Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

J.K Rowling does and I'm a big fan of JK Rowling and her work and I am using some of her character names and their history along with the historical story line of the Harry Potter books and pre-existing characters and some of the spells already known will be involved throughout the story but as the story progresses I have created my own characters, spells and places to bring into the world of Harry Potter.

I am only writing for my own enjoyment not for profit but to share my ideas for a story that I love. Who knows maybe some day I'll print all this off into a book or something. I've never had to write a disclaimer before, so I'm not even sure what to write really.

This story is set in modern times rather than JKR's original time line and begins a few weeks after the end of Deathly Hallows and all the characters that have died in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series are still dead and I've tried to stay true to characters already created in the Harry Potter Series as close as I can to what I read them as.

There isn't Weasley or Dumbledore bashing as I always believed that Dumbledore like Molly Weasley always had Harry's best interests at heart even if they didn't always present their thoughts and motivations to him in the best way and genuinely cared about him.

Now I have had to cover some of the usual ground in the first five chapters, so I can appreciate that you might get the feeling of having seen the same old thing over and over. I have my beta Goldzar re-editing my chapters as I wasn't happy with them and you'll find the more you go into my story that my writing style improve.

Thanks Craggle

Reedited: 11/18/16 By Goldzar

Second A/N **** Important ****Important **** Important ****Important *** **** Important ****Important ******* Important

Hello all new readers and loyal readers who have come back to re-read. FYI I have created a character list for my story so that if you are struggling keeping track of who is who in the story or get confused at point you have something to refer back to. I have placed this in my profile page so that you aren't having to try and flick back and remember which chapter I'd put it in.

HOWEVER BE WARNED that if you are a new reader (and welcome to my story if you are), that the character list will be getting updated regularly and will have characters history's, profiles and other things revealed to you before you've got up to the point in the story where something is learned or unveiled.

So I hope it helps just in case you need it.

Cheers Craggle

Chapter 1 – A Confusing Invitation

Friday 13th May, The Weasley Family's Aunt Muriels House, Sparrowpit, Derbyshire

Harry Potter was at peace, more at peace than he had been in a long time. He sat on his chair feeling truly relaxed and unafraid for the first time in his life. He wasn't being targeted by dark witches and wizards, no one was trying to kill him, and he didn't have to deal with the Dursleys anymore. He was with people he loved and cared about, and for once didn't have a plan or anyone telling him what to do.

The Battle of Hogwarts had been over two weeks ago and he, Ron and Hermione were at the Weasley's Aunt Muriel's house as the Burrow had been destroyed in the Death Eater's attack during Bill and Fleur's wedding. The new property it had been decided would be funded by the ministry, as penance for the insufficient protection that was meant to be in place for the Weasley/Delacour wedding where Harry was in attendance. It had been deemed insufficient by the remaining Wizengamot, who had made the decision in the absence of a new Minister of Magic as they felt that more could have been done to ensure everyone's protection at the wedding.

George Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Fleur Weasley (nee Delacour) and Percy Wealsey were on one side of the table while Arthur Weasley, Ron, Harry, Ginny and Hermione sat on the other side of the oak dining table in Muriel's dining room. They all were waiting for Muriel and Molly Weasley to bring in the mountain off food that the Weasley family normally consumed in a morning's breakfast. The only Weasley missing other than the recently deceased Fred was Bill who was on an assignment for Gringotts helping them search the home of one of the Death Eaters and the aurors had found that several dangerous curses were on the property and needed a curse breaker's expertise.

All the Weasleys along with Harry and Hermione were still understandably upset over their missing family member, who had died in the Battle of Hogwarts. The loss of Fred was still raw as the battle only finished recently, it was hitting George the hardest as he missed his twin brother more than any of the others.

"Have you heard anything more about how long you;re going to be allowed to stay off work Dad?" Percy asked, "I've not heard anything official for some days now. They are meant to be doing a reshuffle of positions after what's happened but I'm hearing they are set to make Kingsley Shacklebolt the new minister today once they have got out of the Wizengamot meeting. Three days they've been in there apparently arguing about who should be next minister" he added with a shake of his head.

"I've not received anything official since yesterday, and I don't even know whether they are going to keep me in my current position" Mr. Weasley responded.

"I'm sure they will dad, you were a good department head, you weren't corrupt, you got the job done, your staff liked working for you, and unlike when Fudge was in charge, Kingsley is at least competent and has seen you in action and can attest to your skills" Charlie reasoned.

"Charlie's right dad, you've got nothing to worry about. I, on the other hand, don't know what will happen to me because of that whole mess with Mr. Crouch. They've stuck me working on Cauldron reports and other pointless assignments. Well before I got moved to work for Fudge who really didn't have a clue and then when he got the boot I was back to doing report again." Percy added somewhat dejectedly. "I know it sounds pompous, but I was Head Boy at Hogwarts, and I just thought that after working that hard to get to be Head Boy that it would start me off in good stead" he added.

"It did though Perce, it got you to be a department head's assistant and you'd have been in line to take over for Mr. Crouch once he'd retired." George replied.

"You'll be alright son" Mr. Weasley, as he put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "It's going to be a new ministry now if Kingsley is in charge, and after losing some very good people like Amelia Bones and Barty Crouch Sr. they can't afford to waste the talent that they have." he added kindly.

Just then there was a series of knocks on the front door.

"Can you get that Ginevra?" Muriel called. The people in the dining room looked at each other nonplussed and then there was another sharp and loud knock on the door.

Ginny gave huff and got up to answer the door as she refrained from telling her Aunt for the hundredth time to not call her Ginevra. She hated being called that, but stopped herself as her Aunt wouldn't listen to her anyway especially if she was cooking.

Ginny opened the door to see a dark-haired Wizard whose hair was slicked back over his scalp in a Draco Malfoy kind of style. It looked like he'd dunked his head in a bucket of grease easy. He was wearing a dark, plum colored, pinstripe suit with matching waistcoat, with black leather shoes, holding a dragon skin briefcase with a gold emblem on the side of it and he looked rather impatient. "Hello, Can I help you?" Ginny asked.

"I'm looking for Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. I was led to believe that they are at this location. Can you confirm if they are here?" asked the man. He had a bored voice as if he was doing the most mundane thing he could think of by being there.

"Depends, who are you and what it's regarding?" Ginny replied coolly not liking the wizard's tone or demeanor.

"I'm Greaves, from Gringotts, I'm one of the junior curse breakers there and I was led to believe that the three people in question were here." Greaves replied with an air of authority Percy would have been proud of.

"I see," said Ginny, "and who lead you believe this information?" Ginny queried, drawing her wand behind the door as no one other than Professor McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt knew Harry was here.

"My superior Mr. Weasley provided me this information, not that I have to explain or justify myself, I'm on official Gringotts business" replied an even more irritated Greaves. "Time is money and as I'm being used as an owl as it is, if they are here then I'll just leave what needs to be delivered and make my way back to work." Greaves announced, checking a large pocket watch that he had pulled out of his waist coat pocket. "If they aren't here, then I'll have to start other lines of enquiry to ascertain their whereabouts."

"Well they do so happen to be here, yes, and if you must come in then I'd request you remove your shoes before entering or my Aunt will have a canary if you get mud on the carpet." Ginny replied.

"No, no I've other more important things that I need to get done before returning to the office, I'm just going to leave these letters for them." Greaves pressed three letters into Ginny's hand and before Ginny had chance to say anything else Greaves had turned made his way to the end of the path and through the gate where he apparated with a sharp crack.

Ginny looked down at her hand to see three black envelopes addressed to Harry, Ron and Hermione in gold writing that shimmered as the light caught it. She turned one of the over to see the Gringotts crest in gold on the back and the seal was gold wax and stamped with an ornate G on top of two crossed axes.

She closed the door and made her way back into the kitchen. "Who was is it Ginevra?" Muriel shouted from the kitchen. "It was a rather snooty and arrogant wizard from Gringotts, who was about ten seconds away from getting hexed Aunt Muriel. He was delivering some letters for Harry, Ron and Hermione," Ginny shouted back "and please don't call me Ginevra you know I hate." she added causing the rest of the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione to laugh and to Ginny's announced her mum and Muriel chuckled in the kitchen as well.

"He was a right pompous git," Ginny announced to the room at large as she tried to calm herself. "talked to me as if he was doing me a favour, as if I was some sort of inconvenience on his quest, the idiot."

"What did zis wizard look like Ginny?" Fleur enquired.

"Slicked back hair, Plum colored suit and waistcoat."

"Greaves, he is one of Bill's junior curse breakers and he make my skin crawl, ee is most arrogant and he as wandering ands as well. I av ad to curse im on more zan one occasion." Fleur shivered slightly as if someone had walked over her grave.

Ginny slid the letters across the table to Harry, Ron and Hermione, who all looked at them with a quizzical look on their faces. "What are Gringotts writing to me for?" Ron asked, "I haven't even got an account or anything with them, so why would they be writing to me?"

"Here's a crazy idea Ron, why don't you open the letter and find out?" George answered, sounding more like his old self.

Ron turned the letter over and opened it along with Harry and Hermione and began reading as the others read theirs. Unsurprisingly Hermione finished first and declared "It's an invitation to a Will reading tomorrow."

"Although it doesn't say who's Will it is." added Harry,

"Or why they are wanting me to attend," Ron added, "just that they want myself, Harry, Hermione and Neville to attend? I'm not related to Neville am I dad?" Ron asked, a confused look on his face.

"Course you're not, you idiot, otherwise we'd all be related to Neville, wouldn't we?" Charlie retorted.

"Plus you're not related to Harry and Hermione are you dung brains? They've been invited as well." Percy added.

"Yeah, no matter how much you'd like to be!" added George, causing Ron to blush fiercely.

"It is a bit odd, though isn't it?" asked a perplexed Harry, "What, or who, do we and Neville all have in common to be invited to a Will reading or being left something in a Will?"

"I can only think of being Gryffindor's." replied an equally puzzled Ginny.

"As well as being instrumental in helping save the wizarding world from Voldemort." Mr. Weasley added.

"It wasn't just the four of us Mr. Weasley. All the Order helped, Dumbledore, Aberforth, Remus and Tonks, the Hogwarts' staff, parents and students, the Hogwarts elves, Gwap, Ministry employees, people in Hogsmeade etc." Hermione reasoned.

"Yeah we had loads of help. The list is extensive on who helped get rid of Voldemort, so why single out us four and again, who would be close enough to the four of us to leave us something or want us to attend a will reading?" added Harry. "Do you think maybe in was Remus? Although I would have thought everything he and Tonks owned would have gone to Teddy."

"Where is Teddy staying Harry?" Percy asked.

"He's staying with Andromeda Tonks. I asked her if she wanted me to look after him but she said that she was more than happy looking after him as he reminded her of Tonks when she was a baby and I wasn't going to break them apart as she's lost her whole family through this mess. There's been far to many families destroyed because of that sick bastard and his followers." Harry replied sadly.

"Well at least you know you vill be zere together, whatever it is." Fleur replied, trying to steer the conversation away from talking about the battle. She didn't want them all starting to think about the loss of Fred. "Just make sure zat you dress smartly as ze Goblins expect smartness, efficiency and arriving on time. Zere are plenty of Wizards who turn up late and zat just annoys ze Goblins.

"Well I'm glad I've got new dress robes now and don't have to wear that monstrosity I had to wear to the Yule ball." Ron said. "I heard that!" Mrs. Weasley shouted from the kitchen.

George and Harry shared a secret look at each other and looked down while they contained their laughter if not there smiles at what Ron had said as it was due to them and Fred that Ron had some nice dress robes now.

"So what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" asked Hermione

"Quidditch" Ginny, Harry, Ron and George replied at the same time causing them all to laugh.

"Ohhhh. We've played Quidditch every day since we've been here, and I'm completely rubbish at it. You all know I hate flying!" said an exasperated Hermione crossing her arms in a huff as a game of quidditch wasn't high on her list of fun things to do.

"But we haven't got any home to do or plan for Hermione." Ron teased causing Harry to chuckle as he had seen that Hermione missed the structure of school and being assigned work and now that the quest for the horcruxes was over she needed something to focus her brilliant mind on.

"Well sadly I can't play," Charlie announced, "I'm back off to Romania in a couple of hours and I need to pack, you should play though Perce. It'll do yuou good and take your mind off work."

"I can't, I've got a date with Penny, she said she has something she needs to talk to me about, and from the way she's worded her letter, it doesn't sound like it's going to be particularly fun chat. Her letter sounded very ominous, plus I'm as bad a Hermione at flying. No offence Hermione." Percy responded, which Hermione waved off as if to say no offence taken as Percy, who looked glum before leaving the kitchen, walking to the end of the garden, and apparating away.

"You should come out Hermione, you've improved loads the last couple of days. It's like you say to me and Ron with our homework, practice, practice, practice." Harry said with a boyish grin on his face.

"Yeah, I'll share a broom with you and give you a good pointer." Ron added crassly before, winking at Hermione causing her to blush at his crudeness.

"I do not like flying either Hermione, so if you'd rather stay with your feet and on ze ground then I could do with your elp with somezing. I want to get your opinion and thoughts on it and maybe we could go for a coffee or somezing?" Fleur asked giving Hermione a pleading look.

"Sure no problem Fleur, that sounds much better than flying," Hermione replied completely at a loss to what could have got the girl looking so worried, and why she would want to have her help with whatever it was. She and Fleur had got along a lot better since the three of them, Griphook, Luna, Dean and Dobby turned up at Shell Cottage a few months ago after escaping from Malfoy Manor.

She guessed that she'd find out what was the matter soon enough. "You lot go and play and we'll meet you back here later on."

Just then Molly Weasley and Aunt Muriel came in with enough food to feed at least thirty people and levitated the dishes onto the table that those assembled began to tuck into.

After thanking Muriel and Mrs Weasley for breakfast Hermione and Fleur went to the front door and gathered their coats before leaving, while the rest of them went outside to play leaving Charlie sitting at the table with just Mr. Weasley, where he picked up the Daily Prophet and started reading.

The Quidditch game had gone well with Ginny and George against Harry and Ron. They'd come in after Ginny and Ron had collided in midair, Ginny was flying through to the goal and Ron moved to block her.

They were both holding their ribs as they entered the kitchen to find a very somber Percy sat at the table.

"You alright Percy?" Harry asked, noting the far away expression on his face.

"I'm fine thank you Harry." he replied as he got up and left the room with his head down looking like a man who had lost a Galleon and found a Knut.

"What's the matter with him?" asked Ron,

"Don't know, but it doesn't look like his date with Penelope went very well." George replied.

"I'll go and have a word with him." said Ginny.

"Just leave him be dear," Mrs. Weasley announced upon entering the kitchen. "I think he and Penelope might have split up. He's not really said anything about what happened since he came back, but he normally says where they went on dates and things. He seems very closed off and I thought he looked rather teary when I walked in on him earlier." she added.

"Percy, Teary?" George clarified.

"Percy doesn't do teary Mum. He's a pretty closed off kind of person and doesn't normally let any emotion show." Ginny added.

"Either way best leave him alone for a while and not mention it just in case." Mrs. Weasley reasoned

"If we just ask him though then we'll know either way, won't we?" asked Ron.

"NO! Do not bring it up with him Ronald Weasley! How would you like it if we all started poking around in your love life?" Mrs. Weasley fired back giving Ron and the rest of them a stern look.

"Alright mum keep your hair on." Ron said holding his hands up in surrender.

"We won't say anything Mrs. Weasley, promise." Harry replied getting a small smile from her in return.

Just then there was a tapping on the window and they looked up to see an owl with a letter. Mrs. Weasley got up to retrieve the letter and saw that it was for Harry.

"It's for you dear." Mrs. Weasley declared, handing Harry the letter.

"It's from Neville," Harry noticed as he started to read the letter "he said that he's got his letter from Gringotts and asks if we know what it's about as he can't think why the four of them would be in someone's will."

"He also wants to know if we want to meet up before going to Gringotts."

"May as well meet up for a butter beer or something before going in I suppose." said Ron.

"Yes it would be nice to see Neville as we haven't seen him since the battle." Hermione added.

Harry took a quill and wrote on the back of the letter that they would meet up with him at 10:30am in the Leaky Cauldron and they would all make their way to Gringotts together. He rolled the letter up and tied it back to the owl's leg before it turned and took off to return the letter to Neville.

Dinner that night was a rather somber affair with Percy categorically stating that he wasn't hungry and stayed upstairs in his room, although Mrs Weasley snuck up with a plate of dinner for him and came back down empty handed. Fleur had a very distracted look about her since she had returned with Hermione, and Fleur looked like she had been crying because her normally perfect face looked a little red around the eyes. When Harry went to ask if she was ok Hermione gave him a shake of her head to warn him off asking.

The rest of the Weasleys minus Charlie, who had returned to Romania, sat around making plans for the next day, Mrs. Weasley stated that she and Ginny would be going to Hogsmeade because she had some things they needed to buy, and that Percy and Mr. Weasley would be going back to work tomorrow. A patronus from Minister Shacklebolt himself had arrived during the afternoon asking them to attend a general meeting because now that he was confirmed as minister he wanted to reshuffle the departments after the war and the losses incurred through disappearance, deaths and members of the ministry who were corrupted and working for Voldemort.

They all went to bed that night with different things on their minds. Ginny and Hermione were in their room getting ready for bed when Ginny asked Hermione "What was it that Fleur wanted to talk to you about? You were gone all day together. What could possibly have been so important that it would take all day?"

"Well we went into Muggle London for a coffee and then ended up having a couple of drinks in a bar, chatted about some stuff, and then we met up with Penelope Clearwater, who it turns out is friends with Fleur." Hermione replied.

"What did you chat about?" Ginny enquired, "It's not like you really know each other or anything, so why did she ask you and not both of us or me? I am her sister-in-law now, so surely I'd be the person she should be coming to with stuff, and what did Penelope have to say for herself? Percy has been really quiet and reserved since she met with him earlier, and one has seen him since he got back. He is locked away in his room." Ginny finished.

"Ginny I can't really answer that in regards to either Fleur or Penelope," Hermione responded unconvincingly. "They both asked me not to talk about what we discussed to anyone, and I wouldn't want to betray their trust by talking to you or anyone else about it. Just like I wouldn't want them talking about what I discussed with them."

"Fine, be like that then," huffed Ginny "I thought we were supposed to be friends!"

"We are friends Ginny, but what kind of friend would I be if I discussed a friend's secrets with someone else? I never discussed yours or how you were feeling about Harry with him and he's my best friend and I tell him absolutely everything!"

'Well that wasn't strictly true.' Hermione thought. She had quite a few thoughts and feelings that she hadn't shared with Harry. She wanted to but was scared of the murky and complicated waters it would lead them into if she told him everything that went on in that head of hers.

Letting out a sigh Ginny said "I guess your right about that. I wouldn't have wanted you talking about the things we discuss with anyone else. Just promise me if they do say that they don't mind you talking about it, will you let me know? I'm worried about Perce. He looked really upset earlier" Ginny pleaded.

"I promise if or when I can talk about it I will Ginny, but until they tell me that I can, then I won't break my promise and of course if they say I can then I'll tell you first."

"That all I need to hear, Right well I'm knackered, night then." Ginny replied as she stretched and yawned before getting under her quilt with her back to Hermione.

Hermione extinguished the light and lay there for a few moments collecting her thoughts on the day's events and what she had discussed with Fleur and Penny. She knew that she could make that promise to Ginny honestly because she knew that Penelope and Fleur wouldn't want what they discussed divulged until it was time, and she certainly didn't want them to tell anyone what she had spoken about.

With this in mind she went to sleep.

Hermione felt like she had only been asleep for a few moments when she was having a nightmare about the night the Battle of Hogwarts took place, and was dreaming about when Voldemort and his Death Eaters approached the castle with Hagrid carrying what she believed to be a dead Harry in his arms.

Hermione awoke suddenly with her heart hammering in her chest as she realized that it was only a nightmare. She had been having the same dream for the last couple of weeks since the battle and didn't know whether it was some form of post-traumatic stress or not, but it always woke her up when she dreamed about Harry being dead, and it never woke her up when other people in her dreams were getting hit by curses or dying.

Hermione lay there for a few moments trying to get to sleep, which wouldn't come because her brain had started up, thinking about the Will reading the next day and who it might be for. She pushed the covers off her and put on her dressing gown wrapping it tightly around to combat the chill in the room. She looked at Ginny to see that she was fast asleep and she tiptoed to the door trying to be as quiet as possible. She opened the door very slowly so that the lock wouldn't click and slipped through pulling it gently behind her until it was closed and then eased the handle back into place.

She crept along the hall passed Muriel's room, passed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room and then passed Percy and George's room. As she made her way passed Harry and Ron's room she heard what she thought was a wart hog being strangled until she realized it was Ron's snoring. The door wasn't open so Hermione couldn't take a quick peak to see if Harry's bed was empty. She couldn't imagine he'd be able to sleep through that racket.

She pulled away from the door wondering how on earth the rest of the Weasleys were always able to sleep with that kind of noise going on all the time. As she approached the end of the corridor where the semicircular stairs led to the living room downstairs she saw that Fleur's door was also open, and upon sticking her head in the door saw that Fleur was out of bed as well.

Hermione moved towards the stairs and started down the stairs stepping as close the wider outside of the step next to the bannister so that she could trying to avoid putting her weight on the middle of the step so that the boards didn't creak.

After what felt like ages she reached the bottom of the stairs, and let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She stared moving around the living room looking for signs of Fleur and saw Harry on a two-seater sofa on his back with one arm dangling over the side, with his hand resting on the floor, while the other arm disappeared under the pillow his head rested on. His feet were up and over the arm of the sofa as his body was clearly too long for the sofa. He had another growth spurt over the last year and was now a little over six feet tall.

The quilt was covering his legs but had spilt off his chest to pool on the floor leaving his torso exposed. Hermione couldn't help but look at his chest and stomach and appreciate how nice his body was except the several scars he had from his adventures in the past that marked his arm where the basilisk fang had pierced him and the long scar going across his other shoulder where the horntail's spiked tail had cut him.

Harry shifted in his sleep and started shaking quite violently as if he was having some sort of nightmare or something. Hermione moved over to where he was and gently put her hand on his shoulder trying to calm him. He seemed to go still for a few seconds before he started again letting out a small scream as if he was truly terrified of whatever he was dreaming about.

Hermione put her hand to his forehead and made soothing sounds to try and help calm him. She noticed that his forehead was all clammy as if he was just back from going for a run or something.

Harry started mumbling something as he started moving his arms and legs with more purpose as if he was trying to fight off whatever was in his dreams, he started making a wailing sound that gradually grew louder into a scream when he suddenly sat bolt upright his eyes with a wild and totally terrified look in them. This caused Hermione to jump at his sudden unexpected movement and her breath to catch in her throat.

Seeing Hermione kneeling next to him he looked at her as if he was surprised to see her there unharmed. "Are you alright Harry?" She asked causing him to nod and then start taking deep breathes trying to calm himself while Hermione did the same.

"Are you alright? What are you doing up?" he asked.

"I'm alright, I had a nightmare as well and it caused me to wake up. I couldn't get back to sleep and Ron's snoring was so loud, I'm not surprised to find you here as well," Hermione replied. "I thought I'd come down here to get a hot drink and see if that would help, and it looks like we are both having the same problem," She added.

"What was your nightmare about?" she asked.

Harry looked down at her left forearm "I was having a kind of flashback about when we were at Malfoy Manor and that bitch Bellatrix was torturing you and I couldn't get out of that cellar to help you. I was reliving that all over again. I felt so helpless and hated not being able to help you knowing you were in pain and not being able to stop it happening." he said as he felt his eyes start to water.

What he dreamed about really had scared him. He vowed to himself that he would never let anything like that ever happen to Hermione again.

"I'll never let anything hurt you again Hermione. I swear," he said firmly while looking back up into her eyes. "That's probably the most horrible experience I've had in the whole of my life."

Hermione felt a lump in her throat. After everything he'd been through having Voldemort, Dementors, Dragons and Basilisks try to kill him, not to mention being the most wanted person in the country if not the world, he'd been shunned by the whole school repeatedly and the entire wizarding world. He lost people that he loved and cared for and the thing that upset him the most was her being tortured and him not being able to help her. Her heart swelled at hearing the words he coming from such a special person.

Ron had never spoken to her like that and there was an intensity in what Harry said that caused her stomach to do a somersault. She'd buried her feelings for Harry, so deep down in her heart and her mind that she had convinced herself for years that she only thought of him as a friend. This was based purely down to her own fears that he only thought of her as a friend and she couldn't handle the humiliation of opening her heart to him if he didn't feel the same way.

She'd battled with herself all these years to move on, and she was with Ron now so she couldn't allow these feelings to come bubbling up. It would confuse everything and everyone all the more. Hermione really didn't want to be involved in some weird love triangle, but Harry talking like that made her start questioning her own feelings for Ron and Harry. She would have to sort these feelings out before moving things any further with Ron.

"Well that woke me up and then I couldn't get to sleep again because of Ron's snoring. I do miss the curtains around the beds at Hogwarts because they always blocked out the snoring, and because I'm in the room casting a silencing charm at the door just isn't going to work." Harry replied giving a slight chuckle, causing Hermione to do the same.

"Why didn't you just cast a silencing charm on Ron?" Hermione asked him.

"I promised him that I wouldn't use a spell on Ron again when he's sleeping after I cast a levicorpus charm by accident on him once." Harry chuckled. "So I came down here, nearly falling down the stairs as I missed my footing, I thought I'd have woken everyone as I had to grab the banister to stop myself from completely falling. I was making a right racket, but I thought I must have gotten away with it. I tried to get to sleep again and then I was just drifting off again but I went straight back into Malfoy's basement again."

"Why haven't you gone to one of the larger sofas, so you'll be more comfortable rather than this small thing?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know I just got to the first one I came across." Harry replied.

"Well go and settle on one of the bigger sofas and I'll go and make us a hot drink and see if that helps us nod off again." Hermione directed, as she got to her feet and walked towards the kitchen.

Harry watched her leave the room before gathering up the quilt and pillow and making his way to one of the large three seater sofas that not only were longer but also a lot deeper as they were more made for lounging in than sitting upright.

Hermione entered the kitchen to see Fleur seated on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island in a grey silk dressing gown that was partly open revealing one of her perfectly toned thighs while she was holding what looked like a cup of cocoa between her hands. She looked up as Hermione entered the kitchen.

"I take it zat Arry woke you up as well? I honestly thought that the stairs were falling down or somezing." she enquired with a smile on her face.

"No I had a bad dream which woke me up, and I thought I'd come and get a hot drink to try and help me back to sleep. Are you doing ok now?" Hermione asked kindly.

"Ah I see and then I suppose you ad to stop to have a…. um look at Arry on your way past non?" Fleur jested with a knowing smile. "I am doing a lot better after this afternoon Hermione, thank you for coming with me. I know I needed to talk to someone, and you and Penny I zink are the only ones who will understand properly and not take a biased opinion."

"Well it was nice to spend some time away from here with you to get to know you better. We've never really had a chance to get to know each other better. I just wish it had been under happier circumstances really." Hermione replied. "Have you had anymore thoughts about what you're going to do and how you and Bill are going to tell them?"

"Non, I need to speak wiz Bill about zis, but until he gets home and we discuss it together then I'll just has to try and cope as best I can." Fleur responded, looking down with a glum look about her. "I will write to my Mother and Father tomorrow and see if they can elp, I might also contact Madame Maxine as well as she az always been a loyal confidante." Fleur added.

"Well I guess I better get Harry and I a drink and then try and get back to sleep." Hermione announced as she made her way around the breakfast bar. Fleur was sitting near a small cauldron on the hob which she lit a small blue flame under using her wand, before going to the larder to get some milk, butter and cocoa powder. Hermione started making the cocoa by putting a small piece of butter into the now hot cauldron allowing it to melt before adding the cocoa powder until it had made a claggy cocoa colored dumpling in the bottom of the cauldron before Hermione added some milk and started stirring like a crazy person trying to make the cocoa dumpling melt, all the while Fleur watched on with a quizzical and amused look on her face.

"What?" Hermione asked as she saw Fleur's face and wondered what the older girl was looking at her like that for.

"Have you ever made cocoa before Hermione?" Fleur enquired with a look of amusement on her face.

"Course I have!" Hermione answered giving the cocoa a stir on the hob in the cauldron before pulling out the spoon she had been using to find thick porridge like coating on the spoon. She licked the spoon and pulled a face in disgust as it wasn't very nice at all and tasted like burnt cocoa powder and was gristly and powdery on her tongue.

Fleur, laughing, got up and made her way around the counter "Well at least your brains don't go everywhere. Merde have you never been taught to cook Hermione?" Fleur asked with a big smile on her face.

"Well I've never really had to cook before except for last year when we were on the run from Voldemort. I got all my meals at Hogwarts made by the house elves and when I was off in the summer my mum and dad or Mrs. Weasley tended to do all the cooking." Hermione answered in a slightly wounded tone. "Granted I'm not as good as Mrs. Weasley or Mum in the kitchen but we got by last year between Harry and myself doing the cooking."

While she thought about it Harry always finished whatever food she had made and put in front of him, but Ron certainly hadn't and had normally made a remark after eating half of his about his mum's cooking. He never made the same remark to Harry when he had done the cooking.

'Am I really a bad cook?' Hermione thought, she had never been bad at anything in her life except perhaps flying but with that she did enough to get by. Even knitting the house elves hats she had got better the more she did them as time went by, but she couldn't think of anything else that she wasn't really good at. Other than cutting hair as she had made a right mess of Harry's a few months ago when they were on the run.

"Well maybe it's just a case zat you haven't had enough practice. At Beauxbatons all the witches had to take at least one year of Home & Cooking classes. We French pride ourselves in our cooking ability and knowledge of flavors etc." Fleur kindly explained. "Why don't you go sit with Arry, while I make and bring you both some cocoa? Next time I'll show you how to make it." she added with a small smile.

"That would be nice thanks Fleur." Hermione replied. She turned and made her way back into the living area where she saw Harry stretched out again but awake now on one of the longer and wider three seater sofas. He sat up to make room for Hermione and moved the quilt, so that his chest was more covered than when she was there a minute ago.

"Who were you talking to?" Harry enquired.

"Fleur was up in the kitchen not able to sleep as well she'll be in, in a minute, she's making our drinks." Hermione replied. "Harry I need to ask you something and I want you to give me an honest answer." she said tentatively putting her hand on his leg causing Harry to tense up at the unexpected touch. Not that he was complaining but it was sending shivers through him as he and Hermione had never touched like that before.

"I always give you honest answers." Harry replied with a gulp as he felt like he had a lump in his throat.

"I don't know…. sometimes I think you would hold things back just to spare my feelings as you don't want to upset me." she said.

"Errr well I don't like seeing you upset Hermione, it broke my heart sixth year seeing how upset you were over Won Won and Lav Lav," Harry explained, "I would never deliberately upset you and I'm always honest with you especially if it's something important. I know I might tease you every now and again like with the liquid luck for that Quidditch game in sixth year but I would always tell you the truth afterwards." he added thinking that he maybe never had told her the truth about how he really felt about her.

It was like when he was interested in Ginny all over again except worse because he had convinced himself over years that he didn't feel for her "that way", knowing that Ron secretly liked, or loved, Hermione all the way back from second year when Hagrid had got back from Azkaban, and they had sort of done that awkward hug kind of thing after Hermione had entered the Great Hall when she was un-petrified.

He was never able to talk about it with Ron because he knew Ron liked Hermione. He had to push his feelings for her down as much as possible, and he convinced himself that he always thought of Hermione as a sister rather than anything romantically, but that time he had spent alone with Hermione when Ron and Lavender were together brought him closer, and when Ron left them last year when they were hunting horcruxes Hermione had stayed with him even though he knew she really liked Ron.

Too much time had gone past now and he couldn't bring up those feelings. They were together now and he missed his chance. He knew that she felt for him more as a friend and a brother than as a boyfriend.

"Well if you're prepared to be honest with me then I've a question that I need you to answer for me." Hermione steeled herself for the possible answer.

Harry was beginning to wonder what she was going to ask him, especially if it required a hand on his leg and seemed to have her so worried. He was getting concerned as it didn't normally take a lot for Hermione to ask him something important, so it must be something difficult or personal.

Hermione took a deep breath and looked Harry straight in the eye "Do you think my cooking is good?"

Harry was stunned for a full five seconds before her erupted into laughter causing Hermione to shush him so that he didn't wake the rest of the house up. Harry wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand as he tried to calm his giggles, while Hermione looked at him with a look that made it obvious she was less than impressed about being laughed at.

"And what is so funny?" she asked.

Harry gave a soft chuckle, thankful that it wasn't something serious "Sorry Hermione but I thought you were going to say something a lot more serious or worrying than that, and of course you're a good cook." he replied refusing to look her in the eye.

"Don't you lie to me Harry Potter…. look me in the eye and say that."

Harry sucked in and breathed out and big breath to try and compose himself and turned to look her in the eye but on seeing the look on Hermione's face burst out laughing again.

"Why you little… " Hermione started while giving him a playful smack on the arm. "Am I really that bad? I know I struggle doing it magically, but when I do it the muggle way I'm alright aren't I?"

"It's not your strongest attribute Hermione, but you're not that bad, seriously."

Hermione could tell that he was just being nice, and that his words probably weren't true but she was thankful for him trying not to hurt her feelings. She was pretty sure that Ron wouldn't have been as tactful. He had about as much subtlety as a sledge hammer.

Fleur entered the room and gave them their drinks and sat on the couch opposite them. They all talked about what to do tomorrow and what time they would go to Diagon Alley. They were due at Gringotts at 11am and Harry needed to get some new dress robes or some new Wizard Robes. Fleur said that meeting with the account managers it was always best to do so in formal wear on the first time of meeting them. It showed them respect, and respect and honor were two things that Goblins held in importance along with gold.

Hermione decided that she would look into Madam Malkin's as well. The gown that she wore to Slughorn's party had ripped when that oaf McLaggen stood on the hem of her dress as she tried to make a quick exit from his attempt at getting a good night kiss causing a good size rip along the seam, and no matter what she tried she couldn't get it to look properly when she tried to repair it.

Fleur agreed that she would come with them because she needed to speak with Bill, and that as he didn't get home a lot of nights, as he was normally working late and then he tended to go straight to Gringotts the next day.

Harry suggested that maybe they all go for breakfast in the Leaky Cauldron the next day and that he was buying.

Harry and Hermione couldn't miss that obviously; something was off with Fleur. Her face and cheerfulness dropped whenever she seemed to talk about Bill these days, and Harry guessed that she was staying at the Weasleys because she didn't want to be at Shell Cottage on her own. While it was a lovely place it was very remote.

Fleur stood saying that she was going to go back to bed and try to get some sleep causing Hermione to agree that she had best go back to sleep as well. They had a big day and hopefully she wouldn't have any more nightmares.

Harry suggested that one of them possibly cast a silencing charm on the door so that they couldn't hear Ron. He added that he would be staying downstairs as there was no hoping of being able to sleep in the same room as him.

Hermione and Fleur made their way upstairs while looking over the bannister at Harry as he stretched and then lay down on the sofa again and seemed to go instantly to sleep.

Fleur said good night to Hermione as she slipped into her room and closed the door gently. Hermione concerned for the older witch thought about knocking to see if she needed to talk again but given the time decided she'd let her try and get some sleep and that it was probably a good idea for her to do so herself.

Looking at the door to Ron and Harry's room she heard Ron's snores coming through the door and it felt like the door was almost rattling with the vibrations. Pulling her wand out of her dressing gown pocket she cast a silencing charm at the door instantly silencing the snores coming from the room.

Hermione made her way into her bed wondering why she hadn't had the idea to do that herself when she had first woken up. 'Clever boy that Harry Potter' she thought to herself before settling under the quilt.