A/N - Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter and thanks for reading!

Chapter 11

Rebuilding

7 May 1998

Remus slowly made the trek from the gates to the castle, observing the grounds as he did so. Although the work on the school had all but stopped over the last few days while the funerals were going on, it was clear that the staff had still been doing something. All the greenhouses had been repaired, although Remus was sure there was still damage inside. At least none of the plants were in danger of escaping any longer. While there was still work to be done on the grounds themselves, the large craters and impressions had been filled in and most of the debris had been cleared.

Remus reached the castle and climbed the stone steps to the Entrance Hall. He wasn't sure exactly where he would find Minerva. A pass by the Great Hall showed that breakfast was over. The room was nearly empty save a few students who were apparently still staying in the castle. Remus decided to try Minerva's office.

He had gotten half-way up the main staircase when he heard a small commotion below. Turning around, he saw Minerva striding from the direction of the Transfiguration classroom. She was being followed closely by Poppy, who looked none too pleased with the acting Headmistress.

"Minerva," Poppy said sharply. Minerva stopped abruptly and spun to face the matron.

"Poppy, I am perfectly fine," Minerva insisted. Poppy put her hands on her hips.

"Is that why you nearly fainted a few minutes ago? Because you're perfectly fine?"

"I did not 'nearly faint'," Minerva said in exasperation. "I merely felt lightheaded for a moment." Poppy snorted derisively. Remus began to descend the stairs, his brow furrowed in concern. Both women looked up at his footsteps.

"Remus," Poppy said. "Perhaps you can talk some sense into her."

"You almost fainted?" he questioned. Minerva rolled her eyes.

"No, Poppy is merely overreacting."

"Don't listen to her, Remus," Poppy said. "She's been running herself into the ground this past week and it's finally caught up with her."

"Oh, for the love of Merlin," Minerva snapped. "There is nothing wrong with me!" Poppy made a noise of disbelief even as Minerva began to sway. Remus darted forward and grasped her arms. He gently steered her towards the staircase and lowered her down onto the steps.

"Nothing wrong, eh?" Poppy said, crossing her arms in front of her. Minerva made to stand, but Remus put light pressure on her shoulder to keep her seated. Minerva scowled at Poppy.

"I have work to do."

"It sounds to me as if you should rest," Remus said. Minerva turned her glare on him, but he ignored it. "When is the last time you slept?"

"Last night."

"When last night?" Poppy asked. "Because if you recall I found you still working in the Head's office at two o'clock in the morning."

"And what were you doing up at that time?" Minerva demanded.

"I told you, I had gotten up to give Mr. Bellamy his dose of potions. I had forgotten to drop off my daily reports earlier, so I decided to Floo them over before I went back to bed. You, on the other hand, had been working since returning from Miss Brown's funeral and you weren't in the Great Hall for dinner."

"I ordered up from the kitchens," Minerva said petulantly. Poppy gave her a skeptical look.

"Regardless, you were up yesterday at five, worked for a few hours in the morning, then attended funerals all day and worked well into the night. And do not even try to tell me that you went to bed after I left. I know you, Minerva McGonagall."

"Are you having me watched?" Poppy shrugged.

"If that's what I have to do to get you to take care of yourself."

"Damn House-elves," Minerva muttered. Remus pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. Minerva caught his mirth and gave him another glare. Then she turned her ire back to Poppy. "You are still just as irritating as you were when we were in school."

"And I believe you have me to thank for not accidentally blowing yourself up during your Potions practical," Poppy said, her voice clipped. Remus' eyes widened. Minerva had been a top student, receiving O's in all her O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. To hear that she might have made a grievous error during one of the tests was a bit hard to believe. Minerva's eyes narrowed.

"I will thank you to keep your opinions to yourself, Poppy." Poppy rolled her eyes.

"Oh, honestly, Minerva, you know as well as I do that had I not slipped you that sleeping draught the night before there is no way that you would have been able to keep your eyes open long enough to brew the Draught of Living Death, let alone do it properly." Minerva's lips hardened into a thin line and she stood. Remus moved closer to her in case she once again lost her balance, but she glared at him and looked back to Poppy.

"While this has been a delightful trip down memory lane, I have things to do." She made to move past Poppy, but the mediwitch moved into her path.

"Don't make me force you, Minerva." The professor seemed to deflate before their eyes.

"Why are you doing this, Poppy?"

"Because I do not want to see you end up in St. Mungo's due to exhaustion," Poppy replied. Her eyes softened and she placed a hand on her friend's arm. "Please, Minerva." Minerva sighed heavily and looked between Poppy and Remus.

"Fine," she ground out. "One hour."

"Four," Poppy countered.

"Two."

"Three." The two women stared at each other for a few moments before Minerva threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Three, then." Poppy smiled and turned to Remus.

"Remus, if you would be so kind as to accompany Minerva to her chambers, I will meet you there with the sleeping draught."

"I already told you I would rest," Minerva snapped. "I don't need a potion to do it. And I certainly do not need a chaperone!" Poppy gave Minerva what Remus considered 'the look'. The mediwitch hadn't turned it on him all that often as a student, but James and Sirius had been the recipient of it on more than one occasion. Remus cleared his throat.

"Consider it a precaution," Remus began, then faltered when Minerva turned her gaze on him. Merlin, she could still make him feel like a first year.

"Oh, stop your complaining and get going," Poppy said with a huff. She then hurried up the stairs towards the hospital wing. Remus politely held out his arm to Minerva.

"I'll deal with you later," she said, refusing his arm and striding ahead of him up the stairs. Remus followed quickly behind, wanting to ensure that she didn't stumble. They walked side by side towards her quarters, Minerva still with a scowl on her face.

"I didn't realize that you and Poppy had been at school together," Remus said.

"Yes."

"Was she a Gryffindor then?" Minerva snorted.

"No, that woman is a Hufflepuff if there ever was one. She never could leave well enough alone."

"I think she's merely concerned about you," Remus said carefully.

"Well, she certainly doesn't need to strong arm me as she has been," Minerva said with a huff, although there was no heat behind her words.

"Doesn't she?" Minerva stopped and whirled on him, but Remus stood his ground. "We're all worried about you."

"I am fine." Remus looked at her skeptically and she sighed.

"All right, I have not been sleeping as much as I should, but there is much to be done."

"And plenty of us around to help you do it." He studied her for a moment. "Is there more to it?"

"I'm sure I do not know what you mean," Minerva replied with a sniff.

"The nightmares." She startled and looked at him in surprise. Remus shrugged. "We've all been having them, I'm sure." Minerva sighed and looked very, very old for a moment.

"Yes, well," she trailed off, looking pained. Despite her stern demeanor, Remus was well aware that Minerva considered every student that came through Hogwarts one of her own. To have lost so many of them over the course of two wars, and so young, had to weigh heavily on her. Not to mention all the colleagues and friends she had lost. Remus moved to tuck her hand under his elbow and began to lead her toward her quarters. He felt her lean against him just slightly. When they reached her door, Minerva gave her portrait her password just as Poppy came around the corner with a vial in her hand.

"Thank you, Remus," Minerva said. "If you look for Filius, I'm sure he can direct you to a task for the day."

"Of course," Remus said. As he turned to go, he saw Poppy put a hand on Minerva's arm and give it a squeeze. Minerva scowled at her for a moment, before she shook her head with a slight smile. She took the vial from Poppy and the two disappeared into Minerva's rooms.

Hermione walked beside Ron from the gates towards the castle. He hadn't said much since she had left his room after their discussion about her nightmares. He didn't seem angry, but there was a strange look in his eyes that Hermione really couldn't place. They had almost reached the castle steps when Hermione finally spoke.

"Ron?" she said tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"Are you all right?" Ron looked over at her in confusion.

"I'm fine, Hermione. Why?"

"I don't know, you've been awfully quiet."

"Just thinking, I guess."

"About what?" He shrugged.

"Just…stuff."

"Oh," she said in a small voice. As they started to climb the steps, Ron reached out and took hold of her hand.

"Everything's fine," he assured her as he gave her a small smile. Hermione let out a breath and smiled back.

"All right." They entered the castle, Harry and Ginny a few feet behind them. When they reached the Great Hall, Hermione looked around for Professor McGonagall, but she was nowhere to be seen. Hermione saw Remus speaking with Professor Flitwick and she led their group towards the two men.

"Good morning, Professor, Remus," she greeted.

"Ah, Miss Granger," Professor Flitwick replied as Remus nodded. They greeted Harry, Ron and Ginny and then the professor looked down at the parchment he held in his hand.

"Mr. Potter, you and Mr. Weasley were working in the courtyard when you were last here, correct?"

"Yes, Professor."

"If you would continue there, I would appreciate it. Take Miss Weasley with you as well, if you please. Miss Granger, would you join Remus with the repairs he's working on?"

"Of course, Professor." She glanced at Ron and saw that he looked a bit disappointed that Hermione hadn't been sent with his group. She squeezed his hand. "I'll see you at lunch?" He nodded, then leaned in and kissed her cheek before he followed Harry and Ginny toward the courtyard.

"Shall we?" Remus asked. Hermione smiled and followed him from the Hall.

"What are we repairing?" she questioned.

"One of the towers was almost completely destroyed by the giants," he explained. "Unfortunately, because of the size and the inherent magic in the castle itself, a simple 'Reparo' will not work. We'll have to replace the stones individually."

"By hand?" Hermione exclaimed. Remus chuckled.

"No, thankfully. But we will have to levitate each one into place and repair the mortar as we go."

"Oh," she replied, coloring a bit at her outburst. "That's something, at least." The two made their way through the castle.

"Do you know where Professor McGonagall was this morning?" Hermione asked.

"She's resting," Remus replied.

"Is she all right?"

"Yes, just a bit overworked."

"I thought she looked quite tired at Lavender's funeral yesterday."

"She is that," Remus agreed. "Although, I suppose most of us are."

"Yes, I suppose we are." The two fell silent and Hermione's gaze flicked towards Remus. She wondered if he was having nightmares too.

They reached a small door that Hermione had never seen before and when Remus opened it, she found herself on the grounds near the rear corner of the castle. Hermione stepped outside and Remus turned to the left. The remains of the tower lay in front of them.

"What was housed here?" Hermione asked, realizing she had never had cause to enter this particular part of the castle.

"Storage mostly, but there were also quite a few suites of rooms. They were rarely used anymore, but they used to be guest suites as well as small apartments for married staff." Hermione looked at him in surprise. He smiled at her expression. "Yes, in more recent years there haven't been any married staff members. But that wasn't always the case."

"I guess I never really thought about it before," Hermione admitted. "I just assumed."

"Not to worry," Remus replied. "Most students feel the same. They don't really want think about their professors' private lives."

"That is definitely true," Hermione said with a small laugh. Remus smiled and moved closer to the largest pile of stones.

"What about everything that was inside?" Hermione asked as she joined him.

"Everything that was salvageable has been moved elsewhere in the last few days," Remus explained. "For now, we're to repair the outside of the tower. Filius and Minerva will work on the internal repairs once the outside is done." Hermione nodded and drew her wand. Thankfully, four or five rows of stone remained at what was the base of the tower, so they would have a template to work from.

They worked in tandem, one casting the spell to create the mortar and the other levitating the stones into place. It didn't take Hermione long to master the spell for the mortar and then they switched off periodically. They worked in silence at first, both concentrating at the task at hand. It wasn't until they had replaced two entire rows of stone that Remus spoke again.

"How are things at the Burrow?" he asked. Hermione settled the stone she was levitating before she answered.

"Bill and Fleur have gone back to Shell Cottage, so it's a bit less crowded," she replied with a laugh. Remus smiled.

"What about George?"

"Charlie was going to try and get him to go to the shop today." Hermione frowned. "None of us are sure that he'll go, though." Remus nodded in understanding.

"Have you spoken to your parents?" Hermione's smile slid from her face. Remus looked at her in concern. The Order had put up basic protective wards around the Grangers' home before Hermione's fifth year, Remus himself had helped cast them. But they could have been easily broken by some of Voldemort's better Death Eaters. Remus chastised himself for not suggesting they be moved into a safe house once the Muggle-born Registration law was enacted. "Are they all right?"

"As far as I know," Hermione said in a small voice. She turned away from Remus and sniffled.

"Hermione?" Remus placed a hand on her shoulder. "What is it?" She shook her head. "Hermione." He turned her towards him and Hermione looked at the ground, not wanting him to see the tears on her cheeks.

"I, I sent them away," she said, the tears coming faster now.

"Sent them away?"

"I m-modified their memories," she whispered. "I m-made them for-forget they had a d-daughter."

"Where did you send them?" Remus asked, his hands now resting on her upper arms.

"Australia." She broke down in sobs and Remus pulled her towards him. She cried into his robes as she had the morning he had arrived at the Burrow for Fred's funeral. He smoothed a hand down her hair and made soothing noises. Hermione relaxed against him for a minute. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe.

"I'm sorry," she said, pulling away as soon as the thought crossed her mind. She turned her back to him and Remus handed her a handkerchief over her shoulder. She took it gratefully and wiped at her face, trying to force herself to calm. Then Remus stepped in front of her and Hermione broke down once more. He whispered something under his breath and then gently led her to a chair he must have transfigured from one of the stones. He settled into one next to her and put a hand back on her shoulder, rubbing her back gently.

Hermione took a deep breath and wiped at her face again. After a few minutes, she had finally calmed, although she was sure that she looked like a complete disaster. She looked up at Remus and gave him a watery smile, shifting slightly so that his hand fell from her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I upset you," he said quietly.

"It wasn't your fault," she insisted. She sighed and twisted the handkerchief in her hands. "After Professor Dumbledore died, I knew the war was going to get much worse. Harry, Ron and I decided to hunt for the Horcruxes and the wards on my parents' house wouldn't protect them for long if someone was determined to get in."

"I had to keep them safe. They didn't know much about the war; I hadn't really told them anything. I knew if I did, they would refuse to leave and probably try to keep me at home with them. So, I modified their memories and made them think they were a childless Monica and Wendell Wilkins and that they very much wanted to move to Australia." She looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears once again.

"And did they?"

"Yes, I went to a hotel for a couple of days and made sure they had gone before I left for the Burrow."

"Hermione, I'm so sorry." She shrugged.

"It's better that they're alive, even if they don't know who I am anymore." Remus hesitated, and Hermione was sure that he was trying to decide if he should ask his next question.

"Is it reversible?"

"Theoretically." He looked at her quizzically. "It's a less common spell. I should be able to reverse it, but there wasn't a lot of information about results, successful or not."

"Do you plan to try?" She got abruptly to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest. She took a few steps away from him, knowing that she was about to start crying again.

"I want to," she said softly.

"But," he prompted. She laughed, but it sounded more like a strangled sob.

"They're going to hate me."

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"They're going to be angry, in any case." Hermione heard Remus rise from his chair and walk towards her.

"That's likely true," he said stopping next to her. "But I don't think they'll be angry forever." They stood in silence for a few minutes, Hermione sniffling a bit and trying to get her tears under control.

"I don't know where they are," she said a few moments later.

"You didn't give them a suggestion as to where to settle?" Remus asked. She shook her head.

"I didn't want that to be in my head in case, in case I was captured or something." She shrugged. "They could have found out their names, but Australia is a big place. Finding two Muggles with just their names would have likely been more of a chore than the Death Eaters would have wanted." She snorted at herself a moment later.

"I know that it's ridiculous to think that Voldemort would have even cared, had he gotten the information. I'm sure he wouldn't have wasted resources on tracking them down, I just." She shook her head. "I couldn't take the chance.

"I understand, Hermione," Remus said. He paused for a moment. "Are you planning to find them?" She nodded, the tears returning.

"I want to," she said. "So much. But it will likely take me a while."

"If you need any help," he said, "I'd be happy to volunteer." She smiled.

"Thank you, Remus." She wiped at her face once more and blew her nose. Pulling in a breath, she let it out. "We should get back to work." Remus cancelled the spell on the chairs, turning them back into stones and joined Hermione at the wall again. She gave him a small smile and cast the mortar charm as he levitated another stone.

"We should probably stop for today," Remus said, glancing at his watch. "It's nearly time for Severus' service." Hermione nodded, settling one last stone into place. Remus looked up at their progress. They had gotten quite a bit more done that he had expected they would, working quickly together once they got the hang of it.

Hermione had been quiet for the rest of the morning after her revelation about her parents and Remus hadn't pressed her to talk. The companionable silence was actually somewhat welcome after the sheer emotion they had been going through the last few days. When neither of them could ignore the rumbling in their stomachs any longer, they had taken a short break for lunch.

They joined Harry, Ron and Ginny who were already half-way through their meal. Although he spoke with Harry and Ginny for most of the meal, Remus still noticed that Ron seemed rather quiet. Hermione had sat next to him and besides the smile Ron had given her when she sat down, the two didn't really seem to be interacting much at all.

When they had returned to the tower after lunch, Hermione had seemed upset, although whether from their conversation that morning or Ron's behavior, Remus had no idea. Nor did he feel it his business to ask. And so, they had simply worked on replacing the stones, occasionally chatting but mostly working in silence. Remus didn't mind it, exactly, he was just concerned about Hermione.

Now, the woman in question was brushing her hands off on her jeans and then grimacing at the state of her clothes. Remus raised his wand and cast a gentle 'Scourgify' on himself.

"May I?" he asked Hermione.

"Please." Casting the same charm on her, the dust and grime disappeared. "Much better, thank you."

As they began to walk towards the castle, Hermione turned to Remus.

"I'm sorry I've been so quiet this afternoon."

"Not at all," he replied. "You have a lot on your mind, I'm sure."

"That's an understatement," she said with a snort. Remus got the feeling she was talking about more than just her parents.

"As I said before, Hermione, if you need any help in locating your parents, please ask."

"I will, Remus, thanks." They had reached the door and Remus opened it for her, ushering her inside before him.

"Remus, Miss Granger," a voice said as they passed the staircase.

"Professor," Hermione replied. Remus could see her studying Minerva, but wisely didn't mention not seeing the woman earlier in the day.

"Minerva," Remus greeted. He was glad to see she looked as if she had actually rested. She still looked tired, but then again, they all did. Still, she was vastly improved from when Remus had seen her this morning. The three of them walked towards the Entrance Hall and out onto the grounds, heading for Hagrid's hut, where they would all meet before the service.

As they got closer, Remus could see that there were a fair number of people already waiting. He was a bit surprised that it was more than just the staff and a few students. Most of the remaining Order seemed to be there as well as a few former students that had already graduated before Severus was made Headmaster.

"Ginny," Hermione said in surprise as they reached the group. Ginny shrugged and nodded toward Harry who smiled and squeezed her hand. Hermione chuckled and approached Ron, almost tentatively in Remus' opinion. Ron looked at her for a moment, then put an arm around her and pulled her into his side. Remus saw Hermione release a breath before she wrapped her arms around Ron's waist and hugged him. Ron smiled down at her. Whatever had been going on between them was apparently settled.

"Shall we?" Kingsley's rumbling voice said behind him. Remus turned and greeted the Minister just as Luna and Neville walked up. Neville didn't look all that happy about being there but turned to follow the rest of the group.

"Where are we going, Professor?" Hermione asked Minerva.

"There is a small cemetery just on the edge of the Forest," Minerva explained. "Some members of the staff have been buried there over the years." She did not add that it was always staff with no families and nowhere else to go.

"I never knew that," Hermione said with a frown of concentration on her face. "It wasn't mentioned in Hogwarts, A History."

"That is because it is hidden from students and the public alike," Minerva explained. "It is usually warded so only staff may enter. We have dropped the wards for the afternoon, so you all may attend." Hermione looked almost betrayed that her most beloved book wouldn't have given her this information. Remus stifled a chuckle. Truly, he had been just as surprised when he learned about the cemetery the year he taught Defense.

They all entered the small graveyard and stood in front of the headstone that had already been erected. The four Heads of House, along with Poppy and Hagrid, had already buried Severus two days prior. This would simply be a memorial service.

Kingsley led the service, but Minerva spoke at length about Severus' time as a spy for the Order and the sacrifices the man made. There were few tears here, although Remus did see Poppy dab at her eyes a few times. But Remus thought that most, if not all, were affected by what Kingsley and Minerva said. It was true that more people likely would have died without Severus' inside knowledge. Remus knew that there were raids and attacks had been thwarted due to that information.

The service was short and when it was over, it was Harry that conjured a wreath of flowers and set it at the base of Severus' headstone. They all stood in silence for a few moments before the crowd began to break apart and leave. Remus said good-bye to Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys and greeted a few others from the Order. When he turned back, Minerva was still standing by Severus' grave. Most everyone else had left and so Remus walked towards her. He knew the wards would need to be reset over the cemetery and wanted to make sure she didn't need any help.

"Minerva," he said quietly when she didn't seem to notice his approach.

"I should have known," she said. "I knew him nearly all his life. I should have known."

"The fact that you didn't means he did his job."

"Still," she protested.

"And if you had known?" Remus questioned. "Would you have been able to act the part?"

"Of course, I would have, I," Minerva trailed off, looking uncertain.

"I likely wouldn't have been able to," Remus said. "And Severus and I were definitely not friends. This is the only way it could have gone, Minerva."

"I suppose you're right," she agreed with a sigh. They stood quietly for a minute.

"Do you need assistance with the wards?" Remus finally asked.

"No, I'll be fine, Remus. Go home to that boy of yours." She gave him a smile. Remus nodded once and turned and left the cemetery. He saw Kingsley standing with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville and wondered briefly what Kingsley was talking with them about. Turning towards the gates, Remus hurried toward the Apparition point, realizing just how much he had missed Teddy.

Hermione and Ron turned to follow Harry and Ginny from the cemetery when Kingsley walked up to them. The Minister, Hermione admonished herself. She needed to get used to calling him that, especially in public.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, might I have a moment?" The three of them looked at each other in confusion, then back at the Minister.

"Sure, Kingsley, er, Minister," Harry said sheepishly. Kingsley chuckled.

"Is Neville around? I thought I saw him earlier." Hermione was even more confused. At first, she'd thought Kingsley wanted to talk to them about what they'd been doing that year on the run, but if he wanted to speak to Neville, that didn't make any sense.

"He's right up there," Ron pointed. Neville and Luna were one of the first ones to leave the service. Neville had looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in the cemetery. Luna must have convinced him to come. "I'll go get him." Ron jogged off and caught up to the pair. A few moments later, Neville was walking back with Ron while Luna meandered over to where Ginny was standing, waiting for Harry.

Luna and her father were still staying at the school as their house had been destroyed when Mr. Lovegood had tried to turn the trio over to the Death Eaters. They were in the process of repairing it and Luna expected they would be able to move back in a week or so.

"As you all know, the Ministry is in a bit of disarray right now," Kingsley began once Ron and Neville had reached them. "The Aurors have been hit particularly hard, both by the war itself and the fact that they were particularly infiltrated by Death Eaters. I need people I can trust." Hermione was still confused.

"I would like to offer the four of you a place in the Auror corps." There was dead silence after this announcement.

"But we haven't taken our N.E.W.T.S.," Neville said in confusion. "And I wasn't even in all the N.E.W.T. courses required for Aurors."

"We weren't at school at all last year," Hermione added, indicating Harry and Ron as well as herself.

"I realize this, but I think that the hands-on experience that all of you have had more than makes up for that."

"Maybe the three of them, but I haven't done anything," Neville said.

"Did you or did you not run Dumbledore's Army at Hogwarts this year?" Kingsley asked.

"Not by myself," Neville protested. "Ginny and Luna helped."

"And if Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood were of age, I would be making the same offer to them."

"Wow, Kingsley, this is," Harry trailed off running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I mean, blimey." Ron was equally eloquent. Kingsley chuckled.

"I realize this is a shock and I don't expect an immediate answer. Given the state of things, we likely wouldn't even be able to start training until the beginning of June. And this will be an accelerated training program, so it will be a lot of work in a short time. I hope to have you almost completely trained by September."

"September!" Hermione explained. "Isn't the normal training program two years?"

"Yes, but as I said this will be an accelerated program, tailored to the four of you. I expect that most of the training you'll need will be on the law side of things. You're all more than accomplished duelers and tacticians."

"I won't lie to you," Kingsley continued. "This will be an intensive program. You'll be spending a lot of hours every day at the Ministry." He looked amongst the four of them. "Think about it and let me know what you decide." Then he turned on his heel and made his way to the gates to Disapparate.

"Holy hell," Ron whispered after Kingsley had gone. Ginny and Luna walked back towards them.

"What's going on?" Ginny demanded.

"Kingsley, er the Minister, just asked the four of us to be Aurors," Harry said.

"But you haven't taken your N.E.W.T.S.," Ginny said in confusion.

"He said that we don't need them," Harry explained. "Said that our war experience was enough."

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I dunno," Harry admitted.

"Me," Neville said quietly. Hermione turned towards him. "Me."

"Neville?" Hermione said in concern.

"Me?" he squeaked. "He wants me?"

"Why wouldn't he, mate?" Ron asked. "Gin says you did loads this year. And you got old Voldy's snake."

"Yeah, but…me?"

"Of course you, Neville," Luna said, coming to stand beside him and take his hand. He looked at her questioningly and she smiled. Hermione watched as Neville returned the smile and his entire face relaxed, his anxiety completely gone. She hadn't realized just how much Neville fancied Luna until now, or that the feeling was quite obviously returned. She felt a pang of something that she couldn't identify.

Hermione looked at Ron and Harry who seemed to be having their own silent conversation. She had a distinct feeling that the two of them would be accepting Kingsley's offer. Hermione just wondered how Ron was going to take it when she told him she wouldn't be joining them.