Winds of Desire

Caught Red Handed

It is two years after the wizarding war and Lord Voldemort's death. All the ex- Death Eaters, besides Narcissa (because she saved Harry's life), and Draco Malfoy are currently incarcerated in Azkaban prison for life. 

Though he was set free by a thread of his hair, Draco Malfoy is nearly taken into custody with the rest. In the last minute before they took him away, Harry Potter saves him when he told the wizarding court Draco is innocent and was forced to perform the doings of Voldemort by his father, Lucius. So the youngest Malfoy was let off with three years of probation and sent into training to work for the Ministry.

The year following the war, Hermione Granger returned to Hogwarts with Ginny Weasley's seventh year class to finish her schooling. She is the only one from their group of friends and one of just a few of her seventh year classmates who decided to come back and finish. Hermione didn't regret her decision at all as she passed her N.E.W.T.S with flying colors, was Head Girl, graduated with honors, and had a job offer to the Ministry for the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures by the time she graduated. 

Ron and Harry were both offered a job at the Ministry right after the war without N.E.W.T.S. Molly Weasley fought with all her power to convince Harry and Ron to go back to school with Hermione but they declined to listen to her opinion.

Ron did not go straight into the Auror field but waited awhile to enter the Ministry and helped George (who is now married to Angelina Johnson and is doing a bit better after Fred's unfortunate death) with Weasley Wizard Wheezes. After figuring out the store is not where he wants to be the rest of his life, he then decides to go his own way and follow his best friend Harry Potter into the Auror career path.

Harry is a very talented Auror since he knows most of the spell-work he needs for the career already and has advance skill in catching dark wizards. He is now considered as one of the best Aurors. Some even compare him to having as much skill as Alastor Moody, to which Harry does not agree.

To no one's surprise, Kingsley Shacklebolt was elected as the next Minister of Magic and is the best one there has ever been yet.

After a year of engagement, Harry and Ginny got married at The Burrow the summer right after the war in the backyard just as Bill and Fleur did. They now live in a beautiful country home just a half hour out of London.

Hermione and Ron also finally recognized their love for each other after the kiss in the Chamber of Secrets and got engaged the summer after Hermione graduated from Hogwarts. They now live in a Muggle apartment complex in downtown London.

It has now officially been a year since Ron and Hermione got engaged and this is where their story continues...

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Hermione opens her chocolate brown eyes and gazes at the blurry alarm clock located on her night stand beside their king-sized bed. Ron was supposed to be home two hours ago at midnight and it is currently two in the morning. Hermione knows that sometimes closing at the office as an Auror takes a while but never this long, and it is now the second time this week that he has came home late!

Finally, after Hermione drifts back off to sleep it is three-thirty when she wakes up again with a start to find Ron sneaking into their shared bed. His red hair is tousled and he wears a sheepish look on his face, almost as if he hoped she wouldn't stir.

"RONALD! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!"

Ron jumps at her response, giving up on sneaking slowly into bed, settles to lay down, and looks obviously guilty as he does so.

"Sorry Hermione, I had to close up the office alone again tonight... and uhh... I couldn't find the key and then the guard's alarms wouldn't go on right. Just a shitty bloody hell of a night. I tried to get home earlier, I did! I promise you!"