The dust from Voldemort's body has barely settled before Harry got swept up into a whole new world of struggles and doubts. He wandered back to Hogwarts to see hundreds dead - hundreds wearing the plain black robes. Hundreds that he never knew. And hundreds he did.
He chokes and runs.
But three days later, he came back. And he's ready. His hair had been tamed down, ruffling out. The muggle specialist who helped him had laughed happily and said that it was bedroom hair. Blushing wildly, he had thanked them with an extra tip and fled from the place.
His glasses were gone, replaced with contacts. His robes either heavily cleaned and trimmed or replaced. There had been a celebration sale that he had found in some rather old robe store, and he had gotten two dress robes for the price of one.
But now he's ready and aimed to fire, with nearly ten pages of notes he had neatly bound and given a thin spine to carry easier. He knows exactly what he's doing.
And the first time the world sees him again, it's at the trial of Lucius Malfoy.
Three whole days has given him incredible amounts of time to plan. He's going to save who he can and punish the rest harshly. His notes are full of punishment he wants and what he'll settle for.
It doesn't matter that he knows nearly nothing about politics. He is the Boy-Who-Lived, and the Wizengamot listens to him.
Lucius Malfoy got off on probation for the next twenty years and considerable required donations to rebuild the Wizarding World. Narcissa got the same.
Although Draco was an easier deal. Five years of probation and over two hundred hours of community service. He's to be assigned a watcher to make sure he's on the right track, and also to try and heal whatever Voldemort did to him. Draco isn't perfectly happy - he'd probably never be, the prat - but after the trial, he walks over to Harry and shakes his hand. There's nothing said in between them, and nothing needs to be said. They understand.
But Not, Least Rage, and every other Death Eater he can think of is punished harshly. Minimum of thirty-five years in Azkaban and probation for the rest of their lives. 25% of all familial wealth is to be donated, and that's only for the money they've earned. It's not much, for most of them, but it would go a long way.
And then Harry was left to be on his own. It's exhausting to try and live after what he's seen. There's still blood every time he closes his eyelids and no matter where he is, one part of his mind knows where the entrances and exits are. His wand is always easy to grab. But he's getting better. And all he can ask for.
Nothing will ever be the same, and he's okay with that. He prefers this, where he knows magic and knows he's free and knows that nothing can happen to him without him being able to fight back. He still hasn't decided what he's going to do, but it's not going to be anything that involves fighting. Sorry to disappoint the Auror department, but he's not going back to the lifestyle.
So he rents a room at the Leaky Cauldron and stays there, trying to figure it out. He hasn't got any plans for his future, and this is as sure of a place as any to find them.
That's when Ginny finds him.
He hasn't spoken to her since Dumbledore's funeral, and she's changed. But not much. Still the girl he knows, strong and fierce.
At least until she runs and tries to kiss him.
"Ginny!" He yelps, kicking backward off the ground and crouching, ducking to the side. His wand is in his hand before he realizes. "What are you doing?"
She frowns at him with lips much more red than he remembers. "Kissing my boyfriend?"
"Ginny." He pulls himself up to his feet, forcing himself to slide his wand back into its holster. There's not much room to run in his rather cramped apartment, and he regretfully pushes away the option of fleeing. "We broke up."
"Because you were fighting You-Know-Who," she breaks in. "You're not anymore. We can get back together."
He almost wants to say but I don't want to. Things have changed, and though she's a gorgeous specimen and it was nice while they were dating but-
Maybe she sees something in his eyes because then she grins, red lips curling into a smile. "I know it's a lot to take in. Here. Come to the Burrow tonight, and then we'll get back together. We'll go slow."
And then she saunters over toward the door and pulls it open, smiling at him before snapping it closed.
Harry starts to panic.
He's not getting back with Ginny. Especially with how she's trying to force him to. No. Noth again.
He needs a plan. He had a plan to either save or condemn every Death Eater that existed. There's nothing stopping him from making one now. Something flickers in his mind and then he's bolting toward the door, grasping onto the handle and wrenching it open. He flies down the stairs like a snitch.
Diagon Alley is still injured and hurt and dusty and broken, and there are not many people out and about every day.
But Weasley Wizarding Wheezes is just down the street, and it books it. There are nearly no customers, and no one disturbs him as he bolts up the stairs and runs into George's personal room.
He looks up, wand raised, as Harry grinds to a stop in front of him, breathing hard. "Harry! What the hell! Have you been attacked-"
"George. Date me."
The Weasley stumbles back, eyes wide. "What?"
Harry steps into the room. "I need to show to Ginny I've moved on from her. Help me out here."
"You're trying to show Ginny you don't want to date by getting with her brother?" George raises a single eyebrow, pulling himself to his feet. His hand steadies itself on the nearest table.
"Yes. I guess. Please do this for me," he's nearly pleading at this point.
"There are a million other girls in the world that would rather get with you," he points out, not untruthfully. Harry blushes bright and red.
"Well, I was young and I had a stupid crush-"
George lunges forward and presses their lips together. There's a moment of panic and confusion and then Harry just melts.
They pull back, cheeks as bright red as the sun itself.
"I didn't know you were gay." It's the only thing Harry can think to say in a situation like this.
"The way I swing may point in your general direction." His voice is both happily smug and shocked like he can't believe any of this is happening.
"Me too." He's breathless. "I- are we dating now-"
George kisses him.
He rings the doorbell of the Burrow rather softly, fingers tying themselves into knots. George had gone ahead. Apparently, everyone was going to be there. Was Ginny planning on proposing to him or something? Even Hermione was showing up.
"Coming!" Molly chirps, voice bright. In only a few seconds, the door pops open and she rushes out to squeeze him tight in her arms. He's prepared himself but can't stop the flinch, but she ignores it, letting him go. "Harry! Come on in. I'm just finishing setting the table." And the bustles back into the house. He hesitantly steps in.
The dining room looks much better now. After the Burrow was destroyed, many wizards and witches had voted for donation money to go to the Weasley's to fix their house. Now it was bigger and better and more stable, but it still glowed with the Weasley spirit.
Hermione shoots to her feet. "Harry!"
He grins and they hug, gripping tight. "Oh, it's so good to see you. I knew you wouldn't miss out today!"
"Let him be, Hermione." Ron sounds happy but exasperated, sidling around the table to throw his arm around his shoulder. "Can't kill the man before he gets back together with Ginny. She'll kill you for sure."
Harry freezes. "What?"
Ron rolls his eyes. "Oh, did she tell you she'd keep it a secret? No, she's been telling us for the past three days how you both are getting together. Mind you mate, I'm going to be bloody happy once she stops going on about it."
There's something dry in the back of his throat. "I see."
Hermione peels back to stare him in the eyes. She must see something because she grimaces before talking. "Harry, it's okay. No matter what goes on tonight, I'll support you, okay?"
And then she wanders off, going to hug some tall bloke he thinks is Bill.
Ron blinks. "Hermione? What do you mean?"
But then Molly's there, pulling some final dish full of something that smells delicious out and setting it on the table. "Places!" She barks.
George wanders in from another room, blue eyes lighting up when he sees Harry. They grin at each other, and Harry shoots for him, sitting on the spot that used to belong to Fred. George tenses for a second before relaxing. Their hands meet under the table, fingers tight.
Ginny drops on his other side, a grin on her even-brighter red lips. "Hullo, Harry," she breathes, and then there is a hand on his thigh. He grins and bears it, sure he must be cutting off the pulse to George's wrist by now.
But neither of them say a word, and then Molly sits next to Arthur. With a snap of her fingers, tops fly of dishes and the feasting begins.
Harry grabs a bit of everything and digs in, missing Molly's cooking so much. It was wonderful and warm and seasoned to perfection. George laughs as he tries to grab another bun without realizing he already has two. Molly tuts and chases his hand off, smiling.
But the meal finishes and the clinking of plates and silverware dies down. Molly smiles and coughs once. "Okay, Harry dear. Tell us why you really came here tonight."
He breathes in a very deep, very long breath. Ginny is smiling happily and triumphantly.
"I have started dating again." The words come out only barely stuck in his throat.
Ginny starts to stand.
He raises their clasped hands. "George."
Silence reigns over the room.
Ginny is frozen, happy smile dying and fading from her face. There's something like shock radiating from her whole body.
And then Hermione claps, loud enough to cover the gasp from Ron. "Good job, Harry!" Her voice is strong.
There's a heavy blush on his face. "Thanks, Hermione. Means a lot." He and George lean in.
Something thacks him across the back of his head. "You bastard!" Ginny shrieks.
"Ginevra!" Molly barks.
"No! No! I will not do this! You are dating me, Harry Potter, and that's final!" She's screaming.
"But I'm dating-"
She cuts him off. "No! I'm perfect for you, not my brother! You're not even gay!"
"I don't want you, Ginny." He tried to let her down gently, but now he was going hard. "I don't need you to be my girlfriend. I've moved on and found someone that works better. We didn't work."
"I don't need a Miss Perfect." The grin on his face is beyond happy. "I've found myself a Mr. Perfect."
Heh. I hope you guys like this story.
I kind of don't like Ginny, and this story is just how I get a bit of my anger out. I'll be doing a few more oneshots like this, mainly bashing people. Eh. It's a guilty pleasure of mine. But mainly Molly, Ginny, Dumbledore, and Ron. And the Ministry. And the Wizarding World as a whole.
But yeah! Tell me if you'd like the aftermath or something.
I love twins/Harry, even if it's only one. But yeah.
Anyway! Please read and review!
Frost OUT!