A mid May afternoon several years later near the Burrow found a familiar group of friends having a quiet picnic. Two of the couples were actively trying to keep their close friends' thoughts from the dark anniversary of the day; it was ten years to the day everyone concerned had their lives altered forever, and five years to the day two innocent lives were lost. The two sitting with them, laughing and sharing the pleasant day had lost the most; they lost her heart's greatest desire. They had spent most of their lives since that dark event trying to overcome their loss, and had only met with failure.
The three young men had recently finished playing a friendly game of Quidditch and two had returned from the makeshift field to a small clearing under an ancient oak tree while the third ran off to chase his children in the field. Under the oak, the three women had been busy with other endeavours. The three couples were, through unusual turns of fate, all family.
Harry and Hermione were the only ones that married straight from Hogwarts, Ginny and Draco married next, a year after Ginny completed her schooling. Ron and Luna followed soon after them. Even after Draco's role in the last battle, Ron waited nearly a year after Draco and Ginny had been married before he was able to completely trust his past foe. Ginny and Draco were the first of the group to help repopulate their world with a set of twins, a boy and a girl. Ron and his wife quickly followed his sister with a son. No one ever mentioned that accident.
Ron and Luna had a strong son, with flaming red 'Weasley' hair. They fought for many days over his name, and settled on Arthur William Harry Weasley. Since Ginny produced a set of twins on the first try, Ron wouldn't be satisfied until Luna produced another.
The three women had set up a picnic under the ancient oak near the Weasley family home where Ron and Luna now lived. The ancient oak tree was special to all; it is the very tree where Harry erected a memorial to his Godfather, Sirius Black, who died in Harry's 5 th year. It is the place Draco watched Ginny from a distance and first fell in love her. Ron and his sister spent many childhood days playing on this very tree and this was where they laid members of their family to rest.
Since that day ten years earlier when Harry defeated Voldemort, life was quite and peaceful. The three pairs of now close friends found their niche in life and settled down to live in the hard fought peace. One still taught, two became healers; two became warriors and one became a government employee. Today was one of those peaceful days.
"Hurry up with the meat pies… I'm starved!" Ron called to the three women.
"Ronald Weasley, you'll have to wait like everyone else." His little sister scolded him. She had her mother's fire and her brothers respected and feared that fire, as did her husband.
"Hey Harry, there's nothing out there, come on over and let's eat." Ron quietly said to his closest friend, for some reason Harry had been staring in the sky most of the day. As if he was waiting for a sign. He still had his visions and dreams from time to time, but only in those rare times Hermione wasn't with him. She was his shield from his visions since they declared their feelings for each other, and since that moment they were rarely apart.
After the Great Wizard War of '98, Ron, Harry and Hermione had completed Auror training, but only Harry and Ron continued to become members of that organization, the training and activities reminded Hermione too much of their last year in school and their loss, she continued her training as a healer.
Draco had replaced the potions master after he completed his last year and his transformation from the spoiled obstinate child of his first five years at Hogwarts to the man he became was complete with the birth of his children. He vowed to never become the man his father was. He spent the brief time they had before lunch was ready playing by the pond with his children. His misfortune at that moment came from his own children conspiring against him, and in one fell swoop, the pair of six-year-old children managed to push him into the pond.
Ginny rolled out a deep laugh at the sight of her husband's state as he stood in the pond, with an equally wet child under each arm. She gave a light flick of her wand and draped a towel over Draco's golden locks, laughing with the moment. She left the food to help rescue either her husband or her children; she was unsure which was in most peril at that moment. She stood at the edge and reached her hand to help them out.
At that, Draco pulled her into the cool water.
"Looks like they're going to be busy for a while, let's eat. Hey! We'll save you two some crumbs!" Ron called out.
Ron and Hermione watched the antics of his sister and brother-in-law and she noticed a twinkle in his eye that reminded her of Fred and George's tricks from days past, before another second lapsed, Ron closed his eyes and a look of deep concentration spread over his face. A small rain cloud suddenly hit his oldest friend, soaking him to the bone.
"Funny, very funny" Harry grumbled and shot a glare to Hermione to let her know the mischief in store when they get home later for not stopping the soaking…
"Ron! I TOLD you to stop trying wandless magic; you know you can't control it like Harry!" his wife chided him.
"Honey, I really can, it's not that hard…" he pleaded his case, but Luna had learned his weakness, actually his two weaknesses, food and her.
"Sorry, Harry, I should have stopped him when I saw that look…" Hermione finally managed to say between the laughing.
"Well, he'll learn what he can do with practice, Luna, don't be too rough on him." With a wave of his hand the sky above Harry cleared and his clothes dried instantly. Since the day he defeated Voldemort, he never held a wand, he no longer need a wand to focus his power. And even though he chose a profession that required magical abilities, he seldom showed those powers. He had tried to teach that skill to his closest friends, but no one could focus their magic without a wand. Not even Dumbledore can match Harry's power. Hermione alone had managed better than any of the others, but she preferred a wand, it wasn't as taxing.
Harry turned to the small group and plopped down on the blanket laid out by his wife and friends, abandoning his aerial search; Ron rolled over to join his love on their blanket leaving Draco and Ginny to continue their intimate family swim.
Hermione gazed under the tree to a small group of grave markers, and sub-consciously traced a familiar scar with a finger; it was still tender after these years. There were similar markers in a well-manicured patch just past a glen near their home in Godric Hollow; where a gap between two sets of the monuments had been planned and waited for two more. That small patch of hallowed ground shared a stream with the glen, a stream that ran into a patch of trees reminiscent of another forest. She was remembering the events ten years ago that cost her dearly; it was the day she died in his arms but returned to him. To this day neither could explain who was responsible. She continued to trace her scar.
Harry noticed, as he always had; it had become a nervous habit for her, when she remembered that day. He knew what it reminded her. He knew what they lost that day. He knew what he failed to do. In the years that followed they had never been able to replace the loss. He knew what she longed for every time she saw their dear friends' young children playing. He silently watched as another lost tear trickled down her cheek.
Hermione continued daydreaming of their last year at school and the events of the life she shared with Harry. Several years ago, she had resigned herself to living alone with her husband without ever knowing motherhood; content and happy with the life they shared. Their closest friends had helped compensate for the loss by sharing every precious moment of the lives of their children with the couple. She and Harry were godparents to Ginny and Draco's twins, a boy as mischievous as his father was, and a girl as sweet and loving as her mother, but equally mischievous. The twins were soon to celebrate their sixth birthday and Hermione always made sure there was something extra special from her and Harry. Alex and Alycia was the centre of Ginny and Draco's life together and they were proud to be able to share that with Harry and Hermione. Hermione loved the children as if they were her own, and she was treated as more than Aunt Hermione.
They enjoyed a peaceful life together.
Harry never forgot his promise he made to her so many years ago, the night he was viciously stabbed in the back by a big toe. His work within the Ministry allowed him access to records no ordinary wizard could see, there were details to the story Dumbledore relayed to Hermione those many years ago that even Albus was unaware of. Harry was determined to fill all the gaps and gain all the proof he could. And then there was the matter of his heritage. He hadn't stopped thinking about that since that day.
He dreamed of finding a lost relation, like Eileen. She still taught Defence Against the Dark Arts at the school with her husband, Jake who still managed as the Muggle Studies Professor. When Dumbledore left the school, Hagrid left also, to also work for the ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, that position was offered to Charlie Weasley, but he traded in his dragons to take over Hagrid's position on Care of Magical Creatures and to spend his days at the school.
Harry's heritage weighed heavily on his mind; will he ever discover why he, of all wizardom, had the power to defeat the greatest dark wizard that ever lived? He searched for answers to those questions and others that troubled him and his wife. They had discovered clues to her family's past and she was content with that knowledge. They found traces of his heritage, but every clue lead to a dead end, as if no one had heard of the Potters before his father was born. These thoughts were but a few of the many that wracked his mind, but right now, his wife was still tracing her scar, like she was trying to wear it off.
"Is it still bothering you?" as he gently stroked her cheek. "We'll have one, I know we will."
"My sweet Harry, I can't help but think I failed you then. You were right, they saw right through me. That was our weakness. I love you so much; all I wanted was your child to remind me of you in case…" she pulled him closer and nuzzled her head into his shoulder.
"In case he won, I know. I had my doubts that I'd be victorious. You gave me the faith and love to succeed. I never would have if you hadn't been at my side." He gently touched her chin with his hand and raised her chin slightly. His lips greeted hers in a light kiss, a light probe from his tongue allowed entry through her lips. They are so right for each other, so compatible, still so much in love.
Ron noticed his two closest friends otherwise engaged and pulled Luna close and whispered. "She's got that look again."
Harry also knew her look quite well. She had been haunted by the curse since Draco's father murdered their unborn child. As much as it hurt him to see her like this, he knew there was nothing they could do but hold and comfort her. They've exhausted all options in both the wizarding world and the muggle world, and still managed to keep the incident secret, only the closest of friends knew.
"Harry, I went to see those muggle doctors again." She said tentatively.
"And? What did they say this time?" He asked. He knew they wouldn't have any new hope and had resigned to watching his adopted family's children grow. She was the one that wouldn't give up, but no one dared try to persuade her to stop trying.
"There's a new clinic in the United States that the doctors here think could help. I've called them to set up an appointment. We both need to be there for tests. They've got a brilliant record of success."
"Another clinic? And what can they do? We've tried everything, haven't we?" He tried to remain optimistic, but the string of failures over the years was lengthy. The last attempt almost cost Ginny her life.
"They've made significant new break-through recently, but they want a full examination to find out if they could help."
"I was thinking, Hermione, we could always adopt, that is if this new clinic can't help. There are children that need the love you want to share."
"Harry, are you sure? I know how important family is to you and for me too. Yes, I would love to adopt. Let's look into it first thing next week. I don't care if there's a lick of magic; I think that is a fantastic idea." She curled up in his arms, he pulled her closer, and they shared another deep kiss.
Ron had arranged the outing, in hopes it would cheer Hermione's spirits. Now she and Harry were quietly engaged, while his little sister and her family were anything but quiet, the play in the pond was a truly warming vision. Ron had in these last years fully understood how much Hermione hurt. They never talked about what happened and they didn't have to. There was a time he fancied the witch, but her rejection turned his eye elsewhere, and that lead him to the life he now enjoys.
The group enjoyed the mid-day fun, and one couple's spirits did mellow through the day. They played with the children and each other, until the mid day sun began to set; another gathering was planned with others, this one at the Potter's home. Albus Dumbledore, the Lupins, and the Stevens were all joining the group of six, as they had every year on this day. Hermione always loved seeing her cousin and Jake, they were the perfect image of what they wanted to become, except they too had a son, he was now close to six and had his mother's abilities and his father's daring. The lad managed more mischief than the original Marauders some thirty-five years ago. Remus loved to watch his godson, as he remembered his life before he was afflicted. Jason Stevens was a joy to the werewolf as he was to his parents, since Remus and Tonks decided not to risk passing his condition to a child.
The celebration had been scheduled for 7:30 that evening; Dobby had remained with the Potters even though Hermione had tried to release him numerous times. The elf simply refused to leave the first wizard who was kind to him. He had prepared a feast for his master, and had again enlisted others to help create the perfect affair for the evening. All the guests had two motives for the evening, both were carried to success, first to help one of their own forget the past and continue to live for the hope of tomorrow, and also to enjoy the company of old friends. The small size of the cottage was deceptive to the casual observer, but the closeness of all made the small house seem as if it were a grand ballroom.
Friends and family arrived starting just before six o'clock; the Malfoys and Weasleys were the first to arrive, with offers to help with arrangements and preparations. The Lupins and Stevens arrived exactly on time, followed shortly by the Minister and a several other guests. The group had been kept to a manageable size.
The rule for the evening was dancing and merriment, the feast arranged included liquid refreshments intended to add to the light-hearted fun. The dance floor had been set up outside, under a flood of soft lights designed to induce romantic moods. The intended results were successful with nearly all couples; each had during the evening seemed to disappear for short periods to the dance floor and other parts of the estate.
While Harry and Hermione were otherwise occupied during an intimate dance, Ginny gave Draco's hand a squeeze and stepped away toward an old friend, her boss.
Albus Dumbledore was busy catching up on the events at the old school, in a conversation with the new deputy headmaster. Life at the school since the last battle of the last war had been as quiet and uneventful as could be imagined, if it wasn't for the occasional school pranks levied with a near lethal dose of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes merchandise, life would have been reduced to a catatonic state.
"Jake, can I have a moment with the Minister? I have a problem that he might be able to solve."
"Of course, Eileen, care to join those two in a dance?" He and Eileen left for a shared moment on the dance floor with her younger cousin.
"Sir, I found something today at my post." Ginny had only recently been given the post of Director of Mysteries. She was the youngest person to hold this title, a detail that in of itself showed the Minister's faith in her abilities. The post of Director of Mysteries is one only a wizard of ancient heritage can hold and must have the full trust of the Minister himself. Minister Dumbledore gave her this post personally, another measure of his confidence in the young woman.
"I had been completing an inventory of the archives today, and I stumbled across a prophecy that had been hidden."
"I'm certain you know the procedures for a misplaced prophecy, have you notified those involved?"
"No, this was in that same corner we had that fight twelve years ago, I'll never forget that day. I think that's when it was misplaced."
"Then I think your duty is perfectly clear, who is it about?"
Her face turned as white as her husband's hair as she recalled the details. "It has the name of Hermione Potter and a date of 1469 AD followed by the initials PM and Myrddin."
"It would seem that one of Harry's ancestors had the same first name as his wife, quite a coincidence."
"Sir, I think you're wrong, her name is most unique. And look at the date, exactly 500 years before she was born." Ginny had known Dumbledore way too long not to be able to recognize when he was hiding something that she would never pry from him. That old wizard had a habit of giving just enough information to satisfy the immediate questions, and no more.
"Sir, why is that prophecy still there? Don't all unfilled prophecies dissolve on the death of anyone involved in the prophecy? Surely since this woman lived a long time ago, she must be long since dead. Unless the person this prophecy isn't de--- Could this be about Hermione?"
"That I cannot say, you know that only the people directly involved can know the contents. Only Hermione, the person that made the prophecy and those present at the time can know the exact contents. So, as you have pointed out, there should be only one person that can hear this prophecy. I suggest you bring this to her attention."
"But, sir, what if this is important to-"
"If it is important, she would already know the contents, now wouldn't she?"
"When I found it, I checked it in the in the Book of Prophecies, this one is unregistered."
"Then that would explain how it came to disappear. I suggest you have a chat with her when she is first available, although I believe she may already know the contents." With that last comment, he gave her a trademark smile and a knowing squeeze to her shoulder before turning to mingle with others enjoying the festive night.
The merriment lasted through the evening and soon after the last guest had left, Harry reached his hand to Hermione, and pulled her from the chair she collapsed into after the last song ended, his other arm pulled around her waist as he still held her hand.
"May I have this last dance, my love?"
"Harry? What has gotten into you? There's no music. I'm knackered anyway." She tried to pull from his hold. But he resisted.
"There's always music, if you just listen hard enough." With that he pulled her into a twirl and caught her in a close, slow dance hold. She looked at him and began to melt in his arms as they swayed to the music that played in his mind. The longer he held her, and continued his dance, the louder she imagined the music until she too was engulfed in the same mood he felt. All thoughts of that date in time were lost, until the next anniversary.
"I thought you said you were 'knackered'." He whispered.
"Stupid git. This is your doing." She said as he continued an impromptu attack on an ear lob.
"Of course." He spun her one more time and continued the turns around the room, manoeuvring them through the door. They stood in the partial moonlight, letting their lips meet. He re-explored the curves of her waist and hips with his hands, leading them up her back to find their way to her hair. He let his hands twist in her long locks, caressing her neck as he went. She too began to lose herself to the moment, renewing her own knowledge of his body.
The truly magical part of the night was yet to come, as he lifted her from her feet without breaking the kiss, they vanished from the front porch to reappear under a crudely build thatched hut on a secluded island. The moonlight danced in the ocean's reflection, reminiscent of another night they spent on a beach. He knew this was her favourite place to disappear to when she needed a romantic interlude away from their life. Some evenings they stayed in a canvas tent, or lazily in a large hammock, the more isolated and primitive their accommodations, the more she enjoyed making love to him.
Tonight the hut's roof appeared to have been crudely built to let the moon's rays bask over their now bare forms as they lay on a woven mat laid on the sand. She loved him more than her own life, a fact she proved once. Tonight she felt so different, and tonight at a spectacular moment, she actually thought she saw fireworks in the distant sky, bright flashes and spectacular flares in the distance that appeared to blend in with the stars in the sky.
She pushed him over and straddled him, never letting go of him, and she restarted her rhythmic dance, bringing him back to life. He looked deep into her eyes and a familiar warming glow engulfed the couple. She continued with him for as long as he was able to last, finally collapsing into a shared embrace, she fell into a warm comfortable sleep first, while he stared to the sky, seeing the same fireworks in the night sky.