CHAPTER 1

Harry woke up rubbing his eyes at the sudden light from his Grimmuld Place bedroom window. His gloomy bedroom greeted him. After his eyes had adjusted and he grabbed his glasses from the bedside table he realised Kreacher was standing by the window. He had opened the curtains to wake him.

" Morning Kreacher" Harry said automatically

"I wish to wake you in time for work" Kreacher bowed "The Ministry awaits"

"Thank you Kreacher" Harry rubbed his face to wake himself

With a pop Kreacher apparated presumably to the kitchens to prepare his breakfast. Harry sighed and checked his watch. An hour. He had time. Harry walked down the hall to the bathroom rubbing his aching back. Turning on the shower on, he stood under the stream. He worked for the ministry. Surprising even himself he had shot up the ranks and was now head auror. After only seven months in the auror department he had got the promotion. He enjoyed his job immensely it wasn't easy he had gone through an extremely gruelling auror training camp. He had just about managed it. He cursed himself for not paying more attention in class. While he was admittedly excellent at Defense Against the Dark Arts it was potions, Transfiguration and Herbology that he had needed refresher courses. Hermione had been invaluable. He wasn't stupid he knew that he was only Head Auror because of a few coinciding incidents. Firstly and mainly was a awful lot of the existing auror squad was wiped out during the year Voldermort took power and the concluding battle for hogwarts. Luckily once voldermort had been defeated a big bunch of new recruits had joined. Graduates from hogwarts and even some of his schoolmates. Also Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt who had been doing double duty as the Head Auror as well had been eager to pass that responsibility off to somebody else and his unwavering confidence in Harry had convinced him to agree to his promotion.

Finishing his shower he dried off and went back to his room to put on his uniform. Harry had done his best to improve the inside of Grimmuld place but despite the different colour walls and more lights around the place the gloom still overwhelming however apart from hogwarts it was the closest to home he had ever known. It was his home.

Kreacher greeted him with a plate of bacon and eggs. Next to it was also a packed lunch.

"Thank you Kreacher"Harry said sitting down and tucking in. He glanced up and saw Kreacher looking uncomfortable. He had made great strides over the past few months but he still didn't really know what to do when he was thanked. He finished his breakfast and left for the ministry.

Harry materialised in the atrium on the ministry . He had been working at the ministry for months and the beauty of it still took his breath away. He pushed through the crowd as politely as he could to get to the elevators as fast as possible. He nearly tripped over his robes getting out of the elevators. Bloody uniform he was so much better in muggle clothes. He greeted his staff the few that weren't in st mungos. They had had a recent bad run in with a group of death eaters. No deaths on our side but about twelve were out of action for a couple of weeks. Michael Corner greeted him with a big stack of paperwork. Michael was probably the closest thing he had to a deputy. A loyal and highly skilled wizard who had become a friend during his time at the ministry.

"Any news on our lads" Harry asked Michael

"All stable and due for recovery, the Mediwizards at st mungos are working hard at disarming the curses those death eaters know some bizarre curses" Said Michael

"Keep me informed" Harry said and Michael nodded

Harry left michael to get back to work and entered his office. It had only been his for a month but he has tried to make it his own. A pretty large office compared to some other ones he had been in. A rich oak desk where he spent most of his time. He placed the stack of papers on his desk sat down and set to work. Following the raid on the death eater hideout he had to go through numerous meeting with what felt like everyone from the minister down. The operation had been a success they had every death eater either dead or in askaban however many aurors injured and Harry had to explain why and how and who was to blame. The paperwork was mind numbing and relaxing. Just what he needed. After nearly falling asleep he felt it was time for lunch.

Harry stepped off the elevator at the department of magical creatures. Heading towards Hermione's office he knocked and opened the door a crack. Hermione finished writing her sentence put down her quill and looked up.

"Hey Harry" She smiled

"Hermione i brought lunch"

"Great"

After Voldermort fell Hermione was one of the few in his year to go back and do the final year. He and Ron chose not to. Hermione has also taken a role at the department of magical creatures. It was the perfect job for her he steadfast commitment to making life better for House Elves and Goblins and such. However she looked tired very tired. Hogwarts four days a week and the Ministry in the evenings were taking their toll.

He placed the lunch bag on the desk and opened it revealing the assortment of dishes in the magically expanding bag including Harrys favourite treacle tart. A pained expression crossed Hermione's face.

"Hermione come on Kreachers already made it why not eat it" Harry said and She nodded taking a big forkful of pasta.

"How's Hogwarts these days" Harry asked

"Great, really great everything is completely rebuilt and Neville is enjoying his teaching assistant position" Hermione said

"How's Ron? I haven't seen him an a couple of weeks"

"I know we have all been so busy haven't we" Hermione said

"Who thought being an adult was so hard"

Hermione laughed "Rons fine, I hardly ever see him he is always working late managing the joke shop and im either at hogwarts or here we need a holiday"

"Don't we all" Harry sighed moving onto the treacle tart

"Next sunday Molly and Arthur are having everyone at the Burrow" She said

"Great its been a while" He said

"I know, Ginny is gonna be there with Lee Jordan" Hermione blurted out looking for his reaction

Harry sighed "Thats great"

"Really"

"Yes Hermione"

"Good"

Himself and Ginny never really stood a chance. He often thought she still harboured some resentment towards him for not taking her with him to destroy all the horcruxes with Ron and Hermione. Though she never said it. After just a month together they finally decided to call it quits. He realised that they had never really spent time together before without a wizarding world crisis. After a year of dreaming about her, the realisation that she was completely different to his idealised version of her in his imagination really stung. They were different people and there love was childish. She went off and joined the Holyhead harpies and he the ministry. What he had been most worried about was Ron and his familys reaction to there breakup. Ron thankfully had been absolutuly fine with it. Harry thought that it had probably been awkward with his sister being with his best friend and was glad it was over. Molly and Arthur were understanding but Charlie, George and Bill gave Harry a cold shoulder although jokingly for a while and thankfully that was it.

The next couple of days went by uneventfully only a few meeting with some informants and a journey to St Mungos to check on his men. Sitting in his office Harry checked his watch. Lunch. Hermione was at Hogwarts. He usually would eat his lunch in his office or with his employees. However today he decided to go down to the Ministry dining hall. Kingsley greeted him and made a space next to him. Harry looked at the menu then spoke his order and it appeared on the plate in front of him. Just as he was tucking into his hearty beef stew he heard a voice he recognised. He looked to his right and saw a witch he knew. This wasn't an odd thing seeing people he hadn't known worked for the Ministry. He often saw his former school mates who had recently joined the ministry however who he saw shocked him. Pansy Parkinson.

It had been eight months since he saw her last trying to give him over to Voldermort, he chuckled. He was shocked that a witch like her was accepted into the ministry. He suddenly had a thought that he had never really looked at her. He had mainly always ignored her. She had grown up. A curvy witch and if Harry was honest to himself an attractive one.