Disclaimer: Obviously, I own nothing. NO-THING. Except the story…and Lily, Andrew, and the twins.

A/N: I am SO sorry it's been so long since I've updated, but things were hectic the week before Thanksgiving and then I went up to my grandparent's house for about five days, and this is the first chance I've had to work on it. I'm also going to Chicago for a field trip this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and so don't expect another update for about a week and a half.

Ickle-princess: Yeah, I'm a bitch with the cliffhangers .

Harry94Ginny: Yes, it is, but I still pity the poor guy.

BexyLou: Thank you!

Iamsuchafreak: Thanks, and doing so.

Ashley0918: Thanks!

Scotty26: Wow, that's really flattering! Thank you so much!

Hedwig136: Thank you!

Previously: "'Sorry I'm late, Mum,' came Ginny's voice, and Harry groaned inwardly. Why did he get the idea this would not end well?"

.x. Having Heart Is Full Of Pain .x.

Then She Runs Away From Me Faster Than I Crawl

"Neville and I were with his nieces, and when he had to leave for work, I needed to take them home," Ginny explained as she slipped into the seat between her mother and Lily. The group said grace, and everyone was soon helping themselves to the dishes Molly had so lovingly prepared earlier that day.

"What does Neville do for a living?" Harry asked her as he put some mashed potatoes on his plate.

"Oh, he works at St. Mungo's. He's their Ministry liaison, so he and Dad see a lot of each other." She looked up at him for a moment. "What are you planning on doing? For work, I mean."

"Well…at this point, being an Auror's out of the question. I was thinking of maybe being a Hogwarts professor."

Lily's eyes lit up immediately, and Ginny laughed. "What, Lil, you like Harry?"

"Uncle Harry is great!" she said animatedly, and Andrew nodded in agreement. Ginny looked at Harry.

"They won't even call Percy 'Uncle,'" Ginny told him incredulously, "not that I blame them of course; he's quite the impressive git."

Harry chuckled. "So what do you do?"

"Stay at home wife," she grinned. Harry couldn't really believe it, considering how much trouble Ginny had once gotten in for her free use of the best Bat-Bogey Hexes Harry had ever witnessed. During Hogwarts, he would have placed bets on Ginny going into a career as an Auror, but he supposed times had changed. Next to Harry, Ron and Hermione gave themselves knowing looks that neither Harry nor Ginny caught. The rest of dinner went on peaceably, much to Harry's pleasure.

By the time an hour had passed, Ron, Hermione, and their family had disappeared, Molly and Arthur had gone up to bed after a long day, and Harry and Ginny had volunteered to do the dishes. Looking at the sizable mound, Harry sighed and went to the sink, turning on the faucet.

"What are you doing?" Ginny laughed.

"Washing the dishes?"

"Try doing it this way," she said, rolling her eyes and smiling, as she waved her wand and the dirty china suddenly gleamed and whizzed back to their proper places.

"I'm brilliant," Harry laughed, and Ginny nodded.

The pair of them fell silent for a moment, and Harry found himself lapsing into memories again…

It was a hot, lazy Saturday, and Harry and Ginny had found themselves laying down in the sand on the shores of the lake. Ginny's head was resting in Harry's lap, his fingers running idly through her long, flaming hair as they watched the giant squid stretching its tentacles sluggishly toward shore. His thoughts were not on the day at hand, however, but on the prophesy.

"You'll survive it, Harry," Ginny whispered so only he could hear. "You'll survive all of this, even if no one else does." Sitting up, she repositioned herself so that her head was resting on Harry so that she could hear the beating of his heart and feel the rising of his ribs as he breathed, her hair strewn across his chest. He softly kissed her forehead, and she looked up at him. Putting his hand in hers, she put his hand over her heart. "Do you feel that beating?"

Harry nodded, confused.

"From this moment on, it's yours." He kissed her sweetly, breathing a sigh of content. For this one instant, everything was alright; as his fingers lay intertwined with hers, memories of the prophesy drifted from his mind as they were lulled into a light sleep by the warm afternoon sun…

"Harry? Harry?" Ginny asked, snapping him back into reality.

"I'm sorry, Gin," Harry said quietly. She looked at him oddly, clearly baffled.

"About what?"

"Trying to kiss you yesterday," Harry said. It wasn't the only thing that he regretted between them—he didn't think that he would have enough time to list everything if he started then and didn't stop until the day he died—but how could he explain that to her? She obviously wanted to be nothing more than friends, and that attempted reconciliation was causing awkwardness in even the most normal of situations.

"Oh…" Her voice sounded almost disappointed. "You know, if you were going to apologize for something, I have to admit that trying to kiss me is probably the last thing you should have." There was a hint of anger and frustration in the end of the sentence.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Harry snapped. Wasn't enough for her that he was trying to apologize for everything?

"What is that supposed to mean? How about the fact that you BROKE UP with me? And at a funeral, for Christ's sake! Then, then, you did the worst thing you could have possibly done. All of the next year, you talked to me everyday and tried to be my friend."

"And what the hell is wrong with that!" Harry cried, feeling thoroughly aggravated at this point. What had he done to set her off like this?

"Do you know what kind of torture that is? To be wanting to be with you so badly and having you sitting there in front of me, talking to me like we've never kissed and you've never told me we'd always be together? To hear you talking to me like I'm nothing more than a friend, and know that I never will be?" Flicking her wand, a bottle of sake and an oversized shot glass flew onto the counter beside Ginny, and she quickly filled the glass to the brim, downing it in one gulp.

"What is your problem?" Harry asked her, summoning the large bottle of rice wine and holding it away from her.

"What do you mean 'what is my problem?'" she sneered at him.

"You shouldn't drink that much!"

"What are you, my father?"

"What are you, an alcoholic?"

"Fuck off."

"And what does Neville think about this?"

Ginny paused for a moment. "He doesn't know."

"What, like you don't drink yourself into a stupor when he's around?"

"No, I mean he's never around." Her the level of her voice had risen rapidly, and Harry knew that he had touched a nerve. "And I do not drink myself into stupors and I am not a fucking alcoholic, okay? Oh, and another thing—Neville and I's relationship is none of your goddamn business, so just say out of it."

"What happened to you? You changed, Ginny."

"What happened to me? You want to know what happened to me? You happened, Harry." Harry reached out to grab her wrist as she walked away, and she spun around. "Don't touch me!" Harry gave her a look of bafflement, and, with a resonating crack!, she was gone.

Ron and Hermione were sitting together in their oversized, soft armchair. A few moments ago, the children had been put to bed, and they were enjoying their one quiet time of the night. It was the one time of the day that the couple ever got to be to themselves, as the twins and Andrew sapped up most of their time and energy during the day. Hermione smiled as she snuggled up to her loving husband; it was in moments like these especially that she knew she had made the right choice in marrying him. She began to drift slowly off to sleep, Ron aiding the process as he rubbed her back lightly and kissed her forehead, but awoke with a start as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Ron whispered, unwrapping her arms from around is neck and getting off of the chair. "Go back to sleep." When he opened the door, a enraged-looking Harry met his gaze.

"What's up, mate?" Ron asked, eyeing his friend warily. He knew what Harry could be like when he was in these moods; after all, he hadn't forgotten the summer before their fifth year.

"What the hell is wrong with your sister?" Harry growled, and Ron, realizing that this could be loud, closed the door behind him and lead his friend outside for a walk.

A/N: Short again, I know, but I'm trying! Also, I'm so excited about going to Chicago this weekend that I can't focus on much else. Next chapter gets really good, I promise! Expect it in about a week and a half….maybe ;)