Harry Potter
After the War
Chapter 1
Harry woke covered in a cold sweat. Ginny was lying next to him, watching him with a worried look on her face. "Was it bad?" Harry gulped and nodded weakly. She leaned her head on his chest and he put her arms around her. Ginny had been sneaking into his bed for the past two weeks, ever since the end of the war. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Harry shook his head and hugged her tight, "Just stay with me." Someone knocked gently on the door, "Harry? Ginny?" Hermione whispered against the wood. Harry sighed, put on his glasses and sat up. "Come in, Hermione." She creaked the door open and stepped inside, shutting it quietly behind her. "Sorry it's late, but there's some news." She walked over and sat on the end of the bed. Ginny dragged her knees to her chest to make room for her, Hermione smiled in response, "Kingsley sent a message from the Ministry," she giggled, "It was a bit scary really, his patronus being a lynx, you don't really expect to see it outside the burrow."
Harry grinned, "So what did he say?"
"Oh, right, yes. He said there's been another five arrests." She smiled, "Neville should be relieved," Harry thought a moment as realization dawned in his eyes, "They got Roldolphus?"
"And Rabastan!" Ginny squealed and grabbed Hermione in a hug.
"That's Amazing! Who else?" She let Hermione go and sat back against Harry who wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.
Hermione counted them off on her fingers, "Throfinn Rowle, Selwyn, Crabbe Sr. and Walden Macnair. Oh wait, that's six."
"Have you sent a message to Neville yet?" Ginny asked. Hermione shook her head and Ginny squealed again, "Please, please let me do it!"
Hermione looked at Harry, "I was going to do it myself, but I didn't know what you wanted to do about it."
"I think we might have to let her send it. Otherwise she'll blow a hole through the roof and we can't afford to do anymore damage to the house," He grinned at Ginny and she kissed him before reaching for her wand.
"You might want to send it from your own room," Hermione quickly told her, "Molly's walking around the house and if she catches you in here, she will definitely end up killing both you and Harry," Harry opened his mouth and Hermione interrupted him, "Harry, do you really believe Molly Weasley would be above murdering the chosen one if she found her daughter in his bed?" Harry shut up.
Ginny kissed him on the cheek, "I'll see you in the morning, ok?" He looked at her, wishing she could stay, but saw the excitement from the news engulf her.
"Ok. Tell Neville I said hey, would you?" She nodded and kissed him once more before getting out from under the covers.
"See you later, Ginny." Hermione waved at her, still perched at the foot of Harry's bed. Ginny waved back before slipping into the darkness of the corridor. They heard her whisper "lumos" before the door gently clicked shut. Hermione looked at Harry.
"How many times?" Harry looked at her questioningly. "Don't act dumb. How many times have you had the dreams?" Harry sighed.
"There's nothing getting past you, is there?" Hermione looked at him pointedly, Harry sighed again, "It's no big deal, not like when I was linked to Him. I just keep seeing it, you know? That moment when He...When I..." he trailed off.
Hermione leant towards him and hugged him, "I know. Harry," She leant back and looked him in the eyes, "Only you could have done it. And you didn't kill him. He killed himself. What you did was save millions of lives. You saved my life."
Harry took a deep breath and Hermione saw the tension in his shoulders release, "Thanks, I really needed to hear that. How are you doing?" He asked, changing the subject. She didn't bother arguing and happily went along with it, "I'm doing ok, actually. Still a bit weird, though." She jerked her head in an upwards motion, indicating Ron's room, from which you could hear deep snores emanating.
"I was thinking about trying muffliato on him at night," Harry joked. Hermione snorted and clamped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment. Harry laughed.
"Don't bother, I've already tried it. But that's not what I meant by 'weird'. I like him, I think I might actually love him, but every time I'm with him or thinking about him like that, I just keep thinking, 'It's Ron!' and then I feel awkward." Hermione pulled her cardigan tighter around her; Molly had been knitting excessively since Fred died and both Harry and Hermione were now in possession of everything from knitted jumpers to knitted underwear. "It just feels...weird!" Harry laughed at her, "What? Don't laugh at me!"
"I'm sorry but...Hermione, you and Ron have always been...you're meant for each other! Ever since our first charms lesson, he's been head over heels for you. 'It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa,"
"Not Levi-o-sa." Hermione completed the memory. They laughed then fell silent.
"It's feels like a different life, doesn't it?" Harry asked. "Back when the worst thing that happened was getting caught sneaking Norbert up the astronomy tower." Hermione smiled faintly at the memory. Harry watched her. "Have you told Ron yet?"
Hermione looked up startled. "What?"
"Have you told him you're going back?" Harry asked pointedly. Hermione sighed and shook her head.
"You'd better do it soon. Otherwise you'll be on the train before he has a chance to realise what just happened." Hermione sighed again and pushed herself of his bed, "I know. Just...give me tomorrow? Then I promise I'll tell him." Ron's snores faltered from above, then grew louder. Hermione shook her head whilst Harry, unsuccessfully, stifled his laughter. "It might be a blessing to stay away from him at night for another year," She walked to the door.
"I know you don't mean that," Harry told her. She looked back at him as she gently pulled open his door.
"I know. If anything, I'm going to miss it." And with that she slipped into the corridor and clicked his door shut. Harry pulled off his glasses and folded them on his bedside cabinet, in between a photo of his parents and one of Ginny. He slid down under the covers and waited for sleep to take him again. As he was being pulled under, Ron's snores echoed in his ears. He thought to himself, 'I know I won't,' and fell asleep again.