Chapter Title: Awakening
Author name: Wings of Seraphim
Author email: wingsseraphimyahoo.com
Category: Romance
Sub Category: Maybe tradgedy or angst... maybe...
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Harry's life after the final battle is starting to look up. He's lost almost every single person he has ever held dear to his heart and some that he hated, but this only makes him treasure the friends he has even more. Harry's daughter and wife are able to keep him stable so that he can continue his life at Hogwarts. But why are angels visiting his dreams and how will he deal with teaching his own daughter. A story not about evil lords and Harry saving the world but about Harry struggling with everyday life and his inner demons.
DISCLAIMER: I would never dare take away any of the glory that rightfully and deservedly belongs to J.K. Rowling (nor would I want to). As much as it pains me to say it, please do not send me blank checks or large briefcases of counterfeit money or large bags with big dollar signs filled with gold dublooms. I write fanfics to express myself and to try and put a smile on some reader's face. So start smiling!
Author notes: Thanks to Autumn to Ashes. I'm looking for a new Beta (someone to proofread my fics for errors and to give me advice) because my last beta probably forgot about me it's been so long. Even if you don't want to beta for me, be sure to review if you thought my fic a worth-while read.
T H E C A N D Y S H O P
The sheer number of casualties that took place on that fateful and unforgetable September Morning would make the whole thing seem surreal. It would be impossible to mourn for everybody. So many dead... like a dream - a nightmare that never ends.
Entire families wiped out, and worse, there where so many children orphaned it's hard to imagine. Two in particular lost their entire family: distant cousins, close cousins, aunts and uncles, parents, and even every sibling save one another. Their day starts off with a stroll down Diagon Alley after flooing to the Leaky Couldron just as the dawning sun takes its first breath of the crisp morning air. They greet all the familiar faces in all the familiar ways and go through the motions of their everyday life yet always in a constant state of pain. After ten years of hurting, they've learned to just ignore it so that it becomes a noise in the background of their conciousness.
Walking to the not-so-quaint shop a little ways down from Gringotts, the pair tried not to grin to broadly at the fingers pointed at their shop and remarks made by people passing by it. The magically enhanced building was reminicent of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory; all the colors, moving parts, and the penetrating aroma of chocolate could almost overwhelm the casual onlooker. They made their way through the crowd waiting to get in so they can open up the locked doors and and pronounce that Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was open, once again, for business.
It was quite necessary to open up shop at the break of dawn during this particular week. All the ickle Hogwarts students got their letters, and most do their school shopping during the first week of August. The Hogwarts student, after all, is the bulk of a joke shop's business. That and the fact that Weasley's was the only wizarding shop in all of London to carry muggle confectionaries (exluding chocolate). Don't think, however, that they were devoid of their own creative, albeit a bit dangerous, wizarding concoctions. The newest and most advertised product, as of yet, was the Snowman Snowcone. Similar to the Canary Cream, but with an obvious difference. The day started off as any day would. One of them manned the register while the other either helped out customers or went to work in the "lab." At around noon, one of their best--and certainly favorite--customer happened to walk into their establishment.
"Hello Fred. Hello George. Just in for the usual."
"All right there, Harry. We got your order all ready to go," Fred said while handing Harry a worn, brown leather bag.
"You wouldn't mind helping us test one of our new products, would you?" added George from the back room.
"No way! The last time you two tricked me into doing your dirty work I had to explain to my daughter why in the bloody hell I was burping all day!" protested Harry.
"Well it was worth a try at least, George. Ohh! By the way," Fred added with a much more serious tone. "How's Dumbledore holding up?"
To everone watching, Harry Potter seemed to change into an entirely different person. The lines etched on his face that were unnoticable seconds before seemed to explode all over his face. The tiredness of leading the life of the Boy-Who-Lived could be seen in every little movement that he made. The sorrowful expression in his jade green eyes said more than words ever could.
"What do you expect? He is over 160 yers old," said Fred, unable to stand the silence that was hanging in the atmosphere.
"That reminds me," Harry murmured to himself. "Albus wanted me to ask you to come and visit on Saturday. We're having a big get together for Kathryn's birthday. It's going to be at Hogwarts and be sure to come early." As Harry was walking towards the door he added, "Hermione is bringing Kathryn to get her school supplies. If they stop by try not to sell her too many things that'll get her into trouble. I don't want to have to give my own baby girl a detention." A hint of a smile brushed accross his lips before he walked out the door into the bustle of the Alley.
Fred and George continued along introducing a few more Hogwarts students to canary creams. At about noon, a gorgeous princess burst through the door in a fit of laughter and happiness. Fred and George immediatley recognized her as Kathryn, there favorite niece--niece being an honorary term and not an official one. The princess's entourage, which only consisted of one Hermione Jane Potter, soon followed.
"Uncle Fred! Uncle George!" Kathryn screamed while running in for hugs from her favorite "uncles."
"Oi! My, you're growing every time I see you Kat!" said George (or so Kathryn guessed), and Fred (or maybe George) helped her up onto the counter.
"I told you not to call me Kat, silly! Call me Princess Kathryn," Her Majesty ordered while trying to supress a fit of giggles.
"Well then Princess Kathryn," George corrected, "you must be excited. You're starting Hogwarts in only one month! How would you like to go see some of the secret stuff we're working on in back?" Fred took her squeal of delight as a yes.
Soon Kathryn and George were gone, and Fred and Hermione were left in the front room alone. "Hello, Hermione. How've you been holding up."
"Thanks, Fred," Hermione replied. "It's been hard with Dumbledore sick, especially on the marriage. All Harry does is sit and brood all day. Sometimes I wonder if he would stay in his study all day if it weren't for Kathryn. She is his entire life now. He barely even acknowledges me anymore," Hermione whispered to George in case Kathryn was listening.
"Don't say that Hermione. You know he's not one to express his feelings very well. If something is bothering him, he'll sulk and spend weeks thinking about it. George and I could try talking to him on Saturday. I wouldn't be surprised if it was still about what happened twelve years ago."
"No... I think I know what it's about, but I'm not strictly susposed to tell anyone anything about it."
"What aren't you susposed to tell us?" asked George. He was free to finally catch up with Hermione after letting Kathryn go to the bathroom.
"Well... I guess I can tell you two, but we're trying to keep the press from finding out yet. We could just use a silencing charm," Hermione reasoned.
"No need! We've got the perfect something that'll do the trick," George said quickly. Before Hermione could start a silencing spell, Fred launched himself towards the back room and brought back what looked like Extendable Ears.
"We sell quite a lot of these to people trying to set up practical jokes--as well as use them ourselves. They're called Secretive Ears. Only people wearing them can hear someone else wearing one," Fred said with a smirk on his face.
"I swear, you guys are going to put Zonko's out of business," Hermione complimented. They all put their ears on in order to have their private discussion. After quickly explaining the problem with Harry to George, Hermione told them why she thought he was brooding. "Well a few days ago when Dumbledore was finalizing his will." Hermione voice broke at the thought and had to take a few seconds to compose herself before continuing. "He asked that Hary take his place as Headmaster." Both Weasley's gasped at the fact that Harry was only thirty years old and offered the position Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"Don't tell us he didn't take it!" Fred and George both shouted in that wierd simultaneious twin voice.
"He hasn't made a decision yet, but its obvious that it is all he has been thinking about."
"Why doesn't he want to take the job anyway?"
"I think it's because he won't be teaching anymore. If he does take the position of headmaster, then he won't be able to teach Kathryn. Also, Minerva would become the Headmistress if Harry declines Dumbledore's request, and Hogwarts would then need a new Gryffindor Head of House. I can only think of one person more qualified to be the Gryffindor Head of House than Harry, and he has been dead for over a thousand years."
"So his choices are Headmaster or Head of Gryffindor. Either way it's still amazing that he is only thirty years old." said George.
"What do you want him to do, Hermione?" Fred asked,
"I haven't told him this--and you two aren't either," she added with a certain authority, "but I really hopes that he doesn't take the job as Headmaster. I don't want to say he's not ready or up to being Headmaster because I know that he would make a great Headmaster... It's just that it would take up so much of his time, and I already feel that we don't spend enough time together." Hermione's face showed, just for a moment, a deep sadness that she quickly covered up with her usual look of content. Fred and George weren't blind to it, but decided not to bring that sadness to the surface again with invasive questions that they good just as easily guess the answers to.
"Hermione, if you--" Fred started to say but was cut short by a little bundle of energy pounding against his legs.
"... ... ... ..." was all that Fred, George, and Hermione heard from Kathryn's moving mouth.
"Why can't I hear her!" Hermione asked the two brother's, whom had faces almost as red as their hair.
"Just take off your pair of Secretive Ears," George quickly told Hermione.
The second she did take her ears off, she could hear every single scream coming from her little girl. "What's going on! Mommy! Why can't I hear you!" she was screaming in desperation.
"Oh, Kathryn! It's okay, sweetie. It was just those stupid toys your uncles are playing with," Hermione said in a soothing tone to Kathryn.
"Sorry about that. We forgot to tell you about the one minor problem we're having with the Secretive Ears. Right now they work perfectly well in keeping your conversations a secret, but they kind of also keep you from hearing anyone elses," George explained to Hermione. He then turned to Kathryn and said, "Sorry about that, Princess."
"Well you should be!" she said while trying to make her anger sound serious. "You scared me into thinking that I was going deaf or something like that."
"I'll tell you what, Kathryn," Fred started to say before going over to a shelf behind the counter. "I'll give you one of those treats that made your dad burp that one day if you'll forgive us." He got in closer to Kathryn and whispered, "You can even use it in one of your mom's drinks this time."
"I heard that! You'll get big trouble if you try to make me burp," Hermione warned.
"I was only joking, Hermione," Fred apologized.
"I know, Fred. I'm afraid that we have to be going. I've already stayed later than I had planned."
"Oh, but Mommy--"
"We have to get going now if we are going to get that little treat into daddy's drink at dinner." Fred and George burst into laughter, and a very happy Kathryn walked out of the shop with her equally happy mother on their way home to an surprisingly unsuspecting father.
S E R A P H I M