7:23 pm The Burrow

"Race me to the broom shed and back!" Ginny and Ron climbed onto their brooms at the same time.

"You're on," Ron replied. He thought he heard a cat meow but chalked it up to his ears playing tricks on him.

"Three, two, one… GO!" Ginny called kicking off the roof a split second before Ron. He dodged the tops of the trees diving down a bit so Ginny wouldn't be able to see him. Maybe worrying about him would slow her down.

"Ugh…" he heard Ginny huff out of annoyance. "Where the Merlin are you Ronald?" Ginny yelled. He stayed silent.

He dived down even lower and, by chance, saw Hermionie in the orchard. He waved at her. She was with Crookshanks.

For the first few weeks after the end of the war, she couldn't find her cat, and night after night Ron ended up consoling her that he would come back. Eventually, Crookshanks did and she was over the moon.

"HERMIONIE WHERE IS MY BROTHER!" Ginny screeched from somewhere nearby.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, but I just don't know!" Hermione called, giving Ron a conspiratory thumbs up before she was out of sight.

Ron saw the broom shed coming closer. He leaned forward on his broom, pulling up slightly so his angle straightened and he didn't plow directly into the ground.

"I'm coming for you, Ronald Billius Weasley!" Ginny called.

He could tell she was getting closer, but he was nearest to the broom shed so he still had the upper hand. Right before he would have smacked into the broom shed he turned and went full throttle toward the house.

He passed Hermionie again, heard Ginny screech some more, and right before he landed on the roof, he saw Ginny whiz past him. Before she could land something tripped her. Ron landed smoothly, ready to start arguing with her before going to eat, but stopped when he saw what had tripped her.

"Crookshanks!?" Ron said aghast.

"Ronald, what did you get Hermionie to do?" Ginny asked as she got up. She did a healing spell on her knees, which had been scraped by the shingles.

"Nothing. I swear! I never told 'Mionie to do anything… promise!" Ron said, still flabbergasted.

"Hey, guys, c'mon time to eat. Your mum's getting impatient!" Hermionie said with a completely straight face.

"Hermione, you've got to come see this first!" Ginny said, leaning over the roof to look at her.

"Okay. Coming," Hermionie said, getting her wand and turning. A second later there was a 'pop' as she apparated to the roof.

"Look at that sucker!" Ginny exclaimed pointing at Crookshanks.

"Wha- Crookshanks?! How in the world did you get up here?" Hermione asked, kneeling to pet Crookshanks and picking him up.

"You silly little kitty!" She scratched his face. "How did he get up here?" Hermionie asked them both.

"I don't know," Ginny replied, scratching her head.

"Don't ask me!" Ron shrugged. Hermione's nostrils flared in annoyance as she looked up at him. Somehow, it still seemed she was looking down at him. He felt like a naughty child when she looked at him that way. "Trust me! I've no idea!"

"Okay okay," Hermionie sighed. "Let's go eat." They all apparated to the lawn.

"I'm so hungry," Ron complained as they walked toward the door.

"Oh stuff it. You're always hungry!" Ginny retorted.

"I mean, you're not wrong," Ron said as they all burst out in laughter before they all headed in to eat.

Crookshanks watched the three disappear into the house from the roof. Had either of them looked back, they may have caught an expression resembling self-satisfaction passing across his face as he disappeared back into the shadows.