Disclaimer: I do not own Harry, Ron, Hermione or any other characters that I use from the Harry Potter books. All characters belong to the master mind J.K. Rowling.

Prologue:

The war was over. Whether you believed it or not, the news had spread all across the wizarding world that Voldemort was dead. The Dark Lord had been vanquished by none other than Harry James Potter, former student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Peace had finally returned to the magical world and everyone was all the hustle and bustle with rejoicing. Parties and festivals were held in honor of such a great and miraculous event. Family and friends were once again reunited with one another after 17 years of worry and fear. Everyone was happy. All…say for one man….One man who could of cared less for such great tidings, but instead gratefully sunk back into his dominion of darkness and solitude.

Severus Snape, 40 years old, and Potions Master of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry could have cared less about the revolution. Sure he was a free man and could now live out his life in peace without fear for his life… But he still held a burning hatred towards everyone and everything. For seven years he had been a spy for the Order, feeding them information of Voldemort's moves and whereabouts. For seven years he risked his life everyday and every second, knowing that in one swift moment his life could have ended. Then where would the order have been? All in all…Severus Tobias Snape was a hero. A hero whose true deeds were drummed out by Harry Potter, the Boy who lived. A hero who would go on knowing he had made a difference and not a soul on this earth would know or care. He was alone and he was fine with that. He could continue teaching and continue to drill his students in obedience and school work. After all….What could be better then that?

'Beginnings'

Chapter 1: Big Brother Weasley

7 years after the death of Voldemort…

"Gin, come on!" Harry yelled trying to catch up with the red head before him, only managing to trip over his pants falling on to his face. "Damn it Gin, I said I was sorry! What else can I do?" Grasping the coffee table for support he quickly he stood trying to catch up. Moving to the front door he watched the red head load her bags into the trunk of her car unceremoniously, and slam the lid closed. Rushing out to stop her, he quickly blocked the car door. "Come on baby… I'm asking you to stay… please….for me?"

"I think I've over stayed my welcome thank you very much," Ginny said digging in her purse for her keys. "And besides…I don't want to intrude on you and your company. I'm sure she's waiting for you."

"Oh come on… You know she doesn't mean a thing to me," Harry said placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Oh she meant something alright…enough that you dragged her back here to screw around with!" Ginny yelled yanking her keys from her purse trying to shove past Harry.

"Oh… I see what's going on here. You're jealous! Oh my...! You are so stinking jealous!" Harry laughed rolling his eyes. "Well you know what sweetheart… I gave you hundreds of chances and what did you do? You threw each one in my face, giving me that line about 'it's not the right time'. When the truth was you wanted to screw me all along!"

"How dare you!" Ginny yelled, and before Harry knew it, slapped him hard across his left cheek casing him to reel over in pain. "What I ever saw in you I don't know. But what I do know is that I will not be spending the rest of my life with you!" Looking down to her ring finger she quickly removed a gold band tossing it down at his feet. Opening the car door she got in quickly and slammed the door shut. Slipping the keys in the ignition she felt the car come to life purring softly. Glancing back at Harry who was now holding the ring in his hand she felt tears form in her eyes. "Does it mean anything to you Harry? Because it once meant the world to me…" Putting the car into drive she drove off not daring to look back at what had been, or what could have been.

"Oh Gin I'm so sorry," Hermione said taking the young redhead into her arms. "I don't know what to say."

"He's a prat, that's what you can say," Ron said pacing the room. Ginny had arrived just hours before and had spilled everything to them. They had listened intently to the very end which left Ginny in tears and Hermione and Ron completely and utterly shocked.

"Fame changes those who are bathed in it," Hermione said stroking away the hair in Ginny's face. "Harry hasn't been himself for quite sometime now. You can't say you haven't noticed."

"I didn't want to see it," Ginny cried through sobs. "I just kept telling myself it would be alright and that he would come back to me. I thought that if I overlooked a few flaws that we would still have a chance; that we could still work things out and live that life together we had planned for. But… But… It's over… There is nothing left!"

Hearing his sister's cries Ron felt his heart quench. Ginny was always so happy and bubbly. To see her so broken and her spirit crushed made him almost sick to his stomach. How could Harry have done something so cruel? Taking a seat next to his wife and sister, he pulled Ginny into his arms holding her to him tightly. For a moment her sobs stopped unsure of what to make of it.

"I'm not mom or dad, but I am still family; and still your brother," Ron whispered, his hold on her tightening. "I can't offer you the kind words of mum, or the stern bear hugs like dad….But I can offer you a brother who cares and a shoulder to cry on. I'm here for you…We both are." At this, Ginny felt Hermione close in on her as well taking both her and Ron into another loving hug.

"We love you Ginny Weasley," Hermione whispered softly.

Smiling slightly Ginny felt new tears begin to flow down her cheeks as she buried her face into her brother's chest.

A few hours later:

She had just finished dressing for bed when there was a soft knock at the door. Curious, Ginny answered the door coming face to face with Ron.

"Umm… hey… You going to bed?" Ron asked looking a little out of place.

Smiling, Ginny opened the door to allow him in and taking a seat on her bed. "Yea… Crying wore me out… So I'm pretty tired."

"Yea… Sounds like a good idea," he said rocking back and forth awkwardly.

"Is there something you wanted Ron?" Ginny asked, knowing very well there was more to this visit then a good night.

"Well… Now that you mention it, there is," Ron said moving to the bed and taking a seat next to his sister. "I'm just going to get right to the point… Hermione and I want you to come live with us."

"What?" Ginny asked looking shocked.

"Hermione and I think it's a good idea that you stay here for a while," Ron said his voice growing serious.

"I got that Ron, but why?" Ginny asked trying to match the seriousness of her brother.

"Oh come on Gin," Ron sighed. "You know as well as I do that right now you aren't fit to live alone. You just went through a terrible break-up and have only been out of school for four months; and need I mention you don't have a job yet."

Ron's words stung, but she knew he was right. She had been living with Harry while she was finishing up school, and even though she had finished at the top of her class, she hadn't been able to secure a job yet. And now with all that had happened she wasn't emotionally stable to stay by herself.

"I never ask anything of you Gin, but as your big brother I'm not even going to bother in asking you, but to tell you to stay," Ron said his voice stern causing Ginny to glance up quickly. Eying Ron for a moment she could have sworn she had heard her father scolding her. Lowering her head and tears forming in her eyes she smiled letting them fall to the bed.

"Dad would have wanted me to stay here," Ginny said using a hand to wipe away her tears. "He wouldn't have given me a choice either. He would have lectured me about my stubbornness and then would have hugged me tight, just to let me know he cared." Lifting her head up to face her brother she smiled, nodding to the agreement.

"Really?" Ron asked standing in excitement.

"Only until things calm down," Ginny answered, standing and moving to her door showing her brother the exit. "But until then, can I please go to bed?"

Smirking sheepishly Ron moved to the door bidding his sister good night. She watched him move down the hallway before breaking into a quick run after him. Turing just in time he felt his sister move into his arms hugging him tightly. "Thank you Ron…Thank you so much." Sighing in relief she wasn't trying to charge him, Ron too hugged his sister.

Lying in bed, Hermione Weasley had heard the entire conversation and was thrilled her sister-in-law would be bunking with them. It has taken pert near two hours to help Ron gain the courage to ask his sister, but even so she had already known the outcome. Truthfully, she had just wanted Ron to really step up to the plate and act like the big brother Ginny really needed. Content with herself, Hermione grabbed the book on her side table and began to read to herself.

Yay! Chapter one done! Please let me know what you think! Chapter two will follow soon!