Harry woke first, which was unusual.
The feeling of complete and utter contentment at being home was almost palpable. It wasn't that he didn't like Charlie's house - he loved it there, too - but this was his home. It was the first home he'd ever called his, and his alone, and that made it special to him.
The wide windows looked out over one of London's many parks (when the curtains weren't drawn across them, of course) and the high ceilings and detailed coving gave away that it was actually an old Victorian house that had been converted.
Puff had slept in the bed with them, tucked around Harry's feet protectively. In some ways, bringing the cat back here with them was a nice way of merging the life they'd had in Romania with the new one they were going to create together in London. Harry already had plans to put charms up around the roof garden so Puff could go up there to play.
Harry rolled over and tucked his head into the nook between Charlie's neck and shoulder. He even managed to persuade one of his un-responsive legs to tuck itself over Charlie's hips. When warm, strong arms encircled him, he allowed himself to drift once more.
When he woke again it was because Charlie was shaking his shoulder.
"Harry. I really need to piss."
"Mm. 'Kay."
He let Charlie free himself from the tangle of arms and legs and watched with growing arousal and approval as his partner walked naked to the bathroom, scratching his ass and his head. By the time he made it back to the bed Harry was stroking himself with a sure hand.
"Well, there's a sight for sore eyes."
"You can help, if you like," Harry offered generously.
Smirking, Charlie laid down on his stomach, diagonally across the bed and without any preamble swallowed Harry's cock down to the base.
"Fuck," Harry groaned. Threw one arm across his face, the other gently cupped the back of Charlie's head, not guiding his movements but subtly influencing them.
It didn't take long for him to come, wound up as he was already. Charlie swallowed around him convulsively and, when Harry was done, rest his head on Harry's stomach to look up at his face.
"Thanks," Harry said with a smile. "I needed that."
"We scared off the cat."
"He'll survive. Do you want me to return the favour?"
Charlie checked the clock on the wall and groaned. "No. I'm due to go into the Ministry this morning to meet my supervisor. I should really get going."
"Okay," Harry said. "I'm sure I can amuse myself for a few hours."
"You could always come with me?"
It was a bold offer. Harry was getting more and more confident using the crutches and the splints, but he still had the odd moment when neither was enough to support him. The Ministry would be full of people who would undoubtedly recognise him. If he wanted to go, of course.
"I could..." Harry said eventually. He reached for his glasses from his bedside table and pushed them on, much happier when his world came back into focus. "Can I, though? To your meeting, I mean."
"It'll be fine. I'm only going to say hello to him and pick up some more files to go through."
"Okay," Harry said, the decision making him feel strangely lighter inside. "Yeah. I'll come."
It took a while to strap Harry into his splints, then dress in loose jeans and a shirt with a jumper over the top. He wore his dragon hide boots, partly because they were comfortable, partly because their weight helped him to walk, for some reason.
Flooing with the splints and crutches was impossible, and although Apparition was still risky, it was the safer option. Charlie took him by side-along to the public entrance to the Ministry and helped him get his feet back before they proceeded down and inside.
Charlie leaned in and rest his chin on Harry's shoulder, giving him access to whisper softly in his ear.
"I'm very proud of you. You're still my hero."
Harry smiled and brushed his lips over Charlie's temple, saying nothing in response. He didn't need to.
Any hopes he may have had at staying somewhat incongruous are dashed within moments of his first steps within the Atrium. If the fact that he was Harry bloody Potter wasn't enough, the Muggle crutches drew attention to him anyway. They were somewhat of a novelty in the Wizarding world.
Even with Charlie acting as his bodyguard, people - well wishers, and general nosy old bints - still wanted to talk to him.
"I'm sorry, but we're going to be late. Must run," Charlie said, grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him into a lift.
As the gate clanged shut behind them, Harry laughed. "That was insane."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Harry said and squeezed Charlie's hand quickly. "Thanks. I might pop in and see Hermione, actually."
"Okay." Charlie punched the button on the lift to take them up to Level Two, where Hermione worked.
"Do you want me to take you down there?" Charlie asked as the gates flew open for them, his hand resting supportively on the small of Harry's back.
"No," Harry said, frowning. "She's one of the first offices when you get out of the lift." He angled his face for a kiss. "I'll be fine."
Charlie watched with a smile as Harry walked/hobbled down towards Hermione's office. Too soon, the lift doors closed behind him.
To knock on Hermione's door Harry had to lean all his weight on one of the crutches and trust that the splints would work. He made the knock short, brisk, hoping she was in and not busy.
"Come in," she called.
Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "Come and let me in yourself, you miserable old cu-"
The door was flung open before he could finish his insult. Probably for the best.
"You have no idea how good it is to see you standing there," Hermione said, a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Sit the fuck down before you hurt yourself."
"I'm not going to hurt myself," Harry grouched, but sat down anyway in the comfy visitors chair Hermione kept in the corner of her pin-neat office. It was small but ruthlessly organised, bookshelves lining two whole walls with a window letting in natural light behind her desk, on which perched photographs of her and Ron on their wedding day, one of the three of them in Hogwarts robes, and another of her son.
"Do you have biscuits?"
"I'm married to Ron. Of course I have biscuits."
She brought the tin with her and took the other chair.
"Not interrupting anything, am I?" Harry said.
"Nothing important. Why are you here? We were going to stop by your place on our way home tonight."
Harry shrugged. "Charlie had to go meet with his new boss down on Level Four. What's along here, anyway? I don't think I've ever explored this floor."
"Boring stuff," she said and wrinkled her nose. "Administration staff for the Ministry, mostly. Offices for members of the Wizengamot. Registry offices for births, marriages and deaths. Hatches, matches and dispatches, my nan used to call them. And lawyers and politicians and boring people."
"And you."
Sticking out her tongue, Hermione reached for another biscuit. With narrowed eyes, Harry recognised it as a Ginger Newt. Hermione's guilty smile confirmed his suspicion.
"And when exactly, Mrs Weasley, were you planning on telling me?"
"Soon!" she said, laughing. "I'm only about nine weeks along. We haven't even told mum and dad yet."
"Is this one making you throw up as much as Hugo did?"
"More," she admitted. "The ginger is the only thing that helps. I swear, I'm going through boxes of ginger and lime tea like it's going out of fashion."
Harry made a 'yucky' face.
"I know," she said and bit off the newt's tail. "Ron's refusing to kiss me when I'm drinking it."
"Don't blame him. I'm so happy for you, Hermione. Really."
She beamed. "We were worried for a while that we wouldn't be able to have another one. I don't get pregnant easily. The Healer said it's nothing to be concerned about, some women just find it easier than others. You know that we were trying for about a year before we got married for Hugo. And we've been trying for this one for ages. Trying and trying and trying..."
"Okay, thank you. I get it." Harry held up his hands. "I don't need to know about the ins and outs of your sex life, thank you very much."
"Having a toddler who likes sleeping in mummy and daddy's bed doesn't make it any easier."
"I'm sure."
When Charlie knocked on the door and Hermione hurriedly finished her biscuit Harry took it to mean she didn't want him to share the secret just yet. That was fine. It was her news, hers and Ron's.
"Hey, Hermione," Charlie said, sticking his head around the door. Then to Harry - "Are you ready to go? I could always come back later."
"No, get rid of him please," Hermione said. "I've got work to do."
"Charming," Harry muttered and struggled to his feet. To their credit, neither tried to help him.
"When did you get so tall?" Charlie mused as Harry shuffled towards the door. Harry smiled.
"Well, I grew about seven and a half inches in the summer before my eighteenth birthday. Which is funny, because that's the exact measurement of-"
"Harry..." Hermione said in a low, warning tone.
"My foot, I was going to say!" Harry said with a wink. "My cock is much bigger than that."
Laughing, Charlie brushed a stray bit of hair out of Harry's eyes for him. Hermione played with the edge of her shirt, as if contemplating whether to say something. Harry knew the look well. It was her I-know-something look.
"Go on," he said. "You know you'll say it in the end anyway."
She blushed. "It's a bit... dark," she admitted.
"What about my bloody life isn't? Just tell me, Hermione."
"I had this thought..." she started. "Well. You were always a bit runty as a kid, weren't you? You never really hit a growth spurt or anything until that summer. I always wondered if that tiny bit of Horcrux was sort of... holding you back. It took a lot of energy for your body to fight against it. Until that summer when it was gone, then you could spare that energy to finish growing."
Harry nodded slowly. Solemnly. "Yeah. That would make sense, I suppose. I mean, it wasn't until then that my balls got properly hairy."
"Out!" she said, laughing as Charlie snorted and turned away. "Get out, you horrible man."
"Love you, Hermione," he called back.
"Love you too."
A/N: I don't know why, but in all my HP fics I always seem to assume that Hugo is older than Rose. Apologies if that annoys anyone.