*I solemnly swear that I'm upto no good.*

Well, this is the first one-shot I have written, and the very first writing on Harry Potter. So please bear with me. Correction and criticism is acceptable, flames are not.

-21 years later-

31st July marked the end of the seventh month. Nothing special about it, just the usual cycle of life and time squinting just to make humans run to grab the speed. Except for the decent medium house on the land appearing shielded by an enormous lushy garden decorated with different types of greenery. Known as the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice, originally Harry James Potter, lived there, and would be celebrating his 39th birthday today.

The sunlight scorched through the open window of the large room, forcing the bearded, lightly scarred man to open his emerald green eyes. Still weak in eyesight, he struggled to find his equally famed glasses on the night table. When he finally got hold of them, he put them on and got out of his bed. He walked down the stairs, just to see his wife sitting on the sofa reading the Quibbler. He grinned. This was one of the few times when Ginevra Potter appeared cool early in the morning.

Gotta thank Luna for the free copies, he made a mental note.

"Many Happy Returns Darling." Ginny wished while shifting her gaze from the magazine, smiling brightly. She got up and hugged Harry tightly. He chuckled. "Thanks Gin. Wouldnt know what I will do without you." He replied sheepishly.

"It's your special day. Let me get you some special breakfast." She took his hand and brought him to the dining table.

"Gin, I'm not a kid." He protested at the hand-dragging treatment.

"You're not,but only today you will get special attention than the two we have."

"Speaking of which, where are the little devils?" He inquired.

"Still in their sleep slumber."

"The lazy crackpots." Harry muttered jokingly.

"Oh come on, stop acting like a Mary Sue. They took that from you. Did you see the time ?"

He craned his neck to look at the grandfather clock, 10:30 declared on it.

"Chill, it's not THAT late." Came the defense.

"Ya, anything Saint Potter does can never be LATE." She emphasized on the saint, reminding him of his nickname by Draco Malfoy.

Harry feigned shock. But then he smiled for a second, opened his mouth and sang in a moderate volume.

"His eyes are green as a fresh pickled toad...

His hair is black as a black board...

He's really divine, I wish he was mine..."

Harry couldn't continue. He started laughing loudly, holding his hands on his stomach, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Get over that shit, will you. You don't want our son to think you're crazy for him." She chided. Their son, Nathaniel "Natty" Potter had inherited Harry's black hair and green eyes, but thankfully, not his eyesight.

"Got it, got it, at least you didn't hex me this time."

"Good you reminded, now I definitely would." Ginny ran and grabbed her wand from the drawer beside the sofa, while Harry went to hide behind the large muggle fridge. They had lots of muggle items in their house, as they wanted their kids to be aware of magical as well as muggle world.

Just as Ginny was about to hex Harry, a loud shout distracted the adults' attention.

"What the bloody hell is going on here!"

It was their almost 13yr old short bob sporting daughter, Nicole, with Natty by her side, who had called out on their cat and mouse game before it started from the middle of the stairs.

"We should get used to this by now, Nick." Natty said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Of course not. We are much better than them despite behind so-called children." She said as both climbed down the stairs.

"Better? How about you learn to deal with Mama's hexes better than me?" Harry teased as he came out of his hiding.

"Dad..what? No, i didn't mean that. You see, I was talking about displaying excessive immaturity. It's early in the morning, forget us, but little Moony was for your question, you got years of experience with Mama,I got few. Not my fault is it?"

"Of course not sweety." Ginny chimed."But you also need to have little fun even as adults, as kids even more."

"Mom I didn't say anything against fun but.."

"Oh Merlin, this rant will last centuries..." Nathaniel sighed.

"Shut it Natty, when older ones are talking, kids should not interfere." Nicole replied in a chiding tone.

"Cut the crap, you are just an year older than me."

"Natty you are still..."

"If you say you are an almost teenager by month, I can also say I am an almost teenager by some months.. so forget that logic."

"That's stupid..even if"

"ENOUGH!" Ginny roared and there was completely silence. Even Harry's face looked like he shat in his pants.

Natty meekly looked at his dad, then remembered. "By the way Dad, Happy Birthday." He said softly, afraid Mama would shout on him for slightly louder tone. When that didn't happened, in a nanosecond he leaped on Harry.

"Happy Birthday Dad! Happy Birthday."

Nikki was frightened but now she knew how to get rid of the embarrassment. She felt lucky and leaped on Harry as well. "Happy Birthday Dad! Best Dad! Woohoo"

Even after all these years he was still getting used to the uproar.

"Thank.. thanks you little devils." Harry chuckled in between as the hugging and leaping continued.

"You two are still grounded for a week though."

Ginny called out coolly as she headed to the kitchen. The two immediately stopped. Maybe one week wasn't so bad just for fighting.

And to talk about immaturity, Ginny chuckled at that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where the fuck is my guitar." Nikki groaned as she rummaged through the living room.

"Language.! A woman stays in this house."

Harry was casual as he sipped his tea on his chair. Natty burst out laughing.

"Dad..did you just mean.."

"You're a boy." Natty finished for her.

"I didn't ask you." Nicki shot back.

"You didn't have to. I just told ya." Natty snickered.

By now Nicole knew that quarreling with her brother is like hitting the mud, but she just could not resist sometimes.

Being a Ravenclaw, she thought of changing to a strong topic.

"By the way Dad, we celebrate our birthdays every year in the Potter Manor, so why don't we stay there forever ?" She never got a proper answer when she asked before. This attracted Natty's attention as well.

Harry adjusted in his seat, he knew his children were old enough to know this.

"Err..I just never stayed there, and it's our family home from decades..and you know about your other grandparents."

Oh well, they knew about their dad never knowing his mom and dad. When both came to know years back from their mom, they both were inconsolable, hugging each other and Harry and Ginny and mused how terrible it must be to have no parents. Of course, they were just made known he stayed with his relatives, but nothing about the abuse he faced and details about other despicable people were not told them, yet.

"Yes yes we know, but the Manor is so dope. We can explore a lot, it even got a quidditch pitch, not that I care, but you people can play there. And that would actually mean we come across lots of photographs and books..." Nicki stopped then excitement gleamed in her brown eyes.

"Oh yes, there must be portraits of all grandies and great grandies right ?! I have read about them, portraits with dead people who can converse with us.."

"They are not actually them. They are just shadow of what they were, in metaphor." Harry added with sadness croaking a little in his voice. Nicki was silent. She was not much on the emotional side, Mama said she inherited that from her uncle Ron. But the redhead cared about her family's feelings, at least to some extent.

"Well Dad.." Natty chimed in. "But conversing can be so much fun.. even if it's not exactly them."

"Natty is right, Daddy. You would know that at Hogwarts there are portraits of all dead headmasters. Even that horrible Snake guy.."

"Snape." Natty laughed after correcting her.

"Why bother." She grunted.

Harry couldn't stiffle the laugh. He was indeed horrible. He might have been a spy for them, but he couldn't help loathe the greasy git for the other 'stuff', at least to some extent ...

He chuckled at the memory about rumors spread that he would name his baby boy after him and Dumbledore, which replaced the rumor of naming him James Sirius.

"I don't feel worthy of that house." Harry confessed in a whisper, thinking the kids won't catch it. Little did he know,they did.

"Why would you say like that Dad?" Natty argued in a tone, reminding him of Ginny.

"After all you're the Boy-Who-Lived..twice." was Nicky's cheeky response.

"It was my mother, your Grandma Lily Potter whose sacrifice achieved that title which I never wanted. I just wanted a family." He hoped the kids won't suspect anything about his muggle family.

"It's ok Dad, you have us. Why not think this way. The Manor is lonely and is awaiting for the arrival of its.." Natty ahemed. "..majesty, the Nicole Ginevra Potter First the Great."

"STOP HARRASING ME YOU LITTLE BADGER!"

"50 points from Ravenclaw." Ginny declared as she entered the house after apparating from the Burrow.

"Good thing you ain't teaching at Hogwarts." Nicki smirked.

"Well darlings, you better go get ready. We would be leaving in some hours." Ginny ordered the kids.

"What's the hurry." Natty protested.

"As far as my experience." Ginny continued. "..with you two jumpy jumpers..." The two in question exchanged looks."you rise our blood pressure when you panic at the last moment for most trivial things."

Nicole widened her eyes as she recalled.

"My guitar.. "

"Why not accio it." Natty suggested.

"Nah, I'm terrible at that.."

"Accio Guitar." The younger kid chanted as the guitar flew from the upstairs to gracefully land in his hands. He handed over the thing to his sister with a look of superiority on his face. The elder kid wanted to hit him with the same thing, but restrained herself from doing so.

"Quite the Hufflepuff you are." Harry said through gritted teeth.

"Puff puff" Nicki laughed.

"Claw Claw." Natty shot back.

"Eeks, that's cringy."

"So are you…"

"Ok you two. Go fast.."

"Gin, it's fine. There's plenty of time left. Let the kids breathe." Harry said.

Ginny gave that look of total indifference and went out in the garden to find their cat.

Nicole had plans too, she took her guitar in her arms and headed towards her room, muttering under her breathe that she would convince Dad for them all to stay at the Manor atleast for summer holidays. But deep inside, Harry feared that the two troublemakers would burn down his ancestral home, and he wanted to keep it intact as a souvenir of his paternal ancestry.

It was not like he never visited the place except for their birthdays. He would go there whenever he got the time, sometimes by floo. The portraits were there with whom he would interact. He had taken Ginny a couple of times there before marriage to meet his parents and ancestors. He had taken the kids to meet them when they were babies, but stopped it later as he didn't want his kids to delve in sadness for not having any direct contact with them, which Ginny thought was quite stupid on his part.

But after the talk by his kids, he was wondering if they should shift there.

Harry was leaving the room, but his usually cheery son's squeaky tone caught him.

"Er, dad." The little boy whispered.

"Yes, Nate." Nathaniel was tall for his age, so Harry didn't have to kneel for closer attention. He mildly bended and asked him.

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Anything serious?" Now Harry was worried. He hoped it was not bullying or anything worse, he should have known.

"Do you think I am fitting of Hufflepuff?"

To say that Harry was stunned was an understatement.

"Of course. I mean, you are just,loyal, compassionate and a very good finder. Why would you ask that ?" He replied as he gently ruffled Nate's hair which was way messier than his own.

"Would I be deserving of Gryffindor?"

Now Harry turned grim. "Gryffindor is not like a prize, all four house are equal and have it's own attributes, it's stupid to think one house less than another.. You value or possess Hufflepuff qualities more than those of Gryffindor.. what's the matter?"

"Some first years tease me that I am adopted because I'm not in Gryffindor." Confessed Nathaniel.

Harry couldn't control. He wouldn't. He started laughing. So hard. It was close. To Sirius' barking laugh. He could even beat Sirius at that now.

Nathaniel had a blank look on his face. The transition from worry to excessively laughing. Seeing this even he gave a small chuckle.

"Sorry..I just couldn't. Hahaha..control. By the way they were from which house?" He inquired, thinking it might be Slytherin,but he didn't see why they would care anyway.

"Gryffindor." Ah, sounds legit. It was right. They can be jerks. He himself was like that sometimes.

"Hm.. you never told those idiots that isn't possible since you look like I did."

"Of course I did, they say my looks were transfigured."

Harry slammed his palm lightly on his face.

"Oh Merlin..."

"They're fools. I know. I was foolish too to think about those idiots. Hufflepuff is cool anyway."

Harry smiled. "Ya right. Maybe they got disappointed that a Potter wasn't in Gryffindor. Why did you never tell me this at school?"

"Dad, you had your own work to do, I didn't want you to be any sort of disturbance to you."

Harry tightened his grip on Nathaniel's shoulders.

"My boy, you can never be disturbance. If anything else happens at Hogwarts, you would let me know. Am I clear?"

"Clear enough." The younger Potter nodded.

Harry smiled.

Then it struck him. What about Nicole?

"And how does your sister fare then?"

Nate scoffed. "Nobody dares cross her path, though she has a huge social circle. Pretty scared of her. You remember she hexed a girl badly on her second day who made fun of her pixie haircut ?"

Harry nodded. Getting complaints about their child on the second day itself was something they had not expected.

"Since then everybody fears her. She might not be a bookworm, but she is smart and tactful and comes up with worst insults ever." Natty emphasized the last 3 words in admiration. Harry smirked.

He and Ginny would always bet whether she would be Gryffindor or Slytherin, Harry betting on Slytherin while Ginny going for Gryffindor. Imagine their shock when she went a complete different road. She was more prominent in the cunning side according to him, despite being absent minded at times. But both were glad they didn't exactly lose the bet.

"Why didn't you ask her for help?"

"Why should I ? If I do she will tease me even more. And I will be teased by others if I ask my sister for help."

Harry shook his head. "No no, that's not what I meant. I asked you this because she is very good in dealing with jerks, like you said. And her friends being older like her will pressurise your year's Gryffindors to shut up."

"I still don't like this idea."

"You have inferiority complex." Harry patted on his head and continued. "It's quite common among siblings..and there's nothing like a sister defending her brother is cowardice on the boy's part. "

Harry thought he had said enough.

"I understand." His son smiled.

"Well then, kiddo. Don't think about them. You enjoy with your mates and study without fooling much around."

"You know I can't fool around. I don't have the Marauder's map , it's with Nix. I don't have the cloak either, it's with you." Nat made it sound with a tinge of sadness.

"I don't want you to look out for trouble like I did, you don't need those things. If you need the map ask Nicki, she can't deny you that. As for the cloak, you two are quite young to know the importance of the family heirloom." Natty made a face. "But you two have an equal right on it, and you will get it ONLY when you need it."

"Understood father."

"Good. Off you go." He smiled as Natty ran with a speed as if racing with a hyena.

"I wonder what his patronus would be." Harry turned to the direction of the voice. Ginny leaned against the main door's frame with Moony in her hold, her gaze strong and a smile on her face. She obviously heard all of the conversation.

"All of a sudden?" His tone fully casual.

"All of a sudden what?" Ginny spoke as she walked closer.

"This question?"

"Oh that...I have these weird questions all the time. Its just that I'm not used to stay away from work completely, even if it's just for few days. When I'm home I think all this .." Ginny continued.

"Anyway, Birthday man, how were the owls and howlers this afternoon?"

" Great..fantastic" Sarcasm laced in his voice. In a second his tone changed.

"Hermione won't be able to make it. She says Viktor and she got some important meeting at the American ministry of magic regarding Vanessa displaying magic infront of her muggle friend." He sighed. "It's kinda unfair that kids can't express their magic as a talent."

"That's what all of us faced. Isn't it?"

"Did you know of this ?" Harry inquired.

"Of course I did." Ginny grinned.

"Why you didn't let me know."

"I thought you ought to know from your dear sister herself."

She did make sense. "Though I'm still disappointed with her, how to tell the kids Vanessa won't be coming."

"They will understand, they're 'almost teenagers' after all." Came Ginny's scoff.

"Right." He grinned widely at the morning memory.

"Hopefully the others are coming." He declared.

"Of course they would." Was the solemn reply.

He began musing over the happenings over the past years. His life at the Dursleys, being introduced to Hogwarts, knowing his parents and people who would be dear to him, some of them taken away from him one by one just for protecting him, the hunt for horcruxes, Voldemort's demise. All these events gave him severe PTSD, but the rest who survived and suffered as well, gave him that unending strength which cannot be described in words, with love and determination which made him stronger than ever. He learned to widen his mental horizon, and could now distinguish between people who genuinely cared for and those who used him for their own means. He hated himself for being a pawn, and not taking matters in his own hands earlier, but all that hate was washed away when he was with his people who were equally knowing about the suffering nobody talks about. The past is a network with the present and the future, one must not forget it, but not delve in it either.

After all, amazing things did happen to him. He met Ron and Hermione who had been like his family for quite some time, he never expected to have friends due to his low self-esteem. He was made the youngest seeker, discovered so much about the magical period. Years later he married Ginny. When their Nicole was born, the first daughter in many generations of the Potters, his happiness quite naturally knew no bounds. Same happened when Nathaniel was born. He had got this urge to name his kids after his dead parents and Sirius, but he felt it would be unfair to the rest of the fallen reasoning felt it was inappropriate to name siblings after a couple. Also, the kids would be nothing like those people,they were their own personality, so both Harry and Ginny decided they would name their children with fresh names and use their own name for the kids' middle names.

Hermione was very eager to go back to Hogwarts to finish her 7th year, on the contrary Ron and Harry were too tired by the chaos which preceded some months back. Ron wanted to be with George and help him run the joke shop, with lots of innovative ideas the shop prospered into a muggle equivalent of a mall and had its own high standing now.

Ron and Hermione split after a few months of being together, when they realised they did not find the "old sparks" anymore. One of the main reasons, for the split however, was that Ron disregarded Hermione's ambitions. From Hermione's side, Ron was too childish. But they wouldn't talk about it anyway. When they came across each other, they would be casual though. The friendship was kind of broken, but they still maintained mutual respect.

Some years later Hermione got reconnected to Viktor Krum at an event and that's how they began dating in a proper manner, who then married and had a daughter Vanessa who was 2 years younger than Nathaniel. They settled in America along with Krum's parents before she was born, which avoided the conflict if the little brunette should go to Hogwarts or Durmstrang, and also got to learn magic at an American primary magic school. Hermione was the head of a certain department in the American Ministry of Magic, whereas Krum who used to play for Bulgaria (Hermione and Vanessa joined him sometimes on his tours) retired two years ago and stayed with his daughter and parents at home.

Ron had hard luck finding a girlfriend for years due to his nature, but there was this half-blood girl from France called Claudia, whom he was dating from 4 years and staying with her in an apartment in Perth.

All the surviving death eaters, as well as the toad Umbridge, were put to rot in Azkaban. Imagine Harry Potter's happiness when he came to know that dementors were completely destroyed with offensive magic, but the prison was cast upon advanced magic so that prisoners could feel the presence of dementors. Lucius was the first one to close his eyes for eternity, after a period of two months. Him having survived even that much time was bit of a surprise.

The other two Malfoys were ordered to pay a huge fine and put on house arrest for a period of 1 year.

Draco and Astoria Malfoy's son, Scorpius was a Slytherin like his parents in Nicole's year.

Ron joked that soon Harry would be offered the post for Ministry of magic, for which Harry replied that he would not accept it even if he were an elitist.

As for Harry's job, he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. That was something he had never thought about. After the war, he had given up his dream on being an Auror. He realized he did not have any more energy for that job. So instead of hunting playful dark wizards, Harry Potter would be teaching young children, and he felt he was at peace with being able to teach his favourite subject. But for that to happen, he had to be homeschooled to complete his final year, and earn a little bit of degree in DADA.

Ginny played for Holyhead Harpies for some years before retiring due to a terrible back injury and took the job as the Sports Editor for the Daily Prophet.

5 years back Andromeda Tonks passed away, and Edward Remus Lupin got to be a permanent stay at the Potters' residence. They had found a white kitty lurking in their own garden 2 years back, and Teddy was the one who came up with the name Moony.

But then Teddy, just like his father, had a misplaced sense of responsibility and talked to Harry and Ginny about becoming self reliant and getting a job of his own. Following his breakup with Victoire, Bill and Fleur's daughter, he was a little depressed, so when one day he was offered the job of dragon training in Norway, he did not look back and bid a tearful goodbye to the Potters and other dearies, with an equally reluctant farewell from the other side.

Life had its ups and downs, but it was something normal, and they enjoyed this normalcy.

Harry let a drop of tear escape his eyes, which he didn't know he was holding. Everything was alright.

All was well...for now.

So how was it ? I will have this uploaded on Fanfiction as well as Wattpad. And thank you to all in advance for reading/reviewing or both ;)

*Mischief Managed*