Thank you again for everybody who reviewed you are all wonderful wonderful wonderful :)

I didn't know what to write in this one because all the main story lines have already been done (Flirting/Kissing/Getting Together/Arguments/One of them gets hurt etc) So this one is a chapter with a sadder storyline. It had to happen because it's the only way I can carry the story on for a few more chapters – I apologise in advance D:

Seeing as how I'm trying to update lots and lots, Please Review!

X

I don't know why I woke up, but I did. I knew something was wrong, part of me knew that, when I looked over, Ginny wouldn't be there. As expected, her curtains were opened and her Patchwork bedcover was rolled down, revealing an empty mattress. The Holyhead Harpies poster next to her wardrobe showed seven witches and wizards hovering on their broomsticks, eyelids drooping.

My alarm clock informed me that it was quarter to one and so, pulling on a 'Gryffindor' jumper, I opened my window, grabbed onto one of the vines of the many flowers growing up the walls, and lowered myself down, landing with a crunch on the gravel that separated our bedrooms.

I found her sat in the garden, staring into the dark waters but not seeing anything. I didn't say anything; I just sat beside her and wrapped the jumper around her shoulders that were bare except for the strap of her purple pyjama top and waited.

It was the Easter holidays and, on instruction of my parents, who seemed to think they had a closer watch on my revision timetable if I was with them, had come home. I'd spent Christmas at School with Ron and Ginny, because the rest of their family had gone to visit Charlie in Romania – besides, it was my last chance to have a Hogwarts Christmas dinner.

We must have sat outside for hours in silence, before Ginny said, in a voice most unlike her own "It's not going to work this...is it?"

I looked at her "We can make it."

She shook her head, sadness evident on every single freckle, every single line in her face, every single look in her eye "It won't. I'm not stupid."

I sighed "Look, you're only gone until the 20th of December. Then you'll be back...that's only three months, really – and there's Hogsmeade weekends."

"So I'll see you once a month? Harry that's awful." She said plainly, still staring out into the distance.

I knew where she was coming from, and the realisation of what was happening finally hit me. "What should we do?"

She looked at me then, properly meeting my gaze and I knew what we'd have to do. I knew it but I couldn't accept it and, much to my dismay, I felt tears welling up in my eyes "When?"

She blinked back her own tears, wiping her eyes "The earlier we do it the less painful it will be over time."

I leant towards her and kissed her, never wanting it to end. Eventually, I pulled myself away and looked at her "It will never get less painful."

She took a deep breath "We go back tomorrow and you leave in three weeks. After that things will be easier for us both – we won't have to see each other."

I looked at her "Ginny you live a metre away from me."

"I'll go to Charlie's over summer."

"You don't have to do that, I'll go somewhere."

She shrugged "Whatever; just let me know."I looked at her, my girlfriend, everything I'd wanted for so long and everything that would be boarding a train and leaving me for twelve months.

"How did you know I was here?" She asked curiously.

"A gut feeling." I mumbled, before we fell into a comfortable, although slightly despairing, silence.

I lay next to her for another couple of hours, holding her hand and breathing in her scent. I'd miss her so much it was possibly going to be unbearable. I'd miss her laugh, her attitude, her general glow. I'd miss the way she kissed and the way she...well...

The dull light of dawn appeared over the horizon and it became obvious that then was the time. Somewhat awkwardly, we stood up and looked at each other

"Well, bye Gin." I said, squeezing her hand "Don't forget me."

She smiled sadly "Not possible. Bye Potter."

And then, as the sun appeared, lighting up the village of Otter St Catchpole, we turned and went our separate ways, both stopping and turning back to look at each other when we'd reached our doors. Ginny's appeared to have magically locked itself since she'd opened it and left the key inside. She swore loudly and kicked it.

I crossed the yard, opened it with my wand and stood in front of her. She had her back to the wall and looked at me with a mixture of sadness and desperation on her features. I kissed her forcefully, and she wrapped her arms around my neck, breathing heavily as I pulled away.

"Until next year." I said softly.

She nodded, her face screwing up with the effort of not crying. "Until next year. I love you."

"I love you too." I said, looking into a pair of brown eyes filled with complete despair. I'd split up with a lot of girls, but none of those break –ups even came close to effecting me as much as this one had.

I left her and walked back to my window that I climbed through and shut the curtains of, pointedly avoiding looking into the house behind me.

I lay on my bed and waited until six o'clock, staring at the ceiling and not really feeling much at all. When my alarm went off I pulled on some jeans and a black t-shirt before walking down the stairs, dragging my school bag that was packed full of School Books and homework, and sat myself in the kitchen in front of my Mum.

She turned around looking bright and cheerful, took one look at me, and dropped the frying pan on the kitchen floor with a loud thud.

She didn't bother to pick it up – instead she walked around it, sat down opposite me and said very clearly "What the hell have you done to her?"

My Dad walked in hearing all the noise, cleaned up the frying pan and sat beside me as my head began to thud with the loss of sleep and the pain that was hitting me.

"We've split up."

My Mum looked incredibly disappointed "I told you not to mess it up Harry. Who have you slept with? If it's that Lavender girl then-"

"I haven't slept with anyone, Mum. It's because I won't see her next year. She's still got another year at Hogwarts and I've finished. It wouldn't work." I stared blankly at the baby-yellow kitchen wall, my head aching tremendously.

She sighed, leaning over and touching my hand "I'm so sorry. Was it her decision?"

"Mutual thing." I grunted "But yeah, she suggested it."

She stood up and hugged me and I didn't make any move to protest. My Dad slapped me on the back and I could tell he was having a miming argument with my Mum – she was probably telling him to go and explain to Molly and Arthur before Ginny woke up because I heard the door open and close behind me.

"I know it hurts."

I pulled away "It doesn't hurt. My head hurts. I can't feel anything anywhere else." I mumbled, looking at the table.

"I don't suppose you want any breakfast?"

I shook my head "Can we just go to Kings Cross by ourselves today?"

She shook her head "I want to see Ron off – it's his last time on that train, but you go back to bed and I'll send an owl to McGonagall, telling her I'll send you to her office through Floo this evening."

I nodded glumly, not even registering that I was missing my last journey to school on the Hogwarts Express.

I dropped into bed, my room still dark because of the curtains being closed and drifted off into an uneasy sleep that I was awoken from by my Mum telling me it was half past eight and I was to be at school in half an hour.

When nine o'clock came I wanted nothing less than to be hugged and told to step into that fireplace, but as I winded up in the Deputy Headmistress' office I felt a strange surge of affection towards her.

She looked up, her eyes full of pity and then seemed to have another of her inner battles with herself which ended up with her coming over and giving me a fierce hug.

She pulled back and said "Good evening Potter - Do not tell anybody about this...they'll all be wanting one."

I smiled sadly "Don't worry, night Professor."

She nodded curtly as I headed out of her office, around the courtyard, along the second floor and up the grand staircase to our common room.

I walked in to see a group of girls ranging from fourth to seventh year all huddled in a corner around a wooden table talking in hushed voices and Ron sat on one of the arm chairs by the fire talking to Seamus, Dean and Neville.

Gradually, they all saw me and stared. The girls all shot me horrible looks and Romilda Vane actually walked up to me and slapped my face.

"What the hell?" I asked her loudly.

"How could you do that to Ginny? She's absolutely heartbroken. I bet she was like me, wasn't she? Just something to shag. She's far too good for you, you evil, manipulating little rat."

"Do you actually have any idea what happened between us? Because I'm betting Ginny didn't tell you that." I shouted "I bet you've been sat there all afternoon trying to figure it out because you have nothing better to do with you pathetic little lives. Well no, that's not what happened. And if you want to know what did then grow the balls to ask somebody who bloody does. Also, Romilda darling, I recall it was you who broke up with me last year because some horrible little Ravenclaw kid offered you more sex."

She stared at me "I-I-I- He was fifteen."

I scoffed "Shut up and do one."

Ron walked over, placed a hand on my forearm and led me up the stairs and into the dormitory.

"It was her decision so please don't give me any crap. I didn't want to hurt her, you know I'd never do that. I love her." I said, sitting on my bed.

He sat on his own, opposite me "I know. I'm not going to. Ginny's a mess – she didn't say anything to anyone this morning and didn't speak until we got here. 'Course, James came and explained everything this morning to us. I'm really sorry, mate, I know how much you meant to each other.

I nodded dully "What did she say, you know, when she spoke."

"I don't know, Hermione's the only one she's spoken to. They're both up in Hermione's room now, apparently she cried a lot and she hasn't eaten anything all day but then she was just saying what happened because of course Hermione wasn't there this morning."

I nodded "I'm going to try and get some sleep, night."

Chances were, Ron probably knew I'd been sleeping all day. However, he only nodded as I shut the curtains and stared aimlessly up at the ceiling of my four poster bed for hours and hours. It was a long time after the others had settled down that I finally dropped off into an uncomfortable sleep.