|
Together | ||||||
|
Category: Post-DH/AB Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Drama, General, Romance Warnings: Death, Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 128 Summary: "I've had enough trouble for a lifetime," Harry Potter tells his friends after the Battle of Hogwarts. Life, however, is not done with Harry. The Wizarding community is left in chaos and it's up to Harry to fix it, and there's the small matter of repairing his relationship with Ginny, strained after months apart. Will Harry ever be able to settle and enjoy a simple life with the ones he loves? Hitcount: Story Total: 59492; Chapter Total: 2822 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: Well, that's that. Taking Harry and Ginny from those miserable first days after the battle to contentedness and happiness. Thank you all so much for sticking with this story for so long. You're wonderful. I also want to take a moment to dedicate this chapter to all survivors of sexual assault, including Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. These last two weeks have been rough, and it's been lovely to have this community to escape to. Until next time. |
Previous |
|
||||
|
"I don't see why you all need to be here," Teddy Lupin cried in embarrassment as Madam Malkin fussed over him, summoning swaths of dark fabric down from the shelves and draping them pell-mell over the boy's shoulders. "Are you joking?" Harry said. "I've been waiting eleven years for this moment!" "As have I," Andromeda voiced seriously. "When one spends their entire middle-age raising a boy as high-energy as you, Teddy, one wants to see the fruits of their labour!" "And I wasn't going to miss out on all the fun!" Ginny chimed in. "You know, the first time I ever met you was in this robe shop." Teddy looked up in surprise, causing a piece of velvet to fall to the ground. "Really?" he asked dubiously, before gesturing out to the rest of their party. "Well, they could've at least stayed home." Ginny looked sympathetic. "Wherever I go, they go, I'm afraid. None of their aunts or uncles will look after them after the incident with the firecrackers." Three-and-a-half year old Albus looked up at his mother. "We made a poor choice, Mummy," he said glumly. "You certainly did," Ginny replied. James didn't look half as remorseful as his younger brother. "When I go to Hogwarts, I'll learn how to make things blow up without needing firecrackers," he boasted. "Well, don't tell your Uncle George that," Harry warned. "He'll never invite you 'round to play again. The healer told him there's a chance his eyebrows may never grow back." Ginny had to turn away so her son wouldn't see her laughter. Madam Malkin smiled at Teddy as she pulled another pin from between her teeth. "Where do you think you'll end up, dear?" Teddy looked thoughtful for only a moment, before answering the old witch assuredly. "Gryffindor, like Harry and my dad." "Or you'll be a slimy Slytherin," James suggested, wiggling his eyebrows. "Slytherin is a fine house, young man," Andromeda said imperiously, before turning back to her grandson. "You could be a Hufflepuff, like your mother. Or a Ravenclaw; you're certainly bright enough. It hardly matters, what matters is that you are personable and work hard at your studies." Teddy rolled his eyes at his grandmother. Harry smiled, setting Lily down on the ground and squatting to look all three of his children. "Why don't we arrange a little bet?" he said. "Two chocolate frogs for whichever one of you can guess where Teddy'll be sorted." Lily gurgled happily, and James rolled his eyes, looking very put out. "Lily can't even speak yet," he complained. "And Al doesn't know any of the houses!" "Yes, I do!" cried Albus unhappily. "No you don't," his brother told him. "Anyways, Lily will get the frogs because Dad loves her best." "I don't love Lily the best," Harry said. "She just causes me the fewest heart palpitations between the lot of you." "Just wait until she grows up and tells you she wants to be an Auror," Andromeda said sadly. "The palpitations will never stop." Ginny smiled kindly, but Harry frowned as he imagined his young daughter chasing after Dark wizards. The room was silent for a moment, but suddenly the bell over the shop's door jangled. Harry, still deep in thought over Andromeda's comment, didn't turn, but Ginny, facing the door, stiffened and glanced to her husband with a warning look. "How can I help you?" Madam Malkin asked kindly, stretching a tape measure down the length of Teddy's left arm. "We need funeral robes," a male voice answered, and Harry closed his eyes as a wave of recognition crashed over him. Andromeda had also looked up from Teddy, and Harry saw her face go quite pale. He rotated slowly to see Draco and Narcissa Malfoy standing in the doorway of the shop. Harry blanched, leaning over instinctively to pluck up Lily, happy to see that Ginny had also reached out and drawn their two sons nearer to her. Some wounds healed more slowly than others. The two Malfoys looked haggard, and Narcissa had dark circles under her eyes. Her mouth fell open at the sight of her older sister. "Andromeda," she breathed, and Draco's eyebrows raised in surprise. Andromeda said nothing. Narcissa's mouth opened and closed several times as she clearly attempted to articulate something. "Lucius died," she said. Andromeda's expression didn't change. The silence in the room was unbearable. None of the children spoke, their tiny faces looking uneasily between Narcissa and Andromeda. Finally, Andromeda spoke, her voice cold. "It's a terrible thing." Narcissa flushed. "I'm sorry - I didn't…." Teddy was unable to stand the tension. "Who are you?" he asked Narcissa curiously. "How d'you know Gran?" Narcissa's gaze tore away from her sister and fixed itself on Teddy, who was stood in front of the mirror, turquoise hair darkening as he regarded the woman in front of him. "I'm, er, I'm…." Narcissa began, but Andromeda suddenly stepped forward, seething. "Don't speak to him!" she cried. "Don't even look at him!" She pushed past her sister and ran from the shop. "Gran!" Teddy called, making to follow her, but Ginny threw out a hand and held him back. "Harry," she said, gesturing to the street. "Go." Harry sighed, throwing the Malfoys a dark glare before handing Lily to her mother. He put his hand on Teddy's shoulder for a moment before following Andromeda from the shop. It wasn't difficult to find her, huddled in front of the Leaky Cauldron drawing short, shaky breaths. She nodded to Harry as he approached her. "Have I terrified him?" she asked, attempting nonchalance. "He'll be alright," Harry said quietly. "Will you be?" "Yes. I'm just a bit blindsided," Andromeda admitted. "As if I give a flying fuck that Lucius Malfoy has died." Harry had never heard Andromeda swear before, and it was an effort not to smile. Andromeda continued. "I'd always thought we'd done a good job," she said. "But now I wonder if it's been a disservice to him, not to tell him exactly who killed them." It took Harry only a moment to figure out that she meant Teddy, and he was overwhelmed with a sense of flattery that she thought they'd done well raising him. "I think he's old enough to understand," Harry said. "We could tell him before he leaves." "He'll feel so betrayed," Andromeda replied sadly. "And to go live at the very place where it happened…." She wrapped her arms around herself, and Harry could see her doing her very best to remain composed. "He already knows they died at Hogwarts," Harry reminded her softly. "We can tell him about Bellatrix together." "It never ends, does it?" Andromeda asked him bleaky. "He's so young, and happy, and now he has to inherit all of this misery." "I think about that a lot, Andromeda," Harry answered truthfully, thinking of his small, happy children, who were thankfully still too young to know much about the war. "I'm sure it's going to rock his worldview to know that his mum was killed by your sister. But he'll still be alright." Andromeda looked unsure. Harry took another deep breath. "D'you remember the first Christmas after the war?" he asked her. "The one I spent with you and Teddy." Andromeda nodded. "You asked me if everything we'd lost fighting the war was worth all the things we'd gained." Andromeda, surprisingly, smiled at the memory. Harry looked back up the street, and saw Ginny, carrying Lily on one hip and holding Albus's hand, while James and Teddy walked just beside her. "I don't know if I completely understood at the time, but I do now. Good and evil aren't black-and-white, and Teddy's going to have to learn that eventually," Harry continued. "But what he doesn't have to learn, what he already knows, is that there's more light in his world than darkness. He may have lost some of his innocence when Remus and Tonks were killed, but he has love, and friends, and you." Ginny and Teddy reached them with the others in tow, and Harry took Lily back from his wife. Andromeda gave Teddy a little squeeze, and he looked up at her with concern in his eyes. "Would you like to go get an ice cream and have a chat with your old Gran?" she asked him. Teddy smiled, and Andromeda threw Harry a gracious look before the two walked away. Ginny sighed. "Is she going to be alright?" "Yeah," Harry said, looking down at her and smiling. She reached out and took his hand in hers, and they stood there quietly for a moment. It was almost peaceful, until James suddenly leaned over to look at his brother. "Would you like a sweet, Al?" he asked kindly. Albus smiled hugely, reaching out and taking the green morsel from James. "Albus, no!" both his parents shouted, but it was already down the hatch, and Albus looked up in alarm. "James Sirius Potter, what was it?" Ginny asked, rounding on James. "A chocolate," James said innocently, holding his hands behind his back. His mother whipped out her wand and snagged the vial out of the air as it came hurtling towards her. "U-No-Poo?" Ginny cried. "Bloody fantastic, James! And you gave him the whole thing, didn't you? He'll be costive for a week! Where did you get it? Don't you dare tell me you found it! Was it Ron? I'm going to curse his fingers off for giving you - Why are you laughing? You do realize we're going to be up with Al all night now?" Harry wiped a tear from under his glasses as his shoulders continued to shake. "I'm sorry, Ginny, I can't help it," he said, trying to compose himself. "James, that was very wro-" Harry doubled over again, wheezing as he tried to control himself. "I'm sorry, Ginny. They just…." he chuckled again. "They make me so happy." Ginny smiled in spite of herself, and she and Harry looked out at their three children, all gazing back at them in mild confusion. James had something of a hopeful look on his face, clearly sensing that he was about to evade punishment. Harry set Lily on the ground beside her brothers, who were now laughing with their parents, poor Albus not knowing the tummy ache that awaited him tonight. Ginny leaned forward and kissed her husband, before looking down at the three children giggling on the pavement. Harry took her hand again. "Look at all that we've done together." |
| Reviews 128 |
Previous
|
