Harry's eyes narrowed as they sought mine. "No. I really don't know why you lied to me for THREE YEARS." He shouted that last part. Wow he was angry. But, then again, so was I…

---------------

"Harry," she interrupted me firmly, leveling her Head Girl gaze at me. I hated that she was calm. That she had so casually lied to me about her, no, our child.

"Harry…Yes, I did keep her from you, but I…"

"You bitch," I said bitterly.

Her formerly soft expression closed off then. I didn't immediately regret saying it though. It took me a whole two seconds. She began taking long breaths. Her whole body tensed as she stepped forward, looking like she was going to slap me. I almost wish she had. Anything would've been better than that damn, blank look of hers.

"Just tell me one thing Harry," she said at last.

"What?" I asked carefully, wondering if I should apologize now or let her retaliate first.

"Would it have mattered?" She asked simply.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"Would it have mattered? To you, I mean. Not the way you are now but to the old you. The one who barely remembered my address. The one who I had lunch with twice a month. The one who I was letting live his own life by not forcing YOURS on him." She jabbed me sharply at that last bit. I tried to think of an answer, failing miserably of course.

She looked pale and weary as she took a step back. "It hasn't been easy for me either Harry." Her eyes were pooling as she fought back her tears. Gods I'd made her cry. Again. That's all I seemed to be good at doing. "I missed you." She wiped away a few tears that were running down her cheek. She gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Missed you? Ha. Mourned you more like. I guess it was my mucked up way of coping. Maybe it was wrong but…"

I didn't let her finish. After all, it was my Hermes standing there, teary-eyed and weak-kneed, her little body barely holding her up. I'm surprised I'd kept more than a foot and a half away for that long. I crushed her to me, kissing away her tears and telling her I was sorry and that it was alright. Because it was. Not in the overall, things-aren't-complicated, all-trust-issues-are-resolved kind of way, but in our way. We were alright. Because I understood. She had been keeping 'us' alive by keeping Gillian to herself. She didn't want other-me to look at, gods I didn't even know her name, with that bachelor's paternity-suit, deer-in-the-headlights look. She wanted Gillian to be my daughter. Not his.

I rained kisses down on her as she gripped my collar, pulling me closer (as though I needed her help). Germanus she could've been married with six kids and I wouldn't have been able to keep my hands off her. Not that she was trying to stop me now. Her little fists ran up and down my back as she said my name over and over again. I realized then that I hadn't given her a proper kiss. Little minx she was though, she beat me to it, claiming my mouth with her own, knocking me backwards onto the soft grass under us.

I couldn't say how long the kisses lasted. There, under her rosebushes, we held each other, promising with touches what we couldn't with words. She pulled away first, but with great effort, much to my pride.

"We (gasp) better go in. Gillian will be up by now." She stood on shaky legs and helped me up.

"Gillian? Who's Gillian…" I asked dizzily. Wait. Right. Nice name that, sounds like my mum's…oh.

She smiled shyly at me as I grinned. Male pride and all. "Gillian, huh?" I asked. Family man that I was, I gave my ineffectual approval. "I like it."

"Really?" She asked, looking pleased.

"It's perfect."

"Yeah, well, it went well with Granger," she shrugged.

"It'll go better with Potter," I said. She started and slowly looked up at me.

"What?" She whispered with wide, watery eyes.

I took a step forward and wrapped my arms around her, something I intended to do as often as I could for as long as she'd let me. "It. Will. Be. Perfect. With. Potter." I punctuated each word with a kiss to her throat. "Because," I added, "if you're thinking about giving her some other man's name, I'll have to brush up on my crucio curses."

She smiled at me then. Her turn-me-to-jelly-every-time smile. She took my hand in hers and led me towards the front door.

"Come inside Harry. There's someone I want you to meet."

End