DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the Harry Potter books or any characters created by JK Rowling. All copyright goes to JK Rowling & co. and I am not associated with her in any way. I do not profit from any of my stories.

Linger

It had been eleven years, three months, and two days after the end of Second Wizarding War. Harry Potter sits alone at the kitchen table one evening in Godric's Hollow. He's joined by Hermione, who is charming the dinner plates to float off the table and into the sink.

"I love magic."

"Harry, you've seen me do this a hundred times."

"And it still gets me every time you do it."

Suddenly, through the kitchen window swoops a large barn owl. The bird drops an envelope onto the now empty table, and swoops out as quickly as he came in.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Potter,

We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at number twelve Grimmauld Place this evening at forty-five minutes past seven, by your son Sirius Rupert Potter, upon your other children James Daniel Potter, Lily Emma Potter and one Remus Alphard Black. As you are well aware, under age wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, until the age of seventeen (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Under age Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C). We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offence under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy. Enjoy your summer holidays!

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

"Harry..."

"What?"

"I knew it wouldn't be a good idea to let Sirius babysit."

"Oh Hermione, they're just kids. Besides, they love playing with little Remus."

"Yes, but the Ministry—"

"Isn't as bad as it used to be Hermione, not since Percy became Minister anyway."

"I didn't even know our son could cast a Hover Charm."

"Well, his mother was the brightest witch Hogwarts had ever seen."

"Harry."

"What, it's true and you know it."

"We really knew what we were doing when we named him, didn't we."

"Lay off Sirius, Hermione. It's not like he's a bad influence on our kids."

"I didn't say that Harry."

"There is one good thing about him babysitting every once in a while."

"What?"

"We get to be alone."

"I suppose you're right."

"I know I am."

In another realm, Lily and James Potter were looking down over their son, Harry, who was now an adult with a family of his own.

"Lily, Lily what's wrong?"

"It's nothing James."

"Lily, I've known you long enough to know when nothing means something."

"It's just...Harry, James."

"What about Harry?"

"Did he really have to go through all this?"

"What, little Sirius breaking the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Under age Sorcery? Don't worry about it Lily, the Ministry knows he's only seven..."

"No James, it's not that."

"Then what?"

"What happened all those years...Voldemort..."

"Lily, Voldemort is gone. Our son..."

"Our son James, was only a child. A child that had to face things no one else had to."

"Yes, but he was our son. And he won, remember? It's all over now."

"I know James, it's just— I feel like Harry was denied so many things in life."

"What do you mean?"

"Parents for one thing, and his childhood."

"Lily don't look at it that way."

"How am I supposed to look at it James? Part of me wishes I could have been there with him."

"You mean as a ghost?"

"Well, yes. At least we could have talked to him, raised him. Better than my horrible sister anyway..."

"Lily, we couldn't have."

"And why not? Now that I think about it, that's what we should have done."

"It's not as simple as you think."

"Why not James?"

"Because being a ghost, means being half alive. Would you really have wanted to live half a life? "

"If it meant I could have been with Harry, then yes."

"Think about it this way Lily. You would have been with him, in some form, right?"

"Yes..."

"But you wouldn't be able to hug him, or touch him."

"Well..."

"Don't you think that it would have been worse that way?"

"..."

"Being so close, yet so far away. It would hurt us all so much more."

"You're right, James."

"I know I am."

As they look down from the heavens, Harry takes Hermione in his arms and they begin to dance around the kitchen. They smile and laugh, so completely in love with each other.

"Look at him Lily. Look at our son."

"He has everything anyone could ever dream of, doesn't he James."

"Yes he does."

Author's Note: Remus Alphard Black, in case one hadn't already figured it out, is the son of Sirius Black (whom in my world, never died). I decided that his name would be a tribute to three people whom I think, meant a lot to Sirius Black. Remus, for Remus Lupin, one of Sirius' best friends (James was already taken by Harry's son and I doubt anyone would name their child after Peter Pettigrew). Alphard after Alphard Black, the uncle that helped Sirius after he was disowned. And they all came together to make up the initials R.A.B., a tribute to Regulus Black, Sirius' brother.