Author's notes:

Standard disclaimer, I own nothing. It all belongs to JKR.

This is just a little something that bit me after reading a number of similar stories and I thought I'd give it a try. You can assume the story is canon compliant up to the just about the end of Harry's rescue of Ginny in Chamber of Secrets. It goes AU when he falls unconscious before Fawkes arrives to drip tears in the wound on his arm.

This is a stand alone story not related in any way to any of my other works

I'm going to be posting very short chapters. Don't worry though, the story is complete and I'll post a chapter a day.

Enjoy,

Sorcerer's Muse

Finally, Peace.

Chapter XXX

Me, you Dolt!

Seven years later Lis came out of the toilet in the campervan and sat down heavily at the dinette. Staring into space her mind wandered over the last seven years with Harry. How could it have possibly gone so fast and what had they done with the time? She'd played quidditch and had just signed her fourth professional contract. And, proving Harry must have some seer blood, she'd supplanted Marie Deshamps as the most feared Seeker in the French first division. She'd won titles and individual awards. She'd spent the last three years as First-Seeker to the French national team and had led them to a second place finish at the last world cup. Brazil's chasers had just been too much and Ginny had been forced to end the match even though it meant they were going to lose. She'd already earned more than enough money to last the rest of her life and would double her career earnings with this latest contract.

Harry had returned to teaching, serving as a special assistant to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Beauxbatons. He was free evenings and weekends and was off for summers as well. It might not seem enough to some people; the papers regularly hit him with stories that lamented his seeming lack of hero-like behavior. Lis could only shake her head. They didn't know anything. Heroes didn't stand up and beat their chest or call attention to their deeds. Heroes were just normal people doing the right thing. That's what Harry believed anyway. For some reason he didn't see the things he'd done as extraordinary; believing anyone else would have done the same. All the while he forgot the whole reason he'd needed to be a hero had come about because people hadn't. Not only that, Voldemort and his Death Eater's cowardice had created the need for the hero that vanquished them. She'd tried explaining to him once where his thinking was flawed. He'd countered Hermione and a dozen others were far greater than himself. He'd had no choice. It was fight or die. Hermione, Sirius, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and numerous others could have walked away and left him to it. Sirius, Remus and Nymphadora might be alive had they. She hadn't thought of that before and had stopped pushing him to accept his place amongst them. If they weren't heroes, neither was he. If they wouldn't accept a place in his pantheon she had no business forcing him into hers. She could keep him there for herself. She just didn't need to try and make him accept it. Yes, she'd learned a lot about living with and loving someone.

They'd traveled; Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Madagascar, Thailand, the Philippines, the Maldives; a new place each year. For a month they'd immersed themselves as deeply into the culture as they could. They lived local, they ate local, the socialized local. And each year they returned to Portugal and the beach where they'd begun. Joe was still here but the rest of the crew had turned over with Hannah being the last to go.

Lis would never have guessed, but after being on again/off again with her brother George since she and Harry had wed, George had finally proposed to Hannah. They'd married a week ago. Attending the wedding had been no less difficult than attending those of Fred, Charlie and Bill. But Harry had been at her side and other than a few uncomfortable looks from her birth parents they'd left her be. Hermione, Gabrielle and Fleur had married as well, and when did it happen that all her single friends had become married parents of toddler and young children? All except for Joe; steady and alone it seemed the only girl for him was the next wave. About the only thing to have changed with him was the trading of his old subaru for Danni's campervan.

Sometimes she wondered if it were enough, and maybe that was the first sign pointing to the desire to do something more with her life than surf and play quidditch. Did she, did Harry, did they, owe the world more? Did anyone? Was it enough to live simply, not take too much and love with reckless abandon? She didn't know, but she sometimes found herself thinking of something, though she didn't know exactly what, bigger.

Harry opened the door of the campervan and climbed in. "Hey," he said. "I've got the potion for your stomach." He set the bag on the counter and went about emptying it. "The bakery was just putting out fresh tarts so I got an even dozen. Oh, and did you see, Hermione's going to come visit so we'll need to rent a trailer or prepare to be crowded." He stopped suddenly when he realized Lis hadn't responded. Turning he found her to be sitting there with the same expression on her face as when he'd first come in.

Lis startled at the snapping of fingers in her face. "You ok?" Harry asked.

"Erm," she said.

He frowned at her. "Lis, is something wrong."

"Harry?"

"Lis?" he countered.

"You remember that room we talked about adding? I think we're going to need it."

"I thought we decided the trunk was fine." They'd talked a few years ago about adding a room to the campervan but in the end hadn't wanted to disturb the feel of the place. Instead they'd bought an old steamer trunk. The wonders of magic allowed them to put in a spiral staircase that descended to bedroom with ensuite. When they needed it for someone to stay it could easily sit on the floor in the kitchen with no worries she or Harry would trip over it during a midnight loo trip and when they didn't it could be shrunk down to the size of a matchbox and kept on a shelf. It had been the perfect solution.

"Yeah, well, things change."

"Erm, ok, why?"

"Because you're going to be a father."

Harry cocked his head back. "How would that happen?" he asked. And then, as if the first question wasn't proof enough she'd caused a derailment of his brain added, "Who's the mother?"

Lis jumped to her feet and swatted at him. "Me, you dolt! And you knocked me up, or did you think I had an affair with Luna and she somehow managed it?"

Harry stared at her before snorting. "Well she did offer up a threesome the night before the wedding."

"Haaarrrry," she whinged.

Harry grabbed her and kissed her soundly. "Yes?" he asked when he broke from her. "And now that my brain is functioning again. That's brilliant!"

"But I can't be pregnant," she protested. "I just signed a new contract."

"You did," he agreed. "And they will adjust."

"Adjust? I'm going to lose my job! How will we pay the bills?"

He just looked at her. "Now whose brain isn't functioning?" She didn't respond. "Are you not happy about this?"

"I… think I'm just overwhelmed. I never really considered myself the mother type."

"I think you'll be brilliant. You'll have them on boards and brooms before they're out of nappies." She continued to look out of sorts and he supposed he couldn't really blame her. They'd only ever really talked about kids in an abstract, someday, manner. Though he had to admit, once his brain had started working again, to a growing something in his chest at the thought he was going to be a father. But maybe it was easier for him. It wasn't his body that would get stuck carrying what amounted to a parasite the next however long. He wasn't the one who was going to suffer morning sickness, blow up like a blimp and be unable to see his feet for his belly in another six months or so. He wasn't the one who would deliver the child and he wasn't the one everyone would expect to give up his dream job. His mind stopped on that last thought. He couldn't do much of anything about the rest, but that last one… "Lis, if you're not ready to give up quidditch, you don't have to. I'm more than happy to stay at home with the little blighter."

She focused on him. "You'd… do that?"

"I know you want another shot at the world cup. It's fifteen months away. That's enough time to have the baby and get back, isn't it?"

She stared at him a few moments longer before throwing her arms around his neck. "By the gods I love you."

Harry scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the love seat in the sitting room. He settled with her in his lap and they watched each other long enough she blushed and looked away shyly. Harry drew her back with his fingers on her chin. "Better?

She nodded. "Yes."

Harry kissed her brow. "So, Wife, what should we name this little blighter."

"I haven't a bloody damn clue."

Harry tipped his head curiously. "Well that'll be a mouthful for the little blighter."

Lis swatted at him. "Hush, you."

Harry chuckled. Seriously, I haven't a bloody damn clue myself." They watched each other for a few moments before her hand came up to palm his cheek.

"But we'll figure it out together."

Harry turned, kissing her wrist. "Together."

END

Author's notes:

So there you go. Just a short little something that bit me and needed to be written and hopefully gave everyone a little bright spot during this difficult time.