Laughter rang out as twilight hung in the sky, slowly fading into night as the sound of the ocean waves filled the air. Two fires were burning on the beach, the entire Auror department lounging around them. Tonks, Sirius, and Seamus were lighting fireworks, earning cheers from Terry and Neville with each explosion.
Fleur was teaching James how to make a s'more, the older Potter man's eyes wide with astonishment as Lily looked on with amusement. The rest were spread about, talking quietly as they swapped stories or ate the endless supply of food that Dawlish had somehow acquired. Nobody had been brave enough to ask him where he got it from.
Harry leaned back in his chair and surveyed it all, smiling as Hanna wrapped her arms around Neville from behind, resting her head on his shoulder as they looked up. Neville had finally put in his notice to James and would be starting as the new Herbology professor at Hogwarts in the fall. He was happy for him, and more importantly, proud of him for achieving his dream.
He felt someone drop into the chair next to him and turned, smiling at Alice.
"I'm glad you and Frank could make it," he said.
She shrugged as she sipped her drink.
"I may not be an Auror anymore, but we'd have never missed this celebration, even if it didn't involve Neville," she assured him. They both looked out over the festivities, watching as Frank demonstrated some illusion magic to Proudfoot, who's eyes widened at the effects. "How are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" asked Harry.
Alice pursed her lips.
"You know what I mean, young man. It's been almost a year since the greenhouse."
He frowned and looked at his drink. He'd thought about that place nearly every day since waking up, and he doubted that would stop anytime soon. They were always there, the feelings of self-doubt and disgust, but they'd been tempered. By time. By distance. By the words of friends who'd finally made him see that he wasn't slipping into some sort of dark path. By the actions of a woman who'd never left his side since that day, always there with a wink and words to build up his confidence.
Harry looked up at Alice and smiled.
"I'm good," he determined with a nod. "I'll always think about it, and there will always be doubt, but I've come to realize that you all were right. Things were never going to end happily that day. Bellatrix was going to do everything in her power to ensure we didn't leave that greenhouse alive."
Alice smiled and patted his knee before chuckling.
"I'll confess," she said, changing the subject, "I didn't think this was what we'd be celebrating."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"And what exactly were you expecting?"
She nodded her head towards Fleur.
"Figured you two would be getting married," she said with a smirk.
"Not you as well," he whined, placing his face in his palm. "Everyone keeps telling us to get married. Can't we just enjoy being together?"
"Sure you can, dear," she said with a pat on his shoulder. "It's just that everyone's kind of jealous of the two of you."
His head cocked to the side.
"Jealous?"
Alice rolled her eyes.
"Oh please, don't play the fool, Harry. Everyone can see the way you two look at each other. Like everything falls away and there's nothing else in the world."
He rubbed the back of his neck as his face flushed crimson. He glanced over at Fleur, now deep in conversation with Lily, and smiled. Alice wasn't wrong, he knew because that's exactly what it was like to look into Fleur's eyes. As soon as he saw her, nothing else mattered. It was just him and her.
"What if I mess things up?" he asked, turning back to Alice. "What if I do something so colossally stupid that I can't fix it? How do I keep from doing that?"
She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiled.
"There isn't anything you can do that would make that woman turn away from you." Her voice was soft, but filled with conviction. "Your dad used to say that everyone should find someone who looks at them the way Remus looks at textbooks. Now he says everyone should find someone who looks at them the way Harry and Fleur look at each other."
His voice caught in his throat at her words, touched by the sentiment. She smiled at him again and stood up, wandering over towards Frank, leaving Harry to his thoughts. Once again he looked over at Fleur, taking in her features. It wasn't her beauty that attracted him. It wasn't her figure or her allure.
It was her warmth. The way she made him feel safe. How, no matter how far apart they were, he always knew she was thinking about him. It was how their hands always seemed to find the others when they went for a walk. How she knew just the right thing to say to get him to blush.
It was how, even in the dim light of a night like tonight, her eyes caught his and a wide smile spread across her face.
"Oi, you lot!" he heard, breaking eye contact with Fleur and turning towards the fire. Luc stood with his back to the water holding a bottle of wine in his hand. "I've got something to say!"
The fireworks stopped and the conversation died as they all looked over at the tall man. He cleared his throat.
"Right, so I know we're celebrating Harry getting his job back after nearly a year," he said as everyone gave a celebratory yell, "and Neville finishing his mastery and leaving the dreadful Ministry."
"Please make sure to look after him, Nev," Harry called. "I'm still shocked that Dumbledore is letting a Frenchman teach children how to fly brooms. Madam Hooch was perfect and then the old man turned around and gave the job to this prat? He's going senile."
Everyone laughed and Luc sent a mock glare in Harry's direction. He simply winked back at the man and took a sip of his own beer.
"I'm the best damn flight instructor your little wizarding school has ever seen, Potter. Perhaps your students will be able to fly straight once they've got competent instruction. Anyway," Luc said, "I just want to give a toast."
He stopped and looked down briefly. Harry knew he was thinking about Gabby, wishing she were here with them tonight.
"I've been very lucky in my life," Luc continued, "I came from a caring family. I went to the best magical school in the world, and I made friends that would carry me through the ups and downs of adolescence. I found happiness. I found love."
He paused for only a moment.
"And then that was taken from me."
Luc looked up at the group.
"But I've come to realize that even tragedy can be a blessing because I found something else." He looked over at Harry and Fleur. "I found people willing to lift me up, dust off my robes, and help me move forward. People who'd go to any lengths to ensure I regained happiness, live a good life, and even tell me when I'm being an arsehole."
He held up his wine.
"To the family we choose, not the one we're given."
Everyone cheered and took a sip of their drinks before Luc looked around.
"Alright, enough of that shit, let's get the rest of these fireworks lit!"
.
.
As the sun rose Harry sat hugging his knees, the cool ocean air washing over him. The party had picked right back up after Luc's toast, going all the way until Sirius and Tonks had passed out trying to outdrink the other. After helping them to their beds, he'd seen the sun was starting to rise and chose to get a bit of a view before sleep.
He shivered, and just before he could think to go fetch his wand Fleur sat down next to him, draping a blanket over his shoulders as she snuggled up next to him.
"Decided to watch the sunrise?" she asked.
He nodded.
"Yeah, figured it would be a good thing to see before I go to sleep. You?"
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"I never sleep well when you're not beside me," she replied softly. "Are you looking forward to going back?"
Harry nodded.
"I think I am. It's been nice, having a break. My uncle Moony letting me work at the foundation was rewarding, but I know what I'm good at. What I enjoy doing. I've been feeling restless, so it'll be good to get back to it."
The two stared out over the water as daylight began to make itself known.
"Did my mum try to talk you into getting married again?" he asked.
"Of course," she confirmed with a giggle. "So did your dad and Sirius. Though I think your godfather might have been proposing to me, not telling me to propose. It was difficult to decipher."
Harry chuckled. "Just Alice for me this time."
She looked up at him with humour in her eyes.
"What are they going to think when they find out you proposed to me a week ago?"
He shrugged.
"Mum and dad will be mad, but they'll get over it. They'll understand, even if they don't like it. Sirius will think it's funny. Luc will be smug because he's the only one that knew the whole time."
He adjusted his position to wrap an arm around her shoulder. They'd thought about announcing their engagement during the party, but it had been Neville's night just as much as his, and neither had wanted to take that from the man.
"We could make it a double announcement," she said.
He raised an eyebrow and looked down at her.
"I don't follow."
She smiled and patted his cheek.
"You're gonna be a papa, Mr. Delacour."
His eyes widened and the world lost focus as her words registered. She quickly captured his lips in a kiss, keeping him in the present and away from the edge of spiraling. She smiled and he smiled back at her with joy. Her warmth calmed him, soothed his nerves, and pushed aside his newfound fears. There would be time for that later. For now, he simply let the news sink in fully, in all its wondrous glory.
A father. He was going to be a father.
He looked down at her with a loving eye. He didn't know how to be a dad and he certainly didn't know how to raise a child. He was surrounded by examples of exceptional parents, but there was no guarantee he'd be one himself. Looking into Fleur's eyes, however, he was certain of one thing, if nothing else.
"You're going to be a great mother, Mrs. Potter."