AN: This ficlet is a little different for me and took great pains to write. It was a request by one of you lovely readers and was the first time I'd tried my hand at genderbending. I found it quite tricky, to be honest, but it was a good writing exercise overall. It's got a bit more angst than usual I think but not to the point of crying, so no worries there. I hope you enjoy! (And yes, it bugs me how short this chappy title is compared to the others, but it's what worked so it stays, grr!)

Title: After

Summary: In a post-war time, Harriet Potter is lost and unsure what to do. Luckily, her best friend Hermes Granger is there to help as usual.

Genre/s: Romance & Friendship

Characters: [Hermione G. & Harry P.] Molly W.

Rating: T

Warning/s: AU, genderbending

Words: 1,697

Harriet Potter hadn't really considered an 'after'.

What felt like her whole life had been spent fighting against a dark wizard and it hadn't really left much time to think of such things. When the celebrations and ceremonies and press releases and debriefings had been done, she wasn't even sure where to go. She'd never had a home in Little Whinging, and she didn't want to intrude further upon the Weasleys' generosity, especially when they were still dealing with the loss of Fred. It had been Hermes who'd taken her aside and suggested she take up residence in Grimmauld Place.

Moving in had been tiresome. While she hadn't a great deal of possessions to actually find places for, she found herself incredibly busy with getting rid of many items in the gloomy house. Hermes took great care in examining each item and determining whether it was cursed. She would have asked Bill to help, as Hermes had told her to, as his expertise on the subject would have been very useful, but Harriet wanted to leave him time to grieve in peace.

Grimmauld Place was full of things she didn't want. She could understand why Sirius felt it was such a prison; not only had he not been able to leave, the house was full of dark objects and dark memories. Harriet kept a close eye on Hermes when he studied each item. She didn't want him touching something that cursed Muggle-borns and then ending up in St. Mungo's, or worse.

It took such a long time and so much effort that Hermes stayed in the house to sleep. Harriet didn't believe this to be his only reason for staying but she left things be. Each night she would curl up on the couch, reluctant to go to bed, and he would sit beside her with a book. She knew he could read anywhere; he just liked to keep her company. She liked it too.

Today would mark the last day of cleansing the house. She came downstairs with a slight skip in her step, hoping it was the herald of good times to come.

Hermes was in the kitchen when she arrived. He was making tea slowly, his eyes drooping. As soon as she came into view, he straightened and sent her a smile.

"Did you have pleasant sleep?" he inquired, a tinge of worry laced within the words that he tried ever so hard to hide.

Harriet never slept well truthfully. Too many nightmares. Dying wasn't exactly fun, and too many friends had been lost to be truly happy. She knew he could hear her yell out in her sleep, just as she knew he too had nightmares that kept him up.

"Was all right," she shrugged, lying, but weren't they always?

She took a seat at the table and Hermes joined her, placing a second cup of tea in front of her.

"We should finish it all today," he remarked, sipping at his tea. She hummed in response and saw him glance at her. "I suppose I'll be off then. Afterwards, I mean."

Harriet didn't want him to leave. She didn't think he wanted to leave. She couldn't find the words to express either of these points and so kept quiet, merely nodding.

They set to work in the late morning as always. With only the last few things to take care of they were finished by five o'clock. When the last object was dealt with, they both stood silently in the hallway.

"I should pack up my things," Hermes said. He didn't move.

Harriet shuffled from side to side, playing with her hair. After a moment, she smiled at him. "Want to stay for dinner? Think I might make a roast."

"Sure," he agreed without question, and followed her down to the kitchen to help.

The meal was a loud affair; laughter often took them as they settled in easy companionship. Hermes took great pleasure in reciting lore he'd learnt recently in one of the books from the Blacks' library. For once she didn't groan at being lectured and quizzed on random knowledge. She listened to him patiently, only allowing herself one teasing comment about his aptitude for remembering such useless information.

"Hardly useless," he sniffed, but there was a smile on his face. "I recall much of my useless reading being very handy not that long ago."

Though she didn't know if he was referring to their tasks these last few weeks or to their time spent on the run, she shrugged and conceded the point.

Conversation quietened once their plates emptied. Harriet wished she'd made dessert so she could stretch out the occasion longer.

"I should pack," Hermes remarked. He sounded reluctant and she tried to drum up enough courage to do something, anything, but found herself wilting quickly. Where was the Wizarding World's fearless saviour now?

"Want some help?" she offered instead.

Briefly, a look of panic crossed his features and then they both laughed.

"I think I can do without your idea of packing," he shook his head, nudging her arm. "Merlin, how you ever travel anywhere is a mystery."

"I just travel lightly," she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well in any case, I think I might leave the packing to tomorrow. I'm a bit tired now, and the food was very good." Pausing, he glanced at her, biting his lip nervously. "Unless you want me out of your hair sooner? Have an evening to yourself?"

"No," she blurted. "Definitely not."

"Okay."

Somehow this led to him staying another week, both of them making more excuses for why he shouldn't or couldn't leave. Neither were quite willing to say anything concrete enough that would guarantee permanent residence, and soon an invitation came from Molly, demanding they show up for Sunday brunch and spend some time with the rest of their family.

Harriet teared up a little at her choice of words and Hermes put a hand on her shoulder, smiling softly at her when she glanced his way. She wondered, once he moved away, if she should have taken the chance to thank him properly and actually announce her feelings. She shook off the thought. Too late now. She'd do it later.

They both rose early for the brunch, though their attendance wasn't required at any particular time. She was making her way down to the kitchen when she passed Hermes' room and stopped.

A bag was sitting on his bed.

She knew it was his travelling bag, the very same one that he had magically extended and carried with him throughout their would-be Seventh Year. It could fit his entire life neatly inside and had been the only visible thing he'd shown up on her doorstep with in hand. It looked like it had been packed already, only a jumper folded next to it.

Her heart clenched.

"Harry?"

She whirled around, coming face to face with Hermes, who only watched her with concern. He'd obviously just left the bathroom, his hair still wet and very frizzy. When she said nothing, he looked around her to the bag and then bit his lip.

"I thought I'd take it with me to the Weasleys," he said weakly. "Then make my way home afterwards. No point coming back when I'm just going to leave again."

"You're leaving today?" Her voice sounded strangled.

He gave a sad smile. "I have to leave at some point."

"Or not," she suggested desperately.

His face was pained. "Harry, I know you still experience nightmares. If you feel safer with someone in the house…"

"That's not it."

"You're lonely too, I know. It's perfectly normal..." He took a deep breath and seemed ready to begin a fresh rant about her mental and emotional state. She suddenly felt fed up. Hermes could talk for England if given the chance, especially if he was worried for his friend. But she didn't want that. Any of it. So she stopped him short and made him go silent.

His lips felt chapped against hers.

She only had one other kiss to compare it to so she couldn't tell if it was any good, but Hermes had slipped a hand hesitantly onto her waist and she smiled into the kiss, pressing herself against him. He was warm and his skin still felt a bit damp from the shower and she just wanted to curl herself into him and never leave.

His smell was so familiar to her now. She'd spent years essentially living with him and had grown used to it very quickly. She wanted to smell like him. She ran a hand through his crazy hair, sighing softly, and her tongue licked at his lips.

He went still and pulled back a little. "Harry, I…"

"Shush," she told him, playfully stern, and kissed him again, her arms encircling his neck.

They were later than expected to the Weasleys' house, but Molly only smothered them in hugs and kisses and then congratulations upon seeing their intertwined hands. Her smile was perhaps even bigger than Harriet and Hermes'.

"I knew you two would end up together," she cried, already beginning to plan their wedding with Ginny. Harriet sent Hermes a look of panic and he took her hand gently, ever the calm one.

Rhonda laughed at them both, and it was clear she hadn't properly laughed in a while. The whole house seemed to light up a little more with the sound. "Now you two have to live happily ever after; Mum won't allow anything else," she joked, a bit weakly, but it was a joke all the same. Even George smiled a little and that made the joke all the greater.

Harriet didn't think she really deserved a happily ever after. Too many friends were gone, all to get to this point, and the thought only rang more true as she looked at the empty seat at the long table, that everyone had blatantly ignored.

But as Hermes shyly kissed her cheek and her own face lit up with a blush, she thought this wasn't so much an 'after' as it was the start to her next great adventure.