So, summer really needed to end. Like, now.

Ginny had decided this about ten times in the past month and yet it still wasn’t September first yet. Whoever said hoping for something hard enough could make it happen was off their rocker. As it was, the redhead had managed to convince her mum to let her spend the day at Diagon under the guise of her helping out her twin brothers at their joke shop. She’d flooed to the shop, only to hug the twins and practically run out of the crowded store before they could so much as ask her what was going on at home. She really didn’t want to be around any of her family at the moment, even if she did love Fred and George more than the rest.

There was a problem with having a large family. One got rather tired of all the company rather quickly. It didn’t help that her whole damn family was boys other than her mum, who was doting on her like she was a little lamb surrounded by hungry wolves. If she had to hear about her ‘purity’ or the importance of ‘saving herself’ or the ‘type of thoughts’ boys constantly had one more time, Ginny would scream. She would just let it all out and scream at her mother and point out that she lived with six boys all her life for Merlin’s sake so she really wasn’t that daft!

Spotting Quality Quidditch Supplies up ahead, Ginny smiled to herself and wandered through the door. The scent of leather and handle polish always had a way of calming the feisty female. She hadn’t brought much money with her, but she had enough for some new gloves and maybe some servicing supplies for her kit. She was happy she’d opted to wear her Gryffindor team tee with her worn out jeans that day. For one, people would know she was a Weasley and a member of the best team to hit Hogwarts in ages. For another, they’d know she was tough, as her sleeves were short enough to show a nasty bruise on her right elbow and her jeans were torn on her left knee where she’d scraped her leg up quite nicely two days ago. Mum had, of course, tried to tend to it, but Ginny wouldn’t have it. She’d earned that scar and she’d be damned if the woman would take that away from her!

The plus sides of having a bunch of brothers did make the girl smile, as she pushed her thick red hair over her shoulder and bent down to examine some dragon hide gloves. Her old gloves were nearly worn through on the palms and she really needed her grip when she spent most of her time flying one handed. She tried one on and smirked at the tightness when she balled her fist. “Perfect,” she hissed, quite satisfied at the find. She looked at the price and grimaced a bit. She wasn’t going to be getting those servicing supplies today.

It was no matter. She really needed the gloves, and these ones were definitely worth the cost. The smile crossed her lips again as she hopped to her feet, hoping to look around a bit more before paying. She wasn’t counting on there being another person so close behind her, however.

Ginny knocked into the other body and felt herself losing her balance, flailing a bit before finding purchase on her toes. She let out a breath before turning around and looking for the person she’d bumped into, hoping she hadn’t managed to knock them over or injure them. “Sorry! You alright?”

Everywhere one went people were rushing. Hogwarts students, parents, witches and wizards. Every now and then snippets of conversations could be heard, and it was odd that the usual cheerfulness to the alley was dim. A darkness seemed to have settled over it and Hermione frowned at this. Now that everyone knew Voldemort was back anxiety was clear on everyone's face. Eyes shifted this way and that, and the sudden lack of death eater attacks lately had everyone on tenterhooks.

It was sad to the witch to see this so easily, so clearly. To be feeling what everyone else seemed to feel as well. It was a dread like no other. Constantly wondering and worrying about what might happen while you were out and about doing what needed to be down. It was this along with the fact that she had not heard from Harry all summer that she entered what was known to be his favorite shop in Diagon Alley biting her lip. She was worried about her friend and how hard he was asking his Godfather's death. These thoughts are why she ended up colliding with another person. "Oh no! I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention..." She trailed off realizing who it was she had crashed into. A genuine smile came to pass over her face. "Ginny!" She cried enthusiastically, jumping forward to hug the other girl. "It's great to see you. Why are you here alone though?" Hermione suddenly adopted a disapproving look. She didn't think it wise for the younger girl to be wandering about on her own, especially now. "Isnt Ron with you?"

“Hermione!” Ginny’s face lit with a smile as she leapt into the older girl’s arms. It had been too long since she’d seen her friend. The smile fell, however, when the bushy-haired female started asking about Ginny’s brother. Why should she need someone to accompany her? She was just as capable of taking care of herself as Hermione was. She’d been at the Ministry last year. She’d fought the Death Eaters! Hell, she’d been possessed by Voldemort when she was eleven years old!

Anger overtook her features and Ginny found herself clutching the gloves with a force that might have strangled a small creature. “And why would I need Ron with me?” she demanded, a daring look in her eyes. “I don’t need anyone to hold my hand while I walk through the scary street, Hermione.” She was spitting venom in her words, and perhaps the girl didn’t deserve it, but Ginny was tired of being treated like a delicate flower. Molly had been coddling her since the damned Ministry and the boys were really no better. She’d already shown just how good she was with a wand. Just how much more did the redhead need to do to prove herself more than capable of handling things?

She glared at the brunette before glancing around the shop. “And what about you? You seem pretty alone too. Shouldn’t you have Harry or one of my brothers doting on you?” So much for a happy reunion of friends…

There was a moment when the bushy haired gryffindor's brown eyes widened in surprise when the younger girl launched herself at her, but it quickly melted into a friendly and please smile as she was genuinely happy to see Ginny. Hermione wrapped her arms around the girl in a hug, it being the first she had received from any of her friends all summer. The good mood of the reunion didn't last very long however because Ginny took her questions badly and rounded on Hermione with a viscous temper.

Hermione knew enough to not take it personally. She knew it was hard for Ginny being the youngest of the Weasley clan. While Hermione could not fathom being one of seven children, much less the only girl, as she was an only child herself, she understood to an extent how hard it was on the younger girl. But Hermione still wished the girl hasn't reacted so badly. She steeled herself against the wrath of the famous Weasley temper. "Oh Ginny. I didn't mean it like that. It's just, there's something to be said about strength in numbers. If anything did happen to you I'm more than aware you can handle yourself well enough, but even I would want someone there to have my back." She reassured her friend, looking a bit hurt at the implication the youngest Weasley threw last at her. There was an ache in her chest at the reminder of Harry and just how far he had drifted from them, from her, this summer, but she forced it closed. There was no way Ginny could've known that he hasn't responded once to any of her letters, so she could not have known just how much that last comment stung. Hermione chose to ignore it completely. She wasn't necessarily alone. Her mother and father were here. But she would've liked to have been wandering around with Harry and Ron just like they had so many years before.

Ginny felt herself blush as Hermione corrected herself. It seemed the bushy haired girl was only overreacting as was her nature, and Ginny had flown off the handle for nothing. Her friend was just looking out for her. "Sorry," she muttered, looking at the floor rather awkwardly. She was just so frustrated with this summer and the events of just a few months ago were still weighing heavy on her heart. All of them had grown rather close to Sirius after all, and it was a lot to process. "It isn't that bad here, though, you know?"

She tried to look reassuring as she forced a smile to her face. "I mean, we know what's happening, but that doesn't mean the whole world does. And there hasn't been any real activity lately... I don't think we have much to fear while we're getting things for school." It was frustrating not being able to openly discuss Voldemort and the potential plots that could be unfolding behind closed doors, but at least they could put some worries to rest. There was a bit less to fear when the Death Eaters weren't randomly killing muggles for fun all over the place.

Focusing on her previous remark to Hermione, Ginny furrowed her brow. "So, you aren't with Harry or Ron then? Have you seen either of them? I haven't heard from Harry at all since school ended. I..." she looked at the older girl with concern in her eyes. "I'm worried about him."

Hermione nodded even as she said, "Don't worry about it Ginny. I'd probably react the same way if I were you." Hermione was more aware of the differences between herself and Ginny at that moment than she had been for a while. While all the Weasley boys pretty much feared Hermione and her wand, knowing she was perfectly more than capable of turning them each into a dragonfly, they all looked at Ginny as if she were made of glass and needed protection, which they all also knew was redundant because they all knew Ginny could handle herself well. Hermione saw this as the Weasley boys just taking care of their sister, looking out for her. It was in the job description of being an older sibling. But she knew how much this grated on Ginny's nerves.

The brunette worried her bottom lip, shaking her head at the younger girl. "I'm not so sure Ginny." Was all she offered on the subject, not sure this was the place for that topic of conversation. She latched on to the subject of Harry though, and found herself a bit relieved that it hasn't been just her that her best friend was ignoring. But she looked crestfallen as well, and she sighed, shaking her head once again. "No. He hasn't returned any of my letters all summer. I had hoped he was just angry with me and was talking to someone, but I know for a fact he hasn't contacted Ron either." She looked at the you her girl with all the concern she couldn't bring herself to express with words. "Me too. He took Sirius' death really hard. I've never seen him so angry before, especially not at the Headmaster. I have to admit even I was afraid of him." Hermione spoke of the final days of the previous school year, when Harry had been a walking time bomb waiting to go off.

Nodding her head, Ginny felt a lump growing in her throat. Harry was the only one who could make her act like the girl she was, and that irritated her more than anything. When it came to the boy who lived, the redhead was a blubbering school girl with a major crush and a heavy heart at that. She really worried about him, but she knew that wasn't what he wanted, nor what he needed. He had enough people to worry. He needed someone he could vent to who would simply nod in agreement and help him fight through things. That's what Ginny silently vowed to be. A new determination set in her eyes as she thought about how she might get through to the boy she loved.

"Ron's been driving me mental about it. He sounds like a girl the way he's worrying over not hearing from Harry. You'd think they were a couple who'd just broken up." She laughed a bit, despite the fear knotting in her stomach. It was rather odd that Harry hadn't contacted any of them the whole summer. Even when he was angry with them all last summer, they'd still ended up getting things out in the open and making up quite fast. Something didn't seem quite right this time around. Something that Hermione said mad Ginny pause. "He... he did seem pretty done with Dumbledore, didn't he? Maybe that's the problem. Maybe it was just too much..."

She wasn't sure that she was making any sense to the brunette, but Ginny was making new connections in her mind. She was already figuring that Harry wanted nothing to do with the man he blamed for not telling him about his own vulnerability, which ultimately led to Sirius's death. If he thought that they were all loyal to that same man, then he would obviously cut them all out, too. Well, Ginny would much rather stand beside her loyal friend than some crazy old man who wasn't very forthcoming with information, if that was what it came down to. Now that she knew what was going on, she really wished she knew where Harry was. Maybe he was in Diagon somewhere...

"Hey, Hermione, it's been nice chatting, but I really do need to get going," she said hastily, having zoned out and not heard a word the older girl had said. "I'll see you on the train in a few days!" She rushed to the counter to buy her gloves, then took off out the door, a flash of red hair streaking through the shop in a rush of warm air.

One minute the red head was talking and the next she was just a flash around the store as she purchased the gloves she had been holding. Hermione stared after her friend in silence, not sure exactly what had just happened or if she should be concerned for the other girl. She was a bit hurt by the sudden dismissal she had been given but Hermione figured Ginny either suddenly remembered something she had forgotten or needed to meet up with Mrs. Weasley who wasn't someone you wanted to keep waiting. She'd probably send out a search party.

Sighing Hermione found the servicing kits. She had come to purchase some replacing parts for Harry's. She hasn't been able to get his birthday present yet because she hadn't been able to make a trip to Diagon Alley until that day and she had decided on getting him this versus a book. She felt terrible about it, but she figured since he wasn't responding to her letters it was probably better to give it to him in person. The bushy haired Gryffindor picked out what she thought Harry had said he needed and purchased the items, adding the newest rendition of Quidditch Through the Ages to the pile. Some habits died hard.