It was with a frustrated sigh that Ginny Weasley slipped through the door of the ice cream parlor. It had only been about twenty minutes since she left the scene with Hermione lecturing her about being in the Alley alone, and she was angry about the whole situation. Sure, it was true that the whole community was a bit darker than normal these days, and one couldn’t be quite careful enough with Voldemort active again, but Ginny wasn’t a little first year! It wasn’t like she couldn’t hold her own by now. And honestly, they were in public. What was going to happen to her in the middle of Diagon?

She shoved her vivid red hair out of her face and dug into her pocket for a few knuts as she perused the flavors in the case before her. There was only one other person in the shop at the moment, and the little old wizard was minding his own in a dim corner, possibly asleep. The proprietor had offered Ginny a simple smile, told her to take her time, then went to the back, presumably to stock the flavors until she’d made a selection. The redhead decided to take her time, letting her mind wander as she fought to cool her temper.

It was true that there would be a target on her back along with those of all her friends and family, but didn’t Hermione understand that they shouldn’t live in fear? There was living wisely and living like a coward. Ginny Weasley was no coward. She’d rather risk her neck for something stupid than sprout feathers and bawk about like a plump hen. Blame the Gryffindor bravery, but she’d be damned if the stupid snake-face scared her into hiding. She sighed as she stared into the cooler, not really seeing what choices were before her.

The bruise on her arm was a bit tender as Ginny leaned against the glass, staring into the flavors, but only seeing her own eyes reflected in the fogging surface. She’d hurt herself practicing quidditch with her brothers last week. Her knee was still scraped from falling off her broom after making a stupid dive for a poorly thrown quaffle (way to go, Ron), and she had a new scar on her finger from when she insisted on helping to degnome the garden now that she and Ron were the only constant children present. She didn’t want the other boys to have to come home just for chores, so she decided to be the tough girl she was, much to her mum’s dismay. All these marks aside, Ginny had to admit she was still a fifteen year old girl. She was vulnerable, as much as she tried to deny it, and it scared the bloody hell out of her.

The fight last year had been the most terrifying thing ever, and the fact that she could have lost any number of people shook her more than she’d ever admit. It woke her up, and it made her grow up. She wasn’t going to waste her time anymore. The truth was, they were on the edge of a war. Ginny wasn’t going to miss out on life simply because she was too much a fool to realize that it was high time to live it! It was this new resolve that had her willing to risk going around alone in Diagon Alley, and it was with this new resolve that she would tell Harry exactly how she felt, too.

Considering not even getting any ice cream, Ginny was about to head for the door when the bell above it announced another patron. She turned and stared into emerald eyes. It just might be her chance to prove how great that ‘new resolve’ really was.

“Harry!” she said, eyes going wide as she absently stroked her silky locks, “where’ve you been? I… I’ve missed you.”

It was hot outside. So hot that Harry was considering having his daily sundae inside at a corner table instead of out at one of the umbrella covered ones like normal. It would also be nice to not be stared at for a while. It seemed that being one of the few people who had consistently been right about the state of being and activities of Voldemort the last two years had not made him any less famous. Odd, that.

As soon as he opened the door and saw the familiar eyes staring at him he deeply regretted his decision. So far this summer, the most familiar people he had spent time with were Florean himself and Tom the barkeeper from the Leaky Cauldron, two acquaintances who he chatted with daily. That meant he had carefully avoided anyone from school, any members of the Order, any known Death Eaters, and anyone even close to being a Weasley. Now he was standing face to face with the youngest and only distractingly attractive Weasley, and Ginny had gotten even more distractingly attractive since Harry had last seen her.

He thought for a moment about ducking right back out, but it was clear even before she spoke that Ginny had recognized him and there would be no getting out of this meeting. He let the door close behind him and took a decisive step towards the counter. If they were close to each other at least no one would overhear and be able to ask questions later. He knew he could trust Florean, but wanted enough space and warning in case someone else should come in.

He nodded to the shopkeep, who was asking him over the redhead’s shoulder if he wanted his usual. He gestured towards a table in the corner to let the kindly man know he wouldn’t be outside and received a nod in return. Unfortunately, Ginny took the gesture to be for her and practically bounced over to the table. Harry had hoped this would be over quicker than a sit down. “A bowl of chocolate covered strawberries for my friend,” he said to Florean before resignedly following her and sitting as far away as he could while still being at the table.

“So,” he sputtered awkwardly while he waited for their ice cream to arrive, “had a good summer so far?” Merlin, this was stupid. How in the bloody hell was he supposed to be aloof and suspicious of Ginny? She had never done a single thing to make him doubt her loyalty and bravery, and had done dozens of things in the last year alone to prove how awesome she was. He glanced down at the scar on his hand, his own handwriting shining faintly at him. No, some people had to have their trust taken away instead of earned. He still had no idea what to say to her, though. He took a slow bite of his newly arrived sundae and hoped that would make the silence less awkward.

“Are you alright, Harry?” Ginny asked softly, noticing the contemplative look about the boy. Perhaps it wasn’t the best time for her to throw herself at him. He seemed… off. Her eyes filled instantly with concern for the man before her, as she took a spoon of her ice cream. She meant to thank him for remembering her favorite flavor, but now she was too busy trying to figure out just what was bothering him.

With a frown on her freckled face, the fifteen year old reached a hand across the table and stroked the scars that marred the back of Harry’s hand. “I hope you aren’t thinking of that Toad,” she said in the same soft tone, but with a bit of force that suggested just how much she hated Umbridge and all that the woman had done to them. Ginny found that she was losing her appetite, but she took another spoonful of ice cream anyway, nearly wincing at the sweetness of the chocolate on her tongue. It tasted like avoidance, and she knew that’s what they were doing. Sitting in an ice cream parlor pretending everything was normal. It wasn’t normal. Nothing would ever be normal again, if it ever was.

“Harry,” she started, hand still stretched across the table as if asking him to hold it. She wished he would. If he’d just latch on to her then maybe they could both have something to hold onto for a bit. Maybe they would both stop floating away. “What’s bothering you? You know you can talk to me, right? I’m not like all of them.” The way she said it made everyone else in their lives sound terrible, but in a way Ginny found that they were. They never let Harry be himself. They didn’t really see him for who he was and they didn’t let him get out what he needed to. Sometimes he just needed some freedom and a friend. Was that really so much to ask for? Ginny didn’t think so.

She cleared her throat and tried to rid herself of the frown. “I meant what I said. I really have missed you. Without you around to dote on, mum’s only been worrying on me. It’s damn exhausting.” She really did smile at this, even laughed a bit. It was true that Harry was the only other one who got her mother’s child treatment. “It’s like she thinks I’m made of glass or something. You should have seen how I had to fight her off from healing this bruise.” She gestured to the mark on her arm, flashing a grin that could rival any one of Fred or George’s. Sure, she might be showing off her developing muscles, among other assets, but what else should she do? She did want Harry to notice her after all. Just because she wasn’t jumping him now didn’t mean she shouldn’t encourage him to stare a bit.

Ginny grabbed her small bag from beside her and pulled out the gloves she’d picked up at Quality Quidditch Supplies. “Look what I got for this season,” she said, passing them to her friend and hoping his spirits were higher. “Dragon hide. Figure they might hold up a bit better. You are going to take up your old position, yeah? I really don’t want to Seek anymore.” She shot him an almost pleading look, though she really wasn’t begging for an answer. She was begging for him to be happy, or at least a bit happier than he had been when he’d walked in. She wanted him to feel comfortable around her again. Sure, she wanted Harry to be her boyfriend, but before that she desperately valued him as her friend.

Harry stared across the table, trying to make Ginny understand what he was thinking and what he was feeling, which was a laughable exercise really, seeing as he barely understood it himself. He certainly didn't want to talk about Mrs. Weasley and her doting. Not when he wasn't sure how he felt about much of anything and he knew the elder Weasleys were among Dumbledore's biggest supporters, meaning that she was likely to consider this a dangerous phase that he needed talked out of for his own good. Yet another conversation that he would like to put off as long as possible to look forward to.

Mercifully all thoughts of her mother were chased from Harry’s mind when Ginny displayed her bruise for him. He felt torn between sympathy, as that must have hurt, and admiration, because Ginny was a damn near perfect combination of fighter and lady. It was hard to maintain thoughts about a rather frumpy forty-something is such a situation. “It’ll be good to be back in the air,” was the only response he gave to her queries about his role in the team. The Manifesto hadn’t really made it as far as sports and clubs, because he hadn’t thought that far yet. He’d have to figure that out soon.

This didn’t really matter at the moment anyway. He was avoiding what he needed to talk about while his sundae slowly melted. He knew it and the redhead likely knew it as well, even as she tried to make it easier for him.

He took a fortifying bite of ice cream and a deep breath. “I’m not all right, but I’m getting there. It helps that I’ve figured a few things out during the last six weeks that I never could have figured out, or if I spent the summer like normal,” he added, his look going guilty for a second at the neglect before it went back to pleading. This was the part that he really needed someone to understand.

“Dumbledore killed Sirius, Ginny, and it’s definitely not the first time he has killed rather than adjusting his plans in the course of this war.” He ploughed on, not really giving her a good chance to cut him off. “I know Bellatrix killed him, but she didn’t really. She just fired a curse. Dumbeldore put my godfather there, put all of us there, for all I know, put my parents into harm’s way more than leading up to their deaths, and that’s not the worst part.”

His breathing was beginning to grow heavy. “The worst part is he does it without even telling us that he’s doing it, or why. We’re all no better than Ron’s chess pieces. Only Dumbledore and Voldemort get to know what’s going on because it’s their game and they’re the only two who matter out there. Well I’m done with it. I’m done being afraid of Voldemort every second and I’m done listening to a word Dumbledore says and I’m going to know what the hell is going on in my world for once.”

He practically fell back into his chair. He was far too geared up and it was still too hot outside and that speech had been even more important than he realized. He didn’t raise a formal invitation to join his new side and he couldn’t quite meet Ginny’s eye, not quite sure how all of this would go over after six weeks of radio silence.

The realization she had come to in the Quidditch shop came to Ginny's mind as Harry let everything pour out. He really was going against Dumbledore, and he really did have some good points. He looked exhausted, and the redhead had to admit she was impressed that he didn't feel the need to lie or sugar coat things with her. It made her happy. He trusted her to handle things, much more so than her family did. Harry actually recognized that she was strong.

"You know," she started softly, looking at him through her lashes as if she might cry like a typical girl. She then got a more typical look of determination about her face and reached out her hand to whack the boy on the shoulder. "You could have talked to me sooner, you idiot!" She screwed her face up in a goofy mix of a grin and a grimmace, trying and failing to pretend to be angry with him. Now that Harry had finally told her what was going on, Ginny felt like she could finally relax. Now she could start working out a plan of action.

She took another bite of her ice cream, this time actually enjoying the sweetness, then started talking before she'd even swallowed. "So, what are we gonna do now? You know not everyone is gonna be so open to this who 'turn your back on the old guy' plan, right? I mean, I'm all for it." Her face got serious for a minute as she looked at the boy she loved. "He treats me as childishly as everyone else, if not more so. I hate that. I was possessed by a freakin' diary when I was eleven and the guy still wouldn't let me in on Order meetings! I mean, hello? Person who was actually possessed by Voldemort here. Wouldn't it be helpful to actually talk to her about the guy?" Okay, so maybe she held a bit of resentment for her headmaster, but was that really so surprising? To be honest, Ginny had some major trust issues with most of the people she'd call 'friends'.

"What about Ron and Hermione?" She thought back to the run-in she'd had with the brunette and shook her head. She didn't think Hermione would jump on this bandwagon. The rule abiding Prefect was most likely going to lecture Harry until she went blue in the face, then give up completely. Or attack him with canaries or something. Ginny honestly didn't know about her brother, though. He was sure to listen to someone, she just didn't know who.

The redhead was feeling a lot better about things now. She didn't feel so worried about how Harry felt about her, even. He was deep in thought since Sirius died, that much was obvious, so she couldn't really blame him for not thinking about his love life. The new plan was to wait as patiently as she could, keeping all the other girls away from her wonderful, independent future-husband.

All for it. She was all for it. He had an actual ally. Someone willing to turn their back on Dumbledore with him and do what he felt was right. Now it wasn’t just him off alone waiting for something to come and finish him off. It was a third choice in this war. A third good choice, not the stick your head in the sand and hum until the problems go away third choice of Fudge’s Ministry of Magic. He felt like a great weight had been lifted off of his chest.

Then just as quickly, the most of the weight settled right back down. His two best friends. Hermione had a long history of following authority at almost any cost, especially Dumbledore’s authority. On the other hand, she had sided with him easily against the Ministry, the greatest authority in the land. So she could go either way. Then there was Ron. He generally did whatever Hermione told him to because he realized how smart she was and he was in love with her, seemingly without realizing it. Then again, Harry could think of numerous times when Ron stood his ground with Hermione, and Harry was generally involved one way or the other. So he could go either way as well.

Harry took a slow, thoughtful bite of ice cream and made an exaggerated shrug. “I can’t do anything about them. They’re both too stubborn. Either they’ll fall in line or they won’t” He went quiet again, eating the majority of his sundae before he figured out where he wanted to go with this next.

“What about everyone else? You’ve been around the Order for parts of the last six weeks and in contact and all while I’ve been hiding in a room at the inn. What do your family and everyone else think about what happened? Is there anyone I should seek out for a chat before I spend nine of the next ten months locked at school without the ability to talk face to face with anyone?” She could at least tell him what her family was thinking, and maybe with any luck Lupin or Tonks or someone would have let something slip that alluded to mistrust in the Headmaster or an especially strong loyalty towards Harry no matter what other choices were offered. A guy could dream, right?

Harry was probably right about Ron and Hermione. They were too stubborn to convince of anything, so they'd just have to make up their own minds as far as sides were concerned. As far as any others went, Ginny really wasn't sure. She hated to have to tell her friend this news, though. He looked so happy when she proclaimed her loyalty to him. It made her heart jump to see him smile.

"Well, I don't really know. They haven't really been around all that much, honestly. I think everyone has been in their own kind of mourning." She trailed off, playing with the melted ice cream in her dish. She was mostly finished with it now, but she didn't want her time with Harry to end. She knew she needed to get back to the Burrow soon. Why wasn't it time for school to start yet? Why did she have to let Harry go right when they were finally back to talking and enjoying each other's company? She sighed. "Dumbledore hasn't exactly been forthcoming with information..."

The summer had been completely uneventful if she was being honest. They all had been quiet about things. It was easy to keep quiet with her brothers, what with Ron being the only one still living there and all. Molly was doting around the house, being overprotective as always, and Arthur was putting in extra hours in the office. It seemed like everyone was simply communicating by owl or patronus rather than meetings. "It's been really quiet, Harry," she said softly. She knew it wasn't what the boy was hoping to hear.

"I'm sure Fred and George are good for support. They always have had your back, after all." She thought about the other members of her family and bit her lip. "Dad will be conflicted. Mum will obviously stick with Dumbledore. She doesn't trust the judgement of kids, and that's clearly how she thinks of us..." Would Lupin and Tonks be angry enough about the loss of Sirius to throw caution to the wind so easily and turn on their grey haired leader? "You would know more with the others, though. You're closer to them." She looked at the dozing wizard and tried to see if the shopkeep was anywhere nearby. "We really shouldn't be talking about this in so public a place, Harry," she said, chastising herself for sounding so much like Hermione.

There wasn't much option of where else they could talk before school, however. "Should we just talk on the train?" she asked with a hint of sadness in her voice. She knew this was probably their best option, but she dreaded leaving this lonely boy behind when she returned home.

The news on the Weasleys was better than expected, if Harry was honest with himself. He had known that Mrs. Weasley would be a straight up Dumbledore witch, but had also expected news that he had no hope with Mr. Weasley or Bill, instead of being told they would basically be toss ups like Ron. Had he stopped to think about it, he would have realized that Fred and George would only be in line behind Ginny here to support him, but obviously it hadn’t occurred to him yet. Thoroughly cheered, he finished his sundae with a smile bigger than he had worn since sometime in April or May.

He was a little disappointed that Ginny had been essentially locked away and thus didn’t know anything about anyone outside her family, or her eldest brothers for that matter, but that could be dealt with. Around the start of school would probably mark the end of the hardest grieving for those closest to Padfoot as well as the return to business as usual for the rest of the Order. Harry would need to send out a round of individualized owls when he got to the castle and try to figure out just where everyone stood. He wasn’t sure how easy that would be to do without altering Dumbledore to what he was doing, but he would figure it out.

He jerked, aware that he had zoned out and might be worrying his friend. “Yeah, the train works,” he said vaguely, aware that Ginny probably needed to get back to her family. They would have all year to talk about this stuff, especially if she ended up being the only one at the school who chose his side when given the choice. She was the only definite yes so far, and thus the only one he could count on to be there.

With this cheerful thought in his mind Harry stood, gave the redhead a quick hug and moved away. He tried to pay for her ice cream, but Florean waved him off. Apparently those eating with him fell under his free ice creams deal. Instead he steeled himself at the door, preparing to face the publicness of Diagon Alley, dodging anyone that needed to be avoided and ignoring the stares that would once again be pointed his way.