Harry Potter at Wizard's University with his schoolfriends, the summer after the events of the seventh book

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or previous events in their lives

Ron and Hermione were at it again. Harry leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes as they made out like the world was going to end.

Then again who could blame them? After all, it nearly had.

Harry had spent the summer with the Weasleys, as had Hermione. Ron kept urging her to go back and reverse the spell on her parents but she wanted to wait until her bruises had healed and she stopped screaming every night. She didn't want to freak them out after all.

Harry and Ginny had been inseparable all summer – but she had to return to Hogwarts. He, and many of the other seventh years were off to Uni. His fingers were permanently crossed that she wouldn't find any new loves, but he could not quite convince himself. After all, what did he have that she needed? He may have slain Voldermort, making him irresistible to virtually every other girl on the planet, but Ginny had never particularly cared about that kind of thing.

And that was why he loved her so much. Because she liked him for himself.

The only people he could think of with the same mindset were Ron and Hermione and he wasn't about to get off with either of them anytime soon.

Although, now that he didn't have to worry about getting killed at every corner, he was starting to notice Hermione. Maybe it was the bloom of romance – or the Sun that never stopped shining on the Burrow – but she was glowing. Even without make-up there were pink patches in her cheeks and sparkles that made her huge brown eyes seem even bigger.

Still, Ron would rip his head off his shoulders if Harry even tried it on with her. After all, he had two motives: Hermione and his little sister Ginny.

'Are you alright Harry?' Hermione asked concernedly, managing to tear herself away from Ron long enough to glance at her best friend. 'Don't worry, Ginny was distraught when you left.'

Harry forced a smile. 'Good to know.'

Ron rolled his eyes, trying to get his arms around Hermione again. 'He's fine Hermione. There's another lovestruck boy here if you'd just turn…'

'Oh you.' Hermione gave him a token kiss – but now her attention was on Harry. 'You looking forward to going back to school Harry?'

'Yeah, should be loads of fun,' Harry said dully. 'Stares everywhere I go, girls throwing themselves at me, everyone expecting me to do brilliantly in everything I attempt –'

'You are brilliant,' Hermione replied softly as Ron muttered 'You should be used to it by now.'

'Here…' Hermione stood up and moved so she was beside Harry. She looked deep into his eyes – and for a split second Harry leaned forward, his lips leading…

Then she reached over and ran her fingers through his fringe so that it hung over his scar, hiding it from view. 'See? No-one will know it's you.'

Harry couldn't help but laugh, although his heart had accelerated to twenty beats a second when her warm hand had touched his skin. 'Thanks.'

'Don't mention it.' She went back to Ron who, emotionally stunted as he was, suspected nothing. Made a nice change, Harry thought bitterly, remembering all those days he'd been alone in that freezing tent with Hermione and not feeling anything while Ron killed himself with paranoia. He'd had so many chances…

But Harry forced himself not to think about that. Considering that he'd finished off the greatest Dark Wizard of all time before he was eighteen, he really shouldn't have this many regrets.

Then again, he reminded himself, he didn't do it alone.

Right on cue, another dark head peered around the door, except this time the temple bore no angry lightning mark.

Although, as Harry had learned from Dumbledore, it could have.

'Hi guys!' Neville Longbottom beamed. 'How were your summers?'

'Good,' the three answered simultaneously. 'You?'

He shrugged. 'My Gran's over the moon. My parents aren't really up to hearing about it.'

The others shuffled uncomfortably. Hermione, good with sensitive subjects and Neville, eventually spoke up. 'Neville, we never got a chance…thank you for killing the snake. Harry could have never finished him off without you. We owe you so much.'

Neville flushed. 'Don't mention it. It was you three who saved the day – and the world I guess. God,' he added pityingly, glancing at Harry. 'They're gonna be all over you aren't they?'

Harry groaned and looked to the window. Anything was better than staring at Neville's face and knowing that it could have been him sitting here with this stupid scar and wishing Voldermort had just killed him after all.

Not really. But right now all Harry really wanted to do was sleep. Maybe wake up when he was twenty and done with degrees and could start focusing on his career in Quidditch.

Harry couldn't believe he'd once wanted to be an Auror. He'd had enough danger to last him a lifetime.