Chapter 70 - Catching up

"Harry!" I jumped up from the blanket, when I reached him, I pulled the stunned boy, or rather man, in a tight hug.

"Gwen." He whispered in shock as his arm wrapped around me. We hugged for a while. I could hear the kids play in the background. When Harry pulled back, he looked me up and down. "You look good, Northon."

"You look..." I glanced him up and down with a smirk.

"I know, without my Auror suit, I'm not very much to look at." He grinned.

"Don't be daft, you're handsome." I slapped his chest.

"You hear that, Andy?" He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and turned us to look at her. "Handsome." He grinned, pointing to himself. Andy rolled her eyes but was distracted when two boys laughed loudly. The three of us looked at the boys who were doing the sloth grip in the air.

"Is that?" Harry asked, looking from CJ to me.

"My son, yes." I smiled. "You've never met him, did you." I asked, now just realizing it.

I've seen Harry the past few years, but CJ was never there. I went to Andy for Teddy's birthday the past three years, but only after the large group had gone, like the Weasleys. They treated Teddy like he was family, which was truly amazing. The thought of seeing the twins there, had send me in a panic attack the first two times, but Andy always made sure everyone was gone, except Harry. The first year after I left, I didn't come over. Even with CJ, I was still trying to work through my depression. I wasn't ready to face anyone then. The year after, I saw Harry for a mere of twenty minutes. He had come in late. But he had to leave after twenty minutes for an assignment from work. Then two birthdays ago, Harry and I saw each other for a full evening, but CJ was taken ill, so he stayed with Bash and Charlie in Romania, much to their delight. We made it up with Teddy a few days later and invited him and Andy over to Romania. And Teddy's last birthday, about five months ago, Harry was away for assignment again, and he was gone for nearly three weeks then.

Then Teddy, still hanging upside down, noticed his godfather. He let himself fall to the ground as he ran over. "Uncle Harry!"

"Hey, Tedster." He kneeled down and hugged him tight. When he pulled back, Teddy's eyes were wide.

"You know Aunt Winnie?"

"I do." Harry smiled. "I met her back in school." Harry's eyes flickered over Teddy's shoulder. CJ, unusual quiet, was walking over slowly.

"Mummy?" He said, his eyes flickering between me and Harry. I kneeled down next to Harry, and CJ wrapped his little arms around me.

"This is Harry. Remember the stories I told you about daddy. About the tournament with the dragons and all." He nodded enthusiastically.

"You helped daddy." He said between my arms but looking at Harry.

"Your daddy helped me; he was very brave."

"The bravest." I kissed CJ's head. "Harry, meet CJ, Cedric Junior."

"Nice to meet you, CJ. I hear you're Teddy's best friend." He smiled at the boy with purple hair, who gave a determined nod. "That's good, because I brought you something. And since CJ is your best friend, I thought you could share." He rummaged in his pockets before he took out a little purple and orange box. My stomach twisted a little as I recognized where it came from. "While I would say, don't spend it all in once. Your uncles would say, spend it all, you're only young once." He chuckled. The box contained kids proof sweets and little fireworks.

The boys looked at each other and said. "Wicked!" They ran through the garden Teddy already sharing the contents of the box. They sat down in the sandbox and started eating the candies.

"Are those sugar free?" I asked but I already knew the answer.

"It's from Fred and George, what do you think." Harry chuckled as we walked over to Andy and sat down on the picnic blanket.

"Yeah, thought so." I smiled. I looked up when Andy stood. "Where are you going?"

"Just going to the shop, I'll be back in an hour."

"Do you want me to go?" Harry and I asked.

"Don't be ridiculous." She was us off. "You two can catch up." Then she popped away without waiting for an answer. The two boys looked up for a moment, but when they saw that we were still there, they continued eating the sweets.

"How are you and Ginny?" I glanced at his naked ring finger. "I thought you were going to propose?"

"Yeah, well that didn't happen." He gazed to the playing boys. "I was on assignment a lot, and Ginny was playing out of the country half of the year." He sighed. "We started to grow apart. When she found our letters, she thought I was having an affair." My eyes bulged as Harry chuckled dryly. "Yeah, that was my reaction too. But I think she needed an excuse, because I caught her cheating on me. That was about two years ago. We're on friendly terms now, but... You know. Molly and Arthur don't know what happened, they just think we grew apart, which is partially true."

"Oh." I let it all sink in for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't something I wanted to write in a letter, and it wasn't like we discussed big things like that." He was right, of course. The conversation we had was always light. About the kids, about the changes in the ministry here in England, his work, my travels. I never asked how his personal life was going, and he never asked me, it was like an unspoken rule. But now being here, it had already changed. He was already telling me more than he did through the letters, and I was sure I would soon follow his lead.

"I understand. I'm sorry." I reached over and squeezed his hand. "How are the others?" I asked as I pulled my hand back.

"Hermione is killing it, like we all thought she would. She went back to Hogwarts to finish school, then she went to work at the ministry. She just finalized for the house elves to get paid for their work and get vacation days, and clothes."

"I read about that. I didn't know that was Hermione's doing." I gasped in surprise.

"You know her, she doesn't like being in the spotlight." He looked at me from the corner of his eye before he said. "She and Fred are together for almost two years now; they've been thinking about moving in together."

That brought a smile to my lips, so large that it hurt. Because it has been a long time since I smiled like that. "So, Fred finally snatched her up. About time."

"Abo- about time?" Harry looked wide eyed at me.

"Oh, yeah. Fred wanted her since before the yule ball. And she was quite smitten with him too. I'm surprised you didn't know."

"Yeah, well." Harry laughed. "Hermione always thought Ron and I had the emotional range of a teaspoon." I couldn't help laughing too, we bumped each other's shoulders as we laughed. "And Ron -" He started again after the laughter died down. "You probably know from Charlie, but he came out a year after the battle."

"I knew, Charlie told me. But I knew he's gay since your fourth year."

"How? No one knew." Harry asked incredulously.

"Little things. And I grew up with an openly gay brother, then met Charlie when I started Hogwarts. I know the tells."

"You're like really observant, aren't you."

"So, I've been told." I grinned as I leaned back on my arms.

"I don't know how much of in the loop you are, and if you read wizarding magazines." I shook my head, not having read much about what's been going on in England. "Weasleys Wizard Wheezes was as successful as before the war, maybe even more. They opened their second shop in Hogsmeade a year and a half later. They are now looking for a third shop in France."

"Wow, that's massive. But not a total surprise." I smiled as I saw the kids throw little fireworks in the air, one of their bestsellers, if it was my guess. But if Fred and Hermione are going to live together, what about George? Harry seemed to have read my mind.

"George had a serious girlfriend for a while, even moved in together." He said carefully, gauging my reaction. "But they broke up after a year and a half. No one knows what happened, though. Fred probably does, but he would never say why. That was about two years ago. Fred and George still live together. Once Fred and Hermione decide to move in together, George will probably take the flat above the shop in Hogsmeade. I heard he's seeing someone new, but he hasn't introduced her to the family."

"That's good." I nodded but something in my belly clenched together. "They deserve to be happy."

"Yeah." Harry went on slowly. "You know all about Charlie and Bash, and Andy and Teddy. I don't think Percy interests you so much, but if you want to know, he's working at the ministry. Bill and Fleur had a baby girl, Victoire. She turned two in May."

"She's gorgeous." I said, I turned when I felt Harry's eyes on me. Harry frowned at me. "They visited Charlie and Bash while we were there, just after she turned one. I've seen her a couple of times since then."

"Right." The frown still in place. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Besides travelling, what's going one with you?"

"And besides being a single mum, raising an almost four-year-old?" I chuckled. "I'm good. I've started dating again last year. Had a relationship for six months, I think. But the thing that CJ thinks is the most exciting, what you might think is too... We're moving back here."

"You-" He breathed out in shock. "You're moving back?"

"We are. I mean we already sort of are, Andy lets us stay here. I'm searching for the right place, but -"

"Andy wants to keep you here and never let you guys go." Harry grinned.

"You could say that. She keeps cutting out the listings from the paper." I laughed.

"You can come to the burrow this Sunday, for brunch."

"Oh, no. I'm not ready for that." I shook my head violently. "I've only been back for a week. I need to take baby steps. Go see my friends. I haven't seen Lee since ..., nor have I seen Odin and Lyra."

"What about the twins?"

"I'll go see them." I said softly. "When I'm ready."

"This is not to make you feel bad, but -" Harry stopped as I looked at him. "Fred and George took it really hard when Charlie told them you'd gone. It wasn't easy for them."

"I wasn't easy for me." I snapped.

"I know. And they get why you left, truly. But it broke something in them, George wasn't quite the same for a while."

"I think none of us were." I sighed quietly and laid down, gazing up at the clouds behind the willow tree. Harry laid down next to me and clasped his hand around mine.

"I'm happy your back."

"Me too."

Laying there quietly didn't last long. Harry smirked at me when we heard the two boys creeping up. They tried to come close as silently as they could, but they failed miserably. So, we both pretended to be frightened when they pounced on us. We started a tickle war with the two boys, their hair changed in all colours as they laughed freely.

OoO

A surprisingly new close friendship with Harry? Yes please :D