Remember the rating is m...

Love,

Wishin' girl

x x x

...

"Good afternoon Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Mr Longbottom and Miss Lovegood." Professor McGonagall greeted the group gathered at the burrow's kitchen table with a kind smile. "Thank you all for meeting with me today. I'm hoping that we can get through this all quickly and then get on with preparing for your joint birthday celebrations this afternoon Mr Potter and Mr Longbottom."

It was the last day of July and the Weasley family were throwing a huge party to celebrate Neville and Harry's birthdays and Bill and Fleur's wedding anniversary. Minerva McGonagall had of course been invited but, as headteacher, had also taken the opportunity to meet with her students to discuss finishing their NEWTs.

"Now, I'll go through your options as a group first then we can discuss anything individually or as a group, however each of you wish. I'll start by saying that there is absolutely no requirement for any of you to return to the school building if you do not wish to." When met with a row of relieved smiles she continued "Mr Longbottom, you have technically completed your seventh year however the level of teaching and learning was severely compromised so your options are similar to the others. Firstly, you can all opt to take your NEWT exams now at the ministry, this is the quickest way out of the education system but is least likely to give the grades you deserve. Secondly, you can go for intensive individual testing with the examiners where they will examine your knowledge of various subjects through discussion and a range of on the spot tasks, this would be most appropriate for Miss Granger due to your excellent depth and breadth of knowledge.

"Thirdly, you may choose to submit evidence as coursework either now or over the next year to earn your NEWTs, this will be easy for defense against the dark arts and I would expect all of you to obtain an outstanding automatically with the portraits providing evidence from the final battle on your behalf. Fourthly, you may study independently, with a tutor outside the castle grounds or on short trips to the school over the next year and sit your exams next summer as normal. Finally, you may return to school to complete your final year with the other seventh year students. It is entirely your choice and you do not have to make a decision today."

McGonagall gave a rare encouraging smile and a few minutes of quiet for the young adults to consider their options.

"I've made a decision" Hermione spoke first, clear and determined "I would like to meet with the examiners. If I don't make any grades that I would like, can I then choose to follow another option for those subjects afterwards?"

"Of course, I'll set a meeting up for you in a fortnight with them. It would be best to get it out of the way sooner rather than later since further studying won't help you and then you can focus your time on doing any necessary coursework to bump up your grades as you wish." McGonagall agreed kindly.

"I'd like to come back to school please Professor." Luna said dreamily "I think it would give me closure to complete my final year as normally as possible."

"Of course Miss Lovegood, we would be delighted to welcome you back." McGonagall added with an understanding nod.

"I don't think I could stomach it." Ginny added sadly, she would miss school and her friends but it would never be the same "I'd like to do the independent study option and maybe my siblings could help tutor me in the different subjects."

"That's a good idea Miss Weasley" McGonagall replied, jotting down each student's decision "you have a wealth of knowledge in your family and the professors will be available for floo calls and visits if you need them. I'll check in with you regularly too and make sure you have the support you need."

Harry and Ron shared a look before Harry spoke up for the both of them.

"Ron and I are hoping to be aurors, traditionally we would need five NEWTs but Kingsley has got us a place each for September anyway." Thankfully everyone at the table was already aware of this desire so there were no arguments against the dangerous career choice "It would be good to have some NEWTs so we don't stand out so much though so could we do the evidence and coursework one?"

"Which subjects would it be for?" McGonagall asked, making a note of their choices.

"Defence against the dark arts, potions, Herbology, charms, transfiguration and care of magical creatures."

"Well, defence against the dark arts is easy, you'll both get outstandings in that without any further work I am sure." The headmistress outlined for them "Your charm work would just need a series of complex charms to be demonstrated, do you have any ideas for this?"

"What about the protection charms Hermione taught us to use on the run?" Ron suggested, reaching over Harry and giving his girlfriend's hand a squeeze.

"Salvio Hexia, Protego Totalum, Muffliato, Muggle repellents, Cave Inimicum and Dissillusionment." She provided at the head teacher's questioning look.

"Well if you can competently demonstrate all of those I can see a pass mark certainly for charms. Potions I think would require an exam as would Transfiguration. Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures would take longer to earn via evidence but four NEWTs is still very respectable." McGonagall encouraged.

"Neville was offered a place too but I'm not sure what you want to do." Ron prompted kindly and patted his fellow Gryffindor on the back.

"I'd like to do independent study with visits to the school, alongside working as an auror. I know it'll be hard work but I don't want to be an auror forever, just until the death eaters are all gone." When once upon a time Neville would have been nervous to voice his wishes, after the last year he had found his fire and oozed confidence.

"Of course Mr Longbottom, I'm sure Professor Sprout would be glad to have you back from time to time, she was hoping to run a master's course for you in Herbology." McGonagall looked up at the six war heroes before her, none older than eighteen yet but all having lived so much already. Overwhelmed with gratitude that they had all made it out of the war alive and were now able to live freely she quickly put away her papers and brushed the tears from her eyes. "Let's give Molly a hand with this party then shall we? Oh and no need to call me Professor while we're out of school anymore, Minerva will do fine."

…

Hermione was a bundle of nerves as she attended her meeting with the examiners in a room at the ministry of magic, she had gone through security easily enough and was glad to see the old statue of magical folks crushing muggles had been replaced by a golden fountain spelling out 'welcome' in English before transfiguring to repeat the greeting in various other languages.

Two elderly witches and two elderly wizards greeted her in the room's doorway and quickly eased her tension by simply chatting with her and getting to know her. They asked her many questions about what she had done over her years at school, starting right from first year and showing particular interest in the second year polyjuice potion story, and on the run, focussing on how she had kept the other two thirds of the golden trio safe and alive as well as how she had broken into and back out of Gringotts, before they requested various memories which they explored in a pensive on one side of the room to back up her stories.

"That's all lovely, thank you for your time Miss Granger. Now we will need a week or so to deliberate but could you do a few more spells for us now I wonder?" The head examiner witch asked in a jolly tone earning a nod from the younger witch "Lovely, just some transfiguration, a few transfigurings of that chair, whatever you choose then we should be done for the day."

Hermione swished her wand at the chair and entertained the examiners by non verbally transforming it into a small elephant who padded around the room, then an Italian style stone water fountain with glistening turquoise waters, to a toy carousel with moving horses and charming children's music, a miniature hot air balloon that drifted up towards the ceiling, into a colourful parrot that swooped back down and back into the original chair as the Parrot's feet touched the ground. A smattering of applause and round of handshakes later saw Hermione back out of the Ministry and unsure of what to do with the rest of her day.

'Fred' she thought, it was around the time the shop would close so perhaps he would actually talk to her this time rather than making up an excuse to avoid dealing with whatever was going on for him. Deciding to walk and enjoy the July sunshine she made her way along the streets of muggle London towards the Leaky Cauldron and the pedestrian entrance to Diagon Alley.

Meanwhile, Fred was wrapping up their day at the shop and attempting to dodge Katie and Alicia's advances. They had both had enough of waiting around for the talented redhead and decided to work together to bed him. If the cost of a night with the Weasley twin was a threesome then that's what it would have to be.

"Look, just go upstairs and make yourselves comfortable, George and I will be up soon to hang out alright?" Fred finally huffed after the two girls had started to feel up his biceps for the fifth time that afternoon as he carried a heavy box of potions to restock the love displays.

It would have been easier to move the boxes by magic but the twins had soon realised that that way was much riskier as a slight dip in concentration, a regular occurrence for the manic twins, could result in a whole batch being dropped and ruined. Rubbing his eyes as he set the box down, Fred missed the girls grabbing a small pot of lust dust from another shelf before scurrying up the staircase. The lust dust was a recent invention, designed to significantly heighten existing sexual desire between two consenting parties, and the girls planned to use it on Fred that evening.

"Mate, I think they're waiting for you." George snorted with laughter as he ran down the stairs, he had popped up to shower first as usual while Fred finished restocking but returned when the two girls sent him back.

"Ugh." Fred groaned and passed his half empty box of decoy detonators to his twin and trudged up the stairs.

"Hey - " Fred's greeting was cut off as he coughed upon entering his flat.

The sweet yet tangy taste of lust dust hung in the air where Alicia had tossed the fine powder the moment Fred had walked through the door. Both she and Katie stood stark naked in front of him, hands clasped behind their backs, spines arched and breasts pointed expectantly at him, their mounds clean shaven and feet spread apart in invitation.

"What the…" he trailed off as his eyes drifted over the bodies he used to desire, but neither gave him any draw anymore.

Even with the lust dust he didn't want to sleep with either of the girls before him and he wished it were Hermione baring herself to him so wantonly instead. He shook his head ready to express his desire for the girls to leave when he heard voices on the stairs.

"No George, I won't listen to your excuses any longer. Fred's my friend and he needs to talk about what's going on with him." The voice that captivated his dreams reached his ears and his heart leapt momentarily.

"Seriously Hermione, it's not an excuse, he really is busy right now." George's voice was pleading as it got louder and the footsteps neared the open front door. "Please Hermione don't go up there right now."

"Whatever George, he needs to know I care about him…" Hermione's voice trailed off and Fred spun around to see its owner, not considering what the scene would look like out of context until he saw Hermione's violently blushing face and tear filled eyes. "Oh."

Fred stood in his open doorway with a naked Katie on one side and a naked Alicia on the other, each with a possessive expression on their face and their pristine bodies on full display. Hermione felt mortified, not only had she disturbed Fred when he was very much busy but she had also seen what he must have always compared her to. Her soft curves and unruly hair could have never competed.

Turning on her heel Hermione sprinted back down the stairs and out into the Alley, tears streaming down her face and apparated away.