Disclaimer: HP doesn't belong to me!

Worry gives a small thing a big shadow. -Swedish proverb

"Ginny, please stop pacing, you're making me dizzy," Hermione muttered before taking another sip of her tea as she sat in the Burrow kitchen. Glancing out the window, she took another deep breath as lightening flashed and rain poured down outside.

Ginny on the other hand was not interested in the weather. She had, however, stopped pacing in time to give Hermione a look of disbelief.

"How can you be so calm about this? They're out there. How can you just sit there and drink tea?" she asked angrily, Hermione's slow sips and passive face annoying her more than the thunderous booms that were occurring frequently outside.

Hermione glanced up at her friend and then back outside, taking another sip of her tea.

"I'm not calm… I just hide it better than you, Gin," she replied, clutching her mug close to her, trying to gain warmth from its contents.

"They've been gone too long," Ginny commented, returning back to her pacing.

If Hermione was going to sip her tea, dammit, she was going to pace.

Hermione seemed to sense Ginny's annoyance towards her and took another deep breath.

"They'll be back soon."

Ginny looked up at Hermione.

"You said that two hours ago."

Ginny could see Hermione's jaw clench and her eyes water and immediately regretted her biting words.

She really was better at hiding things.

Hermione looked up at Ginny.

"I promised Ron and Harry I'd be here when they got back. You're father and brothers would like to know that you were here as well," she whispered.

Ginny bit her lip at the mention of Harry and looked away. She went to the door and looked out the door.

"Where are they?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"You seem anxious to see him again," she commented.

Ginny glanced over at her friend.

"I wasn't very nice when he left," she muttered.

Hermione frowned.

"Harry's trying, Gin. After what happened the last time you two were together, he's afraid he might lose you again," she whispered.

Ginny sighed.

"He's treating me like I'm eleven, Hermione. He tells you and Ron everything and I'm kept in the dark like always."

"You don't want to know what he tells Ron and I, Ginny. Sometimes you should be happy you're left in the dark," Hermione responded grimly, looking down at her hands. "Besides, you're in a very dangerous job as it is."

Ginny bit her lip.

"Dealing with an arse doesn't make my life dangerous. It just shows my lack of ability to find a better job," she muttered.

"Ginny, you deal with a man who's a Death Eater."

"Yet the Ministry can't do anything about it because they have no proof, so it doesn't matter, Hermione… Harry still doesn't tell me anything."

"You already know too much..."

The meaning behind Hermione's words told Ginny that Hermione also knew more than she should about Ginny's dealing with a certain Death Eater. Ginny watched Hermione sip her tea again and immediately became curious.

"Are you afraid, Hermione?"

Hermione looked up.

"Of what? Ron and Harry not coming back home? Of course I am," she said. "Every time Ron comes to my apartment saying he has an assignment I'm afraid. Ron and I are supposed to be getting married in three days… I don't want to lose him…" she murmured before looking back down at her tea.

Ginny soaked in what Hermione had said and looked back outside.

"At least you have someone to lose," she whispered. Deafening silence fell upon the two women as they waited, each lost in thought as the seconds turned into hours quickly. Ginny's mind went to her mother, who had opted to stay with Angelina in Diagon Ally. Angelina was seven months pregnant with her and Fred's first and Fred had not been too eager to leave her alone. Fleur and Alicia, George's girlfriend, were keeping Angelina company as well. Hermione and Ginny decided to stay at the Burrow.

"What time is it?" Ginny asked.

Hermione looked down at the small leather strapped wristwatch Ron had given her two Christmas's ago.

"Three thirty-five…"

Ginny glanced over at Hermione.

"They were supposed to be here five hours ago, Hermione."

Hermione didn't seem to want to listen. Instead she took another sip of her now cold tea as Ginny turned to look back outside. She was about to suggest going to the Ministry when something in the raging darkness caught her eye.

"What is that?"

Hermione immediately got up and went to the back door.

"What? Where?"

Ginny pointed in the direction of the woods.

"There. Doesn't that look like light?"

Beside Ginny, Hermione paled and began to shake noticeably as she tried to get a better look at the mysterious light.

"It couldn't be…" she muttered.

Ginny frowned.

"That looks like… that looks like a stag. Why would Harry-"

Hermione's sudden movement startled Ginny as the other woman moved over to the table and grabbed her wand.

"Come on," she ordered.

Ginny frowned.

"What? Where are we going?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Ginny, there's no time, come on!" she insisted pleadingly, her wand shaking in her pale hands.

Ginny started to feel bad. Hermione rarely freaked out. If she did, something bad had happened.

"We have to wait for Ron and Harry, remember," Ginny whispered.

Hermione shook her head.

"They're not coming…"

A/N: Ok, ok, ok! So I may have said that I was going to finish a certain story before I started a new one, and I may have said that it would be finished about two or three weeks ago (I don't keep track of those things), and I may have also said something about a different ship, its all hazy business really. :-) Holds up bottle of butterbeer and gives cheers Ok, so butterbeer isn't that bad, but deal with me.

I am really sorry for those who thought that Numb would be over by now. To be quite honest, I thought it would be done by now as well, but I've run into a ditch with that story, so please bear with me on that. As for... what are they... Imitation of Life and... and... I think there might be another one, but I've forgotten. I'll remember later. I will finish them, I promise!!!!! REALLY PROMISE!

But I needed something new and really different. A H/G ship with my ever present Hr/R references. (Can't get enough of them.)

Ok... well... I think I might have said all that I needed to...

If I missed anything, please send me something. Other than that, I think this is it.

R/R!