1

Chapter 3

Gone

Harry opened his eyes and shut them at once. The sun was blazing through the windows. Groaning he got up, and went to the bathroom. There he showered and dressed. Wondering where Ginny was, he walked down the stairs calling her name. When there was no answer, he checked the garden. She wasn't there either.

"She must be at the burrow." He said to himself and went to the kitchen for tea. He half expected to see the kitchen messy from last night, but it was clean and spotless. A little confused, he took his tea and went to his office, where he decided to catch up on late work. The Ministry had him doing paperwork, on every Death eater still waiting in line for prosecution. This was not easy work, and Harry became so enthralled in writing reports he completely lost track of time. That is until his name was being called from the front of the house. He looked at the clock: 3:08.

"Harry? Ginny? Are you home?" It was Mrs. Weasley. Harry walked out into the hall.

"Oh there you are Harry dear, I thought you or Ginny would have come and gotten Katrina earlier this morning. I'm afraid she's out of milk and a little hungry." Harry looked at her, now totally confused.

"I assumed Ginny was at the burrow." He said, taking Katrina from her.

"Oh no, last time I saw her was last night, when she asked if we could watch Katrina for you two."

"Wait..." Harry began pacing. "She told me you wanted Kat."

"Well of course, we would never turn down a chance to take care of her." Mrs. Weasley said, becoming a little concerned. "But Ginny asked us to do it, we didn't volunteer."

"Ginny wasn't home when I woke up this morning Mrs. Weasley..."

"Oh Harry please call me Molly, or mum...not Mrs. Weasley."

"Mrs. Weasley Ginny is gone." Her smile faded.

"What do you mean gone? She's not here? She must have stepped out."

"She's been gone since this morning...maybe even last night." He said thinking back, trying to remember Ginny saying something about being gone for the day. But he couldn't come up with anything.

"Harry what are you saying?"

"I'm saying, that Ginny is not here. I woke up this morning and she wasn't here."

"Why..."

"I don't know." He said, and took Kat, who was beginning to cry into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he grabbed a bottle of milk. "The milk won't even last me into tomorrow...she'll be up again tonight and in the morning..."

Mrs. Weasley had followed him into the kitchen and was listening to him at the door, but her eyes were elsewhere.

"What do I do? I can't feed her..." Harry was talking quickly and it was obvious he was frightened, but Mrs. Weasley refused to look at him. He set Kat down in her jumper chair and propped the bottle up so she could drink.

"Mrs. Weasley I need help." She looked at him, and in an instant was weeping.

"Oh Harry! I'm so sorry!" Harry, deeply concerned and confused went to her and held out his arms. She stepped into them, and hugged him tightly.

"Mrs. Weasley what is going on. Where's Ginny?"

"I don't know. I have no idea." She sobbed. "I don't know what to say."

"Are you hinting that Ginny won't be coming back?" He asked coldly.

"I don't know. I just don't know."

Two weeks past, and Harry had given up hope. She was gone. Left without anything...not even a letter...or a clue. Hermione had stayed with him, and helping him with Katrina. Harry mostly locked himself in his office, working or if not thinking. Thinking of any reason why she would have left...especially after what had happened that night...

"Harry?" It was Hermione. "Harry, I've put Kat to bed. She seems to be doing fine on the new formula, I think she'll be OK with it." Hermione looked at him, and her heart went out for him.

"Oh Harry." Not knowing what to say, she just hugged him. He let her.

"I don't know what to do Hermione. I'm lost. I'm hurt...confused...I'm just..."

"You have people here for you Harry. You know that right? You have friends who are willing to help you through this."

"But I want to understand Hermione. I want to talk to her. I want to know...I'm going crazy."

"What are you going to do about Katrina when your working?" She asked, taking his attention away from Hermione. Harry groaned loudly and sank into his armchair.

"I don't know. I won't work." He said.

"You have too, and you will work. You'll have to find a sitter or something."

"I'll have to find a Nanny Hermione...not a sitter, and sitter is someone who only watches a kid for a few hours. I'm going to need someone to watch her 6 days a week, from the time I leave till I get home, which most of the time isn't until 6 or 7 at night! Where in the world am I going to find someone that I can trust, who is willing to live here and take care of my daughter?"

"I'm sure we can find someone..."

"No...there's nobody that I trust with my daughter besides the people I've known, and I can't always leave her with the Weasley's."

"You can't keep ignoring them Harry. They've got nothing to do with Ginny...leaving."

"I haven't been ignoring them." He stated.

"You haven't returned their letters or calls."

"I haven't returned anyone's!" Hermione sighed.

"Harry they want to help you. Let them!"

"I will Hermione. When I'm ready. I'm just so confused right now."

"Alright, well I'm going to help you by looking for someone to fill the position of "Nanny", while you get to returning those letters."

"I'd rather you not look for..."

"Harry! Stop it, I will look for someone and that's final. What are you looking for?"

"I need someone young, not old, someone willing to play with her, take her for walks, that kind of thing. She needs to have energy...lot's, trust me, Katrina has proven she's inherited her mothers spirit, so she'll always be a handful. Someone who loves kids I guess...I mean, someone who will be willing to spend every moment with Kat. And of course, I need to be able to trust this person."

"Well you can trust me Harry."

"I know Hermione." After kissing him goodbye, she left, leaving Harry to his thoughts.