Chapter one

When the war with Voldemort was over, the staff of Hogwarts started to document the damage done to the castle before they began their repairs. But they were not the only people to help rebuild the old castle, ministry workers were there every day, but so were others, like Harry Potter and a heap of other students, who would turn up every day to help. The older ones needed to finish their education but that was not the only reason they turned up to help, they wanted Hogwarts back the way it was and were determined to help bring the old castle back to the way it was.

As Harry worked on a section of the library Neville and Hannah walked over to him and Harry noticed their hands were joined. That was one thing Harry was seeing a lot, so many people were now in serious relationship. Some that were Harry's age got married and he heard that lot's of couples were now expecting children. The dating didn't surprise him but the marriage and kids did.

'So another two of my friends are together.'

'We are and you don't seem surprised,' Neville grinned.

'I'm not, so many are getting together now, what does surprise me is who ends up with who.'

'I liked Neville when were together in the DA.'

'Then why didn't you say anything then?' Harry raised his eyebrows.

'I wasn't sure he would like me as well, but he always seemed to be concentrating on spells, not girls.'

'Well, he was but us blokes can do both,' Harry and Neville chuckled.

'I think you are one of the only blokes that hasn't got a girlfriend and I know Ginny wants you back,' Neville said.

'I'm just not ready to get into that and with Ginny,' Harry sighed, 'I realised that when I look at her, even though she is pretty, I think of my mother, it's the red hair. When I saw the first picture of my mother apart from thinking she was beautiful I thought of the Weasley's. When I was away with Ron and Hermione I realised why I looked at Ginny, sort of for my mother, but Sirius also told me dad was attracted to mum because of her red hair and he asked if that would be my type. Now though I realise it's not the sort of thing you want to think about when you're about to snog someone, your mother.'

'She's going to be upset when you tell her that, all she ever spoke about when you were away was you.'

'She asked, I said I didn't want to get into a relationship.'

'With anyone?' Hannah asked.

'I get letters all the time, asking for dates, even sex, so I sort of have to be careful who I see. I keep thinking about when it was rumoured that I was the chosen one. Hermione told me how many girls wanted to slip me a love potion. So I know most of these people only want that Harry Potter, the saviour, they don't want me. I think if they got to know me they wouldn't be interested.'

'Why would you say that mate, you're a nice bloke.'

'And cute,' Hannah smirked making Neville and Harry laugh.

'Thanks even if you're wrong, about being cute, not nice, but I'm sort of a serious person and I'm not one to go out, not like a lot of people our age. Right now I could be staying in the Three Broomsticks where it's always crowded, music, people having fun, I don't want that so I stay in the Hogs Head because it's quieter and doesn't get as many people.'

'You always were a serious person because you had so much serious stuff going on, it's made you who you are. Well, if Ginny isn't right for you then I'm sure you will find the perfect girl, when you're ready.'

'I think I will Hannah, but right now I'm not interested. I want to help at Hogwarts, finish my education and decide what I want to do for a job now I know I don't want to be an auror anymore.'

'It's strange, I heard you say you wanted to be an auror by the end of our fourth year, now you don't and I do when I never thought I would do something like that.'

'You've proven how good you are Neville and you're not afraid of a fight and we all know aurors go after dark witches and wizards. You'll make a great auror, I have no doubt of that.'

'Thanks Harry, so has anything come to mind as what type of job you might want?'

'No, so I figured doing my last year will help and I'm going over the careers pamphlet's again. I know I want a quieter type job, no danger but not boring either. I don't know, I'm sure I will figure it out in the end.'

'You will, but while are you staying at the Hogs Head and not with Ron and his family?' Hannah asked.

'They wanted me to, but I figured now I didn't have to stay with people or be guarded I would like some time to myself and you can't get that at the Burrow, not with how many are there.'

'You also don't want Mrs. Weasley treating you as a kid, like she has before,' Neville said.

'True, I like a class of Firewhiskey of a night, if she knew that I would end up with my ears busted. She tried to get me to stay at the Burrow, she said she didn't think I would look after myself if I was alone. But I explained that I've been looking after myself since I was five years old. Those muggles never did anything for me so I learned to be self-sufficient from a young age. But I like being alone, it suits me.'

'It does. So has Hermione found her parents yet?'

'Yes, they decided to stay in Australia but they worked on giving Hermione some money that should see her through this last year and a bit for after until she finds work. I did offer to lend her some but she said she should be fine, and she's staying at the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley gave her Percy's old room, she offered me the twins old room now they're back at the flat.'

'So she won't get to see her parents for a long time, that's sad,' Hannah said.

'Yeah, but like she said she got used to it over the last year. Now they can write at least and it's not like it's hard to visit people overseas, you just need to apply and pay for an international port key. Since she's a muggleborn and she knows how to apparate, she can go into any muggle town and ring her parent's. She told me she plans to do that at least once a month,' Harry looked around then stepped closer, 'I worry about Hermione and Ron, because they are so different and they used to fight all the time, it makes me wonder if they will work.'

'We all knew they liked each other, but none of us thought they would get together. Hermione used to get so annoyed with Ron and they always argued,' Neville said.

'They are different and even though Hermione isn't the same as she was, especially in regards to school rules, but she still is a serious person. A lot like you in a way Harry,' Hannah said.

'Yeah, she is, and I was asked why we never got together, but I don't think of Hermione like that. To me She's a friend, like you and Susan and all my other female friends. Hermione will work hard to get what she wants where Ron hates to put in the effort for anything. He's a bit lazy. Do you think those two can make it work?'

'Hard to say really, no one really knows if a relationship with work, but I do know you have to have things in common. Ron and Hermione don't really have much in common, apart from being your friend.'

'No, that's what worries me, I would hate to see them fall apart where they couldn't even be friends anymore. I know I used to get between them when they would fight. It's different now, they are a couple and it has nothing to do with me, so I can't get involved, not that I want to.'

'No, you couldn't, what goes on between a couple is private. We'll just have to wait and see, but not just with them, but with a lot of couples.' Hannah said.

'Maybe by the end of our last year some of those couples might not be together anymore. We just have to be there for our friends if they fall apart. I suppose we'll see,' Neville said.

Harry thought his two friends had a point, how many couples that were together now would still be together by the end of their school year. That is one reason Harry wasn't interested in a relationship just yet, he wanted to concentrate on his last year but also what he wanted to do for a career. Without the distraction of a relationship he hoped would give him time to work that out, time would tell. But Harry also knew that some people only liked him because of how he was thought of, not because they liked him as a person, he needed to be cautious, again, time will tell.