A/N: My apologies for the delay in putting this out. Writing is an involved process as you all know. Between plot considerations and beta readers, it this one didn't make the Saturday at 4pm deadline. On the bright side: I'll be posting a one-shot this week, which was the byproduct of a couple drafts of this chapter. Please enjoy and, as always, J.K. Rowling has all the rights to Harry Potter.

Ginny bit her lip, sitting in a squashy armchair by the fire and trying to calm herself. She, Ron and Hermione had come up to Gryffindor Tower looking for Harry, only to realize he'd already barricaded himself upstairs. She let out a frustrated sigh. It had been a stupid decision, really, she thought, but Ron insisted they check every empty classroom and broom cupboard along the way. When they arrived and found Kreacher resolutely refusing to open the dormitory door, Harry was already fast asleep. It could be hours before anyone saw him again.

She and Ron told the rest of their family, who called off their castle-wide search party and began organizing transport to St. Mungo's for Remus, Tonks, Fred, and Colin. Madam Pomfrey reluctantly agreed to allow her patients to travel by portkey, having no alternative. Upon learning from Healer Ryan that most of the revived patients would be sharing a secluded ward with the Potters, the better to keep away from the press, her parents requested to go ahead; they wanted a private conversation with Harry's parents. For her part, Ginny didn't know what to think.

She was overwhelmed. Ginny's life had been hell for the last year. When she and Harry broke up, it didn't feel real. At least, not to her. Knowing him as she did, she understood that it was only for some stupid, noble cause like her safety that he'd left. Any doubt she may have had was erased by the moment they'd shared in her bedroom, on Harry's seventeenth birthday. At least then, he still wanted her; things hadn't changed. He was still the same tall, messy-haired boy who smelt like broomstick polish and a woodsy scent like flying through an orchard. His embrace had not been dispassionate or pitiful, but full of longing to match her own.

The memory of that moment got Ginny through her worst year at Hogwarts. And, for someone who was possessed by Voldemort and forced to set a basilisk on muggle-born students her first school year, that was saying something. Although Ginny hadn't dated Harry long before he had to leave, their relationship was very public. They were the best and most envied piece of gossip at Hogwarts, whose students had superb memories. When Ginny arrived back at school that September, few people believed Harry had really left her. Almost everyone was convinced that, even if Ginny and Harry weren't actively dating, they still cared deeply for one another. Nobody seemed to think he would've left without telling her where he'd gone. To make things worse, the Slytherins had offered up information on her relationship with Harry, to win points with Death Eater professors.

She spent the year branded as "Potter's Blood Traitor Girlfriend;" her blood status offering her the barest protection. Convinced she was hiding information, and too stupid to know the difference, the Carrows made a regular show of interrogating Ginny. They always demanded to know where Harry was, why Harry had left, and how he was contacting her. Again and again, she told them no. No, she didn't know where Harry was or why he'd left and no…he wasn't contacting her. That last question was always the most difficult to answer. To admit that Harry was gone, that he had left her, and made no effort to check on her or tell her whether he was okay. The worst part was that they didn't believe her.

Honesty never stopped the Carrows from using the Cruciatus Curse.

Because who would expect that of Harry Potter? That he would so willingly leave the girl he cared for alone at Hogwarts, while Death Eaters roamed free? Harry's reputation for heroism preceded him. That's why he went into that bloody forest, Ginny thought, bitterly. Voldemort had known Harry could not bear to watch people suffer in his place. Well, she had suffered for him, and he hadn't been there to see it.

Ginny was no fool. If Harry hadn't felt a responsibility to fight, he never would've left her. He would never again put her in the direct line of fire, perhaps, like in her fourth year at the Department of Mysteries, but she had been there. She witnessed the glowing orb of his prophecy, even without hearing it. The pieces were there, and they weren't hard to put together. She knew Dumbledore would not put Harry in danger unnecessarily and could understand Harry's reason for leaving, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

What Harry hadn't realized was that Ginny knew more about him than he'd ever had to tell her.

Before meeting Harry in person, she'd known him through her brothers. Letters from Ron and even the twins brought news of Harry's talent on and off the Quidditch pitch. Her parents often sat around their kitchen table, speculating about the kind of boy he might be. What kind of family must Harry Potter live with, if he didn't even expect presents for Christmas? That revelation had thrown her mum into a tailspin, and she was determined to invite Harry over the following summer. Ginny had really looked forward to that.

Only it didn't happen, at least, not right away. Ron's letters to Harry went unanswered, something that greatly concerned the whole family. It had been a sure-fire sign of danger, mostly because Ron had assured his parents that Harry's aunt and uncle never wanted him at Hogwarts. They'd tried to "put a stop" to Harry being a wizard at all and made every effort to repress his magic. Being muggles, Harry's family couldn't understand the risk they were taking. Teaching a young wizard to be ashamed of his powers and trying to mold him into something he wasn't…it was a perilous business, with potentially dire consequences.

Ginny and her brothers had grown impatient. The twins hatched a plan "to break Harry out of that muggle prison he calls a home," and enlisted their sister to play a lesser-known role in helping them sneak out of the house. To this day, Ginny's parents had no idea their daughter had been in on the plot. True, Ginny hadn't thought the plan would actually work. She'd been just as shocked as her parents to find Harry sitting at the breakfast table the next morning but relieved all the same.

Little did Ginny know; it was the start of the most humiliating year of her life. I was such a fool back then, she thought. Just a crush-crazed little girl, who hardly knew anything about Harry other than what she'd heard, and who'd sent him that ridiculous Valentine's Day cupid. The image of Harry squirming to get away, as a dwarf wearing gold wings and a tutu sat on his ankles, still kept her up at night. Honestly, what had she been thinking?

And then she'd gone and gotten herself trapped in that bloody chamber. Ginny swallowed, remembering now how it had felt to wake up in the Chamber of Secrets and realize that Harry was dying. If it hadn't been for Fawks and his healing tears, Harry would have died, and it all would've been her fault. It had been the most humbling experience of her life, and why, for the next few years…she took a step back from him. Though she was still interested in him, she stopped thinking of ways to catch his attention. Instead, she was determined to really learn about him and hopefully get over her stupid crush. No more hero worship. No more idolization. What she needed to do was lay low and learn more about the real Harry…unfortunately, the more she learned, the more she really liked him.

He was funny, self-deprecating, and somehow still confident. From watching Harry in the common room, she realized that even though he had a lot…money, looks, and a certain amount of talent in Defense Against the Dark Arts, he never touted his fame. He was kind to most people, unless someone really deserved it (in her opinion, Draco Malfoy deserved everything he got). But she'd also watched Harry suffer, first to overcome dementors and then, in his fourth year, all the bullying he'd endured for entering the Triwizard Tournament.

Few people realized this, but when Ron stopped talking to Harry a few weeks before the first task, Ginny wouldn't speak with Ron. In her opinion, Ron had to be incredibly thick to think Harry would willingly bring more attention to himself. She watched as Harry bravely faced dragons and merpeople but couldn't stomach asking a girl to a dance. Ginny rolled her eyes at that. Didn't he know that almost any girl would go out with him? It was endearing to realize that someone so popular could be so oblivious.

When Harry came out of the third task clutching Cedric Diggory's dead body, Ginny took no convincing. Voldemort was back. Determined to fight, she joined Dumbledore's Army and realized, for the first time, how great of a teacher Harry could be. Though she probably shouldn't have cared, seeing as she was in a relationship of her own, Ginny also noticed the way Harry watched Cho Chang.

It was an odd feeling, watching Harry think of someone else the way Ginny thought of him. In spite of herself, she couldn't help rooting for his relationship. She wanted Harry to have whatever girl he chose, and if it wasn't her, well, then, so be it (at least, that's what she told herself). During those weeks, Ginny kept to herself and her own boyfriend, Michael Corner. They got on well enough until Michael started acting like an idiot. The breakup made it easy to rush to Harry's side when he'd had a vision of Sirius held hostage by Death Eaters at the Ministry.

Sure, Ginny had watched Harry face danger over the years. She'd lost count of the times Harry injured himself or had almost died. But she had always been there to see things work out. Whether he faced dementors or fully grown dragons or rescued her brother from the bottom of the Great Lake, she'd seen it all and witnessed his lowest moments. From the time Harry lost Sirius, to nearly killing Draco Malfoy, or the time Harry had cried over Dumbledore's dead body, Ginny had been there. She'd been the one to understand, to fall for him, and wait patiently as he did so in return.

Through it all, Ginny had grown accustomed to knowing he was safe, even when the Ministry and all the world seemed against him. Not since that first summer, when Harry stopped responding to Ron's letters, had Ginny been so concerned for him. To have that assurance ripped from her…to be told that suddenly, she wasn't allowed to know where he was going or what he needed to do, because it was all for some greater cause… It was hard not to take that personally.

Every day since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had escaped from Bill and Fleur's wedding, Ginny carried a weighty sense of foreboding and dread about what might've happened to them. How were they hiding? What were they doing? Why was it taking so long? As months dragged by, Ginny's fear nearly overcame her. Harry never let anyone suffer if he could help it, yet war continued as though he'd vanished.

Every morning, she couldn't bring herself to eat or hold anything down until she'd checked the Daily Prophet. If Harry had been found or killed, surely Voldemort would want everyone to know that their hero had lost. But that news never came. She watched, day after day, as the mug shot of "Undesirable No. 1" glared angrily up at her. The black and white photo was so unlike the man she knew. With its impassive eyes, and dark lightning scar pulsating off the page, the image of Harry morphed him into someone she almost couldn't recognize. Ironically, she thought, Harry's picture in that evening's edition of the Prophet had been much the same. It seemed the media, Rita Skeeter in particular, was determined to fight him at every turn, even though he'd probably saved their lives.

"I can't believe they're still on about his scar hurting," Hermione said, breaking the silence and glaring contemptuously at the paper open on the low table in front of them, "It's like they want to think he's mad or something!"

Ron shrugged, holding Hermione's hand; the two sat close together on the sofa.

"It's not like they've ever been nice to him, Hermione," Ron answered, "I'm just more concerned for you. You'd think she'd lay off, since you have information on her as an illegal animagus."

"What?" Ginny blurted.

Hermione's cheeks reddened.

"It's nothing," she said to Ginny, "I just found out some information about Rita that she…er…didn't want made public. It's how we got her to give Harry that positive interview back in Fourth-Year."

In spite of herself, Ginny grinned.

"She's an illegal animagus?"

"Yep," smiled Ron, "Hermione found out and threatened to expose her if she didn't stop writing shoddy stories for a year."

"Well, she's back at it now," observed Ginny, "I mean, look what she's got wrong about you two! She's made Hermione out to be some sort of…scarlet woman!"

Hermione giggled.

"That's what Ron calls them, too!" Hermione pointed out, "He says that's what your mum calls them…"

Ginny, whose ears had reddened (though, thankfully this was hidden by her long hair), barreled on.

"Well, that's what she's done, isn't it? She makes it sound like you and Harry were off on a cozy couples' holiday while the rest of us were fighting for our lives!"

"Well, I assure you," said Hermione, regaining her composure, "we weren't. That's never been the case with me and Harry, Ginny. You know that."

The girls shared a look between them that Ron could not understand.

"You know he missed you," said Ron, looking toward his sister, "I mean, there were times I didn't get that. I even thought he was after Hermione for a while, but I was wrong."

There was a pause as Ron seemed to search for words.

"But in the last couple weeks especially, I've been watching him. Listening to him talk in his sleep. Sometimes he speaks Parseltongue…he has a lot of nightmares…but sometimes, when he sleeps, well, more peacefully…he says your name."

"It's true," Hermione confirmed, watching Ginny carefully, "I've heard it."

Ginny felt her heart swell with hope but tried to tamp it down. There was no sense in getting ahead of herself, when she hadn't spoken to Harry, yet. In any case, now was not the time; he owed her an explanation. With his parents and Sirius coming back, she doubted whether she'd be getting that any time soon. Still, she found herself glancing up the staircase to the Seventh-Year boys' dormitory.

"I just worry about him…I hope he's okay. I know the news about his parents…it's a lot. And the news about him seeing the Mavens, well…I don't like it," Ginny said.

"He'll be alright," mused Ron, studying flames in the fireplace, "I know him. He's my best mate. The chance to meet his parents…to see Sirius again…it's all he's ever wanted."

"What about that tattoo, though?" Ginny asked, "I saw it earlier. What if it's some sort of curse?"

Hermione pursed her lips, deep in thought.

"If it's what I think it is," she said slowly, "Harry will be okay. I'm more concerned about Remus."

"Remus Lupin?" inquired Ginny, surprised, "What's wrong with Remus?"

Hermione looked up from the fire, concerned.

"You read the article, Ginny. The Mavens study those with lycanthropy. Remus very nearly got into an argument with Madam Pomfrey after you all left for the meeting with Harry. When she told everyone to go down because the other Mavens weren't coming, Remus outright refused. He wouldn't have gone, if it weren't for Tonks. Since waking up, Tonks can't change her appearance like she used to… I think it scares him. Once Madam Pomfrey pointed that out, he agreed to go, but only for her sake."

"Why would he have to come with her?" Ron asked.

Hermione shot him a pointed look.

"Isn't it obvious? Tonks is married to a werewolf. They have a son together!"

"Yeah," said Ron, a little defensively, "but how would the healers know that? Teddy was born at home, wasn't he? It's not like they have a record on file."

"I'd be surprised if they didn't," Hermione explained, "Bellatrix Lestrange was Tonks' aunt, remember? She probably heard about the baby from someone. After what we found breaking into the Ministry, I'm certain they have some sort of file on Remus and his whole family somewhere. Even now, with Voldemort gone, werewolves aren't like muggle-borns, are they? People are still prejudiced; I bet Remus is terrified."

Ron looked solemnly back at the flames.

"I hadn't thought about it that way," he muttered.

Ginny, however, was caught on something else.

"So, it's true, then? You three broke into the Ministry. Why? What were you doing there? Are you insane?"

Hermione blushed, looking nervously at Ron before she answered.

"Well…yes…we broke into the Ministry, but it was only to get something we needed. Something we needed to defeat Voldemort. And, yes, it was mad, but we needed to do it—"

"Why?" Ginny challenged, her tone coming off more angrily than she meant, "What could have possibly been there that could help you defeat Voldemort? Harry was 'Undesirable No. 1.' What was he thinking?"

Hermione looked alarmed.

"Ginny, we had to do it. We had no choice. We can't tell you everything now, but—"

"And why not?" Ginny interjected, her eyes glinting like her mother's. Ron twitched as though about to cower instinctively, but then composed himself.

"Ginny, it's not that simple. You know Dumbledore left Harry a mission," said Ron, "We can't talk about any of it until Harry is awake."

Ginny huffed. She was tired, irritable, and all she wanted was to see Harry.

"You know we'll tell you the truth, Ginny," said Hermione, studying Ginny carefully, "But, please, be patient. We have a lot to deal with, first."

I've been patient, Ginny thought to herself, but then immediately felt guilty. Yeah, she'd been through a lot that year, but, clearly, so had they. And who was she to complicate matters when there were actual people coming back to life? She sighed.

"Yeah, I know."

With that, they slipped back into companionable silence. Once or twice, Ginny thought Ron may have said something to Hermione, but her attention was lost. Her mind was elsewhere, up that staircase with the man she had not seen all year. When Ginny thought about it, she couldn't blame him for running the way he'd done. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to live without parents, and without any real answers for almost seventeen years. Then, one day, to wake up and have it all right there at his fingertips. He must've been completely beside himself.

There was a green flash of flame in the grate as her mum and dad arrived back from St. Mungo's, dusting ash off themselves and grinning broadly to one another.

"It's them," her dad said, "It's James and Lily Potter. They're back."