A/N: This chapter is pretty much background for what's to come, I promise more action and actual Snape! Please read and review.

Rain poured down into the dark alley in a steady torrent, slowly turning the grimy pavement into a giant rust colored puddle. A tabby cat with matted fur darted out from behind an overturned garbage can, and the sound of sirens could be heard faintly in the distance.

With a loud crack Harry Potter appeared in the alley, and immediately let out a whispered swear upon realizing he was ankle deep in rancid water. A moment later another man appeared beside him, one with a large faded scar across one side of his face, stretching from his eye down to his upper lip.

"You ready Potter?" The man inquired casually, tucking his own wand back into the front pocket of his uniform.

Harry snorted, though he was gripping his own wand so tightly his fingers had gone numb. He knew it was almost ridiculous to be nervous now, especially after everything he had been through. But this would decide everything, and that knowledge twisted his stomach into knots.

"Yes, Mr. White." Said Harry confidently, though his palms were slick with moisture.

Down in the murky alley he could see two figures moving, growing dangerously closer with every step. Harry took a deep calming breath, and tried to remind himself that he was not afraid of lay down that alley, but rather what lay ahead if he failed.

"You may proceed whenever you wish." White said, grabbing the clip board that appeared in front of him.

Harry nodded, his throat dry. Soon this would all be over, and his entire future would be decided. After a quick glance over his shoulder he lifted his wand into the ministry-mandated position, and then took off into a run, splashing furiously through the puddles with a familiar determined gleam in his eyes.

---

"Harry!" Ginny Weasley cried, pushing the crowd of late night revelers crowded around the Leaky Cauldron's bar. "Harry, did you pass?"

Harry stood in the doorway for a moment, trying to ignore the way his heart fluttered when she said his name. She was wearing a new dress, it was the color of jade, and it made her eyes sparkle in the dim light.

"Yeah." He said with a smile, stepping forward to accept a polite hug. "How 'bout you?"

Ginny stepped back again, her eyes shining with happy tears. Over her shoulder he could see Ron and Hermione sitting at the bar, both grinning at him in triumph.

"I passed too!" Ginny cried, launching herself into his arms once more.

Harry stumbled back a little, unsure of whether to return to gesture. Eventually he settled on a few awkward pats on the back, and thankfully she let him go.

"I'm so happy!" She exclaimed, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the bar. "I was so afraid that this whole year would have been for nothing, and Tonks kept telling me not to worry..."

When Harry approached the bar Hermione and Ron begun to gush their congratulations, drowning Ginny out.

"How does it feel to finally be an Auror?" Hermione asked, with a bright smile.

"Bet it feels good, huh?" Ron exclaimed cheerfully, before shoving a handful of bar nuts into his mouth.

Harry shrugged, because in truth it hadn't really set in yet. After defeating Voldemort at the end of what would have been his seventh year, he had only a vague idea of what he wanted to do with his life. He had seen so much violence and given so much of himself, that a career as Auror no longer seemed as appealing as it once did. But after a year of letting life pass him by, and with the news that Ginny had been accepted to the program, he knew it was time. Thankfully Tonks had been able to pull some strings, and get Harry in without a single N.E.W.T. to his name. Though of course, the fact that he had defeated one of the most powerful wizards of all time couldn't have hurt either.

"Harry, I can't believe we start on Monday." Ginny said, jumping up onto an empty barstool. "Everything seems to be happening so quickly."

Harry sat down beside her, again fighting the fluttering in his stomach. Perhaps if he ignored it, it would go away. He always hoped, but it never worked.

"I know what you mean." Harry said quickly, a thought quickly occurring to him.

This would be the perfect moment to ask her. He had been waiting weeks for this moment, agonizing and plotting all the while.

"I can hardly believe the wedding is only in two weeks." He continued. "And I've been thinking..."

Suddenly his voice faltered at the sight of a familiar face weaving through the crowd. White, his head instructor during Auror training. It was rumored that he gotten the scar across his face during a run in with a death eater just before Voldemort's fall.

What if there had been a mistake, and he was here to tell Harry that he had actually failed? Harry suddenly felt like he was going to be sick, and gripped onto the ledge of the sticky bar for support.

"Hey Potter." White said causally, walking over and giving him a hearty slap on the back. "Didn't expect to see you here, but might as well offer my congratulations while I can."

"Thanks." Harry said, almost melting with relief.

There was a moment of extended silence, Harry expecting White to turn and walk away, and Ron and Hermione looked oddly petrified.

"Alex." Ginny said at last, looking a few shades paler than she had only moments before. "I didn't think that you were coming..."

Alex? Since when were students allowed to call their instructors by their first names, Harry thought. Though technically, Ginny was no longer his student.

"You know I wouldn't pass up a chance to celebrate my girl's success." Alex said, winking at Ginny, who was still growing paler by the second.

My girl? Harry felt his hand clench into a fist. This couldn't be happening, there was absolutely no way. Ginny and Alex White...Ginny and him. White had to be at least then years older than her! No, Harry must have misunderstood. It couldn't be possible.

"No really, we were just leaving." Ginny said, grabbing Alex by the elbow and pulling him towards the door.

Hermione gave Harry a sympathetic look, while Ron stared down into his drink, his face bright red. Suddenly Harry knew, and he felt his heart twinge with a volatile mix of anger and hurt. Harry turned just in time to see Ginny plant a deep kiss on Alex's lips, before giving him a gentle shove back out into the street.

"I'm sorry Harry." Hermione said in a soft voice. "I'm sure she was going to tell you..."

"They've only been dating for a few weeks mate." Ron piped in. "And hasn't it been three years now? You probably don't even care, right?"

Harry shook his head, though his heart clearly said otherwise. They had been through this before, once, right after Voldemort had been defeated. He hadn't really expected Ginny to wait for him, but he had still clung onto the faint hope that the short time they had shared together could beat the odds of distance and time. Sadly, it hadn't.

Ginny returned to the group, carefully avoiding Harry's gaze. Hermione and Ron began to chatter about their wedding, though Harry didn't hear a word they said. Abruptlyhe stood up and without saying a word, started towards the door. Ron jumped out of his chair, and followed Harry outside onto the muggle street.

"What the hell was that?" Ron demanded, struggling to keep up with his friend. "I thought you said you were over her."

Harry didn't respond, but stopped walking and leaned back against a weathered brick fall. He shoved his hands into his pockets, deeply involved in an inner turmoil. Meanwhile Ron bit his lip, looking equally troubled. Hermione would know how to get out of this without choosing sides, but Ron felt hopelessly lost.

"I was going to ask her to wedding." Harry said finally, staring at a crack in the sidewalk.

Ron shuffled his feet, almost wishing that Harry had kept his conflicted feelings to himself.

"There are tons of other girls you can ask." Ron quipped, knowing it was probably the wrong to say. "I mean, you're practically a celebrity."

"I don't want to ask anyone else." Harry said, the hurt and anger bubbling to the surface once again. "I'd rather go alone."

Ron nodded, because he understood. If Hermione ever left him...well, it wouldn't be pretty. He gave Harry an awkward pat on the shoulder, and then starting walking back towards the Leaky Cauldron.

"Listen, I'm just going to go home." Harry said. "It's getting late."

"You're still coming to dinner tomorrow night, right?" Ron said, offering a half-hearted smile. "You know how it breaks my Mum's heart when you don't show."

"Yeah, I'll be there." Harry laughed, though his heart wasn't in it. "See you tomorrow."

"Night then."

Harry walked a few blocks, making sure the coast was clear of muggles, before apperating back to Godric's Hollow. He rented a cottage very close to the spot where his parents home had once stood, and right down the road from their graves. He had made a habit of visiting there often, especially in times of trouble. Now, he found himself apperating there almost automatically. The flowers Lupin had left on his mother's grave for her birthday were still there, though they were wilting. Harry whispered a rejuvenating spell, feeling a bit of pride has he watched them bloom back to life. Then he moved to his father's gravestone, and sat down beside it. At first it felt strange speaking to them, especially since he could hardly remembered his parents. Now it was almost natural.

"Dad." Harry said, picking a blade of grass and twirling it in his fingers. "How did you get Mom love you?"

Harry listened to the wind blowing gently through the trees like little whispers, and imagined it was his father whispering to him. He imagined that his father would tell him that it was not bravado or charm, but heart that had won over Lily Evans.