Chapter 2 Living With It

Harry woke up the next morning; he was stiff from falling asleep in the chair, and slightly confused as to where he was at. It didn't take long for him to remember where he was at and what had happened. Getting up, he went into his private bath, showered and put some clean clothes on. As he was getting ready to leave his room, he felt the need to check on Hermione. Knocking softly on her door and hearing no answer, he opened the door a crack and saw that she was still asleep. He went ahead and went downstairs to the kitchen.

"You have some letters" said Moony, looking up from the Prophet.

Harry saw a pile of letters on the table. He found that three were for him, including his Hogwarts letter, one for Hermione, her Hogwarts letter and one for Ginny from Hogwarts as well. The other two had the look of being official and how right he was. One was from Gringotts, asking him to come at his convienice, to discuss his inheritance. The other, however was from the Wizarding Family Affairs Office. He opened it and read:

" Dear Mr. Potter,

Your presence is requested at our office on August 1 at Nine o'clock in the morning to discuss a situation that has arisen within you family. If you do not attend this discussion action will be taken against you.

Sincerely

Artemis Prewett"

Now he was really confused. This couldn't be about him, since he was turning seventeen tomorrow and would be of age be the time the meeting would take place. Still confused about it, Harry opened his Hogwarts letter. As he read he found out, that yes the school would open, and that he had been chosen as Head boy and Quidditch Captain. He was considering going back in light of everything that had happened, changing all his plans. He really wanted to talk to Hermione about it but that would wait until later.

"Moony?"

"Yes?"

"I got a very interesting letter" and Harry showed him the letter from Family Affairs. Even Remus didn't know what to make of it. They discussed it until Bill and Fleur came into the kitchen, where Fleur immediately started breakfast. Both looked like they hadn't slept and very pale.

"I want to thank you for allowing us to stay."

"No problem Bill. We're family, that's what we do for one another. Stay as long as you need or want to, for however long it takes. And tell the twins that they're welcome too. No need to hurry and leave."

Fleur started crying and couldn't finish cooking so Harry called Dobby and asked him to finish for her.

"Thank You Dobby, I'll just get you some money."

"No payment is necessary Harry Potter sir. Dobby is very glad to help his friend when he is sad" and, with a crack, left before anyone could stop him. Harry told the others to go ahead and start and left the room. He went up to Hermione's room and knocked on the door.

"Come In." Harry opened the door and saw Hermione sitting on the bed.

"Breakfast is ready. You need to eat." She looked at him, with tears in her eyes, and shook her head no. "Yes. Your parents wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. They would've wanted you to continue to live and be happy. Now come down and eat like a good girl." She stood up but didn't move. Harry came over, hugged her quickly and guided her downstairs to the kitchen. Harry noticed that someone had gotten Ginny to come down as well. They all ate in silence. Tonks arrived as they finished with news. She looked at Hermione and said "Hermione, I want to say how sorry I am about all that's happened. You parents bodies are being prepared for burial tomorrow , at nine in the morning and I took the liberty of looking into things, for you, and found that they had prepared for this and that everything is taken care of. Gringotts is handling all the other matters as a favor to Harry. Is that alright?" Hermione just nodded and grabbed Harry's hand and held it.

"Bill, your family's remains have also been prepared and the service is scheduled for tonight at a room in the Ministry and the burial at the Weasley family plot. I know that this seems fast but I thought it best to move quickly." Bill nodded as he held Ginny, who had started crying again.

"Harry, I took the liberty of arranging for the Dursleys by taking Galleons from your vault and exchanging them for pounds to pay for the undertaker. Their service is also tomorrow at one in the afternoon, although I doubt you would go, given how they treated you."

"Thanks Tonks for everything. Your right, I don't want to go to the Dursley's service. But what about Privet Drive and Marge's house?"

"Gringotts is handling that as well" and she went to sit by Remus and cry for lost friends and all that had happened.

"Are you alright" Harry asked Hermione.

"Yes, I'm sorry to hear about the Dursley's. I didn't know."

"It's okay. I know that I should be more upset about them, but I'm not. I'm more upset about what's happened to you and the Weasley's. Would you like me to come with you tomorrow for your parents' service?" Hermione threw her arms around him and sobbed a "Yes" into his chest. Harry held her while she cried.

"Harry" Bill asked.

"Yes" he answered trying to call Hermione down.

"We would be honored if you and Hermione would join us as part of the family for the service tonight. Mum always considered both of you as two more of her children."

Harry looked down at Hermione, who was shaking her head yes, in his chest, and said "We would be honored Bill. Thank you." A crack sounded in the room announcing the arrival of Fred and George, looking as serious as Harry had ever seen them. Passing Harry they both patted his back and placed a kiss on the top of Hermione's head. Seeing them, Ginny jumped up and threw herself at Fred hugging him, like Mrs. Weasley use to, and then George, bring tears to both young men's eyes. Together they all sat at the table sharing their grief with each other. Hermione finally got control of herself and moved away from Harry, where she saw her Hogwarts letter on the table. Harry noticed that her hands were shaking as she tried to pick hers up.

"We'll talk about this later, okay" he asked picking up the letter and handing it to her as she nodded. He then passed Ginny's down to Bill, who nodded and put it in his pocket. Looking at the twins Harry said "Fred, George, you two are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. My home is your home, understand." They nodded as they continued to hold Ginny between them.

Finally Bill said that they needed to get ready and Harry helped Hermione upstairs.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to. Everyone will understand."

"No, I'll go. It will help me accept and get past all that's happened."

"If you're sure."

"I am, so don't worry about me and go get ready."

Harry went into his room and suddenly realized that he had nothing decent to wear to a funeral. His dress robes from fourth year were too short and he never owned a muggle suit in his life. He starting throwing things from his truck hoping that by some miracle he would find something to wear, he heard a knock at his door.

"COME IN" he yelled with his head in the trunk.

"Going for the tornado in your room look?"

Harry looked up and saw Remus standing in the doorway holding two boxes. Looking around the room he said "Yeah. I kind of like it. Now everything is out in the open where I can see it."

"Use to do the same myself. However Tonks and I thought that you might need these for tonight and tomorrow. An early birthday present from us."

"Moony, you didn't have to get me anything."

"Come off it. You only come of age once in your life. Now open them."

Harry opened the first box and saw that it contained a new set of dress robes, made of dark green, so dark that they were almost black. The second box contained a muggle suit with white shirt and tie. Even dress shoes.

"Moony these are great but how could you afford them?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm glad that you like them."

"Thank you" and Harry gave the old marauder a hug.

"Now get ready, Your taking as long as one of the girls" and Remus left, shutting the door behind him. Harry quickly changed into his new dress robes and saw that they fit perfectly. His hair would do anything that he tried to do to it, so he gave up and went to Hermione's room and knocked. She answered and he saw that she was wearing a muggle black dress and that her hair was pulled back into a bun that would rival Professor McGonagall's.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded and he stepped aside so that she could go down first. Everyone was gathered in the drawing room. Tonks was wearing black robes that clashed with her bubblegum pink hair and holding what looked like an oar. When everyone arrived, Tonks said "The portkey is set to activate in two minutes and we will be landing inside the Ministry itself for security reasons, so everyone get ready." Everyone placed a finger on the oar and waited, Hermione holding Harry's hand. Harry felt the familiar pull and in landing actually managed to stay upright, catching Hermione as she stumbled. Unfortunately they had landed in the main part of the Ministry, near where the press had gathered and even more unfortunately that they noticed that Harry had arrived. They soon surrounded him like vultures.

"Mr. Potter, can you tell us how you are feeling?"

"Mr. Potter, are you going to retaliate for the death of your family's deaths?"

"Mr. Potter, is this young lady your girlfriend?"

"Mr. Potter, do you think that these attacks are to do with your coming of age soon and the obsession that You-Know-Who has with you?"

Harry ignored them as he tried to work his way thru the crowd. Kingsley Shacklebolt saved them by having some aurors clear the way for them.

"Thanks" said Harry. Kingsley nodded and he led them to a room, where after they entered he closed the door and locked it. The room was small, with no furniture, and no one else in it. Harry didn't know if this was normal or not since he had never attended a funeral, outside of Dumbledore's and he didn't think that was a typical one. The Weasley's didn't seem to think that there wasn't anything wrong so Harry relaxed a little. Bill approached him and Hermione to talk to them about what to expect.

"I know you two have never been to a wizard's funeral before so I thought I better explain a couple of things. This will be nothing like Dumbledore's. We will walk in and sit in a separate section as a family and the caskets will be levitating ahead of us. A eulogy about each will be said and after that's done we touch one of the caskets, it doesn't matter which one, and we will be portkeyed to the family plot. Any questions?" Both nodded no. "I want to thank you for being here and Hermione we will be with you tomorrow for your parents." Bill went back to Fleur and took hold of her hand. Ginny was being supported by the twins' one on either side of her. Suddenly it was like a stage curtain lifted; the wall in front of them disappeared. The caskets floating ahead of them, bill and Fleur followed right behind, with Fred, Ginny, and George behind them. Harry followed them, still holding Hermione's hand. It seemed like an hour going down the aisle, but in reality only a couple of minutes had passed. When they reached the family area Harry let Hermione in first and sat beside her on the end of the row.

As the service began, tears started rolling down Harry's checks and he really didn't listen to what was being said aloud, instead he was listening to his heart saying goodbye. Before he knew it the service was over and the Weasley's and Hermione were standing up, pulling him into reality. He followed as they went towards the caskets and when he reached one he touched it with his left hand, still holding Hermione's with his right. They were instantly transported to the graves site. The caskets were still floating in place and when the rest of the mourners arrived they levitated towards the graves that already held markers for them. They were lowered all together in to the ground and when they were done Bill stepped forward, said an incantation in which the earth began to fill the graves on there own. Hermione started crying again when the graves began to fill, and Harry instantly gathered her in his arms and held her as his own tears fell. When the graves were done Fleur stepped forward and said an incantation and grass covered the dirt and flowers appeared. This seemed to signal the end of the service as everyone stood in little groups talking. Ginny finally broke completely down and had to be led away by the twins, who took her back to Grimmauld Place. Hermione, still in his arms, seemed to be settling down.

"Are you ready to leave" he asked softly. A nod of yes answered. Looking up he got Tonks' attention, bringing her and Remus to his side. "We're ready to leave" he said and Tonks placed her hand on Harry's arm, grabbed Remus' hand and apparated all of them back to Grimmauld Place. Harry got Hermione upstairs and into her room to rest. In his own room he changed into his pajamas and was just getting into bed when there was a knock on his door. He opened the door to reveal Hermione in her nightgown.

"Can I sleep in here? I don't want to be alone right now."

Harry just moved aside to let her in. Joining her in the bed, he laid down on his back and opened his arms. She rolled right into them. Holding her close they finally fell asleep.