Harry Potter and the Summer After the War

Chapter 1 - The End

Disclaimer: I do not own ‘Harry Potter’ its characters or its settings. They remain the property of JKR. Anything you recognize belongs to her anything you don’t is mine.

Spoiler: This story follows Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. If you haven’t read it, don’t read this. It won’t make sense and it will give lots away!

The Gryffindor common room was blissfully empty when Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived. Ron and Hermione stopped briefly to say good night, but Harry didn’t even hesitate. He walked straight across the room and directly up the spiral stairs to dormitory. As he’d hoped his four-poster bed stood ready and waiting for him. So too was a tray full of sandwiches which stood on the table beside his bed. Harry went over to it hungrily and had devoured three, pacing around the room before he even noticed what kind they were. Roast beef. One of his favorites. He smiled thinking of Kreacher leaving them there, but his brain was growing fuzzier by the moment. Indeed Harry hadn’t slept since their last night at Shell Cottage and with all that had lay before them then, he hadn’t slept well on that night either. He thought that now that the worst was behind him, he might now. Still there were two things he wanted to do that kept him from lying down. No scratch that, they were things he needed to do. First was to put the Elder Wand back where it came from. The second was to find Ginny.

Harry leaned back against his bed deep in thought about this. He’d seen Ginny several times that day during the aftermath of the battle, with her mother, surrounded by her family, clearly overcome by it all, but there was so much Harry felt he should explain. So much had happened, he had to see her, he had to talk to her if possible, he needed to know, was there any chance after all he’d put her through, after all he’d been through, would she take him back? So absorbed was Harry with these thoughts that he hardly heard it when Ron came into the room and saw him there, eyes unfocused, looking as though he’d lost something rather than having won a war.

“Harry,” Ron called. “You okay mate?”

Harry shrugged.

“I thought you’d be asleep,” Ron told him.

Harry shook his head, looking at Ron. “There’s something I need to do. Actually there are two things.”

“Well, can’t they wait until morning?” Ron asked. “I’m beat.”

“Yeah, I know Ron. Me too. One can but…” Harry’s voice trailed away.  “Have you seen Ginny?” he asked suddenly standing up straight.

“Yeah, I think she’s down in the common room, why?”

“I’ll be back in a bit,” Harry told him and without a backwards look he made his way back down the stairs.

The common room looked deserted when Harry got there and his heart nearly dropped to his toes. The embers in the fireplace were growing low leaving the room in near darkness, but after a moment he found he could see just a bit. Carefully Harry scanned the room, and gradually made out the light curve of a head protruding just above the back of one of his favorite squashy chairs next to the fire. Harry walked over to it and found Ginny there, curled in on herself looking as exhausted as he felt. Harry knelt down on the worn rug beside the chair looking closely at her. Her eyes were open, so she wasn’t asleep, rather she was staring at what was left of the fire. Harry moved so that he was inside her field of vision.

“Ginny,” he said softly.

He started to extend his hand towards her when he realized in the dying firelight just how filthy it was. Harry pulled his wand from his pocket, pointed it at his own hand and muttered tergeo allowing the magic to suction away some of the dirt and blood that coated his skin. He saw the corners of Ginny’s mouth curve upwards ever so slightly at this.