Hogwarts and Grodric's Hollow
A week later, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys all went back to the Burrow. Harry stayed in Ron's room like he did before and Hermione stayed in Ginny's room. What the Weasleys didn't know was that at night, when everyone else was in bed, Hermione and Harry switched places.
Days at the Weasleys were some what back to normal. After breakfast and the morning chores Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny would all go back to Hogwarts to help with the rebuilding. Two weeks into the rebuilding Harry and the rest were eating lunch when Draco came up to them looking rather nervous.
"Um… Hi… I just wanted to say sorry to you guys and thank you for everything. I really want to change, I do. Fathers in Azkaban now, and Mothers on House Arrest. McGonagall is letting me stay here this summer as long as I help with repairs. I am very grateful to be out of the house. I don't think that I could stand it there for one more minute. So anyway, I hope we can become some what friends." He held out his hand to Harry, who shook it slowly. When Draco held it out to Ron, whose mouth had almost hit the floor, he took it timidly. Then surprisingly he held it out to Hermione who looked almost as surprised as Ron. When he held out his hand to Ginny, she surprised even Draco by hugging him tightly. From then on they all had a strange, yet civil, friendship.
It was a couple of days after the new friendship when McGonagall came down and asked to see Harry and Draco in her office. They looked at each other curiously then followed her. When they arrived she said,
"Take a seat, there is something that I need to ask you. As you know Hogwarts is planning on re-opening this fall so we need teachers. I want you two to fill in the blanks. Harry, you would be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and Draco, you would teach Transfiguration. Neville Longbottom has agreed to teach Herbology. Your first week of lesson plans are already done, but after that you will have to do those yourselves. A separate dorm has been set –up for you and Neville to share. Now there is just one more thing. Will you do it?" Draco and Harry looked at each other, and then each nodded in turn.
"Right then, off you go." She looked down at the parchment in front of her and started writing. Harry and Draco stood up and walked out of the office. They walked in complete silence until they reached their friends, consumed in their own thoughts. When they arrived, they were ambushed with questions. When they finally were able to speak and explain everything no one said a word. Of course, Hermione, being the sensible on, said,
"Does that mean we can repeat our 7th year?" When Harry nodded she squealed with delight. "Well I for one am definitely coming back and of course Ginny will," she looked at Ginny who nodded. "Will you come back Ron?" Hermione asked uncertainly. Ron hesitated then said,
"Um… I don't think so… No, I think I will take George up on his offer and go work with him for a while. I think he needs that." Hermione nodded understandingly, but her eyes gave away her disappointment.
A week had come and passed when Harry found him alone with Ginny in the finally-finished Gryffindor common room.
"Hey Gin, I've been thinking, and I was wondering if you would come with me to Grodric's Hollow. I really want to go fix it up and live there later, so I want go check it out, but I'm afraid to go there alone. So, will you come?" Ginny smiled at him then said quietly,
"Of course I'll go with you. When do you plan on going?"
"Um… well if you're not busy… how about now?" Ginny looked up from the book she had been reading and search Harry's face with her eyes.
"Ok" Harry grabbed her hand and led her to the apparating area.
"Hold on tight" he said as he apparated away.
They landed right out side the gate that lend into the yard. The right side of the house was all burned at the top, but Harry got rid of that quickly enough with his wand. They walked through the gate, fixing small things here and there. They fixed the garden, the stairs, the grass, the door, the windows, and the trim before they walked through the door. The living room looked fine after they cleared away the dust. On top of the fire place, laying face down, were three pictures. One by one Harry picked up and fixed all of the pictures. The first was his parents wedding picture, the second was one of James holding a newborn Harry, and the third was the whole Potter family at, what appeared to be, Christmas time. As Harry stood up each picture tears trailed down his face. Ginny, not knowing how to comfort him, just stood there, watching him.
When he finished with the living room he and Ginny walked into the kitchen. Again they cleared out the dust and rummaged through some of the items. Harry instead on washing all the dishes that were in the sink so Ginny went to the rest of the downstairs rooms and cleared away the dust. After the kitchen was the dining room, bathroom, and extra bedroom. They put new sheets on bed and put the other ones in the wash, Neither of the first two rooms had anything exciting in them so they walked up stairs. Ginny went ahead clearing the dust out of all the upstairs rooms. The hallway had a book case in it that was filled to the top with muggle stories. Harry smiled thinking that they were probably his mums. Ginny came out of the last room and took Harry's hand.
"Ready?" she asked. He nodded and walked into the room she had just come out of. It was the bathroom. He noticed that Ginny had straightened out all the gels, lotions, soaps, and shampoos. Together they sorted out all the things that could still be used, from the things that were useless like they had done in all the rest of the rooms. There were four other rooms upstairs. Two were just extra bedrooms like the one down stairs so they changed the sheets.
The next room was the master bedroom. They changed the sheets like they had for the other bedrooms but then they went through the drawers. They looked through the clothing, choosing what to keep and what to throw away; they looked at all the jewelry.
Finally, they went into the last room. As soon as he walked in, tears came to Harry's eyes. It was the room he had had when he was a baby; where Lily had been murdered. Harry slumped to the ground and Ginny knelt beside him. She took his face with her hands and embraced him tightly. He didn't know how long he sat there crying, but when he did stop he got up and started fixing the room. Him and Ginny picked up all the toys, fixed the curtain, cleaned the walls, everything. When everything was straightened up Harry looked at Ginny and said,
"Lets keep it this way, but lets move all my old baby stuff up into here also." So they went and brought everything up; high chair, toys, clothing. (They did leave the plates, cups, bowls, and silverware that were ment for babies down in the cupboards). When they finished Harry said,
"I'm going to move in here," Ginny just looked at him, slightly surprised. "Tomorrow I am going to bring all my stuff over and unpack it. I will also go shopping tomorrow, but, I could really use some help picking out stuff. Do you know anyone that would like to help?" Harry asked sarcastically.
"Well, I think Hermione would like to help." Ginny said just sarcastically. Ginny put her arms around Harry's neck. He kissed her gently.
"So I'll bring my stuff here then go back to pick you up. We will go to Diagon Alley. I need to stop at Gringotts, even though I most likely am not welcome there ever sense I broke in and out." Harry sighed, " I also want to go see George. I haven't seen him sense…" he trailed off, looking away. Ginny kissed him gently before dropping her arms to his chest. They stood like that until Harry sighed,
"I have an appointment at the Ministry. They want to talk about my finances and I want to get this place hooked up to the floo network. That would make it so much easier." Ginny looked up at Harry's face. She knew that he probably had no desire to go to the Ministry, especially alone.
"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked carefully. Harry's eyes shone with relief.
"Would you?" he asked hopefully.
"Of course."