Chapter Two: Decisions, Decisions

"Because, there are some things which we simply aren't meant to know, Hermione!"

"There is nothing we aren't meant to know, Ron!" the brunette witch followed him from the kitchen of Potter Manor into the large family lounge to the side of it, her hands full of butterbeer bottles. Harry and Ginny, curled up in one of the large overstuffed chairs, looked up from the movie they had been watching, and then glanced at each other, sharing a knowing look. Ginny giggled.

"I don't care, Ron... film is not some sort of strange magical process... it's scientific, and..."

"You're not going to tell me that they hire those... arters...?"

"Actors," Harry interjected, his attention back on the screen of the brand new television set he had just bought that day as the hero of the film was knocked off a bridge and did a perfect dive into a raging river some hundred feet below.

"You're not going to tell me that they actually hire people to do things like that without magic?" Ron pointed at the screen. "And what about when they get killed? Do they get extra for that?"

"Ron..." Hermione huffed.

"Give it up, Hermione," Ron scoffed, flopping into the chair opposite with the bowl of popcorn they'd gone to retrieve in his lap. Hermione shook her head and sighed.

"You're hopeless, Ron."

"Hopeless, am I? That's not what you said last..."

"Ronald Weasley!" the curly-haired witch blushed, glancing at the others in the room. Harry and Ginny continued to ignore them, as did Tonks, but Remus smiled at her.

"Hermione, Ron has a point," he said.

Everyone in the room turned to gape at him.

"Umm... Remus...?" Harry began, wondering if he didn't have to explain to the werewolf as well how the filming of movies worked.

"I understand what you're trying to say," Remus held up a hand to stop Harry from explaining. "But isn't the art of acting, the art of putting things on film, and producing a film that people want to watch... isn't it magical, to some degree?"

"Remus..."

"I have a feeling that the people who do it would think so," Remus smiled again, as he shifted beside Tonks and stood. "I'd love to stay and argue it out, but as it is, I'm bushed, and I'm going to bed. You young ones can finish the movie, if you feel so inclined."

Tonks, her eyes twinkling, made a great show of yawning and standing up, stretching her arms above her head and stretching tall.

"I'm off, as well, then," she smiled.

Harry tried not to smirk. It was plain that Tonks would be staying the night. Too bad Ron and Ginny were under strict instruction to floo home to the Burrow immediately after the movie. As it was, it had only been by calling it a date that they'd managed to keep Arthur from joining the party when he had heard of Harry's purchases that day, and only managed to keep Molly out of it by telling her that Remus would be there to chaperone.

Harry loved his adopted family, but sometimes they drove him insane.

"I'll just walk Hermione home, then..." Ron stood, taking her hand. "Night all... Gin, you going to wait for me?"

"I'll be here when you get back, Ron," Ginny's eyes never left Harry's. "Just don't be long. Mum'll have a fit if we're late."

"No... she'll floo through, to find Remus and Tonks nowhere in sight and you two snogging on the sofa. Beware, little sister," Ron laughed.

Ginny flushed.

"I won't be long," Ron sobered, leaving the room to walk Hermione back to the cottage on the grounds where she and her parents had taken up temporary residence.

Harry watched them go. The two months since the final battle had been so easy... too easy. Once the magical community had calmed down and stopped standing and applauding every time one of the remaining Dirty Dozen members entered a room, or Diagon Alley, or any other public place really, life had become a little more sane. But not by much.

They were still all getting owls daily from well-wishers. Many, many owls. So many, in fact, that Harry had decided to hire someone to deal with it all. Pansy Parkinson, recently turned to the light and subsequently disowned by her family, had been an obvious choice. She was currently residing in Diagon Alley and travelling to Potter Manor by floo each day. Harry had offered her one of the cottages on the grounds, even residence in the main house, should she prefer, but Pansy had smiled knowingly at him and shaken her head.

"Do you want to get the gossips going even more, Harry?"

"What?"

"You and Ginny need your space. Especially now. I think I need mine, as well. I don't mind taking a flat in Diagon Alley, and besides... who wants to live with their boss?"

Harry had flushed, apologised, only to have her laugh at him. It had then occurred to him that Pansy wasn't just the Slytherin girl who had annoyed them endlessly through school, she wasn't just Malfoy's girlfriend, and she wasn't just the girl who had, essentially, saved Harry's life by killing Malfoy herself... she was a girl, a woman, a witch... and a pretty strong one at that.

After their return to Potter Manor at the end of the school year, the Grangers, who had been living there since shortly before Easter, decided they needed to move out, into their own home. Harry had been disappointed. After what had happened in the Forbidden Forest, he looked upon Hermione as a sister, and her parents had become part of their world with their residence in his home after their own was destroyed. Their care of Harry's aunt during her illness only made it harder to let them go.

Harry had immediately offered them a home in the magical world... one of the two cottages on his property. Hermione had obviously wanted it, as well, but it took her parents several days to decide, and in the end, they both decided that they wanted to return to the Muggle world, and their careers. Hermione was disappointed, and had hesitantly told them that she was choosing to stay, to take Harry up on his offer of a home... at least for the immediate future. Both Grangers had happily given their blessings, extracted promises of regular visits both ways, and begun the process of finding a flat and place to reopen their dentistry practice. They weren't having much luck, but Harry was fine with that. He hoped, actually, it would take them a while – at least until Hermione got settled in at work, and in the cottage.

Of the survivors of the Dirty Dozen, only Ginny and Luna were returning to school. The others, all having finished their final year, had begun to move on The Ministry had offered jobs to all of them, but Harry wasn't entirely certain that the offer was genuine, and had politely refused. There had been an undertone at the meeting with the Ministry after the final battle that told him all was not as it seemed, and his hesitation had translated itself to the others silently. All but Hermione had refused... she had taken a job with them. Her reasons, at first shared only with Harry, Ron and Ginny, had been that she never wanted their group to be on the outside, with little information, ever again.

Harry had sighed with relief. The group, what was left of it, still existed. Each of them had loyalties of their own, but what they had been through had done something to each of them. Those that they had lost would not be forgotten, and should trouble rear it's ugly head once more, they had each sworn to be ready. This was Hermione's part, and the others recognized it for the sacrafice that it was. Hermione had never before intended to work for the Ministry... but she was the one who was most assured a place there, should she want it, and her seeming to focus on that goal, and with her naturally inquisitive nature, she would never raise anyone's suspicions.

Dumbledore had approved, with a knowing twinkle in his eye, when he was informed of her decision. His small smile told them all that he knew exactly what was going on, but would choose to not speak of it unless one of them approached him about it.

And none of them were going to do that. They each, all seven remaining members of the group, went about their business, only the group knowing that, should the need arise, they would be ready once more.

Little did they know it would come so soon.

"Hey, Ginny... let's go!"

"Mmmm... Harry... I have to go," Ginny murmured against his lips when she heard Ron shouting from the front hall.

"I want you to stay."

"I know, but Mum would have a fit."

Harry sighed. "I know. Okay... you'll drop around in the morning? I'll take you shopping."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"I can't, Harry... I promised Mum I'd degnome the garden, and I want to do it before it gets too hot. I'll pop around after lunch, okay?"

Harry sighed again, but knew that Ginny's family was extremely important to her, as they were to him. He was going to have to get used to sharing her.

"Don't pout," she laughed.

"I'm not."

"You are."

"No, I'm not. I'm just... disappointed."

"Frustrated, you mean," she scoffed.

"Well..." Harry could feel his cheeks heating.

"I know. It's been too long..." her brown eyes flared as she looked at him.

"Go. Now." Harry ordered, feeling his blood heat at the look in her eyes.

"You know, if you'd do something about those bloody wards, I could apparate in and no one would know the difference."

"Ginny..."

"I know, I know. Same reason Bill refuses to take down the ones around the Burrow. The two of you, really! The war has been over for over two months... Voldemort is gone, Harry."

"I want you safe. I want all of you safe," Harry muttered.

"I know," she said softly.

"Oi, Ginny... are you coming?" Ron was beginning to sound rather impatient.

"On my way, Ron!" she called back happily as they turned to the door.

"Try and come tomorrow?"

"You could always come and help me do the degnoming."

"Well..."

"I know, I know. I won't see Ron for dust, either. How do I get myself into these things?"

With that, she kissed him and disappeared into the lounge. Distantly, Harry heard the flare of the floo fire, and turned and walked up the stairs towards his room. It was going to be another lonely night without Ginny there.

The following morning Harry was sitting in the kitchen at the breakfast bar, sipping a cup of steaming coffee, when the door behind him opened.

"Morning Remus," Harry said without turning.

"Harry," Remus' gravelly voice responded as he moved around the island to the kitchen proper and took a mug from the cupboard above the coffee percolator. Pouring a cup, he breathed deeply of the steam before turning back to Harry. "Sleep well?"

Harry glanced up moodily from under lowered brows at the werewolf, who grinned.

"I suppose that that would be a no."

"That would be a no," Harry confirmed grumpily.

Remus sat down two stools away and looked at the younger man. "What is it?"

"It's... I have some decisions to make. Soon."

"Ahh," Remus nodded knowingly, taking another sip of his coffee. "I see."

"I mean..."

"Is it the Auror Entrance Exam? Are you nervous?"

"I... I guess. I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"Well... it sounds kind of ... well, arrogant, but..." Harry could feel his cheeks warming again. "But... well, I've faced Voldemort, and won. I guess..."

"What could be worse, right?"

Harry shrugged.

"Harry, you had a power over Voldemort that you won't have over the average Death Eater. Remember that."

Harry nodded.

"I know... I just..."

"What?"

"It's kind of... well, it feels empty."

"Empty?"

"Hollow... not... not real."

Remus considered that for a moment, then spoke. "Harry, do you really want to be an auror?"

"It's not that I don't want to be an auror, Remus."

"Then what is it?"

Harry's eyes blazed as he looked at the older wizard. "They killed my parents, they killed Cedric because of me... they killed my family. They killed Sirius. They targetted the Weasleys, and the Grangers. They hurt Ginny. They killed Susan and Blaise and Ernie and Terry... and Colin. Yes, Remus... I want to be an auror."

"Then what is it?"

"I want to be an auror, Remus. I'm just not sure I want to work for the Ministry."

Remus paused, studying him carefully for a moment.

"And for that, Harry, I cannot fault you," Remus toasted him with his coffee mug before drinking deeply. Harry sighed.

Harry, finding he was far too involved in his own thoughts that morning, decided to floo to the Burrow to help Ginny. As he entered through the kitchen fire, he spied Ron sitting at the table. Which in itself wasn't odd, as Ron spent a lot of time sitting at the table in the Weasley kitchen, but this time, he didn't have a plate of food in front of him. He had several sheets of parchment which he quickly cleared away when he spied Harry entering.

"Hey, Ron."

"Harry."

"What's up?"

"Nothing... nothing..."

"You sure?" Harry looked askance at him as he shuffled the papers in front of him. Almost as if...

Almost as if he doesn't want you to see what's on them.

"Yes... yes. What are you doing here?"

"I came to help Ginny with the degnoming. Ron..."

"Harry..." Ron flushed guiltily as they both spoke together.

"Ron, what is it?" Harry pulled out a chair and sat down across from his friend. "Something's bothering you."

"Harry..."

Harry looked at him expectantly.

"I don't know..."

"Look, if you can't talk to me about it, why don't you go find Hermione?"

"No... it's... I have to talk to you about this..."

"What is it, then?"

"I... ummm... I've kind of... had an offer."

"An offer?"

"Yes."

"What kind of offer?"

"I... the Chudley Cannons..."

"I knew about that, Ron. You turned down that position in their publicity department, didn't you?"

"Not that, Harry."

"Then what?"

Ron sighed, then pushed a piece of parchment across to him. Harry picked it up and skimmed it.

Dear Mr Weasley,... pleased to make this offer... longstanding support of the Chudley Cannons... surprised at the level of skill we witnessed... offering position of Keeper...

"Wow," Harry laid the parchment back down on the table and looked up at his friend with stunned eyes. "Wow."

"I... know."

"Ron..."

"I don't know what to do, Harry!"

"What?" Harry looked at him with disbelief. The Chudley Cannons had been Ron's favorite team since childhood. He couldn't believe that Ron would consider turning down such an off.

"I mean, I know... we said..." Ron flushed again.

"Ron, you can't base the decision on what to do with your life on what we agreed to when we were fifteen."

"What?" Ron looked at him oddly.

"I mean..."

"We said we'd be aurors, Harry... if we could get in. It's not like they'd refuse us now, right?"

"Right... but..." Harry hesitated.

"But?" Ron looked oddly at him. "Harry?"

"Ron, I want to be an auror. That hasn't changed."

"Then..."

"But I don't know..."

"Don't know what?"

Harry swallowed. "Ron, I don't know if I want to work for the Ministry, and if I take Auror training from them, I'd be obligated..."

"You don't want to work for the Ministry?" Ron slumped heavily into his chair.

"I don't know if I do... or not. Something just feels... odd."

"Odd, how?" Ron's blue eyes drilled into him.

"I know your family is very involved with the Ministry..."

"Harry, I've learned, the hard way of course, to trust your 'odd' feelings. Now, what feels 'odd'?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "But something... something is just way too... I don't know."

"Harry... Hermione is working there... my dad... two of my brothers. Now... what feels 'odd'?" Ron had sat forward in his chair, looking closely at his friend.

"It feels like... remember how we used to feel when we weren't being told everything?"

"Clearly," Ron said dryly.

"It feels like that. It feels like..."

"Like you're being lied to," Ron said shortly.

"Exactly, I..." Harry looked up at him. "Ron?"

"That is exactly why I didn't tell the Cannons 'no' with a return owl," Ron said, his blue eyes not leaving Harry's. "I... felt like I wasn't being let in on everything that is going on... I thought..."

"What?"

"I thought it was you," Ron admitted quietly. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I thought..."

"Ron," Harry rubbed a hand across his eyes, a gesture he'd picked up from Ron and Mr Weasley. "I made you some promises, ages ago..."

"I know."

"I will never lie to you, I will tell you everything I know... and never keep you in the dark on anything beyond the details of my relationship with Ginny."

"I know," Ron nodded, then looked up at his friend again. "Something is going on, isn't it Harry? Something big."

"It sure feels like it."

"I don't think we're imagining this," Ron said softly. "I know we're not."

"So..." Harry sighed. "What do we do?"

"You do what your heart is telling you to do," a soft voice came from the doorway. The two of them looked up to see Ginny standing there, her face pale but determined. "You train, you prepare... you create your own damned army... just as we did before the final battle, and you be ready."

"Ginny?"

"Harry, we've all learned, you don't just 'get feelings'."

"I..."

"I really wish you'd paid more attention in Divination," she sighed, moving into the kitchen and towards the cupboard where she took out three bottles of butterbeer, cast a quick chilling charm, and placed them on the table before sitting down next to Harry. "There is something to it, you know... when it's not being taught by a complete flake."

"She's right, Harry," Ron said quietly, his own face pale. "You don't just get feelings. You..."

Harry, wanting to move quickly away from that line of conversation, turned to Ron. "But what do we do?"

"I guess we... continue what we began with the Dirty Dozen," Ron shrugged.

"Everyone has a life to lead, Ron. I'm sure that everyone else has..."

"I spoke to Seamus yesterday. He's..." Ron hesitated.

"He's what?"

"He's having a difficult time... adjusting. He doesn't know... his Dad actually suggested he join the clergy," Ron smirked at that.

"What?" Harry laughed disbelievingly. Seamus? In the clergy?

"Can you see Seamus as a priest?" Ginny giggled.

"He's actually considered..." Ron continued, glancing at Harry as he hesitated again.

"What?"

"He's considered joining the muggle military. Nev, too."

"Neville?"

"None of us want to work for the Ministry, Harry. The only way to get anything approaching Auror training... well... apparently, the muggle military can be quite..."

"I know, but..."

"So, instead," Ginny put down her bottle with a thump. "You two gather those around you who..."

"We can't build a military!" Harry interrupted her, turning shocked eyes towards her.

"Why not?" Ron asked.

"Because..." Harry swallowed. "Because..."

"See?" Ron shrugged. "No reason at all."

"But the Ministry would have a fit! It would look like we were..."

"Who says they have to know?" Ginny asked.

"Ginny...!"

"They didn't know about the Order. Not really."

"The Order? The Order wasn't a pseudo-military..." Harry stopped as he realized how wrong he actually was. The Order was, indeed, very military-like. "We have to talk to Dumbledore."

Ginny traded a look with her brother, nodded, then raised her butterbeer to take another long drink before looking at Harry and smiling. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Ahh, I am so GLAD to be back! Thank you all for your lovely reviews --

CQ

RyougaZell: Hmm... I wonder? More on that later!

Shotgunn: You know, your reviews are always full of energy – the next time I'm in England, I intend to track you down and find out if you're as I picture you! As for the identity of our... visitor... do you mean Grindelwald? Hmm... there's a thought...

Alli-Baby: Shivers? Shivers are good...

IrishCharms: You know, you're the second reviewer to suggest it's Grindelwald.

Charmingly-Holly: Thank you!

Wolf'sScream: Oh, the DoM is definitely going to play a role...

Larna Mandrea: You squealed in Chemistry? Your teacher must be thrilled that someone is that... thrilled... with their class! (Chemistry wasn't my strong suit... at all!). Creepy is good...

Gautam: Well, I'm glad you chose to grace me with one of your rare reviews – they mean a lot, you know. I wouldn't say that fanfiction writers write FOR reviews, but they sure are nice to get! I'm sorry you had a lousy day – we all have them occasionally. I'll try to keep the chapters coming with regularity so that you'll have something to look forward to!

BrittSchrick: Ah, that IS the question, isn't it?

Weselan: I'm glad to see that someone read that particular sentence carefully!

Trixie7: Vernon? Oh, the horror!

Gerie: Thank you – I've been lucky to have an outlet.

LittleTom45: Mylady... I like that!

And everyone else, thank you: Froboy, JediKnightBus, OldCrow, Tnick, Clhdadam, SabineStrohemMoss, JapaneseJew, SaintEmo,