Chapter 6

Harry paced back and forth in front of the fireplace of his flat with both Paul and Anthony watching him anxiously from the sofa. After the way Ginny had reacted to his appearance the previous evening, he wasn't all that sure he was doing the right thing by going back. He was regretting his decision to leave the wizarding world more and more and was beginning to see all the things that could have been. But as he couldn't go back and change what he had done, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do about it now. Should he go back and try to start his life over again in the wizarding world? Would the Weasley's welcome him back like Ron and Hermione? Or would they hate him like Ginny did?

"Potter, you're making me dizzy," said Paul. He stood from the sofa and swiftly made his way over to where Harry was still pacing, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him slightly. "You need to stop this. Just get in that fireplace and go see them. They're expecting you."

"I don't know if I can," said Harry, shaking his head. "I . . . they're going to hate me. How could they not?"

"Your other friends didn't hate you," said Anthony.

"But you didn't see how Ginny reacted. She would have hexed me into next year if she would have been able to," said Harry. He shook out of Paul's grip and resumed his pacing.

"Stop torturing yourself mate. I don't think I can stand much more of your self pity," said Paul. Being a fast learner, he grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it in the fireplace before shoving Harry in the emerald flames. "Just go."

Harry shook his head but grinned at his two flatmates. After everything that happened over the past few days, Paul and Anthony had been there through it all, supporting him. He really should consider himself lucky, he supposed. After all, they had accepted the fact that they guy they had been sharing a flat with for almost two years was a wizard without so much as flinching. Not everyone could do that.

With one last fleeting look at his friends, Harry disappeared in a whirl of emerald flames, stumbling a moment later into Ron and Hermione's flat.

"Well it's about time," said Ron as he grabbed Harry by the arm to steady him. "We were starting to think you weren't coming."

"I was starting to think the same thing," said Harry. "Are you guys sure about this?"

"Yes Harry," said Hermione without a moments hesitation. "We're sure."

"Well then, let's go," said Ron excitedly, clapping Harry on the back. Harry laughed nervously and looked over at Hermione, who was beaming up at him. Maybe it will be ok, he thought. That thought instantly disappeared, however, when the image of a fiery redhead flashed through his mind.

"Wait a minute," said Harry. "Is Ginny going to be there?"

* * * * *

"Ginny, what is the matter with you? You've been in a right state since yesterday," said Molly Weasley as she watched her daughter storm about the house. "Did you and Dean have a fight?"

"No mum," said Ginny. She plopped herself down on the sofa and crossed her arms over her chest.

Molly sat her knitting needles aside and turned to face her daughter. "Then tell me what's wrong," she said.

Ginny blew out a long breath in exasperation. How did she even begin to explain to her mother what happened when she couldn't make sense of it herself?

"I saw someone yesterday and it . . . complicates things," she said slowly.

"Ginny, that doesn't make any sense," said Molly, shaking her head in confusion. "Who could you have possibly . . ." But she drifted off, her eyes widening in realization and shock registering on her face. "Harry?"she asked in a whisper.

Ginny could do nothing but nod as tears began to swim in her eyes, blurring her vision.

"How . . . where?" stuttered Molly.

"It's a long story," said Ginny, swiping the tears from her face angrily. "And after how I acted, I doubt he'll even come back."

"Mum?" called a voice from the kitchen, causing both women to jump.

"In here," said Molly, forcing her features to relax when Ron's smiling face appeared around the doorway.

"I've got a surprise, Mum. Where's dad?" said Ron.

"He's at work, dear. What's going on? Ginny just told me she saw Harry," said Molly. She stood from her chair and walked over to meet her youngest son.

"Ginny!" said Ron, staring daggers at his sister who said nothing.

"Ronald, is it true?" asked Molly, almost pleadingly.

"It is," said Ron. He opened the door wider giving her a clear view of the bespeckled man standing nervously by the front door. Molly gasped before rushing forward and wrapping him in a bone-crushing hug, tears falling freely down her face.

"Oh Harry dear," she sobbed. "I'm so glad you're here. We were all so worried about you."

Harry felt his heart swell with the emotion of the moment. He hadn't known what to expect by coming to the Burrow today. He had always looked at Molly as something of a mother growing up and he was relieved that the Weasley matriarch was happy to see him. Molly sniffled and moved back to get a good look at him, holding him at arms length.

"A bit peaky," she said as she gave him an appraising look. "Are you hungry dear?"

"Oh, no Mrs. Weasley. Thank you though," said Harry, smiling down at her.

"Nonsense. I'll whip you up something to eat," said Molly. "Sit down. Tell me what you've been up to," she added, ushering him into a chair at the kitchen table. He quickly glanced over at Ron, who had his arm around Hermione's waist. They both gave him an encouraging nod and Harry began to recount to Molly just why he left and where he had been. In all the excitement, no one noticed Ginny hovering uncertainly in the doorway.

* * * * *

Ginny stood leaning in the doorway, watching the commotion in the kitchen. She wished that she was able to welcome Harry back into her life as easily as everyone else had so far, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. As she watched him now, she was reminded of the way he made her feel when they had been together. It made her want to run into his arms and never look back. But then she remembered the feeling of her heart being ripped out of her chest when she found out he had left. She wanted nothing more then to make him feel just a fraction of that pain.

When she had made the decision to move on with her life, she had vowed to never let him get to her like this again. But here she stood, teetering on the edge of uncertainty. Should she try to talk to him? Should she tell him that she still had feelings for him? Or should she stay on the course she was on and marry Dean?

Dean.

He really was an amazing guy and he certainly didn't deserve a fiancé who obviously still had feelings for her ex-boyfriend. Having enough, she screamed in frustration and stomped through the kitchen and out the front door. There was only one thing she could think to do in order to even try to clear her head.

Reaching the broom shed, she wrenched the door open and pulled out the brand new firebolt that her brothers had gotten her when she was drafted onto the Harpies'. She swung her leg over the broom and kicked off hard from the ground. Bending low over the handle, she felt the wind whipping through her hair as she climbed higher and higher into the afternoon sky.

The exhilaration she felt from flying was the one thing that Ginny could always count on to help her think things through. And when times were especially troublesome, it was her way of escaping. As she whipped through the trees, her mind felt clearer then it had in days. She still had no idea what she was going to do. The easiest thing to do would be forgetting about Harry and marrying Dean. But would that be the right thing?

She pulled back on the handle of her firebolt to slow it so she could consider this. She was so preoccupied in her thoughts that she didn't even notice someone flying toward her.

* * * * *

After Ginny's small outburst and dramatic exit, the kitchen inside the Burrow fell silent. Harry looked down at his lap. He knew the reason for her outburst, and to be honest, he couldn't blame her. He had left her, and now here he sat, as if nothing had happened. Without entirely thinking it through, he stood from table and made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Ron.

"I need to talk to her," said Harry, his hand on the doorknob. "I need to explain."

"She might not listen," said Molly. "But if I know my daughter, she'll be flying out in the orchard if you want to give it a try," she added, winking at him.

Harry smiled, pushed the door open and jogged to the broom shed. It had been ages since he was on a broom, and when he mounted Ron's old Shooting Star, he felt pure adrenalin take over his senses. Kicking off from the ground, he felt free for the first time in ages. He shouted out in joy as he climbed higher into the sky and he heard laughter from below as Ron and Hermione watched him. Resisting the urge to try out a few old quidditch moves, he remembered what Molly had said about the orchard and leaned down over the handle of the broom, urging it toward the trees.

It didn't take long for him to find her, hovering above the treetops and staring out into the distance. She hadn't seemed to notice him approach until he was mere feet from her. She spun around and had her wand trained on him faster then he could have believed possible, giving him no time to react, even if he had wanted to. He felt as if he deserved any hex she could think of hitting him with, even her famous bat-bogey. But to his surprise, she lowered her wand.

"You should know better then to try to sneak up on someone, Potter," she ground out between clenched teeth.

"Probably," said Harry, shrugging. "But I figured that if you were going to hex me, you would have done it back at the Burrow when you had the chance. No one put up a shield charm this time."

This seemed to soften her a bit. "I still haven't ruled it out," she said, tucking her wand away. "What are you doing up here anyway? I would have figured you would have forgotten how to ride a broom by now."

"So did I," he said. "I guess there's some things that you never forget."

"Hmm. You're right. Some things you just can't forget," said Ginny. Before Harry could stop her, she leaned down low over her broom and shot through the trees. He knew that he had no chance of catching up to her on Ron's old broom so he settled for watching her weave her way through the trees until she finally landed near the stream. Once she was on the ground, he glided down to the ground and dismounted his broom.

"Ginny, can we at least talk?" he said tentatively.

"What is there to talk about Harry?," said Ginny. She lowered herself onto the cold ground and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I think you pretty much summed everything up when you left two years ago."

"I didn't want to . . ." began Harry.

"But you still did," said Ginny, cutting him off.

"I'm so sorry Gin," said Harry.

"You're sorry?" said Ginny, getting to her feet. "You're sorry? Do you think you can just come back and say you're sorry and everything will go back to the way it was before?"

"I . . . uh . . ." stuttered Harry, unsure of what to say.

"Well it doesn't work like that. At least not with me," said Ginny, her face mere inches from his. "I've moved on."

Harry backed up a few steps. "I don't know what you want me to say," he said.

"There's nothing you can say," said Ginny. "Because anything you say isn't going to change what you did."

Harry could make no argument. He knew she was right. He watched as she picked up her discarded broom, mounted it, and kicked off hard from the ground. As he watched her fly back through the trees, Harry sunk to his knees and roughly ran his hands through his hair.

"What am I going to do?"

* * * * *

A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays! As always, let me know what you think! Please review!