The Beginning of My Life

Running his hands one more time through his dark, wet hair, Harry decided it was time to leave the warmth of the shower. He stepped out onto the cold tile floor and wrapped a towel around his waist. Noticing the blurry figure of himself in the mirror, Harry reached for his glasses on the sink.

For a moment he stood staring back at his reflection: his famous scar still there, bold against the paleness of his gaunt face; faint bags under his deep emerald-green eyes; one thin white scar line on the right side of his jaw. Harry traced the line of that white mark with his thumb and remembered, clearly, the cool feel of a knife's blade close to his face. His eyes searched the image in the mirror and found that there were many tokens of battle etched onto his body--dark scar lines of a Death Eater's lightning curse on his chest, and numerous marks of scrapes and cuts on his arms and legs. Harry shook his head. There were simply too many memories collecting in his mind of the faces of Death Eaters seeking to kill him, seeking to kill his friends.

A chiming sound went off outside the bathroom. "Damn!" he cursed, the chime marked twelve o'clock. Harry dashed out of the bathroom and had barely enough time to pull on an old pair of jeans and a clean t-shirt before he heard the soft popping sound of apparation outside his front door. Quickly snatching it from the bed, he waved his wand toward the door.

"Harry!" Hermione said, walking swiftly through the door. She surveyed him for a moment before giving him a quick hug. "You're looking much better, Harry." Promptly, she began roaming around the room checking for any forgotten spells he should have cast.

"Hmm...this place looks better than from the pictures when we picked it," Ron mused lazily from the doorway. He observed his wife wandering around the cottage with a grin.

That's right, they're married, Harry thought with a bit of disbelief. It's not that he doubted whether those two were going to end up with each other. No, that was a notion he'd entertained since their years at Hogwarts. He just imagined the timing and circumstances differently. A great celebration with family members and friends all gathered around is what Harry would have guessed long ago, not the hastily set up union done the night before the final battle with Harry as the only witness.

Hermione called Ron over to help her enlarge the room. And behind Ron was...

"Ginny," Harry said quietly. He was mesmerized for a moment by the sight of her--long red hair framing her face, warm brown eyes, faint freckles--just for a second in time, he felt like he was back at Hogwarts again. Ginny was the same Ginny and nothing else mattered.

Then he blinked, and that image was gone. In front of him was a beautiful girl who moved on during the war. In front of him was a girl who'd endured as much pain and suffering as himself during the past three years--losing people, fighting, confusion, chaos and battles. She was the same Ginny, but older.

"Ginny," he began a bit louder. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages." He reached out to give her a hug. She stood still, her eyes searching him. It was as if she wasn't certain that he was really there. Finally, she threw her arms around his neck.

"Harry, I can't believe you're here...alive. I was so worried." Her voice then took on a completely different tone. "I was also very angry when we were ordered to stay at Hogwarts during the final battle." He smiled, and they broke apart laughing lightly.

"Would it help if I told you everyone was given the order to stay at their posts?"

"No, but I suppose that excuse will have to do." She magicked some tea and cookies for the small wooden table near the window. "Let's catch up." Ginny sat down cheerfully. Ron dragged Hermione to sit down and Harry took a seat as Ginny poured everyone some tea.

"I can't believe you forgot to enlarge the room," Hermione began as soon as she sat down. Harry glanced around and realized that all the furniture moving he'd done earlier was now pointless: the room was now twice the size that it had been.

"Thanks for that." He grinned back at Hermione. "But, you know, I've only been here one day..."

"Give the man a break," Ron interjected, helping himself to some cookies. "He's here to relax."

"I know that. It was my idea for him to buy this place, remember? I only meant that he should relax." Harry and Ron looked at each other confused. Hermione sighed. "You put up every protection in one day. And when I say every protection, I mean every protection."

"Did I?" Harry scanned the events of the past two days trying to remember if he did do that.

"Yes," she said matter-of-factly. "Tell me, when were you planning on having Death Eaters at your door? You put the Stunning spell on all around here..."

"Well, what if someone tries to rob me?" Harry began weakly, knowing he'd been caught being an idiot--he was in the middle of the countryside; the idea of someone trying to rob him was laughable.

"Like someone with a dark mark? Honestly. I helped you learn that spell and it's only for wizards and witches in the service of Voldemort." Hermione began to look concerned. "I just want you to have a break and not worry about these things anymore."

"I know." Harry took a sip of the hot tea, thinking. "Don't read too much into it. I put up those spells as I was falling asleep last night, I barely remember doing it. I swear." Hermione seemed content with this.

"Alright, just remember that the only people who know that you're living here are in this room. Well, Mrs. Weasley does too..."

"She made me tell her," Ron added quickly. "That reminds me; she wanted me to give you this-" Ron walked over to tap the refrigerator and tapped it three times with his wand.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"Oh, that's something Mom does with us now," Ginny put in. "With a lot of people not at home anymore, she thought of something to link her refrigerator with all of ours--seems that she can't stop making the same amount of food, even though..."

Half the family is gone, Harry finished. "Give her my thanks if you see her before I do." He nodded to Ron. Actually, I hadn't really thought about how I was going to eat. "How's she doing? She used to the new house yet?"

"Well, it's nothing like the Burrow. It's smaller and less crowded. But, we bought a place fairly close by, and Ginny lives just as close," Ron tried to sound optimistic, but Harry knew very well that Mrs. Weasley hadn't been quite the same since Mr. Weasley had been captured by Death Eaters. It was assumed that he was most likely tortured and killed; his body still hasn't been found. On top of that, Charlie had gone missing trying to find his father shortly after. There was a long pause. He could tell everyone was thinking about the same thing. Time to change the subject.

"You live near them, Ginny?" Harry said moving the conversation along.

"Yeah--a house, not too big, nearer to the Ministry of Magic," Ginny replied as lightly as possible; the room still had a somewhat uncomfortable air.

"Are you training for a position in the Ministry, like Ron and Hermione?"

"No, somehow the idea of working for the Ministry doesn't work for me. I don't want that kind of desk job." She smirked at the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces.

"There's plenty to do in the Ministry, Ginny. I'm sure you'd be able to find something you like, if you wanted to," Hermione said, defending her choice of work.

"Oh, I know," Ginny added quickly. "I'd just rather be involved in shaping up the newer generations of wizards and witches." She laughed at seeing surprised looks on Ron, Hermione, and Harry's faces.

"You want to work at Hogwarts?" Ron asked doubtfully. At this, Ginny's eyes lit up with a flash of her famous temper.

"Why should that shock anyone? You don't think I'd make a good teacher?" Her voice was a tad sharp. Ron looked down at the table before mumbling something about 'that's not what I meant...'

"I think that's a brilliant idea!" Hermione's eyes lit up with excitement. "I considered that, but then I figured the Ministry needs all the help it can get in reforming the departments and picking a new Minister of Magic. Anyways, what subject are you thinking of teaching?" Ginny considered for a moment before replying.

"I'm not quite sure. I sent McGonagall an owl asking if it'd be possible to do a sort of internship as soon as Hogwarts is up and running again." Hogwarts hadn't been opened since the year of Dumbledore's death. Since then, it had been headed by Professor McGonagall. It served as an extra meeting place of the Order of the Phoenix and a safe-house for wizards and witches with a particularly bad rep with the Death Eaters.

"Wait, then why live near the Ministry?" Harry asked.

"Thomas is trying to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement: he wants go through Auror training." Oh. There was an awkward silence. You'd think people were done with even thinking about the dark arts. I've had enough dealing with evil wizards and witches to last me a lifetime. He vaguely recalled some Aurors trying to recruit him just after the last battle and was now greatly annoyed--probably not just at the mention of Aurors. Harry glanced around at Hermione and Ron who were both looking out different windows. He cleared his throat.

"And what would you two be going for in the Ministry?"

"Honestly, we don't know," Hermione began with a stressed sigh. "The Ministry's a mess. All they've been doing is sending us between all departments to help where they need help. No one's even asked us where we want to work--they're barely even training us."

"At least we'll know our way about the departments when we do receive official positions," Ron added, reaching for Hermione's hand. Now that Harry really looked at her, he could tell she was stressed. He began to feel a little bit guilty that he's the only one taking time off from the world to relax--Ron and Hermione should do the same.

"If you guys need anything, need any help, I could..."

"Come in and give the Ministry a hand?" Ron laughed good-naturedly. "Thanks mate, but we want you to have some time off from dealing with anything."

"After all the trouble we went through to find you a nice, secluded, getaway that's in a part of Scotland with other wizards and witches who won't bother you, you would leave this place that easily to come to the Ministry?" Hermione said with a smile. "No, Harry. Don't feel guilty for being here. Besides...you wanting to help out the Ministry isn't, exactly, Harry Potter-like." Harry nodded.

"Well, at least you'll know where to find me if you do need an extra hand. It's not like I'm going to be doing anything exciting here."

"That's the idea isn't it?" Ginny replied with a grin.

"Yeah..."

"Take this time slow down and breath." Ginny gestured toward the field outside of the window. "That field's probably a nice place to go flying on your broom." Harry regarded the idea for a moment. That's actually a great idea. It's not raining today...

"I might do that as soon as you guys leave actually...I'd like to see the area."

"Then get your broom out," Ron said standing up. "All this talk of Ministry work reminded me that I should start on the paperwork that needs to be turned in tomorrow--everyone needs to hand in suggestions for the new order of the Ministry. Hermione's already handed hers in..."

"It's not my fault you waited until the day before they all need to be handed in." Hermione replied, giving Harry another hug. "I'll add your fireplace to the floo network tomorrow at work. Oh! And I almost forgot." She reached into her pocket and put something small on the table. With her other hand she pointed her wand and returned it to it's original size. Harry laughed and picked it up--it was a picture of the four of them from their sixth year and Ginny's fifth. The figures in the photograph were sitting in the Gryffindor common room laughing: Ron and Hermione were talking to each other about how messy Ron's homework was (if he remembered correctly), while Ginny sat on the floor leaning against Harry's leg.

"It's perfect." Harry set it down again smiling at Ron and Hermione. It was proof of a moment when they were normal kids, teenagers. "Thanks," He added quietly. Ron nudged him in the shoulder before heading out the door to disapparate. Hermione followed after giving Harry another grin.

Ginny stood up and gazed at Harry through clouded eyes. Ron and Hermione already disapparated before she finally moved closer to him--she didn't reach out to embrace him and she didn't start to say anything. He couldn't figure out what she was thinking, and for his part, Harry didn't know quite what to say either. Thanks for coming to see me? It was nice seeing you? Tell your husband I said 'Hello'? His thoughts were broken by the sound of Ginny's voice--

"You have no idea how worried everyone was," she began softly. "You didn't even tell all those in the Order what you were going to do before the Last Battle. All we could do was hope that you'd be okay."

Harry felt the concern in her voice and wanted to hold her, he wanted to kiss her. They were alone together for the first time in three years--he couldn't help but desire the one person who'd made his last year at Hogwarts special even though it had ended with the heartrending loss of Dumbledore. He was angry that she was married: not at her, but at Thomas. He was disgusted with himself for being angry at a person who's only crime was loving Ginny and obviously making her happy enough for her to marry him. He was ecstatic that he could sense some love in her voice, even though it was probably more of a love between friends.

"And then, after the battle, no one saw you. All we had was news of your victory..." Harry felt guilt creep up inside of him.

"I know...I should have gone to see everyone. I just didn't have the strength to explain all that had happened--" Before he could finish his sentence, Ginny stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him. He returned the gesture and put his arms around her shoulders. The flowery scent of her hair brought back memories and he forced himself to turn his face away. Harry couldn't tell how long they'd been standing there embracing each other, and there was a feeling deep inside him that he couldn't quite explain. Of course, he knew that Ginny was simply feeling relieved that one of her best friends was back and alive after such an ordeal. She was glad he was there; there was nothing more to it.

Ginny let go of him and, reluctantly, he let her go. The smile on her face was marked by sadness, as if she couldn't decide which emotion she was feeling. Silently, she turned to go. As soon as she disapparated, Harry sat down on his bed.

I need to clear my head, now.

Swiftly, he grabbed his broom and headed out.