When Harry woke up he found a clean pair of clothes waiting for him at the foot of the bed. Looking at the clock in the corner he realized that he had maybe a little more than an hour before everyone was going to leave and started getting dressed, in the hopes of catching breakfast. As he got dressed he looked out of the window he watched a trail of smoke snaking its way up and away from Hagrids cabin.

He smiled as his fondest memories of this school came to the forefront of his mind. It quickly faded as those memories led to others; memories of him and Ginny together. Down at the lake, downstairs in the common room… Harry shook himself, compartmentalizing these feelings away he didn't want to deal with them right now.

As he made his way to the Great Hall he tried to absorb every smell, every little detail of everything that he passed. As he heard Peeves zoom down one of the branching hallways singing one of his compilations Harry realized that he would miss the poltergeist even if he was incredibly annoying at times.

Looking around the Hall for the Weasleys Harry was careful to avoid looking in Ginny's direction when he sat down opposite Ron and Hermione. Everyone else was already done eating except for Ron and they all left Harry alone long enough to eat something, not that he had much of an appetite. When it looked like Harry was finally done, as he had only really been playing with his food. Hermione turned to him, saying in an airy sort of wondering voice "It feels kind of strange doesn't it?"

"What does?" The confusion evident on Harry's face.

"Voldemor –."

"Dobt say 'is nabe!" Ron yelled around a mouthful of scrambled eggs in a panicky voice.

Hermione regarded him with a look of mild disgust before saying apologetically "Sorry," Turning back to Harry she said "He's dead, for the first time in your life nothing is controlling you. You aren't a wanted man anymore and you're of age, you can do whatever you want."

Harry leaned back in his seat as the implications struck him. He hadn't thought of this before, always assuming that he wouldn't live to make a life for himself he had never planned what he would do when he got out of school. His thoughts were temporarily interrupted by Peeves whizzing overhead singing his compostion from a few days previous "We did it! We bashed them, wee Potter's the one! And Voldy's gone Moldy so lets have some fun!"

Ron stopped eating long enough to shout up at him "Give it a rest Peeves."

In response Peeves turned around and flying backwards in midair flung a series of rude hand gestures and words at Ron.

Hermione appalled by the scene huffed "So rude."

Staring dumbly up at Peeves as he floated away Ron said in a distracted tone of voice "So that's where Bill learned that one. He never would tell me…" Charlie had to lean over and pat Harry on the back as he nearly choked on an idle bite of toast, fighting back the laughter.

As Harry wiped the tears out of his eyes from nearly choking he resumed where his thoughts had left off. The more he thought about it the more things seemed so uncertain: would he still have a bank account with Gringotts? Would he be able to get rid of Grimmauld place? Or maybe fix it up? The only certainty that came to mind was Ginny and after the way things had gone last night Harry was convinced that it was already a forgone conclusion.

When breakfast was finished everyone filed out of the Great Hall, as people made their way through the doors of the entrance hall Peeves made farewells in his own unique way. Floating overhead Peeves was tossing flowers into the air and watching as they floated lazily to the ground. On closer inspection however, if anyone tried to sniff at them they would spray you with a jet of water.

Finally outside Harry, Ron and Hermione clambered into one of the waiting Thestral drawn carriages. It was going to be a few minutes before they left as everyone, including the parents who had returned in the morning for their children's things would be leaving in the carriages as a single group.

Hermione and Ron were busy with each other which was just fine with Harry right now. Harry didn't know if he would be coming back next year. So he was taking the opportunity to take in everything there was about what was his first real home, the first place he had ever really been happy. The moment was all the more poignant for him because even in its ruined state the school was the most magnificent sight he had ever seen.

With a start the carriages started moving, it wasn't long before they were at the gates of the grounds and everyone was getting off. After saying their goodbye's small groups would break off from the mass of people at large and apparate away. When the Weasley's went Charlie went first, grasping Ginny's trunks as he disappeared. Harry and the rest of the family went next.

Arriving in front of the gate that led up through the garden to the kitchen door the first thing Harry noticed was that Charlie was waiting outside for everyone. The door was open, and Ginny's things had been levitated inside but his posture made it obvious that he hadn't entered. As a group the entire family made their way up the path, and like Charlie stopped just short of the door. Harry sensed that they were steeling themselves against the onslaught of emotions and memories that would come flooding back to them of Fred.

After a few minutes Bill and Fleur followed by Charlie went first, Ron and Hermione next, Harry followed them and turning to hold the door open politely saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gently leading George up the steps and in through the door. The last person was Ginny, and flashing him a dark and contemptuous look stormed past him and up the stairs.

The slamming and locking of her door was conspicuously loud to Harry, and as simple a sound as it was he could feel the accusation behind it. Harry slowly tiptoed his way up the stairs, somehow irrationally afraid to make any untoward or loud noise. When he got into the attic he collapsed onto the cot that had been his last summer, and fell asleep.

Over the next few days people at the Burrow fell into their own separate routines as they tried to bury their grief behind hobbies and mindless tasks and chores. Mr. Weasley would alternate between trying to engage the mute George in conversation, and when that failed would lock himself away in his shed. Mrs. Weasley on her part was talking to George who had taken up residence on the living room couch as she bustled around the kitchen. Constantly trying to take care of everyone was her balm, and served as an adequate distraction.

Both Bill and Fleur and Ron and Hermione had as separate couples disappeared into their own little worlds. Charlie was the most active of the family, trying to engage everyone else in larger conversation and break into their self made isolation. Ginny was, like Charlie, acting the closest to normal without being off in their own separate worlds. However anytime she and Harry were in the same room any conversation from him would result in incredibly dark looks from her. This quickly cowed Harry and he would usually fall into a penitent silence.

As oblivious as Hermione and Ron seemed to be, off in their own little world together they had actually been incredibly aware of all of these events. One night, while on their own Hermione and Ron were conversing about them 'If this doesn't end soon we might have to help out.' Hermione said. They could both see that Harry and Ginny were suffering and as much as Ginny wouldn't admit it she missed Harry, and things didn't seem to be improving at all.

"Why do women feel the need to fix everything?" He said as he drew her in closer.

She smiled and said in a matter of fact tone "It makes us feel all warm inside."

Ron snorted as he said "So does firewhiskey." After a few moments Ron said reflectively "I would be kind of glad to see them together. He's certainly a better choice than any of those other good-for-nothings…"

Ginny

A few days later Hermione was reading her book when out of the blue she said "You can talk to me you know." without looking up. It was around bedtime and Hermione was lying on her cot in Ginny's room while she was just slipping into bed.

"About what?" Ginny lied, she already had a pretty good idea what Hermione wanted to talk about.

"You and Harry." Looking at her as she marked the page of the book and placed it on the desk beside her cot.

"I don't want to talk about it." Ginny said tersely.

In a reassuring voice Hermione said "Then don't talk, just listen."

Ginny, realizing that she really had no choice in the matter curled up on the bed, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees.

"He does love you you know."

Ginny snorted saying "No he doesn't."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because he abandoned me." Ginny's dejection overflowing from her words.

"Look, I went through what you are." Hermione said sympathetically.

"How?" Ginny said disbelievingly.

In a lowered voice Hermione said "Don't tell Ron that I told you this but he abandoned me and Harry while we were looking for Horcruxes to destroy."

"Horcruxes, what are they?" Ginny interrupted, she had never heard the term before and nobody had told her their story from over the last year.

"You'll have to ask Harry about that if you want the details." Hermione said, but quickly picked up where she left off. "But Ron did abandon us, after a really bad row he left me and Harry on our own and stayed at Shell Cottage with Bill and Fleur for a month or two. Leaving us both alone to try and kill him on our own."

Ginny unconsciously shifted at the mention of Voldemort, saying "And yet, you and Ron are together."

Hermione sensed the underlying question and said "Yes, because I love your brother. I wanted to kill him at first, and Harry thankfully, managed to stop me and eventually I got over it." After a few minutes of silence Hermione continued "What I'm trying to say is you need to give him a second chance. He loves you and I know you love him." Seeing the surprised look on her face she said quickly, before Ginny could interrupt "You've been talking in your sleep."

Ginny blushed a little, but didn't deny any of it. "He does have a good reason too. He ended it because he didn't expect to come back to you. He thought he would die, and hoped that you would move on with your life. He was trying to save you the heartbreak. At night, when he thought I was asleep he would pull out the Marauders map and look at it, and he would write you letters. He has the nasty habit of speaking while he writes." Hermione said almost without thinking.

"He really does love you." Hermione said earnestly. "At least promise me you'll think about it, you two are just so miserable without each other."

"Okay, fine." Ginny said weakly leaning over she flicked her wand and the lights went out.

Authors Note: Let me know what you think, please Read and Review. If anyone notices any typos please let me know. Also I have a challenge for the readers, if you can find the portion of dialogue that I borrowed from my favorite TV show and tell me what episode it came from and I would be very impressed.