All characters and events that you recognise from the Harry Potter books belong to jk Rowling. Any others belong to me.
Enjoy :)
Harry, Ron and Hermione were sat upstairs playing wizard chess and reading when the adults returned from the manor.
Harry had become so accustomed to the muffled exploding noises coming from Fred and George's room above them, that he didn't even jump when they both apparated beside him.
"The parents are back."
"Stop any illegal activities."
And then they left.
Harry and Ron didn't even look up.
Hermione merely raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly and then continued as if nothing had happened.
Harry, Ron and Hermione had all apologised for the previous evening at the exact same time that morning, meaning that they were as thick as thieves once more.
A few minutes later, the door was quietly pushed open and Lily entered.
She smiled warmly at Harry and gave a jerk of her head, indicating that he should follow her.
"Hermione can you take over?" Harry stood up and walked to the door.
She smiled and nodded, pushing her book aside and taking Harry's place.
Lily lead Harry down the stairs into the study, where James was sprawled out on armchair. He grinned goofily when his wife and son walked through.
Harry couldn't help but smirk at his fathers face.
"Well, Potter Manor is all sorted. The enchantments have been placed. We can move in now." James subconsciously ruffled his own hair.
"Seriously?"
Lily nodded and James gave a thumbs up.
"We're not going to push you to-"
"When can we move in?" Harry beamed.
Lily and James exchanged a glance, smiles dancing on their lips and in their eyes.
"Today. If you want."
Harry nodded excitedly, eyes wide. James couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Y'know, we were thinking of offering it as another headquarters instead of this place."
"So Sirius could move in?"
"Wow nothing gets passed you does it?"
Harry smirked and shook his head.
"It's already a safe house, but there is so much room that it seems foolish not to at the very least offer." Lily sat on the edge of James' armchair.
"Plus it has no dark artefacts that will curse you if you touch them."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Before you got here, Molly made us clean out some of the rooms. They were disgusting, and there were various traps involving cursed items."
"But anyway, do you really want to move in today?"
Harry nodded profusely.
"Go grab all your stuff then and we'll be up in a second to help you bring it down quietly."
Harry rushed out of the room, causing Lily and James to laugh.
Lily stood up, grabbing James' hands and pulling him up too. He tenderly kissed her forehead.
"It's all going to work out."
She smiled and stood on her toes to embrace him.
"I hope so."
Upstairs, Harry was excitedly telling Ron and Hermione everything as he grabbed his scattered items and threw them unceremoniously in his trunk.
"And they're going to see if they can make it headquarters so that Sirius can stay with them. Also it'll mean that you guys stay there for the rest of the holiday too."
"That's so great Harry."
Hermione and Ron looked at each other and beamed as Harry raced around the room.
They hadn't seen him this excited in a long time.
Lily and James re-entered just as Harry picked up Hedwig's empty cage - she was off hunting.
Lily looked between Harry and his messy trunk, an eyebrow raised.
He smirked guiltily, but with a wave of her wand, his trunk was neater than it had ever been before. She then lifted it with 'wingardium leviosa', and guided it towards the door.
"We'll see you in a bit, Harry. I'm sure we'll come over when you're all settled in."
Harry nodded slightly sadly. "See you soon."
He waved at them as he left down the stairs with Lily and James.
"I'm so happy for him." Hermione whispered. "He finally has the people he has always wanted more than anyone else."
"It's like a real life Mirror of Erised." Ron commented, smiling wistfully our the window. "When he looked into it, he saw himself surrounded by his family, and now he really has them."
"It says a lot doesn't it, that that's what that eleven year old wanted more than anything."
Ron nodded. "Now, c'mon. Make your move so I can beat you."
In the kitchen, Lily magically shrunk the trunk and placed it in her pocket.
"I don't see why you didn't just do that to start with." James smirked smugly.
She rolled her eyes at him, meanwhile thinking that he was actually right, then left upstairs to get their own belongings.
James handed Harry a piece of paper.
"Read it out loud."
"Potter Manor, Wiltshire."
"There's a fidelius charm casted, I'm the secret keeper." He explained, picking up the owl cage. "Will Hedwig know where to go?"
"Yeah. She's really smart. Arrived at the Leaky Cauldron 10 minutes after I did in my third year after not being told to go there."
Lily returned into the room to hear the end of the conversation.
"Why were you staying at the Leaky Cauldron?" Lily asked
"Oh that was when I blew up Aunt Marge." He said quite nonchalantly.
James sniggered. "Forgot about that."
"Ugh I hated her. Met her at Vernon and Petunias wedding. Horrible woman."
"Yeah well she called you a drunk, dad. So (accidentally of course, though I still meant it) I blew her up. It was marvellous."
James and Lily stood star struck. Mouths slightly agape, they began to scare Harry slightly. That was the first time he had called James dad.
They decided not to make him feel awkward by pointing it out.
"Right, you ready Harry?"
He nodded.
James took some floo powder from above the fireplace and threw it into the fire. He said "Potter Manor" and vanished into the flames. Harry took a deep breath, and did the same thing, Lily shortly behind.
They all emerged in the entrance hall. When Harry greeted Eleahia and Nortin, they burst into sobs and hugged his legs, commenting on "master's kindness"
James was using the wall for support while he laughed quietly, and Lily couldn't help but grin at her son's face.
When they eventually left to get some tea and biscuits, James apologised and said that he would get used to it.
Harry shrugged, "I've told you about Dobby. I'm used to it. Still shocks me a bit, but I'm used to it."
"Come on. We'll give you the grand tour."
And they did.
Harry walked through three sitting rooms, all for different purposes, two dining rooms, a kitchen larger than the lower floor of the Dursley's house, a massive pantry, two drawing rooms, three studys, a library bigger than the Hogwarts one (Harry was fairly certain that Hermione would faint when she sees it). There were about 12 bedrooms, most of them with en-suites, a quidditch room filled with antique brooms and a broom room.
There was the Potter's own version of the Black's tapestry in the drawing room, except that no-one was burned out. It showed the status of those who were alive, actually being only James, Lily and Harry.
A small house was by each of their names, indicating that they were home.
Lily and James lead Harry to his room. They anxiously looked at each other and he smiled and entered.
He couldn't suppress the gasp that left his lips.
The room was about ten times bigger than the one at the Dursley's, and about 50 times bigger than the cupboard.
There was a four-poster bed pushed against the far wall with red bedsheets, and two massive windows illuminating the floor with the dying sun.
The floor was a light-coloured wood, with matching furniture and walls around the room. The walls were half wood, and half white paint. A small door lead off the wall opposite his bed, and there was a balcony leading from in between the windows. He could see miles around from the windows, including the orchards and lake, even a bit of the forest in the distance.
James and Lily stood anxiously in the door frame, watching their son step up to the window.
"Do you like it?"
"Like it?"
Their faces fell.
"I love it!"
They exhaled and beamed.
"This is so cool!"
"Is there anything else you want us to do with it?"
"Are you kidding? This is perfect!"
Lily and James chuckled at Harry's expression.
"Well, I was thinking that if you wanted I could bewitch the ceiling to look like the night's sky. Like at Hogwarts."
His head snapped up and he stared at his mum. "You can do that?"
She nodded.
"That would be great!" He beamed.
She chuckled and took out her wand. She muttered a complicated spell with intricate movements, and soon the ceiling resembled the sun-kissed sky outside.
He beamed at them.
That night, James returned to Grimmauld place for secret keeper duties, and returned with a lot of people for a celebratory dinner. He lead them through into the larger dining room, where Harry was helping Lily set the plates while the elves finished cooking.
Soon, the Potters, the Weasleys, Remus, Sirius, Hermione, Kingsley and Tonks were sat around the lavish dining table, filled with food, and laughing.
Lily and James couldn't help but periodically stare at their son and his happy face as he spoke with his friends. They beamed every time they heard him laugh.
That night, Lily awoke abruptly in the middle of the night.
She blinked in the darkness, trying to figure out why.
She looked to her left and James was still sleeping soundly.
Trusting her instincts, she slipped out of bed and into the hallway.
"Lumos"
She stepped towards Harry's room, wand lighting the way, and pressed her ear against the door.
She could hear a faint muttering and movement. Unnerved, she quietly opened the door and stepped in. The bewitched ceiling showed a clear night, the stars twinkling like fireflies.
Harry was in bed, the covers tangled, and twitching incessantly.
"Kill the spare."
She paled. Kill the spare?! His scar was very pronounced on his forehead, and beads of sweat enveloped him.
She tenderly walked over and sat beside him.
"Harry?"
He shot up, panting. Then he turned to look at her.
"Mum?"
He tried to hold back the tears, but the familiar prickling in his eyes and closing of his throat threatened to overcome him. Lily wrapped herself around him, holding him close.
"It's okay" she whispered.
He took several shuddery breaths.
"I'm fine." He said, pulling away. "It was just a nightmare."
She looked at him, almost like she was looking for something. Whatever it was, she seemed to find it.
"Will you be okay?"
He nodded.
"We're right down the hall if you need us."
With that, she crept out of the room, biting her lip in thought.
What had happened in that Graveyard?
The last two weeks of the holidays flew by in a whirl of Order Meetings (which they all attempted to listen in to, but failed due to the extensive charms); there was multiple quidditch games; chess; exploding snap; laughter and buckets of happiness.
As Harry had predicted, when giving the Weasleys a tour, Hermione had nearly fainted upon seeing the library, and needed to sit down with a glass of water.
Dumbledore had agreed to use Potter Manor as the new headquarters, meaning that everyone had moved in.
Sirius' miserable old house elf, Kreacher, had been sent to work at Hogwarts where he could be kept an eye on.
Everyone appeared to be in high spirits. Ron was sharing Harry's room, for old times sake. The girls were directly across the hall, the twins down the left and Mr and Mrs Weasley the right. Buckbeak the hoppogriff was given a sort of stable outside, which he seemed to enjoy. Sirius was on the floor above, thrilled to finally have escaped his old house.
Tonks came around a lot, particularly for cups of tea and biscuits with Lily while they spoke of the more mundane things and Lily gave Tonks lots of dirt on the Marauders.
Harry had caught sight of his transfiguration teacher once or twice, along with his charms teacher. It was definitely weird to have them in the same place that he was learning to call home.
They held a full meeting a week before the Hogwarts express would depart, and despite the twins meticulous planning and execution, they were unable to listen in.
Fortunately, Harry hadn't run into Snape. He was told by Remus that his dad, Sirius and Snape would bicker incessantly, so that it was probably a good reason that Snape only showed for the large meetings.
Eleahia and Nortin had loved the extra guests, and even Hermione couldn't deny that they seemed very happy. Hedwig and Pigwidgeon (Ron's owl) loved to take flight from the balcony and soar over the beautiful lake.
They had all relished in being able to go outside: taking picnics, walks, playing quidditch and picking fruit from the orchards lifted their spirits instantaneously.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny would sit on Harry and Ron's balcony, which had the better view, and play chess or exploding snap or just talk, watching the sun set beyond the trees.
The twins were thrilled when James said they could use one of the old rooms in the cellar for their experiments (much to Molly's disapproval) and he had soundproofed it so that they could all go about in peace.
Everyone seemed well and truly, happy.
The 31st of August arrived too soon.
Lily, James, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Molly, Arthur, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Hestia and Kingsley all sat in the smaller dining room on the last evening of the holidays, relishing in the company.
"You guys excited to go back?" Tonks asked Harry and Ron, her hair blue today.
"Absolutely. It's just weird. Hogwarts has always been my home but now it's... well it still is but in a different way." Harry was almost dreading going back. He had really connected with his parents and didn't want the relationship to deteriorate.
"Also everyone will probably be calling you a barmy old codger both to your face and behind your back." Ron said with a mouthful of potato.
"That too." Harry just chose to ignore the indecipherability of his best friends sentence.
Tonks chuckled lightly.
"Ah well. At least you'll get to see your other friends and swear without being told off." She winked at Ron who went red. He had stayed in the habit of swearing around Hermione and Harry like at Hogwarts, but there had been several incidents where Mrs Weasley had heard.
Harry suppressed a smirk. "And at least we'll get to see Hagrid."
Tonks shifted slightly in her seat, and Remus looked up from where he was sat next to her.
"What? Is Hagrid not there?"
Remus sighed and looked at Tonks warily.
"He was sent on a mission over the summer, was meant to return last weekend but he hasn't. He went with Madam Maxine and we're trying to contact her. He should be back soon but don't try and draw too much attention to his absence. I have no doubt that the new teacher will be very curious."
Harry was about to ask what the mission was, but thankfully for Remus and Tonks, James stood from the other end of the table, clinking his glass.
"Evening everyone." He appeared to be slightly tipsy, causing several people to grin. "I just wanna say thank you everyone! Especially to our son." (Harry went bright red, which seemed to spur James on) "I believe that I have about 15 years of embarrassing him to make up for, so I may as well start now! This dude has fought basilisks and dementors and moldy himself! And he is still here and laughing! And I think that's quite the achievement!" Despite the fact that he was slurring his words and was really only doing this to embarrass his son, the people sat around the table couldn't help but notice that he was perfectly correct. Some of them smirked at Harry and laughed at James, but they all knew what kind of a person Harry was. And it warmed them inside to have him with them.
James continued, swaying lightly on the spot "It has been a very weird summer for all of us, and here's to even weirder ones in the future!"
They all cheered and raised their glasses, beaming and laughing.
Harry smiled around the table.
So this is what it feels like to have a family? He thought, a smile dancing on his lips and lighting up his green eyes.
It was a good feeling.
Aw okay so a bit of a sweeter chapter this time. I honestly can't believe I've made it to chapter 20 and they're not even at Hogwarts yet. I dunno how long this will be, my guess is around 30 chapters. If all goes according to plan, it will be more than 30 but you never know.
As always, leave any thoughts, comments or questions in the review section. :)