Sorry that this has taken so long to update! Disclaimer I do not own Harry Potter, I only pretend that I do!

"Bring them home safe!" Ginny stressed for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Ready?" Harry looked up to see Ron and Hermione in the doorway; had the situation not been so serious Harry might have smiled at the sheer comforting familiar sight of his best friends still with him, helping him, supporting him; even after all these years.

Unable to return to a Hugo and Rose-less house Ron and Hermione had stayed with the Potters since the whole horrid ordeal had occurred. As a result Ron had taken to borrowing Harry's clothes and Hermione Ginny's. Wands making it easy to alter anything that fitted too poorly. So for the first time in nearly seven years, Ron was once again standing before Harry in Auror leather robes, only adding to Harry's confidence and determination.

After the Battle of Hogwarts, with their leader destroyed the remaining Death Eaters had fled. Some banded together to continue Riddle's work, while others simply hid and some did nothing daring to state that the Imperious Curse had once again forced them to follow Riddle in to war. Since the Auror Department had been all but destroyed under Thicknesse and the Death Eaters, few remained capable to finish the Wizard War. True the Battle of Hogwarts had been won, Voldemort destroyed... but his followers remained. The Second Wizarding War was still not over.

As a result, Kingsley, who had been appointed temporarily and later permanently the Minister for Magic, saw that men were needed to finish the war. He knew that there were few living witches or wizards who were capable to gain the confidence of fellow wizards, had the Dark Arts experience or even the courage to attempt to recreate the Auror Department during such a state of turmoil. To be honest, he had a list of one. Harry Potter. Thus Harry had found himself at the age of 17, without any N.E.W.T.s, without any official Auror training being asked to take up such a feat. Although officially the Head Auror position was entitled to Maximus Blake, an older Auror who had planned retirement before Voldemort's return, the true Head Auror was undeniable Harry Potter. Kingsley reluctantly agreed with Harry when he had denied the Head title initially saying, "Sure I have experience, I wish I didn't but I do. I know that this is what I should be doing but I am untrained and barely of age. Give the title to someone who could teach me how to be an Auror in a working Auror department. Then I shall qualify as an Auror, and only then will I consider leading the Auror department."

"The department as I knew it was destroyed, we could make you qualified today. There is nothing left of the old system." Blake had retorted, feeling incapable of the job.

Harry had just shook his head, "For once in my life I would like to do things the way they are meant to be done. I want to qualify the way I would have done had Riddle never existed."

No one had dared argue. Though really Harry had become an Auror that day. Hermione unsurprisingly had elected to remain at Hogwarts and assist with rebuilding the school, Ron however had joined Harry in the fledgling Auror department, saying "I won't have anyone else suffer because of those death eating scum. Not now. Not if I can help it."

Though his heart had never been truly in it, Ron became an accomplished and talented Auror. Not that Harry was surprised. Three years after the end of the war Harry was officially inaugurated as the Head Auror. Everyone expected Ron to be deputy and indeed it had been quietly offered but Ron had declined stating he would rather work with the fledgling trainees that were working their way through Harry's new Tonks Auror Training programme. "Less Paperwork!" Being his reasoning. Though Harry knew the truth. Ron who had so faithfully helped Harry whenever he needed it, who had also had defence against the dark arts experience thrust upon him due to his friendship with Harry was not an Auror at heart. After six years, having firmly helped Harry establish a working and dependable Auror Department, left to assist his brother George in Weasley Wizard Wheezes. A job that everyone agreed was more suited to the light hearted but talented wizard that Ron had undoubtedly become. Though he still lectured the Tonks trainees from time to time, where he would always bring chocolate frogs to proudly show off his greatest achievement-to be on a chocolate frog card.

Thus to see Ron dressed once again in the protective leather garb of an Auror, although the outfit itself was Harry's, was strangely comforting to Harry as they prepared to leave for the children. The wizard who had always had Harry's back would once again be there at his side. They would succeed, there was no other option.

"Yes, ready. 'Mione?" Harry held out his hand for the traveller part of the new time turner.

"What I don't know is how long it will take until the time turner will be ready for the return journey. So be prepared. You might be there a while." Hermione replied, handing it over.

Harry could do nothing but nod. What they had was all they had, there was no point arguing.

"When you find them, give them a kiss from me." Ginny almost whimpered, "And…"

"Stay safe," Harry finished. "I know."

He leaned down to kiss her one more time. "You won't even have time to miss me!"

Ginny smiled, "I always miss you."

"Love you Gin."

"Love you Harry. Bring them home!"

Once they were both breathless Harry broke away, looking up to see Ron doing the same from Hermione.

"Right then." Ron pulled out his wand and stepped toward Harry and the time turner, "Here goes nothing!"
So with one last look at their wives, time turner in hand, Harry and Ron disappeared to who knows when or where.

Lily looked up at Teddy from her place in his arms, "Why can't we go home now?"

Once again Teddy was stumped by the sheer innocence of the question.

"We have to wait for Dad," Came Al's quiet answer.

Lily looked from her Teddy Bear's arms to her other brother, "How long?"

Al crouched down on the floor so that he too was level with the little girl, "Honestly? I don't know, none of us do but its Dad. He loves us…even James!" Al smirked at his brother who was also heading over to comfort his baby sister, "He'll come for us. Don't you believe in Dad Lilybug?"

With eyes as wide as saucers, Lily could only reach out from her place in Teddy's arms towards her other brothers and nod. She believed, she would always believe in her father.

"Bloody Hell that hurt!" Ron moaned from his place on the floor. He was definitely getting too old for this, not that he'd admit that to Harry, or he would never hear the end of it.

Harry could only agree. Years of being an auror had begun to take its toll, and his many pervious injuries and scars had always been a problem, especially the huge ugly scar on his chest. Hence recently he'd started to cut down on field work at the department, there were now enough much younger, much fitter and in Harry's mind much more capable aurors now, that thankfully his presence outside of the office was less needed. Not that he had admitted that to Ron yet, or he would never hear the end of it.

Gingerly the two men got up from where they had landed and looked around. Harry noticing the time turner a few feet away on the grass went to go fetch it, bending down to pick it up he could see the sand swirling in a shape that reminded him of an old fashioned muggle egg timer. His Aunt Petunia had had one, with a magnet on the back, that had lived on the fridge. The sand had formed almost an hourglass shape, and was filtering down from the top of the hourglass to the bottom where it appeared to simply disappear. Good, Harry thought, the sand must be disapperating into Hermione's half of the time turner. Although unfortunately it appeared it would take some time until all the sand had disapperated.

"Where the bloody hell are we?"

Harry looked up from the time turner to get a better look at his surroundings. To Ron they were in what appeared to be a large meadow, surrounded by a sparse wood that continued on for who knows how long getting denser the further it went. Harry, however, knew exactly where they were, he could never forget this place.

"We're standing in my living room." Harry replied calmly.

"Huh?"

"We had our house built, remember? This is what the land looked like before. So we've definitely moved in time, just not travelled in space I guess. We essentially haven't moved from where we were."

Ron nodded in understanding, "So now what? We apparate to the Burrow?"

Harry shook his head, "No the Order placed enough protective enchanments on the Burrow for that not to be possible, besides they would probably attack us which would only put the kids in more danger. No, I say we apparate to Ottery St. Catchpole and then walk the rest of the way."

"Right then. On your mark."

On Harry's nod, the two wizards disappeared with a pop.

Crack!

Shit! Harry thought as he landed. His hand going automatically to his chest.

Scars had always been a part of Harry, hell the scar on his forehead he sometimes wondered was perhaps more famous than he was. There were times when he had been at Hogwarts that he even thought that if his scar wasn't on his head where everyone could see it he would be noticed far less. Though in a sick way he had got his wish.

Few people knew of the second lightning scar on his chest, and he like to keep it that way. It was larger and far more brutal than its older brother. The scar was also a far more painful daily reminder of the war.

Harry had disappeared with Ron and Hermione to Dumbledore's office to try and make sense of everything. The Battle was done. Voldemort was dead. But was it over? They were about to leave, and Harry had hoped to go collapse into a bed before the doors of the office had flew open revealing Kingsley, Professor McGonagall, Mr Weasley and a few men Harry didn't know or at that point care to know.

"Potter," It was Kingsley who stepped forward first, "I hate to do this but your needed downstairs in the Great Hall."

"What now? Can't I have some peace?" Harry was deliberately harsh. Sheer exhaustion, both mental and physical was beginning to take its hold. He felt cold, almost disconnected from the world. Honestly he was sure how he was still standing.

"I'm afraid not." Kinglsley had always been plain and to the point, a trait that Harry usually admired. But not today, "Just about the entire Wizarding World have descended on Hogwarts. People are scared and confused. They don't understand Harry. They just need to see you. See that it's over."

It was McGonagall who surprised Harry with her comfort, "I'm sorry Harry. We wouldn't ask unless we had to. Granger and Weasley will come too, of course. We make sure it's as quick and painless as possible." She looked him straight in the eye, "Then you're free."

Harry just looked at her, too numb to do anything else. Numb. Yes he thought that's the right feeling; numb, weightless, separate from the rest of the world. He blindly took a step forward; McGonagall seemed to understand.

So once again Harry, Ron and Hermione trudged through the remains of Hogwarts. That's all it was really, remains and rubble. It was no longer the home it had once been to Harry. Never in his life had he wanted to flee from the place. Though in this moment he did.

Every step Harry took was harder and harder. His legs felt like lead and his chest began to burn. At first he thought it was his lungs desperately trying to take in the dusty air, but this pain seemed to radiate, down into his bones. It was making him dizzy. Further distancing him from the world.

"You alright mate?" A voice registered to Harry. Ron he thought. Ron's here? Why would Ron be here? Yes. Ron's always here. Wait no. Yes.

Doors came into view, then more voices. The noise, it tore at him from all sides. Attacking him, surrounding him.

Harry tried to shake his head. Hogwarts you're in Hogwarts. Was he standing upright? He no longer knew. All he could register was pain. The burn. At first he'd been too distracted to notice it. Though finally the adrenaline had worn off. Shock and exhaustion in its place. Nothing to stop the pain. Nothing.

"Harry?" A concerned voice was in his ear. Ron? No this was softer, kinder, and feminine.

"Gin…?" He tried to get her name out but couldn't.

"No Hermione Harry! Do you want Ginny?" Then louder and more desperate, "GINNY!"

That cleared his head. Where was she? He looked around fighting through the pain induced haze, which was once again trying to trap him. It was becoming too much though. Were there arms around him? Where was he? He was no longer sure of anything. With once word on his lips. Blackness took over.

"Gin?"

Peace.

Harry shook his head trying desperately to get back to the present.

Ginny.

James.

Albus.

Lily.

Teddy.

Ginny.

The pain of the past willed away. Harry looked up.

"You alright mate?" Ron said with concern, his eyes fixed on the way Harry was clutching his chest.

Harry nodded, "Gin strapped it, but that won't have helped. I try not to apparate anymore."

Ron was about say more, but the look on Harry's face stopped him. Children first.

Harry pulled the invisibility cloak over the two of them and slowly the two men made their way towards the Burrow. Their movement was slow, careful. The two men had bulked out in their lives. Harry finally receiving consistent meals and exercise, had changed the most. Ron just said he'd gotten fat. Ginny hadn't missed a beat, "You're just jealous because he's been voted Hottest Hunk by Teen Weekly for 3 years now!" Hermione had just replied, "Yeah but Ron's still taller!" Now though, Harry almost regretted their size and weight. It was awkward trying to keep the two full grown men covered with the cloak, it was hard enough as kids, now it was near impossible. The risk of being caught far outweighed the desire to move with speed.

It took several hours before the Burrow came into view. Funny thought Ron, it's never really changed.

"Now what?" Ron looked at Harry.

Harry shrugged, "Here goes nothing. Expeto Patronum."

Mrs Weasley looked around her kitchen, not quite sure what to think. It had been nearly 24 hours since the children had quite literally landed in the middle of her living room. It had been a day of make believe, perhaps was the best way of describing it. After the late night everyone had gotten up late that morning, most assuming or perhaps hoping that the night before had been a dream. When six people appeared for breakfast who should not have been there reality kicked in. Unsure how to handle the situation, Mrs Weasley had done what she always strove to do; to care for her family.

It had been silently agreed that the extended Weasley family would pretend to be, well normal. Little Lily and Hugo, Bless them, were clearly too young to understand. Albus, James and Rosie were also it seemed mostly ignorant of the dangers outside, which every one of her time was relived. They knew enough though, as displayed by Lily's spectacular announcement of future events, but not the finer details. Certainly not as much as Teddy seemed to anyway. He was certainly the most reserved, which could be his nature Mrs Weasley supposed since Remus was his father, but she could see it was deeper than that. He had undoubtedly taken on the task of caring for the children and also filtering of any future information that would be unwittingly revealed by his younger pseudo siblings.

Mrs Weasely couldn't deny that that there had been some odd moments, odd moments as a result of the even more bizarre situation; that could not be ignored by pretending that the family before her was the family that should be before her. The way Lily had asked Fred, "Uncle George how did your ear grow back?" and then preceded to go white upon seeing Fed in all his earless glory step forward to correct his future niece or the way Teddy's eyes followed Tonks around the room with a pained expression as if starved for the sight of her.

She looked over towards the living room where Kingsley, Remus and her husband, with Hermione in the corner nose deep within a book, were once again discussing how to get the children home. The tellyfone thingy on the coffee table in front of them. It hadn't rung all day, however Teddy did not seem concerned.

"Harry, our Harry that is, won't use it unless he has to. Its energy shall we say is limited and will run out. So no news is good news."

his statement had reassured the adults, however not by much.

"Hello?"

Suddenly a huge stag materialised into Mrs Weasley's kitchen. Large, regal and emitting powerful magic. By all accounts it should not have appeared, and yet here it was.

"This is Harry Potter!"

The stag spoke again, this time everyone took notice and flooded into the kitchen.

"Please don't be alarmed, I'm here with Ron and we have come to collect our children and return to the present time. We are outside of the protective barrier on the north side. We mean it no harm and we are who we say we are. Since we are technically the same Harry and Ron who are inside the barrier should let us through, but we won't until you allow us. After this message Teddy's phone will ring three times to prove we are who we say we are. Send up red sparks out of the kitchen window and we will come in. Please believe we are as concerned as you are and wish to return things to normal. Harry."

The stage faded as quickly as it had appeared.

Once again it was Lily who broke the silence.

"Daddy's here! Daddy's here!"

Ever the pragmatist Lupin stepped towards Harry, "Are you absolutely sure that that was your patronus Harry?"

Before Harry could reply he was interrupted by the ringing of the mobile that had been left on the table in the living room. It rang three times, and then silence.

Harry and Ron stood facing the Burrow with bated breath.

Then red sparks appeared before them.