I do not own Harry Potter.

Life After the Last Battle

Chapter 11, L…

Harry and Ginny were quite sick of Hermione and Ron by the end of the week; they wouldn't stop kissing.

"Oi! Stop snogging for one minute so we can have a decent conversation!" Ginny yelled one afternoon when the four of them were lounging outside in the sunlight. Harry and Ginny were trying to talk to Ron and Hermione about Hogwarts.

"Sorry," Hermione said when she and Ron pulled apart. "Just trying to make up for lost time." And Ron bent down again to kiss her.

"You see, Ginny," Ron mumbled as he kissed Hermione, "We've got it down to an exact science. Right now, we're making up for the Yule Ball."

"And you need to do it right now?" Harry asked heatedly. They didn't answer, so he grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and kissed her deeply, but it did not seem to bother Ron or Hermione in the slightest. Harry sighed and sat back.

"So, Hermione, are you going back to Hogwarts," Ginny said loudly. Hermione pulled back from Ron, looking uneasy.

"I—I don't know. Are you, Ron?" she peered up at him.

"Uh… I dunno. We… we don't really need to, do we?"

"No, I suppose we don't… but perhaps we should… I mean finish school and everything."

"I…I don't care either way, Hermione. As long as we're together," Ron beamed as Ginny made a barfing noise at his corny line. Harry just sniggered. Ron ignored them.

"I think I'd like to go back. And then… after school, where would we go?" Hermione's heart beat a little faster.

"Well… Harry and I were talking about moving into a flat after Hogwarts," Ron said nervously.

"What're you nervous about?" Hermione asked.

"H-harry asked Ginny if she wanted to come. And she is… coming that is…"

"Oh," Hermione looked down. "That's what you're nervous about?"

"H-harry was going to ask you, too. H-he thought it'd be nice if we all lived together after school," Ron murmured. Hermione looked up.

"And you don't want me to come?"

"No! I mean, sure it'd be… lovely if you came."

"Lovely," Hermione repeated. Ron smiled anxiously.

"But that's months and months away. We don't need to worry about it now," Ron said quickly. Hermione smiled and reached up to kiss him again. Harry and Ginny rolled their eyes.

"Now what're you 'making up' for?" Ginny asked.

"Still the Yule Ball," Ron mumbled.

"So what did your parents say when you told them about the house?" Ron asked at lunch.

"They were ecstatic," Hermione answered, beaming.

"Goo. They duhverve a noo house," Ron said with a mouth full of spaghetti.

"That's gross, Ron," Ginny said, disgusted. Ron swallowed quickly with a sideways glance at Hermione. She was fingering her necklace absent-mindedly, picking at her food. She grinned at Ron, who gave her a goofy smile.

"Ron, you have food on your face," Hermione laughed. Ron wiped his mouth hastily.

"Let's go on a walk," he said to Hermione, making his plate and Hermione's float into the kitchen. He grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

"What's up?" Hermione asked, taking Ron's hand.

"What's going to happen after, you know…?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione answered.

"I mean, Harry and Ginny are going to…get…married," Ron winced, "Sometime. So what happens when they get a place together?"

"I guess… we'll just live… alone."

"Alone like… you and me?" Ron was blushing.

"That's months away, Ron," Hermione said. Ron nodded.

"Hermione?" Ron stopped walking.

"Yes?"

"I…I…I luh…" Ron trailed off awkwardly.

"What?" Hermione asked breathlessly. Ron cleared his throat.

"I luhhh…."

"I don't understand…"

"Forget it… it doesn't matter."

"Oh. Ok."

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione spent June playing Quidditch lazily in the yard, going to Diagon Alley to help clean up, and looking at houses with Mrs. Weasley. Hermione wanted to visit Luna, but she was on vacation with her father.

They were eating lunch one day, and Mrs. Weasley was very agitated.

"Really, if we can't find a house, we might as well just rebuild this one," she was muttering to herself.

"Why not, Mum?" Ginny asked.

"I… I suppose we could rebuild the burrow…" Mrs. Weasley left abruptly, probably to go find an architect. Hermione was humming to herself as she ate; Ron watching her like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Ginny took Harry's hand under the table.

"Want to go for a walk, Harry?" she asked. Harry nodded and they went outside.

"So, how's it going?" Harry asked.

"Alright. I was thinking about Fred earlier."

"Hm?"

"Yeah. George hasn't gone back to the shop. I think he might close it. But do you think Fred would have wanted that?"

"No, I don't," Harry replied. "But he's pretty torn up." Ginny nodded.

"I know," she sighed. "It's odd, seeing him this way."

"Yeah. I know what you mean."

"I want him back," Ginny sniffed a little. "I want him to act normal again."

"I know, Ginny. But things are different now. Fred was—is a part of George. It'll take a long time for him to recover, but he will," Harry assured her. Ginny took a deep breath. Harry hugged her suddenly. He was always doing that these days; hugging her randomly throughout the day, as if making sure she was there, or making sure she wasn't leaving.

"I think I should visit Teddy," Harry said when they pulled apart. "I am his… godfather…"

"Do you want me to come?" Ginny asked.

"Sure. Right now alright?"

"Yeah, let me go get some sneakers on. Oh, and we should tell everyone else, incase they want to come," Ginny replied. She went to get shoes on and Harry went back into the kitchen.

"Ginny and I are going to visit Teddy, Teddy Lupin. Want to come?" He asked Ron and Hermione.

"Yeah, sounds like fun," Ron answered.

"We should leave a note for your mum, Ron," Hermione said, getting out a piece of parchment. She wrote a quick note and the four of them walked back outside. Ron, Harry and Ginny grabbed their brooms from the shed. Hermione looked nervous.

"C'mon Hermione," Ron said, swinging his leg over his broom. "Don't worry." Hermione got on his broom cautiously. "I won't let you fall," he said. Hermione smiled and wrapped her arms around Ron's waist. He smirked at Harry, who rolled his eyes. Ginny and Harry flew ahead, but Ron went a little slower for Hermione.

"You can go a little faster," she said after a few minutes; the two could see Ginny and Harry in the distance. Ron nodded and sped up a little.

They reached Andromeda Tonks' house in thirty minutes or so. Harry knocked on the door softly. It opened and Andromeda stood there, holding Teddy.

"Oh, hello! I wasn't expecting you," she said in surprise.

"Sorry," Harry said. "We should have sent an owl first."

"Not to worry. Come in, come in!" They stepped inside the house. Andromeda handed Teddy to Harry silently. He gurgled and smiled. Harry made odd little cooing noises at Teddy, making Ron and Ginny laugh and Hermione raise and eye brow at him. Teddy's hair turned from turquoise to orange as Harry handed Teddy to Hermione. She smiled at him. Harry saw Ron watching Hermione play with the little orange-haired baby. Teddy's hair was a similar colour to Ron's. He could only guess what Ron was thinking about. Ron and Ginny took turns holding Teddy, and then Harry and Hermione tried to feed him, but ended up getting mashed peas all over themselves when Teddy refused to eat the baby food. Ron and Ginny found this hilarious. They played with the little baby until it was dark out.

"We should go," Harry said, giving Teddy back to Andromeda reluctantly.

"You can come anytime," she said, smiling. Harry gave Ginny a look; she pulled Ron and Hermione outside into the front yard.

"Um, Mrs. Tonks?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you… do you think you could send me an owl when Teddy, you know… starts walking? And when he says his first word?" Harry asked, embarrassed.

Andromeda smiled warmly at him. "I think that would be fine."

"Ok. Great, well goodbye," he gave her an awkward one armed hug as she was holding Teddy now, who was yawning as his hair turned blue. Harry waved at him and went outside to see Ron, Ginny and Hermione standing around, talking.

"Sorry about that. Let's go," Harry said. Hermione clambered back onto Ron's broom and held on tighter than necessary. Ron did not mind one bit.

"Mum! We're home!" Ginny yelled when they walked in. Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen, making dinner.

"Hello. You're just in time; dinner is ready. They all sat down at the table. George trudged down the stairs and Charlie, Percy, and Mr. Weasley joined them.

"Where are Bill and Fleur?" Ron asked.

"They went back to Shell Cottage. They'll probably come back in the morning. They thought there would be more room if they slept at home," Mrs. Weasley explained.

"And I'm going back to my apartment tonight; Kingsley asked me to go to work early. It's the least I could do after being such a prat," Percy said.

"Don't call yourself a prat," George said, speaking up. "You thought you were doing the right thing." Everyone stared at him; usually he'd be making fun of Percy. "What?" Everyone looked back at their dinner plates. Mrs. Weasley served dinner. After dinner, everyone said goodbye to Percy. Then George went back to his room and Hermione and Ron did the dishes while Harry and Ginny played wizard chess. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley went for a walk. Ron and Hermione joined Harry and Ginny. Ginny lost to
Harry, so Ron played a couple of games with him. Hermione read her book. Harry and Ron were halfway through their fourth game when Hermione gave a huge sigh. They looked around at her.

"Sorry. It's just so nice," she said.

"What is?" Ron asked.

"Not having to do anything," she grinned.

"Harry was just saying that the other day," Ginny mumbled, half asleep in her chair.

"I feel so…"

"Free?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded.

"It's just us now," she said. "We can do whatever we want now." She went back to her book. Ron looked at Harry in question. Harry just shrugged. They were well into their seventh game when Hermione gave another great sigh. Ron looked around at her. She was asleep. Ron smiled and stood up.

"Be right back," he said to Harry. He picked Hermione up easily and carried her up the stairs. He opened the door to Ginny's room and laid Hermione down on her bed. Ron sat next to her for a moment, and then got up to go, but a cool hand held him back; it was Hermione.

"Don't go yet," she mumbled. Ron smiled and lay next to her. She held his hand gently, eyes still closed.