Disclaimer: Everything you recognise ain't mine. Comprehende?

Summary: The came to her graduation. Her 'friends'. But are they there for her? Or are they there to resolve their guilt?

Author's Note: So I got a review from someone, I can't quite recall who [and for that I am incredibly sorry! I think it was cutepuplover. But the name isn't that important, it was what they said that really got me. They said that my fic was one of the few worth reading and that made my week and so I feel like I should give something back. And I had feared all week that my chapter two had been deleted. But I don't know…luck must be on my side for once and so here I am, posting my chapter two.

Also this story was written a long time ago, like after book six came out and so yes…just a warning that it does not go with book seven and also this is a little warning for chapter three [which I never wrote…well not yet anyway that the style will be different to chapter one and two.

AND OH MY GOD. I wrote this long before Deathly Hallows…right? Yes. I did. Ok. So now I want you to read the second line. I was just going over it, starting to edit it for you all…and I think I predicted Fred's death. O. Em. Gee. Freaky.

Ginny dragged her feet on the stone floor as she walked to the last remaining members of her family. Bill, George and Percy stood around their mother, whose eyes, Ginny could tell, were already tearing up.

"Ginny, do pick up your feet and smile, you have visitors," Her mother managed to choke out, her voice breaking as she bit back a sob. Bill stepped forward at this, throwing Ginny a quick, understanding smile before leading her over to speak to Professor McGonagall. George half smiled at her before following suit, Percy simply nodded in recognition and gave a small smile before disappearing too. Left behind were two tall, very tanned figures. One she recognized immediately as Harry, due to the scar peeking out from under his dark hair, which he'd grown out to his shoulders. His face looked weathered, and he looked as if he'd aged more than one year – at the very least five. His piercing green eyes looked straight at her, and Ginny could see from where she had stopped that those eyes had lost their shine. She could see all the terrible things this world held as she stared into his eyes and it caused a shiver to run up her spine.

"Long time no see," he said lightly, trying to sound as if he hadn't completely ignored her since that fateful night. Ginny shrugged, hiding any emotion she might have felt for the Boy-Who-Lived. He walked closer, embracing her in a hug which she did not return, for she was too busy staring at the girl he had arrived with. Her heart seemed to flip and flop like a fish out of water as she recognised this stranger as Hermione Granger.

"Hey," Hermione greeted quietly, her hands shoved deep in her robe pockets. Ginny could barely hear her over her thoughts and the excited squeals from other students as they found their relatives in the entrance hall of Hogwarts. Harry stepped back and allowed Hermione to come and greet Ginny properly.

She was taller now, just a little bit. Ginny found herself looking up to stare into Hermione's soft brown eyes. They were not as damaged as Harry's…or if they were, she managed to hide it well. Her hair, which had always been brown frizzy curls, was straightened and honey gold from the suns of all the different worlds she and Harry had explored, searching for people, objects and creatures that were wanted by the ministry.

Ginny didn't know what to do now that she stood less than a metre from her. She tried her hardest to remain ambivalent, exactly like she had for Harry, but she found it hard seeing Hermione face-to-face. Instead of the dull pain she'd felt with Harry, she was hit with all the feelings she had distanced herself from, buried in the earth along with all her dreams so long ago. Ginny's one true love was standing right there and she had absolutely no idea what effect she was having on the smaller red haired girl.

They stood there awkwardly before Hermione moved to hug Ginny. She flinched as arms were wrapped around her. She wouldn't allow herself to forget the pain, the hurt, and the tears she had shed over Hermione's sudden departure. She couldn't suddenly forgive her. However, her body seemed to betray her, her eyes flooding with tears of all the emotion she'd been bottling up. Tears of loss, of unrequited love and loneliness. Tears for her family, her friends but above all, herself.

Hermione was stunned at Ginny's tears. Thinking back, she'd never seen Ginny cry like this. Not even at her brothers' funerals. Not even at her father's funeral months later. This, she realised was pure emotion, the stuff you kept hidden away from the world. Harry too seemed to realise and he joined the two in their embrace, comforting both as stray tears spilled from Hermione's eyes.

They stood there, simply holding each other for over five minutes before Ginny pulled back. Hermione and Harry looked at her curiously, waiting for her to say something.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." She blurted, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. Hermione reached out a hand to her, causing her to flinch again.

"Don't be silly. We're your friends." She said softly, failing to hide her hurt as she took her hand back and stuck it back into her jean pocket. Harry just nodded dumbly beside her.

"You haven't been my friends for over a year." Ginny snapped before pushing through them and running out of the great big doors and out into the sun. She had no idea where she was running, blinded by her tears she merely hoped she wouldn't bump into a tree and embarrass herself further. She heard voices calling after her but pretended not to as she ran faster.

When she finally stopped she found herself deep in the forest. She hadn't meant to run so far. Spinning around she tried to find something familiar, and when she failed she simply sunk to the ground. Perfect, she thought sarcastically. First she embarrasses herself, then runs away like a baby and gets herself lost.

It was eerily quiet in the forest, but it was a silence like the one upon the rooftop, it felt safe. She brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms tight around them as she buried her head into her knees pretending to be invisible. She needn't have bothered, for here in the vast forest she was as good as invisible. Just the way she liked it.

Hermione and Harry were left staring at a disappearing back before it finally twigged what she had said. Harry called out to her but she seemed not to hear. Hermione turned to her friend, her eyes brimming with tears. "She's right you know. We haven't been proper friends since Ron died."

His face instantly shut down at the mention of his best friend's name. Ron's death had been extremely hard on Harry, because Ron had died trying to protect him. He had died, and Harry had lived. It seemed unfair to him that after everything, he be the one left. He felt guilty for being the one returning to the Burrow the next day. The Weasley's, who had become his family over the years, had lost so many, yet he lived. It just didn't seem fair.

"Harry, I'm sorry," She apologised immediately. She usually kept such tight control of talking about Ron, trying to be strong for her surviving friend, even though inside she was still broken.

"Don't be. It's not your fault." Harry mumbled, adding mentally 'it was mine'. He knew that. And no one could deny it. Hermione sensing her friend's pain decided to turn their attention to Ron's sister.

"Y'know, we left her here. We didn't even owl. Not even once." Her face began to crumple as she realised how horrible she'd been. She felt terrible. Ginny had lost a brother and two friends in one day. It must have seemed like they didn't even care. "I should go after her." She blurted before running out of the school after her friend, hoping it wouldn't be too late to patch up the friendship she used to have.

Ginny was now rocking back and forth in her spot, her body shaking with sobs. They didn't even care. But why would they? She was pathetic, fat, silly, and weak. Everything they were not. She didn't deserve their friendship.

A twig snapped. The noise seemed to echo around the trees, causing her to look up.

"Hello?" She began to fear the worst immediately, noises in the forest weren't always a good thing. A low growl from behind a tree caused her to jump to her feet instantly. Fear crept over her body and she found herself paralysed as another twig snapped, this time closer. It seemed darker now, as if someone had simply blew out the light. And chilling breeze made her shiver. Something wasn't right. She looked into the darkness where the noise had come from and saw a shadowy figure. She wanted to scream out, but found herself mysteriously drawn to it. She stepped forward and suddenly it was light again.

Author's Note: Oh noes! Who is it? Find out next chapter…