𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 2008

Better The Devil You Know (Mehen)

Title: Better The Devil You Know (Mehen)
Author: chaeldub
Team: Epilogue
Prompt: The Devil
Wordcount: ~14,800
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Infidelity, misuse of magic, self-harm(inflicted by another), angst, mentions of character death.
Summary: Any chain is freely worn. You are enslaved only because you allow it. Through the passing of time, Harry comes to realise we are each our own Devil.

It was over, finally.

Harry lay in his four-poster bed munching on a toasted cheese sandwich that Kreacher had brought him. The room was quiet even though he could hear the hustle and bustle in the common room below. Ron was doing a good job of keeping all the well wishers from getting up into the dorm room. After the battle was over, after the hugs and kisses, after the tears, Harry just couldn't take any more. He was physically and mentally exhausted. He wanted t o curl up in a place that was his own and just get his bearings.

All he wanted to do was sleep.

Sleep and forget about Tom Riddle, wands, scars.

No more nightmares, no more saving the world. Just time to be himself.

After Voldemort + 6 weeks.

"Harry."

Ron nudged his shoulder, leaning in conspiratorially and whispering in his ear.

"Are they—y'know?"

Following Ron's gaze back to the bar, he saw that Dean's arm was hanging over Seamus shoulder and he was saying something to the barman that was obviously highly amusing.

"Don't be stupid, Ron. They're just friends."

They were in the Wolf and Sheep, a little tavern that Seamus had famously found when he had "Drunk my weight in Guinness!" and had stumbled inside. It had become their regular haunt; the Leaky had been no place for the saviour of the wizarding world and it was only a few minutes back to Diagon Alley from here. It was dark in all the right places and held the faint hint of something just breathing below the surface—almost alive and welcoming them in.

It was run by a friend of Victor Krum's. Apparently he had played for Bulgaria, even though Harry couldn't remember his name. He liked the intimacy of the pub and also the distance it gave him from the rest of wizarding Britain, even though sometimes it still felt as if someone was watching him. However with his friends nearby and his wand on the table he felt safe. With Voldemort gone and the Ministry rounding up any Death Eaters who weren't volunteering themselves, there wasn't much place for five students who hadn't completed their education. At least, five students who just wanted to be left alone to be boys and become men. So this seemed like the perfect place to hide from the world for a time.

They'd talked of going back. Dean and Neville were agreed on their return but Seamus wasn't so sure. Ron had already made his mind up—he was going to help George in whatever way he needed. Harry, well he'd had offers from just about everyone in the Ministry— from the Minister's Office wanting to know if he'd thought about the politics of magic and Kingsley asking about his thoughts on Auror training. There had even been a letter of congratulations from The Minister of Magic (Egypt) wanting to know if 'he would be free soon as they had a problem with a mummy, the curse of Ra and some sort of serpent puzzle'.

To be honest, all Harry wanted to do was be left alone, to have a chance at being normal. So that he could blend in. Most importantly he wanted to be away from all the things that reminded him of what had happened. That's why this was a boys night only.

Ginny had taken Fred's death quite hard.

As much as Harry loved her he just couldn't be there, not now. All those people dead. Families torn apart, children without parents, brothers and sisters trying to cope without their siblings.