A/N: Happy birthday, Meg! I hope this story made your birthday just a little more special!

Nexus

Chapter 2

Dean took a deep breath as he looked at the door to the tent in front of him.

"It'll be fun, mate." Seamus put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

That was easy for him to say. He's kept contact with everyone over the years, especially Harry and Ginny. Dean was honestly shocked to have received the invite at all, let alone a spot in the VIP section and boxed seats. Sure he'd been a part of Dumbledore's Army, but after the battle he'd cut ties with everyone but Seamus. He hitched rides across the world and spent five years working through the trauma and chaos in his brain as he saw countries he'd only ever read about. The last two of those five years had been the ones that counted though.

Those two had included Valeria.

He'd met her in Mexico City and after six months of her showing him around her home country, she'd decided she was going to follow him to the next one, and the one after that. And then somewhere along the way, they were setting up homes in Mexico and England and Dean let his past go in order to embrace this amazing life that he'd created with Valeria.

But being here now, this was his past coming back, and Dean didn't know if he was ready.

"Dean?" Valeria took his hand.

"Right, sorry."

"Todo estará bien." She squeezed his hand and he took strength in her words as he followed Seamus and his wife, Maeve, forward.

The Potter's tent was enormous inside, obviously picked out specifically to be the place to host their old group. Dean felt the guilt hit fast as he saw faces he hadn't seen in sixteen years.

And then he saw Ginny.

The guilt hit harder there. He wished he'd been better to her. They had been teenagers and he could look back and appreciate where they'd both made bad decisions, but he still felt guilty for how miserable they'd made each other.

"Dean! Seamus! Maeve!" Ginny ran over with a smile he couldn't ever remember seeing on her face. "I'm so glad you made it." She then pulled Maeve into a tight hug. "I've missed you! Why did you move all the way to Ireland?"

Maeve laughed. "Ireland pays their Quidditch coaches better. And we're closer to family."

Ginny gave a huff before turning back to Dean. "And who is this beautiful lady?"

"This is my wife, Valeria." Dean kicked himself for being not only out of it, but rude also. "Valeria, this is Ginny Potter."

Valeria shook Ginny's hand. "It's so nice of you to invite us. This has been a wonderful experience."

Ginny went to answer when Harry stepped up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "We're glad you could come. I'm Harry, Ginny's husband. Mucho gusto de conocerle, Valeria."

Ginny's smile increased further and something Dean had never realized seemed to dawn on him in that moment. She hadn't been happy with him because he wasn't Harry. Just like he hadn't been happy with her because she wasn't Valeria. They hadn't been right for each other, though at sixteen he couldn't see that. But the realization pulled the drain on all the residual guilt he'd held, and for the first time since he had arrived in Argentina, Dean felt like he could breathe.

He also realized he'd completely missed what his wife and the Finnigan's had been saying to the Potter's.

"We're glad we could come too." Dean smiled as he shook Harry's hand. "It's been too long."

Ginny nodded and gestured around the tent. "That's why we decided to do this. We needed a good reason to bring us all back together."

"Hannah and Neville have created some drinks for the occasion too," Harry gestured to one side of the tent where Dean saw a small group of people he'd once felt as close to as his half-siblings. "Go say hi and grab something to drink and enjoy the afternoon. We'll head over to the boxes about thirty minutes before the match starts."

"Now we're talking," Seamus pulled their little group forward and Ginny laughed and waved them forward.

"I honestly didn't think he'd come." She leant back into Harry as she watched the gorgeous Valeria whisper to Dean as they walked away. He was smiling again, looking down at her like she was everything.

The way Ginny knew Harry looked at her.

"I told Seamus to work his magic, and it helped that Dean and Valeria were in Mexico already." Harry kissed her temple and Ginny closed her eyes as she leant into it.

"Maybe we could take the kids to Mexico, ask Dean and Valeria for good places to visit."

"I think they'd enjoy that. Why not invite Dean and Valeria and their kids along?"

"I don't want to scare them away. This is the first contact they've had with anyone from school outside of Seamus and Maeve." Ginny watched Dean slowly settle in. "I worry it's me that's kept him from the rest of his friends."

Harry pulled her flush against him. "You know that isn't true. Dean is too good for that. And so are you." His lips touched her cheek and Ginny smiled.

"You're right. I just want us all to be happy. We deserve to be happy."

"You deserve to be happy." Harry slowly spun her around and kissed her. Ginny melted into his kiss and was just realizing that they should probably ease up when…

"Ew! Dad! Mom! Not again!" Ginny laughed as Harry pulled away.

"Jamie, do you want to meet Victor Krum?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then kindly stop shouting at your mother and me."

Jamie grumbled but dutifully quieted, though their guests were already laughing at the display.

"We'll pick that up later, yeah?" Harry spoke against the shell of her ear.

Ginny indulged herself and turned to kiss him further. Everyone was already laughing with them, and with all their old friends around them, Ginny couldn't think of a better way to celebrate.