Hello everybody! I know I have kind of drifted away from harmony in the past weeks but I'm trying to finish the crossover fic of harmony and armor from Merlin, but soon a new story will be starting and it will be all good old Christina Potter 09 (I sound so much like Tony Stark right now lol) but don't worry, a new harmony fic is on its way and it's full of hhr goodness to keep us warm in the winter!
for now enjoy happy harmony on a sad day for Harry...
Happy Halloween everyone!
Enjoy
All Hallows Eve
Harry's eyes opened with a start as the dream faded away in his mind. Screams, a woman screaming, pleading, a cold voice, and then a lot of light, green light. He groaned and turned on his side, burying his head in the pillow.
It was Hallows Eve….
After a few moments he turned around, almost welcoming the familiar weight on his chest that always started appearing a few days before Halloween and manifested on that day, going away a few days later… he looked around and found his bed empty, the other occupant was gone.
'Hermione?' he called out but the house remained silent, no response, only Crookshanks jumped on the bed after a few seconds, startling Harry, the kneazle looked at him and Harry would swear he could see amusement in the creature's eyes. 'And where your mistress is?' he wondered mostly to himself than the cat but the fluffy ginger cat meowed loudly and stared outside the window, as if showing to Harry.
The raven haired man stood up and moved close to the window, apart of his reflection of crazy hair and swollen from the sleep eyes, he could see the garden of his house in Yorkley. And there she was, in jeans and a Gryffindor sweater, her hair up in a messy tail. She had knifes around her on the back garden's table and three large pumpkins, currently she was drawing the shapes she wanted for this year and soon she would be cutting them, the candles were waiting to be lit up inside the pumpkins when she'd be done.
As if she had felt his eyes on her –she probably had- she turned around and looked up at the window of the second floor, when she spotted his sleepy eyes, she smiled at him brightly and the weight on his chest lifted a little. He smiled back and admired her beauty in that early morning of the 31st of October, her weight was returning to normal and she still had that glow that engulfed her the past months, he loved her choice of her school uniform sweater, as if not even a day had passed ever since she was his best friend at school.
He finally nodded at her as she winked at him with her smile still on her beautiful features and he smiled back and moved away from the window, jumped in the shower to wash away the night's dreams and got dressed in jeans and a sweater. He moved down the stairs and looked around him, the smile that formed on his face could be created only by the image before him. The large doors that lead to the back garden were closed to keep the cold out. Hermione was with her back, still making the pumpkins, but inside the living room, right before the doors and close to the lit fireplace was a baby seat on the couch with his newborn daughter cooing inside in her pink blankets.
Harry moved close and took the tiny baby in his arms, still unable to believe sometimes that this little human was his and Hermione's. The shock of black hair on her head, large baby blue eyes that looked up at him through narrowed lids because of the light outside and the cutest pink lips, Hermione's nose and tiny fingers.
'Hello lily-bud.' Harry said tenderly and his little girl stretched her arm for her hand to catch his face, she gave him his chin and a huge smiled as her little fingers touched his unshaved skin. The door opened quickly and Hermione got inside and closed the doors for the cold to stay out, she smiled brightly at her fiancé and daughter as she moved closer and gave him a kiss on the lips above their baby before she could look down at her little girl and smile brightly at her.
'I didn't want to take her outside and I didn't want her to wake you so I breastfed her and then brought her downstairs, if she cried I'd hear her before you would, but she was such a good girl, weren't you, Lily?' Hermione said to Harry and addressed her little baby that now was reaching for her mother. Harry smiled as he handed her their pride and joy. Hermione could be fierce during their missions with the ministry, one of the best and youngest Aurors in the history of the community, just like he was. She could be clear and strict for reports and interrogations but she was so different when at their home, at their shelter from their professional life. She was always affectionate, some people couldn't believe it, always saw her as an intimidating woman with sharp eyes and a loud voice but Harry knew better.
He had felt her touch as a teenager, on his head, around his own hand, on his back and around his shoulders every time she wrapped her arms around him, and when they grew up and became young adults, he had felt her body in more intimate ways, when they decided they should try and finally reach a little higher to grasp what everyone else was seeing as their price, each other. He had finally got to discover every side of Hermione's, and now as the father of her child, her fiancé and her best friend, he was lucky to discover her maternal side, a side always subconsciously present but finally expressed for her daughter, their daughter.
'What you think?' Hermione asked as she turned around and shifted their little girl in her hands. Harry wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, his lips on her neck as he looked outside at the pumpkins. They were all three of them alight, one showed a scary face with a sinister smile, the other was carved as a scary face and the third one was actually a smiling face, for a pumpkin carving, its smile was actually quiet affectionate.
'Very nice job, Miss Granger,' Harry said and kissed her temple before she could turn her head for their lips to meet in a kiss.
'I was thinking, we could take two to the party at Molly's and the third one at Godric's, if you want to, of course…' Hermione offered and Harry looked at her for a moment, they never visited his parents on Hallows Eve. 'I thought we could go this year, since we have Lily… maybe start a tradition by making a pumpkin for them as well… we always leave roses on Christmas Eve and flowers on various occasions… why not a lantern… after all, one of the reasons the lanterns were made was for the gone loved ones to come closer and find their way…' Hermione said softly, explaining herself. She knew the sadness that engulfed Harry the day everyone else was happy and celebrating. Hallows Eve was actually a day of memory but modern days had changed that to a chance to get wasted… Hermione wanted to honor Harry's parents, like she always tried to do by helping Harry every step of the way.
'I like the idea,' Harry finally said and kissed her lips once more. 'Thank you,' he whispered after a moment. Hermione smiled brightly and kissed his lips again, leaning towards him as he held her close to him like she held their baby in the same fashion.
'You're welcome, and thank you as well,' Hermione said and Harry looked at her quizzically.
'For what?' he asked and she smiled.
'Twenty years ago, you saved my life from that troll…' Hermione said and Harry grinned and kissed her lips once more.
'Ron helped,' Harry pointed out and she smirked.
'Ron just got dragged down there by you… you remembered and you got on the back of that troll…' Hermione added and Harry laughed and kissed her again.
'Don't tell him that tonight, he'll be heartbroken,' Harry replied and she chuckled.
'Nothing a couple more slices of cake can't fix…' Hermione added and looked down as Lily started gargling with her saliva. 'Someone wants attention.' Hermione said happily and used the napkin she had folded along the blanket to help her girl before she could hold her before her and Harry. The baby looked at her parents with eyes full of curiosity.
'Hey you pumpkin…' Hermione said sweetly as her baby girl yawned and then her eyes filled with tears as she gave a cry. 'Oh I know… you're tired by doing nothing all day, I know, I know,' Hermione said tenderly and with a chuckle as she started rocking her girl against her chest. 'Won't be great for you to get dressed tonight? Your first Halloween!. We'll go and visit all our friends, and Grandpa and Grandma Granger will be with the Weasleys, all the children… but for a few minutes Mummy and Daddy will go to Godric's so you'll stay at the Burrow with everyone who loves you so much.' Hermione was speaking to her girl and Harry could only smile and watch her.
She tried so hard to make this day better for him, by buying costumes for them, for their baby girl, making the pumpkins, having him visiting his parents. She tried to cheer him up and face his sadness and he was certain there was no better way.
'And maybe next year, that you'll be bigger and able to side-along apparate with us, we'll take you to Godric's to put the pumpkin yourself before your grandparents, we'll see.' Hermione was saying and Harry could only move closer again and kiss her lips with their baby between them.
'You're brilliant, have I told you that? Harry offered and Hermione chuckled and kissed him on the lips once more, she knew how he felt and why, his eyes told her everything she needed to know.
'As a matter of fact, you've told me more than a few times,' Hermione pointed out. 'The first time was during the hunt I think, then you told me again in many occasions during missions and certainly even more times in our bed…' Hermione said and Harry looked at her with mock shock.
'Hermione Jane Granger! Not before our daughter!' he said and she laughed and kissed the raven hair their girl had inherited from her father.
'Well we need to be honest with out girl,' Hermione said with a smirk and he laughed.
'Well you're to be contained once you're Mrs. Potter,' Harry said and Hermione grinned this time.
'Is this a propose?' she asked and he winked.
'More like a warning,' he replied and she grinned, shifting her baby again for her hand to get before their faces.
'The clock is ticking… I can always get second thoughts you know… it still bothers me you have that saving people thing…' Hermione said with a grin and he pinched her butt hard enough for her to yelp and laugh but not hard enough to hurt her or make her jerk too much with Lily in her hands.
'Go and make lunch while I bathe this little girl here… then we'll get dressed and go to the Burrow.' Hermione instructed and Harry smiled.
'I haven't even had coffee yet,' he complained and she smiled.
'Then you should have woken up early like the rest of us…' Hermione offered and he grinned.
'You shouldn't have kept me up all night…'
'I didn't hear you complaining…'
Harry wasn't sure what to say to retort so he simply smirked and kissed her lips, he loved when they played like that, never to a point of bickering, always teasing and good-naturally.
He moved to the kitchen while Hermione took their girl upstairs and he smiled as he looked outside the window of the white-dark brown kitchen. The house looked at the north of Yorkley, therefore at the Forest of Dean that engulfed the village.
Hermione had once wished to just stay in that same forest with him and grow old. Harry could only find the perfect house for them and their baby when she told him she was pregnant so he could give her the closest thing to her wish, as living in the Forest was illegal…
He still remembered the days of madness when they had decided to be together. Ron was awkward with them, even if he had broken up with Hermione for months by that time. Ginny was actually mad at both of them for "daring do such thing". Molly and Arthur had tried to keep a balance while the rest of their friends had been supportive. The press had gone crazy and that pushed Harry to search for a house away from London in the first place.
When a few months later, Hermione had told him she was expecting, he had just found this little cottage in Yorkley, after searching for weeks over the small villages around the forest for the perfect place.
Lily had been born a few months later and Harry couldn't be happier as he, Hermione and their little girl were finally happy away from everyone that could disturb them and still in muggle England for Hermione's parents to reach.
His mind went back to the day. He had even considered Godric's, renovate the house there, maybe try and make a start in that village in Wales. But he couldn't, after a lot of consideration, he just couldn't either take down or live in the same place his parents had died. It would be a constant reminder of not having his parents to ask how to be a good father for Lily or soon, a good husband for Hermione. So he had decided to make Hermione's wish materialized and the Forest of Dean was the perfect idea.
He prepared chicken and vegetables but first he made a steaming cup of coffee for himself just like he liked it, one spoon of sugar, just a whisper of milk and he kept on with his preparations. He opened the fridge as the house allowed muggle devices to function and made sure all the candies he and Hermione had made for the party as their own share to bring something since Molly would have gone beyond herself with the preparations. It seemed as if with every year that passed, more grandchildren were added in the guest list of her gatherings.
The hours passed by quickly, Harry and Hermione had their lunch while Lily took another nap. They got dressed and ready for the party. Hermione was going as a fairy, quiet girly for her but as she had said through a giggles "I always wanted to dress up as a fairy but since I didn't have friends before Hogwarts…". Harry hadn't said a word, she looked stunning and it was a childhood dream of hers, even if they both knew by experience pixies and fairies didn't look like how the muggles thought them to be. Harry dressed up as a vampire, long cape, a little spell for his teeth and a paling make up spell was what he needed and Hermione was giggling all the while casting them upon him.
'You look, stunning,' she told him after she was done and he grinned, the teeth kind of hurt against his lower lip and he was worried about the saliva but Hermione reassured him he would get used to it as he sucked down and she laughed.
'She looks perfect however,' he said and hated the way he spoke with the larger teeth, he wondered how people in muggle movies, or the ministry, spoke while with the condition of vampirism. Both Harry and Hermione looked at the mentioned person and smiled as they had dressed their little girl as a pumpkin in bright orange colors and the cutest orange bonnet for her head and tiny ears to remain warm.
'We should be going,' Hermione said after a few moments of pride for both parents and Harry nodded as they took the baby seat with their little one inside and moved outside, Hermione held the blanket as they moved closer to the car where Harry had already loaded the pumpkins and trays of food they had made. Hermione strapped the baby seat on the back of their Lancia Delta and sat next to it to keep an eye on Lily while Harry moved on the driver's seat.
It was good to have friends in the ministry, it was good the minister was your friend. Kingsley Shackelbolt had accepted the idea of Arthur Weasley for flying cars, even if there was a record of a flying Ford Anglia out of control in 1992, and the patent had been established as long as the owners of the flying cars could pass the ministry test and fully register their car in the records.
Harry looked around him and was glad to see there were no children as of yet out for trick or treat, the population of the village was 1160 people after all… the children were very few. He pressed the button next to the wheel and soon kicked off as the car was invisible for muggles.
The flight-ride to the Burrow was short since there was not a lot of traffic… the airplanes were too high above and the rest of the flying cars around were few. It was good they could use the lights and that the spell kept the car invisible only to muggles.
They arrived at the Burrow and Molly was the first to greet them happily and cooing at Lily who was vigilant since they landed.
'Welcome, my dears! Come on, come on inside, everyone is here. Let me levitate these.' She said warmly as she hugged with one arm Harry first and then Hermione while she held Lily with the other and then her wand was pointed at the track Harry had opened. The trays of food followed the four inside the kitchen of the Burrow where the rest of the extended Weasley family along the Grangers, Andromeda Black and Teddy Lupin were already there. Teddy rushed close to Harry and the raven haired man wrapped his arms around his Godson tightly. Ron followed and kissed Hermione on the cheek before he could one arm-hug Harry who had scooped up Teddy with the other.
'Look how much you've grown!' Ron said as he looked at Lily the moment Luna wrapped her own arms around him and they both looked at the little girl. 'You're going to grow up and while aunt Luna and Momma Hermione are trying to teach you things, your dad and your perfect, handsome, awesome Godfather –that's me- will be teaching how to play Quidditch.' Ron offered and Hermione pushed him away, affectively pushing Luna as well as the couple was dressed as ghosts.
'Step away from my child, Weasley,' Hermione said as Harry grinned and kissed the cheek of Teddy who was dressed as the Frankenstein monster.
'You have no right upon the things a Godfather teaches the child, Granger,' Ron retorted and Hermione glared at him as Teddy changed his haircolor to amuse Lily who possibly didn't notice much but cooed nonetheless from Molly's arms who beamed at the little one.
'OK, OK now enough you two, come on inside guys, I brought the best wine and your parents, Hermione brought even more and it's muggle wine!' Arthur showed up from the living room and hugged the couple and made a funny face for Lily.
Hermione smiled as her parents showed up too and she hugged them both tightly just like they did before they could go to Molly who gave them their granddaughter to cuddle.
Harry smiled as the Grangers had became close friends with the Weasleys and the rest of Hermione's friends and non-blood related extended family.
'It's so good to see you, son,' Edward Granger said as he held his granddaughter and shook hands with Harry who smiled and nodded.
'Good to see you too, Edward,' Harry said and could see the sympathy and the love of the other man, he felt like Edward Granger was a father figure to him ever since he got to meet him and now he could see the compassion, both Grangers knew like everyone else, what happened to his own parents many years ago.
'Hello, dear,' Jane Granger followed and hugged him tightly –something Hermione had inherited-, and Harry wrapped his arms around his mother in law who smiled up at him with hazel eyes full of concern and love for him, her own bushy hair were up in a bun and smoothed.
'Hello Jane,' Harry said with a smile and she smiled back, patting his cheeks and nodding, nothing much had to be said, they were all there for him.
'Soo lets celebrate! The children are in the living room with Bill, Fleur and the rest, the babies are sleeping upstairs, in case you want to put Lily for a nap.' Molly offered and everyone nodded and moved to the living room that had been magically expanded for everyone but the Grangers kept their grandchild with them. Harry moved inside the decorated room close to the bunch of brothers-in-law and friends he had even if he had no siblings to be connected through and the conversation was easily navigated to the upcoming season of Quidditch that started from early November and ended in July, right before the very much anticipated World Quidditch Cup.
Harry spotted Hermione talking to her parents after awhile and she was gesturing something about Lily while Jane nodded and smiled at her daughter before she could kiss her cheek while Edward was holding Lily close to his chest while he spoke with Arthur. Hermione glanced at Harry and caught his eye. She smiled and nodded and he got the hint. Ron for some reason, in his try to empathize his point about the Cannons had gripped Harry's arm and shoving it forward so Harry took his arm back and patted his friend's shoulder.
'I'll be back in moment, he said and the men nodded briefly before they could all go back to shouting at Ron that the Cannons should finally turn into a band instead of a Quidditch team and be done with it.
'Lets go,' Hermione said and took his hand as they exited the living room quietly while Molly was busy serving all the food she had made and had received in the large buffet she had made in the living room. Hermione took the lantern she had made that afternoon from the car and the two held hands as dissaparated away.
The graveyard was silent even if the village behind buzzed with voices around the place and children's voices. Godric's was certainly larger than Yorkley so there were actual children to go trick or treat.
The two moved inside the gates and slowly approached the tomb they had visited so many times ever since the war. Ever since that Christmas Eve when it was just the two of them, in the graveyard and the entire world. Hermione was holding the pumpkin in her hands and Harry's was on her waist when they stopped before the tomb. She gave a small smile at him and handed him the pumpkin. He nodded and took the lantern, leaned closer and placed it carefully on the base of the tomb. Hermione waved her wand and soon a bunch of roses were also conjured, she waved her wand once again and the roses turned orange, a happy color in contrast with the grey tomb.
'I'm sure your dad would love to "trick or treat" our daughter, and Sirius would be ecstatic to chase her around the house,' Hermione said as they smiled at the happy lantern. Harry kissed her hair and nodded.
'And just imagine Tonks and Remus with Teddy and Lily, it would be disaster,' Hermione added and they both chuckled and hugged each other tighter.
'I'm sure this is how they wish for us to remember them.' Hermione whispered close to his ear as she caressed his shoulders and hair. 'And after all, they've told you themselves, they're always here.' She added and he smiled and nodded, pulling away just a bit so he could kiss her lips. He finally smiled brightly at her and nuzzled his nose with hers.
'Happy Halloween, Hermione,' Harry whispered for the first time in his life and she smiled and hugged him tighter against her.
'Happy Halloween, Harry,' she added before she could kiss his lips, laughing all the while as his enlarged teeth scrapped her lips every time he kissed her.
Sooo what you think? isn't Lily the best baby and our own babies actually growing old in the forest, or right outside of it lol i researched that a lot and it's indeed out of the law to live in the forest so i had to find the next mest thing and Yorkley from the pictures i found, looks lovely!
we don't have Halloween here in Greece so you can always treat me a review?