Godric's Hollow

Harry held Ginny's hand. "Keep them closed."

"Come on, Harry," Ginny said.

He was so excited. "Just a little further. All right. Open them."

Ginny opened her eyes to a see a modest home on a town square. Next to it was a magical plaque. "I don't—"

"Remember when you said you weren't sure about raising our kids in London, but you didn't want to live on a farm again either?"

"Yeah, but, it's not like—"

"I know, but it just got me thinking that I own this house as well. A small town is kind of the best of both worlds, eh?"

Ginny looked back at the house. "Is this—?" She looked around. "Godric's Hollow?" He'd brought her here once after the war, but it was nighttime then, and the house was just a burned-out hull.

"Yes. I've been working on it for the past few weeks. I mean, not just me, I've had some help. Ron helped clear out the old house, and then your dad and all your brothers helped me build the new one. Seamus brought Lavender out one afternoon, and she did the windows. Did you know her grandfather was a magical glazier?"

"Really?" Ginny said, looking at all the neatly framed windows.

"Yeah, he took her to work with him until she went to school, so she knows all these glass spells."

"They look really nice."

Harry smiled. "That's nothing. It's what she's done on the inside of the windows that's so impressive. We've mostly done the outside though. There's loads of work left indoors, but I thought I better bring you in before we set to on that. Come in." He took her up the stone path to the front door. "Your Mum helped with the garden."

Ginny looked at the tidy lawn and the rose bushes. "It's really nice."

"I think so too, apparently my mum loved her garden, so she restored what she could remember. There's a lot of space left for us to pick what we like. I didn't want to do everything, I just wanted to surprise you with some of it."

Ginny smiled at him. "You certainly did surprise me. I can't believe you've done all this."

He grinned at her. Surprising Ginny wasn't easy to do. She always had a sense of when he was up to something, but she'd been busy remodeling the Three Broomsticks to modernize it a bit to suit her tastes. He opened the door to what was essentially one very large room with roughed-in walls and a staircase in the center leading upstairs and another to the cellar. "So, what do you think we should do in here?"

Ginny laughed.

xXx

Ron was reluctantly at a cocktail party with Michelle. Her friends, David and Emily, had moved in together and were having friends over for a housewarming. Ron sipped pumpkin juice while everyone else enjoyed the excuse for midweek drinking. He spent most of the party nodding and offering half smiles to conversations he wasn't really following. He looked at Michelle as she chatted amicably with Emily and another couple whose names he'd already forgotten. She'd been so excited about this party. She'd been working such long hours at St. Mungo's that she didn't have a lot of free time to be social. They'd been together for a few months and he enjoyed her more than he'd enjoyed anyone but Hermione. She was a very talented witch. She worked hard as a junior healer. She deserved a night out, so he sipped his juice and smiled and nodded at another comment directed his way.

As the party got more crowded, louder and hotter, he stepped out on to the balcony to enjoy the crisp evening air and take a breather. David and Emily lived on the fifth floor of a block of flats in a mixed Muggle/Magical building right across from the Ministry of Magic, which even at this time of night, had people coming and going. He saw Hermione Apparate on to the street in front of the Ministry. One of the people coming out of the Ministry stopped and talked to her. Ron stood transfixed.

"There you are," Michelle said. "What are you doing out here?" She glanced down at the street below. "Seriously?" She put her hands on her hips.

"What?" Ron said, feeling his ears go hot. "I came out here to get some fresh air. It's kind of stuffy in there, don't you think?"

"You came out here to stare at your ex-girlfriend," Michelle whispered angrily.

"Don't be ridiculous. How was I supposed to know she'd be going into the Ministry at this hour?"

Michelle glared at him. "Whatever." She turned around and went back inside. He looked back down at the street just as Hermione looked up. He knew she couldn't possibly see him in the dark, although she might have a sense that he was about, but it felt like she could see right through him, like she could see how lame he was, as if his inability to move on was written all over him. She glanced away and went into the building. Ron sighed and rejoined the party, but Michelle was already saying her goodbyes when he stepped inside.

Ron smiled weakly at the others and followed Michelle out of the flat. She didn't say a word to him and Disapparated the moment they were in the hallway. He wondered if she'd gone back to his flat or back to her parents' place.

He was somewhat surprised to find her at her there when he Apparated into his living room. "Hey," he said. "Look, I'm sorry."

"Really? Are you?" She went into the bedroom and began stuffing her clothes into a duffle bag.

Ron sighed and leaned against his bedroom's doorframe. "I'm sorry you're upset. What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm getting out of here. You're impossible."

"Seriously? I just stepped out for some fresh air. I can't control where Hermione goes or what she does."

"I don't expect you to, but do you have to stop everything you're doing and stare at her every time you see her?"

"I don't do that." He knew that was a lie. He did do that.

"Yes, you do. You're pathetic. You say her name in your sleep."

"I…no, that could be any…the war—"

"No! Don't blame this on the war and don't try to pretend I'm hearing something else. She has a pretty distinctive name."

"Michelle."

She held up her hand palm out. "Don't. It's my fault. I don't know what I was thinking. I should have left the first time I heard it. You're not over her. I'm not sure you'll ever be over her."

"I am over her. I'm with you. I thought we had something good here."

"Oh please! You know what? I'm pretty great. I don't deserve to be a substitute."

"You're not."

"Oh, I know I'm not. You're the problem here. You might've been some hot shot in the war, and you're a great salesman, and a clever inventor, but you're pathetic at relationships."

"Hey!"

She put her hands on her hips. "Have you ever even told her you want her back?"

"What? No. I'm with you."

"Not anymore you're not. If you're smart, you'll pull yourself together and go tell her how you feel, because you'll be worthless to anyone else as long you're holding on to her."

"Wait a minute." Ron reached for her. "Just wait. I can fix this. She's with Krum. I'm with you. I can be better."

She sidestepped his reach. "Spare me!" Without bothering to zip the bag, she grabbed it and Disapparated.

A jumper had fallen out of her bag. Ron picked it up. "Bloody hell." He looked around at the drawer she'd emptied and left open and the gap where her clothes had been in his closet. He threw in the jumper and slammed the door. "Fuck!"

He looked out of his bedroom window toward Viktor's balcony. Hermione wasn't there, so he went out on to his own balcony on the opposite side of the flat and stared out over Muggle London. He contemplated for a moment what it would take to get Michelle to forgive him, but then he let it go. There was no point. She wasn't wrong. She did deserve better, and he did need to do something about Hermione. He just wasn't sure what.

In the kitchen, under the sink was an unopened bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey. A client had given it to him as a thank-you gift. Ron thought about opening it, but then decided that the decision to drink when distraught was what had landed him in this position in the first place. Drinking, he decided, was best left to celebrations with friends, and even then, to a minimum. He sighed and looked at his watch. Margaret should be getting off work soon. In a couple of hours, her kids would be in bed, and he'd go around and see what sort of mood she was in.

xXx

Two days later, Harry was coming out of the Auror's office when he ran into Hermione.

"Hey you," she said smiling. "What brings you to the Ministry?"

"I was just debriefing on a raid we did last night," Harry said as they continued down the hall.

Hermione stopped. "What? Why were you on a raid? Aren't you meant to be teaching?"

Harry turned to face her and smiled. "I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. It wouldn't do not to keep my hand in." He continued walking.

Hermione caught up. "Wouldn't it?"

"No. It's fine. The Aurors know what they're doing. And for that matter, so do I."

"I know that. I…"

"What?" Harry asked.

"Nothing. It just feels weird to know you're out there chasing monsters without us."

Harry chuckled. "Miss the war, Hermione?"

"Not at all, but it seems like you do."

"It's not like that. I'm not on the run, working in the shadows. I'm with an elite team of witches and wizards. It's fine, really."

"What does Ron think?"

Harry shook his head. "He thinks I should stay at Hogwarts."

"Quite right."

Harry snorted. "You two are so in sync. It's a wonder you ever broke up."

"Oh, please."

"It's true, you know. I can't tell you how often I'm talking with him and he says the exact same thing that you said the last time I spoke to you. It's weird."

"Well..." Hermione said quietly.

Harry looked at her. He hadn't meant to upset her. "What are you and Viktor doing this weekend? Ginny would like to have you around to the house since she didn't get to go to dinner last time."

"Um, I'm not sure of his schedule. He's due home tonight so I'll ask him then."

"Great, just send me an owl. I've been wanting to show you the new house anyway."

"New house?"

"Well, old house really. We've been working on the house in Godric's Hollow. The upstairs isn't finished, but the downstairs is mostly done. We could have dinner there."

"You're leaving London?"

"Not right away. I mean, initially we'll probably be out there only on the odd weekend, but eventually, when we're ready to have a family, we'll probably move there."

"Oh."

"What?" Harry said. "Apparition being what it is, what difference does it make?"

"I don't know. I just…I guess I like the idea of you being close. I mean, Grimmauld Place isn't far from Viktor's flat. I could walk there."

Harry cocked his head at her. "Isn't it your flat too?"

"Of course...yes."

He raised his eyebrows. "Okay. But Ginny and I aren't moving any time soon. Come to dinner. I'd love to show you what we've done."

"Sure," Hermione said, sounding anything but sure. "I'll check with Viktor and get back to you."

They'd arrived at the elevator banks. Harry got in and Hermione continued down the hall. Harry shook his head as the elevator hurdled him toward the main hall. Not for the first time, it struck him that things between Viktor and Hermione weren't what they seemed.

xXx

Ginny was digging around in the cabinet under the sink when Harry returned to Grimmauld Place that evening. He smiled at the view of her bottom in the air. "What are you looking for?"

"That hammer Dad charmed for us."

"I let Ron borrow it."

Ginny pulled her head out of the cabinet and sat on the floor. "Bloody hell, Harry."

"Sorry." He set his school bag down on the kitchen table. "I'll drop him a note."

Ginny sighed. "Could you do it now? I'd like to get it back before my next day off and who knows how long it will take him to find it."

"I could just send Dobby to get it if it's that important."

"Don't do that." Ginny got up and stretched. "I've run that poor elf ragged lately."

"All right." Harry sat down and penned a note to Ron Ginny put the kettle on. He gave the letter to Pigwidgeon. "I ran into Hermione at the Ministry today."

"Oh, yeah? How's she doing?"

"Okay, I guess. I invited her and Viktor to dinner at the other house this weekend."

Ginny looked surprised. "That's great."

"She said she'd get back to me about which day was good for them."

xXx

Hermione was late getting home that night, so she walked in the door casting cleaning spells. As the magic worked, she ran a bath and got a glass of wine and put on some music. Things had been tense between her and Viktor the last time he'd been home, so she was hoping to ease some of that by having the flat clean and welcoming for his arrival. Looking around at the clothes flying and the dishes washing, she drank the wine. She cast a charm to send the rubbish to the chute at the end of the hall, poured another glass of wine, and went to get in the bath.

xXx

Puddlemere United was three and two for the European series and Viktor was disappointed and disgruntled. A chaser and a beater had retired at the end of last year. While their replacements were talented, they hadn't fully gelled with the rest of the team and the resulting losses were hard to take. He Apparated to the hall outside his flat and stood at the door wondering what he'd find when he opened it. He'd left for Europe under a cloud. Sighing he touched his wand to the door. It opened to a couple of lamps lit and music softly playing. The album was one of his favorites. He smiled. Perhaps Hermione was trying to make amends. He took off his jacket and hung it by the door. He was pleased that the flat didn't smell like smoke. Despite repeatedly asking her not to, Hermione smoked inside when he wasn't home. He took his bags out of his coat pocket and into the spare room where he enlarged them and put away his brooms. Then he walked down the hall toward the bathroom noting that the door was cracked. He tapped on it lightly.

"I am home," he said.

"Good," Hermione responded. "Come and join me in the bath."

Viktor smiled.

xXx

A couple of days later, Hermione was changing out of her work robes, when Viktor came into their bedroom. "We should be leaving soon."

"I'm just about ready," Hermione said.

"Are you not going to put up your hair?"

She glared at him. "Why do you care how I wear my hair? I don't tell you how to wear yours."

He frowned at her. "When you leave it down and messy like that it gets everywhere. I lean over to kiss you and end up with a mouth full of hair. It's nicer when it is up. Besides, you have a lovely neck."

She clenched her jaw. "Well, you'll just have to deal with the mess tonight. They're my friends. Maybe I just want to look like myself."

"Is that what you are trying to do? Pretend that nothing has changed?"

She dropped her eyes.

He shook his head at her. "Real friends would understand that things are different now."

She looked up sharply. "I know that. It's not about that."

"Hermione."

"Don't start. We need to go." She drew her wand.

He frowned. "If you want your friends to really think you are fine, you should let up on the drinking. I am not the only one who notices."

She glared at him. "But you are the only one who gripes about it."

A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Fine. Do what you like."

"I intend to. Can we just go?"

He took her arm and felt the squeeze of Apparition.

xXx

When they arrived in Godric's Hollow, Hermione was once again disappointed that Ginny wasn't there.

"Lavender's baby shower is tonight," Harry explained. "She was going to skip it, but Molly, Fleur, and Angelina are all going, and Molly gave her such a hard time about backing out that she caved."

Hermione tried not to be hurt that she wasn't even invited. Not that she really wanted to go, but she was a Gryffindor, and she'd been at Seamus and Lavender's wedding. She couldn't help wondering if the only reason she'd been invited to the wedding was so that Lavender and Seamus could say they'd had Viktor Krum in attendance. "It's fine. Of course, she had to go."

Harry took them on a tour of the remodeled house. The whole lower level was finished with hardwood floors and wainscoting throughout, but it wasn't entirely furnished. Off the main entry hall was a small library and a large dining room on the left and a very large living room on the right that flowed into the kitchen at the back. The living room was furnished with a thick Persian rug on the floor and lots of comfortable seating. There was a family clock over the mantle like the one the Weasleys had at the Burrow, she was touched to see there was a hand for her on it. She blinked back unexpected tears. Clearing her throat and pulling herself together, she followed Harry and Viktor upstairs.

The top floor was only roughed in, but Harry pointed out where the bedrooms and bathrooms would be. He was very excited about the project. Hermione smiled at his enthusiasm. While they were talking, Dobby had been preparing dinner which smelled delicious and appeared on the table when they returned to the dining room, with its large table that seated eight. She was surprised Harry hadn't chosen to just eat at the smaller table in the kitchen, but she supposed she and Viktor were guests more than family.

"So that's all we've done, but it's not like we're in a hurry to move in, so we're taking our time on the upstairs and the rest of the furniture."

"It looks terrific," Hermione said.

"Yes," Viktor agreed. "One day I would like to design a home. I think that would be very satisfying."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. He'd never mentioned anything like that before. "Oh?"

"Yes," Viktor said. "A large estate somewhere in the Cotswolds would be nice, yes?"

"I guess. I've never really thought about it. I'm more of a city person, I suppose."

"London is nice too," Viktor said. "But I would not want to raise my children there."

"Why not?" Hermione said. "I was raised there. It's a wonderful place to grow up. There's so much to do."

He made a noncommittal sound. "Children need fresh air and room to run around."

"There's loads of room on Hampstead Heath," Hermione countered.

"That is a park. Magical children need wild spaces," Viktor said.

Hermione frowned. "I was a magical child."

"Raised by Muggles," Viktor said.

"I like London," Harry said, trying to diffuse the sudden tension. "I suspect we'll be back and forth even when we have kids."

"Really?" Viktor said.

"Sure. Like Hermione said, lots to do. Have a seat."

xXx

Dinner was delicious. Dobby had outdone himself with thick steaks, hasselback potatoes, and roasted broccoli. When Hermione reached for the wine to pour a fourth glass, Viktor squeezed her thigh under the table. She set down the wine glass and picked up her water goblet instead. He smiled at her and she smiled tightly back at him.

Harry was talking about the challenges they'd faced rebuilding his parent's house when Hermione got up to use the loo. As she walked through the parlor on the way back to the dining room, the fireplace flashed with the green flames of the Floo Network, and Ron stepped out.

xXx

Ron had been in France for the last two days on a remarkably successful sales trip. He was starting to franchise the casting part of the process since there was no way he was going to be able to cast every Quidditch match in every country. Franchising had been Fred's idea or maybe it was George's. They were both very enthusiastic when they'd pitched it to him, and now he'd sold his first franchise for more galleons than he'd ever seen at one time. He couldn't wait to tell Harry and Ginny about it. Things had been a bit strained between Harry and him since the argument about Michelle, but now she was gone, and it seemed like a good time to mend fences with his best mate. Maybe they hadn't had dinner yet, and he could take them out. He knew they were spending the weekend at Godric's Hollow and that Ginny was at Lavender's baby shower, so he figured he'd set things right with Harry, and then when Ginny got back, they could go out for dinner and drinks to celebrate his triumph.

xXx

He stepped out of the fireplace and his whole plan fell apart because there was Hermione coming out of the loo off the living room. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of him. They stood staring at each other, and he had a moment of perfect clarity. Harry wasn't the only one he needed to put things right with.

"I'm sorry," Ron said without preamble. Hermione looked taken aback and somewhat confused. He realized she might think he was just talking about showing up uninvited. "For everything," he amended. "I'm not unrepentant. I'm ashamed."

Hermione's mouth opened and her lips were moving but no words came out. She backed away from him until she hit the wall. She just stood there staring at him. He started to say something else when he heard Harry say, "I'll go check."

"I didn't realize you had company," Ron said, glancing at Harry. Then his gaze returned to Hermione. He spoke directly to her never breaking eye contact. "I'm sorry. It was entirely my fault. I'm so sorry," he said again before stepping back into the fireplace and disappearing in a swirl of green flame.

xXx

Harry looked at Hermione. She'd gone quite pale. "Hey." She shook her head and went back into the dining room. Harry followed

"Who was it?" Viktor asked.

"Just a friend," Harry said. "I'll talk to him later. I'll get dessert."

"I need a fag first," Hermione said, taking Viktor's almost full wine glass from the table, and walking through the kitchen and out the back door.

Viktor frowned at her.

xXx

Harry stepped outside. Hermione had set the wine on the patio table and was trying to light a cigarette but couldn't seem to do the spell because her hands were shaking. He snapped his fingers and lit it for her. "What happened?"

"Nothing." She took a deep drag on the cigarette and wouldn't look at him as she reached for the wine.

"Why was Ron apologizing?"

"For showing up uninvited, I imagine."

"He does that all the time. You and I both know that's not it. Tell me what happened with you two. Why did you leave?"

Hermione closed her eyes and finished the wine. "I just did."

Harry was frustrated at her continued unwillingness to answer his question. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Why don't you ask Ron if you're so curious."She took another drag on her cigarette.

"I have asked him."

Hermione blew out a long stream of smoke. "And what does he say?"

"We've had this conversation before. He says you just left."

She gave him a sad smile. "Well, there you go then."

"But why did you leave?"

"Why I left doesn't matter. It's that I can never go back that's important."

"Why would you say that?" Harry was confused by the whole conversation.

"Because it's true." She took a last drag on her cigarette and stubbed it out against the patio tile. Calmer now, she snapped her fingers and the butt disappeared.

"Does that mean you would if you could? Are you not happy with Viktor?"

Hermione sighed. "Viktor is a good man. He looks out for me. He doesn't judge me."

"For what?" Harry asked, still feeling like he was missing something.

"For anything. We should go back in." She walked into the house without waiting for him.

Harry wished he could grab Ron and Hermione both and bang their heads together. Regardless of why they broke up in the first place, it was clear to him, that they both wanted to be together again, but for some reason, neither one of them seemed willing to make the first move. Frustrated, he went back inside.