We Are Young
Looking around at his friends, Harry couldn't believe they had waited almost three months to do this. The war had ended all the way back in May, and here they were in the last week of August, finally just taking time out hang out and celebrate the fact that they were all alive.
Tomorrow Ginny, Luna, Hermione and Dean would return to Hogwarts to complete their seventh year, he, Ron, Seamus and Lavender would start Auror training, Parvati would go back to her job at Witch Weekly, Hannah would start work at the Leaky Cauldron, and Neville would begin his job as the trainee Herbology Professor. But tonight they were carefree, just a bunch of young adults finally catching up properly before they all had to return to their responsibilities.
"Dean, what exactly did you do this past year?" It was Parvati that eventually turned the conversation to the giant elephant in the room – the war. But unlike every other time the topic had come up in the past three months, it was approached in a more light hearted manner. It helped too that they were all just a little drunk, even Hermione.
"Hid and ran, hid and ran. I joined up with Ted Tonks, Dirk Creswell and two Goblins, Griphook and Gornuk. I got captured in mid-April I think, and got taken to Malfoy Manor with Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were captured not long after we were. I then stayed at Bill and Fleur's until the Final Battle. The rest of you guys were at school weren't you?"
"Yeah, well that's where we all started anyway," it was Seamus who answered this time. "Luna got taken at Christmas, but I think you knew that, and Ginny wasn't allowed to return after Easter. After that, we all slowly went into hiding in the Room of Requirement, and that's where you found us."
By some unspoken agreement, they had steered away from serious topics that night. Instead the Trio were sent into fits of hysteria over the various antics that had been enacted in the Room of Requirement, such as their attempts at Quidditch, or when Lavender and Parvati had decided that it would be fun to try to braid the boys' hair. Dean regaled them with stories of travelling with the two Goblins, and he and Luna's reaction to the Trio's Gringott's adventure. After that Hermione was called upon to explain just what happened, and the group was in stitches after her descriptions of flying on a Dragon.
The closest they got to being serious that night was when Harry, Ron and Hermione were asked about the burn scars running up and down their arms, but when you're a little but drunk, even being burnt by multiplying metal objects is amusing.
Yes, thought Harry at the end of the night, it was nice to just take a break sometimes. To remember that, despite everything they had gone through, despite being forced to grow up very quickly, they were all young, and they were allowed to take the time out now and then to celebrate the fact that they were alive, they were free, and they all had each other.
A/N. Well, I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. Oh well. Written for the Song Fic Boot Camp Challenge, prompt #13 We Are Young - Fun. Review and let me know what you think, pretty please? NG.