He was sitting in the living room of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, nursing a cup of tea. The tea had gone cold hours ago, but he didn't feel like getting up to make himself a new cup. He hadn't felt like doing much of anything, in fact, since the Battle of Hogwarts ended four days ago.

'Harry?' he heard a voice call.

He jolted in surprise, because the voice sounded like Fred's.

Except Fred was dead.

The cup of tea shook in his hands, spilling down his shirt, a large brown patch staining the soft fabric. He couldn't bring himself to care though. No one else was around right now, and he didn't need to look like the Chosen One.

'I'm sorry, Harry,' Ginny was saying as she walked through his Floo. 'I didn't mean to startle you. Let me clean that up and then we'll head to the Burrow for dinner. Mum's waiting for you.' She pointed her wand at his sweater. 'Episk-'

His wand was suddenly in his hand, directed at her chest.

'Put the wand down, Ginny,' he heard himself say, distantly.

Ginny slowly placed the wand on the table and raised her hands, palms out.

'It's okay, Harry. See, I've put the wand down. It's okay.' She spoke softly, her voice calm and steady despite having the Savior of the Wizarding World pointing his wand at her.

Harry was breathing hard, his hands shaking, and finally lowered his wand hand. He sat down, on the couch, not looking at her.

'Harry?' Ginny asked. Her voice was soft, but determined. 'Can you tell me what happened?'

He grunted. How was he supposed to explain?

'Harry? Can you talk to me, please? You've been moping around, and almost no one's seen you since the Battle ended. And what happened just now, with the wand, it's not like you. I want to help you, so please talk to me.'

He stayed silent for a moment. He wanted to tell her, knew that she wouldn't ridicule him, or run to the press with all of his secrets. But he was scared to admit it, to say it aloud. It seemed so final.

'Harry, please tell me.'

It was her calm voice that did it. She didn't seem scared of him, even though he had just held her at wandpoint. If he had been in her position, he would've gone mad. And somehow, she sounded so calm, so rational. So receptive and non-judgmental.

'I . . . I don't like it when wands are pointed at me,' he said finally.

'I could tell,' she said. 'Most people don't. But unless they're in a duel, most people don't react like that. Can you tell me why you did?'

Because the last time someone cast a spell on me, I died. He couldn't force the words out, though. They were stuck, nestled deep within his heart.

He shook his head. 'I want to, but I just can't,' he whispered.

'Okay. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to the Burrow for dinner tonight, just like we planned. Tomorrow, I think you should go talk to Professor Dumbledore's portrait about everything that's happened. Do you think you could do that?'

He looked at her, and wanted to nod his head, to make her feel better, but couldn't. It seemed too much, to speak to Dumbledore, after everything that Dumbledore manipulated him into doing this last year. After dying.

'Would it help if I came with you?' she asked.

'I . . . I don't know.'

'Would you rather talk to someone else?'

He hesitated, but nodded.

'I'm going to list some people, and you just nod when you think I've mentioned someone you feel comfortable talking to, okay?'

He nodded.

'Great!' She smiled at him, a hesitant smile, but it made him feel a bit warmer, a bit more human.

'Hermione. Ron. Professor McGonagall. Hagrid. Mum. Kingsley.'

He nodded at the last name.

'You're willing to talk to Kingsley?'

'Yeah,' he said quietly. Kingsley was an Auror, someone who'd fought, someone who'd been in almost as many battles as he himself had been. He felt like Kingsley would be able to relate, if he said he was scared of fighting again, or scared of losing even more friends.

'That's good, Harry. I'll Floo him tomorrow morning, okay?'

He nodded.

'Would you like me to come with you?'

He hesitated, and then nodded again.

'Are you doing better now?'

He nodded.

'Can we stay here tonight?' he asked quietly. 'I know you wanted to go see everyone, but I don't think I could manage the crowd right now.' Really, he didn't mind the crowd, the people, everyone staring at him. He was used to that by now.

But some people weren't going to be there, like Fred, and Remus, and Tonks. Snape. The thought of going to dinner, knowing that they weren't going, that they couldn't go, made him feel guilty all over again.

'That's fine. I'll go Floo Mum, and I'm sure she'll Floo over some food.'

She got up off the couch, and headed to the fireplace.

'Ginny,' he said.

She turned to look at him. 'Yes, Harry?'

'I just wanted to say thanks, for listening to me, for staying with me. Just, thanks.'

She smiled, her face lighting up. 'Your welcome.'

A few minutes later, Ginny came back. She sat next to him, and placed her head on his leaned into the touch. With her next to him, he felt warm and safe for the first time since the war ended.

Fin.

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