
"Whew! That was close! I can't believe we almost forgot!" Hermione whispered to Ron as they walked away.
"Yeah. You know what's strange though? Ginny hates being called "Gin" – she once even told me she'd rather be called Virginia – but she didn't even bat an eye when Harry called her that. I swear my sister gets weirder every year. I wish she'd make up her mind."
"Hmmm…that is odd. Maybe she was just too preoccupied with making sure you & I got away from them to notice."
"I guess so..."
~
Ginny and Harry found a secluded booth at the back of the ice cream parlor where they dumped all their packages and squeezed in across from each other.
Harry ordered a traditional sundae, but Ginny was a bit more decadent, requesting Florean's Famous "Dark Side of the Moon" Chocolate Lover's Sundae.
Mmmmmm...there's nothing like chocolate to lift a girl's spirits, she thought as she savored her first bite into the rich chocolate ice cream that was drowned in chocolate syrup, covered with chocolate shavings, and topped with chocolate covered cherries.
"I think I have an idea why you're having all those visions when you're sleeping."
"You do? What is it?"
"Well, in the Chamber, Tom Riddle told me that you had poured your heart into the diary...into him...and that it made him stronger. It allowed him to pour himself into you. When the diary was destroyed, so was he: your strength was returned to you, and his suffering was taken away from you. We assumed that everything was back to normal.
"But perhaps...perhaps something of him remained...an impression...a scar marking his presence; my scar links me to Voldemort. So, what if the scar that the younger Voldemort gave you does the same thing? Dumbledore told me that a part of Voldemort was left behind with my scar, and that's why I can speak parseltongue and such, but I see things as an outside observer. Since Riddle actually became a part of you for a while, when you see things you do it by becoming a part of him.
"Does that make any sense, whatsoever?"
"Brilliantly perfect sense, Harry. Only, how can we stop it?"
"I don't know. We need to test out my theory, if that's possible."
"I hope it is," Ginny sighed. They ate the remainder of their sundaes in silence, frequently flashing nervous grins at each other. As Ginny licked the last of her chocolate-y dessert from her spoon, she glanced at the clock on the wall and exclaimed, "Oh! Look at the time, Harry, we'd better go before Mum starts to worry." And before I say anything I'll regret, like the fact that you're the reason I needed all that chocolate...
Out of breath when they reached the others, it took Ginny and Harry a minute to get settled before they could apologize for their tardiness.
"Not a problem, dears, Ron and Hermione only just got back themselves."
Noticing the package Ron was holding, Harry innocently inquired, "What ya got there, mate?"
"Fred and George bought me a new set of dress robes! They said they needed someone to be their Hogwart's liaison next year for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and they didn't want that person to be stuck with dress robes unbecoming of a proper businessman." Ron whispered the last part so that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't hear of Ron's involvement with the twins' activities.
"Wicked." Harry grinned, thinking, leave it to Fred and George to come up with the perfect excuse.
~
Over the next few weeks Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked through the books concerning animagi that they had gotten, and began working towards their goal. When Harry slipped off with Ginny to discuss dreams or how to talk to girls (If only he would realize he IS talking to a girl! Ginny's thoughts would scream), Ron and Hermione would carry on with plans for the birthday party, and began recruiting the help of others and figuring out whom to invite. And now, at long last, July 31st was only a day away.
~
Ginny lay awake in bed. Hermione had snuck downstairs with Ron to work on some last minute party business, and so the littlest redhead couldn't work on her plans for Harry's birthday present. Maybe she'd be able to finish it in the morning...if not, she would just have to give it to him late. She couldn't rush it...if it wasn't prepared just right, her months of research and weeks of work would have been in vain...
~
The whole of the household was in co-hoots preparing for Harry's party. Charlie got him out of the way early by offering him Quidditch pointers (Charlie was, after all, the best seeker Gryffindor had ever seen before Harry, and he had a lot more experience on a broom).
Ron tried to help decorate, but was quickly shooed away by Hermione ("Men have absolutely no eye for decorating!") and Ginny ("Especially those named Weasley!"). So Ron went to help his mum and dad.
Mrs. Weasley was busy in the kitchen, creating a small feast, while her husband puttered around setting up magical versions of some muggle party games he had researched.
Fred and George were...well, no one was sure exactly where they were, but they had said that they were working on something for the party when they left.
At long last, everything was ready, and Ron shot sparks into the air to signal to Charlie that the guests had arrived.
~
Charlie saw the sparks jet up into the air behind Harry. "Harry, care to call it a morning? I'm ready for lunch!"
"Me too! Thanks for all the tips, Charlie, I think I really have the hang of the Wronski Feint now."
"Anytime, Mr. Potter…I can't have my successor lacking in my best moves, now, can I?"
Just before they reached the back yard, Charlie pulled his wand out of his robes and muttered a few rather useful little charms. Harry came to a sudden halt and turned to face him.
"What'd you do that for?" uttered a very surprised Harry.
"You'll see."
Charlie had cleaned Harry up and transformed his clothes from practice sweats to a party-worthy dress shirt and slacks; then he actually managed to slightly tame his wind-blown hair.
As a second thought, Charlie performed the same series of helpful incantations on himself before they stepped through the gate and into the yard.
"SURPRISE!!!!!" yelled a crowd of witches and wizards. Harry was as speechless as if he had just been stupefied.
Especially when he saw who all had come to wish him a happy birthday.
The Weasley's and Hermione were there, of course, as well as the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Harry & Ron's dorm-mates at Hogwart's, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, and Dean Thomas. Arabella Figg was standing next to Mrs. Weasley and in front of Professor McGonagall. There were other students there as well: Justin Finch-Fletchey, Susan Bones, the Patil sisters, Lavender Brown, a group of people Harry knew but couldn't place a name with...
And Cho.
Harry thanked Hermione and Ron for being such incredibly deceptive friends, hugged all the Weasley's and thanked them for being accomplices, and then greeted the rest of the guests. When he got to Cho, he did his best to relax and act normal, but his face still ended up flushing slightly.
"Hi, Cho. How have you been?"
"All right, I guess. I've been a bit lonely this summer. I was so happy when I got the owl about your birthday. I couldn't wait to see you...you and everyone else." Now Cho was blushing.
Mrs. Weasley happened to pick this moment to invite everyone over to the tables that she had covered with all of Harry's favorite snacks and treats. Cho started walking with Harry, but was called back by another Ravenclaw girl Harry recognized as a fifth year.
"Hey Cho, I need to ask you something!" the brown-haired girl with chestnut eyes demanded urgently.
"Be right there, Katie! Sorry, Harry, that's my friend Katie Panson, I'd better go see what she needs."
"No problem. I'll talk to you later, ok?" Wow, this is easier than I thought it was going to be - even though my stomach feels like it's riding a Firebolt through a hurricane, Harry thought.
"Sure." Cho grinned back.
~
"What did you need, Katie?" Cho asked sweetly, hiding her disappointment about having to leave Harry's side. She was still upset over losing Cedric, but her parents had sent her to therapy at St. Mungo's and she was ready to move on with her life.
"Cho, I just have to know...are Ron and Hermione dating? They seem awfully chummy..."
"Well of course they're chummy, Katie, they've been friends since their first year. But I think I heard Lavender tell Padma that Hermione's dating Viktor Krum."
"Wow...so Ron's not spoken for then?"
"I don't suppose so...Katie! You fancy him don't you! Why didn't you tell me?"
"You're one to talk! You didn't tell me you had your sights set on Harry!"
"Touché...hmmm...I think I have a plan..." Cho began with a grin.
~
Harry made his way to the table and began to pile his plate with sandwiches. Arabella Figg jumped in line behind him.
"Harry, "Snuffles" wanted me to tell you that he was sorry he couldn't be here for the party, but that you should stay up a little later than usual tonight." She said with a wink.
"All right, thanks." I get to see Sirius tonight! This is going to be the best birthday of my life!
~
Harry joined Ron and Hermione on the ground, leaning up against the garden wall. Harry thanked them again for planning such a wonderful surprise for his birthday.
"You should thank Ginny, too. If it hadn't been for her, we probably wouldn't have been able to pull it off without you noticing." Hermione informed him.
"Really? Wow. Thanks for letting me know. I will."
Just then Cho walked up with Katie. "Is it ok if we join you?"
"Of course," said Harry.
The two Ravenclaw girls sat between Harry and Ron and across from Hermione, making a circle of sorts. Ron was too lost in his own thoughts, absentmindedly studying the way Hermione delicately ate, to notice that Katie was trying to start a conversation with him.
Ron's gaze was broken when Hermione suddenly jumped up and ran towards the house. His eyes followed her path and found her destination. Oh bloody hell! he thought.
"Krum's here."
Harry had by now turned away from Cho and realized this as well. He gave Ron a look that said BE NICE.
"Harry! Hap-vee Beerthday!"
"Thanks, Viktor! I'm surprised you're here. Doesn't Bulgaria have a match tomorrow against France? You should be practicing!"
"Ah..vell...I haff not announced it yet, but I haff dee-cided to quit playing profess-y-nul Quidditch."
"WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?" Hermione and Ron shouted in unison.
"But you're the best professional seeker there is!" Ron continued, while Hermione said "Viktor, you love Quidditch, how could you give it up?"
"Vell...I wuz thinking much this summer about vat Dumbled-door said at ze feast, and I haff decided that I should help him as much as I can. So I veel be coming to Hogwart's this year."
Krum went on to say that he wasn't sure exactly what he would be doing at Hogwart's. He was hoping to meet with Dumbledore and discuss the matter soon.
~
Once everyone was more or less finished with lunch, it was time for cake (chocolate, of course) and presents. Harry was so excited about all of the Quidditch paraphernalia (including a wicked dragon's hide vest from Fred and George that was supposed to soften the sting of being hit by a bludger), clothes that would actually fit him, a few books (from Hermione), and various wizarding treats and pranks, that he didn't notice there wasn't a gift from Ginny.
All this time Hermione and Viktor were being quite the cute couple, attached at the hip and holding hands; he would whisper things in her ear and she would giggle back a response.
~
Ron and Harry finally got a moment to speak privately when the girls (Hermione, Cho, and Katie) went to go "freshen up" and Viktor went to refill his and Hermione's drinks.
"If I have to listen to Hermione's bubbly laughter at the ridiculous way Krum says her name one more time, I think I'm gonna be sick." Ron blurted out as soon as no one else was in earshot.
"So find a way to distract yourself, mate. I think Cho's friend Katie would be more than willing to spend some time with you." Harry suggested, fulfilling the whispered promise he had made to Cho just moments before.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, since you obviously didn't notice – she's been trying to flirt with you all afternoon."
Ron's ears took on a bright pink hue. "She has?"
Harry could only nod in affirmation due to the fact that Cho and Katie were now approaching. Hermione had been intercepted by Viktor halfway across the lawn and the two were headed for the garden gate. Ron scowled at their vanishing forms before turning to Katie and flashing her that famous Weasley grin.
"So what's next on the agenda?" Cho inquired of Harry.
"Don't ask me, I didn't plan anything. What are we doing next, Ron?"
Fortunately for the teenage boy making eyes at a certain brown-haired girl, someone else provided an answer...
It was George Weasley, whose voice had been magically amplified so that everyone could hear him.
"May I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen! I am proud to announce the premiere performance of Hogwart's very own dungeon band…the Floo Fighters!"
The witches and wizards looked somewhat surprised, but very excited, to hear about the band, which was headed up by the twins' best mate Lee Jordan. As the group began to play, everyone started pairing up to dance, while Fred and George Weasley took care of creating a concert-type atmosphere: smoke billowing on the ground, disco lights flashing from nowhere, and the occasional small explosion. Viktor and Hermione were at the center of the crowd and, spotting them, Ron asked Katie if she'd like to dance. Once on the dance floor, he made sure that they were close enough to Hermione that she would see him.
Harry nervously asked Cho if she was up to dancing, and she smiled enthusiastically and took his hand in hers. They began to groove to Floo Fighters, much to Ginny's dislike. She was watching them longingly, wishing she could trade places with that not-good-enough-for-Harry Ravenclaw. She knew she would start to cry if she kept watching them, so she retreated into the house to wallow in self-pity.
Little did she know that someone was watching her.
Once inside, Ginny retreated to the last place anyone would think to look for her, her father's study. Trying to keep her tears at bay, she scanned the bookshelf, found the book that had given her the notion for Harry's birthday present (well, late birthday present since it's not finished yet, she thought), and sunk into a chair with it. She mindlessly turned the pages, trying to distract herself from the image of Harry and Cho dancing so…closely…out of her mind. She had almost reached the page she was looking for when there was a light knock at the study door.
Oh great, she thought, Mum's seen me slip in here and I'll bet she wants to have one of those damned annoying chats about what's bothering me. I guess I'd better just get it over with. If I can smile through giving Harry dating advice, this should be a piece of cake. Ginny took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
"Yes? Come in."
The door creaked open. But the person standing there was not anything close to whom Ginny had been expecting. Dumbfounded as she was, she still managed to squeak out, "W-What are you doing in here?"
The door creaked open. But the person standing there was not anything close to whom Ginny had been expecting. Dumbfounded as she was, she still managed to squeak out, "W-What are you doing in here? Justin, isn't it?" The boy nodded.
"Yes. I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I just…well, I saw you leave the party so abruptly and I wanted to make sure you were alright."
"But, why…why would you want to see if I was alright? I nearly killed you two and half years ago."
"Haha…Yeah, well, I was meaning to talk to you about that. I always wanted to tell you that I didn't blame you – that I forgave you, actually – but I never really had a chance to talk to you privately. Until now, that is."
Mr. Finch-Fletchey's words went straight to the heart of our Miss Weasley. What it was about him, she wasn't sure yet, but she had a feeling she was going to like it. She smiled warmly at him, forgetting all thoughts of why her eyes were so moist, and offered him a seat next to her with the wave of her hand.
"Talk away…"
Justin sat on the ottoman that paired to the oversized chair that Ginny was curled up in. He couldn't believe that he was actually going through with this. True, she had almost killed him, but since then he had seen her for what she was: an honest, kind, sweet girl who never had things go her way, yet always managed to smile through it. He wished that he could have that kind of optimism.
I wanted to be like you ~ I wanted everything
So he started watching her from a distance. He saw the way she kept tabs on her brothers and scolded them like a mother hen, despite being younger than they were. He realized that she was always there for her friends when they needed a shoulder to cry on…and that she never went to them when she was upset. He witnessed innumerable events when Ginny brightened the days of those around her, and he longed to be someone that would make her smile.
So I tried to be like you ~ And I got swept away
"Well, I was upset at first about being petrified, but I knew that it wasn't really your fault. Anyone could have been pulled into You-Know-Who's trap. And I know that you'd never do anything to hurt anyone…well…except maybe Cho," he grinned mischievously at his last words. Ginny blushed.
"I don't have a clue as to what you're implying," she defended herself.
"It's alright, Ginny. I know that you like Harry. And even if I didn't, those looks you were giving Chang were a dead giveaway."
"Was I that obvious? I'm not so much jealous of Cho as I am fed up with Harry. I don't know how the best seeker Hogwart's has ever seen could be so bloody blind!" Ginny began pouring her heart out. It felt good to finally tell someone her feelings. "All he can see me as is some kind of surrogate sister! As much as I like him, I've given up on it ever amounting to anything. I need to move on with my life while I still can."
"Oh?" Justin questioned, raising an eyebrow. He was saddened at the way her heart was obviously breaking, and excited by the opportunity that was now presented to him. He watched her, with her eyes cast downward, fiddle with a loose string on the arm of the chair. He reached out and took her delicate hands in his. Their eyes met.
I didn't know that it was so cold
And you needed someone to show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out
That when the tide comes ~ I'd take you away
"I can help you, if you like."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you're not going to feel any better if you stay cooped up in here, or if you return to the party. Do you want to go somewhere else where we can talk?"
Ginny looked anew upon Justin Finch-Fletchey. He was no Harry Potter, but he wasn't exactly a Neville Longbottom, either.
She managed a small smile and uttered, "That'd be nice."
If you want to ~ I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside ~ So busy out there
And all you wanted was somebody who cares
Ginny knew she still loved Harry, and that her heart could never belong to another. But if she couldn't have him, she would have to settle for whoever came along. Justin seemed like a guy who could help her to feel better about herself, especially now when she needed it the most. She wanted so terribly to know what it was like to be held by someone that cared about you…someone who could help you learn how to exist when your heart was no longer your own.
I'm sinking slowly ~ So hurry hold me
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on
Please can you tell me ~ So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone
"So where do you want to go?" Justin asked.
If you want to ~ I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside ~ So busy out there
And all you wanted was somebody who cares
"Diagon Alley," Ginny answered without hesitation. She figured if she was getting out of the Burrow, she might as well see to finishing her gift for Harry.
"Your wish is my command."
All you wanted was somebody who cares
If you need me you know I'll be there
Oh, yeah ~ If you want to ~ I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside ~ So busy out there
And all you wanted was somebody who cares
Please can you tell me ~ So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone
Ginny went upstairs to grab her cloak and her wand, and decided at the last minute to leave Hermione a note so that her friend could cover for her if her absence was noticed. She doubted it would be, since she had been sneaking off to London numerous times to work on Harry's gift. But one could never be too careful.
She joined Justin in the deserted living room and, after one last glance through the window sheers at Harry enjoying himself, she preceded her escort into the hearth and proclaimed, "Diagon Alley!"