The following morning Ginny arose quite early. She'd gone to sleep around ten and she had slept fitfully. Her dreams may have not been about Riddle, but they were about Malfoy and Harry. She had dreamt that Harry had tried to kill Malfoy after finding out that he'd used her to try and save his own life. Ginny woke up sweating and she jumped when she saw Hermione hovering over her. Her friend looked concerned, "Ginny, are you ok? Demelza said you were shouting "No, not him. Not Malfoy…"
Ginny blushed in humiliation and she then noticed Demelza standing further behind Hermione. Ginny sighed and grumbled, "It's nothing. I'm sorry to have bothered you both." Hermione grimaced and said, "Ginny, would you come to the bathroom with me please? I feel like we need to talk." Ginny slowly got out of bed and folded her arms defensively, feeling the need to protect herself from any further judgment.

Once there, Hermione placed a silencing charm on the door and then turned to face her, "Harry is really upset. He thought you were getting back together." Hermione wasn't wasting any time, was she? Ginny sighed, "Well Hermione, I have a lot to process," she said tonelessly. Hermione sighed, "Don't be like that Ginny. I'm your friend." Ginny laughed and rolled her eyes, "Really? A friend who decided to desert me along with my ex-boyfriend and brother? A friend who left me here to suffer while you guys went searching for Horcruxes?" Hermione's expression stiffened, "Ginny, I know you haven't forgiven us. And you have every right to be angry. But behaving like this is not the answer…" Ginny frowned, "Behaving like what?"
Hermione sighed in frustration, "Like you fighting with Ron…and being friendly so friendly with Neville, McLaggen and dare I say it…Malfoy of all people. I want to know what happened with him!" Ginny raised her eyebrows sky high, "First of all, Ron was the one who got angry with me for no reason..." Hermione interrupted her, "It was because you were hugging McLaggen and he hates the guy." Ginny glared at Hermione, "He hates everyone Hermione! Surely you know that?" She was quiet and Ginny was satisfied, "And secondly, those are the people, as I've said before, who were here when you weren't. I don't think you have any right to judge my…my connections with them." Hermione sighed again in frustration, "Ginny, will you at least explain it to me? I want to understand. I want to know if it's all just rebellion against us for deserting you?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Hermione, I'm friends with Neville because he's been there for me this whole year. He's helped me fight the Carrow's. He's had my back. Like Colin, he's also had my back even when it put him at risk, but Colin is now gone." She felt tears forming in her eyes, "And McLaggen was on the Quidditch team with me. I decided to give him a chance Hermione. And guess what? He proved out to be ok. At least he was here and fighting with me. And Malfoy…"

Ginny dropped her voice and suddenly felt uneasy. She knew whatever she said about Malfoy to Hermione would get reported back to Harry. Hermione was waiting expectantly for the answer as Ginny exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, "And Malfoy saved me from being Crucio'd for about the one hundredth time from Amycus Carrow. He stepped in more than once and defended me. Why? I don't know. But he did and so I felt like I owed him."
Hermione looked shocked. She stared at Ginny, limbs stiff at her sides and whispered, "Ginny, you never owed him anything." Ginny glared at her and said crossly, "You don't get what it was like though. I went to Defense with the Dark Arts always fearing when it was going to happen next. So when someone comes in and saves you from it, you do feel like you owe them." Hermione watched Ginny closely and she asked in a hushed whisper, "So how, dare I ask, did you pay him back?" Ginny swallowed hard. She'd never spoken about this before- not to Neville, not to anyone.

Ginny sighed and her secret came out in the next breath, "Another of Voldemort's plans was one of Harry's worst nightmares. He wanted to use Draco to get to me. So Draco had to get me to fall for him. He knew the plan would never work, but I felt badly for him. It's like Riddle had set him a task he knew he was doomed to fail…again." Ginny's voice caught in her throat and she had been staring at the floor, unable to meet Hermione's gaze.

Now, she glanced up at Hermione's shocked expression. Ginny whispered tightly, "I felt responsible for his imminent death, Hermione. I couldn't be the cause of his death. I would feel so guilty! Not after he had saved me from pain so many times!" Ginny felt tears springing into her eyes. She then felt herself shaking and she said in a mumble of words, "We only kissed once. It was just once."

Hermione's voice was weak when she spoke again, "This is not as bad as I feared." Ginny's eyes snapped up and she said, "What do you mean by that?" Hermione shrugged and whispered, "I was worried he'd done much worse to you. I think…I think Harry could live with this." She nodded stiffly and Ginny felt the immense distance between the two of them that hadn't presented itself before.

Even though Hermione was in the same room as her, she felt like they were on different sides of the equator. Ginny whispered icily, "I would never have slept with him, if that's what you're insinuating Hermione." Hermione's lack of a reply proved to Ginny that this was exactly what she had been thinking. She stormed towards the door, turned backwards and said scathingly, "Since I know you're already going to go and tell my brother as well as Harry, I recommend suggesting not talking to me for the next little while. You're not the friend I thought you were." With that, Ginny slammed the door and went back to the dorm.

XXX

Ginny waited anxiously for Harry or Ron to come and confront her about Malfoy. Eventually, word got around that McGonagall wanted them all in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny sauntered downstairs with Demelza. She had showered and gotten dressed after her conversation with Hermione. When she got downstairs, McGonagall was standing in the front of the room and she had made her voice louder so that it echoed across the semi-full common room, "Quiet, please, quiet everyone! Now, I have had a meeting with some of the remaining staff and Kingsley Shacklebolt has to how to proceed from now on. First and foremost, it has been requested that students please not ask Mr Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, or Hermione Granger about the events of the last year, or about what transpired the other evening in the Entrance Hall."

There was a general murmuring of around the room of dissatisfaction and McGonagall continued, "Another decision has been made. I will be the temporary headmistress of Hogwarts if the school will reopen in the near future." Someone from the younger crowd asked sadly, "If?" McGonagall raised her eyebrows quietly, "Yes, Mr Gordon, if. This is because the school, as you have all seen is currently looking worse for wear. I would very much like to hope that the school will be ready to open by September this year. However, we will just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I will organize the Hogwarts express to fetch those who wish to return home. Letters have been sent out to parents and the train will be here two days from now at lunchtime- so that will be on Tuesday. Furthermore, it would also be prudent for all of you to attend lunch this afternoon at twelve o clock because Kingsley Shacklebolt- the temporary Minister of Magic- will be coming to talk to the school as a whole on our plans to move forward. There is no need to come dressed in normal school uniform."

McGonagall turned to leave and the silence that had ensued suddenly broke out over the common. McGonagall amplified her voice again, "I almost forgot, could all of the Weasley's, Miss Granger and Mr Potter please follow me to my office." The noise heightened and Ginny noticed Bill, Fred and George in one corner, moving forward to the front of the room. She waved goodbye to Demelza and walked beside Fred, George and Bill, with Harry, Ron and Hermione following them.

Once outside, McGonagall turned to all of them and faced Harry, "Mr Potter, I would very much like to ask you whether it would be possible to talk about your…er…adventures of the last year. I promise you, nobody else would hear them, apart from myself or Kingsley. It's just that we want to understand what you've been through, and I believe being around friends and family will help you to tell the story. We want to help you find the best way forward."
There was silence and Harry nodded slowly, "Alright, as long as it stays between us." McGonagall gave a grim smile, "Mr and Mrs Weasley would like to hear it to, if you don't mind?" Harry shook his head, "No, not at all! They're family to me. If anyone should hear it, they should." It made Ginny's heart warm to hear him say that. Her mother would love it. She made a mental note to tell her…

McGonagall nodded smiling, "Of course, Mr Potter. Would you follow me, please?" She led her way to her office and Ginny was tempted to walk in the direction of McGonagall's old office. She had to stop herself when she realized they were going to Dumbledore's office. To her, it always would be if she was telling the truth.

They arrived outside the Gargoyle and it asked for the password. McGonagall muttered something under her breath and the Gargoyle groaned to let her through. They walked up the tower and Ginny was pleased to see her parents waiting there for them. She hurried over to her mum, who looked worn and tired. Her father stood up when they came in, and to the left of them was Kingsley.

Kingsley smiled at them all kindly, "Hello everyone. I'm glad to see you all looking more put together than usual." They all nodded and greeted him in return. There were enough chairs and a house elf popped up as McGonagall called him, "Stanley!" Stanley bowed low and asked, "What would you like miss?" McGonagall smiled kindly at the elf, who had a few cuts and bruises on its wrinkled skin, "Enough tea for everyone please." Stanley nodded and then disappeared.

They all placed themselves into a semi-circle, and Harry incidentally ended up next to Ginny, although he didn't seem like he liked the idea of it. Ginny felt herself stiffen in anxiety at being so close to him after yesterday. Nerves bundled around in her stomach and she stared at her hands which were twisted in a knot below her. Kingsley said kindly, "Thank you all for coming. I think it's important to have this gathering so that Harry need not tell the story more than once if he doesn't wish to." There was general nodding and Harry responded, "Thank you, Kingsley. I appreciate that."

Kingsley said swiftly, "I want it to be clear among all of you, that what is said in this room does not get repeated outside…at least not without Mr Potter, Mr Weasley or Miss Granger's consent. Is that understood?" There was a general nodding and Ginny decided she might as well get settled as Harry began to explain the long story of their journey through the last year.

XXX

Once Harry, Ron and Hermione had finished telling their tale, the room sat in silence. Nobody was sure how to react. At one point, Harry had struggled how to explain how he had become a Horcrux to everyone and this was why he needed to die. He was choking up a little and Ginny couldn't help but move to comfort him. She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed it tightly. He glanced up gratefully with a smile and her mother started crying. They held eye contact for a second before Harry continued his tale.

When he reached the battle he shrugged, "Well, you all know the rest. You were there."

McGonagall looked like she'd seen a ghost. She sat staring at Harry, completely shell-shocked and petrified. She clearly had no words to describe what she was feeling. Ginny's mother was dabbing at her eyes and she whispered throatily, "Oh Harry dear! If only we'd known!" Harry smiled at her grimly, "But you couldn't know, Molly. If I had told you, anyone of you, Voldemort would have used that." Bill whispered quietly, "Ginny knew." Kingsley frowned, "Yes, why did Miss Weasley know?"

Ginny felt herself blushing and Harry murmured, "She demanded to know. It was either tell her or break up with her. That was already when I was beginning to discover the truth with Professor Dumbledore. It was long before we discovered the whole story." Her father said sadly, "Harry I wished I had known. I feel like we could have helped you." Harry smiled grimly, "Like I said, it's not that simple. The only thing knowing would do would put you all at risk. I'm sorry I told Ginny. My intention was to always keep her safe."

Bill said quickly from the left, "Harry, its ok you don't need to explain that to us. I know the real reason you broke up with her was to keep her safe. We spoke about it and we all respect that choice, don't we?" He stared at Fred and George meaningfully. Fred murmured with a slight smile, "Well, I might want to kick your butt one day, but for now I'll accept it." George nodded, equally seriously, "It's alright with us for now."

Ginny's father swallowed and muttered, "Could we get back on track please, once you've all finished giving your blessings?" Ginny held up her hand quickly. She didn't want it to get out of control and for them to start assuming things. She said slowly, "Nothing is set in stone." She glanced at Harry and he seemed to understand. He stared back at her with intense green eyes that looked like emerald's and made Ginny's stomach do a flip. The feelings were still there, but so was the hurt and the pain. Harry gave her a small, imperceptible nod and then he glanced away to hide the hurt on his side too.

McGonagall seemed to have come back to her senses, "Yes, I quite agree Arthur. That seems like a more suitable conversation for elsewhere. Right now our next question is: how much do we tell the rest of the wizarding world?" McGonagall was watching Harry specifically through her glasses and Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione. Harry shrugged, "Well, I think the Horcruxes need to be kept secret. We don't want others knowing about them." Hermione nodded in agreement, "We don't want anyone to have any chance of becoming another Voldemort. I think those details need to be kept under wraps." Kingsley nodded agreeably, "Of course. So what do we tell them instead?"
Harry grimaced and replied slowly, "Keep it as vague as possible. Definitely include Dumbledore in it. I mean after all he was the one who discovered them, and suspected about the diary all along…" here, he glanced at Ginny nervously. Her parents had been gobsmacked when they'd found out what the diary really was. Her mother had held her and sobbed into her hair. Ginny feared this reaction and rightly so.

When he finished, Kingsley murmured, "So what exactly do we say, Harry? I have to give a conference at the Ministry on Wednesday. I also have a press conference around five o clock in which it has been requested that you, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger be present. I have not made any promises as of yet though." Harry swallowed and glanced to Ron and Hermione for support. Hermione said slowly, "I suppose it will have to be done sooner or later. Might as well get it over with." Harry sighed and nodded, "Alright then. We'll be there. In terms of your other conference, can I have these next two days to think about what you tell them?" Kingsley nodded and sighed, "Alright then. And the lunch this afternoon? I think it would be prudent of you to thank the school for fighting." Harry looked pale. He hated being the centre of attention. Hermione nodded, "All three of us will. It doesn't have to be just Harry alone."

McGonagall nodded briskly, "Alright then. I suggest you three start thinking about what you want to say. It is after all, ten and lunch is in two hours." She smiled at the rest of them. Bill asked her, "Excuse me, professor, but what do you plan on doing about all those who were killed in the battle?" McGonagall glanced at Kingsley, who nodded and she said, "There will be a wake on Tuesday to remember all those who lost their lives. There will also be a graveyard erected by the lake for those who wish to have their children's bodies buried here…" she trailed off, looking tearful. She wiped one from her eyes and swallowed, "Does that answer your question, Mr Weasley?" Bill nodded seriously, "Yes, thank you."
McGonagall said, "Unless there's anything else, you are all free to depart."

They all got up, thanked her, and she called Stanley to come and fetch the empty cups of tea. As they walked downstairs, Harry pulled Ginny aside as the rest of her family went past. He took her into the nearest empty classroom and closed the door. He turned to her and said slowly, "So…I thought we were getting back together." Ginny watched him and said seriously, "What gave you that impression?" Harry folded his arms impatiently, "Really? You're going to play coy with me? You slept in my bed, Ginny! The first day you seemed relieved that was alive. The Neville came in and something changed. And then I hear about something happening with Malfoy…"
Ginny bit her lip, uncertain of how much to tell him. She normally trusted Harry with most things. So she had been wrong, Hermione hadn't informed him yet. This made it more awkward for her. She sighed and said, "Harry, I'll tell you about it when I'm ready. I've still got a lot on my mind, and so do you. I have barely even managed to think about Tonks and Lupin because I really don't want to…" here, she started choking up, and Harry moved to comfort her, but she moved away. She whispered, "I know I said I'd tell you. And I will. You must believe that. But a lot has happened to me too. And I need you to respect that, please. Otherwise it's going to cause problems between us." Harry watched her and sighed in relent, "It already is, Ginny." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving her alone with nothing but her own thoughts.

A/N: Hi all! As always thanks for such positive feedback! I hope you enjoy this chapter and are having a good week!