Chapter IV.
Harry awoke to a soft presence nestled against him, emitting a pleasant citrus scent. As he blinked open his eyes, he found himself face to face with a mop of bright blonde hair — Daphne's bright blonde hair. Oh, Merlin. How did this happen? He recalled their agreement to maintain their respective sides of the bed, then Daphne teasing him. Oh well. Summoning his Gryffindor courage, Harry decided to take a leap. Slowly, his hand curved around Daphne's waist, then ventured to her belly, drawing her closer in a tender, affectionate embrace.
"Good morning, love," Harry greeted, his heart still racing with the adrenaline of the moment. Either this would go well, or Daphne would murder him.
"Morning," Daphne replied groggily, melting further into his embrace, seeking more warmth and closeness, "how did you sleep, dear?"
"I slept like a log. Thanks to a certain cute little blonde who made it all the sweeter," Harry sheepishly grinned, pulling her even nearer to emphasize his point.
"Mmm, yes, although," Daphne paused, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, "Who are you calling short, mister!? I'm 5'3!" Harry chuckled at that.
"That's short!" He said between chuckles, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"No! I'M AVERAGE!" She retorted, though her tone was playful.
"Whatever makes you happy, love," he chuckled, pressing another soft kiss against her cheek before snuggling in closer. Suddenly, Daphne sat up. Harry watched, his heart skipping a beat as she removed her nightwear top, revealing her black bra beneath. Instinctively, Harry averted his gaze, his cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and arousal. He wasn't prepared for what came next.
Before he could react, Daphne straddled his chest, her warmth enveloping him. He swallowed hard, meeting her gaze as she leaned down, her face hovering just above his. The scent of citrus enveloped him.
"You know, last night I wanted to try something, but I was too tired. We still have an hour until breakfast," Daphne's voice was low, teasing, her hand trailing down his chest until it found his, her fingers intertwining with his "wand."
Harry's breath caught in his throat.
Lily was seated beside James, already drawing attention to herself, or rather to them. It didn't go unnoticed that suddenly there were two new Gryffindors, especially when one of them resembled the Gryffindor golden boy, though the younger girl bore a resemblance to the Slytherin Ice Queen. Who were they? Charlus faced a similar dilemma; Malfoy and his cronies were bothering him. Why did he resemble Potter? What was he doing at the Slytherin table? Thankfully, the girl beside him was more amiable.
"Hello," she extended her hand, "I'm Tracy. Tracy Davis. Who are you?" She offered him a gentle smile. Thank goodness for someone pleasant.
"I'm Charlus. Charlus Sirius," he softly shook her hand.
"No surname?" Tracy arched an eyebrow, intrigued.
"You'll see." Just as Tracy was about to speak again, Harry and Daphne entered the Great Hall. Daphne's hair was slightly disheveled, which was unusual. She promptly sat between Tracy and Charlus.
"Um, Daphne?" Tracy asked cautiously.
"Huh? Yes?" Daphne replied, slightly preoccupied.
"Why is your tie red and gold?" Tracy's question caused Daphne's heart to skip a beat, and she froze. Oh, no.
Meanwhile, her boyfriend faced a similar predicament. "Harry, why is your tie silver and green?" Hermione inquired, her tone curious. The color drained from his face as Lily and James looked at him with interest.
"Um, I—" he began, but was interrupted as Dumbledore commenced his speech.
"Students, I bid you all a good morning. As you might have noticed, three new individuals have joined us. Now, I implore you not to inundate them with questions. Due to a timeturner mishap, we have visitors from the future. They will join their parents in their studies. I ask you all to welcome Lily, James, and Charlus Potter." The Great Hall erupted in chatter.
"-ily and James Potte-"
"-from the futu-"
"Who is Harry's wife?"
"Silence, please." The Great Hall quieted at the stern voice of the headmaster. "Lily and James will join their father, Mr. Potter, in Gryffindor. Charlus will join his mother, the older Miss Greengrass, in Slytherin." Daphne felt all eyes on her. "Lastly, there is one more visitor, who's currently absent: Teddy Lupin. He has already graduated and is not required to attend classes. Thank you." Dumbledore resumed his seat, and everyone began eating despite the astonishment.
Daphne didn't care. She stood up, approached Harry, and leaned in very close. She slowly removed his tie and then hers, giving him his correct tie and taking the green tie for herself. Before returning to the Slytherin table, she pecked her boyfriend's cheek, causing both him and herself to blush slightly. The hall fell silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Thankfully, the students resumed eating again.
"Um, Mum?" Daphne looked at Charlus.
"Yes, dear?" Daphne replied sweetly. It felt odd, but even after only a few hours of knowing them, she deeply cared for her (future) children.
"What lessons do we have today?"
"Oh, we don't have any, actually. It's Saturday," Daphne smiled. "Maybe I can persuade your father to take us out on a picnic by the Black Lake. What do you think?"
"I think I'd like that," Charlus answered with a smile.
"So... Daphne Potter, eh?" Tracy teased Daphne. Tracy and Daphne had been best friends since first year, and she knew that Daphne had a slight crush on the Gryffindor golden boy. So, Tracy was thrilled for her.
"I guess," Daphne replied a bit sheepishly, unsure of what to say. Deep down, she loved Harry and was grateful to be his wife, even though that had yet to unfold. Unbeknownst to her, she found herself in the better situation, as her boyfriend, seated on the other side of the hall, was being bombarded with questions.
"Your children have time-traveled here? But that's illegal! Harry, think of the Ministry! How will they get ba-" Hermione was abruptly interrupted by Harry.
"Hermione, calm down!" He was genuinely growing irritated by the barrage of questions. Not everyone reacted that way. Seamus, Dean, and Neville had offered their congratulations. The twins seemed to take it in stride as well. Only Ron was being a bit dense, insisting that Daphne would be a 'slimy snake,' although Harry was pretty sure snakes aren't slimy but rather very smooth.
Fed up with the behavior of his two 'best friends,' Harry stormed out of the Great Hall. Unbeknownst to him, the rest of his family, along with Astoria, trailed after him.
"Harry," his future wife called out to him, "wait!" She hurried up to him, the others following closely behind.
Harry stopped and turned to face Daphne, frustration evident in his expression. "What is it, Daph?" he asked, his tone a mixture of exhaustion and irritation.
Daphne took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "I know things are overwhelming right now, but I think we all could use a break," she said softly. "Why don't we take the kids out for a picnic by the Black Lake? It'll give us all a chance to relax and enjoy each other's company."
Harry's expression softened as he listened to Daphne's suggestion. He glanced at the children and then back at Daphne, a small smile forming on his lips. "That actually sounds like a great idea," he admitted. "Alright, let's do it."
Astoria chimed in, adding her agreement. "I think it's a brilliant idea," she said with a grin. "Besides, it'll be a nice change of scenery for all of us."
With everyone in agreement, Astoria set off with the kids towards the Black Lake, while Harry headed to the kitchens and Daphne went to fetch Teddy.
It didn't surprise Harry to find his family waiting for him in their spot by the Black Lake; it was their spot. The place where Daphne and he always hung out. He loved this spot, and he knew she did too. Carrying the basket in one hand, he made his way over to them. He was greeted by a passionate kiss from his girlfriend before he spread the picnic blanket out on the ground. Everyone sat down, and Harry took out the food he brought. The house elves of Hogwarts were kind enough to make them sandwiches and provide drinks. Although, since they'd just had breakfast, nobody ate much. The drinks were more popular.
They spent a good amount of time talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. Harry couldn't be happier. He finally had a family; one he loved and one that loved him. The sun was warm, the breeze gentle, and the sound of the lake lapping against the shore was soothing.
That's when he remembered something. He reached into the basket and pulled out a bottle made from dark glass, its tip sealed by wax with what seemed to be a cork below. He handed it to Daphne.
"I've got this for you. It's a 2-year-old red wine from Germany, from the Mosel region, specifically Trier," Harry said with a smile.
Daphne smiled back. "Thank you very much. But I'd like nothing more than drinking it with you."
With her wand, Daphne carefully opened the bottle while Harry took out two wine glasses from the basket. She softly poured some wine into the glasses, put the bottle aside, and clinked their glasses before both taking a sip of the red liquid. The wine was taut and dry, tasting of mushroom, clove, raspberry, cherry, blackcurrant, and a hint of vanilla.
As they sipped their wine, Harry couldn't help but gaze at Daphne with adoration. Her blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her eyes sparkled with happiness. He reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, earning a smile from her.
Meanwhile, the children played nearby. Teddy Lupin, the eldest of the group, was showing off some of his magical tricks, much to the delight of his younger siblings, who would otherwise be only goofing around. Somehow he managed to transfigure a ball which they used to play catch.
As Harry joined the children in their game of catch, Daphne felt a comforting presence beside her. She turned to see Astoria sitting beside her, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Hey," Astoria greeted softly, her eyes warm with understanding. "Mind if I join you?"
Daphne returned her sister's smile, shaking her head. "Of course not," she replied.
They sat together in comfortable silence for a moment, watching as Harry played with the children, their laughter filling the air. Astoria glanced at Daphne, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"You know, I've been thinking," Astoria began, her voice contemplative. "Now that we know about our future selves and everything, do you ever wonder if we're destined to follow the same path?"
Daphne furrowed her brow, considering her sister's words. It was a question that had crossed her mind more than once since their unexpected journey to the past. "I suppose it's possible," she replied slowly. "But I like to think that we have the power to make our own choices, to carve out our own futures."
Astoria nodded thoughtfully, her gaze distant. "Yeah, you're right," she agreed. "I guess it's just strange to think that our lives could be so closely intertwined with those of our future selves."
Daphne nodded in agreement. "It is strange," she admitted. "The idea that our future is predetermined, that our choices are somehow already made for us… it's a lot to wrap your head around."
Astoria nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah, it's like… if everything is already set in stone, then what's the point of even trying to change things?" she mused.
Daphne sighed, feeling a sense of unease settle over her. "I know what you mean," she said softly. "But I like to believe that we still have some control over our own destinies, that our actions can shape the course of our lives."
Astoria's gaze softened, a small smile playing on her lips. "I hope you're right," she said earnestly. "Because the thought of being stuck on some predetermined path, with no way to change our fate… it's kind of terrifying."
Daphne once again nodded in agreement. "What if our future isn't predetermined?" she suggested. "What if our choices aren't already made for us?"
Astoria's brow furrowed as she considered this possibility. "You mean... indeterminism?" she asked, her voice reflecting her intrigue.
Daphne nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Exactly," she replied. "What if our future isn't set in stone, and our choices have the power to change the course of our lives?"
Astoria processed this idea. "That would mean... we're not just passive actors in our own lives," she mused, her voice filled with wonder. "We have the power to shape our own destinies, to create our own paths."
Daphne smiled, feeling a sense of excitement at the prospect. "Exactly," she agreed. "It's a liberating thought, isn't it? To know that we have the freedom to choose our own paths, to carve out our own futures."
Astoria's smile mirrored Daphne's as she nodded in agreement. "It definitely is," she said softly. "And it gives me hope, knowing that no matter what challenges we may face, we have the power to overcome them and forge our own destinies."
Daphne couldn't help but laugh at her sister. "Says the one who married Malfoy," she teased, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she teased her sister.
Astoria's cheeks flushed crimson as she muttered in response, "Well, he's a bit... cute," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Daphne raised an eyebrow, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Just a bit?" she teased, her grin widening. "Come on, Astoria, we all know you've got a massive crush on him."
Astoria's blush deepened, but she couldn't deny the truth in her sister's words. "Okay, fine," she conceded with a sheepish smile. "Maybe I do have a bit of a crush on him."
As they shared a laugh together, Astoria's gaze drifted to the wine glasses beside them. "Hey, do you mind if I have a sip of that?" she asked, nodding towards Daphne's glass.
Daphne hesitated for a moment, considering her sister's request. "Sorry, Astoria," she said gently, shaking her head. "But you're only a fourth year. I don't think you should be drinking alcohol."
Astoria's expression fell slightly, disappointment flickering in her eyes. "Oh, okay." She looked down at her lap.
Daphne reached out and squeezed her sister's hand. "Don't worry," she said softly. "There will be plenty of time for you to enjoy a glass of wine when you're older." Astoria managed a small smile. Daphne smiled back. Together, they sat in companionable silence, watching as Harry and the children continued to play, knowing that no matter what the future held, they would face it together, as a family.