Albania - 9

Harry smiled fondly, rubbing his finger along her forearm. Lately, he'd felt the constant need to touch her whenever she was near. He'd noticed that she'd been doing the same to him, too. Just small caresses, holding hands, a light touch whenever they spoke. He'd never been one to crave much physical contact, so he wasn't certain what was happening or why he found her touch so soothing, but he did.

"I don't think Mum will be too bad about my accompanying you once she's had the chance to calm down," Ginny said, stirring some sugar into her coffee.

The other two looked at her doubtfully, and Hermione's eyebrows rose so high they disappeared into her hairline.

"Ginny, we are talking about your mum here, right?" Hermione asked. "The same woman who refused to allow the Order to discuss so much as the weather within our hearing distance?"

Ginny shook her head. "She's not as uptight as she was the last time we stayed at Grimmauld Place. After what happened at the Ministry, she…I dunno…she changed. She resigned herself to the fact she couldn't keep us out of the war no matter what she did. It was right after that when she allowed the twins to fully join the Order. She might not like it, but she's accepting it. She'll blow up at first, mind, but then she calms down. Trust me."

"If you say so," Harry said, still feeling doubtful. He vividly remembered Mrs. Weasley's despair the night Sirius allowed him to question what the Order was doing. She had even dragged Ginny out of the room and sent her off to bed so she wouldn't hear anything she deemed inappropriate.

"You must have noticed the change in her," Ginny said. "In the hospital wing the night Dumbledore died, she didn't try to send any of us out of the room. She didn't even act surprised that we'd all been involved in the fighting."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You're right," she said. "Ron told me she'd sent him outside to use his Patronus the night the Burrow was attacked, too."

"Exactly. I've been thinking about her a lot since we've been here," Ginny said, her eyes dipping to the table.

Harry took her hand, knowing that despite her bravado, she was missing her mum. Harry didn't blame her; Mrs. Weasley was the best mum he knew.

"And I came to the realization that my mum is a tough lady," Ginny said, her lip trembling slightly.

"I've been rather hard on her, I think. She may not be the one getting involved in any battles with Death Eaters, but she didn't hesitate when Professor Dumbledore asked her to join the Order. She got her whole family involved because it was the right thing to do. I should have given her credit for that."

Hermione sniffed and suddenly threw her arms around Ginny. "I miss everyone, too, Ginny. You're right. It's going to be fine. We're not the same people we were when we left, and I think everyone will see it."

"See what?" Ron asked groggily, stumbling into the kitchen and plopping down on the only empty chair.

"That we're not children, and we made the right decision in hunting Voldemort alone," Harry replied, grinning.

"Right," Ron said, stuffing a piece an entire piece of bacon in his mouth. "Mum won't have any problem with it. She'll welcome us home with open arms right after she owls Percy to call him a git and gives the Burrow to the twins to wager on a Quidditch match."

The others burst into laughter as they enjoyed their breakfast on their last day in Albania. They were going home.