Felix Dies Natalis
Summary: Harry reaches a milestone he never thought he'd live to see. Title is Latin for, "Happy Birthday.
The sun hung a handsbreadth above the horizon. Fat and yellow, it washed the land in deep colors and shadows, brighter than usual after the rain that had fallen that afternoon. On the roof of a crooked house in the south of England two young men sat. A pair of half-empty bottles sat between them, condensation running down their sides. They sat in silence, no words existing that were suitable to express their current maelstrom of emotions.
It had been a good day, despite the downpour. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had invited Luna and the rest of Harry's former dorm mates to the small celebration, as well as the rest of their brood and Fleur, but there was no denying that a sense of emptiness had filled the air despite the loud festivities: it was hard to ignore the absence of chaos the twins had once carried with them wherever they went. Once the guests had left Harry had fled to the roof to try and escape the dark pall and Ron had followed not long after for much the same reason. It didn't work very well, and the pair felt the pain even more acutely in the silence. Still, neither could bring themselves to move just yet. The sun was brushing the horizon before the black haired man made to speak.
"I never thought I'd live to see this day," said Harry quietly, wondrously. The flame haired man jerked his head in acknowledgement.
"When I was younger, I didn't let myself think of the future. Didn't think I'd have much of one really. A desk job at a company like my uncle's if I was lucky. Then Hagrid came... And almost at the same time I found out about Voldemort." No shudder came from the taller man. There was no sense in fearing the name of a man defeated in front of his own eyes, and less sense in it given the last year of their lives. Not anymore.
"It was less than a year later when we met." Harry's mouth twisted with dark humor. "Then I figured that if he was still around and trying to kill me, then maybe if I went I could take him with me. A Dark Lord, five times my age? I didn't stand a chance, and there are worse things to die for." His voice had descended to a whisper. "I did die for it. And yet here I am." He spread his arms to encompass himself and his surroundings. He laughed without humor, only disbelief.
"Isn't it just insane, everything that happened and I actually made it this far," said Harry with wonder. He sipped at his butterbeer and said no more. For several minutes the only sound was the chirping of crickets, the creaking of the aged wood beneath them and the distant clang of colliding iron and copper pans as Mrs. Weasley cleaned up several floors below. Ron's voice sounded out rustily,
"When Hagrid came out of the forest, I..." Ron cleared his throat roughly.
"I'm glad you're here, mate," he said thickly. A small, genuine smile graced Harry's face for only the third time that day. He reached over and briefly clapped his best friend on the shoulder.
"I'm glad you're here too."
"A bit of their darkness melted away in the light of the dying sun. They watched it as it sank below the horizon with increasing speed, first dye-ing the fields and orchard with golden reds, then leeching the color from the land and sky as it passed below the distant hills. Green and brown and golden grass became shades of blue, grey and black. The stars appeared overhead one by one and the half moon faded into view, it's thin light just bright enough to see by. It was well past midnight before Ginny's voice called softly from the attic window beneath them and brought them out of their thoughts and back to reality. They eased themselves over the eaves and through the open window and all three descended to Ron's room, oddly tranquil, where Hermione waited for them. Their soft good nights were quickly completed and it was not long at all until the women left and the men slid between their sheets, falling into their dreams. The night was still and bright, and for now, all was well.
Well, a little late for Harry's actual birthday, but here this is none-the-less. Happy late birthday to Harry, Queen Jo and the late Richard Griffiths. If you've made it this far, please review. Even if it's only a, "I don't know what to say but I liked it/hated it because blah," do it. Reviews are IMMENSELY helpful to us humble authors. Also, please tell me if you find any spelling errors or poorly constructed sentences: I typed this on my iPod because my laptop's in need of repairs and unavailable for writing, and it's kind of hard to spot those things in this format. Thanks for reading!
Silver
edited: September 27, 2014