Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the original characters (Haha...I wish). That all belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowling

CHAPTER 1

Harry turned to make his way back down the spiral staircase with his friends when Hermione stopped him and took a good look at him for the first time since the battle. "Harry I think you really should go to see Madame Pomfrey. You look awful!"

"Thanks Hermione for the kind suggestion," Harry said with a smirk, "but I think I would much rather just get some sleep. I promise, I'll go see her later, but I feel like I've been sat on by a hippogriff. Besides, I bet she is dealing with way more critical patients than me. I'll be fine once I get some rest. Can you two just help me get up to the Gryffindor common room?"

Ron looked at Hermione with an incredulous look as they each flanked Harry, supporting him as they walked.

They walked back to the tower in silence, taking in their surroundings. In the midst of battle, none of the trio had really taken in the state of disrepair the castle had come to be in. Walls had been blown apart, doors were hanging off their hinges, windows were shattered, singed pieces of parchment and desks were spread out along the corridors. In the time they were in the Head's office, it appeared, however, that someone had made an effort to at least clear pathways in the halls. It was a devastating site, and it made Harry think back to the innocent souls, whose bodies were now lined up in the Great Hall—Remus, Tonks, Collin Creevey, Fred…..and so many more.

Remus was Harry's last living link to his father. He became someone Harry could confide in, almost like a dad. And then, of course, there was Teddy. Harry had a pang of sorrow and guilt as he realized the parallels between his newly acquired godson's life and his own. He would never know his parents; they wouldn't get the chance to see him grow. Harry made a vow right there to himself, however, that this little boy would not grow up in the same miserable hell that Harry did. Teddy would know love, and feel it every day of his life from his grandmother, Harry, and of course the Weasley family. Harry would see to it that he knew all Harry could tell him about his parents. From Tonks' incredible bravery to Lupin's compassion, these were traits he would try to instill in the boy, aside for Teddy's blue hair, of course. Harry knew he could never be Teddy's father, that he could never replace that role in his life, but he would be his confident, his role model, his friend. Teddy would never be alone.

Harry's thoughts then turned to a member of the only family Harry had ever known. Fred….Fred was like a brother to Harry. No matter what sort of trouble Harry was dealing with, or anyone for that matter, Fred could pull them out of it. A joke here, a firework there. There was never any doubt that he could put a smile on anyone's face in an instant. He turned to Ron as they walked, "Listen mate, I'm really sorry about your brother."

Ron stopped mid-step and looked at Harry. "Thanks. I appreciate that," he responded with a sad smile. The pair embraced in a hug that only continued to exhibit their brotherly love for each other. Harry then thought of the rest of the Weasleys. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were now battling with gaining back one son only to lose another. It didn't seem fair. Harry thought of how much he wanted to take it all back, reverse it if he could. He thought about George and how he must be feeling with the loss of his best friend in the world. He thought of Ginny. All he wanted to do was hug her and kiss her and tell her everything was going to be ok. He knew he needed to talk to her, but it would have to wait until he had some sleep.

As they approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, they each turned to each other, realizing none of them knew the password. The Fat Lady looked down at them with a knowing smile as she said, "You don't need it, not tonight anyway. The password is Harry Potter." As they passed through the portrait hole, they all heard her whisper, "Thank you."

The abandoned common room was like a breath of fresh air. It was untouched by the war outside its walls, aside from a few overturned chairs—evidence of rushed exits. The couch and comfy chairs circling around the fireplace still sat in their rightful spots in all their glory. The tabletops were shiny as ever. There were still some notices clipped to the notice board. Scanning the room, Harry said almost inaudibly, with a small smile, "I'm home."

When Harry's eyes opened later on, it took him a while to realize where he was. He was in a comfortable bed with red curtains surrounding him on all sides. He smiled to himself as he realized he was in his old dorm on the top floor of Gryffindor tower, lying in the same four-poster bed he had used for six years prior. He reached to his bedside table for his glasses and went to sit up. There was a sudden rush of pain all over his body. As he fell back to his pillows, he took a moment to examine himself. He was filthy, bruised, burned, and cut up. The adrenaline of the previous night must have worn off. Everything about him hurt.

As he slowly opened his curtains, and carefully went to sit up again, he couldn't help but smile at the site in front of him. Ron and Hermione were cuddled up against each other above the blankets on Ron's bed in blissful sleep, Ron with his arm protectively around her middle while her face was buried contentedly into his chest. Harry was happy for his friends. It had only taken seven years for them to realize their feelings for each other were mutual.

It was then that Harry finally took a look around. He noticed that the beds were each filled by their proper owner, making the room feel even more at home. Outside, the sun was just barely visible over the trees of the Forest. How long had he slept for? Brushing the thought aside, Harry grabbed a towel from a chair beside his bed, along with a set of clothes and his soaps from the beaded bag on Ron's bedside table, and headed for the bathroom. Before getting ready to shower, Harry felt a rumble in his stomach as a thought came to him. "Kreacher?"

With a crack, the old house-elf appeared with a low bow, "Yes, Master Harry?"

"Erm…could you please get me a few sandwiches and a glass of pumpkin juice from the kitchen?" Harry was still trying to get use to being called "master". He made a mental note to work on that with Kreacher, maybe get the elf to see himself as an equal. He knew Hermione would like that. Harry knew it was unlikely, but he would try.

"Certainly, sir. Kreacher is happy to serve the Noble house of Black and Potter." And with that, Kreacher disappeared with a crack, only to reappear moments later with a tray filled to the brim with sandwiches, way more than Harry could eat on his own, a pitcher and goblet of pumpkin juice, and treacle tart, Harry's favorite dessert. With that, Harry sat on a bench and devoured as much as he could handle, making sure to leave some for his friends when they awoke.

As Harry showered, he looked over himself more thoroughly. Now that the dirt and dried blood was gone, it didn't look quite as bad, although he was still covered in some cuts and bruises. The one bruise that stood out the most, however, was the size of a fist, right over his heart, squarely below the somewhat old scar from the locket and severing charm. This scar not only matched the lightning bolt on his forehead, but it was surrounded by a faint green-tinted bruise. Harry knew that, that was where Voldemort had hit him with the Killing Curse. With a sigh, he turned off the hot water, got dressed, and exited the bathroom to find that his two best friends were awake and staring at him.

"Oh, thank goodness you're alright! We were worried about you when we woke up and your bed was empty. How are you feeling?" Hermione had run up to Harry to give him a hug.

As Harry winced in pain, he said, "I would feel a whole lot better if you stopped squeezing my already sore body." Hermione released him with a bashful grin. By this point, the rest of the room, Harry now noticed, was vacant, aside from the three of them.

"How did you sleep, mate?"

"Fine. I just sort of passed out, I guess. I don't even remember walking up the stairs. How long was I asleep for?"

"About 20 hours. It's around 7:30 now."

"Brilliant. Ok, well let's go down to the Great Hall. I'm pretty sure people are wondering whe—"

Hermione cut him off, "What are you talking about? I noticed the wince. You're still hurt and you need to see the nurse!"

"I'm perfectly fine Hermio—"

"No you're not," she interrupted again. "Off you go." When Harry didn't move and continued to give her a doubtful look, she turned him on the spot and began pushing him toward the door. "Now!"

"Alright, Alright, I'm going! Unhand me woman!"

"You too Ronald," Hermione added in an afterthought. Mental, this one, Harry couldn't help but think.

With that, the trio made their way to the hospital wing. Ron and Hermione got themselves checked out the previous day, having only slept a few short hours after the battle. When they arrived, the matron promptly escorted Harry to a bed, performed a thorough examination, and proceeded to force a plethora of healing potions down his throat. He had one broken rib, a bunch of bruises, and some cuts. Madame Pomfrey told him that he should be good as new in a few days and that the bruise on his chest, which both Ron and Hermione gasped at when they saw it, would heal in its own time, while the scar it surrounds is unfortunately permanent, much like the one on his head.

"I really hope I never have to see you in here again Mr. Potter," she said with a knowing grin.

"You and me both, ma'am." Harry turned to the other two and said, "Let's go."

"To the Great Hall then? I'm starving, and Mum is worried sick about you." Harry started at that. He hated when people got overly concerned about him.

"There are a few things I need to do first. I would like it if you guys could help me with Dumbledore's wand, and with the resealing of his tomb. After that I need to find Ginny to -"

Before he could finish the sentence, Ron interrupted him. "What do you mean, 'find Ginny'? I thought you two were over. You promised me last summer you weren't going to go near her anymore!" Ron's voice was rising by the second, his face slowly getting more and more flushed.

"Ron…," Hermione said with a warning tone as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"No! That's my sister whose feelings he's messing with," he yelled turning to face Harry. "I swear, Potter, if you hurt her again -"

He was abruptly cut off by Harry, who was getting more frustrated by the minute, "I love her, Ron!" He quieted down as he said, "I love her. I know I made a mistake in breaking up with her. I know I made an even bigger mistake in allowing her to kiss me right before I left her behind, but I love her. She is the only reason I had the drive to go on in this shitty hunt when I had every reason to lose hope. She is the reason I came back from the dead. I promise I will never leave her again, not unless she forces me away."

Ron was flabbergasted, and Hermione just stared with a small smile and the threat of a tear in the corner of her eye. They all stood there for a moment in awkward silence until Ron cleared his throat, "So, about that wand…."

It appeared as though they had reached an understanding. Ron would back off of Harry, and Harry would never hurt Ginny again. At this, the three of them made their way down towards Dumbledore's tomb. Along the way, it was very evident what rebuilding had taken place in the last 24 hours alone. There were less missing walls and the statues, paintings, and suits of armor were all restored. Harry made a note to thank the elves for all they've done. When they walked past the doors to the Great Hall, Harry caught a glimpse of fiery red hair. Ginny was facing away from the doors, sitting beside her mother in much the same position as the last time he saw her. Harry wouldn't waste anymore time as soon as the wand was returned.

Once they got to the gravesite, Harry gasped in shock and utter disgust at what his lifelong enemy had done to his mentor's memorial. The top lay in two halves on either side, with large chunks missing and shattered pieces scattered from the impact of falling off. Harry composed himself as he slowly approach and gently placed the Elder Wand back in the hands of its rightful owner. He lent in close to the former Headmaster's ear and whispered, "Thank you so much for everything. I couldn't have done it without you." Harry backed away, and nodded at Hermione. Together, the three of them held up their wands and muttered, "Reparo." As the tomb resealed itself under the pure strength of the three of them casting the spell together, Hermione began circling around it, casting various protective charms to prevent this from happening again. They then stood in silence for a moment before turning on their heels to head back up to the castle.

Upon arriving in the Great Hall, Harry was nearly knocked over by the sheer force of the noise that erupted. Since Harry had escaped the morning after the battle, no one, aside from Ron, Hermione and his roommates had even gotten a glimpse of him. He politely excused himself from the gaping eyes and made his way over to the cluster of redheads in the back corner of the room.

After being on the receiving end of Molly Weasley's signature bone-breaking hug, Harry looked sadly at her before she stopped him from talking. "I don't even want to hear the apology I know was about to come out of your mouth young man. This is not your fault. F-Fr-Fred knew what he was getting into in this fight. We will miss him greatly, but you must know you are not to blame."

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley," Harry said softly as he tried hard to believe what she had just said.

"We will have no more of that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley nonsense," responded Mr. Weasley. "You and Hermione are part of this family. Please, you can call us Mum and Dad, or at least Molly and Arthur if it makes you more comfortable."

Hermione smiled up at Ron in that moment. This small gesture didn't get past Molly as she gave them a knowing look. Up to that point, with the mourning the previous day, the pair had been able to keep their newly developing relationship completely quiet. "What's this, you two?" she asked, not skipping a beat.

Ron blushed, then cleared his throat and proudly stated, "Hermione and I are an item now."

To everyone's surprise, George muttered under his breath, "Took you long enough." He then looked up with a slight grin.

In that moment, Harry was looking around and noticed that there was one Weasley missing. Instantly, Harry knew where to find her. Excusing himself from the surprisingly light conversation, Harry ran out of the doors of the castle.

Harry slowed down as he approached the oak by the lake. While they were dating in those few weeks at the end of his sixth year, it had practically become their spot. As he drew closer, he saw her sitting with her back against the trunk, knees drawn up to her chest, and arms wrapped her knees. Her shoulders were shuddering as if she were crying.

When Ginny heard him approaching, she hastily attempted to dry her eyes, to no avail. Harry walked up to the seat next to her and asked, "Can I sit down?"

Ginny remained silent and continued to stare out over the lake. Harry took this as a sign to sit, seeing as she wasn't exactly objecting. While he too looked out over the lake, Harry was surprised by the sound of the voice as she choked out, "You died."

Those two simple words held so much weight that Harry just didn't know how to respond. He decided with the truth. "Yes, I did."

After a few minutes silence, Ginny continued, "And you didn't say goodbye."

"I knew that if I stopped to say goodbye, I wouldn't have been able to continue."

"Not just then. At all. Last summer, yesterday morning. You left me twice, and both times, you didn't say goodbye." She was right. Harry hadn't thought about just how much leaving her, would affect her.

"I'm sorry," was all he could muster.

She thought for a moment before saying, "What did you think I would do if you died?"

"I needed to let Voldemort kill me in order for him to be defeated. I went in to die so that you and everyone else could go on to live normal, safe lives."

Ginny was finding it more difficult to find her voice. "And just what kind of life would it have been for me if you weren't by my side?" She had tears in her eyes now as her brown looked fiercely into his emerald for the first time in nine months.

Harry didn't know what to say. He had spent so much of his life playing the martyr that he never considered how bad-off Ginny would be left without him there to comfort her. After a few more moments of silence, Ginny spoke again, "When I saw you lying at Voldemort's feet, I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. I felt like a large part of myself had died with you." She took a deep breath then went on, "I know why you broke up with me after Dumbledore's funeral. I know that you had some great mission to fulfill and only wanted to protect me. That knowledge didn't make it hurt any less. I put on a brave face for you when I saw you in the Room of Requirement, because I knew you needed as much support as possible. But now, I need to tell you the truth. You broke my heart and really hurt me," she said, tears now streaming down her face. "I should be furious with you for that, but seeing you dead made me realize just how lost I would have been without you. I love you, Harry, but I can't handle anymore heartbreak from you."

Harry was speechless at what he had just heard her say, but he knew he had to say what was going through his mind. "Do you know why I survived the Killing Curse almost seventeen years ago?" When she shook her head, he continued, "My mum, when she was killed, sacrificed herself, willingly gave herself up, to protect me. When Voldemort turned his wand on me, the love she had for me protected me, and he couldn't touch me." Harry subconsciously reached up to touch his lightning bolt scar, taking a moment to collect his thoughts before going on. "When Voldemort was revived three years ago, they used my blood, giving him the same protection my mum gave me, effectively bonding us together. When he casted the Curse on me this time, do you know what one thing filled my mind before I was hit?" Once again, she shook her head, tears streaming down her face at the thought. "I was thinking of you."

Ginny stared at him as she took in what he just said. At once, Harry continued, "When I died, I was at Kings' Cross in some form of Limbo, and Dumbledore was there. He told me about the bond and how my blood in Voldemort linked me to him on earth. He also said that since I went and sacrificed myself, I was given the choice to go on or come back. I chose to come back for only one reason—you. Every second I was away this past year, I was thinking about you. When I was on watch at night, I found myself looking at the Marauder's Map just so I could watch your dot asleep in your room here at Hogwarts. You are the reason I pushed through and the only reason I came back. If you give me another chance, I promise I will never leave you. I love you, Ginny. I love you more than life itself."

Before Harry knew what hit him, Ginny's lips had crashed into his in the most passionate kiss he had ever experienced. The force had pushed him back to the ground, and Ginny was on top of him, deepening the kiss with every part of her being. Her hands were working their way through his hair and over his chest, while his were cupping her face or caressing her back. Many minutes later, though it felt like hours or days, they finally came up for air. Harry pecked her once more and with a cheeky grin, he said, "Everything's going to be ok now."

A/N: Thanks for reading my first fanfiction. I have read a lot of stories in the last few years, and only a handful seem to fulfill my desire to see what happens next, so I decided to write my own.

Reviews will be much appreciated :D