Chapter 2

Leaving Home

Harry Potter died on the eve of his 18th birthday in Ron's arms. He had died fighting the Dark Lord. In a desperate attempt to save himself, Voldemort had mortally wounded Harry, who despite the pain, had still managed to vanquish him. The news of Voldemort's defeat had spread across the world in matter of hours. Everywhere around the world, wizards were celebrating his death while others, like us, were mourning the great Harry Potter's death. The Chosen One had fulfilled his destiny, but at what cost?

Harry's death had been like a stab in the heart of his many friends. More to some than others, but everyone agreed to say that he was a great man, whose life had ended too soon. The war had taken more than his life; we had also suffered several losses. My brother Fred had died at the beginning of this last fight, Dumbledore had been killed last year, Sirius, the year before, Harry's parents, during the first war… Everyone who had ever been killed in the battle against Voldemort could be counted as losses that night. May they rest in peace now.

No one really knew what had happened in this duel. Most of us were further back, struggling against Death Eaters. I wish I would have been closer, maybe I could have saved him, maybe I could have done something. I guess now I would never know. Hours after we had found Harry's body, Hermione was nowhere to be found. I guess she hid somewhere in the castle, unable to face the others, blaming herself for Harry's death. She was the only one who had managed to reach Harry, before it happened. I guess she thought that it was her fault he had died. We all knew how Harry had this visceral need to protect others and we assumed that it was what had happened. We didn't know what else to think.

Most Death Eaters had also been defeated that night, even though some had escaped but we were confident that Azkaban's new guardians would later arrest them.

As for Ron, he was the shadow of himself. His lips were sealed and no matter how hard I tried to make him talk, because I knew he needed to, he stayed silent, lost in his sorrow. The days that followed were only filled with pain and sorrow. We buried Harry in Godric's Hollow cemetery so he would join his parents. I pronounced the memorial speech, tears streaming down my face but I stayed strong, because I knew Harry wanted me to. I stayed strong for all of them. I had to, I just couldn't help it. I was stretching myself thin, helping everybody, joining causes because it stopped me from thinking. I knew that when things slowed down and I was alone again, it would hit me and there would be no turning back.

Weeks went by and slowly people recovered, the Boy-Who-Lived was now the Man-Who-Saved-Us and wizards acclaimed his memory in the heroic way he deserved. His name would be printed in any history books and women would name their newborn Harry. That was how the wizarding world had moved on. We reclaimed Hogwarts and a wing was named in his honour. I inaugurated it along with Ron. Just the two of us, because that was all there was now. Hermione had not showed to the funeral neither to any of the commemorative assemblies in his honour. It was just like she had vanished from the surface of Earth. I never felt so alone.

At the Burrow, Mom was inconsolable. She had lost Fred and Harry, whom she considered like her own son. Ron and Dad didn't talk much. George had lost half of himself, and even with Angelina's support, he wasn't getting much better. Percy, Bill and Charlie were trying to be strong, but often at night I would hear them cry in their rooms. Nobody really seemed to see my own sorrow. Maybe they didn't understand what Harry and I shared. Maybe they thought we were so young, it didn't really mean anything. They couldn't have been more wrong.

I had lost the one I loved, the only person that mattered to me more than anything. Harry started pulling away from me, before the final battle. He wanted to protect me. He didn't want me to suffer. He thought that if I was associated with him as more than a friend, I would become the prime target for all Death Eaters. He was afraid I would be hurt because I was with him, just like his parents. I understood. First, I was mad, I didn't want things to end, I wanted to stay and fight by his side but then I understood. He was a wise man. He knew that I would understand.

I remembered clearly the day we broke up. We were out in a field, camping, not as a vacation trip, but out of necessity. He was on the run and I had managed to catch up with him. There was so much we needed to tell each other, so much to live yet but we felt like this might be our night together. I wish we hadn't been so right. I would remember forever the way he made love to me, the way I laid my head on his chest later, just taking in as much as possible, scared I would never seen him again.

Later as I was about to leave, tears running down my cheeks, he got up to me and took my hand. "What is it?" I had asked and without any warning, he was down on his knee, presenting me the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. "Ginevra Weasley, I swear to you this is not the last time I hold you in my arms. When this is all over, I want to be with you forever. You're the one keeping me alive through all of this and I don't want us to be apart anymore. Ginny, would you marry me?" He had asked and as surprised as I was, I had managed to agree through my tears. The last kiss we shared after that was forever printed in my mind.

I stared down at the emerald ring on my hand and sighed. It was the same colour as his eyes. I could have stared at them forever. My mom hadn't noticed this ring, clearly showing our engagement. Or maybe she had but her pain was taking too much space to bother asking. No one else had commented, not even Ron, though I had seen him staring at it quite a few times.

Life at home was not making any of us better, especially not me. I couldn't stand living with them anymore. They were all buried in their pain instead of helping each other. I was sick of their teary faces, of their moans. One night, I got literally sick. I told myself it was a sign. I needed to get out. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew that it was somewhere else. I needed some space. I picked up a quill and a parchment roll and began writing.

Dear Mom, Dad and everybody,

I know that the past weeks have been the worst we ever faced, but I need to tell you the truth. I can no longer live here. It reminds me too much of those that we lost. I am leaving tonight for an unknown destination. Don't be sad please, you already are too much. I am an adult now and I need this for myself. For the first time of my life, I need to me on my own and I hope you understand that. I will contact you later. Please don't try to find me.

With all my love,

Ginny

It was short I know but I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't explain my pain on a parchment. I packed my stuff and left by the Knight Bus. I booked myself a room somewhere in the Diagon Alley. Only a few days later, I found out that Harry was not completely gone like we thought.