Milk and Cereal

Ginny woke up early one morning and wandered aimlessly about the house remembering vaguely that something was missing.

Ah, of course, Ginny thought smiling as she wandered into the kitchen, Harry Potter was missing.

He had left last night, in one of his fits, slamming the door behind him. That door had been slammed shut in anger too many times, and, lately, too many times by Harry. But this time, he had been angry at her.

Remus and Sirius walked in to the kitchen and she knew that both of them were wondering at the whereabouts of The Boy Who Lived and that both thought the other was the cause of his lack of presence. Ginny found this slightly amusing as she filled her cereal bowl.

What had he been angry at? Had she forgotten already? No, no she hadn't forgotten. It was all because of that stupid Cho. Ginny had told Harry all that she knew about her cheating on Harry for Michael. Of course, she had kept it to herself for too long, but honestly, did Harry have to wake up heaven and hell because of it? He had no right to yell at her like that...

After all, she thought, I only did it because I loved him.

Sirius and Remus were going at it again. Ginny supposed she should tell them it really was neither of their faults. At this rate, they were going to wake up Sirius' mum.

"Dirty Mudbloods, creatures of filth! Disgrace of all wizards..."

Too late.

Harry didn't come back that day. Or the next. And on the second day, Ginny began to worry that he was never going to come back.

He'll be back, he always is, she thought. She wondered at the fact that she had been the cause of his absense for so long.

The third day she told herself, Today, Harry will come home. This is the day.

But he didn't. Ginny began to miss him. And as she did she laughed at herself for missing something that had never belonged to her. She had always been missing him, really.

The house was in a panic. Harry Potter was missing. Ginny supposed they had a good reason to panic. After all the guy who was supposed to save all their pathetic lives could be lying in a gutter somewhere. Then she thought, the end of the world could be all because of me. Because I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

Ginny sat up every night staring out onto the streets below. Harry come home, she pleaded to her window. If you come back, I promise, you'll never have to speak to me again.

It had been six days now. Ginny had given up. Harry was never coming home. She lost track of time. She couldn't figure out if it was morning or evening. She didn't feel anything either. She was numb to anything and anyone.

Ginny went out to the kitchen and got a glass or milk for herself. Then she wondered why she was holding a glass of milk in her hand. So her numb, unfeeling fingers let it go.

The glass shattered across the floor. Ginny stooped to clean up the broken glass but instead she collapsed. And she started to cry. Her tears mixed in with the milk which was slowly seeping into her clothes. She didn't know how long she cried. It could have been minutes, or hours, or days. Ginny was completely drained.

She heard the crunch of footsteps on broken glass and she lifted her tired head.

Harry stood in front of her, looking at the pieces of glass around Ginny He didn't say anything at first, just bent down to make sure that Ginny was unhurt. After he completed his examination, Ginny let herself be pulled to her feet. And he kissed her. It was slow, and sweet, and it wasn't perfect. Not with Ginny covered in milk. Then it stopped.

Harry lifted her chin and said slowly,"You shouldn't cry over spilt milk you know."