After Fifty Years

Bingblot

Rating: G
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 6
Published: 27/02/2007
Last Updated: 27/02/2007
Status: completed

After 50 years, the marriage of Harry Potter, as others see them... Fluffy one-shot.

Chapters

1. As Others See Them

1. As Others See Them

Disclaimer: All things HP belong to JKR, lucky woman.

Author’s Note: An odd, different, but still fluffy fic.

After Fifty Years

As Others See Them

It was going to be the piece that made her famous. Or, if not famous, the piece that guaranteed that she would have a story published in the next edition instead of the disappointment of finding her story cut at her editor’s discretion.

The idea came to her one evening when she looked at the Daily Prophet for that day and saw, on the front page, a picture of Harry Potter and his wife, Hermione Granger Potter. They had attended a formal dinner the Ministry held to honor the new Minister of Magic, Lysander Johnson.

Of course, they had been only one of many attending the dinner (according to the Prophet, there had been over 100 invited guests, most of whom worked at the Ministry, along with those guests’ dates for the evening.) But the picture on the front page of the Daily Prophet was of the two of them. A smaller picture alongside the article was given to Minister Johnson.

It was indicative of Harry Potter’s status in the wizarding world even now, more than fifty years after the end of the Second Voldemort War. Anything he did, everything to do with him, was still given more precedence than the Minister of Magic or anyone else, for that matter.

She studied the somewhat-grainy picture of Harry Potter and his wife, seeing how, in the picture, he turned to smile at his wife as he said something that made her laugh. She peered closer—were they—yes, they were—in the picture, Harry Potter and his wife were holding hands. His hand was on top of hers as her hand rested on the table.

She knew, of course, as did everyone, of the famously-happy marriage of Harry Potter. It had become part of the mystique and the legends beginning to surround him, that his marriage to his best friend (who, after the War was over, was nearly as famous as he was, thanks to their friendship) was so happy. There had never been even a hint of scandal about him and his personal life—and it wasn’t for lack of trying on the part of the press.

It had been long before her time but she knew that there had been something of a running bet going on within Witch Weekly as to whether or not Harry Potter would stray from his wife when they had gotten married. The Wizard’s Enquirer, among other of the more salacious gossip rags, had, she knew, even gone so far as to hire several very attractive witches to approach Harry Potter with a seductive proposition— that would probably have incited any other normal man to immediate acquiescence.

Harry Potter, on the other hand, had proven himself once again to be quite different from the normal man. He had rejected all the witches in such a coldly-definite manner as to leave no room for even a breath of doubt, even going so far as to get his wand out (though he, with his innate courtesy, did not point it at the witch) to the more persistent of the witches.

And then he had worked with his close friend, Luna Weasley (married to his other best friend, Ron Weasley) who was the head of The Quibbler, to put enough fear into the cowardly hearts of those behind the plots that they never tried again. At least, not that blatantly.

It didn’t stop them from keeping a very close watch on all of Harry Potter’s actions in the hope of catching him in some indiscretion.

All their vigilance got them was a lot of proof that not only was Harry Potter entirely faithful to his wife but he was also, as far as anyone could tell, quite passionately in love with her.

Which was worse.

That discovery had led to one such reporter who’d been hoping to make her career with a scandalous tidbit about Harry Potter, to say, in a line that had been over-heard and then repeated for the sheer amusement of it (which was how she had heard of it since it had been said a good thirty years ago, before she was even born), “I hate famous men who are in love with their wives!”

So she, of course, knew about Harry Potter and his happy marriage.

There was no scandal there—but then the idea had come to her. She didn’t need a scandal to get a story of hers in Witch Weekly.

In a little more than a month’s time, Harry Potter and his wife would celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

50 years.

They were both intensely private people, in spite of their fame (or because of it), and very protective of their privacy. She doubted she could get access to either of them for an interview about their relationship and their marriage—not herself, Diana Peyton, a rookie reporter with scarcely any published stories to her credit and none with only her name in the by-line without anyone else’s name coming first. No, she couldn’t get access to them—but there was nothing to stop her from trying to talk to people they knew, was there?

She could probably even manage an interview with Mr. Ron Weasley himself. Mr. Weasley was usually much more open to interviewers.

It would be a new spin on the more typical story about Harry Potter and Hermione Granger Potter.

After 50 years of marriage—what did those they knew have to say about their relationship?

Diana smiled to herself as she cut out the picture of Harry Potter and his wife from the Daily Prophet, affixing it to the front of a brand-new notebook.

Yes, she had a plan now.

This story was going to be hers. She could picture it in her head already: 50 Years: The Marriage of Harry Potter—As Others See Them (or some other, more clever headline) and the most important part, the byline: By Diana Peyton.

~*~*~

From the notebook of Diana Peyton

Antoine de Brissac, the maitre’d at Le Chateau des Fleurs, the Potters’ favorite restaurant: Ah, oui, Monsieur Potter et Madame Potter, yes, they come here quite often. They are always polite, always friendly, to me, Antoine. A most charming couple. Always smiling when they are together. I myself have never seen them exchange a cross word. Other couples, they sometimes do but not Monsieur et Madame Potter. But very private. No kisses, not here, only sometimes un petit baiser to the cheek or her hand. With them, it is only the looks, the looks of love. Oui, un vrai amour.

~

Mr. Seamus Finnegan, Hogwarts classmate of the Potters: You want to interview me? Whatever for—I mean, certainly, happy to help. Oh, Harry and Hermione. Yes, we were at Hogwarts together. I know Harry quite well simply from having shared a dorm with him for six years. He was a nice chap, on the quiet side then (not that he’s all that talkative now), and always with Ron and Hermione, y’know. As for Harry and Hermione, they were always close, thick as thieves most of the time really. Ron and Harry were always best mates, of course, but Harry and Hermione were more than that, it seemed. They just—fit, if y’know what I mean. I used to think they could read each other’s minds. Still do, actually, I’m just used to it now. I wasn’t at all surprised when they started dating; actually, I’d thought they’d been dating for years before it actually happened. They just had an air about them, made them seem- together- even when they weren’t, technically. But I guess, come to think of it, they’d probably been in love for years before they started dating. Certainly seemed like it. So it’s been 50 years? Seems like longer somehow, but then I can barely remember a time when Harry and Hermione weren’t together, romantically and otherwise. Not at all surprised when they got married and not surprised they’re still so happy. No, not at all. Er, I’m not sure what else I can tell you…

~

Mr. Draco Malfoy, former enemy/(rather grudging) friend of the Potters: Potter? You want me to talk about Potter and Granger? What’s there to say? They were sickeningly sweet together when they were young and they’re still sickeningly sweet together. No, I really don’t care to say anything more about Potter and his marriage. I’ve got better things to do with my time than talk or think about them.

~

Albus Dumbledore’s portrait, former Headmaster of Hogwarts and mentor of Harry Potter: Ah, yes, of course, Miss Peyton. I remember you, from one time Headmistress McGonagall called you to the office. Hufflepuff House, Class of 2051, I believe? So you are working for Witch Weekly now? Good, good. And you would like to know what I think about Harry and Hermione’s relationship. Yes, certainly, I knew both Harry and Hermione well, and would be glad to help you. Harry and Hermione were best friends since their first year, as I’m sure you know. It all started because of a cave troll… Oh you already are familiar with that story. Well, they grew closer and closer as every year went by, Harry and Hermione and Ron as well. But there was always something a little different between Harry and Hermione, I think, a potential for more. It didn’t happen right away, of course. Theirs isn’t the sort of relationship that happens immediately when both are so young and easily distracted by a pretty girl and a boy’s fancy. But no one ever got in between Harry and Hermione, as far as I can tell. I doubt anyone ever could. Hermione’s devotion to Harry has always been something special and his trust in her, his confidence in her, his affection for her, has never wavered. I believe, although I do not know this for certain, that when they finally got together, it was more in the sense of accepting what was inevitable and had always been meant to be than a discovery of some strange, new facet of their relationship.

~

[Interrupting] Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts and friend of both Harry and Hermione Potter: Yes, yes, Albus. Don’t mind him, Miss Peyton, but if you let him, he’ll natter on as if he had everything to do with Harry and Hermione ending up together. Of course, it’s true that there was always something a little different about them, a sort of understanding. And certainly, no two friends were ever more loyal to each other than those two were. Not even Ron Weasley, although the three of them together were the best, truest friends I have ever seen in my many years at Hogwarts. I was not surprised when Harry and Hermione told me that they were engaged and I always knew that they would be happy together. That was guaranteed, given how much they had already been through together.

~

Professor Emily Delancey, Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts and Harry and Hermione’s eldest daughter: Diana, it’s good to see you again. It’s been—goodness, two years already since you left Hogwarts? I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about my parents, within reason naturally. [With a laugh] Merlin knows, I’m quite used to talking about my parents; I’ve grown up with people asking me all sorts of things about them. Of course I know Mum and Dad’s 50th anniversary is coming up; Andy, Sabrina and I have planned a surprise for them which I won’t tell you because it is, after all, a surprise.

I always knew Mum and Dad were in love and happy together. Of course, I’ve been surrounded by happy couples really, Uncle Ron and Aunt Luna, my Uncles Fred and George and their wives, Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur, Uncle Remus and Tonks—but yes, there always was something a little different about Mum and Dad’s way of being happy together. They were pals, and still best friends. You could tell in the way Mum sometimes laughed at something Dad said or did or the way Dad would tease Mum. They have so many inside jokes, times when they look at each other and smile or laugh and neither Andy, Sabrina nor I knew what was so funny. We learned about some of those inside jokes but not all of them. And yes, there were times when we walked in on them snogging—and I refuse to say anything more about that!...

What? Oh, of course, they fought, just like any other couple would. [laughing] I guess some people would give you the idea that Mum and Dad are so much the ideal couple that they never fight and are only lovey-dovey with each other. That’s not the case, not at all! Not that they fought very often, you understand, and they were careful to not fight when we were around but sometimes we heard things and they couldn’t help it. I remember one time—I think this was one of the biggest fights they had actually—I was around 14 at the time, I think, and Andy and I were home for the summer hols. Dad got asked to go somewhere to deal with the resurgence of the Dark wizards there and Mum wanted to go with him, insisted she go, actually. She argued that Dad would need her help and she wasn’t going to- and I quote- “let him go haring off like a hot-headed dolt when he wasn’t going to be able to deal with it on his own.” Oh, yes, you may laugh but Mum’s one of the few people in the world who’s never been afraid to tell Dad he’s being reckless. He gripes about it but he once admitted to Andy (and Andy told me later) that, as he put it, “I’ll never admit it to your mother and don’t you dare tell her I said so—but I love it when she tells me I’m being an idiot. I remember one of the first real arguments we had, in our 5th year, I was so mad at her I couldn’t see straight but I still knew it was because she cared about me and that meant something to me. Plus, you know your Mum has this annoying habit of being right most of the time so I’ve learned over the years it’s stupid to disagree. But then again, I never did learn to stop being stupid sometimes.” That was Dad all over but to get back to this one time, Mum insisted that she come with Dad. And Dad flew right into his over-protective mode and flat-out refused to let her come. They argued about it for a good long while until finally, Dad simply left. I found out later he Apparated over to Uncle Ron’s house and then from there, Apparated to where he needed to go—Tunis, that was for the whole resurgence of Dark magic there, if you remember—except, of course you wouldn’t, it was long before you were born. Well, it was Tunis but obviously we didn’t know this. We never did know exactly where Dad went when he was off doing his hero thing. He thought that he’d cleverly managed to avoid the issue by leaving like that. But Mum had another trick up her sleeve. That very night she told us to pack a bag and bundled all of us over to stay with Uncle Ron, not telling us exactly where she was going or what she was doing. Poor Sabrina was upset and crying—she was only 9 or so at the time—and wanted to know if Daddy was ever going to come back and now Mum was going too. But anyway, we were sent to Uncle Ron’s, bag and baggage, and Mum left too. They were gone for a week while we stayed and played with Uncle Ron’s kids; it was a jolly week, I must say. But that’s hardly important now. We found out what really happened later and it was such a typical thing for both my Mum and Dad: Mum managed to find out (I’m still not sure exactly how but that’s my Mum for you) where Dad had gone and, well, he walked into his hide-out while he was trying to find out all about the Dark wizards he was after, the next day, and found my Mum sitting quite calmly on the bed, waiting for him. At first, he was too stunned to be angry but he got over that pretty quickly and then he was furious and they fought again—were still fighting when the alarms from the wards Dad and then my Mum had put up went off and they stopped fighting each other and went right into the job. It took a week because it turned out to be a more powerful and well-organized group than they’d expected and it was lucky that my Mum was there because she’s wonderful at translating Ancient Runes which turned out to be a really important piece of information and why they managed to defeat the leader so effectively in only a week when it would have taken Dad alone at least twice that time. Mum and Dad always have worked together well and that was just a perfect example of it. And once it was all over, well, Dad could hardly be angry then. They made it up pretty quickly. In fact, they stayed away in their hide-out for an extra day when it was all over, “making up”… Oh, Mum and Dad would hate that I’ve admitted that part but it was nearly thirty years ago now.

So, yes, they fought, just like any other couple. Really, while we were growing up, Andy, Sabrina and I never could understand just what was so unusual about our parents and why people were always asking us about them. They were just our Mum and Dad; we knew they loved each other; that was all there was to it.

Now that I’m older and married myself, I can see just why Mum and Dad’s relationship is so special but I’m not sure I can put it into words. It’s just something to do with them, how much they trust each other, how they’re still best friends as well as husband and wife… I don’t know if I can describe it any better than that.

~

Mr. Nicholas Trent, 1st year Hogwarts student and eldest son of Harry and Hermione’s youngest daughter, Sabrina: You talked to Aunt Emily? Well, okay, then, I guess it’s fine… Wait, you want to know what I think about Nana and Gramps’ marriage?! [shaking his head] No way. They’re my grandparents; they’re married; what more is there to say? Sure they’re happy, of course they’re happy; I’ve seen the way Gramps looks at Nana sometimes, in that sappy way, and how Nana smiles at Gramps. It’s enough to make a fellow sick. That’s all I have to say about that!

~

Mrs. Ginny Malfoy, long-time friend of Harry and Hermione: Harry and Hermione? You want to know what I have to say, now that they’ve been married fifty years… In brief, I’m not at all surprised, really. I think Hermione’s been in love with Harry since she was at least sixteen, whether she knew it or not, and for Harry, Hermione’s always been first, the only girl in his life really. Even when he was dating me or anyone else, no one replaced Hermione in his life. That’s just the way it was. Harry and Hermione—they’re something like the sun rising in the east— a constant, unchanging fact of life.

~

Mrs. Valeria Sterling, Harry Potter’s ex-girlfriend (his last girlfriend whom he dated for about 6 months and broke up with almost a full year before he and Hermione officially- and tacitly- confirmed their status as a couple—more than 52 years ago): You want to talk to me about Harry and Hermione’s relationship? Well, I never expected this, I must say. I thought everyone had forgotten all about me and Harry. It was all so very long ago, you know, a lifetime ago. And Harry and I—well, I knew he wasn’t that serious about me. I will confess now—it hardly matters since I’m happily married to Bill—but I was rather more serious about Harry than he ever was about me. Harry is—such a good man, you know. He really is one of the nicest men you’ll ever meet. [a mischievous smile] It helps, of course, that he’s famous and handsome too. When he smiles at you and those green eyes of his just sparkle—well, I think any woman in her right mind would feel a little fluttery in response to that. [laughs a little] Oh, but I always knew he was in love with Hermione. That was made very clear to me within weeks of my first meeting him. He was, of course, always a gentleman and very sweet—but whenever anything concerning Hermione came up, well, everyone and everything else in the world simply ceased to matter. I remember one time, very soon before we broke up, Hermione came home to their flat just before Harry and I were supposed to leave to go to dinner. He took one look at her face—she did look tired, even to my eyes—and he basically bundled her onto the sofa as if she were some sort of invalid, made her tea and then led me outside and proceeded to apologize to me, saying Hermione had had a bad day at work and he needed to be there for her and he was so sorry but could we reschedule our date for another night. I think that was really when I realized that I was wasting my time, in a sense, with Harry. Until then, I’d thought, hoped—wishful thinking, really—that if we dated longer, got to know each other better, I might somehow be able to compete with Hermione but I knew then that it was no use. Harry belonged to Hermione. He always has, really. So much so that even then I couldn’t be angry at Hermione. See, he’d never been mine so she hadn’t been the one to take him from me, in any sense. I’d been the interloper, really, because he’s always belonged to her. I knew that. So when I finally heard that they were really and truly a couple, I wasn’t at all surprised. I was happy to hear it, really. I’ve never been surprised at how happy they’ve been. I’d have been surprised if they weren’t happy. I don’t know that I have anything more to say except that I honestly wish them well and I fully expect they’ll be happy for the rest of their lives.

~

Mr. Remus Lupin, long-time friend of Harry and Hermione: Harry and Hermione—what do I have to say about them? I suppose, since I am the best person to judge, you’d like to know whether or not Harry and Hermione are at all like James and Lily. Oh, you needn’t feel embarrassed by it; it’s quite understandable. James and Lily’s relationship has, after all, become nearly as important as Harry and Hermione’s, simply because they were Harry’s parents. My answer is, pretty much, no, they’re not alike. Admittedly, Hermione is very much like Lily; they were both very clever, both Head Girl material, both with a fondness for obeying rules but a weakness for boys who broke rules in a charming way. [with a slight smile]. Harry might look a lot like James but they are really quite different in most respects, simply because of the way they grew up. James always had the benefit of a loving and supportive family; his parents were two of the nicest people I’ve ever had the honor of knowing. James grew up living the life of a young prince. Whereas Harry- well, we all know how Harry grew up. It made them different. However, they’re both prone to breaking the rules, though always with the best of intentions, for the most part—James was a prankster but he never intended any harm, just wanted some fun. And Harry is just as loyal a friend as James was. But their relationships—well, they really are not alike. James and Lily did not have so many shared memories and experiences weaving a fabric together. Harry and Hermione have spent most of their lives together; they already had a very strong relationship, built on all their shared experiences, before they became a couple. James and Lily’s relationship was still young, a new relationship, in a sense, and so it was more prone to fluctuations. Oh, not fluctuations in how much they loved each other, but the level of understanding between them. Harry and Hermione, from the beginning of their relationship, had the sort of bond, the connection, the trust, that comes from having shared so much, from having endured so many dangers together. James and Lily’s relationship did not have that same depth of trust, although by the time they died, they had certainly survived more danger than most people do in a lifetime. And their relationship had become stronger because of it. I like to think that James and Lily’s relationship, if they had lived, would have become what Harry and Hermione’s relationship was, from the beginning, but I don’t know.

Frankly, I am not sure it matters. James and Lily were certainly very much in love and they were happy together for the short time they had. I’m sure that they approve of Hermione and are thankful to her for how much she’s done for Harry and how happy she’s made him.

As for me, personally, what do I have to say? Nothing that hasn’t already been said many times, I’m sure. Harry and Hermione have something special that has little to do with actual love or even passion; it’s something about how they trust each other and how well they work together, as if they were meant to be partners—and I saw it in them long before the word love was even thought of between them. Which is how, I can say with absolute certainty, that Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather, already rather expected Harry and Hermione to end up together before he died. It was never a question of if; it was a question of when and how.

~

Mr. Ron Weasley, Harry and Hermione’s life-long best friend: Has it really only been 50 years since Harry and Hermione got married? I could almost have sworn it was longer—although, no, come to think of it, with how old young Emily is, it couldn’t be any longer. Well, it just goes to show you that I hardly remember a time when Harry and Hermione were not together—and I’ve known them longer and better than anyone else. I think, in some odd way, Harry and Hermione were ‘together’ long before they finally started dating. It’s just that they were almost acting like a couple long before they really were a couple. Finishing each other’s sentences and such. Hermione never hid the fact that Harry was the most important person in her life, pretty much, from the day we met. [sheepishly] Of course, that was because I reckon she didn’t like me much in the beginning. I was a right git to her back then. Harry was nicer but Harry was always nice. [grinning] One of his annoying traits. But seriously, they were best friends and just seemed to understand each other. I like to think that I was just as much Harry’s friend but in our 7th year, the last year of the War, you know, Harry started to depend on Hermione so much more. With good reason; she always was the clever one. If it hadn’t been for her, we’d still be hunting for horcruxes to this day! And that year was when I finally got over the silly fancy I’d sort of had for Hermione—because I could see that it was really no good. Hermione was always getting her knickers in a twist over Harry, always worrying about Harry; she never spared me much of a glance. And, though if I had realized it at any other time, I might have been brassed off, back then, I couldn’t be. Harry was so intense, so driven—and so troubled. I’d have been a right git to resent Harry; wasn’t his fault that he was in mortal danger.

You’re probably wondering why, if this was the case, it took another three years for them to finally become a couple. I can tell you—because Harry once told me—that it was because they were such good friends. Oh you needn’t stare, Miss Peyton, it’s quite true. People say, with some truth, that Harry and Hermione were inevitable and meant to be and all that, but that disguises the issue. They might have been in love but they were also such close friends, had been so close for so long that the idea of changing their relationship was like a massive earthquake, rearranging the continents or something. It was like having the ground pulled out from beneath their feet— as Hermione put it, it was ‘having their entire lives fall into pieces around them and they were left to try to put the pieces back together with this other new piece that was meant to go in the center but threw every other piece out of alignment.’ Leave it to Hermione to express their relationship in a phrase that long, but there it is. I can say, honestly, given how well I know them, that I’m sure the idea of actually becoming a couple probably terrified them both, but especially Harry. But then, you know, they finally stopped fighting the inevitable and, well, that was that.

I suppose you’d like some sort of poetic expression for how I think of Harry and Hermione. I don’t know if I have one… They just are—it’s one of those things that seems like it’s been there forever and always will be there, like Hogwarts or something. And that’s as poetic as I’ll ever get.

~*~*~

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Potter,

Excuse me for writing to you when we’ve never met.

I’ve just begun working at Witch Weekly as a writer and I had planned to write a special article about your marriage on your 50th anniversary. I arranged to speak to several people who have known you both for years, including your daughter- who taught me when I was at Hogwarts- and Mr. Ron Weasley. Most people were very helpful and very willing to share their thoughts about your relationship and what has made it so special over the years.

I have since realized that to write the article using the information I received in the interviews would be a breach of your privacy and I am well aware of how closely you both have guarded your privacy over the years.

I am enclosing the notebook which contains the transcripts of the interviews I made because I felt you were the only two people who are really entitled to see how you are viewed by others. I will add my personal opinion that your marriage is the ideal one which everyone, in some way, aspires to have.

I hope you enjoy reading the notebook. Please accept my personal congratulations and best wishes on your 50th anniversary.

Sincerely,

Diana Peyton

~*~

Dear Miss Peyton,

Thank you very much for your kind letter and the notebook. It was a lovely gesture and we very much appreciated being able to read what other people had to say about us and our marriage. We are never in much danger of forgetting that what we have is truly special but your notebook was a beautiful reminder of just how lucky we are.

We also appreciate more than we can say your discretion in not sharing the contents of those interviews. It is true that we have tried very hard to keep our private lives just that.

That being said, we do feel that we owe you something for your thoughtfulness. To show our appreciation, we would be glad to give you a brief interview on the record. We are confident that you will use your discretion in what you write.

If you are available, we will see you at our house at 4 pm on Saturday, May 19, next weekend. If not, simply reply via owl and we can arrange another time.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Harry and Hermione Potter

~The End~