Fairborn Adventures
AN: Hey guys!
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Chapter 95
September 10th, 1978
Tiny puffs of faint black smoke issued from a minuscule silver tube on top of Dumbledore's wide desk. The puffs became a steady stream of black smoke that thickened and coiled in the air. A serpent's head grew out of the end of it, opening its mouth wide.
"Naturally, naturally," the Headmaster's voice rang through the silence, twinkling blue eyes sparkled behind thin-rimmed spectacles. "But in essence divided?"
The smoke serpent split itself instantly into two snakes, both coiling and undulating in the dark air, their scarlet, slit-pupiled eyes burning bright as coals.
The two angry shadows wrenched themselves around in an aggressive dance until their eyes found him and they launched through the darkness, fangs ablaze, ready to strike.
Harry jerked awake, opening his eyes into the gloom.
His heart was pounding frantically. A thin layer of sweat coated his forehead and upper body.
'Bloody great.' He attempted a deep breath: 'Even from his "Next Great Adventure", Dumbledore found a way to haunt me and be annoying.'
A warm weight stirred next to him, flopping an arm over his shoulder and edging closer until soft curves brushed flush against his skin.
'There's no point in waiting any longer.' Harry eased himself out from underneath Marlene's arm and pulled on some clothes: 'I have to finish what I've started.'
A sharp, searing pain surged through his hand the moment it grazed against the fabric of his sleeve. Harry cursed under his breath and glanced down at his missing ring finger. A blood-drenched bandage wrapped around the short stump.
'If I had accidentally cut it off during a cooking accident one could easily reattach it, perhaps my improved body would even regrow the finger itself.'
He stifled a pang of loss, knowing that this imperfection will be a part of him for the rest of his life.
'Alas, blood magic doesn't work that way. It would make the initial sacrifice rather pointless if one could effortlessly fix it afterward.'
Harry took his ancestor's Cloak off the nearby hanger, then curled his remaining fingers, letting the Elder Wand float into his outstretched hand. His wedding ring and the second Hallow followed. He stared down at the thick black gemstone, now cleaned of his blood.
'Dumbledore once expressed that a withered hand does not seem like an unreasonable exchange for a seventh of Voldemort's soul.' A small, amused smile curled Harry's lips while he put on some shoes: 'I suppose losing a finger beats losing an entire hand.' The headmaster's eyes danced through his thoughts: 'And it certainly beats losing your life over it.'
He straightened and headed to the door, lingering at the threshold to glance over his shoulder at his wife one last time.
'She looks so peaceful.'
Disheveled, golden curls framed Marlene's face. They sprawled over her shoulders and the velvet blanket over her steadily heaving and lowering chest. Her fingers curled into the spot on the mattress he had just vacated, a content, small smile on her pink lips.
'For you.' Harry tore his eyes away: 'So you can always sleep as peacefully as you do right now.'
He closed the door and strolled over the dark wooden floorboard towards the staircase. The realization of what he was about to attempt echoed through his mind with each step he took.
"Now all is lost. It won't make a difference if it's you or Tom..."
'No!' Harry tore the wrinkled old face away, burying it under a thick layer of ice: 'I am different, my reasons are different. I don't want immortality to live and rule the world forever. In a perfect world, I'd never have to kill again.' Marlene's warm smile danced through his inner eye: 'But this isn't a perfect world and as such, I cannot risk leaving her behind in it.'
'Not immortality.' Harry vowed as he opened the door to the basement and lit the room with a flick of the Elder Wand: 'Just an anchor, a safeguard in case I fail.'
He cleared the table with a twist of his wrist. Having studied the theory behind it for the last two months, he no longer had a need for the mess of ancient tomes and scrolls of parchment.
One by one he placed down each of his most valuable possessions. The Cloak of Invisibility, the Stone of Resurrection, the Wand of Death, and finally his wedding ring.
'Which one to pick?'
His gaze lingered on the Elder Wand. The tool and weapon he had accomplished feats of magic with his former 17-year-old self would have struggled to even imagine.
He grimaced while running a finger down the length of it: 'I wouldn't even tarnish a Hallow as Voldemort did, but still, it feels wrong to consider them for this. The Hallows will be passed down my family, my own blood, just as they had been for generations.'
Harry shook his head and reached out for his wedding ring instead. Flashes of images of the night he had proposed to Marlene swirled before his mind's eye, their wedding vow echoed through his ear.
'Her blood, a small piece of Marlene's magic, has been embedded into the metal already.'
He turned the ring around, brushing over the tiny thestral with his thumb.
'I don't want immortality, I merely need an anchor. Marlene has been that anchor for a long time already.' Harry took a deep breath and tightened his fist around the ring: 'What better way to treasure her than to fuse this ring, to honor my eternal promise to her, with a small piece of myself?'
Hardening his heart he soundproofed the door and threw up a few wards that would ensure his privacy, then he cleared the table of everything but the ring. Harry closed his eyes, twirling the Elder Wand between his fingers before pointing its cool tip at his chest, right above his frantically pounding heart.
There was no need to chant some long, complex incantation, no runes to be drawn, and no seven-cornered star to position himself in.
Last night he had felt the success the moment the killing curse had left his wand and struck the Headmaster. There had been a tear, like a tiny paper cut, barely more than a nuance, yet somewhere deep inside of him. Intangible, invisible, and still it was there, a permanent reminder of what he had done.
'There's no other way. I have to do it!'
Magic poured through the Elder Wand and into his chest, leaving a warm imprint where it penetrated his skin. His breath trembled madly in anticipation.
Like a gentle, steady stream, it narrowed in on something throbbing, pulsing, and swirling, deep inside of him, coating it in a thin warm layer, wrapping itself tightly all around it.
'An anchor for my sunset.' Marlene's soft blue eyes blinked lovingly up at him.
Harry pulled, yanking his wand forward and away from his chest.
A scream of agony tore from his throat, leaving his ears ringing. Something cold, sharp, and cruel ripped through him like a rusted nail down a pane of glass, tearing his ribcage wide open.
It was pain unlike anything he had felt before. No Cruciatus curse, no ritual, nothing he had experienced compared to it. Pain, so severe, that he barely noticed his kneecaps hitting the cold stone tiles as he dropped to the floor.
'No!' Harry blinked his eyes open. White-hot flashes seared his vision, robbing him of any other sense. 'I have to finish it! I must not fail!'
He desperately groped for the leg of the table, his wand still trained at his own chest, yanking and ripping continuously. With a last effort he pulled himself back up, screaming until his throat tore and a thick, metallic tang coated his tongue.
'My sunset.' He swallowed down a mouthful of coppery liquid, blinked away the tears, and hardened his heart before yanking with all his might one last time. 'For Marlene.'
A high, distant scream rang through his ears, its origin unknown. The world fell into shadows, blackening all around him.
An ebony mist of volatile magic broke through his ribcage and spewed from his chest. It latched itself to his wand, screaming and clawing while it wrenched around the wood up to the tip.
Harry forced the Elder Wand back down to the table, bringing the tip to the ring, which faintly sparkled through the white-hot flashes and thick black shadows swirling in his vision.
The black mist swapped over and began coating the metal, embedding it with a faint crimson glow before sinking deep into the gold. The piece of jewelry started spinning. It jerked and vibrated against the table until the distant scream rang out and it toppled over, lying motionless on the dark wood.
'I did it.'
Harry allowed a small, faint smile to grace his lips. Then his eyelids grew too heavy, his last remaining strength left him, and he dropped to the cold, hard floor in exhaustion.
"Harry?!" A familiar voice shouted his name, accompanied by harsh pounding against unyielding wood. "Harry, open up!"
A groan left his sore, aching throat. Harry swallowed down something metallic. A wave of nausea and dizziness struck him. His head throbbed painfully, every bone, every fiber of muscle was hurting.
He winced and clamped his ears shut when the fierce pounding against wood continued: "Harry if you don't open this door right now, I will blast it out of its fucking hinges!"
'No!'
Harry tucked his sprawled-out limbs in and attempted to roll on his stomach, pushing himself up on his knuckles.
'She must not find out!'
Nausea struck again. He doubled over and hurled his stomach onto the floor. A bitter taste flooded his mouth and burnt his throat.
"That's it!" Marlene's muffled, frantic voice declared. There was a small pause and then-
"Bombarda Maxima!"
The ground trembled from a massive explosion. He clamped his ears shut again, wincing as a wave of heat seared over his face.
"Harry Ignotus Peverell, don't you dare hide from- Morgana's saggy tits, Harry!"
Heels scattered over the stone towards him, then soft fingers cupped his jaw: "What did you do, Harry? What did you do?"
'I tore my soul.'
He merely managed a weak groan in response, provoking another curse from his savior.
"Talk to me, Harry!" The remaining content of his stomach vanished from his mouth, a second charm stifled the harsh throbbing of his throat: "What in Merlin's name happened to you?"
He vaguely sensed a thin wooden tip being brought to his temple, a few seconds later, the dull pounding of his head subsided.
"Thanks," he croaked and blinked his eyes open, staring up into a pale face and a set of blue eyes that sparkled in a mixture of worry and fury.
'I'm in big trouble.'
His wife's lips were tighter than he'd ever seen them on McGonagall: "I'm having a strange sense of Dèjá-Vu right now, so you better have a very good explanation for the state you're in, Harry!"
"I- I tried to find a solution for my finger," Harry lied through clenched teeth, wiggling his hand.
Her eyes dipped low.
"I don't see any difference to last night, you idiot!" Marlene cursed and glanced over him, brushing a trickle of blood from his chin: "And you tried to get it back via some ritual? You of all people should know that obscure magic doesn't work like that!"
"I thought it was worth a shot before I succumb to walking around as a crippled man for the rest of my life," Harry winced, allowing her to slowly heave his upper body into an upright position.
"Stupid boy! I don't bloody care about your fingers!" Marlene snapped, a faint blush suddenly creeping up her cheek.
"Re- really?" Harry snorted: "Are you-"
"-I swear, Harry, if you make a witty comment right now, you'll be sleeping on the couch for a very long time!" Marlene barked: "Occupy that mouth of yours with something else!"
She spun her wand, conjuring a golden cup out of thin air and filling it with a stream of clear water. Then she brought it to his mouth, while her other hand steadied the back of his head, gently massaging his scalp.
"Thank you." Harry took careful small sips, not keen to upset his stomach any further: "You're honestly the best wife I could ask for."
"Prat." She rolled her eyes.
"It's the truth."
"Do I even want to know what exactly you attempted to do?" Marlene placed the cup down and vanished any lingering vomit and blood from his clothes, hair, and skin.
'I'm sorry I can't tell you.'
"Probably not," Harry murmured, taking a few deep breaths: "I think I'm ready to stand on my own now."
"Be careful, don't over-exhaust yourself yet." She offered him an arm and gently heaved him up, guiding him to the table.
"This feels okay." Harry leaned back against the tabletop, one hand immediately scooping behind his back, finger groping and finding the ring.
A faint, warm ripple surged through him the moment he made contact, settling somewhere deep inside him.
'Does that mean it worked? It has to, right?'
"Are you okay?" Marlene glanced up at him worryingly.
"Yeah, no I'm good now." Harry attempted a careless grin and scooped the ring back on his finger: "Perhaps it's my punishment for taking this one off for the first time."
Marlene's eyes lingered on the band of gold for a second before she playfully swatted against his chest. He winced in protest but quickly shut his mouth when he met her cold glare.
'I suppose I deserve much worse.'
"That's for scaring me shitless by locking yourself into our basement!" she scolded him: "Now, let me see that finger of yours."
"So you do care about them," Harry smirked, placing his hand into her smaller one.
"You're walking on exceptionally thin ice, Mister." Marlene pulled her wand from her waist: "Lily has taught me countless charms to make the couch become a very uncomfortable place in case you ever annoy me too much."
"My lovely mother, blessed be her soul," Harry chuckled. "What are you attempting here, by the way?" He nodded down to his hand.
"Hold still and trust me," Marlene hushed him and unwrapped the bandages, wrinkling her nose when she glanced at the bloodied stump underneath.
"Not the prettiest sight, is it?" Harry grimaced.
"Let's change that." Marlene closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and swirled her hawthorn wand through the air.
A streak of molten silver hung shining in the wand's wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human finger, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon the severed stump.
"Wow." Harry studied the seamless attachment curiously for a few seconds before tentatively curling his finger and brushing it over Marlene's arm: "It works pretty well, although I can still tell the difference from a real finger."
"It reminds me a bit about the Rat. The memory you showed me from the graveyard served as inspiration." Marlene pursued her lips, slipping her fingers through his: "But I suppose beggars can't be choosers, my love..."
"Well, that should easily be fixed," Harry grinned and poked his thumb with the tip of the Elder Wand.
A drop of crimson dwelled from the small cut. He smeared it over the prosthesis and whispered under his breath, smiling in triumph as the surface changed from bright silver to a pale rosy, human skin color. "Now you'll only see the difference after I'm sunbathing and missing the tan right here."
"Touché." Marlene rolled her eyes, allowing him to scoop her in his arms while she buried her head in the crook of his neck. She sighed: "This feels nice. I've really missed this..."
'So have I.'
"How are you handling it all, love?" Harry stroked through her long hair, breathing in her scent: "Last night got pretty... intense."
"I'm okay, just a bit exhausted," Marlene hummed into his shirt: "My only regret is that I didn't manage to finish off Moody by myself." Her fingers curled into the fabric: "I almost had him, but then Dumbledore sent that bloody golem after me, and fiendfyre always drains me so quickly..."
"The fact that you can control it speaks volumes already. You should be proud of yourself." He pressed a kiss to her forehead: "Moody is one of the best duelists in this country and you've kicked his ass being nineteen years of age. I don't think your counterpart in my original timeline would have fared as well."
"Well, the rituals did their fair share, as did your teachings," Marlene snorted: "Besides, our speed, our agility, our heightened reflexes, and amplified magical power all play in our favor in such open terrain."
"True." He nodded grimly: "Had Dumbledore chosen a different location instead of an open field, somewhere with more water or obstacles to use as conjurations and animations, then our duel could have gone very differently last night."
"'Ifs' and 'coulds' don't matter anymore to us, love." Marlene glanced up at him, admiration sparkling in her large blue eyes: "You've outsmarted him and you've beaten him, Harry. You have beaten Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of recent times."
'Because I got lucky.' Harry held his tongue, stifling a flicker of concern: 'If he hadn't fallen for my trap, I would've lost a finger for nothing and I doubt I could have taken him down otherwise. We were evenly matched in terrain that clearly favored me.'
'But 'ifs' and 'coulds' don't matter anymore.' The band of gold around his ring finger sent a small ripple of warmth down his arm: 'I've beaten Dumbledore, and now I'm anchored to this world, to Marlene, in case I do fail one day.'
Marlene gently cupped his jaw: "Harry, are you still with me?"
"Sorry." He shook his head and attempted a bright smile: "But yeah, you're right. I've beaten Dumbledore. One less threat, one less obstacle, and one step closer to our sunset."
"Only if things work out with Moody." She tensed in his arms. "I still think we should've killed him. Now we're leaving behind a trail of breadcrumbs, always risking for someone to discover and follow it."
Harry sighed: "The wizarding world lost Albus Dumbledore last night. I've witnessed it before, so believe me, that loss alone will send things spiraling downward. The day will come when we'll need the Ministry and its forces and in turn, they will need competent Auror captains."
"Are you sure you've tampered with his mind correctly? You didn't have much time until the Aurors showed up last night..." Marlene bit her bottom lip: "If there's only the tiniest trigger, if he sees my brother for exam-"
Harry tilted her chin up and kissed her. She didn't fight it but still looked at him expectantly afterward.
"Moody won't remember anything from last night, only that he followed Dumbledore on a secret mission for the Order. What the mission was about and who he was fighting is forever lost. I've followed each memory, each little threat, and destroyed it. No mind-healer in the world will be able to restore those."
'And if we're still concerned once Voldemort is beaten, we can always find a way to rid ourselves of him afterward…'
"I hope you're right." She exhaled: "If not-"
"-no more 'ifs' and 'coulds', remember?" He brushed his lips over hers again until they curled into a small smile and she melted into his embrace.
"You're in a very cuddly mood today," she smirked up at him, batting long eyelashes seductively and pressing her curves closer: "Has the withdrawal finally gotten to you?"
"A bit perhaps," he grinned, tugging a stray golden curl behind her ear: "I'm just in a much better place now-"
'-now that I have the guarantee that I'll be coming back to you should the worst happen to me. I'm anchored now...'
"Good." Her blue eyes smoldered with desire, something predatory lingered in their depths.
She tightened her hold on him and apparated them up into their bedroom, pushing him towards the bed: "You have almost four weeks of missing intimacy to make up with your wife, my dear husband."
She held his eye, slowly letting the strap of her dress slide down her shoulder, exposing pale, creamy skin.
"That sounds very alluring and very exhausting at the same time," Harry chuckled, tearing his eyes away from the curve of her breast: "Obviously I won't shy away from my sworn husbandly duties, but there's someone we should visit before letting things get too heated. We both know how it ends otherwise..."
Marlene's brows twisted, then her eyes widened in realization: "Dorea! I promised her to stop by today."
"And I will come too." Harry cringed at the memory of their shared dinner last night: "I have some serious apologizing to do."
"Oh, that you do!" Marlene patted his chest, pulling the strap of her dress back up: "Go change into something clean, we will leave now."
He cast off his clothes and headed to the bathroom to freshen up before putting on a clean outfit.
"Ready?" Marlene asked him, hair put into a simple braid.
Harry nodded, seized her hand, and apparated them into the foyer of Potter Manor.
"Hello?" He called out: "Is anyone home?"
"Harry?" His grandmother's voice echoed from the living room, followed by the sound of heels clattering over-polished marble floor: "Is that you?"
He met her halfway, surprised to see the usually collected witch so discomposed. Her gray eyes were slightly puffy, curls of thick black hair fell out of a messy bun, and her skin seemed paler than usual.
Without thinking he took her in his arms, holding her tight while she trembled slightly, hot tears falling onto his shirt.
"I'm sorry for last night," he whispered, relishing in the warm wave of affection rippling through his body: "And I'm sorry for being so distant recently. I've had a lot on my mind, but I know that's not an excuse."
"It's okay, Harry, I couldn't even imagine bearing half of your responsibility at your age." Dorea sniffed: "I'm just glad that you're both okay."
'Wait, what?' He peeked over her head at his wife, meeting an equally confused expression.
"We tried reaching you this morning but your floo was locked shut and even our patroni returned," Dorea continued, tightening her hold on him: "We couldn't even see your manor when apparating to North Dawn valley. We were so worried about you..."
'How curious.' He stilled, his mind frantically searching for an explanation: 'My wards must have interpreted me not wanting to be bothered in quite an extreme way, such a degree of sentience is almost scary. But how did they even know we were out and-'
The answer suddenly came to him, it seemed rather obvious now.
"What did James and Lily tell you?" Harry probed carefully.
"Everything they heard Dumbledore say and that they shared it all with you two," Dorea said, loosening her hold only to take a startled Marlene into an equally fierce hug: "But after seeing the Prophet this morning..."
'Let's see what they reported.'
Harry flicked his wand from his sleeve, wordlessly summoning an edition from the living room.
His eyes roamed over a dark, greenish snake that lunged from a black skull lingering low in the night sky above Godric's Hollow.
BLACK DAY FOR WIZARDING BRITAIN!
HEADMASTER ALBUS DUMBLEDORE FOUND DEAD UNDERNEATH DARK MARK
He skimmed over the following headlines.
'Lage area of destruction suggests attempted Death Eater raid on Godric's Hollow!'
'Emergency Wizengamot Meeting held at the Ministry.'
'ICW sends an international delegation of investigators!'
'Yep, just as I expected.' He handed the paper over to Marlene. 'Perhaps it will be spun even bigger because hardly anyone will dare slander him this time around.'
Behind him, the fireplace suddenly roared bright green. Charlus stepped out of it, wearing his bright purple wizengamot robes, the exhaustion and lack of sleep evident on his face.
"Harry..." Some of the tension left his grandfather's shoulders and he hurried over to him, taking him into a hug, and sighed in relief: "We've feared the worst already."
A stab of guilt spiked through him again, still, Harry managed a small smile. "Marlene and I are fine, really."
'I merely lost a finger and tore my soul. All things worth sacrificing for a perfect sunset...'
"Albus Dumbledore is dead, Auror Captain Moody is being treated in Saint Mungo's, and the valley of Godric's Hollow looks worse than a battlefield from the war with Grindelwald." Charlus frowned deeply: "What happened last night, Harry? The two of you were there, weren't you?"
"We were there-" Harry carefully admitted, his gaze flickering to Marlene, who shot him a subtle nod, "-but the party had already started. We managed to take out a few of them. Then Voldemort arrived and they overwhelmed Moody and Dumbledore. We thought it better to leave..."
"Of course it was!" Dorea chimed in: "You did the right thing!"
"It was him then, wasn't it? Voldemort?" Charlus inquired, dropping down into a chair near the fireplace: "I've seen Dumbledore's duel against Grindelwald. He's grown older since then, but even fifty cowards in silver masks could not have taken him down by themselves."
"We were gone by the point they started dueling." Harry lied, watching as Dorea stepped behind Charlus and began gently massaging his hair: "But yes, I'd assume the same."
'Tom will take all the credit for it, but that's just fine with me. I didn't kill Dumbledore for glory or laurels, only to free myself and create an anchor at the same time,' Harry smiled inwardly. 'Unlike the rest of the world, Tom will know it was me who killed Dumbledore and it will concern him greatly, even if his followers will celebrate him for it.'
"This changes everything," Charlus grimaced. "Both for the worse and better."
"How so?" Marlene asked curiously.
"You know I was never the biggest fan of the Headmaster, I could tell neither were you two, but I still respected the man for his magical strength. Dumbledore was this beacon of hope, the champion of the light for many decades. He's the one the public relied on to at least have the skillfulness to confront Voldemort. Learning that he fell in their duel will rob many people of the flicker of hope they still held," Charlus explained: "At the same time, this incident has now finally captured the attention of a very different player."
"The ICW." Harry's gaze dipped to the newspaper headline. 'I never really had any interaction with them. What do they actually bring to their table?'
"Exactly," Charlus nodded: "They usually don't involve themselves in civil wars, but they also don't like their supreme Mugwump getting killed by some radicals and will soon dispatch their delegation."
'Let them come. They can do their work as long as they don't become obstacles,' Harry mused, taking a seat himself: 'Besides Grindelwald, who is securely held in Nurmengard, there's no one in Europe who could rival Dumbledore or Voldemort in terms of magical strength. I shouldn't need to worry about anyone taking my revenge from me, nor is there anyone that could threaten my position.'
"Was there anything else you discussed during the Wizengamot session?" Marlene asked Charlus, sliding onto Harry's lap and cradling against his chest.
"It was pure chaos, mostly consisting of lords shouting at each other," Charlus said, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched them: "Though in retrospect, most of the lords from pureblood fractions looked plausibly surprised by the revelation of Dumbledore's murder." His gaze turned to Harry: "How many Death Eaters you say were present last night?"
"About two dozen, perhaps even three," Marlene replied before he could respond.
"Mhm." Charlus hummed thoughtfully: "I suppose we will have to wait for Captain Moody to make a recovery or alternatively see what result the ICW investigation produces."
Harry absently brushed Marlene's curls behind her ears: 'I doubt either will be fruitful.'
"On a different note, I've been proposed to succeed Dumbledore as Chief Warlock in future Wizengamot sessions," Charlus said with a snort: "Lord Bones, Lord Parkinson, and Arcturus have been proposed as well. I'd assume that either I or my dear brother-in-law will make the race since either of us is the more moderate option."
'Both are fine with me.' Harry smothered a grin: 'You can never have enough political backing when you're a wanted vigilante.'
"That is great news, dear." Dorea flung her arms around Charlus' neck and kissed his cheek: "I know your father would've been very proud of you. Wasn't his father Chief Warlock for over a decade?"
"Henry Potter, yeah he was." Charlus laughed: "Up until almost two-thirds of the lords demanded his resignation for how lenient he was on matters of blood purity. Anyways-" He took his wife's hands and kissed them, eyes turning back to Harry, "-there will be a funeral for Dumbledore at Hogwarts in a few days' time. I will be attending to pay my respects and so should you probably..."
Marlene stilled against his chest, her fingers momentarily curled into the fabric above his shoulder.
'Does he suspect anything?' A cold shiver ran down his spine: 'He knows me and Dumbledore had issues, but I've never mentioned our fallout.'
"Of course, we will be there," Harry nodded slowly.
"Good." Charlus held his gaze for a few more seconds before stifling a yawn: "Now then, if you two will excuse me, I will catch up on some sleep."
He rose from his chair, kissed his wife on the cheek and strolled towards the staircase leading up to the master bedroom.
'If he suspected anything he probably would have confronted us directly.' A small sigh of relief escaped Harry's lips while Marlene started a lively conversation with Dorea about her recipe for mashed potatoes. 'And even if he does press the issue I can still explain myself.'
'Secrets are stupid but sometimes white lies are necessary.' He paused stroking through Marlene's long curls and absently regarded his hand, feeling a tingle of warmth radiating from the band of gold around his finger: 'Dumbledore was a threat to our family, an obstacle that had to be removed. For now, no one else needs to know that he was also my tool for anchoring myself.'
His wife's laughter rang through the living room, she shifted on his lap, glancing down at him underneath long lashes.
'For you.' Harry stared deep into her warm blue eyes and soft pink lips: 'So you can always laugh as carelessly as you do right now.'