AN: HARRY'S NOT MINE.

*HERE YA GO. AS PROMISED. HARRY AND RON EXPLAIN THEIR LEAVING.

*ENJOY.

"Okay. Here goes nothing." Harry said. Taking a deep breath, he glanced around the room at the faces looking at him and Ron expectantly. Before he could say anything else, he heard several pops of apparition.

"If you would wait a minute or so, Harry. I believe our special surprises are here." Arthur said. He got up and went into the hall, followed by Lucius and Snape. He came back in a few moments later. "It was nothing. Start talking, boys."

Harry and Ron could feel someone staring at the back of their heads, but chalked it up to Snape and Malfoy. They thought that Arthur had told them to stand there to ensure that Harry and Ron couldn't leave, but again, they let it go.

"Where should we start?" Ron asked, looking at Harry. Harry shrugged, not knowing exactly how to say this. "Our whole teenage years were about defeating Voldemort and winning the war. All our greatest adventures in life had something to do with the war. We just wanted to experience something non war related."

"We know we shouldn't have left like we did. It's just… Ron and I kept hearing about what everyone expected from us. To marry you two right after you finished Hogwarts. To go on to become the greatest Aurors to ever live. To have kids. To be boring old men by the time we were thirty. We didn't want that. We didn't want to end up resenting you two or any kids we might have had in twenty or thirty years. To be fifty or so, and look back on our lives and wonder if things would've been different had we done what we wanted and not what was expected of us."

Hermione interjected before Ginny could. "You two are unbelievable, you know that? Didn't it ever cross your minds to talk to us about things like adults? Obviously not. We would have understood, you know." she said. "During the time that we dated, Ron, or you dated Ginny, Harry, did you hear either of us mention marriage? Or kids?"

"Well, no…" Harry said.

"EXACTLY! YOU TWO SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO HERMIONE AND ME!" Ginny yelled. She took a deep breath and continued, "Look, we get that you wanted to go on all sorts of adventures first. We do. Because we did that, too, after you two left. We've understood for a while now. But, why cut off all contact with us?" Ginny asked. "Even with no way to write back, we still enjoyed hearing from you two until the letters just stopped. And why did you stay gone for so long?"

Harry sighed. "We didn't mean to just stop writing. But things just got away from us. By the time we realized it, it had been almost three years since we last wrote. We couldn't bring ourselves to write another letter after so much time had passed."

"We also didn't mean to stay away for seven years, either. But one thing led to another, which led to another, and another. Like Harry said, things just got away from us. But we're here now, and ready to make up for the last seven years." Ron said.

At this point, Molly interrupted. "Do you really think it's going to be that easy? You can't just waltz back in here after so long as if nothing happened. Do either of you know how painful it was for everyone of us, and several of your friends, to think that none of us mattered enough to you to say goodbye? We didn't even know where you were until a month later when we got your first letter. Then, the letters just stopped."

"We know, mum. And we really are sorry. But we already had a plan in mind, and like we said, we thought that once we told people, everyone would try to get us to stay." Ron said, cutting her off before she could go any farther.

"Yeah, we probably would have." Arthur said. "But it's like Hermione said. If you two would've just explained things, we would've tried to understand and give you some space."

"We know that, dad. But we just couldn't at the time." Ron said softly. He and Harry were looking down at their feet instead of around the room at everyone.

"Alright. Answer this, then. Why did you guys come back now?" Bill asked.

"The meeting new people, going to new places and doing new things life was great. For a while. But, it also tends to get really lonely. We missed being here. So, a few weeks ago, we decided to come back. We also missed all you guys, as well." Harry said, looking at Ginny.

"Yeah, but imagine our surprise when we come back and almost nothing is the same as we remember." Ron said with a little laugh, trying to break the tension. He looked up at Hermione, and noticed she looked quite mad. Before she said anything, Ginny started talking.

"Let me see if I understand this. You two leave for seven years, no word to anyone for five of those years. You get 'lonely' and decide to finally come back, only to actually be surprised that nothing is the same. Right so far?" she asked. After seeing Harry nod, she continued. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU EXPECT? THAT LIFE JUST STOPPED BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T HERE ANYMORE? YOU'RE NOT THE CENTER OF EVERYONE'S UNIVERSE!" she yelled, standing up.

Hermione put a hand on Ginny's arm to calm her down. "What exactly were you expecting, anyway?" she asked. She was curious to know what they thought life would be like seven years after they left.

"Well, I don't know about Harry, but I was expecting to come back to the Burrow the way it used to be. A nice home cooked meal with a big welcome home party. Get a job as an Auror now. Get married and have a few kids. You know, the life we should have had back then."

"So, essentially, you were wanting to come back to '98?" Hermione asked. "You guys really thought that time was going to stand still and nothing would change once you guys left?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, we knew things would change, Hermione. But, bloody hell! We come back and nothing, nothing is how it was. It's like a whole new world here." Ron said.

At this point, Molly, Arthur, Helena, Lucius and Severus and the other Weasley's left the room. They were going out to check on the children playing on the playground. "Yell if you need anything, love." Helena said on their way out.

"You got it, mum." Hermione said. "Where are you guys going?"

Molly looked at the kids. "We're going to go outside for a bit, dears. Keep an eye on the younger kids, make sure they don't get hurt. Leave you all to chat." she said with a smile.

Hermione went over to the mini-fridge in the corner of the room and grabbed a lemonade for her and Ginny. "Anything you guys want, come get." she said to the others.

"Can you guys explain a few things to us?" Ron asked once they were all settled.

"Like what, Ron?" Hermione asked. She could already tell she was going to enjoy this next part.

"Okay. Like the Burrow. What's going on there?" he asked

"For their anniversary, we all got together and offered to have the Burrow redone. The only way mum would agree to that is if it was done her way. So, that's what we're doing." Ginny answered. "It's still going to be the Burrow, but nicer."

"Alright. When did Hannah and Justin get married? The Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked.

"Hannah and Justin have been married for close to three years now. Their son is going to be one next month. She bought the Leaky two years ago when Tom retired and moved to the Caribbean." Ginny said. "When he retired, he sold the pub and shocked everyone by taking Madam Rosmerta with him."

"Also, you may have noticed some new things in Diagon Alley. First, Fortescue's moved to a bigger building when it became the cool place to be seen. Umm…Flourish and Blott's is under new management." Hermione said.

"Yeah, we saw that. Bet that bummed you out that you couldn't buy it, huh Mione?" Ron asked.

"Actually, Ron, I do own it. I'm Mia of Mia's Bookmark. I also own the nightclub in Diagon Alley." she said with a smirk.

"Okay. What about our friends? Neville, Luna, Seamus, Dean, the whole group?" Harry asked. "What's going on with them?"

"Neville, Luna? You can come over now." Hermione said, and reached over next to her and shut off the speakerphone.

They heard the floo activate. First in was Neville, who looked huge. He was now a lot taller and muscular than they remembered. Shy, awkward Neville was apparently gone. In his place was this house of a man who looked confident. He also looked at Harry and Ron like they were strangers.

"Potter. Weasley." Neville said with a nod toward them.

"Hello, Harry, Ronald. It's been quite a while." Luna said in her dreamy way. It was good to see some things were still the same.

"Neville, Luna. How are you?" Harry asked.

"Fine, thanks." Neville said. "Hermione, how are you feeling?" he asked, giving her a hug as Luna hugged Ginny.

"Better, actually. You didn't bring Alice with you?" Hermione asked. Alice was Neville and Luna's daughter, who was also Hermione's goddaughter.

"No. She's with Xeno for the day." he said. "He said something about some kind of new species of humdingers or something like that." he said with a smile.

"Who's Alice?" Ron asked. He was getting confused. Once Neville and Luna showed up, it was as if he and Harry weren't there anymore.

"Alice is Neville and Luna's daughter, Ron." Ginny said. "They've been married for four years now, you know."

"Where's Seamus and Dean? Or Parvati and Padma?" Ron asked Ginny. "Weren't they invited today?"

"They were. They couldn't get away, though. Seamus and Dean are Quidditch players, and the Patil sisters own the Three Broomsticks now." Hermione answered.

Harry and Ron noticed that she seemed at home here. Wherever here was, anyway. She had taken her shoes off and was sitting across one of the arm chairs. Harry decided to ask her about this. "Umm…Hermione?" he asked nervously.

"Yes, Harry?" she asked looking over at him.

"Where are we, exactly? And why are you all so comfortable and seem at home here?" Harry asked her.

"This is my mum's house, Harry. She moved in here when she got married five years ago." Hermione said. "We spend a lot of time here."

"I thought your mum was already married? To your dad?" Ron asked.

"She was, Ron." Hermione said, glaring at him. "Until he died in October 1998."

"Sorry, Mione. Okay, now I have a different question. Why are the Malfoy's and Snape here and acting like they've always been here?" Harry asked.

"I know mum told you guys to keep an open mind earlier, so please try, alright?" Ginny said.

"Okay." Ron said slowly. "Why?" he asked looking from Hermione to Ginny.

"Five years ago, my mum married Lucius Malfoy." Hermione said, proudly. Over the years, she had grown quite fond of Lucius and gladly called him her dad. She mentally started counting down until Ron blew his top. She didn't have to wait long. Hermione only got to three.

"WHAT? YOU LET YOUR MUM MARRY A DEATH EATER?" he yelled, while Harry just sat there with his mouth hanging open.

PLEASE REVIEW. XOXO

*OKAY... FINGERS CROSSED YOU GUYS ENJOYED THAT CHAPTER.

*OH, RON. SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE, EH?

*I KNOW, I KNOW-ANOTHER CLIFFIE. WHAT CAN I SAY? THAT SEEMED THE BEST PLACE TO END THIS CHAPTER.

*WHO COULD BE THE SURPRISE VISITORS?

*I WILL BE GOING INTO THE PAST SOON TO EXPLAIN SOME THINGS, JUST FYI.

*YOU GUYS ARE STILL AWESOME!