Harry was really enjoying his new flat. Compared to the small dormitory he�d shared with five other wizards in America, his new home was practically palatial. He still needed to furnish the other rooms of course and the kitchen screamed out the word �bachelor!�, but other than that, he was quite happy with it.

He awoke late, due to the previous night�s festivities of wizard style drunken debauchery and took a long, hot shower. In his very own private shower. No one waiting to get in after him, no one banging on the door as he applied a layer of Hair Be Gone! shaving potion. It was all his. Who cared if he used up all the hot water?

Towel drying his hair and stumbling around for his glasses, Harry threw on a robe and decided to see if Hermione had remembered to unpack his teakettle. He was just managing to start a small flame under it when there was knock at the door.

Wondering who on earth it could be and if he really had used up all the hot water, he answered it with a guilty conscience. What he saw though, made his face break out into a wide grin.

�Remus!�

He pulled his old friend in and gave him a long hug.

�It�s good to see you Harry.�

Harry pulled away and then noticed that Lupin was holding something else that brought a smile to his face.

�Hedwig!�

The old owl hooted and fluffed her wings as Harry took the cage from Remus�s hands. Setting her cage on the table, Harry opened it and allowed the owl to jump onto his shoulder.

Lupin smiled as he closed the door after him.

�I think she knew you were back, she�s been causing a ruckus ever since Saturday.�

Harry petted her behind the back of her head, the way she liked it and she blinked up at him and made a small noise.

�I think that�s Hedwig-speak for where have you been?�

Harry laughed. �I think you�re right. Wow, I can�t believe how much I�ve missed this old bird.�

Lupin wandered into the kitchen and looked around. Noting the tea was about to boil, he conjured up two cups and poured them each one. Harry was still speaking to Hedwig.

�Well, this is our new home, Hedwig. Go find the place you�d like to roost.�

Harry watched as she took off from his shoulder and flew down the hallway into his bedroom. He had no doubt that she�d find some high space to look down on him from. It did his heart good to see her. He turned to face Lupin.

�Thank you for keeping her for me. I would have taken her but Fagan told me it was bad luck to take an owl overseas. Besides, I�m not sure how she would have liked America. Much too loud, probably.�

As though in answer, they heard Hedwig hoot loudly from the direction of Harry�s bedroom and the two men laughed. Harry joined Lupin at the table and shook his head.

�I thought you and Tonks were still in Bulgaria! When did you get back?�

�Late last night. I couldn�t resist, as soon as Ron owl�d and told me you were home already, I told Tonks that training could wait.�

�How is it going over there for you two? Experiencing any problems with the Bulgarian Ministry?�

�Only some. They seem keen on becoming closer friends with us, but as with everything, there�s opposition. Tonks is actually the one who�s flourishing, she�s really taken to teaching some of the younger wizards and has already helped spot a few who might be metamorphamagi. She�s in her element.�

Remus�s voice was full of warmth as he talked about their friend and Harry was reminded an old conversation he�d had with Ron before he�d left for America.

�And you two are... enjoying each other�s ah.. company?�

Lupin blinked at him in surprise. �Of course. Tonks and I have always enjoyed a good camaraderie.�

Harry nodded and took a sip of his tea. He really didn�t want to pry.

�Did she come home with you?�

�Yes, it�s actually a good time for us to come back. I don�t know if you know this, but Amelia Bones is thinking of stepping down from her office. Things are probably going to get a little crazy at the Ministry this next month or so. You may regret you came back.�

�Nah. I�m ready for anything.�

Remus raised his eyebrow. �Well, you certainly look it. What with your wet hair and... Harry, are those new glasses?�

Harry nodded. �On the advice of a friend, I reckoned it was time for some changes.�

�Was this a female friend?�

Harry blushed. �Well... yes, but... she was just a friend.�

Lupin nodded. �It wouldn�t have been the infamous Antonia Dearborn, by any chance, would it?�

�How do you know about Antonia? I never mentioned her by name-�

�Ah, where there�s a will, there�s a way, Harry. Actually, I believe Donald Fagan wrote Madam Bones once or twice, telling us that the girl had befriended you and that she was instrumental in helping you catch Draco.�

�Yes... she�s very... clever. She reminds me of Hermione, if you can imagine Hermione with long black hair and chewing gum and ripped out jeans. Antonia is very American.�

�So I hear. Did she actually trick Draco into believing she was his mother?�

�Yeah. She... she�s amazing at disguise. She taught me a thing or two, let me tell you.

When we walked into that cave to get Draco out, I had a hard time believing it wasn�t Narcissa Malfoy. And she did it all with just a spell or two. No extra help with a potion or full transformation. She�s fairly brilliant.�

�Ah... well. I�m glad you two became friends then.�

Remus looked around and noted the many empty bottles still sitting in the living room.

�I see George and Fred welcomed you home the proper way.�

�Yeah. And Ron and Seamus and Dean. I�m surprised I�m not hung over this morning. I�ve got a late meeting with Hestia Jones at the Ministry. I want to see if I can take a few weeks off before jumping into work again.�

�Oh?�

Harry blushed and ran his hand through his damp hair unconsciously.

�Yeah. There are... some things I�d like to get settled.�

�One of these things wouldn�t be about 5�4, red haired and brown-eyed, now would they?�

Harry shook his head. �Do I have a sign on me somewhere that has Ginny�s name on it? Honestly, why is it that everyone seems to know my business?�

Remus laughed. �Just the people that care about you, I assure you. Besides, you have that look.�

�I have a look?�

�Yes. That look that says you�ve come home for a reason. You look like a young man with a mission. I only know of two things that motivate men like that. One is revenge and I�m quite sure that�s not what you�re up to and the other is love. And that is something I do think you�re up to.�

Harry smiled unabashedly at his old friend, but then sobered. �The thing is Remus... I was sure about what I wanted when I got back. But now, after the party... I�m not so sure. Things are messier here, in the reality, than they were in the black and white of my mind. I can�t expect Ginny to want to be with me. She has Neville... and other... people in her life. What right do I have in thinking she�d want to give me another go?�

�Well, you�re speaking the truth Harry. You have no right in thinking Ginny wants anything to do with you.�

�Thanks for the pep talk.�

Remus laughed. �Don�t get me wrong, Harry. I think it�s great that you finally know what you want. Some people go their whole lives without realizing that. But you can�t expect Ginny to be happy about it or to even care about you. She�s had a nice life here, with Neville and her friends, and you�ve been gone a long time.�

�Too long?�

Remus considered it. �I�ve been gone this last year myself, true. But it seems to me as though Ginny herself has had some time to grow. She�s a young, confident person now. She has her career in front of her and she�s a very talented seer. She�s come a remarkable long way in a short time. That can really mature and change a person. You�ve had the similar experience yourself, in America. The question is, did the two of you grow apart or grow closer in your changes?�

Harry shook his head. He didn�t know. Ginny seemed different and yet still the same. She seemed more confident and flirtatious than he remembered, that was for sure. But she also seemed to have a sense of purpose and a new life that Harry wasn�t sure he even had a part in. Or even deserved a part in. But he smiled at his old friend.

�You know, I�ve really missed you Remus. Regardless of what happens with Ginny, I am glad I have such good friends in my life. It�s weird, you know... I�m sorry I ran away, because I�ve missed you and Ron and Hermione... and I probably hurt all of you a bit, but another part of me isn�t sorry because it let me find out some important things about myself. It�s a strange feeling.�

Lupin smiled and put his hand on Harry�s shoulder.

�It�s called growing up, Harry. And I think I can say with certainty that if your father were alive today, he�d be really proud of you. You�ve become your own person. And it�s a good thing to see.�

Harry nodded and the two got up and cleared away their teacups. Harry�s eyes glanced inadvertently to the photograph of his parents. He�d placed it on the wall only just last night. They were both waving at him and smiling. When he was younger, he�d often wished that he�d had one of them around to talk to. He had always thought his life was empty without them. He should have realized that they had left him with people like Remus and Sirius, Dumbledore and everyone else, and his world was all the more richer because of it. He didn�t feel emptiness now but hope that he was indeed the type of son they would be proud of. Even with all his mistakes and screw ups, he hoped they would know that he still tried to do the right thing.

He followed her. He followed her and he watched her. She was small, that was good. Small and dainty, easy to grab. She wouldn�t fight back too hard, not this one. It would be easy.

But maybe it was too easy? The man frowned as he took the special rope out of his robe. Maybe he should pick a subject more worth his time? He glanced uneasily at the people around him. Maybe one of them knew what he was about to do. Maybe they were watching him.

Stop it you fool. No one pays any attention to you. They have no idea how powerful you are.

Feeling the surge of self-confidence again, the man continued after his prey. Any moment now and she would duck into an alleyway to get out of the rain. It was fortunate that it had rained today. It gave him even more cover. It made it easy to sneak up on unsuspecting girls and.... ah

There. He watched as she stopped running and stood under one of the awnings that covered the distance between shops. He watched as she looked up and made a face at the rain. Watched the way the water hit her skin, leaving wet trails over her face as though she had been crying. Soon, perhaps she would be for real.

He moved slowly. He could hear his heart beating in his chest, feel the excitement flare through his body. He was close, he could tell. He felt nothing except his own senses, not the rain, not the burn of the rope as he slid it through his fingers.

His eyes opened wide as she turned to look at him. Too late. Before the girl could scream, before she could react, she was down and the rope worked its way over her, slithering like the snake that it was. He watched as her head lolled, her eyes rolling back into her head. The poison worked fast. Using his wand, he whispered the slightest of incantations and the girl was beside him, moving and he was leading her away from the crowd and the safety of her world.

Oh yes, he would have fun with this one.

He would have a lot of fun.