Harry found himself outside the crookedly towering Burrow. He walked up the path to the door, pulling his trunk along behind him. He knocked softly, and heard a crash and quick walking toward the door.

"Who's there?" The voice of Mrs. Weasley came through the door.

"It's me, Harry." He said. She threw open the door to admit him. Her face was spread in a strained smile, though she did look happy enough to see him.

"Hello Harry dear!" She exclaimed, and pulled him into a hug. When she let him go, she walked back into the house so he could follow. Harry looked around the house, which looked the same as ever. It was still a comfort, more of a home than he had at the Dursley's anyway.

Harry was greeted by a string of choruses when he came into the dining room. It seemed to be breakfast time, and most of the Weasleys were sitting at the table.

"Arthur won't be here. He's been so busy at work lately." Mrs. Weasley said behind him, looking sadly at the table with its empty seat.

Harry just nodded, not sure how to respond. He took a seat when Mrs. Weasley beckoned him to one. Harry looked around the table carefully, taking note that all eyes were on him. He could even feel Mrs. Weasley's eyes on him from behind. Ron was giving him a slight smile, Fred and George were giving him wide grins, and looking as though they were bursting with news about their joke shop. Ginny was trying to hide her glances by looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. She was avoiding his gaze, and turned a distinct shade of pink when he looked at her.

Mrs. Weasley brought food to the table a few minutes later, and people began to talk to each other again. Harry listened to a conversation between Ron, Fred, and George as they were talking about the new products they were working on for their shop, and how great they would come out. Ginny was talking to Mrs. Weasley about new robes, and kept stealing silent glances at Harry.

Harry wanted to talk to her, but he guessed she was still hurt from the year before. She loved him, and he loved her just as much, but he didn't want her to get hurt. Voldemort would use any excuse to hurt the people Harry cared about, and he just couldn't stand to think of losing another person who was close to him. He wanted to tell her that, but she would only try and persuade him that she could be strong, and he didn't know if he could tell her no.

"Hey Harry, let's go outside and play a game of quidditch. It's boring in here." Ron suggested, as he and the twins started to stand up.

"Alright." Harry agreed, and stood up himself. He followed them outside.

The four of them went outside and played two on two. They spent a few hours out in the field scoring goals, talking and laughing. It was the best Harry had felt in a long time, and yet he felt like an imposter playing the part of a normal teenage boy. He hoped that once it was all over he could have a normal life, but it seemed an almost impossible wish.

When they came back to the ground, finally deciding to end the game with Harry and Ron the victors, Harry could have sworn he saw a flash of red hair disappear behind the trunk of a nearby tree. He shook his head, and attempted to ignore the spy that was Ginny Weasley, not knowing how to face her yet.

He started to follow the boys back to the house, passing the tree where she hid. He felt a hand tug gently at his sleeve, and he slowed to a stop, not turning around. He watched Ron and the twins walk the rest of the way to the door, still not turning.

"Harry…please look at me." Ginny's voice was whisper quiet, as she still held onto the sleeve of his robe. He turned slowly to look at the redhead.

Her eyes were looking directly into his, a sad look overshadowing the fiery spirit that lay within. Her mouth was open slightly as she searched for the words she wanted to say, hovering between screaming at him and pleading with him.

He stopped whatever she would say with his own words.

"Ginny, I'm sorry about the last day of school." He told her. "I don't feel what I said was wrong though." He said before she could take what he said as a retraction.

She looked at him for a few seconds, then opened her mouth to speak again.

"Harry, I love you." She pleaded, "I don't want you to go off and get yourself killed and leave me behind." A lone tear ran down her cheek as she tried to keep the rest at bay.

Harry looked down at her and emotions flew within him. He wanted to take her in his arms and save her from her pain. He wanted to kiss her and tell her he loved her. He wanted to push her away and tell her that it was dangerous and he wouldn't let her get hurt by being around him. He wanted to tell her to stop making him feel so guilty, to stop making him feel like the bad guy.

His second emotion won out, kinda. He stepped away from her and turned away.

"Ginny, I couldn't stand it if anything hurt you because of me. I'm sorry, but I can't see you. Please don't be mad at me, I just don't want anything to happen to you."

Harry didn't need to turn around to know the effect of his words. He could hear her fall to the ground, and he could almost feel the tremble of her sobs. She was on her knees crying for him, and it killed him to be the cause of her tears. He couldn't help but feel he would rather be facing death at the hand of Voldemort than to be the cause of her sadness.

"I'm sorry Ginny. Really I am. If there was any other way, I would find it." He said, then began to walk back toward the house.

He didn't look back the whole way, but his own tears began falling as he went. He went up to Ron's room, thankful his friend wasn't there, and sat there on the bed. The scene played through his head again and again, and he just wished it wasn't so hard. He fell asleep, wishing he could hold Ginny in his arms.