* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *

PART FOUR

Brave New World

Chapter 45: Your Life Could Have Gone One Way or the Other…

A/N: The chapter title is from a Doctor Who episode, I think.

"How's the invalid doing?"

"I'm fine," Neville said with a tired smile, "Just not sleeping much with the discomfort. Hey little man!"

Teddy grinned and made incoherent noises.

"He says hey Uncle Nev," Harry said with a grin.

"So you speak baby as well as snake now, huh?" Neville snorted.

"Speaking snake is easier," Harry joked, "And he's my responsibility this weekend because Daphne is gallivanting around Paris with her best friend."

Neville's eyes lit up, "She went to Paris?"

"So that Lilly could still have a weekend of fun and relaxation," Harry said with a smile, "Lil lost her first patient on Friday, so Daphne figured she would need it."

"Oh, sh – sugar plum fairies," Neville corrected himself as Harry prepared to cover Teddy's ears, "I'm the worlds worst boyfriend."

"No, you're not; you're just a heroic idiot," Harry snickered, "Lilly's words, not mine."

"Yeah, I can believe that."

"Neeeeeeeee!"

"You can't hug Uncle Nev, little man," Harry said as he shuffled the baby boy on his hip, "He's all ouchy because he's a big silly boy!"

"You sound like such a prat when you do that baby voice."

"You do it too when you think I'm not in the room," Harry said, shooting his best friend a grin, "Isn't Uncle Nev a big silly eejit, Teddy?"

Teddy chuckled and clapped his hands, and a new voice said.

"Oh my gosh! Is this Dora's little boy?"

Harry turned around and smiled at Keller, "Yeah, this is Teddy."

"I knew you looked after him," Keller said with a smile, "But I didn't realise he was so darn adorable. Hi there little guy!"

Teddy giggled and reached out for her.

"Oh, can I have a cuddle with him?"

"Sure," Harry said with a smile as he handed Teddy to Keller, "He likes blonde women because they remind him of Daphne, my fiancé. She's been around since he was months old, and soon, we'll be adopting Teddy officially."

"Oh, that's wonderful news, Harry," Keller said, "Hello, little guy!"

Harry sat down on the edge of Neville's bed, and Neville raised an eyebrow at him, "Harry? Since when are you Harry, not Recruit Potter?"

"Since I brought a cute baby in. Women love guys with babies, they think they are responsible, and it makes them want them," Harry said with a smug grin.

"I'm sure Daph would be thrilled if she knew you were using Teddy to attract women," Neville said sarcastically.

"Shut up, or I'll poke your sore bits."

"I'm sore everywhere."

"Exactly, so it won't be hard, will it?" Harry retorted.

Neville snorted, "Did you come here to slag me off?"

"Nah, I came to flirt with Keller," Harry joked in a whisper.

Neville sniggered.

"And to tell you that you better start preparing a best man speech because I'm getting married on New Year's Eve," Harry added.

"This year?" Neville asked in surprise.

"Yep, but it's a surprise. Only the best man and the maid of honour know, oh and Astoria because Daphne couldn't keep her mouth shut," Harry added.

Neville sniggered, "So me, Astoria and Sadie then?"

"Nope, you, Astoria and Lil," Harry said with a smile, "Daphne combined visiting Lil with her first fitting for her wedding dress. She asked Lil to be the maid of honour; she and Sadie talked about it last week and decided that it was for the best."

"Lil will cry."

Harry snorted, "I've never seen Lil cry. Well, I have once, but that was angry 'I hate Ron' tears."

"I'm telling you, Lilly has never had a female best friend," Neville said with a smile, "She'll definitely cry."

"You'd know better than me," Harry said with a smile, "But either way, it's a secret, so you can't tell anyone, okay? Just like you can't tell anyone that the adoption is going official really soon."

"I won't," Neville promised.

"Awesome, because as my best man and Teddy's godfather, those are your two main jobs," Harry chirped.

"Teddy's godfather?" Neville asked in shock, "But you're his godfather."

"Yep," Harry agreed, "I am, but when I adopt him, I will be his father, legally."

Neville frowned.

"Which means Daphne and I can choose new godparents for him, and we discussed it the other night," Harry said with a smile, "We decided that you and Lilly ought to be his godparents."

Neville swallowed and grabbed Harry's hand, "Thank you."

"Don't sweat it, Nev," Harry said as he squeezed his best friends hand gently.

"Oh, and who is this little man?"

Neville let go of Harry's hand as Frasier stepped out of her office.

"This is Teddy, Dora's little boy," Keller explained.

"Oh he's just so sweet!" Frasier said, "Did you bring him in to visit Longbottom, Harry?"

Neville rolled his eyes, and Harry grinned at his Auror partner, "Yeah, I thought it would lift his spirits."

"Oh he's lovely. Carson!"

The male Healer stepped out of the office, "Oh, he's a lovely wee lad, isn't he? Is he yours, Harry?"

"No, Carson, this is Dora's little boy."

Harry's grin widened as he mouthed, 'Harry' at Neville.

Neville gave him the middle finger and mouthed, 'Fuck you' back.

"Good morning!"

"Why are you so happy about my imminent death?"

Daphne laughed and said, "Open your eyes, and I'll give you a magic potion to make it all go away."

"Including that embarrassing kiss?" Lilly asked as she opened an eye.

Daphne handed her a vial of potion and smirked, "Oh, I wouldn't dream of letting you forget about that."

Lilly downed the potion and rolled onto her back, "Did you just wake up?"

"No, I've been up for hours, but you were comfy, so I stayed in bed," Daphne said. She stretched and opened the window, letting the bright sun shine into the room, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just like you said last night, you do look shit in the morning," Lilly joked.

Daphne laughed and threw a pillow at her, "Morning? Lillian Moon, it is nearly midday."

"Why are you so happy?" Lilly yawned, "We went to bed at 4 am last night."

"I'm used to the early starts," Daphne said simply. She picked up a cup of coffee that had been resting on the sideboard and sipped it, "I have a toddler every weekend, and soon, I'm going to have him every day."

"It's going to be official soon then?" Lilly asked.

"Very soon," Daphne said with a smile, "Which is a secret, just like my New Years wedding is a secret. Everyone will think they are coming to a party, but they will actually be coming to our wedding."

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed on both fronts," Lilly promised.

"Good!" Daphne said as she pushed a cup of coffee into Lilly's hands, "Because as my maid of honour and Teddy's future godmother, that's all I ask of you."

"Godmother?" Lilly asked.

Daphne nodded. She sat down on the edge of the bed and explained. "At the moment, he only has a godfather, which is Harry, of course. But once the adoption goes through, in legal terms, Harry and I will be his mother and father, which means that he no longer has a godfather. We both have dangerous jobs, so if Andromeda were to die, and then something happened to Harry and me, we need the security of godparents."

"And you want me to be his godmother?" Lilly asked in surprise.

"You and Neville," Daphne said as she met Lilly's eye, "If you consent, of course."

"I mean…Daph, I'm honoured," Lilly said honestly, "But I'm no good with kids."

"Oh, Neville is good enough for the both of you, and you'll get used to it the more you spend time with Ted," Daphne said offhandedly.

Lilly nodded, "I really am honoured, Daph. This whole weekend has just been an emotional trip."

Daphne put her coffee down and hugged Lilly gently, "I know," she said. Then she pushed herself to her feet and added, "But it's not over yet, so drink up and get dressed. We're going to the circus!"

The circus actually turned out to be a fairground, but Lilly didn't mind. She had fun taking Daphne on the big wheel. They pointed out various sights to each other as they sat close together, keeping warm in the chillier air up there. Daphne shrieked and grabbed onto Lilly's arm when the wheel jerked, complaining that she didn't trust 'muggle' contraptions.

They ate waffles and strolled along arm in arm until something caught Daphne's attention, "Oooh, look!"

Lilly rolled her eyes, "Real seer? As if; it will be a charlatan."

"Oh, it will be fun anyway, won't it?" Daphne asked, "Come on!"

Lilly let herself get dragged into the smoke-filled tent, coughing all the while.

"Divination is a woolly form of magic," Lilly muttered.

"A-ha! A witch and a non-believer!"

Daphne shot Lilly a pointed look, "Is it?"

Lilly made a face at her as Daphne pulled her through the smoke to a small circular table. Behind it, a blind woman with wild, grey hair sat.

"You sensed our magic?" Daphne asked.

"And this ones lack of faith," The blind woman said. She raised her finger and pointed it at Lilly, "I can make her believe for the right price."

"What is your price?" Daphne asked curiously, "A memory? An item?"

Lilly frowned, and Daphne murmured, "Old-fashioned seers don't take payment in money. They take things that are valuable to a person; it helps keep them powerful. Seer magic runs on memories, nostalgia, deep feeling, you know?"

Lilly shook her head, she didn't know, and she didn't quite get it either.

"Your earliest memory, my dear."

"Done," Daphne said. She sat down across from the woman and extracted a memory from her head. The woman held out a pensieve, and Daphne placed the silvery strand into it. It swirled, and a watery image of a little blond-haired girl laughing as she sat on her father's lap shimmered on the surface for a moment.

"I tell fortunes to the muggles," The old woman said, "But I think I shall show you something even more valuable."

Daphne patted the seat next to her, and Lilly reluctantly sat down.

"Your hands, my dear?"

Daphne held her hands out, and the old woman took them in her own. She placed her thumbs on the palms of Daphne's hands and took a shuddering breath, "Oh, aren't you just mesmerising? I can see so much in your head..…ah, and I see a man…the most remarkable man."

Daphne shot Lilly a look that said, 'I told you so'.

"How did you meet him? At school…yes, but you did not know him then. When did your lives cross?" The older woman asked.

As she spoke, memories flashed in the forefront of Daphne's mind, and the seer used a low-level legilimency charm to see them.

An image of her and Harry in a broom closet together in their eighth year was what was at the forefront of Daphne's mind.

"What choices led you there?" The old woman asked.

Daphne frowned and thought about how she had chosen to go back to school.

"Before that, my dear."

Daphne thought about how she had chosen to stay in England for Draco rather than travelling with Tracey.

"Ah, yes!" The old woman cried, "Your life could have gone one way or the other? What made you decide?"

"I don't know," Daphne admitted, "I just did."

"What if you had chosen to go travelling?" The elderly woman said as she dropped Daphne's hands, "What if there had been no final year at school? Your future would be very different."

"I suppose it would be," Daphne agreed. She opened her eyes and glanced over at Lilly, "Take my hand."

"Why?"

"Because what's about to happen will freak you out," Daphne said simply.

Lilly grabbed Daphne's hand warily, and the room was engulfed in smoke. They both coughed and choked for a moment until the smoke cleared, and they found themselves standing in front of a house.

"What the – where the – what?"

"This is happening inside our heads," Daphne promised, "It's like an induced dream-state. The last memory the seer saw was of me at home, so it brought us here."

"This is where you grew up?" Lilly asked.

Daphne nodded, "Unfortunately. Anyway, this is an alternative future. The seer shows us what would have happened if I had gone travelling with Tracey and if none of us had gone back to school. Look."

It was pouring down with rain, and Draco Malfoy was dragging himself to the door of Greengrass House. He battered on the door, and an elf answered it. He leant in the doorway under cover of the porch, and Astoria appeared at the door. She smiled sympathetically at him and drew him in for a hug, ushering him into the house.

"Astoria?" Lilly asked in disbelief.

"If I hadn't been there, Astoria would have taken him in, which would have led to a very different future," Daphne said as the world around them turned to fog then rematerialised. They were standing in front of Malfoy Manor.

"He would still be a Malfoy," Lilly realised.

Daphne was still holding Lilly's hand. She said, "Come on, I think we can probably walk through walls like ghosts."

She took a step forward, and they did indeed walk straight through the wall into the house.

"Scorpius!" A female voice yelled.

A blond boy with slicked-back hair called, "Yes, Mama?"

An older Draco stepped into the entrance hall and said, "Go upstairs, Scorpius. Your mother and I need to talk."

"You mean fight," The boy said. He looked around six or seven.

Draco gave him a pointed look, "Up to your room, go on."

"Yes, Father."

Scorpius disappeared, and Astoria walked out of a side door looking glamorous and beautiful, "I shall be going out for the evening."

"Give up the act," Draco said coldly, "Are you off to fuck my former best friend again?"

Astoria smiled sweetly, "Yes, darling, I am. Because unlike you, Theo still fucks me. Have a lovely evening, you bitter piece of shit."

Without another word, she stalked out of the door, and Draco cursed at her back, "Fucking bitch," he hissed as he stalked out of the entrance hall.

"Wow," Lilly said once that had all transpired, "They got married."

"Because Draco never changed his name to Black, which means the marriage contract was still valid," Daphne nodded, "And she comforted him instead of me that summer after Pansy's death. It probably also means he didn't ever properly get over Pansy, hence the bitterness."

"And she's fucking Theo," Lilly said, "Which means he's not with Sadie, right?"

"I don't know; he might still be," Daphne shrugged, "I want to see what happens to me in a future where I don't fall in love with Harry Potter."

As if on cue, the scene around them changed once more, and they were standing in an office.

"Is that Susan?" Lilly asked as the smoke cleared.

"Yep," Daphne said with a smile, "Look."

There was a plaque on her desk that said, "Susan Bones – Assistant Head."

Daphne had a look around, "She's Assistant Head of the DMLE."

"Zabini. Get the fuck out of my office unless you're here to tell me that you finally persecuted that psycho who was decapitating girls last month," Susan said as Blaise appeared in the doorway.

"I did," He said, putting a file on her desk.

"Excellent. Take a pay rise in April, you wonderful man," Susan said. She kissed him on the cheek, "Now get home to your girlfriend. She's due any day now, isn't she?"

"Yes, ma'am," Blaise said, "Don't work too late."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't," Susan grinned, "It's date night."

Blaise laughed and left the office. Then Harry swept in, and god, he looked different. He was older, but it was more than just the usual lines of age. He was stressed, and he looked tired.

"Harry!" Susan chirped, "What can I do for the Head Auror today?"

"Give me a case, so I don't have to go home?" Harry joked.

"I'm sorry, I can't wish death upon someone just so that you don't have to deal with your wife," Susan said with a smile, "Why are you actually here?"

"I've got the weekly stats," Harry said as he placed them on her desk, "Crime is up again, Suse. I've done my best, but I know there are still corrupt Aurors working underneath me, and rebellion is strife. People are rising against the purebloods more than ever."

"Harry Potter marrying a pureblood must help our case," Daphne murmured, "In this alternative future, I expect he marries Ginny."

"What does any of this have to do with you then?" Lilly asked.

"I have a hunch," Daphne admitted.

Back in the office, Susan sighed and said, "It's on the rise every week, Harry."

"I know, for the last two months," Harry agreed, "It's only a matter of time until they start targeting purebloods for assassination, Susan, and you know who they will go for first."

"The one I'm in love with," Susan agreed with a sigh as her eyes flicked to the clock.

"Can you send her to France for a while? Until it all dies down?" Harry asked.

The floo roared to life, and Susan shot Harry an exasperated look, "Send her to France? Have you met my girlfriend? I can't tell her to do anything that she doesn't want to do."

Harry smiled in amusement as the flames turned green and another version of Daphne stepped out of them. She was wearing dragonhide trousers and a kaftan vest which was tucked in at the waist. She wore biker boots with a platform heel, and she had a brilliant tan.

"You better not have floo-ed straight from Egypt."

Daphne smirked, "Would I?"

"It's illegal," Susan reminded her.

"My girlfriend is the Assistant Head of the DMLE," Daphne countered, "I'm pretty sure I'd get away with it."

Susan chuckled and walked towards her. She wrapped her arms around her, then drew back and kissed her lightly, "I missed you. It's been a tough week."

"I know," Daphne said, "Purebloods seem to think that they are on the firing line. It's a good thing I spend most of my time in Egypt with Bill, huh?"

Susan just nodded, and Harry turned to leave the office, "Harry?"

He paused in the doorway and turned around, "If you really don't want to go home, I can find work for you."

Harry smiled gratefully, "Would you?"

Susan nodded, "But you need to get a divorce."

Harry shrugged, "The Weasley's don't do divorces, Suse and I've got three young kids. I've made my bed, and now I need to lie in it."

"That doesn't mean you can't lie in other peoples beds too," Daphne said. Her eyes flashed playfully, "We're going to Paris for the weekend if you want to find a big 'case' to keep you at work?"

Guilt flitted through Harry's eyes, "As tempting an offer as that is, and I mean you have no idea how tempting it is, I have to pass. She's my wife, even if we are unhappy."

"You're too noble," Susan said with a smile, "It's rare in a man."

"That's why I gave up on them a long time ago," Daphne said as she pulled her long hair out of her bun and shook it out.

"I second that," Susan laughed, "But Harry? The new recruits just came in, and Shep said this bunch are weak. Why don't you take them on a retreat for the weekend? Put them through their paces; it will take you through to Sunday night."

"Thank you," Harry said. He breathed a sigh of relief and kissed Susan on the cheek, "Thanks, Suse. I just can't face going home to another fight."

"What are friends for?" Susan countered.

"Come on, Paris awaits," Daphne said, tugging Susan towards the fireplace.

"I'm coming," Susan laughed, "See you on Monday, Harry."

Lilly snorted and said, "Okay…so you're a lesbian."

Real Daphne nodded, "With Susan. I did tell you this was how my future would have gone."

"Well, you were right," Lilly said thoughtfully, "And Harry is married to Ginny. He's miserable."

"And he said no to a threesome with Susan and me," Daphne scoffed, "What is wrong with this version of Harry?"

"No Slytherin influences," Lilly replied, "He's just as noble as ever, probably more so."

"So much so that he'll stay in an unhappy marriage," Daphne sighed, "I want to see what it's like, his relationship with Ginny."

The scene changed, and they found themselves standing in front of 12 Grimmauld Place.

"He never restores Potter Manor," Lilly frowned.

"Obviously not," Daphne agreed. She and Lilly stepped into the house.

"Lily!" A voice yelled.

Lilly jumped.

"I don't think she's talking to you," Daphne said as Ginny stepped into the hall. She, like Harry, looked older than her years.

"Lily! Get down here! Dinner is going cold!" Ginny shouted up the stairs.

"Coming, Mum!" A voice called.

A little ginger girl ran down the stairs, past her mother into the kitchen. Then Ginny opened a door at the back of the hall and called, "James! Albus! Dinner is ready; come inside!"

"Lily, James and Albus?" Daphne muttered, "That's so not happening."

"But in an alternative future, he doesn't have you to veto the names of dead people," Lilly pointed out with a smile.

"True," Daphne agreed. Two boys ran past their mother and went down the stairs into the kitchen. They both had jet black hair, but only one had Harry's signature green eyes.

Ginny shut the door and sighed. Then the front door opened, and Harry stepped in. Ginny glared at him, "What fucking time do you call this?"

"I had to work, Ginny-"

"You had to work?" Ginny hissed, "You always have to work, Harry!"

"I'm Head Auror. I've got a high-stress job-"

"High-stress job?" Ginny scoffed, "Is that why you fuck your best friend every Friday morning when you're supposed to be in therapy?"

Harry's eyes widened.

"Ron knows," Ginny said coldly, "He's throwing her out."

Harry swallowed, "I'll go up and pack my things then."

"Yeah, I think you ought to," Ginny agreed, "Therapy," she scoffed, "It's not much better than going to a whore for therapy."

"She's not a whore," Harry said under his breath, "Don't you dare call Hermione that again."

"What is she then?" Ginny asked, her eyes flashing menacingly, "Your mistress? Your lover?"

"I don't know, but do you know what I do know?" Harry asked coolly, "I know that she helped me through my alcoholism when you didn't give a shit, Ginny."

"I was pregnant with our first child!"

"And I was falling to fucking pieces!" Harry hissed, "And it was Hermione who got me on the straight and narrow. It was Hermione who made me whole again and stuck with me; it has always been Hermione."

"Well, maybe you should have realised that before you had children with other people!" Ginny snapped, "Pack your bags and get the hell out! And I sure hope that you like Hermione's kids because you'll be seeing far more of them than your own if I get my way."

"You petty, fucking bitch," Harry hissed as he shoved past her up the stairs.

"Holy shit," Lilly breathed, "Harry and Ginny hate each other."

"And Harry's been having an affair with Hermione," Daphne said, frowning at that.

"Just because it happens in an alternative future doesn't mean it will happen in our future," Lilly said. She tightened her grip on Daphne's hand, "He has an affair because Hermione is there for him when Ginny isn't. In real life, you were there for Harry through all of that, you and Nev."

Daphne swallowed and nodded, "I feel like we ought to see how bad things are for Hermione. Don't you?"

Lilly nodded, and smoke obscured the scene once more, "I guess she's married to Ron from what we just heard."

The scene materialised, and it was complete carnage.

"You fucking cheating bitch!"

"Ron!" Hermione cried, "Don't do this! Not in front of the children!"

Two kids stood in the doorway of a small kitchen. They both had curly hair, the little girls was brown, and the little boys was red. Hermione was in tears as Ron threw bags and clothes at her.

"Muffliato!" Hermione said tearfully, pointing the spell at the doorway to save the kids from hearing this conversation.

"You don't want your kids to know why I'm kicking out?" Ron seethed, "You don't want them to know that you're a whore who's been fucking her best friend for fucking years."

"Ron, please-

"How long?" Ron asked coldly, "How long have you been screwing him behind my back?"

Hermione took a step back and dried her eyes on her sleeve, "Since he had the breakdown, and we decided he needed help to cope with his addiction."

"The breakdown?" Ron roared, "Hermione, that was years ago! I mean…is Rose even my fucking kid? Look at her! She's not got red hair, has she? Is she even my fucking kid?"

"I don't know," Hermione replied in a whisper.

"You don't fucking know?" Ron practically screamed, "Do you…I just…why the fuck did I forgive you after the war, huh? You shagged him while I was gone once. Why did I think it would be different now? But I'm done caring."

Ron stalked the kitchen in his rage, "He doesn't even love you. He loves Ginny. He always has done. He just uses you; you're just an outlet for him, a way for him to channel all the stress of his job into something else."

"I know," Hermione said.

"You know? And you still fuck him?"

"I know that he doesn't love me," Hermione said. She cleared her throat, "But I love him."

"Well, that's great," Ron said icily, "Because you'll be seeing an awful lot more of him now. So get the fuck out of my house!"

"I don't want to see any more of this," Daphne said. She shut her eyes and squeezed Lilly's hand, "I hope you and Neville get a happy ending."

"You kind of got a happy ending with Susan," Lilly pointed, "A damn sight happier than anyone else we've seen so far."

"I suppose," Daphne said, "But the whole thing with Harry and Hermione just makes me feel uncomfortable."

"I can understand why," Lilly said. She frowned up at the building in front of them, "The Leaky Cauldron? Why are we here?"

"I don't know," Daphne said. They walked inside and saw a familiar-looking woman laughing and chatting at the bar.

"Is that Hannah?" Daphne asked.

Lilly nodded, "Wow, what a future."

Daphne followed her line of sight to a plaque on the desk that said, "Landlady – Hannah Longbottom."

"He marries Hannah?" Daphne asked in disbelief.

"Apparently so," Lilly said as she scanned the pub for Neville, "And he's not an Auror."

"How do you…." Daphne trailed off as Neville walked in. He was as handsome in this future as he was in their real world. He was a bit musclier and dirtier; he was clearly a Herbologist, and from his tan, he had been abroad.

"Neville!"

Hannah dashed across the pub to him. He grinned and lifted her to kiss her, then set her back down, "Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did. You've been gone weeks! How was France?"

"Brilliant," Neville said with a grin, "Bloody Brilliant Han, oh the stuff I found. I can't wait to tell you about it. I bumped into an old friend too."

"Did you?" Hannah asked, "Who?"

"Do you remember Lilly Moon?"

"Lilly Moon…the short girl who ran the hospital wing with us during the war?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah, she lives in Paris these days," Neville said conversationally.

"Is she married?" Hannah asked.

"Nah, she's just a crazy cat lady," Neville joked, "That's the way we're going to go now that kids are off the cards. We'll just have a zoo in the yard instead."

Hannah smiled sadly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Neville said. He kissed her on the forehead, "You can't have kids. That's not your fault. If we're desperate, we can always adopt."

Hannah nodded, "Still, I know you wanted a family."

"What we want changes," Neville said as he hugged Hannah, "I have you and a job that I love. Not to mention Dean, he's my real best friend."

Hannah smiled in amusement, "Has anyone told you that it's creepy to name your kneazle after your dead best friend?"

"Ah, maybe it is, but it keeps him alive, doesn't it?" Neville said as he drew back from the hug, "Now. Is there a free pint on the cards? Because I'm in need of one."

"Course there is," Hannah laughed.

"So I'm a crazy cat lady," Lilly said miserably.

"And Neville and Hannah can't have kids," Daphne said glumly, "This future sucks. Did you hear what he said about Dean?"

Lilly nodded, "He still died."

"Do you think Tracey did too?" Daphne asked.

In answer to her question, the scene changed, and they found themselves standing in front of a grave that had the exact same dates on it as Tracey's grave did in real life.

"How does that work?" Daphne asked sadly.

"Because when it's someone's time, there's nothing that you can do about it. You could save them, but then they would just die in a different way the next day," Lilly replied softly, "Death will always find a way, Daphne, and unless you have the hallows, you can't escape him."

"Yeah," Daphne sighed, "Let's have a look at my crazy little cat lady then."

The scene began to change, and Lilly groaned, "Do we have to?"

They found themselves in a small, ground floor apartment in Paris.

"Well, you're successful," Daphne said. She pointed to the certificates that lined the walls.

"I must have stayed in France after finishing my healing course," Lilly realised.

"Because you didn't have Neville to go home too," Daphne agreed, "And you have four cats…."

Lilly watched as an alternate version of herself stood on the veranda, humming and planting things in a magical herb garden.

"Hey, Mr Pickles," She said as a cat purred around her feet.

"Oh no, I've seen enough. I'm a spinster, and Neville thinks I'm crazy," Lily said with a shake of her head, "Can we see Sadie and Theo's future in the hope that one of them got a happy ending?"

Daphne nodded and focused on Sadie and Theo. As she did so, smoke obscured the scene, and it changed once more.

They were in Nott Manor.

"Holy shit," Lilly muttered, "I never envisioned a future in which Theo stayed here."

"Me either, but in this future, I don't think Draco and Theo are friends anymore," Daphne admitted, "Without me there to push them back together that summer after the war, and without eighth year to heal the wounds, I think that would have been the end for them."

They walked into the drawing-room and saw Sadie, who was heavily pregnant, sitting in an armchair by the fire.

Theo was putting his coat in.

"Are you going somewhere?" Sadie asked.

"Yeah, I'm going out," Theo replied.

"To get drunk or to fuck Astoria Malfoy?" Sadie asked dryly.

"Want an honest answer, love?" Theo asked dryly, "If I'm lucky, both."

Sadie scoffed, "You disgust me."

"Oh, because you're so fucking saintly," Theo laughed, "The minute I'm gone, Blaise will be round here putting your feet up and fetching you tea."

Sadie glared at him, "That's more than you have ever done for me. You hate me."

"You hate me just as much," Theo said as he shoved his shoes on, "And you've no fucking clue whose baby that is."

"No, I don't," Sadie agreed, "It's far more likely to be Blaise's than yours because you only fuck me when you're drunk and sad."

Theo's eyes flashed angrily.

"You can't beat a pregnant woman, Theo," Sadie said calmly.

"Keep pushing me, and I'll challenge that," Theo hissed.

Sadie rose to her feet and stared at him coldly, "Do you know something? I hope the baby is Blaise's. I want more than anything for it not to be yours. I can understand exactly how Pansy felt now."

"Oh, Merlin," Daphne uttered as they watched this unfold.

"You are nothing more than a cheap whore, Sadie," Theo scoffed, "If it is Blaise's baby, I'll be casting you out, and you can see what it's like to live with next to nothing as a fallen woman. Astoria has more class in her little finger than you have in your whole body," he spat as he left the room.

"This is horrible," Lilly agreed.

Daphne swallowed and shook her head, "I think going back to school changed everything for all of us."

"I think you're right," Lilly remarked, "And I think we've seen enough of this place."

"We have seen far too much of it," Daphne acknowledged. She gripped Lilly's hand tightly as the smoke choked them once more. They coughed and spluttered until their eyes streamed. As the girls blinked the moisture out of their eyes, they looked around and found themselves back in the empty, smoke-filled tent.

"Oh, Merlin," Daphne said. She cleared her throat, "I don't know about you, but I need a coffee after that."

"Me too," Lilly said, and they made a quick escape from the tent.

Daphne bought them coffee from a street vendor, and they sat down on a bench a little way away from the hustle and bustle of the fairground.

"I want to marry Neville," Lilly said.

Daphne shot her friend an amused look, "Where did that come from?"

"That vision," Lilly shrugged, "Of how things could have been…it made me grateful for what I do have. I love him, I love him so much, and I think I'd do anything if he asked me for it with those big puppy dog eyes of his."

Daphne put her arm around Lilly and sipped her coffee, "Want me to start dropping hints?"

"Do you think he needs them?" Lilly countered.

"It's Neville, of course, he does," Daphne said with a snigger.

"True," Lilly laughed, "Yeah…start dropping hints."

Daphne sighed and said, "Do you know something? I feel so relieved, having seen that. I've always regretted not going with Tracey, but now…I'm so glad that I didn't."

"You can't complain too much. You had the happiest ending out of all of us in the alternate future," Lilly scoffed.

"Yeah, Susan and I would have had fun," Daphne agreed, "We would have travelled, had weekends in Paris, I would have sought adventure with Bill in Egypt. But I wouldn't have Harry, and I would never have kids, so although I'd have been happy…I'd never be as happy as I am now."

Lilly smiled, "Very well put. But on the bright side, you now know that you look hot in dragon hide trousers."

Daphne grinned at her best friend, "Lillian Moon, what have I done to you?"

"Good evening Harry."

Harry smiled but said nothing on account of the sleeping child in his arms. He nudged his head in the direction of the stairs, and Andromeda nodded. He snuck upstairs and lay Teddy down in his cot gently, then slipped out of the room.

"I don't know what you do with that boy, but whatever it is, tires him out," Andromeda said with a fond smile, "Every Sunday night, he sleeps more sound than ever."

Harry chuckled, "It was a combination of attention at my work and the Weasley's today. The Aurors and the Healers in the hospital wing all recognised him as Dora's son and wanted a hug; he loved the attention, of course. Then Charlie decided to tire him out by playing dragons with him."

Andromeda laughed, "Are you staying for a spot of tea and supper?"

"I would love to," Harry admitted, "It's better than going home to an empty house."

"When is Daphne coming home?" Andromeda asked conversationally as they slipped into the parlour.

"Good evening Narcissa."

Narcissa smiled at the young man, "Good evening Harry."

Having acknowledged Narcissa, Harry turned back to Andromeda, "She's getting back later tonight."

"I am sure she has had a lovely weekend in Paris," Andromeda said.

"Oh, she will have done," Narcissa agreed, "Paris is like a home away from home for Daphne."

Harry frowned, "Daphne lived in Paris?"

"Of course," Narcissa said, "For a good while too, how many years was it Dromeda?"

"Three or Four," Andromeda replied, "I would have thought Daphne might have mentioned it to you, Harry. The Greengrass's own a chateau just outside Paris, and the Crouch's have a beautiful little apartment in the centre of Paris."

"It was the chateau they stayed at, after that dreadful house fire," Narcissa remarked, "They spent the best part of the year there and only came back here for holidays."

"Did her father live out there too?" Harry asked curiously.

"No, no. They went there to escape him. He still visited, of course," Narcissa answered, "But they lived in Paris until Daphne got her Hogwarts letter. Lareina considered sending her to Beauxbatons, but after a tour of the school, Daphne decided that she would rather go to Hogwarts."

Harry felt a sting of betrayal, a sharp sting. This was a massive part of Daphne's life, but she hadn't told him about it. He knew the fire had happened when she was seven, and if she had lived in Paris until her Hogwarts letter came, that meant she must have spent between three and four years there.

"She still loves it," Narcissa said, "The wizarding quarter in particular. The last time I checked, she knew all of the guardians by name."

"How do you know so much about her time there?" Harry asked. He tried to keep his tone neutral.

"Oh, Draco and I used to visit," Narcissa said, "When we needed a break from Lucius, we would go and spend a few weeks at the chateau. Daphne and Draco used to love exploring together, poor Astoria always wanted to tag along, but they never really wanted her there."

"I guess Draco really was her childhood sweetheart," Harry said.

"Oh yes," Narcissa mused, "They were so close back then…."

Harry nodded. Why hadn't Daphne ever talked to him about then? She knew everything about him. She knew all about his war drama, his abusive guardians…

"Harry?"

Harry pulled himself out of his daze to look at Andromeda. She pushed a cup of tea into his hands and said, "Did you hear what I just said?"

"No, sorry, I was dreaming," Harry said stiffly.

"I just said that my solicitor floo-ed this morning to tell me that the paperwork for the adoption has all been finalised. You can go ahead with it whenever you want to," Andromeda explained.

Harry couldn't think about adoption now, not after discovering that Daphne had kept such a massive part of her life from him. He nodded, "Do you mind if we give ourselves a little longer to talk it over? I want to be sure that it's the right decision."

Andromeda shook her head and smiled, "Of course not. I completely understand."

When Lilly got back to the training centre on Sunday night, she was bombarded with questions.

"Who was that?"

"Is she really Harry Potters fiancé?

"Did you see what she did to Marcel's hand?"

"Is she like your best friend or something?"

Lilly laughed and said, "Guys! One at a time, please."

They fell silent, and Lilly said, "Charlotte, that was Daphne Greengrass. Yes, Michael, she really is engaged to Harry Potter. I did see what she did to Marcel's hand, Lucille and oh my god, did he deserve it?" Lilly grinned, "And yes, Savannah, she's my best friend."

"She's so hot," Michael said longingly.

Lilly snorted, "She is. How is Marcel?"

"Still whining like a baby about it," Lucille grinned.

"He's going to tell Clara," Savanah added.

"I don't care," Lilly admitted with a grin, "It was worth it."

* ~ TBC ~ *