- Author's note -

Here's the start of my answer to The Jily Meets Harmony Challenge. I think it will be fun.

Ok, this is writing. It will be agonizing, teethrending, hairpulling (what hair I have left anyway) and sleeplessnesss - for me. For you, it will be entertaining!

I hope. Tell me if otherwise.

Here are the terms for that specific challenge, from the HMS Harmony Discord group:

The Jily Meets Harmony Challenge

Must include:

James/Lily and Harry/Hermione strictly.

James and Lily must be alive. Either by surviving Halloween, coming back to life, or their canon deaths never happening/being avoided. (Can include either Time Travel or a Canon Divergence event)

Sirius should also live and be free/exonerated.

Lily must at some point braid Hermione's hair.

James and Harry must at some point fly together

Harry cannot have a Boy Who Lived (Or Wrong Boy Who Lived) sibling.

No Jily bashing

The story must be written for the challenge and mention the challenge by name in an Author's Note.

We hope for and highly encourage as many unique ideas as possible! However, if you are having trouble, here are a few possible scenarios that can be used to get you started:

Potential Scenarios to ensure #2 (Jily Lives):

Harry and Hermione try their luck with a ritual to bring his parents back to life. They are surprised it works.

During the time turner adventure of POA, Harry and Hermione do more than saving Sirius. They go back in time and end up saving them all.

James and Lily end up travelling to the future.

Harry and Hermione end up being given another chance at life. But have they gone to the past or is this a different dimension entirely?

Something happened that fateful night on October 31st that ensured the Potters lived to tell their tale...

Your story can involve anything from Harry and Hermione going back in time, the Potters going forward in time, the Potters never dying, the Potters (or Harry and Hermione) travelling to another dimensions... The sky's the limit!

Optional:

Line from James: "Are you sure you don't fancy Hermione?"

Line from Lily: "You know, Harry is lucky to have you."

Line from Sirius: "I'm trying to decide which pair of you lovebirds is more [_]."

Preferably avoids common tropes (overdone bashing, love potions etc)

This challenge has no expiry date. However, the HMS Discord is encouraging those who wish to participate to try to post their first chapter by October 31st. A night where James and Lily lost it all will now be used to bring them back to life. There is an AO3 collection and a FFN community to submit to and all entries will also be featured in the HMS Harmony Discord.

It's time for Harry to finally have a happy Halloween .

Now, the pre-movie credits have shown, the mind's theater has darkened, the crowd has quieted (except for that one guy on his cell phone. Someone throw popcorn at him.) On with the show!

-=(|-|)=-

Chapter One

Hermione knew she needed to do something soon. There were only a few months away from Halloween, and something always happened on Halloween. It was something that Luna had mentioned, quietly, in private moments between the two while Harry and Ron were completely oblivious. The two young women had struck up a solid friendship over the last few years, which surprised them all in varying degrees. Luna was happy to have friends that didn't try to use her for entertainment or bullying purposes, which pleased her to no small end. Hermione was happy to have someone in her small circle that could keep up or even surpass her mentally, although the references to fanciful creatures Luna threw out every so often brought her up short. The bushy-haired girl was working on that. The illustrations that Luna made helped in some ways.

Well, the ones that involved Crumpled-horned Snorkacks and the other strange types did. It was the ones Luna did of a certain green-eyed Seeker and Hermione that got her mind distracted. Luna had a talent for art and with her excellent eye for color and perspective, she was able to tease out drawings and paintings that Hermione could swear was alive on the pages. The movement implied on the page, or the sparkle in the eyes, or maybe the emotion in an expression. And truly she wanted to swear at some of the ones that Luna would sneak into her books. Every time her red face came into view of Luna's dreamy stare, the younger girl's gaze would sharpen, she would smirk quickly at Hermione and turn away.

Hermione knew she had to do something, and if Luna's antics didn't stop it would be done way before Halloween.

The house elves that took care of Gryffindor Tower wouldn't have as much housekeeping either. After a particularly 'good' one, her sheets were very rumpled and sweaty. Of course, 'good' was relative in this case. Hermione didn't know what, if anything, house elves gossiped about. Dobby probably corrupted them all on that score and he would do anything for Harry. She was sure that the slightly insane elf was in cahoots with Luna. Dobby loved Luna too, but even as strange as the two of them were separately there was one simple fact that couldn't be ignored as far as she was concerned. Luna was evil. That was all there was to it. Such a sweet, innocent appearance, as Harry called it.

Harry was an idiot. A bumbling, blithering idiot.

Luna was really a raving madwoman. Hermione was sure of it. Oh, sure, the little Ravenclaw appeared to be quiet and demure - according to what others saw. The latest picture Luna somehow made materialize in Hermione's Arithmancy book, right at Chapter Twelve, showed Hermione and Harry on his broomstick over the Black Lake during a full moon and nothing else. Not a stitch. Nothing flapping in the breeze of a moving broomstick that looked like fabric of any kind. There was a corner of her mind that wondered how Luna knew Harry's dimensions, so to speak, and his musculature so well. Not to mention, her own. How? What unknown ability did Luna have that she had hidden away and did Harry know about it too? And did Harry know her 'dimensions,' too? Hermione was sure that he didn't know her 'dimensions,' but she had to wonder about Luna - yet again.

She slammed the book shut, feeling her face heat up, the sudden noise attracting the attention of Professor Vector.

"Miss Granger? Do you have a question?"

"I'm sorry, Professor, I was momentarily confused, but it came to me."

Oh, no, not confused at all. Thanks to Luna and her artistic abilities. It didn't help her with her coursework. The professor squinted at her for a moment, but decided to take Hermione at her word and nodded. The lecture continued as a whisper sounded in her ear.

"Luna got you again, huh?"

Hermione jumped. Katie Bell was grinning at her, having obviously seen the picture. Hermione looked at the other girl, whose eyes flicked at the still-closed book.

"She got him right, too, let me tell you." She pretended to fan herself.

Hermione's eyes got wide, and she speared Katie with a scandalized look. She checked to see where Professor Vector was standing, which was at the board with chalk in hand.

"Katie! How do you know?" The whisper was as sharp as she could make it without attracting unwanted attention from around them.

There was a big smile on the Chaser's face.

"The Gryffindor Quidditch team has their shower rooms built close by. There's peepholes in certain places. Luna may or may not know where they all are. That may or may not explain her... accuracy."

Katie shut up while Professor Vector walked away from the board to continue with her lecture. Hermione tried to do her best to pay attention to the lecture. Katie's grinning presence next to her didn't help. Professor Vector went back to the board to illustrate her next point in the lecture and the moment her attention went to the board, Katie leaned over again.

"Harry's got nothing to be ashamed about, let me tell you. He's grown up to be a real hunk of a man. When are you going to claim him?"

Hermione almost slammed the book shut again at the saucy question. She managed to stop it, but just barely. It had taken some deft manuevering to hide the demon woman's artwork that Katie had already seen, but it would do no good to attract the professor's attention again. Hermione glared at the other girl.

"What?!"

The reply came through gritted teeth. Katie leaned closer to her ear.

"Oh, girl. You poor, poor girl. Harry is clueless, but that doesn't mean you need to be. He's a male which explains his cluelessness, but what's your excuse?"

Katie shut up again as Professor Vector faced the class again to talk about the relationships between logarithmic scales and a spell's power output. A part of Hermione's mind was duly recording the lecture, but another part had her attention. Her, clueless? That was insulting, really. How could she be anything but that?

Professor Vector called on a few of the others to check their comprehension of the subject matter, before moving on the next part of the lecture and turning back to the board. Katie immediately leaned in.

"We've all seen it. He'd do anything for you. Fred and George have been running a pool since first year on when you two will get together. It's a common discussion at the Triple W. Ron has no idea about it."

Hermione stiffened. The amusement from the girl next to her was palpable, but any reply to her was cut off by the professor facing the class again. There was nothing else said for the next few minutes, and Hermione was begging for the class to be over soon so she could interrogate Katie. If she didn't get answers, Gryffindor would be down a Chaser for the next game. It felt like an eternity before Professor Vector went back to her blackboard and picked up the magical chalk. Hermione turned her head a little, knowing Katie would be right there.

"That boy dotes on you and would walk through fire for you. In fact, the rumor is that he did just that his first year. He'd do it again, too."

"He did, and I know he would. I've got a free period after this class. You better have a free period too. We're going to have a girl talk."

Katie smirked again, and moved her hand over to grab the picture Luna had rendered. Hermione had put it face down under her book cover and slapped her hand away.

"Feeling possessive are we, girl? Something tells me you made your mind up. What's the hold up?"

Katie leaned back, her face the very model of an attentive student. Hermione wasn't fooled in the least. Sure enough, when Professor Vector turned back to the board, Katie smirked again.

"Hurry up with getting that date on that pool. Don't want to disappoint Professor McGonagall. She's got a lot riding on you two."

Hermione's eyes widened, but Katie refused to say anything else for the rest of the class period.

-=(|-|)=-

After the class let out, Katie casually walked over to an unused classroom. She knew that Hermione would follow. When they entered the classroom Katie threw up as many privacy and locking spells as she knew. Bemused, Hermione decided to buttress Katie's spells with her own. This had to be good. Or bad. She hadn't come to any conclusions quite yet.

"So where are Harry and Ron this class period?"

"Ron's in Divination and Harry has a free period. He's most likely on his broom."

Hermione knew, of course. Katie nodded at the prompt answer and gave her that irritating grin.

"Of course you knew. Good, we won't be interrupted. So ask away. I know you want to. It's eating you up alive, isn't it?"

It was, but Hermione knew very well she didn't want to admit that. She also knew that Katie knew it too.

"Yes, it is, you irritating witch."

Katie chortled at the waspish tone.

"That's 'Witch' with a capital 'B,' and we both know it."

Hermione blew her bangs off her forehead, and Katie chuckled.

"All right, Hermione, I'll behave. Mostly."

Hermione snorted.

"Okay, so that didn't sound convincing even to me. Look, I'll be straight. The two of you have been dancing around each other for years, and the suspense is killing the rest of us. Ron thinks he's interested in you, if the way he acts is any indication but let's be honest. He's a berk of the highest order and you're so far above his level it's not funny. With him, what you see is what you get. If it's not Quidditch, chess, or food, he's just pitiful at looking halfway competent. He might grow up soon hopefully, but I have to wonder."

Hermione nodded. She really couldn't disagree with that.

"So, forget Ron. Harry has a lot of depth in him. Still waters and all that, you know? The rest of us have eyes, and regardless of peepholes we on the team have always considered him our little brother. Not that he's so little anymore! Rawwwwr!"

Hermione's thoughts went to that demon woman's drawing and blushed unwillingly. Katie guffawed at her reaction.

"That boy loves you, whether he knows it or not. Look at all the things he's done for you, starting with that troll. He jumped on the back of a stinky, ugly, vicious troll for you! Granted it probably wasn't the best course of action but he was eleven. And that Chamber business, too! He stayed at your side when you were petrified."

"But what about Ginny? He went after her in the Chamber!"

"What about her? He was the only Parselmouth in the school that could have went after her? Ginny is not his type." Katie frowned. "Or do you think he'd be happy with a girlfriend that looks a lot like his mother?"

Hermione choked at that thought.

"Ugh, Katie... Did you have to put it that way?"

"Tell me about it. I've seen that picture of Lily Potter. She was a beautiful woman, but just because Harry looks like his dad doesn't mean he's automatically going to go for a woman that looks like his mom. Yuck."

The two shared grimaces at the thought.

"And Molly Weasley is too fond of the idea of Ginny and Harry together. Don't get me wrong, Ginny's pretty smart and pretty too, but she's not you. Still, would you want to have Harry live a life with Molly looking over his shoulder the rest of his life?"

Hermione shook her head so hard she got dizzy for a moment.

"Yeah, I didn't think so either."

Katie was quiet for a moment to let Hermione settle down.

"There's another thing, too. There's more than a few gold-diggers in this castle looking to get a piece of Lord Potter. I'm not going to deny that I thought about that myself, but let's face it. That's the team's little brother even if he's not so little anymore. He needs to find himself a Lady Potter that sees him as somebody other than 'The Boy Who Lived.' You know he hates that, right?"

"With a passion."

"I can't blame him, either. That nickname comes from the night his parents died."

Hermione's eyes suddenly filled with tears. Katie noticed and gave her a handkerchief.

"Katie, I wish there was a way that he didn't have to live his life without his parents."

A hard look came over Katie's face, and for a moment Hermione thought she had said or done something wrong. Katie saw the expression on her face and waved it off. She sighed in sad agreement.

"So do I, Hermione. I don't think those people he goes back to every summer appreciate him, much else love him."

The way that she spat out the word 'people' left Hermione with no doubts of her feelings on that subject. Her own face hardened and Katie noticed.

"You know more, don't you?"

"Yes, but I can't say it. I would be breaking a confidence."

"Oh, don't worry. The Quidditch team knows about the scars on his back, chest, and legs. Peepholes, remember? The first time we girls saw them, we thought he heard us scream. It didn't take long for us to get dressed and get out before he could come looking. Thankfully he didn't."

Katie's lips had compressed into a thin line that Professor McGonagall would have been proud of. Hermione could see the fire in the brown eyes which she was sure matched the same in her own eyes.

"If I could, I would have my mum and dad take him in over the summers."

Katie grinned again, the fire in her eyes banking back a good bit. Hermione could see that the memories of a young, scarred Harry Potter still infuriated her but that was something that she could control. The chance to tease the bushy-haired girl in front of her wasn't.

"You'd love to take him in, wouldn't you?"

Hermione's face was tomato-red, but she didn't deny it. To be honest, she wasn't sure if she could speak since her throat was tightened up.

"That-a-girl. Admit what you want. And I know you haven't actually said it, but that face looks hot enough to fry an egg on it and says it for you."

She glared at the Chaser, furious at herself for not being able to control her reactions. Katie leaned back against the wall quite casually and felt very amused at the other girl steaming.

"There's another thing, too."

"What?"

Hermione ground this out, narrowed eyes promising retribution on the other girl for the amusement that was totally uncalled for.

"If you don't get a move on, you'll either be left behind or have to share him with some other girls. Did you know that there are about six or seven girls making up a harem for 'The Boy That Lived?' Except it wouldn't be 'The Boy that Lived,' it would be 'The Man that F…'"

"I get it!" Hermione shouted, cutting her off. Her face was really getting hot. Katie wasn't grinning this time and that told her just how serious the other girl was being.

"Hermione, I'm not trying to take the mickey out of you this time, no matter how fun it might be. I don't want him hurt and I don't trust Ginny or Ron. I'm not trying to bash them, please understand. Luna is trying to get you to get a move on, too."

"That's what that is?"

Katie snorted.

"Okay, I grant you, little Luna probably has her own thoughts about it late at night. She doesn't want him hurt either, and like you, she'll follow him through the Gates of Hell and cast Aguamentis and Glaciuses everywhere. She's more concerned about him and what's going on against him than any of the Ravenclaw bullying of her going on."

Hermione reluctantly agreed. She could see that. Katie went on.

"And quite frankly, if it meant he'd be safe from the vultures, she'd share him with you."

Hermione's eyes widened.

"What?"

"You heard me. Lord Potter needs a good wife, and again quite frankly, it doesn't need to be any of those hussies. It needs to be someone he can trust implicitly, someone that can keep up with him, and someone that can keep his nightmares away."

Brown eyes darted up to see brown eyes.

"You know about his nightmares?"

Katie shrugged.

"People talk. In this castle? With Lavender and Parvati? There's a Harry Potter secret in these stone walls?"

"Okay, you may have a point. But what's this about Luna?"

"You know I have a point, probably better than I do. But about Luna, well, I think she's a Seer. She's constantly mentioning things that I don't see how in the world that she could have seen or witnessed. I'll never ever again play poker against her."

"Poker? Luna?"

"Yep. She cleaned me, Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George, and Lee out. She has no tells and no problems bluffing."

"Huh… what did she win?"

"Let's just say she doesn't have to lift a finger for anything she wants done for the next three months. No matter what."

"No matter what?"

"Nooooooo…"

"That could be anything, where Luna is concerned."

"Exactly. And that's where Harry comes in."

"Harry? How does Luna playing poker have anything to do with Harry?" Hermione's eyes narrowed at Katie.

"Hermione, we all know that you have him wrapped around your finger. If Luna wanted, she could wrap him around her finger too without playing poker. Harry would be wrapped around two little fingers and he'd be beyond happy."

Hermione's eyes were so narrowed down now she was surprised that she could even see. Katie had that damnably irritating grin on her face again.

"Put your claws back in, girl. Luna won't ever tread on your property – not that you've ever staked your claim. Speaking of that, again – when are you going to claim him?"

"But…"

"If you don't, somebody else will! I know it, Luna knows it, others know it, and you know it. Better get your claim in now. And if Luna has to claim him to keep him safe, she'll be Lady Potter. She would share him but you'll just be a concubine. Luna would rather be a concubine herself so that she could continue the Lovegood name, but if it means letting the name go extinct to keep him safe from money-grubbing harpies, she'll do it! What are you going to do? You know you love him."

Hermione stared at Katie, shocked to her core. She couldn't deny any of what the other girl was saying to her. Katie pressed on.

"Never mind 'Lord Potter' for a moment. Think about Harry. Grew up abused, unloved, starved, first real friends he ever had was when he came to Hogwarts." Hermione could see the tears in Katie's eyes. "Things that a lot of us don't have a clue what it was like for him. Things that people think could never happen to 'The Boy-That-Lived,' thanks to those books they grew up on. The real Harry needs someone that can protect him."

Hermione had to agree, especially when she heard Katie's last sentence come out of her mouth.

"And who better to protect him than a lioness?"