"Harry kissed you?" George asked incredulously. I was sitting in his room while he was working on some papers from the store. He had asked me about the wedding and I was trying to tell him what happened.

"He kissed you? I don't understand," George said, the confusion growing on his face.

"Well, George, you see, kissing is when two people press their lips together in order to physically express an emotion."

He threw a wadded up piece of paper at me. "I know what kissing is. But why would he do that?"

"Hey!" I said as I stood up angrily. "Just because you don't realize I'm a girl doesn't mean that other people don't."

"Okay, okay, relax. I just didn't know that Harry liked you in that way."

I sat back down. Does Harry like me in that way? He did, once, but that was over a year ago. Maybe he has found someone new since then and was just caught up in the moment.

"I didn't think about that. Maybe he doesn't."

George sat in his chair looking uncomfortable. He knows something that I don't.

"Spill it, George Weasley. What do you know?"

A smile played across his lips. "Nothing, Ginny dearest. Nothing at all."

What a liar. Fine. He can be that way for all I care.

AAABBBAAA

"Look at this dress! It's so gorgeous!" Lavender Brown squealed from a dressing room to my right. She and Hannah Abbott were in the store looking for something to wear on Saturday night.

"That looks really good on you," I said, walking past them with several shirts in my hand. We had recently expanded our merchandise so that we carried muggle clothing as well as wizarding formal clothes. Padma was hoping to entice a younger market.

"Thanks," Lavender said. "I have a date on Saturday."

"Oh, have fun with that." Lavender usually had a different boyfriend every couple of months, so I didn't even want to ask who she was going out with on Saturday. She claims she's just playing the field. I think she doesn't know what she wants. Hermione thinks she's a slut because Lavender went out with Ron for a brief while back at Hogwarts, then went out with five other guys after Ron broke up with her. Personally, I think Hermione's just a bit jealous because Lavender dated Ron first.

I walked back to the register area and pulled out some inventory sheets. Padma was working on hers as well, a frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" I said, concerned.

"I'm always so bad at this. Parvati usually does this. But no, she had to up and run away."

I tried to look surprised. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she sent my parents an owl the same night as Susan's wedding! Do you know what she did?"

"No," I said, maybe a little too quickly.

"She went and got married! To Ernie Macmillan!"

"Oh," I said softly.

"I don't understand why she would do that. And they're living in Australia now!"

I looked thoughtful. "Maybe she really loves him."

"I don't know. But my parents are furious. They're going to go bring her home once they figure out exactly where she's at in Australia."

Oh lord. Maybe I should try to warn her before things get ugly.
"Ernie Macmillan! One of the world's biggest dorks, and my sister goes and marries him! What's the world coming to?" Padma ranted as she threw her quill down on the counter.

"Maybe they love each other?" I offered timidly.

Padma pursed her lips and bent back over her work. Hannah and Lavender walked up to us, arms full of clothes.

"Are you ready to pay now?" I asked. They put their things on the counter and I rang them up.

"Didn't you have a lovely time at the wedding?" Lavender asked me.

"Yeah, it was nice. Do you know where they ended up going on their honeymoon?"

Hannah laughed. "I know. Susan sent me an owl yesterday. They're in France and won't be back for another two weeks."

"I bet France is a nice place." I've never been to France before. I've always wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower.

"It was nice seeing you again," Hannah said as they gathered their bags full of new clothes. I wish I were rich like that. Hannah's father is a healer at St. Mungo's, so she gets a large allowance. Lavender works really hard at a tea shop in Hogsmeade but doesn't have any bills to pay because she lives at home so she spends the money on whatever she wants.

I let out an audible sigh. Lavender and Hannah had already left, so only Padma heard me sigh.

"What's up?" Padma asked.

"I wish I were rich. I also wish I had a date to go on this weekend. Luna and Colin are eating dinner at Colin's house on Saturday so it's a lonely night for me."

"You want to hang out with me then?" a male voice said suddenly. We both looked toward the door and Harry was walking toward us.

Padma bent over, pretending to pick something off of the ground but I could hear her laughing. I had told her all about the kiss at the wedding.

"Hey, Harry," I said casually.

He came over to me and leaned across the counter. "I mean it, Ginny. Why don't you go out with me on Saturday night?"

I smiled. "Okay."

"Be at my house at seven? I have to work on Saturday so I can't come pick you up."

"Sure." It was best anyway. If he showed up at my house trying to take me out on a date, George and Fred would most likely hex him before hand just to make sure Harry behaved himself on our date. Stupid brothers.

"I have to go now. Duty calls," Harry said sarcastically as a magical pager went off. He was working at the Ministry now, learning how to become an Auror. When he wasn't in class, he had to do odd jobs in the muggle relations department.

"See you Saturday!" I yelled after him as he walked out of the shop.

Padma came back up, her face red with laughter.

"Looks like Ginny Weasley has a new boyfriend. Ginny has a boyfriend, Ginny has a boyfriend," she taunted.

"Shut up!" I said, laughing too.

AAABBBAAA

I apparated over to Harry's on Saturday night. I was excited. Padma and I spent the rest of the week looking at clothes trying to find the perfect outfit and working on my hair so that I looked good for our date. Harry had owled me on Friday telling me that we were going to go to a muggle movie. I've never been to a muggle movie before.

I walked up to the apartment building and saw a woman standing at Harry's front door. Must be a sales woman. I started to walk up the stairs and heard Harry open the door.

"Lavender," he said, surprise in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for our date, silly," she said coyly. What? I don't understand what's going on. Harry's supposed to be going out with me tonight.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. I walked up the stairs and stopped at the landing. His apartment was three doors down from the stairs.

"Don't you remember the other day at the Leaky Cauldron?" Lavender asked.

"No," Harry said, a little irritated now. He still didn't see me.

"Then maybe this will help you remember." She pulled him to her quickly and kissed him passionately. My eyes started to well up with tears and I ran back down the stairs, banging my hip on the railing as I made my way down.

"Ginny!" I heard Harry's voice yell. "Ginny, come back!"

I heard him yelling but I didn't care. I ran to the point where I usually apparate from and apparated home.

AAABBBAAA

I walked into the house, still wiping tears from my eyes, and found mum crying at the kitchen table. George, Ron, and Fred were standing around her with grim looks on their faces.

"What's wrong?" I asked, putting my stuff down on the table.

"Percy!" Mum wailed, crying even harder. Ron put his arm around her, and George pointed to the clock.

I looked up at the clock. It showed his face pointing at "dead."

"What? No, that's not right," I said, my voice croaking a little.

"It's true, Ginny," Fred said quietly. "I went over to his apartment. He was just lying on the couch, eyes wide open and not moving at all."

I sat weakly down at the table. This went from a really good day to one of the worst days of my life within the time span of an hour.