"THEY'RE BAAAAAACK!" Ginny screamed running through the house towards the front gate.

Just as equally happy, Harry quickly made his way over to his best friends. It had been 4 days. Much to Molly's chagrin.

Kissing Ron briefly on the cheek Ginny tackles Hermione into a rib-crushing hug.

"Woah, I didn't realize that our presence was so heavily missed," Hermione said regaining her balance.

"Hey mate!" Harry called making his way over.

Walking towards his two best friends, Harry  Embraces Ron in a tight brotherly hug. And kisses Hermione gently on the cheek.

Walking inside they all sit in the sitting room.
"So, " Harry says "how was it?"

Glancing at each other, Hermione answered without breaking eye contact with Ron.

"It was...bemusing."

Breaking away once finished speaking Hermione met many confused faces.

"Emotional?" Ron offered. After receiving a shooting glare from Hermione, Ron recoiled in his seat, thinking better of his suggestion.

Pausing to think Hermione gazed at her hand's folded in her lap.

"Difficult, and Ronald wasn't entirely incorrect."

Looking up to meet their eyes, Hermione said, "My parents are back in London, renting a flat until they can find a new home. It took days to explain everything, and there may have been a time I tried to run away from everything. Umm... Talking about the near death war rose eyebrows, let's see, oh," giggling into her hand, Ron snapped to attention.

"Don't, please. Hermione no! Please!" Ron begged from his position on the sofa.

"Well, now we have to know." Harry chirped.

Regaining some of her composure, Hermione continued.

"Alright, so, on the first night Ron followed me into the guest room and my Dad wasn't too pleased about that, so, long story short Ron slept on the couch while we were there, right after his 90-minute lecture on the deck." Pressing her lips together as not to laugh Hermione hugged Ron as a peace offering.

"Hey, let's talk about something else," Ron said loudly. "What did you guys do?"

"Well, I spent most of my time at Grimwald place watching over Teddy."

"You got to watch Teddy!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Oh Hermione, that wasn't half the fun!" Ginny sarcastically enthused. "We also got a two-hour crash course of wizarding infantry care!" Feining a fake smile she waved jazz hands on the side of her face.

"Did you really?" Hermione pouted.

"Don't worry, " Harry chuckled, "Ginny made sure to take plenty of notes for you."

Looking ecstatic, Hermione straightened her posture and looked around with a look of want to say something but she couldn't.

Sighing Ginny waved a hand in the direction of the stairs,
"They're on the nightstand."

Slumping forward and Hermione rushed to retrieve the mediocre notes.

"That girl and her studying." Ron chuckled. "We should get some food, I'm starved."

"Isn't your interview today?" Ginny questioned following the two boys into the kitchen.

"No, " Ron said reaching into the cupboard. "Harry's is today at- 3." Mine's tomorrow at 8 am."

Nodding along with Ron, Harry fiddled with some peeling paint on his chair.

Tap tap tap.

Looking up for the source of the noise Harry stood.

"What is that?" Ron questioned looking up from his split pea soup.

"Look, there." Ginny pointed to the window above the sink.

Sighing Harry walked towards the window.

"It's just an owl. Wait." Stopping short a few feet away Harry examined the owl more closely. The golden eagle owl flicked its head in annoyance.

"It's-"

"Malfoy." Ron interrupted with a growl so low it could have been a dog.

Carefully opening the window Harry used Accio to slam the letter down onto the kitchen counter.
Gazing a the folded parchment, Harry murmured,

"Ron, go get 'Mione."

In attempts to shake off his anger, Ron bonded up to the stairs in heavy footfall's.

"Ginny, I want you out," Harry said tearing his eyes away from the letter.

"Excuse me?" She scoffed back in disbelief.

"It could be cursed, or jinxed, I don't want you getting hurt. Again." Harry mumbled the last part so Ginny wouldn't hear.

She did anyway.

Trying her best to not look upset, Ginny dragged her feet out of the kitchen and slammed the front door once she got to it.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked once in the kitchen.

"We have a letter," Harry answered pulling a chair towards the low counter and slumping into it backward.

"So, I was rushed down here in the middle of studying an interesting topic to read a letter."

Beginning to turn Ron stopped her. Grabbing her upper arm gently,
"It's from Malfoy."

Pulling her arm from his grasp she walked over next to him.

"How'd you know? It only has your name on the front."

"It was delivered by an eagle owl," Harry replied not moving his chin from the back of the chair.

Standing on Harry's left Hermione examines the letter, while Ron paces angrily back a forth never taking his eyes off of the letter, to Harry's right.

"We should check for curses and jinxes on it before you open it," Hermione announced.

"Brilliant idea Hermione, " Ron said, "but if you expect either Harry or myself to perform those spells correctly, you have another thing coming."

"I guess you're right." Sliding off the counter she held out her hand.

"Are you mad?" Harry questioned. "Touching that with your bare hand, do you remember what happened to Katie Bell at all?"

"Well, I'd assumed you had already touched it," Hermione stated. With a flick of her wand, she floated the letter out to the garden.

In her first order of busniusses Hermione drops a garden knome on the letter. When he didn't fly up into the air screaming she took it in her hand. Examineing it.

"I'm going to study, my interview is in a couple hours. If she has it ready I want to read that letter before we leave."
"Last time I checked " a couple" didn't mean five." Ron said. "And besides, aren't you worried about Hermione?"
"Ron, you and I both know she is perfectly cableable of taking care of herself." Harry quipped but walking up the stairs.

"You didn't see her in Austaila, mate. You didn't see her." Ron mumbled shaking his head and turning back to Hermione.

Harry's pencil splintered after he threw it across the room in frustraion.
Music from the next floor down was filtering through the wooden floorboards. Ginny had dug Mr. Weaslys old radio out of the many boxes in the garage and was playing old classical music.
Harry could hear Ginny humming along as she busied herself with whatever she was doing.

"Ginny, can I come in?" Harry asked through her bedroom door.

"Here to kick me out if my bedroom because its " not safe?" Ginny asked opening the door partly.

"No, Hermione won't let Ron or me near the the letter either, I just came to talk."

Opening the door fully Ginny let him in.
"What do you need?" She asked slumping down onto her bed.

"Er, " Harry said awakrdly sitting on the desk. "I'm just gonna dive right into it, are we dating?"

Gasping slightly Ginny grabbed a pillow from behind her and started picking at the edges.
"Um, I don't know, I mean after what happened at the lake, and with your job and my schooling. I really don't know." She finished, her voice wavering.

"Well, it's up to you and I wanted to know before my interview." Harry said taking in an awkward breath.
Pausing a moment Ginny looked up at him with stone set features.

"Is that all I am to you?" She said.

"What?" He asked.

"Many things you are Harry Potter," and many things you have learned, " she whispered staring back down at her lap. "But you still can't do relationships."

"I'm sorry, what are-"

" You want to figure us out in a short amount of time so the idea of me dosen't hang over you during an interview, with a ministry who loves you."

"Ginny, that's not what I meant, just let-"

"No."

"What?"

"The answer is no, we are not dating, I don't want to date you if I am only a burden. Get out of my room."

"Ginny-"

"Get out now."

Standing up she lightly pushes him until she has enough room to close the door.

Leaning against the door she tries to even her breathing, and an inch of plywood away Harry did the same trying to conceal the hurt from his face.

Sighing he pushes away and marches away up the his(Ron's) room.
Clearing a space with his forearm he lays a piece of parchment and starts writing.

Ok, how do i start this? Ugh, Hermione is better with words. Ginny that's not what i meant. i didn't want you going off to Hogwarts and getting a boyfriend. I wanted to nail this interview I want to save money money for a future, money for a family, you are not a burden, you are my world, please don't be mad, i want to give you space of you need it, come talk to me when you're ready.

Love,
Harry

Walking down to her door her slipped it under the crack.

"Harry!" Ron yelled bounding up the stairs. Panting out of breathe he grabs Harrys shoulder leaning over catching his breath. "It's ready."

Quickly following Ron down the stairs, Harry rushed into the kitchen. The envelope sits on the table, with the folded letter I'm front of it.
Unfolding it slowly Harry begins to read.

Listen Potter!
Don't read to much into this. I wouldn't be reaching out unless I absolutely had to. What are the odds you had your Mudblood friend check this for curses? I know she found nothing, because I didn't curse it, this time.
Now, you have no idea how much pain this brings to me. Just writing these words. I need your, help.
God, of all my last resorts, it comes down to you. My family has been hiding out ever since the war ended. My father shows his face in Knockturn alley for two seconds, and we're found. I got sent to my crazy aunts wine celler, I'd rather not.
All the Crabb's died apart from Vincent, no one knows where he is. After I got Greg killed I would rather not face an angry family of Goyals. I would try to go to Blake's, but the Zambanis have always had a problem with my family, so that leaves you Potter.
I wish to to meet you at the Honeydukes at 2 o'clock tomorrow.
Take it or leave it.

Draco Malfoy

"What are you going to do Mate?" Ron asked over Harrys shoulder once he finished reading.

"He's not going to go." Hermione stated, "Are you?"

"I dunno." Harry answered skimming the letter with his eyes.

"You shouldn't go Harry."

"I think I'm gonna go."

"Then we're coming too."

"I can't stop you." Harry shruged.

"Why aren't you scared mate?" Asked Ron.

"Because I know Malfoy wouldn't dare try to lay a finger on me in a public area, that close to Hogwarts no less."