Author's Note: I'm back! It wasn't quite as long as last time, was it? The next chapter will be up by December 17…If I get over 100 reviews. (Total reviews, not just for this chapter. So that's six more.) More reviews than requested may result in the chapter coming up next weekend. So…Please review! I hope you like it.

Thanks so much to DawnRising, Schatje, Graham Mallalieu, Win, Tomanak, BexyLou, shadow00, Phyre's child13, Hpobsession87, Dancer girl923, Vampirehelsing, Wolf's scream, ProphecyProtector, and Vampireatheart for your reviews!

Kd7sov: Thanks for your review. Yes, Fleur should have been a little quicker to recognize Harry…giggles. I hope you like this chapter!

pink gecko: Takes virtual chocolate. Thanks! I love your reviews, so read (and enjoy) this chapter, and please review! I'll give you some of my virtual chocolate…Actually, I'll just be really grateful, because I really want my chocolate.

carole: Your review was so wonderful. Your welcome! though you're the one who should be being thanked: if it weren't for people who review I would never have continued writing. Thank you so much!

BJH: You have no idea how much I loved your review. More chocolate like that, and I'll have chapter 10 up next week. I solemnly swear! I loved the options, thanks a bunch!

Tasha The Fox: They'll talk…soon. Eventually. At some point. Thanks for your review!

Dragonero: Thank you for reviewing! Yes, it's post-HBP. To a point. I planned it out before HBP was released, so I blame any inconsistencies on that, but the larger stuff remains true. Like Dumbledore, however sad that makes me. And Sirius is (unfortunately) dead here, too. McGonagall lives! And I might have her in here later, I'm not sure yet. Snape is dead. And yes, that may be important.

Kates Master: It hasn't been a terribly long time, so may I please keep my limbs? Although I am interested in meeting your rabid cockerel. He sounds like fun. :-D Don't worry about it; the twins will have done several stupid things by the time I'm through with them. And there is some "Harry Potter!" shouting here…Kind of. Read and enjoy!

K McNeely: Thank you very much for the chocolate. It was delicious. A couple more bars will get an update next weekend (hint, hint). It won't get too sad. I hope. Sad things depress me, so I probably won't go there too much. I much prefer happiness! And chocolate.

Note: FFNet has this new feature where I can push this wonky little button when I'm viewing my reviews and I can reply. I'm not quite certain how that works. Would you guys prefer me to do that, or keep replying in the chapters? And if I do continue doing it in the chapters, would you like me to put the responses before the chapter or after it? Just wondering.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Ask my bank.

Here's the chapter…

Ginny fainted.

Harry felt his stomach lurch. His heart was pounding uncomfortably quickly, and beads of sweat gathered on his forehead. Alarm was clearly displayed in his bright green eyes, which were open wide and staring at the spot where Ginny was lying, pale and unmoving. He took several quick steps towards her.

"Ginny!" someone cried.

Slowly, many people in the crowd took up the call. They all rushed towards the lifeless figure, expressions of anxiety and distress planted firmly on their features.

Countless worried figures crouched around Ginny's still form, murmuring comforting words and agitatedly attempting to revive her, or at least make her more comfortable.

Finally, Tonks, after much shouting and indignant shoving, took control of the situation. She knelt down by Ginny and began bellowing orders to those around her. Red-haired figures were the only ones allowed to stand close by, and Tonks commanded everyone else to give Ginny some space. Then Harry froze.

A tall, brown-haired man Harry didn't recognize took Ginny's hand, which Tonks had no objection to. His face was creased in worry, and he was speaking to Ginny's unconscious form. He looked pensive for a moment, and then gave hurried instructions to Tonks, who nodded and bustled away. The man glanced shiftily around as if checking whether anyone could see him. The Weasleys were, apparently, providing adequate cover, for the man stealthily pulled out what may have been a stick, but what Harry recognized as a wand. Ginny's figure rose into the air after the man muttered a few words under his breath, and he stuck his arms out so it appeared he was carrying her.

"Lazy sod," Harry muttered, and he turned to leave, his stomach feeling unsettled and a voice he hadn't heard for years telling him to jinx the brown-haired man several times.

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Ron paced up and down the hallway, wiping his hands on his trousers as they became sweaty. The twins were leaning against the wall, watching in amusement, but occasionally looking at the door in concern. Remus sat in a chair just outside the door, as he was sometimes called on by Tonks to help.

Richard was looking after Ginny, who had been placed on the bed in Hermione's old bedroom. He had recruited Hermione, who was still in her wedding dress, though her hair had become a bit untidy, and Tonks to help him take care of his fiancée. The faraway sounds of the music penetrated the walls as the party went on outside.

"Remus!" Tonks called from inside the bedroom. Remus thought that under different circumstances, that could lead to a very fun night. Shaking his head to get rid of such very un-Remus-like thoughts, he stood and made his way to his wife.

"Yes, dear?" he asked. She glared at him, warning him with her eyes (now red) to not speak so loudly. Remus decided not to point out that it was she who had just yelled to him.

"Leave the door open," she instructed through clenched teeth, as if she thought that would make her voice softer.

Remus was confused.

"It is open," he said.

"Leave it wide open," she replied, rolling her eyes as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's better for air circulation."

Remus nodded, feeling it was a wiser course of action to not dispute his wife's definition of "wide open". Though, it looked wide open to him. Spotting Tonks' face, he confirmed that saying that would be incredibly dense of him.

He walked to the door and pushed it as far as it would go. It opened about four centimeters more than it had been. He could only assume that was what Tonks would deem "wide open". This was affirmed when she took a deep breath and said, "Ah, yes. Much better."

Remus stared. Pregnant women were weird.

He sat back in his chair and sighed. Fred and George exchanged a bewildered look and looked at the door. It looked as though they were trying to ascertain precisely what "wide open" was, and Remus made a mental note to ask them their conclusion later.

Ron was on another pacing cycle and passed the twins, who were still contemplating the mystery that was the varying degrees of door openness. The hall was smaller than they all would have liked, and Ron tripped over their feet. He tumbled into the wall, and the twins jumped up and held their injured feet close to them, expressions of pain etched firmly on all their faces.

Tonks stuck her head out of the door and glared at them all, which was rather frightening as she was now sporting a green mullet.

The three of them quickly recovered, and Ron resumed his pacing. He was nearing Remus when the latter decided it would be a good idea to move his chair inside the room.

The twins watched in mild interest.

"That must be it," Fred said. "It's wide open if you can get a chair through it." They both nodded, as if that was all the information they'd ever need. Remus thought they were quite mad and applauded his decision to move to the bedroom.

He had been sitting there for several minutes, tiredly watching Richard attempt to nurse Ginny back to health when her eyes opened.

Her eyes widened, and she frantically tried to sit up, crying incoherently. Her brothers, attracted by her wails, rushed into the room. Tonks and Hermione desperately tried to calm the girl, and Richard awkwardly tapped her back. Remus leaned forward in his chair.

Soon, Ginny began repeating one word. "Harry," she said wretchedly. "Harry."

The twins exchanged a look and then stared at the floor. Ron stared with his mouth open. Tonks' hair began changing colors at an alarmingly fast rate. Hermione's face paled, and she looked like a ghost. Richard looked confused. Remus leaned back in his chair and visibly shrank into it.

Oh dear, he thought.

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Harry didn't think, just let his feet lead him to a place where he could leave. Harry didn't want to think. He didn't want to be here, and he didn't want to stay. All he wanted was to continue living as he had before, lonely and dull as his existence had been. It was much, much better that way.

So, for the second time in his life, Harry Potter ran away.

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Narrowed blue eyes followed Harry's progress across the yard.

She watched him walking quickly away and began to follow at a safe distance. When Harry stopped at the corner a couple roads down and leaned against the hard brick wall, she threw caution into the wind and decided to go to him.

He didn't notice her approach as his eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. Harry calmed down and opened his eyes, only to jump several feet into the air.

Blue eyes flashing, silvery-blonde hair blowing, Fleur Delacour raised one eyebrow and looked at him imperiously. They just looked at each other for a moment, before Fleur spoke.

"'Ello, 'Arry," she said.