Springfic: "A Day After the Life" for icarusinwax

[springmod]

Title: A Day After the Life
Author: dragyn_42
Recipient: icarusinwax
Character(s): Harry, Luna, Ginny, Draco, Kingsley, others
Rating: PG
Warnings (highlight to view): none
Wordcount: ~4100 words
Summary: Life continues after the destruction of the Final Battle, but that doesn’t mean everything is easy.
Author's Notes: I hope you’re not too upset about my backdrop of Ginny and Harry’s relationship, but it was the only way I could find to get the story going given what came to me with your prompts of post-DH and Harry’s adjustment, the Wizarding world’s rebuilding, and the day to day affairs of the characters. It only plays mostly in the background to the story, and most of the story is, I feel, a good look at the characters Harry interacts with in course. I hope you enjoy what came together.



“Harry! Wait a moment!”

“What?!” Harry snapped before he even stopped to figure out who was speaking. He spun around angrily, using his self-control to not pull his wand - the Ministry guards frowned upon that anywhere in the building, but especially in the lobby. He was pretty sure even his own notoriety wouldn’t get him out of that.

Just feet from one of the public fireplaces, he saw Kingsley making his way across the lobby, neatly ignoring all the various officials trying to get his attention.

“Sorry, Kingsley,” muttered Harry as the acting Minister got within non-yelling distance.

“I understand, Harry. I do. When was the last time you saw Ginny?”

Harry glared at Kingsley. “Well, considering you and every other bureaucrat in this place seem to forget that Hogwarts has a curfew, and if Dawlish finds another Hogsmeade Saturday to discover a problem that can’t wait...” Harry huffed in frustration. “Seven weeks. It’s been seven weeks since I’ve seen her, and I believe that is far longer than what you promised.”

“Harry! Why haven’t you said anything?”

“You’re the bloody Minister, you have other things to worry about than my personal life!”

“I made you a deal Harry. You work with us instead of going back to Hogwarts, you get into the Aurors without your N.E.W.T.s and you get to spend time with your girlfriend, and in return, you help us sort out this mess. Your name means a lot. If anyone in the Ministry, myself included, is not upholding the deal, you need to let me know.”

Taking a deep sigh, Harry fell back against the wall.

“You were going there now?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded.

“Alright, go. And I don’t want to see you back here until noon tomorrow. Take some time to relax. Have a lie in. Whatever.”

“Thanks, Kingsley.”

Harry turned back to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of the glittery, green Floo Powder when he heard yet another familiar voice cry out, “Potter! Potter, wait!”

“Go, Harry. I’ll speak with Dawlish,” said Kingsley.

Without waiting, Harry threw the powder into the fireplace, stepped into the green flames, cried out, “Hogsmeade!” and disappeared in a swirl amidst the shouting and arguing.

He was belched out onto the floor of the Three Broomsticks and only just managed to keep his footing.

“Ah, finally deemed to grace us with your presence, have you?” came the teasing greeting.

“Hardly,” griped Harry.

“Then I take it you finally escaped,” said Madam Rosmerta, flicking her wand at him with a wry grin on her face. The soot fell off Harry onto the hearth rug. “You have a very irate girl up there waiting for you.”

“Tell me about it,” he grumbled.

“She puts on a good face, but I spend my days watching people.”

“Thanks, Ma-”

“Harry...” she warned.

“Rosie. Thanks, Rosie.”

The proprietress handed Harry a cold bottle. “Drink up, take a breath, then get up there to your girl.”

Harry sat in a rickety, wooden chair at the closest table, a little, round four seater. He took a long pull from the bottle of Butterbeer and attempted to let the stress of the Ministry fade away. He didn’t want to get up to Ginny stressed out after such a long time apart - it wouldn’t be fair to her - but he couldn’t relax for the wanting to get up to her.

Looking at his bottle, still half full, his anxiousness was interrupted by Rosmerta once more. “It’s okay, Harry. Another time. Just go.”

He looked at her, an apology on his lips, but at her glare, set the bottle on the table and hurried out the door.

During his time at Hogwarts, the path from the village to the school always seemed too short. They were back in school and the scholastic grind all too quickly. But now it seemed to take forever. He could make out the lanterns at the ground’s gates, which were wide open and welcoming. It was a definite contrast from the school when he'd showed up for the Final Battle.

Finally crossing the boundary, he saw the great doors of the entrance open, two people, one tall, one shorter, backlit in the doorway. As he got closer, he was able to determine the severe hair of the now Headmistress McGonagall, and what appeared to be the blond, lanky form of Draco Malfoy.

“Professor,” greeted Harry as he ascended the stone steps.

“Mr. Potter, how wonderful to see you here,” the headmistress returned. “I assume you have finally pulled yourself away from your important duties at the Ministry to visit your Ms. Weasley?”

There was an uncomplimentary cough from Draco, and when Harry turned to glare, there was a characteristic smirk on his old rival’s face.

“Mr. Malfoy,” admonished Professor McGonagall. “Given the current situation, I would recommend you remember you place and not antagonize everyone you come across.”

“Sorry, Headmistress.”

“What are you even doing here, Malfoy?”

The conciliatory arrogance disappeared from Malfoy's face and he refused to even look at Harry. “None of your business, Potter,” he grumped.

“Don’t worry about it, Mr. Potter,” said McGonagall. “Between his probation until his trial tomorrow, and... You know of the threats?”

“Dawlish has me doing some work with Montenegro. I’m more familiar with the student body than he is.”

“Yes, well then. All of the recipients are to be escorted at all times. Mr. Malfoy has been receiving extracurricular lessons to fill some gaps in his studies...”

“Professor, Potter doesn’t need to know this.”

“On the contrary, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter is working on the case. As he is also supposed to be here a fair amount of time,” she paused to look significantly at Harry who shrugged darkly at her, “He is to act as a liaison.”

“Fine, whatever,” grumbled Malfoy.

“But given the time, and the fact that this is your first visit in... what? One and a half months? You are not here to talk shop.”

“No, Professor.”

“She’s either in the library or in the tower. You remember your password?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. Have a good evening, Mr. Potter. Do try and see me before you leave.”

Harry nodded and turned down the hall toward the steps to the library. He got there and looked through the doorway. His goal was sitting, her back to him, noticeable immediately by her red hair. At the table, across from her, was Luna, who saw him over Ginny’s shoulder and gave him a vague smile.

Ginny’s hair whipped as her head snapped around, her eyes finding and locking onto his nearly instantly. She broke contact to find Madam Pince; the librarian would have no problem banning a student from the library for giving even the appearance of causing a ruckus, and since this was Ginny’s N.E.W.T. year, that really wasn’t an option.

Finding the librarian clearing books from an otherwise unoccupied table nearby, Ginny calmly packed up her books, leaving those not checked out on the table for Luna to deal with, and walked sedately out of the library to Harry. Once clear of the quiet, austere room, she dropped her bag, threw her hands around Harry and kissed him full out.

“What took you so long?!”

The loud hiss wasn’t undeserved. Harry was upset at everyone for not letting him away. He was upset at himself for not getting away. They had agreed that nothing would keep them apart when they got back together. It was the only condition that he took Kingsley up on his offer - he would be allowed to see Ginny despite the curfews and restrictions of the school and Ministry.

“No, it’s okay.” Her anger seemed to have passed. “I can figure what it’s been like there. There were nights, growing up, that Dad didn’t come home until late at night, if not the following morning, for months at a time. And there was no rebuilding back then.”

“I’m sorry, Ginny.”

“It’s okay, really. Hermione has had me put the time to good use studying. I can use it,” she finished wryly.

Harry pulled Ginny in closer to him on the sofa in front of the fireplace. He was allowed into the Gryffindor tower both with the Headmistress’ approval, and as the Ministry student liaison which allowed him access to all four common rooms. Although the latter was only to be used on official business.

“I should have made it my business to get out of there,” Harry sighed.

“Yes, you should have. But I understand, I really do. Just relax for now, Harry.” She snuggled back into him and murmured, “And don’t take so long next time.”

Harry was awoken by Ginny shaking his shoulder, still lying next to him on the sofa. “C’mon, Harry. We need to get up if we want breakfast.”

“Don’t wanna,” he mumbled.

“Yes, well, as much as I like being here with you - finally - I would like food. I still have homework to do later.”

“Fine, fine,” he grumbled, sitting up with his girlfriend, the pair kissing one last time before she made her way up to the girl’s dorm’s bathroom and he did the same on the guys' side.

Breakfast had been as good as he remembered - Kreacher was wonderful, but he couldn’t compare to a whole army of House Elves. The rest of the morning, relaxing out of doors by the lake with Ginny had been just what he needed. Seeing her again had allowed the stresses of his daily work to fade away.

As promised, after Ginny went off to the library to do her homework and continue studying, Harry made his way to the Headmistress’ office. At his password, the gargoyle sprang aside and allowed him access.

He entered and was not surprised to see Draco sitting across from Professor McGonagall. When Kingsley told Harry not to be in until noon, it wasn’t to give Harry that much time off. If Harry had to guess, Kingsley would probably have given Harry the whole day off, if not more. Unfortunately, this afternoon the members of the Malfoy family would be facing the Wizengamot and Harry would be expected to testify, both as an original witness, and as a Ministry employee dealing with the cleanup.

“Mr. Potter, I’m glad you could stop by. I have a favor to ask of you.” Harry didn’t say anything, but looked at her askance, curious as to what favor she would ask with Draco of all people present. “You know we have not found the source of the threats to these students. It is quite possible in my mind that some of the Aurors may be less than sympathetic to their safety. I would appreciate it if you accompanied Draco as an additional escort.”

Harry didn’t need to look over to know Draco was scowling. It wasn’t the first thing that Harry wanted either.

“I told Luna I’d take her in and stay with her as long as I could.”

“I can handle myself, thank you,” announced Draco snidely.

“You will not have your wand, Mr. Malfoy.”

Harry frowned as he looked back and forth between Draco, his wand on Professor McGonagall’s desk, and the headmistress herself. And as quickly as that, all his relaxation from the previous evening began to fade away. Releasing a huge sigh, he said, “Let me talk to Luna. I’m going to leave the decision with her.”

“Pfft,” was Draco’s response. “She’s one of the witnesses against us.”

“Mr. Malfoy, be quiet. Mr. Potter, Luna should be in the Ravenclaw dorms right now. She was to leave in an hour.”

Harry made his way to the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower and used his password to get in. He found Luna sitting on a blue sofa, staring aimlessly into the fireplace, rocking herself slightly.

“Luna? Are you okay?” Harry asked as he approached her, placing a hand onto her shoulder.

Her rocking stopped, but she didn’t look at him. “I chased away every creature I know of, but something is still around, making me relive their basement, over and over again.” Harry sat next to her and placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “It’s usually only at night, but the past few days...”

“Luna, it’s going to get better, you’ll see. I’ll be there for you, today. Ginny, Hermione and the others will be here at Hogwarts for you. You’re not alone. You don’t have to fight it alone.”

“You’ve been having the dreams, too.” It wasn’t a question.

“I’ve always had them, Luna. My mother, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore. Heck, even you and Ginny fighting Bellatrix. Some nights are worse than others. But Ginny always makes me feel better. And if I can’t get to her, I talk to Mrs. Weasley, or Andromeda. Even Kingsley has helped a time or two.”

“Can I talk to you?”

“Luna, you can always talk to me. It’s what friends do for each other, right? You always talked with me when I had troubles here at Hogwarts.”

Luna looked up and smiled brightly at him, even as she sniffed and tears still trickled down her face. “You knew I was helping you?”

“Of course I knew you were helping me. I didn’t always figure it out until later, but what do you expect from a teenage boy.”

“You still are a teenage boy.”

“So I am.”

Harry flicked his wand and conjured a handkerchief for his friend. Just for her, it was purple with red stripes and green polka dots. She smiled even more brightly at the cloth and used it to wipe her face.

“Do you want to talk now, Luna?” he asked when she had finished composing herself.

She handed the kerchief back to him, but he simply shook his head. “I think I should get ready to go. But maybe later?”

“Whenever you want, Luna. But in that case, can I ask a favor?”

“Someone wants you to do something else?”

“Am I that transparent?”

“Probably not, but it’s all Ginny complains about.”

Harry sighed. He really needed to stop letting everyone at the Ministry keep him away from Ginny. “Unfortunately, yes. Professor McGonagall has asked me to take care of something before the trials. Hopefully I won’t be needed after them, though.”

“I think I’ll want to talk after them.”

“Then I will make sure I’m the one to bring you back,” declared Harry.

“Ginny will like that,” said Luna. It wasn’t the response Harry was expected, but it was Luna and he should have known better. “Go see the Headmistress.”

“Thanks, Luna.”

“Thank you, Harry Potter.”

The Ministry lobby was bustling. Visitors were practically pushing their way through the checkpoints; the trials were of huge interest to everyone. Harry and the Aurors let Draco in through a gate on the side, a lone guard flicking detection spells at each of the entrants while three other guards stood ready, wands drawn. Security was a huge concern throughout this process.

As they neared the famed Courtroom 10, the Aurors escorted Draco into a secured meeting room off of a side hallways. Two of the Aurors placed themselves outside while two more waited inside with Harry and Draco.

“You don’t need to be here, Potter. I don’t need more minders, and especially not you,” sneered Draco.

Harry had taken several looks at the Aurors throughout the trip. While they appeared to be fulfilling their duties to the letter of their orders, there was an apathy about them that led Harry to believe Professor McGonagall’s worries might not have been unfounded. It was probably only luck that no one had actually tried to attack Draco.

“Just stuff it, Malfoy. I’m not in the mood. I’m doing a favor for the headmistress. A favor, mind you, that has taken me away from a friend. The very same friend who was imprisoned in your basement. So spare me your attitude, try to at least act like a Slytherin by not pissing off the people who are trying to help you and take the assistance with some damn grace.”

Harry threw himself into one of the functional, wooden chairs at the meeting table across from the blond. The Aurors, to their credit, didn’t show much of a response one way or the other at Harry’s outburst.

“You’re right, you know,” mumbled Draco.

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve never acted much the Slytherin. I was too stuck on my father and his power rather than try to garner power and position myself.”

Harry looked away from Draco, not knowing, or even really caring, what to say to that. It was most definitely the truth and it was nothing he didn’t already know.

“You’re probably more of a Slytherin than I am.”

That statement shocked Harry. “What are you on about, Draco?”

“You managed to subvert the entire school against Umbridge. You very sneakily created a group by giving them what they wanted and used them to rebel not only against Umbridge, but against the Death Eaters, and even the Dark Lord himself. A very Slytherin plan.”

“That wasn’t my plan, Malfoy. I, and those who agreed with me, simply fought against what we thought was wrong. Probably the most fundamentally Gryffindor thing I ever did.”

Harry glanced across the table at Draco to see the characteristic sneer upon the boy’s face, but also a very calculating look in his eyes.

“It was more than that, Potter. Do you know why I hate you?”

“You mean other than the fact that my mother was a Mudblood, my friends are Blood Traitors, and I defeated your vaunted Dark Lord more times than I care to count?”

“Because you didn’t want to be my friend.”

Harry looked incredulously at the Slytherin. “Excuse me? That’s a stupid reason. There are dozens of students at school I’m not friends with and they don’t hate me for it... I don’t think.”

“It’s so easy to forget that the Great Harry Potter didn’t grow up a wizard and doesn’t know the simplest of things. Children in our society grow up with your story. Girls play with your dolls and pretend to get married to you, and boys all befriend the great hero and fight their enemies at your side.

“I was no different, despite the fact that my parent’s political leanings were counter to, well... yours. However, there was still the possibility that when you came back, you would join us and ‘cleanse’ the world. I wanted to be your friend and help you do that.”

Harry simply stared at Draco. The thought that a little Draco wanted to be his friend, and together they would follow the senior Malfoy’s footsteps was a bit repulsive.

“Instead, you turned me down. Even back then, you built your circle of supporters, and I wasn’t one of them.”

“Friends, not supporters. And you were, and still are, an arrogant bully. I hated bullies. Voldemort was nothing but a bully.”

Draco nodded. “Yes, but to an eleven year old boy who apparently didn’t learn his father’s lessons well enough concerning the politic way of dealing with those who didn’t agree with you, I saw your refusal as a declaration of war. You embarrassed me and trampled on my childhood dreams of purity at your side.”

“That’s repugnant.”

Draco shrugged. “You saved my life.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“I owe you for that.”

“I want as little to do with you as possible, Draco.”

“Then I’ll fill that debt now. I won’t be your enemy anymore.”

Harry sniffed, wondering when he would be called to the courtroom. He was set to testify before Luna, and he really wanted to be in the gallery for her. His current conversation was less than exciting, and he wasn’t sure if he could stand any more of Draco’s attitudes without throttling the boy himself.

“I doubt we’ll ever be friends, Potter. That’s long behind me. But I won’t actively work against you.”

“You expect me to believe you no longer believe in Blood Purity or that the old Pureblood houses should be in charge?”

“Of course I do. I’ve learned there are exceptions, but I still believe in strength of blood and tradition. But, as I know I’m right, I will work within the system you and yours lay out. I’ll be proven right. But I won’t outright work against you. Consider my debt paid.”

Harry met Draco’s gaze. The ponce actually believed what he was saying. After everything that had happened, he still believed all the Pureblood nonsense. But Harry couldn’t be naïve enough to ignore Draco. His family’s power was greatly diminished, but depending on the outcome of these trials, he could be a threat in the future. Draco had already proven his dangerousness throughout the years: the dragon, the D.A., the plot against Dumbledore...

Reaching out, he grabbed Draco’s proffered hand and shook. Just then, a knock came at the door and one of the Aurors called through, “You’re up, Potter!”

“I’m not going to say good luck,” said Harry.

“I understand,” said Draco.

The trials had been somewhat cathartic for Harry. Having interacted with the Malfoy’s as long as he had, he pretty much retold his entire history at school between the three trials. As he said to Luna, talking about it helped. That didn’t make them any less draining.

Lucius was sent to Azkaban. There were the arguments that it was for the protection of his family and that by the time he wanted out he was in too deep, but the counter arguments that his influence and money could have ended much of the fiasco before it started if that was truly the case had everyone believing that it was too little, too late.

Narcissa avoided Azkaban under the same laws that gave wizards the decision making powers under the law. That she had helped Harry at the end was probably the fine hair that tilted the decision in her favor. But her ability to perform magic was to be strictly monitored, and the Malfoy fortune was drastically decreased by fines and reparations.

As most of what Draco had done he did while under age, he too avoided prison. But he was on probation until he turned twenty one.

After the trials, Kingsley caught up with Harry and, noticing the strain that the three trials had put on him, told him to take the following day off. Dawlish came up to them during their conversation, but one look from the Minister and he quickly backed away. Apparently, during the day, a break had been made in the case of the threats against the students. Draco wasn’t going to be back at the school tonight as he worked with the Aurors on the investigation, and Dawlish had been chomping at the bit all day to get Harry’s help in sorting through some of the leads.

“Don’t worry about it, Harry,” said Kingsley. “Go relax.”

Harry found Luna staring at a wall in the hallway leading away from the courtroom. “Everything okay, Luna?”

“You were right. Talking helped.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” he agreed.

“You did more talking than I did. Did it help more?”

“I don’t know about talking more helping more, but I think letting more people know about what happened helped.”

Luna began wandering down the hallway, back towards the Atrium. “Do you want to find someplace to talk, Luna? I can take you anywhere you want before we head back to Hogwarts.”

“Talking to more people helped?”

“It did for me.”

“I want to talk to my friends.”

Harry smiled and guided Luna back through the Auror checkpoint - the main checkpoints were once again backed up with everyone leaving after the trials. The lines for the Floo System were absurdly long, so Harry took her to the Apparition point and took her Side-Along back to the entrance of Hogwarts.

Upon entering the school, the pair found Ginny, Neville, Lavender and Hermione talking, apparently waiting for them. Ginny ran over and hugged Harry and then Luna in succession. The rest also made their way over to give their greetings.

After a quick recounting of the trials, Ginny grabbed Harry and started to pull him away.

“Actually, um, Ginny?”

She turned to him and gave him a dark look.

“Luna wants to talk.” At Ginny’s look of confusion, he said, “She wants to talk... To her friends... About what happened.”

Instantly, Ginny’s expression was replaced with an understanding smile. She reached over and grabbed Luna’s arm with her free hand, saying, “Come on,” to everyone standing there and led them off to find some privacy.

Life was slowly coming back together, and with his friends, Harry thought they might even make something better out of it all.