HARRY POTTER
ALL WAS WELL
CHAPTER ONE
As Harry got close to the entrance of Gryffindor tower he could make out the Fat Lady celebrating in her frame with her friend Violet the defeat of Voldemort. When the Fat Lady saw him she swung the portrait open as she drunkenly shrieked "No password needed for the Chosen One" As he climbed in thru the portrait hole he could hear her slurring her words and telling Violet "I always knew that boy was special... Such a small boy in his first year. Barely reached …" her words faded as the portrait closed itself.
Harry was grateful for the quiet. He was too exhausted to think. The only thing he wanted was to sit and maybe have Kreacher bring him a sandwich, that is if he could muster up the strength to actually call out for him. He was grateful that Ron and Hermione had seemed to understand that he wanted some quiet time and not to have to answer any questions about what had happened or even worse to have to examine how he felt about everything. He didn't want to think about all the people that where lost to this war.
He stumbled around until he finally dropped on the couch of the common room in front of the fireplace. Harry looked around the common room, it seemed to him that more than just a year had passed since he last sat on this couch. So many things had changed for him. But, something caught his eye in one of the armchairs. At first he thought it may be a large cat because of the way it was curled up, but then his stomach dropped and that monster in his chest he hadn't felt since Bill and Fleur's wedding purred. It was Ginny curled up and asleep. Harry couldn't believe how beautiful she looked even with the tears streaks on her face that forcibly reminded him of what they had lost. So many family, friends and most of all... time. And it hit him like lightning, time was no longer an issue for them, he could have those days out of someone else's life. He smiled.
Ginny slowly opened her eyes, it seemed that she had felt that someone was there, starring at her. She smiled at him. "Hey"
"Hey back, sorry to wake you. I'm glad you're here though, there's so much I want to tell you."
Ginny got up from the armchair and curled up on Harry's lap, she rested her head on his shoulder
"Don't worry about telling me anything right now, I'm just happy you're okay. You scared me when I saw you in Hagrids arms, I thought my heart would stop. I never truly believed you could die in this war. I never believed anyone I cared about could die." she sighed "I'm just happy you're alive. We can talk later if you want."
"Alright, if that's what you want. I do still need to tell you something and it's much more important than anything that has happened to me in the last year."
Ginny straightened up and looked at him squarely in the eyes with that blazing look he loved about her.
"I realised something while I was away. I don't want to be alone. I saw Ron and Hermione all this year together drawing comfort from each other even when they fought. I always kept myself isolated because I, unlike you, always thought that I was living on borrowed time. Last year at Dumbledore's funeral I meant what I said when I thought those days with you where out of someone else's life. I was so happy with you it seemed unnatural. I was able to be myself and not worry about what the future held. And always lurking in the back of my mind was a voice mocking me, telling me that it wouldn't last, it was always right of course. For the first time in as long as I can remember that voice is not there. What I'm trying to say is that I love you. I love you and nothing can keep me away from you any longer, not even myself."
He stopped talking on a whisper almost, so tired that he was surprised the words came out in what he thought was a coherent sentence.
Ginny still stared at him, no tears in her eyes, she just looked at him. Harry started getting scarred. What if he hadn't said anything and all that speech was in his head. He didn't have the strength to start all over again. Sleep was calling him with an impatient tug. Finally Ginny looked like if she was going to say something. She blinked, put her head back on his shoulder and snuggled. With a half asleep murmur he heard her say "it's about time" and then promptly fell asleep.
The monster in his chest gave a roar of approval and Harry fell asleep with time no longer mocking him but now firmly planted on his side.
Harry woke up with the sound of murmuring all around him. For a minute he thought he was outside. He opened his eyes but couldn't make anything out, everything was blurry. He reached for his glasses on the side table to then have someone hand them over to him.
"Here you go swettie, I took them off when I saw you sleeping earlier" said Mrs Weasley.
"Thanks." now that he had his glasses on he could see that all of the Weasleys where in the common room and Hermione as well. He felt self-concious since he could still feel Ginny snuggled up on his lap sleeping.
He started to shift her off and Mr Weasley put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. "Leave her, she needs her rest as well. Don't worry."
All of a sudden he felt awckward, he seemed to be intruding on a private moment with this family. He didn't know what to say and fell back to those plattittude that he knew meant nothing.
"I'm so sorry to intrude on you guys, if you want to be alone I'll just go up to one of the dorm rooms and.."
"You're not intruding, this is our family and you will never be intruding. I thought that this last year finally got that point across to you. Hermione got it." said Ron "And I thought I was the thick one of the lot"
That got everyone smilling just a bit. Harry thought he even saw Mrs Weasley smile. Harry looked at George, he was the one he was most afraid of. If George couldn't face him than he would still get up and go. George finally looked up at him with a look that reminded him of Ginny
''Ron's right, this is our family, we lost enough this last 'ear. Don't be thick and stay with us.''
A huge weight lifted itself of from Harry's shoulders, he knew there where lots of talks to be had but he was with the ones he loved the most and they wanted him there. Ron was right, it was about time he got that into his head. He had seen them as his family since that first summer at the Burrow it was only normal they saw him the same way. And if he had anything to say in the matter he would be part of that family officially in not too long.
«It's already 2 o'clock you boys must be famished, let's go to the great hall to get a spot of breakfast and see what we can do to help before going on home.» said Mrs Weasley.
Harry looked down to see if he could shift without waking Ginny up but her eyes where wide open. She smiled at him and started getting up. The Weasleys got up and started climbing out of the portrait hole only Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry stayed behind. Ron and Hermione where holding hands and both looked exhausted. All four of them where grimmy looking but cleaning up would have to wait. Eating was a much more pressing matter.
«Did you guys get to sleep?» asked Ginny
« Yeah. We got a few hours of sleep in with you guys in here. That armchair is not the most comfortable place to sleep in. »
« Not to mention that you snore » said Hermione with a little smirk. They all smiled a bit like if it was something they had forgotten they could do.
«Well let's go eat. I'm sure we'll need our strength for whathever we will have to do next. »
Surprisingly enough the castle didn't look like it would need too much repairs. Harry wondered if it could repair itself on it's own like if it was one of it's enchantment. As if she could read his mind Hermione answered his question.
« I always thought that it was a bunch of rubish that the castle could fix itself but in ''Hogwarts a History'' it does say that the castle has been known to fix major damages by itself in times of great upheaval. Look at all this, it seems that there are a lot less damage compared to how it was just a few hours ago. I imagine that the professors would have to fix the rest themselves but it shouldn't take too long before Hogwarts looks whole again. »
They where soon in the Great Hall. The tables where again divided by houses. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all went to sit with the Weasleys at the Gryffindor table. They where all eating and much more subdued than ever. Even after all the fighting the house elves still outdid themselves with breakfast. Harry and Ron started eating like if they had not eaten in months, in their defense the last good meal they has was about 2 days away. Even Hermione in all her ladylike ways was stuffing food down her mouth. It reminded Harry of their fifth year when she used to eat so fast to run to the library and do research on the house elves.
«Hey Hermione, slow down. You don't want to swallow the spoon there. »
« S'not my fault. I got to used to Ron's eating I forgot how to eat any other way »
« Of all the things you could have copied from me, did you have to pick my eating habits? Now I understand why you scolded me all the time. That's disgusting! »
« Starving all year long to help Harry in defeating Voldemort and finally being able to eat all that I can the way you do everytime there is a plate of food in front of you is all it took for you to see how gross you can be sometimes? Well had I known that I would have convinced Harry to do this years ago. » said Hermione in a very un-Hermione tone.
Everyone stopped eating and looked at her. Hermione making a joke about Voldemort so soon after his defeat and saying things that Harry, Ginny or even Ron would say but never serious, always fretting, Hermione?
George let go of a loud « HA » and started laughing, a real laugh, that seemed to echo as if Fred was right there laughing with him. For a second it sounded as if the twins where together again. Everyone started laughing with him. It felt so good to let go. They all had tears streaming down their faces, but this time they where happy tears. The kind of tears that no one thought they would feel again for a very long time.
« 'Ear 'Ear Hermione. Well said. It really doesn't take much to instill some manners into my dear brother. »
Soon enough it was time to start getting ready for the journey home. Harry was packing up with Ron and Neville in the Gryffindor 7th year dormitory. In some weird way it felt like if they had just ended their last year at Hogwarts and where just on their way to Hogsmeade station for the final train ride home as if nothing more scary then completing their NEWT's had happened in all that last year.
Harry looked at Ron packing up.
« I know » said Ron as if he had just read his mind, « it feels odd somehow. We're just going home I guess »
« That must be it then, just another year over and we're going home. You think Ginny and Hermione are feeling the same thing? » asked Harry.
« I s'pose so, but knowing them they're probably too busy talking about us. »
Ron stopped packing and looked at Harry like if something was bothering him.
« Listen mate, I know you don't need my permission to be with Ginny but I wanted you to know that i'm happy for you. You deserve all the happiness you can get. And... i'm sorry... » Harry was about to interupt him « NO... please listen, i'm sorry about the way I acted at your birthday and really, all this year. I know you love her and that you didn't mean to hurt her and that you only broke up to protect her. I've been such a git... »
Harry just smiled at his best mate « No worries, I know how you felt. You're dating my sister remember »
They both laughed « I guess we're really family now » said Ron with a chuckle.
« Yeah... we better get going before our family leaves without us. » Harry really hoped that Ron didn't notice how happy saying that sentence made him.