A/N: I have decided to change Adriana's name to Danielle, because many people are getting confused between the stories. So Adriana will be Danielle from now on.

Chapter 10

February 15

Dear Sirius,

Hermione's cousin's wedding was yesterday. Ginny and I went together, and Ron and Hermione went together. It was okay, I guess… nothing really worth remembering. It was all routine… well, until the four of us went out for drinks after the reception. That part was a bit more enjoyable. Hermione was the first to get drunk—no surprise there; she's such a goody-goody and never drinks—and Ron followed soon afterward. Obviously by now I have a high tolerance for alcohol, so during that whole time I didn't get completely intoxicated. Ginny, surprisingly, didn't either. She was much closer than I was, but surprisingly good with her drinks.

We took a Portkey back to Hogwarts since Ginny can't Apparate yet. As soon as we were back in the Common Room, Hermione passed out. Ron and I both took her up the stairs, after Ginny had opened the door and went back down, though we both knew it only took one of us to carry her. We lay her down in her bed and I covered her with the blanket. We both stared… but I think only Ron was really looking, drinking in her appearance.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Ron said. I didn't say anything; after all, she's Ron's girlfriend. "Say yes," Ron said, smiling faintly.

"Yes," I croaked. We both smiled briefly, a shared moment. "Well," I said, clearing my throat. "Goodnight, Ron."

"Goodnight," Ron said, walking toward the stairs. He turned around. "We'll talk sometime, yeah?" he asked quietly.

I hesitated. After a while, I said:

"Yeah."

Ron smiled and went down the stairs. After a bit, I followed.

Ginny and I were the only ones left in the Common Room. Ron had gone up to bed—it was about eleven.

"Harry?" Ginny asked softly as I was walking towards the staircase to the boys' dormitories, so softly I almost hadn't heard her.

"Yeah?" I said as I turned around.

"Can—Can we talk?"

"Uh… sure, Ginny." We sat down on the couch, at opposite ends. She was silent. "Yeah?" I said.

She sighed. "I… I have a confession to make. I've been lying… to everyone… for a long time. I have a problem. It's not too big… yet. I want to stop it before it becomes big.

"I have a problem with alcohol, Harry. I've been hiding it… for nearly a year now. Maybe not quite so long, but I want to stop it before it gets any worse. Hermione found half a dozen empty butterbeer bottles under my bed when she was summoning all the junk to clean the dorm, and confronted me about it."

"Ginny," I asked slowly, shocked, "why do you drink?"

"I dunno," she shrugged, then thought about it more carefully. "I guess I started… I was under so much stress. Grades, stupid boyfriends, Ron still treating me like a child even though I'm sixteen…" She looked up from her hands at me. "Liking someone even though I knew I could never have them… it was all a mess in my head."

"Who?" I asked.

"Huh?"

"Who could you never have?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter," she said, waving it away. "I didn't know what to do about it. I stayed up all night crying, I lost sleep… then I found a solution in alcohol. I wouldn't have, but… a person I knew was, and I drank with them once, and I… just followed." I wondered who the person was.

"But that's not the point. The point is that now I'm joining a support group. In Hogsmeade. And… I think that maybe you should come."

"What?" I yelped. "What makes you think I need help?"

"Harry, the way you drank today… you just kept taking them. It's not normal. It's not good."

"I can stop whenever I damn feel like it, Ginevra Weasley! I don't need one of those sissy support groups. They're for losers. Pathetic idiots."

"I'm going to one," Ginny said softly.

"Well, that's you, Ginny! And you'd do well to keep your nose outta my damn business!" I took a cigarette out of my pocket and lit it, pacing.

"And you really shouldn't smoke either," she said softly. "Lung damage."

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed in frustration, and stormed off.

I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have done that, Sirius. But what was I supposed to do? She was telling me to join a bloody support group, for Merlin's sake! Like she knew everything… bloody kids, I'm telling you. She's only sixteen.

Harry

A/N: So there ya go. This is more story-ish rather than letter-ish, but that's okay. Tell me what you think!

OutofAzkaban

roxygurl25-You're right, I probably shouldn't hate him; I created him. Oh well. I hate him.

potts-Get writing your ficcy! Good observation yet again. Tell some of these dimwits about it. (Just kidding, guys! I love you all!)

code112358132134-Thanks so much! You're brilliant too!

Where are the rest of you guys?