I Do Not Own Harry Potter

All Characters Appearing In This Work Are Fictitious. Any Resemblance To Real Persons, Living Or Dead Is Purely Coincidental.

Before the Epilogue.

Turning theOther Cheek.

Beta Reader: Shannonjadetcuk.

A/N: Ok I have been reading a couple of Harry Potter fanfic over the past few days and this story just kind of popped into my head. It's going to showcase Harry and Ron's relationships as well. This fic will be willmainly cover the summer of 1998 and will go through time skips at certain chapters. This is also going to be a slight Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom pairing fanfic. I know that at the end of the day Neville and Hannah end up together but I just wanted to show that before he and Hannah had hooked up Luna and Neville had a fling.

The battle had finally ended. The WAR had finally ended. It hadn't quite sunk in yet. Everyone was in a mixture of states. Some were celebrating, while others were grieving lost ones. Then there were the people who were wondering around helplessly, almost as if they didn't know what to do with themselves. Harry was one of these.

fDespite that or perhaps because of it, Harry couldn't help but smile and agree as he passed Peeves, while under the invisibility cloak, who was singing about how Voldy had gone mouldy. After visiting Dumbledore, Harry had finally realised how hungry and tired he was. Thus with Ron and Hermione close behind him holding hands, he headed for the Gryffindor Common Room.

Finally, after walking for what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes, the three friends finally reached the Gryffindor Common room and sat down – Harry on the fuzzy armchair by the fire and Ron and Hermione on the sofa opposite him, hands still entwined. Harry was tired beyond belief let out a large sigh and closed his eyes before opening them and fixing his green eyes on his two best friends.

He looked at them and smiled "so you two huh, I would have thought you two lovebirds would have preferred to find a secluded corner to finish your snogging session?" Harry asked with a grin as he saw both his friends' faces turn red. Ron and Hermione looked at each other before Ron finally answered "well what can I say mate, everything is fair in love and war, both of which we seemed to have won. The war and love I mean." Ron said planting a quick peck on Hermione's lips. Hermione simply blushed in response but returned the kiss nonetheless. "Oi do you mind not kissing my sister in front of me!" Harry said as Ron just grinned and flashed him the peace sign in response. Hermione looked at Ron seriously and said "he is right Ron there will be more time for that later, besides you and I need to sort some things out before we continue this any further.

Hermione looked at Harry with a quizzical look and said "speaking of love birds; what about you, Harry now that Voldemort is dead and the war is finally over are you going to get back together with Ginny?" Ron suddenly stopped smiling and turned his full attention towards his best friend yo hear his response.

Harry smiled sadly and let out a sigh before replying. "Yes Hermione, I do. This past year in hiding and being uncertain of the outcome has taught me a lot. It has also given me time to think over how short life is and how you could have it literally ripped away from you at any second. I don't want to be looking back on my life years from now regretting not taking advantage of the time I had. I have also had too much time in which I have thought about the ones that I love and miss." He looked at Ron with a determined look and said "Ron, you are my best mate, and I know you care for your sister and you think I'm going to hurt her but believe me when I say it that I would rather die than hurt Ginny."

Ron looked at Harry for a moment and was about to say something when a voice from the entrance called out and said "yet, you did hurt me Harry Potter and not once but twice." Harry turned his head so quick it almost snapped off as he saw Ginny come into view. Even with her robes torn and her body stained with blood and bruises and her eyes tear stained from crying, Harry still thought she looked beautiful.

Ginny had that hard look in her eyes of extreme emotion. With her wand in her hand she walked up to Harry and looked him in the eye, before raising her hand and slapping him hard in the face. Hermione and Ron looked shocked at Ginny's behaviour, but Harry just sat there and smiled his cheek now burning red from the slap that Ginny had planted on him. "That was for dumping me last year, and making me think you were dead." He looked up at her and smiled before turning the other cheek; Ginny snatched her wand from her pocket as if contemplating the best hex to hit him with and if possible became even angrier.

"Why the hell are you smiling and giving me the other cheek Harry Potter?!" Ginny exclaimed with ferocity and heat. Harry smiled and said "a Muggle Named Mahatma Gandhi once said "If any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also." Ginny looked confused and angry so she just slapped him even harder on the other cheek as well, with tears starting to roll down her eyes as she realized how much pent up emotion she was holding inside. "Now what do you have to say for that Mr. Harry I have to dump my girlfriend and leave her alone while I save the whole effing world Potter. What does your Mahatma Gandhi have to say about that?" Harry looked at Ginny with an expression of pure emotion before grinning "you got me there Gin, I have nothing to say, but that doesn't mean there is nothing left for me to do." He then pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her hand softly before pulling her into his lap.

Ginny was about to say something before Harry silenced her by kissing her fiercely on the lips, but Ginny still struggled to get out of his grasp, but Harry would not be discouraged and tightened his embrace, after a few seconds she stopped struggling and melted into his arms and returned the kiss, one which seemed to intensify with each passing second. Hermione was laughing while she restrained Ron who looked uncomfortable and was moments away from trying to physically separate his sister and best friend from each other. "Oi, do you mind not snogging and feeling up my baby sister in front of me!" Hermione simply just laughed harder as both Harry and Ginny ignored him and continued their snogging except for the two rude hand gestures that were pointed his way. "Leave them alone Ronald, they have their issues to work out and so do we come on lets go" Hermione said touching his arm. Ron felt all his tension and irritation leave him as he felt Hermione's hand on his arm. He nodded his head and followed her out of the common room and Gryffindor tower.

A/N: Well what do you think about my first chapter? Read and Review.

A/N: I received some feedback stating that the adage made famous by Mahatma Gandhi, was actually taken from the Bible. It is not my intention to offend anybody's sensibilities. While creating this chapter I was not aware of this fact. However since this is an HP Fanfic, I will not bring religion/ Holy Scriptures into it if I can help it. For those of you who felt offended: my deepest apologies it was not my intention to offend. For those of you who did not know. Great you just learnt something new, so here is a cookie (lol ).