Life After Living

Chapter Nine

She lives for him,

He is her only sin,

She prays to god,

That he'll come back again.

She'll let him go

And never let it show.

~And She Cries, Julian Lennon

~*~

Hermione Granger smiled brightly as she surveyed the two boys in front of her. Harry tried to recover as quickly as possible by throwing his arms around her. He twirled her around for extra flare, showing off that he was now at least a head taller than her. She laughed. "I've missed you, Harry."

"I've missed you, too," he responded, pulling away.

"And what about you? Did you miss me at all?"

Ron shrugged. "Maybe a little." Hermione rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. He threw a weary look towards Harry as he hugged her back and pulled away. "Let us get dressed and we'll meet you downstairs. I'm sure you're dying to tell us that you've got fifty OWLs."

"Ronald, that's not possible!" But she laughed and hurried out of the room. "I'll be in the drawing room."

Ron closed the door and leaned his forehead against it. "Come on," Harry said, putting his hand on Ron's shoulder. Ron turned and placed a gentle kiss on Harry's lips.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

They found Hermione chatting excitedly with Ginny in the drawing room. They hushed immediately as the boys entered. Harry and Ron exchanged a worried look.

"Hermione got ten OWLs!" Ginny announced.

"Hey! Stealing my thunder," Hermione protested.

"Ten?" Ron slumped onto the couch next to Ginny. "Only ten?"

Hermione glared at him. "I didn't sit for the Muggle Studies or Divination exams. I have an excuse."

"Well, what did you get?" Harry asked.

Hermione presented her letter. "Naturally, I received Os in Charms, Potions, and Arithmacy--"

"Only three Os?"

"Ronald Weasley!" Ron smirked. "The rest were Es in Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Astronomy, Magical Creatures, and Ancient Runes."

"Naturally," Harry said. He took the letter from her hand. He read part of it out loud. "'Congratulations! You ranked number one in your class.' Well that was expected." Hermione snatched her letter from Harry's hand with a mock glare.

"It's okay, Hermione," Ron said. "I'm sure you'll do better on your N.E.W.T.s."

"Gee, thanks, Ron."

"Who do you think was number two?" Ginny asked. "I bet they're pissed."

"I bet it's Malfoy," Ron smiled. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out who outscored him!" They all laughed.

"Well, at least you'll be admitted to N.E.W.T. level Potions," Harry said. "I can't say the same. I only got an E."

"Honestly, Harry. You don't really think Snape will keep you out of his class, do you?"

"Well, he said--"

"He's not allowed to keep you out of the class as long as you got an OWL. It's stated in the Revised Laws of Hogwarts for the Twentieth Century."

"Are you sure you didn't receive an O in History of Magic?" Ron asked, looking at her letter again.

"Give me that!" Hermione tried to rescue her letter from Ron. "What did you get, anyway?"

"Seven for the both of us," Ron said. He told her what he had received.

"They gave you an OWL in Divination?" Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "What about you?" she asked, turning to Harry. Harry explained. "Very respectable," she told them both.

"There you are!" Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway. "Breakfast is ready!"

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Ron found Harry standing in the middle of the hallway. The latter was gazing up the stairs towards the attic. "Harry?"

Harry turned to Ron. "I think someone's up there."

"There can't be anyone up there. I just came from the kitchen. Everyone is down there."

"I could swear someone is up there." Ron's hand slipped into Harry's. Ron smiled reassuringly. Harry smirked and pressed his lips against Ron's. "I guess I'm just imagining it." To be honest, Harry wanted Sirius to be up there.

"Come on. Let's go outside." They held hands until they reached the bottom of the stairs and then separated.

Ginny and Hermione were already in the backyard whispering excitedly again. Ron distinctly heard the name Dean. "You mean you're still with Dean?" he asked with a smirk, interrupting the girls. "I would have thought you'd have moved on to someone new by now."

"Hush up, Ron!" Ginny hissed, but they all burst into laughter. Harry sat down next to Ginny, leaving Ron to sit by Hermione. The latter smiled playfully at Ron.

"Have you been keeping out of trouble?" She asked.

"I haven't had a choice," Ron sighed. "Quite a shame really."

"And you, Harry?"

"Since when do I ever get in trouble?"

Ron was very relieved to see that Harry was at least pretending to be in a cheerful mood. "Shall I make a list for you?" Harry swatted at her.

"Harry!" Mr. Weasley called from the door. "Can I have a word?"

"Certainly, Mr. Weasley." Harry stood, brushing a leaf off his pants. "I'll be back." Harry met Mr. Weasley in the drawing room.

"Dumbledore would like to speak to you in the kitchen."

"He's here?" Mr. Weasley nodded. "Why does he want to speak to me?"

"That's between the two of you," Mr. Weasley replied with a stern look, not something often seen on the eldest Weasley's face. Harry nodded. "He's waiting for you."

Harry made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. He found Mrs. Weasley slapping Albus Dumbledore's hand away from a batch of freshly made treacle fudge. Harry leaned on the door frame as Dumbledore rubbed his hand. The older man turned calmly to Harry. "Harry, so good to see you."

Mrs. Weasley set the tray of fudge down to cool and brushed her hands on her apron. "If I find one piece missing upon my return..." She wagged her finger at the headmaster. She smiled sweetly at Harry before she left the room. Harry moved to sit down at the table.

"It is sometimes no wonder to me that those dear twins rebelled so much at school." Harry caught himself smiling. Dumbledore sat down across from. "I can see that by being here, your mood has lifted quite dramatically. I only hope that you have been able to forgive me some of my transgressions."

Harry studied his hands. Dumbledore continued, "I promised I would no longer keep secrets from you, Harry. Therefore, there is one last truth that needs to be told." Harry finally looked up into the eyes of his mentor. "Remus has spoken to me about you giving him this house. I must applaud your choice. Not many would have given a second thought to this being Remus' home as well. There will be a time, though, when you will require a home of your own."

"Hogwarts is my--"

"Hogwarts is not a home. It is a school." Harry looked away, gritting his teeth. "Have you ever wondered where you were born, Harry? Where your father grew up? Where his father before him grew up?" Harry's attention was snared. He looked back up Dumbledore.

"I... I guess I haven't. No." The realization struck Harry hard. Why hadn't he ever thought those things?

"It is a most precious place and has been protected for many centuries. While some may know its name, it is unable to be plotted by some of the most skilled wizards."

"I don't understand. If it was so highly protected, why didn't my parents just stay there? Why did we go to Godric's Hollow?"

"Your parents feared that Voldemort would be strong enough to elude the powerful wards surrounding their home. It was safer if the were nowhere near there. Plus, they were to be protected by a secret keeper."

"Yeah. That turned out fantastic."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Unfortunately, not all plans work they way they should.

"Your parents felt it best to do what they did. They left their home and it has sat empty ever since. Therefore it is your home, Harry, and when this horrible war is over you will be able to live there happily ever after."

"Happily ever after? Do you really think there will be such a thing for me?"

"I do not doubt it in the least."

Harry looked away again, letting his thoughts wander. After a few minutes had passed, he spoke. "What happened to my parents after they died?"

"They were entombed with your father's ancestors."

"I want to see it. I want to see where they were buried."

"The time has come to show you your real home, Harry. It's time to see where your ancestors were born, where you were born. Not today. Tomorrow we will come for you and the others and take you there. Tomorrow we will go to Maridunum."

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Ginny had gone in search of her mother. There was a smell of molasses in the air and Ginny was determined to get the first morsel.

Hermione smiled shyly at Ron and he found that he couldn't return her smile. "Listen, Hermione, there's something I need to talk to you about." Hermione's smile seemed to brighten, making him feel worse. He took in the girl sitting cross-legged in front of him. There was no denying that the once mousy girl had become quite a fetching young woman. While feelings still remained in Ron, he could not deny that he no longer felt attracted to the young woman. She was still everything she had been before, but paled so considerably when he compared her in his mind to Harry. He still could hardly believe that such a thing was possible.

"What is it, Ron?"

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I thought I was ready for something between us. I really did." With a just a few words, Ron could already see that a tear had started to rip through Hermione's heart. "I'm just not ready. There's so much that's happening and I don't want to hurt you."

"But what about everything you said in your letters? Certainly you still feel the same." He looked away. "Is it because of Harry?" Ron's head snapped back so fast he almost saw stars. "You can't hide behind protecting him forever, Ron. Sooner or latter you need to let him stand on his own."

"But... I... He needs me, Hermione."

"And what about you? What do you need?"

"I need to be there for him. He's my best friend."

"And your friendship with him comes before anything between us?"

"Yes." Hermione looked away, tears in her eyes. Ron knew she was too stubborn to let them fall. "It's what has to be right now."

"I understand." She looked back, somewhat composed. "But I will be here when it's me you finally need."

Ron stood. "I'm sorry, Hermione. You still mean so much to me: as a friend." He left her sitting beneath the oak tree and retreated into the house.

He could hear his mother yelling at Ginny from the basement. He steered clear of the stairs that lead down and made his way up to the room he shared with Harry. Harry was sitting on the end of his bed, a photo album in his hand. His fingers were tracing a picture of his parents. Ron pushed the door to behind him.

"Harry?" Harry looked up and gave Ron a small smile.

"Dumbledore was here."

"What did he have to say?"

"He wanted to know if I ever wondered about where I was born and where my father grew up."

"Well, surely you have." Ron sat down next to the other boy. They laced their fingers together, holding hands. "Godric's Hollow, right?"

"That's what I always assumed. I don't know why. I never gave it a second thought."

"Not Godric's Hollow, then?"

"No. Some place called Maridunum. We're going there tomorrow." There was a bit of dampened gladness in Harry's eyes. "We're going to see where my parents are buried. Where I was born and my father and his father before him."

"That's wonderful, Harry! And we're all going?"

"I assumed. I won't go without you, though."

Ron laughed. "They'll have to pry us apart with a... what is it called? A pigeon-bar?"

Harry gave Ron a funny look. "What? Oh! A crowbar!"

"Yeah that thing. Like I was ever interested in Muggle Studies."

"Well that's obvious."

"Like I would ever have any use for a lousy crowbar."

"Yeah. Especially when you have Hermione around to Alohomora it open if need be."

"Exactly." Ron squeezed Harry's hand. "I told her." Harry met Ron's eyes. "I don't think I like breaking people's hearts."

Harry ran his fingers through Ron's hair. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"It's not your fault. I would've ended up hurting her eventually. Sooner or later I would have realized that you're my world whether you kissed me or not." Harry gave him a small smile. "I can't lie to her forever, Harry."

"No. You can't." Harry kissed his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Ron."

"Stop it," Ron answered, cupping Harry's face with his hand. "You have nothing to be sorry about." Harry pouted, letting his lower lip hang out. Ron's face muscles twitched as he tried to keep from smiling. "Stop it." Harry pouted even more. "Stop!" Ron growled and pulled Harry to him. They pressed their lips together and Harry snaked his tongue out to tag Ron's lips. Ron pulled away slightly then rested his forehead against Harry's.

"It's still weird isn't it?" Harry asked closing his eyes.

"A bit, yeah."

"Ron, if you have any doubts we don't have to do this."

"How many more times do I have to tell you that I want this before you believe me?"

"At least once more." Harry opened his eyes with a smirk. Ron kissed him gently.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

"Hermione?" Ginny's voice broke the older girl's thoughts. "Where did Ron go?"

"Inside," Hermione answered. "To go look for Harry, I suspect."

"Oh." Ginny sat back down next to her friend. "Did he ask you?" But someone how Ginny felt she knew the answer.

"No. In fact he said he wasn't going to. He's not ready."

"Oh, 'Mione, I'm sorry. Boys are stupid." Ginny put her arm around Hermione. The latter rested her head against Ginny's shoulder.

"I should have known Harry always comes first with Ron."

"Yes. That I've noticed." Ginny looked up at the window that was Harry and Ron's room. "And I think we also know that Ron comes first with Harry."

"Yeah. I wish I had a best friend like that."

"You have me, Hermione. I promise that you'll always be first to me. Even before Dean."

"Ginny, you don't have to do that." Hermione sat up.

"But I want to. You've been more of a friend to me than anyone else."

"Thank you, Ginny." They hugged and Ginny glanced back up at the window. She could feel it in her bones that something was going on between her brother and his best friend, but she had no idea what it truly was.