Ginny made her way back to her flat. She told Ron to let Dex know that she was taking the rest of the afternoon off. She stopped off at one of the stores on the way home to pick up a few things for dinner, but she could still feel Harry�s letter burning a hole in her pocket.

She was upset after her talk with Ron and it wasn�t just because of Harry coming back. Ron had managed to get to the heart of what had been inside her own mind for the last couple of weeks and it annoyed her that her brother obviously knew her so well that he could guess it. Either that or Hermione had been slipping Ron some Wit Strengthening Potion into his morning tea. Her brother had become far too observant for her taste.

But she knew that it was because he was right. She did hold herself back from being with Neville, a lot more than Ron or anyone else knew. Neville had been the definition of patience for the beginning of their relationship and months had turned into years and Ginny had still not allowed their relationship to be consummated. They kissed, of course, but Ginny had not shared her bed with anyone since her first miserable experience.

Part of it was fear, or maybe some lingering guilt, and part of it was that the longer she was with Neville, the more she realized that she didn�t care for him that way.

It was harder during the summer time, when he was around more. While Neville was teaching, Ginny could enjoy the fruits of a long distance relationship- loving letters and flowers sent to her door. But she could tell something was coming and it wasn�t her seer ability that let her know it. Neville had been dropping hints again about getting married in the winter and how lovely that would be- not that he had officially asked her again, of course. But she had a feeling that he was waiting for a special occasion. Like, for instance, their three-year anniversary, which was coming up in exactly two weeks.

She knew Neville respected her wishes not to be physical and she knew he assumed it was because she wanted to be married first. She didn�t have the heart to tell him it was nothing of the sort. For being from a long line of Gryffindors, Ginny was dismayed to find that she lacked any real guts or courage. She just didn�t have it in her to break his heart.

She took off her robe as she entered her flat and put a kettle on for tea. She placed the letter Ron had given her on the table, deciding to ignore it.

She sat down on the couch and sank down into the pillows. She just needed to clear her mind. Grabbing at the chain around her neck, she removed the stone from inside the pouch she always wore, and tried to focus her concentration.

It was a trick Miracroix had taught her and Ginny suddenly had an undeniable urge to speak with her old teacher. But she was somewhere off in Africa, the last letter she�d received from her had been from Egypt and that had been four weeks ago.

Trying to clear her mind, she concentrated on the feel of the stone in her hand. It was clear quartz, mixed with amethyst and it was a personal amulet that she used to center herself. Miracroix had taught her that all seers must be grounded and keeping a stone close by helped reconnect her to the earth.

Ginny felt her mind clear and she tried to focus on the energy of the stone, feeling its slight vibration through her fingers. Sometimes when she did this, images would come to her and before she knew it, she could see the image that had been haunting her ever since her talk with Ron.

It was Harry and the last time that she had seen him, slumped against the wall of Hagrid�s hut.

She let her mind wonder if he looked the same, if he had changed at all. Five years was a long time, wasn�t it? Had she changed at all? Reaching out with her mind, she saw herself then- seventeen and so young, with long hair, wild around her face. She saw the pink of her cheeks in the cold air, and remembered Harry telling her that she was beautiful. She remembered how she had never believed him.

Frowning, Ginny pushed past that memory and once again let her mind clear. These were just ghosts from the past and she had learned the hard way that even ghosts can hurt you if you let them.

Opening her eyes as the teakettle began to sing, she got up and slipped the stone back into the pouch around her neck. She felt better now, although she felt just as troubled. She reckoned there was only one thing for it.

Going over to the table with her cup, Ginny sat down and picked up Harry�s letter. She traced her fingers over his writing. For Ginny, it said. Feeling a slight chill, Ginny pulled at the seal and began to read.

Ginny-

I hope this finds you well and not angry with Ron. I told him to give it to you, instead of sending it directly because I wasn�t sure if you would understand how to get it from the seagull. They can be bothersome creatures when you try to actually get mail from them. I�ve learned the hard way- I miss Hedwig!

Anyway, Ron tells me you are fine and that you are working with the Ministry now. After I come back, our offices will be right next to each other, I hear. Small world, isn�t it?

There is so much I could tell you and I hopefully will get the chance to, soon. Hopefully, the past between us can be laid to rest and we can at least be friends. But I hope that we can be more than that.

I know you�re with Neville, now. I know that I hurt you in my stupidity. Blame it on a selfish eighteen-year-old boy who didn�t know what he had. Blame it all on me, Ginny, not on yourself. These last few years have taught me more than any war with Voldemort could have done. I�ve learned that I can just be myself and that I can like that. In fact, I can really enjoy it. Something I don�t think I was ever able to do before. I always felt pressured to be Harry Potter, defender of the world and not just Harry Potter, wizard who did some things in his youth. One thing about America is that it teaches you humility, believe it or not. These people didn�t care that I defeated Voldemort- they didn�t care that I�d saved the world. They just wanted me for me. And I know now, that is what you wanted too.

If you�re still reading this, then I reckon I should consider myself lucky and end it now, before I really say something stupid. I know I have no right to come back into your life and expect you to still love me. I know I have no right to challenge Neville�s bond with you. And I don�t expect you to even like me at this point, but I do have hope, Ginny. Hope that you will give your heart, and me, a chance to make it right.

Ginny stared down at the letter and felt her heart finally begin to beat again. Biting her tongue until the pain seeped its way into her consciousness, she took a sip from her forgotten tea.

They just wanted me for me. And I know now, that is what you wanted too.

So Harry Potter had finally grown up.

Ginny laid her head down on the table and cried.

Damn him.

The man watched her move through the shops, picking up items for dinner. He liked the way her hair looked in the sunlight. So deeply red, as though her head were on fire. He felt something stir deep within him. His hand fingered the end of the rope that waited in his pocket.

He knew his time was coming. It would be soon and then they would know. Oh yes, they would all know his power.

She would know his power. She would be frightened. And she would pay.

�Harry!�

Harry heard Hermione before he saw her. Standing up from where he�d been fiddling with the lock on his trunk, he turned and saw his two old friends running towards him. Before he could prepare himself, Hermione was jumping into his arms.

�Oh! It�s you! It�s really you!� she exclaimed excitedly.

�Easy, Hermione, give the bloke a chance to breathe,� Ron said as he smiled at Harry and attempted to detangle Hermione from around Harry�s neck.

Harry laughed. �Yes, Hermione, please, I�ve just now gotten used to being on solid ground again. I�m a little queasy from the trip.�

�Oh! Sorry, Harry. Ron, help him with his trunk. Oh! I�m just really glad to see you Harry! Let me look at you,� Hermione said happily, pulling back to get a good look at him. �Why Harry! I think you�ve grown a bit and... your glasses, Harry. You�ve changed them!�

Harry blushed a little under the scrutiny, but was pleased that she had noticed.

�Yes, well... I reckon those old frames were... rather...�

�Clunky?� finished Ron, who was struggling to get Harry�s trunk and boxes to levitate besides them.

�Ron! Harry�s frames were not clunky... they were...�

�They were black and thick. Same difference. Look, Harry, mate... love the new you, but could you give us a hand? I seem to recall you leaving with only a few bags last time. Where did you get all this stuff?�

Harry laughed and used his wand to tower the packages and boxes in a nice, neat pile.

�Why Harry, you�ve gotten a new wand, I see,� Hermione remarked.

�Oh yeah, it�s American made. I reckoned it was time for a new one. This one has a phoenix tail feather in it, like my old one, just not Fawkes�s.�

Hermione admired Harry�s new wand, running her hands over the honeyed maple of wood.

�You�d best not let Ollivander know you�ve gone with an American model, Harry. It might hurt his feelings.�

�Are we all set? Anything else to lug about town?� Ron asked, clearly not interested in wands. Harry knew what that look meant.

�No, we�re set. Come on, let�s get these put away and then we can eat and you guys can tell me all about your exciting lives.�

�Oh! We didn�t tell you, did we? We found you a nice flat, Harry. Really close to everything too. Let�s go there first, I�m excited for you to see it.�

Moving the rest of Harry�s things in front of them, the two led him to the car they�d borrowed from the Ministry, packing his belongings into the large boot of the automobile.

As Hermione spoke with the driver, Harry glanced anxiously at Ron.

Ron smiled at him and pulled him into a semi-hug. �I�m really glad to see you too, Harry. And don�t worry, I gave it to her.�

The question must have shown on his face because Ron smiled kindly at him. �She took it home yesterday to read, mate. And I haven�t had a chance to speak to her again. Hermione�s had me up and down Diagon Alley getting support for her Elf Rights Act.�

�They still haven�t passed that?�

Ron shook his head. �Well, this is the second part of the Act. The Independence Act that we were working on before merely recognized the House-Elves as free thinking creatures. This one aims to grant them full wizard citizenship under the law. Meaning-�

�Meaning that they will at last be recognized as beings that have a right to their own representation, their own choice of employer and the right to be paid if they wish it,� Hermione finished for him.

Ron nodded his head in the affirmative and opened the door for Hermione. As she got in, he looked aside to Harry and whispered, �It also means I�ll finally be able to get a decent days work in without talking about bloody House-Elves.�

Harry smiled. It was good to be back.