A/N: Many thanks to Sectumus Prince for doing the beta work! I do not own Harry Potter. Also, big thanks to HonorverseFan, who inspired the original idea for what became this story.
Chapter 1
One of the things that Harry loved about coming into work every day was the quiet buzz of the diners. They provided a warm ambiance on even the coldest of London mornings.
After the death of Florean Fortescue, the man's ice cream parlour had sat unused for six years. Harry had bought the parlour and the apartment sitting above it in 2002 from Florean's son, John. A year later, Harry reopened the shop as Potter's Pastries, a little bakery and eatery in the middle of Diagon Alley. Two years had passed since, and things were going smoothly.
Dennis Creevey was getting one of the ovens ready when Harry walked down the stairs into the kitchen. The large industrial oven was already going, it's fires roaring hot in the London air. He could hear Tracey talking to the egg supplier behind the shop. The woman who brought the eggs was in her thirties and had an air about her that always left Tracey feeling a little starstruck when she came around. The sun wasn't even up yet and already the shops of Diagon Alley were bustling about to prepare for the day.
Dennis was grinning when he saw Harry enter the kitchen.
"Morning, Harry! Looks like Tracey is trying to rope in Melinda for a date."
Harry snorted as he washed his hands at the sink.
"You think the moony look on her face will get better or worse after this morning? Five galleons says she gets worse."
Dennis took a peek out the window and shook his head. "That's a sucker's bet and you know it."
Harry chuckled as he dried his hands.
"Did we get the peach pies ready for Hannah to pick up?"
Dennis eyed the large oven.
"Maybe a few minutes?" he guessed. "It should be ready before Hannah comes to pick them up."
"That's good. Let's get the first cakes started, then."
Harry flicked his wand at the phonograph he kept in the kitchen. It had been a gift from Hermione for his twenty-second birthday. He had not realized just how much he would come to enjoy the little machine. How she had acquired such a marvelous piece of technology, Harry wasn't quite sure, but now that he thought about it a bit, Ron had mentioned a trip to New Orleans a few months before his birthday.
The phonograph came to life and filled the room with the soft beats of jazz. It had become a daily ritual for the workday to begin with music. If Tracey had been inside, Harry was sure she would already be bobbing her head to the music. She liked jazz as much as he did, though she did have a special preference for a Muggle rock band formed in the eighties — Hill and Oats or something like that.
Harry was preparing a batch of cake batter when Tracey came back into the kitchen, positively aglow with a grin splayed over her face. Both Harry and Dennis paused for a moment to share a grin between them when Tracey began humming a little tune to herself. Harry went back to the bowl when Tracey left the kitchen without even looking at either of them, that silly grin still in place.
He chuckled to himself and continued stirring.
By the time the first cakes were finished, the eatery was open and bustling with customers. Harry came through the door to the dining room from the kitchen with a plate of drop scones and crumpets. He was slightly surprised to see that the table his order was supposed to go to was empty. He paused when Tracey called his name and turned to her.
"That was for table three, they moved over to table seven."
Harry nodded, "Thanks for letting me know."
He turned towards table seven and placed the little platter in the center of the table, between two women. He recognized one of them easily enough. He had attended Astoria Malfoy's wedding, after all, and they had kept a cordial correspondence in the years since. The second woman he recognized, but he couldn't pin a name on her.
"Good morning, Astoria. How are you doing today?" asked Harry with a light smile. He much preferred Astoria to her husband, no matter how much Draco had mellowed out since the end of the war.
A brilliant smile took over her face.
"I have some rather good news," she said. The other woman gave a light snort, and Harry had the feeling that she didn't exactly agree with Astoria's take on the situation. "My initial thought was to send you a letter, but I thought it much better to come here and tell you in person."
She gestured to the other woman, her eyes flashing mischievously. "This is my sister, Daphne Nott. Have you met?"
Harry held back a grimace when he recognized the name and offered his hand to Daphne. "I have not, though the pleasure is mine, Mrs. Nott."
Daphne gave him a tight smile as she shook his hand.
"Thank you, but I am going by my maiden name. My husband has been dead for seven years."
Harry fought to keep a frown from forming on his face. "My condolences."
Daphne snorted, and looked positively smug as she responded, "While the sentiment is appreciated, they are unneeded. He was a traitor to his country and died a traitor's death."
Harry's eyebrow rose unwittingly and he glanced at Astoria. Her eyes were filled with unhidden amusement.
It was in moments like these that he cursed the fact that she too had been a Slytherin. She and Draco both took a perverse pleasure in getting a rise out of him when they could. Astoria had been playing him like a fiddle from the moment he had come to their table.
Deciding to avoid the question of Theo Nott's death, he reminded Astoria, "You said that you had good news you wanted to share with me?"
Astoria's earlier smile returned, a toothy grin that always put people at ease.
"Draco and I just found out recently. I'm pregnant!"
Daphne's face twisted into a sad smile even as Harry felt similarly. Astoria had told him a few months after their wedding about the blood curse. He was surprised that she and Draco would choose to have a child.
He did manage not to stand there like a fool and offered her a similarly sad smile.
"Congratulations, Astoria. How did Draco take the news?"
"He wasn't thrilled," Astoria admitted. "We're worried about how the curse will affect me, but," she paused, dabbing at a tear in the corner of her eye, then looked first at Daphne, and then Harry, with a smile, "I want this. I've always wanted a child and I'm going to go through with this."
Harry smiled softly, "I've always wanted a family. Even though Ginny and I didn't work out, I did find a family in the Weasleys. So I understand, and I'm happy for the both of you."
Astoria favored him with a soft smile and turned to the food on the table. "This looks positively delicious, Harry. Thank you for the food, as always."
"Of course, I hope that you enjoy the meal." Harry said and he was pleased when both sisters gave him a soft smile as he headed back to the kitchen. He was worried about Astoria's blood curse, but she was a smart witch and knew what she was getting into. There was a painful twisting feeling in his chest as he thought about it. He only hoped she would live long enough to see her child grow up.
Speaking with Astoria and Daphne had left his mind by the time the evening came around and the shop had closed up for the night. Once Tracey and Dennis had left, Harry went upstairs to change out of his work clothing and into something more comfortable. He was supposed to be eating dinner with Andromeda and Teddy tonight, which he always enjoyed.
Teddy was seven years old and every bit as precocious as his mother had been at his age, according to Andromeda. He was always stumbling over himself, because of his tendency to morph any part of his body that suited him at a given moment, and Andromeda was quite pleased with just how much he took after her daughter. It had been a relief to both Andromeda and Harry that he had not inherited any issues from his father, Remus Lupin. It had been a lingering concern for some time, but after a year or so, they reasoned that it was unlikely that Teddy would inherit any afflictions from his father.
Harry adored Teddy almost as much as Andromeda did, and it was always a pleasure to have their weekly meals. He certainly preferred the quiet solitude of the Tonks home to the boisterousness of the Weasley household. Molly and Arthur always had their children and grandchildren over whenever they could, and Harry was often included in these expansive affairs. Fred, Victoire, and Roxanne were all adventurous children, and they seemed to bring a light to Molly's eyes that had been lost after the loss of Fred, her son, during the battle at Hogwarts.
Still, he much preferred his quiet evenings with Teddy and Andromeda. They were family to him, and even though things weren't perfect, they made it work. Harry and Andromeda spent as much time as they could with Teddy, and Harry often spent time at Bill and Fleur Weasley's house so that Teddy could play with Victoire, who was closest to him in age.
While Ron focused on his brother's shop and Hermione worked herself to death in the Ministry, Harry had found himself left behind slightly. Opening the pastry shop and spending time with Andromeda and Teddy had done much to change that. Dennis and Tracey were good friends of his now. And he had never imagined he would find a friend in Astoria Malfoy, of all people.
Their first letters had been short and polite, but over the years they had grown in volume and depth. Astoria had no shortage of joy in telling Harry how nonplussed Draco was by their friendship. Harry found this amusing, and so had Hermione when she learned about it.
Shaking his head to focus his mind, Harry looked in the mirror. He had filled in nicely since the end of his school days. Dealing with heavy weights everyday helped keep him in shape. His thin face was eerily similar to his father's, according to Minerva. He did have a new scar on his face, a gash on his left cheek that he gained in a duel a few weeks after the Battle of Hogwarts when the fighting was still heavy in London and areas of the West Country.
After he and Ginny broke up, he had felt inadequate. While the reasons for their separation had been much more nuanced, he had felt, if only for a short while, that he was not enough. It had been a blow to his pride, and it had smarted for a few months afterward. Hermione had done her best to reassure him, but there was only so much that she could do. Ron himself wasn't sure how to help, and for a few months after Ginny, Harry had felt lost.
Buying the shop from John Fortescue had been slightly impulsive on Harry's part. He wanted a way out of the Auror corps, but he didn't want to spend his time wallowing in Grimmauld Place. He had fixed the place up, completely renovated it to meet modern standards, but it held memories he didn't want to dwell on. It was why he had turned down a teaching position at Hogwarts. There were too many bad memories to consider not going. Even after speaking publicly on behalf of the Malfoys during their trials, Harry had not wanted to go to Malfoy Manor for Draco's wedding, but had gone to help Andromeda and Narcissa reconnect.
On the day before his twenty-third birthday, Cho had come home from a trip abroad. They had met to get caught up and after one thing led to another, they slept together. It had only been one week shared between them, and when Harry had woken up the first morning, he asked her why she had slept with him.
She gave him a knowing little smile and ran a hand through his hair. "Did you enjoy it?"
Harry nodded, a teenage-like blush blooming across his face.
"Yeah, it was amazing." He paused, nervous again, and looked uncomfortably to the wall, "What about you? Was it good for you?"
Cho gave a light giggle and pulled him down to kiss him.
"Spectacular," she breathed, looking at him with gleaming dark eyes. "In fact, I want a repeat performance."
Harry was hesitant for a moment.
Cho pushed herself up, completely unconcerned with how the sheets fell below her breasts, and smiled at him — A soft, genuine smile that was, in a word, Cho. She continued to run her fingers through his hair while she gazed into his eyes.
"Today, Harry, this week, we're going to pretend that we're deeply and madly in love. Next week, we'll go back to being friends, but for today we're one couple, expressing our love for one another."
The rest of the week was a blur of bliss. They spent time making love and talking and doing little activities together. As promised, after the week ended, Cho left his home and they went back to being friends. Something had changed in Harry, though. Andromeda noticed it immediately.
He had just brought in some groceries when she asked him, point-blank, "Who did you fuck?"
The question was jarring and confusing to Harry, "How could you tell?"
Andromeda smiled, "You've been in a bit of a funk since you broke things off with the Weasley girl. You practically disappear for a week then turn up out of the blue, and in the last few days, you've been glowing. If you were a woman, I'd think you were pregnant."
Harry blushed a bit before answering, "One of my friends, Cho Chang." He paused and ran a hand over his face. "She spent the week with me. She did always know how to get through to me," he added, chuckling.
"So you had fun?" asked Andromeda knowingly.
Harry smiled fondly. "We're better off as friends, but," he paused, and Andromeda snorted when that goofy look came over his face again, "I didn't know I needed that."
"Needed what?" Andromeda probed.
"To feel loved like that again."
Andromeda kept a blank look on her face, "Loved?"
Harry sighed. "When Ginny and I broke up, I couldn't help feeling—" Shame caused his face to flush while he looked at the wall. "I felt inadequate. Ginny had never complained about our sex life, but there was always this… this… this nagging feeling, I guess."
"I see," Andromeda said quietly, nodding. "And Cho helped fix that?"
"We didn't just have sex," he said in his defense. A grin crept over his face as he added, "Though there was lots of that too."
Andromeda smacked his arm. "Cad."
Harry just grinned wider, earning another slap in the arm.
"We talked a lot," he said. "She was good at getting me to open up when needed. I just feel better."
"Good," affirmed Andromeda, "Now it's time to move on with your life. Focus on the important things, like your godson and your new little business."
That week with Cho had done marvels to help boost his self-confidence. She was married, now, to a Muggle, and Harry was happy for her. While he hadn't dated much at all, he no longer felt inadequate. Hermione had snorted when she heard about that week, and Ron had even been a bit speechless.
That didn't matter, though. What mattered was that Harry had felt rejuvenated. He threw himself into his shop, slowly turning it into one of the most frequented shops in Diagon Alley, serving magicals from all walks of life. He enjoyed working in the bakery. It filled his days with interesting people from all over Magical Britain.
Harry took a final second to make sure everything was in place in the mirror before heading downstairs to leave. While he could apparate to the Tonks home, he preferred using the Floo to get there. Floo travel, at least, never made him feel queasy. On his way to the fireplace, he placed the cookies he had made for tonight on a plate and covered them with a plastic wrap.
He went through the green flames and emerged in the sitting room. Teddy was already waiting for him, and once Harry had finished dusting himself off, the boy launched himself at Harry's waist, wrapping him up in a hug.
Harry rubbed the boy's hair that was currently flitting between black and light blue.
"How are you doing today?"
Teddy beamed up at his godfather. "Great! We went to the park, and Nan let me feed the ducks. One even let me pet them!"
"That's good," responded Harry, smiling. "I'm glad the two of you had fun."
He lifted the plate so that Teddy could see.
"These are for after dinner," he said firmly. "You have to eat everything Nan makes, okay?"
Teddy nodded, even as he kept switching his gaze between the platter of cookies and his godfather. "Are these snickerdoodles?"
Harry nodded. When Hermione and Ron had returned from their trip to the States, they had brought the cookie recipe with them for Harry to try. Teddy had immediately fallen in love with them, but Harry made a point of only making them on occasion so that he wouldn't get tired of eating them.
Teddy pulled the plate out of his hands and took it to where Andromeda was setting up the table with the evening meal. She looked up from her work and offered Harry a smile as he came over and pecked her on the cheek.
"I see that you brought dessert," Andromeda said, her eyes glittering. "I made a roast I think you'll enjoy."
"Well," Harry paused to take in the smells coming from the kitchen, "it smells wonderful."
Dinner was, as normal, a quiet affair. Andromeda placed importance on silently enjoying the meal, and both Harry and Teddy knew not to speak during that time unless she asked them a direct question. It had become somewhat of a game between the two of them to see who could stay quiet the longest. Tonight, there was no clear winner, as Teddy had managed to keep quiet until Andromeda told him to get ready for bed.
She and Harry retired to the sitting room, where Harry sat next to the fire. Andromeda poured them both some tea, then sat back while Harry leaned forward to grab his cup.
"What's on your mind, Harry?"
"What do you mean?" asked Harry.
"I have known you since you were eighteen. I can tell when something is bothering you," responded Andromeda with a pointed look.
Harry sighed and looked at the fire.
"Astoria Malfoy is pregnant."
Andromeda's right eyebrow rose. "Really? I didn't know you were one to sleep with another man's wife."
Harry dropped his cup and yelped as the hot tea seeped into his pants. He cast a drying charm and cooling charm in quick succession, then glared at Andromeda, who was merely looking at him cooly.
"I am not sleeping with Astoria Malfoy," he said adamantly.
Andromeda's other eyebrow quirked. "Then why are you so concerned?"
Harry poured himself another cup of tea and sipped on it before answering, "Astoria has a blood-curse, her pregnancy will likely strain her health. She's my friend and so I worry for her."
"I see," Andromeda set her teacup on the table and grabbed Harry's hand. "You have to have some faith in her decision and honor her choice. She wants this child and none of us have any right to tell her differently."
"I know," Harry grimaced, "but it doesn't keep it from hurting."
Andromeda nodded, her voice growing softer as she went on, "And it will. But that's the price of loving people. None of us are perfect, and we will do things that hurt our loved ones."
Her eyes had dulled, and tears pooled in her eyes as she turned away for a moment.
Harry knew she was thinking of Ted, her late husband. He had fled their home, hoping to keep away from Voldemort's followers. Andromeda was of the belief that she could have protected him. Knowing the members of the Black family as he did, Harry was inclined to agree with her.
Andromeda wiped away the last of her tears, and when she spoke her voice was steady. "Astoria is a strong witch, and as her friend, you should respect that."
"You're right," Harry said with a sigh, sagging back into the chair.
"What are you going to do about it?" asked Andromeda.
Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Astoria's pregnancy isn't the only thing bugging you."
If he hadn't known better, Harry would have thought Andromeda was performing legilimency on him.
"All of my friends have settled down. They're starting families…" Harry trailed off.
"And you feel left behind?" prompted Andromeda.
"I suppose I do, at least a little bit," admitted Harry.
"Sometimes life doesn't go the way we would have liked it to. Have some patience — goddess willing, you still have over a century left to live, there's no need to rush for these things. You'll eventually find the right person."
"And if I don't?" asked Harry.
Andromeda squeezed his hand with a soft, sad smile, "That's perfectly okay too. Teddy and I, the Weasleys, Astoria, the rest of your friends — we are your family, and you are dear to us."
It was a quiet day at the bakery, which was not completely unusual for Mondays. Tracey was out of the country, visiting her parents in Greece. This meant that Harry was manning the serving desk in the front. Dennis was proficient at running the kitchen on his own, so Harry wasn't too worried about efficiency. While Tracey was great at manning the front, or at least better than Dennis, her strength ran in keeping the finances going. She was really good with the numbers.
Harry watched as Arthur left with a bag of leftovers and Harry stepped out from behind the counter, flicking his wand at a cleaning broom and its dustpan. They began sweeping while Harry wiped down the table where Arthur had been sitting. He liked to come in every few days for a mid-morning snack. Harry always enjoyed indulging the man for a few minutes of conversation. Harry was rearranging a few chairs when a ring of the little bell signified that a new customer had walked in the door.
"If you'll wait by the counter, I'll be right with you."
Harry didn't even bother to look if the request had been followed as he finished tucking in the chairs.
When he finished he headed to the desk and felt a bit surprised to see Daphne Greengrass standing there. She was looking around the shop, noting some of the paintings and knick knacks that he and Tracey had put up on the wall.
She only looked at Harry when he was standing behind the counter, ready to take her order.
"Good morning, Ms. Greengrass, how may I help you today?" Harry asked with a soft smile.
"I'd love some of the crumpets from the last time I was here." responded Daphne, "They were so delicious."
"That they are," chuckled Harry as he wrote it down in a notebook that was enchanted to one in the kitchen, meaning Dennis would get the order rather quickly.
"Would you like some tea with the crumpets?"
Daphne frowned for a moment as she thought on it, "Do you by chance have coffee?"
"Sure, how would you like the coffee?" asked Harry.
"Strong, with some light milk and two sugars since I'll be dipping the crumpets," said Daphne with a grin.
It was infectious, and Harry found himself reacting with a grin of his own, "That does sound delightful. I'll need to try the crumpets that way at some point."
Daphne nodded, "Astoria likes tea, so I'll drink it with her when we meet up. But I need some coffee for today."
"Oh really?" asked Harry amusedly.
Daphne made a sound of confirmation as she nodded, "I'll be having a late day today, it's best to get ready for it now."
"Sage advice," agreed Harry, "That'll be ten sickles."
Daphne flipped up the top of the purse she had been wearing and pulled out ten silver coins and placed them on the table, "Here you go."
"May I ask what will keep you so busy that you'll be up late tonight?" asked Harry, a playful grin still stretched across his face.
Daphne looked at him intently, though a curl of her lips gave her away readily enough, "A wonderful question, one that I'm not quite sure I have the answer to quite yet. Though I'm sure the answer could be quite thrilling."
Harry turned to prepare the coffee and spoke over his shoulder, "Pick a seat wherever you like."
When the coffee finished, he prepared it to her specifications. He grabbed the plate that Dennis set down on the counter behind the front desk and took it out to where Daphne was sitting. He placed the plate as well as the saucer holding her coffee cup down on the table, "So, looking for an adventure, then?"
Daphne shook her head, a soft smile playing on her lips, "No, but one might find me. I'm working a potions regiment that I'm hoping will help Astoria deal with her pregnancy better."
"Oh, really?" asked Harry, intrigued, "Is potions your specialty?"
Daphne nodded, "I've always been interested in potions."
She ran her hand through her hair as a blush formed on her cheeks, "Actually, it was your grandfather that originally inspired me to focus on potions."
"My grandfather?" echoed Harry.
"He created the Sleakeazy's Hair Potion in the 1910s," confirmed Daphne.
She pointed to her thick brunette hair, "This used to be such a mess when I was younger. My mum started using Sleekeazy's and I was always so intrigued by how it worked. So I started reading up on potions."
"That's so cool," said Harry.
"Most of the people who knew my parents are dead, much less my grandparents, so I never got to learn much about them," admitted Harry.
"Oh," Daphne looked down, her cheeks pink.
"Let me go so you can finish eating," Harry said, not feeling too sure of himself.
Daphne smiled, "Thank you again for the food. It looks and smells absolutely delicious."
Harry made his way to the kitchen and set about working on cleaning up some stuff off of a counter to take his mind off of Daphne. They'd spoken twice now, and he liked speaking with her. It doesn't hurt that she's beautiful, spoke a treacherous voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Sirius.
Harry returned to his duties. He thought about what she told him about his grandfather. He decided he would need to go see Minerva soon to see if she knew anything. Most of their tea time conversations revolved around his parents, so it would be nice to branch out the topic to others in his family he didn't know much about.
He returned to the front counter when he heard the door ring. Coming into the shop was Angelina Weasley and her two children. They looked around curiously. Angelina was carrying Roxanne over one hip and Fred hid behind his mothers legs, peeking around her pants occasionally.
Harry smiled when he saw them, "Hey, Angelina. Here for the cake order?"
"Yup, I wanted to grab it while George was still managing the shop."
Dennis came from the kitchen, holding the large birthday cake that Angelina had asked for. Molly had wanted to bake one herself, but Angelina had put her foot down this year after finding a specific recipe that George liked.
"Good idea. So, the gathering will be on Saturday night?" asked Harry.
Angelina nodded, "Yes, and of course you should bring Teddy and Andromeda."
Harry nodded, "I'll ask Andromeda, but I imagine Teddy will be pretty excited to play with all the kids again.
Angelina turned to leave the shop, cake in hand, and Harry noticed Daphne waving to the children, who responded with nervous little waves of their own. She gave them a reassuring smile and they responded with large grins of their own.
Once they were gone, Daphne grinned at Harry, "They're adorable. Angelina is married to George, right?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah, those are their kids. Little rascals."
Daphne looked at the door wistfully, before standing, "May I get some packaging to save this for later?"
Dennis came over with a small to-go box and handed it to the witch. She thanked him for the box and packed her food.
"Best of luck on your potion, tonight," Harry called out as she headed to the door.
She paused and turned her head with a beatific grin on her face, "Enjoy George's birthday party, Harry."
And with that she was gone, like a flower carried by the breeze.
Next to him, Dennis nudged his arm with a chuckle, "You're going to be as bad as Tracy, aren't you?"
Harry shoved him back and turned back to his work, not before sparing one last glance to where Daphne had been sitting. He would not mind talking to her again.
A/N: This won't be a long story, maybe five chapters at maximum, but I wanted to try my hand at a pure romance story. Thanks for reading this far. Please leave a review. I have a Discord that I share with Sectumus Prince for my stories! The invite code is discord . gg / ZaPCTAtkZ4 (just remove any spaces; or alternatively, copy the last section and paste it into the invite section of Discord). Until the next chapter!