A/N Hi! I haven't written anything in a while and I decided I needed to. I was listening to a CD that my friend made us for graduation and I love this song. Then I started thinking that I could use it as an idea for a short fan fic. So, here it is. I don't know how great it is, but I tried. I'd prefer if you didn't give me any flames, but if you do, I'll use them to roast marshmallows. Please Review!
Disclaimer- Harry Potter does not belong to me. It belongs to the wonderful and great J.K. Rowling.
Those Were the Days
Slowly, people trickled into The Three Broomsticks, all looking very different from the last time they had been seen in the tavern. As they passed by the window, on their way to the door, they saw their pale, drawn faces looking back at them. They were young, the oldest was nineteen. Yet, they had seen more in their few years than most grown wizards saw in a lifetime.
As more people began to arrive, they unconsciously drifted into four groups, one for each of the Hogwarts houses. There were a few sixth and fifth years present, looking like they hadn't slept for days. All of the seventh years were present, except of course the Slytherins.
These children were fighting Voldemort. These children had given their lives to fight Voldemort. And they all followed one person. They went into battle when he asked them to. They disguised themselves and spied on the enemy when he asked them too. They all obeyed Harry Potter, trusting him with their lives.
Tonight they were gathered to relax and enjoy themselves as much as they could. Everyone was quiet, all of them talking in hushed voices. Many of the girls were sitting close to their significant other, taking comfort by being held in their arms. Ginny Weasley was sitting on Harry's lap, tightly wrapped in his arms. Hermione and Ron were sitting at the same table in a similar fashion. Madam Rosemerta brought everyone a butter beer, and then retired to her room for the night, leaving them alone.
Somebody had brought a Muggle CD player and started playing loud, happy songs. Some couples got up and started to dance, but ended up crashing into the many tables scattered around the room. Hermione, being the most sensible, waved her wand and the tables flew against the wall, leaving room to dance.
Ron gently stood up, taking Hermione onto the dance floor. Harry and Ginny sat alone at the table, content to be in each others company.
"Harry?" Ginny asked in a whisper.
"Yes, love?"
"Let's dance." Ginny said, her head still resting on Harry's shoulder.
Harry leaned forward and gently kissed the top of Ginny's head.
"Yes, let's." Harry said as he pulled Ginny to her feet and onto the dance floor. In a few minutes, the now happy teenagers inside forgot about the outside world. They were living in a better world, even if only for a night. There was no death and no worry in The Three Broomsticks, only music, friends and some people who were more than friends. The night wore on and the noise coming from inside The Three Broomsticks rose to a roar. Madam Rosemerta, lying in her bed upstairs smiled to herself as the group below had the best time they'd had in a while.
Finally, when the sun started rising, the music stopped and everyone was silent for a minute. In that minute, everyone looked back on the days before the second war. Fred and George, Angelina, Katie, and Alicia looked back on their days at Hogwarts when their biggest worry was winning the Quidditch Cup. Ron, Hermione and their fellow Seventh Years thought about their first three years at Hogwarts, the only three years that could be considered somewhat normal. Ginny thought about what life had been like without the war, and without Harry. Harry thought about a life that he could have had, if his parents had lived.
Then someone turned on the CD player one last time and a Muggle song started playing.
Once upon a time there was a tavern were we used to raise a glass or two.
Remember how we laughed away the hours, and dreamed of all the great things we would do.
Everyone in the room looked at each other, and then they quietly sat down on the chairs along the wall, listening to the song.
Those were the days, my friend.
We thought they'd never end,
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose,
We'd fight and never loose for we were young and sure to have our way. La la la la la la la la la la la la Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days.
Ginny looked up at Harry and asked, "Will things ever be the same?"
Then the busy years went rushing by us. We lost our starry notions on the way. If by chance I'd see you in the tavern, we'd smile at one another and we'd say:
Those were the days my friend,
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life's we choose
We'd fight and never lose for we were young and sure to have our way.
As Harry listened to the song, he thought of how to answer Ginny's question.
"No, things will never be the same again. We have changed. All of us. Things will soon be better, but not the same." Harry looked around at all of the teenagers sitting around listening to the song and enjoying their last few minutes in this dream world. They had made it this far, they would make it until the end. All of them.
Just tonight I stood before the tavern.
Nothing seemed the way it used to be.
In the glass I saw a strange reflection
Was that lonely woman really me?
Those were the days my friend,
We'd thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life's we choose
We'd fight and never lose for we were young and sure to have our way.
As the song ended Harry looked down at Ginny, who had her face turned up towards him. He leaned down and gently kissed her, wondering if he'd ever get to live the life he had chosen. Everyone slowly stood up, unwilling to go back to the real world. Hermione gave a flick of her wand and the tables and chairs flew back into place. Everyone said good bye to each other and walked out in groups of two or three. Harry and Ginny were the last ones to leave, carefully closing the door behind them. They stood for a moment, watching the sun rise over Hogwarts and the lake. Then they set off, hand in hand, toward the sunrise and the future, determined that nothing would stop them from living the lives that they had chosen.