The Last Year

Fun At the Burrow

When Harry and Ginny appeared on the edge of the fence, on the path to the Burrow, Molly Weasley was already waiting for them. She quickly hugged Harry, who hadn't had a chance to catch his balance, and fell into her hug. Once she pulled away, Harry noticed he and Ginny were still holding hands and quickly let go, trying to resist the red color his cheeks were becoming. However, Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to notice any of this. She was busying herself looking Harry up and down.

"They said you hadn't been eating very much, but my goodness, you look as bad as you did the summer before your second year. Don't you worry, a few days with us and you'll be looking good and healthy again. Oh, Harry, it is so good to see you again!" She pulled him into another bear hug.

Ginny laughed quietly and slipped away to the house. Harry followed Mrs. Weasley back to the Burrow.

"Arthur is at work, the Ministry has been a mess since Voldemort died, but they are making progress. He and Percy have been working closely with Minister Shaklebolt trying to root out any leftover corruption and spies. Once they have completed that, they will be setting up an election. I'm not sure anyone is going to run against Kingsley, but he is determined to make sure the people choose him. He does not want to be a dictator. George stays occasionally, but he has moved back into the apartment above the joke shop. He's been working tirelessly to reopen it. We weren't sure he would for a while after- after it happened, but I think he believes he can carry his brother's legacy this way."

Mrs. Weasley fell silent after this, which was fine since they had reached the door.

"All that to say, you can stay in George's old room, we've removed all the dangerous things, and the joke stuff, and the stuff we didn't know what it was." She said with a small chuckle, but also a tear in her eye.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, thank you for allowing me to come by for a few days. Also, thank you for taking care of me all these years, you guys really are my family, there is no one- no one I feel more comfortable around."

"It has been our pleasure, Harry." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before shooing him up to his room so she could begin making dinner.

Once he had settled his stuff into his room, he climbed the stairs to join Ron. He was surprised to find him in a room on the third floor instead of his usual room on the fifth floor. When he entered, he gave Ron a surprised look.

"Yeah, I know, isn't it great? He asked excitedly, "Mom and Dad decided during the summer that since Bill was married and Charlie was never here, I could finally move into their room. Obviously, I had to do a little redecorating, but it's great."

Harry smiled, "That's great Ron, although we had some great times up in that room."

"Yeah, we definitely did."

Soon, Harry and Ron broke out the wizard chess and played for two hours before Mrs. Weasley called them down for dinner. Harry had lost once again, rarely ever able to beat Ron. They rushed down the stairs and to the table where food was spread out. As always, Mrs. Weasley had outdone herself, presenting a delicious meal. Mr. Weasley arrived right as they were about to sit down, pleasantly surprised to find Harry there. He gave him an excited handshake before sitting at the head of the table. Harry sat beside Ron, across from Ginny. He also learned that while George did move out, he still came for dinner most nights.

As they ate, Harry asked Mr. Weasley questions about the state of the Ministry and the issues the Auror department was having to deal with.

"As you know, for a long time now I have been handling the misuse of items, turning muggle items into dangerous weapons and things like that, which requires me to work closely with the Aurors. However, that's only my title officially, as Molly told you I am working closely with Kingsley, rooting out leftovers from Voldemort. Percy has been working alongside me as of late, so I don't work with the Aurors as much as I used to. However, they've struggled to discern who was actually working for Voldemort, and those under the Imperius Curse, just as it was the first time. It's almost impossible to know for sure, but they are trying to. They've also had to start removing creatures brought in by Voldemort and his army like Giants."

Harry listened intently as Mr. Weasley explained. He was thankful that he didn't have to deal with these threats now, but he still wanted to know the things facing the department now, for when he did join. Soon he felt full and happier than he had for a while. Once they had all finished, they shifted to the living room, where Mrs. Weasley turned the radio on to allow them to listen to the latest wizarding world ballads and they continued to sit and talk. After a few hours of this, with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley occasionally rising to dance together, Ginny announced she was going to bed. George soon followed this, leaving so that he could finish a few things at the store before night's end. Mr. Weasley escorted him out, asking about the updates to the store.

Once they had exited the house, Mrs. Weasley looked at Ron and Harry, both sitting on the floor, idly playing a game of exploding snap.

"Harry, what prompted Kreacher to write us that letter this morning? I've noticed all day something was wrong, but I'm not aware of what ails you." Mrs. Weasley asked.

Harry sighed deeply before explaining once again the events of that dreadful night. Mr. Weasley returned during the story but seemed to catch on quickly to what was being discussed. Harry went through each detail, including the part that involved Ron, who Mrs. Weasley turned to glare at before Harry defended him.

Finally, once he had fully explained, including his stupor of the past few days, they sat in silence for what seemed an eternity. Eventually, Mrs. Weasley broke the silence.

"I am very sorry Harry. I wish I could give you answers, but I have none. I admit this does not sound like the Hermione I know. However, war times do change people and circumstances. It could be possible that she developed these feelings due to the pressures of war, and now that you have escaped that, those feelings have dissolved. It would be hard to say. Either way, I am sorry that it has happened. I know how difficult heartbreak can be."

Harry deeply appreciated her response and mulled it over in silence. Finally, the Weasley parents rose and went to their beds, leaving Harry and Ron, who soon followed them.

The next two days were full of cheerful conversations, laughter, and of course; chores. However, Harry did not mind the chores, as they, combined with the conversation and the laughter helped to push Hermione almost completely out of his mind. He had written her a letter the first morning of his stay, begging her to rethink it, or at least meet with him once so that they could have a conversation, but by the end of the third day, he began to accept that he would not get a response.

He cooked, he cleaned, he washed dishes, he scrubbed floors, he dusted, and once the snow had melted, he cleared the gnomes from the garden, a chore that only had to be done once a month in the winter months. All of this he did with Ron and Ginny, working together to finish each task. They laughed as they worked, telling jokes and reminiscing on fond memories.

Each night followed a similar schedule; a wonderful meal followed by time in the living room spent around the fireplace, talking, and listening to music, some dancing occasionally. Despite everything, Harry could not remember a time when he had felt happier, more at peace. Yes, there would be challenging times ahead, even in the near future, but for now, he was content and happy to enjoy the moment.

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