Iris opened her eyes the next morning, noticing that the bed next to her was empty. Again. She frowned slightly, hoping that after they had made amends that Oliver would have at least given her a kiss good-bye or something before he left. She hadn't even been aware that he had somewhere to be that day. It was Sunday after all. She sat up and stretched, glancing over at the sunlight pouring in through the white curtains. She heard the door open and turned to look as Oliver walked through the door, a tray in hand laden with breakfast. Iris grinned as he walked around to her side of the bed and placed it in front of her.

"What's this?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Felt like I needed to make up for being an arse," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"Well, this is lovely. Thank you," she said. Oliver walked around to the other side of the bed and crawled in next to her, putting his arm around her and reaching down to grab a piece of bacon. "Hey, I thought this was my breakfast?"

"I put enough there for both of us," he said. Iris laughed and started eating.

"So, what do you have planned for today?" she asked.

"Absolutely nothing. No Quidditch until tomorrow," Oliver said.

"So, what do you intend to do?" she asked. "George is supposed to come over this afternoon so we can talk products."

"I owled him and told him to make it a dinner meeting. I wanted to have you to myself all day," he said, a bit of a mischievous glint in his eye again.

"And Harry?" Iris asked, smiling slightly.

"He's off on a date with Ginny."

"What do you have planned?" she asked before biting into a piece of bacon.

"Well, I figured we could play it by ear. Either spend a leisurely day together around the apartment. Or go out," he said. Iris leaned over and kissed him.

"That sounds amazing. And for once, I don't really want to get out of the flat," she said, grinning.

"Good. Now eat up," he said. "I don't intend on either of us getting out of this bed until at least lunch."


Later that afternoon, Iris and Oliver sat out on the balcony, basking in the afternoon sun and nice weather. She sipped on a glass of lemonade.

"I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this, but you really got your hands on a nice flat, Oliver," she said, looking over at him. He shrugged.

"The league pays well. Though I got this for a steal. It had been gutted, so they cut the purchase price way down if I agreed to cover the renovations myself," he said with a shrug. "Did a bit here and there as I could afford it. Over all, didn't cost as much as it looks." Iris smiled at him.

"Well, hopefully in a few months I'll be able to contribute more," she said. "I feel like a freeloader." She had been living off the bit of money she made at Hogwarts, but that was fast approaching gone. Harry had insisted on transferring some of the funds his parents left to him - as Lily's surviving younger sister he said it was only right. Iris tried to turn him down, but had found he went and did it regardless. Oliver chuckled.

"Iris, I'm more than happy to take care of things," he said. "And I'm able to."

"Yea, but you haven't worked for over a year," she said. "I'm amazed you could even keep this place."

"Well, I bought it," he said. "So nothing to worry about with rent. As for everything else… I have money saved up, plus I got a signing bonus. And my new contract is, well, it's a bit bigger than my previous ones. So, we'll be fine." He looked over at Iris and smiled. "You don't have to worry." Iris nodded. She was so used to living on next to nothing that it was almost like being in a fairy tale. Living in such a nice place. With the man she loved. Not having to worry about day-to-day expenses. She smiled and took a deep breath, sighing softly.

"What's that for?" Oliver asked. She shrugged.

"Just… happy," she said.

"You've no idea how happy that makes me," he said. Iris smiled and reached over for his hand, squeezing.

"I think we'll be all right, Oliver William Wood," she said. He looked at his hand in hers.

"I believe so as well, Iris Rose Evans," he responded. At that moment an owl flew up and landed on the table. Iris immediately recognized it as belonging to Oliver's family. His mum must have written again.

"That was quick," Oliver said as he sat up and retrieved the letter.

"What?" Iris asked, confused.

"I owled her this morning. She had been asking when she and Da could come around to visit - been asking since we stayed with them over the summer. With things as they were... I, ah, kept putting it off. But decided to suggest some dates this morning while I was making breakfast," he said, opening the letter.

"When were you thinking?" Iris asked.

"Couple weeks from now," he said. He silently read through the letter and smiled.

"She's written to both of us," he said. He cleared his throat

"Dearest Oliver and Iris, I was overjoyed to get Oliver's letter this morning. His father and I would love to come for the weekend. We've been dying to come visit you since your visit here. And this one under much happier circumstances. We'd be delighted to see Harry as well, and hopefully hear a bit of good news from you two," he paused and looked up at Iris.

"Not particularly subtle, is she?" Iris asked, laughing softly.

"Well, we have been, what is it the muggles call it? 'Living in sin'? I suppose she's eagerly waiting for the day I make an honest woman of you," he said. Iris shook her head, a slight blush coming over her face as Oliver handed her the letter. She looked it over, reading over the details of their upcoming trip. They hadn't talked about marriage yet, though Iris had supposed they would eventually. Everyone else seemed all too keen to talk about their marriage, it seemed.

"Molly's been dropping hints in her letters as well," Iris said. She looked up at Oliver. "Seems our families are conspiring to get us hitched."

"A wedding would be a bit of cheery news after everything," he said, his face betraying a slight bit of pain before settling back into his previous look of amusement.

"You know, I've never actually been to a wedding before," she said. "I wouldn't have the foggiest idea as to how to plan one."

"I'm sure my mum would take care of most of that. We'd just need to show up in dress robes," he said. Iris laughed.

"No doubt Molly would want to join in. Fleur said that she planned nearly everything for her and Bill's," Iris replied. Oliver looked over at her.

"You've been talking to Fleur?" he asked. Iris shrugged.

"The odd owl here and there. Figured as she married into the Weasleys and Harry and I have basically been adopted into them, we might as well become friends," she said. "She's really quite nice. I'm hoping to have her and Bill over for dinner sometime soon. Now that things have set themselves right. Plus, Molly's been trying to set Percy up and we've got several theories on how that is going to go down." Oliver laughed loudly.

"Of course she'd be meddling. Who is the lucky girl?" he asked, taking a sip of his lemonade. Iris shrugged.

"Not one in particular, yet. She keeps sending random woman to Percy for advice on work in the Ministry. He hasn't seemed to pick up on it yet. Complains about how he doesn't have time to be mentoring," she said.

"Of course he wouldn't catch on," he said.

"She'd probably have better luck with Charlie," Iris mused.

"Why'd you think he chose to live in Romania?" Oliver asked. Iris laughed. This was how she had expected them to be. She looked at Oliver and smiled, happy that they had finally gotten to this point. She knew the others were eager to get them married. And she would be happy to marry Oliver. But for now, she was perfectly content with the way things were.


George barged into the flat later that evening as though it were his own.

"Now there's a sight I like to see," he declared as he walked into the living room and saw Iris and Oliver laughing as they cooked together. Or rather, attempt to cook. George had just interrupted a mini food fight, it seemed. Oliver turned to look at George, a streak of flour on his face. Iris looked smug as she casually sipped from her wine glass. An enchanted radio was playing lively music in the corner. "I had suspected things were better when I got Oliver's owl this morning." Oliver walked over and hugged George.

"Look, mate, I'm sorry-" George pushed him away and held his hand up.

"No need, all is forgiven. Now, where's my drink?" he asked. Iris walked around and pulled a cold beer from the fridge.

"Here you are, sir," she said with a grin. George opened it as he walked around and sat at a stool at the island.

"I believe a thank you is in order," he said. Iris looked at him oddly then back at Oliver.

"What's he talking about?" she asked. Oliver sputtered a bit on his own beer.

"I think he's referring to the tongue-lashing he gave me Friday night," Oliver said. Iris' eyes went wide as she looked at George.

"You're welcome," he said with a cheeky grin.

"I'll have you know that Oliver was passed out drunk on the sofa because of you," she said. While her voice and face said she was angry, there was a glint of mirth in her eyes.

"But… it got him talking, did it not?" George said, winking. Iris rolled her eyes.

"Next time, you get to drag him to bed," she said.

"I think I'll leave the bed dragging to you, Iris. Not my sort of thing… not with Oliver, anyway," George replied, grinning. Iris blushed slightly.

"You're impossible, George," she said.

"Spoken like a true mother in the making. Me own mum says that every day. And I predict you'll most likely be saying that to your future offspring as well," he said lightly before taking a drink. Iris sputtered on her wine a bit.

"Let's take it one step at a time, mate," Oliver said, glancing at Iris. "We still have a year's worth of catching up to do." Truth be told, he had been thinking more about his and Iris' future since last night. Now that he was certain there would be a future. He didn't dare let himself think too much farther, but the thought of children was still enticing. He hoped they had her eyes.

"Exactly. We still have the reopening of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to think about. And Oliver here has the upcoming Quidditch season to focus on. I assume there is still a load of work to be done to get ready," Iris added.

"I'm not that out of shape," Oliver scoffed.

"You went over a year without playing Quidditch," Iris countered.

"I'm sure you've still got that six-pack of yours," George said. "Right, Iris?" Iris started laughing.

"Whatever are you suggesting, George?" she said, knowing full and well what he was suggesting. She put her glass down and returned to dinner preparations. George just stared at her, a grin firmly planted on his face. "Yes. It's still there," she finally said. George laughed.

"I like this place a lot more now that you two are back to normal," he said. Oliver just shook his head and helped Iris.

Shortly after, dinner was done and the three sat at the table eating.

"So I was thinking, we definitely should do that potion of yours that changes a person's hair color every few seconds," George said, slipping easily into work mode. "But something completely new as well." Iris thought a moment.

"Got any love potions up your sleeve? Those always did well with the school crowd," Oliver suggested.

"They were best-sellers before," George added. "But a bit strong. Ron got one sixth year and was this close to marrying some Ravenclaw." Iris laughed.

"Not my forte, but I could probably come up with something a bit milder. Maybe more on the infatuation side rather than full-on, let's-get-married-tomorrow sort," she said. She glanced at Oliver.

"Were you ever the unfortunate victim of a love potion?" she asked suddenly. Oliver sat up.

"Me? No, never," he said.

"Not true. Didn't someone slip you something once your fifth year?" George said. Oliver thought back and suddenly a slight blush covered his face.

"Nearly forgot about that," he said.

"Probably because Angelina figured out what it was before you ate the chocolate," George replied.

"I think I had a bruise, she slapped my hand so hard," Oliver said.

"I wonder what she's up to nowadays," George mused. Iris thought back to the beautiful former Quidditch player from the Halloween Party. She had liked her back then and hoped to spend more time with her. As much as she loved the guys, she was in serious need of some girl friends.

"She's gotten a job in the Ministry with the Quidditch League," Oliver said. "I've run into her several times already."

"Perhaps we could have her round one night. Reconnect," Iris suggested.

"Excellent idea, Iris. We'll have a party. Here," George said.

"That's not exactly what I was sug-"

"No, it's perfect," Oliver chimed in. Iris looked over at him. "After everything that's happened, I think folks would like a chance to reconnect and let loose." Iris thought it over a bit and then smiled.

"Could be fun," she admitted.

"Then it's settled. Next weekend. I'll take care of the invitations. You lot work on food and drink," George said.

"We can invite James and you can finally meet him," Iris said. Oliver nodded.

"Iris, you can't bring a muggle to a wizarding party," George said.

"But he's not a muggle. Harry and I ran into him in the Alley yesterday. Turns out he's a wizard," Iris said.

"And a Puddlemere fan," Oliver added. George sat back and looked at the two of them.

"Well how about that," he said. "Invite him. I've wanted to meet him."

"So, us and Harry, obviously. Ron, Hermione, Ginny. Then James, Angelina, Percy. What about Bill and Fleur? I've been meaning to have them over anyway. Any of your Puddlemere mates?" Iris said, ticking names off on her fingers.

"Yea, I'll tell the whole team. Might be some from other teams who'll want to stop by as well," he said.

"Hold on, I thought I was in charge of invitations," George said. Both Oliver and Iris looked at him.

"It is our home, after all," Iris said. "But I suppose we'll let you invite whoever you want as well." Oliver grinned at Iris, liking the sounds of "our home." George shrugged and returned to eating.

"Fair enough."


"No… don't…" Oliver murmured in his sleep. Iris' eyes immediately flew open as she extracted herself from his arms before he accidentally hit her. She quickly sat up and began gently shaking his shoulders.

"Wake up, Oliver. It's just a dream," she murmured.

"No!" he shouted. Iris shook him harder. Oliver sat up in bed, breathing heavily as he looked around him frantically, eyes wide. Iris reached out and gently touched his shoulder. The nightmares were still coming. Though this week, he had only managed to have one so far. Oliver shook his head and hunched over, burying his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Iris. Didn't mean to wake you," he said, though his voice was muffled. Iris leaned over and put her arounds around his torso, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Don't. It's fine," she said. "It just takes time." Oliver looked over at her.

"Thanks for being so understanding," he said.

"I've been there," she said. "You want to talk about it?" He sighed and laid back against the pillows, pulling Iris with him. She snuggled in, resting her head in the crook of his arm. He began to absentmindedly stroke her hair.

"It's always the same thing… I see Tonks and Remus. And then Bellatrix. I yell out to warn them and start running… but I never make it in time," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I watch them die over and over again." Iris felt his heartache.

"Those are the worst sorts," she said. "The kind where you never get there in time." Oliver nodded.

"Do you still have nightmares like that?" he asked.

"Not about the battle or anything. But I still sometimes get them about the day Lily and James died," she said.

"I forgot. You were there," he said. She nodded.

"I was 9. A bit of a traumatizing experience for a child," she said. "Especially one with my gifts. I was connected to her in the same way I'm connected with you and Harry." Oliver was silent a few moments.

"Wait… so… did you feel everything?" he asked.

"Mmhmm," she said. "I felt it with Harry too. But Lily's was worse… she had… a bit more painful death than Harry."

"Merlin, Iris. I didn't realize… do you feel when we're hurt?" he asked.

"Not physical pain. It's mostly just thoughts, emotions. But death… for whatever reason, I feel that," she said.

"How do you handle it?" he asked.

"It's not so bad now. So many years have past and I'm happier now. I don't have nightmares as often. Or moments where I break down. But sometimes it still sneaks up on me. Or I see something that reminds me of her and it all comes rushing back," she said. "It's not something you just get over. It follows you."

"So… the nightmares are just something you get used to," he said more so than asked.

"For the most part. They do eventually let off. Sometimes it just takes a few months. Sometimes longer. But either way, you learn to deal with it. Manage it, I suppose," she said. "And even though there is still a hole left from that person you lost, you learn to live with it." Oliver sighed.

"Never realized how long this all takes," he said.

"Well, it's not like you can just wake up one day and be over it. Everyone moves at their own pace. Plus, some are really good at hiding it," she said. "Myself included. I got really good at pretending nothing was wrong over the years."

"I always wondered how you did it," he said, looking down at her again.

"Fake it until you make it," she responded with a soft laugh. "Eventually the real thing comes along." Oliver smiled.

"I don't think I could get through this without you," he said. Iris sat up and looked at him.

"Just repaying the favor. As I recall you did something similar for me not long ago," she said with a smile. Oliver kissed her.

"I suppose this means we're stuck with each other forever now," he said. Iris nodded. "Not so bad. Could do worse." Iris laughed.

"At least we talk about more than just Quidditch now," she joked. Oliver laughed and pulled her down, wrapping his arms around her.

"Now it's trick potions," he said.

"And guessing what time Harry is coming home," she added.

"And how to hold off my parents and Molly Weasley on all the wedding talk," he said. Iris laughed softly.

"You'd think they would give us a bit of time. I did just wake up from a magical coma four months ago," she said.

"We just need to find someone else for them to focus on," Oliver said.

"Maybe I could ask Angelina to bring a friend… set her up with Percy," Iris mused.

"Fat chance that would work," Oliver said with a laugh. "If his own mum is failing at it, doubt we'd do much better."

"True," Iris said. She then yawned. "Feeling better?" Oliver nodded.

"Yea. I think I can venture sleeping again," he said. "Night, Iris."

"Night, Oliver."