A/n: Hey thanks for the reviews though I don't deserve them. So what's up with Harry? Here you go.

A Fresh Start?

Harry was too lazy to cook his own food for breakfast the next morning so he decided to go to the closest fast food place. He reached a small diner called 'Sam's Diner' and noticed several people stared at him. What are they looking at? Not like they've never seen an unshaved man before. He thought irritably. He shot them an angry look and the quickly turned away. He sat in a window seat and waited for a waiter or waitress to take his order.

He caught a glimpse of himself on the reflection of a metallic napkin container and was surprised. His jet black hair looked greasy and untidy. It was quite long, just above his shoulders, and he had bangs slightly covering his eyes. His beard was longer than he thought it was. His robes had stains and muddy spots on them.

Finally a waitress came. "Well looks like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," she greeted cheerfully.

He cracked a tiny smile. "I'd like the Sam's Supreme Special please."

"Excellent choice. You look like you're starving!" The waitress raised her eyebrows. A tag on her red vest said "Hi I'm JENNY" in gold plated letters. Her blonde hair was tied in a bun and her blue eyes were wide and full of expression.

"Let's just say I haven't eaten a real meal for awhile," Harry replied.

"You can say that again," Jenny agreed. She took his menu and added, "It'll be ready in about 15 minutes, sorry for the long wait."

He shrugged and she took off. That was the first human contact he had since he came back from his mission. Well that and Ginny. God, Ginny. He didn't want to think about her, but it was inevitable. He dreamt about her last night, an unpleasant dream. In it, she was sitting alone in the Gryffindor common room, holding a snake. Harry called out her name but she wouldn't respond. He ran towards her and yelled louder, but she continued to pet the scaly green snake.

"Ginny? It's me," He reached for her hand.

She finally looked at him, her eyes were yellow and they seemed to be glowing. The snake circled itself around her neck. "You never should've come back!" He felt a sharp pain on his right hand. Then it quickly became numb. The snake licked its fangs which were still dripping with his blood. He fell to the floor, paralyzed. Ginny rose and put her foot on his stomach.

"Why don't you just die?" She screamed. Then she took out a wand from her pocket and cried in an angry voice, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"Excuse me? Hello? Hello? Sir?" A voice interrupted his thoughts. Jenny was holding a plate full of eggs, bacon, sausages, toast and potatoes and a tall cup of coffee in a tray. "This is a diner, not a hotel. If you wanted a place to sleep you can go cross the street and check yourself in."

Harry shook his head like a wet dog. "Sorry, I really need that coffee."

The impatient waitress placed the plate and coffee on the table. "Here, eat!" Then she quickly left to attend to other customers.

He made 'Sam's diner' a second home. He knew everyone there and he knew all the food in the menu (including their prices). He also wore clean clothes, and shaved regularly. He cut his hair into a shaggy, layered cut. He also applied for a job as a bellboy in the hotel across the diner. He earned enough money to support himself, and the Ministry of Magic would pay him until he died. It was part of the benefits he received for going on his mission. Harry felt this new start was going to be great.

He sat at his usual window seat and waited for her to come.

"The usual?" Jenny asked with a mischievous grin.

He smiled. "You already know, so why do you bother to ask?"

"I'm supposed to, it's my job," she answered, taking his menu. "What time are you off work?"

"I start at 6 and I won't end until 7 in the morning," he told her.

"So, you'll be eating breakfast here I presume?" Jenny licked her lips.

"As always," was the response.

She gave him a wink and left. Harry was growing fond of her. She was the only person who he felt he could confide in. She lived with her older sister (Jenny was only 25) in an apartment nearby and Harry visited her often. Whenever she inquired about visiting him, he always had to come up with an excuse. He couldn't tell her about his 'other life'. At least not yet. Being with Jenny helped him ease the pain. She helped him forget about the horrors he had seen in his mission. But most of all, she helped him forget about her. However, no matter how hard he tried, it was still difficult.

"Here, Sam's Subway with Spicy Chicken and a large softdrink," Jenny said in a robotic monotone.

"Thank you," He smiled again. She loved to see him smiling.

"Have a good meal," She added in the same monotonic voice. She leaned over kissed him on the forehead. "I have to work in the kitchen now, so I'll see you tomorrow morning alright?"

He held her hand and kissed it softly. "Till tomorrow."

She messed his hair up and walked away. Did he love her? That he couldn't answer. Did he care for her? Yes. More than he cares for Ginny? He couldn't answer that either.

"Are you happy?"

"Yes."

That was all he wanted to hear. No, that was a lie. He wanted to hear, "Yes Harry, I'm happy – with you." But that isn't how it turned out, and there was nothing he could do to change that. He would never force her into anything she didn't truly want. But does she know what she wants? He looked at his watch, 5:49 PM. Eleven minutes until work began. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and left the money on the table with some extra for Jenny. Then he put on his coat and headed out the door.

That morning

6:59 AM, his watch read. His boss was very strict when it came to time and he would make them stay in the hotel until the very last second. 7:00 AM.

"Ok boys, have a good day and see you tonight at the same time as yesterday. We have a lot of tourists coming in here," A fat, gray-mustached, elderly man reminded them.

"Thank you sir," some murmured.

Harry took his time getting out of the hotel. It was a daily ritual for him now. He would work in the afternoons or evenings, finish in the early morning, eat at Sam's, see Jenny and then head home. Then in the weekends he would go to Jenny's apartment after eating at Sam's for breakfast and they would spend the day together. Then he would head back to work. That was what has been happening for the past 6 months.

Sam's was quite full that morning. He walked over to his usual spot and found someone sitting in it. Oh well, they probably wouldn't mind sharing, he thought cheerfully. He tapped the person's brown parka.

"Excuse me, but – " He began politely. As soon as the person turned around, he stopped.

"Harry?"