St. Mungo's was as busy as ever. Everyone was coming in for everything from spell damage to illness. As it was 7 years after the big war with Voldemort, there were no war wounds, but still, there were very strenuous wounds. It was the night of the full moon, so there were some werewolves coming in for the Wolfsbane potion that Snape had published the formula for during the war. Now, nearly every hospital carried it, making things a lot easier for werewolves, so there were more people than usual.

Oh Merlin, I need a couple years of some kind of vacation. He was currently on rounds as the most popular healer at the hospital. He had trained as a healer for a couple of years under the best healer in Britain, right after taking the training to be an auror. He just hadn't felt like chasing more bad wizards; he had enough of being hunted and training to take down Voldemort. He would of course help out the aurors if they needed him or extra help(his Saving People thing, as Hermione said), but these days, it was just regular boring wizarding criminals. So, he started to train as a healer because he had been interested in what Hermione had done during that extended camping trip.

He hadn't taken a vacation after the war, but signed right up as a healer in training. Being the Boy-who-lived-twice got him a lot of patients.

When he had taken charge of the Elder Wand right after he killed Voldemort, he had passed out, which had worried his friends and family alike. He had apparently been asleep for a week after that. When he woke up, he had discovered that he was taller, now 6'2''... He had been stumped about that. It seems that the Hallows really liked him as the Master of Death and wanted him to be in good health. The Elder Wand had given him a big boost in his magic, well technically they all did.

Which, he thought, could be attributed to holding and owning the three Hallows. Along with my added height and power and body structure and immortality. He had figured that out when he was chasing some death eaters that had fled before the aurors could corral them all after the battle of Hogwarts. One of them had shot a killing curse at him and he had been too tired and too slow to evade it. Then 10 minutes later, when he had opened his eyes, he had realized that he hadn't died. The curse had hit him, but hadn't effected had definitely hurt a lot, though. Harry hadn't told his friends about his immortality but they would find out in a couple of years when he hadn't aged.

Harry had been interested to learn that he was one of the very few who could do wandless magic. He had discovered that owning the hallows gave him that ability. Harry had discreetly checked ( read: Hermione) and yes, it was very rare.

He had tried to leave the Resurrection Stone in the forest just before Voldemort had shot an AK at him(again... The nerve!), but it just found its way back. The Hallows just did not leave him. And well, he would not give the invisibility cloak away. It was too useful to sneak around for pranks and to avoid fans and well wishers and of course, reporters. They reported on anything about him, his daily errands, dates(which were unsuccessful), practically everything in his life got reported on. It was like his school years, but a lot worse. It had gotten to the point of Harry not being able to work a lot and having to come in under the cloak. Not that he played any pranks at St. Mungo's, or anywhere else. Nope, not Harry Potter. No, those two incidents at the Ministry and at Hogwarts were not his fault.

"Harry!"

Harry turned around and saw Hermione and Ron coming up toward him. Hermione was very pregnant with their second kid. They were still the best of friends, even when Harry and Ginny broke up at the end of the war(they decided that they were better off as friends, especially since, Harry kind of thought of her as a sister). And, even occasionally Draco met up with them and had dinner every week. Harry and Draco had become friends at the end of the war and had gotten along very well since then.

"Hey, Harry, do you want to go out for dinner?" asked Ron. Since the war he had become captain of the Chudley Cannons and they had done quite good ever since. Hermione had of course, become the head of the Magical Creatures department at the ministry and challenged any laws that she thought were inhumane and awful. Werewolves and other magical creatures had many more rights now than they had before she took that job.

"Sure. Let me just sign out. I was just about done anyway." Ron and Hermione were alone, but would usually leave their one kid home with Arthur and Molly when these dinner dates would come around. "I think I will join you tonight at Hogwarts," Ron said.

Harry had taken to spending a night or two a month in his animagus form, just loping around the forest and occasionally chatting with the centaurs. And, Harry had visited the children's ward in St. Mungos a couple of times after a shift in his lion form, saying hi to the children. They loved it. Among training for the war, himself, Hermione and Ron and eventually Draco and Neville and Luna, had learned to shift forms and become animagi. It had been an important thing for the six of them but especially for Harry, since his father, and godfather were animagi. "The Hog's Head alright with you, Harry?"

"Yep, Aberfourth can keep the reporters at bay." Hermione and Ron chuckled. They all had reporters following them, though Harry more than them. They walked out of St. Mungo's and instantly shivered from the cold. It was chilly out, so Harry instantly threw a warming charm at his two friends and one on himself. They all sighed in relief at being warmer in this cold weather. The three of them strolled to the apparition point around the corner and disapparated on the spot.

"I'm thinking of going to visit the States for a couple of years," Harry said, "lie low from reporters." Harry had told Ron and Hermione about his need for a vacation before, but not his intended destination.

"Oh, that sounds like fun" Hermione commented, "You would need an international portkey for that."

"I know, I already got one." Harry replied.

"What would you do?" Ron asked.

"I've needed a break from everything for a couple of years now. I would probably tour the west coast and then possibly settle somewhere for a couple years," Harry replied, "But, knowing myself and the past couple of years, anything could happen."

"Ha, that's certainly true, Harry", Hermione said, smiling. "I've quit from work. Oddly enough, the senior most healers kicked me out, saying ' you need a vacation'. But, then again, I could certainly apparate back in a snap if there was an emergency. I want to travel the world for now." I've got all the time in the world now.

"Well, I think it is a good idea!" Hermione continued.

"When are you planning on leaving?" Ron said.

"I think tomorrow in the early morning. I have done all the packing that I need. At least after this weekend." "Okay, well I should get home; it's getting late. Ron, you coming?"

"Sure, just a minute."

Ron, Hermione and Harry walked out of the Hog's Head. Harry and Ron said good bye to Hermione, who was going to make sure Fred and George weren't already teaching her daughter the ways of tricksters. She disapparated with a crack. Harry and Ron walked a few minutes in companionable silence and then disapparated a short ways off the main road.

The two friends arrived at Hogwarts at 10:00pm. Professor McGonagall who was still the headmistress met them at the entrance hall.

The students were already in bed, so they didn't have to worry. This time, Ron would be joining them. It's usually just me. It'll be fun with Ron. Harry had started to do this every once in a while during the end of the war, just to relax and not have to worry during those couple hours.

Harry and Ron started to shift at the same time. Harry always had an easy time shifting into his lion form, even before getting a power boost. He flexed his legs and muscles and shook out, like a wet dog. It took him a minute or two to shift shapes into the big lion that was his animagus form. Luckily,I guess the Master of Death is meant to be able to be flexible. Meanwhile, Ron had shifted into his fox form, Redtail. Harry loved shifting shapes and loved running and roaring to scare the pants off of unsuspecting people. That must have been the trickster in him.

I'll probably be a little sore, since it's been a while. But it will be worth it; I love running on four legs instead of two. I don't get many chances to shift shape and just take off. Harry proceeded to roar at the Forbidden Forest. He saw some threstrals take off; they knew to expect a tabby cat, a fox (occasionally) and a lion that spent the night in the forest went chasing after Ron, after the two were done shifting shape.

The two of them played into the night and the morning. Later, after their adventures, Harry wasn't exhausted at all, tired yes, but not exhausted; the two animagi did not have trouble shifting back. The two of them tromped back to Hogwarts to their quarter and Ron and Harry had guest rooms available to use. Harry promptly went to bed and Ron most likely did the same.