Disclaimer- I do not own the Harry Potter series

The next day it seemed nothing had changed. Harry still sat in the same spot, the same lost and lonely look on his face. His questions had remained unanswered, but there was no one there to answer them.

The sky was a baby blue, with the sunlight as strong as ever, a way for the heavens to try and comfort the depressed young man. None of this touched the poor soul as the gloom and murkiness of the Forbidden Forest swallowed it up. Would these feelings never end? Could Harry ever have the life he had once imagined? Could he live with Ginny and have that happily ever after? At this moment, in this time, it seemed an impossible dream, as it always had been...

"Harry, I thought you said you weren't going to come back here?" Hermione said once she had found him again, sitting in the dead fallen leaves of previous years.

"I never said I wouldn't," Harry said bluntly, crushing the dry leaves in his hands, creating a dust much the same that Voldemorts body would turn into once he was incinerated.

"Harry, you can't keep doing this to yourself. It only makes everything worse, brooding this way," Hermione said exasperated. She wanted to be there for her friend, truthfully, but sometimes he could be so stubborn in the thought that it was his job and his alone, to save everyone. She had tried to tell him that people die and sometimes there was just nothing you could do, but it never got through to him.

"I'm not brooding, just thinking."

"Well then, tell me what you are thinking, maybe I can help," Hermione said, taking a seat next to him and having an open expression upon her face.

"You don't understand do you?" Harry said sharply, though he hadn't meant it.

"Understand what?" Hermione said trying to ignore his tone.

"I had a piece of his soul inside of me! I could hear his thoughts and he could hear mine! I was one of the things we were trying to hunt and kill! HIS soul, the very person I loathe the most, was a piece of me! He tainted my very being because of an accident. An ACCIDENT, Hermione, and accident is why I am still alive..." Harry said.

"Harry..." Hermione said trying to reach out to him.

"No, there is nothing you can say or do to change that! It is a fact and it's something I'm still trying to learn how to deal with! So if you can say that you had a piece of the darkest wizard of all times soul inside of you, then you might be able to help! But since you don't you can't know how I feel, and so there is no way you can help me right now!" Harry said fuming but then took on a face of regret and guilt at having yelled at his friend. "I just need some time is all, Hermione, I don't mean to push you all away. It's just...that, this is the only way I know how to deal with this. I need to come to terms with what I...was. If I didn't I believe I would eventually go insane. So please, Hermione, please just leave me be. I won't be gone forever, just for a while."

Harry looked at the girl next to him and saw tear-filled eyes.

"When will you go?" she asked softly.

"As soon as I get things wrapped up here," Harry said wrapping an arm around her.

"Where will you go?"

"To Grimmauld Place probably, it's not like I'm walking off the face of the earth, I just want some space. Some rest and relaxation away from all the flocks of people trying to get my autograph," Harry said causing Harry to smile.

"So you really won't be going anywhere?"

"Nope, hiding in plain sight," Harry said.

"Well, you better let me come and visit you this summer."

"Well, of course, I'm not trying to hide from you guys. I'm just giving myself some space while hiding from the hordes!"

"Alright, Harry, I think I finally understand," Hermione said.

"Thank you."

Later that night...

Harry was wondering the halls of the castle, his shoes making loud clicks through the empty corridors like water dripping from a hollow cavern. No one else was up at this time of night, heck, everyone should be asleep as should he. Harry's eyes wouldn't shut though and his body wouldn't stay still. HIs mind was too restless to sleep so maybe a little mindless wandering would help.

He wasn't actually thinking about anything in particular, just...wondering. He didn't want to think about anything he was just looking forward to when he could leave the dark and dreary castle that he once called home but now houses some of his darkest memories. He was thinking ahead, like Hermione had asked of him. He would be away from the world, separating them from their savior, while also staying close to his friends, independently, on his own as an adult.

He randomly chose to turn right at the next intersection; he saw something he didn't quite expect. He hadn't realized some else was doing the exact same thing that he was doing this night. He was proven wrong, once again.

There stood George, as quiet as ever, not making a peep making him all but undetectable. He didn't look quite right. His hair was sticking up in random places, his shoulders hunched, face unshaven, eyes swollen read with a crazed look, but what really caught Harry's eye were the bottles strewn about the man.

Harry approached him and it seemed George didn't see him at all. He was looking straight at him, yet didn't actually see him.

Harry gently tapped him on the shoulder causing him to jump and almost topple over. He was unsteady and shaky just taking a few steps seemed to almost send him to the ground.

"George, what are you doing here?" Harry asked softly, trying not to startle him again.

"I could ask you the saaame thing," George slurred turning away from Harry and heading in the opposite direction.

"George, maybe you should head back to Gryffindor tower," Harry said trying to guide the incapacitated young man.

"Don't tell me what to do!" George yelled lashing out at Harry but missing by a foot.

"George, you aren't in your right mind and shouldn't be wondering by yourself," Harry tried to explain.

"NO! I am perfectly fine, now, if you would leave me be I have something I need to do," George said stumbling past Harry once again.

"George-" Harry said grabbing his arm and turning him towards him.

George snapped at him and brought his arm that wasn't holding a bottle of fire whisky, now holding a knife.

"Stay away from me, Harry! I mean it! I will kill you myself with this very knife! Now get away from me!" George screamed practically waking up half of the attendants of the school.

"No, George, I will not leave you! Kill me if you want but I'm not leaving you right now!" Harry screamed right back at him. George looked like he was actually going to do it for a second but then his face changed to one of too great a sadness.

"If you won't leave..." George said in a quiet voice. "Then I guess I just will..."

George then gripped the knife firmly and slashed it across his opposite wrist.

Before he could think Harry grabbed his hand and stopped it midair.

"You won't die tonight, George Weasley, no on my watch," Harry whispered straining from the force of holding the struggling man's arm.

"Please, Harry, I need it to end. I can't live like this anymore," George whimpered, tears forming in his eyes.

"Well then do it for Fred. He wouldn't have wanted you to waste your life killing yourself. He died for a cause and now you want to take the cowardly way out?"

"I only want to be with him again," George said outwardly crying now.

"He's still with you, in here," Harry said pointing at George's chest, where his heart was located.

George then completely broke down, sobs wracking his whole body, the knife falling from his slackened hand, falling to the ground in a crumpled heap.

A gasp could be heard throughout the hallway and when Harry looked he saw the rest of the Weasley's watching them.

"You're not alone, George, you never were," Harry said looking over at the Weasleys and beckoning them over.

If only Harry could take his own advice.

Authors Note- hope you guys liked and the next chapter is the last chapter! Please review because you all are so awesome