Chapter Two

The Fight

"Ginny, umm, would you fancy a walk?" Harry asked, a little timidly. Looking up from her book she gazed at him quizzically for a moment, and then nodded. She followed him outside, where the ground was illuminated by the full moon.

"Harry," she started at the same exact time he said, "Ginny." They both laughed a little.

"Ladies first," he offered.

"Well, I was wondering why you have been so distant from everyone since the three of you got back? You haven't strung together more then four words to anyone except Ron and Mione. You know you can talk to me, right?" she asked softly as they walked past the garden, heading towards the fence.

It was only when they reached the fence that he answered, "It's just I have been thinking about all that has happened in the last year. All the pain and suffering caused by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It's been hard not knowing what might happen next, you know."

They had hopped the fence and were heading towards the same place where Harry and Hermione had been a little while earlier. "I really missed you Ginny. You don't know how hard it was to be apart from you. I really regret what I did at the end of last year. But I hope you understand why I did it. I really hope that you understand."

"Yes, I do, but don't you think that I wouldn't have gone with you. I really don't think that my going would have been any different then taking Ron and Mione with you. I'm not a little girl that can't take care of herself you know. I was with you in the Ministry when all those Death Eaters attacked us," she countered as her voice started to rise a little.

"Yeah, but I couldn't have stood to see you get hurt, or worse, killed. The three of us were lucky we got through it all alive," he replied calmly, sensing the mounting tension.

"But I would have gone with you! I could have helped, that's all I'm trying to say," she finished, her face reddened. "Sorry."

"I understand. So how was this last year?"

"It was fine, but I really missed Hogwarts. I guess that it wouldn't have been the same without Dumbledore anyways." Ginny answered.

Harry was silent at the mention of Dumbledore's name. The shock was still real, a year after he'd been murdered. He had watched the man die and couldn't do anything to stop it. If he had only been able to move, he would have stopped the whole thing.

Ginny sensed the discomfort caused by her statement. "I'm sorry for bringing that up."

His smile was tight as he looked at her. And then he gave her a hug. He hadn't planned on it, it had just happened. As she stood there in his embrace she began to cry softly. This was where she had wanted to be for a year. Her struggle had been the same as his, the difference was she thought about him non-stop, where he was continually being distracted by his mission, pushing her to the back of his mind. He was determined to never do it again.

"I really missed you too, Harry," she said, staring into the green eyes of the man she loved. He stared back into hers, and there, for a moment, they were the only two people in the world. He leaned in to kiss her, but was stop suddenly by the sounds of shouting.

"You know what? I'm really starting to get sick and tired of you!" Hermione yelled.

"Yeah? Well, it's not like you're a hoot to be around all the time either!" Ron shouted back.

Harry looked up to see Hermione walking away from the Ron, tears flowing down her face. They, like Harry and Ginny, had taken a walk, though theirs wasn't going quite as well. "I'm going to see if Mione is all right," Harry said quickly, letting go of Ginny. As he started to walk away, Ginny said something that she shouldn't have.

"Of course you will."
"What's that suppose to mean?" a little anger in his voice.

"You two always run off to each other," she said, almost yelling.

"That's because she's my best friend, and if you hadn't noticed, your brother can be a bit of a git at times," he said, realizing that he didn't want to argue with her.

"Don't attack my brother. Just go run off to Mione, I know that's what you want to do!" she yelled.

"It's not like that, and you know it. She's my friend and I want to make sure she's all right, that's all," he said, suddenly calm.

"I get a bit jealous of her at times, that's all, sorry," she said, her voice suddenly quiet, a hint of embarrassment in her tone.

"It's okay, but there's no need to be jealous. It's you I like. Come here," he said bringing her close again, swiftly giving her a hug and kiss. "Are you going to come with me to talk to her?" he asked, grabbing her hand.

They made their way to Hermione, but as usual, it was nothing to worry about. It was one of their stupid little fights about nothing. The three of them were making their way back, when Hermione finally realized that they were holding hands.

"So it finally happened did it?" she inquired eagerly. "I'm so excited for both of you." She'd been hoping that when Voldemort was dead, they would get back together. She had never seen Harry more depressed then he had been over the last week.

"Ginny said she would use the bat-bogey hex on me if I didn't agree," he stated, trying to look serious but failing miserably.

"I just might, if you don't stop lying, Potter," she declared, pulling out her wand and pointing it at Harry. Their laughter preceded them as they made for the house.

A/N: What does that little button at the bottom do. You could always hit it and find out.