As they sat down for their first class- transfiguration it seemed a bit more chaotic than usual. Whether it was still everyone getting used to – well classes again, after a year of… whatever they had been doing, or the change of the teacher for this class, probably both. Of course it hadn't gotten anywhere near chaotic in this room while McGonagall was teaching, but also Tonks was nowhere like her. They didn't have transfiguration on their first day and many were curious how Tonks would be going about it.

"Still kinda weird to have her as a teacher… Like with Remus we could at least switch to last names, but … you know…" Ron arched his eyebrows, leaning over so Harry could hear him. Hermione just laughed at that.

"Oh come on! I mean… we lived with Remus. Plus we don't actually have that much practice with transfiguration. I bet she could teach us a lot." Her eyes gleamed at the thought of knowledge. At the mention of Remus both of them looked at him, probably because he didn't only live with Remus during the summer… but, yeah, well. Still, he guessed Hermione was right. McGonagall had been a great teacher, strict of course, but you could have learned a lot. And he was sure Tonks would be someone everyone would be glad to participate. He guessed it would kind of be like Remus's classes, which always had been very good, even though he couldn't really say how it was now. They only had had one class during which he didn't really catch what it was all about.

Tonks entered, clumsy as always, but still the class quieted down pretty quickly. Maybe it was because of McGonagall's classroom, or because they had grown older during the last year than one usually did during that period of time. Or maybe most of them just respected Tonks for all she had done during the war. It was as they had predicted. The class was practical and interesting – just as Remus's had been in third year. Harry found the spells they were practicing really useful – Tonks had been an auror after all. She seemed to manage keeping things interesting and relevant for the NEWTs at the same time.

The day went on pretty calm. Most teachers reminded them of the final exams, but they weren't stressing them as much as they had for the OWLs three years ago. Still the flow of homework began, and soon it was clear that Harry couldn't just spent all his evenings with Remus. He remembered too well how it had been writing essays in the middle of the night, even though he probably would endure less stress with detention, DA meetings, and, well, a dark wizard trying to kill him. It was nice really. Hogwarts seemed less hectic than it usually did. It came with a new certainty, and he got what he so often had wished for: all he had to worry about were finishing his homework on time or when the next Hogsmeade weekend would come up.

After dinner he quickly wrote a note to Remus that he needed the nights to study. However he still asked whether he should just come up, sit with him, as it really didn't matter where he did his homework. He then sat down, sighing heavily as he thought back to his fifth year.

"At least we won't have to make up dreams for divination anymore," he said to Ron, who just sat down next to him, pulling his bookbag towards him and groaned.

"Yeah, well, that bloody well was the easiest part of it, wasn't it? Where's Hermione anyways?"

Harry shook his head looking through his new version of Advanced Potion Making.

"Library? Honestly, shouldn't you be the one who knows her best?"

He was just about to start his essay on the effect of Acromantula venom when mixed with dragon blood for Slughorn – gotta start with the most complicated, he figured – as he saw Hedwig just outside the window. He got up to let her in and take the small pergament from her leg. Was it Sirius? They had only been away for two days… Could something have happened to him? But it was just Remus neat writing.

Harry, glad to know you start on the work early. It can be a pain in the ass otherwise.

I see Lily's had some influence. You may as well do them here whenever you like. Love,

-R

He beamed, while he sat down. Though feeling the eyes of his friends in his neck he didn't really care at the moment. Still he decided he wouldn't go down to see Remus tonight. It was already late and he hadn't come very far with what he was supposed to do tonight. Also he was well aware that while he loved Remus with all his heart, this was still new to him. It wasn't quite the relationship he had really shared with anyone besides Ginny… and they hadn't really lived close enough to see each other a lot during the time. First Ginny had written her OWLs, and after Dumbledore's death, he had broken up. Even if he hadn't they wouldn't have time to themselves anyway with the wedding coming up and Harry's plans to find and destroy the horcruxes… And he really didn't want to think any further than that, it was still too painful.

He just wasn't used to the in intimacy, had never been, and he just needed time. And this wasn't just something about being physically close to one another. It went way beyond that, even with the very close relationships he had with his friends. Especially Hermione, being who she was, often knew him better than he thought possible. She was like a sister to him. With Remus… it was different. But he could make it work, he was sure of it. They could make it work together. By respecting the needs of one another and understanding what the past had made them. Even to himself he started to sound weird. Shaking his head he turned back to his homework.

Later that night when they had wished Hermione a good night and walked up the stairs to their dormitory his thoughts started to wander again. Not to Remus, he felt pretty safe about that relationship at this moment, strangely he thought of Draco. Even though he still didn't like him he had won some sort of respect for him over the past weeks. After all parents would always have a strong influence on you. No matter what they said or did, one still somehow beliefs they must be right… He remembered only too well how mad he had been after seeing James in Snape's memories during his occlumency classes. How would he have behaved if he had grown up in Malfoy Manor? Would he have turned his back the way he did in the end? He wasn't sure how many others would have done it and he respected him for it. Voices ripped him from his thoughts.

"Where were you last night, Harry? Have some chit-chat with-you-know-who?" Seamus grinned, but still he could feel the tension in the room. He, Dean and Neville stared at him, obviously having waited all day to ask. Desperate he tried to come up with something, anything…

"I just had to get out… I… Still reminds me of Ginny here." He hadn't said her name in such a long time. It tasted bittersweet on his lips. Even though he loved Remus, he still missed her as the friend she had always been to him, much longer than she could ever be his lover. The one he laughed and played Quidditch with, laughed at the twins jokes, who had also been there with him through losses and the days where he thought Voldemort might be controlling his mind. He missed her, even though the quality was different. It didn't make the feeling any better.

"Went to the three broomsticks and stayed there for the night..." he didn't feel good about lying, especially to Neville who deserved the truth more than anything. He would have to talk to him and Luna soon. But now he had to sleep.

The dormitory had grown quiet. Dean busied himself with his soccer posters he had already put up the first night. After all he had been Ginny's boyfriend before Harry and even they had talked to prevent making it awkward, the topic still wasn't easy on either of them.

"She would be proud of you, Harry." Neville said quietly, looking up at him from his bed.

"She died knowing you loved her. And I think that meant a lot to her. It meant a lot to all of them… they knew you went to forest to protect them." The quietness went even thicker after that. They hadn't really talked about the battle or what had happened afterwards so openly. Harry nodded thankfully. Neville was probably right, even though it was hard. She had been so young…

"Thanks Neville. Anyway we should probably sleep seeing how much homework probably waits for us tomorrow night…" Rom groaned, but nobody argued before they turned the light of ten minutes later and all of them were asleep just few minutes after that.