Haunted

by AbyssUnknown

"Then what do you want to do?" Ron's voice had not wavered but Hermione caught the small fear underlying it anyway. She had a feeling she knew what he was expecting from the tired man between both their arms. "Away," Harry whispered. "I want to go away."

1. Chapter 1

A/N: Welp, this plot bunny wanted to terribly be posted...so here it is. I have no clue why i wrote this. Just felt like it...

---

"You know, storming in, slamming doors and the silent treatment is not going to tell me what I did wrong. At least tell me what has got you in this temper? And why you seem to think I should be punished for it?"

Harry Potter stared at the man facing away from him, frustration coursing through his veins. This was not the first time he had gotten into an argument with his partner. But this was the first time he was clueless to the reason.

And not to mention a really bad time for argument. He had big news to share to the man and instead of allowing him to do that, the man was ignoring him for some wrong Harry had done.

Heck, he was not even sure he had done anything wrong at all, from what he could remember. Especially not anything to warrant the rage that seemed to be coming off the dark-haired man before him.

"Don't act like you do not know. How long did you think you could carry on the charade, Harry?"

Harry frowned, confused.

"Acting? Charade? What are you on about? Honestly, stop with the dramatics and just tell me what's going on with you."

Harry wished he did not ask in the end.

He gasped as he raised his hands to face out of instinct, even as he felt his magic rise to protect him better by forming a clear translucent barrier around him against the unexpected attack.

An attack of pure magic that was reacting to its master's anger.

Emerald eyes locked with angry red.

"What the heck's gotten into you?"

Tom Riddle didn't respond. Rather the man threw a thick stack of photographs at him, unhidden disgust shining in his eyes.

Harry didn't see it however. His eyes were glued to the one picture from the stack that had managed to somehow land right before him, a hand's reach away from his magical barrier.

A picture that captured him in the most intimate manner with a man.

A man that was not Tom Riddle. A man that was not his husband.

Harry felt bile rise rising in his throat.

"Tom this –"

Whatever he wanted to say died on his lips as his husband cut him off.

"I trusted you."

Harry reeled back at the hatred in the man's words and eyes.

"Tom! I – "

This time the slam of the door cut him off as the red-eyed man left without a backwards glance.

---

Daily Prophet 2007

Trouble in Paradise – the cracks in the Saviour's marriage

The Cheat-Who-Lived?

---

The brightest witch of her age threw the rag that was the Daily Prophet to the side as she stood to head for the fireplace, ignoring her breakfast that was rapidly starting to cool. She had really hoped bad fortune would have long given up on her best friend but perhaps she had been asking too much of fate.

She barely heard her husband of three years' sharp intake of breath as he glimpsed the latest headline. Nor did her frantic brain register the mad scramble of legs that indicated Ron was rushing to follow her as she threw the floo powder into the cackling fire. The only thought in her mind was to reach her probably despairing best friend before things got worse. Shouting the name of the only likely place she knew her friend would be at the rate things were going downhill, Hermione hoped things would get better soon. Else the wizarding world would pay for disrupting her Harry's newfound peace in life.

"Haven!"

---

Harry Potter supposed it was ironic that in the end, the blasted Prophecy did come true.

Here he was, living but dead. Killed by the hand of his fated nemesis who wielded his sharp words as swords. And Harry had been defenceless.

Had it been a spell, he could have shielded or even dodged.

Had it been an actual sword, he could have fought back with his own.

But –

He laughed, the bitter sound echoing about the destroyed room he was locked in.

How ironic.

To have survived seventeen years of abuse and neglect, to have survived an arranged marriage with the murderer of one's parents, to have lived through the heartbreak and hopelessness that followed with the sacrifice of one's own happiness and selfishness for strangers and yet –

To be killed so easily by three simple words.

I trusted you.

Oh Tom, what a hypocrite you are.

Did you ever trust me at all?

I think not.

He lay down on the dust covered floor, staring at the painted stars glowing in the dimness of the room.

Truly, Harry thought, he was pathetic. To be undone and dead by mere words.

The numbness that encompassed him retreated once more as the crushing weight of betrayal and despair revisited him once more.

In truth those words had not been his undoing. Rather what they revealed to him.

One would expect the words to only imply that his husband regretted trusting him. But no. Harry saw them for what they were. He doubted even Tom knew what he revealed unknowingly to Harry.

The truth was, Tom had never trusted Harry at all, had he?

For if he had, the man would have at least waited – no, not waited, demanded – for an explanation.

He should have stood there or screamed his frustration as he demanded an explanation from Harry.

Not believe the accusations and rumours that had sprung up left and right among the greedy population that had apparently been starved too long of gossip and pleasure over another's misfortune.

But yet. The man had not come to him. He had gone and done a trial, believed the supposed verdict and then stood there to accuse him of betrayal.

Him.

Him – the boy who had been sold off to his enemy, the boy who had let go of his instincts to start a new life with said enemy, the man that had helped that maniac win the war with no bloodshed and helped build the foundations and catalysed the process for the vision said maniac had been working towards for more than fifty years.

Harry smiled at the ceiling above, feeling broken and bruised despite having no injuries marring his flesh for ten years now.

He had tried so hard to help others. Even his enemy. He had worked so hard.

What more loyalty did he had to show than the very fact that he had given their marriage a chance?

Murderer. His parents murder.

Harry had never forgotten it but somewhere along the way he had forgiven it. Because what good did resentment do for him? He had been bonded to the man for life. He could have either left his life remain destroyed or pick up the pieces and make it work.

And he had. At least he thought he did. But obviously, he had been wrong.

His sobs turned silent, his body no longer having any energy left to spend on his grief.

He wondered, idly, when had things gone wrong?

---

"Oh Harry…"

The whispered words echoed around the dimly lit attic, alerting the figure leaning against the wall in the most isolated corner of the almost destroyed room to its unexpected visitors. The mess of raven hair shifted upwards as the figure lifted his head to bestow the two people with a blank stare.

"Oh."

The detached voice sent a pang through Hermione's heart.

"It's you two. Have you come to interrogate me?"

"No. We've come to support our best friend who we know is being accused falsely of crimes he had not committed."

Surprisingly, it was Ron who had spoken. Hermione felt slightly miffed at the man for having stolen her line and beaten her to provide Harry with reassurance but her pride at Ron's maturity to stick by his friend won over her slight annoyance.

"I see," the emerald eyed man gave a cursory glance at them, taking in their dishevelled appearance and formal robes. "Did I make you two miss work?"

Hermione ignored the attempt to change the subject.

"Harry. We don't believe the nonsense that they are sprouting around. Even with all the supposed evidence. We know you for who you are, love. And we'll be standing by you. Like we've always done. We don't need useless evidence to know that you're innocent."

She walked over to where the young man was slumped down on the floor. Ron mirrored her action to seat himself on Harry's left side. Without a word, the two wrapped their arms around their younger friend, sandwiching him in between them in a comforting hug.

"We'll be right beside you mate."

"And we'll do everything to help make things right again for you. We'll prove your innocence in no time Harr– "

"No."

Hermione blinked, startled by the interruption. An involuntary shiver ran down her spine at how cold Harry's voice had become.

"What do you mean by no, Harry?"

"I mean that you guys don't need to help prove my innocence at all. I don't care about it. I don't want to prove anything to them, especially him."

"But mate – "

"Please." A touch of emotion finally entered the raven-haired man's voice. Sadness. "I don't want it you guys. I don't want to prove anything to anybody. It's no use. They'll simply find another way to tarnish my name."

Hermione shared a glance with Ron. She could see the same conflict she felt in his eyes and knew that he did not like what he heard as much as she herself disliked it. And yet, she could not bring herself to protest against the sheer exhaustion and misery that seemed to have shaped Harry's decision.

"Then what do you want to do?" Ron's voice had not wavered but Hermione caught the small fear underlying it anyway. She had a feeling she knew what he was expecting from the tired man between both their arms.

"Away," Harry whispered. "I want to go away."

Hermione felt herself tense at the confirmation of her greatest fear but the desperation shining in her friend's eyes had her hardening her heart. Another glance at Ron told her he was feeling the same way too.

"I've tried, you know. I –" Harry's voice cracked and a lone tear trailed down is cheek, rebelling against the control he had been keeping on his emotions. "I've tried real hard. To make it all work. Everything had gotten better. I even believed that maybe I could finally have a chance to be happy. And absurd as it was I believed that I could start a family even if it was with him."

Hermione's breath hitched and her eyes filled up against her wishes as she watched her best friend curl his hands around his stomach absently, staring into the air with a longing and desire that she was pained to admit may never get fulfilled. Not with the way the situation was going.

She had known Harry and him – there was no way she was going to utter the bastard's name anymore – had gone past tolerating to actually enjoying each other's presence. But for Harry to consider children.

Her heart clenched at the injustice of it all. Harry did not deserve to be like this. Not after all that he had sacrificed. When she found the perpetrator for all this mess, they would pay. She may be a light witch but nobody hurt her family and got away with it.

"But it seems the ten years of effort I've spent away on this farce of a marriage was a waste," Harry let out a bitter laugh. "I'm surprised that I didn't see this coming. I suppose I got too hopeful in the fact that I could actually have a good life."

The twenty-seven-year old sighed.

"I'm tired you guys. I just want to be happy. And now I don't think I can do it here. I'm leaving. It's too much."

Hermione closed her eyes, unable to continue watching the picture of utter desolation that Harry presented and simply held onto him tight. She felt Ron's hands circle around them both in a silent show of support and strength.

"What about the vows?"

Ron was really surprising her today. Normally it would have been her reminding the two of potential obstacles that would disrupt their plans. But she acquiesced that right now she was not really thinking clearly with the sheer rage that was coursing through her veins at the injustice done to her best friend.

Idly she wondered if she could get away with burning the Daily Prophet to the ground, especially a certain beetle that she had not visited in quite some years. She knew she probably could.

"I ask to be set free from it. They have been shattered beyond repair in my opinion."

She felt an unexpected heat wash over them and knew without seeing that Harry's magic had accepted his verdict on the matter. A small, bitter smile rose to her lips, hidden due to the messy mop of hair on her best friend's head which her face was buried in. It was really pitiful that magic could ascertain Harry's innocence so easily while those wielding it remained blind to the truth.

"I guess it's decided then, hmm? If…If leaving is what you feel would make you happy, then alright. You deserve to be happy Harry."

They had much to talk about with the distressed man and much to plan. But if at the end of the day leaving was the only way Harry would find happiness, then Hermione knew she and Ron would move Hell and Heaven to make it happen.

Ron's arm tightened around them, signalling his acceptance of Harry's decision.

Hermione knew it was hurting the red-head very much to be accepting the situation but just like her, she supposed Ron too realised that Harry deserved better.

And if better was away from all of them, including her and Ron, well – then Hermione and Ron would make sure Harry got away even if it would be the last thing they did.

---

"You are sad."

Harry looked at the child seated before him and gave him a soft smile in response, not denying the statement. It would be pointless anyway. Even though Teddy had not inherited his father's lycanthropy curse, he had strangely inherited a werewolf's ability to scent emotions. Harry had learnt through experience that the rare occasions where Teddy's hair had turned blue despite the boy being happy was due to Teddy strongly receiving someone else's emotions around him.

It seemed this was one of those rare occasions.

Harry ruffled the boy's hair, caressing the strands of blue caught in his fingers with love. He cherished the moment as much as he could, knowing this would likely be the last time in this lifetime he would get to do so.

"Godfather, did I do something to upset you?"

Harry gave a small chuckle and shook his head, easing the child's worry.

"No, my love. You have never done anything to upset me ever. If I am to be truthful, you are one of the few people in my life that have only brought me genuine joy."

Harry opened his arms and smiled as his godson hurried over frantically at his rare initiation of a hug. Teddy had always loved hugs. Even now at the age of eleven, where most children started shying away from affection in a fit of teenage independence. It was one of the most endearing things about his metamorphmagus godson. Harry had always indulged the boy, though he never initiated the hugs. He simply reciprocated whenever Teddy felt like he wanted a hug and pranced over to his side to get one.

"Then why are you sad right now?"

Harry let his arms circle tighter around the child, burying his face into the tiny neck before him. He did his best to hold back the wave of depression threatening to overwhelm him, if only to spare his godson the pain of sensing it. But if the deepening shade of blue hair was any indication, he had failed.

He pulled back slightly, adjusting Teddy to seat the boy comfortably on his lap.

"Godfather is going away Ted."

Teddy looked up at him.

"For how long?"

Harry smiled weakly. He felt a tear roll down his face as he wondered how best to tell the child – the one person he loved wholeheartedly in this world – the news.

"Godfather is not ever coming back Teddy."

He watched the young face register the answer with a dawning look of horror.

"No! You can't do that! I'll miss you!"

Harry let out a sob and brought the boy back into a fierce embrace.

"I'm sorry love. I can't stay."

"Why not?"

Harry chuckled at the whine that entered the boy's voice.

"I – I've lost everything, Teddy." Harry stared at the innocent eyes of the boy before him. They were an equally depressing blue as his hair, reflecting the child's sadness at his revelation. "And right now, the magical world has driven me to the end of my wits. I – I need to leave Teddy. I don't have the strength anymore to keep pretending to have a happy life when I don't."

Harry pressed his forehead against Teddy's.

"Will you forgive me for doing this, my little Teddy bear. Will you allow me to leave? I was not lying when I said you are one of the few things in my life that have brought me real joy. If you still want me to stay, godfather will stay for you, Theodore Lupin."

Teddy remained quiet, staring back at Harry blankly. Harry let the boy be, knowing well that the neutral expression his godson wore was truthfully the boy's thinking face. He waited calmly for the boy's response.

He knew that Teddy was a perceptive boy.

"You were always sad, you know godfather?"

Harry gave the boy a small smile.

"Was I?"

Teddy nodded seriously.

"Yes. Even when you were happy around me, you always smelt sad. It was never as strong as today but it always was there. Sorta like a background noise that just existed. Only it was a scent to me." Teddy scrunched his nose, not knowing how to explain.

Harry chuckled.

"I understand Teddy."

Teddy hummed, acknowledging his response.

"If you think leaving makes you happy, I won't ask you to stay godfather. I want you to be happy. But I'll still be sad when you go. I don't want to lose you."

Teddy pouted, hugging him again.

"You said you've lost everything but you're wrong. You haven't lost me, godfather."

Harry smiled, a fresh wave of tears streaming down his face.

"And I will not ever lose you love."

The two sat in silence for a while.

"Teddy?"

"Hmm?"

Harry looked down to find the boy looking up at him attentively.

"Godfather might change a lot after I leave. I will no longer be the same, not when I don't have to be held down by responsibilities to the magical world."

Teddy tilted his head, a clear indication that he did not understand what Harry was getting to. Harry sighed.

"I may not be the same, Teddy love. What will you do if you don't like how I'll change in the future?"

Teddy considered the question in all the seriousness his eleven-year-old self could muster. When he seemed to find an answer, the boy just shrugged.

"You'll still be my godfather then I suppose. Just that we'll fight a little if I find I don't like something about you. But you'll still be godfather. We have fought before so I don't think it will matter, godfather," the boy replied before returning to snuggle into Harry's chest.

Harry chuckled. But a part of him relaxed at the knowledge that Teddy accepted him so openly despite everything. He shifted slightly, reaching into his robe pocket. Teddy sat up to look at him as he eventually pulled out something and opened his palm to show the child what it was.

"Rings?"

Harry smiled.

"Yes. The Potter and Black heir rings."

Teddy's eyes widened. He had been brought up with the knowledge of the wizarding heritage and Ancient Houses' history.

"I want you to wear them, Teddy."

Teddy gasped.

"But godfather! It's meant to be for your –"

"Heir, yes. I'm aware."

Teddy looked up at him, confused.

"Godfather, I –"

"Theodore," Harry interjected calmly and watched in amusement as his godson straightened out of habit at the sound of his full name. "I know what heir rings are for and I am giving these to you knowing full well what they will mean. I don't have anyone to pass on my Lordships to Teddy. I only have you. And I'd prefer any family legacy to live through you than any other random living relative who does not know me or my ancestors."

"But what if you have your children?"

Harry gave a sad smile.

"I asked magic to grant me freedom from my marriage vows a few hours ago, Teddy."

Teddy's eyes widened.

"And what happened?"

Harry raised his left hand and watched in slight amusement as his godson registered the lack of a wedding band on his fingers for the first time during their whole conversation.

"Oh. Oh."

Harry supposed the boy was only now understanding his whole rant on losing his entire life now. He chuckled at the thought and watched with a sad smile as Teddy's hair circled through various shades of blue and black as he registered the news of his nulled marriage. Strangely, there were occasional shades of red that indicated the boy was both angry and ashamed.

The anger, Harry could understand. Teddy had always been a child who was fiercely protective of his loved ones. The news of Harry being freed from his magic-bound marriage – something that only magic can do and will do if the one asking for annulment had been wronged, was common knowledge amongst those brought up in the magical world – and Harry was certain Teddy already connected the dots, considering the boy did read the Prophet at his age, though he had been brought up to realise he could not believe everything the rag of a newspaper sprouted.

But the shame through Harry for the loop. He was certain the boy was not ashamed of him.

"I'm sorry, godfather."

Harry jolted out of his thought and shook his head.

"Don't worry. It wasn't your doing, Teddy."

Teddy bit his lip, glancing between his open right palm and his ringless left hand.

"But godfather, you can still have children without being married. Do you not want that? You've always said you'd like to have children. You've always said that I could be a godbrother to your children!"

Harry smiled.

"Yes. I did before. But now – now I'm thinking perhaps involving another child into my life may not be the best Teddy. You only get to see me on these rare days where you and I are allowed to meet. You do not know half the drama that unfolds in my life when you aren't around, love. I'm believing now that not adopting a child as my own is a good thing indeed. Living in a household of bitterness and sadness is no way to grow up."

Teddy frowned.

"But you said you are leaving. That means you get to leave all that behind and be happy. You can still have a child to call your own and be happy like you always wanted to godfather! You can!"

Teddy's hair was starting to change to a reddish-orange, reflecting the determination coursing through the boy at wanting to make Harry see his point of view. Harry smiled fondly at the child, wondering how to explain that he was too broken at the moment to look after a child.

He opted to not say it in the end. Teddy didn't need to know. The boy had heard and seen enough of Harry's depressing state.

"You will be able to come see me whenever you want if you wear these," Harry stated softly, changing tactics smoothly.

Teddy paused and stared at Harry excitedly.

"Even after you leave? I can come see you?"

Harry nodded, smiling. Teddy beamed at him in response but then frowned.

"Wait. You're distracting me from the main argument."

Ah. He was caught.

Harry sighed. Teddy had always been a bright child.

"Teddy come on –"

"No. Godfather, you can't just give away your heirship rings like that!"

Harry pouted.

"But they're mine. I can!"

Teddy rolled his eyes, not giving in. Harry sighed, internally cursing at how stubborn the child was.

"Alright, how about this. You accept one of these heirship rings – Listen," Harry held out his left hand, stopping the protests that were about to continue spilling from his godson's lips. "Hear me out first. You accept one these rings, because believe it or not, Teddy, I do want you to be my heir. You are my godson. Magic approved. You are in all rights, my son in all but blood. I had always wanted to pass on one of my Lordships to you. It is written in my will itself, if you wish to look for proof."

Teddy's eyes widened.

"Really?" the boy whispered in awe.

"Yes. Really." Harry pressed a light kiss on the boy's forehead. "I love you Teddy. I've always thought you of my own."

Harry sighed, looking down at the two rings on his palm.

"I wanted to give you both now because I know for a fact that I won't be going to look for a child to adopt anymore. You must understand, Teddy. There are some things that just cannot be. So – "

"No godfather. I believe that you still can fulfil your wants and wishes. I refuse to take both rings –"

"I get it, love," Harry interjected. "And I won't force you to. I'll let you choose one of the rings for now. To fulfil your role as my first – and likely only – heir. But, promise me that when the time comes that I eventually step down from my Lordship or pass on to the afterlife, you will take over both my Houses. Please? You are the only one I would trust them with, love."

Teddy stared up at him in silence.

"If you remain heirless and still believe then that I am capable, then yes. I will take on the other Lordship as you wish."

Harry chuckled.

"Deal."

Teddy scrunched his nose at him.

"You still don't believe that you will have an heir by then, do you godfather?" the boy muttered.

Harry shrugged.

"No, Teddy. I really don't."

Teddy turned his nose up in an indignant huff.

"Well I'm telling you godfather that you will have another heir or heirs by then! You've always wanted children and you still do, despite the sadness."

Harry chuckled.

"Alright then little tyke, we'll wait and see how that happens over time."

"No," Teddy shook his head vehemently. "You aren't going to wait and let life drop a child on you, godfather. That's silly. Aunty Mione told me before that storks dropping children from the sky is muggle fiction!"

Harry sighed.

"Then what would you want me to do, Teddy?" he asked, playing along since he knew he could not escape the conversation.

Teddy gave him an unimpressed look, as though he were being purposefully dim-witted. Harry was certain the boy learnt that expression from his Aunty Mione. Seriously, first loving books. Now this. Perhaps he had to ensure his godson spent less time with his female best friend. As much as he loved Hermione, Harry really doubted that he could survive two Hermiones in the world and Teddy seemed to be speed sailing into becoming just like his favourite aunt.

"You are going to adopt one like you've always planned of course! Or you try to birth one through those experiments people keep mentioning in the Prophet," Teddy pointed out.

Harry decided perhaps it was not the best time to explain to Teddy what those male pregnancy projects in the newspaper entailed. Teddy may be smart for his age, but he was still innocent. He did not need to know what the potion required two males to do to trigger a possible male pregnancy.

Not that I have anyone to do the deed with anymore, Harry thought.

"Godfather?"

Teddy's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, Ted. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment."

Teddy huffed at that.

"Well, you better promise you'll still try for children!"

Honestly, if Harry had not known that Teddy was truly innocent, he would be wondering if the boy was purposefully phrasing his words like that.

"Teddy –"

"You promised once that I could be a godbrother to your children, godfather! I want to be a godbrother! Mama and papa already told me that they won't get me a sibling no matter how long I plead."

Harry sighed.

"You promised!" Teddy repeated in a sing-song voice.

Harry shot the boy a sullen glare, hating how he knew all of Harry's weaknesses. He was wishing now he had never told Teddy how much he hated breaking promises.

Honestly, how could he have known then that his life would be so messed by now?

Something in his chest squeezed painfully at the reminder of the current chaos and humiliation he had suffered through.

"Godfather?"

Teddy's hair was starting to turn blue again.

Harry gave a small smile and shoved his feelings behind his meagre Occlumency skills.

"You are right. I promised. And it's only right that I fulfil my word to you."

Teddy did not seem joyful at his reply, despite having nagged at him for the past half an hour for it.

"Are you sure? You don't have to if you really don't want to! I only pushed because I thought you wanted to be happy and you've always been happy when talking about adopting or –"

The boy's hair was turning a deeper shade of blue now.

Ah, he got worried over my sudden feelings of sadness again, Harry thought.

He should have known hiding his feelings under Occlumency would not have distracted Teddy from the fact that he had already felt sad in the first place.

"Teddy," Harry interjected, silencing the worried rant his godson was spiralling into. "I didn't feel sad because of what you were saying. I felt sad because I got reminded of some things that are currently happening in my life."

Teddy looked up at him with slightly watery eyes.

"Really?"

Harry brought the boy closer to him in a firm hug.

"Yes, love. I'm sorry if I worried you. And you are right. Having a child, starting a family – all that would make me happy. It still would. You were right too in pointing out earlier that even though I am leaving, I can do all that still if I want to. I just –"

Harry sighed and looked down to meet Teddy's eyes.

"Teddy I'm just scared. Every time I do something or try to make myself happy, it doesn't go as planned." Harry gave a bitter laugh, raising his ringless left hand and staring at it with a self-depreciating smile. "Just look at me now Teddy. I tried to salvage this stupid marriage I was forced into at seventeen and I'm here divorced for good."

Teddy frowned at him, before shuffling closer and giving Harry a pat on the shoulder. The child's hair had stopped turning blue but Harry could still make out some flickering shades of orange-red between them. Harry frowned internally, wondering what exactly was going through his godson's mind to make him feel ashamed.

"Don't worry godfather. This time will be different. You are going away to start a new. That's guaranteed to bring different results. You can be happy without fear!"

Harry gave the boy a fond look.

"And when did you get so wise, hmm?"

"I've always been this wise, godfather. You were just too dense to realise it before," Teddy told him seriously.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"You've spent way too much time with Hermione, Ted."

Teddy shook his head.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No I don't.

"Oh yes you do."

"I don't."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"You do. And let's stop arguing."

"I don't," Teddy insisted, "We can stop now."

Harry laughed at the not-so-discreet way Teddy tried to get his word to be the last.

"Alright. Let's get back to business now."

Harry held out his right palm again.

"Choose one."

He watched his godson carefully and caught the uncertainty within those young eyes.

"What's the matter, Ted?"

Teddy bit his lip.

"Well, godfather. Are you sure about this? You –" Teddy looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

"What Teddy?" Harry asked, concerned.

"You hate my family," the boy whispered out.

Harry guided the child's chin back towards him and tilted it up gently, prompting Teddy to lock gazes with him.

"That is true Teddy. I don't deny it. But I do not hate you. I never hated you. I wouldn't be here for our monthly meetings otherwise. Or be here offering you my heir rings. I love you. You are and always have been my godson whom I love dearly."

"But –"

"Do not worry that you choosing to be my heir would cause any rift between you and your parents. Despite the complicated situation between them and me, we have always agreed that we would not force you to choose between us. Your parents have been aware from the very beginning that I would make you heir to one of my Lordships."

Teddy relaxed against him, slightly. Harry tilted his head, knowing his godson well enough to realise there was still something bothering him.

"Teddy?"

The young metamorphmagus looked up hesitantly at him.

"What is it?"

"I made –" Teddy looked away. The orange-red streaks in the boy's head started to spread throughout the boy's messy head. "I made my parents tell me about the past. About – about why you hate them, godfather."

Harry stilled.

"Oh." Harry turned away to calm himself slightly. There was no use being angry at the deed. It was already done. Honestly, he should have known this would happen anyways. Teddy had always been stubborn and curious. He was bound to have found a way to coax his parents into spilling what he wanted to know sooner or later.

Harry turned back to face Teddy once he had calmed. The shame Teddy was feeling – which was entirely misplaced in Harry's opinion – was starting to make sense.

"And what do you feel about the story you heard."

Teddy buried his head into his chest, hair turning an astounding mix of blue and red.

"I'm sorry they did that to you, godfather."

Harry sighed.

"Look up Teddy. Come now. Look up."

Harry waited patiently for the boy to lift his head up. He wiped the silent tears that were rolling down his godson's face as the boy watched him with teary eyes.

"It's not your doing. So, don't you dare apologise. Got that?"

Teddy sniffed.

"But what they did was terrible. To go along with the decision to marry you off to the enemies, simply to end a war. They shouldn't have done that! They had no right to do that! I can't believe they did that," Teddy ended in a horrified whisper.

Harry sighed.

"Teddy love, you have to understand. Back then, the war was going to tear apart the entire wizarding world into a damage that could not ever be repaired. That treaty and my marriage had been a necessary step. Your parents were only doing what was best for the magical world."

"But what about what was best for you?" Teddy asked indignantly. "Do not bother to lie, godfather. I know the entire story by now. I went to Aunty Mione and Uncle Ron after what my parents told me. They told me everything. You didn't deserve to be used as a mere tool to end a war! You didn't!"

It was touching honestly, how the child felt so strongly for him. Harry wished the boy's parents had felt a quarter of this back then, when that dratted treaty had been formed.

"I know, love. But the thing about life, is that it is unfair at times. And the people in it cruel, though they don't mean to be evil."

Teddy buried his face back against Harry's chest. Harry held the boy close, letting him cry out the anger and disappointment he had likely felt at learning the whole truth.

"Teddy," Harry tilted the boy's chin up to have the child looking at him while he spoke. "You must understand this alright? Your parents are good people."

Teddy opened his mouth to protest.

"Listen to me, Theodore Lupin," Harry told in a firm voice. "Your parents are good people. They did mistakes in the past, that is true. They have made tough decisions, like supporting that marriage agreement between me and the now Lord Slytherin, yes. Those decisions may have been cruel to me but they did wonders for many people. The wizarding world is prosperous today due to those decisions. And your parents have long expressed their regret at having done what they did to me. So don't go holding bitter feelings for matters that have been long past and settled, alright?"

"But you three have not seen each other in years, now godfather. Are you telling me you are truly over it?"

Harry gave a bitter smile.

"I have forgiven yes. For many reasons. The most important reason being you and the second reason being that I do not want to live in resentment for the rest of my life. If I were to that, sweetheart, there will be lots of people that I have to constantly hate and my life would frankly be wasted away."

Harry sighed.

"Unfortunately however, just because I forgave them, doesn't mean I forgot about what they did. Your father especially, Teddy, had been someone I had depended a lot on in the past. Him not supporting me against those treaties had caused me great pain. I simply can't forget that he did that to me. I wish I could. But I can't."

Harry caressed the still crying boy before him.

"But we have come to a peaceful coexistence despite all that, Teddy. It is not the best relationship in this world, honestly. But it is better than me resenting your parents for eternity, is it not? And you have made a great improvement in our strained relationship over the years, love. Your parents and I may not be on good terms with each other, but we have long come to a peaceful coexistence to ensure you are as happy as you can be."

Harry wiped away the tears on Teddy's face again.

"So don't go on harbouring unwanted negative feelings around this matter, alright? It was a bad incident that had happened and it is long in the past. Don't go fretting over it. I mean it when I say it, Teddy. Your parents are wonderful people. They made mistakes, yes but they have only grown and become better from them. Don't hold onto their past. Alright?"

Teddy sniffled.

"But you've always been sad because of that, haven't you? All those times, you –"

"Yes Teddy, but that is in the past," Harry cut in firmly. "Look at me now, Teddy."

Harry wiggled his left hand at the sniffling boy's face.

"I'm free. I'm still sad but I'm free. And in a few more hours, godfather is even going to leave all this sadness behind and find a new start like you said. To look for happiness. It all worked out for the best now didn't it?"

Harry cupped the boy's face lovingly.

"Stop crying, love. Godfather is alright. And you don't have to feel guilty for anything. You have done nothing wrong, Teddy. Come now, smile."

Teddy gave him a wobbly smile through his tears. Harry chuckled.

"That's it."

Harry held the boy against him and rubbed his back. Teddy's sobs died down slowly and the child eventually relaxed against his chest. Harry pressed a soft kiss on top of the boy's head once he calmed down fully.

"Better now Teddy?"

The boy nodded against his chest.

"How long have you known about all this, love?"

"A week," Teddy mumbled against Harry's robes.

Harry sighed.

"When you go home later, you will sit and talk with your parents, alright?"

There was no response from his godson. Harry frowned.

"Theodore Lupin. I am serious. I know you likely have been giving your own parents some form of silent treatment in your anger, but that will stop tonight. Do I make myself clear?"

Harry shifted the boy to get him to look him in the eyes.

"I mean it Teddy. Don't stir trouble with this matter. It had been long settled in the past between your parents and me. Causing a ruckus about it now will only cause unnecessary drama. Sit down and talk to your parents tonight and get over it. Do it for me. Please?"

Teddy gave him a sullen glare.

"I don't like it that you got the worse deal out of everybody, godfather. It isn't fair."

Harry sighed.

"Teddy, I understand. But believe it when I say I'm truly alright. At least I'm getting there. These matters you are fussing over re chapters I have closed in my life and do not want to reopen. I love you for caring so deeply, Teddy but let this matter go. Please."

Teddy slumped against him and gave a weak nod.

"Ok."

"Go talk with your parents, Teddy. They love you to the stars and back. While you have every right to feel angry over something, don't let such anger cloud your ability to see how much they love you. They've long learned from their past. A lot of us who had survived the second wizarding war have, alright?"

Teddy tightened his arms around him and Harry reciprocated the gesture.

"Ok godfather."

Harry kissed the boy's head again.

"Good boy. Now come on, Teddy. We've kept at this depressing topic long enough. Let's move on. Pick a ring. Then I'll teach you how you can visit me through it no matter where I go."

Teddy perked up at that.

"You must promise to never tell anyone where I am, however," Harry warned.

His godson gave him a serious nod at that.

"Yes, godfather."

Harry ruffled the boy's hair.

"Go on. Choose."

Teddy bit his lip.

"Which one would you have given me?"

Harry blinked. He looked at his own palm and tilted his head in response to the question.

"Well, judging from your own heritage and your ability to metamorph, I suppose the Black ring would have been my choice. I have heard that the family magic helps a lot with stabilizing the control you can have over your Metamorphmagus abilities. Your mother used to be very clumsy back when her family had been removed from the House. Every five seconds she would trip and fall over something. Sometimes it was an object, sometimes it was her own feet. There was this one time she tripped over air itself. I am still not sure how she accomplished that."

Teddy giggled slightly at the story. Harry smiled at the boy warmly before continuing.

"After being added back in, she has become much more stable in her magic and balance overall. And I believe that despite you being a part of the House already, making you heir will bring you greater benefits. Also, as heir, you will have access to the Black Family library that has many, many books," Harry ended off in a conspiratorial whisper, knowing his godson's weaknesses when it came to books and knowledge. He had a running bet with Ron that the boy would end up in Ravenclaw.

Teddy squealed and snatched up the Black heir ring happily, before gingerly wearing it on his left right index finger. A small circle of magic spiralled out of the ring as it adjusted towards the child's finger size before spiralling out to encompass Teddy in a cocoon of white light. A beat later, the magic sunk down within the boy.

Teddy gasped in wonder.

"What was that?"

"That was the ring accepting you as the heir, Teddy," Harry replied.

"Cool!"

Harry chuckled.

"Alright squirt, listen up. Now all you got to do if you ever want to see me is simple. You think of this ring and ask to see me. If godfather is free, it will give you three pulses of magic. Give it a try."

Harry watched with a fond smile as Teddy scrunched his nose and thought as told. The boy's eyes flew open wide as he eventually felt the signal.

"Wow! Cool!"

Harry chuckled.

"Yes. Now when that happens, all you got to do is think again that you wish to appear next to me. The ring will immediately act as a portkey for you, alright?"

Teddy nodded, conveying his understanding. The child already knew how portkeys worked, so Harry did not choose to explain that. However he did warn Teddy of the safety precautions he had to undertake.

"Remember, Teddy. You must be out of wards when doing this. So if you are coming to visit me from your home, be sure to step out into your garden where the wards don't work, alright? And, if the ring doesn't pulse three times but just once, it means that I'm busy or at a place where I cannot receive you. So you'll have to wait for me to be free, ok?"

Teddy nodded.

"Yes godfather."

Harry smiled. Just then the timer he had set on his wand set off.

"Ah," Harry calmly silenced the thing. "It seems it is time for you to go home."

Teddy deflated in obvious disappointment.

"Cheer up Teddy and I'll bring you home this time round."

Teddy looked up at him in shock.

"Really? But you'll have to meet my parents then."

Harry hummed.

"I suppose I will have to. Maybe I should stop for tea too hmm?"

Teddy's eyes widened even further and his hair cycled through the colours of the rainbow.

"Really? You don't have to if you don't want to, godfather."

Harry gave the boy's head an affectionate ruffle before standing up with the boy held securely in his arms.

"Oh but I want to. I think I personally have given your parents quite a long silent treatment for the past ten years. I should take my own advice and talk to them, shouldn't I? I'm already leaving. I might as well make some amends before doing so."

Teddy beamed at him.

"We can break the silent treatment together?"

"Yes. We can."

Teddy slumped against him.

"Great because I don't know how I would have done it alone."

Harry chuckled.

---

Later that day of the Accusation:

"Malfoy."

Draco turned around to what he would only admit to his own self, a very fearful sight. And considering he had once had a deranged Dark Lord imposed as a guest within his family home, it was surprising that anything else other than said Dark Lord would instil ungodly fear within him.

But he had a reputation to abide by as a Malfoy. Therefore, he never let his face betray his inner emotions. That would have been unbecoming.

"Yes Granger?"

It was funny how almost no one bothered calling her by her husband's name. Draco supposed it was to avoid further confusion. There were enough Weasleys working in the Ministry to give everyone a headache. And whether people admitted or not, everybody knew the name Granger had cultivated solid reputation among Wizarding Britain despite having no pureblood heritage. And it had surprisingly nothing to do with Granger being the best friend of the Chosen One either.

"I'm calling in one of the favours you owe me."

Draco wished the woman would have at least had the decency to fake a smile. The glint in her eyes did not help in making her look any less like the psychopath that she was portraying herself has at the moment with her crazed curls whipping about her in an unseen breeze. Really, the woman could give Aunt Bella a run in the crazy department right now.

Draco suppressed a shudder and plastered a fake – but charming nonetheless – smile on his face.

"Alright. How may I help you?"

Once upon a time Draco would have dragged the conversation simply to rile the bushy haired witch. But as a snake that had good self-preservation skills, he knew that today was not once upon a time. And his survival seemed to depend highly on how cooperating he was to the woman in front of him.

---

At night, on the same day of the accusation:

The mansion was pretty unassuming.

But if Harry Potter had learnt anything in his life, it was that looks could be so very deceiving.

He stepped across the threshold and paused. To any ordinary person, muggle or magical, it may have seemed as though nothing had changed in the moments that he let himself step into the empty mansion.

But Harry was no ordinary person.

He tensed at the flare of the wards surrounding the property. The familiar feel of being judged worthy to enter was not what surprised him.

But that particular magic. That took him by surprise.

He knew it well from the past ten years he had payed homage to the Deity of Endings.

Death Magic.

On hindsight, he supposed he should have expected it.

He was in the ancestral home of the Peverells after all.

---

3 Days after the Accusation:

"Urghhhh!"

"It just makes no sense!"

"Oh, when we finally crack this, I am going to murder someone!"

Luna Lovegood stared at the frustrated witch before her with her usual dreamy look. But for those who knew her well, they would have easily noted the fascination in her eyes. For the young witch was indeed very much fascinated by the sight of a 'lost-my-cool' Hermione. She had never once seen the other witch in such a state after all.

Oh, she knew Hermione must have gone through many frustrations in her life, being the best friend to Harry Potter since the age of eleven. But in all those times where the Muggleborn witch had tensed and worried over her best friend's life, never had the witch lost her mind or logic to emotion no matter how worked up and worried she became.

Yet here was the brilliant witch. Pacing around like a caged beast with all her intelligence buried under the overwhelming presence of sadness that seemed to haunt her. And that seemed to leave her incapable of seeing the solutions in front of her like she usually did.

Hermione really was missing her best friend despite having helped him leave.

Luna found it imperative that she help the distraught witch out. The faster the witch figured it out after all, the quicker they could see to it that dear Harry's name was no longer being dragged through the mud unjustly by the nargles. She knew of course what was the solution but sadly it was not her place to fit the puzzle yet.

Sometimes it was depressing to know but not be able to do anything. But Luna supposed she could live with it since she often found ways around the restrictions.

"You are not very useful, Mione."

Silence descended upon the room. Movement ceased as four pairs of eyes swivelled to stare at her. Luna noted with fondness that none contained contempt or anger that was meant to be directed towards her. Her friends had long accepted her for her honesty and even if they were angry, it was often at the truth rather than at her.

She owed Harry for bringing her such good friends. And for being one of her best friends.

"The wrackspurts have nested deeply in your mind. Perhaps you should let Ronald speak up on what is in his mind."

Hermione nodded stiffly, accepting the blonde woman's words without resistance.

"Yes, you're right. I-I'm not really in the clearest state of mind..."

Luna turned towards the red headed male, tilting her head to prompt him to talk. He had half the puzzle sorted out already, she knew. It would be a waste to not lay it on the table for others to help him out.

"Right, um…You want me to talk?"

"No, she wants you to dance on the table naked," Malfoy drawled. "Oh, get on with whatever you were thinking about, Weasley. Lovegood obviously believes you have something of value to add."

"Shut it ferret," Ron snapped.

Luna watched the exchange in amusement. Nobody present were fooled by their façade of an enmity. Those two were partners in the Auror fields after all. Luna wondered why they continued to bicker when even they knew they had no ill will towards each other.

Perhaps, she thought, it was another nuance in the realm of friendships.

"Well, if you two lovebirds are done with your lover's spat," Hermione interjected.

"Please continue with helping us over the case," Ginny finished, shooting an unimpressed look at the two males in the room.

"We're not lovebirds!" said males shouted in unison.

None of the females bothered to provide a response to that.

Ron sighed. "Ok, back to the matter at hand. We are at a dead end."

Draco snorted. "As if that was not obvious."

Ron wisely ignored the bait.

"Let's just review what we know and what we've been given with first all right?"

Ron walked over to the table that the five were gathered around.

"The accusation is that Harry cheated on the bastard, willingly."

The tension in the room heightened at the blunt statement. No one had bothered to speak of it before, each of them knowing how untrue the statement was.

Harry Potter was never one to betray.

"We know that is false."

Ron's voice was deadly, challenging anyone to refute his claim. Not that he needed to. No one in the room believed in the accusation flying around Wizarding Britain one bit.

"The evidence against our Harry in this case are memories and the words of Bovin – Harry's supposed lover. The memories have been reviewed within the Ministry Pensieve at the first trial. They show our Harry supposedly in a rather intimate position with Bovin an ex-Death Eater from the lower ranks."

Ron paused, his lips thinning in his displeasure at even having to speak the vile words.

"We know, it could not have been Polyjuice. Harry has been on the resistance potion since it was created five years ago. So, no matter which part of him the perpetrator had, it would never work in Polyjuice potion.

We also cannot ascertain that it is a glamour in play either. Because according to the trial scripts, Bovin supposedly affirmed that the "Harry" in the memories was not under any such thing."

"Bullshit," Ginny muttered under her breath.

Nobody bothered to reprimand the woman for her language.

"Surprisingly enough, Bovin also willingly provided an oath to validify that statement about the glamour. But we know that Harry is innocent. So that makes it obvious that the evidence provided is false somewhere."

"But where?" It was Ginny who spoke up this time. "His oath, we've checked the words, is legitimate. So, it rules the glamour out, even if we wanted to use it as a possible defence. The Polyjuice we know too would not work in our favour considering it is a well-known fact that Harry is resistant to it. And the whole memories put in the Pensieve make them legitimate too since Pensieve are made to only recognise true memories and would help identify falsities within one in a heartbeat. If any part of the memory is made up, the inconsistency would show up clearly against the unaltered parts of the memory. So that rules out that possibility that he altered the person in that memory to look like Harry too."

The atmosphere in the room grew sombre.

"And that is exactly why I know there is foul play somewhere in the evidence," Ron explained calmly. "The evidence may seem solid but to be honest, I think there is only two of the three that were truthful somewhat in what they said."

The others – bar Luna of course – exchanged confused glances at the words from the ginger-haired male.

"Which one is the false one?"

"The oath certainly is legitimate, whichever way we look at it. And we know Harry would never risk not being resistance to the Polyjuice. So, we can believe that there was no Polyjuice involved too, as the trial outcomes imply."

"But then, that leaves us with the Pensieve viewing to be false?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. That's what I believe."

"But Pensieves can easily pick out inconsistencies and falsities in a memory. And if the memory of Harry in it is false then the oath on the glamor should not be right either! Because the only way to explain the Harry lookalike in that false memory is through a bloody glamour or if the memory itself was altered to make the real person within it to look like Harry," Draco cut in.

Luna smiled. They were getting there.

"When there is untruth in truth, it is easy to pick apart. But when the truth itself is in truth untrue it remains true to its falsity."

Again, four pair of coloured orbs swivelled in her direction.

"What are you on at, Luna?"

"I think I know what she is saying, Mione."

The friends turned towards Ron who was wearing a frown.

"It was what I was theorising and well, Luna seems to have confirmed the possibility for it…" Ron paused.

"Oh, spit it out already Weasel."

"Pensieves are good for picking out any falsities within a memory of an actual incident," Ron started, looking at each of his companions in the eye. "We can see it and deduce from simply viewing the memory from a spectator's point of view. The nuances changed forcibly may be subtle but it will still stand out. It will always feel wrong, always feel fake amidst the whole memory.

But- but if the whole memory given is fake as a whole, there won't be anything for it to explicitly show that any part of is false, is there? Because the assumption when using a Pensieve is that the memory is actually a memory of something that has indeed happened, not that the whole thing was made up."

Silence descended again upon the group of five. This time speculative.

"How the heck would he have been able to pull out a fake memory from his head tho – " Hermione paused as Ron gestured to a parchment from the trial records that was resting on the middle of the table.

"Oh that piece of no good, evil, loathsome, pathetic –"

Ginny leaned over to see what had gotten her friend into her state.

"Oh. The memory was already in a bottle for previewing according to this. That means nobody within the court saw it being pulled out of that bastard Bovin's head!"

Luna smiled. Well they had crossed the main hurdle. Now it should be a simple matter of proving Harry's innocence in court. Without him being present and without a way yet to prove the memories provided were entirely fake.

For the average person the task was perhaps impossible.

Luna observed the four around her. The Hawk, the Knight, the Spy and the Rock.

Thankfully, none of them were average.

Especially when it came to protecting one of their own.

Luna smiled again.

The execution that was awaiting to happen soon was going to be most delightful, she knew.

Delightfully vindictive for all five of them.

---

"My child are you –"

"Do not claim familiarity when I haven't given you the right to do so, old man," Hermione snapped, uncaring of the audience watching. "My decision is final. The Potter and Black seats are no longer representing that of the Light fraction, not after the disgrace said fraction's members have brought to it. If you try to sway me, I'll have you tried by magic for influence peddling."

The silence in the court was deathly. No one dared to move, to breathe.

"The houses I represent are from this instant in support of the Neutral fraction. So I speak, so mote it be."

Light flashed across the room. When the acknowledgment done by magic was over, Hermione watched in malicious glee that one Albus-too-many-names- Dumbledore no longer had the Wizengamot judging gravel in his hands, marking him to no longer be in power as Chief Wizard. The gravel had instead passed on to the leader of the Neutral fraction, since with the votes of the Potter and Black houses' changing side, the Neutral fraction was now made up the largest body within the court.

Hermione sauntered to her proxy seats, shooting Dumbledore a rather nasty smile as he was evicted from his seat so that the new leader for the wizengamot – who happened to be a wtich – could take their seat. She had built years of resentment for the old man for what he had done to her best friend. It was wonderful to finally take him down a few pegs.

But she was not done. Oh, not at all. This was merely the beginning. By the end of the year, she would have that old coot lose everything he held dear in exchange for all the tears and pain he had put Harry Potter through over the years. Albus Dumbledore was not going to know what hit him.

Hermione seated herself on her given chair in the Neutral fraction with grace and sent a subtle nod to the Blonde witch standing in the middle of the Chamber, watching the chaos Hermione had been weaving with a serene smile. For now, Hermione was done. Now, it was her sister in all but blood's turn to tear apart the foolish witches and wizards in the court for daring to judge Harry guilty when he was not.

---

Light, Neutral and Dark fraction alike watched on with bated breath as they waited for the blonde woman to finish the execution.

For indeed, it was an execution. No matter that it was labelled a trial in the records. No matter that it had been meant to be for the defendants to defend the accused.

The reality remained that this was an execution. Where instead of defending, the defenders had pounced, tearing apart the accusers, revealing the feral beasts hidden within them as they annihilated the ones who had dared to bring harm on one Harry James Potter.

The court watched in silence as the petite woman stood calmly before the jury, awaiting the only verdict that could be passed.

"In light of the evidences revealed, this court acknowledges that Lord Harry James Potter-Slytherin is–"

"My apologies, but my client is Potter-Black now," Luna Lovegood cut in, her dreamy countenance doing nothing to hide the vindictive glint in her eyes. "He asked and had been granted freedom from his façade of a marriage by magic due to the betrayal he has been dealt with."

The gasps that went around the chamber had no time to descend into gossip as the jury was obliged to finish the verdict.

"Noted Ms Lovegood. In light of the evidences revealed, this court acknowledges that Lord Harry James Potter-Black is innocent and not guilty of the crime he has been accused of. The court drops all charges against him and declares him free of all charges.

Also in light of the same evidences, the court declares Bovin Canis, Dolores Umbridge, Clayton Patt and Jule Gerbele guilty of the crimes of framing an innocent, attempted Line Theft and treason to more than three of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Wizarding Britain and treason to the ruling body of the current Wizarding Britain for they have attacked with the intent to harm the current peace. The accused have been proven guilty of all crimes irrefutably and are hereby sentenced to –"

"This is where I cut in."

The silence in the chamber threatened to suffocate the members present as the deadly voice of one Hermione Granger-Weasley interrupted the jury.

"Mrs Granger-Weasley, you have no right – "

"I believe she does have the right, My Lady," Luna Lovegood interjected calmly, swaying to a silent melody the only she could hear, uncaring of the fact that she was in the middle of the court. "Mis Granger-Weasley is Lady Potter-Black now, remember? She has every right to step in to choose the punishment of those that wronged her House."

The whisperings in the court intensified.

"Thank you, Luna. As Ms Lovegood has kindly alerted to the court, I have my rights as Lady Potter-Black to inflict punishment on those that wronged my house instead of the Head of House, considering the man has refused to step into these chambers – rightfully so – due to the tarnish the people of Wizarding Britain had dared smear falsely on his name. And considering the accused faces charges against my Head of House mainly, I hereby, claim the right my Houses have as two of the Most Ancient and Most Noble in the nation to judge the punishments fitting for the crime of the accused against the treason they have done to my Head of House."

Nobody knew whether the silence that ensued after the declaration came from mere shock at the revelations from the brunette or at the cold, cruel look the normally composed but joyful witch sported. Shivers went down at the assembled crowd as they realised that whatever the witch was about to dish out onto the accused was not going to be pretty.

Hermione Granger-Weasley's eyes narrowed upon the four seated in the accused seats.

"I do not think that mere imprisonment or even a Dementor's Kiss is a just punishment to the likes of you."

The woman's soft voice echoed around the silent chamber.

"You decided in your bigotry and self-importance to restore an imagined peace and order to the currently prospering Wizarding Britain. The Wizarding Britain that my best friend sacrificed his life, his happiness and his own rights for. The one that he rebuilt and strengthened after saving it from a full out war that certain miscreants in this room knew they would not win."

Tension spiked within the room. Glances were given towards the man who was seated in the wing that held the dark fraction. Some bristled at the insult implied to their leader, while most shifted guiltily at the reminder of the debt they owed to the missing other leader who had indeed done much for both the light and dark fractions to live peacefully within the new Wizarding Britain.

"You have dared to tarnish his name and reputation in your own delusions for betterment and you have tried to sabotage his well-deserved peace and happiness. You have dared to betray the leader of this magical Nation. I believe letting you get away with traditional punishments is a mercy you do not deserve."

It seemed the very air in the trial chamber had frozen, stifled and bound by the hatred and wild magic that was oozing from a surprisingly light witch.

Hermione straightened her shoulders, a dangerous gleam entering her eyes as she gave the accused four another searing glare.

"I call upon Lady Magic to judge these traitors. Their crimes against an innocent, noble man has been charged within these walls. They have harmed a man who has never disregarded the vows he had made to either his country or his spouse – "

The sharp, cutting glance she sent towards the red-eyed man in the chamber did not go unnoticed by many. Neither did people miss the way the man tensed at the witch's words.

" – a man whom I can vouch holds one of the purest souls in this nation despite the wrongs that had been dealt to him in life."

This time Hermione Granger's voice was tainted with sorrow.

"Dear Lady, if Hadrian James Potter-Black was not worthy of the slander and grief he had been unjustly put through, if these four before this court are recognised by you to be guilty of the injustice they had tried to bring upon – and successfully did to some extent – on my brother in all but blood, then come hither my Lady. Come and punish these four traitors and those who have helped them in harming my brother."

Hermione's eyes closed. "Come serve justice, Mother Magic."

For a moment silence reigned.

Breaths were held in anticipation. Brows furrowed in confusion and apprehension.

Then the screams started and all hell broke loose.

---

Tom Riddle sat alone in his Manor's living room, nursing his fifth glass of fire whiskey.

Flashes of green from his peripheral sight alerted him that he had company. Company he ignored blatantly as he took another sip from his glass.

Green.

The colour of his beloved husband's eyes. The husband he had hurt despite vowing to cherish him for eternity. If magic itself was currently not punishing the bastards that had caused all this, Tom would certainly be dishing it out some rather painful Crucios and other inventive tortures right about now, peace treaty be damned.

"Why are you here, wasting your time, instead of dragging your sorry arse to Harry for forgiveness?"

"Watch your tone, Draco," Lucius Malfoy's voice held a warning.

"Why should I? He screwed it up. I don't think sugar-coating things is going to work now."

"Draco –"

"Ok fine, those idiots had it well planned with that potion they slipped in his drink during the gala but honestly even they admit it was not a strong one. Under magic's wrath. So it still figures that he screwed up majorly."

"Draco the potion poisons the mind! It plants seeds of doubts and they had timed the whole "Accusation" against Lord Potter well. Give the man a break!"

"But amidst all that if he had given one chance for Harry to explain, we all wouldn't be here! Yes the potion while mild was still effective but it was mild still. The fact remains that was never strong. A master at the Mind Arts like him should have fought it easily! Even the average person would have fought it if only for the sake that the person they were accusing was their MAGIC SWORN bondmate! Yet why did he not? Because he is a well enough untrusting arse, I tell you. I'm not going to be giving him excuses. Him staying here is making me more pissed off."

"Draco–"

"You seem to be assuming, Draconis Malfoy, that I have not attempted to try and find my husband," Tom cut in, voice deadly soft as he watched the swirls of the orange-red liquid within his glass.

"So, you got rejected?"

"Draco – "

Lucius was once again cut off by Tom's words.

"No."

Silence descended upon the room. Tom could imagine the others were confused.

"He was not even there to reject me." Tom turned to face his company for the first time. "He's left."

The Head of Slytherin placed a small ring onto the table before him. A ring made of platinum and emerald stones.

"But I suppose this parting gift spells all the rejection I need, don't I?"

"Are you going to give up, then?"

"Narcissa! What are you –"

"With all politeness, please shut up, father," the younger Malfoy Lord snapped. If the situation had been different, the once Dark Lord would have found the young Malfoy's boldness amusing. Especially considering he was arguing for the sake of his one nemesis. "Mother and I are trying to get answers from this man before us."

"Draco –"

"What do you expect me to do?" Tom ignored the sigh of frustration the elder Malfoy gave as the man finally gave up on saying anything.

"Well, for one stop moping. You certainly have not earned the right for it," Narcissa cut in before Draco could respond.

Sharp intakes of breath were heard all around the room.

"And then start trying to search for Harry and don't stop. Do you think he would have abandoned you had the tables been reversed? Oh, but wait –" Draco drawled. "Harry was never the type to jump to false conclusions about those he knew of now, was he? Even under a bloody potion's influence the idiotic git would probably waited for an explanation, unlike others."

Tom was a person who prided in riling others and never letting his own emotions be manipulated. But he would admit Draco Malfoy and his mother were doing a good team job at bruising said pride in his vulnerable state.

"Do you wish to die, the both of you?"

"Go ahead and try to kill us then. Prove it once and for all that Harry was right for leaving after all."

The glass in Tom's hand shattered but Draco never flinched.

"If you give up now, you prove to Harry that he was right in leaving. That he was right to believe you do not care. Is that true?" Narcissa tilted her head to the side. "Everyone in this room is well aware how terrible a combination the both of you had been, when the marriage contract had been drawn and signed. Yet despite all odds, you two had built something genuine between yourselves. It took years, yes but no one can deny the progress. Are you going to throw it all away now?"

Tom did not deign to answer the question. He simply stood, heading to the floo as he let his magic clean up the mess of shattered glass behind him.

The Malfoy family watched in silence until –

"Well our job here is done," Draco stated.

Lucius spluttered while Narcissa gave her son a small smile.

"Indeed."

---

"Please."

Tom could understand the shock in their faces. It was rare to see him beg. Lord Slytherin, once Voldemort, never begged. He never had reason to.

He was never one to make mistakes nor one to be in a position of disadvantage.

But Harry Potter was often an exception in his world. Even in his absence, the man made him do things he never would have done.

"Please. Tell me where he is?"

He could not even demand. How pathetic he had become when it came to his spouse, Tom thought.

"Why should we?"

"Look, I made a mistake. I've realised it. Please! I want to make it right with Har –"

"Mistake?" The derision in the youngest male Weasley's voice was almost palpable. "Oh, what you did was no mistake Riddle. Mistakes are when you do not know of the wrong you are committing. You knew exactly what you were doing when you went about conducting trials and accusing Harry instead of going right up to him to ask about the bloody rumours.

You may have well have screamed from a rooftop that you never trusted Harry."

Tom had to suppress a flinch at the harsh words for unlike most others harsh words, these truly cut through him. He could not deny them. They were true. He had – in his fear, insecurity and jealousy – let distrust manifest for his spouse even though he knew in his heart that the younger man wouldn't do that to him.

"Look I didn't mean to –"

"He never said yes to me, you know."

The voice of Ginny Weasley was cold.

"What?"

"Harry. He never said yes to me when I asked him to go all the way with me. It was on the day it was announced that the Light side's supposed leaders were going to agree to the stupid truce and essentially sell Harry off to you for marriage in exchange of you stopping the war that you were already losing. I told him I was willing to let him take me before he had to be doomed for the rest of his life playing "wife" with you against his wishes."

Tom's hands clenched into fists.

"He told me no – for both my sake and his. While he had no love for you, he respected a marriage and its sacredness highly. He was not going to ruin it for me or cheat on his sudden fiancé even though he wanted very much to burn you to ashes."

Ginny stared straight into crimson-coloured eyes.

"How could you ever have believed even for an instant that that man would cheat on you after the marriage? He never even considered cheating when he could have done so legally. When he could very much get away with the deed."

Silence descended upon the room.

"I think you have overstayed your welcome here, Lord Slytherin," Arthur Weasley chimed in for the first time in the conversation. "Please leave. If you wish to find Harry, you'll simply have to beg magic to help you. But I doubt even that would get you far."

Tom did not bother to protest. In a flash of green, the Head of Slytherin House disappeared from the Burrow.

---

5 months since Harry Potter left…

Harry Potter had expected his change of lifestyle to have been hard to get used to. He had been preparing his mind for when his heart would ache in longing for his friends and family that he had left behind.

But surprisingly, he found himself enjoying his solitude. Waking up alone had been hard the first few days but it soon became routine. Making meals for only one had simply been a blessing at how less of a hassle it was. And living each day for his own self, without the need to carry out duties and expectations was already a luxury that Harry was no longer willing to part.

All in all, Harry learnt his heart seemed to not care. Apparently after all the abuse, neglect and betrayals he had undergone in twenty-seven years of his life, his heart was finally done with caring about others.

"No better time for self-love," Harry mused as he nursed a glass of wine on his chair while briefing through the tome that had caught his eye in the vast library of the Peverells.

The Art of Raising the Dead

Ah, if he were to try some forbidden magic, who was going to reprimand him while he remained hidden behind ancient wards?

---

Tom Riddle stood staring at his reflection. For the first time in his life, he loathed himself.

Here he was, leader of the wizarding world, Minister for Magic (for the second time) and visionary. Yet, he felt so alone and weak. He had let go of the one person who had surprisingly been the best thing to have happened to him, even though their union had been forced and manipulated.

Tom stared at the empty space on his left.

He missed Harry.

He missed his husband a lot. He missed the man's glare and grimaces. Missed the shy glances the man had sent his way ever since the two of them had decided to put away their past for their own future's sake. Missed the meals Harry used to spend time making for both of them despite owning House Elves. Missed the kisses that Tom could still remember having been bestowed with.

It had been two months and no one had been able to find head or hair of his once husband.

Tom stared into his reflection, eyes determinant despite the pain and hopelessness he felt.

He would find Harry. And apologise. Even if he had to beg and grovel, Tom would do it. Because Harry was the only person Tom truly learned to love in the universe and Tom was willing to die to get his Harry back.

---

A year after Harry left…

Harry huffed in frustration at the failed ritual.

"Love, perhaps you should take a break?"

The wizard turned to see the owner of the voice.

"But mum, I'm so, so close!"

Lily Potter nee Evans gave an exasperated smile.

"You will get it if you are meant to get it. A well-deserved break now won't hurt your chances. Come on. You haven't had anything to eat all day!"

Harry let his mother herald him to the kitchen. The woman's touch was cold – like all the dead things on the living plane. But Harry did not mind. The only thing that had bothered him had been the pearly white sheen of his family as they had come back in their ghostly forms to answer his call. Being unable to hold onto them had been frustrating, especially when they had been so close to him. But Harry had long solved that problem.

The twenty-eight-year-old man leaned into his mother's dead touch revelling in the affection he had been denied as a child shamelessly.

"I love you mum," he whispered.

Lily Evans smiled. "I love you too, Harry. I love you so very much."

---

Harry stilled at the unexpected words.

"What did you say?"

James Potter looked up from where he was tickling his best friend to – well to his second death, one could suppose. Sirius – said best friend – sighed in relief at the respite he received at James' distracted state.

"What?"

"I asked what did you just say."

James blinked. "I said what?"

Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Dad!"

"Alright alright. I said two is always more stable than one. This idiot thinks pranking is done better by himself! As if! I…."

Harry tuned out the rest of his father's rant.

"Two is more stable than one huh. That's a curious phrase," Harry mused and slowly walked back to the ritual room. "Maybe that is what I have been missing…"

---

A few months later

Harry wondered if this was some twisted joke. How cruel could people be, honestly?

He glanced at the basket again before looking around the muggle woods. The more time he spent here, the greater the chance of discovery. He had to decide quick.

Sighing the man picked up the basket. The next second, he was swallowed by shadows and disappeared from view.

---

Harry groaned pacing about his guest room. His family hovered in the background with worry etched all over their faces.

"Prongslet, sometimes it's just not meant to be –"

"Dad! How can you say that? That's a child! I can't people can be so vicious! She's been there for a whole month in that woods! It's a miracle she's even alive!"

Harry approached the cot in the middle of the room. A tiny thing was sleeping in the middle. Pale, skinny and on the verge of death. He had spent weeks nursing the baby and there was not much progress.

Harry hated the fact that he was too late.

"No," he clamped down on his pessimism viciously. "I'm a wizard for magic's sake. I've brought back the dead! I can find a way to save the living."

Harry stared at the child, heart clenching at what a pitiful sight it was. Hopefully he would change that soon.

---

Harry laughed in joy at the two bundles in his arms. Two pairs of emerald eyes that were a replica of his own squinted back at him from where they blinked open for the first time. Unruly red curls covered the tiny heads, already promising to follow the tradition of the Potter line to be untameable and wild despite their colouring.

A giggle of joy escaped from the new-born at his right while her twin gazed at him silently in curiosity. Harry's smile brightened.

"They're gorgeous!"

Harry beamed up at his mother.

"I know right," he said – perhaps a little too smugly.

"But you look like shit, pup," Sirius pitched in.

Harry scowled.

"No but seriously. Hand over them to our care. And you go rest. We'll take care of our grandkids."

Harry sighed but obeyed. He was too tired to argue anyway.

---

15 months since Harry left:

"You guys!" Ginny Weasley shouted. "Hedwig's here!"

The occupants within the Burrow scrambled from all over the house to cram themselves into the kitchen. One Draco Malfoy in particular sniffed at having to be squeezing around a bunch of redheads who were trying to huddle around a distracted Ginny.

"Well what does it say this time round?" Molly Weasley asked impatiently, wringing her hands on her apron in nervous excitement.

Everyone exuded the same energy as the Weasley matriarch. Harry rarely sent letters over since disappearing but when he did, it was long and rambling, as though to make up for the lack of frequency.

So far, they only had received six letters from the man over the year and a half. This would make it the seventh.

"Come on Ginny! Open it already!" Hermione whined.

"Alright, alright but you lot settle down! I'm not opening with the lot of you crowded around me!" Ginny replied with a huff, as she continued petting Hedwig who had perched herself on the redhead's left shoulder.

The group of sixteen reluctantly settled themselves around the dining table. Molly floated over the snacks and tea she had been preparing, deigning that they might as well have the tea break now.

"Well?" Neville asked, reaching for a scone. "What does he have to say?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at everyone's impatience and opened the letter in her hands. Out of habit, the redhead tipped over its contents onto her lap and stilled immediately at the unexpected post that was inside the envelope.

"What?" The question came from all over the table.

Draco and Hermione, who were seated nearest to Ginny leaned over her shoulder to see what had the redhead frozen.

"What the fuck?!"

Everyone stilled in surprise at the words that tumbled out of Hermione's mouth.

"What the actual fuck?"

"M- Mione," Ron called out feebly, still in shock at the usually proper witch's lack of decorum.

"What?" The brunette asked, face still holding an expression that screamed she was convinced that she was hallucinating.

"You cursed, Hermione," Fred and George replied in awe at the witch. "In front of children, too!"

"I don't blame her for her lapse, honestly," Draco commented, eyes still boring into whatever was causing Ginny to remain frozen. "Take a look at these."

In one swift movement, Draco scooped up the photographs in Ginny's laps and tossed them on to the table for everyone to see.

Chaos erupted.

"What the fu –"

"Is this a joke?"

"Oh how adorable –"

"Luna of all things to comment –"

"How is this even possible?"

"What in the name of – "

"HOwwWW?!"

"Yay! I get to be a godbrother!"

"But they are adorable, Neville, look –"

"Harry hasn't been dating has –"

"Everyone shut up!"

Molly's voice quietened the pandemonium at the kitchen table.

"Ginny sweetie, why don't you read the letter out for us?"

Ginny nodded mutely.

Dear Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Draco (I know you're at the Burrow too Dray, don't bother denying), Neville and all of you remaining Weasleys who I'm not going to bother naming because there are too many of you,

"Well that's rude," Fred commented in mock affront.

"Completely," George nodded in equal seriousness. "We are more than the remaining Weasleys! We are the best Weasleys!"

"Shut up you two," Bill commented, urging Ginny to continue reading.

I'd like to warn you to not look at the photos before reading the letter –

"Too late for that," majority of the table muttered.

– but knowing you guys, you've probably already seen the photos first by sheer accident or just because you're nosy.

"Hey!" Everyone shouted in indignation.

"Oh shut up, you lot," Ginny muttered, irritated by the interruption.

Anyways, to clear up any confusion, no I'm not dating anyone, Fred and George. I don't ever want another partner in my life ever again, thank you very much.

As for why there are two adorable infants who look too much like they are my biological children, well it's a long story. I'll explain.

But before that –

"Seriously?" Bill and Charlie groaned at not being able to know the story immediately.

"Be patient honestly," Fleur commented, rubbing her swollen belly absently. She herself could not wait for the story but hearing anything from the boy she had come to love as a brother in all but blood made her happy.

– I'd like to inform you that I've finally succeeded at my first project in necromancy! Mum, dad and Sirius are now solid to the touch. They are still faded in colour and very cold to the touch but hey, they can HUG me you guys! I'm really happy at the development. I doubt I can progress more than this though, because it already requires a lot of energy and there is also the fact that now I have a pair of infant twins to care for.

Oh, and they wanted me to tell Lupin that they missed him a little.

Everyone turned to look at the brown-haired man seated near the end of the table. The once DADA professor smiled sadly.

"You ok there Remus?" Charlie asked.

Everyone was well aware of the complicated relationship Remus and his wife had with Harry. Heck, the Weasleys themselves had a complicated relationship with the Lupin – barring Teddy – due to them having been at the opposite ends of the argument when it came to the peace treaty. No one in the Weasley household had been willing to even think of letting Harry be wed off to his parents' murderer but no matter how hard they had tried, the damned treaty had went underway anyways. The only reason Remus and Tonks Lupin had been invited over was due to Harry having started to speak of and mention the man recently, even going so far as to exchange small letters with the Lupin family as a whole, instead of simply addressing them to his godson. For Teddy and Harry's sake, the Weasleys were willing to make amends too. Though their relationship with Remus and Tonks was just as awkward as Harry relationship with his godson's parents.

"I'm thankful that I get to make amends with all of them at all. Don't worry about me."

Percy, seated beside the man, patted him in a comforting manner. Tonks, who was on Remus' other side simply hugged her husband instead.

Anyways, coming to the matter all of you are probably dying to know about... You see I've had another project all this time along with my necromancy studies. I've been trying to see if the muggles' surrogacy methods could work with a magically created space to allow a foetus to develop into a child.

I actually started on this project way before leaving the wizarding world, to be honest. It was the reason I had been very excited that one day and I had been going to tell all of you about it but –

Well, something else happened as we all know…

I – Well, I know I've said I don't ever want a partner but I do still want a family, you know?

"Yeah, I think we all know of that desire of his," Ron whispered quietly.

The witches and wizards gathered around the table stayed silent for a moment, wallowing in the sadness that they could no longer help out their beloved friend. Not when he refused to step back into the wizarding world.

Plus I owe my Teddy since I promised him godsiblings.

"Yeah! I told him he still could have kids. I was right, wasn't I?" Teddy announced smugly. Chuckles went around at the boy's words.

Anyways, I digress.

Ok so I've been trying as I said to create a child with magic – Merlin that sounds weird when you write it out. But I failed for the first eight months in a row. That was about the time too when I found little Lydia in the woods. She's the one in the right of every photo, by the way. The one wrapped in the silver blankets with golden stars.

Everyone spared another glance towards the photos scattered around the table amongst plates of snacks. The infant on the right was indeed wrapped up in silver blankets and was sleeping peacefully, save for the occasional shifting she did as she clutched onto her twin who was wrapped in golden blankets with silver stars.

Unlike Lydia, her twin was wide awake, and was giggling into the camera with a gummy smile.

Luna cooed again.

"They're both adorable," the blonde whispered.

Everyone present agreed. Percy whipped out his wand and started duplicating the photos for everyone. Teddy insisted on getting the original copy in the end and no one could deny the excited child his right to claim them since he was the godbrother.

Anyways, I was pissed you guys. Some awful son of a b**** had the audacity to simply abandon the poor thing in the middle of the forest!

Gasps of horror travelled around the table.

I swear if I ever find that bastards who did it, I'll torture them. I don't care what their reason was. Honestly! Some creature could have eaten her up or something!

She wasn't in a good shape anyways, when I found her. I suspect from my checks that little Lydia was almost abandoned there for a month. It was a miracle she was still breathing when I found her. It turns out she's actually magical. I suspect she had muggle parents who got scared of her accidental magic…

Honestly if she already displayed accidental magic at this age, that's quite a feat…

Anyways, I managed to save her. At first, nothing I did worked. But in the end, I tried something very risky…

"Uh-oh," Hermione whispered. "He's done something stupid again…"

You see, I think I know why my initial experiments in creating a magical child of my own failed. A child needs the mother and the father's genes but I only gave my magical experiments mine. I had no way to find another willing person and I didn't have a partner.

But when Lydia appeared, I had a stroke of inspiration. I couldn't find a partner, but I could key the ritual I was making to Lydia's genes. All I needed was a hair from her…

And I remembered from Fred and George that twins have a powerful connection. Remember the time George lost his whole ear? But within a few years, they managed to regenerate its growth despite it being cursed off by Snape because of their shared bond.

I thought that if I could successfully give Lydia a twin, she could survive. It took me three days you guys, but I did it! I actually brought a child to this earth without the whole bearing it in my non-existent womb part. Little Raksha, magical twin of little Lydia was born!

You should have seen the magic when it blessed both of the children to be twins! IT WAS AMAZING!

"What the hell?" Hermione muttered. "Is the idiot even aware that he has revolutionised magical birth? This could totally change the stance on homosexuality that most people have in the wizarding world…"

"Yeah," Percy breathed out in awe. "This would create more storm in the industry than what the male pregnancy potions did, which only guarantee a twenty percent success rate…"

"But to be honest, he could have saved Lydia without all these risks, if he had blood adopted her though…" Draco muttered.

The people around him blinked in surprise, barring Ginny.

"Well, Harry has something to tell you about that," the redheaded witch commented.

Also, Draco, I know you're probably droning about blood adoptions but let me remind you the child was on the verge of death, you blonde ferret. I was not going to risk waiting for a week to prepare the ritual when I was not even sure Lydia would survive that long.

Heck, three days of figuring out how to tie Lydia to a magically created foetus that may not survive was nerve wracking. And also, I prepared the blood adoption ritual alongside my risky Plan A, ok? Just in case my plan failed and Lydia miraculously stayed alive for the week…

But anyways, the adoption proved to be unnecessary considering the fact that my ritual worked. Ha! Take that blonde ferret.

"Why is he attacking me so much?!" Draco whined.

"Maybe 'cuz you're annoying," Ron replied.

I mean look at them, you guys. They totally have my Potter genes. They're going to be heartbreakers. Though I am glad they have mum's genes too because that means they probably inherited their grandma's smarts. Hopefully.

"Well, at least he acknowledges that he is not the brightest wand out there," Ron muttered.

"You're one to talk Ronald," the females in the room snapped.

Ron cringed back at the sudden attack on him.

"Also, Harry is way smarter than you," Hermione added. "I mean are you even listening. He just revolutionised magical births! I swear to Merlin if that man was not hidden away behind some ancient wards, I would be picking apart his brain to understand how the fuck he accomplishes all these miracles?!"

"Language Hermione," Molly admonished while the others watched the ranting witch in amusement.

Ok Ron, now that I'm sure you've gotten scolded by the females for falsely accusing me to be an idiot –

"That sneaky bastard."

– I'd like to inform you guys that as of now, these two adorable babies are MINE. My blood children by magic's creed. I'm going to start celebrating the evening that comes with you receiving this letter of mine so I'd appreciate you guys celebrate too to spiritually support my impromptu party.

"Hell yes!" The table shouted.

Molly started to accio a quill and paper to write down the list of groceries she as going to need to buy to prepare a quick feast for the evening.

Also, I'm officially naming Hermione, Ron, Luna and Draco as the legal godparents of my twins. I hope you guys are fine with that. You're going to be godparents to both of them, by the way. I refuse to split apart the pairs for each twin.

The named four discreetly wiped away the tears that were forming in their eyes.

But that being said, I don't want to stop the godparent business with you four, so unofficially, I'm still claiming Ginny, Neville, Fred and George to be the unofficial godparents.

"Yesss!" the twins shouted.

"Calm down you lot," Molly snapped from where she was busy checking if she had listed everything onto her paper.

That's all the news I have from my side, you guys. I'll try to send more pictures as they grow ok? Oh and feel free to send me letters now on. I want you guys to be involved in these two's growth, despite the distance between us. They shouldn't grow up completely isolated from their uncles and aunts…

Silence descended upon the Burrow.

"Did he really?" Hermione leaned over to read the letter Ginny was clutching. "Oh Merlin…"

"Does this mean we can hope?" Neville asked quietly. "If he's finally allowing us to write, does that mean one day he might consider coming back? Or maybe even let us visit?"

Neville's voice cracked at the end.

Ron shrugged.

"I don't know but maybe he just might Nev…"

The group of sventeen smiled tentatively.

"Oh, bless these two children for entering Harry's life," Tonks murmured.

---

Miles away, in a mansion hidden under ancient wards, six others echoed Teddy's mother unknowingly as they watched a raven haired man coo at the two infants in his arms.

"He's got the light back in his eyes, again," Lily Potter whispered as she leaned against her dead husband in silent joy.

James Potter nodded and shared a genuine smile with his best mate as he absently circled his arms around his equally dead wife.

"I'm thankful for the bastards who left little Lydia in the woods now," Sirius muttered. "What they did was heinous but at least the child and Harry are now both better off."

"And don't be forgetting little Raksha. That one is proving to be a little devil already, but it's amazing how easily she makes both her twin and Harry smile at her antics," Lily chuckled.

The three huddled together happily.

"You three are going to have your work cut out for you, you know?" Sirius addressed the House Elves who had been silently standing with them.

"We be happy to take care of Master Harry and his younglings, dead Masters," Kreacher replied back in his nasally voice, with a deadpan face. But the ears flopping back and forth betrayed the elf's excitement. "We elves like younglings anyways."

Winky and Dobby merely nodded their head vigorously in agreement.

The Potters and Sirius watched the excited elves in amusement. The three had popped by the first night Harry had moved in to the Peverell mansion and refused to leave the man alone ever since. Even when Harry did most his chores by himself, they had remained quietly in the background, keeping the entire mansion clean and running while being a call away if Harry did need anything. After a week of trying to get them to leave, Harry had reluctantly accepted that they were there to stay. He had eventually opened up more to the stubbornly loyal elves too, happy to have some company despite all the solitude he enjoyed.

The Potter couple and Sirius exchanged smiles. They knew the elves were as much a reason for Harry's happy state as the infants. The three had helped Harry a lot during the critical stage where he had been nursing Raksha in a magical incubator while simultaneously caring for Lydia who had been on the verge of death.

"Well, I suppose that means everything has worked out for the best, hasn't it?" Lily murmured, watching her son and grandchildren with a small smile. "Let's pray this lasts for however time he has left."

Beside her, her companions agreed silently. They all believed that Harry deserved the true peace and happiness he had finally found in his life.

Across the room, Harry Potter cooed at his two children again, unaware of the rest of his family watching him with smiles.

Gazing into the two sets of identical emerald eyes before him, he felt pure joy wash over him.

He smiled warmly, absently thinking of how right his godson had been before.

For the first time in ages, Harry Potter was feeling happy.

Happy and free.

---

A/N: Well, tell me what you think. Hope you liked it...I might have to write another chapter to make the title make sense but...inspiration has yet to hit...