Issues

When Harry awoke, it was to muted voices in the corridor outside his room in St. Mungo's. He couldn't make out the words, just the deep timbre of a male voice and the light laughter of a female. That laugh he did recognise, though he had not heard it in quite a while, and he smiled and tried unsuccessfully to catch what Hermione was saying.

Longing to see her, he stretched across to the bedside table and pushed the buzzer to alert the staff that he was awake. Immediately, the door opened and Hermione rushed in and threw herself into Harry's arms, hugging him fiercely for a second before gasping and pulling back with a rueful look on her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Harry. Do your ribs still hurt?" Fortunately, his ribs were healed. The bruising that covered most of his torso was still there, however, and was still tender. But he cared little about that and shook his head, smiling.

"No, they're fine, Hermione," he replied, letting her go and looking over her shoulder at the tall redhead who had entered after her. A broad smile broke out on his face to see Ron here too.

"Ron." Harry stuck out his hand and pulled Ron into a gruff hug as Hermione sat down on the edge of the bed and made herself comfortable.

"You look a sight better than the last time I saw you," Ron said, eyes crinkled in a smile.

"Don't tell Fred and George that, or they'll hound me with those Wheel things again," Harry laughed. "What are they supposed to do anyway?"

Ron shrugged and sat down next to Hermione, draping his arm across her shoulders. "I have no idea, they won't tell me. They say that if I know what they do, they won't work. Think I'd rather steer clear of those two altogether."

"Right. Good idea." Harry looked at both of them happily, catching the subtle hints of their intimacy in how Hermione leant into him and seemed to fit perfectly under his arm. It made him long for someone of his own. Perhaps now that the war was over and there was a chance he could have a life of his own, he and Ginny could rekindle their abortive attempt at a relationship. That lit a deep glow within him.

Hermione's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Harry, you used the spell didn't you? I knew it would work. I knew that Snape wasn't really working for Voldemort!" Harry nodded, frowning.

"Yes, in the end there was no choice but to trust that the spell was the right one. By the time we destroyed the last Horcrux, what was left of Voldemort was rabid and it was kinder to put him out of his misery really. There was nothing human left."

They all sat there in silence for a moment, not in tribute to Voldemort, but in remembrance of the Professor they had all loathed growing up. A hated fixture in their lives for six years, Snape had fled to his master's side during what would have been their seventh year, and became openly what it appeared he had been in secret for years - a part of Voldemort's Inner circle. It had taken Harry, Ron and Hermione that year to track down and destroy the four remaining Horcruxes. Now, this unlikely hero, the man who had provided the last missing piece and enabled Harry to defeat Voldemort for good, was dead. Traitor or spy, Harry had mixed feelings about the man now.

"When can you leave here, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly, bringing him from his thoughts.

"This afternoon, they said. The ankle needs time to mend properly, and -" He was cut off by the sound of popping from the corridor, and then Fred, George and Ginny dashed into the room, closing the door quickly behind them.

"What have you two done now?" Harry asked, grinning at all of them, face softening into tenderness when he looked at Ginny.

"Don't look at us," George pretended innocence.

"Our dear sister is the one you need to blame this on," continued Fred, coming to the bed and shaking Harry's hand.

"And people call us troublemakers..." George joined Fred in shaking Harry's hand.

"What happened?" Hermione had a slight frown on her face.

"Oh, don't listen to those two." Ginny waved her hands at both the twins as she hugged Harry. "It was just a small diversion. The nurse wasn't going to let us in to see you, silly old bat. I just... redirected her attention, that's all." Harry watched her with a smile as she sat down on the chair next to the bed. She looked nervous, distracted for some reason and he wanted to ask her what was wrong.

The six of them chatted amiably about inconsequential things for a while, unwilling to discuss anything serious just yet, and really, who could be too serious when the twins were around? They were planning on expanding their joke shop business and were testing a number of new products, but they still refused to divulge the purpose of the Weasley's Wizarding Wheels. One day when Harry was feeling reckless enough, he would give in and try those wheels. The twins ran a joke shop after all, any effects were bound to be temporary, and there was time in his life now for fun.

Harry lay back on the bed and watched them all laughing and joking with each other. Even Hermione had relaxed and was looking to enjoy herself. She deserved it, he thought. Hermione, more than any of them, deserved some space to be happy. Driving herself beyond endurance, Hermione had been the one to do the research and track down the Horcruxes. Now, there was time for her and Ron.

Ron, who was his right hand; Ron, who trusted and believed in Harry, when his doubts threatened to overtake him. His simple assertions that he was sure Harry knew what he was doing, and his insightful off the cuff suggestions had made Harry think he was some sort of seer at times, and bolstered him when he needed it most.

Family. These people were his family and that gave him great joy and satisfaction. Along with the rest of the Weasleys and Remus and Tonks of course, in these people he had found the home and the love of family he had been searching for all his life. Only Sirius being there would have made it any better. He sighed at the familiar twinge of sadness when he thought of his godfather, and took Ginny's hand to comfort himself.

It seemed to be the signal for them all to stop talking.

"Have we tired you out, Harry?"

"No, Ginny, I was just thinking about Sirius." Funny, how he could talk about it now and it didn't make him want to yell and lash out at something.

"He would have been proud of you, you know that," Hermione added, and Harry nodded, smiling sadly.

"I know. But now, we look to the future, right?" he asserted, giving Ginny's hand a squeeze, but catching a tiny frown on her face. "Tell me what's happening out there." He gave a wave of his free hand to indicate the rest of the world outside his hospital room.

"You're a hero, Harry," laughed Fred, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Quite the hero," added George. "It's in all the papers."

"You'll never be able to walk down the street again..."

"Without being mobbed..."

"Or propositioned..."

"Or..."

"Enough already. I get the picture," interrupted Harry. It was hard work keeping up with the twins once they got going, but what they said agitated him. It was never going to end was it? A normal life was never going to be his. He might have to become a recluse before he'd get any peace. Not a nice thought.

"Scrimgeour isn't happy with you though," Ron said. "Something to do with the fact that you have Malfoy stashed away in a Ministry holding cell, getting special treatment."

"So, he's still there then?"

Ron nodded. "But they don't like it. It's only because it's you requested it that he's there; else he would be dumped in with the rest of the Death Eater trash in Azkaban. Where he belongs, Harry," he added, giving Harry an intense look.

"Yeah, he probably does, but before he goes there and I lose access to him, I want to ask him some questions." Harry looked round at their doubting faces, exasperated. "Look, none of you were there the night Snape killed Dumbledore. You didn't see what I saw, so just leave it alright. I'm not looking for ways to...I'm just looking for some answers."

And he was. Just looking for answers. What he'd seen that night in the Astronomy Tower, and what he'd heard there made him doubt most of what he knew of Malfoy. Put that with the crying, terrified boy he'd found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and Harry had real questions that needed answering. He still felt extreme guilt over using that stupid spell on Malfoy, even though he had been defending against a Crucio. Still, Harry wondered if he would have felt the curse Malfoy had thrown at him. Lestrange had said that you have to mean it, really mean it for it to work. Perhaps he was looking for confirmation that Malfoy had really intended the Crucio to work, or perhaps he was just looking for a way to assuage his own guilt.

"Alright, Harry, but you have to admit to being obsessed with Malfoy back in Hogwarts, especially last year. We're just worried about you."

"I think I can handle Malfoy, Hermione." To Ron, he said, "Tell Scrimgeour that I will be in to see Malfoy this afternoon, when I get out of here. I'll get my answers, and then Azkaban can have him."

"Okay, I'll go and do that now. We should be going anyway. Let you get some rest."

It was the cue for them all to prepare to leave.

"Yes, we can't have the hero looking anything less than his best..." Fred quipped.

"For his adoring public," George added, turning up his nose. "You're a celebrity now, you have responsibilities."

"Get out of here you lot," Harry laughed, shooing them all out, but hanging onto Ginny's hand and preventing her from leaving, which didn't go unnoticed by the rest of them.

Hermione leaned over to hug Harry. "We'll give you two some private time then."

Ron dropped his large hand on Harry's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Come home to the Burrow when you're done with Malfoy. Mum and Dad and the rest are so anxious to see you."

"I will, thanks," Harry smiled, and waved them all out, laughing at the cross voice of the nurse when she realised that they had all been in Harry's room. When they had gone, he turned to Ginny and smiled.

"I have to go too, Harry," Ginny spoke quietly.

"Can't you stay for a bit? I wanted to talk about..." but he was stopped by the look of pain on her face. "Ginny, what's wrong?"

"I have to go, Harry. Dean needs me." She was biting her lip, searching his face as if hoping that he would get her meaning, and with a sinking feeling in his gut, he did.

"Why?" he whispered, not really wanting to know the answer.

"In the last battle, while you were destroying Voldemort, Fenrir got him. Just like Bill." And Ginny broke down sobbing. "It's not fair, Harry. First Bill, and now Dean. He's... he's..." she took great gulping breaths, trying to calm, herself. "He's not as bad as Bill, but...oh, Harry, he needs me and...and I still love him. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Ginny, don't worry. How is he?" Inside he was shocked that something so horrible had happened to Dean, and concerned about him. He would make the point of going to see him as soon as he could. At the same time, he raged against his life. Why couldn't he have just one thing for himself? Why was there always duty and responsibility and doing what was fucking expected of him all the damned time? Why couldn't he be selfish for just once in his life and fight for her? Inwardly he heaved a sigh. Because she said she still loved Dean, and fighting for her would only hurt what could be a wonderful friendship.

"He's not coping very well. I'm going to get Bill to come in and see him." She was sniffing and wiping her nose on a handkerchief. He sighed, his compassion for her an ache in his chest.

"Oh, Ginny, come here." He took her into his arms and hugged her tightly, talking softly to her, telling her that everything would be alright, and mourning the dying of his first love.