CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE
The conclusion of the War left those whom survived feeling hollowed and changed. For some, like Ginny, moving forward was an easy transition – focusing on the new and brighter future that now lay ahead of them. For others, like Ron and the rest of the Weasley family, the mourning period was prolonged, painful and took a long time to begin to see life in a positive outlook. And for most, like Harry and Hermione, the adjustment to a normal life was difficult and not without nightmares, personality changes, and (for Harry in particular) a loss of a sense of purpose.
Harry found solace in accepting custody of his baby godson Teddy Lupin. With the Order no longer in need of a Headquarters, 12 Grimmauld Place was now all Harry's to do as he pleases. With his godson now depending on him, Harry slowly began renovations to repair and restore it into a home for Teddy; all the while with Ginny by his side, helping him cope as he went through his godfather's possessions one by one. Understanding that he could not devote his time to Teddy just yet, especially not while he was fixing up his home; Harry agreed to let Teddy live at the Burrow under the care of Molly Weasley. Molly was thrilled at being a "Grandma" – it gave her a renewed sense of joy, and in her own way allowed her to grieve and cope with the loss of her own son through avid spoiling of Teddy.
After seven months Harry has finally completed child-proofing Grimmauld Place and was ready to bring Teddy home. For the first few months Harry was entirely devoted to Teddy, showering him with all the love he could possibly give. It wasn't until a little after Ginny had graduated her final year at Hogwarts and encouraged Harry to find his new purpose in the world that Harry decided it was time to look for a job. It didn't take him too long to land a job as a Auror Trainer in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement – a job which both gave him flexible hours, so he could be home with Teddy as often as he liked, and allowed him to relive his childhood memories of training the DA members in his 5th year.
Ginny was all too thrilled to look after Teddy while Harry went to work, and as the months passed the three of them grew ever closer. Eventually Ginny moved in and acted as Teddy's full-time mother. It was surprising to most as Ginny was the type of person who loved her freedom and enjoyed living her life the way she wanted, whether others approved or not. A year after she had moved in, Harry had worked up the courage to propose. He was very hesitant at first, he didn't want to limit Ginny by forever tying her to himself and Teddy – although she loved Teddy, he wasn't her own child so Harry feared Ginny would not want the family life so young. Nevertheless, Harry did end up asking her and she was overjoyed to say the least, both embracing him as her fiancé and officially adopting Teddy as her own.
The wedding was something even the Wizarding World would describe as purely magical. It was a small affair with only relatives and immediate friends attending, held on July 11th. As dusk approached, the final preparations were made. The alter was underneath a fully blossoming red rose archway, and adorned with several hundred floating candles not unlike those that were in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Each pew was decorated with a photo of Harry and Ginny together throughout their childhoods with the final photograph placed right beside the alter – a picture of Ginny holding Teddy, with Harry at her side smiling fondly at them both. The aisle was sprinkled with hundreds of rose petals and lined with thousands of sparkling intricate heart designs that floated above them. Harry stood holding Teddy at the altar, dressed in matching black suits (with Teddy gaining many "aww"s from the crowd) both eagerly awaiting Ginny to walk down the aisle towards them, completing their little family. As the music began, all eyes were on the bride whom was a beauty beyond words. Ginny was dressed in a beautiful silk white gown and train that flowed behind her as she walked, with delicate lacing adorning her bodice. She wore a jewelled flower crown with her stunning red hair that matched the roses, flowing against her back. As she walked down the aisle, she carried a red rose bouquet that was as wide as her dress and almost reached the floor, as her full-length veil blew in the gentle breeze. Teddy was staring intently at whom he already considered his mum, while Harry was speechless but had an unmistakable smile plastered across his face. They said their vows as the last rays of sunlight disappeared, bathing them in nothing but the glow of the hundreds of candles around them; and with Teddy held affectionately between them, Harry and Ginny shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
In the months that followed their wedding, both Harry and Ginny spent their time with Teddy just being a family without the constant harassment of cameras. Eventually when things had settled down Ginny got a part-time job at Quidditch Essentials in Diagon Alley on the days Harry had off. They still spent quality time together every night and made a point of always having a family day together every week, as well as keeping up tradition with weekly family brunches at the Burrow. To them, this was their perfect life – a job they enjoyed, a home to call their own, a blissful and happy 2 years of marriage, and a now almost 5yr old son that completely loves his Mum and Dad.
Ron coped quite differently than Harry or Ginny after the War. He spent months mourning Fred, not leaving his room and barely speaking to anyone. Eventually he started going to the joke shop, helping George run the place whom was still trying to deal with the loss of his twin himself. The two found solace together at the shop, bringing joy and intrigue to the most mischievous of Hogwarts students. It was at the joke shop where Ron actually met his long-term girlfriend of 3 years; Amarie Lyston. Originally from Beauxbatons, Amarie was what Ron's brothers liked to call "a deadly debutant". She was extremely beautiful with long blonde-auburn hair, crystal blue eyes, and had the tiniest hint of freckles under her eyes. She was well educated and poised, with an air of class and elegance to her; but what made her 'deadly' was her wicked sense of humour even rivalling that of George, and an appetite to match Ron. It was these homely and down-to-earth qualities that allowed the Weasley family to accept her eagerly into the family, despite her on-the-surface posh appearance. Everyone saw easily how Amarie was an excellent match for Ron – she encouraged him to embrace new beginnings, and follow what his heart really wanted – even if it was inventing new sweets for George to sell at the shop. She loved him for who he was, as he did with her; over time overcoming his mourning of Fred and was once again the cheerful lad he once was.
Hermione was the most hardest affected by the War. Where she was once very outspoken and quick to answer as a teenager, she was now reserved and for the most part eager to not draw any attention to herself or her causes. The War had taught her to learn when it was the time to speak out, and when was the time to remain quiet and passive. In the past she knew speaking her mind had endangered her and her friends, setting a target squarely on their backs, and she would pay a hefty price – her scars were all the reminders she needed. She had learnt by now to remain silent and non-reactive no matter how much she was goaded or threatened. Everyone was worried about her – one of her most notable traits of fearlessness and determination were now almost non-existent; but they all understood it was how she coped after the War. The War had changed everyone, but Hermione was still 'Hermione' - still avidly pioneering for the rights of magical creatures, and even secured a job not long after completely her 8th year at Hogwarts, in the Department of Wizarding Integration & Education. She thrived in her role as an Integration Manager where she set up campaigns and foundations to protect and raise awareness for magical creatures. She was still a force to be reckoned with, strong, intelligent beyond her years and fierce, but now with an incomprehensible level of patience and reserve. In the 3 years since Hermione campaigned in the Department of Wizarding Integration & Education, she had successfully introduced new laws regarding the treatment and subsequent punishment of elves (she was still against punishment as a whole, but understood that small steps were the way to go), introduced a werewolf integration program which helped werewolves find jobs in the Wizarding World, and she had secured over 1,800km of new land for centaurs across Europe. She was also the governing official regulating the education curriculum across European Wizarding Schools – including Hogwarts.
Her achievements nearly always had her in the spotlight, with cameras following her every move as she left her office and the papers were constantly hounding her for updates on her progress for her latest campaign. Regardless of the numerous of times she was stopped for interviews, she remained humble and allowed her colleagues to take the credit. But there is only one time that Hermione would ever stick around for a proper interview – unfortunately for everyone there it was the one question that would fire her up and made sure that every reporter there never dared ask her the same question again when she was done. Today was one of those times.