"It's a miracle," Ron said after the silence had grown awkward enough for even him to recognise.
"Yeah," Harry agreed half heartedly, pulling away from Ginny to rub at his neck in a nervous gesture. Looking around once again at the carnage, Harry closed his eyes, exhaustion making him sway slightly on his feat.
"Oh. look at you," Molly spoke, once again pulling Harry into a hug, "you're exhausted; we're all exhausted. We should get out of here. There's nothing more to be done."
Nodding because he really wanted to leave this place, Harry barely noticed the walk to the gates or apparating away with the Weasleys.
In the days that followed after Harry returned to the Burrow with the Weasleys, Harry found it hard to reconnect. Bill and Fleur left the day after the battle, taking with them George who they felt needed time to try and come to terms with his grief. Harry, however, barely noticed their absence as he just wasn't there and with the amount of potions he was on from Mrs. Weasley to help him heal, he didn't mind.
"How are you feeling harry?" Ginny asked a few days later, sitting down next to Harry in the living room. He had been alone for most of the day, simply sitting and trying to gather his thoughts.
Shrugging Harry tried to smile at her, determined to not make her grief worse. "I'll be okay," he said finally, not wanting to lie.
Ginny bit her lip at that, drawing Harry's attention to her mouth. He had kissed those lips countless times, yet he had no desire to do so again. He thought it strange, as he had had every intention of getting back with her after the war.
Ginny, noticing his stare, smirked internally and slowly leaned forward, pushing her full chest against Harry's firm one and brought her lips to his. The kiss did nothing for Harry who was about to pull away in apology when they got interrupted.
"Well, it's about time!" Ron shouted as he entered the room.
"Ron!" Ginny squealed, snuggling up against Harry's chest in victory.
Harry, however, was lost in his daze. The kiss had shocked him; making him fully realise his feelings for her - the kiss had felt wrong, like kissing his sister or a friend.
"So you two finally back together, then?" Ron asked, sitting across from them with a massive smile.
"Of course," Ginny said, not waiting or asking Harry, who was about to explain that they weren't back together.
"Good, that's good, that's great even," Ron said.
"What's great?" asked Hermione who entered the room then, smiling as she saw the position Harry and Ginny were in.
"Oh, I see you two are back together now. That's perfect, just in time for school to reopen in September."
Harry, who had been lost in his thoughts, slowly blinked and was now focusing on the conversation around him. Finally he spoke up.
"School?" He asked. He wasn't returning to school; sure he regretted missing his last year but he couldn't sit in a school now, not after all he had been through. He would just take his NEWTs at the ministry when it was time.
Hermione, who was now sitting with Ron, turned to look at him. "What about school, Harry?"
"I'm not going back to school," Harry told them, surprised they thought he would want to return after everything.
"What?" screeched Ginny and Hermione simultaneously.
"But you must Harry!" Hermione added, trying to sound reasoning but coming across as pompous instead.
"Why?" Harry dully repeated. "After everything I've been through, I just can't 'Mione."
"What about me?!" Demanded Ginny.
"What about you?" Asked Harry incredulously, confused as to what she had to do with anything.
"You're just going to abandon me again, for an entire year?" She asked, trying to make her voice sound sad.
"What about your NEWTs, Harry? You can't expect to get a job and provide for Ginny if you don't have proper qualifications! You can't expect to get a job just because you defeated Voldemort. I thought you were better than that," Hermione said, sounding disappointed.
By this point Harry had had enough, pulling away from Ginny and standing. He looked around the room in anger and said, "I'm not going back to school and I don't expect anything like that Hermione. I thought you knew that, knew me."
"Oh Harry I'm sorry, it's just—"
"No!" Harry interrupted angrily, "I will take my NEWTs, but I'll do it alone, at the ministry."
Interrupting him again Hermione spoke, "But you can't expect to do well then either, Harry! I mean I'm not saying you would fail but—"
"Enough!" Harry finally shouted. "It's my decision, and I've made it. I'm not going back to Hogwarts in September. "
Ron who had remained silent, finally developed a look of understanding. "You're going to become an auror instead then, right mate?"
Harry just shook his head. "No, Ron. I don't think I even want to be an auror anymore." He was tired, and the thought of spending his entire life fighting just didn't appeal to him.
"But - that's what we've always dreamed about," Ron said, his face becoming red.
"I'm tired Ron, I just want to take some time to myself," Harry said, finally letting his voice calm and looked around the room, hoping they would understand.