August 2

Harry had arrived at Grimmauld place yesterday. Harry was in his room, he spent a lot of time there now days. Ron, George, and Fred were setting creating explosions in Fred and George's room, and Hermione and Ginny were in their room.

"I wish Harry would cheer up, it kills me to see him like this." Ginny said. Harry being depressed was not keeping Ginny in a good mood.

"I don't blame him for being upset" Hermione responded. "We kept him in the dark the whole summer and when he finally gets here, he discovers that the headmaster is annoying him, and the order won't tell him anything he couldn't figure out on his own. On top of that, he might get expelled for defending himself and his cousin from dementors. They'd have his wand for that too. It really is horrible."

"Do you think Sirius has told him anything new since last night?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think so. It's not like Harry to keep things from me and Ron. Also, when Dumbledore stopped by last night, he got mad at Sirius. He thought he told Harry too much." Said Hermione

"That's totally not fair." Ginny snapped. "Harry has more of a right to know what's going on than most members of the Order do."

Hermione realized that Ginny was getting worked up. She chose her next words cautiously. "They have a point Ginny. Just because you like Harry and think he deserves what he wants, doesn't mean that's the way it should be."

Ginny sighed and replied "I know. I just think they should realize how keeping Harry in the dark is affecting him. He's not the same right now. He spends half of his time in his room nowadays."

"It hurts me too Ginny." Hermione responded. "But they must have a reason for doing so. It's probably for the best. Why don't you try spending some time with Harry tonight, just you too."

"And how am I supposed to get him to open the door for me when he doesn't do it for anyone except Sirius?" Ginny asked.

"Just try" Hermione suggested. "Harry knows you won't bother him about anything. I think you would be the only person he would want to see, apart from Dumbledore and Sirius."

Ginny took Hermione suggestion and set off towards Harry's room. Hermione went to talk to Lupin about her progress with S.P.E.W. Ginny knocked softly on Harry's door "It's me" she said, hoping that Harry would open up.

Much to her surprise, Harry opened the door. 'He looks terrible' Ginny thought. Harry's clothes were all wrinkled. His eyes were also red; it looked as if he'd been crying. "What's up" Harry mumbled.

Ginny put her arms around Harry's neck and gave him a hug. Harry hugged her back and the two of the stood there engaged for almost a minute. When they finally pulled apart, Ginny took one of Harry's hands and pulled him into the room. "I want to talk to you." Ginny told Harry.

Harry attempted to smile but only managed a slight grin. "About?" Harry responded.

Ginny led him over to his bed and they both sat down before she responded "You." Harry gave her a puzzled look. Ginny tightened her grip on Harry's hand and continued "You're so upset these days. You spend all of your time in this room and you never come out to talk to us anymore. We all miss seeing you Harry, and we can't stand seeing you like this. Could you please try and spend more time with the rest of us? It would mean a lot."

Harry smiled and rested his head on Ginny's shoulder. Ginny loved when he did this. "It's just hard." Harry began. "Nobody appears to want to talk to me. At least the adults, anyway. I'm also just concerned with the fact that I might get expelled. Hogwarts has been my home for the past four years, and to have it taken from me..."

Harry couldn't finish. A tear rolled down his left cheek. At the sight of the an identical tear began to roll down Ginny's cheek. They looked at each other and both went to wiped away the others tear at the same time. They were still hand in hand, and Ginny finally spoke again. "Promise me you'll spend more time with the rest of us." She told him.

"I promise" Harry responded. Harry pulled Ginny into another hug.

They sat there for a while before Ginny said "Come on. Let's go join the others." As they stood up, Harry tucked a loose piece of Ginny's hair behind her ear. "Thanks." Ginny replied with a smile.

Ginny took Harry's hand once more and led him off to Fred and George's room. They let go before reaching the room out of fear of what Ron, Fred, and George would say if they say them holding hands.

When they entered, Ginny gave Hermione a wink. As Harry and Ginny sat down, Ron spoke first "Nice of you to join us mate. It's been getting pretty dull without you."

Harry smiled and responded "I just forgot how important friendship was for a moment. Luckily, Ginny reminded me." Harry laughed at the look on Ron's face. "Nothing happened" Harry assured him. "We just talked, that's all."

"If I see a hint of any funny business between the two of you, I'll lock you in your room Harry. I mean it." Ron replied. He was still skeptical over the whole situation.

"No funny business" Harry replied.

The six teens spent the rest of the night joking and playing with some of Fred and George's new wheezes. They all went off to bed at about 11 o'clock to be prepared for another big day of cleaning that lay ahead.

"Are you sure nothing happened between you and Ginny" Ron asked Harry when they got back to his room.

"Nothing. She was just there for me in a difficult time. That's what friends are for, isn't it?" Said Harry

"Yeah" Ron responded "I'm happy you're feeling better. Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight Ron" Harry told him as he turned off the light. Both boys were asleep within a minute.

Back in Hermione and Ginny's room two teenage girls sat wide awake.

"So what'd you guys do" Hermione asked eagerly. She really wanted Harry to like Ginny back.

"Well we shared two really long hugs, held hands pretty much the entire time, and when we both started tearing, we wiped away each other's tears." Ginny responded

"That's so cute" Hermione burst out. "I told you he would speak to you. He trusts you in ways he doesn't trust Ron and I."

"Such as?" Ginny responded skeptically.

"I already told you. He trusts that you won't bother him when you guys talk. He thinks you really understand him." Said Hermione.

"That's a start, then" Ginny joked. "Hopefully we'll get closer this school year."

"Let's hope" Hermione told her. "Have you told your brothers about Michael yet?"

"I thinks it's best to let them find out on their own. Besides, if Harry finally comes around, I would have to break up with him."

Hermione smiled. "I'll keep my fingers crossed. Goodnight Ginny." She added as she turned out the light.

"Goodnight Hermione" Ginny called through the darkness. They both lay awake in silence for a while before finally drifting off to sleep.

September 12

Harry had just gotten back to the Gryffindor common room after a particularly difficult detention with Umbridge. Ron and Hermione had gone up to bed, but Ginny sat awake, awaiting Harry's return.

Ginny heart failed her when Harry entered through the portrait hole. Harry's hand was covered in blood and he was clearly in a lot of pain. Without thinking, Ginny ran over and threw her arms around Harry. Harry hugged her back just as passionately.

"What happened to you?" Ginny whimpered. She began to tear up when Harry's hand moved into the light and she saw the full affect.

"Umbridge" Harry replied "She's mental. Makes me carve the words 'I must not tell lies' into my hand for hours every night. It's a wonder I still have a hand. It's been going on for almost two weeks now."

Ginny lost it at this point. Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she looked into Harry's emerald eyes. She saw his pain in them. Harry smiled and whispered back "It's not that bad. Honestly. I've suffered the cruciatus curse enough times to know what real pain is."

Ginny's heart stopped. She had never known that Harry had endured such pain. Ginny highly doubted Harry had told Ron and Hermione either.

"I'm so sorry" Ginny replied "You don't deserve any of this."

"I know" Harry responded. "But I can't let Umbridge think that she's beaten me."

"You can't keep doing that Harry. You've got to look out for yourself sometimes." Ginny replied, her voice weak from crying.

"Sometimes, things are bigger than me. And this is one of those things. I have to keep going." Harry told her. Harry lifted Ginny's chin up with his hand and looked into her eyes before adding "I'll be careful."

"Promise?" Ginny asked.

"I promise" Harry replied. He pulled Ginny into another warm hug. "Goodnight Ginny."

"Good night Harry" Ginny responded as she watched Harry walk up the dormitory stairs and out of sight. As Ginny made her way up the girls dorm stairs, she ran into Hermione sitting and listening to everything that had just happened.

"Tomorrow" Ginny told her. "I'm tired now." The two girls walked off to bed together and Ginny lay awake in her bed thinking about Harry.

December 27

Mr. Weasley is still in St. Mungos. Harry, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasley's are at Grimmauld place for the winter. Harry and Sirius were both in a great mood because of the holidays. All of the kids were sitting in the drawing room, waiting to be called down to dinner.

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Weasley called up. Everyone got up to leave the room, but Ginny grabbed Harry's hand, signaling for him to stay back a moment.

"I want to talk to you for a moment." Ginny whispered in Harry's ear. Harry stayed back and he and Ginny stood in silence until the rest of the kids were downstairs.

"I never thanked you properly for saving dad's life." Ginny told Harry.

"It's nothing really" Harry said. "I'm sure any of you would've done the same for me."

"Very modest thing to say. I like that about you." Ginny replied. Ginny gave Harry a thank you hug and did something she had never done before; she kissed him on the cheek. Harry was stunned for a moment.

After regaining his senses Harry smiled and pulled Ginny into another hug. They released each other after a long moment. "We should probably get downstairs" Harry suggested. "Ron will be wondering where we've been. He's already suspicious as it is."

"Alright, but don't tell any of my brothers I did that" Ginny replied. "They might not take to kindly to it."

"I wont tell Michael either" Harry joked. He got a laugh out of the look on Ginny's face.

"And I wont tell Cho you liked it when I kissed you." Ginny responded with a grin.

Harry's eyes flashed with love for a moment before they came back to their normal state. "Touché" he added as the two of them went down to dinner together.

February 14

All of the Gryffindors made there way back to the common room. Ginny and Ron had just finished with a disastrous quidditch practice. Harry seemed overjoyed about something, but Hermione had told Ginny that his date with Cho was a fiasco. Ginny didn't know what to think, all she knew was that she wanted to talk with Harry.

"Hey Harry" Ginny said as she sat across from him at a table. Harry was working on his homework alone, but Ron was keeping a watchful eye on them from the other side of the room.

"What's up Ginny" Harry said. There was a tone of excitement in his voice.

"Nothing really. Just trying to forget the quidditch practice earlier today. What are you so happy about?" Ginny replied.

"I gave an interview with Rita Skeeter today about what happened in the graveyard last June today. Luna said her dad would be willing to publish it in the Quibbler. I just hope that people will take it seriously, given the track record of the magazine." Harry said.

"I think they will. The public need an alternative story to the rubbish the prophet told them. I heard your date with Cho was… er… a disaster." Ginny was hoping that it was.

"Yeah, it was. I told her that I was meeting Hermione about halfway through, then she started telling me about how she snogged Roger Davies and Cedric in the same tea shop. She then got up and ran out crying when I didn't want to talk about Cedric." Harry responded. "If all she wants to do is talk about her ex boyfriends, then I think it's for the best if we part ways."

"I agree. Have you spoken to her since?" Ginny asked.

"No, she wouldn't even look at me during dinner. I guess this really is the end. Such a shame too, I was really starting to feel a connection starting." Harry replied.

"Yeah, such a shame" Ginny replied, even though on the inside she was ecstatic. "I'll see you tomorrow Harry. Ron will probably get mad if he sees us talking for more than five minutes."

"Goodnight Ginny." Harry responded with a smile.

June 20

Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Neville were still in the hospital wing after the battle at the department of mysteries. Ginny had just broken up with Michael Corner, and was going on a walk to just think about things.

As Ginny passed a large oak tree, she noticed Harry sitting alone. Nobody dared to approach Harry these days. They all just stared as they passed by him and occasionally told him that they were sorry for doubting him. Harry was always red eyed. He was upset about Sirius and nobody else understood where he was coming from.

Ginny sat down next to Harry and put her arm around him. Harry leaned his head on her shoulder and the two of them sat there in silence for 20 minutes.

Ginny finally broke the silence. "How do you feel?" Ginny asked softly. She was trying to be as comforting as possible.

"Awful" Harry responded. "He was the only family I had left, and he's gone, just like that. It was all my fault to. Had I practiced occlumency like Dumbledore told me to, I wouldn't have had the vision."

"You can not blame yourself for what happened Harry" Ginny told him. "It was nobodies fault. Sometimes things just turn out like that, it's the way it is, and the way it will always be."

"I didn't ask for it." Harry began. "I didn't ask to be the chosen one. I didn't ask to have everyone I care about murdered. I want it to end."

"I know you didn't ask for it" Ginny replied. She chose her next words very carefully "We will all be here for you no matter what Harry. Whenever you're upset and need someone to talk to, you can talk to any of us. I know this is hard for you, I understand that, but if you need anything just let me know."

"Just one thing" Harry replied with a forced smile. Ginny looked into his eyes and saw that he was suffering. What did Ginny expect though.

"Anything." Ginny responded.

"Some company." Harry replied. with this, Harry lay back on the bank of the lake and watched the clouds. Ginny was there with him. Both of them didn't speak, but the silence spoke a thousand words.