A/N: Alright, I changed the plot significantly, to some it will be more amusing whereas others will have more problems with the plot. I know it sometimes is a bit surreal but we're talking harry potter here :P. He can do anything :P Still looking for a beta, candidates: webscriptz[|at|]gmail[|dot|]com or pm

Chapter 1: After the battle the fog of war lifts

It had only been two days and five hours ever since the finale battle ended. It has been two days and five hours since Harry Potter defeated Voldemort by bouncing back the killing curse with cheer luck. Hogwarts was again filled with people, emotions souring high and low amongst its residents.

People came from all over of the country, searching for family members that were believed to have fought side by side with the-man-who-defeated, Harry Potter. For many people it became a tragedy once they found out that the person had deceased or was soon going too. Many were gathered around field beds that were placed in the great hall and surrounding chambers. Alto they all felt proud that someone of their family had battled against Voldemort, they were very saddened by their death.

Some departed seconds after hearing news of their deceased family, other dwelled the class and the ground in search of god knows what. Some families could still speak to their lost loved one or ones, as apparently some thought to have unfinished business in this world and returned as ghosts. Some twenty new ghosts had been seen floating through the castle. When they returned, they were disorientated and confused about their being. Once they had learned what they now were and had accepted their luck, as the Bloody Barron had put it in a speech to them, they also went in search for their families. The reunion was at times joyful and other times even more painful. Families realized that they would now and for always live apart, ghost weren't allowed to roam freely around the country. Hogwarts was one of the only safe heavens where ghosts could float around freely.

The ministry had also sent in people, to the dismay of many. Many of them had to endure some tirades from families that had lost someone. 'The ministry is trying to score point" was a common critic amongst the people. Even if the newly appointed minister wasn't like his predecessor, he did too have the ambition to take Harry Potter into his service as his poster boy. Harry was again dissatisfied with the new rule. The day after the battle the Minister had come to visit the victims only to be ignored by all. He only did it because of his obligation to the people; his real goal was to get a talk with Harry.

It had taken him a few hours before he had found Harry Potter in an empty classroom. He had tried to charm Harry to come with him which had obviously only resulted into a shouting from Harry's side. This shouting had been clearly audible in the whole castle and everyone had been listening silently at the two.

"You dare come here; you dare give your condolences to the people just to get me to go with your plans? You're a fool as you know my answer."
"Harry….Harry please listen. I care about the people I do, but we could do so much together. We could rewrite all the laws and ensure a better system which would benefit all of use. If I want to do this, I must have an enormous support, and that's something you have" At this moment he had charms worthy of Lockhart's.

"As long as this ministry is full of cowards and scum like it has been for the past year I won't help you a bit. This world, your government is too scared to stand up to someone, you've just got a year worth of dirty work don't by three teenagers!"
"Harry we couldn't do anything, he would have killed us." The last part had actually slipped out. This had however, a huge consequence.
"You make a good politician; you got what it takes to be damn good one; putting yourself before everyone else! I urge you minister to get the hell out of the castle and once I take it up as head of Black and Potter I'll have four seats in the Wizengamot I'll relinquish my confidence in your abilities to lead this community."

The color drained from the minister's face in an instant. At first, shock overtook him, but after an agonizing minute he mustered all the authority he had while stretching his arm out, pointing a warning finger in Harry's direction.
"Now listen here young man, I'm still the minister of magic and this isn't what you're supposed to be doing, and you'll regret it dearly if you don't co-operate." Harry merely smirked at his attempt to get control over the whole situation.

Harry stood up from the chair and came around the desk, the minister was maybe a tall man but he was still taller thanks to the difference in height of the floor.
"Now minister, first of all, the entirety of our 'conversation' has been heard by the whole castle including your little threat. I think it would be wiser to retreat while I can still vouch for your safety. Who knows someone in the castle, apart from me, might be offended by this outburst of you and challenge you to a duel of death."
"You'll regret this Potter, I'll wait till the day you need something from me." He retreated hastily.
"I'm looking forward to that day minister, if you're still in office by that time."

The minister stomped out of the castle, in the hallways which were flanked by people; everyone, even the ministry's staff, scolded him for his attitude. He had to endure even more glares of pity and repulsion; it made him walk ever the faster. His back itched from those glares, every single one seemed to penetrate him till the bone.

Ten minutes later, Harry had also made his way down to everyone. He was welcomed like a hero as always. People complemented him on his character; some even took it that far to pledge an oath that they would support him fully in whatever endeavor he would undertake.

It had been a day since the shouting between the Savoir and the minister of magic. It was a hot topic within the castle walls, and outside of them. The Daily Prophet, no doubt by order of the minister, found out about the whole incident. A real pain for Harry as the paper yet again implied a bad mental state, without doubt due to pressure of the minister. The residents of the castle didn't believe it but certainly many others on the outside would. Harry was agitated; all he wanted was a bit of gratitude and peace.

Harry was standing on the balcony of the clock tower, just in front of the clock mechanism, watching into the dark skies, waiting for the sun to show its first rays of light. He exhale noisily, the battle of Hogwarts may have been over but he felt nothing, he had served his purpose as an instrument.

After a terrible life at the Dursley's, he became a tool in the destruction of a dark wizard, never had he seen into the far future as he was convinced he would find death together with Voldemort. Now he had to decide what he wanted to become, retire already or finish up his school, get a job? And what would happen to Teddy now his parents were killed, would they already ask him or would it just be the next in kin who would have to take care of Teddy?

The quarrel from yesterday also danced inside his head. A new problem had arisen; he was yet again described to the public as a problem and a threat. He wondered if the minister would dare to force his hand further by sending over Aurors to escort him to the ministry for questioning.

"Harry, are you there?" He only heard the voice with half an ear, fatigue almost overtook him. He didn't respond to the person. He silently hoped the person would go away, so he could think a little more.

"Oh…so you are here, you could have said something when I asked! I was looking for you." Hermione exclaimed as she stood at the door, being annoyed with him.
"Yes-Yes I'm here" Harry yawned, Hermione fell silent even if she wanted to voice her concern.
"You know; even now…I always liked this view." Hermione didn't really know how to get him to come with her.
"You should not worry about me, Hermione."

"Harry, I couldn't sleep knowing you were not in the tower…I looked for you in the dorm and you weren't there so I started looking. I'm worried about you."
"I'm also worried about myself." he stated before another silence erupted between them, Hermione didn't know why, all of the sudden their talks had become so stiff.

"Harry…today they requested your presence in the great hall, I'm sure they still want you to come." Hermione broke the silence.
"Who and what do they want this time?" Frankly his reaction scared her, it felt as talking to a bitter old man who didn't do anything else but complain day in, day out.
"Ginny…euhm Ron…the ministry…everyone wants to see you, they want to honor you." He walked away from the railing, he was contemplating her offer.

"Hermione, you know….living heroes don't exist right? The true heroes are those who're dead, those who live to tell the tales are, how should I say it, lucky, but true heroes are those whom we forget as time passes by. Besides us three are called heroes so why can't they be satisfied with both of you for once."

"That may be Harry, but they want to see you…you're the hope they – clung onto for…months"
"Hermione, please…I-I don't want to…not now." He begged her while a tear was coming down from his right eye. "I'll have to tell everything again, and how can I, I caused everybody so much pain."
"Harry….What about Ginny, you need to console her. She told me you worked things out with her, you should be there with the Weasleys."

"I don't know what other lies she fed you, Hermione, but we're not a couple. I don't need her and she doesn't need me. She needs to be with her family, not with me. I've caused everybody enough grief to last a lifetime." Hermione had a strange feeling after this, Ginny had implied or should she say had lied, she shook her head, it's probably the grief that makes her do that she concluded.

"She said that you got back together after the battle."
"She may dream that…she came to me, we had an argument. She's emotional at the moment and I-I-I m…." he hid his face in his hands trying to mask the tears and guilt that were present on his face. Hermione embraced him in a hug, slightly patting his back, Harry snuck a little closer.

"No we haven't, too much has happened…we grew apart, she can't understand me, and she doesn't want to understand me. She wants her fifteen minutes of fame with me, not a family. Teddy and his grandmother are all the family I will probably have." Harry whispered plainly to Hermione as if it wasn't of importance anymore.

"I'm sure you two can mend you relationship." Harry pulled away from her, looking disgruntled.
"No we can't. She is into the savior, Harry Potter, boy-who-lived-business. I want…god that sound selfish…I want someone like….like you Hermione. I want someone who can see me, as I am, not like someone who's just rich and famous. Ginny iconized me whereas you don't care about all that."
"Harry you can't say that."
"Oh I can; I can say that, I don't want to be miserable anymore. If I don't find the 'one', then I'll be alone for the rest of my life. It's not because the whole world expects me to be with her, that I want too." Now Hermione had to blink away tears of sorrow. Harry saw she had difficulty.

"I'm sorry Hermione, it wasn't my purpose to make you cry or have pity on me, you got Ron and that's great." He tried sounding enthusiastic but couldn't quit fake it.
"Yes I have, if he only wouldn't be jealous of you…thinking he always gets second best." she indicated with second best herself, because of Ron she felt less worth then what she really was.

"I'll be gone, as soon as the funerals are over. Then Ron will relax around you and he'll be normal around you."
"What?" she asked flabbergasted by his announcement, she felt as if she would lose part of herself.
"I still have to get some peace into this world, maybe the biggest problem is gone but his followers, some are still at large and I'm going to find them."
"You can't do that, alone."
"I have to go alone; it will do me some good to be alone."
"You're not as strong as they are! We have been over this before we left to hunt; you're just trying to do the same damn thing over!"

"I can defend myself; I think I've proven that much, so I don't see a problem."
"You can't take them on alone, you'll get hurt. Furthermore, wanting to get killed like six days ago, isn't called defense."
"I-I've been dead already twice, I know what to expect and rankly it doesn't frighten me."
"It's selfish Harry, selfish to think we … I…won't miss you" she sniffed.

"I've served my purpose Hermione, now I have to see how I want to become, what I want to be"
"And yet you can't go alone, I'll come with you. And as for what to become, didn't you want to become an Auror and settle down?"
"No, you won't go with me. I know I said that but I think I'd like to become a teacher; the ministry isn't something for me anymore. After this is all over I'd like to settle down become a father and a good godfather to Teddy if nobody takes care of him" Hermione's heart skipped multiple beats when he finished talking, alto everybody though she was with Ron, somehow, the way he said that made her warm, in fact fare away, in a distant dream she had at onetime dreamed about a family with him.

"Then who would you like to settle down with?" Hermione was really curious after his previous interest in her she thought that he could maybe be proclaiming his love for her now.
"Geez Hermione give it a rest…I don't have the answer to all those questions right now….I haven't looked that far into the future, I only scratched the surface. At the moment I'm confused, yet certain and scared. I need to plan out what I want to do."
"Fine then, I'll leave you to it." More than ever was she disappointed that she couldn't come and that he didn't proclaim who he loves. She'd hoped for it, that way she wouldn't have Ron around her.

"Please – stay here with me, at least until the sun is really shining" that came out rather hoarsely, she made a quick turned of 180 degrees and stepped closer to him again. It was only five in the morning and until now she didn't have the possibility to feel the cold as their discussion had kept her going, but she took notice of the cold that had surrounded and captured her core. She shivered; Harry first didn't notice the shivering. Only after the third time, did he hold her in his embrace to warm her. The warmth, his warmth was enjoyable to say the least. While they stood their starring at the first rays of light, she could have fallen asleep in his arms.

That same night, after many hours of comforting people again, Harry sat down before the fire in the common room, enjoining the warmth and relaxation. Hermione went to sit beside him. He didn't immediately notice because he was staring into the flames, the warmth made his eyes pleasantly heavy. He had been busy today, mainly avoiding as much people as he could, he still couldn't mutter the courage to come down and talk with everybody about what had happened in the forest.

"It's not going to work…with Ron" Hermione announced into the void of the room. Harry turned his attention to her, looking dumbfounded.
"What happened?"
"He saw us just after the battle embracing each other and every day we have argued about it. I swear he is like a jealous boy, he thinks I'm some bloody trophy to be won and you are his only competition." Harry had to breathe a few times processing it, here was Hermione Granger, swearing for what he believed to be the first time since he met her.

"W-wh-at did he say?"
"He said I'm cheating on him .Th-that I should forget about you in ee-every way." She kept staring into the carpet, slightly afraid to look him in the eyes, breathing irregularly. Probably battling the tears she was so desperately holding back.
"Hermione…" he was discouraged by the look she gave him.
"Don't lecture me about it; he's an idiot, he only thinks about himself. He left us and yesterday he was making comments about how you would have died and he would have been the new hero. But then he said that you naturally had to come back to deprive him of such an honor." Harry's guts turned inside, he didn't recognize Ron in this. He knew his jealous side from forth year but he didn't imagine that it would have gone to this extent. Trying to control Hermione and telling such horrible things were just not done.

"Hermione, he's just jealous. Just give him a bit of time and he'll come around."
"I don't think it can Harry. To him I'm a means of release, a baby factory." That had hit the spot; she couldn't keep it and let go of her tears. Harry turned and shuffled over, in return she buried her face in chest. It took hours before her sobbing had ended, she had successfully cried herself to sleep in his arms.

Slowly, so he wouldn't wake her up, he rearranged her and stood up. It took him a bit of thinking before he found the best way to pick her up in his arms, once he succeeded in doing that without letting her slip from his arms he climbed the stairs to the head girl's dorm. It was a rather nice place with a large table, a sofa and a large fireplace. Harry shuffled forth, trying to avoid bumping anything into her. He threw the sheets back and slowly maneuvered her down on the bed. He slowly took off her shoes and tugged her in for the night.

"Goodnight. Hermione" He said before he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. He conjured a large blanket for himself and lay down on the couch, falling asleep instantly.

The next thing he was sensing was something tugging at his sleeve and a weight pressing down his stomach. He slowly opened his eyes to see that it was Dobby rousing him and Hermione's cat sleeping on his stomach; he didn't know how the cat had found his way from the Burrow to Hogwarts but it had to be magic, because he sure had never heard of a cat traveling a hundreds of miles to get to his master. He focused on Dobby who kept pulling at his sleeve

"My glasses, please" he asked, Dobby happily positioned them in his hand.
"Thanks"
"You're welcome Master Harry Potter, Sir. But you need to get up Master. Your Weaseys are searching for the two of you, Mr Ron Weasey is yelling in the common room as we speak for Hermione to obey him and appear"
"Alright…well keep Ron busy, apparate him to the highest tower of the castle and leave him there.
"Alright Master Harry Potter, Sir" the elf squealed before vanishing. Harry shifted his weight a little, just enough for the cat to cling to him.

"I'm sorry Crookshanks but I need to get up and wake Hermione"
He slowly got up and placed the cat back onto the sofa before stretching out, his watch just showed eight thirty, what could be this urgent at this hour he said to himself. He tiptoed to the bed a carefully sat down next to Hermione, he stared at her for a good ten minutes, and she looked so peaceful. He took a breath before softly shaking her; soon she was drowning in his eyes.

"H-How did I get here and where's here?" she seems disorientated.
"We're in the head girl's dorm."
"Ow…good morning" she said somewhat awkwardly.
"Good morning, I don't want to rush you but everyone's looking for us and I think we better make an appearance for what it's worth."

"Alright" Hermione breathed, a silence erupted for a second, "You took me here right?" she felt a bit unsecure, becoming aware that she, too here relief, had all her cloths still on.
"Yes, I think it was a good call from me to come here. Better then resting in the common room and being roused by them" his features darkened a bit while he was saying that.
"Thanks for being so understanding…for y-you know." Harry motioned that it was nothing.
-"I think we better get ready to head out." Hermione nodded.

A good twenty minutes later they were off, walking down the halls, various people clamped onto him for support or thanked him yet again. It felt bizarre to him, why aren't they angry? Because of him many people were dead or mutilated; some for the rest of their life. Hermione stayed with him supporting him sometimes. The most emotional straining moment was in the great hall, which now was divided into two parts, dead people and highly mutilated or dying people. There he was sending those people his gratitude and gave them courage.

After six hours he finally had talked to everyone, some however still wanted an explanation, the Weasleys were all there waiting for him to talk, Molly had strategically placed Ron and Ginny beside Harry and Hermione which gave them enormous discomfort, causing the air to be tense. Ron was pulling Hermione to him and Ginny Harry to her, Harry felt nauseous. Molly was impatient tapping her fingers on the table. Bill, Charlie and George were all looking apologetically; they had apparently already experienced some of Moly's temper today. The silence kept continuing and obviously Molly couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Were have the two of you been?" the tone already told them that they were being accused.
"Does it matter really?" harry snorted while breaking free of Ginny's arms, rather roughly.
"Yes it does, we were worried Ginny and Ron were worried about you two. And did you command that stupid elf to 'help Ron?"

Harry took a deep breath before beginning his answer, trying to not give a too forceful answer.
"We have been sleeping before we came down, as for Dobby, He isn't stupid and what do I care what Ron just got himself into, I doubted he felt really lost." Harry was reluctant to give away what they did and where they have been.
"Slept….as in together?" Molly's voice squawked out the last word. Harry stood up knocking his both hands on flat on the table.
"Why are we being treated like we have done something wrong?" Temper was flaring higher in Harry's case. Hermione however stayed silent and calm, looking to the ground. She already knew that the fires were hot enough already.

"Because Harry, Hermione, your fiancés were worried."
"I might be rash but I don't think I proposed to Ginny nor did Ron propose to Hermione" He spat out.
"I decided that it was best this way." The air that came over Molly was worth that of Dolores Umbridge, Harry and Hermione were a loss of words. Who was she to decide who they were going to marry and when Harry thought, a though shared by Hermione.

"I don't think so Molly, we'll decide with who and when WE marry. We don't need anyone to decide this for us. We're of age thus you can't do us a thing and if you would excuse me, I'm not going to be subject of your investigation any further. I won't let people control my life anymore and I won't even consider an opinion from people who fled from my side during battle."
"YOU BLOODY BASTERD, YOU DON'T SPEAK LIKE THAT TO US. YOU SHOULD BE THANKFUL WE HELPED." Ron shoved him against the wall of the room they were in. Harry took hold of Ron's arm and applied pressure; Ron whimpered and fell to the floor clutching his arm, bones began to snap in his arm, and after a few seconds he was screaming in agony.

"You are just a self-serving bastard Ron. I know what you've been saying for these past few days about me and believe me if you don't change your attitude towards me then you're in for a surprise." Molly hurried to her Son's side to look at his arm and the damage that was done.

"STOP STOP STOP it Harry, what has happened to you? You don't attack your family!" Molly was furious as she looked up from besides Ron, who by now was unconscious.
"Family doesn't leave nor forces people so I don't have family, now any other candidates that want to try, foolishly, to get me on my knees and make me apologize?" nobody except Hermione moved, they both fled the room not wanting more bad things to happen. As soon as the door was closed they began running to the room of requirements.

Harry consciously thought about what he wanted; A large room which should contain a library, a large table, two beds, a kitchen, a large training area and only accessible for the people they wanted. The door appeared as it always did and they entered another world, one without annoying 'family' or death.