Summary:

What happened directly after the war? I always wanted to know, so I am writing it! Its going to be mainly tying up loose ends. I'm staying in cannon as much as possible! Feedback is welcome.

Disclaimer: not mine. Just playing for a bit.

Chapter 1:

It had been mere hours since Tom Riddle's body fell mundanely to the floor of the great hall and cheers erupted all around.

Having spoken to Dumbledore's portrait in the office and mending his Holly wand with the much more powerful hallow, Harry could no longer think in a linear fashion. All this thoughts were spreading around so fast that he felt confused and exhausted. His friends could see the weariness in his eyes and knew that he needed to rest. "Where should we take him?" Ron asked Hermione, ignoring the fact that Harry was still awake and standing –albeit most of his weight was being supported at the moment by the headmasters desk.

"The common room? I doubt that the tower was damaged too much in the battle," answered Harry.

"Let him sleep in the headmaster's chambers. They have been empty since my departure, but of course well maintained by our faithful house elves. I'm sure you will find that they are much nicer than your dormitories...but more importantly they will afford you more privacy Harry." No one asked why Snape had not occupied Dumbledore's former bedroom, but they were nonetheless grateful not to have to climb wall the way to the Gryffindor tower at the moment.

Harry gave one last understanding look at Dumbledore's portrait and stood up straight. Though he had never been there before, he always assumed that the headmaster had to have a bedchamber somewhere in his office. He walked behind the desk to where he had seen a door in his previous visits. Assuming it was locked he pointed the Holly wand at the door and said "Alohamora," but nothing happened.

Hermione examined the door for a moment and then looked at Harry. "Try His wand." Without question Harry pointed the Elder wand at the door, recited the incantation, and the door obliged. He knew that it was not the wand's great power that had opened it, but the fact that Dumbledore had bewitched it to only open for his personal wand. He smiled grimly and put the hallow back in his pocket.

Hermione let out a small gasp as the trio entered the room. The vaulted ceiling was like the great hall's in that it was bewitched, but instead of reflecting the weather conditions outside, it was a deep black with thousands of stars as clear as they would be on a crisp autumn night. There were several objects around the room that would certainly be of interest to all three of them, but the only one Harry had eyes for right now was the giant four-poster bed draped in midnight blue.

"Harry are you hungry, do you want to wash up?" Hermione asked. Both food and a bath sounded supremely appetizing to him at the moment.

"It looks like there's a bath over there mate." Ron was pointing at the corner where a tapestry that matched the bed was draped and pulled aside revealing that a room lay beyond. "Creepy. Dumbledore's bathtub." At that moment the tension broke and all three of them started laughing.

After a few minutes of laughter so intense that they were all wiping tears from their eyes, Harry walked over to the curtain to peer beyond at a bathroom very similar, though not as large, as the prefect's bathroom that he had used in his fourth year. The entire place looked immaculate, as if it had literally just been cleaned. There were even fresh towels on a side table and an array of little soaps.

"Kreecher." Harry said, and in an instant the little house elf appeared and bowed down very low to him. "Thank you for everything you did today. I am very lucky to have you as a house elf, and if you want to, I'd like for you to come back with me to Grimmauld place when I move in."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. They had never heard Harry talk about moving in to Grimmauld place, but they supposed that they had really never talked with him about the future at all. After Voldemort, all of their futures where open books that they could write new pages in. The freedom of it was astounding.

Kreecher bowed even lower and kissed Harry's dirty trainers. "I would be most honored to serve you Master Potter."

Harry looked at the little elf and smiled. "Great. That's a bit far off though, would you mind making me, Ron, and Hermione something to eat, and grab us some clean clothes?" With that Kreecher stood up, smiled, and disaparated.

"I supposed that's a yes then." Ron said as he stretched out his wand arm. They were all sore from the battle but none so much as Harry who had taken a killing curse straight to the chest.

"Guys, I'm going to grab a bath and then devour some sandwiches." Harry said already kicking off his shoes and socks.

"We should probably do the same. I think I am going to go to the hospital wing and grab some essence of dittany and a sleeping potion for all three of us, I ran out and we have oh my god Harry." Hermione had stopped talking and was now staring straight at Harry's chest, which was exposed as he had continued undressing in front of them.

"What?" He said.

"Harry mate, you need to have a look in the mirror." Ron walked close to his friend and turned him around so that he was facing the full-length mirror that was placed directly next to the wardrobe.

Before he looked at himself, Harry noted the horrified and concerned looks that his two best friends were giving him and then he looked down at his chest. The first thing he saw was the horrid blue and purple bruise that encompassed most of the left side of his chest and the second thing he noticed was the large jagged cut directly over his heart that perfectly matched the scar on his forehead. It was about eight centimeters long and it was very raw. At the moment it was completely numb, but he knew that this was only his body's adrenalin. It would eventually wear off and this would be very painful.

"It's a small price to pay really." He finally said. "I have this one for my Mum and Dad," he pointed to his forehead, "and now I have this one for Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Moody, Sirius, and everyone else who died for the cause." With this he could feel the familiar pain in his heart that crept up when he thought about his friends who were lost, but he reminded himself that they all died fighting for what they believed in and the pain lessened slightly.

Tears were dripping down Hermione's cheeks as she turned and left the room. "I'll be back after I get to the hospital wing."

Ron's hand felt strong and reassuring on his shoulder and Harry turned around to meet his gaze. As the two men looked at each other, they thought of how far they had both come since their first adventure. "I want you to know that you are like a brother to me. I never could have done this without you" Harry said.

Ron didn't say anything. He just embraced his best friend, albeit gingerly, as not to hurt his already damaged chest. While they were hugging Ron said what he had been thinking all along "None of us would be here if it weren't for you. But to me you're not Harry Potter, you're just my best mate." They pulled apart and looked at each other as Ron continued. "One day, I hope you'll be my real brother, but you better get on apologizing to Ginny and all that. I'm not sure that the Elder wand could block the bat bogey hex." They both laughed at that and Harry turned towards the bathroom and said "Do you think the new scar might buy me some sympathy with her?"

"I'll put in a good word. I'm going to run downstairs and tell everyone you're asleep and not to bother you."

"Thanks mate."