Hey all! Next chappie is up! So sorry it's really short but as I'm still deciding what to do with this fic, this was basically all I could work on until I've got the plot sorted out. A very big thank you to my beta Emma, so once again this chapter is dedicated to her. Enjoy.
A small explosion greeted Harry when he finally stepped into the Burrow, nearly two hours after he had gone for his midnight stroll.
Of course, as he had predicted, Ginny had worried herself the whole time he was gone.
"I didn't even realize you'd gone Harry, don't ever scare me like that!" she screamed her eyes blazing. Harry swore he nearly saw steam coming out of her ears.
Harry rolled his eyes to the heavens. Honestly couldn't she leave him alone for a couple of hours? He wasn't a little boy anymore; he didn't need her constant fussing over him.
"Ginny I don't need your constant protection! Okay? Can't you just leave me alone!"
Ginny's look of outrage was enough to silence Harry, she really looked scary. Her face was flushed with anger.
"Whatever Harry! You are the one who is in most danger in the whole wizarding world! Don't you dare tell me that you don't need a babysitter!" She then folded her arms and stormed out of the kitchen, knocking an enchanted chair flying.
It dazedly got up and hobbled back to its original place, near the table, humming an angry tune to itself.
Harry ran his cold hands through his hair, he didn't need this now, he needed to have a good nights sleep and then rethink his situation in the morning. Everything always looked a little brighter in the morning.
He exited the kitchen and trudged up the stairs, passing Ginny's bedroom as he went. He thought he heard a muffled sobbing behind the closed door. He didn't stop though; he didn't want to waste any energy on comforting her, not after she made him feel like he couldn't take care of himself.
He finally got to Ron's room, where he had been staying since he got to the Burrow. He turned the handle gently and entered the room as quiet as his body would let him, which was shaking with anger at the moment.
Unfortunately his wishes to get to bed quietly weren't granted. Ron was already awake sitting on the end of his bed. When he saw Harry he ran up to him and Harry noticed that he also looked incredibly angry.
"What have you done to my sister? I heard that row! What were you fighting about!" he demanded fiercely.
Harry really didn't need this, not when he really wanted to get to bed, but he knew he really shouldn't anger his best friend. So drawing himself up and trying desperately hard to calming himself he replied.
"Ginny was treating me like a baby again; I just let her know that I didn't appreciate it." Harry hoped that Ron would accept this answer, so he could get straight into his comfortable looking bed. He stole a glance at it, yup it still looked inviting.
Ron looked him up and down almost sizing him up, Harry wished he would stop; he didn't like being interrogated by his best friends. Finally Ron nodded.
"She is my sister Harry, so I know that she can be annoying. Why don't you just get into bed? We can discuss it in the morning Harry. I don't know about you but I am tired." And with that he walked back to his bed and leapt in it. He turned his back away from Harry however, and Harry knew he wasn't going to cop it lightly in the morning.
But Harry was grateful for finally being allowed to sleep; he hurried over to his suitcase and quickly changed into his pajamas. It was cold and Harry knew that it must be very late.
Once he was changed he went into the bathroom and did his before bed rituals. Toilet, washing his face, normal before bed things. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and almost gasped at how sunken in his eyes looked, his skin was very pasty white and his scar was as prominent as ever.
This scared Harry; he leaned into the mirror and felt his face with hands. It still felt the same, but his face was cold, very cold. It felt like he was touching ice. He turned on the hot water tap and proceeded to try and heat his face up.
After trying in vain for ten minutes, he finally admitted defeat. If this was the way his face was going to behave, then it could. Maybe if he looked so hideous in the morning, Ginny might not want to go out with him anymore. Harry thought that was quite a good idea.
He grabbed his toothbrush and walked back into Ron's room, being careful to shut the door quietly. He practically ran to his bed and almost threw himself on to it.
He got himself into the sheets and suddenly realized how cold they were. But his body was too tired to care anymore. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was asleep, grateful finally to be able to relax in his bed.