What Happened Afterwards

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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*NOTES* Another chapter for everyone to read. Hope you enjoy.

The four of them followed a goblin into a private meeting room. As soon as the goblin heard their request he smiled at Hermione. “I see you brought the right person. We were just going to send a letter out to you, Miss. Granger, to inform you of the need to come in for the hearing of the will.”

“Me,” Hermione squeaked out.

“Yes, Mrs. Malfoy had a sense of humour. Not to mention she didn't want to continue on with the legacy. As this being under her name it was her right to give it to whomever she chose.”

“And she chose me?” Hermione had gone wide eye and pale at his words. Mrs. Malfoy and she had met twice. Once when she saved the women's life and the last time when she found her body along with her son's. Both were times Hermione had hoped to forget, but they lingered like a bad after taste.

“She said it should cover the life debt she owed you,” Hermione hadn't noticed she was gripping the chair's arms so tightly her knuckles had turned white until her body started to shake. “I understand how hard this must be for you…”

“You've got to be kidding me…I mean this is ludicrous. And why the hell haven't you contacted me before?” She avoided looking at Harry and Ron for she couldn't answer their questions yet.

“We couldn't,” The goblin was old and balding, and Hermione felt terrible for yelling at him. She just didn't even think this would happen.

“Well, what about the Malfoy wealth?” Remus asked.

“It will be passed down to Mr. Potter and the Weasley family and the Tonks family. Oh, and to Draco Malfoy-Black, equally divided of course. The Malfoy Manor is to go to Arthur Weasley, also.”

“Draco is dead,” Ron said softly. At this the goblin just gave him a nod of dismal.

At this they stood up to leave, “Oh, Ms. Granger, you need to fill out this paperwork to have the vault put in your name.”

“Vault,” Hermione didn't know how much more this she could take. First a house and now a vault…she wouldn't be half surprised if the next thing she inherited would be a house elf.

“Yes, the house comes with a vault. It holds a sufficient amount of money in it.”

“Of course it does.” Hermione whispered as she stayed right where she was rooted. “You guys can wait for me outside.”

“Hermione saved Malfoy's mum's life,” Ron watched as Harry paced in the waiting room off of the private meeting room. “When, no wait, WHEN?”

Just as Ron was about to say he would have to wait for Hermione to answer that question because he didn't know the answer Hermione came out of the room. She looked stricken, and generally shaken Ron noticed. He also noticed that Harry stopped pacing the minute she came out of the room. The two seemed to look at each other for an enormous amount of time before Harry pulled Hermione into a hug.

“I'm sorry—I didn't—it wasn't,” Hermione squeaked out in-between sobs, and Harry just held her as she cried. Finally she calmed down enough to squeak out, “I've got the key, and Mr. Rodfang told me we could move in as soon as possible if we wish.”

“So, when will that be?” Ron asked.

It was early morning as three people sat around the kitchen table at the Burrow. Yesterday still seemed so surreal to them, and they had told Remus to keep the news that Hermione owned the house to himself and Tonks. He agreed rather reluctantly, and, now, they were going to see the house.

“Explain it all to me one more time, Hermione?”

“Well, Ron, this is how it all came to be,” she couldn't help but sigh at him. “We were in Diagon Alley during that surprise attack. You know the one where Lavender lost her leg?”

“Oh! Yep,” Ron went slightly pale as he looked down at the leg he almost lost during the final battle.

“Okay, so, I had just gotten my arm shattered by a curse when protecting a little boy, and all the sudden I recognise Malfoy's mum in the shop behind me.”

Hermione suddenly found herself back inside a horrid memory. It was a fact that during the last year she had been the one to come up with the most injuries for she was always jumping in front of curses that weren't meant for her. This situation was one of those times.

The boy just wouldn't stop crying, she thought as she caught her breath behind some trash cans. If he just stopped crying he wouldn't have been noticed but now he had a vicious murderer after him. Boys, she sighed as she waited for the perfect moment. And then it came.

Hermione jumped out from behind her hiding place and as she did she remember Harry warning going through her head, “Stay safe and hide if needed.” So much for that, she thought as she grabbed the little boy and pushed him out of the way. She saw Dolohov smile out of the corner of her eye as the curse hit her left arm and shattered all the bones in that arm. Hermione let out a strangled cry as she flew through window of the shop behind her. She landed on her left arm, felt all her body scream, but fought it off as she whipped out her wand. Thinking quickly she put up a protective shield around everyone hiding in the shop.

“Not a situation you wanted to be in either,” Hermione said someone grabbed her good arm.

“I need to get out of here,” she whispered frantically, and Hermione immediately noticed who was talking to her.

“Mrs. Malfoy?”

“They can't find me. It would mean huge loss of life for the Order.”

“The Order?” Hermione had her wand trained on the lady. “What do you know about the Order?”

“It is me they are after. One thing I did to get Draco free was to tell the Dark Lord I knew everyone who was in the Order.” Her pale features went paler as a shadow feel across them.

“I get to kill two birds with one stone,” Hermione whipped around to find herself once again facing Dolohov. She gave an involuntary shudder when she saw his blackened, rotting teeth.

“I'm not letting you kill anyone, Dolohov.” Hermione spat at him, and he laughed at her. If there was one thing Hermione hated most in the world, beside the unjust treatment of other magical beings, was being laughed at. She fingered the portkey she had in her pocket, programmed it to go to the Shrieking Shack, and thrust it in Mrs. Malfoy's hand.

“Go,” She shouted as she fired off a reductor curse at the ceiling above their heads.

“You deserve to die mudblood,” He snarled and Hermione saw that almost all the death eaters were getting their butts handed to them. Before she could comment on this Dolohov let out a cry of pain, “Until next time, love.” He said as he disapparated.

“Damn,” She said as she looked down to her arm, and to the little boy who was cowering behind her.

“So, when you found Mrs. Malfoy and Draco in Riddle Manor that is why you freaked?” Harry's voice brought Hermione back to the present. She gave him a half smile before nodding. “The things we have done,” he whispered as he brought her close and kissed her forehead.

They sat in silence for a while before Mrs. Weasley came down to the kitchen to start breakfast. She barely spoke to the three of them as she whipped up eggs, bacon, and toast. All of them ate in silence before Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood up to leave and go check out the house.

“I can't believe we got out without her nagging us,” Ron said as soon as they were in the middle of the backyard.

“Ron,” Hermione could tell Harry was silently agreeing with Ron. “I think your mum has realised that we are grown-ups, and she can't force us to do anything we don't want to do.”

“We are talking about my mum, right?”

“Oh, shush,” Hermione smacked both boys on the back of their heads. She then took out the portkey (which was also the key) Rodfang had given to her that would get them to the house. “On three,” Hermione's statement immediately made Harry think of Dumbledore. “One…Two…Three,” Harry felt something pull right below his navel, and they were being pulled through a rush of wind and colours.

“Wow,” Hermione said as soon as the three of them had fully untangled themselves and stood up. “This is like Mr. Darcy's house in Pride and Prejudice. Just a smaller version.”

“Who,” Harry and Ron chorused together.

“Honestly, don't you two read?”

The two boys didn't even think that questioned warranted the answer it always got. Hermione looked at the stone building for a few more seconds, and then made her way up the pathway leading to the gatehouse and then the house. The grounds were covered in trees and grass, there was a lake right beside the west part of the house, and Hermione could make out stables in the distance.

“It is really peaceful here,” Harry had caught up with her. “I'm not saying anymore until we see the inside though,” Harry said as he saw Hermione's slight smile.

When they reached the iron gate Hermione pulled out the key. Here goes nothing, she thought as she inserted it in the slot. An electric jolt went through her body as she turned the key to release the lock. Slowly Hermione pushed open the gate, and released a sigh when nothing happened.

“I, Hermione Jane Granger, take this house to be my own, and consent to Harry James Potter and Ronald Billius Weasley to enter.”

With that the two boys entered the grounds. They had watched as she had inactivated the old wards and the new ones set up to allow for a new owner. It was almost scary to watch for a few seconds Hermione had glowed blue. They had seen this done only one other time when they had done their own ward activation right before entering Hogwarts for the final battle.

“Let's go check this house out,” Ron entered the property, and they were off.

“Probably unfit to live in,” Molly Weasley spoke at dinner time. “Just like Sirius's house.”

Harry's stomach still clenched at the mention of his godfather. He felt a comforting hand on his arm and turned to stare into the brown eyes of Hermione. She gave him a soft smile which he slightly returned before turning back to his food.

The Black Manor was a complete one-eighty compared to the Black ancestral house. They had entered into a huge foyer which show cased a marble staircase on the far left side and had four doors leading to different rooms (if one didn't count the two huge oak doors leading to the outside). The four doors led to a parlour, a billiard room, a hallway to the kitchen, and a formal dinning room. All the furniture was covered in white sheets to keep the dust away, and there wasn't a screaming portrait in sight.

As they had finished exploring the downstairs they were interrupted by a knock on the door. All three had their wands out as Hermione cautiously walked to the door. She flung them both open to be met with the sight of a middle-aged woman.

“Oh goodness I knew I was late but I didn't know I was this late,” The woman rushed inside practically barrelling into Hermione to give her a hug. “I'm Martha, the housekeeper of the Black Lake House. Rodfang told me you would be arriving sometime today to check out the property.” Martha said this all very quickly as she let Hermione go and pulled back to arms length to scrutinise her. “Oh you poor dear.”

“Excuse me,” Hermione had finally regained her senses enough to react to that last comment.

“And who are these young gentlemen you have brought with you?”

“Well, I'm Hermione Granger, and the red head is Ron Weasley, and that is Harry Potter.” Hermione pointed to each of her boys respectively. She watched Martha carefully and finally gave the nod for the boys to lower their wands. “Now, Martha, how long have you been the housekeeper?”

“Oh since before you were born,” Martha said smartly. “I had just come on, replaced my own mum, about a year before Narcissa decided to close the place up. I've been coming once a week to do the dusting and vacuuming. Four times a year I air the place out so it doesn't smell too musty.”

“You're not a witch?” Ron's voice seemed to echo in the foyer.

“Oh no, I'm a witch, it is just that here at the Black Lake House we like to keep up appearances.”

Hermione was instantly taking a liking to Martha. She studied the older lady for a moment to find her features, while not stricken, very pleasant to look at. She very much reminded Hermione of a slightly younger and less stressed Molly Weasley. It was as she decided this that she noticed Martha had been talking the whole time and now had stopped.

“Well, then I guess you would like to start the tour?”

The tour had taken them most of the day to get through. For not only did they tour the house but the also the parks and was even shown the village. Now as Hermione sat in the backyard at the Weasley house she wanted to go back to the quiet of it all.

“I've see you've made up your mind,” Harry's voice startled her. She looked up at him and nodded. “Okay so we start moving in tomorrow.” At this Hermione launched herself into his arms. She giggled as he spun her around. “I love you,” Harry said softly as his lips touched hers in a soft kiss.

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NOTES-> this is a slightly shorter chapter. The next one will be longer what with a party happening and all. I'm sorry for the delay but I'm finishing up classes this week and the following week so everything has been really, really busy. The next chapter should be up in about two weeks but if it isn't it is because I'm packing to head back to the USA after living in England for the past 9 months. Enjoy!

Harry was beginning to feel half-way normal. It was incredibly strange and overall uncomforting. As he untangled himself from Hermione's sleeping form he also reached for his glasses. Years of living at the Dursleys had taught Harry how to walk with cat like grace. It was easy for him, once he put on his glasses, to sneak out of the room.

Unconsciously he made his way out the front door, and with a pop he found himself standing in a forest. The trees were pretty dense making it so Harry could just barely make out a clearing in the distance as the sun rose higher into the sky turning it from a purple haze to a pink orange. Determined he began making his way to the clearing and upon closer inspection he realized where he was.

“How do I get myself in these messes?” He questioned himself as he took in the graveyard before him.

It was unlike the graveyard he had been in when he was in his fourth year at Hogwarts. In this graveyard there were no menacing statues and no crazy guy waiting to kill him. Every grave marker was white and pure, and the whole place had a sense of calm to it. Harry felt like he was home as he wove his way through the markers before finally reached two at the back of the site.

“I know it has only been a month,” Harry started as he plopped down in front of the markers. “But last time I was kind of drunk. So I figured I owed you this sober visit. To be honest I'm completely confused on what I'm suppose to be doing with my life.”

Harry took out his wand and did a scourgify-ing charm. They became sparkling clean and the weeds that had begun to creep up died back down. Now, Harry could probably read the names of his parents, Lily Evans Potter and James Potter.

“I fulfilled my purpose and killed the bastard, and unless there is another prophecy for me to fulfil then I'm stuck. Hermione would just tell me to get over it and move on because I was never stuck to begin with, and sometimes I think she is right. But I still have my doubts about what I'm suppose to be doing. I'm lost and I need someone to tell me that it is okay to feel this normal. I need you mum and dad probably more than I have ever needed you before.”

As Harry was talking he didn't hear another person approaching, but he distinctively heard the other person speak. “Mr. Potter I say you have finally become a normal teenager.” Harry let out a small chuckle as he turned to see Professor McGonagall standing behind him.

“Hello, Minerva. I would say what brings you here, but we both know you visit this site more than I do.” Both of them took in the site of the graveyard. This is the place where almost all the dead order members where laid to rest. All but Dumbledore, Harry reminded himself with a shake of his head.

“I've seen you've made my job a tad bit easier by taking care of two of the graves.” She placed a hand on his shoulder as he made to stand up. “Harry the feelings you are experiencing right now are no different then those in their seventh year at Hogwarts. They have no clue what they want to do with their lives and I have to say I'm glad you are feeling this way because it shows you are healing.”

“Healing?” Harry said the word as if he had never heard of it before. Minerva let out a small light laugh at this. “Yes healing, Harry. Amazing isn't it? To think that their can not only be life after a war, but happiness too.”

“Professor” Harry said as she turned to go, “we can come back to school next term, right?”

“Hogwarts has yet to deny anyone of an education.” She gave him a small smile, and then placed a lily across his the two markers, his parent's markers. “They were her favourite flower because James insisted upon giving them to her all the time to remind her that she was more beautiful than her name in his eyes.”

The sun was high when Harry finally got off the ground. “See you later, Professor.” McGonagall stop placing flowers on the tomb of someone Harry didn't know. Harry knew she was watching him as he left the cemetery.

It was quiet when he made it back to the Burrow. Almost too quiet for a house with Mrs. Weasley residing, but Harry guessed she was rather upset with them for moving on so soon. He entered the kitchen to see Ron, Hermione, Remus, Tonks, and Mr and Mrs Weasley having breakfast. All but Hermione and Ron stopped eating and talking when Harry entered.

“So, I think it would be really fun if we had a get together with Neville's gang.” Ron talked around the egg and toast he had in his mouth.

“Oh good idea,” Hermione nodded her head enthusiastically. “After we get all settled in we should do that. Ron, since it was your idea, you can be in charge of the planning,” she turned to grin at Harry. “Morning honey,” Harry walked into the room as soon as Hermione addressed his return. “How were they?”

He planted a kiss on top of her head as he pulled up a stool. “Good, they were good. Saw Professor McGonagall, she said I'm healing.”

“Oh…healing,” Ron said sarcastically, and Harry threw some toast at him. “Well, good for you mate. Now, what do you think about the party idea?”

“Fine with me,” at this Hermione stood up and walked into the living room. She came back just as her parents made their way into the kitchen. In her hands she had three backpacks. “Everything all set?”

“I was thinking we would leave around noon, and don't worry, Ron, I informed Martha. She said she would have lunch all ready for us when we arrive. Remus and Tonks are coming with us to help us get everything settled.” Hermione spoke quickly as she set the backpacks on the floor next to her stool. Harry watched her parents' reactions to see they seemed slightly uneasy about the whole thing. He could only assume it was because she was leaving them again, and not because she would be living with two boys even if one was her fiancé.

“You can sit here Mrs. Granger,” Harry immediately stood up offering up the stool he was sitting on to Hermione's mum.

She smiled warmly at him and accepted his generous offer. It was amazingly hard for her to think that just as they had got them back that they were going to be leaving so soon. Hermione had always been overly independent, but she became even more so as her years at Hogwarts went on. Now, Jane realized, Hermione wasn't overly independent she was in-fact highly dependent on her two best friends.

Time passed rather quickly, and Jane found herself out front of the Burrow watching the love of her life load up their station wagon as Arthur was inside the car tinkering with the radio and looking like it was Christmas. Her daughter and Harry were off to the side discussing something while Ron tried to get his father out of the car. As she approached Hermione Harry fell back to give them the room they needed.

“Are you ever going to come back?” Jane took in her daughter's face. It was still slightly drawn with exhaustion and from what the past year had held, but Jane could tell Hermione was beginning to slowly mend.

For the first time in Hermione's life her mother looked small and confused as she stared at her face. She rushed forward and hugged her mother hoping that she could give her a little comfort. “I promise to always come back. Remember at the beginning of this I made that promise and kept it. You mean the world to me, mum, but right now I need to get better.”

“Be careful, my baby,” And with that Jane let go of her daughter, and her dreams. As she stepped away Edward came up and pulled Hermione into one of his bear hugs. Jane looked towards Harry; he was someone she was still trying to figure out, but the only thing that mattered was that Hermione loved him.

“You ready, baby,” Edward's voice was thick with untold emotion. Jane nodded her body moving towards the boy-who-captured-her-daughter's-heart.

“Harry,” one of his arms was wrapped around Hermione's waist as she leaned against him. “Try to stay out of trouble.” With that Jane kissed the boy on the cheek.

It wasn't easy for Harry to watch the Grangers leave. He knew Hermione half wished she was going with them, but he also knew she was staying because she believed it was the right thing to do. As they walked back into the Burrow he watched as Hermione got down to business. She did this every time something emotionally painful had happened. When Ron had gone coma-like after he first used the killing curse Hermione hadn't broken down until after she had gotten Harry's permission to crumble. Now as he watched her closely he could tell she was putting aside her emotions once more for him.

“Hermione,” his voice came out in a cautious whisper as he pulled her into an embrace. She stiffened slightly and then relaxed into his touch. “It's okay to not want to see them go.”

“I know,” her voice was slightly muffled by his shirt collar. He let her take the time she needed to pull herself together. After a few moments she pulled away, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Hermione smiled lopsided at him as she reached out to brush his bangs away from his forehead. Harry loved that smile. It was the one she reserved for him, and only him. “Come on I know you want to get a move on.” He saw her eyes light up at the prospect of a new adventure and inwardly groaned at what he and Ron were getting themselves into.

Ron was waiting at the kitchen table. He silently handed Harry his backpack. Their bags had been with them through the war. Each held stains from battles and from the aftermaths of those battles. As Harry shouldered his bag he couldn't help but be comforted by the familiar weight of it. Almost as if his whole life was in the bag now resting on his right shoulder which Harry reasoned was true. Everything except for his family was in that bag.

“Everything all set?” Remus's voice came into the kitchen and the three teens turned to see that for that moment they were the only people inside the kitchen. Taking a glance around they walked outside to say goodbye to the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and start the next stage of their journey.

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*NOTES* Okay it has been a million and a half years, and I know this is a very short chapter. But it is needed. Happy Holiday Season Everyone!

Being surrounded by boxes was not how Ron wanted to spend the first full day in the new house. Of course he wasn't the only one unpacking so that made him feel slightly better. All the boxes were unmarked, and they had unceremoniously piled them in the ball room yesterday.

Yesterday, they had arrived at the Black Lake House with Remus and Tonks. All five of them were carrying backpacks that contained around ten shrunken boxes each. Hermione had unlocked the gate to allow Remus and Tonks entrance. Ron watched as she set up the wards to recognise Remus, Tonks, the whole Weasley family, Neville and his gang, and finally the entire Order of the Phoenix. It was at moments like this that Ron was glad Hermione read so much.

After Hermione set the wards to her preference the group made their way to the house, and the first order of business (which made Ron very happy) was having lunch. Martha greeted them, warmly, at the door, and then ushered them inside the informal dinning area to have a buffet style lunch.

Now, as Ron looked through his fifth box of the morning he began to wistfully think of lunch which was three hours away. He wished fervently that time would hurry up so he could be doing anything but shifting through stuff. Looking down he scowled.

“Another box for Harry,” Ron shouted and the box zoomed across the room to his messy haired friend. “Why don't these have labels, Remus?”

“This one is Hermione's, Ron.” Harry spoke up suddenly.

“I could have sworn they had labels on them,” Remus and Tonks were also knee deep in boxes. “They also seemed to have multiplied.”

“This is unreal,” Hermione said as she stuffed her hand in a box and pulled out some brightly coloured objects. “Whoops,” she hastily stuck the objects back in the box before Ron could get a good look at them. He did see Harry's face turn a nice shade of red at the sight of whatever it was Hermione wanted to keep hidden. `I found my bathroom stuff,” at this off-handed comment Ron could feel himself turning red too.

At this they all turned to see Martha enter the room from servant's entrance. Ron found it slightly unnerving how easily Hermione and Harry accepted Martha, but he could find no obvious reason not to trust Martha. Plus she could cook really well. So until Ron was given a reason he would trust her.

“I was wondering if you needed some help,” Martha looked slightly nervous as she stood on the edge of all the boxes.

“Of course,” Hermione said. “All the help will get this done quicker. And then Ron could start planning the party.” At this Hermione stuck her tongue out at Ron who stuck his tongue out right back at her.

Ron watched as Martha started to help Hermione sort through the boxes she was poking through. About two hours later Martha left to go start lunch, and Ron, Hermione, and Harry actually began to move the boxes up to their rooms. Just as they had levitated the last boxes up all of them heard a crack come from the empty ballroom.

Remus and Tonks had their wands out and pointing at the source of the noise, but they were the only ones. Harry, Ron and Hermione just sort of stared at Dobby for a second before Hermione rushed forward to give him one big hug. Once Hermione put Dobby down Ron came over to give him a pat on the back and finally Harry approached.

Harry sunk onto his knees and green eyes met green. Dobby eyes were slightly filled with tears and he started to wail as Harry gave him a bone crushing hug. “You is okay?” Dobby kept repeating even when Harry let him go.

“Dobby we're fine,” Hermione said as she slipped her hand into Harry's who was now standing.

Martha's voice rang out that lunch was ready, and Ron felt his stomach grumble in anticipation. “Come Dobby lets go eat all the food,” Ron said jauntily moving towards the dinning area.

All seven of them sat down to a hearty meal of steak and kidney pie. There was a little conversation going around the small table, but mostly their thoughts were kept to themselves. As the meal came to a close, Ron noticed that Remus started to fidget.

“Well,” their old professor said. “We will leave you to finish getting settled.” Ron glanced at Harry and Hermione, who were sitting opposite of him. Their faces were a passive calm that they took on whenever they didn't want people to know what their thoughts held, but Ron could see the anxiety in their eyes.

He felt some anxiety too. It was great to be back among the people they missed so much, and Tonks and Remus were constant during the war. The couple had taught them so much and become so much to all three of them.

The five of them walked to the front doorway. Remus shook Ron's hand, hugged Hermione, and finally arrived at Harry. Ron and Hermione turned to see Remus hand Harry six envelopes.

“Molly wanted you three to have these,” and with a friendly clasp to Harry's shoulder he exited the manor. Tonks waited a few seconds and then followed once she got the promise for an invite to the party.

“What are they?” Ron asked as they made their way back to the dinning room.

“They are the letters we wrote to each other.”

All three of them looked at the pile of papers that lay in Harry's hands. The envelopes were full and each was made of the same thick parchment that their own Hogwarts letters arrived in so many years ago.

“We promised we would never go there again,” Hermione said in a small voice.

“We said that during the war, but now that it is over…” Ron could tell that Harry was thinking that even though everything seemed okay they would eventually need to talk about what happened.

“So…should we open them?” He said as Martha and Dobby joined them at the table with a plate of biscuits.

“I thought you all would need a treat after all the hard work you accomplished here,” she put the plate of cookies right in front of Ron and joined them at the table. They all ate their cookies in silence.

Night had dawned on the manor and Martha had gone home after lunch time. She informed Hermione that she would be coming once a week to do the cleaning and general up-keep of the house, but if Hermione had any questions or concerns she was only an owl away. Ron had bid his two best friends goodnight an hour before, and he was quickly finding that sleep would not come.

He walked down the stairs and into the informal dinning room to find Harry and Hermione waiting for him. They didn't look as he entered. Ron knew that they knew he was coming as hot tea was already waiting for him at his place around the table. In the middle of the oak table were the six letters neatly stacked and waiting to be opened.

“The question is…” Hermione spoke as Ron slid into the seat across from her and Harry. “Do we open them?”

Ron was slightly scared by Hermione's question. She wasn't the one to ask the questions…she was suppose to answer them. And the fact that she didn't know the answer gave Ron the shivers.

“Why don't we worry about it later?” Ron asked his two best friends in a pleading voice.

“We need to deal with this sometime…soon.” Harry finally spoke up. His voice while soft was amazingly forceful. “But Ron is right. Not tonight.”

At this statement, Ron could feel his body relaxing. He took a seat beside Hermione around the table. It was just another night with his two best friends.

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*NOTES* Hello everyone! I just finished this chapter. It was my distraction from all the studying I have coming up. Finals are almost a week away and I'm totally freaked. Thankfully there was this lovely world I could slip into to relax me. I hope everyone is enjoying this winter season (I know I am), and I hope to update one more time before the holidays. Thanks for reading and as always please review. I love knowing your thoughts.

Hermione was alone in the Black Manor for the first time since they moved in. Harry and Ron had gone to the heart of London to do some shopping with specific instructions from Hermione to get stuff for the Manor. Now she was sitting in her makeshift spacious library wishing for something, anything, to do.

“I should have just gone with them,” she sighed as she threw down the latest book she was reading. “But no I was said I was going to stay here and read. This was the stupidest idea.”

For the past few days the three friends had studiously avoided each other for a couple of hours whenever the letters came up in a conversation. Hermione had found it increasingly difficult last night when she and Harry had found their way into the dinning room after a complete run through of the house (Ron was munching away in the kitchen). They saw the letters and the laughter that had been on their lips died away. Both proclaimed that they were heading to bed before realizing that they slept in the same room as each other and thus could hardly avoid one another.

As Hermione got changed for what was going to be a rather awkward night Harry spoke up. “You want to read them don't you?”

“Would it be such a bad thing if I did?”

“No, I guess it wouldn't be…”

They were sitting on the opposite sides of the bed facing different walls. She wanted it to be a bad thing opening those letters; after all she didn't want Harry or Ron to read what she wrote to them. She didn't even want to write the letters. It had felt too final writing goodbye to her two best friends, her parents, and Professor McGonagall.

The house, she thought, was too quite with her boys gone. She got up to pace the library when Dobby came in a tray of tea floating along beside him. Hermione paused in her pacing to watch Dobby set down the tea tray and pick up his knitting needles.

It always amazed her how good Dobby got at knitting so quickly. During a few long nights sitting around the table at Grimmauld place she taught him the basic stitches. Now he had far bypassed her knobble knitted hats (he still wore them though).

Hermione started pacing again as she thought of the letters. She, of course, knew what she wrote in each letter to each person, but she had no clue what her two best friends had written. And then there was the fact that they had only gotten six letters back. It had been foolish of her to think that they would have gotten all of them back, but why would their loved ones want to keep them after they knew that all three of them were safe and alive?

She remembered the night they decided to write the letters so vividly. The three of them popped into the house with barely a sound. Harry was clutching her so tightly to his chest she thought she might suffocate, but all she could think of was not being able to graduate.

It was her wish, and the one thing she had given up to be with Harry during his fight. All this past year she had suppressed her desire in order to help her friend, but now as Hermione breathed in his shirt she realized just how much she gave up for him.

Somehow her harsh breathing turned into sobs. Harry noticed her tense up and began stroking her hair to try and calm her down. It only made her mad. She knew she was being insensible, but part of Hermione knew she earned that right.

Her fist made contact with his chest, and in the deafening silence of the parlor of Grimmauld place it sounded louder than it probably was, but she hit him again as he backed away. Ron tried to pull her away and she hit him too. At this Harry's hands wound their way around her waist to pull her back to his chest once again.

“I want to graduate,” she sobbed into his chest as she hit him one more time. “Do you know what I gave up for you?”

“Graduating?” Ron asked weakly. If it wasn't for Harry's iron grip on her she would have smacked Ron.

“I gave up my parents, my head girl badge, my life for you…” she trailed off only to start back up again. “I've been cursed, broken, burnt, and now I can add being snake bait, and all I want to do right now is quit. I just want it all to stop.”

“You can,” his whisper into her hair was so soft she barely heard him.

At this she pushed away from his grasp. It would be so easy to walk out that door and go back to her parents, but it would be so hard to give up everything. She shook her head as she took another step away from Harry, her Harry.

“I…I…Oh god,” she started to sink to the ground but Ron's arms caught her around the waist before she hit the ground. “How…how could you say…Harry…” Hermione was trying to process it all.

“It would be easy wouldn't it?” Harry asked. His voice was calm, and his eyes met hers as he spoke every word.

She met his eyes, “No. NO!”

Ron's arms still cradled her as she tried to pull herself up but her legs had gone weak. Everything that had happened tonight came rushing back to her. The snake slithering toward her, Death Eaters on the outskirts, white fangs, a stunning curse being fired, Harry's arms catching her as she sunk to her knees weak from being bait, and finally Ron taking out a potion from inside his bag and the snake along with Voldemort's soul was gone.

“I have been through too much to give up now.” Hermione finally gathered her strength, and she pushed herself up out of Ron's grasp. “I've been broken, burnt, and seen you two in too many bad situations to back out now.” She moved closer to Harry, “and I love you too much to leave you.” Hermione whispered into his ear.

“It was all too much in that moment,” she said out-loud even though the only other person in the room was Dobby. “I wish Harry was here.”

“Does Miss need me to go get Harry Potter?” and before Hermione could reply with a no Dobby had disapparated out of the library. That could only mean that Harry had told Dobby to get him if she needed him for anything.

It took Harry and Ron and Dobby exactly 4 minutes and 23 seconds to come barreling into the library. Their wands were drawn and their breaths were coming in shorts gasp.

“You know if you weren't so paranoid then I could have told Dobby not to go after you two, and I hope you got all the shopping done.” She spoke in a sing song voice that she knew Harry and Ron hated.

Harry threw down his wand as Ron stalked out of the room. Hermione could only assume he was heading to the kitchen. As she thought about Ron Harry moved to sit beside her on the sofa.

“What are you thinking of, love?” He scooped her up and sat her so that she was sitting half on and half off of him.

“Remember when you told me I could go?”

Harry chuckled, “Which time?”

“The last time…the time I actually wanted to go.” She couldn't help but avoid his gaze for a moment. Once she looked up he had stopped laughing but he had yet to stop smiling.

“I wanted you to go,” Harry's voice was strong and sure of himself. “But I knew you wouldn't. You couldn't…just like you said.”

“I love you too much.”

“And there in lies the problem,” they both chuckled at this. “I gave you many chances, Hermione, but each time you never took them.”

“And I never will,” she put her head on his shoulder.

They sat there in silence for a few more minutes. Hermione picked up her book and went back to reading as Harry practiced his wandless magic by moving piles of books around. It was going on two hours of silence when Harry magically started a pillow fight.

She let out a time squeal when the pillow hit her square in the back of the head. At this the pillow flew into Harry's hand and shot back out at her, but she quickly apparated on to the chair a few feet away. Hermione grabbed the pillow that was on that chair and launched herself at Harry.

“You aren't suppose to hit the girl that has decided to marry your sorry arse,” she started to hit him with the pillow. She didn't get very far because Harry snatched the pillow out of her hand. Her laughing eyes met his shocked ones, “what's wrong?”

“You said that you have decided to marry me,” his voice was full of wonder.

“Yes,” she reached out and touched his face. “I said yes when you asked, remember?”

“But you also said you wanted to wait.”

“Oh Harry,” she leaned in and lightly kissed him. “Nothing is going to stop me from marrying you. Nothing. Did you think that waiting until after I took my NEWTs would make me change my mind?”

“I thought that it might change us.”

“We might change but our love for each other will never change. When I'm old and surrounded by too many books I will love you probably even more than I do now. Just as like in a few days when you decide to piss me off by flying on your firebolt like a maniac I will still love you.”

“I'm going to have to remember those words for when I do piss you off.” The sat together in comfortable silence for a few more seconds, “Ron got all the answers for the party.”

This was the first mention of the party since they got to the Manor and finished unpacking. Hermione had been true to her word and let Ron do all the planning. She had yet to even see a guest list, so the news that the party was taking place surprised her.

“When is everyone coming?”

“Saturday,” Harry replied.

“Harry?” she said softly into the air.

“Yes love?”

“We need to read those letters, or else we will never be able to put the war behind us.” Hermione knew what she was saying was right. She knew that those letters were part of the process and they needed to be the first step. After all they were the last step they took in giving their families' closure and that meant they should be the first step they took in finding their own.

“After the party,” was all the reply she needed.

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