Scars To Move Laughter

Setting: At the reconstruction site of Hogwarts.

Time: Approximately one month after the events of The Deathly Hallows.

Disclaimer: All characters and settings are the property of JK Rowling.

"Here you are, Harry," said Ginny as she handed him a mug full of warm butter beer.

"Thanks. Where's yours?" he asked as he took the mug from her.

"I'm fine. You deserve it."

Harry Potter grimaced. "Been hearing that a lot lately."

"And you'll be hearing it for the rest of your life."

Harry shrugged. "Maybe. What did I really do, really?

Ginny scowled in a way that Harry almost felt like he was in the presence of Mrs. Weasley, her mother. "Are you daft? You only destroyed the most powerful dark wizard of all time."

"I did have help."

"But you were the one who sacrificed himself in order for Voldemort to destroy the...why am I telling you this? Again?"

Harry sipped the warm butter beer and smiled. "I like seeing you worked up. You are so cute when you're frustrated."

"I will have none of that, Harry Potter. I get enough jokes from Fred and-" she stopped cold in mid sentence and finished in a quiet voice, "I mean, George."

Harry kept smiling but it turned grim when Ginny misspoke. It was a non verbal agreement between them to not correct anyone who mentioned Fred Weasley. Ginny had more or less reached a point where she had moved on. Other families were not so lucky.

As Ginny fell silent, Harry looked around at the commons area of Hogwarts. Hundreds of wizards, witches, and students were scattered around assigned to various tasks. The new Ministry of Magic had decided that anyone associated with Hogwarts should assist in its reconstruction. There were spells to sweep up debris and to rebuild entire sections of roof and walls. Everyone had a job. Everyone besides Harry. He offered his services to help but no one would hear of it.

"You have done enough, Mr. Potter," said Professor McGonagall. All of the remaining professors and students, save for Slytherin, agreed.

Harry was, of course, no stranger to fame, good and bad. He experienced it as early as age eleven after he was first told he was a wizard by Hagrid. The attention he received then was more based on awe and fascination. He didn't understand it then but he remembered feeling a sense of uncertainty from people who cheered The Boy Who Lived, yet gaped at his scar on his forehead.

The scar that was now no longer there.

During the last weeks, Harry had received a different sort of attention. One of gratitude and praise for his courage. Harry tried to dismiss it because of the cost of his triumph over Voldemort. The more he told himself that he didn't want anyone's gratitude, the more he thought of the families of students and staff at Hogwarts. The families who would otherwise not be together, or worse-not be living-if Voldemort still lived. Harry wouldn't experience the generosity of the Weasley Family, who took him in as an unofficial adopted son.

Harry thought personally that since the word was out that he and Ginny were seeing each other, that Mrs. Weasley had a secret desire for Harry to be more than a son someday. He really did like Ginny. He couldn't stop thinking about her after the battle, in point of fact. He just wasn't sure about committing to her that soon. He was only seventeen. What did he know about matters of the heart?

Dumbledore's ghostly voice rang in Harry's head.

Pity those who live without love.

Or something like that. The memory of him with Dumbledore in what looked like a heavenly Kings Cross was fading away fast.

Harry ruffled the scarf around Ginny's neck to close the gap between her coat and the robe underneath it. She gave him a curious look. "You looked cold."

"So do you with only a light jacket on. Drink your warm butter beer."

"Don't have to tell me twice," he said before he tilted the mug and gulped nearly half of its contents.

When he stopped for air, she glared at him and said, "If I would have known you were going to guzzle it like that, I would have brought you a few pints."

"Are you sure you don't want a sip? It'll warm you up."

"No, thanks. I'm not as fond of butter beer as you and Ron are." She began to grin in a seductive way. "Besides, I know where butter beer tastes best and it'll warm me up as well."

"Where?" asked Harry, innocently.

Ginny came forward to lean into Harry and planted a kiss on his lips. He did not resist. The feeling washed over him quicker than the butter beer. Kissing Ginny felt so right. Harry could not imagine himself being with anyone else. They remained attached for a while until they suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Would you two stop doing that in front of me? I still can't get used to it at home, much less here at Hogwarts."

Harry and Ginny parted to see Ron come up to them. He wasn't alone. Wrapping her arm and hand within his was Hermione. Both had knitted hats covering their heads. Ron's had the Weasley trademark letter R kitted on his hat. A special Christmas present from his mum every year. Harry suddenly wondered how Mrs. Weasley would distinguish his and Hermione's letters come next Christmas.

Harry still held Ginny in his arms when he replied to Ron, "Speaking of awkward couples, I still have yet to get used to the sight of you two holding hands."

Hermione immediately let go of Ron's hand, much to Ron's disappointment, and stated quickly, "We're not."

Ron looked at her and she was already turning a shade red. He told her, "You don't have to be embarrassed to be with me." She went back to holding his hand.

Harry spoke up. "Yes, Hermione, I was just joking. I think it's great that you two are together, finally."

Hermione admitted, "I guess we were a bit thick, weren't we?"

Harry grinned. "Well, us thick heads have to stick together, don't we? Where have you two been?"

Hermione answered, "Helping Professor Slughorn with the dungeon ceiling. We had to repair both sides for it to stay structurally sound."

"Yeah, strenuous work, that was," uttered Ron.

Hermione gaped at him. "Strenuous? We used Wingardium Leviosa to lift the rubble and Reparo to secure the mortar."

"Exactly. They both take concentration."

She looked at Harry with an I-Give-Up shake of the head. "Seriously, I've never seen anyone work so hard to do so little."

"But you love me anyway." There was a space of time when Hermione ignored him. Ron repeated with emphasis, "I said, you love me anyway."

Harry grimaced. "I don't think she forgot, Ron."

Harry could see Hermione's face turn a light shade of red and he knew it wasn't from the brisk air. She tried to explain to Ron in a small voice, "It's just...I'm not ready to express...that...publically yet."

Ron's jaw gaped and said, "You mean to tell me that you had a hand in taking down the most powerful dark wizard, but you're afraid of telling people how you feel about me?"

"I'm sorry, Ron. This is all new to me. It's an adjustment to change, just like everything else."

Ron quipped, "You're just frustrated because you can't decide on which book to read about relationships."

"Romance For Dummies is a good place to start, I hear," Harry joked.

Hermione gave Harry a soft punch in the arm. "Shut up, you." Ron gave a small laugh and Hermione quickly turned to him and snapped, "And you better be quiet too!"

Ron held his hands up. "I wasn't going to say anything. Except..."

"What?" Hermione burst out, her eyes daring him to cross her.

"Well, I was just going to say...if you're not comfortable with saying...you know...in public...then, that's all right. I can wait." Ron smiled nervously, afraid of what Hermione would say.

Hermione's expression softened into a sweet smile and she lunged at Ron with arms open to wrap around him. She then planted a kiss on his lips so suddenly that it surprised him. His eyes widened at first but then he joined in on the kiss.

Harry and Ginny looked on and both smiling themselves. Harry added, "I guess Ron didn't have to wait long."

While Ron and Hermione were still in locked lips, a commotion from the crowd began to rise and people started staring at a figure who was approaching the two couples.

"Weasley, can't you two get a room?"

Ron and Hermione released themselves from each other and turned toward the voice. As soon as Ron saw who it was, he spat, "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

"Obviously, not doing what you two were doing."

"That's none of your business."

"Why, is Granger your girlfriend, now?"

Ron started to lunge at him but Hermione stepped in front of Ron and stated, "No. He's my boyfriend."

"Isn't that sweet."

Ron nearly shouted, "You have a lot of nerve to show your face back here."

Instead of giving a wise crack, Draco Malfoy almost looked defeated as he uttered, "I guess I do."

"Then what are you doing here?" Ron demanded.

"I've got as much right to be here as you do, Weasley. I am still in Slytherin, remember."

"But you're a Death Eater," cried Ron.

Harry corrected, "His parents were Death Eaters." He addressed Draco and mentioned, "I read about their trial today in The Daily Prophet."

"Yes," Draco muttered. "The Ministry of Magic is passing out prison terms to Azkaban for former Death Eaters like they were candy."

"What about your parents?" asked Hermione.

"Dad's probably going to get some probation or he could get some time in Azkaban, but not much."

"Anytime in Azkaban is never good," said Harry.

Draco nodded and went on. "They may be lenient on mum since she lied to You-Know-Who about you being dead."

"Voldemort," said Harry.

"What?" expressed Draco with surprise.

"You can say his name, Draco. It's as dead and powerless as he is now," Harry stated firmly.

"I just hope people know it was my wand that had a hand in taking him down."

Harry smiled. "I'll be sure to have the historians add that little tidbit."

"I take it you still have it. My wand."

"The only one I have."

"It's probably used to you by now. I can't believe you destroyed the Elder wand."

Harry shrugged. "No one can gain its power now."

Draco nodded. "Sounds like something you'd do. Anyway, I just spoke to Professor McGonagall and she approved of me helping with reconstruction. Slytherin House was demolished."

"Ironic," said Hermione. "If Professor McGonagall hadn't sent the Slytherins down to the dungeons most of them could have died."

Draco nodded grimly and replied, "There was plenty of what-ifs in this battle. I guess I don't have to tell the Weasley's that, right?"

Ron suddenly lunged again and cried out, "Don't you dare say anything about Fred! You hear me, Draco?"

Harry let go of his mug of butter beer and Ginny to hold back Ron to say to him calmly, "He didn't say anything bad about Fred, Ron."

When Ron saw that Draco actually backed away and didn't fight back, he said, "I guess not. What? No comeback, Malfoy?"

"Things change," Draco replied. "Enemies change...Ron."

Ron's eyes bulged at Draco using his first name and he asked, "What have you done with the real Malfoy?"

Draco shrugged. "Maybe I finally am the real Malfoy. I was pretending to be someone else. I knew it was you under that disguise, Harry. I couldn't tell them. I knew what they would do. And I was fooling myself thinking I could kill Dumbledore. And Crabbe..." he stopped in mid sentence because his voice started cracking. For a moment, it looked like he was going to spill tears. "Crabbe is gone. I watched him die. He was my only friend."

Harry let go of Ron and came over to Draco. He put a hand on his shoulder and said, "He doesn't have to be, Draco."

Draco dispensed with emotion and chuckled. "The enemy of my enemy..."

"...is my friend," finished Harry.

Ron watched the scene in disbelief. "I think I may cry. Actually, I think I need a butter beer. Or ten."

Draco cleared his throat as Harry let his hand down and said, "I'd better get going and see where they need me. Say, there's been talk of rebuilding the Quidditch field. Feel like a practice match? Seeker against seeker? I'm sure you're a bit rusty in the last year."

"Don't worry. You're on." He glanced back at Ron and added, "I'll even bring one of the best Keepers, too."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. Don't mess with Harry Potter and friends. We'll see. I'll send you an owl when we get it set up. See you around." Draco did walk past them but reached a few paces and turned around. "Oh, Ron...Ginny, seriously, sorry to hear about your brother closing up the joke shop. There was always some cool stuff in there to tease first years with. Well...see you."

Draco walked off but all were in shock. All except for Ron. They each in turn looked at him.

Ginny spoke first. "What did he mean George is closing the shop?"

Ron looked embarrassed and replied weakly, "It was supposed to be a secret."

End of Part 1