"Parfait? Really, Harry?" Charlie asked, looking at the yogurt with
rainbow colored fruit prepared in a rounded glass so it did, in fact,
look like cake.
"Better than the cheesecake he was trying to concoct," Andromeda
said playfully as Harry scooped serving for everyone into smaller
bowls.
He stuck his tongue out her, "The parfait is healthier than
cheesecake anyway."
"Healthy?" Charlie exclaimed, "It's Teddy's first birthday, surely the
boy deserves a sweet today."
"Teddy doesn't eat candy yet and if any of you thought to gift him
any, it will go right in the freezy for an indeterminate amount of time,"
Harry said before muttering, "the parfait has enough sugar as it is."
Indeed, the sugar in the parfait would be enough to have Teddy
bouncing off the wall, which considering their guests may be a much
needed distraction.
All of Harry's friends were there, excluding Ron, Ginny, Mr. and Mrs.
Weasley. Harry sort of regretted that but tensions were high enough
as it was.
There were the Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Verona, Fred, George, Alicia,
Angelina, Lee, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Hannah, Xenophilius,
Minerva, Filius, Poppy, Pomona, Hagrid and even Horace Slughorn.
A group that got together swimmingly well.
But in the corner were Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy.
A part of Harry was nervous, especially with those in the room who
had been tortured in Malfoy Manor. Another part of him was absurdly
delighted that the Malfoys had to be polite and socialize with those
who they had deemed less than. A spirit of which the group at large
seemed to share as everyone was making polite, pointed, little digs.
Draco and Narcissa were holding up fairly well, but Lucius's face
was tinged pink. It was clear to everyone that Narcissa was the one
firmly in control of the relationship and her husband's tongue -among
other things.
Luna had greeted Lucius with a smile, shaken his hand and said, "I
pity you and I have no greater insult to give," before drifting to the
other side of the room.
The Potter House, as Andromeda had begun to call it, was just big
enough for the number of people, providing they had shrunk the
couch, duplicated chairs, and enlarged the dining room table in the
living room.
Teddy made an hmmmmhmmmm sound when he dug into his slice
of the parfait.
Which was soon echoed dramatically by the twins, causing Teddy to
almost snort yogurt as he laughed.
Harry was pretty sure he had found his babysitters.
Andromeda had turned on lively music in the background and
everyone talked about pleasant things. New houses bought, new job
prospects, studies, dreams, and a vague sort of a hopeful future. It
was neither the place nor the day to speak of obstacles, and with the
twins leading the conversation, spirits stayed high.
When everyone was done eating, Andromeda turned on even more
lively music. They all broke into pairs, some such as Hagrid, Draco,
and Filius sat out to watch but the rest grabbed a partner and began
to dance. In Verona's case, she was held between her parents as
they danced. Teddy too was being held by his godfather as he
switched partners throughout the space just big enough for such
shenanigans.
Teddy's laughter filled the room drawing a smile from all, no matter
how reluctant.
By eleven o'clock that night Teddy had passed out, slumped in
between the twins who -aside from Harry, were the only ones able to
keep up with the boy's sugar high.
Charlie stared down at the little menace, "I understand the parfait
now."
Harry grinned, "Actually he was pretty restrained today." By which
Harry meant that he hadn't shifted back and forth between forms
while sprint in circles around the room a hundred times.
Charlie gave him a look, "You can't be serious."
Harry only smiled, "He will be up in the morning with the sun with no
indication of tonight's adventures in his energy level."
Bill shook his head, "And I thought the twins were bad."
Hermione and the Malfoys were the last to leave.
Draco was about to shake Harry's hand in parting when Narcissa
said, "Say thank you to your uncle for the beautiful evening."
The look on both Lucius and Draco's face was priceless when what
Narcissa said clicked and neither Harry nor Andromeda denied it.
Draco gave Harry an appraising look, an expression that seemed
conflicted between admiration and disgust.
Harry -deciding to own it, shook Draco's hand, "No need to thank
me, we are family after all."
The Malfoys left, both Draco and Lucius having more color in their
cheeks than normal.
Andromeda had shared a look with her sister that had the younger
woman laughing as she disapparated into the night.
Hermione was watching Harry and Andromeda closely.
Harry closer in to give her hug, and only then did he notice that her
breathing was a little off her eyes, a little too wide.
Realizing the problem, he took Hermione's hand in his. He squeezed
it and kissed her knuckles, her eyes finally focusing on him.
"You're safe, Mione. The past is over."
She nodded a little too rapidly.
Andromeda didn't attempt to get closer, "I'm sorry for what my kin
has done to you," Andromeda said, her tone simultaneously earnest
and warm.
Hermione took in a deep breath, and shook herself, like a diver
coming up for air. "Forgive me, I know you're not her. I'm being silly."
Andromeda took a hesitant step closer to her and Harry, "It isn't silly,
my dear."
Hermione smiled at her, "So you and Harry are…?"
She was able to draw a blush from Andromeda in a way no one else
had been able to. "Harry and I are together."
Harry waggled his eyebrows, "Very together."
Hermione gave him a playful punch in the gut, "Don't be crude."
Andromeda came up behind Harry, wrapping her arms around his
waist and she smiled, "If you think that's crude, Ms. Granger, then I
suppose I should keep my own comments to myself."
Hermione smiled gently at the look on Harry's face, at the way he
laid his hands on Andromeda's, "You two- this isn't just a fling, is it?"
"I certainly hope not," Harry and Andromeda said in perfect unison.
Which caused all three of them to laugh.
"Mapoppy?" Teddy called groggily.
Andromeda let Harry go so he could scoop the birthday boy off the
couch. "Say goodbye to Aunt Hermione," Harry said.
"Nights, Aunt Mione," Teddy echoed, his head drooping on Harry's
shoulder.
Harry kissed Hermione's cheek, "Thanks for coming."
She nodded, "Of course, goodnight and goodnight Teddy."
Teddy's emerald eyes flickered open trying to focus on her but they
closed again before he could respond. Harry chuckled and
disappeared into the nursery.
There was a moment of awkward silence between Hermione and
Andromeda.
Deciding that while he was out of earshot, Hermione threatened, "If
you hurt him-"
Andromeda held up her hand, "Harry and Teddy are the only people
who make my life worth living. I don't have it in me to hurt them."
"You have your sister," Hermione said, her tone frosty.
"Yes, a sister who only came to see me after my muggleborn
husband died. I assure, that if it ever came to a choice, Teddy and
Harry will always be my priority."
"Do you value Teddy more than Harry?"
Andromeda glared at the younger witch, causing Hermione to take
several steps back and reach for her wand. "Teddy is my
grandchild," she said coldly, "He will always come first."
Hermione swallowed and kicked herself for showing such weakness.
"Good," she said less firmly than she had intended. "I know Harry
feels the same."
Andromeda nodded, "Harry is a great man, a wizard who will one
day surpass Albus Dumbledore, but when all is said and done, he is
an even better father."
"He's always been kind, giving, giving more than he sometimes has
to give. Once he commits to something or someone he doesn't turn
back."
"I have realized-"
Hermione cut her off, "Make sure that he doesn't sacrifice his
happiness for yours, because he will, without hesitation."
Andromeda looked far away for a moment, "I aim to make him
happy, what little I have left to give, I will give it all to him."
"Good," Hermione said. "Goodnight, it was good to see you again."
Andromeda heard the partial lie but let it go, "Thank you, goodnight,
Ms. Granger."
"Hermione," Hermione corrected, "Harry is all the family I have left,
and you very much a part of his."
Andromeda nodded, "You will always be welcome here, Hermione."
Andromeda joined Harry in the nursery. Coming up behind to wrap
her arms around his waist and resting her cheek on his shoulder.
Harry put his hands on hers, leaning back to feel the warmth of her.
But his eyes stayed on Teddy's sleeping form.
"What are you thinking?" she asked, speaking softly into the peace
of the room.
"How quickly time passes. Before…" his voice trailed off. "I never
thought of having children at any point in my life."
Her arms tightened around him, and she wondered if he knew that
children between were still a possibility. She was debating asking
him when he spoke.
"I think I was so focused on staying alive that I never really thought
about living, about what the future might hold."
"Are you disappointed?"
He pulled away from her so he could face her. He cupped her face
and kissed her gently, taking his time as if savoring the taste of her.
"Never disappointed. I never thought I would have a place where I
truly belonged. And now that I have, now that I've imagined and
thought of future; I know that there is no place I would rather be."
She hugged him, pressing her ear to his chest, and even clothed she
could feel his heart beating. There were things you wanted to save,
thank you for saving me, for staying. Selfish things that burned on
her tongue to give voice to, I need you here, always. Now that I have
you, I could never let you go. Although she knew she meant more to
him than 'girlfriend,' she didn't want to make him feel obligated to
stay.
Well, actually she did.
But she knew such desires were a weakness on her part. And she
refused to limit his options, even if his leaving might be the end of
her happiness and sanity in this life.
She settled on, "I love you," even if what she meant to say far more
damning.
The next night Filius and Minerva were sharing a drink in the
Headmistress's office.
"They seemed close," Minerva said suddenly. They hadn't talked
until then, watching the stars move and lamenting silently for the
souls that moved on. It was hard on the staff and the older students.
The drama of the end of term was somewhat subdued under the
approaching anniversary of the war.
Filius chuckled, "No need to be coy, Minerva. I do have eyes."
"And what do you think of it?" she asked.
Filius's gaze dropped to the amber liquid he swirled in his glass, the
color tampered by the bluish light of moonlight. It was the full moon
yet so the light was dim, and only hours of letting his eyes adjust let
him see at all. That, as well as his goblin ancestry.
"I think that at every turn of Harry's life, his childhood and his youth
were denied to him. His mistakes, his choices, they resulted in the
life and death of those around him, affected people he had never
met and will never meet. Even his own powers as a wizard were
stunted by the constant distraction of survival and attempts to fit in or
please those around him."
Filius paused for a long moment, choosing his next words with care.
"I think we would be fools to deny him anything in his adulthood. He
is a good man with a big heart. There are very few people I have
seen to love and care for a child the way he does."
"I am not denying that," Minerva said. "Anyone with eyes can see
how much Harry loves that child. But-"
"But you wonder why Harry would choose someone twice his age?"
Minerva's lips were tight, "Aside from the obvious reason of two
reasonably attractive single people sharing a house for a year."
Filius nodded, "Do you remember what Andromeda was like in
school?"
She glared up the stars, "Not fondly. The Black Sisters were-"
"Were a menace," Filius finished for her. "But do remember why?"
"They were Blacks."
"They were powerful," he disagreed. "So much power that
sometimes I thought they might have growing pains for the depth of
that power. Bellatrix's sanity didn't survive it."
"That doesn't forgive what she did."
"No, but is it not to be admired that Andromeda -her sister's equal in
all things, was able to keep her independence, both from outside
forces as well as the call to power?"
"She had more potential than what she became, and you know that.
For Merlin's sake, Filius. She dropped out of school."
"And in doing so married a healer and got out of an arranged
marriage with one of the Lestrange boys."
Minerva sighed, "You've made your point. Andromeda Tonks is a
remarkable woman."
Filius smiled at his dear friend. "My point is this, Harry was never
truly a child. It is not our place to judge how he chooses to love. And
although it might be circumstance that brought them together. I think
there is more between them than you give them than lust. I doubt
there are many women who could give Harry a run for his money."
"They certainly share the same taste for trouble," Minerva groused.
Filius laughed, "That is certainly true."
"Hermione Granger would have been good for Harry," Minerva said
seriously.
"You don't think they've tried?"
Minerva shot him a sharp look, "What do you know?"
He shrugged, "Nothing but for the way a man looks at an attractive
woman with wonder, or lack thereof."
"You think that they-"
"I don't know. But I know this, Harry's entire generation had their
childhoods come to a crashing ending. Among them, I think very few
escaped knowing who they are and what they want out of life. I think
among those who did, I can name only Harry who would have
wanted to settle down and raise another man's baby."
Minerva sighed again, "When Lily and James died, I should have
taken Harry as my own. I should never have allowed Albus to leave
him with the muggles."
"Such things are beyond our changing now. What matters now is
giving him our support and our friendship."
"He might need it," Minerva agreed. "I don't think we were the only
ones who noticed."
Filius finished his drink, "No, I don't suppose we were.