The war is over. It’s finally officially over. The death eaters are gathered up and the wounded have been healed and the dead have been buried. The aftermath has begun. It’s the time to gather evidence and start processes for trials.
But for Harry and his friends it is finally time, to be young, be the teenagers they weren’t and only a handful of them got to be. Not Hermione who lost her parents. Not Ron who lost his brother, not Harry. None of them got to be teenagers. But they can learn how to from Seamus and Dean who did have a blissful first four and a half years at max.
So when Hermione hesitantly suggested that they go to a concert of her favourite band, Harry jumped at the idea. He’s never been to a concert before and he absolutely really fucking wants to. He’s found a new appreciation for music, it drowns out the silence as it is, so Harry loves that part. And it makes you feel so much. Even if you’ve never really been in love, he can feel what it’s like to feel your heart break, and for someone to be entirely yours.
So they, he, Ron and Hermione, go off to the concert of the Foo Fighters. Hermione is excited and loving it already before they’re even there, and Ron looks at her like she hung the moon. Harry grins, happy.
Harry loved it, the band was wild and energetic and the three of them danced with great fun. Sometimes people joined them in dancing and Hermione looked beautiful in the lights. Ron definitely seemed to think so.
She grinned at the both of them, and Harry grinned back, screaming to the lyrics that he knew as well. Harry signalled that he wanted a drink, and Ron nodded, “I’ll get them!” he screams, “Mia, love, you want?” Hermione nods, jumping around. Harry and she danced together. Watching the stage.
“Oi!” he hears someone calls, “get off,” Hermione cries out, and Harry turns to see some bloke plastered behind Hermione. Harry frowns.
“She said get off,” Harry growls out.
The man looks at him, “mind your business, this is my girlfriend.” He grabs Hermione’s hair and pulls her head to the side. Hermione struggles, but he’s much bigger then her, and he’s got her in a very tight grip.
Harry sees red at that, “like hell you are,” he growls out, wrenching Hermione out of his grip. He should leave it at that, maybe kick the man a little, but Harry is too angry. That’s his best friend he was touching, who he was acting like it was his girlfriend. Like that would have even made it okay.
He pulls his arm back, his hand curled in a tight fist, stomping the man just blow his ribs. The man jolts back, wheezing lightly, and Harry keeps going. Throwing punches.
His magic is seething and eager to join in. The man fights back, and Harry punches and punches and punches. That was his best friend. His Hermione. No one else’s. No one could touch her like that.
“You. Disgusting. Pig,” Harry growls, he’s on top of him now.
“HARRY STOP!” Hermione screams and Harry growls, until there’s a hand on his shoulder and he nearly punches them too, until he sees freckles and thick scars on the arm. Ron.
Harry seethes, pulling back. He’s breathing. “I think that’s enough mate,” Ron says softly, pulling him off. Harry goes, sends a kick to him. “Mate,” Ron says warningly. Harry scowls. “You need to pull it in,” Ron whispers tightly, “your magic,” he says when Harry scowls. “Now Harry.” Ron orders.
Harry closes his eyes, inhales and exhales tightly, before he carefully slowly pulls his magic back inside him. The man gasps for air. Oh. Had he-.
He’s turned away from the man, and Hermione is standing there with her arms around her waist. “Harry,” she whispers.
Harry carefully walks closer to her, “I’m sorry,” he whispers, “I- he was-“
Hermione accepts the hug he offers, “I’m okay,” she whispers. Harry feels his shoulders relax at that. “You scared me,” she whispers.
“I didn’t mean to,” he whisper. He’d just meant to pull Hermione away, protect her. To keep her safe. He just wanted to keep his family safe. His friends. The people he loves. “I’m sorry, I lost control.”
“You can say that again mate,” Ron drawls, and he looks around. “Look we should go before the muggle aurors come.” Hermione nods, and Harry feels bad that he ruined their night. He just, he couldn’t let anyone touch Hermione like that ever again. She’s been through enough. Bellatrix and the war and that year in the tent alone. He looks at her, beautiful and looking up at him.
“I’m sorry,” he says again, “for ruining the night.”
“It’s okay Harry,” she whispers, and she takes his hand in his. Harry blushes, peeking towards Ron. He’s definitely seen it but instead of a jealous scowl there’s a small smile on his face. Harry sighs softly, okay, good. “Let’s go.”
He only notices his knuckles are split open when they’re back in their home, in the kitchen, with cups of tea. Hermione in a soft jumper that Harry would swear belongs to him. “Oh Harry,” Hermione sighs, taking his hand in her own hands, “you’re hurt.”
“It’s fine,” he says, but Hermione tuts.
“Ron get me a bowl with water and that cloth will you?” she asks over her shoulder and soon enough she busies herself with cleaning Harry’s hand. “You need to be careful Harry,” she whispers, “you’ve been-“
“Dangerous,” Ron finishes when Hermione falls silent.
Harry looks away, cringing. He knows. He’s been different. He knows he’s broken and defunct. It’s why Ginny broke up with him. He’s been careful though, he thought he hadn’t shown them.
“It’s not that we’re scared,” Hermione says, her wand trailing over his knuckles, “you’d never hurt us,” she says easily, “but you could hurt someone else one day. Permanently.”
Ron nods behind her, watching him with a soft smile on his face. “Or you could just accidentally out magic,” he adds. Harry winches, he’d kind of gone wild with his magic when he’d gotten too drunk last week. Luckily it had ended in flowers sprouting everywhere, and they’d been at Luna’s place, so naturally Luna had loved it. But still.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, “I’m still, still recalibrating,” he says softly. Not just to the war being over, to no longer needing to protect his friends from everything. But also from their new dynamic. Hermione and Ron now together. And Harry on the sidelines.
“Harry,” Hermione says softly and she places a hand on his, “you’re not going to loose us,” she says, her brown eyes locked with his. “We are not leaving.”
“Oh,” Harry says. Like an idiot. It’s not like he thought they would leave him entirely, just, find a place for the two of them, get, get on to living their relationship. While Harry remained in limbo with his feelings and while he stayed lost.
“Bloody hell mate, you really think we were going to leave you?” Ron asks.
“I, well yeah?” Harry says softly, “I mean, you two are now, two, you know. And I’m just there. And I know you’d never really leave, not after everything. But, but you’re going to start a life together, soon. I know that.” He looks up, “and that’s okay,” he says quickly, even though he absolutely hates it with his entire being.
Hermione and Ron share a look. Hermione lifts an eyebrow, clearly telling Ron that she’d told him so, Harry’s been on the receiving end of that eyebrow lift. And Ron rolls his eyes, a clear, I know. She urges Ron to speak, and Ron makes a face, earning a soft laugh, before he turns to Harry.
Oh god, here it comes.
“We’ve actually talked about that,” Ron says, “about us, the two of us, you know. I, we love each other, obviously.” Harry snorts, they love each other quite loudly sometimes. Hermione’s cheeks flush. “But, well, we’ve also,” he pauses, makes a face, “bloody hell, Mia, can’t you do this?”
“No,” she laughs.
Harry feels dread in his stomach. “We’ve figure that there’s something missing in our relationship. Mostly someone,” Ron says, and he looks so awkward. “You’re missing, Harry,” he says slowly, “we- both of us,” he mutters something.
“What?” Harry asks, his stomach squirming. Do they, is this? “I don’t understand,” he says slowly.
“Oh, Jesus,” Hermione sighs, “Ron and I love each other, but it’s no the same without you. We love you, we hope you love us too. It’s always been us, Harry, the three of us,” she says, “being together doesn’t feel right without you. So,” she sighs, “what Ron is trying to ask, is do you want to go on a date, the three of us.”
Harry gapes and the cups in the kitchen rattle as his magic can’t contain the excitement. Both Hermione and Ron laugh. “We’ll take that as a yes,” Hermione says with a wide grin. “Good,” she sighs, “now you can stop pulling back.”
Harry blushes, he knew he was doing it, in preparation of his inevitable lonely life as he pined for his two best friends. “You, you’re sure?” he asks softly, looking at Ron now. He knows Hermione is, she wouldn’t tell him otherwise.
Ron shrugs with a flush on his cheeks, “course mate,” he says softly. Harry beams, a cupboard gives a rattling sound.
“Sorry,” he blushes. Hermione laughs, and carefully comes around the kitchen island.
“It’s fine, Harry,” she murmurs, and Harry is surprised to find her climbing onto his lap. He blinks, checks on Ron, who is just leaning against the counter with a smile. “Now are you going to explode something, if I kiss you?”
“Probably,” Harry breathes out. Hermione laughs and does it anyway. There’s a shattering sound and Ron laughs loudly and Harry pulls Hermione close. When they part he nearly feels like his eyes are alight. Ron laughs softly.
“I don’t think we’ll be moving from that soon,” he says, opening the cupboard, “still some salvageable plates.” He turns to Harry, a hesitant look in his eyes, “care to see if you turn those to dust too?” he asks, tone light but Harry can see he’s prepared for a rejection. He knows Ron to well.
“I can assure you they will, but I’ll buy new ones,” Harry says eagerly. Ron relaxes and carefully moves forward. Harry was right, even the short, careful kiss the two of them share turns them to dust.
“I thought they were boring anyway,” Ron murmurs against his lips, “now we can buy fun plates.”
Harry blushes, smiling shyly, “though maybe keep them cheap, for future breakage,” he says hesitantly.
Hermione laughs, “oh definitely,” Hermione says, “at least it’ll be good practice to keep your magic under control too,” she says musingly. Ron laughs, shaking his head. And Hermoine blushes. “What?”
“Nothing,” Ron says grinning, “just love you.” Hermione blushes even more, hiding her face in Harry’s chest and Ron grins at him happily. “I think it’s time we go to bed,” he says when they both yawn.
Harry’s grin falls, right. His bed. Cold lonely bed. He follows his two best friends, the people he now gets to kiss. “You coming or what?” Ron asks, when Harry keeps walking past their door. “I mean you can of course sleep alone,” he says quickly, “or you can join us.”
Harry grins, a picture gives a shiver. Harry blushes when Ron chuckles, and eagerly steps into their room. Just like before. The three of them, together. Hermione lies between them, and Harry curls around her. He sighs pleased, and lets his magic blanket them protectively. Hermione and Ron’s magic gently intertwining with his. This, this is all he needs.