Open Your Eyes Chapter Fifteen
Title: Open Your Eyes (15/?)
Author: Cristofle (Liz)
Characters: Harry/Hermione primarily. Harry, Hermione, and Ron will appear significantly, but this is ensemble friendly, including just about everyone. The Weasley family, Kingsley, Angelina Johnson, Teddy Lupin, Neville, Luna, the Patil twins, and Dean will definitely appear in more than passing appearances.
Summary: "So many people love you, Harry." Harry’s 21st birthday has arrived. Along with a surprise party from Ron and Hermione, he receives a gift from a very unexpected source and comes to a realization. Elsewhere, Gabriel begins to come out of the woodwork at last.
Spoilers: Heavy and specific spoilers all the way through 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'. Also beginning in Chapter 13, spoilers for ‘The Tales of Beedle the Bard’.
Disclaimer: If I owned anything, would I REALLY have written that DH epilogue? I own nothing, JKR owns everything, please don't sue.
Author’s Note: This is maybe the longest chapter so far. Just one thing: all the WE LOVE HARRY anvils in this chapter? There are reasons for them, I’m not just fangirling;)
His footsteps sounded oddly loud against the earth in the quiet of the morning. The sun splashed against the gates of the church as he walked up.
Harry didn’t come to the graveyard very often, despite being so close to it, and he rarely saw the monument to his family in the town square. He’d spent too much time surrounded by death to allow himself to dwell on it. Still, there were certain times- certain days- he felt the need to go visit his parents.
His birthday was one of those times.
As had become the norm for these visits, he had two roses as he walked through the graveyard. One, he put on the grave of Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore, running his hand over the stone as he went by it. The other, he put in front of his mother’s name as he slowly knelt in front his parents’ grave.
“Hi, Mum,” he whispered. “Hi, Dad.” He sadly traced the words that had become familiar to him. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. “It’s my birthday today.”
Harry focused on the dates carved into the stone and winced. He’d known this was coming, knew it would be hard to face he was now the same age his parents had been when they died, forever frozen at twenty-one. He was just starting his career. He was just barely finding his place in the world after the fall of Voldemort.
He was still on the tumble of falling in love.
Despite all that, his parents’ lives had ended forever at this age, sacrificed for the son who now knelt over them. “I wish you were here,” he murmured quietly. “I can’t help it. I know you’d be here if you could, and I know you gave up everything so I could be here today, could have my 21st birthday.” He bit down hard in the inside of his mouth as he felt the hot tears sting his eyes. In spite of all he had, in spite of all the people he loved who loved him back, it was still almost unbearably painful to sit here without his parents, who had never gotten the chance to grow any older than he was now.
“I thought I might find you here.”
Harry found he wasn’t altogether surprised at the sound of Hermione’s voice. He turned around and mustered up a faint smile for her. She looked beautiful, framed against the sun and the trees. She looked gloriously, wonderfully alive in contrast to the cold stone in front of him. “Am I late for our meeting?” he asked. She’d asked if they could meet at her house to go over some notes before he had to be at the Burrow- she hadn’t mentioned coming with him, but he was choosing to assume it was a given. The alternative of spending yet another birthday torn between her and Ron even though they were getting along now was unacceptable and more than mildly annoying.
“No, no.” She ran her fingers through his hair as she walked up, kneeling to put down her own flowers. “I just had a feeling where you might be, and I didn’t want you to be alone.” She looked at him uncertainly. “Was this a bad idea, did you want to be alone? Because-”
“No, no,” Harry interrupted her, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together, gently tugging her down. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Hermione briefly touched James’ name, then Lily’s. “I just thought I’d come down as well, leave some flowers.” She rested her head against his shoulders. “I wanted to thank them today, on your birthday. I wanted to thank them that I get to celebrate my best friend’s 21st birthday with him.”
Unspeakably touched, Harry had to swallow hard before answering. “I think they’d like that,” he said huskily. “I think they’d like that a lot. Thank you.”
Although it was never easy to come here, it was even harder to leave, to stand up and know on some level, he was leaving his parents behind in the ground. He found it was easier with Hermione beside him and he was suddenly desperately grateful she’d come, as they stood up after quietly kneeling for a long while and walked from the graveyard together. They didn’t speak as they made their way back to his house; Harry didn’t voice his thoughts until he’d shut the door behind them.
“You knew, didn’t you?” he said quietly. “That sometimes, on days like these, part of me feels I should be sitting there all day.”
Hermione tried to smile, but her eyes were full of tears as she turned to face him. “I had a feeling, at any rate.” She touched his arm. “They wouldn’t want that Harry, you know that.”
“I know. I know.” Harry dragged his hand through his black hair. “It’s hard to find that balance though, you know? They died so I could live, not sit in front of a tombstone all day long. But still…they died so I could live,” he repeated, his voice shaking just slightly.
It was instinctive for Hermione to move into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. “I can never imagine what it must feel like to be in your shoes,” she whispered softly. “For them to have loved you SO much and not be here with you to celebrate on days like today. It seems so unfair. The only thing I do know is what it’s like to love you, and as someone who loves you I don’t want to think of you sitting alone in a graveyard on your birthday.”
Harry’s heart had felt a not-unpleasant tug at the mention of love, and he tightened his arms around her. “Then I guess I’m lucky I have someone like you, aren’t I?” He sighed. “It’s just…hard, this one is. And I know the next one…” he swallowed hard; he couldn’t think about officially outliving his parents. “Anyway, that’s for another day. This is today.” He stepped back, but only slightly, still holding onto her. “It’s my birthday today.”
“That it is,” she agreed wryly.
A flash of mischief streaked through him, even as he was still filled with gratitude that she had come to find him and the warmth that had filled him as she’d talked about loving him. Just this moment, it felt like nothing- no one- better could exist. “Then don’t I get my birthday kiss?” he murmured before lowering his head.
Hermione had so very few defenses up against Harry period- she’d never had many before recent months, she’d rarely felt the need to hide from her best friend- and all of them had melted on this morning as she’d shared his grief. Despite everything that was still so uncertain in this space between them, it didn’t occur to her to even try to turn away.
How, after all the times they’d sworn “it wasn’t like that” between them, could this possibly feel so right?
She stood on her toes, tangling her fingers in his hair as their tongues melded together and he pressed her against him. It wasn’t until he backed her into a wall that it hit them both how heated it was getting and she finally pulled away, breathing heavily. “Was that satisfactory?” she questioned, surprising even herself when she sounded flirtatious and Harry grinned in response.
“Do I even have to answer?”
Hermione hid a smile and glanced at her watch. “We really should go,” she said hastily. As it was good for Teddy to get all his energy out earlier but Kingsley would be by late, with all other guests coming at various times in between, she and Ron had planned a day-long celebration and everyone was just about to start expecting him. “Get a move on those files I have,” she added, hiding a smile when he looked slightly impatient. “You’re a big boy now, Harry. You can work a bit on your birthday.”
“You have no idea,” he grumbled. “My birthday used to be the day I had to mow the lawn and do all the ironing.” Still, he followed her out and took her hand as they Disapparated, instantly appearing on her own doorstep.
“It won’t take that long,” she was saying as she opened the door.
“SURPRISE!”
Harry jumped back, genuinely stunned as a large pile of red hair seemed to flock to him, led by a tiny ball of turquoise that hit him at the knees.
“Alright, I lied,” Hermione teased, laughing at the expression on his face.
It was Teddy that had hit him first, squealing some version of ‘Happy Birthday’ into his torso as he hugged his godfather tightly. Ron led the pack of Weasleys, a huge grin spreading across his face as he clapped Harry on the back.
“You never even considered she and I were planning something?” he teased. “Happy Birthday, mate.”
Harry felt incredibly thick now that he focused on it- Hermione had so pointedly not mentioned being at the Burrow- but he truly hadn’t. He was overwhelmed at the sudden realization that Ron and Hermione had planned this together for him, and indescribably touched. Even as he had one hand on Teddy, he reached out with the other arm to embrace Ron, feeling Hermione come up behind him and slip an arm around his waist.
“Thank you,” he said, too overwhelmed to be sarcastic in return to what Ron had said. For a second- just a brief moment- it was the three of them in that knot, surrounding his godson, and nothing could have felt more right than the two people who mattered most to him grouping around him.
The spell was broken quickly by Molly, who hugged him as tightly as she could, then Arthur and George, then Bill and Fleur- he hugged Fleur gently, who was glowing as Bill seemed to radiate happiness- then Neville, Luna, Dean, and Demelza.
“Hagrid is coming,” Hermione explained over the ruckus. “So is Andromeda, she dropped Teddy off but had to run a few errands before returning. Seamus, Kingsley, Percy, Charlie, and Angelina should be by in time for dinner.”
“Is there…enough room?” Harry asked, still stunned, as he looked around the small cottage. Hermione smiled wryly.
“I have tables set up out back,” she explained. “We’re going to do half the presents for Teddy- you know how he loves wrapping paper- and half so everyone at dinner can see you unwrap some.”
Molly patted his face, smiling mistily at the shell shock. “So many people love you, Harry,” she said softly. She seemed happier than she’d been in ages, and he knew it impacted her nearly as much as him that Ron and Hermione had planned this together.
Harry found his throat was too tight to answer and simply hugged her again before moving into the crowd.
“We have crepes!” Teddy chimed, clinging to him as he moved around his friends. “We watch movie! Then presents.”
Harry raised his brows at Hermione, who was trying not to laugh. “You cheated,” he teased. “You told me you planned this party.”
“We’re never afraid to rip off of a three year old,” Ron shrugged unrepentantly before picking Teddy up and swinging him over his head, making him squeal.
“We do have crepes, Master Harry,” Kreacher’s deep croak sounded from the kitchen doorway.
“Brilliant,” Harry smiled down at his elf, making his way over to him.
“Kreacher also got Master Harry a present for his birthday,” Kreacher announced before bustling back into the kitchen.
“Just warms your heart, doesn’t it?” Ron commented from behind him. “And to think he once gave you a package full of maggots.”
Harry wouldn’t have said as much to Ron, but the day WAS warming his heart. The group gathered there thus far ate crepes while they watched Finding Nemo- Teddy loved movies and Mr. Weasley was utterly fascinated by Hermione’s television and DVD player. At one point he poked it with his wand and sparks came shooting out, making everyone jump- Hermione hastily fixed it. Ron and George kept up a running, somewhat disbelieving commentary as Dean just shook his head and Luna made the occasional oddball comment such as how Dory was a bit like how she imagined Wrackspurts looked to the only creature that could see them- the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Harry couldn’t have imagined a better way to watch a movie.
Mrs. Weasley had made a small cake for the first round of present-opening- he was to open Teddy’s, Kreacher’s, Neville’s, and Dean and Luna’s gifts first, then everyone else’s after Teddy had been taken home by Andromeda and everyone else arrived. Around 1 pm found Harry sitting at the head of Hermione’s kitchen table while Hermione sat beside him with Teddy in her lap as he opened the first round of presents. He’d already put on the hat that Kreacher had knit for him, making Kreacher’s voice even deeper than usual as he bowed and thanked Harry. Dean and Luna had gotten him a large box of various sweets from a sweet shop they’d visited in a small wizard town in France- Dean swore it was even better than Honeydukes. Harry suspected the normalcy of the gift was Dean’s doing, as Luna had included a handwritten pamphlet on the dangers of creatures named Kradgemikes. From the exasperated look on Hermione’s face, he was fairly certain they did not exist.
Teddy’s gift was one of his own drawings. “Quidd-itch!” Teddy explained cheerfully, pointing at a figure Harry could only definitively tell was dark-haired and in the air. “Uncle Harry. Catch Snitch.” He pointed at a dot of yellow. Harry had only just started taking Teddy to Quidditch games, and he had deciphered from Ron that Harry, when he played, was the one who caught his favorite ball, the tiny gold Snitch.
Harry smiled affectionately, seeing such a perfect mixture of Tonks and Remus in their son at that moment. “It’s perfect,” he told his godson. “The best present.” He reached over and ruffled Teddy’s now-brick red hair as Hermione smiled just a little weepily and clasped him tighter to her chest.
Over at the counter, Dean observed the moment.
“Crop this image and you’ve got a right pretty little family, don’t you?” a low voice Dean deciphered as George’s murmured in his ear. Dean jumped and instinctively glanced around the room. “Don’t worry, Ron’s not paying attention,” George said quietly- sure enough, Ron was over in the other corner of the room, holding Demelza’s hand and playing with her fingers.
Dean smiled faintly. “You noticed, too?”
“I think everyone has but my dearest brother at this lovely picture, check out my mom.” George discreetly gestured- sure enough, Molly was looking back and forth between the obviously affectionate Ron and Demelza to Hermione, who hadn’t appeared to notice as she only had eyes for Harry while he opened his gifts. She looked startled and confused. “They’re getting less and less discreet with each passing day,” George continued in an undertone.
“What do you think?” Dean whispered back.
George shrugged. “I think I love Harry, I love Hermione, I want them to be happy, I think they could make each other happy, and I don’t think I want to be around when my brother finds out.” Dean smiled despite himself at the absolutely succinct summary of the situation.
“You don’t think Ron is still in love with Hermione.” It wasn’t a question.
“Oh, no. No, he’s not,” George shrugged. “They were kids, they’ve grown up. He’s gone for Demelza now. I’d think of the whole thing differently if he were, but I don’t think Harry would have even let it get this far if it were on the other hand. It’s just that Ron has always- probably a bit stupidly- been convinced that they both prefer the other one to him.”
“I know.” Dean continued to watch the little group at the table. “Something’s changed,” he murmured. “From the last time I saw them, even though it wasn’t that long ago.”
“They’re snogging.”
Dean blinked. “You’ve seen them?”
George shrugged again. “No, but they’re more aware of each other, aware that the other knows full well what’s going on. They’re snogging,” he repeated. “Anyway, cake?”
Harry hadn’t caught his friends watching him, nor did he notice how Molly was looking at him before she had time to rearrange her expression. Neville had given him a book on international Quidditch and he was laughing as Teddy watched the pictures in open-mouthed wonder when the doorbell rang. Hermione stood with Teddy on her hip and went to answer it, Harry at her heels as he expected likely Hagrid.
Hermione almost dropped Teddy when she opened the door to find her parents on the other side.
“Hello,” her father began a bit awkwardly. “We were just in the neighborhood…” he trailed off as her mother stared openly at Teddy when his hair turned from red to bright green. He coughed loudly and his gaze traveled further back into the house, no doubt taking in Harry and other guests Hermione could hear trickling in behind them.
Hermione had felt a hard, half-painful and half-joyful tug inside at the sight of her parents voluntarily on her doorstep that had temporarily robbed her of speech. She swallowed hard and found her voice. “Come in, come in,” she encouraged, and as she stepped back Harry quickly took Teddy from her and set him down, nudging him in the direction of Ron, who was now closest to them and looking wary. “It’s Harry’s birthday,” Hermione went on explaining to his parents as they warily made their way in. “Ron and I put together a bit of a party for him.”
“Hello, Harry,” Dr. Granger tried to smile at Harry, although it was a bit forced. “Happy Birthday.” He looked nervously around at the odd assortment of guests. They’d met all the Weasleys and Harry several times and Neville, Dean, and Demelza didn’t look particularly striking, but Luna was an experience even for those in those in the wizarding world and her mother still seemed slightly stunned by Teddy, who was now changing the shape of his nose. Hermione looked at the floor. Her parents had never been frightened by the wizarding world beforehand, but their abrupt placement into Australia with new identities and no memory of their real life seemed to have given them a clear message that witches and wizards could be both very powerful and very dangerous. They hadn’t been gathered together with any of her friends since.
Her mother forcibly cleared her through. “We didn’t mean to interrupt, we can leave, come back another time.” Hermione had to work not to wince as it seemed obvious from her tone that she was hoping that was the case.
“No bother,” Harry said calmly. “You’re more than welcome to stay.” Turning around, Hermione found his intense gaze locked on her parents, as if more silently ordering than offering for them to say. For the first time, Hermione saw what he must have worked to keep hidden from her- a flicker of the rage she’d once seen directed at Remus when he considered abandoning Tonks while she was pregnant.
Mr. Weasley very pointedly cleared his throat. “Yes, yes, of course! The more, the merrier,” he said loudly, overly cheerful particularly given the only two people who weren’t blatantly staring at the Grangers were Teddy, whose hair had shifted yet again to a brilliant blue, and Luna, who was looking up at the ceiling in a way Hermione now knew meant she believed Wrackspurts were up there. Turning back around, she found her father’s gaze directed in the same way and fought an absurd urge to laugh.
“Yes, we have plenty of food,” she confirmed, hating herself that she sounded just a bit desperate.
“We do indeed,” a deep voice croaked, and Hermione closed her eyes just briefly in mortification as her mother’s eyes went from wide to huge when Kreacher appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. “There is plenty of room for Miss Hermione’s guests,” he intoned, bowing deeply.
“Thanks, Kreacher,” Hermione nearly whispered. There was another knock on the door and before Hermione even had time to brace herself, Hagrid had come bursting in cheerfully, nearly knocking over her little table near the door.
“Where’s Harry, eh?- oh.” Hagrid drew up short at the sight of Hermione’s parents. Her father had actually jumped back at his sheer massive size and her mother looked about ready to faint. “Hullo,” he said awkwardly. “Er, don’t believe we’ve met. Rubeus Hagrid’s the name.” He held out a hand for her mother to shake, who looked like she had no intention of placing her palm in the hand of a man who seemed likely to break it.
“Actually, we really must go, we didn’t have time to stay long,” she said hastily. “We’ll talk soon, dear.” With a hasty kiss on Hermione’s cheek, who stood stone still, she’d grabbed her husband’s arm and headed back out.
Harry immediately moved to go after them.
“No,” Hermione said shortly, grabbing his arm. Something had snapped at her mother being so blatantly rude. She’d been so incredibly like Harry’s Muggle relatives towards Hagrid, who she’d adored for so long, who didn’t have a mean bone in his body. She refused to be embarrassed by her friends just so she could please her parents- her parents were the ones who’d behaved in an embarrassing manner. “If they can’t accept my friends, they shouldn’t be here.”
“Not without hearing from me,” Harry snapped back, moving out of her grasp and heading outside. “Hey!” he called to Hermione’s parents, who turned around, startled.
“Harry…” Dr. Granger awkwardly began.
“No,” Harry said forcefully, rendering him silent. “You’re going to listen to me. This needs to stop. Hermione was protecting you, with what she did. You’re so upset she sent you to Australia? Well, if she hadn’t, you’d probably be dead. You know, the same way my parents are.” They both flinched. “You know where Hermione found me this morning?” Harry plowed on, stepping closer to them. “She found me at my parents’ graves. Not ten miles that way.” He pointed in the general direction of his town. “My parents were murdered by Voldemort when I was a baby, and ever since she’s known me Hermione has watched what that’s done to me. She wanted to protect you from the same thing happening, and maybe you don’t like how she did it but I’d wager to guess that you’d rather it be the way it was than the both of you being tortured and murdered because your daughter was brave enough to stand on the front lines of our war.” Harry’s voice was shaking now. “It’s been years now, since the war, since what she did. Get over it.”
“Well, now-” Hermione’s mother began, sounding offended.
“No.” Harry’s voice sounded like the cracking of a whip, with the force behind it. “My parents would give anything to be here with me today, to celebrate my birthday. But they can’t. You can see your daughter any time you like, and you’re wasting that time. And you have no idea what you’re wasting, how incredible she is. You have no idea what she sacrificed to make sure others didn’t grow up the way we did in this world, in constant fear.”
“He’s right.” The voice behind Harry for some reason didn’t startle him; for some reason, it seemed entirely natural that Ron stepped up to stand beside him, looking defiant. “You’re all upset because you got sent to Australia without your knowledge? Well, we were hiding in the woods and our family members were being murdered left and right. That little boy you were just gawping at, that’s Harry’s godson, and his parents are dead. My brother is dead. Hermione was just trying, we were ALL just trying, to keep more families from going through things like that. And yeah, she waited awhile before coming to find you, but she was SCARED to, because of how she thought you might react. Can’t imagine why, looking at you now,” Ron added sarcastically.
Ron’s adamant defense had steadied Harry; warmth for his best friend had flooded out a little of the blinding rage he’d felt building. “If you really find us all so appalling, then go,” Harry said quietly. “But it’s your loss, if you keep throwing away your relationship with your daughter.”
Dr. Granger seemed to deflate somewhat, briefly running a hand over his face. “I do hear what you’re saying,” he said quietly to Harry. “And I know what you must think of us. It’s likely not entirely unwarranted. But we aren’t awful people, and we do love our daughter.” His eyes went to Hermione, standing alone a bit behind Ron and Harry. “We do love you,” he said, more gently. “We’ve just…struggled to get used to this. I’m not sure we ever fully understood, we saw you so rarely…”
“I know,” Hermione said softly, hugging herself.
Her father deliberately walked back up to her, followed by her mother. “This is still…a bit much for us just right now. But I’m sorry we were rude, and we’ll come back soon.” He kissed her cheek and her mother reached out to brush her hand against Hermione’s fingers. Her father looked behind her once more, and stepped a couple more steps forward. “It was nice to meet you, Hagrid,” he said firmly, holding out his hand for Hagrid to shake. Looking around, Hermione saw Hagrid shake it with comic carefulness and had the wonderful urge to laugh. Still, she remained quiet as she watched her parents go, then her gaze fell on Harry and Ron.
She didn’t think she could put it into words.
She wasn’t sure she’d ever express the way it had felt, how much it had meant, to see them standing united in her defense after she’d felt alone for so long. She opened her mouth to speak and found she couldn’t, and instead rushed forward to hug them both fiercely, jolting them together.
“Thank you,” she whispered, feeling a tear slip down her face. “Thank you so much.”
Ron blushed bright red. “Only said what was obvious,” he said awkwardly, but hugged her back gently before easing free. Harry, on the other hand, stayed briefly in the embrace, hugging her back tightly. He wasn’t blushing when he pulled away just enough to look at her; his eyes were still just as intense.
“You came to find me this morning,” he said softly. “It was the least I could do.”
Ron coughed and clapped his hands. “Well, then! Back to the party?” he said loudly.
Harry rolled his eyes and turned to his friend, but Hermione laughed. “Yes. Yes, absolutely. Back to the party,” she answered, cheerful now as she walked with her two oldest friends back into the birthday party.
The rest of the afternoon went fairly smoothly. Andromeda arrived as they were just going back into the house, in time for the smaller cake- Harry noticed her giving a couple furtive glances when she thought he wasn’t paying attention, but he couldn’t focus on it. Seamus arrived early, and after about an hour of catching up and chatting while Teddy obliterated the wrapping paper at his feet, Harry glanced at the clock.
“I think it’s time for you to go home with your grandma,” Harry told Teddy, kneeling down in front of him.
Teddy’s lower lip jutted out. “No,” he said stubbornly.
Harry’s lips twitched. “Teddy,” he said firmly, swallowing the smile he felt coming on. “A lot of people worked hard so this could be a fun day for you. You watched a movie, you watched me open presents, you got cake.”
“Teddy wants stay!” Teddy said stubbornly- recently, he’d taken a great fondness to following Kreacher’s lead and saying his name in the third person. “Teddy wants Charlie. Teddy wants King.” Teddy adored Kingsley. “More presents.”
Harry lifted his head and raised his brows at Andromeda, silently asking her if it was a possibility. She just shrugged and smiled wearily. “You’re not being polite,” Harry responded to Teddy, lowering his gaze to his godson again. “If you want to stay with the grown-ups, you have to be polite.”
Teddy noticeably straightened his back. “Please, Uncle Harry? Can I please stay?” he asked meekly, none of the belligerence that had been there a mere second before appearing. Harry heard a laugh hastily covered in a cough that was distinctly Ron from behind him and a murmured “Nice” from George.
Harry couldn’t keep himself from smiling now. “Alright. You can stay a little while longer,” he agreed, patting Teddy on the head who gave him a blinding smile in return.
“He can stay here,” Hermione was saying softly to Andromeda. “I’ll put him to bed, do a charm so he can’t hear all the noise.”
Andromeda touched her arm. “Thank you, Hermione.” She looked at Harry. “Harry, can I have a moment alone?” she asked hesitantly, and Harry was reminded of the strange looks she’d been giving him.
“Of course,” he said promptly, but exchanged looks with Ron and Hermione as he made his way across the room to follow her. He noticed George was helping Teddy enchant the wrapping paper pieces so they swirled in the air before he turned down a hall with Andromeda. “What’s going on?” he asked curiously.
Andromeda took a somewhat bracing breath. “Well, I’ve already given you my present, but…” she looked at the ground for a moment. “It’s been…difficult for me. To go through Dora’s and Ted’s things. I know, I know it’s been more than three years, but…”
Harry reached out to touch her arm comfortingly, feeling his own throat tighten. “It’s alright,” he said softly. “I know- I understand.”
Andromeda nodded, swallowing hard. “Well, I had just put most of it in the attic, hadn’t looked at it in ages, and just a few days ago I started going through some boxes. There are some of Remus’s things mixed in-”
“They should stay stored for Teddy,” Harry cut across her hastily, thinking she was about to offer the lot to him. “For when he wants to know about his father.” It was his turn to swallow hard. “It meant…a lot to me, when I was growing up. The things I learned about my parents, the pictures I had.”
Andromeda nodded, looking almost unbearably sad. “Thank you; I know that will mean a great deal to him as he gets older,” she said softly. “But there was one thing in particular…one small box…that was addressed to you.” She removed a small box, indeed looking a bit battered as so many of Lupin’s things had, with a small note attached addressed to Harry in Lupin’s handwriting. Harry felt his heart tug painfully as he stared at it. “I think he probably meant for you to have this a long while ago,” Andromeda almost whispered. “I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to find it.”
Harry shook his head absently, still fixated on the box. “It’s…it’s alright.” Slowly, he reached out and took it with nerveless fingers, cradling it to his chest as if it were something precious.
“I hope this didn’t put a damper on your birthday,” Andromeda said softly. “I just thought…whatever it is…maybe he’d like for you to have it today.”
“You didn’t put a damper on anything,” Harry heard himself tell Andromeda, even though his voice sounded to himself as if it were coming from a long way away. “Thank you, Andromeda.”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing.” Startling him somewhat out of his stupor, she reached up to kiss his cheek. “Happy Birthday, Harry. You’re a wonderful godfather- I’m so thankful for you. Teddy is so fortunate.”
Harry felt his throat tighten. “Thank you,” he repeated, his voice husky, focusing on Andromeda now. She smiled briefly, then went to find Teddy to kiss him good-bye. She’d barely left the hallway when Ron and Hermione appeared. He silently motioned them both into the guest bedroom.
“It’s from Remus,” Harry said without preamble, showing them the box. “Andromeda found it among their things.”
Hermione drew in her breath sharply, staring as if dumbstruck at the handwriting on the note attached to the box. Ron’s eyes widened.
“Well, she took her sweet time with that,” he protested.
Harry shook his head. “She only just found it, she’s had trouble going through their things. That’s not important.”
Hermione didn’t appear to be listening to either of them; instead, she slowly reached out to detach the note. Unfolding it, her voice trembling slightly, she began to read aloud.
“Harry, I hope to give these to you myself after the war ends. I know, I can feel, that you will emerge victorious as Dumbledore has said you will. Still, nothing can be taken for granted. I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me to see you grow up these past four years, how much it has meant to me to see James’ son grow into so much more than any of us could have dared hope for. In particular, you forced me to take a look at my own life, and what I was doing to my wife and child. I am so grateful as I sit here tonight, watching my son sleep, knowing it is thanks to you. So I want to give you something in return, and make sure I have these put away just in case something happens to me. As I watch my own son, I think about how you’ve had so little of James to hold onto. It seems so unfair, so cruel. I remember how upset you were after what you saw in Severus’s memory. The last thing I want is for that to be the clearest image in your mind of your father. I leave these with you in the hopes they will bring you more understanding as well as some comfort. I hope I can explain them to you myself but if I cannot, know that your father was the best friend I ever had and know how very much he loved you. Know how much of him I see in you even today. I will be fortunate to have a son anything like you, and I am content knowing that you are his godfather. All my love, Remus.”
Hermione’s voice had cracked and broke periodically while reading the letter; she’d had to pause to swallow tears back several times. Harry had hardly heard her do it. Her voice had almost faded out at one point, as he heard in his mind Remus saying the words. He knew what the box was going to be full of before he opened it. Sure enough, when he slowly lifted the lid, it was full of dozens of tiny vials, each containing silvery strands of what Harry knew to be memories.
He held an entire box of memories of his parents- of Sirius, of Remus- in his hands.
“Blimey, Harry,” Ron murmured as he peered into the box, looking awed.
Part of Harry wasn’t sure he’d ever longed for anything so much in his life as he craved to delve into the precious memories he held in his hands. His heart was pounding, desperately desiring to see whatever Remus had left him of his parents, and of himself. Every inch of him ached at the indescribably thoughtful gift and the knowledge that he would never get to thank him for it, never explain to Remus how much he had meant to him. He suddenly wanted to see Remus Lupin again so badly, he hurt with it.
Then he looked up.
Hermione still seemed transfixed by the note. Tears were coursing silently down her cheeks as she stared down at the handwriting. Quietly, he put the box down on the little dresser beside the bed and moved to her. “C’mon,” he said softly, gently taking the note from her. “We have time for this later. You planned a brilliant party for me; everyone is probably wondering where we are.”
Hermione looked up, only dimly hearing him, locking her tearful gaze on his. “Remus,” she whispered, still crying.
“Hey.” Harry touched her cheek. “Remember what I told you when we went to Hogwarts? The advice Dumbledore gave me?”
Hermione took a deep breath, delving back into her memory. “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live,” she quoted, her voice becoming steadier with each word. “You’re right. Of course you’re right.” She took another bracing gulp of air, then took out her wand and flicked it over her own face. The tears vanished as if they’d never been there. She smiled despite herself as Harry raised his brows, impressed. “Just because I don’t normally do glamour spells doesn’t mean I don’t know how to,” she said wryly.
Harry smiled slightly. “Don’t think I’ve yet come across a spell you can’t master.”
Hermione hugged him, just held on for a brief moment, needing to steady herself. He hugged her back, burying his face in her hair. “Okay,” she sighed, finally stepping back. “We should get back.”
“Hey.” Ron unexpectedly caught Harry’s arm. “Could we talk for a minute?” he asked a little awkwardly.
Hermione exchanged surprises glances with Harry, but she didn’t ask any questions. “I’ll just go out and see how dinner’s doing,” she tried to smile, exchanging another look with Harry before leaving.
“What’s going on?” Harry asked.
Ron shrugged, shoving his hands in his jeans. “I just…when Hermione and I were planning this, we got to talking about when we broke up.” He stared at the floor. “I didn’t know you’d never told her…what I said to you that night.”
Through the emotional upheaval of the day, it took Harry a moment to remember what he was talking about. “Oh,” he said, vaguely surprised. “Well, no…why would I?”
“Because I was the world’s biggest prat?” Ron countered, his eyes still locked on the floor.
Harry’s lips twitched. “I dunno about that. I wouldn’t put you on the level with Malfoy. Zacharias, maybe…”
Ron let out a sound that was half-huff, half-laugh. “I reckon I deserved that.” He looked up at last. “I told her I was sorry…for how I acted back then. And I just…I wanted to say it to you, too. You know you’re my brother. Just as much as George or Charlie or Bill…maybe even more than, in a way. And I know I was still acting like a prat afterwards, and you ended up having to have separate parties last year and all…”
Harry’s throat had tightened for what seemed like the millionth time that day- he was starting to feel like a girl. “Ron.” He put his hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “I know. I know all of it. And you’re…the best brother. Separate parties and all,” he tried to joke. “Thank you,” he added a little more seriously.
Ron nodded, looking thoroughly relieved that this had gone so easily, so quickly. “Right. I just wanted to say that.” He went to head for the door, then paused. “Hey,” he said suddenly, turning back around. “What you said to Hermione’s parents, and then Lupin’s letter…I was thinking…maybe the next time you go to…y’know, their graves, I could come.” He looked at the floor again. “And maybe we could go to see Fred together sometime,” he all but whispered.
Harry closed his eyes briefly, then simply nodded. “Whenever you like,” he said quietly. Ron nodded back before leaving.
Harry stood in the room for almost a full minute after he’d left before he was able to bring himself to leave.
Lupin’s box of memories ended up eclipsing even the loud and enthusiastic gift opening that occurred after Percy, Charlie, Angelina, and finally Kingsley showed up, although he had to leave afterwards with a plate and a slice of cake after swinging Teddy in the air- Kingsley rarely had more than a half-hour of free time per day. This time, it was a former Unspeakable named Simon Banner who Kingsley was trying to track down. Percy had looked more than mildly envious that the Minister of Magic was a personal guest at Harry’s birthday party. He’d had numerous thoughtful gifts- Ron and Bill had joined in to get House Cup tickets, held in Italy this year nearly a month and a half later than the usual date due to several games that had gone on for days and required players to take time off to rest. . Professor McGonagall had also sent in a subscription to Transfiguration Today along with a note about how pleased she’d been to hear how well he was doing in Transfiguration in his Auror training. Something had for some reason clicked in him early in his training- he now found it one of his better subjects. George had put together a truly spectacular package of new products from his store, not set to be put on sale for another month.
Despite all this, his mind strayed to the box in Hermione’s guest room.
It wasn’t until Harry opened Hermione’s gift that he jolted out of his stupor. She had Summoned it in from another room; it was surprisingly large when Harry went to tear the wrapping off. For a moment after he did, he just stared, overwhelmed. It was a clock- but not just any clock. After watching him stare at it for years, she had made a clock similar to the Weasleys, but with him, herself, Ron, Teddy, George, Molly , Arthur, Neville, Hagrid, and Luna on it instead, along with slightly different settings around the clock.
“Do you like it?”Hermione asked anxiously from behind him. In answer, he simply turned around and swept her into a hug. Over her shoulder, he noticed Hagrid becoming so choked up at being included on the clock that he buried his face in a handkerchief and hurried outside. He couldn’t help but laugh, still swept in the warm feelings of the clock. He knew the deeper meaning behind it- he loved that clock because it indicated family, and she was showing him he had one.
Still, even as the wonderful warmth seemed to fill every corner of his being, he felt his mind wander.
Hermione this morning. Molly telling him how much everyone loved him. Andromeda talking about how wonderful he was as a godfather. Remus’s note. Ron’s apology.
Over and over, the recollections swirled in his mind.
After a loud dinner party outside followed by cake, Harry found Hermione in a quiet corner of the yard. “The clock is amazing,” he said softly. “It’s perfect, thank you. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift.”
Hermione smiled and blushed a little. “If there was someone else you wanted on the clock…I just figured we hardly ever see Charlie as it is, no idea what he gets up to in Romania…and Percy’s always at work,” she tried to joke.
Harry shook his head. “It’s exactly right, just the way it is.” He leaned his head against the wall of her house. “It’s just…all day long, I’ve had people telling me how great I am. You, Molly, Andromeda, Remus…Ron.”
“You are,” Hermione protested.
“I’m lying to my best friend, Hermione.” Harry stared out sightlessly at the yard. “It doesn’t matter that it’s not a verbal lie- I’m doing it all the same. I’m being a coward, despite all the people who think so highly of me. It has to stop.” He looked down at her. “I have to tell him.”
Hermione nodded, just nodded as it was her turn to look away. “I know. Today…I just knew.” She brushed her fingers, ever so lightly, against his. “He loves you. I don’t think that could ever change. I know there’s some…male code you feel like you’re violating, but he loves you, and you love him, and he knows that.”
Harry caught her hand. “You will never stop being my best friend. Not ever. No matter what. And I’m not sure we could stop what’s happening between us even if he demands it. I’m not saying everything between us revolves around him. He just…he has to know.”
“Harry,” Hermione said quietly. “I know.”
Harry looked at her intently, then nodded. “Yeah, I know you do.” He squeezed her hand before releasing it. “We should put Teddy to bed.”
Hermione took Teddy to her guest room, put him in pajamas Harry had Summoned from his own house and was reading him his favorite Beedle tale, Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump, when Harry looked in on them.
“Babbitty hopped out of the grounds and far away,” Hermione was reading in a soft voice as Teddy faded off. “And ever after, a golden statue of the washerwoman stood upon the tree stump, and no witch or wizard was ever persecuted in the kingdom again.” She looked up as she finished the now-familiar story, smiling softly at Harry as she cradled Teddy to her chest. Harry felt it all the way into his bones, how beautiful she looked curled up with his godson. He smiled back, trying to put all the things he couldn’t say into that smile.
I love you. You have to know that I love you.
Ron wandered in the room, freezing as he somehow felt a kind of…charge in it. Slowly, his eyes went back and forth between Harry and Hermione, both of whom barely seemed to notice he was there. He took in how they were looking at each other.
And he knew.
Even as Harry registered his presence and coughed somewhat awkwardly, clapping him on the back before going over to kiss his godson’s head good-night, even as Hermione made a show of carefully putting away the book, even as the scene before him transferred from the indescribable to the mundane, he knew.
What he had always thought might happen, what they’d sworn never would…it was happening.
Simon Banner was running as if his life depended on it.
Which tonight, it did.
I have to get across the property. I must get beyond the gate. He’d remained hidden in the years since the war with He Who Must Not Be Named on the property of an old and powerful warlock. Many spells and enchantments existed on the place- however, it included one against Apparation. He ran as fast as he could, tree branches hitting him across the face, cutting into him. He did not notice. He had to escape.
But the one pursuing him was so much faster…
He had been weakened, weakened by the hours of torture, dazed by the enormity of what he’d revealed to this shadowy figure who’d appeared so suddenly and so viciously. He’d escaped in a moment of weakeness that had come along with triumph for the man, and now he had to run.
The footsteps behind him were closer, ever closer. He zagged through trees, trying to move, trying not to be a straight target.
Then for a moment, it all went quiet.
It was a reflex to pause himself.
Had he escaped? Was he now free?
Breathing heavily, Simon turned to continue- and froze as the figure stepped out in front of him from behind the trees.
He knew there was no hope, no point in begging. Still, he stumbled back on instinct.
It was the last step Simon Banner ever took. His last sight before the rushing green light wiped the life from him was of remarkable pale eyes.
The man named Gabriel stood over the now lifeless body, triumphant. His suspicions had been confirmed. His way in had been discovered. His plan was so much closer to complete.
But not tonight.
Tonight was for a message. Tonight was so they would know, including the one they called The Boy Who Lived, the one who hunted him as he’d once hunted the Dark Lord.
He was going to bring them all to their knees.
Harry caught up with Ron outside of the guest room. “Hey, can we talk for a minute?” he asked quietly.
Ron’s hard stare startled him. “Yeah, I think maybe we should,” he returned abruptly. However, before Harry could even take that in, a rush of silver out of the corner of his eye grabbed his attention.
“Hermione,” Harry called, and before he’d gone three steps she was out of the room and following him. Sure enough, it was what Harry thought it was- it was the lynx Patronus that signified Kingsley.
Emergency. All Ministry officials come to headquarters now.
Harry and Hermione exchanged wide eyes glances even as Arthur, Percy, and Angelina came to stand with them.
“We’ll watch Teddy, dears,” Molly assured them, even as he eyes locked on the dissolving lynx and her face went place. “Go, go now.”
There was no time to talk, they all rushed from the house and vanished, one by one, on the doorstep. Percy almost crashed into Angelina as they appeared in the hallway of the Ministry.
They hadn’t taken two steps before they knew what they’d been called for. Hermione took a sharp intake of breath. Harry stared, stunned, horrified, as Kingsley came to stand beside him.
“This would be Simon Banner,” he said grimly, motioning.
Simon Banner was indeed dead, that much was obvious.
His body had been spread- artfully arranged, even- across the floor of the main entrance to the Ministry of Magic. His vacant eyes stared sightlessly up at the ceiling.
“How did he get in?” Angelina whispered, shell-shocked. “How did he do this without anyone seeing?”
There were no answers to that yet- only one thing was clear. Gabriel was making himself known at last.
Author: Cristofle (Liz)
Characters: Harry/Hermione primarily. Harry, Hermione, and Ron will appear significantly, but this is ensemble friendly, including just about everyone. The Weasley family, Kingsley, Angelina Johnson, Teddy Lupin, Neville, Luna, the Patil twins, and Dean will definitely appear in more than passing appearances.
Summary: "So many people love you, Harry." Harry’s 21st birthday has arrived. Along with a surprise party from Ron and Hermione, he receives a gift from a very unexpected source and comes to a realization. Elsewhere, Gabriel begins to come out of the woodwork at last.
Spoilers: Heavy and specific spoilers all the way through 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'. Also beginning in Chapter 13, spoilers for ‘The Tales of Beedle the Bard’.
Disclaimer: If I owned anything, would I REALLY have written that DH epilogue? I own nothing, JKR owns everything, please don't sue.
Author’s Note: This is maybe the longest chapter so far. Just one thing: all the WE LOVE HARRY anvils in this chapter? There are reasons for them, I’m not just fangirling;)
His footsteps sounded oddly loud against the earth in the quiet of the morning. The sun splashed against the gates of the church as he walked up.
Harry didn’t come to the graveyard very often, despite being so close to it, and he rarely saw the monument to his family in the town square. He’d spent too much time surrounded by death to allow himself to dwell on it. Still, there were certain times- certain days- he felt the need to go visit his parents.
His birthday was one of those times.
As had become the norm for these visits, he had two roses as he walked through the graveyard. One, he put on the grave of Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore, running his hand over the stone as he went by it. The other, he put in front of his mother’s name as he slowly knelt in front his parents’ grave.
“Hi, Mum,” he whispered. “Hi, Dad.” He sadly traced the words that had become familiar to him. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. “It’s my birthday today.”
Harry focused on the dates carved into the stone and winced. He’d known this was coming, knew it would be hard to face he was now the same age his parents had been when they died, forever frozen at twenty-one. He was just starting his career. He was just barely finding his place in the world after the fall of Voldemort.
He was still on the tumble of falling in love.
Despite all that, his parents’ lives had ended forever at this age, sacrificed for the son who now knelt over them. “I wish you were here,” he murmured quietly. “I can’t help it. I know you’d be here if you could, and I know you gave up everything so I could be here today, could have my 21st birthday.” He bit down hard in the inside of his mouth as he felt the hot tears sting his eyes. In spite of all he had, in spite of all the people he loved who loved him back, it was still almost unbearably painful to sit here without his parents, who had never gotten the chance to grow any older than he was now.
“I thought I might find you here.”
Harry found he wasn’t altogether surprised at the sound of Hermione’s voice. He turned around and mustered up a faint smile for her. She looked beautiful, framed against the sun and the trees. She looked gloriously, wonderfully alive in contrast to the cold stone in front of him. “Am I late for our meeting?” he asked. She’d asked if they could meet at her house to go over some notes before he had to be at the Burrow- she hadn’t mentioned coming with him, but he was choosing to assume it was a given. The alternative of spending yet another birthday torn between her and Ron even though they were getting along now was unacceptable and more than mildly annoying.
“No, no.” She ran her fingers through his hair as she walked up, kneeling to put down her own flowers. “I just had a feeling where you might be, and I didn’t want you to be alone.” She looked at him uncertainly. “Was this a bad idea, did you want to be alone? Because-”
“No, no,” Harry interrupted her, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together, gently tugging her down. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Hermione briefly touched James’ name, then Lily’s. “I just thought I’d come down as well, leave some flowers.” She rested her head against his shoulders. “I wanted to thank them today, on your birthday. I wanted to thank them that I get to celebrate my best friend’s 21st birthday with him.”
Unspeakably touched, Harry had to swallow hard before answering. “I think they’d like that,” he said huskily. “I think they’d like that a lot. Thank you.”
Although it was never easy to come here, it was even harder to leave, to stand up and know on some level, he was leaving his parents behind in the ground. He found it was easier with Hermione beside him and he was suddenly desperately grateful she’d come, as they stood up after quietly kneeling for a long while and walked from the graveyard together. They didn’t speak as they made their way back to his house; Harry didn’t voice his thoughts until he’d shut the door behind them.
“You knew, didn’t you?” he said quietly. “That sometimes, on days like these, part of me feels I should be sitting there all day.”
Hermione tried to smile, but her eyes were full of tears as she turned to face him. “I had a feeling, at any rate.” She touched his arm. “They wouldn’t want that Harry, you know that.”
“I know. I know.” Harry dragged his hand through his black hair. “It’s hard to find that balance though, you know? They died so I could live, not sit in front of a tombstone all day long. But still…they died so I could live,” he repeated, his voice shaking just slightly.
It was instinctive for Hermione to move into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. “I can never imagine what it must feel like to be in your shoes,” she whispered softly. “For them to have loved you SO much and not be here with you to celebrate on days like today. It seems so unfair. The only thing I do know is what it’s like to love you, and as someone who loves you I don’t want to think of you sitting alone in a graveyard on your birthday.”
Harry’s heart had felt a not-unpleasant tug at the mention of love, and he tightened his arms around her. “Then I guess I’m lucky I have someone like you, aren’t I?” He sighed. “It’s just…hard, this one is. And I know the next one…” he swallowed hard; he couldn’t think about officially outliving his parents. “Anyway, that’s for another day. This is today.” He stepped back, but only slightly, still holding onto her. “It’s my birthday today.”
“That it is,” she agreed wryly.
A flash of mischief streaked through him, even as he was still filled with gratitude that she had come to find him and the warmth that had filled him as she’d talked about loving him. Just this moment, it felt like nothing- no one- better could exist. “Then don’t I get my birthday kiss?” he murmured before lowering his head.
Hermione had so very few defenses up against Harry period- she’d never had many before recent months, she’d rarely felt the need to hide from her best friend- and all of them had melted on this morning as she’d shared his grief. Despite everything that was still so uncertain in this space between them, it didn’t occur to her to even try to turn away.
How, after all the times they’d sworn “it wasn’t like that” between them, could this possibly feel so right?
She stood on her toes, tangling her fingers in his hair as their tongues melded together and he pressed her against him. It wasn’t until he backed her into a wall that it hit them both how heated it was getting and she finally pulled away, breathing heavily. “Was that satisfactory?” she questioned, surprising even herself when she sounded flirtatious and Harry grinned in response.
“Do I even have to answer?”
Hermione hid a smile and glanced at her watch. “We really should go,” she said hastily. As it was good for Teddy to get all his energy out earlier but Kingsley would be by late, with all other guests coming at various times in between, she and Ron had planned a day-long celebration and everyone was just about to start expecting him. “Get a move on those files I have,” she added, hiding a smile when he looked slightly impatient. “You’re a big boy now, Harry. You can work a bit on your birthday.”
“You have no idea,” he grumbled. “My birthday used to be the day I had to mow the lawn and do all the ironing.” Still, he followed her out and took her hand as they Disapparated, instantly appearing on her own doorstep.
“It won’t take that long,” she was saying as she opened the door.
“SURPRISE!”
Harry jumped back, genuinely stunned as a large pile of red hair seemed to flock to him, led by a tiny ball of turquoise that hit him at the knees.
“Alright, I lied,” Hermione teased, laughing at the expression on his face.
It was Teddy that had hit him first, squealing some version of ‘Happy Birthday’ into his torso as he hugged his godfather tightly. Ron led the pack of Weasleys, a huge grin spreading across his face as he clapped Harry on the back.
“You never even considered she and I were planning something?” he teased. “Happy Birthday, mate.”
Harry felt incredibly thick now that he focused on it- Hermione had so pointedly not mentioned being at the Burrow- but he truly hadn’t. He was overwhelmed at the sudden realization that Ron and Hermione had planned this together for him, and indescribably touched. Even as he had one hand on Teddy, he reached out with the other arm to embrace Ron, feeling Hermione come up behind him and slip an arm around his waist.
“Thank you,” he said, too overwhelmed to be sarcastic in return to what Ron had said. For a second- just a brief moment- it was the three of them in that knot, surrounding his godson, and nothing could have felt more right than the two people who mattered most to him grouping around him.
The spell was broken quickly by Molly, who hugged him as tightly as she could, then Arthur and George, then Bill and Fleur- he hugged Fleur gently, who was glowing as Bill seemed to radiate happiness- then Neville, Luna, Dean, and Demelza.
“Hagrid is coming,” Hermione explained over the ruckus. “So is Andromeda, she dropped Teddy off but had to run a few errands before returning. Seamus, Kingsley, Percy, Charlie, and Angelina should be by in time for dinner.”
“Is there…enough room?” Harry asked, still stunned, as he looked around the small cottage. Hermione smiled wryly.
“I have tables set up out back,” she explained. “We’re going to do half the presents for Teddy- you know how he loves wrapping paper- and half so everyone at dinner can see you unwrap some.”
Molly patted his face, smiling mistily at the shell shock. “So many people love you, Harry,” she said softly. She seemed happier than she’d been in ages, and he knew it impacted her nearly as much as him that Ron and Hermione had planned this together.
Harry found his throat was too tight to answer and simply hugged her again before moving into the crowd.
“We have crepes!” Teddy chimed, clinging to him as he moved around his friends. “We watch movie! Then presents.”
Harry raised his brows at Hermione, who was trying not to laugh. “You cheated,” he teased. “You told me you planned this party.”
“We’re never afraid to rip off of a three year old,” Ron shrugged unrepentantly before picking Teddy up and swinging him over his head, making him squeal.
“We do have crepes, Master Harry,” Kreacher’s deep croak sounded from the kitchen doorway.
“Brilliant,” Harry smiled down at his elf, making his way over to him.
“Kreacher also got Master Harry a present for his birthday,” Kreacher announced before bustling back into the kitchen.
“Just warms your heart, doesn’t it?” Ron commented from behind him. “And to think he once gave you a package full of maggots.”
Harry wouldn’t have said as much to Ron, but the day WAS warming his heart. The group gathered there thus far ate crepes while they watched Finding Nemo- Teddy loved movies and Mr. Weasley was utterly fascinated by Hermione’s television and DVD player. At one point he poked it with his wand and sparks came shooting out, making everyone jump- Hermione hastily fixed it. Ron and George kept up a running, somewhat disbelieving commentary as Dean just shook his head and Luna made the occasional oddball comment such as how Dory was a bit like how she imagined Wrackspurts looked to the only creature that could see them- the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Harry couldn’t have imagined a better way to watch a movie.
Mrs. Weasley had made a small cake for the first round of present-opening- he was to open Teddy’s, Kreacher’s, Neville’s, and Dean and Luna’s gifts first, then everyone else’s after Teddy had been taken home by Andromeda and everyone else arrived. Around 1 pm found Harry sitting at the head of Hermione’s kitchen table while Hermione sat beside him with Teddy in her lap as he opened the first round of presents. He’d already put on the hat that Kreacher had knit for him, making Kreacher’s voice even deeper than usual as he bowed and thanked Harry. Dean and Luna had gotten him a large box of various sweets from a sweet shop they’d visited in a small wizard town in France- Dean swore it was even better than Honeydukes. Harry suspected the normalcy of the gift was Dean’s doing, as Luna had included a handwritten pamphlet on the dangers of creatures named Kradgemikes. From the exasperated look on Hermione’s face, he was fairly certain they did not exist.
Teddy’s gift was one of his own drawings. “Quidd-itch!” Teddy explained cheerfully, pointing at a figure Harry could only definitively tell was dark-haired and in the air. “Uncle Harry. Catch Snitch.” He pointed at a dot of yellow. Harry had only just started taking Teddy to Quidditch games, and he had deciphered from Ron that Harry, when he played, was the one who caught his favorite ball, the tiny gold Snitch.
Harry smiled affectionately, seeing such a perfect mixture of Tonks and Remus in their son at that moment. “It’s perfect,” he told his godson. “The best present.” He reached over and ruffled Teddy’s now-brick red hair as Hermione smiled just a little weepily and clasped him tighter to her chest.
Over at the counter, Dean observed the moment.
“Crop this image and you’ve got a right pretty little family, don’t you?” a low voice Dean deciphered as George’s murmured in his ear. Dean jumped and instinctively glanced around the room. “Don’t worry, Ron’s not paying attention,” George said quietly- sure enough, Ron was over in the other corner of the room, holding Demelza’s hand and playing with her fingers.
Dean smiled faintly. “You noticed, too?”
“I think everyone has but my dearest brother at this lovely picture, check out my mom.” George discreetly gestured- sure enough, Molly was looking back and forth between the obviously affectionate Ron and Demelza to Hermione, who hadn’t appeared to notice as she only had eyes for Harry while he opened his gifts. She looked startled and confused. “They’re getting less and less discreet with each passing day,” George continued in an undertone.
“What do you think?” Dean whispered back.
George shrugged. “I think I love Harry, I love Hermione, I want them to be happy, I think they could make each other happy, and I don’t think I want to be around when my brother finds out.” Dean smiled despite himself at the absolutely succinct summary of the situation.
“You don’t think Ron is still in love with Hermione.” It wasn’t a question.
“Oh, no. No, he’s not,” George shrugged. “They were kids, they’ve grown up. He’s gone for Demelza now. I’d think of the whole thing differently if he were, but I don’t think Harry would have even let it get this far if it were on the other hand. It’s just that Ron has always- probably a bit stupidly- been convinced that they both prefer the other one to him.”
“I know.” Dean continued to watch the little group at the table. “Something’s changed,” he murmured. “From the last time I saw them, even though it wasn’t that long ago.”
“They’re snogging.”
Dean blinked. “You’ve seen them?”
George shrugged again. “No, but they’re more aware of each other, aware that the other knows full well what’s going on. They’re snogging,” he repeated. “Anyway, cake?”
Harry hadn’t caught his friends watching him, nor did he notice how Molly was looking at him before she had time to rearrange her expression. Neville had given him a book on international Quidditch and he was laughing as Teddy watched the pictures in open-mouthed wonder when the doorbell rang. Hermione stood with Teddy on her hip and went to answer it, Harry at her heels as he expected likely Hagrid.
Hermione almost dropped Teddy when she opened the door to find her parents on the other side.
“Hello,” her father began a bit awkwardly. “We were just in the neighborhood…” he trailed off as her mother stared openly at Teddy when his hair turned from red to bright green. He coughed loudly and his gaze traveled further back into the house, no doubt taking in Harry and other guests Hermione could hear trickling in behind them.
Hermione had felt a hard, half-painful and half-joyful tug inside at the sight of her parents voluntarily on her doorstep that had temporarily robbed her of speech. She swallowed hard and found her voice. “Come in, come in,” she encouraged, and as she stepped back Harry quickly took Teddy from her and set him down, nudging him in the direction of Ron, who was now closest to them and looking wary. “It’s Harry’s birthday,” Hermione went on explaining to his parents as they warily made their way in. “Ron and I put together a bit of a party for him.”
“Hello, Harry,” Dr. Granger tried to smile at Harry, although it was a bit forced. “Happy Birthday.” He looked nervously around at the odd assortment of guests. They’d met all the Weasleys and Harry several times and Neville, Dean, and Demelza didn’t look particularly striking, but Luna was an experience even for those in those in the wizarding world and her mother still seemed slightly stunned by Teddy, who was now changing the shape of his nose. Hermione looked at the floor. Her parents had never been frightened by the wizarding world beforehand, but their abrupt placement into Australia with new identities and no memory of their real life seemed to have given them a clear message that witches and wizards could be both very powerful and very dangerous. They hadn’t been gathered together with any of her friends since.
Her mother forcibly cleared her through. “We didn’t mean to interrupt, we can leave, come back another time.” Hermione had to work not to wince as it seemed obvious from her tone that she was hoping that was the case.
“No bother,” Harry said calmly. “You’re more than welcome to stay.” Turning around, Hermione found his intense gaze locked on her parents, as if more silently ordering than offering for them to say. For the first time, Hermione saw what he must have worked to keep hidden from her- a flicker of the rage she’d once seen directed at Remus when he considered abandoning Tonks while she was pregnant.
Mr. Weasley very pointedly cleared his throat. “Yes, yes, of course! The more, the merrier,” he said loudly, overly cheerful particularly given the only two people who weren’t blatantly staring at the Grangers were Teddy, whose hair had shifted yet again to a brilliant blue, and Luna, who was looking up at the ceiling in a way Hermione now knew meant she believed Wrackspurts were up there. Turning back around, she found her father’s gaze directed in the same way and fought an absurd urge to laugh.
“Yes, we have plenty of food,” she confirmed, hating herself that she sounded just a bit desperate.
“We do indeed,” a deep voice croaked, and Hermione closed her eyes just briefly in mortification as her mother’s eyes went from wide to huge when Kreacher appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. “There is plenty of room for Miss Hermione’s guests,” he intoned, bowing deeply.
“Thanks, Kreacher,” Hermione nearly whispered. There was another knock on the door and before Hermione even had time to brace herself, Hagrid had come bursting in cheerfully, nearly knocking over her little table near the door.
“Where’s Harry, eh?- oh.” Hagrid drew up short at the sight of Hermione’s parents. Her father had actually jumped back at his sheer massive size and her mother looked about ready to faint. “Hullo,” he said awkwardly. “Er, don’t believe we’ve met. Rubeus Hagrid’s the name.” He held out a hand for her mother to shake, who looked like she had no intention of placing her palm in the hand of a man who seemed likely to break it.
“Actually, we really must go, we didn’t have time to stay long,” she said hastily. “We’ll talk soon, dear.” With a hasty kiss on Hermione’s cheek, who stood stone still, she’d grabbed her husband’s arm and headed back out.
Harry immediately moved to go after them.
“No,” Hermione said shortly, grabbing his arm. Something had snapped at her mother being so blatantly rude. She’d been so incredibly like Harry’s Muggle relatives towards Hagrid, who she’d adored for so long, who didn’t have a mean bone in his body. She refused to be embarrassed by her friends just so she could please her parents- her parents were the ones who’d behaved in an embarrassing manner. “If they can’t accept my friends, they shouldn’t be here.”
“Not without hearing from me,” Harry snapped back, moving out of her grasp and heading outside. “Hey!” he called to Hermione’s parents, who turned around, startled.
“Harry…” Dr. Granger awkwardly began.
“No,” Harry said forcefully, rendering him silent. “You’re going to listen to me. This needs to stop. Hermione was protecting you, with what she did. You’re so upset she sent you to Australia? Well, if she hadn’t, you’d probably be dead. You know, the same way my parents are.” They both flinched. “You know where Hermione found me this morning?” Harry plowed on, stepping closer to them. “She found me at my parents’ graves. Not ten miles that way.” He pointed in the general direction of his town. “My parents were murdered by Voldemort when I was a baby, and ever since she’s known me Hermione has watched what that’s done to me. She wanted to protect you from the same thing happening, and maybe you don’t like how she did it but I’d wager to guess that you’d rather it be the way it was than the both of you being tortured and murdered because your daughter was brave enough to stand on the front lines of our war.” Harry’s voice was shaking now. “It’s been years now, since the war, since what she did. Get over it.”
“Well, now-” Hermione’s mother began, sounding offended.
“No.” Harry’s voice sounded like the cracking of a whip, with the force behind it. “My parents would give anything to be here with me today, to celebrate my birthday. But they can’t. You can see your daughter any time you like, and you’re wasting that time. And you have no idea what you’re wasting, how incredible she is. You have no idea what she sacrificed to make sure others didn’t grow up the way we did in this world, in constant fear.”
“He’s right.” The voice behind Harry for some reason didn’t startle him; for some reason, it seemed entirely natural that Ron stepped up to stand beside him, looking defiant. “You’re all upset because you got sent to Australia without your knowledge? Well, we were hiding in the woods and our family members were being murdered left and right. That little boy you were just gawping at, that’s Harry’s godson, and his parents are dead. My brother is dead. Hermione was just trying, we were ALL just trying, to keep more families from going through things like that. And yeah, she waited awhile before coming to find you, but she was SCARED to, because of how she thought you might react. Can’t imagine why, looking at you now,” Ron added sarcastically.
Ron’s adamant defense had steadied Harry; warmth for his best friend had flooded out a little of the blinding rage he’d felt building. “If you really find us all so appalling, then go,” Harry said quietly. “But it’s your loss, if you keep throwing away your relationship with your daughter.”
Dr. Granger seemed to deflate somewhat, briefly running a hand over his face. “I do hear what you’re saying,” he said quietly to Harry. “And I know what you must think of us. It’s likely not entirely unwarranted. But we aren’t awful people, and we do love our daughter.” His eyes went to Hermione, standing alone a bit behind Ron and Harry. “We do love you,” he said, more gently. “We’ve just…struggled to get used to this. I’m not sure we ever fully understood, we saw you so rarely…”
“I know,” Hermione said softly, hugging herself.
Her father deliberately walked back up to her, followed by her mother. “This is still…a bit much for us just right now. But I’m sorry we were rude, and we’ll come back soon.” He kissed her cheek and her mother reached out to brush her hand against Hermione’s fingers. Her father looked behind her once more, and stepped a couple more steps forward. “It was nice to meet you, Hagrid,” he said firmly, holding out his hand for Hagrid to shake. Looking around, Hermione saw Hagrid shake it with comic carefulness and had the wonderful urge to laugh. Still, she remained quiet as she watched her parents go, then her gaze fell on Harry and Ron.
She didn’t think she could put it into words.
She wasn’t sure she’d ever express the way it had felt, how much it had meant, to see them standing united in her defense after she’d felt alone for so long. She opened her mouth to speak and found she couldn’t, and instead rushed forward to hug them both fiercely, jolting them together.
“Thank you,” she whispered, feeling a tear slip down her face. “Thank you so much.”
Ron blushed bright red. “Only said what was obvious,” he said awkwardly, but hugged her back gently before easing free. Harry, on the other hand, stayed briefly in the embrace, hugging her back tightly. He wasn’t blushing when he pulled away just enough to look at her; his eyes were still just as intense.
“You came to find me this morning,” he said softly. “It was the least I could do.”
Ron coughed and clapped his hands. “Well, then! Back to the party?” he said loudly.
Harry rolled his eyes and turned to his friend, but Hermione laughed. “Yes. Yes, absolutely. Back to the party,” she answered, cheerful now as she walked with her two oldest friends back into the birthday party.
The rest of the afternoon went fairly smoothly. Andromeda arrived as they were just going back into the house, in time for the smaller cake- Harry noticed her giving a couple furtive glances when she thought he wasn’t paying attention, but he couldn’t focus on it. Seamus arrived early, and after about an hour of catching up and chatting while Teddy obliterated the wrapping paper at his feet, Harry glanced at the clock.
“I think it’s time for you to go home with your grandma,” Harry told Teddy, kneeling down in front of him.
Teddy’s lower lip jutted out. “No,” he said stubbornly.
Harry’s lips twitched. “Teddy,” he said firmly, swallowing the smile he felt coming on. “A lot of people worked hard so this could be a fun day for you. You watched a movie, you watched me open presents, you got cake.”
“Teddy wants stay!” Teddy said stubbornly- recently, he’d taken a great fondness to following Kreacher’s lead and saying his name in the third person. “Teddy wants Charlie. Teddy wants King.” Teddy adored Kingsley. “More presents.”
Harry lifted his head and raised his brows at Andromeda, silently asking her if it was a possibility. She just shrugged and smiled wearily. “You’re not being polite,” Harry responded to Teddy, lowering his gaze to his godson again. “If you want to stay with the grown-ups, you have to be polite.”
Teddy noticeably straightened his back. “Please, Uncle Harry? Can I please stay?” he asked meekly, none of the belligerence that had been there a mere second before appearing. Harry heard a laugh hastily covered in a cough that was distinctly Ron from behind him and a murmured “Nice” from George.
Harry couldn’t keep himself from smiling now. “Alright. You can stay a little while longer,” he agreed, patting Teddy on the head who gave him a blinding smile in return.
“He can stay here,” Hermione was saying softly to Andromeda. “I’ll put him to bed, do a charm so he can’t hear all the noise.”
Andromeda touched her arm. “Thank you, Hermione.” She looked at Harry. “Harry, can I have a moment alone?” she asked hesitantly, and Harry was reminded of the strange looks she’d been giving him.
“Of course,” he said promptly, but exchanged looks with Ron and Hermione as he made his way across the room to follow her. He noticed George was helping Teddy enchant the wrapping paper pieces so they swirled in the air before he turned down a hall with Andromeda. “What’s going on?” he asked curiously.
Andromeda took a somewhat bracing breath. “Well, I’ve already given you my present, but…” she looked at the ground for a moment. “It’s been…difficult for me. To go through Dora’s and Ted’s things. I know, I know it’s been more than three years, but…”
Harry reached out to touch her arm comfortingly, feeling his own throat tighten. “It’s alright,” he said softly. “I know- I understand.”
Andromeda nodded, swallowing hard. “Well, I had just put most of it in the attic, hadn’t looked at it in ages, and just a few days ago I started going through some boxes. There are some of Remus’s things mixed in-”
“They should stay stored for Teddy,” Harry cut across her hastily, thinking she was about to offer the lot to him. “For when he wants to know about his father.” It was his turn to swallow hard. “It meant…a lot to me, when I was growing up. The things I learned about my parents, the pictures I had.”
Andromeda nodded, looking almost unbearably sad. “Thank you; I know that will mean a great deal to him as he gets older,” she said softly. “But there was one thing in particular…one small box…that was addressed to you.” She removed a small box, indeed looking a bit battered as so many of Lupin’s things had, with a small note attached addressed to Harry in Lupin’s handwriting. Harry felt his heart tug painfully as he stared at it. “I think he probably meant for you to have this a long while ago,” Andromeda almost whispered. “I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to find it.”
Harry shook his head absently, still fixated on the box. “It’s…it’s alright.” Slowly, he reached out and took it with nerveless fingers, cradling it to his chest as if it were something precious.
“I hope this didn’t put a damper on your birthday,” Andromeda said softly. “I just thought…whatever it is…maybe he’d like for you to have it today.”
“You didn’t put a damper on anything,” Harry heard himself tell Andromeda, even though his voice sounded to himself as if it were coming from a long way away. “Thank you, Andromeda.”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing.” Startling him somewhat out of his stupor, she reached up to kiss his cheek. “Happy Birthday, Harry. You’re a wonderful godfather- I’m so thankful for you. Teddy is so fortunate.”
Harry felt his throat tighten. “Thank you,” he repeated, his voice husky, focusing on Andromeda now. She smiled briefly, then went to find Teddy to kiss him good-bye. She’d barely left the hallway when Ron and Hermione appeared. He silently motioned them both into the guest bedroom.
“It’s from Remus,” Harry said without preamble, showing them the box. “Andromeda found it among their things.”
Hermione drew in her breath sharply, staring as if dumbstruck at the handwriting on the note attached to the box. Ron’s eyes widened.
“Well, she took her sweet time with that,” he protested.
Harry shook his head. “She only just found it, she’s had trouble going through their things. That’s not important.”
Hermione didn’t appear to be listening to either of them; instead, she slowly reached out to detach the note. Unfolding it, her voice trembling slightly, she began to read aloud.
“Harry, I hope to give these to you myself after the war ends. I know, I can feel, that you will emerge victorious as Dumbledore has said you will. Still, nothing can be taken for granted. I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me to see you grow up these past four years, how much it has meant to me to see James’ son grow into so much more than any of us could have dared hope for. In particular, you forced me to take a look at my own life, and what I was doing to my wife and child. I am so grateful as I sit here tonight, watching my son sleep, knowing it is thanks to you. So I want to give you something in return, and make sure I have these put away just in case something happens to me. As I watch my own son, I think about how you’ve had so little of James to hold onto. It seems so unfair, so cruel. I remember how upset you were after what you saw in Severus’s memory. The last thing I want is for that to be the clearest image in your mind of your father. I leave these with you in the hopes they will bring you more understanding as well as some comfort. I hope I can explain them to you myself but if I cannot, know that your father was the best friend I ever had and know how very much he loved you. Know how much of him I see in you even today. I will be fortunate to have a son anything like you, and I am content knowing that you are his godfather. All my love, Remus.”
Hermione’s voice had cracked and broke periodically while reading the letter; she’d had to pause to swallow tears back several times. Harry had hardly heard her do it. Her voice had almost faded out at one point, as he heard in his mind Remus saying the words. He knew what the box was going to be full of before he opened it. Sure enough, when he slowly lifted the lid, it was full of dozens of tiny vials, each containing silvery strands of what Harry knew to be memories.
He held an entire box of memories of his parents- of Sirius, of Remus- in his hands.
“Blimey, Harry,” Ron murmured as he peered into the box, looking awed.
Part of Harry wasn’t sure he’d ever longed for anything so much in his life as he craved to delve into the precious memories he held in his hands. His heart was pounding, desperately desiring to see whatever Remus had left him of his parents, and of himself. Every inch of him ached at the indescribably thoughtful gift and the knowledge that he would never get to thank him for it, never explain to Remus how much he had meant to him. He suddenly wanted to see Remus Lupin again so badly, he hurt with it.
Then he looked up.
Hermione still seemed transfixed by the note. Tears were coursing silently down her cheeks as she stared down at the handwriting. Quietly, he put the box down on the little dresser beside the bed and moved to her. “C’mon,” he said softly, gently taking the note from her. “We have time for this later. You planned a brilliant party for me; everyone is probably wondering where we are.”
Hermione looked up, only dimly hearing him, locking her tearful gaze on his. “Remus,” she whispered, still crying.
“Hey.” Harry touched her cheek. “Remember what I told you when we went to Hogwarts? The advice Dumbledore gave me?”
Hermione took a deep breath, delving back into her memory. “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live,” she quoted, her voice becoming steadier with each word. “You’re right. Of course you’re right.” She took another bracing gulp of air, then took out her wand and flicked it over her own face. The tears vanished as if they’d never been there. She smiled despite herself as Harry raised his brows, impressed. “Just because I don’t normally do glamour spells doesn’t mean I don’t know how to,” she said wryly.
Harry smiled slightly. “Don’t think I’ve yet come across a spell you can’t master.”
Hermione hugged him, just held on for a brief moment, needing to steady herself. He hugged her back, burying his face in her hair. “Okay,” she sighed, finally stepping back. “We should get back.”
“Hey.” Ron unexpectedly caught Harry’s arm. “Could we talk for a minute?” he asked a little awkwardly.
Hermione exchanged surprises glances with Harry, but she didn’t ask any questions. “I’ll just go out and see how dinner’s doing,” she tried to smile, exchanging another look with Harry before leaving.
“What’s going on?” Harry asked.
Ron shrugged, shoving his hands in his jeans. “I just…when Hermione and I were planning this, we got to talking about when we broke up.” He stared at the floor. “I didn’t know you’d never told her…what I said to you that night.”
Through the emotional upheaval of the day, it took Harry a moment to remember what he was talking about. “Oh,” he said, vaguely surprised. “Well, no…why would I?”
“Because I was the world’s biggest prat?” Ron countered, his eyes still locked on the floor.
Harry’s lips twitched. “I dunno about that. I wouldn’t put you on the level with Malfoy. Zacharias, maybe…”
Ron let out a sound that was half-huff, half-laugh. “I reckon I deserved that.” He looked up at last. “I told her I was sorry…for how I acted back then. And I just…I wanted to say it to you, too. You know you’re my brother. Just as much as George or Charlie or Bill…maybe even more than, in a way. And I know I was still acting like a prat afterwards, and you ended up having to have separate parties last year and all…”
Harry’s throat had tightened for what seemed like the millionth time that day- he was starting to feel like a girl. “Ron.” He put his hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “I know. I know all of it. And you’re…the best brother. Separate parties and all,” he tried to joke. “Thank you,” he added a little more seriously.
Ron nodded, looking thoroughly relieved that this had gone so easily, so quickly. “Right. I just wanted to say that.” He went to head for the door, then paused. “Hey,” he said suddenly, turning back around. “What you said to Hermione’s parents, and then Lupin’s letter…I was thinking…maybe the next time you go to…y’know, their graves, I could come.” He looked at the floor again. “And maybe we could go to see Fred together sometime,” he all but whispered.
Harry closed his eyes briefly, then simply nodded. “Whenever you like,” he said quietly. Ron nodded back before leaving.
Harry stood in the room for almost a full minute after he’d left before he was able to bring himself to leave.
Lupin’s box of memories ended up eclipsing even the loud and enthusiastic gift opening that occurred after Percy, Charlie, Angelina, and finally Kingsley showed up, although he had to leave afterwards with a plate and a slice of cake after swinging Teddy in the air- Kingsley rarely had more than a half-hour of free time per day. This time, it was a former Unspeakable named Simon Banner who Kingsley was trying to track down. Percy had looked more than mildly envious that the Minister of Magic was a personal guest at Harry’s birthday party. He’d had numerous thoughtful gifts- Ron and Bill had joined in to get House Cup tickets, held in Italy this year nearly a month and a half later than the usual date due to several games that had gone on for days and required players to take time off to rest. . Professor McGonagall had also sent in a subscription to Transfiguration Today along with a note about how pleased she’d been to hear how well he was doing in Transfiguration in his Auror training. Something had for some reason clicked in him early in his training- he now found it one of his better subjects. George had put together a truly spectacular package of new products from his store, not set to be put on sale for another month.
Despite all this, his mind strayed to the box in Hermione’s guest room.
It wasn’t until Harry opened Hermione’s gift that he jolted out of his stupor. She had Summoned it in from another room; it was surprisingly large when Harry went to tear the wrapping off. For a moment after he did, he just stared, overwhelmed. It was a clock- but not just any clock. After watching him stare at it for years, she had made a clock similar to the Weasleys, but with him, herself, Ron, Teddy, George, Molly , Arthur, Neville, Hagrid, and Luna on it instead, along with slightly different settings around the clock.
“Do you like it?”Hermione asked anxiously from behind him. In answer, he simply turned around and swept her into a hug. Over her shoulder, he noticed Hagrid becoming so choked up at being included on the clock that he buried his face in a handkerchief and hurried outside. He couldn’t help but laugh, still swept in the warm feelings of the clock. He knew the deeper meaning behind it- he loved that clock because it indicated family, and she was showing him he had one.
Still, even as the wonderful warmth seemed to fill every corner of his being, he felt his mind wander.
Hermione this morning. Molly telling him how much everyone loved him. Andromeda talking about how wonderful he was as a godfather. Remus’s note. Ron’s apology.
Over and over, the recollections swirled in his mind.
After a loud dinner party outside followed by cake, Harry found Hermione in a quiet corner of the yard. “The clock is amazing,” he said softly. “It’s perfect, thank you. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift.”
Hermione smiled and blushed a little. “If there was someone else you wanted on the clock…I just figured we hardly ever see Charlie as it is, no idea what he gets up to in Romania…and Percy’s always at work,” she tried to joke.
Harry shook his head. “It’s exactly right, just the way it is.” He leaned his head against the wall of her house. “It’s just…all day long, I’ve had people telling me how great I am. You, Molly, Andromeda, Remus…Ron.”
“You are,” Hermione protested.
“I’m lying to my best friend, Hermione.” Harry stared out sightlessly at the yard. “It doesn’t matter that it’s not a verbal lie- I’m doing it all the same. I’m being a coward, despite all the people who think so highly of me. It has to stop.” He looked down at her. “I have to tell him.”
Hermione nodded, just nodded as it was her turn to look away. “I know. Today…I just knew.” She brushed her fingers, ever so lightly, against his. “He loves you. I don’t think that could ever change. I know there’s some…male code you feel like you’re violating, but he loves you, and you love him, and he knows that.”
Harry caught her hand. “You will never stop being my best friend. Not ever. No matter what. And I’m not sure we could stop what’s happening between us even if he demands it. I’m not saying everything between us revolves around him. He just…he has to know.”
“Harry,” Hermione said quietly. “I know.”
Harry looked at her intently, then nodded. “Yeah, I know you do.” He squeezed her hand before releasing it. “We should put Teddy to bed.”
Hermione took Teddy to her guest room, put him in pajamas Harry had Summoned from his own house and was reading him his favorite Beedle tale, Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump, when Harry looked in on them.
“Babbitty hopped out of the grounds and far away,” Hermione was reading in a soft voice as Teddy faded off. “And ever after, a golden statue of the washerwoman stood upon the tree stump, and no witch or wizard was ever persecuted in the kingdom again.” She looked up as she finished the now-familiar story, smiling softly at Harry as she cradled Teddy to her chest. Harry felt it all the way into his bones, how beautiful she looked curled up with his godson. He smiled back, trying to put all the things he couldn’t say into that smile.
I love you. You have to know that I love you.
Ron wandered in the room, freezing as he somehow felt a kind of…charge in it. Slowly, his eyes went back and forth between Harry and Hermione, both of whom barely seemed to notice he was there. He took in how they were looking at each other.
And he knew.
Even as Harry registered his presence and coughed somewhat awkwardly, clapping him on the back before going over to kiss his godson’s head good-night, even as Hermione made a show of carefully putting away the book, even as the scene before him transferred from the indescribable to the mundane, he knew.
What he had always thought might happen, what they’d sworn never would…it was happening.
Simon Banner was running as if his life depended on it.
Which tonight, it did.
I have to get across the property. I must get beyond the gate. He’d remained hidden in the years since the war with He Who Must Not Be Named on the property of an old and powerful warlock. Many spells and enchantments existed on the place- however, it included one against Apparation. He ran as fast as he could, tree branches hitting him across the face, cutting into him. He did not notice. He had to escape.
But the one pursuing him was so much faster…
He had been weakened, weakened by the hours of torture, dazed by the enormity of what he’d revealed to this shadowy figure who’d appeared so suddenly and so viciously. He’d escaped in a moment of weakeness that had come along with triumph for the man, and now he had to run.
The footsteps behind him were closer, ever closer. He zagged through trees, trying to move, trying not to be a straight target.
Then for a moment, it all went quiet.
It was a reflex to pause himself.
Had he escaped? Was he now free?
Breathing heavily, Simon turned to continue- and froze as the figure stepped out in front of him from behind the trees.
He knew there was no hope, no point in begging. Still, he stumbled back on instinct.
It was the last step Simon Banner ever took. His last sight before the rushing green light wiped the life from him was of remarkable pale eyes.
The man named Gabriel stood over the now lifeless body, triumphant. His suspicions had been confirmed. His way in had been discovered. His plan was so much closer to complete.
But not tonight.
Tonight was for a message. Tonight was so they would know, including the one they called The Boy Who Lived, the one who hunted him as he’d once hunted the Dark Lord.
He was going to bring them all to their knees.
Harry caught up with Ron outside of the guest room. “Hey, can we talk for a minute?” he asked quietly.
Ron’s hard stare startled him. “Yeah, I think maybe we should,” he returned abruptly. However, before Harry could even take that in, a rush of silver out of the corner of his eye grabbed his attention.
“Hermione,” Harry called, and before he’d gone three steps she was out of the room and following him. Sure enough, it was what Harry thought it was- it was the lynx Patronus that signified Kingsley.
Emergency. All Ministry officials come to headquarters now.
Harry and Hermione exchanged wide eyes glances even as Arthur, Percy, and Angelina came to stand with them.
“We’ll watch Teddy, dears,” Molly assured them, even as he eyes locked on the dissolving lynx and her face went place. “Go, go now.”
There was no time to talk, they all rushed from the house and vanished, one by one, on the doorstep. Percy almost crashed into Angelina as they appeared in the hallway of the Ministry.
They hadn’t taken two steps before they knew what they’d been called for. Hermione took a sharp intake of breath. Harry stared, stunned, horrified, as Kingsley came to stand beside him.
“This would be Simon Banner,” he said grimly, motioning.
Simon Banner was indeed dead, that much was obvious.
His body had been spread- artfully arranged, even- across the floor of the main entrance to the Ministry of Magic. His vacant eyes stared sightlessly up at the ceiling.
“How did he get in?” Angelina whispered, shell-shocked. “How did he do this without anyone seeing?”
There were no answers to that yet- only one thing was clear. Gabriel was making himself known at last.