A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I had a really busy break and syllabus week was anything but relaxing. My New Year's Resolution was to write more and I'm already failing. But it's something I enjoy, though not as much as reading fan fiction which is why I wasn't writing all day yesterday. Anyway I hope this chapter makes up for it.
Chapter 6: In the Moonlight
Everyone was overjoyed when he and Ginny walked into the Great Hall hand in hand. It was the first smile anyone had seen on Mrs. Weasley's face since the battle. Mr. Weasley had come over and wrung his hand. Ginny's brothers, on the other hand, took him aside shortly after he had finished talking with their parents. Ginny gazed fretfully after them, before turning to Hermione to question her in depth about how the tension between her and Ron had finally broken.
"So, Potter." The 5 brothers stood with their arms crossed, with only Ron hinting at a smile behind a stern expression. George was trying to maintain the façade as well, but his face was nowhere near grinning.
"We hear that you dumped Gin last summer," Bill continued gazing down at him. For once Harry was sorry that he was so much shorter than the Weasley boys.
"Well you see, as I told her, it was more of a protection thing reall-" but Charlie cut him off.
"She was real torn up last summer and now we know why."
"We also hear that you have a running off to imminent death problem." George added.
"What would happen to poor Ginny if you ran off and got yourself killed?" Harry stammered trying to find an answer.
"Well, he got a taste of that the other day, didn't he Percy?" Percy nodded his ascent.
"I don't think he'd let that happen again would he?" Ron added, this time a smile deftly peeking through his set features.
"No, I won't. You've got to understand what I did, I mean I only did it so," but he was cut off by Bill.
"We're kidding Harry. Merlin do you stammer when you're nervous." All the brothers doubled over in laughter, except George who managed a smile.
After their display of brotherly affection, the Weasley boys went over to Ginny to take the mickey out of her as well, but backed away swiftly when presented with her wand, and no one wanted a bat bogey hex to go with their other injuries. At this point Harry remembered the mark on his chest. He couldn't feel the pain of it specifically, but that might have been because his whole body felt like it had been thoroughly beaten with a club. Looking around the hall, Harry spotted Madam Pomfrey tending to a student on the tables across the hall.
After 10 minutes of examination, she went to fetch a couple of the healers from St. Mungo's to have a look. They all spent a good deal of time examining him with trying to figure out what was wrong. This naturally caused a commotion and many people lingering about the hall came over to have a look. Mrs. Weasley dissolved into fresh tears when she saw it, and Ron and Hermione stood aghast staring at their friend. In the end the Healers decided that it must be something similar to the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and that there was nothing they could do about it. Madam Pomfrey tended to the rest of his injuries, of which there were a great many, mumbling the whole while under her breath that if he had to pay every time she treated him she could have gone into retirement years ago.
The rest of the day saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and members of the DA wandering around the castle, repairing things here and there, and mostly catching up on what they had missed. The DA filled the trio in on the horrors that had occurred at Hogwarts, while the trio in turn wowed them with their adventures outside the castle. As the sun set, it found Harry and Ginny, and Ron and Hermione, settled against their favorite tree down by the lake. As the evening drew on, a chilly wind blew its way across the black waters of the lake. Hermione conjured her trademark blue flames and everyone gathered around. The reminisced for a long time, remembering all the happy times they had shared at Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione soon peeled themselves away from the group, giving excuses that they were going to bed. As they walked off out of hearing range Ginny snorted.
"Going to bed, right. Ron was always a bad liar. They're just going to have a snog." She sighed and leant back against the tree. "Well this might be good. He may actually lay off us for once."
"True, I was getting tired of the death threats every time I made to touch you." Harry smiled, twirling bits of grass between his fingers. Ginny looked into his eyes with a suddenly mischievous grin, and the blazing look Harry was coming to learn meant good things were sure to follow.
"Well," she started casually, not breaking eye contact "he isn't here right now is he?" And so Harry found the rest of his evening blissfully entangled with the woman he loved.
Harry rolled out of bed the next morning while it was still dark. He fumbled for his glasses and slipped them on before reaching for his wand. As he made to stand up he found himself entangled in his bed hangings. He paused, momentarily confused as he looked around. It took about thirty seconds for it to sink in. He wasn't in the tent. He was at Hogwarts. As his recent activities flooded back to his mind he relaxed. His body was so used to getting up at the crack of dawn that he hadn't realized he needn't do it anymore. He sat back down, a mixture of relief and sadness welling in him. He heard a loud snore from the next bed and smiled to himself. Ron seemed to have no problem adjusting to the new freedom they were experiencing. He was just about to lay back down when he heard the floorboards creak. Harry froze, tightening his grip on his wand. He slowly pulled back the curtains just a crack. Through the silvery moon light Harry made out a figure slowly creeping toward the door.
"Lumos!" Harry jumped forward, his spell filling the dorm with a blaze of light. He heard the person squeak and shield her eyes. "Hermione?" He lowered his wand incredulously. She put a finger to her lips and jerked her head at Ron, who was obliviously spread-eagled on his bed, snoring away. She crept out to the landing, and a bemused Harry followed her. He closed the door behind him and made his way down the staircase, following Hermione's silhouette in the dark. They got to the common room and headed for the saggy couch nearest the dying fire. Hermione pointed her wand at it and a merry blaze erupted. She sat down and turned to face him.
"Well?" Her tone made it obvious that she was bracing for the worst.
"Well what?" He grinned as he sat down. She got red in the face and appeared flustered. "You two are both adults. I'm just glad you didn't keep at it when I came in." She threw a pillow at him.
"That's not what, I mean we didn't, we just, oh shut up." She said as Harry burst into laughter. She sat with a stern face for a few moments before finally giving in a laughing herself. He didn't know how long it was, only that he was out of breath by the time they stopped. It felt good to laugh again.
"Sorry I jumped to conclusions. I should've figured Miss Goody-two shoes wouldn't want to break any rules." She punched his arm lightly.
"Oh, shut up Harry. By the way Mr. Hypocrite, you got in pretty late yourself last night." She gave Harry a knowing look.
"Rare though it is, you are wrong Hermione. Ginny and I, merely, gazed at the stars for awhile." Hermione snorted. "Oh, alright, maybe there was a bit of snogging, but just a bit." He grinned good naturedly at her. They sat in companionable silence for awhile, staring in the fire, as the sun rose slowly above the forest out the window.
"I'm just so happy right now Harry." He glanced over to see her gaze straying around the common room. "And no, it's not just Ron, but well, obviously he's a part of it. I mean, I never thought, well I did think he might have, which is why I was so upset, but now I know, well I hope-" Harry cut her off.
"Of course he does. I reckon he's fancied you since the day you told him off on the train to Hogwarts." She blushed, but looked pleased.
Harry spent the majority of the day in discussions with people. He was made to explain his absence and activities to Kingsley, who was the acting Minister for Magic. Harry also sat down with the remaining Hogwarts staff and told them of Snipe's true aims. His revelation was met with many shocked and then sorrowful face, followed by several tear stained faces. He talked to a great many people regarding funeral arrangements for all of the fighters. After hearing of how difficult arranging a funeral sounded, Harry came up with an idea. After discussing it with Professor McGonagall and Kingsley, he made an announcement to everyone in the castle over lunch.
His idea was one large funeral held at Hogwarts. Anyone who had died fighting on its grounds deserved to be buried upon them he reasoned. His proclamation was met with many tears and sobs. In the end, the majority of family members had agreed to the Hogwarts burial. He spent the remained of his even sequestered with the Professors, Kingsley, and several others from the ministry as they planned the service, and the memorials to go with it.