Recap:

"Professor McGonagall hinted at something after the battle." said Hermione. "Something big, happening at Hogwarts. Hopefully not another Triwizard Tournament. She said if we decided to go back, all the information will be on our letters which will arrive within a day of notifying her of our return."

"Well, why are we wasting time?" I said. "Let's go tell Mum."

Harry's POV

We went inside to the kitchen where Mrs Weasley was staring at a letter with her mouth open.

"Mrs Weasley," I started, "what's wrong?" 

"Read... read this letter. All of you. At the same time."

I took the letter from her outstretched hand. It had a Ministry seal on it. I read it out to the others.

"Dear Molly Weasley," I started, "Due to your family's participation in the recent Battle of Hogwarts, the Ministry has deemed it fit to deposit 10 000 Galleons in your family vault. This is a bit of compensation for your loss, and a reward for all your help.

Kind regards,

Kingsley Shaklebolt

Minister for Magic."

I felt as shocked as Molly looked. "Mrs Weasley... this is awesome!" I said, hugging her. 

"I can't believe it." she said. "It's a miracle or something!"

 "It's great!" said Ron. "But we came down to tell you that all four of us are going back to Hogwarts after the rebuilding."

"Ok, yes, I will send Professor McGonagall an owl." she said.

"Thanks Mum." said Ginny. She looked at the time. "Oh, wow, it's seven o'clock. What do you want to do?"

Hermione put a thoughtful expression on her face. "No idea." she said. 

 "Could you show us some more Muggle stuff?" Ron asked. "I want to know about a... what do you call it? A tellymision?"

"A television, Ron." I said. "Maybe we could Apparate to the Dursley's and gatecrash their TV for a while?"

"Well, would you like to do that?" said Mrs Weasley. 

"That would be great, thanks, Mum." said Ginny. We all walked out to the gate. Ginny took my hand and Ron and Hermione grabbed my shoulders. We turned and appeared a few seconds later outside Number 4, Privet Drive. I grabbed my wand and said "Alohomora". The door unlocked and we walked inside.

The house was untouched. It was weird to come here and not see the Dursleys. I walked into the living room. "Ron, Ginny, this is a television, otherwise known as a TV." I said.

"It shows moving pictures on the screen of filmed shows by Muggles." said Hermione. "It really is genius."

Ron walked over and pressed the "On" button. Immediately the unmistakable sound of the TARDIS came on. Ron jumped. Hermione squealed. "Yes! Doctor Who!" 

I grinned. "So I'm not the only magical Whovian, then." 

Hermione nodded. "Which one is your favourite? Mine is The Fourth Doctor."

"Same." I said. 

Ron and Ginny looked bewildered. "What's Doctor Who?" asked Ginny.

I explained the Doctor's complicated backstory to Ron and Ginny, telling them about his home planet, Gallifrey, the Daleks and the Cybermen, the Master and the bigger-on-the-inside time machine. Hermione told them about the many different incantations of the Doctor, and that there have been seven different ones so far. 

"How do you get your head around that stuff?" said Ron. 

"I'm not actually sure. I grew up with it so maybe I'm just used to the craziness." said Hermione.  

Ron plopped himself onto the couch. "This 'Doctor Who' business seems alright."

I smiled. "Caught on, have you? Hermione and I'll have you obsessed in no time."

Ginny groaned. "Is this how I'm gonna have to spend my Saturdays?"

I sat on the second couch, grinning. "C'mere." I said, patting the space next to me. She sat. I put my arm around her and she put her head on my shoulder. The legendary Fourth Doctor came onto the screen. "Yes!" said Hermione (who was, ahem, "snuggling", with Ron) and I at the same time. Of course, his first line was "Would you like a jelly baby?". Hermione and I both grinned. We watched the remaining half of the episode. When the end credits came on, I untangled myself from Ginny.

"Do you want me to show you the house?" I asked. 

Ron nodded. "I've only ever seen a couple of iron bars across your window. I want to see how Muggles live."

I took Ginny's hand and we half jumped, half ran up the stairs. We started laughing, and I had to resist the urge to kiss her as Hermione and Ron had just appeared, and I doubted that they would appreciate that... display of affection. I grinned at Ginny and mouthed "Later" before Ron and Hermione had turned around. Ginny grinned and winked at me, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. 

I very subtly cleared my throat, gestured to the door of my room and said "This was once upon a time Dudley's second bedroom. Then when my letter came and Uncle Vernon got, well, scared, it turned into my room because of what he would call a display of affection for me." I opened the door to reveal my room, just as I left it almost a year ago, with the bed perfectly made, the Gryffindor posters up, and the cupboard doors shut. 

"This is unusually neat." said Hermione. 

"Yep. Before the moving of me, I cleaned it out." I said. 

Ron laughed. "How very un-Harry of you." We all laughed. It was really nice to be happy again, and not have the constant feeling of not knowing if I would survive another day. I checked my watch out of habit.

"Holy crap! It's eight thirty. Is it ironic that Doctor Who made the time fly really fast?" I said to the others. 

"Nope, not at all." said Hermione.

"Would you like to go back now?" said Ginny. We all agreed and we went out to the front garden. I locked the door and we Apparated back to the Burrow.

Mrs Weasley greeted us with a smile and we all went back up to Ron's room. 

"I still can't believe it's over. Voldemort claimed the lives of so many, yet we're still here." said Ginny.

I smiled sadly. "It was too long, his reign. He killed so many, with little to no remorse. I just... Wait."

Hermione stared. "Wait what?"

"The Heart," I said, "The heart. I can use it... my day just got a whole lot better. Wait there." I walked over to my backpack and pulled out the small box holding one of the most valuable magical objects of the past century. I thought about what I was about to do for about... oh, I don't know, a year, and then opened the box. Ginny, Ron and Hermione came over and looked at the object inside it. It was a reddish-brown... thing with arteries and blood running through it, although it was not beating.

"The Heart of Merlin!" said Hermione. "Wow."

"Merlin's beard!" said Ginny.

"Amazing!" said Ron.

"I think I'll use it in the morning. When everyone is awake." I said. "I'm going to bring Fred back first, for George. And I want to find Petunia and Dudley. Not Vernon. He won't appreciate seeing his siblings-in-law. Dudley would like his Uncle James and Aunt Lily, I think." I smile. "Now, when are we going to bed?" I ask. "I really need to have a shower. And shave. And get these cuts cleaned up, because, I think I broke the record for the bloodiest skin ever."

We all laugh. "Meet back here in thirty, then?" said Ron.

"Sure" said Hermione, who proceeded to kiss Ron and walk to her bag, pick it up and walk out of the room.

Ginny turned to me and kissed me. Not just... well, a small peck... but... I won't go into detail. Needless to say, Ron was disgusted by it and walked out of the room in a huff. "Now he's gone," I said after we'd broken apart, "I need to do something." I leaned over and put my hand in Ginny's hair, and kissed her. She kissed me back and ran her hand through my hair. I put my free hand on her back and pulled her closer to me. The blissfulness ended when Ron knocked at the door, which we had closed, and told us that he needed his shirt. 

Ginny got up, annoyed, and grabbed a random shirt from Ron's cupboard and threw it out the door, with a "There you go, sir!". I laughed. "You're amazing, you know that right?" I said to her.

"Of course I know that, you idiot. Known for years." Ginny said with a smirk.

"C'mere." I said quietly. She crashed her lips onto mine and we continued that for what would have been five minutes before we broke apart. 

"You know, it's been about ten minutes." I said, slightly out of breath.

"Yes. Your problem is?" she asked mockingly.

"My problem is," I said equally mockingly, "is don't you think Ron and Hermione are wondering where we are?"

"Possibly. Or maybe they are to indulged in each other to care." she said, laughing. 

"I love you, Ginny." 

"I love you too Harry."

I kissed her again, slightly, um, shorter, and, um, less passionate than the others. "We should probably go now."

"Ugh, fine." she said rolling her eyes mockingly, with a grin. She got off the bed, stopped by her room to get her stuff and went into the bathroom.

I got my bag and walked to the nearest unoccupied bathroom. There I looked at myself in the mirror for the first time in ages. I looked terrible. I had cuts and bruises along my arms, I had a gash on my cheek, and when I took my shirt off I noticed the new scar.

"Woah." I muttered. Another bloody lightning bolt. But this one... this one was different. It was bigger, and looked more deadly. I got into the shower and shaved. When I had put my clothes on, I went downstairs to Mrs Weasley.

"Mrs Weasley," I started, "I've got another lightning bolt scar." 

She looked at me tenderly. "Is it from the forest?" she asked. "Where is it?"

"Yeah, it's from the forest. And it's on my chest." I lifted up my shirt so that she could see it. It was quite hard to miss.

"Oh, dear. That is big." she said. "Well, another one for your collection." she said, smiling sadly.

"Yeah." I said, a grin coming on my face. "How many's that now? The first lightning bolt, Umbridge, Horcrux and second lightning bolt. And a lot of minor cuts and bruises from the battle."

She laughed. "Yes, you do have quite the dangerous life. Also, one more thing. Hermione and Ginny asked me if you and Hermione could swap rooms." I gulped. "I completely trust you. Arthur and I always did the same thing." she said, grinning.

"Ok, yeah, fine with me." I said. Then, on impulse, I hugged her. "Thanks. For everything you've done for me."

"No problems, Harry. Now, goodnight."

"Night Mrs Weasley." I said.

I ran upstairs to Ron's room. Amazingly, it had been 29 minutes and 49 seconds. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 30 minutes. Hermione burst into the room at exactly thirty minutes. "Wow. Were you planning that?" I asked.

"Possibly." she said smirking. Ginny came in within two minutes, and Ron was in before five.

"Well." said Hermione. "Bed?"

"Yeah," said Ron, "and I know about the deal with Mum." he said, smiling. "I'm fine with it." And with that, he kissed Hermione so passionately that it seemed as though Ginny and I weren't in the room. 

"Hello?" said Ginny.

Ron and Hermione broke apart, not hastily, and looked at each other, Ron's gaze slowly drifting downwards.

"Ok, we're leaving now." I said. I picked up my backpack and the Heart of Merlin and walked into Ginny's room.

It was only the second time I had been in there. The first time, I had been rather... preoccupied. I dumped my bag on the ground and sat on the bed.

Ginny sat down next to me. I put my arm around her and she leaned against me. "It's been a huge two days." I said, "I'm glad I'm with you."

"Me too. I still can't believe we got out alive. It's so surreal. I... Fred... he shouldn't have died." she said, on the verge of tears although determined not to show it. "He and George, well, they were always together. Inseparable. How twins... how twins should be. But now, he's gone. I mean, we can see him with the heart, but it's only for two months. Then he goes."

I looked at her. "Hey, that's life. Everything, everyone, it comes and goes. It has to. It's the Circle o-"

"Don't you dare sing the Lion King songs." she said. Then she laughed. Then she pulled me in and kissed me. "And don't you dare ever leave me." she said against my lips.

"I'm not going anywhere."

She pulled me down onto the bed, breaking apart from me. I brought the covers up to my chest and held her tight. "I love you" she said.

"I love you too. I always will."

Well, wasn't that really, really, really long... about 2250 words. Sorry bout that. Been watching too much Doctor Who, the really long episodes have caught on. I also have the words "Pink pajamas, penguins on the bottoms" stuck in my head. Thanks, BuzzFeed.

I hope you liked it! Sorry it hasn't come out yet, Term 4 just started at school, and we have an assessment already after 2 weeks. Joy!

Comment and vote and stuff!

Thanks for reading

~Prongs

*Edit 19-10-17*

Hahaha I didn't realise that I didn't reveal the big thingy happening at Hogwarts- next chapter, promise.

*Yet another edit 21-11-17* 

oh my lord that author's note is cringey. Anyway I thought I'd say it here - Term 4 ends in 2.5 days and I still have assessments/exams on. When the hols start I can dedicate a lot more time to this and my other fanfic. I also have another couple of fics planned - which includes a TheBakeey fanfic that I decided to do based on a comment on one of her vids.

Thanks!