“Well first, he’s coming to the burrow with us!” Ron said lightly punching Harry in the shoulder.

“Yeah, but then, I don’t know. I guess I'll just travel for a while.” He looked down at Ginny who had stiffened at that, “and no, you still can't come. I have to do this on my own,” he whispered to her. They'd had multiple conversations about this subject in the past, usually ending with Ginny’s tears (and many times, Harry's too).

She clutched his arm but sulked. “You know, you can stop trying to protect me anytime now! Don’t you get that if you don’t make it, it will hurt even more if I wasn’t there to help? Maybe even to stop it,” she whispered at him through gritted teeth.

“I can't lose you. If I make it, I don’t want to have to come back and not have you here. Don’t you understand that’s why I never--”

“What the devil are you two talking about over there?” Hermione rolled her eyes, cutting Harry off. She tugged on Ginny’s sleeve, “why don’t you two just kiss and get it over with? You obviously like each other!” she said mocking the comment that she had received from Ginny last year that had finally sparked her own relationship with Ron.

Ron blushed and pulled Hermione away from Ginny and into his lap in the nearest carriage.

***

The ride back to London was pretty uneventful by Hogwarts’ standards. Ginny spent half of it sulking after Harry broke the news that he would be spending the night with the Dursley’s. “Why do you have to go there? I mean if you are going to--” Harry cut her off with a look.

“Ginny, you know he has to spend one night a year there! In order for it to be safe from you-know-who!” Ron was looking at her like she had lost her mind. Hermione calmed him by taking his hand and whispering something in his ear that made him blush and kiss her on the neck.

“A-hem, you think you two could either get a compartment of your own or wait ‘till we get to London?” Harry tossed a magazine at them.

Most of the rest of the trip was spent with Neville and Luna, who had joined them shortly after Ron and Hermione had blushingly realized that they were in a compartment full of people. The conversation inevitably turned to Voldemort’s latest actions, of which there were many.

Harry didn’t really want to talk about it so he moved over next to Ginny. “It’s only one night, you know.”

“I know, Harry. But it’s one more night closer until you leave. And you are not going to spend it with us!” she was biting her lip to stop herself from crying. He put his arm around her shoulder as she curled up next to him on the seat, laying her head on his chest. “Harry?”

“Ginny?”

“Harry I lo--”

He put a finger to her lips, “I know. But, there will be plenty of time for that discussion when I get back.” He rubbed her shoulder and kissed her on the crown of her head as she buried her face in his shirt where she eventually fell asleep.

When they arrived to kings cross, Harry carefully picked Ginny up and carried her to the platform.

“Harry dear!” Mrs. Weasley came bustling towards him after releasing Ron from his welcome home hug. “Is she all right? She’s not sick is she?” she said lightly petting Ginny’s hair.

“She’s fine, I think she is just tired, that’s all.” he followed them through the wall and into the bustling station.

“Ah, Harry! We have a car, there, you can put her in the backseat.” Mr. Weasley shuffled them all towards the car.

Harry gently laid Ginny on the expanded seat and kissed her on the forehead. “I will see you tomorrow,” he whispered in her ear as he turned to her parents.

“Not coming with us, Harry?” Mr. Weasley nodded sagely, “one night a year still, eh? Well we will see you tomorrow then, yes?”

“Of course” he said shaking hands with Mr. Weasley. He was suddenly pulled into a bone-crushing hug by first Mrs. Weasley, then Hermione. Finally he turned to Ron who had just finished loading everyone’s, including Harry, trunks into the car. “Take care of my girls,” he said, pulling him into a brotherly hug. “Until tomorrow,” he said. And with a loud crack, dissaparated and was gone.

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