Bearings
Disclaimer/Author's Notes: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. I need a longer author's note here, so bear with me. Some of you have noticed that the last few chapters are a little too perfect, and I will say that you are astute if you have. Part one was originally the entire story, so I naturally wanted to close many of the smaller story arcs as we came to the end. However, somewhere around the `Variations on a Boy Who Lived' chapter, I realized that I had so much more to say about the characters, and especially now that I've read and had time to think about Deathly Hallows. So I sketched out exactly where I wanted to go with the story, and the picture became clearer as I reached the end of part one: part one is the transition from war to some place of normalcy, part two is the time of change and some tumult as everyone settles into their respective roles and families, and part three is where they go from there. Hence, if the end of part one felt too perfect, then you're right. It was. One last thing: I'm going on hiatus for four or five weeks. Enjoy the rest of the summer!
I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?
Keane
Somewhere Only We Know
Intermission: Time Passes
Or: Part One: Epilogue
May 27th - October 30th, 2002
May passed into June, spring into summer, and Harry and Hermione into a new phase of their relationship. She started again at the Ministry, in her new position, on June 1st, and so they both had to adjust to the real world once again. She worked long hours, though not as long as she had, and Harry began to get busy with his campaign trail. Arthur still had a day job as the Vice Minister; so much of what he and Harry did together was at night or on weekends-the only time Hermione was home.
For the first time since returning to Britain, they felt a pressure on them, not necessarily a strain on their relationship or their feelings for one another, but more of a compulsion to make time in their schedules to be with each other. It was not a problem, but they certainly had to adjust, and it was the first of many they would have to make.
John and Erin effectively moved into the Manor and Wizarding society that same week, June 3rd; the presence of two more people in the Manor, which previously had been silent and nearly unoccupied for so long, brought more life to the large house, and both Harry and Hermione were coming closer and closer to thinking of it as home. Dobby, Winky, and Libby helped with this, placing themselves more into the role of family than ever before: it was not unusual to come upon the five or the seven of them in the library, reading or chatting, or each doing his or her work.
John and Erin started at Gringotts, too, (supplied with a permanent Portkey by Harry) and they were slowly coming to terms with what that really meant. Harry and Hermione took John and Erin to Diagon Alley halfway through June to show them various points of interest, and introduce them to the finer points of magical Britain; it goes without saying that the presence of two Muggles within the heart of Wizarding commerce struck a nerve.
Whether that was good or bad was not immediately apparent, however, and because Hermione was the Chair for the Muggle Liaisons department, many assumed it had something to do with her everyday duties. The general public slowly learned the truth as the summer dragged on, that two Muggles were now working and living in the magical world, and John and Erin had to field many questions from curious and some resentful wizards and witches about why they were there.
They did their best at answering anything truthfully, and pointing out that the Statute of Secrecy, of which Hermione had informed them, was not in breach because they needed knowledge of magic to work where they did, therein shouldering most of the responsibility. Both Harry and Hermione noticed the quieter rumblings-Hermione as head of her department and Harry as the Boy Who Conquered and the favorite candidate for the Vice Ministerial position-of discontent at John and Erin, but chose not to share it with them. The burden of adjusting to their new life was enough.
As summer officially began, Jane and Dan made their first visit to the Manor. Harry provided them with a portkey directly in the foyer, so as to avoid any hassle with the wards, and after showing Hermione's parents around the expansive house the four of them had a quiet dinner up on everyone's favorite balcony.
Jane was at the end of her first trimester, and had just begun to show, and much conversation passed that night about the new child and what it meant for Dan and Jane. Dan was still somewhat reticent around Harry, but he seemed to open up as the evening progressed, and was even drawn into a speculative conversation about whether or not Hermione's younger sibling would be magical. None of them new why or how two Muggle adults could produce a magical child, and so they did not know if it would or could happen again.
The child was due near Christmas that year and Hermione realized for the first time what it would actually mean to be twenty-three years older than her brother or sister. She would be a forty-something when they were old enough to drive or go off to uni, and probably nearing fifty when he or she decided to marry. It was odd thinking about that because if she and Harry did eventually have children, her first child would be near the same age as her younger sibling. Unusual family dynamics, to be sure.
Heat like never before fell across Britain during July, even up in the highlands where the Manor was located. Harry and Hermione did not have much time to enjoy their lake, though. His campaign with Arthur took him periodically to places he had never visited before, which made for very long days or weekends. It seemed to be going well, but there was always a sense of disbelief from the wizards and witches they met. It was as if no one could quite believe the Chosen One was running for government. Hermione always supported him whenever he came close to expressing doubts, and that helped.
Harry had his first serious meeting with the other Directors of Gringotts in July, wherein they discussed the possibility of expanding the bank to Ireland and Wales, and also Hogsmeade. Beyond that, much of the discussion centered on how Harry's possible position within the government would affect him as a Director-good, bad, or somewhere in between. They eventually concluded that they would have to see how things developed.
Ragnok pulled Harry aside at the end of the meeting and asked him if he would be willing to make a trip during the fall, probably somewhere on the Continent. Harry agreed, wondering what the trip could be about, and Ragnok said he would tell Harry more when the time was right.
July 31st came upon everyone, and just like that, Harry turned twenty-two. During the week leading up to it, Hermione would not tell Harry what she was planning, but he knew there was something, and sure enough on the night of the 31st, when he returned from a rally in Glasgow with Arthur, all of his friends and family were gathered at the Manor to celebrate another year gone. Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville, and Ginny were there of course, as were John and Erin; with Remus, Tonks, and William; and Fred, George, and Molly (Charlie was in Romania and Bill and Fleur were in Paris); and Minerva and finally the three house elves rounding out those gathered.
The party was a boisterous affair, with much laughing and revelry, but many seemed to know that the coming months would be challenging, with the election drawing near. Everyone supported Harry-Ron and Neville thought it was `bloody brilliant'-and they all wished to see him in office, but they knew it wasn't that easy. There were a few opponents to Arthur and Harry, all of whom were not taking such a hard line against discrimination in the magical world, and the conservatives could prevail in that regard.
Harry and Hermione's friends and families were delighted, for the most part, to meet John and Erin, though they of course had many questions for the Muggles. A few in attendance were surprised Harry had put himself out there for them, but knew not to express that sentiment. Harry had enough on his mind.
The night passed well, and with it an idea occurred to Hermione: why not get everyone together more often? There was certainly enough space within the Manor itself, and with everyone's busy lives, a night of fun at least once a month wouldn't hurt anyone.
And as July turned to August, and August to September, she put her idea into motion. Twice in August and once in September everyone who could came to the Manor. It was a good time for everyone in the `Chosen Clique' to catch up with each other; during their get-together in September Bill and Fleur even showed up. Charlie could not get away from the preserve, though, and no one had heard from Percy in quite some time.
With September came cooler weather, but the damage from the persistent heat was all around. The vast grounds upon which the Manor sat were brown and withered, and down at the lake it was very clear how much the waters had receded. The respite from the heat was welcome.
Autumn came early and hard to the Scottish highlands, following on the heels of the end of the heat wave, which surprised Harry and Hermione, because they couldn't remember it ever being so sudden at Hogwarts. One day, during the middle of September, it was pleasant, cool, and breezy, and the next day there was frost and temperatures barely crept above freezing.
The following weeks-the rest of September and most of October-were filled with heavy, cold, windswept rain, and it was all they could do to keep the mournful weather from dampening their spirits. Another social night for everyone at the Manor at the beginning of October helped with that, but the main topic of conversation was Arthur and Harry's upcoming election. To say that they were both stressed would be an understatement, but Hermione and many others thought they were handling it well.
Harry was concerned with the election system, which had to do with casting a Patronus at the ballot, and expressed this worry to Hermione, but she didn't know what to tell him. It had always been like that in the Wizarding world. Harry wondered about the people who couldn't cast a Patronus and whether or not they could vote; Hermione of course knew they could not. Harry was extremely irritated by this, because he saw it as another example of Wizarding prejudice, but Hermione advised him against going after that in the last month before the election. He didn't want to turn anyone away now.
October also saw the breaking of ground for the Hogsmeade branch of Gringotts. Erin was very busy thereafter, because Ragnok had assigned her and her mentor, Pilk, to oversee the security arrangements. She had taken to her new job quite well, and one time when Harry had gone to Gringotts, he had seen her laughing about something a goblin said. John was quickly learning the ins and outs of the wizard economy, and was enjoying his job. Both he and Erin expressed their gratitude to Harry on numerous occasions.
November approached, and with it, more rain. Whereas at the end of the summer the Manor had been parched, it was now sodden, and cold. The anniversary of Harry's first defiance of Voldemort approached, as well as his parents' deaths, and he spent much time that week speaking with James, Lily, and Sirius about everything that was happening in his life. He knew what he wanted, and he thought he knew how to get it, but he wanted to know they approved of where he was going in his life.
Lily told him that as long as he supported Hermione and she supported him, they would find their way in life. He considered her words as he readied for bed that night, October 30th, and couldn't help thinking of how lucky he was to have Hermione, staring down at her already slumbering form. He crawled into bed that night was a smile on his face, drawing Hermione to him, because through everything that had happened in his life, here and now he was glad to be alive with her.
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