A/N This story has been revised and republished to correct some grammatical errors and reflect some of the review comments I had received. As always, the Harry Potter universe does not belong to me, this is simply my interpretation of what would have happened after the battle but before the epilogue.

Chapter 1, Hogwarts, 2 May 1998, 1000 hours. Day 0

The walk from the Headmaster's Office to Gryffindor Tower was a slow one for Harry Potter. Ron and Hermione had already left him to join the rest of the Weasleys in the Great Hall. Each step Harry took as he headed toward his old dorm was wrought with bad memories of all the friends he had lost last night in the battle. Remus Lupin, Dora Tonks-Lupin, Fred Weasley, Colin Creevey, and 48 others had given their lives to achieve the final victory.

Harry might not have known all of the people who gave their lives, but still he regretted any of them dying and blamed himself for not ending the battle sooner or not being able to prevent the loss of life.

As he walked up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower his melancholy grew as his overall exhaustion hit him. It had been over 30 hours since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had left Shell Cottage with Griphook to retrieve the horcrux from Bellatrix LeStrange's vault at Gringotts. After that experience, a hurried dragon ride, and a large battle, getting killed, seeing Dumbledore, and then finally defeating Voldemort, Harry was very tired.

As he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady that guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower he sheepishly told her , "I am sorry but I don't know the password".

Looking at who was there, she replied "Don't worry about the password, you are the hero of the day, you are the password Harry Potter". With that statement the portrait swung open and Harry walked through the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. The common room was empty, which Harry was thankful for. He needed to relax, take a shower, maybe eat a sandwich, and get some much needed sleep.

"Kreacher", Harry called out, and soon there was the pop as the house-elf entered the common room.

"How may I help you Master Harry ?"

"First of all Kreacher, thank you for leading all the house-elves during the battle." Harry then in a lower volume asked, "were any of the house-elves hurt ? "

"Master, there were two house-elves slightly injured during the battle, but they were quickly healed. All of the house-elves here at Hogwarts are currently working to restore the castle and prepare food for the students and others who fought." Looking at Harry he then added "Master, what can Kreacher do for the noble house of Potter ?"

"Thank you Kreacher, you can do three things for me." "One, please bring me some fresh pajamas and towels so I can take a shower and go to bed. Secondly could you bring me a sandwich or two and some pumpkin juice, so I can eat before I fall asleep." "And finally I would appreciate it if you found the Weasleys down in the Great Hall and see if they needed any fresh clothes or any other help."

"Master, all will be done as soon as possible, please go rest now." And then Kreacher popped out of the room.

Harry climbed the stairs to what would have been his dorm room, had he been at school this year. The room looked as if it was not used, but that's because Neville and the others had moved all of their belongings into the room of requirements earlier when they were hiding from the Carrows. Harry sat down on one of the unused beds and started taking off his filthy and smelly clothes. He had just finished undressing down to his boxers when Kreacher popped into the room with fresh towels and new pajamas for Harry.

Harry thanked Kreacher again, and then walked over to the bathroom door carrying his towel and pajama bottoms. When he reached the shower stall he turned on the water and adjusted the temperature as hot as he could stand it. Looking over at the mirror on the opposing wall, Harry could see all of the scratches and bruises all over his body, including the new lightning shaped scar on his chest where Voldemort hit him with the killing curse when he went into the forbidden forest. Harry's bare chest also showed the scar where the Slytherin locket burned into his skin when he and Hermione had made that fateful trip to Godric's Hollow.

As Ron and Hermione reached the Great Hall, they found the remainder of the Weasleys at the far end of the Gryffindor table. Molly Weasley rushed toward her youngest son hugging him tightly in her arms. Hermione quickly whispered to Ginny that Harry was up in the dorms getting ready to go to sleep. As Molly released her hold on Ron and started to wrap her arms around Hermione, Ginny announced that she was going to the dorms to check on Harry. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked curiously at Ginny before she hurriedly left to go to the Gryffindor Tower.

Harry removed his boxers, and stepped into the hot shower letting the spray rinse off the dirt and grime his body had gained since he left Shell Cottage. The steamy water felt good on Harry's aching muscles and the shower stall soon was draining a mixture of dried blood and mud. Harry found a bottle of shampoo and washed his unruly hair and then rinsed off as he felt his body begin to relax.

After toweling off, being careful to dry the skin around his bruises without rubbing too hard, Harry put on the new pajama bottoms and left the bathroom to return to the dorm. As he walked back into the dorm room Harry realized he was no longer alone. Standing there next to his chosen bed was the love of his life, the beautiful red headed sister of his best mate, Ginny.

"Ginny, I am so sorry about Fred." Harry stated, forgetting that he was only wearing pajama pants and all his scars and bruises were showing. "It was all my fault that he and the others had to die".

"HARRY," Ginny shouted at him. "It was not your fault. You didn't cause their deaths, you saved so many people,you could not save everyone."

"Look at me Harry," Ginny continued staring him right in the eyes, "Repeat after me, IT IS NOT MY FAULT."

Ginny moved her gaze to look over Harry's naked chest, showing all of his bruises and scars. He was no longer bleeding, but his bruises looked like they would still be painful.

"Harry, have you been to see Madam Pomfrey ? Those bruises and scars need to be looked at."

Looking at the floor, Harry mumbled that he had not gone to the hospital wing yet. He was sure they had more serious injuries to work on for others.

Ginny gave him a stern look that reminded him of her mother when she was mad at Ron or the twins. Harry walked closer to where Ginny was standing. He slowly took her hands into his and looked directly into her eyes.

"Ginny", he started, "I am very sorry for leaving you the past year. I want you to know that it was necessary for Ron, Hermione, and I to finish what Dumbledore left us to do in order to defeat Tom Riddle and win the war. Give me some time to relax and rest up and I promise I will tell you all about what happened and why."

Ginny softened her stare at Harry and gripped his hands tighter. Her face reflected a brighter attitude as she calmly told Harry she could wait.

"Harry, I can give you the time it takes for you to relax and compose your thoughts about last year. But as I said earlier, you need to get those wounds and bruises looked at."

She then gently moved her hands up to his chest, touching each bruise and gauging his reaction as her fingers prodded each mark. Using the healing skills she had learned from Madam Pomphrey over the last year, Ginny could soon see that most of his wounds were healing quite naturally and even the deepest bruises were only superficial in nature. Ginny reached into a pocket of her robes and brought out a small bottle of Dittany and began using it to clean Harry's scars and bruised skin.

As she circled around him, Ginny checked each mark on his skin to insure that there was no infection or lasting pain. When she finished, she turned to face him one more time, and smiled.

"Harry, I think you are going to be ok. I don't see or feel any broken bones or spell damage associated with any of your scars or bruises. You do look pretty tired and maybe a little hungry," Ginny stated.

"I asked Kreacher to bring me some food before I went to take my shower. I feel much better after I took the hot shower and rinsed all of the dried blood and dirt off of me." "Ginny, where did you learn all of those healing spells and how to examine my scars? "

"When you tell me about your last year, I will tell you about mine," Ginny responded. "Now let's get you ready for bed and I think Kreacher left some sandwiches and juice on the table next to your bed."

Harry walked over to his bed in the dorm room he had once shared with Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean. On the bed was the top to the pajamas that Kreacher had brought. On the table next to the bed was two roast beef sandwiches, a pitcher of pumpkin juice, a clear drinking glass, and a small pile of crisps. Harry carefully put on the top to his pajamas trying not to rub against the scars and bruises on his chest and back.

As Harry sat on his bed, he reached over to the table and poured a glass of pumpkin juice into the drinking glass and handed it towards Ginny. Ginny took the glass and then sat down on the bed next to Harry. Harry conjured another glass and poured himself some juice. He then tried to hand a sandwich to Ginny, but she shook her head no and pushed the sandwich back to Harry.

"No Harry, Kreacher brought that food for you. You need it more than I do,"

"Are you sure ? I can share with you. If we want more, I can asked Kreacher to bring more."

Ginny relented and took the sandwich. Harry then reached over and grabbed the other sandwich for himself a took a healthy bite savoring the fresh taste of the roast beef with horseradish sauce as he swallowed the first food he had eaten in over 30 hours since the three had left Shell Cottage for their adventure at Gringotts.

As Harry and Ginny continued to eat their sandwiches and share the plate of crisps and pitcher of juice, Harry was starting to fade as his lack of sleep and the draining of the adrenalin rush from his body since the hectic battle that lasted for over twenty-four hours

As Ginny finished her sandwich, she moved closer towards Harry. Allowing her head to lean into his shoulder. When Harry finished his eating, he took his arm and wrapped it around Ginny's shoulder drawing her closer to him.

"Ginny, again I am very sorry about leaving you last year. Each night while on guard duty around our tent, I would get out the Marauder's Map and look at your dot to make sure you were there and ok."

"Ginny, if you can forgive me, I want nothing more than to become your boyfriend again and now that Tom Riddle is gone, start having a relationship with you."

Harry then kissed Ginny on her forehead and hugged her close to him. Ginny returned the hug and turned her head towards Harry and raised her lips up to his to turn his little peck into a soul-searching deep snog.

After the kiss, Ginny pulled Harry closer and said, "Harry, it will take a little time to get back to where we were before last year, but I also want to return to our relationship. As long as we take it slow and steady, we will get there because I still love you and no one else."

Harry smiled down at her, kissing her lips once again, "Ginny, I love you too. I am so happy that you love me still." Harry yawned as he finished his profession of love. Ginny saw the yawn and realized how tired he really was. Slowly she turned and pushed him back on the bed to get him to lie down.

"Harry, we will continue this later. Right now you need to take a long nap. So keep laying there and go to sleep. I will stay with you to help you rest."

As Harry's head hit the pillow, he slowly closed his eyes. He stretched out his arm around Ginny's shoulder as they both laid back on the bed. Harry closed the curtains around the bed. He then turned toward Ginny giving her another kiss as he drifted off into a long dreamless sleep.