In the half-magical community of Tinworth, most residents were spending the day relaxing in the sun on such a muggy summer day. Like most days in late July, the sun was hot, the days long and the sandy beaches scalding to the feet. Unbeknownst to most of the muggle population in the sleepy town, today was not a typical day. Oblivious to them, hundreds of wizards were not-so-quietly apparating in backyards and side streets on their journey to the most recent Weasley wedding.
"Dad, can we stop yet?" James called, a tone of annoyance evident in his voice. Unlike his younger brother, James had always been quite the outgoing boy. Never shy to announce his opinion or point of view, Harry had become accustomed to his son's occasionally annoying behavior. It was to be expected, because after all, he was named after two rambunctious Marauders.
"James Sirius Potter, how many times do I have to tell you that we'll stop when we get to Uncle Bill's? There's not much more road to go - I can see the beach from here." Harry replied, wiping the sweat from his own forehead. Although he had not announced his opinion, Harry did not understand the concept of a beach wedding. With the temperature exceeding thirty degrees, wearing such a heavy suit was excruciating, but he was not about to admit this to his son. Until they reached some shade, stopping would be counter-productive. As if on cue, James grunted from his position behind him.
With all the magical traffic apparating into Shell Cottage, Bill had been concerned that the muggles would notice the disruption, and had asked that some wizards arrive by foot. Both Ginny had Harry had agreed at once, to the disappointment of their children. They had apparated on a dirt road approximately a few houses down from Shell Cottage and the beach with all three kids in tow. Harry was leading the group, his arm around Lily, while Ginny and the boys brought up the rear.
"Are you excited, Dad?" the red-haired girl asked beside him, her brown eyes sparkling in the sun.
"Teddy and Victoire are our family, of course I'm excited for them." Harry answered shortly, distracted by the immense heat. "What about you, Lils?"
She shrugged absent-mindedly, "I guess."
"You don't seem too excited."
"I'm fine." A silence spread between the two that had nothing to do with the weather. Like her Uncle Ron, Lily had a way of bottling up her feelings and thoughts. Although she could seem silent at times, the wheels were always turning in her little head. However, Harry knew that like Ron, she'd spill out her problems eventually. And so she did.
"Will Teddy still come around for tea? What about our wizard chess tournaments? He's been teaching me how to play. Will he still come over?" she asked, her voice low so that Harry was the only one to hear. It was clear that she was worried; it was etched onto her forehead not unlike Harry's scar.
"He'll still come round, just not as often. He's going to be busy, but I'm sure he'll take time to come down. You know, I bet him and Victoire won't mind you and the boys coming down to his house for a change." Harry reassured her, running his hands through her fine hair. Unlike Al and James, Lily had been the only Potter child to inherit her mother's hair. In fact, she was so much like her mother that she often reminded Harry of meeting an ten-year-old Ginny at Platform 9 ¾.
"Like Victoire would ever be okay with that. All she ever wants is to be alone with him and snog." she complained, making a face. She emphasized her disgust for the act by producing a vomiting noise in her throat. She looked so passionate about her opinion, that Harry had no choice but to laugh.
"They're just love-birds, Lils. I promise you, the novelty will wear off eventually. You just wait until they start living together and she notices how messy Ted can be. I can assure you she won't be snogging him then," Harry chuckled, fixing the collar of his suit.
"We're here! Thank Merlin, we're here!" James yelled gleefully as he sped up to walk next to Harry and Lily.
After what seemed like an hour, but had really only spanned fifteen minutes, Shell Cottage had come neatly into view. In the last 19 years, the cottage had barely changed. It was still as small as ever, despite the fact that it had come to house five Weasleys. Today, the beach was decorated with chairs, and a gazebo had been magically constructed where the two lovers would marry. As they moved closer, more speckles of red came into view - undoubtedly members of the extended Weasley clan.
"Can I go get some butterbeer or something?" the black-haired boy continued, running his hand through his hair casually. "I'm parched."
"Go ahead, and take Al and Lily with you. There should be some in the kitchen, just ask Hagrid." he replied, as they opened the gate and entered the lot.
"Do I have to?" James groaned, "Can't they go hang around with someone their own age? I mean, I'll be sixteen soon, I can practically drink Firewhisky!"
"I'm only two years younger than you, you know." Albus piped up from behind. The most introverted of the Potter/Weasley bunch, he had stayed relatively silent for most of the trip.
"Two years is a lot, squirt." James retorted, rolling his eyes dramatically.
"It's not a lot when you're still afraid of spiders, eh James? I heard you asked Mum to kill one in your room yesterday." With this, James lodged an arm toward his brother, but Albus was quick to dodge the hit. Albus then aimed a kick at James, hitting him squarely in the knee. Howling and holding his injured body part, James then prepared to ambush Albus. Before any more damage could be inflicted, Ginny spoke up.
"Oh admit it, James. You're still afraid of anything with more than two legs. Besides, technically you won't be sixteen until September, and as long as you're living with us, you can wait until you're seventeen for Firewhisky. Albus, stop hitting your brother, for Merlin's sake." Although dressed in sandals and a white summer dress that made her look much younger than her age, she still could still manage to be the boss. Within seconds, both Albus and James had quieted down, and were looking moodily in opposite directions. "Go on, we've only got fifteen minutes until it starts, you'd better hurry if you want a drink."
With that, all three kids made their way to the cottage door, yelling greetings to other Weasley cousins as they went. In the last nineteen years, the family had grown tremendously. With the addition of Percy's, Ron's, George's, and Bill's children, Molly Weasley was now the proud grandmother of twelve grandchildren. The role suited her, and she spent her free time cooking meals and knitting sweaters for the Weasley clan. It took her more and more time to fill the demand each year, but every Christmas she still managed to give every family member a personalized sweater.
"You know, I think I've figured out where Al gets his fast reflexes." Ginny said casually, taking Harry's hand in hers as they made their way through crowds of guests. "From no other than the best seeker I know."
"From his mother? Yeah, that's what I thought too." Harry retorted, although he was unable to hide the smile that engulfed his face. It had been so long since he and Ginny had been able to spend alone time together. Even after Lily had gone to Hogwarts, Harry still had a busy career in the Auror office, and Ginny had multiple Quidditch articles to write per week. The change was definitely refreshing.
"Oh, you're always so modest." Ginny chided, although she smiled as she did so. "Let's go get a seat with Hermione and Ron, before the kids have a chance to distract us with their bickering".
"I would, but... wedding party, remember?" he pointed to his suit as he did so. "I think I'd better go see how Ted's doing." To his surprise, Teddy had picked his godfather to be one of his groomsmen. Although Harry felt awfully foolish standing next to 3 teenage boys, he had accepted the position because of his love for his godson.
"Oh fine," she sighed, releasing her hand from his. "Tell him that I said hi and that I'll see him when this is all over".
"No problem." Harry replied, giving her a quick peck before turning back toward the cottage. "I'll see you in a few minutes." As much as he wanted to stay and talk to Ron and Hermione, he knew that right now, his godson was more important. A wedding day was a big occasion for a guy, and Harry was determined to make sure that Teddy was feeling okay. A cool breeze floated through the air as he finally reached the old cabin and wrenched open the door. The door led to an open porch and living room, which was empty, despite the occasion. Hoping that Teddy might be hiding out in the kitchen, he entered the cottage's kitchen.
Unlike the sitting room, the kitchen was occupied by none other than James, Lily, Albus and of course, Hagrid. Sitting in one of the wooden chairs, Hagrid was beaming while drinking none other than a litre of brandy and sharing drunken stories about previous years at Hogwarts. All three kids were leaning against the counter, and seemed to be listening to Hagrid intently, although Harry could've sworn he had seen James and Lily share a few sarcastic looks.
"Oh, Norbert! What a good fello' he was. Got 'im off a cloaked guy in the Hog's Head. O' course, that guy turned out to be Voldemort, but ..." Hagrid continued on in his drunken haze, and Harry hoped he'd be able to exit the kitchen and go upstairs without anyone even noticing his presence. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky, for as soon as he moved a foot, the floorboards made an unmistakeable squeak. As if on cue, all four heads turned in his direction.
"'Arry! Good to see ye! I was jus' talking with this bunch about Norbert, or was it Norberta? Oh you remember him, don't ye Harry?" Hagrid boomed, adjusting his position on the chair, which made a protesting groan.
"Dad! What're you doing down here?" Albus asked, his green orbs meeting Harry's.
"Er, just... er... washroom". Harry spluttered hopelessly, unconsciously running his fingers over his scar before leaving the room and making his way upstairs. Despite being one of the most famous wizards of the decade, Harry still had trouble dealing with awkward situation, and was a terrible liar. Wandering through the hall, he opened one bedroom door after another, but was surprised to find them all empty. On a last effort, he opened the door of the smallest bedroom, not expecting to find anyone there. To his surprise, the room was not vacant. The tall figure that Harry knew as Teddy Lupin was sitting on the bed, facing the wall. He seemed to be staring intently at an object near his hand, and had not even noticed Harry's entrance. His most alarming feature, however, was his hair. Although a metamorphous, Teddy had always preferred to keep his hair teal or black, depending on his mood. Today, however, was different. Red, blue, yellow, black, teal, pink, red, blue, yellow, black, teal, pink; his locks were changing so fast that Harry barely had time to notice the colours.
"Teddy?" he called tentatively, giving the doorframe a loud rap to indicate his presence. Teddy jumped slightly, whipping his head around so fast that Harry was surprised he didn't get whiplash. Unlike the jokester Teddy that Harry knew, there was no trace of a laugh on his face. In fact, he looked positively dreadful considering the circumstances. Not unlike Remus after a full moon, he looked positively dishevelled. His suit was wrinkled and twisted, although he had slept in it, but the creases of his face looked like he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep in months. Harry knew there had to be something wrong.
"Oh. Hi." the metamorphmagus replied, giving Harry a tight smile that didn't quite extend to the rest of his face. "Do they want me downstairs yet?" His eyes trailed off as he asked the last question, and Harry began to wonder if he was even looking forward to the event.
"No, not yet. You've got another fifteen minutes." he replied, plopping next to his godson on the bed. From this perspective, he could finally see the object that Teddy was staring at so intently. It was a worn wizarding photograph that Harry estimated to be from 1997. In the picture, both Remus and Tonks were smiling, Tonks in a simple wedding gown and Remus wearing a tattered suit. Remus seemed to be twirling Tonks around in circles, laughing at her as he did so. Despite the fact that a wizarding war was going on, the two looked happier than Harry had ever seen them alive. "How're you feeling?"
Teddy sighed heavily before replying, but surprisingly, he didn't sugar-coat his feelings. He stuck the picture in the pocket of his suit quickly, as if he hadn't wanted Harry to see it.
"Horrible. Why did I agree? I never knew it would be like this..." he burrowed his head in his hands and sighed. "I can't go through with it, I just can't."
Harry let out an exasperated sigh. If he was expecting something, he wasn't expecting this. Not only was the situation awkward, but it was one that he was no stranger to. He decided to tread the subject lightly as to not overwhelm his godson.
"Sure you can. You've made it this far." he pointed out blankly. In response, Teddy just let out a garbled groan. He hadn't thought that this would be so hard. He needed to make the boy think clearly, and he knew that the only way he could was to shock him.
"You love her, right?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Of course." Teddy answered automatically. He sounded offended, as if Harry had asked him something completely stupid.
"Then, that's your answer. A wise friend once told me that as long as you've got love, nothing else matters. Not blood, not age, not even family. You're not the only one to ever marry young, you know."
"I'm willing to bet you didn't feel this crappy when you married Aunt Ginny," Teddy retorted, his eyes still stationed on the picture in his hand. "I've seen you guys together, there's no way you ever felt like this."
A mischievous grin melted on Harry's face. As much as he loved his godson, the kid really could be stubborn sometimes.
"I wouldn't be so willing to fork over your galleons, Ted. What would you say if I told you that I was once in the exact same situation you're in now?" Harry asked.
"I'd say you're joking. I don't believe you," Teddy answered, raising his eyebrow in suspicion as he did so.
"Ha! In fact, I was just like you, sulking around in an empty room and thinking about fleeing. Actually, to tell the truth, I did leave." Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm not proud of it, and to this day Ginny still doesn't know. You wanna know where I went?"
Teddy said nothing, but nodded slowly.
"I went to my godfather's house. Sirius Black. I was so afraid of the whole commitment thing that I just took off."
"Sirius... he was a Marauder like my Dad, right?" a light seemed to spark in Teddy's eye, a light that had been missing since Harry entered the room. Harry nodded.
"Him and your Dad, they were good friends. Not only in their Marauder days, but even after Sirius escaped Azkaban. They were more than friends – they were like brothers."
A silence seemed to engulf the room before either spoke. Harry had never been able to read people very well, but it was obvious that Teddy was struggling with something. Harry knew it was just a matter of time before he confessed.
"Harry, d-do you think... do you think he'd be proud of me?" he asked awkwardly, avoiding Harry's eye.
"Teddy Remus Lupin," Harry began, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I can still remember the day when your Dad walked into this very same cottage and told us that you'd finally arrived. He looked so excited; happiness was basically spilling off of him. He showed us a picture of you, when you were only hours old. He didn't stay for long, though, after having a drink with us and announcing that I would be your godfather, he ran back to be with you and your mother. In that short time, he looked happier than I'd ever seen him. If he was here, if your mother was here, I'd bet all the galleons in my vault that they'd be so proud of you."
"I don't want to go out there, it's all Victoire's family, and they're everywhere. I know it sounds selfish, but I kind of wish my parents could see me."
This was what Harry had been waiting for. In so many ways, Teddy was just like him, despite the fact they weren't actually related. Harry had come to realize that Teddy was just as stubborn as he, and he knew that until someone prodded past his tough exterior, he'd continue to sulk in his own misery. Clambering off the bed, he kneeled in front in Teddy, making sure that he could see his face clearly.
"I know that you wish that your real family could be here to see you, and I can see why. I felt the same way on my wedding day. Anyway, the point is, even though none of your blood family can see you today, it doesn't mean that there's not family cheering you on. You've always been part of the family, whether by blood or not. I know that the kids consider you like a brother and Ginny has always been more than happy to take you under her wing. You may not be my son, but hell, I've always considered you to be just like James and Albus. Who, by the way, care about you just as much as Ginny and I do."
Teddy smiled faintly, a smile that finally reached his eyes. Standing up, Harry extended a hand to help his godson up. Teddy accepted the offer, and Harry pulled him to his feet. The two stood in silence before Teddy spoke up again.
"Harry?" he asked tentatively. Harry had noticed that during their chat his hair had finally stopped changing, and it had gone back to its normal teal tint.
"Hmm?"
"You mentioned that you left your wedding - but obviously you're married. So who brought you back?"
"Hermione, of course. Never underestimate her ability to figure things out; she's so clever it's startling." Harry chuckled before leading his godson toward the door. "Now, enough about me, it's time we get you downstairs."
Hours later, the sun had finally begun to set, and a comfortable breeze was present in the once stifling air. Harry could hear the familiar sound of a Quidditch game in the next field over, where all the Weasley cousins had gathered to play a casual game. Normally, Harry would have joined them, but for once, he felt too old. To his far left, a love-struck Teddy was dancing with an angelic Victoire, and the two were so entwined that it was hard to tell which was which. For the last hour, he and Ginny had been spending time with Ron and Hermione, although Ron wasn't exactly acting himself.
"... I can't believe my Rosie's been hanging around with that Scorpio... Scarecrow guy. Not that his name matters, he's still a Malfoy." Ron took another swig of his drink before belching. This seemed to be the last straw for Hermione, and she finally lashed out.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley!" she chided, smacking him playfully on the arm. "Didn't I tell you that we should be encouraging house unity! I'm quite happy that she's hanging out with him; she's obviously realized that houses aren't borders! Right, Harry?" she scowled, before looking at him expectantly, obviously hoping that she'd have some backup in the situation.
"Er, I suppose..." he answered awkwardly. Harry had known for years that it was never a good idea to get between the couple's bickering, and he tried to ignore it as much as possible.
"See, Ron! Harry agrees with me, and he hates Draco as much as you do!" Hermione lectured him disapprovingly.
"No wonder he did, you're too bloody scary to disagree with!" Ron retorted, grabbing a bun from the tray and shoving it in his mouth. Ron was right, at the moment, Hermione looked scary indeed. Glancing over at Ginny, he noticed that she had the same uncomfortable expression.
"Well, I know I've been sitting down for too long. Fancy a dance, Harry?" she asked quickly, as she stood up in a blur of white.
"Of course." he replied, taking her hand and scooting away from the table swiftly. They walked to an empty spot not too close to the wet sand, before Harry took her waist and the two started dancing to the sound of violins. Being so close to his wife, Harry could smell her favourite shampoo, and the smell brought him back to a memory that was nearly nineteen years old. He could still remember his first dance with Ginny as husband and wife. The exchange had been so clumsy for Harry; he could still feel his clammy hands and the stares of the audience.
"You know, it's almost been twenty years since we were like them." he pointed out, nodding his head toward the enamoured newly-weds only twenty feet from them. "I can't believe it."
"Me either, time just creeps by and you don't even realize it." she said softly, as if lost in a memory of her own. "But you know, something hasn't changed."
"Hmm?"
"You still can't dance." she giggled, leaning up to kiss him. "But that's fine. I still love you anyways."
"Me? Can't dance? You must be talking about someone else" he teased, twirling her around his arm a few times so that her sundress floated in the breeze. She beamed at him before glancing back at Ron and Hermione's table.
"Looks like they're getting along fine." she snickered. "Take a look."
True to her word, the two looked quite happy with each other. Ron had obviously calmed Hermione down and the two were snogging quite passionately. It was a dynamic that never failed to amaze Harry. Just like they had been nearly thirty years ago, the two argued more than an old married couple. Surprisingly, their spats didn't last long, and before you knew it, they'd be so enamoured with each other that you'd think they were dying. He looked back to his wife, who looked beautiful in the setting sun.
"It feels so peaceful," Ginny observed, her hair flying in the evening breeze. "We'd better enjoy it before our loony lot come back."
Harry had to agree. With the sun setting, the waves crashing, and Ginny in his arms, he felt more at peace than he had ever felt, even more so than when he was technically 'dead' in King's Cross. Not only did he feel peaceful, but he also felt something that he had never felt in his teenage years; lucky. He felt lucky that he had a family, amazing kids, and above all, Ginny. Although at the age of twenty, it had felt like such a responsibility, he was content with those extra years. That fateful day had changed his life forever, and through his and Ginny's ups and downs, he had never regretted his decision. To Harry, twenty years was simply not enough time to share with his soul mate, and he was looking forward to another twenty... thirty... forty, even fifty years with the girl of his dreams. It was a dream he wished for Teddy, who would undoubtedly face some of the problems he and Ginny had.
Leaning down to kiss Ginny, he ran his hands through her hair. Her scent, her laugh, her smile, her personality, they were all things that Harry knew he would never be able to live without. Pulling away from her lips, he looked into her almond eyes.
"I love you, you know that right?" he murmured.
"I love you too" was her only reply before she reached up to seal the gap between them.
I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend,
Lucky to be where I have been,
Lucky to be coming home again.
The End.
Authors Note: Well that's the end! I hope that you enjoyed reading. As always, all characters are a production of J.K Rowling, and the lyrics at the end of the epilogue belong to Jason Mraz. I'd really appreciate any reviews or feedback that you may want to give. Also, I would like to point out that the epilogue to this story begins 19 years after Harry and Ginny's wedding, so 21 years after Deathly Hallows or 2 years after the original epilogue. Thanks again for reading!