1998
May fifth, nineteen-ninety-eight.
Josh would always remember that date.
Three months after his little Rhys was born, the Wizarding War in Britain ended.
"This is River on Potterwatch," the voice began, tone somber. The radio channel had been sent via a mirror from someone named Bill Weasley. "As of the 2nd of May, Voldemort has fallen. As has many of his Death Eaters. Those that haven't died, are awaiting fair trials with the use of veritaserum. Now a list of our fallen heroes:
"Sakura Akagi, Nick Alas, Pete Balsall, Marcus Belby, Fiona Belmont, Miles Bletchley, Lucian Bole, Terry Boot, Robin Botesdale, Lavander Brown, Diego Caplan, Hestia Carrow, Flora Carrow, Richard Carter, Angelica Cole, Ben Copper, Michael Corner, Colin Creevey, Tracey Davis, Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge, Marietta Edgecombe, Annabel Entwhistle, Gemma Farley, Sullivan Fawley, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Anthony Goldstein, Beatrice Haywood, Wayne Hopkins, Matthew Kettletoft, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Lupin-Tonk, Heidi Macavoy, Isobel MacDougal, Ernie Macmillan, Theodore Nott, Anthony Otterburn, Sturgis Podmore, Maisy Reynolds, Felix Rosier, Severus Snape, Alicia Spinnet, Alice Tolipan, Kenneth Towler, Gabriel Truman, Lisa Turpin, Liz Tuttle, Cassius Warrington, Fred Weasley, and Blaise Zabini.
"Let us take a moment to mourn-"
"They're alive!" Josh sobbed happily, clinging to Rhys. Bailey had an arm around his shoulders as his baby babbled. A female sob had Josh looking up in surprise.
Petunia Dursley was on her knees in the doorway. A hand cupped to her mouth. Tears fell down her face as River went on to name those that fell in the first war, and before the battle. Josh looked up to the front door as it opened.
Gaunt and tired, he'd never seen Hermione look so beautiful. On her back slept Harry, who looked even worse for wear. Bailey rushed forward to relieve the girl, no woman, of her burden. Passing Rhys to Petunia, who looked lost, Josh tackled the woman he loved.
"You're alive." He whispered into her hair as they lay where they went down. "You're alive, and you won the war." Hermione took a deep breath.
Then began to sob.
"How is Harry?" Hermione asked at dinner. Bailey was reading a scroll. The witch was surprised to see Petunia cooking while her son cleaned. Josh sat in her lap, and was feeding Rhys. Bailey had came down looking perturbed. "Bailey?"
"By all means, he should be fine after some sleep."
"But?"
"Did you know that he died?" The tea Hermione had been drinking fell. The porcelain breaking as it hit the floor.
"What?" Her voice was calm. Too calm. "When?"
"The second. His heart stopped for four minutes." Hermione buried her head into Josh's shoulder. "It says he also had a parasitic leech that left at the same time." A broken sound escaped her. "I'll need to keep an eye on his magic. It is possible that he might need to relearn his spells because he'll be more powerful." Hermione inhaled sharply.
"So what, that doesn't sound too bad?"
"Burn it." Bailey did as commanded. "No one else but Harry will be told. He just beat one of, if not the most powerful, Dark Lords in history. If they find out he was at half-"
"A fourth." Bailey muttered, making the British witch groan.
"Of course it was a fourth of his magic. If they find out, they will want his blood. I trust only you and Madam Pomfrey with this information. Harry will trust who I do." Hermione waved her wand, fixing the broken cup and turning to Petunia. "Where is your husband?" The woman gritted her teeth.
"He had his memories modified so that he doesn't remember Harry, and thinks that we divorced. As far as he is aware, Dudley decided to come study in America this year and I went with him."
"I'm sorry." Heads shot over to where Harry stood in the entrance to the kitchen.
"No Harry, I'm sorry. I had almost a year to actually think about how I treated you. I'm appalled at my behavior. I wasn't raised that way. Even if my sister and I had our differences, you were just a toddler-"
"I was a Horcrux. They are an object in which a Dark Wizard or Witch had hidden a fragment of his or her soul in order to become immortal." Harry stared at the floor. "Or rather, part of one. You guys weren't that terrible to me until my first instance of magic. I think that's when it started to enhance your fear, anger, and...and jealousy." Harry looked up, "can we...can we still fix what we should have had?" Petunia whimpered, pulling Harry into a hug after she stood.
"I want to try, Harry."
2002
"Mummy! Mummy! Uncle Hay and Uncle Bay! Teddy!" Josh looked down at Rhys with a smile before looking at his guests.
"Hey guys! Hermione is in the study, but dinner will be done soon." Harry moved to help while Bailey followed after the two toddlers. "So, I couldn't help but notice that you apparated in with Bailey." Josh ribbed the man as they began to set the table. Harry blushed.
"We're just friends, Josh." The other man gave him a look.
"And I'm not four weeks pregnant with our second child. Want to try that again?" Harry sat down covering his face.
"Bailey is...Bailey?" Josh blinked, before chuckling.
"That he is. But?"
"But he's also my healer, and I like him, and we're friends-" Harry's babble was interrupted by a glass of butterbeer. "I'm a single dad, Josh. I'm scared that I'll lose one of my best friends like I did Ron."
"Harry, I promise you, you have nothing to fear. Ever if he didn't like you, he'd never abandon you." Josh quirked his lips into a smirk. "After all, I confessed before moving over here. Yet Bailey is still one of my closest friends. Just talk to him. Oh, and be ready tomorrow. We're finally going to get married. Just going to have someone at the court office officiate us." Harry yawned, nodding. "Why are you so tired."
"Josh, I'm a single father of a toddler who can use magic." The men laughed before quieting as Bailey came back in with Hermione and the kids. "So, tomorrow, huh?"
"Yeah, but I don't want a big fuss. Mum, dad, and gran are going to be there." Hermione gritted her teeth as Josh looked sad. "Josh's parents are conveniently busy, despite me sending them the letter two months in advance. At least everyone that matters will be there."
"Oh sure, inform everyone else. When were you planning on telling me?" Harry ribbed as Bailey snickered.
"Well, you never have anything going on, so I figured you wouldn't mind Bill popping over to watch the kids as we get married." Hermione lifted a brow at Harry, who narrowed his eyes.
"What time? Because Bailey promised to take Teddy and I out for ice cream." The older male blushed when Josh looked at him.
"You try telling two teary green eyed males no." He grumbled.
"I know what you mean. Knowing how he was raised makes it so hard to say no now." Hermione agreed, eyeing her friends. "It'll be a few hours in the morning."
"Sounds good."
"Josh! Hermione! Help me." Harry whined as the two watched him go through his wardrobe again. "What do I wear? He just said nice casual!" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Go with something blue or green. It brings out your eyes. Black jeans, and those dragonhide boots Charlie sent you. Do you want me to lengthen your hair so you can pull it back?" Harry nodded, allowing the woman to do her magic. "Don't worry so much."
"But Hermione-"
"No. I can't stand to watch the two of you make goo-goo eyes at each other any longer. Merlin's beard Harry, the man is head over heels for you." Harry sat heavily on his bed.
"I'm still terrified. My last relationship wasn't even a relationship! I had one crush on Cedric, and look how that turned out." Hermione sighed, gently combing his hair.
"Harry, you had a madman out for your blood, literally. Now you're free to be you. It's one date. A date between two people, anyways. It'll be just like when Teddy is around, but just the two of you. It's been a month since my wedding, and you have been swamped. Just take some time for yourself, and have fun."
"Hermione's right you know." Josh nudged Harry with his elbow as he rocked their daughter, Jean, in his arms. "Everything will be fine. It's Bailey, after all."
Hermione sighed as she left her son's room, where Teddy was spending the night. Their daughter was sound asleep in her basinet, and Josh was reading something on the bed. She fell onto the bed, laying half on Josh. The man instantly ran a hand through her hair.
"Is it okay, that I'm more happy than I have been in my whole life?" Hermione hummed in question. "My best friends are dating, I have two lovely children, a great nephew, and a handsome wife." Hermione smiled, rolling slightly to look up at Josh. "I'm glad I went to my grandmother's that year."
