Hi all! This is the same story I've got posted on AO3.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize

Full Summary:

Seven years following the end of the Second Wizarding War sees most of its survivors healed and enjoying the new normal they've created for themselves. Lorelai Baudelaire, however, had never been most people. She's still plagued by the darkness and restlessness she's struggled with her whole life, and the spotlight that comes with being Harry Potter's sister and Fred Weasley's widow doesn't make it any easier. Lorelai's never been the type to sit around and cry about her feelings, though, and she's not about to start now. Not when her job as an Auror gives her such an easy out to keep running.

Dean Winchester, born-and-bred Hunter, is at a bit of a loss himself when he runs into the American Auror while he's tracking a werewolf. With his brother at Stanford and his dad going off more and more on his own, some days it seems like the only thing Dean's got left is hunting – though after the disaster that had been Cassie Robinson, that was just fine by him. Normal was overrated anyhow. If he had to do normal, he'd put a bullet between his eyes.

What happens when their world collide? Is it fate or a recipe for disaster?

Starts just before Supernatural Season 1 and runs through series

April 29th, 2005

In the seven years since the end of the Second Wizarding War, Diagon Alley had not only returned to its former glory, but had continued to grow and change. The crowds had come back, the vibrant shop fronts had returned, the wanted posters and dingy stalls had disappeared, and the fear and tension that had once hung in the air had become very distant memories – even with the strong reminder of the anniversary looming so closely.

As Lorelai Baudelaire stood in the gateway from the Leaky Cauldron, weekend bag slung over her shoulder and large sunglasses obscuring most of her face, she couldn't help but smile while the familiar bittersweet feeling of coming home and the grief for what could have been washed over her. To her right, a small group of kids had their noses pressed against the glass at Quality Quidditch Supplies – if Lorelai had to guess, she'd say they'd be ready for Hogwarts that upcoming Fall. Just a little further down the way, Madam Malkin's was advertising a new line of formal wear. Owls were swooping in and out of the post office. A young mother was making her way into the Apothecary with her baby on her hip and shopping bags trailing behind her. Gringotts, of course, still towered over the rest of the alley.

The sight that warmed her heart the most, however, was familiar purple and orange shopfront she had, once upon a time, called home. Its windows were as colorful and explosive as ever, and she nearly laughed out loud when she noticed the display which she was sure George had put together in honor of the anniversary. He'd brought out the old favorites – the Edible Dark Mark that made the eater sick, and U-No-Poo, accompanied by the old ad he and Fred had crafted during the war – but it was the new products and displays that were really eye catching. The new fireworks bundles that were packaged in a singed looking Umbridge doll and blew her apart upon being ignited brought back fond memories of the fireworks Fred and George had set off shortly before dropping out of Hogwarts, and the miniature figurines of Voldemort and his defeated Death Eaters being chased around by a miniature of the fire-breathing dragon she'd broken out of Gringotts with Harry, Ron, and Hermione made her wish they'd managed to fly him to Hogwarts in real life.

Still smiling, Lorelai pulled her sunglasses to rest atop her head and pushed through the door, just able to make out the sound of the bell over the noise from the rest of the shop. Hogwarts was still in session, and so the crowd itself wasn't nearly as large as it got during peak times, but it was still impressive, and Lorelai hurriedly jumped back as a pair of toddlers nearly ran into her in their haste to look at the Pygmy Puffs. A tired looking man dressed in jeans and a t-shirt followed behind, and Lorelai was glad that even if robes were still the norm, she at least no longer stood out in her own Muggle clothing – not the way she did when she first came to England over a decade before.

"Excuse me, sir, but have you seen the owner of this place? My son Timothy set off some of these Wildfire Whizbangs at our dinner table and caught our cat on fire, and I'd like to lodge a complaint about selling such dangerous products to children," she said in a nasally voice, thinking of one of the customers she'd had in New York not too long ago as she came up behind George. She'd hardly made it a few paces inside the store when she'd caught sight of him, decked out in his horrible magenta robes, finishing up with a customer. He hadn't noticed her coming up behind him, and turned, already gearing up to charm the unhappy woman he thought he'd find, but when he saw it was her, a genuine smile broke across his face and he pulled her in for a hug.

"Lorelai! You're here! Blimey, tell me you've had more interesting complaints than that recently." Lorelai laughed, returning his hug before they stepped back apart, and she allowed herself a good look at him. It had only been a month since she'd last been back – for his birthday in fact – and he largely looked the same. The most notable change was that he seemed a little more tired around the eyes, but with a newborn and a toddler at home, she supposed that was to be expected.

"Hey, I don't work the front all that much anymore, and government contracts aren't all that interesting." George snorted.

"Except when it's you that's handling them. When it's you handling them I know something's wrong if I don't receive at least two or three owls per contract threatening to haul us in for regulatory infractions and complaining you don't know how to play nice with others." Lorelai tried to look apologetic but knew the smile on her face was obvious.

"Not my fault I'm the only one over there with some personality. I swear, half of MACUSA makes Percy look like the life of the party." A paper Hippogriff went flying past her head, close enough that Lorelai ducked, only grinning wider as she straightened back up.

"And how is your mission to single-handedly beat a sense of humor into your co-workers going these days?" George asked, grabbing one of her bags and starting to lead her towards the back of the shop.

"Eh, I'm back on the market for a partner," she shrugged, earning a chuckle from George. "Apparently Screaming Yo-yos don't make for pleasant alarm clocks when you're hunting a banshee."

"Didn't they assign you a rookie?"

"Could hear the scream from the other side of the motel," Lorelai said in the way of an answer, the amusement in her voice far outweighing any remorse she may have felt.

"You're brutal," George mused, shaking his head in pity, no doubt reflecting on the list of MACUSA Aurors she'd blown through in the year since her original partner and semi-mentor had retired.

"Hey, if they can't handle me then they've got no business being out in the field," Lorelai said defensively. "Constant vigilance!"

"If only Moody could see you now," George replied, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. Lorelai was still laughing as they neared the register. Another familiar face caught sight of her almost immediately, and before Lorelai knew it Verity was rushing over to greet her.

"Lorelai! I didn't think we'd see you until dinner time!"

"Told you she'd be here around lunch," George taunted, holding his hand out expectantly. Lorelai watched as Verity rolled her eyes but begrudgingly slapped a silver coin into his palm.

"Aw, Ver, don't you know better by now than to make bets with George?"

"I had a good feeling about this one, you're nearly always late. Where's Katie?" Lorelai felt herself smiling wistfully as George shot her a sympathetic look.

"Katie's still at school, prepping for finals right now actually. She won't be home for another few weeks." It was the first year Lorelai had returned to England for the anniversary weekend without her little sister, and even though she'd had time to prepare, and she'd made the trip solo a few times since Katie had left, it still felt odd being there on her own. Verity's features quickly twisted into an expression reminiscent of George's as she started to head back towards the counter upon spotting customers were approaching.

"Merlin, she's growing up so fast. You'll have to bring her around this summer!" Lorelai called back in the affirmative as she and George finally ducked into the back room.

"Excited for her to come home?" George asked lowly, and Lorelai found herself nodding before he'd even finished speaking.

"You have no idea. The apartment's way too quiet without her, and as it turns out I'm even worse at keeping food in the house or doing laundry when I'm not worried about taking care of her."

"Now that's a truly terrifying thought," he said, each of them dropping a bag onto the bench by the stairs she knew led up to the old flat no one used anymore, giving her a look. Lorelai nodded her agreement.

"It's like Last Man on Earth without the cute dog."

"Wha –"

"Never mind," she waved him off, realizing that even in the Muggle world she would have been hard pressed to find someone to get the reference. "Where's Ron? Did you give him the day off?"

"Nah, he's doing inventory," George informed her, jerking his thumb in the direction of the storeroom. Lorelai smirked – it was unanimously the least favorite job amongst the three of them, and George had a habit of pulling the older brother card to make Ron do it. Before she'd left, he'd tried similar tactics with her with less success.

"Poor dear. What do you say we liven up his afternoon?"

The stockroom was just as she remembered it – violently colorful and packed to the gills. Despite the fact that they'd opened numerous locations, they fulfilled most of the owl orders through the Diagon Alley shop and tended to keep higher inventory levels as a result. Shoes muffled, she and George eased their way through the door, and Lorelai was happy to see that Ron was so engrossed in counting, his clipboard and quill levitating behind him, that he hadn't noticed a thing. Looking around, she ducked around to the desk they'd crammed in one of the corners and hopped on top of it, waving her wand in the direction of a discarded work glove nearby. George followed not far behind, and seeing what she was doing, silently filled a nearby bucket with water before levitating it towards the ceiling where it teetered precariously.

It wasn't long before they heard Ron's quiet murmur of what the bloody hell, promptly followed by a more irritated and louder, George! Moments later, Ron's lanky form became visible as he followed the glove, which was still contorting itself into various obscene hand gestures, down the aisleway. Lorelai and George both grinned when he caught sight of them, and for the briefest of moments Ron returned the gesture, before the bucket tipped forward, drenching the younger man and leaving him spluttering as he looked at the pair of them in disbelief.

"Hey Ron!" she greeted cheerfully. George sniggered next to her while Ron pushed his wet hair away from his face and scowled at her.

"You always did know how to make an entrance. I suppose that's payback for Easter then?" Lorelai smiled but shook her head.

"Don't be silly. Retaliation for stealing my fudge is going to be a lot bigger than a bucket of cold water." Ron nodded, still wiping the water from his face.

"Right. Just your way of saying hello then?" Lorelai nodded, still smiling, and failed to catch the mischievous glint take hold in his eyes.

"Just like –" but the rest of her words were cut off as Ron tackled her with a hug and she squealed as the cold water soaked through her own clothes and dripped onto her skin. George howled with laughter until she and Ron shared a look and tackled him at the same time. The floor, by that point, was covered in water, and in the commotion all three of them went down rather hard, and, for a moment, it fell silent as they looked at each other in surprise. The silence, however, was short-lived . Lorelai was the first to break, snorting when she looked at Ron and realized his head bore a striking resemblance to a wet, pouting, Puffskein. But the noise broke the moment and George and Ron's laughter followed quickly thereafter.

Sitting on the floor of the original Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, laughing with her brothers-in-law, Lorelai couldn't help but be happy to be back, and tried not to listen too hard to the nagging voice trying to remind her that this could have been her life.

"Aunt Rory, Aunt Rory!"

Later that evening, Lorelai had barely taken half a step out of George and Angelina's grate when the sounds of her nephew's excited voice rent the air, quickly followed by hurried, little footsteps. She looked up in time to see the toddler barrel down the hallway, straight past George, while Angelina appeared in the empty doorway, a tired smile on her face and Roxanne in her arms.

"Freddie!" Lorelai cried back, dropping her bag, and crouching down just in time for Freddie to launch himself into her arms.

"What am I, kid, dragon dung?" George asked, but Freddie couldn't be bothered by his dad, and Lorelai shared a quick smile with him as Angelina moved further towards the group and greeted her husband.

"I missed you! Did you bring me anything?"

"Did I bring you anything?" Lorelai repeated back, pretending to be shocked at his request, even as Angelina shot her son a disproving look.

"Fred…"

"Yeah! Did you? Did you?" Lorelai chuckled, catching Angelina's eye and winking.

"I dunno buddy, is that the only reason you're excited to see me?" Freddie quickly and emphatically shook his head, an earnest expression on his face and eyes suddenly wide with nerves.

"No! You just always have the coolest stuff, and the coolest stories! And everyone else just brings boring baby stuff and has boring baby stories now for Roxy. But you're still cool, and Mummy said you're going to stay with us all weekend! Is it true? Are you really staying with us all weekend?" Lorelai smiled, ignoring the strain crouching was beginning to put on her legs, and ruffled her nephew's reddish-brown hair.

"That's right, all weekend!" Freddie let out a cheer and gave a little jump.

"Come on, come on!" he babbled excitedly, grabbing at her hand. "Mummy and I set up a room for you, I can show you!"

"Let me say hello to your mum, and then I promise you can show me my room, alright?" Freddie's eyes gleamed in excitement and Lorelai waited for him to nod before standing, the relief immediately flooding her legs.

There was a flurry of activity as Freddie raced towards the door, George intercepting him as he did, while Lorelai ducked around them, a warm smile spreading across her face as she locked eyes with Angelina, until Roxy's eyes fluttered open, and Lorelai felt her heart melting.

"Hi Ang!" Lorelai said, her voice raising in octave but lowering in volume so as to not disrupt the baby. Angelina beamed and leaned into the embrace Lorelai offered the best she could with the baby still in her arms. "How you doin', mama? You're looking good!"

"I look like death warmed over," Angelina laughed. "This lot runs me ragged, but you're sweet and I'm okay. It's good to see you! Trip over alright?" Lorelai nodded, already finding herself becoming absorbed in the little pink bundle.

"Oh yeah, always. Thank Merlin for International Floos. Aw, Ang, I can't believe how big she's getting already!" Angelina bounced Roxy a little in her arms and smiled, while Lorelai smoothed back some of her dark curly hair and marveled at the smile the newest Weasley had learned in the last few weeks.

"I know. Even after having been through it with Freddie, I still can't get over how fast it all flies by. Come on, though, let's actually let you get into the house. I think if we keep Freddie from his favorite Aunt any longer he's liable to have a fit," Angelina only half-joked.

"How's he liking being a big brother?" Lorelai asked, backtracking for her bag when she realized they no longer had an audience. Angelina shot Lorelai a relieved look over her shoulder as she began leading them back down the hall.

"Brilliantly, thank Merlin. He's so good with her, it's the sweetest thing to watch. Always wants to look out for his baby sister and spend time with her. Sometimes it's hard to explain to him why Roxy can't do all the things he can, but he's starting to get it."

George and Angelina had moved into their London townhome shortly after they'd gotten engaged, and it suited them well. As far as raw square footage went, it was probably smaller than the Burrow and it lacked the land, but the rooms themselves were larger and they got a lot of natural light throughout the house. Even before the kids, it had always been a very homey environment, and since they'd started growing their family it had only become more chaotic and cluttered. Lorelai had been a frequent visitor before she'd relocated back to the States, and it was still one of her favorite places to stay when she came back for these trips.

True to her word, Ang already had dinner bubbling away on the stovetop, and Lorelai felt her stomach rumble upon the smell of a homecooked meal. Angelina was no Molly Weasley, but years of helping their mother-in-law in the kitchen had rubbed off on Angelina in a way Lorelai knew it never would for her. George was already in the living room with Freddie, listening while Freddie talked a mile a minute, holding up various toys of his as he went, but at the sound of the other adults entering the room, his head snapped in their direction, and he immediately abandoned ship.

"Aunt Rory are you ready?" he asked, bouncing a little bit on the balls of his feet at the bottom of the staircase, looking ready to spring up them. Angelina gave Lorelai a sympathetic look that she waved off, knowing she'd probably feel different if this was her every day, and George chuckled, shaking his head while he observed.

"Sure thing, lead the way." The words had hardly left her mouth before Freddie was bounding forward.

"I'll race you!" he called back without stopping. Lorelai laughed and headed after him at a normal pace.

"Sorry, Lorelai, he's been so excited," Angelina apologized while George relieved her of Roxy.

"You worry too much, love," George assured her. "Lorelai's just as excited. It's not often she gets to hang out with someone whose day can be made as easily as hers by cartoons and sweets." He winked in her direction as her foot came to land on the first step.

"The fact that he still thinks my job is cooler than Harry's is only icing on the cake," she added cheerfully before continuing up to the second floor.

By the time she made it to the top of the stairs, Freddie was already running down the hall ahead towards what she knew to be George and Angelina's guest room. Very little had changed since her visit earlier in the month, though she noticed a new photo had been added to the others dotting the walls of hallway. The newest addition showed Angelina holding Roxy while she sat in an armchair, with George looking over her shoulder and Freddie on her side, cooing over his baby sister. She smiled, realizing it was one she had taken. It was one of the few still photos in the collection, juxtaposed nicely with a moving one she knew came from her own graduation party that had occurred what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Ta da!"

Lorelai walked into the guest room, which looked the same as she remembered, but now had Freddie standing in the middle of the floor, his little arms held high in the air as if he were presenting something. She pretended to look surprised, widening her eyes, and looking around the room in awe, even as she dropped her bag onto the top of the bed. The familiar, faintly yellow walls were a comfort, and the freshly made bed with its puffy, light blue comforter was easily the nicest bed she'd had to call her own in weeks and was already calling out to her.

"Oh my god!" she cried, reminding herself watch her language in front of her nephew. Something told her Angelina would be less than appreciative if words like shit started popping up in his vocabulary so early. "This is amazing! And you said you set this up for me?" Freddie smiled shyly at her and nodded, putting his arms down.

"Yeah!"

"Thank you," she told him, bending over and kissing him atop the head. Quickly he looked around, a spark of mischief his namesake would have been proud of appearing in his eyes, before turning to her conspiratorially.

"There's a surprise," he whispered. Lorelai raised her eyebrows, prompting him to continue, interested to see what surprise a two-year-old had concocted. Instead of answering, he ran around to the other side of the bed, struggling a bit to get atop it before he finally reached behind the pillows and pulled out a bar of Honeydukes chocolate. "We can share!"

Lorelai laughed, glancing towards the door herself before reaching out and taking the offered candy. A little sugar never hurt anyone, and neither George nor Angelina would begrudge her an opportunity to bond with the kid over something so simple.

"Awesome!"

By the time Freddie was done happily munching away on the third of the candy bar she'd broken off for him, she'd already unpacked her bag and been wheedled by the toddler into telling him all about her latest case chasing down a rogue dragon along the Canadian border – edited, of course, to be age appropriate. At two, Freddie didn't need to know that the dragon was rogue because he'd finally gotten the best of the poachers that had bred him, or that he was so dangerous because he'd been abused by said poachers for the entirety of his life and had some pent-up bloodlust. Freddie also didn't need to know that her "heroic" save of the Muggle town was only necessary because the Canadian Auror that was meant to be backing her up had been nearly trampled to death and had been unconscious as a result when they were supposed to be firing stunners at it a few miles ahead of the town.

She was almost relieved when Angelina's voice drifted up from the ground floor, letting them know that dinner was ready, and Freddie took off to run back down the stairs. Normally she enjoyed telling the kid stories, but this weekend always had her nerves shot to hell, and the attention from the press back home wasn't helping matters. Work was usually an escape, one she counted on, but for the last week and a half, between the photos from New Years and the leak on the obscurial case, it had felt like every move she made was being put under a public microscope.

Downstairs, George was settling Freddie into a seat at the table while Angelina levitated dishes of food over and Roxanne snoozed away peacefully in the basinet in the living room. Lorelai tried to offer her assistance but was quickly waved off with a laugh from Ang and a snigger from George. Her lack of skill at household spells had, in her opinion, become overblown over the years, but coupled with her clumsiness she didn't have much evidence to defend any stance she'd take to the contrary.

The food was as good as it smelled, and Lorelai had been happy to go back for seconds, excited to have something besides bar food or pizza for the first time in weeks. Even her goddaughter's birthday dinner the night before had been pizza, though it had at least been better than what she was accustomed to on the road. By the time she was finished eating she was halfway wondering why she didn't come home more often, though she'd tried her hand at that enough to no longer truly wonder.

Still, she was sated enough that thoughts of the bed in George and Angie's guest room were highly appealing despite the early hour when George and Angie started getting the kids ready for bed. Right up until she heard the fireplace roar to life from the other room while Angelina was settling Roxy in and George was upstairs wrangling Freddie into his own room. Lorelai knew the house was secure, but her hand still flew to her wand, some instincts just impossible to completely beat out, and her hand tightened around the handle for just a moment before a familiar voice sounded down the hallway.

"You better have shown your face this time, Baudelaire, or I'm going to start feeling like the girl that got stood up at the Ball."

Lee Jordan appeared in the doorframe seconds later, and Lorelai was already on her feet, rushing to give him a hug.

"Lee!" she exclaimed in surprise. Lee wrapped his arms around her, laughing all the while. "I didn't think we'd see you 'till tomorrow!"

"Leesh came home early to stay with Cal for the night so I could come try and convince you and Georgie to come out for a drink. She knows how rare an event it is for you to come out this way too. We were taking bets on whether or not you'd use all that rubbish in the papers as an excuse out of this year. I'll have you know I had your back. Told Alicia you wouldn't miss the anniversary, even if the Ball is a bloody circus every year."

Lee's presence had given her an unexpected burst of energy, and Lorelai felt a surge of excitement at the idea, even as she playfully shoved him for his teasing.

"For all your complaining, it's a wonder I come around at all," she retorted just in time for George to come down the stairs, smile fixed in place at the sight of them.

"Thought I heard you! What are you doing here, mate?" he asked, clapping Lee on the back. "Love potion finally wear off and Alicia sent you packing?"

Lorelai snickered while Lee shrugged George off and flipped him the bird, though he was grinning while he did.

"Hilarious, really. I don't know how you come up with them your holeyness."

Angelina was already trudging down the steps behind George, her eyes betraying how exhausted she was, though a genuine smile did spread across her face when she saw they had company.

"I can only guess you're here to try and corrupt these two," she greeted Lee warmly, wrapping him in a one armed hug on her way towards the kitchen. He followed after her, smirk in place, while Lorelai and George ambled behind.

"As if either of them need corrupting," Lee scoffed, and Angelina chuckled in agreement, a wave of her wand having the kettle begin her tea while she reached for one of her mugs.

"Lee wants to go out for drinks," Lorelai informed them. "Though I'm telling you right now, if it's not Hog's Head or Muggle London, I'm out."

"Y'know, the more elusive you are the bigger deal they're going to keep making every time they can get a shot at you," George was quick to point out, already knowing her well enough to realize her specificity was rooted in her desire to avoid the press.

"You shut your mouth," Lee jumped in, pointing dramatically at George and grinning at Lorelai. "We can do Hog's Head, s'no problem. What about you, Angie?"

Angelina laughed and shook her head, motioning to the now-steaming kettle and then the pajamas she'd changed into.

"I'll pass, but you three should go. I've got the kids."

The silent interaction between Angelina and George only lasted the fraction of a second before George beamed, a familiar, mischievous spark in his eye. Lorelai tried not to feel too envious, remembering what it had been like to have that kind of partner.

"You're brilliant, love. Best wife ever. I'll get them over to your parents in the morning."

Angelina ushered them out soon after that, and as Lorelai, George, and Lee made their way down the familiar streets of Hogsmeade, Lorelai noted that the little village was alive with a mystical energy that seemed to pulse through the cobblestones beneath their feet. The air was crisp, carrying with it the scent of Butterbeer and candies from Honeydukes, reminding her of better days. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, closed for the evening, shone even in the dark where Zonko's used to stand, and Lorelai felt a stab of nostalgia remembering walking the aisles with Fred, George and Lee when they could get away from the school. She felt another when they passed by The Three Broomsticks, haunted by memories of Fred's laughter and cheesy grin as he'd flirted with her in those early days together.

The trio turned a corner, the old wooden sign welcoming them to the Hog's Head swinging gently in the breeze, illuminated by the soft glow of the lanterns bobbing in the air casting shadows every which way. As they reached the weathered door of the tavern, Lorelai pushed it open, another wave of familiar scents hitting her like a wall—smoke from the hearth, old wood, and a faint hint of what Lorelai thought might be beef stew.

Aberforth Dumbledore, grizzled as ever, looked up from polishing a glass behind the bar and greeted them with a nod. Lorelai smiled in return, her eyes scanning the dimly lit room until she found an empty table towards the back. The three of them ordered their drinks and settled in, laughter quickly filling the air and blending seamlessly with the murmur of the other patrons. For as much as she pretended otherwise, Lorelai did feel badly she didn't see her friends and family as often as she knew she should, but she was always grateful that at least with these two, no matter how much time had passed, they were able to pick up as though it had been no time at all.

They slipped easily into conversation, reminiscing about old times and catching up on their latest adventures alike. Lee and George told her about the special Potterwatch broadcast they'd be doing the next day before the ball, much to Harry's chagrin, and Lorelai was quick to provide a few suggestions to best embarrass her little brother. Lorelai was in the middle of regaling them with the unfiltered story of the rogue dragon when Ron and Hermione entered the tavern, cheeks flushed enough that Lorelai thought about teasing them later.

Ron's freckled face split into a grin when he spotted the group of them at the table, while Hermione's warm smile lit up her face.

"Mind if we join you?" she asked, although Ron was already pulling out a chair.

"Oi, she doesn't get a choice," he pretended to complain, even as Lorelai shifted to make room for them. "She owes me a drink for screwing up my inventory."

"Ickle Ronniekins upset he had to work late?" George teased, while Lorelai rolled her eyes but signaled to Aberforth that she was getting a round for the newcomers.

"What you should be saying is Oh, Lorelai, it's so good to see you!" Lorelai piled on, putting on a faux dramatic voice. "How do we ever get by without you?" Lee sniggered while Hermione held back a smile and George and Ron shook their heads.

"More like, how did we ever get by with you," Ron retorted, earning a bout of laughter around the table.

The night was rounded out when about a half hour later Harry and Ginny stumbled in as well, their arrival marked by Ginny's infectious laughter. They spotted the growing group at the back table and quick weaved over, nodding at Aberforth as they passed and squeezing in easily, Harry making sure to pull Lorelai out of her seat for a warm hug first.

"You're a bloody lunatic, you know," he muttered, and Lorelai assumed he was referring to the report she'd handed into her boss earlier that week with her latest recommendations regarding the Aurors' relationship with Muggles and their law enforcement agencies. It had been marked for international distribution, and she knew anything with her name on it tended to catch Harry's eye, same way she noticed whenever he popped up at MACUSA.

"Have to be to be related to you."

"Merlin, it's good to see you," he breathed, and Lorelai felt her heart swell, filled with a warmth she tended to forget she was missing.

As the hours wore on, surrounded by friends and family, the bittersweet feeling Lorelai often found herself wrestling with leaned towards the sweet, and she found that, at least for the moment, she was happy to be home. The next day would be its own story, but Lorelai was content to live in the moment, as she so often did, and this moment was a good one.