A few weeks had passed since the trials and the date for the Hogwarts reopening was quickly approaching. The Manor was starting to really take shape as the crew worked long hours every day. Luna had been staying at the Manor, as her house was destroyed and she couldn't stay at the Leaky Cauldron anymore as the press had taken to staking it out to catch a glimpse from her, to question her about her time at Malfoy Manor. The first few times she had said no comment, and then Neville and Ginny had told the reporters to sod off, because Luna didn't deserve any of this treatment. They hadn't stopped, so Ginny packed all of Luna's things and put them in the ballroom of the Manor. Because it was to be the last room to be finished, it was temporarily the Room of Requirement, as everyone liked to joke. So, for the past three weeks, Luna had eaten and slept in the ballroom, trying to stay out of the public eye.
As for everyone else, they had their own places of residence. Harry was staying at Grimmauld Place, with Dean and Neville, while the Weasleys were all at the Burrow, and Hermione with her parents. Harry also had Teddy, who was getting one of the most unconventional first years on Earth, being raised by three seventeen year old boys who had no idea what they were doing. Ginny wasn't allowed to stay overnight at Grimmauld Place, so the boys were alternating with night time feeds, baths and dressing the baby. Kreacher was also helping, by cooking them dinner and making sure they were showering regularly, and wearing clean clothes every day.
One day while working at the Manor, Harry, Hermione and Ron received a visit from Kingsley Shacklebot. Molly had led him there, letting him through the wards and then left him to converse with the three teens. Greeted with warmness, they made their way to the living room that was structurally finished and partially furnished, but at least had seats.
"What can we do for you today, Kingsley?"
"I am here to talk to you about your future. Obviously you all missed the previous year of school, which should have been your last, which also means you missed out on sitting your NEWTs. However, so did all other seventh years, and the fifth years missed out on sitting their OWLs. I am here today though, to explain to you three, and only you three, that NEWTs no longer mean anything where you are concerned. I would like to offer you all positions in the Ministry, working for your chosen department of course. I would never force anything upon you. Of course, if you do wish to attend Hogwarts when it reopens, you're more than welcome to, and the offer will still stand once you finish the year."
There was a few moments of silence as the information was digested, which was broken by Hermione.
"Kingsley, I am more than grateful for the offer. I would like nothing more than to work for the Ministry, to try and get some new reforms. But I want to finish my education first. Don't get me wrong, it is a brilliant opportunity and I am recognising that. But I believe I should get a job at the Ministry based upon my educational merits that I have earned. No offence intended."
"Of course, Hermione, I completely understand. Minerva told me I would have some trouble trying to convince you to not worry about completing your education. Not to worry though, like I said, the offer will always be there for you." He turned to the boys with an expectant look on his face. "How about you, Ron? What are you thinking?"
"Honestly, school has never been my strong point. I have always thought about being an Auror, and I've thought about it. But at the same time, George needs me. However, I want to help round up the last of the Death Eaters, because I know they're still out there. What if, and this might annoy you, but what if I join the ranks to capture the last of the supporters, and once that is done, I'll go work at the joke shop?' Kingsley seemed pleased with this but Hermione's face was one of anger. She had her lips pursed and her brow furrowed, which both boys knew to be her angry face.
"If that is what you want to do, then I won't stand in your way Ron. And you, Harry?"
"Always wanted to be an Auror. I'll do it, Kingsley. I don't need my NEWTs which I am fine with, and I have the experience, and knowledge. If you have me, I'd love to be an Auror with your ministry." Harry had placed emphasis on the 'your' because Kingsley was the only Minister he would want to work under in the current situation.
The current situation was that the ministry were still trying to weed out the Death Eaters among the employees of the ministry, as well as those who were Pureblood supremacists and anti-Muggle. Kingsley's first job was to tear down the horrid statue that had been erected, with Muggles in their rightful place. The Ministry had also gone through a redecoration, not a complete one, but one that took down any symbols, posters or signs that were from the Year of Terror. Other than that, the Ministry was currently a very bare building, as Kingsley believed there were more important things to worry about than the colour scheme of the foyer.
"Well, Harry, I am extremely pleased with this, I won't lie. I can see you leading the Auror department one day, and I think this is a great first step. As for you Hermione, like I said, the offer always stands, and if you ever want to leave Hogwarts early, it will still stand. Ron, I'll be in touch, but you will be on the taskforce currently rounding up Death Eaters and those pesky Snatchers, and once we're done, you can do whatever you please. Now if you don't mind, I really must be going. Who thought being the Minister of Magic as a war ends would be so hard?" The four shared a chuckle at Kingsley's joke, showing him where the door was, and Harry walking him down to where the wards finished.
"Harry, you have a lovely house. I remember being here once, for a party Henry held for, well, whatever he held parties for. You could always count on the Potters to host a party for the fun of it. But this particular party, I happened to catch three fifteen year olds trying to spike the children's punch. Even then, Peter wasn't truly a Marauder. Well, anyway, all in the past now."
"Wait, Kingsley, you know my grandparents?"
"Well, of course. When I was starting in the Auror office, Henry was in charge."
"He was Head Auror?"
"Right up until his retirement. Anyway Harry, I really must be off. I'll see you soon." Kingsley passed through the wards and with a pop was gone. Harry turned and made his way back to the house but decided at the last moment to venture to his backyard, that was incredibly huge.
A few weekends earlier, he had decided that the backyard needed some work. So, with the help of everyone, the yard had been de-weeded, the grass cut and the al fresco area tidied up. Ginny had been excited because it was a new area to furnish. It was an expansive yard, to match the manor really. It was covered with grass and at the very back of it was a row of trees, which Harry had discovered hid a little river that run the width of the property. Ron and George had excitedly started planning a miniature Quidditch pitch, which would most definitely fit there. However, Ginny and Hermione wanted to install a pool, for summer. Harry had laughed and reminded them that it was his house. In the end, Ron and George had gone off to the shop to get Quidditch goals and Hermione and Ginny had visited a Muggle store to find a suitable pool. At least he had kept them all happy.
"Harry? Harry! Harry, are you out here?"
He heard Ginny and turned to find her running out of the Manor. He opened his arms to hug her but instead started receiving punches.
"What? What have I done?"
"It isn't what you have done! It is what you're not doing!"
"Gin, baby, calm down and explain why you are belting me up right now!"
"You're not going back to Hogwarts!"
"Oh, that's all?"
"That's all?! That's all?! You're not going back to Hogwarts! We're going to be separated for an entire year! Do you realise that?!"
"Why would I go back?! I can't face those people! Have people whispering behind my back the whole time! It may as well be a repeat of first year when I had the unwanted fame! Or how about second year, when everyone thought I was the heir of Slytherin and everyone was blaming me for the petrification of other students?! Except now they're blaming ME for their family and friends for being DEAD!"
Ginny was silent for a few moments, having not expected Harry to blow up like that. She looked up at him, seeing tears forming in his eyes, which caused them to form in hers.
"No one blames you Harry. Everyone blames Voldemort. Those deaths are not your fault. They are his fault. He chose to torture and kill so many people. He chose to gather a following to carry out the same jobs. Voldemort killed people. Bellatrix Lestrange killed people. Fenrir Greyback killed people. The Carrows tortured people. Yaxley had Muggleborns imprisoned and tortured. None of that is your fault! It all leads back to Voldemort. It was all his fault. I don't want you blaming yourself for a situation completely out of your control."
"But if I had given myself up earlier, found the Horcruxes earlier. Fred could still be here. Tonks and Remus could be raising their son, instead of us. It is my fault they're gone Gin. It doesn't matter what you say. That Battle happened because I wouldn't give myself up to him."
"Harry James Potter, you listen to me now. Fred and Tonks and Lupin and all of the others, they died to make this world a better place. It is not your fault. They didn't die for you, they died for the whole of the Wizarding World."
Harry looked down at his girlfriend, both with tear tracks down their face, and relented.
"I'm sorry. I know they didn't die for me. It's just, I can't even go to Diagon Alley without being stared at. I can't do that Hogwarts for a whole year."
"And you think it will be easier being an Auror?"
"No, but I will be doing something to keep me occupied. I don't want to go back to school. Besides, on top of everything else, I need to be here for Teddy. I don't know when Andromeda is coming home, and I can't just leave him with your mum for a year. That isn't fair, on him or her."
"But what about your education? NEWTs?"
"None of it means anything anymore. Kingsley offered me the job saying I don't need any of it. So why waste my time?"
"How about the fact that we are going to be separated for a whole year? Has that thought occurred to you Harry?" It struck him at that moment, that no, that thought hadn't occurred to him yet.
"Gin, we can make it work. I'll come and visit you on Hogsmeade weekends and there'll be holidays – Easter and Christmas! We'll make it work! I'll even see if McGonagall will give use special permission for me to come and see you on the weekends! I'm sure Ron will be trying the same thing for Hermione."
"Are you sure, Harry? You don't just want me gone so you can find someone else?"
"Ginevra Molly Weasley, I love you. I only want you. I am not going to find someone else, because I don't want to. You're the girl of my dreams and the love of my life. It'll be hard this year with you at school and me working but we'll do it. It was always going to happen though, wasn't it? Even if the past year hadn't happened. We'll be fine, better than fine! I promise!"
Ginny looked down at her feet and then back at Harry's face.
"Well, if you think so Harry."
"I don't think so, I know so."
"I love you, you idiot."
"I love you too."
They shared a particularly intimate kiss, that left them both panting and then made their way to the Manor, as their absence would have been noticed by now. However, they found everyone crowded around the bottom of the stairs, listening to the yelling coming from above, which Harry worked out pretty quickly was Hermione yelling at Ron. After a thirty second internal debate about whether to save his mate or not, he decided not to. The yelling continued for a further twenty minutes before a door slammed and Ron came out onto the landing. He looked down at the audience and only said "She disapparated." Then he turned and with a pop was gone, probably to sulk on his own at the Burrow. After a quick conversation discussing why Kingsley had been at the Manor, which had obviously resulted in the fight between Hermione and Ron, the crew got back to work, wanting to finish the Manor as quickly as possible.