A/N: I have a lot of people to thank for helping me with recent chapters (some posted, some not yet) so… thank you to Luke, Becs, Hayley, TJ, Kathy, and Ella, for looking at snippets, general encouragement, and beta-reading too! Hope you enjoy Harry's birthday!
Harry woke from a very pleasant dream to the feeling of Ginny's very real lips. In his foggy state, he didn't think twice about wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to deepen it. Her happy squeal of indignation woke him up.
"Harry! Stop or you'll squish it," she scolded with laughter in her voice.
"I think it would like that actually," he replied, falling back onto his pillow and closing his eyes. That part of him was very awake, but he was not.
"Boys," she muttered in fond exasperation. With a laugh, she shook him. "Come on! Get up! Get up!" she said excitedly.
"Gin," he groaned. "What time is it even?" Without his glasses, he couldn't see the clock on the desk across the room, nor did he care to leave his comfortable position in bed. If she would just lie back down, it may be perfect actually. Even with his blurred vision, he couldn't miss the bright red of her shining hair and reached out to run his fingers through it. The contact relaxed him further. It seemed to have a similar effect on her as she drifted forward under his touch until their lips met again. This time her mouth opened, inviting him to deepen the kiss.
They were both breathing heavily when they finally pulled back. "You left me," he said indignantly, running his hands through her hair again, taking notice that there were no tangles. The taste of mint toothpaste lingering on his tongue provided further proof.
"I did," she admitted. "But only for a minute. To get things ready."
He didn't bother trying to understand what she meant, his hand slipping out of her hair and down to the smooth curve of her waist. He had just managed the find the strip of soft skin exposed above the hemline of her pants when she pulled back, hopping out of bed as she went.
"None of that," she said, sounding breathless. She slipped his glasses on him herself, his grandmother's ring on her finger the first thing that came into focus as his vision cleared. A smile spread across his face at the sight of it, remembering how she accepted it - accepted and chose him. Not a moment later the vision was gone, replaced by a brightly wrapped package being unceremoniously pushed in his face. "It's present time! Happy birthday!"
He shook the sleep from his body and sat up quickly. He'd known today was his birthday, of course, just hadn't been awake enough before now to realize what day it was.
As he took the package from her, she said, "It's not much. I didn't buy it, but I had it… you'll see." She cut herself off with an impatient gesture for him to open it. Her words could have been apologetic, except the gleam in her eyes told him she was happy with what she had chosen.
Delicately, he pulled off the spellotape to unwrap it. Ginny's half snort expressed her frustration and amusement at his slow pace, but he still hadn't received enough gifts over the years for the sense of wonder to wear off. Getting a gift was still a happy surprise that someone had remembered his birthday, got him something, and also taken the time to wrap it as if he mattered. Even if it had, this would still be special because it was the first gift she had ever given him.
That didn't mean he wasn't curious, however. Once he was sure he wasn't going to rip the paper, he quickly pulled it off the reveal the gift. It wasn't at all what he had expected, but the framed photo - one he recognized without ever having seen before thanks to the stories Sirius had left behind - and the letter it had been sent with were perfect.
"Where did you find this?" he asked in wonder, reaching out to gently touch the image.
"I found it in the back of the wardrobe when I was moving my stuff in here," she said softly. Her voice became apologetic, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away, but it was a bit torn. I had the damage repaired by a specialty store in Diagon Alley, so it shouldn't ever fade, and then had it framed. Is it alright?"
Harry nodded, but couldn't bring himself to speak just yet.
It was the picture Sirius had mentioned, along with his mother's letter. The toddler version of himself zoom by on a broom that hovered no more than two feet above the floor, while his dad followed looking proud but alert, his protective hands waiting on either side of his son should Harry fall. His mum stood in the background, watching fondly and laughing at every paranoid twitch his dad showed.
Wetness filled Harry's eyes as he saw further proof of what his family could have been. His mother truly was lovely. Everything about her displayed a vibrancy and life that lit up the room around her.
His father was more dedicated that he had ever guessed. Obviously, his dad had loved them fiercely- he'd willingly faced Voldemort just to give his wife and son a few extra minutes - but he hadn't known the brave, rash Gryffindor everyone talked about was gentle and paranoid about his young son's safety enough to trail him on a child's broom.
The first tears fell as he watched the scene replay and witnessed the small ways in which he had been loved. He audibly sniffled as he wiped them away with the back of his hand. Ginny didn't say anything, but leaned into him further wrapping a hand around his arm. He placed his hand over hers and gathered the strength to look away from the image to the words his mum had written.
Her script struck him once more, just as it had when he saw her signature at Gringotts. This time he noticed that she wrote her g's the same way he did. This was even better though, because her own words, spoken to a friend, painted him a clearer picture of who she had been as an individual. As many stories as he'd heard about her, nothing made her feel more real to him than the things she had touched or created on her own.
He swallowed thickly, trying to force the lump out of his throat. His voice was still hoarse when he said, "I love it. Thank you, Gin."
"I'm glad you like it," she said with a grin, though she looked far more relieved than she let on by word alone. "It's kind of a multipurpose present, when you think about it." At his quirked brow, she explained, "Now we know for sure that Sirius likes to tell tall-tales."
"That's right," he said with a chuckle. "He did claim she was rather put out with him, and my dad was the one who was pleased. She didn't seem very upset if you ask me. She sounded wonderful, actually."
"That's what I thought too. Then again, if she was anything like my mum, she might have sent him a howler first before she realized how happy it made you. Just look at your face," she said, practically glowing as she looked at the baby Harry's euphoric expression. "You were born to be a flyer. How could that look not soften her opinion?"
He looked back at the picture - it was all he wanted to do anyway - but focused on his small face this time as he zoomed in and out of the frame. The enjoyment there was so pure that he thought he could feel its echo even now.
"I see what you mean," he said quietly.
It was near impossible to stop looking, but he tore his eyes away once more. He didn't want to miss enjoying today by longing for the past. He turned his attention to Ginny instead, who still looked completely entranced by the photo. There was a tenderness to her expression that he'd seen before, but only when she looked at him, and he was seized by a longing even fiercer than the one he felt when thinking of his parents.
"Since it's my birthday," he began, knowing he wasn't achieving the casualness he intended, "does that mean I can make all the decisions? Because going back to bed with you sounds like a brilliant way to spend the morning."
Broken from her reverie, she looked up at him happily. "As nice as that sounds... no. I have lots of plans for you today - and they took forever to negotiate, by the way - so there is no time to waste."
"Negotiate?" he asked, curiosity pushing his other desires back.
"Mmhmm," she hummed. "I had to talk with Mum, Dad, Dumbledore, Tonks and even Percy to make this happen," she explained, ticking off each name with one of her fingers as she listed them, "so no way am I letting us get off track."
All of those people? "When did you even have time for that?"
She smiled proudly, the sly look she usually reserved for messing with her brothers lighting up her face. "With Ron's help, of course. Why do you think he was so adamant that you play chess last night? Or gave you all those lessons."
It was true. Ron had insisted that they play - twice. After Harry lost soundly both times, his friend had spent over an hour giving Harry an exhaustive lesson on all the reasons why and strategies he could use to correct them. It had been rather unimportant to Harry - he really didn't mind losing at chess - but his friend had seemed so enthusiastic that he did his best to pay attention anyway.
"You two…" he began in fond exasperation. He really hadn't suspected anything.
"Are Weasleys," she finished for him. "Misdirection is an inherited trait - comes with the red hair - but I'm sure you'll pick up on it soon," she added, giving him a playful pat on the chest. Harry's sarcastic reply was cut off when she continued, "Enough, now! Go shower and get ready. I'll let Mum know you're up so we can have your birthday breakfast before we leave."
They were going out? A foreign childlike excitement rose up in him. Grimmauld Place had certainly gotten nicer and cleaner over the past month, but there was still an overall uninviting feel to it.
"Any way I can convince you to tell me where we're going?" he tried, knowing it would be useless.
She smiled devilishly. "Not a chance. All you need to know is that you and I have a date, followed by birthday activities."
"A date?"
Her amusement turned soft. "Yes. A date. It's something you wanted to do, right?" She became unsure as she continued, "We don't have to. It's your birthday, and we can do whatever you want. I just wanted to surprise you."
"I want to," he rushed to assure her. He really wanted to. He tried to show her just how much with an impassioned kiss.
She looked thoroughly reassured when he pulled back. The breathtaking smile he was so fond of lit her face briefly before she came back to herself. "Harry, as nice as this is, if we're actually going to go on our date, we need to get going."
"Alright. I'm going," he conceded, excited to find out what she had planned. Aside from the fact that her clear pride and enthusiasm would have endeared him to whatever she had planned regardless of the location, the fact that they would be doing it somewhere else had his own eagerness mounting.
XXXXXXXXXXX
When he made it down to the kitchen, a wide breakfast spread greeted him. Despite how delicious everything looked and smelled, it was not the food that caught his attention. It was Ginny, whose already pink cheeks darkened further as she caught sight of him.
"We'll be fine, Mum," she said in a tone that he recognized as one she was carefully controlling. "Tonks will be with us, and Dumbledore is sending someone from the Order too. Just in case."
He hadn't taken notice earlier, but Ginny was wearing casual clothes with a bag slung over her shoulder. Again, he wondered what exactly she had planned. Beneath her stern tone, there was exasperation and possibly amusement.
"That is not what I meant, Ginevra, and you know it," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Mum," Ginny hissed, tipping her head in his direction. He didn't have time to ponder the exchange before Mrs. Weasley took notice of him.
"Harry dear!" She rushed to embrace him, kissing his cheek as she pulled back. "Happy birthday! Sit down and have a bite, won't you?"
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," he said before taking his spot at the table. Ginny joined him, the previous conversation forgotten as they both tucked in.
Tonks joined them partly through. "Morning," she said, somewhat lastly. Her hair was that mousy color that Harry was becoming accustomed to seeing on her, though he thought it robbed her of her usual liveliness. Despite the worn look, she smiled and kissed his cheek in greeting. "And happy birthday to you, Harry."
Harry found himself fighting the urge to pull back and shot a look to check on Ginny's reaction. They had spoken with Dumbledore about Tonks' interest in Remus, but still… if his general feelings about her being close to Neville were anything to go by.
Ginny wasn't at all upset. If anything, she looked amused by his discomfort before turning to embrace Tonks. He hadn't realized how close the two were until he saw the warmth between them. He just barely heard Ginny whisper, "No progress then? I know you two talked yesterday."
Tonks gave a tiny shake of her head. "Not enough time and I was too angry. Then he was gone."
"I'm sorry," Ginny replied just as quietly, before pulling back from their lengthy hug. "Thank you for coming and offering to help out today," she said at a normal volume, her demeanor shifting back to normal.
Tonks straightened herself out as well and responded as if the previous exchange hadn't happened. "Glad to help. Plus, wouldn't want to miss this one's birthday." She leaned in as if to tell a secret, "I heard it's very exclusive, you know."
Her tone was so serious that Harry couldn't stop himself from laughing. Ginny didn't even try to contain her mirth. Harry had always like Tonks himself, but he could understand how she and Ginny had become actual friends.
Ron and Hermione joined them next, the former looking particularly sleepy. Hermione stopped to hug him and wish him a happy birthday as well, but Ron merely pat him on the back as he passed in search of food, mumbling his own greeting.
"Mate," Harry said in amusement. "Why don't you go back to bed?" he stopped himself from continuing and telling Ron that he had unknown plans that morning.
He and Ginny hadn't exactly told anyone about the change in their relationship status. Now that he thought about it, he assumed that her parents must have known given how much trouble she had gone through to plan their upcoming date.
Ron didn't notice his stumble and continued assembling his breakfast. "Nah. Gotta be up. I'm helping Fred and George at the store this morning, covering Verity's usual shift so she and Lee can work the afternoon shift for your birthday dinner. Don't know what Hermione is doing up, though."
"I have some research I want to do before we go - "
"Shh!" Ginny interrupted.
Hermione rolled her eyes, but continued just as patiently, "before we go to the party."
"Sounds boring," Ron said.
"Yes, well," her eyes slid to Ginny with a knowing look, "alone time can be quite enjoyable. Don't you agree Ginny?"
Well, that's at least three people who know definitively, Harry thought. It now made sense to him why Hermione had dragged him off last night to talk about options for Buckbeak. She had spent an hour telling him in extensive detail how much better the hippogriff's life would be if Harry sent him back to Hagrid with a new name and some colored feathers, even though he had agreed ten minutes in. She was in on it too.
Ginny's reply was cut off by her mother. "Ginny dear, it's getting rather close to time. Dumbledore didn't say who would be coming, did he?"
"No. Just that they'd bring the portkey." She glanced at the clock. "We still have a few minutes."
Her mother looked worriedly at the clock, but sent them to wash up as she busied herself. Harry and Ginny did as they were told without comment. They returned just as Remus Lupin stepped out of the floo.
"Apologies for my lateness. Dumbledore was a bit behind getting the portkey together," he told the room at large, raising a worn book. He turned to Harry quickly and said warmly, "Happy birthday, Harry. Thank you for allowing me to join you today."
Despite the sincere enthusiasm, Harry noticed that the man made no move to touch him like all the others had. It highlighted just how closed off Remus was from the rest of the world and Harry was struck with guilt as he realized how little effort he had put into keeping in touch with him after Sirius had come into his life. "I didn't know you'd be coming actually, but I'm glad you're here," he replied honestly.
Tonks cut in, her voice sounding stressed, "As lovely as it is that Remus has joined us, we have less than a minute until the portkey activates. You two ready?" The tips of her hair were black, but the rest of it seemed to be shifting through various shades of brown, as if she were doing her best to control it but failing.
With hasty goodbyes and promises to see them in a few hours, they managed the farewells just in time. Harry barely managed to place his hand on the book before he felt the pull in his navel and the horrible disorientation of the portkey activating. When they landed moments later, he didn't need to wait for his vision to clear to recognize where they were. The scent of flowers in the air mingled with the sound of clucking chickens and gnomes left unchecked immediately clued him into the fact that Ginny had brought him home.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Are you sure it's okay?" Ginny asked again as they wandered across the Burrow toward the pond. "This wasn't the original plan. I wanted to go somewhere else, but they said nothing in public."
"It's brilliant, Gin. I mean it," he assured her again.
He wasn't even lying. It really had been a wonderful morning so far. Remus and Tonks had taken to walking around the perimeter of the property under the guise of checking the wards. Harry suspected that it was rather that they had a lot of talking to do in private. Not that it upset him at all. He was perfectly happy to have some free time alone with Ginny.
Their time together had actually been amazing. It was easy, as close to perfect as he could have imagined. really. They'd spent most of the morning walking around the Burrow, Ginny telling him all about it as seen through the eyes of the youngest - and sneakiest - Weasley. The number of stories she had that could be used as blackmail was astounding. He'd laughed until his cheeks and stomach hurt at some of them, but his favorite parts had been the secrets of her own that she shared with him. So far, she'd shown him her favorite hide outs on the property, how she was able to break into the broom shed to steal her brother's brooms - and his too, he had learned - and was now leading him to the pond for a swim.
"Okay. Okay. I'll stop being mental. I promise," she said with a self-deprecating smile, before pulling him by their joined hands with more confidence in her step. Harry let their arms extend between them, granting him just enough distance that he could get a full view of her as she went.
He watched her light movements happily, the sun igniting the spectrum of reds and golds in her hair as they shifted like water with each step she took. His eyes drifted further, caught by the sway of her hips and the shape of her bum, perhaps getting a bit too excited as he imagined what she'd look like in her swimming costume. He had to force himself to look away, knowing his own swimming trunks wouldn't do him any favors in hiding the particular issue the view of her backside was causing.
The situation only got worse when they arrived at the bank of the pond and she shed her shirt, revealing all but a thin strip of her back. He couldn't stop himself from staring, starting with her heavily freckled shoulders and following the curve of her spine down as the pattern faded out to creamy white skin. He was just imagining how his thumbs might fit in the divots above her tailbone when she bent forward to shimmy her bottoms off. The sight was too much, his erection was already tenting his bottoms in a way that she was sure to notice. He forced himself to look away and all but rushed into the water, removing his shirt as he walked.
The cool water was a relief as he waded out to chest-deep waters, aiding in both covering his excitement and toning it down. He kept himself facing away from the bank until her heard Ginny slip into the water and come up beside him. A chuckle escaped him when he realized that she had to tread water to be where he stood.
"Shut it, you," she laughed, before splashing him. Before he could retaliate, she ducked under the water and swam away. He didn't immediately go after her, but instead watched the graceful she glided through the water. When she resurfaced well out of splashing range, she gave him a cheeky grin. "Aw, come on, Potter. You aren't going to let me get away that easily, are you?" she challenged.
He wasted no time in accepting her challenge.
They spent nearly an hour splashing about in the water, taking turns chasing one another. Ginny was by far the better swimmer, having spent countless hours playing games like these with her brothers, but he still managed to catch her regularly. He didn't even care that she was likely letting him, because it meant he got to touch the smoothness of her wet bare skin. Of course, it also meant getting hit in the face by a wave of water that was impressive coming from such a small person, but it was totally worth it.
This time they were in shallower waters, however, and he grabbed her around the waist and lifted, keeping her arms above his shoulders and out of the water. "Got you now," he said triumphantly.
"That you did," she murmured. It sounded like a purr to his ears. The look in her eyes wasn't helping either - the chocolate in her eyes molten, like she was burning with the same desire he was - and when her eyes dropped to his lips, he didn't hesitate in leaning forward to kiss her.
Her arms immediately wrapped around his neck, heatedly meeting his passion with equal measure as her tongue stroked his. His left hand rose without his consent threading into the wet tangles of her hair as his right pressed against her back and drew her closer. When he felt her hardened nipples pressing against his chest through the material of her swimming top, it occurred to him that she was dangerous close to feeling his reaction to their activities and loosened his grip on her. Without him to hold her close, she drifted back just far enough to allow him to think clearly.
"How much longer do we have before everyone gets here?" he asked, holding her at the new, safe distance.
"Soon," she answered, sounding winded herself. She seemed as reluctant as he felt as she slowly released her grip around his neck and put greater distance between them. "We should probably get out and dry off. I have one more place to show you before the rest of crazies join us. I thought maybe we could have lunch there?"
He agreed and followed her out of the water after taking a minute to fully calm down. He deliberately kept his eyes off her as she dried and redressed herself. This time, he walked directly beside her as they held hands while she led them down the path that led to the garden.
"Well, this is it," she said, placing the basket that contained their lunch down and lowering herself onto the ground. There wasn't that much in the area, just an uneven grouping of common red poppies. Harry took a seat too, wondering what exactly was so special about it, but not wanting to ask. The look she gave him said she understood what he was thinking anyway, as did her next words. "I know it isn't much, but this was where I was allowed to plant whatever I wanted as a kid. I planted the poppies when I was five, or maybe six, when I was first coming to learn about the wars and what they meant."
Harry had spent enough time in the muggle school system that he knew what poppies meant in relation to the war. They had grown prolifically in the battle fields after World War I and become a symbol for the blood that had been spilled.
"Auntie Muriel had started to teach me things that 'a proper witch should be taught' - all the old bloodlines and such - when I noticed that so many of these family names she was so insistent that I learn didn't even exist anymore, or were down to just one member, one of which was Grandmum Weasley's family." She reached out and stroked one of the flowers. "So I decided to ask my dad about it. That's when he told me about Grindelwald's war..." She spent a little time explaining it to him in the briefest terms before returning to her main point. "... and dad is obsessed with muggles of course, so he told me about the poppies in the battlefields. He said that it wasn't just all the lives lost, but the hope that life could thrive again even after such tragedy and that those losses hadn't been in vain." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as if embarrassed, but the words were strong as she continued, "That always stuck with me. Because then we had Voldemort's war, and so many more people and more families died, but mine was still here. They had lost so much, but my parents were here with seven children, living the lives so many of their family members didn't get to."
"I like it," he said when she finally finished. "It's important to remember and honor the ones who were lost, even if we don't remember them."
"It is," she said, sounding relieved that he understood. "But enough about that. We're supposed to be celebrating! And since Mum isn't here, I can give you this first," she said, pulling a box from the basket and handing it to him.
He opened it to find a small round cake, frosted in chocolate. It was neater than the one Hagrid had given him for his eleventh birthday, but inexpert enough that he knew Mrs. Weasley hadn't done it. Just to be sure, he asked, "You made me a cake?"
"Yes," she said, smiling slightly. Her cheeks were a bit pink as she added, "I know it's not that great and it may not taste very good. I've never really done it by myself - Mum likes hers to be perfect - but I wanted to make one for you."
"It's perfect. Thank you," he said earnestly. "I'm sure it's delicious."
And it was, he realized as they shared without touching the actual meal. He'd had cakes made for him before by Mrs. Weasley that were culinary masterpieces, but this one was even better for its lack of perfection. Knowing that Ginny had gone out of her way to make it for him and having the opportunity to share it with her made it the best cake he'd ever had.
XXXXXXXX
The morning up until that point had been peaceful, almost to the point of bliss, but the arrival of the rest of their family brought a rush of activity that was unquellable. The rest of the Weasleys, including Hermione and Fleur, had arrived with a literal bang, as Fred and George had set off fireworks to announce their arrival. Despite how swiftly the day had changed, it had been a thoroughly enjoyable time.
They had played quidditch, breaking into two teams that consisted of a keeper, two chasers, and a seeker on each team. Hermione had declined the offer to play, electing to sit on the sidelines and referee. In the end, Bill ended up with Fleur and Percy as his chasers and Ginny as his seeker. Harry would have preferred Ginny play chaser for him, but Ron had called it unfair. "She's the only one who stands a chance against him," he'd said. Ginny had shrugged, but Bill knew her well enough to recognize just how true that was. Harry had been seeker while Ron kept for his team and twins acted as Chasers.
Harry spent most of his time flying with Ginny, not even attempting to catch the old battered snitch Bill had brought with them, not wanting to put an early end to their family game. He was well aware that she was doing the same. It probably would have been wiser had they both been chasers instead, but he couldn't bring himself to care as they took turns trying to outmaneuver each other for fun. He had even spotted Tonks and Lupin stopping briefly to watch, but they continued their rounds before the game ended.
Everything had been going well, at least until the mud fight started. He honestly wasn't sure who had thrown the first handful. All he knew was that he had just landed next to Ginny, completely engrossed in the way her hair fell in waves down her back as she pulled it out of its holder, when he was hit in the face with a clump of it that splattered her as well. The look on her face actually had him worried for a moment that someone was shortly going to be fighting off bat-bogies, but the situation around them devolved quickly enough that there was no telling who the culprit was. By the end of the impromptu war, every member of their party had been covered in the filthy stuff, and they all decided to take a dip in the pond to clean off. Ginny herself had insisted she needed a proper shower and Harry had chosen to follow her instead.
Once inside, Ginny had claimed the first shower, arguing that she needed the extra time to style her hair. She gave him a fleeting kiss on the cheek and hurried up the stairs without a backward glance as he watched her go in amusement, finding it strangely endearing to see her flustered about her appearance. It wasn't that she wasn't feminine - she was - but rather that she rarely showcased it so openly. Not that she had been given many opportunities to do so, given that every other time they'd had reason to make themselves presentable had been under less than ideal circumstances.
Despite her quick goodbye and mad dash, there was a lightness to her that kept his attention as she drifted up the winding stairs of the Burrow. He'd watched her a lot over the last month, enough to recognize the relaxed position of her shoulders and the way her weight rested almost entirely on the balls of her feet as she walked meant that she was deeply and truly happy in that moment. The same way he was. He couldn't even remember the last time he felt so carefree.
"You've never resembled your father more than you do right now," Remus said from behind him. Harry quickly looked away from the flick of red hair he saw as Ginny rounded the corner to the man he hadn't known had been watching him. Remus was smiling at him. His curiosity must have shown, because Remus elaborated, "He used to get that exact same look on his face whenever Lily walked by." He chuckled a bit as Harry's cheeks heated. "Sirius called it 'dopey', but I thought it was sweet that he was never afraid to let his feelings for her show, even before she returned those feelings. It doesn't seem like you have that problem though."
Despite the embarrassment he felt, a smile slipped out. "Just lucky, I guess?"
"That you are," Remus said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I can't count the number of times James made a fool of himself for Lily, but he never regretted it." His expression turned from fond to tentative. "I was actually wondering if you might like to hear a bit about their history?"
"Yes," Harry blurted without thought. The mixture of amusement, sadness, and guilt on the older man's face made him slightly embarrassed about his enthusiasm. "Please," he added with more composure.
"Would you like to hear about their first date? That seems appropriate," he said, gently teasing.
Harry was beyond caring about that, however, and nodded eagerly.
Lupin leaned against the wall, his eyes going distant and a smile spreading across his face. Harry mimicked him, not caring that they were standing at the bottom of the steps or that he didn't know the details of the story yet. The expression lightened Remus's face and made him look younger in a way Harry had never seen before.
"It's actually a good story," he said with a chuckle. "First, you have to understand that James had asked Lily to go on a date so many times at that point that we'd all lost count. She'd unequivocally turned him down each and every time, but he'd never once lost his confidence. It became something of an automatic response. He'd annoy her, she'd tell him off, and he'd respond with an offer to stop if she'd just go out with him, usually accompanied by a wink and his cockiest grin. Then she'd get flustered and shoot him down. We'd all tried to tell him to give it up, but he never would."
Harry tried to picture it through the same lens that Remus was, but It was too close to Snape's vision to be comforting. "What changed?" he asked, hoping to replace the mental image quickly.
"The war was starting to pick up by the time we were going into our final year," Remus said, a weight that wasn't there before hanging in his voice. "James… he and your grandfather had a run in with Death Eaters over the holidays. Neither were hurt, but the muggles they were protecting hadn't been so lucky. The experience… it changed him. He started taking things more seriously. It was a month into our final year and he hadn't asked Lily out on a date even once yet. They'd been getting along quite well as Head Boy and Girl..." The light returned as he continued to tell the tale in vivid detail. Closing his eyes, Harry pictured the scene as the words washed over him.
October was drawing closer as his dad's brooding continued. Sirius had given up trying to make him laugh and simply resigned to let his best mate sulk if he wanted to. Remus sat quietly doing his work while James scratched away viciously at his parchment and Sirius wandered across the common room to chat up some girls.
James had reached the point of muttering under his breath to vent his frustration. "What good is this when people are dying out there? We should be out defending them! Or at least honing our skills, practicing defense, not wasting our time writing bloody essays!"
Remus was just about to placate him by patiently explaining for the nth time how a well rounded education would make them more helpful to the war effort once they graduated when loud laughter rang out from across the room. He winced, recognizing Lily's laughter mixing with that of her friends and Sirius. A quick look at James told him everything he needed to know.
The outburst was swift. "What is wrong with you?" he shouted at them, rising to his feet. "How can you sit there and laugh while people are losing their lives as we speak? Don't you care at all?"
"Of course I care," Lily replied, standing as well to meet his level. "That's why I'm here, making sure I'm the strongest witch I can be to help them," she said strongly, but with none of the bite that James' accusation had held. "But that doesn't mean we should forget to live."
"What do you even know about living? You spent the last six years with your head in books trying to be the best at everything!" he snapped.
Remus had never seen James talk to Lily Evans that way. Before today, he wouldn't have thought James even capable of it. He was suddenly worried that things were about to explode. He'd seen Lily's temper quite a few times - never without provocation, but this certainly constituted that - and wasn't looking forward to what came next.
Lily surprised him, though. Instead of snapping back, she crossed her arms across her chest and raised a brow, but said calmly, "I'd like to believe I know a fair bit more than you."
"You don't know me, Evans," he bit out.
The look she gave him was assessing, as though she'd never truly seen him before. "No," she said slowly. "I suppose I don't. Maybe it's about time we change that."
"Excuse me?" James asked, the anger draining into confusion.
"It's a Hogsmeade weekend," Lily replied steadily. Her demeanor betrayed no nerves. "Let's go tomorrow, after breakfast."
Remus thought James may have been stunned beyond comprehension. He didn't move or speak for a long moment, staring at Lily with wide eyes as though he weren't sure if she were real or not. Lily never once lost her composure as she waited.
It took Sirius yelling, "James! This is the moment you've been waiting for. Don't bullocks it up now!" and the laughter of everyone watching to snap him to attention.
"Yeah. Yes. Sure. That…" he ruffled his hair and straightened his spine as he tried to redeem himself. "It's a date."
"Don't push your luck, Potter," she retorted, though Remus caught the smile on her face as she turned her back on the still flabbergasted James.
"Wait," Harry interrupted. It was all too fantastical to believe. "She rejects him for years at every opportunity, and then suddenly she's asking him out, in front of everyone, when he's being an arse, just like that?"
Lupin's eyes lit with amusement. "That is what I'm saying, though it's not quite the truth." Harry's puzzlement must have shown because Remus laughed. "Your mother, for all that she thought she was being circumspect, spent the better part of the preceding month watching every move your father made." He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "No, Harry. It was not 'just like that'. Your mother was careful, smart, and brave. She knew what she wanted by then, and she wasn't afraid to go after it once she knew."
Harry had to admire their bravery - both of them - for going after what they wanted. He wasn't sure he'd ever been that type of brave before. Ginny had been difficult enough and he was working from a rather solid foundation there. When he told Remus this, the older man laughed freely.
"Your father was brave as can be until it came time for the actual date. He even had Sirius promise to be close by in case he messed up and needed a quick escape." His tone laced with wry amusement, he added, "I'm not quite sure how he thought running away after offending her would work in his favor, but luckily it wasn't needed."
It was strange to think of how different his parents' story was from his own. It had taken him years to notice Ginny and weeks to do anything about his feelings, but being with her felt as easy as breathing. That line of thinking was sure to distract him, however, so he asked, "What did Sirius do? Follow them and watch?"
Some of the mirth faded from Remus's face, replaced by nervousness. "No, they arranged that James would find Sirius if he needed him." He pulled something from his pocket, extending to toward Harry as an offering. "Using an item identical to this."
Harry reached out to take it. As it stared up at him from his palm, he recognized without being told that for the second time that day he had been given a piece of the past.
The battered watch Remus handed him more resembled a compass than a time-piece. The cardinal directions were all clearly marked, as were the four markers that moved within the circle of space, each marked by one of the Marauder's forms. They figures didn't appear to move on a fixed hand like a traditional compass or clock would - the stag, dog, and moon were all congregated at the middle of the face, playfully knocking into each other as they vied for position at the very center position, while the rat was somewhere to the northeast, but not quite as far as it would go.
When he looked away up at Remus, the man began his explanation. "It's a location device, as I'm sure you've guessed. Each of us had one. Your father and Sirius mostly used them in our pranks. Just another tool of the trade." A bittersweet smile spread across his face, making him look both younger and older in different ways. "We only had the one map, and it wasn't always wise to pull it out." He laughed a bit, more happiness leaking into his expression as he walked further down memory lane. "Plus, with your father running around invisible under that cloak of his, coordination could get a bit tricky. These let us know how near or far the others were, and in which direction."
Harry smiled to himself, picturing them trying to pull off some of the pranks he had read about in Mischief Managed. In his head, he saw his dad hiding under the cloak, trying to sneak up on Sirius while the latter watched the hand get closer on his own compass, lying in wait to surprise his dad instead, and Remus watching it all unfold on the Marauder's Map from a safe distance. Lupin pulled him from his happy visions, his voice heavier than before.
"We used them during the first war too, when there were fights or even just when we were on separate missions. It… was a comfort to me, to have some idea of where they were when I was on missions for the Order." He swallowed hard, "but I put mine away after what happened… I didn't even think of pulling it out again until I was teaching at Hogwarts and Sirius broke into the castle."
Harry looked back down, noticing the location of Wormtail's indicator. There were any number of places he could be, as a good deal of England was in that direction, but he assumed Wormtail was wherever Voldemort was. We could find them, Harry thought with a jolt, before realizing how pointless that would be. He was the only one who could take down Voldemort, and he wasn't ready yet. The maudlin thought was driven out by the central image again. His eyes fixated on the stag and dog, their locators indicating that they should have been there, standing with him. How he wished it were true.
"Why does it show them as being here?" Harry asked quietly.
"I was surprised by it too. I had thought that the other figures would have disappeared after they died," Remus said just as quietly. "I asked Dumbledore the same question - at the time it showed your father and Peter with us and Sirius nearby - and he told me that those we love never truly leave us. We keep them near us just by living for them."
Harry felt a tightness in his chest. Sirius had said almost the same thing to him once, that night they met. It was a truth he knew but was easy to forget. He pulled the object closer to him, vowing to himself to keep that truth closer to his heart. So many of the people he loved were gone - his parents he couldn't even remember - but they would always be with him. He could - and would - do his best to live for them.
He slipped it into his pocket as Ginny came down the stairs, fully dressed and lovelier than ever in the dress Fleur had purchased for her. The ring she wore shined in the light, but even that wasn't as bright as the dazzling smile that lit her face when she saw him standing there already looking at her. Her happiness mirrored his own, and his desire to truly live swelled until he thought he may burst with it.
"Tut, tut," she clicked, a teasing smile on her face. "You're slacking. I did all this," she gave a twirl for emphasis, the hem of her dress and hair both fanning out as she did so, "and you're still here covered in filth and stinking of mud."
Harry was still in awe of her display, unable to form a response. The glint in her eye - the same one she'd given him in the pond earlier before they'd almost gone too far - wasn't helping. Remus came to his aid.
"Apologies, Ginny," he said with mock solemnity, though he looked amused. "I must admit to being responsible for the delay. Finding Harry alone is becoming more and more difficult, I hear. It seemed wise to take the opportunity when it presented."
Harry was gratified to see the blush that stained Ginny's cheeks at his teasing comment. She still offered their former professor a genuine smile, "I guess that's excusable then." A look passed between the two that Harry didn't understand, but she turned to address him before he could think about it too much. "You really should hurry and get ready. Dinner will be soon, and we don't need the guest of honor being late, do we? Mum might die of nerves thinking you hated the party she planned."
"Your mum planned the party?" he asked in surprise. He thought it would have been Ginny's idea.
"Of course. You don't think I'd willingly share you with other people, do you?" she said in jest, an eyebrow raised.
He chuckled at the absurdity of it. He knew her well enough to know that she didn't fight this. He wouldn't be surprised if she had subtly suggested it and was just letting her mother believe that she had come up with the idea.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Twenty minutes later and freshly showered, Harry returned to the ground floor wearing one of his nicer set of robes that Ginny had packed for him. It was far fancier than anything he'd worn at the Burrow before, but he was glad for it, not wanting to look like a beggar compared to Ginny in her dress. He paused in the sitting room to observe the Weasleys and their closest friends moving about the kitchen, but his eyes immediately found her among the throng, her flaming hair standing out in bright contrast to the shimmering fabric she wore. Yes, he was definitely glad he matched her tonight.
Two heavy arms on his shoulders, one from either side, made the smile drop from his face. It was never good when Fred and George settled on a target, and Harry thought it must be particularly bad if said target had just been ogling their baby sister.
"Well, well… what do we have here, George?" Harry tried not to flinch at the amusement in Fred's tone, knowing he was in for a ribbing. "It looks like little Harrykins isn't so little anymore," he said, ruffling Harry's hair. Harry tried to pull away, but George tightened his grip.
"Definitely not. If only that reporter from this morning could see him now..." George said, a put-on wistful quality to his words.
"What reporter?" Harry asked quickly. The twins could get carried away in their banter and this sounded important. He was ignored.
"I'll say. He looks rather smitten with his betrothed, does he not? He doesn't look trapped or miserable to me at all," Fred said matter-of-factly.
"I concur. Though, they'd probably find a way to spin that too. Suggest our lovely sister has him dosed with a love potion instead." George broke character and became serious as he added, "We might want to discontinue that line, actually."
Fred did too. "You're probably right. They don't need any more fodder for their accusations."
Harry had had enough and shrugged out from under them. He turned to face them with his arms crossed over his chest and leveled them with a glare. "What reporter?" From what he had gathered, said reporter had been bent on smearing Ginny's name, and he wasn't about to treat it as a joke.
"Nothing to worry about," George said. It would have appeared dismissive, if not for the hardness in his tone. "Just some young reporter looking for dirt to make a good story."
"We took care of it," Fred added. His malicious grin curled in a way that was almost feral. George mirrored the expression as he nodded beside him. As accustomed as Harry was to the twins being devilishly tricky, the malignant air about them now caught him off guard. Instead of pressing, he decided to trust that they had indeed taken care of it.
"If you're sure," he said, relaxing his posture. They nodded in unison. When they didn't offer anything further, he turned to make his way into the kitchen, "Right. Well, I should probably get in there."
"Whoa there," George said, gripping his shoulder before he could go. "We weren't done talking yet. You just distracted us."
"We hadn't gotten to the punchline yet, about how you're looking more and more like one of us every day," Fred said looking gleeful. He had just opened his mouth to continue when a shriek that undoubtedly belonged to Mrs. Weasley sounded from the kitchen.
Harry cringed at the outraged sound, but the twins looked at each other in expectation, totally unphased. Their matching grins only widened when their mother shouted their names.
"Fred and George Weasley! What have you done? Why is Harry's hair red on the clock!?" she yelled, bursting into the room carrying the Weasley clock. "It is his birthday present! How could you - Oh!" she cut off at the sight of him standing between her sons. She only hesitated for a moment before laying into them, calling them irresponsible, rude, and a slew of other things that would have made anyone less brave than the Weasley twins cower with fear. Harry himself missed most of it, trying to get a glimpse of the clock she was holding and what she had meant by his birthday present.
The doorway behind her filled with the partygoers who had been in the kitchen, all of them trying to get a good view for the drama that was unfolding. Ginny managed to slip in behind her mother, but stopped when she saw him. Her eyes momentarily went wide before amusement lit her face. She didn't laugh, though it looked like she was putting a lot of effort into containing it. "Well, that explains why your image changed," she said.
"Explains what? What did she mean about the clock and my hair?" Harry asked.
"Oh, Harry," she said, biting her cheek in an attempt to control herself. "Do you even know what they've done to you?" His puzzled expression must have been enough to tell her that he didn't, because she shook her head slightly and turned him around to face a small mirror on the mantle. "Sorry, love, but it seems they wanted to give you the full Weasley experience today."
Harry was startled to see red hair instead of black reflected back at him in the small surface. There has been a small wave of discomfort when Fred had ruffled his hair, but he had dismissed it as nerves as the time. Now, he realized it had probably been some joke product taking effect. As strange as it was to see himself that way, he was drawn back into Mrs. Weasley's words when he saw her reflection in the corner of the mirror.
"- and now the surprise is ruined!" she said in frustration, turning the clock back around to face the twins.
Harry quickly turned around to look, barely containing his surprise and hope at what he thought was going on. Sure enough, there was a tenth hand on the clock, and though the hair was red instead of black, he still recognized his own green eyes and glasses on it. Through the swell of emotion that rose in him, he managed to look at Mrs. Weasley and ask, "You added me to the clock?" His quiet tone meant that only she and Ginny could hear him over the commotion of laughter and questions being traded between the others.
The anger slipped away from her entirely, leaving only tenderness as she looked at him. Her eyes were teary as she reached out and rubbed both his arms. "We did. I would have done it years ago if it had been possible. The Black magic gives you a relation to me now, so I was finally able to do it. You're one of mine, Harry. You belong there." He went willingly as she pulled him into a heartfelt embrace, allowing himself to show his gratitude through the strong way he returned it. After several deep breaths, he was composed when they pulled back, and relieved to note that no one but Ginny had been paying them any mind.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Dinner and the remainder of his gifts had been presented and witnessed without further incident and his hair had even reverted back to its normal color, much to Mrs. Weasley's relief. Now the entire family was a swell of happy noise and activity around him as love and laughter passed between its members in various forms. Ron was being pestered by the twins while Hermione pretended to be above it all, but looked away to let out a laugh. Mrs. Weasley was clearing away the remaining plates and offering to cut Bill's hair again - probably because Fleur was currently running her fingers through it. Percy and Mr. Weasley spoke to one another quietly - things clearly not fully patched up, but the effort being made by both parties demonstrating how much they cared. Ginny was at his side, providing the perfect mixture of excitement and comfort, watching them all with a satisfied smile.
"I should go save Bill from Mum," Ginny said. "I think Fleur would appreciate the break as well."
Harry looked around again and took a closer look at the couple's expressions. Fleur's lips were starting to thin like McGonagall's when she was angry, and Bill was wearing an increasingly uncomfortable look as his mother continued to suggest life changes he should make. Harry didn't think drawing her mother's attention to herself was wise, but he felt pretty bad for the guy too.
"They probably would, yeah."
Ginny must have been unsure of her plan herself, because she hesitated. "Will you come save me if I'm not free of her in fifteen minutes?" she asked, only half joking.
He laughed. "Of course."
She smiled brightly in return. "Good." She lowered her voice and leaned closer. "I was hoping to sneak away for just a little bit before we have to go. I want to show you something." His pulse sped up, but before he could get too swept away into his fantasies, she sighed and made her way to her mother.
The lack of her heat against his side cooled him down, though some of the warmth lingered as he watched her. One sentence was all it took for Ginny to get her mother's attention fully diverted. She let out a sigh as if disappointed, but the wink she sent him said otherwise. Bill saw and tipped his drink at her in thanks before turning his attention to his much happier looking fiancee. Ginny rolled her eyes at them, but he didn't miss the lift of her cheeks or the softness in her expression that gave her away. It was catching these little signs that made Harry love watching her so much.
He didn't look away from her until she moved the family clock from the counter to the table, directly into his line of vision. The black hair of his likeness stood out amongst a sea of red on the face of the clock from where it now sat proudly on the table. The anomaly didn't look like a trespasser though, as the red surrounded and encompassed the black as though welcoming him as an inherent part of their own. The Weasley's had always done that for him, he realized. They had done their best to pick up the slack that his lack of family left him with, even from the very beginning.
Mrs. Weasley had helped him find the train when he was alone. Fred and George helped him load his things when he was too small to do it himself. Ron had had his back and been a brother to him, as much as Sirius had been to his father. They had sent him thoughtful Christmas gifts that he had no need to earn. The youngest brothers had flown a magical car - one whose existence could have lost their father his livelihood - to rescue him and their parents had welcomed him into their home without hesitation despite it all. Countless instances flew through his mind of all the ways they supported and looked after him, all leading to a conclusion that he had both known and not fully understood until now: they really were his family, and they loved him the way he loved them.
They'd always included him, but he counted himself separate. He'd been so used to the idea that he was alone that he'd missed the truth. Even now, to his right Ron was asking him to back him up in something he said to the twins that Harry had missed and Ginny was to his left, smiling at him from across the room as Percy joined in on her mother's pestering of her and Bill and Fleur laughed surreptitiously at the drama, while Harry sat at the center of it all.
It was a heavy feeling, one he wasn't prepared to examine in the boisterous atmosphere of the kitchen. Fred turning Ron's hair green provided him with the opportunity to slip out the back door quietly and unnoticed.
His feet took him through the dark garden to the patch of poppies Ginny had shown him earlier. The moonlight illuminated them enough that he could still see their bright red petals and black centers, like the scene in the kitchen being repeated a hundred times over. He sank down beside them, his hand drifting over them in a way that allowed him to just briefly feel their softness on each pass.
Quiet footsteps indicated the presence of someone approaching. He couldn't tell whose they were, aside from being able to tell that they didn't belong to Ginny. He ruled out any of the boys as well, judging from the calm, measured sound.
Mr. Weasley came into view, his countenance as sedate as his pace had been. "Hello, Harry. Enjoying the evening?" Even his voice was calm - still waters as opposed to the bubbling stream in the kitchen.
"Yeah," he replied. The quiet peace of the garden was a necessary break, but that didn't diminish his appreciation for having his loved ones come together to celebrate his existence. "Thank you, for all of it. I know it must have been a lot of effort to coordinate."
Mr. Weasley smiled kindly. "Not at all, son." Harry's throat tightened at the word. The man had called him that before, but he'd never truly thought the term was anything more than a phrase. Now it seemed like so much more. "I'm sorry if it's a bit much… we're a rowdy lot. I'm afraid between Molly and I, the kids never quite learned how to do things by halves." The Weasley patriarch gave a self-deprecating shrug, but his expression was one of pride mingled with humor.
Harry smiled in response, feeling eased by the shift in the conversation. "It's been brilliant. Everyone has been great, sir."
"I think we've moved past this 'sir' business, don't you? You're practically a man now. How about you call me Arthur?"
Harry weighed the idea briefly, "Sure, Arthur." It felt strange coming off his tongue, but also good, like he'd earned something. Pride made the silence that followed comfortable.
Arthur cleared his throat and Harry looked at him in question. The man looked a bit uncomfortable, but plowed forward once he had Harry's attention. "I actually came out here to apologize if you feel like we've overstepped in any way." Harry's face twisted with confusion. "With the gift…" he clarified.
That didn't help Harry's confusion. He'd loved the clock hand. What it represented meant so much to him that it had overwhelmed him to the point that he needed to slip out here to let it settle in private.
Mr. Weasley sighed. "You've always been a private and independent person, Harry. Molly and I have always thought of you as one of our own, and when she realized she could have a physical representation of that, she was just so excited to share it with you that I don't think she realized that it could be a violation of your privacy. Tracking your movements like that. I hope you know that you can tell me, if it's too much. I-"
"Mr. Weasley," Harry interjected quickly. Now that he understood, he wanted to set the record straight. At the man's expectant look, he corrected himself, "Arthur." Arthur smiled and Harry took that as encouragement to carry on. "There is nothing to apologize for. It's not - I'm not upset. Not at all. It's… incredible. Truly." He paused, weighing how to continue. "It's more… I've never…" he sighed as he tried to will the words into existence. "This whole day has been like something out of someone else's life."
"In a good way, I hope?" Ginny questioned as she approached.
He hadn't heard her, but that wasn't a surprise given her light tread. She was always there when he least expected. When she came into view, the knowing look she gave him made his heart speed up.
"The best way," he promised, warmth spreading through him at the sight of her. The moon illuminated her just enough that he could see the happy approval on her face at his confirmation.
"I'm glad," she said. She stopped to give her father a kiss on the cheek as she passed, but took a seat beside Harry. "You know, I was all prepared to come out and give you a hard time for failing to rescue me, but since you were busy talking to Dad, I suppose I can let you slide." She looked between them. "Everything alright out here?"
"All good, Pumpkin," her father said, smiling at his daughter. "I should go make sure your mother isn't giving the boys too difficult a time. Don't stay out too long, alright?"
"Sure thing, Daddy."
Before he turned to go, Harry said, "Thank you, Arthur."
Mr. Weasley left with a warm nod. When he was out of sight, Ginny turned to Harry with a raised brow. He didn't need her to ask.
"He asked me to." He was grateful for the darkness as his cheeks heated. "It's a bit strange."
"I think it's good," she replied. There was no teasing in her voice, just honest endorsement.
She scooted closer and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The night was balmy, leaving him no excuse other than that he liked the feel of her tucked there close against him. She wasn't the least bit opposed, nestling herself closer and tilting her head up to kiss his jawline. It sent a hum through him that urged him to lean forward and capture her lips against his properly.
The dreamy look she wore filled him with pride, but he didn't want to get carried away before heading back into the kitchen where the rest of her family waited.
"So…" he began quietly, not wanting to disturb the tranquility they'd found. Her eyes slowly opened, the moonlight caught in them making her look ethereal once more in a way that had him briefly losing his train of thought. It came back to him as the emotions shifted in her eyes. "You said you wanted to show me something."
Her response was just as quiet. "I did." She shifted slightly, tilting her head back to look at the clear sky. Eyes still turned up , she said, "It's too early though. We may be able to see it just before dawn." Sheepishly, she added, "I probably should have paid more attention in astronomy."
Harry had only a brief moment of confusion as he looked at the various constellations above them before it clicked. "Sirius? You wanted to look for Sirius together."
Her head went back to resting on his shoulder, her hair puffing up and resting against his neck like a caress as she nodded. "I miss him. It seemed like a good way to remember that he'll always be here watching over us, even if we can't always see him."
"It is," he assured her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. The scent of her hair mingled with the scents of garden around them and peace settled over him like a blanket, wrapping around the two of them and insulating their tranquil corner from the rest of the world.
He was fairly confident they wouldn't be able to find the dog star this time of year no matter what time they looked, but the idea was comforting none-the-less. He didn't need to see it to know it was there - that Sirius was there - standing guard and looking out for them. The proof that Remus had provided him wasn't even necessary. He already knew it, could feel Sirius's presence in the waves of change his godfather had brought into his life during their brief time together.
It all came down to love. Love, family, and sacrifice all woven together like of tapestry of decisions and choices that came together to create something immeasurably stronger than the individual threads themselves. Some had been painful, others excruciating, but none were without meaning. He wouldn't be here in this moment where he had so much to be thankful for without each one.
He hoped Sirius, and his parents too, knew how grateful he was for the life they had given him as he looked up at the night sky. It may not be possible tonight, but he knew exactly where he could find the dog star from the view in the Astronomy tower during the winter, and promised he'd thank Sirius properly when the time came. For now, he settled for sending a silent thank you and promising himself that he wouldn't forget again.
There was no doubt more darkness and loss to come. Ginny's small but strong form fit against his in perfect alignment, reminding him that he wouldn't be alone for whatever came and filled him with new strength and determination. Here in the garden, the two of them tucked quietly away from the madness of the rest of the world and surrounded by reminders that everything lost had not been in vain, he felt like they would find a way to pull through and carry on no matter what they faced.