FerociousGrape: He def wants a family who loves him unconditionally... he didn't expect to be a teen parent though! Nate got those wires crossed!
mizzrazz72: So right! Dumbledore will get what's coming to him.
WARNING: Description of a sickly baby (temporary sickness)
Let the pain stop, thought Harry… let him kill us… end it, Dumbledore… death is nothing compared to this…
And I'll see Sirius again…
And as Harry's heart filled with emotion, the creature's coils loosened,
the pain was gone.
~ Harry Potter (possessed by Voldemort)
Order of the Phoenix, Ch 36
The basket had come with soft padding. It was forest green and one of the softest things Harry had ever touched.
He used it as a papoose over his chest now.
June snuggled comfortably in it and Harry had to take a moment to really embrace the fact that this baby was just over a month old. Not even a whole two months. She was a real, live, person who'd been on this earth for just about 50 days.
"We're getting you a proper blankie," he told her. "Ducks or flowers?"
She cooed, her tiny fingers trying to grip the soft fleece. Her eyes were closed and she pressed her face into his chest, settling down happily.
Harry grinned. "You choose when we get there."
He should probably write to the Order. Yeah. There was no point in holding on to the grudge and the anger anymore. He could yell at them later. Right now, he wanted to leave the Dursleys. He'd had enough of Aunt Petunia clutching her pearls in horror every time she spotted the baby. He couldn't explain that Nate created her from his thoughts or their love or whatever. That would have actually given her an arrest.
Harry left the basket behind and exited the house, planning to stroll out for some fresh air.
The day went south quickly.
Dudley was rather snarky and Harry was too focused on him. They'd just turned into the tunnel when everything had gone cold. Harry's breath emerged as white fog and he stiffened.
"No!"
Dudley slowed down. "Are… are you doing something?"
Harry whipped out his wand, breathing harshly. His left arm shielded June from the creeping ice in the air. It couldn't be that. What would it be doing in Little Whinging?
But it was that.
A dementor accosted them and Harry's hand froze trying to conjure up a Patronus. His mind was split: protect June or Dudley?
The answer was obvious, but too late.
A second dementor grabbed his neck from behind and Harry's brain shorted out for a terrifying second. His wand nearly slipped from his frozen fingers and it was only June's horrified screeching that brought reality roaring back like a train.
The faces of June and Nate, Hermione and Ron, Sirius and Remus, and a dozen others swarmed behind his eyelids.
"Ex—EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
It was a garbled yell but it worked. Light burst out in the dark tunnel and the closest dementor shrieked, escaping from him and the baby.
Harry opened his eyes, gasping when he saw the blackened skeletal arm retreating from June's tiny body. The light engulfed the dementors and illuminated the dank tunnel bright enough to sear everyone's eyes. Dudley slid to the ground, utterly petrified. All Harry could think about was the baby.
Had it touched her? Had it frozen her?
Harry scrambled to check June but to his horror, she'd curled up in the sling, abnormally still. Her skin was cold to the touch. He desperately rubbed her back trying to wake her up, but she wouldn't.
His Junie was breathing too shallow and too slowly.
NO, NO, NO! JUNE! NATE, SHE'S HURT! JUNE'S HURT!
Harry didn't know if he was thinking or screaming. The world fell away and all he could focus on was the cool, unmoving baby in his arms.
The tunnel grew dark again as his patronus was snuffed out by the anguish.
And the pair of wings that descended on him.
"Harry!" Nate gasped, except it was Thanatos fused with Nate's body. His eyes flickered between beautiful brown and divine gold.
"Dementors!" Harry croaked. "Here! Two of them! They touched her!"
"σκῶρ," Nate cursed, crouching over him and checking June's throat with a single finger. "Her heart's slowing."
Harry's body seized.
whatnothiscouldn'tbehappeningnotjunetakemeinstead
"Nectar!" Harry blurted, his chest already seizing. "Or ambrosia!"
"She's too young for that," Nate said. "It'll burn her."
His voice had gone stiff. Resigned.
"Maybe that's what she needs! She's too cold now!"
"Harry—"
"Why aren't you doing anything?!" Harry shouted.
Nate gathered her into his arms. She was so small in his large hands. "We can't. I know someplace that can."
butshe'smineshe'smine
"Where are you taking Junie?!" Harry begged. Nate's face crumpled and he heard the real fears.
"You can't help her," he whispered and disappeared.
It was the last Harry had seen of them both.
And everything had changed.
Harry hadn't remembered any of it. He hadn't even known dementors had attacked him and Dudley. And June.
"You made me forget her," Harry whispered.
Back in the bright halls of King's Cross that had greeted him in death, Harry faced a morose Thanatos. "How could you?!"
The god turned away. "I went about it all wrong. Hindsight is the true mistress of the unplanned."
"Don't spin riddles," Harry warned.
Thanatos sighed in pain. "I came to Privet Drive to attend to the Portman family. Their uncle had just passed away. Meeting you was unprecedented."
Harry remembered this now. He'd been walking around the neighborhood when Nate had approached him for directions. He had a curious glint in his eye.
"You could have ignored me and kept walking," Harry whispered.
Thanatos nodded. "I could have. But there was so much about you that called to me."
"So it's my fault?"
Thanatos stepped closer. He stood out starkly against the pale interiors of the immense space.
"I sensed my cloak on you," Thanatos said carefully. "A Peverell descendant after centuries? It took me off guard."
Peverell? Harry frowned.
"There was so much," Thanatos whispered. He closed his eyes. "Your blood was potent. Infused with basilisk venom, phoenix tears, and a blood sacrifice? I couldn't walk away. I couldn't ignore you. Your arm…"
Harry turned over the inside of his right forearm. A long white line stood out, the cut Wormtail had made to get his blood for Voldemort's return.
"Your blood sang the stories of your past," Thanatos muttered. "But I wanted to hear them from your lips."
Harry looked at him, startled.
"You didn't come for the cloak," he whispered.
Thanatos shook his head.
Harry stared. He had tried to burn the Invisibility Cloak first. But the material was as smooth and flammable as water. Growing desperate, Harry threw the next best thing into the flames: his Firebolt.
A sacrifice to get Nate to return June.
"It was never about the cloak," Harry wondered.
Thanatos frowned. "Not at first. I'd calculated too late when we'd need it."
"Your math sucks."
"Asclepius tried dozens of treatments to keep her stable," Thanatos said, jumping to the real issue. "When it was clear nothing worked, he told me to prepare for the worst. So I made the decision to not tell you."
Harry bristled. "How does that—"
"When Lord Apollo suggested warm skin contact, I realized the problem," the god said clearly. "She needed you to calm her down and bring her back."
mydaughterneedsme
Harry tensed.
"The thing I should have done was to appease you before attending to her," Thanatos sighed. "And I failed that. I focused on her first. But she was relying on you."
Harry recalled the way the dementor had grabbed his baby. Its sickly bone hand would be the stuff of his nightmares forever.
"What do I do?" he asked finally.
Thanatos peered up, now hopeful. "Asclepius is tending to you. We will wake you up once he has the obscurus out of you. Then we bring you to June."
Harry swallowed. "You better. I won't need an obscurus to attack you."
The cloud was dragged out of him through the slice in his head. The terrorizing wrath tried to clutch at his soul, but Harry let it go.
His scar burned for the last time.
Harry's eyes were shut for some reason. He was lying on a soft mattress. His fists grabbed the covers and someone spoke, "Nearly done. I'm closing the cut."
Harry imagined magical sutures over his angry, red scar.
"Potter, can you hear me?"
Madam Pomfrey was close by. But they weren't in Hogwarts. This place smelt of freshly cut grass and light lemon spray in the air. Soft breeze blew in from the windows, warmer than the Scottish Highlands.
Harry peeled apart his cracked lips and rasped, "Mdem Pumfri?"
"You'll be breathing easier in just a minute," she said briskly. "It's done."
What's done?"
"We've removed the infection," the first voice spoke. It was male and he seemed to have read Harry's thoughts.
"Surface thoughts, I assure you. Just to ensure you're not in pain."
Harry's heart jumped. This man was in his head?
"The only one in your head is you, Mr. Potter."
Harry wrenched his eyes open.
Madam Pomfrey was standing by Will at Harry's feet. Both of them were engrossed in a large smooth crystal the size of a basketball.
A man stood at Harry's head, holding his wrist and pressing a thumb to his softening scar. His eyes flashed brown and then blue. His black hair was streaked with white. It drooped down over his forehead.
"Done," he said and Harry yanked his arm away from the man but…
He wasn't exhausted.
"Madam Poppy," the man-god said. "How's it looking?"
"Neutralized," she sighed in relief.
Will nodded eagerly, holding up the crystal ball. Harry stifled a gasp. His rage cloud! The gray dementor swirled like dark sands in a storm trapped within the glass.
It was out of him!
"That was the smoothest extraction I've ever seen, Mr. Asclepius!" the mediwitch gushed. "You are well-named!"
Harry's eyes widened. Couldn't she tell he was a god?
Will raised his eyebrows and shook his head behind her. Perhaps the Mist fooled her?
"Thank you, my dear," Asclepius smiled. "I've done this before, so I knew the quickest viable route. I will need to take the crystal, though."
"Well…"
She hesitated but Asclepius grinned wider and the room grew warmer. The mediwitch's face flickered and she smiled back, handing it over to him without a problem.
Harry exhaled shakily. "It's gone? For good?"
"Yes," Madam Pomfrey said, now taking his vitals.
"Did…" Harry licked his dry lips. "Did I hurt them? Those people at the hospital?"
Asclepius patted his shoulder. "No. Mrs. Blofis stopped you."
Harry didn't know who that was. Probably a powerful demigod that managed to knock him out—
"The world understands, Harry. You love her. We can get you to her. It's time to come back."
He recalled the blurred sight of a woman clutching a younger man on the floor. He didn't recognize either of them, but the man had been hurt. She was gripped him, terrified of… of Harry.
Harry's chest tightened. She loved that man. Whoever they were, they loved each other. She wouldn't have run from the gray dementor for any reason. She stayed and pleaded even though it hadn't been her sword that tried to hurt him.
Harry had been the monster in someone else's story.
"... and when you are able to commute, you must visit my hospital," Asclepius was saying.
His voice was mild enough, but his eyes glinted in a warning. Harry was thrown back to the mysterious woman again.
"June is alive! She's with Nathan! She needs you!"
"Nathan!" Harry choked.
"And June," Asclepius whispered. "As soon as you are mobile—"
"No!" Harry cried, swinging his legs off the bed. "Now! We need to go now!"
His feet hit the ground and Harry crumpled like a house of cards.
Despite the insistence to leave and find June, Harry knew he had to be able to move about fairly well. His brain and chest argued back and forth on the matter.
"Maybe we could bring her here?" Hazel suggested quietly. Hazel was Nico's sister, Harry had just learned. They looked nothing like each other but the closeness was apparent.
"We can't remove her from the case," Asclepius informed. "Every time my daughters tried, her temperature fell and her pulse went erratic. I devised the room to treat the aftereffects of dementor ice, but she's having trouble recovering from her Thanatosis."
Harry struggled with the broth Madam Pomfrey had offered him. "What? What is that?"
Hazel almost jumped seeing as how he'd been quiet for nearly 20 minutes just listening to the demigods discussing possible interventions and Asclepius shooting them all down.
"Tonic immobility! It's a tactic to feign death and ward off predators," Will piped up. "Some animals do it to put bigger creatures off the scent. You'll see it in possums and lizards. Even some birds. Some snakes roll over, musk all over the place and even pop a blood vessel to really sell the act."
Asclepius watched Harry dine with difficulty. "Your child is a miracle, Mr. Potter."
Harry looked over to Madam Pomfrey nervously. She was across the room and probably didn't hear him.
"She knows," Will said apologetically. "Sorry, the Order found out because we were rushing this."
"We'll wait till the broth gives you strength," Asclepius added. "My father is looking after her now. But you're right, she wanes in strength the longer we delay."
Harry dropped his spoon.
Hazel glared at Asclepius and the god winced, "Your meal isn't an unnecessary delay. Please finish it and then we shall shift to my hospital."
He grabbed the spoon again, trembling now. "Where are we?"
Hazel glanced around. "It's one of the Order's safe houses, I think. Your godfather will be here in a couple of hours. We can either wait for him and then leave or—"
Harry slurped up the last of his broth. "No, now. I'll explain to Sirius later."
When Harry could stand and shuffle around, Asclepius transported him, Will, and Hazel a few countries over.
It was that easy. The broth barely sloshed around in Harry's stomach. This divine way was a dozen times better than portkeys or flooing.
Asclepius's hospital didn't look like a muggle building with rooms and wards. If June was here, she ought to be somewhat cared for. It was homely. Every division had large windows with natural light streaming in. Plants thrived just outside the windows and the walls were made of stone that lit up from the sunlight. The hallways were gently warm but the air thrummed his sensitivity as though the place had magical disinfectants scanning them.
A tall, blue-eyed, blonde man… no, god, approached them. Behind him, Nico and Thanatos stood, both equally wary. Harry stared at Thanatos for a long moment before his eyes slid to the Olympian.
Apollo looked about 20, but at the sight of Will and Asclepius, the god grew older, maturing to 40 or 50. Crow's feet crinkled as he smiled.
"I could have driven you," Apollo said. "But I'd have taken you by the scenic route."
Harry grabbed the wall and Will and Hazel helped propped him up. "Huh?"
"My dad drives the sun chariot," Will explained. "But he can only travel at daytime and only east to west."
This was too much information for Harry. His brain had just one directive.
"June!"
Apollo pushed open the doors to a cozy room. It was well heated with the curtains drawn. Two women, likely Asclepius's daughters, stood by a sleek cot with a glass casing. Harry rushed forward, gasping when he saw her.
June.
She was bigger than the version in his garbled memories, but only slightly. Her skin was a gentle brown, soft and tender. But her cheeks weren't as chubby as a two-month-old ought to be. Her short coily hair lay listless over her small head. Her eyes were closed and her lips pale.
She had no covers except for a diaper, but the incubator showed a toasty temperature; higher than the average for an infant.
He turned back to find others watching him. "I… just pick her up?"
Asclepius nodded. "Yes. She'll be a little cool to the touch, but you mustn't panic. She'll feel our heartrate and slowly match hers to yours. Just stay calm and close."
Keep her close. Harry could do that.
One of the women opened the glass case and warmth escaped the incubator. It wasn't much anything for Harry, but he trembled when he reached inside and his hands brushed her little body.
Air rushed out of his lungs.
His memories were still jumbled and he struggled to compartmentalize them. So he let his body work.
Harry curled his hands around June and lifted her from the incubator. She didn't move. Her body was barely warm enough to be healthy, despite the godly treatments. She was barely heavier than a quaffle and that was terrifying for a hundred reasons.
He brought her close, holding his baby to his chest. Harry curled over her so his arms hid her from the others and his breath washed over her.
She was so still. He squeezed his eyes as the traumatic vision of her stiff body flashed before him. The dementors had done this to her. The ones sent by Umbridge, unpunished by Fudge—
"You have to be calm, Harry," Asclepius insisted. The god's eyes were lit up in a green haze, likely scanning the baby's vitals. "Go to your happy place."
Happy place? Did he even have one?
Harry inhaled deeply, trying to steady his frantic heart. Happy, be happy. Tranquil. Calm. Peace. Count thestrals. Count bloody anything, Happy Potter.
Harry winced. Not a good time for that memory. Not when he was struggling to relax. Maybe, he could try a trick he'd used when Marge had come over to the Dursleys a couple of years ago.
Harry breathed out. "Seven players in a team. We start with the keeper. Known for their quick lunges and long reach, the keeper's primary objective is to defend the rings."
Will, Nico, and Hazel stared in disbelief. Apollo approved and Asclepius watched on tenterhooks. Thanatos lingered by the door, painfully worried.
Harry described every position in a quidditch team. He moved on to the rules. He visualized talking to this child about his favorite game in the world. Maybe it would be her favorite too.
Ten minutes passed. One of June's fingers twitched.
That alone made Thanatos sigh in great relief.
Harry smiled into her hair and spoke about the golden snitch, easily imagining a teenaged June Potter flying after it.
Junie breathed out into his chest, deeper and warmer. She curled up to him, sniffled, and scrunched up her entire face until it turned red. Her lungs burst out a loud, high cry, breaking and mending his heart in one go.
The rest of the Order of the Angel were housed in Dumbledore's office in Hogwarts along with Sirius and Remus. The skies were still dark outside and the lack of sleep had made everyone cranky.
Harry's Invisibility Cloak lay in Sirius's hands, finally handed over by Dumbledore after a lot of coaxing. He didn't know what to make of the fact that Thanatos had apparently been after the three Hallows, not for him, but for Harry.
"You cannot simply drop the deal," Annabeth said through her teeth. "We held up our end of the bargain. We found all the Horcruxes, even the one in Harry that no one knew!"
And now, Dumbledore was hoarding two of them, under the stubborn belief that if the god of death didn't really want them, he had no reason to surrender them.
"If I may read to you the deal we'd signed," he said, unrolling a scroll.
"We know what it says!" Percy burst out.
"This paper does declare that I, Nico di Angelo, will find—or annihilate—the Horrors (name changed) of one Thomas Marvolo Riddle Junior and bring them to the Order of the Phoenix for review and destruction."
"We did that!"
"You did not submit the any of the objects to us for review and destruction," Dumbledore said simply.
"We assessed the situation as was our right and we decided that immediate annihilation was necessary," Annabeth insisted. "These are seriously Dark objects!"
"The annihilation clause was put in to avoid your team from being hurt," the Headmaster pointed out. "I am aware, Ms. Levesque, Ms. Blackstone, and even Mr. di Angelo had ways to safely transport the objects in question. Thus you were subjected to the second part: review and destruction."
"The annihilation wasn't a clause," Sirius spoke up suddenly. "It was barely a note. Albus, they have a point."
"Sirius, I see you seem to agree—"
"I wholeheartedly agree—"
"What is the point of the deal if we simply choose to disregard it whenever we want?" Dumbledore asked exasperated.
Annabeth exhaled and pressed her hands to her face. Percy scowled and Lou spoke up, "You're disregarding it right now, Headmaster. We're asking you to reconsider your decision. Please take a few days and discuss this with your team."
Her diplomatic suggestion was shot down.
"I'm afraid my word is final," Dumbledore said.
Percy huffed. "Did you discuss it with your team?"
"As I said—"
"No, he did not," Sirius muttered.
"What does Kingsley Shacklebolt have to say about this?" Annabeth asked furiously. "He signed as a witness, I'm sure he'll want to talk about this."
But Dumbledore shook his head. "The aim of the deal was for us to understand the horcruxes and see how we could neutralize them. I'm glad you were able to do that yourselves, but it still went against our set parameters."
"If you were really glad," Percy said loudly, "you'd hold up your side of the deal."
Some of the portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses tutted at his tone. Sirius flashed a glare at them and Remus was unusually quiet, gazing at Fawkes's empty perch.
"I will speak no more on the matter," Dumbledore said, open a drawer to bring out a roll of parchment. Sirius spotted a strange compass inside, its golden needle pointing, not north, but to Harry's cloak.
Dumbledore summoned a quill and inkpot and began drafting a letter to Madame Bones, no doubt about a public announcement of the weekend's events. Sweet Merlin, had everything happened within just two days?
Annabeth said something under her breath before spinning around and leaving. Percy and Lou followed, annoyed.
The door shut behind them and Sirius said, enraged, "They saved Harry! He's alive thanks to Jackson's muggle mother! You'd throw them out like this?"
Dumbledore exhaled. "I am unfathomably grateful for their intervention. You're right, it was thanks to Missus Sally Blofis that we have a genial ending to this story."
"Then why will you not help them?" Remus asked. "Is it because it's your wand they need?"
Dumbledore focused on the parchment, staying quiet for a minute. Then he raised his head and looked over his half-moon glasses.
"Are we not attached to our wands?"
Sirius narrowed his eyes. "According to Nico, it doesn't actually belong to you."
"I assure you, I've used this for quite some time."
"I bet you didn't get it from Ollivanders'."
"I think we can discuss this in the morning, when Harry and his child are back."
Remus stopped Sirius from yelling and said, "Thank you for the invitation, Albus. But he needs some time without being bombarded by questions."
Dumbledore frowned, though he didn't object. Sirius and Remus left the office.
"That boy was right," Sirius said, dejectedly folding the Invisibility Cloak. "He's a bloody shit leader."
Remus chuckled though his heart wasn't in it. "Maybe we can figure something out. Maybe Harry's the only one who can speak to him."
Sirius thought about it. His godson. A dad. Because a god fell in love with a teenager.
How many gods have gone and done that throughout history? It left a sour taste behind.
Thanatos watched Harry and June from a distance. He knew the wizard wouldn't appreciate his presence. But he had to explain. Had to show that he'd meant no harm but had just made a mistake—
"Kind of a big mistake to simply ignore," Apollo murmured.
Thanatos sighed. "Please do not lecture me."
"How about some wisdom then?"
"From you?"
"Ouch," Apollo chuckled. "It's either that or a haiku."
"I'd like the wisdom, please."
Apollo smirked. "You messed up in more ways than one. It's not just removing the memories, though gods know my dear stepmother gets enough of that."
"Is it the age?" Thanatos whispered.
Apollo watched him carefully. "You've not observed humans in a long time. 15 is not an age where their brains are yet fully developed."
Thanatos made a face, "But we send them on death-defying quests and charge them with armies to save the world. How's this any different?"
Apollo winced. "Well, the quest thing is also messed up."
It was a startling thing for Thanatos to ingest. Nico di Angelo was 15, nearly 16. But he'd accomplished so much that the god would trust no one else to lead the quest for Harry. Was that wrong as well?
"But," Thanatos muttered, "Fifteen is the age of adulthood."
"Perhaps in a bygone era. Now, it's 18. Or if you want to cover all your bases, 21."
Thanatos shook his head. "Harry is so much more mature than you think."
Apollo's blue eyes burned gold, even brighter than Thanatos's own gleam.
"I think you'll find," he said slowly, "that Harry would have been a much more illuminating partner had he been 25. Or 35. I find the sweet spot in the 50s if you're going for the discovery of worldly wisdom. 30 if you want to experiment without worrying about judgment. 70 if you want to talk about the best and worst of life from an experienced view. 90 if you want to hear them contemplate death fearlessly. And I'm not even including life's struggles"
Thanatos jerked back. He knew the last one, of course. The oldest people were rarely panicky about the end. Aside from a few exceptions, Thanatos would watch their faces grow hopeful as they fall into eternal sleep.
He didn't want Harry to fall asleep like that.
It had been centuries since Thanatos had been so selfish with someone's affection.
Apollo folded his arms. "You can fix things, but it'll take a while."
Thanatos swallowed. Humans lived for such short terms. He couldn't afford to waste a single moment.
"What do I do?" he finally asked.
An immensely happy Asclepius transported Harry and June back to the countryside house he'd first woken up in. Harry tried to settle in as quickly as possible, keeping June close. Her tiny fists were struggling to grab his shirt. Her nails scrapped the fabric, too weak to take hold.
Harry tried to find the right memories of him feeding her. Everything was mixed up with the visuals of him taking care of a kitten, but in between them were the flashes of Harry rubbing June's back, making faces at her while in the bath, and browsing store shelves for the right lotion for her curly hair.
When the milk bottle lay nearly empty he was proud of her and of himself that they both got through this first feeding without a hitch. Asclepius practically wept tears of joy and Apollo had shown him how to swaddle the babe. She took to it like a cat to catnip.
Someone knocked on the open door.
Harry groaned, not willing to entertain anyone that wasn't—
Oh.
He swallowed. "Hi, Sirius."
His godfather stood at the door, utterly flummoxed. Remus leaned around him, half hidden by Sirius and the door.
Harry stood up, pins and needles raging all over his body. What was he supposed to say? Hey, I didn't sleep with Nate, but here's my kid. What d'you think?
Sirius's eyes were wide as he drank in the sight of June swaddled in the fabric loaned by Apollo. Remus was similarly quiet, but he nudged Sirius into the room.
"We have your cloak," Remus whispered.
Harry blinked as Sirius scrambled to bring out his Invisibility Cloak.
He carefully took it from his godfather, letting the cloak glide over his fingers. He brought it to his face and smelled the cold and dusty scent. It was the real thing. This was his.
"Will told us you had some broth," Remus said.
Harry stared and blurted, "Yeah! I mean… yeah."
"Right."
They fell silent. All these years, he'd been shoving down the rage so much that it grew bigger than him and burst out, not to attack him but to get back at everyone else. Now without the anger, Harry had to confront everything else inside him: the fears and anxieties bubbled up like partially digested broth.
Beneath it all, Harry hadn't considered that Sirius wouldn't like the situation. Wouldn't like the idea that Harry had a baby with a god. What should he do now? Without the Dursleys (he winced) was he homeless?
Maybe Mrs. Weasley would let them stay for a while. If she didn't… well, Harry had gold. He could maybe rent a place or even buy one. A nice little house in the country where he and June could see the sun every morning.
He wasn't so worried about living without anyone of them anymore. As long as he had June, Harry'd be fine. Probably.
"Padfoot," Remus said slowly. "You're scaring him."
Harry wiped his sweaty palms over the sides of his trousers. "It's fine if you don't—I mean, I'm not asking anything. But if you don't want—"
"I was 19 when James told me Lily was pregnant," Sirius blurted. "Was 20 when they made me a godfather. Still recovering from that, by the way. I'm not even 40 now and you went and made me a grandfather!"
Harry stared. Was he complaining? Was Sirius mad at him?
Remus sighed, "Pads, there's a time and place for humor."
He was teasing?
Sirius rubbed his face hard before holding his hands out and asking, "Are you feeling better? Does anything hurt?"
Harry shook his head, his throat rather stuck.
"Can we see your baby?"
Harry stiffened.
"Only if you're okay with it!" Sirius added.
They waited patiently. Harry felt like his skull was filled with molasses, his brain cells swimming sluggishly to form thoughts.
They wanted to see her?
Harry breathed out, shakily. "Um, okay."
Sirius and Remus slowly approached the bed. Their faces grew immeasurably soft at the sight of June swaddled tight and tucked between pillows.
"This is June Potter," Harry whispered, feeling a thrill when he said her name. "She's…"
"She's yours," Remus said, awed.
All his thoughts snapped into place. Harry finally understood what they were trying to say.
"She's mine," Harry said, not even trying to hold back the pride.
Sirius sniffed. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I didn't… I never thought…"
Harry gulped. Why did this hurt even more than the conversation with Thanatos?
"I'm sorry too," Remus whispered. "I should have followed up. When you didn't remember the dementor attack and most of summer, we should have gotten you to St. Mungo's straight away."
"It's alright," Harry mumbled.
"It's not," Sirius said firmly. "We let you down. You showed us exactly how badly we effed up."
"Give us another chance?" Remus asked.
He looked worried enough that Harry had to wonder if they thought he'd refuse and run away. Honestly, a part of him wanted to do that but only because he'd assume they wouldn't give him a chance.
"Of course," Harry said, his heart racing. "But…"
Sirius and Remus waited, incredibly anxious. June's breathing was the loudest sound in the room.
"I don't wanna stay at your house. It's too bleak."
Remus burst into tightly-muffled laughter.
"Good job with giving me a heart attack, cub!" Sirius gasped. "But you're right. No way are we staying at that shi… er, place. No baby deserves that!"
"I was thinking a place like this?" Harry asked gesturing to the airy cottage. The sun was slowly creeping in brightening up the room.
Remus smiled and Sirius happily answered, "I was thinking the same thing!"
No more words were exchanged but when both men embraced him, Harry heard them loud and clear. And if a few buckets of tears were shed, that was completely normal.