A/N: My fellow readers, my apologies for the late posting of this chapter. I had a lot going on at work these days. I had a pile of work and I could only write small portions at a time of this chapter. I apologize as well ahead of time for any grammatical or spelling errors that I my have overlooked. I also wanted to let you all know that I will be out of town and I won't be back until about mid-July. I hope you like the chapter. Now on to Chapter 10...

Disclaimer: I wish I could take credit for the wonderful world of Harry Potter but, I can't. All the credit goes entirely to the very much talented JK Rowling.

Chapter 10: Time Away From Each Other

"Oh Harry, if only you had told Ginny sooner" said Hermione as she frowned.

"Are you sure you don't know where she went off to in Greece? Perhaps I could try sending an owl to her" said Harry looking hopefully at Hermione.

Hermione only shook her head, "No I'm sorry Harry. She never told me. All she told me was that she was going to Greece with Phillip and they won't be back until the end of July, which is when Ginny is due back to train with the Harpies."

Harry walked backwards against the wall and slid down onto the ground, put his face in his hands and began to cry softly. If only he had gotten to her earlier. If only he hadn't waited so long. If only he had just walked up to her, pulled her aside and talked to her. Now he was at risk of losing his Ginny again. Why had he been a coward if he had been brave enough to fight Voldemort?

Out of sympathy Hermione took her best friend into her arms and hugged him as she tried to use comforting words for him, "I'm so sorry Harry. If only Ginny had known. You just let yourself go." There she stood, sadly as she heard Harry finally pour out his pain and frustrations through his sobs after what appeared like a long time. For an extended amount of time, Harry had put on a strong face but now, with Ginny gone, he began to feel his world crumble before him.

Harry then looked up at Hermione after what seemed like a long time and said, "I think I will go back to my room and pack. I will be going off on holiday to Morroco with Ron, Neville, and Seamus before we come back to train with the Auror Department in mid-July."

Hermione gave him a sad smile and nodded, "Alright." Hermione then followed him with her gaze as a small tear slid down her cheek out of compassion for her best friend and then she quickly wiped it away.

The graduation for the 7th years at Hogwarts was one of the biggest events ever seen. The current graduation had become an important one because it was the first 7th year graduation and most of the students had fought in the Second War at Hogwarts. There were only two people who were missing from it, Harry and Ginny. It was obvious to close friends that they were fond of each other but for some reason or another, they were keeping a distance from each other.

A few days later:

"Oh look Phillip! What is that place over there?" asked Ginny as she pulled away her hand from Phillip's.

"That is the Acropolis" he said with a chuckle as Ginny looked up at the ancient ruins beyond on the hill.

"And that over there?" said Ginny pointing again, this time at a particular ruin.

Phillip smiled as he walked up next to Ginny, put his arm around her waist and gave her a kiss on her head and said looking down at her, "That's the Parthenon sweetheart."

Ginny then turned around with a wide smile on her face and said, "Oh you were right Phillip, it is all so beautiful! I never thought that Greece would be this beautiful."

"Come on sweetheart, let's go up there and I'll take a couple of pictures of the most beautiful witch in the world" guiding her up to the ruins.

Up on the Acropolis, Phillip and Ginny took several pictures and even Phillip's father took a few pictures of Phillip and Ginny.

On the way down, the count asked Ginny, "So, my dear, have you enjoyed Greece so far?"

Ginny nodded happily, "Oh yes sir. Who would have imagined that Greece was such a marvelous place with so much history. The only thing is that I don't understand a word.

The count smiled, "Ah yes, when we travel to Greece, I let the countess and young Phillip here do the talking. Besides, the countess loves to socialize as well."

"John! The very idea!" said the countess with disbelief as she gave him a friendly slap with her fan.

Phillip and Ginny only looked at each other and giggled.

An hour later the two couples arrived at the familiar family home. The maid walked up to them with a silver tray and glasses with chilled water.

"Efharisto(thank you)" said the count.

She just bowed and walked away with the silver tray.

"Why don't you two go upstairs and rest a bit before we go to giagiá's(grandmother's) house?" said the countess with a kinds smile

Ginny nodded, "Alright, I am a little tired after all."

Phillip then added, "Well, that was quite a bit of walking we did today and under that hot sun."

Phillip and Ginny walked up the stairs and just as Phillip and Ginny reached Ginny's door, Phillip took Ginny into his arms and kissed her feverishly. How he wished he could stand there and snog her away for the rest of the day but, he thought that Ginny would want to rest after a long walk in the heat.

When Phillip pulled away from their kiss he said, "Have a wonderful nap my sweetheart" as he moved some of her hairs behind her ear.

"You too my love" she answered before giving him one last kiss on his lips. She then opened her door and shyly smiled up at him as she gently closed the door between them.

Meanwhile in Morrocco:

Harry, Ron, Neville, and Seamus were riding camels in the dessert with a caravan and their nomadic guide.

"Look at that! Isn't that a sight to behold?" exclaimed Seamus boldly as he pointed towards the soft-sanded dunes.

"Yeah, if only Ginny were here to see it" said Harry with a frown on his face.

"Mate, you said you wanted to come to Morrocco to stop thinking about her and to forget her" said Neville turning to look at Harry who was riding his camel next to him.

"That's the thing Neville, no matter how hard I try, I can't forget her. All I could think is that I wish she were here to share all of this with me" he said as he turned to look at the dunes in the opposite direction.

"Sir Mr. Potter sir. We are 30 kilometres from oasis yes?" said Mohammed their trusted guide.

"Alright, thanks for letting us know Mohammed" answered Harry turning to look at Mohammed before turning his gaze back at the dunes.

"So what's with Harry?" asked Seamus as he pulled himself up next to Harry and Neville.

"Well, Harry is having a hard time forgetting Ginny" said Neville nodding his head over at Harry who was still looking at the dunes.

"Look mate, I know this is hard but if you can't forget Ginny, you are going to have to begin to try to forget her so you can mend that broken heart of yours and move on. She definitely has moved on with that Phillip bloke" added Seamus.

Harry turned back around to face Seaumus, "Seamus, my heart is not broken. It's shattered to pieces and it's all my fault. I was the one who told Ginny that I couldn't be with her. I was a world of confusion with all the emotions that I was feeling at the time. It was rather overwhelming."

"Come on, pull yourself together man! You are Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived for Merlin's sake!" commented Seamus.

"Even the Boy Who Lived could have a weak heart Seamus" said Harry and he wiped a small tear that slid down his cheek with the loose part of his headdress.

"Look mate, we know that Ginny was very special to you. I suppose you are just going to have to give yourself time" said Ron turning to look towards Harry.

Harry frowned and shook his head, "No mate, no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to get over Ginny. I suppose I'll just keep myself busy when I get back to England. Anything to keep myself from thinking of Ginny."

Back in Greece:

A couple of weeks passed and Phillip and Ginny were levitating their bags down to the entrance hall. They were preparing for their holiday in Mykonos and they were going to visit more of Phillip's family.

"Aren't your parents coming?" asked Ginny as she noticed that only their two bags were in the entrance hall.

Phillip smiled, took Ginny into his arms and shook his head, "No my sweetheart. I wanted to spend some time alone with you. Even if my cousins will be there. We can always get away and use the yacht to go visit the nearby islands on our way to Mykonos. Mum and dad will join us in about a week."

Ginny's eyes went wide with surprise, "A yacht? What in Merlin's name is a yacht?"

Phillip chuckled, "You'll see sweetheart" and he kissed her forehead before walking out to the car with her.

When they arrived at the port, the driver left their bags and Phillip walked over to a rather large yacht. Ginny was surprised by the size of it. She had never been in a yacht. She had always apparated and used the floo network whenever she needed to go from one place to another.

Phillip helped Ginny onto the yacht before getting their bags. The captain then came up and said, "Welcome back on board sir. Where would you like to go this time?"

Phillip looked at the captain and said, "We're going to Mykonos to see my cousins. I want Ginny here to meet them."

The captain gave Ginny a friendly smile before nodding at Phillip, "Yes sir. We'll be on our way shortly" and he spun around to walk back to the bridge.

"This yacht is rather big" said Ginny as she went to walk over to the railing and looked both ways to inspect the length of the yacht.

"Yes, it is. Why don't you go down to your stateroom and settle in. We will be setting sail real soon" said Phillip before giving Ginny a smile and a kiss on her forehead.

"Alright" and she walked away.

Phillip walked down to his stateroom. There he opened up a secret cabinet behind some books on a shelve. He waved his wand and the face appeared before him. He had wanted to talk with the person on the other side of the mirror for some time. He needed to clear some matters before he could make decisions before proceeding.

Back in Morrocco:

Harry opened his eyes. He stared at the roof of the tent that had an extention charm on it. He looked around and Ron, Neville, and Seamus were still asleep. He couldn't sleep anymore and he got up. He checked his shoes for snakes and scorpions and put them on. He walked outside to look at the sunrise. How he wished Ginny could be there with him. He put his hand in his pocket, took out the small golden chain, and looked at the green crystal heart pendant. He was going to give it to Ginny the day that she left Hogwarts. He was going to keep his promise that he would always love her and never leave her again. Why had he waited so long to talk to Ginny? Why didn't he just pull her aside to talk to her? He was not a coward when he confronted Lord Voldemort. Why was he a coward when it came to admitting that he loved Ginny? The trip to Morrocco was really supposed to be the trip where he was going to propose to Ginny but now that was uncertain because she was far away from him with another bloke.

Harry closed his hand with the crystal in his hand and closed his eyes as silent tears began to roll down his cheeks. The aching knot was deep within his chest again. He didn't know what else to do but cry. At the moment he felt that the only way that the ache would go away was if he could be close to his Ginny again. He put the pendant back into his pocket and continued to look at the early morning horizon.

Harry didn't notice but Ron had been standing at the entrance of the tent. He nodded his head in pity for his friend. He walked over and gave Harry's shoulder a friendly squeeze. Harry gasped and he turned around with his wand in hand.

Ron gasped in fear, "It's just me mate."

Harry chuckled, "Sorry Ron. I suppose I haven't been the same since I fought Voldemort off. I think that's one of the main reasons I couldn't keep my promise to Ginny and I regret it every day ever since."

Ron nodded and said, "You were thinking about her, weren't you mate?"

Harry felt the big gulp in his throat. He knew his voice would betray him so he only nodded his head.

"What can I say mate? I wish there was something I could do to help cheer you up" said Ron as he turned to look at the horizon beyond the oasis they were staying in.

"Nothing Ron. I appreciate it but there is nothing that can be done. I have lost Ginny and perhaps forever" said Harry as he wiped the tears that spilled down his cheeks again.

"Come on mate, let's go eat some breakfast and carry on with our holiday. Try to use the remaining time to forget her" said Ron.

Harry turned back around and shook his head, "No Ron, I will never be able to forget her. She was the love of my life and I let her go."

Suddenly Harry grasped his throat and started to wheeze. Ron walked over to him and asked, "Mate are you alright?"

Harry shook his head with a wheezing voice he responded, "I... can... barely... breathe..."

Ron took out his wand and quickly inspected the area but they were alone. Ron looked worried at Harry as he saw the color flush from his cheeks. Then just as sudden as the choking sensation came, it left. Harry then gasped for air.

"What was that Ron?" asked Harry looking back at Ron, still panting for air.

Ron shook his head, "I don't know mate. I just don't know. We'll send the Magic Ministry of Morrocco a patronus to explain what happened to you. Then we'll send another one to the Magic Ministry in London."

Back in Greece:

Ginny had just put on her sun dress over her bikini as she went out on the deck to lie down on one of the deck chairs. A a footman walked up to her with a white nautical jacket and black trousers. They were immaculately pressed and the golden buttons shined like the sun.

"Please forgive the intrusion Ms. Weasley but, would you like something to drink?" asked the footman.

Ginny looked up from the book she was reading and thought for a moment before looking back up at the footman, "Yes, an orange juice would be nice."

Back in Morrocco:

Harry, Ron Seamus, and Neville packed their things and continued on riding their camels through the hot Saharan desert. Harry continued to think about Ginny and the many things they could have done in the desert.

Ron walked up next to him on his camel, "Mate, you were just thinking about Ginny weren't you?"

Harry hadn't heard Ron. Harry was far away remembering the long hours and long moments back at Hogwarts when he was able to hold Ginny in his arms. The precious moments when he was able to take her and kiss her. Those few minutes that they would steal in between classes behind the tapestries and statues in the hallways. How things had changed from the moment he let his Ginny slip through his hands and let her go in order to protect her from Voldemort. This made Harry even more upset. Because of Voldemort, he had lost his only love. Just like others had lost their loved ones in the Battle at Hogwarts. Harry couldn't help himself but feel satisfied at the fact that Voldemort deserved to die for having killed so many people but also for making him lose his beloved Ginny. Because of him, his Ginny was far away in another country with another bloke's arms around her when it should have been him.

Ron called out to him again, "Harry? Are you feeling alright? Do you need us to stop?"

Harry shook his head from his thoughts and looked at Ron, "Sorry Ron, did you say something?"

Ron frowned. He didn't want to remind Harry of Ginny because he could see how painful it was for Harry to talk about Ginny. He thought the best thing was to just try to never ever bring Ginny up again in their conversations. "Do you need us to stop mate? After all, that sun is getting a bit hot, don't you think?"

Harry shielded his eyes with his hand and looked up at the sky. The infernal and merciless sun was shining brighter and stronger than ever but, he was trying to make the best of his excursion in Morocco. He then turned to Ron and said, "That sounds like a good idea Ron. We should get out of this sun.

Harry then turned to the other guide, "Ahmed, I think we need to stop and rest. The sun is feeling rather hot."

Ahmed bowed his head, "Very well Mr. Potter sir. Ahmed and Mohammed will set up for you to rest from the sun."

Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Neville got down from their camels and helped set up camp. After a few minutes, their tents were up and protecting them from the sun. Ahmed and Mohammed had started to make some peppermint tea when Harry heard a whirling wind sound outside.

Harry didn't have Ginny anymore to write letters about his Summer expedition and adventures. With his parents and Sirius Black gone, he had sat down to read a book on the latest defense against dark magic. It was a gift that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had given him when he had graduated from Hogwarts.

Ahmed and Mohammed looked at each other and shared a couple of words in arabic. Then the two of them stepped out for a few moments and when they ran back into the tent, their eyes were wide as saucers and they were panting hard.

Seamus looked up from his quidditch magazine and asked, "What? What is it?"

Ahmed and Mohammed just pointed through the open flap of the tent and the four friends neared the opening to take a look. A Tsunami-like wave of sand several hundreds of feet up in the air was several hundreds of kilometers away and it was coming their way.