Bloody but Unbowed

Chapter 1: Family

Harry woke up completely soaked. It was already the 5th time that week, and it was friday. Only one year had passed since the Hogwarts battle and yet flashes of what happened kept haunting his dreams. Voldemort's voice constantly echoed in his ears: You have permitted your friends to die rather than face me yourself. Everyday he spent one hour in the cemetery where Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Fred, Mad-Eye and many others lay, wondering if their loss meant something, if "for the Greater Good" was a sufficient answer. But then, when Ted Tonks was in his arms, he knew how much the little boy would have to suffer for the absence of his parents, and there is no justification for such pain. And Harry was perfectly aware of that.

Ginny was indeed his lighthouse in this moment of darkness but still, she was struggling too. After the war, Harry decided to renovate Grimmauld Place and live there but most of the time you could find him at Ron's. Molly had been completely devastated from the loss of his child and could't cope with anything anymore. Ginny looked after her, while Ron kept trying to cheer up George, who, since the death of his twin brother, stopped making jokes all at once. Hermione, immediately after the end of their mission went to Australia to get her parents back, just to realize that she needed a year-long vacation away from all the recent past, so she remained there with them.

"You should reach out for her!" Harry kept saying to Ron everytime he seemed a bit blue.

"I don't want to, she deserves some quiet time." always replied Ron with a flat voice.

But this time Harry was determined to convince him. It had been one exact year since they last heard from her and Ron's condition was getting worse day by day. He needed Hermione to make his day brighter, to give him Hope and Love. Harry perfectly knew that: that's how Ginny and him kept going.

"Blimey Harry! I told you I won't!" His face turned red and he closed his fists. But then something strange happened: a loud crack outside the window.

"Ron! Ron!" Hermione's voice reached their ears. Ron rushed out the door, ran toward her and hugged her so tightly that she could barely breathe. Then he kissed her, and they kept snogging for a while until Harry's voice broke the silence: "It's good to see you too Hermione." said with a sarcastic smile on his lips. He was standing on the doorstep, waiting for them to remember him.

"Oh! Hi Harry! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here" replied Hermione embarrassed.

"Oh don't worry! Come here you!" And the three of them hugged. And for the first time after a while they felt truly safe, truly home.

"Is that Hermione the one I hear?" asked a soft and trembling voice inside the house.

"Yes Mrs Wisley, it's me." replied her. The figure of Molly Wisley appeared from the kitchen window. Her face was emaciated and her skin was wrinkly and gray.

"Then come here and hug me!" she said, and a smile brightened up her eyes.

In no time the whole family was gathered, little Ted and little Victoire - Billy and Fleur's daughter - were placed in two cradles near the fireplace.

Mrs Weasley managed to find the strength to cook a big meal for everyone and Mr Weasley helped arrange the table.

"I missed this kind of meal so much back in Australia!" kept saying Hermione, while biting in some roasted meat.

"So where are your parents right now?" Asked Percy.

"We came back just yesterday, they will have some problems going back to their old jobs but I will help them with some Confundus spell." and she blinked to Ron, who, since her arrival, couldn't stop looking at her or smiling.

"Actually, I have a question concerning jobs... How will we find one in the wizarding world?" continued Hermione.

"Oh that's pretty simple my dear, you just need to go to the Ministry of Magic and tell them what you would like to do, they will help you find the right position." answered Mr Weasley.

"I don't even know what kind of jobs there are" replied Hermione bursting into laughter.

"You could be a judge in the Ministry! You're definitely carved for it!" said Ron.

Hermione kicked him under the table: "Then you should be a professional chicken-eater!"

Everyone was laughing now. Then Hermione went on seriously: " I think I would like to keep fighting for the rights of all the magical creatures, especially house-elves."

"Then you could come with me tomorrow at work and I will take you to Kingsley." suggested Percy.

"So Kingsley is the new Prime Minister, isn't it?"

"Oh yes! One of the best we have ever had" said Mr Weasley with pride in his eyes.

"And the Order of Phoenix? Was it completely destroyed or has it simply changed purpose?"

"Well, right now it is taking care of imprisoning all the Death Eaters that runned away. But afterwards I think it will just return to being a simple Aurors job."

"And Percy! I heard you will get married soon! Who's the lucky lady?"
"Oh, one of my coworkers... she's actually older than me, I met her during the war actually, she even saved me from a killing curse..." replied Percy blushing.

"Sugar mommy then! Nice catch bro!" said George.

Everybody turned around: it was the first attempt at a joke since Fred's death. Molly and Ron had tears in their eyes.