Both Hermione and Seamus blushed and Harry chortled at their discomfit.
They both fell to discussing little things about the baby, their hopes,
their dreams, and as Harry watched them he felt his heart pang at the
sight. Their free camaraderie and friendship was apparent in the way they
played off of each others strengths and made up for the other's faults,
easily finishing each other's sentences. Their love was also apparent in
every look they gave each other and every absent touch or kiss. Harry
watched this by-play with envy, his self-imposed solitude twisting at him
with greater pain than usual. While he maintained friendly contact when he
could with his former classmates and to a small extent with his coworkers,
he was careful to keep his contact to a minimum and not to favor any one
person, in order to prevent Voldemort from taking an unhealthy interest in
them. But even if this weren't the case, he would still be lonely, because
he refused to accept anyone who wanted him for the sake of his unwanted
fame. Countless witches and, after a poorly considered comment made in the
hearing of the press, wizards threw themselves at him, hoping to be the one
to break his shell and capture the dashing hero. It all made him heartsick,
even the almost big brother worship that Ginny Weasly still bestowed on him
after all these years was enough to turn his stomach. Many were the times
that he considered permanently changing his appearance, or disappearing for
a while, when the loneliness grew to be as harsh as Voldemort, but his
heart, battered as it was, would not allow him to turn his back.
Instead, he enjoyed these bittersweet visits with his friends. Even in this brief visit with Hermione and Seamus, he had already laughed and spoken more than he had in the three prior weeks. His heart received and unexpected jolt of fear and disbelief at Seamus' next words, though.
"Harry, Hermione and I would like you to be the baby's Godfather."
"Seamus, what are you saying?"
"We want you to be the Godfather of the baby, Harry" Hermione repeated, giggling at the dumbstruck look on Harry's face.
"You guys have got to be joking. Me? A Godfather? Have you asked Ron? Or Seamus' brothers? You can't seriously want me!"
"We do, Harry. Seamus and I have talked about this for a long time. We feel that if anything were to happen to us, you would love and teach the baby best."
"With all due respect Hermione, are you both crackers?!? I'm no role model for a baby! I've killed, I've maimed, lied, cheated, hurt those I've loved! How could you want me to teach your child to be like me?"
"To be noble? Heroic? Self-sacrificing? Brave?"
"I'm none of those things, Seamus!"
"Yes you are. No matter how much you deny it!"
"Regardless of that, I'm not safe for a baby! I'm a freaking walking target. Voldemort would love nothing more than my head on a platter. And I know nothing about babies. I'd probably stab it to death with a diaper pin."
"Child care is learned, not known, Harry. And who's to say that the baby would be any safer elsewhere? The baby could go with Hermione's folks and get run over by a lorry. We know that you would do your utmost to protect the baby, and what more could any parent ask?"
"Hermione, you're not thinking this through!"
"Yes I am and I still want you to be the baby's godfather"
Harry got up and stalked over to the corner of the room, visibly trembling with frustration. Hermione started to get up to follow him, but Seamus' hand on her shoulder halted her and she remained, waiting impatiently for her friend to respond. After a few moments, Harry's shoulders slumped visibly, and he turned with a kind of resigned, yet happy, smile. "I still think that you are both crackers, but since I can't convince you otherwise, I would be glad to be the baby's Godfather."
Hermione squealed with delight and jumped up to hug Harry, and Seamus followed her, no less happy but more sedate. Once they calmed down, they returned to discussing the baby and other happy, non-war things, and it was late before Harry finally excused himself, and walked through Hogwarts to the lake. The smile from earlier had not faded and when he walked into headquarters to do a final check-up before heading home, his coworkers noticed and smiled back.
Instead, he enjoyed these bittersweet visits with his friends. Even in this brief visit with Hermione and Seamus, he had already laughed and spoken more than he had in the three prior weeks. His heart received and unexpected jolt of fear and disbelief at Seamus' next words, though.
"Harry, Hermione and I would like you to be the baby's Godfather."
"Seamus, what are you saying?"
"We want you to be the Godfather of the baby, Harry" Hermione repeated, giggling at the dumbstruck look on Harry's face.
"You guys have got to be joking. Me? A Godfather? Have you asked Ron? Or Seamus' brothers? You can't seriously want me!"
"We do, Harry. Seamus and I have talked about this for a long time. We feel that if anything were to happen to us, you would love and teach the baby best."
"With all due respect Hermione, are you both crackers?!? I'm no role model for a baby! I've killed, I've maimed, lied, cheated, hurt those I've loved! How could you want me to teach your child to be like me?"
"To be noble? Heroic? Self-sacrificing? Brave?"
"I'm none of those things, Seamus!"
"Yes you are. No matter how much you deny it!"
"Regardless of that, I'm not safe for a baby! I'm a freaking walking target. Voldemort would love nothing more than my head on a platter. And I know nothing about babies. I'd probably stab it to death with a diaper pin."
"Child care is learned, not known, Harry. And who's to say that the baby would be any safer elsewhere? The baby could go with Hermione's folks and get run over by a lorry. We know that you would do your utmost to protect the baby, and what more could any parent ask?"
"Hermione, you're not thinking this through!"
"Yes I am and I still want you to be the baby's godfather"
Harry got up and stalked over to the corner of the room, visibly trembling with frustration. Hermione started to get up to follow him, but Seamus' hand on her shoulder halted her and she remained, waiting impatiently for her friend to respond. After a few moments, Harry's shoulders slumped visibly, and he turned with a kind of resigned, yet happy, smile. "I still think that you are both crackers, but since I can't convince you otherwise, I would be glad to be the baby's Godfather."
Hermione squealed with delight and jumped up to hug Harry, and Seamus followed her, no less happy but more sedate. Once they calmed down, they returned to discussing the baby and other happy, non-war things, and it was late before Harry finally excused himself, and walked through Hogwarts to the lake. The smile from earlier had not faded and when he walked into headquarters to do a final check-up before heading home, his coworkers noticed and smiled back.