Author's Note:
Sorry bout the delay, I get writer's block really bad. Say, do your spouses tell you to get off the computer all the time also? Just wondering.
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Ronald Weasley was waiting. Merlin, did he hate to wait. His Mother was in the process of calling his last sibling home, so they could be informed of 'The Emergency'. So he sat, anxious, with a doomed feeling in the pit of his stomach. Waiting.
"Harry, come 'ere," he said. A small red-headed boy came bounding over from where he was playing with his cousins.
"Hi Daddy!" the boy said, flashing a smile stretching ear to ear that reminded everyone of his father.
"Come keep your old man sane 'till Grandma tells us why we're here."
"K," the boy, Harry, replied unsure of what he was supposed to do.
"So Harry! How old are you now?" Lavender Weasley asked, sitting down next to her husband.
"This many Mummy!" Harry was actually beaming while holding up four fingers.
Ron and Lavender's attention was then turned to the matriarch calling the last sibling.
"Virgina Longbottom!" Molly yelled as she she threw some floo powder in the fireplace. A few instants later, Ginny's head appeared in the fireplace.
"Hi Mum!" she beamed, but her look quickly changed to worry once she noticed her mother's expression. "What's wrong, Mum?"
"Is Neville at home today?"
"Yeah, he's in his herb garden, why?"
"I need you both to floo over this instant, there's an emergency, I'll tell you when you get here."
"Alright Mum, we'll be right there." She said, just before her head vanished from the fire.
Molly turned away from the fireplace, eyeing her family warily.
George and Fred were sitting with their wives, Padma and Parvati, teaching Roger and David how to use a new gag item they had invented. They weren't twins, as one was George's and one was Fred's, but they looked similar enough, having identical gene bases for conception. Whenever anyone asked either set why they married the twins and all live in the same mansion, their only reply was 'You'd have to be a twin to get it.'
Not to mention the fact that no one would say who married which twin. The Weasleys could tell George and Fred apart, the Patils could tell Padma and Parvati apart, but the only ones who could tell who was who between all four were, in fact, those four. It should be noted that said four found it the funniest joke they had ever played. A close second was that even Roger and David were in on it, and wouldn't admit even to family whose sons they actually were.
"'Ave you seen 'er pu' tha' le'er down ye'?" Fleur asked her obviously worry-stricken husband.
"No, I haven't," Bill replied. "Hmmm. I think that letter has something to do with why we're here. Well, we'd better gather the kids, we'll be told once Ginny and Nev get here."
"O're right," she agreed. "Philippe! Mona!" she hollered, and soon enough the only two white-haired beings in the burrow came running to their Mother."
"Yes, Mum?" they asked in unison, making everyone in earshot grin, momentarily distracted.
"Come 'ere, wee'll be told soon. Joost stay cloose."
"Okay, Mum." They replied, yet again in unison, and went about playing at the feet of their parents.
Just then, Neville and Virginia Longbottom came tumbling out the fireplace, Neville landing flat on his face, while Ginny gracefully landed on her toetips. Neville was the living embodiment of the muggle adage 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.' He had grown out of his teenage pudginess, and was now a solid, rugged, muscular and downright attractive man. Yet, he was still as clumsy as the day he first came to Hogwarts, and managed to botch anything that didn't grow from the ground.
"I hate travelling by floo," he muttered, so that only Ginny could hear him. She giggled in return, while helping him to his feet.
Charlie, having no significant other, took a seat by his father. "Hey Dad."
"Hey Charlie."
"Keep me calm 'till mum's ready, and I'll get you a. what'dyacallit? Eclectic fan for Christmas."
"Heh, deal son." Arthur was a sucker for an 'eclectic' anything, even though he had no electricity.
"OKAY! MAY I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION PLEASE!" Molly hollered over the chatter of the room, which became deadly silent the halfway through her shout, save for one small comment.
"Damn!" muttered Charlie from the table.
Molly gathered herself for just a moment, closing her eyes while collecting her thoughts.
She reopened them, to speak only two words. "Harry's Alive." It was barely more than a whisper, but everyone heard it just the same.
Everyone was stunned. Scratch that, everyone over the age of ten was stunned.
"Harry who?" asked little Harry Weasley, curious as to what everyone was so shocked over.
Molly knelt down to speak to him eye to eye.
"Harry Potter, Love."
At this final statement, reactions differed. Ron fell off the couch, with a disbelieving look on his face. Lavender fainted. Padma fainted into George's arms. Parvati managed to keep her consciousness, but barely kept her balance. Ginny fainted, and Nev barely caught her. Nev projected utter confusion, but no one noticed. Fleur also fainted, lolling her head onto Bill's lap. Bill and Charlie both let their mouths hang wide open. Percy was trying to act composed as usual, but anyone who looked close could see the tears threatening to fall. Fred, who's attention span rivals that of guppies, inwardly beamed at how his wife was the one to not faint. Arthur wept openly.
After a few minutes of stunned silence, the still conscious Weasleys and spouses all shouted questions at once at Molly. Molly held her hands up, and waited for everyone to fall still again.
"Wait, there's more." At this, there were a couple gasps, not understanding how there could be more, but raptly listening nonetheless. "According to Lily's letter, he is also eighteen years old. Apparently Professor Dumbledore has a theory on that.. When he killed V.. V.. 'Him'.. He was thrown forward in time. How this is pertinent, is that he was not in hiding, has no knowledge of the last fifteen years, and was barely able to cope with the fact that he has a daughter. A daughter, mind you, almost as old as he is. We NEED to introduce all the additions to the family and the history of the time he was missing to him SLOWLY. Now, Albus has connected our fireplace to the one in his office. I only want Arthur and I, Ron, Lavender, and 'Little' Harry, and Ginny and Neville to come see him at first." The ones not named groaned and wanted to protest, but knew better. "I'll let you know when I can get him here. get him home. And THEN, he can be introduced to the WHOLE family. Understood?"
There were some more groans, but generally everyone nodded their heads. All had learned not to argue when Molly was in that tone.
"Molly," Fleur began, "I 'ould like to bring my zizter to the reception. She never 'ad a chance to thank him.. 'ow you say. Properly. for zaving 'er."
Molly smiled and nodded. "Of course, dear."
"Okay, lets go kids. If the rest of you want to stay here, I can let you know how he is when we get back later tonight."
Everyone seemed to lighten up at this comment, but the tension was still palpable.
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:MEANWHILE:
Hermione ran through the castle, dodging students left and right, making her way to the infirmary. She ran up to within a foot of the infirmary door, then stopped dead in her tracks.
'Dear Merlin!' she thought to herself. 'I must look a mess! What if he doesn't still find me attractive? I am thirty three now... And he's still eighteen.' She began to dust down her robes and try to make some semblance of a decent hairstyle in a nearby window. 'I don't care what the age difference is.' Even she saw that she was trying so very hard to convince herself more than what she would say to anyone who would see them together. 'I just want him back in my life.'
Hermione took in a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm herself, when the door to the infirmary opened rather sharply, startling her. She barely dodged out of the way.
Madame Pomfrey opened the door on her way to report Harry's condition to the Headmaster, when she caught sight of a face she hadn't seen for fifteen years.
"Ms. Granger!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing dottling out here? Go on, get in there. Mr. Potter and your daughter are waiting for you inside. Last door on the left, I assume you know the way?"
Hermione nodded, then let Madame Pomfrey pass. Of course she knew the way. She was present for the dedication of the 'Harry Potter' wing. She took in another deep breath and let it out, then began walking towards her child and her soulmate.
The closer she got to the wing, the clearer Lily's voice became. 'She's reading 'Hogwarts, A History' to him.' She chuckled to herself. 'How pathetic is it that I can recognize the book after only a few sentences.'
She opened the door as silently as she could, and the first thing she laid eyes on was Lily, in a chair beside the cot, reading aloud the book while absentmindedly stroking his hair. HIS HAIR! She let out an audible gasp.
Lily looked up at the sound of the gasp, and her face broke out into a huge smile. She silently set the book on the floor, and approached her Mum, gathering her in a warm hug. Hermione couldn't take her eyes off of Harry, and didn't even respond to the hug.
"Oh. My. God." She managed to squeak out.
"He's sleeping, he overstrained himself earlier." Lily explained.
"Let me guess, someone said something and Harry did something physical back." Hermione theorized.
"How did you-?" Lily started, but was cut off.
"Because that's Harry. Always protecting everyone regardless off himself." She sighed a wistful note, an odd smile playing at the corners of her lips.
She walked over and sat beside him, resuming stroking his hair where their daughter had left off.
"You told me in the letter that he was still only eighteen, but somehow it just wasn't... REAL, until I saw for myself."
Lily only nodded, unsure as to what needed to be said.
"I've missed you so much, Harry." She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the forehead, taking his hand in hers.
Harry smiled in his sleep, but that lasted only a moment. Soon, he started to whimper, gently rocking his head side to side.
"Didn't they give him dreamless sleep potion?" she half-asked, half-accused her only child.
"They did, but I don't think he took it before he fell asleep. He was really exhaused.," Lily told her, a worrying, curious look on her face.
"Oh no," she murmured, quickly getting out of her chair and grabbing Harry by the shoulders. "Harry! HARRY! WAKE UP!"
Harry didn't wake. He did, however, get a lot more vocal. "N... No.. 'Mione.. Ron.. Lily!.. N. I'll do any... NO! DON'T KILL HER! HERMIONE!!!!!"
Hermione gave Lily a surprised look. She knew better than any, save for Harry himself, that he only has nightmares about those he truly loves.
"NO!!!!!!!!!!!"
Harry awoke with a start, and seeing someone inches from his face caused him to panic. He scrambled out of the cot, hit the floor, and scooted backwards as fast as he could, kicking his way to the wall looking at Hermione with total fear. He was gasping very loudly, and trying to calm down.
"It's okay, it's okay, Harry, it was just a nightmare." she said very softly, trying to calm him.
Harry squinted at her, unable to see properly without his glasses on. "'Mione?" he asked tentatively, very disoriented. "Could you get my glasses, please?"
"Um, sure." Hermione gathered his glasses off the nightstand and walked over to Harry. "Before you put these on," she added as almost an afterthought, "remember that I'm not eighteen anymore. I don't want you to freak out or anything."
"Okay," her fiancée replied, before slipping the glasses on his face. What he saw took his breath away.
Her once bushy, long hair was now around her ears, not longer than her chin, and sleek. Her big brown eyes that he loved losing himself in were now even deeper pools of cinnamon. She had the beginnings of worry lines about her brow, but Harry fully expected that. His 'Mione did nothing but worry anyway. Then he focused on her body. Her robes were skimpy, showing off a trim figure that looked even better than her teenage figure. 'Can't tell she pushed a kid out, that's for sure,' he thought to himself with a sly grin.
Hermione, at the sight of Harry's smile, had lost all fear. "Just what are you grinning at, Mr. Potter?"
"You look fantastic."
She didn't want to believe him, but one look at the sincerity in his eyes told her all she needed to know.
"You need to rest, Harry. I'm not going anywhere. We have plenty of time to catch up."
Harry settled himself into bed, then nodded sleepily at her.
"Here, drink this," she said as she handed him a vial of sleepless draught. "I'll be here when you wake."
"Good night Love," he smiled at Hermione. She smiled back at him and whispered "Goodnight Love." He turned to Lily "Good night Love," smiling warmly at her. "Goodnight, Dad," she whispered back, her eyes watering up at getting to wish her father goodnight for the first time.
Harry fell back asleep, this time not to dream, but with a contented smile that did not fade for the next three hours.
Sorry bout the delay, I get writer's block really bad. Say, do your spouses tell you to get off the computer all the time also? Just wondering.
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Ronald Weasley was waiting. Merlin, did he hate to wait. His Mother was in the process of calling his last sibling home, so they could be informed of 'The Emergency'. So he sat, anxious, with a doomed feeling in the pit of his stomach. Waiting.
"Harry, come 'ere," he said. A small red-headed boy came bounding over from where he was playing with his cousins.
"Hi Daddy!" the boy said, flashing a smile stretching ear to ear that reminded everyone of his father.
"Come keep your old man sane 'till Grandma tells us why we're here."
"K," the boy, Harry, replied unsure of what he was supposed to do.
"So Harry! How old are you now?" Lavender Weasley asked, sitting down next to her husband.
"This many Mummy!" Harry was actually beaming while holding up four fingers.
Ron and Lavender's attention was then turned to the matriarch calling the last sibling.
"Virgina Longbottom!" Molly yelled as she she threw some floo powder in the fireplace. A few instants later, Ginny's head appeared in the fireplace.
"Hi Mum!" she beamed, but her look quickly changed to worry once she noticed her mother's expression. "What's wrong, Mum?"
"Is Neville at home today?"
"Yeah, he's in his herb garden, why?"
"I need you both to floo over this instant, there's an emergency, I'll tell you when you get here."
"Alright Mum, we'll be right there." She said, just before her head vanished from the fire.
Molly turned away from the fireplace, eyeing her family warily.
George and Fred were sitting with their wives, Padma and Parvati, teaching Roger and David how to use a new gag item they had invented. They weren't twins, as one was George's and one was Fred's, but they looked similar enough, having identical gene bases for conception. Whenever anyone asked either set why they married the twins and all live in the same mansion, their only reply was 'You'd have to be a twin to get it.'
Not to mention the fact that no one would say who married which twin. The Weasleys could tell George and Fred apart, the Patils could tell Padma and Parvati apart, but the only ones who could tell who was who between all four were, in fact, those four. It should be noted that said four found it the funniest joke they had ever played. A close second was that even Roger and David were in on it, and wouldn't admit even to family whose sons they actually were.
"'Ave you seen 'er pu' tha' le'er down ye'?" Fleur asked her obviously worry-stricken husband.
"No, I haven't," Bill replied. "Hmmm. I think that letter has something to do with why we're here. Well, we'd better gather the kids, we'll be told once Ginny and Nev get here."
"O're right," she agreed. "Philippe! Mona!" she hollered, and soon enough the only two white-haired beings in the burrow came running to their Mother."
"Yes, Mum?" they asked in unison, making everyone in earshot grin, momentarily distracted.
"Come 'ere, wee'll be told soon. Joost stay cloose."
"Okay, Mum." They replied, yet again in unison, and went about playing at the feet of their parents.
Just then, Neville and Virginia Longbottom came tumbling out the fireplace, Neville landing flat on his face, while Ginny gracefully landed on her toetips. Neville was the living embodiment of the muggle adage 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.' He had grown out of his teenage pudginess, and was now a solid, rugged, muscular and downright attractive man. Yet, he was still as clumsy as the day he first came to Hogwarts, and managed to botch anything that didn't grow from the ground.
"I hate travelling by floo," he muttered, so that only Ginny could hear him. She giggled in return, while helping him to his feet.
Charlie, having no significant other, took a seat by his father. "Hey Dad."
"Hey Charlie."
"Keep me calm 'till mum's ready, and I'll get you a. what'dyacallit? Eclectic fan for Christmas."
"Heh, deal son." Arthur was a sucker for an 'eclectic' anything, even though he had no electricity.
"OKAY! MAY I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION PLEASE!" Molly hollered over the chatter of the room, which became deadly silent the halfway through her shout, save for one small comment.
"Damn!" muttered Charlie from the table.
Molly gathered herself for just a moment, closing her eyes while collecting her thoughts.
She reopened them, to speak only two words. "Harry's Alive." It was barely more than a whisper, but everyone heard it just the same.
Everyone was stunned. Scratch that, everyone over the age of ten was stunned.
"Harry who?" asked little Harry Weasley, curious as to what everyone was so shocked over.
Molly knelt down to speak to him eye to eye.
"Harry Potter, Love."
At this final statement, reactions differed. Ron fell off the couch, with a disbelieving look on his face. Lavender fainted. Padma fainted into George's arms. Parvati managed to keep her consciousness, but barely kept her balance. Ginny fainted, and Nev barely caught her. Nev projected utter confusion, but no one noticed. Fleur also fainted, lolling her head onto Bill's lap. Bill and Charlie both let their mouths hang wide open. Percy was trying to act composed as usual, but anyone who looked close could see the tears threatening to fall. Fred, who's attention span rivals that of guppies, inwardly beamed at how his wife was the one to not faint. Arthur wept openly.
After a few minutes of stunned silence, the still conscious Weasleys and spouses all shouted questions at once at Molly. Molly held her hands up, and waited for everyone to fall still again.
"Wait, there's more." At this, there were a couple gasps, not understanding how there could be more, but raptly listening nonetheless. "According to Lily's letter, he is also eighteen years old. Apparently Professor Dumbledore has a theory on that.. When he killed V.. V.. 'Him'.. He was thrown forward in time. How this is pertinent, is that he was not in hiding, has no knowledge of the last fifteen years, and was barely able to cope with the fact that he has a daughter. A daughter, mind you, almost as old as he is. We NEED to introduce all the additions to the family and the history of the time he was missing to him SLOWLY. Now, Albus has connected our fireplace to the one in his office. I only want Arthur and I, Ron, Lavender, and 'Little' Harry, and Ginny and Neville to come see him at first." The ones not named groaned and wanted to protest, but knew better. "I'll let you know when I can get him here. get him home. And THEN, he can be introduced to the WHOLE family. Understood?"
There were some more groans, but generally everyone nodded their heads. All had learned not to argue when Molly was in that tone.
"Molly," Fleur began, "I 'ould like to bring my zizter to the reception. She never 'ad a chance to thank him.. 'ow you say. Properly. for zaving 'er."
Molly smiled and nodded. "Of course, dear."
"Okay, lets go kids. If the rest of you want to stay here, I can let you know how he is when we get back later tonight."
Everyone seemed to lighten up at this comment, but the tension was still palpable.
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:MEANWHILE:
Hermione ran through the castle, dodging students left and right, making her way to the infirmary. She ran up to within a foot of the infirmary door, then stopped dead in her tracks.
'Dear Merlin!' she thought to herself. 'I must look a mess! What if he doesn't still find me attractive? I am thirty three now... And he's still eighteen.' She began to dust down her robes and try to make some semblance of a decent hairstyle in a nearby window. 'I don't care what the age difference is.' Even she saw that she was trying so very hard to convince herself more than what she would say to anyone who would see them together. 'I just want him back in my life.'
Hermione took in a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm herself, when the door to the infirmary opened rather sharply, startling her. She barely dodged out of the way.
Madame Pomfrey opened the door on her way to report Harry's condition to the Headmaster, when she caught sight of a face she hadn't seen for fifteen years.
"Ms. Granger!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing dottling out here? Go on, get in there. Mr. Potter and your daughter are waiting for you inside. Last door on the left, I assume you know the way?"
Hermione nodded, then let Madame Pomfrey pass. Of course she knew the way. She was present for the dedication of the 'Harry Potter' wing. She took in another deep breath and let it out, then began walking towards her child and her soulmate.
The closer she got to the wing, the clearer Lily's voice became. 'She's reading 'Hogwarts, A History' to him.' She chuckled to herself. 'How pathetic is it that I can recognize the book after only a few sentences.'
She opened the door as silently as she could, and the first thing she laid eyes on was Lily, in a chair beside the cot, reading aloud the book while absentmindedly stroking his hair. HIS HAIR! She let out an audible gasp.
Lily looked up at the sound of the gasp, and her face broke out into a huge smile. She silently set the book on the floor, and approached her Mum, gathering her in a warm hug. Hermione couldn't take her eyes off of Harry, and didn't even respond to the hug.
"Oh. My. God." She managed to squeak out.
"He's sleeping, he overstrained himself earlier." Lily explained.
"Let me guess, someone said something and Harry did something physical back." Hermione theorized.
"How did you-?" Lily started, but was cut off.
"Because that's Harry. Always protecting everyone regardless off himself." She sighed a wistful note, an odd smile playing at the corners of her lips.
She walked over and sat beside him, resuming stroking his hair where their daughter had left off.
"You told me in the letter that he was still only eighteen, but somehow it just wasn't... REAL, until I saw for myself."
Lily only nodded, unsure as to what needed to be said.
"I've missed you so much, Harry." She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the forehead, taking his hand in hers.
Harry smiled in his sleep, but that lasted only a moment. Soon, he started to whimper, gently rocking his head side to side.
"Didn't they give him dreamless sleep potion?" she half-asked, half-accused her only child.
"They did, but I don't think he took it before he fell asleep. He was really exhaused.," Lily told her, a worrying, curious look on her face.
"Oh no," she murmured, quickly getting out of her chair and grabbing Harry by the shoulders. "Harry! HARRY! WAKE UP!"
Harry didn't wake. He did, however, get a lot more vocal. "N... No.. 'Mione.. Ron.. Lily!.. N. I'll do any... NO! DON'T KILL HER! HERMIONE!!!!!"
Hermione gave Lily a surprised look. She knew better than any, save for Harry himself, that he only has nightmares about those he truly loves.
"NO!!!!!!!!!!!"
Harry awoke with a start, and seeing someone inches from his face caused him to panic. He scrambled out of the cot, hit the floor, and scooted backwards as fast as he could, kicking his way to the wall looking at Hermione with total fear. He was gasping very loudly, and trying to calm down.
"It's okay, it's okay, Harry, it was just a nightmare." she said very softly, trying to calm him.
Harry squinted at her, unable to see properly without his glasses on. "'Mione?" he asked tentatively, very disoriented. "Could you get my glasses, please?"
"Um, sure." Hermione gathered his glasses off the nightstand and walked over to Harry. "Before you put these on," she added as almost an afterthought, "remember that I'm not eighteen anymore. I don't want you to freak out or anything."
"Okay," her fiancée replied, before slipping the glasses on his face. What he saw took his breath away.
Her once bushy, long hair was now around her ears, not longer than her chin, and sleek. Her big brown eyes that he loved losing himself in were now even deeper pools of cinnamon. She had the beginnings of worry lines about her brow, but Harry fully expected that. His 'Mione did nothing but worry anyway. Then he focused on her body. Her robes were skimpy, showing off a trim figure that looked even better than her teenage figure. 'Can't tell she pushed a kid out, that's for sure,' he thought to himself with a sly grin.
Hermione, at the sight of Harry's smile, had lost all fear. "Just what are you grinning at, Mr. Potter?"
"You look fantastic."
She didn't want to believe him, but one look at the sincerity in his eyes told her all she needed to know.
"You need to rest, Harry. I'm not going anywhere. We have plenty of time to catch up."
Harry settled himself into bed, then nodded sleepily at her.
"Here, drink this," she said as she handed him a vial of sleepless draught. "I'll be here when you wake."
"Good night Love," he smiled at Hermione. She smiled back at him and whispered "Goodnight Love." He turned to Lily "Good night Love," smiling warmly at her. "Goodnight, Dad," she whispered back, her eyes watering up at getting to wish her father goodnight for the first time.
Harry fell back asleep, this time not to dream, but with a contented smile that did not fade for the next three hours.