Perceptions and Recovery

A/n: I felt that it's necessary to read what Harry's gone through during the summer.

Ginny watched her brothers through the window in the Burrow. Ron, Fred, and George were coaxing Harry to come and play Exploding Snap with them. She watched Harry shake his head and walk back to the Burrow, shoulders slumped.

Her heart ached for him, because of the grief that he felt. She knew that he needed time to get over Sirius, but still! She wished that their was something that she could do for him, but she found no answer.

Sighing, Ginny returned to her homework. Even on the holidays, Professor McGonagall had to give homework! It wasn't fair! Her mind became distracted with homework. Let's see, when I wave my wand this way, then it'll turn into a toad, and then I...No, no no no no. That's not right. I got it! When I wave my wand that way, then it-..."

***

"Pass the potatoes, Ron." Fred scooped up half the platter and put it on his own plate. George took the rest. They said, "Thanks, Ron!" and handed it back to him.

"Fred, George!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Leave some for others, like your guests!" she directed a pointed look at Harry, who had eaten nothing.

Ginny glanced at Harry's plate, piled as it was with all sorts of potatoes, vegetables, and meat. He didn't touch it, choosing to stare mindlessly at the tablecloth. Fred and George said in unison, "Sorry, mum!" and proceeded to shovel food into their mouths.

Hermione said with a disgusted look, "Please chew and swallow. Don't forget to close your mouth!" She turned to talk to Ginny, who had finished eating.

Ginny endured the meal as long as she could, then left and ran upstairs. She couldn't bear to see Harry in pain. He looked like a tall, pale skeleton now. His black hair and green eyes stood out against his sallow skin.

Once upstairs, Ginny wrote a message to Dean.

Dear Dean,

I don't think that I like you in that way. I'm sorry, but it's true. I hope that you aren't mad at me, and that you find someone who loves you.

Sincerely,

Virginia Weasley

She sealed the letter and went to her owl, Birgitte. "Send this to Dean, ok?" She stroked the owl and fed her a treat. "Come back as soon as you can, Birgitte." The owl hooted and flew away, the message clasped in her talons.

That done, Ginny slumped against the wall, listening to the sounds of the Burrow. Hermione was humming the "Warlock and the Witch". It was a popular song right now, and Hermione loved the melody.

Fred and George were outside with Bill and Charlie, de-gnoming the garden.

Her mum was downstairs, puttering around the kitchen, singing softly to herself.

Ron and Harry were talking next door, their voices low but understandable. She turned away, not wanting to listen to Ron's prattle, until she heard snatches of their conversation, or Ron's monologue to himself.

"Ginny is..." She leaned forward, curious. Ginny pressed an ear to the wall, listening carefully. Were they talking about her?

Ron seemed to be trying to get a response out of Harry, and he was floundering around in search of a good topic. Evidently, his sister seemed to be a good one.

(I got some really good ideas from Exposure, by C Rose. I hope you don't mind that I borrowed some ideas!)

"Harry, I can't believe that my sister likes Dean!"

Ginny snorted. Why on earth would Harry want to listen to Ron carp about his sister's boyfriends? Ron obviously didn't know his friend really well.

"I mean, Dean's nice and all, but that bloke is rather dumb, and all he likes to do is watch that Muggle sport, soccer!" Ron's voice could be heard easily through the wall.

Ginny yawned. If this is all, I might as well go back to my homework. I mean, Harry's apparently not listening, and Ron's just gonna list his reasons, so....

Harry's voice cut through her thoughts. "I don't think she fancies Dean." Her eyes bugged out. Harry had actually said six words in a row? Another thought occurred to her. Harry had been watching her? Why? Why on earth do I care if he thinks I fancy Dean or not?

Evidently Ron had been gaping, because there was a rather long silence coming from his room. At last he said, "All right, mate. So how 'bout a game of chess? I bet you'll win!"

Ginny didn't wait to listen to Harry's refusal, and she turned back to her long essay on Transfiguring Matches to Leaves.

***

Birgitte swooped in, along with Alliandre, Hermione's owl. Ginny woke up to find the two owls waiting patiently on her desk. Birgitte dropped the letter and flew out; Ginny thought she went to go hunting. Alliandre, hooted softly. Ginny unfastened the message and stroked the tawny owl. Alliandre flew out to join Birgitte. Ginny picked up Birgitte's message.

Dear Ginny,

It's ok, I don't mind. I was writing to tell you that our long-distance relationship was beginning to take it's toll on me. I found someone else, I hope you don't mind. It's Padma Patil. Can we be friends though? Reply soon!

Sincerely,

Dean

Ginny folded the letter up and wrote her reply.

Dean,

I'm not mad or anything. Sure we can be friends.

Ginny Weasley

She sealed the note up and left on her desk, to give to Birgitte when she finished hunting. The next one was from Hermione.

Dear Ginny,

Hi, it's Hermione. How are you? Keeping busy with homework, I hope.

Ginny grinned at what Hermione had written. Only she would write about homework.

I'm going to be in Diagon Alley on July 31^st. Will you meet me there? Ron wrote to me and told me that a) you already got your Hogwarts letter, and b) I'm staying at the Burrow for the rest of the summer! So I'll go home with you after shopping for school supplies. Tell Ron and Harry that I'll meet you guys at Diagon. Thanks! See you in a few days!

Love, Hermione

Ginny smiled. She would see Hermione soon! Her smile soon faded. When Harry and Ron saw Hermione, they would become the Trio and forget Ginny. Then she would just be Ron's baby sister again. Her spirits dampened by that thought, she wandered outside to her secret grove of trees.

***

Ginny stepped into the small circle of pine trees. She had discovered the place when she was five. None of her brothers knew about it. She grinned. It was hers and only hers.

"What are you doing here?" An angry voice broke through her thoughts. She spun around to find Harry leaning against a tree, arms crossed and a scowl pasted on his face.

Calmly she said, "I found this place when I was small." She stepped towards the center and sat down. Crossing her legs, she placed one hand on each knee and closed her eyes. He watched her, interested in what she was doing. In disbelief he said, "You're gonna meditate?"

She opened one eye and raised an eyebrow. "So?" she felt at peace in the Grove. Closing her eye, Ginny let her thoughts flow out of her. She was in the Void, the empty space that helped her stay calm, through everything. Ginny breathed in...out...in...out...

***

She sighed and stretched her legs. Ginny opened her eyes and found Harry sitting next to her, Buddha style (she took Muggle Studies). She couldn't help but tease him. "So the Boy Who Lived decided to partake in meditating?"

He grimaced. "Don't call me that, Ginny. Your family and Hermione are the only ones who doesn't think of me that way." He thought of Sirius, the Man Who Died. His face fell.

Ginny scolded herself. She should've known that it would lead to Sirius. Everything did. Trying to distract him, she said, "Hermione's gonna meet us at-"

"He was like a father to me." Harry wasn't listening to her, he was talking softly to himself. "Better than a father. Cause he was like a kid in some ways, but an adult too. He took care of me. The first person to ever do that. He never pitied me." Tears glistened in his eyes.

Ginny, being Ginny, leaned against him and comforted him, saying in soothing tones, "It's all right, it wasn't your fault that he...erm...died." Harry leaned into her, crying softly. They stayed like that for a long time, before going inside.

Ginny started meeting Harry in the Grove every few days, and she called them her "counseling sessions." He started to get better, slowly.

***

"Hey Ron, Harry," Ginny said casually. "Hermione's gonna meet us at Diagon Alley on July Thirty-first. Is that ok?"

Ron shrugged, looking at his mum, who was scrubbing pots in the sink. His mum said, "Of course dear. Now, what books do you have to buy?"

***

"Sorry Gin." Harry landed on top of her, because she hadn't had enough time to get out of the fireplace. Ginny said uncomfortably, "It's ok. Could you get off me, Harry?"

Harry mumbled, "Right," embarrassedly. He scrambled to get off of her, only to find Ron on top of him.

Ginny groaned. "Could you people get off me? It's rather...erm...painful underneath you two gits.

They all jostled to get out of the fireplace. They didn't get out a moment too soon, because Mrs. Weasley appeared, hacking dust. She said, "Well, what are you all standing there for? C'mon, you need to find Hermione." They all nodded and set off to find Hermione.

Ginny stared at Harry as they walked. "You've never called me Gin before, Harry."

Harry stared at her. "W-what? Oh. I dunno. Why haven't I before?"

Ginny shook her head. "Never mind," She mumbled as she sped up to meet Hermione.

Hermione hugged all of them. Ginny was surprised that Hermione would hug her. She wasn't part of the Trio. She started hanging back, when Hermione pulled her forward. "C'mon, you're one of us now." she whispered conspiratorially to Ginny.

Ginny grinned happily. She was an equal with Hermione now. Ginny finally had friends who didn't think of her as Harry Potter's best friend's sister. She tuned in to what Hermione was saying. "You guys, we're going to the bookshop. NOT the Weasleys' Joke Shop OR Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor." Ron looked sheepish. "Sorry, Mione."

***

Hermione gathered together her text books. "Harry, do you and Ron have everything? Ginny?" They nodded, and Hermione strode to the cashier. "C'mon, we need to, uh, maybe pay for them? Don't you think, Ron?" Her gaze was directed mainly at Ron, who was goggling at someone. Hermione said irritably, "Uh, Ron? Earth to Ron!"

Ron said, "Harry, isn't that Dean and, Padma?" He craned his head to look. "Blimey, they're holding hands! That sneak! What about my sister!" He began to get into a rage. His ears began to turn red, and Ginny swore that she could see steam coming out of his ears.

Harry turned to look. "Ron, relax. I'm sure that Dean has a reason. If not..." He left the threat to hang in the air.

Ginny decided that it was time for her to intervene. Although, she admitted to herself, it was fun watching her brother and his best friend turn bright red over Dean. She said, "I broke up with Dean a few days ago."

Ron spun around to look aghast at her. "And you didn't tell me? A few days ago?"

Ginny said simply, "You never asked."

Harry had to grin at that. He elbowed Ron. "Don't be so protective, Ron. Your sister's old enough to take care of herself."

Ginny was shocked. For the second time in a few days, he had stood up for her. Why? She was hardly worth it. Was he watching what she did? Did he see a baby sister? Or did he see a friend? That was a thought for another day.

"Ginny?" Hermione touched her shoulder. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah." She dug in her pocked for some money. "I'm fine." she added.

***

"Checkmate." Ron moved his knight and then knocked over Harry's king. He looked up and smirked. "Told ya I could do it in four moves."

Harry said, chuckling, "Never lost faith in you, mate." He pushed the board away from him and said, "Wanna play Ron, Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head, lost in thought. Then she said, "Are you all right, Harry?"

Harry grinned, even if it was a bit forced. "Of course."

Hermione tilted her head, as if she was studying a test subject. She shook her head absently. "No your not. You disappear every few days and come back a few hours later. You sit brooding for hours every day. You hardly even eat, and you hate to talk. What's wrong? Is it Sirius?"

Ginny swallowed. How should I explain about the counseling sessions? Knowing Hermione, she would call it a "date." Yeah right. The last person I would ever date is Harry. He's practically my brother!

Harry thought fast. "Umm, I just like to think, Mione. That's all."

Hermione shook her head angrily. "Admit it to yourself, Harry! You still miss Sirius! It's ok to let out your grief. You don't have to bottle it up Harry! Let it out!" She stomped her foot. "Why can't you admit it? Why? My mum was right!" She spun around and stormed out of the room, tears rolling down her face.

What did her mother say? Find out in the next chapter!

A/n: This story is longer than I thought!