Reminising

by keeperoliver

The war was over and the Light was victorious. But for Harry, too much was lost and it was too much for him to bare. JKR still owns all the rights to Harry Potter.

11. Chapter 5A

Reminising Moving Right Along Chapter 5A

A/N: Ok, I made another one of my huge mistakes and I am here now to try and correct it. I am calling this Chapter 5A and it should clear up the hole in the story where Molly was onto Ron and Hermione for something I skipped. This is the missing chapter and it is out of order, but I did write it. I will never try to put titles on each chapter ever again. I lose track of them when I do. I hope this doesn't confuse everyone if they are reading it for the first time. As always, the confused Ollie the Keeper.

Reminising-}

Harry headed to the Twins shop to see how things looked. Once he got to the door, he decided to avoid it as it was packed with Kids and their parents. There didn't seem to be any room for another person to get in.

He decided to go ahead and visit the Ministry and maybe find Ron there to see how he was doing. He used the floo in the Cauldron to get there and soon he was walking the halls of what he hoped was now friendly to him and went to the Auror section asking the first person he met where Ron's station was. He followed the directions through the maze of walls and soon found the entrance to Ron's cubicle but was disappointed when he saw he wasn't there. He left the maze and tried to find Hermione's office.

His travel took him past Arthurs old staion and saw a young man sitting at the desk. He waved to him but got no response so he kept moving on. He reached the elevators and took it to level three where he remembered was the floor that the DMLE was at. Things were still the same and he found her office. He was surprised to see Susan sitting at the desk outside Hermione's office. He said hello to her, but she didn't recognise him. However she was polite in her response, "Hello, how may I help you?"

"You don't remember me do you Susan?"

"Should I? I can't say you are familiar. Where was it we met?"

"Hogwarts. We were first years together."

"I'm sorry, that didn't help a bit. What house were you in?"

"Gryffindor."

Susan was stunned for a minute, trying to remember him. She knew all the Gryfs from her year. Then it dawned on her, "Harry Potter, right?"

"That's me Susan. It's good to see you again. You sure have changed since the last time I saw you. I swear I didn't look around enough to see all these beautiful women I left behind.. First Luna, then Ginny and Hermione, and now you. How have you been doing?"

"Great Harry. How long have you been back? I'll have to jump all over hermione as she never told me she saw you. When was it?"

"Last night at Blaise's restaurant. Her and Draco were there."

"She didn't tell me that either. I've been trying to get in there for the last seven Weeks. So, how long are you here for, or are you back for good?"

"No, I'll be here for about a week. I came by to see if Hermione might know where Ron is."

"Oh, I can help you there, he doesn't come in until Noon. Right now they are all on twelve hour shifts. They are short handed and will be doing them for about two more weeks until some of the new ones complete their training. Do you still wish to see Hermione?"

"He better." came from the door behind the two. Harry turned to see her standing there with her arms crossed. "Took you long enough to come by. Are you coming in or do I have to call the Aurors up here to hold you?"

Harry laughed, "No, I'll come in peacefully. See you around Susan."

"By Harry. Oh, and Hermione, I think you owe me an explanation."

"About what Susan?"

"Last night."

"OK, later at lunch. Come on in Harry." and she shut the door after he entered. He didn't get four feet when she turned him around and hugged him. "Damn it, it is so good to see you. I wish I hadn't said what I did back in sixth year. I'm sorry for being so closed minded. Please, sit down. Do you want something to drink?"

"Coffee if you have it, nothing if you don't."

She poured a cup for the both of them and she sat back down. Then she asked, "Are you disappointed in me for marrying Draco, after turning you down?"

"Come on Hermione, you know me better than that. You have your own mind to make up and I wasn't in the thought process. We were good friends and that was the way you wanted it. I was stupid back then, thinking no one liked me in that manner."

"Well, we did make it kind of hard on you. Ginny was with Dean, Luna was with I don't know who, and I wanted Ron. I was lucky to see the errors of my ways before I made a big mistake. I loved the idiot, but it should have been the way I said it to you and looked to you as I looked to Ron. I never even thought of you as a person I could love for the rest of my life. You were the person who was always there to comfort me when Ron and I had a fight. You included me in your adventures. You confided in me with things you didn't share with anyone else. I should have seen it, but I was blinded by my ignorance."

"You have to admit that I was kind of lethargic about sentiments back then. I mean, look how long it took me to even ask about us. I should have asked you to the Ball, but I knew you were hoping Ron would ask you. When I saw he wasn't going to, it was too late. I should have asked Ginny to the Ball, but I was too late. I didn't know Luna back then or I could have asked her. I hurt poor Padma by asking her to be my date. Parvatti was done the same way by Ron. We ruined the Ball for six people."

"I know, and I was surprised when Viktor still danced with me when I finally got back to him. He was with his classmates, staring at the people dancing."

"Well, I better go see if Ron has made it in yet. He should be here by now."

"Do you mind if I go with you. I have an assignment for him."

"Just don't start an argument with him, please."

They talked all the way down there, with Hermione making sure him and Ginny were going to be there for dinner Friday night. When they got to the Aurors area, they found Ron fixing him a cuppa. He saw Hermione coming and darted back to his cubicle. He didn't know she was looking for him. He just got seated when she walked in with a stranger. "What the hell did I do now, boss lady?"

"Nothing that I know of yet. I'm just here to give you your assignment for tonight." and she handed a packet to him which he threw on the desk and looked back up at Harry.

"Who's your friend? Do you miss Dumbledore that much that you go looking for his look a like?"

Hermione was about ready to unload on him when Harry did instead, "You're the first on to say I look like Dumbledore. Everyone else said I looked like Hagrid. At least they were nice enough to keep me younger. You got me looking like an old man. And talk about different, it looks like the food is starting to catch up with you. Put on a few, haven't you there, Mate?"

"I don't know who you are, but I didn't insult you, like you did me just now. If I were you, I would be taking those words back. And for your information, I only have one mate, and I haven't seen him for years."

Hermione wasn't about to let Harry take her fun away, "Ron, I think he's right. You do need to go on a diet. You have to remain fit, to be an Auror. I think you should visit the Gym tomorrow, and every day after that until you've shed a few pounds."

"I'm not going to spend my bloody time in a gym, if it even comes close to making you happy. My weight is no problem when it comes to getting around. Now, are you going to introduce me to this guy or not?"

Harry was leaning against the divider laughing at his two friends. Their arguing had gotten better, as there were no loud noises. "If it makes you feel any better, no one else guessed who I was either. Have I changed that much?"

"That depends on what you were before the mop hanging from your chin took over your face?"

Harry was laughing louder now, "Shite Hermione, you didn't tell me he has been learning from the twins. He was actually funny with that one."

"Look, this has all been fun, but I have work to do, and no comments from you Hermione. Now if you're not going to tell me who you are, then leave so I can get started."

"Fine, take all the sport out of it. Remember the first time we met?" and Harry pulled his bangs from his scar.

Ron had been leaning back in his chair. When Harry showed his scar, he went backwards onto the ground. He jumped up and ran to him for a hug. It was then he found out how wrong he was about Dumbledore. He was definitely more like Hagrid as Harry's arms were like steel cables going around him. "Haaarryy, I can't breathe. Let up a might." He let up, but didn't let loose.

"Harry mate, where the hell have you been hiding. It been eleven years now hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has been that long, Ron. It may have been never if I didn't get a visit from a few friends. But I'm glad they did, because it got me to see how lonely I was. I also see where everything has changed and things have been turned upside down. I mean Hermione and Draco married, who would have thought. Luna with some guy we never met. You getting chubby I saw coming, but how come your not with someone?"

"No one knows this yet, but Lavender and I got back together. This time for good."

Hermione laughed out loud at this, "Oh come off it, Ron. How many times have we heard that before? You get back together and two weeks later you have a fight and then it's off. What's this, like the fifth time being back together?"

"The sixth, but this time it's for good. I'm going to ask her to marry me Friday night." and he pulled out the ring to show them.

"How long has that been in your drawer Ron?" Hermione was a bit skeptical.

Ron didn't answer her. Instead he put the ring back in the drawer and slammed it shut. Then he turned back to Harry, "How long you been back Mate?"

"I just got here yesterday. I'll be here for about a week." now Hermione wanted to scream.

"You can't be serious, Harry. You're really going back? Why?"

"It's my home Hermione. I have to go back. I don't belong here."

"What about Ginny?"

This shocked Ron, "What about Ginny, Hermione? What has she got to do with this?"

"If you would have seen her last night, you wouldn't ask that question. You would be ready to kill Harry. They were in each other's arms and you couldn't separate them. This, after she had just been proposed to by Raymond."

"You mean she's getting married to Raymond and spent all night in Harry's arms?"

Now Harry was getting angry at the two of them. "Hold off. Ginny is not getting married to Raymond, Ron. She didn't accept his proposal. And it's none of your business Hermione, about Ginny and I. Things may change around here, and you all may not like what it does. I like Ginny, very much, and she feels the same way about me. I'm not talking about wedding bells right now, but maybe in the future, if we get along. This week will tell me what I need to know."

"What is it you need to know Harry? What are you planning with my sister?"

"Ron, I'm not planning anything. If I was, it's still none of your business. Ginny has her own life to live and neither of you need to concern yourself with it. I am not going to string her along, then drop her. I just want to see how serious we can become. I am not going to hurt her Ron."

"OH, I can promise you, you aren't Harry. We may not be that close, but my brothers will be there if you should make her cry, even."

"I can see not much has changed with you two. You still don't trust me. I thought we went through all this last night Hermione, but I guess I was wrong. You two actually think I came back to hurt someone. Someone who helped me greatly in two of my years, second and fifth. Yes Ron, she helped me in the Chamber. She gave me the courage to continue, when I could easily have folded upon seeing the Basilisk. Seeing her laying there unprotected and so vulnerable and what she did during the year, fighting off Tom like she did. I couldn't help but be brave for her."

Hermione didn't know what to think. She loved Harry and Ginny, but there was still the idea of Harry trying influence her into something she really didn't want, like moving to the states. Her home was here with her family, not half way across the world. "Harry, you're controlling Ginny by making her feel good and would probably follow you to the gates of hell if you asked her to. Her family is here."

"You know what, I knew I made mistake by coming back. I promise you this, I will not talk to Ginny about moving out there with me, but you will have to explain why I left. I was suppose to take her out to lunch and dinner tonight, but I see where I won't be making either engagement. Give my best to Draco and Lavender." and once again Harry left the two. He went straight to Heathrow and used his Port Key to return to Boston.

Hermione sat down in the chair by Ron's desk and started to cry. He went to her to hug her and she knocked his hands off her shoulders, "You could never fill Harry's shoes when it came to comforting Ron. Don't try to start now. I just want to know what we have done. Ginny is going to kill us."

"If Ginny doesn't, then mum and Luna will, believe me. Why is it always me to get in trouble with the women of the family?"

Hermione didn't bother to answer, as she was in as much trouble with them as he was, or maybe even more, because they expect it from Ron. She left to look for Draco and explain what just happened. Draco couldn't believe how stupid the argument sounded, "You two actually took sides against Harry about Ginny? What the hell were you two thinking? Ginny is not some dumb bimbo, even though that is the way you thought of her. She is not in need of family protection, even though Ron is always giving it, even if it is unwarranted."

"I thought you were suppose to support me on my decisions?"

"I always do, when I think they are right, but this one is so far off being right, I can't even call it wrong. It is absurd. Did you see Ginny's face and eyes last night. I haven't seen her like that for years."

"But he said he was going to ask her to return to the states with him."

"You never heard him say move to the states though did you?"

"Don't you think that was what he meant?"

"Luna went there but didn't move there. Rolf was with her and her sons. "

"Exactly my point. Luna was with someone. Ginny will be going alone, with Harry."

"When did you become Ginny's mum? When did Ron become her dad? When did she lose the right to decide for herself?"

This shut Hermione up. She had no answer for Draco. Besides now she had to go tell Ginny her lunch date was cancelled. She dragged Draco with her, even though he didn't want to go. Fireworks were great for outside use, not indoors.

When Hermione told Ginny what her and Ron had done, there was no explosion like Draco thought there would be. There were no tears, or complaints, just Ginny running from Hermione for who knew where, after she left her boss' office. Her boss came out angrier that Hermione ever remembered seeing her. "You two better get out of here by the time I get to the door to my office. If I turn around and see you still standing there, I'll blast you into next week." and she turned and left, but turned back around once she got to her office to see they were gone. "Cindy, you better look for a replacement for Ginny, she just went on vacation for who know's how long." and shut her door.

Luna was just cleaning up after lunch when there was a knock on her door. She opened it to see a tear stained face of Ginny Weasley. "Ginny what's the matter, why are you crying?"

"My stupid brother and his ignorant boss. They just got into an argument with Harry, and he left for the states. Luna, I need your help to get me there so Harry and I can Talk."

"What about work?"

"I took a vacation. Now, are you going to help me or do I have to go ask Hagrid?"

"Maybe Rolf will take you, Ginny. The twins are in school and I can't take them out. Of course if you would rather ask for Hagrid's help. But then he is in school as well."

"DAMN IT LUNA, I NEED HELP NOW, BEFORE HARRY MOVES AWAY SO THAT WE CAN NEVER FIND HIM."

"Well, what do you want from me, Ginny, you know I would if I didn't have commitments. My family comes first with me, and you know this to be true."

Ginny collapsed in a chair holding her hands to her eyes, trying to hide the tears, "I'm sorry Luna, I didn't mean to go off on you like that. I'm just so damn upset at Ron and Hermione right now, I could spit fire. Poor Draco wasn't even a part of it and Hermione dragged him to my office so she wouldn't have to face me alone."

"OK, here's what you do. Go home and tell your mum what they did and explain to her that you have to go find Harry before he moves. She has to know where you are going. I will try to get hold of Rolf and see if he will take you to where Harry is." Ginny jumped up and pulled Luna in for a hug and then left to explain what was going on to her mum. She didn't pity Ron at all. He deserved everything their mum gave him.

Luna knew Rolf was with his publisher and when she told him what happened, the publisher heard everything and gave Rolf a good luck wish. Rolf went home to wait for Ginny, to take her to the states.

He didn't have to wait long as she was in a hurry. It took an hour to get a port key for the states, and then it took about ten minutes to Apparate across the country to get to Harry's cottage. It had all his furniture there, but Harry himself was not there.