A/N Hello lovely readers! Thank you so much for continuing this story! I really appreciate the support I hope everyone likes how the story started; as always suggestions and requests are considered! Reviews are greatly appreciated and motive me to write faster! Well anyway, here is chapter 2!

Disclaimer: JR Rowling reserves all rights to Harry Potter…sadly

Chapter 2:

After two weeks of countless discussions with the remaining government, it was decided that all Hogwarts students must repeat their previous year at Hogwarts due to the lack of education that took place. The seventh years would be taught the necessary classes for the N.E.W.T.s, and the curriculum for all years would now include a few additional courses as well, so that the students could incorporate themselves with the Muggle world easier and even possess jobs in the Muggle world. Of course the older students' classes would be reduced so that they could make up the six years of Muggle studies they lost, but every Hogwarts student would now have the knowledge to choose which world they wanted to work and live in. This was an attempt to show magic persons that muggles were not so different from wizards after all, and that it was encouraged for wizards to live in the muggle world so long as they were careful.

Kingsley was elected the new Minister of Magic, and he had a plan to completely change the face of the Ministry – something much needed based on everything that had happened in the past few years. He also appointed Professor McGonagall the headmaster of Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione were ecstatic about this as they had a special bond with McGonagall that strengthened after the battle. Ron was not very impressed by the decision and constantly ranted that he was going to be punished for everything he did wrong now. All talk about McGonagall continued even more when she began searching for some wizards who would be willing to replace the teachers whom perished in the war. No one knew where she was going or who she was after, but most had faith that McGonagall would pick very talented, strict wizards. Harry and Hermione both offered to help in any way they could, but McGonagall told the pair to relax with what little time remained before the next term.

Despite Harry's unwillingness to do so and desire to begin rebuilding Hogwarts, Harry stayed with Ron for the next few weeks at the Burrow catering to Ron's every whim. Harry justified his stay with the sole purpose that Ron 'needed' help. Ron claimed he wasn't able to move without pain, but Hermione thought he was just fatigued from hunting horcruxes and was over exaggerating the need for beauty rest and attention. It wouldn't have been the first time he did such a thing. Harry did believe that Ron was in some pain, but he also thought that Ron really just wanted an excuse to let Harry stay with his family for a few more days.

Hermione too stayed at the Burrow for a little while, until she spoke with Harry on the side about something she longed to do. She asked Harry if he would be alright alone with Ron for a few days, and with Harry's approval, she left the Burrow with the intent of finding her parents and bringing them home. She promised to be back as soon as she tracked down her parents and helped them remember their former lives. She planned to take the Oblivious Curse off her parents as soon as possible, help them settle down in their previous home, which Hermione was delighted to find was still in their possession, and then return to the Burrow to stay with Harry and Ron.

Hermione promised Harry that once she was back, they would travel to Privet Drive to see what, if anything, of Harry's possessions still remained as she expected Harry to want to brush up on past spell they had rarely used, but that might be on the N.E.W.T.s. Harry wondered what Hermione would say when she saw that he had been using them to stop the uneven desk from creaking and as coasters. He knew she certainly wouldn't be happy about that. Hermione also promised to help him find and burry Hedwig when he was ready, as she knew how hard it could be to bury a pet. When she was a little girl, she had to bury her first cat, Shadow, and it was one of the hardest things she had ever done. In a way it was burying a part of her family, a brother almost. Crookshanks had been Hermione's first pet since the incident with Shadow, and although Crookshanks was a little rattier and playful than Shadow, she loved them both the same. Hermione just hoped they would find what, if anything, remained of Hedwig; perhaps because of the magic within her she would have been preserved.

Before Hermione left for Australia, Harry asked her for a spell that could fix broken wands. Hermione tentatively replied and asked what he would be doing with it.

"Hermione, I can't use this wand," Harry said outside the Burrow as he held up the Elder Wand. "And I'm not going to get a new wand with my old one still around."

"But Harry, I already tried to fix it. I told you in the forest; there's no way-"

"Yes, yes. I know what you said," Harry replied as he began pacing in front of Hermione. Her hands were now on her hips as brain began to turn, believing she knew what Harry was about to say. Her head cocked to the side and her eyes squinted ever so slightly, one might not have noticed it had he or she not known Hermione very well. Harry, however, was quite accustomed to that look and finally concluded what Hermione was expecting. "But you didn't have the Elder Wand with you."

"Harry!" Hermione cried as her hands slapped her legs, her eyes widened at the thought of Harry actually using the Elder Wand for something so trivial. "I thought you were going to bring that back to Dumbledore's grave, unused!"

"I don't think Dumbledore would mind me fixing my wand, Hermione. After all, it is the only wand now that contains the tail feathers from Faux." Harry thought back to the phoenix that had saved his life in the Chamber of Secrets, wondering where he was now and if McGonagall would keep him as her own. Was Faux even still alive or did he perish with Dumbledore?

"Harry!" Hermione bellowed. "Can't you just wait until Olivander's is up and running? Then you can pick out a new wand!"

"No, I can't, Hermione. This is the only wand I'll ever want," he answered her as he pulled his wand out from his back pocket. "This is the wand that I've had for my first six years at Hogwarts, and this is the only wand I'll take with me into my last." Hermione still didn't look convinced, so Harry reminded her about the bond that could not be broken between master and wand. After minutes of deliberation, Hermione agreed that Harry should fix his wand, but she still didn't like the idea of him using the Elder Wand.

With Hermione standing a few feet away, wand ready if anything went wrong, Harry cast a spell on his wand, hoping to fix it once and for all. There was a flash of bright white light, and then Harry's wand began to smoke a white-yellow color. Both Harry and Hermione cautiously approached the wand, and when the two looked down at Harry's wand, it looked almost brand new. Harry was ecstatic and Hermione relieved.

After Hermione's and Harry's little adventure, the trio had a few weeks before things began to return to normal before returning to school. The new ministry hoped that with all the volunteers they had, Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and most of the other places which students would need to access before school started would be ready by that time as well. Harry, Hermione and Ron as well as the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix offered to help rebuild as much as they could.

Although the trio planned to help with the construction, Harry was the only one who had been able to go. Ron was still on bed rest, per his request, and Hermione was still in Australia searching for her parents. Harry, however, had been very dedicated to his tasks in Diagon Alley and at Hogwarts.

A few days before Hermione returned to the Burrow, after Ron had woken up, he brought up a topic that he and Harry had not mentioned since the demise of Voldemort. "Harry," Ron began as he sat up in bed. "Do you recon Hermione fancies me?" Ron had been thinking about this constantly since he was in bed, and almost wished he hadn't for he began to believe that Hermione in fact did not fancy him anymore. Instead Ron thought Hermione might actually fancy Harry, which made a spurt of jealousy erupt in his gut. Although, he tried to push it aside as best he could until he spoke with Harry about the matter. In turn, Ron began to think about his relationship with Hermione. Although it seemed right at the time, he just didn't think it was Hermione that he was in love with.

Harry laughed as he put down the Daily Profit. "Ron, why do you ask that? You know she does." Harry couldn't imagine why his best mate would be asking something so obvious. Hermione had always had eyes for Ron; she was always nervous around him when he teased her. But then again, who wouldn't be in a situation like that? Either way, Harry knew that Hermione had fancied Ron for quite some time at least since fourth year when he failed to ask her to the Yule Ball. He certainly didn't want to get in their way either, so whenever either Hermione or Ron had questions about the other, he did his best to support both of them, giving them a slight push in the right direction.

Ron's heat sank. And he knew for a fact he did not love Hermione. He wasn't even interested in her like that. He wanted her to be his best girl-friend, not his girlfriend. He didn't know who he preferred to Hermione, but when he had kissed her during the Battle of Hogwarts, he felt like he was kissing Ginny. So he tried to find a way around what Harry was saying by suggesting other reasons why Hermione would have kissed him; Ron thought that perhaps Harry would be able to back him up when Ron fessed up to Hermione that kissing her was like kissing his Mumsy, his mother's mother. "You don't suppose it was the power of the moment or hormones?" Ron said as he tilted his head and shrugged.

"Excuse me?" Harry coughed as he raised his eyebrows. He had no idea where Ron was going with this, but the fact that he used 'hormones' properly meant he had done some serious research when Harry wasn't looking. Hogwarts didn't yet teach its students about their bodies, let alone hormones, so Ron must have read it in a muggle book or something of the sort.

"Well aren't girls supposed to get emotional or whatever when things are…" Ron paused, searching for the right word. "Stressful," he settled on. Harry knew Ron must have read some muggle book, perhaps one his father left lying around.

"Well…what do you think?" Harry wanted to feel where Ron was going with this before he went any father with the discussion.

"I hope it was a one-time thing," Ron admitted. "Hermione is getting on my nerves again. Just a few days ago she started nagging me to start walking again…as if I'm well enough…Besides when we kissed during the Battle, it was like kissing Ginny. I think we're only meant to be friends…the best kind of friends though. I do think Hermione's wonderful…but I don't want to sleep with her."

Harry smirked at this, knowing Ron was indeed well enough to walk, and he was just lazy or perhaps morning the loss of his brother, Fred. He decided not to bring this up though, so he picked another topic that he mentioned to delve deeper into. "So what are you going to do about Hermione? If you don't love her, she deserves to know; don't you think so?"

"I don't know, Harry…that's why I hope her hormones are back to normal when she gets back…maybe she'll feel the same way," Ron suggested, hopefully. "Maybe she doesn't fancy me either and we can go back to things being normal…well as normal as they can ever be."

"Perhaps…" Harry sighed as he picked up the Daily Profit again, but instead of reading, he filled his head with the time that he and Hermione spend in the tent dancing while hunting the horcruxes. His mind continued to drift to the times in the past year that Hermione had been there for him and with him, both physically and emotionally; Ron had not been there. Maybe, just maybe; it was Harry that Hermione liked. She had always been there for him since first year, and she never shied away from helping him like she did Ron on occasion.

Ron thought about Harry's response for a moment, wondering if in fact Harry knew something about Hermione's feelings. After all, they always seemed so much closer to each other than Ron and Hermione, and Ron felt a pang of jealousy once again. Then again, Harry was very close to him as well, which made him feel a tad better. Maybe Ron wasn't jealous of Harry and Hermione's friendship or whatever they were, but perhaps he was jealous of how much less time he was able to spend with Harry the more time he spent with Hermione. Again, this might not have been a bad thing, but recently, and he didn't know why, Ron was thinking more and more about their early years at Hogwarts. It seemed like it was just the two of them in their first year, and after seven years, it was almost like Hermine spent more time with Harry than Ron did. Then again, Hermione and Ron had spent their fair share or time together as well…However their time spent together hadn't always been pleasant.

"Harry?" Ginny Weasley whispered, bringing Harry and Ron back to reality. "How are you? I haven't seen much of you since you've been to Hogwarts almost every day this week." She sat down on the bed next to him, putting her arms around him. The reconstruction of Hogwarts had begun just this week, and like Harry had promised, he had been there every day, helping reconstruct everything he could. Harry's goal for today was to finish rebuilding the Quidditch Field when he arrived. Ginny missed Harry terribly; she felt she had finally made progress with their relationship. However, Harry had seemed to keep to himself more after the end of the war, more than he had before. He wasn't quite avoiding Ginny, but he wasn't seeking her out to speak with her, and Ginny was determined to fix their bond, hoping in turn that their relationship with fix itself.

"I know, Ginny," Harry said absent mindedly. "I'm sorry." Harry couldn't focus on Ginny at the moment. He knew their relationship was still quite undefined, but he also didn't know how far it would go. Harry couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was something off about his relationship with Ginny. After all, her love for Harry had started as soon as she met him, before they had uttered more than a few syllables to each other. Harry didn't even know when his love for her started, if it had at all. Anyway, at the moment, Harry had more important things to take care of at the moment.

"Oh, please," Ron whined as he smothered his head with his pillow. "Just leave me be. I don't want to see you snogging my sister!" Ron didn't mind that his best friend was dating his little sister, but he also wasn't jumping for joy about it. Come to think about it, he never though Harry fancied his sister anyway. It seemed odd that Harry had given into

"Oh, you can walk away if you need to; Madam Pomfrey said your leg is fine!" Ginny yelled at Ron. "I haven't spent any time with Harry over the summer, and I'm determined to do so before we go back to school. Even if it is only in the morning before he leaves for Hogwarts." Ginny certainly believed that she and Harry would become an official couple over the summer, but it seemed like Harry was spending all his time away from her, like he was avoiding her. She was sure Harry was interested in her ever since Harry kissed her after they won that Quidditch match in her fifth year. Her goal was to define her relationship with Harry within the week. Little did she know that Harry had other plans.

"Here's an idea, Ginny," Ron's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Why don't you go with him?"

"No!" Harry interjected. Ginny turned to Harry, a little offended. "Ron needs someone we can trust looking after him; don't you think Ginny?" Harry hoped Ginny and Ron would buy this answer, but he didn't even buy it. He just wanted a little more time to think about everything that had happened in the past year, well to be honest in the past seven years. He liked Ginny; he really did. But something didn't always feel right when he kissed her, which is why had hadn't done so in quite a while. Ginny didn't believe what she was hearing escape from Harry's lips; she certainly didn't like those lips as much as the moments when they were kissing her. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember that last time he kissed her. Ron on the other hand was quite delighted by Harry's suggestion, knowing that his sister knew exactly how to cut the crusts off his sandwiches and how much jam to put on his biscuits.

"You're right Harry," Ron answered as he tried to sit up a bit more in bed. "Ginny knows exactly how I like my food, which is something you haven't the slightest clue about."

"Oh hush, you know Mum can certainly do all that!" Ginny said to Ron and then turned back to Harry saying "I think he'd be alright." Harry's heart sank as he thought Ginny would end up coming with him. All he wanted to do was repair the Quidditch Pitch in peace where he could think about his life: where he would live, who he wanted to be, who he wanted to be involved with, and what would happen between Ron and Hermione.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley's voice boomed from downstairs. "I need some help with breakfast, Dear." Harry breathed a sigh of relief only he could notice and realized that he had lucked out with Ginny for the moment.

"Coming, Mum," Ginny rolled her eyes. It was times like these when her mom had the worst timing imaginable. She finally had Harry on the ropes, when she had to help prepare breakfast. "This discussion is not over, Harry," Ginny said as she got up to leave. She wanted to make it known to Harry that they would be finishing this discussion one way or another. Harry felt a sigh of relief as Ginny walked out, but he knew that before they spoke again, he would have to figure out what exactly he wanted.

"See what I mean?" Ron asked after Ginny shut the door. His mind immediately went back to his hormone theory. "It must be hormones…Ginny never talks like that to you. She's been in love with you since before we even met you. It's all lovey dovey crap. But today, not so much."

"Yeah," Harry responded, not really paying attention. He didn't think Ron knew the whole story between the two of them, and that Ginny did have somewhat of a reason to want to talk to him about their relationship. It obviously wasn't clear to her what the two of them were, and Harry could certainly relate to that. "Well, you should be able to talk to Hermione soon; she should be back in a day or two." Harry decided to move the subject back to Hermione, because he really didn't feel like talking about Ginny at the moment.

"Well, actually Harry," Ron began as he shifted in his bed. "I was wondering if you could talk to her first." Harry's eyes widened, and his brain almost exploded at the thought. How could Ron ask him that? Ron knew that Harry was very close to Hermione, and that Harry never wanted to hurt her. What could Ron possibly have wanted him to do? Break up with Hermione for Ron? It had to be that; Ron had never been very good at confrontation.

"Me? Why me?" Harry didn't want to break up with Hermione for Ron; Ron should do that himself. Harry didn't need both Hermione and Ginny on his back. Not to mention that he didn't want to start a fight with one of his best friends.

"You're her best friend; you have to know that Harry," Ron said as though it were obvious. Harry began nodding his head, believing what Ron said.

"We're all best friends Ron," Harry smiled back at him and rolled his eyes as he got out of bed and began to get dressed.

"Well she's closer to you…and you're nicer to her than I am…pretty much all the time. Think about it Harry. If I talk to her about not fancying her and if she does like me, what do you think she'll do to me?" Ron asked, sounding legitimately scared. Harry didn't know if Ron was scared of Hermione or what she would say, but he knew that was an irrational fear. Hermione wouldn't do anything to hurt Ron, at least nothing he didn't deserve. After all, sometimes he was quite an ass, and he certainly deserved what he got.

"Ron, it's Hermione, not Voldemort." He tried to reason with his friend.

"Yeah, thank Merlin," Ron laughed. Ron imagined saying the things he wanted to say to Hermione to Voldemort and laughed, thinking Voldemort would have used the Killing Curse quicker than ever before. "You put an end to that git, didn't you?" Harry rolled his eyes at Ron again, not getting the funny part that passed through Ron's head. "Well anyway…I recon she's more open to talking to you, don't you?"

"I will do whatever you want me to, Yoda," Harry smiled at his reference as he finished dressing himself. He didn't mind talking to Hermione so much if it was just to find out where she stood in terms of liking Ron or not. He just hoped Ron would break up with her regardless of how she felt. If Ron didn't fancy Hermione anymore, she deserved to get on with her life and find someone who does.

"What? Who's this Yoda?" Ron asked, legitimately confused and trying to remember all of the muggle references Harry, Hermione, and his dad had told him.

"He's a character in a muggle movie." Harry explained.

"I've gotta see these muggle movies, you know. Do you have any for me to watch while you're gone?" Ron asked.

"I'll bring some after my trip to the Dursley's, deal?"

"Course, mate!" Ron shook Harry's hand. "No lovey stuff though…I want the most gruesome thing you can find!"

Harry went to Hogwarts later that day to work on the new Quidditch Stadium. He wished his friends we were him to enjoy the new, bigger stadium. He was sure Ron would love the new goal posts, made of titanium. Even Hermione would like the design better. There would be areas with tables so she could do some homework during the game. Harry was sure she would find something to do while watching the Quidditch games. She always came, regardless of her like of the game.

After the stadium was finished, he went to see the work on the castle itself. To Harry's surprise, the Hogwarts castle was almost completely restored. He glanced around at all of the wizards and witches who were lifting thousand pound bricks, shingling – only Merlin knows how many stories up they were, and doing so many other incredible deeds. These incredible deeds became all too easy with a wand in their hands.

"Impressed, Potter?" A voice called, coming from Harry's left. He turned to see Professor, now Headmaster, McGonagall walking toward him.

"Very much so, Professor. It shouldn't be long now." Harry stated as McGonagall stopped next to Harry to admire the building in front of them.

"I thought you should know that Dumbledore's grave has been restored completely." She said, avoiding Harry's stare. He had a feeling she knew what he had planned to do with the Elder Wand. How did Hogwarts' Headmasters always have a knack for knowing what his intentions were all the time?

"I'd like to give him his wand back, Professor. Can I come back with Hermione and Ron? I think it's something we should do together." Harry looked down as he took the elder wand from his back pocket and held it in his hands.

"Do you think he would want that, Harry?" She asked, looking down at him for the first time. Harry only shrugged and nodded, not knowing exactly what McGonagall wanted to hear. "Well, what good would that wand do him? He's gone. Besides, the wand obeys you now. I don't think Dumbledore would want you to put it back just yet."

"It's the most powerful wand in the world. I don't think Dumbledore would want me to be tempted with such power." Harry noticed McGonagall soften her expression and she put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Potter, if there's one person in the world that could stay 'down-to-earth' as muggles say with that wand, it's you. I know you don't think I have been watching you very closely all these years, but I have kept my eye on you and your friends more than you know. With all the things that you could have done, I see no harm in leaving the wand in your possession. Besides, do you have a spare wand? I believe that your first wand was broken sometime during the war by Miss Granger; was it not?"

"It was, Professor…how do you-" Harry wondered if he should tell her that he repaired his old want and was now using it just the same as he was before it was broken. It worked as though it were new again.

"Go back to the Burrow, Harry. I'm sure you've done more than your share of work," Professor McGonagall smiled. "And I don't want to see you back here until the start of next term. You need to relax for a while after the year you've had…or perhaps I should say the seven years…In all my years of teaching, not one student has gone through what you have. I suppose that's what makes your friends all the more special to you, especially Miss Granger. Well anyway, go on home now. I'll see you soon."

Harry smiled back at McGonagall thinking what McGonagall had said about Hermione. He quickly brushed it out of his mind as he disapparated to the Burrow where he would wait for Hermione for another day before departing for Surrey.

A/N: Hello readers! I know it may seem like the story is moving slowly, but trust me, I'm trying to work through various topics and ideas!

Love and hearts and happy reading!

xoxo