It was 3 a.m. and Ron was staring vacantly out the window of the Burrow. How many times had he sat in this very same seat, he thought as the whistle on the kettle went off. How many times had he been woken in the middle of the night from yet another nightmare? And each time he couldn't go back to sleep. The night just was too twisty. It twisted everything good into something bad.
"Water is ready," a hoarse voice sounded off to his left. Off by the stairs that led up to his abandoned bed.
The person whom the voice belonged to sat on Ron's left, and before Ron could reply on the absence of tea they both heard a third person enter the room. Ron heard a soft sigh, but didn't move his eyes from the window. He heard the creak of the cupboard open, and the chink of tea cups being lifted up out of their holding place. As Ron let the familiar sounds of the making of tea wash over him he let himself begin to relax.
Relaxing was always hard for him to do at night. He had seen too much. What most people would call being paranoid he would call being safe. After all you don't survive fighting an evil dark wizard for seven years, and not pick up how to cast some quality detection charms around your bedroom.
"How long?" the man to his left asked.
Before Ron could answer a mug was pushed towards him. He could smell the chamomile and honey mixture. Turning the sight of Harry Potter sitting on his left met his eyes and Hermione Granger was sitting opposite the two of them. These were his two best friends. These were the only two people in the world who understood how he was feeling at this very moment. They are his family.
"Maybe an hour," Ron lifted the cup of hot tea to his mouth and took a long draught. "Thanks for the tea, Hermione."
Hermione gave him a small smile and shrugged as if to imply it was no big deal. She cradled her tea in her left hand, and her right hand reached out and grasped Harry's hand. Ron looked at them and he couldn't help but smile. Over the past year he had watched their friendship turn into something so much more, and he wanted to find that. The war had made him want to find that.
War, he thought, had changed them all. For better and for worse.
"Do you remember when we all thought that everything could be as simple as someone being wholly good and wholly evil? Remember when we didn't think about the matter in-between?"
Ron looked at his best friends as he posed his question. He took in Hermione's hair which seemed bushier then ever, and Harry's emerald eyes seemed to glow in the darkness that surrounded them. There was something almost otherworldly about them as they sat in the dark. Of course, Ron reasoned, it could just be that he knew that all three of them had amazing power. Power to love and to live and to kill all who stood in their way; all three also had helped them live through the past year of darkness. Power that had helped them survive the darkness.
"I want to say I can remember, but it all seems so long ago." Hermione said softly as she turned her gaze to the cup of tea she held. "Even though I can remember all that has transpired the past seven years I can't seem to grasp an area where the grey matter didn't exist."
"I remember," Harry gave Hermione's hand a gentle squeeze. "I remember when it all changed too. Amazing, isn't it, to think we were once full of thoughts such as handing our homework in on time compared to the thoughts of defeating evil dark lords."
At this the group lapsed into silence. Ron couldn't help to think if things were different would he be better off for it. What if Neville had been the Chosen One? Would he still have befriended the boy-who-lived or would he have befriended plain Harry? Why did it always come down to "what if"?
"We have spent too much time here," Hermione said suddenly.
"Where are we going to go?" The war was over, and it had been over for three weeks now. They had spent a few days getting fixed up by Madam Pomfrey, and then came to the Burrow. Of course Madam Pomfrey had stayed at the Burrow for two more days making sure that they had a big supply of dreamless sleep potion. The Burrow was crowded with people at that time, they knew it would be, but the noise of everyone got to them rather quickly.
The noise of everyone talking at once sounded like the incoherent screams that take place during battles. The noise of people apparating in and out made them jump and reach for their wands. And finally just regular noises of a busy house terrified them.
Surprisingly, Harry was the first one to crack. It was about four days after they had arrived at the Burrow. It was chaotic. Hermione had gone off with her parents for a walk around the orchard, and Ron was playing chess with Harry. All the sudden they heard a loud crash followed by several people yelling. Ron had his wand in his hand before the first voice sounded, but Harry disappeared, literally.
It took Ron twenty minutes to find Harry. He had stashed himself in one of the cupboards under the kitchen counters. Ron had to explain to his mum and everyone there to let him be. When Hermione came back she found everyone sitting in the living room looking at the kitchen in fear, and when she spotted Madam Pomfrey she understood.
"Let him rest," she said simply as she wandered into the kitchen to read a book. She sat down by Ron on the floor of the kitchen leaning up against Harry's cupboard. They had stayed there all day and night. It was as morning broke over the house, and Molly Weasley entered the kitchen that she found the three teenagers curled up on the kitchen floor. Hermione half in the cupboard, Harry's arm protectively wrapped around her and, her baby, Ron leaning on the other side of Hermione.
"Well, what are our options?" Harry asked startling Ron out of his thoughts.
"Grimmauld Place, The Hollow, Hogwarts, Hogsmead, The Leaky Cauldron, here, The Muggle World," Hermione ticked off a finger for each option.
"The Muggle World is out." Ron said. "If we can't live here then think about living there." He hastily added seeing Hermione's face.
"So we can't stay here either," Hermione quipped.
"No, we can't. We need some place with space. And no offence, Ron, but your mother smothers us."
"None taken," Ron said to Harry's statement. "Hogwarts?"
"Not at this moment," Hermione said dejectedly. "It would be the same as living here or in the Muggle world. Too much noise and too many people."
"What about some place like Grimmauld Place and The Hollow combined?" Ron asked after a minute of thought.
"It needs to be roomy, but crowded at the same time," Hermione said thoughtfully.
"With all the books you own I don't think that will be a problem." Harry joked and they all laughed.
"I want to live near some place with water," Hermione said after they all calmed down. "It can be the ocean, a river, but I would prefer a lake."
"So, lake country?" Ron saw Hermione nod, "Then we should start looking soon."
"The sooner the better," Harry said as he got up to fix them more tea. "Anyone up for a game of poker?"
The three of them had spent many long nights playing poker to pass the time. Each had gotten very good at the game, but by knowing each other so well it was rather easy to call someone's bluff.
As they were in the middle of their fifth game the sun started to shin through the curtains that draped over the kitchen windows. Ron thought he heard someone rummaging around upstairs but he paid no heed to it as Harry raised the bid.
"Three horcruxes and one dead Voldemort," He said as he met Ron's eyes.
"Bullshit," Hermione couldn't hide the laughter in her voice.
No one got to see if Harry was going to win the pot because at the very moment Hermione yelled bullshit Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen. "Hermione I don't condone such language," Mrs. Weasley snapped off automatically. As she put the kettle back on the stove the three teenagers watched her pause, "Hermione?"
Hermione was smirking slightly at being caught. She was usually so reserved, but after fighting for her life many times over being reserved had gone out of the window. It was replaced with a girl who loved life to her fullest.
As Molly looked at the three teens she started thinking of all that had happened since they arrived. The house had become considerably less crowded in the past two days, Molly noted as she started to get the fixing for breakfast out. Fred and George had put up Bill and Fleur and Charlie had headed back to Romania. Minerva and Hagrid had been allowed back into the castle by two house elves and Madam Pomfrey had gone back too; she assumed to the hospital wing at Hogwarts. The Grangers had stayed in Percy's room, and they planned to stay there for some time. Which she really didn't mind and neither did Arthur. Remus and Tonks went back to their cottage although they popped in every day to check up on Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
As she went about making breakfast the three teenagers lapsed back into silence. For them it was a comforting silence, but for Molly it was unnerving. She was grateful when she heard another person moving about in the house, and it wasn't long before Arthur came down the stairs.
"Up again?" he asked Ron, Harry, and Hermione as he pulled up a chair around the kitchen table.
"Yeah," Hermione whispered. "Sleeping is so overrated."
"Says the girl that loves to sleep in," Harry said quickly.
"Well, I do love to sleep in, but some oaf insists on making lots of noise when he wakes up. Thus it is impossible for me to sleep in."
"Harry couldn't be quiet after waking up to save his life," Ron said remembering times back at Hogwarts when Harry would wake him and the other boys up on a trip to the bathroom.
"It's the fact he doesn't put on his glasses right after waking up," Hermione mused. Ron couldn't help but laugh at Hermione's face. Unfortunately for them the moment was ruined by Hermione's parents coming down the stairs. Along with their arrival was the sound of two people flooing into the living room. All three turned to see Remus and Tonks walk into the kitchen.
At this Hermione glanced at Harry who in turn looked towards Ron. Ron knew exactly what his two best friends were trying to say, `lets get this talk over with,' but he certainly wasn't going to be the one to bring up his moving out of the Burrow. So in turn he looked to Hermione and gave her a slight nod.
Hermione sighed at Ron's nod. "We have some news," she said quickly. Everyone in the kitchen stopped doing whatever they were doing to look at the three of them. "Hogwarts won't be available to us for another four months," it was best to explain the reasoning behind their moving before telling them that they were moving. "And as much as we love the Burrow we can't stay here."
"Of course you can stay here," Molly said her voice rising to the level t usually got when she was gearing up for an argument.
"No, Mrs. Weasley, we need time and space." Harry glanced out the window as he spoke. "And apparently that has to be somewhere near water."
"We are thinking of finding a place in the Lake District," Ron quickly said seeing his mother's face.
"Lake District," Remus spoke up, and Hermione could tell he thought of something that might help them.
"Now Remus you can't honestly be thinking about letting them consider this?" Molly spoke once more.
"Molly, dear," Harry watched as Molly calmed down as Mr. Weasley put his hand on her shoulder and spoke to her in a calm voice. "They are adults. We can not force them to do anything they don't want to do."
"Remus, do you know something we should know?" Hermione asked as she steadily avoided her parents' worried looks.
"Well, yes," Remus smiled at her. "The Malfoy's have a house in the Lake District."
At this simple sentence the three best friends shared a look. The Malfoy name no longer existed seeing as how all the Malfoys' died during the last few months of the war. Harry knew Hermione still had nightmares of the night they had found Draco and his mother in the abandoned Riddle House. He, himself, had nightmares about the last battle in which he killed Lucius Malfoy.
"As for that being a good thing the house most likely now belongs to Harry," Remus finished his thought.
"What? Why me?" Harry almost dropped his empty tea cup when the words Remus just spoke settled in.
"Goblin law, Harry," Hermione said quietly. "You are technically the last Black in the Black line. Malfoy's mum was a Black and all stuff will go to you since you are the only living relative left of the Black line."
"But what about other Malfoys'" Harry couldn't possibly believe he was going to get all of Malfoy's crap.
"Draco was the last of the Malfoy line so it immediately transfers over to you."
"Well," Harry paused for a minute. "I'm not living in anything that Malfoy called home."
At this Tonks spoke, "he never lived there Harry. The Manner hasn't been lived in by the Malfoy's since before Narcissa got married to Lucius. He thought it was too common."
"We should at least make sure it now belongs to Harry," Hermione stated matter-of-factly.
"You can't be serious?" Harry looked at Hermione as if she had gone crazy. "Do I need to remind you about the last time I inherited a house from a Black. It was full of doxies, and boggarts and a crazed house elf. Not to mention all the dark arts objects that where in there."
"It is worth checking into," Hermione looked Harry straight in the eye and dared him to defy her. She could see he was weighing the options of saying no to saying yes, and she smiled when he gave her a weary nod.
"We will go to Gringotts this afternoon." Ron instantly said seeing Harry's defeat. He then stood up and went with Remus to the other room to discuss the best way to get to and from Diagon Alley without causing too much of an uproar.
Hermione as they left the kitchen flung her arms around Harry's neck, "Thank you."
Seven hours later Ron, Harry, and Hermione found themselves in Tom's pub. They had flooed in and were now sitting waiting for Remus to join them. The pub was rather quiet for a Tuesday afternoon. Each knew Molly was taking the time to yell at Remus before he left, and they took a table to wait for him.
"Order us some butterbeer," Harry passed a few galleons to Ron who went off to the bar. Tom had been happy to see the three teens. They had come fairly often during the past months and he had always been helpful to them by giving them a private parlour each visit. But now that the war was over they could sit in the crowded bar without too much fear of being seen by a Death Eater.
"Three butterbeers," Ron had returned with their drinks.
As the three finished their butterbeers Remus entered the pub. It didn't take long for the four of them to make their way through the pub and into the back alley. Remus dutifully tapped the bricks, and they were all greeted with the sight of a bustling Diagon Alley.
"Well, one good thing about saving the world," Ron said with a grin. "It got rid of those annoying vendors." Harry and Hermione laughed at Ron's obvious comments about the lack of vendors whom had been camped out in Diagon Alley for the past two years. They would sell just about anything to anyone claiming it would offer that person protection against deadly curses.
"Let's get moving," Remus started to push his way through the jam of people. Harry, Hermione, and Ron followed as they wound their way to the marble building called Gringotts.
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