I am sorry this took so long. I got hit with a really bad case of writer's block. I guess my last chapter was a sign of it coming. It will be reworked in time.

Carolquin – I hope this will work for you

Phoenix rulz – thank you

Ginny278 – It was something they found in there hunting

Heyhey – that will hopefully be improved.

DrAgOnCiTa – sorry this took so long

Discombobulatedperson – she had hopes, but others will not be well off

Vt – thank you. I figured the fight would be ugly

Jenifaelfe – thank you

Chapter 9

Harry waited in the living room on the couch for everyone to show. Ginny sat nervously waiting. They should be home soon.

They had both agreed that Ginny would go in the kitchen first. There she tell everyone that Harry was alive.

After what seemed like days they heard the door to the kitchen open. Ginny immediately ran in.

"Molly those robes looked so wonderful on you." Hermione said coming through the door.

"They were just a little expensive." Molly complained.

"Nonsense." Ron said agreeing with Hermione. "You've earned them."

"Mum, you won't believe it." Ginny said once inside the kitchen.

"Are you alright?" Molly quickly asked.

"He's alive, Harry's alive." Ginny exclaimed.

"What?" Ron asked shocked.

"He's in the living room."

Ron and Hermione both beat everyone else to the living room.

Harry was standing there waiting for them.

Immediately Hermione started hugging Harry with all the strength she had. "Harry, this is so wonderful."

Harry did return the hug. Unfortunately breathing was becoming a bit of a problem.

By the time that Hermione had let go Molly was giving Harry one of her hugs too.

Harry returned the hug to the woman who had been nothing less than a mother to him.

When she had stepped back to wipe her eyes Harry reached his hand over and took Ginny's hand in his. It had been a natural reaction. He didn't even realize that he did it.

"We would have gone all the way with you." Ron said still standing a distance away.

"I know." Harry answered. "But I couldn't have let you."

Ron looked down at Harry's hand wrapped around his sisters.

That was when he snapped. "Don't touch her." Without warning Ron walked up and slammed his fist across Harry's face.

Harry shocked by the hit fell to floor.

"We mourned you." Ron shouted downwards at Harry.

"Ronald Weasley." Molly immediately scorned grabbing at Ron's arm.

"I'm not a child." Ron said leaving the room.

"I'm sorry." Harry said getting up.

Ginny helped Harry up. "No, it's just my idiot brother." Ginny said sitting him in a chair and inspecting the damage.

Hermione leaned down to Harry. "I'm going to go talk to him. I'm sure that he will be alright." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry he did this."

She walked upstairs and into Ron's room. "For someone who isn't a child you are in your room pouting like one." She said right when she came in.

Ron was lying on his bed. He did not say anything to her.

"Our best friend isn't dead. We should be celebrating." Hermione said.

"We agreed we would do everything together." Ron said.

"I know we did, but he sacrificed himself for us and by some miracle he came back."

"I don't believe in miracles." Ron's tone mocked the word miracles.

"Well I do." Hermione said. "I believed in them the day you gave me this." She said holding out her engagement ring.

Ron looked at it. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

Hermione bit her lip for a moment to stop the tears.

"If that is the case." Hermione slipped the ring of her finger. "I don't want to be married to you if you act like that."

With that she headed out the door.

Ron jumped off the bed. "Wait, I'm sorry." He quickly said.

Hermione turned around and pulled out her wand. Her first curse sent Ron flying back in his room. The second slammed the door.

She then grabbed her cloak and headed downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked seeing her with the cloak.

"Out." Hermione answered. "We've had you now for the past year. I think you and Ginny should have time together."

"What happened dear?" Molly asked.

"Nothing. Ron might not be down for a while."

Hermione didn't say anything else as she walked out the door.

"That was a good fight then." Ginny commented. "Best leave Ron alone for a while."

Ginny snuggled closer to Harry.

"You don't mind me hugging your daughter, Professor?" Harry asked to Molly.

"No, Ginny told you then about the Hogwarts."

"Yes, I'm proud of her and you." Harry said. "I think I might go to Hogwarts and help with the restoration."

"But you spent your last year chasing after You-Know-Who." Molly said. "Take some time to yourself."

"I will. I just love the castle so much. I would like to see it back to where it was." Harry said.

Ginny kissed Harry again. "Then you do want my brothers knowing that you are alive. Along with everyone else."

Harry returned the kiss again then turned to Molly. "You still have the means of communicating, Molly with the Order of the Phoenix."

"Yes, we haven't used it in the last few days, but I think it would work."

"Let them know that way and that they are welcome to come see me." Harry said. "I think that will be best."

"I will." Molly said. "But you still haven't told me where you have been and how you came back here."

"Well if truth be know, I wouldn't have been found if it had not been for Ginny." Harry told Molly how he had left Hedwig to Ginny and Ginny had written him a letter that had led him home.

"Now what I must ask is will you allow me to still have a relationship with your daughter."

"I think you have proven to me that you two love each other. I will most certainly agree." Molly said.

There was a bit of silence until they heard the door open again. Harry almost suspected it to be Hermione, but it wasn't. It was Mr. Weasley.

"Molly, I came home as soon as I heard." Arthur had entered the living room. "Harry. It was true."

Arthur exultantly greeted Harry. "Everyone else I think will be on there way." He took a seat next to Molly. "You know this news won't stay just within the Order of the Phoenix for long."

"I know." Harry answered. "I'll be ready. I hope you won't mind me hiding here for a while."

"We still have your room ready for you." Molly said.

Meanwhile Hermione was sitting in the Leaking Cauldron staring at her shot of Firewhiskey and Butterbeer chaser. She had managed so far not to be noticed. She had kept the hood of her cloak all the way up.

The only one who had recognized her so far had been Tom. He had been keeping a bar so long that he knew when customers needed their own time and privacy.

She just sat there waiting to decide if she would actually try the Firewhiskey.

Hermione thought about when she was younger. All her life she had been told that she took after her mother. The way that she read and the way the she thought things out. Not like her father. He was more passionate about things.

A few days after she had gotten her acceptance letter from Hogwarts and learned about the Wizarding World she had a little talk with her father.

"Trying to still take it in a bit." He had said to her when he entered her room.

She was putting down Hogwarts, A History.

"It just doesn't seem possible when I think about it." She answered. "Even after reading this it just doesn't make sense."

"Some things in life don't." He answered.

"Not everything in life needs to be logical. There are things that happen without explanation. They are called miracles."

"I'm a little old to believe in miracles." She had replied.

"You never are. I saw a miracle the day your Mum told me she loved me. I wasn't a logical choice back then."

"But, you're a dentist, just like she is." Hermione said.

"Not always. I was going to be an artist."

Hermione looked at her father like she had never seen him before.

"Then I saw this beautiful woman everyday on my walk to work. I saw that she was going to the medical school. So I signed up as quickly as I could."

"You tracked her down and followed her." Hermione had never heard this story before.

"She was worth it. I found out she was becoming a dentist so I followed the same route. It was a miracle that I saw her and that she didn't become scared of me. Then there was another when she went out with me and when she said I love you too."

Hermione sat there unsure of how to respond.

"You will understand someday despite all that logic you take so much pride on."

Hermione thought she did the day Ron gave her the ring.

Has Hermione sat there staring into the glass, word had spread. The Boy who lived had survived. Several toasts in Harry's name were raised.

Hermione was glad that Harry was not there for it. He knew how much he hated the recognition at times and Ron's reaction probably put him in a very foul mood for it.

During one of the toasts Hermione raised her shot and took it as fast as she could.

She did not think it was possible for that to be worse tasting than it was smelling. She gagged for a moment then went for the Butterbeer. That didn't approve things.

For a moment she had to grab the table to keep steady. Once the sensation had passed she relaxed. That wasn't so bad.

She ordered another one.

The pub was quite the celebration point. Tom had sent out a free round to all of his clientele in honor of Harry's return.

Hermione felt herself become very quezzy. She did not want anything else to drink. Maybe Tom would have a room for the night.

It took a bit of time to get his attention.

"There comes a time when people need to be alone." Tom said to her. "I set it up when you arrived. Here's the key."

"Thank You," Hermione said greatfully.

She then turned around and smacked hard into a tall wizard.

"Sorry."

"Not at all, well well. Hermione Granger. It's been a long time."

Hermione had to take a moment to recognize him, Cormac McLaggen.

"Yes," Hermione said. "How are you?" A question she almost regretted asking.

"Wonderful, I made Keeper on the Falmouth Falcons." He said in a gloating tone loud enough for the people around them to hear.

"That's a good team." Hermione replied.

"We are." McLaggen said. "But I thought you were friends with Harry Potter. I thought you would be celebrating with him."

"Already did." Hermione said. She went to move but she was a little tipsy.

McLaggen caught her. "Maybe you should sit."

"No, I was going to my room." Hermione said.

"Let me help." McLaggen escorted Hermione to the door.

"Thank. . ." Hermione started to say.

McLaggen had started kissing her. "I always said that for a bookworm you were a great kisser."

Hermione just looked at him debating in her head.