NOTE: So, I got a little carried away with this sequence at the Burrow.
I'll split it into three parts, this is the first one and I'll post the next as soon as I finish it.
I wanted this chapter to be different and I hope my poor writing skills made it interesting at least! hahaha.
Ginny
She was not expecting this. When she told Ron she wanted their mum to make one of her lunches she was talking about, well, a lunch. But this is…
"A big party." Draco says by her side and she hears Harry cursing under his breath.
They watch from afar the layout that is very similar to the one on Bill's wedding. There are tables and more tables around the house, loud music, kids running around and practically everyone she once met in her life. She searches for red heads, but can only see a few kids here and there. A bunch of cousins for Dominic to play with. She's also eager to see and talk to all of them.
"I guess they got a little overexcited?" She wonders.
"I would say a lot." Draco says.
"Well, this is just-" Harry stops mid sentence because the girls start squealing and running towards someone.
Hermione is a few feet away from them. With a man. Ginny measures him up. Hum, tall, okay, brown hair, nice beard, brown eyes, strong jaw, nice body, very nice…
As Hermione hugs and kisses her daughters, Ginny keeps looking at him. Jack. He's watching the scene with a big smile, hands in his pockets, and a few words of enthusiasm. She decides she doesn't like him. Harry is way superior. She looks for Harry. He's nowhere to be seen. Hermione waves at them and before she can come closer to say hello, Lily and Laura start dragging her to the house and Jack follows.
Averting her eyes from them, her mind is finally understanding. Her family is just a few feet away. Her mother and father and brothers. All of them are here, waiting for her. She can't see inside the house from this distance but the kitchen windows are there, the same way the house is there. The house that was witness of many joys and sorrows. Where she took her first step and said her first word. Where she was hugged and kissed countless times, the same way she was victim of pranks and jokes. The house is there. She realizes it will always be there for her.
Draco nudges her a little, he has Dominic in his arms. "Ready?"
She puts one hand over her belly, glad that she decided to come back, the other takes Draco's and they start walking towards the house, slowly. She's taking everything in. Enjoying the view and recognizing a few faces here and there. She notices that some people smile at her and frown when they see the man by her side. She glances at Draco, his face is unreadable. He never talks about the past, about Hogwarts, about everything that happened, but she knows it bothers him. She never told him that she accepted grabbing a coffee with him because she wanted to piss off her family and friends. She never expected to love him the way she does. It was my best decision.
"Mum, are my grandparents here?"
She lovingly looks at her son. "Yes, they are! Are you excited to meet them?"
Dominic seems a little unsure. "Are they as nice as uncle Ron?" He asks.
Draco laughs and answers before Ginny. "Uncle Ron is the worst of them, son. The rest of your mother's family is way better!"
She grunts at Draco. "Dominic, they're all very nice and very happy they're finally meeting you, don't worry."
Then, her eyes land on the front door of the house. Her mother is there, standing still, looking directly at her. Just the sight of her mother is enough for her to start crying. She can tell she's repeating the word 'Ginny' by the way her lips are moving and forgetting her husband and son for a moment Ginny starts running forward. Molly does the same, meeting her daughter halfway.
It's a hug that couldn't be described by words, it's one of those things in life that someone can only feel. And Ginny does. The way her mother holds her - so very tightly - and her smell - of something freshly baked - are things Ginny never forgot. When she felt sad she used to imagine her mother was giving her one of these hugs, telling her things would be fine.
They don't talk. And after a long while, her mother says:
"Is that my little grandson?" Her voice is calm and fond. It warms Ginny's heart. Everything is gonna be okay. She finally releases her mother and takes a step to the side, brushing away her tears and allowing Draco to get closer with Dominic. Draco stops and puts Dominic on the ground, encouraging the little boy. He comes and stops in front of his grandmother. Molly brushes Dominic's blond hair and smiles. "Hello, Dominic, I'm your grandmother, Molly." Ginny can tell she is being cautious.
"Hello, Grandma." The boy smiles at her and every hesitation is over in a blink. Molly holds the boy and crushes him into her arms. Laughing and kissing him. Dominic laughs too. Ginny looks at Draco. He's still watching the scene from a secure distance. She extends her hand to him and sees him sighing. He comes and stops by her side. Her mother is tickling Dominic and the boy can't stop laughing. However, when Molly stops she stares at Draco. Ginny can feels his sweaty palm against hers.
Draco nods and says "Mrs Weasley."
Molly doesn't answer right away and Ginny can hear her heart beating wildly in her ears. Oh, no, is this-
"Draco Malfoy. Don't you ever-" Ginny might faint. "Call me Mrs Weasley again, you understand? We're family and I'm Molly." She opens her arms to him. "Is it too much?" She asks Ginny.
Ginny has her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. She couldn't expect this even in her wildest dreams. Draco doesn't move and she sees her mother lowering her arms a bit, unsure. But then, he steps forward. "And I'm just Draco." And he embraces her mother with enthusiasm. Molly smiles and returns the hug, Ginny can hear Ron cheering and whistling from a few feet away. She looks at him. He's with Luna, Hermione and Jack, but she barely registers, because behind him she sees her father. Her brothers are coming from inside the house too. She takes Dominic's hand and walks to the house. A smile so big on her face her cheeks hurt.
Everyone is here. She holds her father and cries some more. Her brothers start joking with Dominic, a few things from the shop are there and soon the boy is having the best time of his life. They all talk excitedly, smiling and hugging each other. But everything stops when Draco gets near them. Ginny clears her throat, ready to scold the first one that dares say something about Draco, but George's strong voice breaks the silence to say something that has nothing to do with Draco:
"Oh, my, my… is that Harry? With Cho Chang?"
They all turn to look at the place that George is pointing. Ginny can't believe her eyes. It's Harry and Cho descending a hill, arms locked.
"We can't say that Potter's life is uneventful." Draco says to her.
"What is she doing here?" Hermione's voice is sharp.
"I invited her." Angelina says from George's side. "I mean, she wanted to see Lily."
Ginny closes her eyes, oh Merlin… Draco squeezes her hand. Harry and Cho are getting closer fast.
"What? Why would she want that?" Hermione asks.
"Oh, I thought everyone knew…" Angelina is a little embarrassed.
"Oh, no." Ginny hears Ron saying.
No, Hermione doesn't know. She has no idea. Ginny can't imagine what is like for Hermione to see Harry and Cho that way, talking and smiling and touching with an intimacy that is so-
"Knew what?" Hermione's tone is murderous. She's obviously jealous. Oh, poor Jack, you don't stand a chance. Ginny smiles a little.
No one answers Hermione because they're all watching the scene unfold as if in slow motion: Lily running to them, Cho kneeling and crying, their embrace, how Harry smiles. Ginny turns her head to look at Hermione. Her lips are tight shut, her jaw tense and a look of total disbelief in her eyes. As if sensing Ginny's eyes, Hermione stares directly at her, the question clear: 'what the fuck is this?'
Ginny shakes her head. Lily drags Cho around and calls to Laura. She's obviously introducing her sister. Cho greets her with a hug and finally her eyes meet Ginny's. She waves at them. Harry takes Cho's hand and they come to them.
"Ginny! Draco!" Cho hugs them, excited. "I missed you guys! I can't believe you're all back, it's so nice to see you! Dominic! You're so big!" She kisses the boy.
But then their attention turn to Harry. Molly is hugging him, more like crushing him. He's crying and the rest of the Weasleys go to them, hugging and welcoming Harry, excited to see him, glad he's back. Lily and Laura go too, loving the reunion and all the love that comes out of it.
"I'm so happy he decided to come back." Cho says. "I thought about them every day."
Ginny nods and tilts her head. "Lily was heartbroken, you know?"
Cho sighs. "I'm just glad she forgave me-"
"Hello, Cho." Hermione says, interrupting their conversation.
"Hermione. Long time no see. How are you?"
Draco discreetly pulls Ginny a few steps back, making it impossible for them to hear the conversation. "This is about to get ugly." He says into her ear and she nods. "But I'm glad this got everyone's attention, your brothers were ready to murder me."
"Love, of course not. Everything is going to be fine." I hope.
Draco
As soon as he sees the house he remembers the last time he set foot there. There was a lot of crying and yelling, especially from Ginny and her brothers. He was there to support her, he didn't dare argue with the Weasleys. He already knew how difficult and stressful the situation was for Ginny, he didn't want to make things worse by saying how unfair and totally unreasonable they were being to their daughter and sister.
He's been trying to hide it all week, but he can't deny how nervous he's about finally meeting his in laws in an attempt to mend the past. He glances at Ginny with the corner of his eye, she's staring at the house with her mouth open, her expression frozen in surprise. He raises his eyebrows. There's really a lot of people there. Nothing he can't handle. Do all their old Hogwarts' mates hate him still? Only one way to find out.
"A big party." He says. He knows Harry won't be happy with this, but what he expected, honestly? He should be happy, all these people love him and are eager to see him again. I can't say the same for me.
"I guess they got a little overexcited?" Ginny wonders.
"I would say a lot." Draco replies.
"Well, this is just-"
Then Hermione arrives and Lily and Laura go crazy. Dominic comes to his side, a little overwhelmed, and Draco smiles at his son reassuringly. He looks around for Potter, but he's not there anymore. Draco shrugs and seizes Dominic in his arms. Even though he's eight, Dominic is used to being carried around in Draco's arms. Draco's father probably never gave him a proper hug so he makes sure that his son is very aware of how much he loves him and has no doubts that he can hug his dad whenever he wants to.
Ginny is quiet, her expression of fear… she's finally comprehending the situation. He nudges her a little. "Ready?" Because I sure am, lets do this. She takes his hand and they start walking slowly.
Draco can see everyone's head turning to look at them and thanks to his Auror training he can observe everything and everyone at the same time. He sees most of them frowning at him and smiling at Ginny, he sees some whispering among themselves while shooting dirty looks in his direction, he notices how some stiffen in his presence and how a few parents gather their kids, afraid of him. But he won't mind. I can't mind. It's their problem, not mine. He sees two young boys staring directly at his forearm. One of them says something to the other and points a finger to his inner left forearm. Draco knows they're wondering about his Dark Mark. He feels the place itching on his arm, the mark long forgotten and wiped out. But do these marks really disappear? Apparently not.
"Mum, are my grandparents here?" Dominic asks.
"Yes, they are! Are you excited to meet them?" Ginny's voice is shaking, but Draco is sure she's not even aware.
Dominic seems a little unsure. "Are they as nice as uncle Ron?" He asks.
Draco laughs and answers before Ginny. "Uncle Ron is the worst of them, son. The rest of your mother's family is way better!" They will love you no matter what, it's me they don't like.
Ginny grunts. "Dominic, they're all very nice and very happy they're finally meeting you, don't worry."
Then he watches as her eyes drift to the front door of the house, her mother is there. Draco swallows hard. A burning fear gaining life inside him, the enormous fear of rejection. He holds himself not to cry as he watches Ginny embracing her mother, it seems like everyone else is doing the same. It's all for you, my love, always. Molly is watching him while holding Ginny, her eyes on Dominic. When Ginny releases her mother he takes a few steps closer and puts Dominic down.
"Go say hello to your grandma." Draco smiles at his son and the boy goes.
Draco stands there, watching as Molly brushes her fingers on his son's blond hair, smiling. He's so tense all his muscles are hurting. He tries taking deep breaths and when Ginny motions to him he's sure he might faint. In a blink he's by Ginny's side and Molly is staring at him. He can't tell if she wants to hug or kill him.
"Mrs Weasley." He's proud that his voice sounds normal. He waits for an answer but a beat, two, three go by and he's sure he's gonna be hexed.
"Draco Malfoy. Don't you ever-" Oh, shit. "Call me Mrs Weasley again, you understand? We're family and I'm Molly." She opens her arms to him. "Is it too much?" She's asking Ginny.
He's so stunned he can't move. She wants to hug me? Am I getting this right? What's happening here? He notices her lowering her arms and that puts him into motion. "And I'm just Draco." He embraces her. The feeling is foreign and good. She smells like freshly baked food, her embrace is strong and protective. He hears someone cheering and whistling from afar. He feels warm inside and is surprised by how relieved he is. He always thought he didn't need no one else's approval, but apparently, of all people, he needed and wanted it from the Weasleys. Life is just ironic, isn't it? He smiles shyly to Molly and they follow Ginny. She's already greeting the rest of the family.
This is going well, isn't it? All her brothers stare at him and everyone stops talking. Draco feels like the plague itself. He sees Ginny getting ready to defend him, but Harry Potter saves the day. Draco can't believe Cho is there.
"We can't say that Potter's life is uneventful." Draco says to his wife.
He hears Hermione's tone of pure dissatisfaction over her presence. And she doesn't know half of it. Draco thought they would never meet Cho again. He remembers her saying that she was leaving for good, but he can't be sure, he never liked her very much. And he liked her even less when she left and Lily was desolated. Is she getting back together with Harry? He frowns. I'm with Hermione on this one.
Lily hugging Cho puts him at ease. He was afraid the girl might be hurting still. I really love these girls. As Harry and Cho approach them, Draco prepares his smile that he knows isn't fake, but at the same time not entirely truthful, to greet Cho. And again he thanks Harry for stealing the attention away from him. Dominic leaves his uncles to play with the other kids. Draco finds it endearing how the Weasleys enjoy and take care of their huge family. Am I part of this family now? He wants to.
He watches as all the Weasleys greet Harry, hug him, kiss him, laugh with him, cry with him. He feels happy for his friend and is surprised by his own emotions. I've come a long way. But he's still a little nervous about all the male Weasleys, he knew Molly would accept him easier. The moment Hermione greets Cho he grabs Ginny's arm, he wants to talk to her in private and… he's also a little afraid of Hermione, she seems murderous and she already punched me once, better stay out of her way. Pulling his wife away from the rest of them, he says into her ear.
"This is about to get ugly." Ginny nods. "But I'm glad this got everyone's attention, your brothers were ready to murder me."
"Love, of course not. Everything is going to be fine." He squints at her, not trusting her words.
Ron
He hopes everything goes well, they need to. Since yesterday he's helping his mother and father organize the party, he kept it a secret from the others and he hopes Ginny and Harry won't be angry with him. He just wants a happy reunion. They've been far from home for so long that Ron couldn't imagine a better way to welcome them. His mother agreed.
They're at the kitchen. Luna is talking to his mother while they prepare an elaborated pie. Ron can't bring himself to stop eating and drinking. He's anxious for them to arrive and also very nervous to finally expose his relationship with Luna to everyone at once. I might be mental. But he really loves her and he has never been so happy, so excited about his life, knowing that she'll be there waiting for him and loving him back. He loves the unique dreamy way she faces life, it makes everything lighter and easier. She laughs at his jokes and never scolds him for eating too much, she just can't understand how he's not fat. He doesn't know either. She listen to his problems and helps him when he's not even sure he needs it. He lets her read his future every chance she gets while they imagine all possible outcomes.
He admires how good she is at her job. Students love her and she cares about them.
He could never say this to Hermione but Luna said, a few months ago, that Hermione's life was about to change drastically. Luna's leafs had told her. He smiles at the memory, but she was right. She also said she felt that in a way they were in some kind of danger, but she couldn't see it clearly because of the nargles. She had a 50-50 chance of getting things right, so since she got the Hermione thing right, he's sure the danger thing is nonsense.
"Oh, I guess they're here!" Luna says and points outside.
From the kitchen window they can see Laura, Lily, Hermione and Jack walking towards the house. Farther away Ginny and Draco move slowly, Dominic is in his father's arms.
"My daughter!" His mother screams. "Arthur! Arthur! She's home, she's here! Our daughter is here!"
Molly doesn't wait for an answer, she takes her wand out and the pie is ready with a flick of her wrist. She exits the kitchen practically running. Ron extends his hand for Luna to take it. She widens her eyes at him.
"Are you sure?" He smiles and nods. She takes his hand and they go outside to meet the others, Ron's mind wondering where Harry might be.
His mother stops a few feet away from the front door. He knows she's watching Ginny. Ron, already over the emotion of reuniting with his sister turns his attention to Hermione and Jack as they approach the front door with Laura and Lily. He sees Hermione looking at Molly, unsure if she should say hello or not, but his mother starts running towards Ginny and Hermione shrugs.
"Ron, Luna!" Ron knows by the way she says Luna's name that she's very aware they're holding hands.
"Hermione! It's so nice to see you." Luna greets her and looks down. "Oh. You two must be Lily and Laura! We haven't met yet, I'm Luna!" Ron loves the way she's always excited when it comes to meeting kids. She's going to be a great mother. She finally looks at Jack. "And you are?"
"I'm Jack, Hermione's fiance. Nice to meet you." He extends his hand to Luna.
Luna shakes her free hand with him and her other hand that is holding Ron's tightens its grip. She takes a step back a little uncomfortable. "Nice to meet you." She says to him, but her face and body language say otherwise. Ron squints at Jack and is glad that Hermione missed the moment because she's too focused on the hug his mother and Ginny are sharing. Luna looks at him a little wide eyed and Ron puts his arm around her, unintentionally glaring at Jack. The man is watching Luna closely. Where's Harry? As if sensing Ron's thoughts, Jack smiles at them and turns to hold Hermione, saying something into her ear. She doesn't answer. Her eyes still on the scene ahead.
"I find it always so beautiful and right when a family reconnects." Hermione says as his mother plays with Dominic. "We tend to find each other, no matter what."
Ron understands what she's talking about and he knows from where this comes from. Looking around he sees Laura and Lily running and playing with a few of his nephews. His attention and everyone's else turns to his mother with her arms open waiting for a hug from Malfoy himself. Ron laughs.
"Oh, this is gonna be good. 2 galleons he won't do it."
Luna laughs. "Oh, he's going for it. I'm in."
Hermione suppress a laugh when Draco embraces his mother and Luna extends her hand waiting for her galleons.
"Okay, okay. I recognize I lost." He pays Luna and whistles, cheering. He feels light and carefree. Things are finally getting back to its tracks. Except for Harry and Hermione. But there must be something we can do about that, right? He observes Hermione and Jack. When Harry left, Ron was the one that took care of her. He babysat for her, he helped her regain her social life and her natural joy. So he knows, that now, he's her best friend. Harry lost that when he took a portkey to another continent. And as his best friend he can tell that Jack is a guy that makes her happy, a nice guy as far as Ron knows him, however… Harry was totally off the picture. And I guess now, with Harry back, everything changes.
His father and brothers come from inside the house, Ginny is already walking towards them holding Dominic by the hand.
"Ginny!" His father says from behind him.
Ron watches the scene with a full heart and as he glances at Luna's bright smile, he decides it. I'm marrying her. George stares at them while he hugs Ginny and gives them a thumbs up. No one talked about the way he's being very intimate with Luna, apparently they all suspected something since the moment they arrived together and his mother asked Luna to help her cook. When Draco gets closer and everyone stops talking, Ron feels for the man. He deserves a chance… and I kinda like him a bit. But he would never say that out loud. However, George's words pull him out of his thoughts.
Oh, shit. Cho Chang. He glances at Hermione. Even after she found out Laura was in fact Lily and the girl told Hermione about her father's life, Ron already knew that she'd left out Cho Chang. Harry and Cho had a serious relationship for two years and Lily loved her, she wanted her father to marry her. And since Ron still talked to Harry from time to time, his friend told him what happened when they broke up. It never crossed his mind to tell Hermione. And she really, really doesn't like Cho. Hermione considers what Cho did on their fifth year the dirtiest thing in the world, she betrayed everyone's trust and in a way she messed with Hermione and Harry's friendship by always questioning their feelings.
Not so long ago they were recalling their Hogwarts years and Ron said to Hermione that it was Cho's friend that betrayed them, Hermione said she didn't care, she blamed Cho. And then she said she didn't realize it at the time but she was very jealous of Cho and Harry's relationship.
"What? Why would she want that?" Hermione asks everyone.
"Oh, I thought everyone knew…" Angelina is a little embarrassed.
"Oh, no." Ron mumbles.
And the way Harry looks so comfortable around Cho… Ron hadn't seen him behaving this way with Hermione since they met again. It's carefree and joyous. Looking at his friend Ron knows Hermione is about to go ballistic. He also knows it's totally different for her to see Harry with Cho than it was to see him with Daisy in New York. Harry and Cho have history. Like she and Harry.
"Knew what?" Hermione asks.
And in a second Lily is hugging Cho. Hermione's daughter with Harry is hugging Cho Chang. Lily had more time, more moments and memories with Cho than with her own mother. This is going to kill her. Ron feels for Hermione. Luna leans closer to him and says:
"I can feel how tense Hermione is." Ron nods. He can't feel but he can see it, she has a 'what the fuck' question all over her face. He glances at Jack. Is the man made of stone? His expression is totally neutral.
And now Cho is hugging Ginny and Draco. The rest of his family is with Harry. Hermione takes a few steps towards them and Ron hears her greeting Cho. He wants to listen to the conversation, but Luna tugs his hand and tilts her head, dragging him to the inside of the house.
Hermione
She wasn't sure, but if she had to guess she would say that Molly was going to plan a really big party. She was right. Before she can register anything or anyone around her, squeals of delight fill the air and she recognizes them immediately, turning to look at her daughters her eyes catch Harry near Draco and Ginny, a few feet away from her and Jack. It's fast and in a second she's being crushed by the girls.
"Oh my Merlin, girls! Are you trying to kill your mother?" She says laughing and returning the hug with all her being.
Jack says "Hey, girls. Careful with your mother." He's smiling and his tone is light. But she can tell Laura and Lily don't like his words, they just wave at him politely, finally allowing Hermione to look at Ginny and the others. She waves and takes a step towards them, but Laura and Lily can't contain their excitement, and Hermione understands it, so she lets herself be carried away towards the house. She gives Ginny an apologetic look and searches for Harry, but he's not there anymore.
She tries not to think about where he must be or worry about how he's going to react with this huge party. I won't. She decides. Not too much at least. They're friends now, right? She can think about him, worry about him, wonder where he is, what he's doing… stop.
Lily and Laura can't stop giggling and talking, excitement taking over them. Hermione feels happy seeing how much a situation that seemed irreparable is working out. She feared she would never see her daughter again, but here she is. Here they are. For a moment the threat of a prophecy and a wicked one totally forgotten.
As they approach the house, Hermione sees Molly, she wants to greet her, but the woman is hypnotized by Ginny and when she starts running towards her daughter Hermione decides she can say hello later. Her eyes drift to Ron and Luna standing near the front door. Holding hands. She's amazed she never realized it, because since she found out about them she came to the conclusion they're perfect for each other. It's good to see him so happy.
"Ron, Luna!" She greets them.
"Hermione! It's so nice to see you." Luna greets her and then looking at her daughters: "Oh. You two must be Lily and Laura! We haven't met yet, I'm Luna!" Hermione really likes Luna and is glad that she's going to be Lily and Laura's professor some day. We need to talk to her about the prophecy. The thought invades her mind and she looks around searching for Harry again, he's nowhere to be seen. Where are you, Harry?
But Hermione misses the way Luna and Jack greet each other because she can't help admiring the scene of a mother reuniting with her daughter. Jack holds her by the waist and says into her ear:
"I don't think Luna likes me very much."
She doesn't answer. The way Molly is playing and talking with Dominic is bringing tears to Hermione's eyes. The scene so similar to when she finally went after her parents. Harry was gone and she and Laura were struggling. Reuniting with them was something that saved her, grounded her, made her remember who she is.
"I find it always so beautiful and right when a family reconnects." She says. "We tend to find each other, no matter what." She thinks of her girls, of everything they went through and how they are together again, how destiny brought them together. Something in the back of her mind tells her she should pay attention to this thought, but Ron's laugh brings her out of it.
"Oh, this is gonna be good. 2 galleons he won't do it."
Hermione hears Luna taking his bet and suppress a laugh when Draco actually hugs Molly. She can imagine a little what the older Weasley is feeling. After this moment of joy, Hermione knows that the difficult part is still coming… talking, reconnecting, trying to forget all the hurt, trying to pretend all the past years were just something that happened, nothing much, trying to ignore the distance that was inevitably built between them.
She knows. She's been doing it every day since she found out Laura was actually Lily. Since she saw Harry again.
And fast enough Ginny is coming to them, her father and brothers hugging her, crying. Hermione feels emotional, her eyes always searching for Harry. She's worried about him. She watches Draco approaching them, and George's voice makes her head turn sharply to where he's pointing.
"Oh, my, my… is that Harry? With Cho Chang?"
Hermione recognizes Harry immediately, she would spot him in a crowd of thousands, and then she realizes it is indeed Cho Chang holding his arm, touching him and laughing with him. Hermione's heart drops to her feet and she stiffens herself to hide her surprise and utter disbelief. But her voice is traitorous and her question comes out menacing.
"What is she doing here?"
"I invited her." Angelina says from George's side. "I mean, she wanted to see Lily."
WHAT? WHY? HOW-
"What? Why would she want that?" She asks doing her best to sound normal.
"Oh, I thought everyone knew…" Angelina is a little embarrassed.
What's going on here? Her frustration is growing, she hates not knowing what people are talking about.
"Oh, no." Ron says near her. She glances at him and immediately she's sure she won't like the explanation for this. Out of nowhere Jack squeezes her hand and she remembers he's there too, my fiance, right. She blinks fast, trying to reorganize her thoughts. There's a struggle between her mind and her heart happening at the moment and her mind is losing… by far. She can't process the information or even care about Jack, or mind if she's being notably… what? Jealous.
"Knew what?" Her tone is murderous.
No one answers and she has her eyes glued to the scene in front of her. Just a few minutes ago she was mesmerized by the reunion between Ginny and her family, but now she feels sick to her stomach as she watches Cho Chang and Lily hugging. Cho is crying and this is getting worse and worse to Hermione because she can recognize the emotion. They have a connection. And Harry… Harry is smiling, happily, it's one of Hermione's favorite smiles. Her emotions are taking over. She's angry even before finding out exactly what is going on, she feels like screaming because she can see that her daughter - the daughter she was separated from because of Harry - loves this woman. Her mind tells her she's being ridiculous. But her heart is winning. She looks at Ginny and her friend is already staring at her. Ginny shakes her head, clearly uncomfortable.
Hermione is vaguely aware that Jack is saying something to her. Now, Lily is introducing Cho to Laura and they are closer to them. Hermione watches in total shock as Cho waves at Draco and Ginny, Harry taking her hand and coming towards them. She feels out of control.
"What's this, Harry?"
He briefly looks at her. "We'll talk later."
It drives her crazy that she can't feel his emotions while she's sure he can sense hers. She takes a deep breath, trying to center herself. She wants to go to him, to take his hand, to show Cho that they are- what? No. We're nothing, just friends. If she wasn't so disturbed by Cho's presence she would pay attention to his reunion with the Weasleys, but her ears and eyes are hostage to what Cho is doing. She hears her saying to Ginny:
"I'm so happy he decided to come back. I thought about them every day."
It practically confirms Hermione's fears. They were together.
Ginny says, "Lily was heartbroken, you know?"
Hermione takes a step to get closer to them, forgetting Jack and everything else. If she did something to my daughter-
Cho sighs. "I'm just glad she forgave me-"
"Hello, Cho." Hermione interrupts their conversation. She's not sure how she sounds, her voice is trembling a little.
"Hermione. Long time no see. How are you?"
Harry
"A big party." Draco's words echo through his mind.
"Shit." He curses under his breath.
"I guess they got a little overexcited?" Ginny says.
"I would say a lot." Draco mumbles.
He's not ready for this, not yet. He feels like it's too much. He's been away for so long and now… to face everyone, to finally reconnect, to see all the Weasleys. They were his family for so long. He left them too. He left all of them. The thought suffocates him a little.
"Well, this is just-" He stops mid sentence.
Harry registers the girls running towards Hermione and Jack. She looks amazing and he feels a little awestruck. He can't help thinking that she was right, they lost ten years of their lives… he should be the one holding her hand, marrying her.
He's been trying his best to not think like that, and in general he's succeeding, but when face to face with the reality of their situation… it's difficult. But I have to give it time. He decides he needs to breathe a little. Alone. He looks one last time at Hermione and how that guy is so near and smiling and talking to them in a intimate way is… he shakes his head and apparates away.
He brought himself to a little lake that is near the Burrow but still far away enough for him to have some privacy… or at least he thought so.
"Look who's here. Harry Potter himself."
He turns around and sees someone he wasn't expecting to.
"Cho!" What is she doing here?
She walks towards him, smiling. "Yeah, I know, what am I doing here, right?" She shrugs. "Well, I guess being best friends with Angelina gives me some extended intimacy with the Weasleys." She stops in front of him. "It's been a few years, Harry…" And then she kisses him.
It's familiar and at the same time strange. The last few kisses he had were with Hermione and nothing can come close to how perfectly they fit. But he returns the kiss. It's intense and when they part Harry feels a little less overwhelmed about soon meeting everyone.
"Hum, still a good kisser." Cho says.
"Back at you." He smiles seductively.
She sits down and drags him with her. "So, is Lily here? I miss her."
"Yes, yes, and Laura too."
"Ah yes, by the way, Harry, thank you for telling me you had another daughter for the two years we were together!" She slaps his arm. "Hermione's, huh?" She glances at him. "I should have known… I mean, if after leaving the States I had come back here I would have known. Everyone talked about how Hermione's daughter had Harry Potter's eyes."
Harry laughs. "I couldn't believe when we met in New York and you told me you were coming from Italy. You knew nothing." He teases.
"So, how does it feel? Being here? You said you would never come back."
"Well, things change. It's been fine. Nothing much. Wait," he turns his body to look at her. "Are you working as an Auror? I didn't see you at the Ministry."
"I am! I was on a mission, just got back yesterday and Angelina told me about this lunch… I had to come. To see you." The way she stares at him is so intense that Harry feels a little uncomfortable.
When Lily was seven he stumbled on Cho at MACUSA. He couldn't believe it and one thing led to another, they started dating and really hit it off. Lily liked Cho, a lot. They broke up because she got transferred to Spain. Lily cried for days. She was sure Harry was going to marry Cho and she would finally have a mother. Cho tried explaining to Lily the situation but the girl was mad at her and after that she never mentioned Cho again. Harry remembers how Cho asked him if she had a reason to stay, if he was going to ask her to stay. He knew she wanted to marry him… they were happy but he couldn't bring himself to do it, so she left.
He takes her hand. "I missed you."
"Me too." She smiles. "Do you think Lily is going to talk to me?"
Harry raises his eyebrows. "I don't know. I guess we'll have to find out." They get on their feet and Harry hugs her. "Come," He gives her his arm and she takes it. "We both have some people to reunite with." They walk back to the Burrow while catching up. Harry feels better about the whole thing.
It's good to talk to Cho, she's fun and wild. She tells him all about her years in Spain, how she had some difficulties to adapt and how happy she was when she got the notice that she was being transferred back to London. Apparently the Head Auror himself made a request for her. Oh… Harry frowns.
"Do you know him personally?" Harry asks.
"No! I was just as surprised as you with the request." She shrugs. "I just hope he won't be sending me to another country so soon. I miss being here." She smiles. "But tell me about you, are you with someone? Hermione?"
"No, no." He denies fast. "She's engaged to someone… our boss, actually." He raises his eyebrows and Cho opens her mouth, in shock.
"No way."
"Yes." He laughs and she follows.
Harry told Cho that he'd had a relationship with Hermione but never the whole truth, he never told her Lily was Hermione's. He avoided talking about Lily's mother and Cho respected his wishes, figuring it was too difficult for him to talk about it. They can already see the house and everyone else. They're all near the front door, talking and hugging. He spots Hermione, his eyes are trained to search for her. Jack is there, holding her by the waist.
"And you?" He asks. "Are you with someone?"
"Nope. Totally single." They stare at each other for a while.
And then Cho sees Lily. "Lily." She whispers.
His daughter looks at them and opens a big smile. Harry exhales, relieved. Lily comes running to them and Cho kneels opening her arms. Cho is crying already, her hands caress Lily's hair and she kisses her face. "I missed you so much, I'm so sorry." And when Lily answers "It's okay, you're here now!" Harry can't help smiling, the sweet affection between them warming his heart.
They're all looking at them. And then it hits him. Hermione's emotions. He can feel her magic and how confused she feels, how totally angry she's getting. He knows she doesn't like Cho, and if he had any idea he would meet Cho again so soon he would have told her about them. But Cho was in Spain and- no matter, I should have told her. He feels a little bad about the situation. But it's not like he's with Cho right now…
Lily drags Cho around and calls to Laura, introducing her sister to "the woman dad almost married." Harry is sure he's blushing a little and Cho just laughs while she hugs Laura. Finally Cho waves at Ginny and Harry takes her hand, walking that way and ready to face the Weasleys, ready to apologize, ready to start over… because maybe they can make it, maybe if he's not with Hermione there will be no prophecy, no danger. And she's happy with Jack, even if she doesn't look like it right now.
"What's this, Harry?" It's like she's screaming inside his head.
He briefly looks at her. "We'll talk later."
And before he can register anything else, Molly is crushing him into her arms. He starts crying and it's all a blur as everyone else comes to him. Harry smiles and returns every hug, his heart full of love, his mind at ease with his decision of coming back. Lily and Laura hug him also, a little emotional over his tears.
"It's so good to be here." He says.
"We missed you, Harry." Arthur answers and pats him on the shoulder.
George comes to his side and says "I think you should go there, mate." His head points to Hermione and Cho. They are talking. Alone.
He nods.
Note: Don't hate me! Have in mind that I have a lot of ideas for this fic and this is just the beginning, so there's a long way for them, okay?