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Chapter Text

Prologue

It's nearly a quarter past midnight when she bolts awake, body covered in sweat, breathing hard, mouth open in a silent scream. Teddy's breathing is the only other sound in the room, the only thing that keeps her from releasing the wail that has built up inside of her. She covers her face with her hands, forcing herself to breathe with Teddy's small, almost fragile, breaths. The tiny, teal-headed baby stirs in his sleep, and Harriet takes a breath, pushing the sob down that threatens to tear from her chest to not wake her godson. Grabbing her glasses and her wand, she slides out of bed, throwing the oversize t-shirt George had given her before the battle on, ignoring the pang of hurt that accompanied the simple task.

He hadn't talked to her since the funerals, not that Harriet blamed him. She glanced down at the ring that was nearly falling off her left hand, the emerald glimmering in the little bit of moonlight shining through the window. It seemed like forever ago that he had put that on her finger, another lifetime. In reality, it was only two weeks away from the one-year mark, and her eighteenth birthday subsequently. She shook the thoughts out of her head as she walked down the hallway and into the bathroom. The sink already held fresh, warm water and Harriet grabbed a washcloth from the basket next to it and dipped it in the water before wiping her face with it. She straightened up and looked in the mirror, grimacing at what she saw. Her usually pale skin was a washed out, pasty white. Her cheeks were sunk in and there were dark, purple bags under her eyes. Her black hair had grown past her shoulders from the bob she had kept it in during the year spent hunting horcruxes, and it was wild and unkempt as ever. She sighed and looked away from the mirror. She knew she hadn't been taking care of herself. Between the nightmares, the war publicity, and her two-month-old godson, Harriet was exhausted. And with her lack of appetite, she had lost the little bit of fat she did have on her bones, making her look almost ill.

She stood there for a minute, taking deep breaths. She needed sleep, that much was certain. In the two months since the battle, she had gotten at most 2-3 hours of sleep a night. The times that she wasn't awake with Teddy, who was a very fussy baby since losing his parents, she was awake with nightmares so terrible it made her not ever want to sleep again. She knew that she was suffering from what was known as PTSD in the muggle world, but there wasn't much she could do about it at the moment, and the dreamless sleep potion Madame Pomfrey had prescribed had stopped working a week or two after she had started taking them. The war had broken her, and she had not even begun to pick up the pieces yet. Somedays she didn't think that she ever would.

Sighing, Harri waved her wand, changing out the water in the sink silently. Magic still amazed her, and yet she had also seen the horror, the destruction, that it could bring and it did not evoke the same awe out of her that it did when she was eleven. It was sad, she realized as she walked down the hall. She didn't have a specific destination, and she didn't realize where her feet were taking her until she was right outside of what used to be Fred and George's room, but now just belonged to the latter twin. He had not been able to return to the flat in which they had shared so he had decided to return to the burrow, where he had since holed himself up in his room, not talking to anyone and barely eating. Harri's heart hurt as she turned to walk away from the door, but she froze as she heard heart-wrenching, broken sobs coming from inside of the room.

Part of her mind was telling her to turn around and leave him be. He hadn't wanted anything to do with her for nearly two months, after all. But she just didn't have the heart to walk away from the broken sounds coming from the man she had been in love with for nearly 4 years. She turned the door handle and pushed the door open quietly. George was sitting in the middle of the floor facing away from her and clutching what looked to be one of Fred's jumpers that he had gotten for Christmas. Her heart nearly shattered at the sight, and she crossed the room in a few steps before falling to her knees in front of him and wrapping him in her arms. She expected him to pull away or tell her to leave but instead he fell into her, his arms going around her as he sobbed into the crook of her neck.

"It should've been me, Hattie. He didn't deserve that." The words, and the use of the nickname only he used for her, sent a sharp pain into her heart and the brief image of Fred’s still face with his last smile flashed across her mind before she quickly clamped down on that memory. "He didn't deserve that Georgie, but you can't think that it should've been you. He wouldn't want that." She struggled to keep the pain out of her voice, trying to stay as strong as she could for him. He gripped her tighter and she began to rub his back lightly, hoping to calm him down. "Why did he have to die?" the words were so quiet Harri almost didn't hear him, and she was at a loss for words to comfort him. "I don't know love. I wish I could tell you." And truly, she wished that she could. She wished that she could take his pain, make him hurt less. He raised his head and rested his forehead against hers, his face streaked with tears, his red rimmed eyes clinched shut as if he was in physical pain, though Harri knew that grief could be worse than physical pain in some ways.

Harriet studied his face as he breathed slowly, seemingly trying to calm himself down. She wanted to cry at the shadow of the man that was sitting before her. His face was pale, his cheeks were sunken into his face, making his cheekbones more prominent. He had dark bags under his eyes, and he had a small, unkept beard growing from not shaving in a while. She wanted nothing more than to see the carefree prankster she knew come back to her, and yet she knew that would never happen. Her heart skipped a beat like it always had when his striking blue eyes opened and met hers, though they were filled with a heart-wrenching sadness that she wished she could make disappear.

She could feel the breath dance across her lips as his eyes dilated and a look of desperate hunger came across his face. Before she realized what was happening, George leaned forward and was kissing her as if she was the only thing keeping air in his lungs. He kissed her hungrily, and yet it was soft at the same time. She could feel every bit of sorrow in him, but she couldn't bring herself to think about it or anything as he pulled her tighter with one arm and began to run his hand up and down her thigh with the other. Her hands went up to tangle in his hair as he stood up, her legs wrapping around his waist like a lifeline. He took them to the bed and laid her on her back before quickly covering her with his body.

Her breaths were coming in short gasps, and she felt as if he was leaving trails of fire everywhere he touched. She gripped the back of his head as he kissed down her neck before lifting and pulling her shirt over her head. He paused for a second, leaned over and grabbed his wand so he could cast a silencing spell and close the door before kissing her again. He reached up to grab her breast, pinching the nipple gently as his tongue massaged hers in a desperate kiss. Releasing the grip that she had on his neck, Harri reached down so she could push his pants down off his hips, desperate to feel him, be as close as possible to him. His hand trailed down her stomach and found her soaking and ready for him. She moaned and bucked her hips as he stroked her before pushing two fingers inside of her. She cried out, wanting more, needing more. George must have been thinking the same and suddenly his fingers were gone, and he was plunging into her. Harriet moaned wantonly as he moved in and out of her, her hands grasping at his back, her hips pushing up to meet him thrust for thrust.

She could feel all the pent-up frustration, sorrow, grief, desperation that was coming from George as he pounded wildly into her. Part of her wondered if maybe this was wrong, what they were doing. But then he buried his face into her neck and sped up and she realized that she couldn't call this wrong, this desperate act of comfort. The fire burned deep inside her abdomen as she got closer and closer to her release. George's thrusts began to get uneven and she knew he was close too. Her moans got louder and with one more thrust she went over the edge, and he went with her.

"I love you." He said the words over and over so quiet they were nearly a whisper against her skin, and it made her want to cry. "I love you too." She whispered back as he laid on her side and pulled her to his chest. They were covered in sweat and breathing hard. She had this overwhelming feeling of completeness, as if she had finally returned home after being gone for a long period of time. She felt her eyes get heavy with tiredness, and before she knew it, she was waking up again, 4 hours later. This time as George shifted to pull away from her, getting up to sit at the edge of the bed.

She sat up too, pulling the sheet across her naked chest. She went to lay her hand on his shoulder, but as soon as he felt her hand he jerked away, as if he had been burned. "I love you Harriet.” The words were ragged and pained and she had this awful sinking feeling in her chest, already knowing what was coming. “But I can't do this. I can't do this and I'm sorry." His words cut her to the core as he kept his back turned, refusing to look at her. "You should go." Despite knowing it was coming, the rejection that came with his words were like a knife to her chest, a physical pain. Without saying a word, she got out of the bed, grabbing the shirt he had removed from her and putting it back on. She stood there a second, looking at him not looking at her, before she turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

She made her way back down the hall, into her own room, grateful for the fact that Teddy had started sleeping through the night and was sleeping just as peacefully as he had when she left. She should have known better she realized. She covered her mouth to stop the sobs that were threatening to break free before she woke Teddy up. The pain in her chest threatened to overwhelm her as she took the ring off her finger and slipped it into her dresser drawer, and for the first time since the end of the battles, Harriet laid down and cried.

Chapter Text

Chapter One: A New Job Opportunity

“Well Miss. Potter, I am sure you are wondering why I have asked you here today." Professor McGonagall peered at Harri over the top of her glasses, a slight frown marring her face as she saw the dark circles and sunken cheeks that were now prominent of her former students' pale face. The war had taken a toll on all of them, but it seemed like it had a bigger effect on Harriet Potter more than anyone else, which was understandable given the burden that had been placed on the young woman’s shoulders. Harri shook her head and spoke, bringing the now Headmistress out of her internal musings. "I must say that I was a little surprised when you said you had something to ask me Headmistress, but then again I'm also always happy to see my favorite professor again, even though I haven't been the best at keeping in touch. I won't lie to you, it was a little hard to make myself come here again after everything that has happened."

Hogwarts was the source of her own personal nightmares these days, and stepping through those doors again had been one of the harder things she had done in her life. Everywhere she looked she saw flashes of the battle, as well as the death and destruction it had brought with it. Even now, sitting in the Headmaster's, now Headmistress McGonagall's, office, her hands were clenched so tight that if she hadn't bit them down to the nub her nails would have been cutting into her palms. "Please, call me Minerva. Merlin knows you've earned it. I can understand the hesitation to be here again, Miss. Potter, and for that I'm sorry. I did not wish to bring up bad memories by inviting you here, though that was inevitable I am afraid. I am glad that you accepted my invitation" The headmistress suddenly looked every bit of her age, and Harri felt bad for making her look that way. "Well, that will take some getting used to, but if you insist, then I insist that you call me Harri, or Harriet if you prefer. And there is no need to apologize, it was something that needed to be faced eventually. If I thought it too much I would not have come. Now what is it that you needed to ask me?" Harri asked, ready to change the subject.

The Headmistress suddenly looked nervous. "Well Harriet, as you know I have been working tirelessly with the ministry to get Hogwarts as least somewhat back to its former glory so we can start back in October, even if it is later than normal. I think leaving the future of our society without education would be a travesty, and the opposite of what we fought for this last spring. However, as you know we now have some vacancies within the staff. Which is why I have asked you here today. I would like to offer you the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. It is my, and many of my colleagues, belief that you are more than qualified to take this position. Besides the experience you have gained from the last year you spent trying to defeat Voldemort, I also happen to know of your little defense group 5th year, and many of the professors were rather impressed with you for that. While I know you had hopes of being an Auror, I do hope you would consider the offer I have just made you. Now of course, you will get room and board as well as ample pay. And as you have gained custody of young Mr. Lupin, he will have a home here as well, so you mustn't worry about that. I know this is a lot to consider Harriet. I am sorry for springing it on you." Harriet’s mouth dropped, this being the absolute last thing she had expected when coming here today.

A large part of her was screaming to say no, to leave and never step foot into this place that had brought her so much pain, seen so much horror in the past year. Harriet could still see the bodies, see the wall collapse on Fred, Remus pushing her out of the way and taking a killing curse for her just as her parents had, Lavender with her unseeing eyes and her throat ripped out. The images were always there and being here had made them all come to mind. And yet, another, larger part of her was desperate to say yes, and it was all due to George Weasley. It had been a mere 3 weeks since that night at the burrow, and she had felt empty ever since. He had moved back to the flat that was supposed to be theirs over Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and she hadn't heard from him, though she knew he was still alive at least from Mrs. Weasley dropping food by at least once a week. Harri had refused to let the pain get to her. It hurt too much, and quite frankly she was just too exhausted to entertain it. She reckoned she hadn't gotten more than 40 hours of sleep in those three weeks, and it was starting to show. A fresh start was something that she had been needing, but she hadn't wanted to return to Grimmauld, and house hunting was just too much for her to even think about right now.

"What about my N.E.W.Ts ? I didn't get to take them last year. I didn't graduate from Hogwarts. Don't I need further education for the job?" She wouldn’t have been able to stop the surprise in her voice if she had tried. Her? A Hogwarts professor? "Well, for the Defense position, you would need to get your N.E.W.Ts in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, and Potions. If you are interested in the position, I can set it up for you to take them at the end of this month. As we will not be starting until October, you can take the exams this month and then have the whole of September to prepare your lessons and other such things. I have full confidence that you can and will pass them with flying colors. As for not finishing your 7th year, the experience you gained from fighting the war as well as doing your N.E.W.Ts will be adequate enough to consider you graduated from Hogwarts. Again, I understand if you do not wish to take this position, so do not feel as if you have to. I just think that of all the people that I had in mind for this position, you are my first choice. You truly are one of the brightest students I have had the pleasure of teaching." Minerva looked proud as she said the last bit, and Harriet got a warm feeling in her chest.

"There's no need to think on it Headmistress. I've been needing a change, something to keep me busy. I would be honored to take the position." Harri wondered if she would regret this but pushed that feeling down as she stuck her hand out to shake the Headmistress' hand. Their hands glowed gold as a swirl of magic rustled the papers under them. "Well, Harri, Hogwarts seems to agree with your decision. I must confess, I was slightly worried you would say no. I'm glad you did not." Minerva smiled at her, and Harri couldn't help but smile back. "I think turning down such a good deal would be wrong of me, though it will be different working with my professors and being the youngest on staff." Harri smirked slightly, already imagining how staff meals would go.

"Actually, that was something else that I wanted to discuss with you. I have offered a position to Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Malfoy. I know that you do not get along with the latter, especially with everything that has happened. However, I wanted to give him a way to redeem himself, and he really is quite brilliant at potions. Horace has decided that a war was plenty enough excitement for him and has retired from the position. Likewise, Pomona has been thinking about retiring as well and has requested Mr. Longbottom to replace her, and will take the year to teach the 'ins and outs' of the position." Harri was excited at the prospect of working with her godbrother and was surprised to hear that Malfoy had been hired at Hogwarts, but she found that she was not upset about it at all. She was almost excited for Malfoy to get this chance. "Well, I think they both sound like they will be good additions to the staff. The war is done, and it is high time we get over petty childhood rivalries as it is. I look forward to getting to know Malfoy as a colleague.” The words felt weird coming out of her mouth, but she could see that the sentiment of them were not lost on the older woman.

"I had hoped that would be the response. I am also looking to fill the Transfiguration position, though I can continue teaching as well if I cannot find someone, as well as Muggle Studies. I must say, getting Hogwarts running is taking more effort than I could have ever imagined, though I am glad that many of the staff were up to the task." Minerva sighed, taking a drink of her tea she had made a few minutes before. "Well, if I may suggest it, Percy Weasley is brilliant at Transfiguration, as I am sure you remember, and since the events of the war he is looking for new employment outside of the ministry. I think he would be a good fit." Harri hoped she would offer him the job. She had found an unlikely friend in Percy and wanted him to maybe find a little bit of happiness after the war.

"Well, I think that is a wonderful idea Miss. Potter. I will send for him promptly. Now before we end this meeting, I have something for you. It was left to me to give to someone I deemed capable of being a great Defense Professor. I had been planning on giving it to you anyways, I just hadn't found the right time. The fact that you are to be my new Defense Professor makes it all the better." With those words Minerva reached into her desk and pulled out a brown leather binder, and Harri's eyes pricked with tears as she read the name on the cover. "Remus gave me his curriculum because he thought that it would be of use to someone. I know the two of you were close Harri, and you must know that he thought of you as his own daughter. He loved you so, and I know he would be proud to have this passed on to you." Harri's chest felt tight and her hand trembled as she reached out to grab the planner.

She knew that a few tears had escaped, but she could not seem to care. The fact that she had something so precious from Remus, the man who had all but been a father to her since 3rd year, taken her in to live with him after Sirius died and she couldn't handle the Dursley's anymore, the man who had taken a killing curse for not even 4 months before in this courtyard of this very same castle. The ache of grief was still there, still fresh and Harri hugged the planner to her chest, using one hand to wipe the tears that tracked down her cheeks. She pushed the grief down, as she had been doing for three months. "Thank you, Professor. You-You don't know what this means to me. Truly." Her voice was slightly wobbly, and Minerva gave a sad smile, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"As I said, he would be proud to have it in your hands. I imagine it will be of great use to you, and combined with some of the stuff you taught in your defense group, you will have the makings of a great Professor. Now, I will let you get home as I know you have Teddy to think of. I will get your N.E.W.Ts set up, and believe me when I say this Harriet, I truly look forward to working with you." Harri felt a small surge of hope for the first time in months as she grasped her new Colleague's hand before turning and flooing back to the Burrow.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two: Letters and Keys

With only three weeks to get prepared for her N.E.W.Ts, Harri threw herself into studying. It helped distract her from the general mess that her mind had become, and for that she was grateful. She spent the long nights studying instead of sleeping, which helped with the nightmares. And when she did sleep for the short amount of time that she did, the nightmares were not there due to the exhaustion of not sleeping. She knew that Mrs. Weasley was starting to worry about her, but Harri waved her off with excuses of just getting used to having a baby to raise, and with the grief of just losing one of her children she hadn't pushed. A deep selfish part of Harriet wanted her to push, wanted to feel as if somebody actually cared about how she was feeling. But then she would realize how terrible she sounded, and she would push that feeling down too.

She wished she could talk to Ron, who was her very best friend, or Hermione, but things were strained there, too. They were so wrapped up in their new relationship and the hurt over losing Fred, that they seemed to forget that Harri was hurting too. Everyone seemed to forget it, she realized. She was the Chosen One, the Girl-Who-Lived-Again. What pain could SHE feel? They seemed to forget that she lost Remus, her father in every way but blood, that Fred had been one of her best friends too. Her mind flashed to the many nights she and Fred had stayed up in the Gryffindor common room talking about George and Angelina. Harri felt as if she was drowning, and yet she did not allow herself to feel the things she was feeling. She wasn't okay, and yet she had pushed the feelings down so deep that she could pretend she was. Pretend that everything was fine so that she could make others feel better. She talked to Teddy sometimes. It helped a bit. It helped that he couldn't talk, couldn't feel pity for her just yet.

Teddy felt like the only good thing in her life at the moment. The studying helped her pass time, helped distract her from the pain. But Teddy made her smile, gave her reason to live. The little blue haired baby had felt like hers from the moment he had been put in her arms. They had tried to get her to put him with a foster family, told her that she was too young for the responsibility of a newborn. But the thought of leaving Remus' son, her godson, with someone else simply because she was too young? It killed her. He was already an orphan. Andromeda killing herself just made the whole situation worse. She refused to let him grow up thinking that she didn't love him, didn't want him like she had been made to believe by the Dursleys. And every day she was increasingly glad that she hadn't listened to them because the little boy had quickly wormed his way into her heart.

She considered him to be not just family, but HER family. She remembered the time at Shell Cottage after she had been tortured by Bellatrix and raped by Rodolphus Lestrange and Dolohov. She had felt empty, used, and disgusting. It felt like she was spiraling into despair. She remembered Remus coming to visit, so excited to show her a picture of Teddy and asking her to be his Godmother. It had gave her this sudden, strong desire for a family to call her own. The Weasley's were amazing, but she had always felt as if she was on the outside of their family, and with Remus she had never felt anything but strong parental love.

When he shocked her by asking her if she would move in with them after everything was over, Harriet had said yes so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. For the first time since breaking out of Malfoy Manor, she had felt a small form of hope. Even if she didn't make it through this war, at least she had been given a family before she died, if only for a little while. Sure, she had stayed with Remus for summers after fifth year, but having it official just gave her this feeling of pure joy. And yet she had survived and Remus hadn't. The first few days after the battle, she had been numb, as if she would never feel anything again. And then they had put Teddy into her arms and she felt everything at once. Joy and grief were the most prominent, and it left her breathless. She just prayed that she could be what he needed, even if she was drowning inside.

"You're up rather late tonight. I'd have expected you to be sleeping whenever you could while the little one is out." Harriet jumped slightly, before turning to give Angelina a small smile. She glanced at Teddy, who was in a bouncer that she was bouncing with her foot. "I was studying. Don't sleep much anyways. Besides, if I slept while he did, I wouldn't get to see that little smile he has when he's dreaming, and that's the best part of my day." Angelina smiled then, and Harri found herself glad to see it. There was a special kind of camaraderie that came from dating a set of twins who were inseparable. She was there with her when Ange had found out she was eight weeks pregnant about a month after the war, and it had been devastating to watch her friend go through. The fact that she had to have a baby alone, when Fred had died in the war was terrible and yet Angie had made the best of it, making sure everyone knew that she saw the baby as a piece of Fred she got to keep, not something to be upset over. She was just passed 16 weeks now, early into her second trimester, and was glowing. It amazed Harri with how well she was doing only three months after Fred had died. Harri hadn't lost her fiancé, and here she was barely keeping herself together. It made her feel terribly ashamed.

"I must say, you and Teddy make me more excited to be a mom than I already am. You're so good with him Harriet." Harri blushed as Angie came and sat down beside her, a jar of peanut butter and a spoon in her hand. "I wouldn't say that. He's a really good baby. I just got lucky." "Lucky that Remus died and left you his son" a nasty voice said inside of her head. Harri was suddenly ashamed again, and she frowned slightly down at her books. "You're allowed to feel happy about him, you know. Remus could never be upset with you over that." Angelina's voice was soft and gentle, as if she expected Harri to lash out at her. The understanding in the older woman’s face was enough to make her chest ache.

"I can't help it Angie. They should be here, not me. And yet, here we are." She sounded bitter, even to herself, but she couldn't help it. She had died, and come back, and yet Teddy was without parents, Angelina's baby without a father. "They wouldn't want you to think like that Harriet. Besides, that was kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. I figured I'd find you up, so I wanted to wait until everyone else was asleep to do it."

Angelina came and sat down across from her before pulling an envelope out of the pocket of her robe. "Before I say this, I want you to know that there is no part of me who blames you for what happened to Fred. You did not kill him, and the thought never crossed my mind." Angie paused to wipe a tear before taking a deep breath and continuing. "He always thought of you as family, Harriet. You were his best friend outside of his brother. Now a few days before the battle, he pulled me aside and he made me promise that if something happened to him that I would take care of you. He told me that he knew you and knew how guilty you would feel. And he also knew that you would be trying to take care of everyone else, trying to help George if it happened, instead of taking care of your pain and your hurt. Which is why I agreed. Harri, you' are the most selfless person I know. I see you as one of my closest friends, and this was a promise I felt I had to keep."

Harri was stunned. Fred had asked that of his own fiancée? It made her feel awful. Angie was dealing with her own grief, and now she felt bound to help Harri with hers? If she wasn't so drained she might have felt anger, though she dismissed that thought quickly. She could never be angry with Fred again, and it hurt her to realize that. They had been fast friends since she was a tiny first year and him a taller third year, when he had started staying up with her in the common room when she couldn't sleep. They told each other things they hadn't even told George, or even Ron and Hermione, and in turn it had solidified into a bond that couldn't have been broken. By nothing, but death, at least.

"Angie, I appreciate it, but you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine, honest. Besides, you have a lot to worry about on your own as it is." Harri tried to manage a smile, but it was more of a grimace. She knew her lies weren't getting through to the pregnant woman sitting across from her, but she had to try. "You're not okay Harriet Potter. I know you're not, even if nobody else is seeing it. And I already have half a mind to go over and give George Weasley a piece of my mind. He should be working through his grief with you, rather than pushing you away and hurting you. You’ve been through enough. Fred would be furious, you know. George isn't the only one that lost him." Angelina's words were quiet and tinged with sadness and slight anger. "Don't be mad at him Ange. He's grieving and it's obvious we probably wouldn't have worked out anyways. I'm just glad he hasn't tried to hurt himself." Harri's eyes clenched shut as she flashed back to right before she had given herself to Voldemort and had been talking to the ghostly apparitions of her parents, Sirius, Remus, and Fred. "I reckon we will be seeing George soon enough. He can live without me, Harri. It's you he can't live without."

"Grief or no grief, Harri, you love him. And I know he loves you, but he doesn’t have to add to your pain. That's not fair to you. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I promised Fred I would give this to you if something happened to him, and I've been waiting to get you alone to do it. I'm sorry I wasn't able to get it to you sooner." Angelina leaned forward and handed Harri the envelope she had been holding. Harriet Potter was written on the front of the envelope in what she recognized as Fred's messy handwriting. Harriet's heart gave a pang at that messy scrawl, and she couldn't help but see the wall falling on him again in her mind before she snapped out of it and opened the envelope, pulling out the sheet of parchment that was folded up inside. Opening it up, she was surprised when a gold key fell into her hand. She glanced at Angelina, who gave her a little nod and then shifted forward to take over rocking Teddy with her foot so Harri could lean forward and read the letter.

My dearest Harriet,

If you're reading this, that means that I must have kicked the bucket sometime during this blasted war, and for that Harriet, I am so sorry. You don't deserve to lose anyone else, Harri, and I hate to have been the one to let you down this time. I really hope that you managed to kick Moldyshorts to the curb after I died, so just for my sake I'm going to pretend that you did no matter what. I believe in you, mate. I wrote this letter to tell you a few things, as well as ask you to do a few things for me too.

First, Harri, I want to say that you were my best friend. George was the other half of me Harri, but you were the best friend I've ever had. I looked forward to our late-night talks, listening to you mope about the homework you were choosing to neglect that day. You are a hoot, and I am so glad I got the chance to know you. You are the most kind, caring, brave person that I know. Angelina agrees too, which is why I am having her deliver this letter to you.

But Harri, I need you to know that whatever happened to me, it wasn't your fault. I already know you're blaming yourself, and I need you to believe me for once. You have given up everything, lost so much to end this war. You have helped more than you know, and you shouldn't feel guilty. I would die every day if it meant that I could have done a portion of what you have done for the Wizarding World. You have the biggest hero complex, you silly girl, and I really hope that gets smaller as you age. Lord knows I'm going to be going crazy watching you risk your life now that I can look down on you anytime that I want.

Anyways, I'm sure you are wondering "What is this magnificent, important-looking key that his majesty has bequeathed to me?" Well, my dear, that is the key to 1/3 of your kingdom. The Weasley's Wizard Wheezes kingdom, that is. I know you wanted to be a silent partner, Harriet, but you really are part of the brains behind the operation. And now I need you to step in and help keep the ship running until George is ready to do it himself, which I already know he is not doing. I’m sure he is struggling, Harri, and I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I need you to help him. You guys have that kind of love that people dream about, pardon my sappiness, and I will not let you lose it. Start with the store, just clean it. Don't worry about opening it back up for now, just please take care of what you can.

And Harriet, don't give up on George. I know he is hurting, and I know he is probably pushing you away. He thinks by keeping himself away, he is making it easier on the people around him. You’re a lot alike in that way. And before you start feeling guilty or responsible for him, don't. Because I know you're hurting too, mate, and you need to worry about yourself as well. George will come around, I just ask that you wait for him if you can. Well, this letter has become the sappiest thing I've ever laid eyes on, and I've read some of your bodice rippers. So I'm going to end it here. I love you Harri, and you were my best friend. Just remember that.

Love, the handsome twin, Frederick Gideon Weasley.

She glanced up at Angelina and quickly wiped her tears as she finished the letter, feeling terribly guilty. He was your friend, not your boyfriend or father of your child. Angelina is the one that should be crying right now. "Harriet Potter, you stop feeling guilty right now. I swear, I can read you like an open book. You are allowed to feel just as much grief as everyone else in this house. You cared about him too. And considering I am positive Fred just told you the same thing, it would be wrong of you to dishonor his last requests like that." Angelina gave her a pointed look and Harriet sighed.

She was saved from having to answer when Teddy stirred and began to cry. She put the letter back in the envelope and then leaned down to pick the baby up from his bouncer. His bright turquoise hair was sticking up in random spikes, and his little hands were balled into fists as he stretched. Her heart warmed at the sight, and she laid him in her arms before grabbing the bottle she had prepared from the table and putting it in his mouth.

"George doesn't want anything to do with me Ange. And now I'm supposed to impose on his joke shop because his dead twin asked me to? It seems so wrong." Her voice was quiet and she didn't look up at Angelina as she talked. "Something happened between the two of you, didn't it? That's why he moved back to their flat." Angelina didn't sound accusing, just curious. "He-I..We slept together. The night before he left. I heard him crying and it broke my heart and I couldn't help but go in and it just kind of happened. And then afterwards he said he couldn't do it and wouldn't even look at me. Like he was disgusted with me Ange. And I don't ever want to feel that again. He hates me and that hurts more than I could have ever believed." The pain was there, radiating as if it was burning through her entire being. She loved George with such a passion that it had always burned bright inside her. Now it just felt like it was burning her up.

"Oh Harriet. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what you're feeling." Angelina's concern was so sincere it made the ache in her chest bigger. 'Maybe you should talk to him. You don't have much time before you leave for Hogwarts again, and then it will be hard to communicate, even if you are a professor." The thought of talking to him now, after that night, made Harri want to crawl in a hole and hide. "I don't know Ange. Maybe after a few months, but right now I feel like I would just die if he rejected me again. And it is so pathetic I hate myself for it. Here I am whining about not being loved when Fred and Remus and so many others are dead. I'm just wretched." She shuddered, then kept bouncing Teddy, trying to focus on the quiet snores that were coming from him now instead of the guilt that was weighing her down constantly.

Angelina shook her head, at the stubborn girl before her. “The ones that are dead are dead, Harriet, and they are not feeling any pain. You are and you are allowed to feel that pain. So you need to think about that and stop bottling it up. You're going to drive yourself mad doing this, and you are only hurting yourself more." With that Angelina squeezed Harriet's shoulder before standing up and walking out of the room, leaving Harriet with a gold key and a lot more to think about.

Chapter Text

Chapter Three: A Bloom of Hope

That next week flew by quickly for Harriet, and before she knew it, she was blowing through her N.E.W.Ts. She found that the time she spent studying had paid off, and she had no doubt that she had passed. The nervousness was helped by the fact that she had not been there alone; Neville was there to take his at the same time, as well as Malfoy. The latter had given them both a small nod, and even a slight smile, which had surprised her. As it was a special session of the test, they were the only ones there. They were also going to push the results through as fast as possible, so they would know if they passed any day now. Harriet found herself more anxious for the results than she had taking it, and as she hadn’t told anyone she was taking it, she had nobody to talk to about it except for Angelina, Neville, and Percy through sporadic letters and late-night study sessions when she had the chance.

Percy didn’t talk much lately, but he was a valuable asset when it came to his study skills. Neville had made sure to send her a letter at least once a week since the battle, and they had met for tea a time or two. Angelina had done her best to make sure Harriet had someone there to help with Teddy when she needed to study, made sure she had some adult contact. She appreciated her for that, once again amazed at how strong the older woman was. Percy had yet to tell everyone he had accepted the transfiguration position either. Everyone at the Burrow were understandably still working through their own feelings and new normal. This was how she had gotten away with keeping it to herself. They were too wrapped in themselves to notice she had taken to staying up late studying and holing herself in her room when she could.

She did not blame them, any of them. Somedays she yearned for the time before the year hunting horcruxes. She missed her friends. Missed Hermione’s constant chatter about whatever topic or book she had been focused on that week. Missed Ron’s quidditch talk, the way they’s stay up late drinking cocoa and playing exploding snap. They had found their solace in each other. Ron with the loss of his brother and Hermione, her parents, who she had found after the war only to be faced with the awful reality that the memory charm could not be reversed. Another thing for Harriet to feel absolutely wretched about. They made small talk occasionally, but it felt artificial, and she wondered if their friendship would ever recover. Ginny had taken to following her mother around like she had when she was just a toddler, whether for her own sake or her mother’s, and the two of them were a significant help to Harriet during the day. Mrs. Weasley loved Teddy, and vice versa. She insisted Teddy call her “Grandma Molly” saying that Harri was just as much a part of her brood as any of her kids, and that made Teddy her first grandchild. Harriet did her best to not lean on them too much. She needed to be able to do this herself, and she did not want to add to their burden seeing as they had already taken in herself and Teddy, as well as Hermione and Angelina. But the joy on Mrs. Weasley’s face when she held Teddy was hard to deny so she made sure to join the big family meals when she could. It was the closest to normal she could feel anymore.

The biggest challenge after her N.E.W.Ts were over, she quickly realized, was making herself clean the joke shop. The first time she tried to do it, the day after receiving the letter, she had found herself frozen in front of the door, not able to make herself go inside. Now, as she headed through Diagon Alley with Teddy strapped to her chest in the baby carrier Mrs. Weasley had given her, she desperately wished she had never been given the letter from Fred. The whispers and the stares were almost too much for her, and the job she was going to do was not helping her piece of mind. Teddy was the only thing keeping her grounded enough to keep her from running and hiding like she desperately wanted to.

She kept her head down and made a beeline for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes almost wishing someone would have the guts to stop her and delay the task on hand rather than just pointing and whispering, but that didn't happen. This time, Harry didn't let herself stop and panic, she just unlocked the door and stepped in, all the while holding her breath and clenching her eyes shut. She didn't allow them to open until she heard the door shut quietly behind her, and the sight of the shop broke her heart. The shelves were pushed over, and products were thrown everywhere. It hadn't been like this the first time she had tried to come, which meant that George had been the one to do the damage in the last few days, most likely out of grief. This was almost too much for Harriet, but she took a deep breath and got to work, putting a silencing charm towards the stairs so George would not hear her stomping around, though she was positive the wards had alerted that she was in the shop.

Harriet had decided to do most of the cleaning by hand, the muggle way, with help from magic when it could not be done manually. First task was righting the toppled shelves and cleaning the potions and various products that had been destroyed. With a wave of her wand, the broken glass from the potion bottles flew into the huge trashcan she had grabbed from the storage room, which had thankfully been untouched. Another wave and the potions disappeared, leaving the rest to be done by hand. Teddy was content and sleeping, and Harriet got to work. For hours she sorted through the products and fixed what she could, while throwing out the products that were damaged beyond repair.

It was tiring work, but it took all her attention, which left little room for thinking about the fact that George was just upstairs, with only a door between them. After everything had been tossed that needed to be, she began reorganizing the remaining products back to where they had been originally. After organizing, she got to dusting and wiping down the rest of the shop. She cleaned the windows, dusted the shelves, and the register. Last, she swept and mopped the floor until it shined. She left a dust-repelling charm on everything that she had cleaned so it would not gather dust in the time that nobody was there to maintain the cleanliness. After one last glance at the staircase that led to the apartment that held her ex-fiancé, she gathered the cleaning supplies and left, a mixture of sadness and pride sitting in her chest.

Harriet used the floo in the Leaky Cauldron to get back to the Burrow and arrived just in time to help set the table for dinner. Teddy was more than happy to be free of the baby carrier, his teal hair changing to match Mrs. Weasley’s as she came up to grab him, a gummy grin on his sweet face that matched the smile on the older woman’s. “Oh Harriet, so glad you’re back for dinner, we were wondering where you had wandered off to! I’m glad you’re getting out of the house more, it’s good for you dear.” the words were said with a motherly smile and a pat to the cheek. She seemed more herself today, and for that Harriet was grateful. There were no words to say to someone who had buried their child, nothing to make it better. “Yeah Harri, you have been out more this week than you have in the last two months. Where’d you get off to?” Ginny bumped her shoulder gently, giving her a small smile.

Everyone else had begun filing in as well, and suddenly they were all very interested in the conversation that was being had. She opened her mouth, not sure if she should tell the truth or not, when she was saved by Arthur Weasley coming in through the kitchen door, a stack of letters in his right hand. “Oh Arthur dear, you got the post!” the attention was directed away from her as the older man leaned to give his wife a peck on the cheek and rubbed the top of Teddy’s head with a gentle smile on his face.

“Yes! It seems we have Hogwarts letters! And a letter from the ministry for you as well, Harriet.” the room was immediately abuzz with excitement, and it felt so normal it gave Harri a warm and fuzzy feeling. Mr. Weasley began passing the letters out, and to their surprise (but not hers as McGonagall had told her it was going to happen) Ron and Hermione received a letter as well. Mr. Weasley handed her two envelopes, one with the familiar green ink and Hogwarts wax seal, and the other with similar green ink and the official wax seal of the Ministry of Magic. N.E.W.T was spelled in large letters across the front, and Harriet’s stomach fluttered nervously.

“Oh! They’re adding an eighth year for the ones who missed out on an education last year!” Hermione was so excited her voice was raised an octave as she waved the first page of the Hogwarts letter around. Everyone else had made quick work of theirs as well and Harriet decided not to waste any more time, ripping open the envelope and pulling out her test scores. Her eyes dropped to the straight row of “O” down the left side of the page and she nearly fainted. She hadn’t even gotten those kind of scores for her O.W.Ls, though she had been a little preoccupied to study then. “Harriet, are those N.E.W.T results?” she was brought out of her shock by Hermione’s incredulous voice, who had spotted the open envelope sitting in front of Harri. “You took them already? And you didn’t tell us?”

The attention was again pulled to Harriet and she felt herself go red in the face. “Oh Harriet, dear, is that what you’ve been studying for? I am so sorry. I didn’t think to ask. That’s no excuse. How did you do?” She felt bad at the guilt that was showing in Mrs. Weasley’s face. There were so many more important things going on than a few test scores. Harriet smiled at her, before turning the letter around, showing the perfect scores that she had managed to achieve and the table erupted in cheers and congratulations. “Oh Harriet that is fantastic! I can’t believe you didn’t tell us! You got perfect scores!” Hermione clasped her hands together, beaming so brightly it was hard for her not to smile back. She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Ginny, who was holding up the second page of the Hogwarts letter, reading off of it loud enough to carry over everyone at the table.

“This year we are pleased to welcome several new members to the Hogwarts staff. These new additions include Mr. Percival Weasley as Transfiguration professor” squeal from Mrs. Weasley was so loud Harriet jumped, but Ginny did not pause her reading. “Mr. Draco Malfoy as Potions Master, Mr. Neville Longbottom as joint Herbology professor, and Ms. Harriet Potter as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.” She ended the sentence and the room was silent for a split second before it erupted again with cheers, questions, and pats on the back from everyone in the room. “Defense Professor? Mate, this is going to be the best year we have ever had!” Ron had moved to pat her on the back vigorously as Hermione threw her arms around Harri’s neck.

“Oh I am so proud of you! I’m so sorry Harri, we’ve been so wrapped up in ourselves we should have noticed something was going on!” Ginny was right behind Hermione, taking the chance to throw her arms around Harri as soon as she was free. “This is going to be like the DA all over again!” Their excitement was infectious, and Harriet hugged her friends back, unable to keep a full-blown grin off her face. “Oh, we have to celebrate! Percy too! I can’t believe the both of you managed to hide this! I will send some invites, we will do a little party this weekend! I am so proud of both of you! All O’s, Harriet, and Defense Professor!” For the first time in what had been months, Harriet felt a spark of hope in her chest, and it was a feeling she hoped to hold on to forever.

Chapter Text

Chapter Four: Friends, New and Old

Over the next two days Mrs. Weasley jumped into the planning and preparation of the party she had insisted on throwing, and for the first time since the war had ended the Burrow felt alive again. The difference in atmosphere almost gave her whiplash, but in the best way. Harriet had wanted to protest, the idea of a party seeming so wrong, but when Mrs. Weasley announced that she would be throwing it for all of them who had taken on the positions of a professor at Hogwarts, she did not feel it was her place to protest. She had already refused a birthday party the month before, and she didn’t want to seem ungrateful. It made her feel better that it wasn’t just her party, the attention not something that she felt she wanted or needed at the time. And though she knew the older woman would never say it, the way she threw herself into pulling the whole thing together gave the idea that she desperately wanted something to focus on, distract her from the pain of losing one of her children. So, Harriet did the only thing she felt she could do and gave herself fully to helping her with whatever she needed.

Though Mrs. Weasley would not let her do much, she had managed to take the task of polishing the silverware and rolling them into neat bundles with the Hogwarts house-colored napkins, as well as sitting out the matching disposable plates and cups to match. Mrs. Weasley had gathered her older children, minus George, and had put them to work hanging balloons and streamers, as well as a giant banner that flashed between “Congratulations, Hogwarts Professors!” and the four house animals in their respective colors. Luna had done the painting of the banner the day before, and it was reminiscent of the banner she had painted for quidditch a couple years back. She had also put together dozens of cupcakes in the same color scheme, as well as a multitude of finger food; tiny sandwiches, pigs in a blanket, treacle tarts, pumpkin pastries, etc. She hadn’t had much of an appetite, but she found herself looking forward to the spread of party food that Molly had prepared.

“Oh, Harriet dear, everyone will be arriving soon. Why don’t you go ahead and leave the rest to me, and you can go get changed and do whatever else you need to. We will finish this fine. Shoo, shoo!” with a wave of her hand towel, Mrs. Weasley sent Harriet off, and she knew better than to argue. She stooped to grab Teddy off the blanket on the floor he was laying on, observing the toys surrounding him, and headed upstairs to get them both changed.

She had laid out their outfits already, Teddy who would be wearing a little sleeper that Mrs. Weasley had knitted. It was a beautiful dark, forest green, with brown wood buttons down the front. It had a matching little hat, and it was in her opinion, the cutest thing that Teddy had. Harry had decided to be cheesy and had chosen the jumper that Mrs. Weasley had made her to match. The yarn she had picked was so soft she never wanted to take it off. It made her feel warm, and it helped a little with the cold, hollow feeling she had inside of her. She missed George. She missed him so much it was a physical pain. He had been her sun, had warmed her life just by existing in it. And without him, it was dark and cold.

Hearing the voices downstairs begin to get louder as people arrived, she quickly finished getting them ready. She was grateful again for the fact that she had cut her hair as it no longer took any effort to make it look presentable. She had put a little bit of mascara and makeup under her eyes to lessen the bags that were there, though there was no fixing the thinness of her face. She had the pocket watch that the Weasley’s had given her for her 17th birthday on a chain on her neck, and though she kept it hidden under her sleeve, she had the simple gold charm bracelet on her wrist that had been a gift from George for her 15th birthday. Teddy’s accessories included the hat that came with the sleeper, and a tan paci clip attacked to the front of him. “Oh, you are a handsome boy this evening. Always the handsomest.” Teddy gave the biggest smile at the praise, and it panged at her heart how much he looked like both of his parents.

She grabbed her boy and headed downstairs to meet with everyone else. Neville had arrived with Luna in tow, the two of them holding hands while Neville talked to Ginny, Ron, and Hermione about the plant he had been gifted from his Gran as a congratulations. Luna had her radish earrings on, with her flowy blonde hair piled on her head in a messy bun and her wand stuck through it. Charlie, Bill, Percy, and George were to the side talking to Mr. Weasley who had just come in from an extra shift at the Ministry. Her step faltered as she saw him, not realizing he had accepted the party invitation. He looked like shit, she realized. Worse than her. His face was pale and drawn, his hair in desperate need for a haircut. He wasn’t talking, just standing there like it was the last place he wanted to be.

He was wearing a Weasley jumper as well, and she almost wanted to curse Mrs. Weasley for the pain in her stomach. It was made with the same yarn that theirs was made of, obviously made to match. He wouldn’t have known that, of course, or he wouldn’t have worn it she was sure. Most likely he had worn it to make his mother happy, as they all normally did with whatever new piece of clothing the Weasley matriarch gifted them last. Harriet tended to be the only one who had no trouble wearing the jumpers she was given. She still had the first one she had been given, could still feel the absolute shock she had felt that someone had put so much effort into making her something. So, she cherished them all and wore them constantly. Mrs. Weasley had used Teddy as an excuse to knit her several more to match his, and Harriet had begun to realize that the older woman needed to keep herself busy as much as she loved the jumpers. It was a good trade, and she would not be the one to complain.

She forced herself to look away from him and was just as surprised to see the next person there as she was George. Draco Malfoy looked terribly out of place in the living room of the Burrow, his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers. Though she had been the one to invite him, at Mrs. Weasley’s request, he had not responded, and she hadn’t expected him to show. And yet here he was, dressed as if he was going to a formal event. He was wearing a white dress shirt that was tucked in, his blonde hair combed without a hair out of place. His back was stiff, and while he wore his normal, haughty expression, she could see that he was very uncomfortable. They had never gotten along, but seeing him standing there alone, so out of place, gave her a pang of sympathy for him. He had accepted the invitation, taken the step when he did not have to

. So, with that, she walked over to him, waving at Luna and Neville as they greeted her when she walked by, ignoring George (though she could feel his eyes on her), and stopped in front of Malfoy. She leaned forward, lowering her voice so that the people around them could not hear her. “You know, we might be lions, but we don’t tend to bite unsuspecting party guests. No need to look so stiff.” The teasing tone in her voice came so naturally she was almost as surprised as he was. She hadn’t been found herself joking with anyone in months, and yet here she was joking with Draco Malfoy of all people. Her godfather was probably rolling in his grave. “Well, this type of...atmosphere is not exactly my forte. I’m sorry if I am not socializing to your standards, Potter.” If it hadn’t been for the slight smile on his face, she would’ve thought he was offended.

“Well, we can’t all have ballrooms available for parties at a moment’s notice. I told you it was casual; I just didn’t realize that you did not know what that meant. It’s Harriet, or Harri, by the way. We are going to be colleagues; we should be more familiar with each other. Wouldn’t want to give people the idea that we don’t know how to get along. Thank you for coming. Mrs. Weasley is very pleased, I am sure. I’m sorry to not see your mother here. I hope she is well?” small talk was the way to go, she had decided, as she stood there and bounced Teddy on her hip. It seemed to ease his uncomfortableness a little, she realized, as he relaxed his stance and stepped closer to her. “This is casual Po-Harriet. We just have different ideas of the word I am afraid. Call me Draco then, if you must insist. And my mother wanted me to send her regards. She had prior engagements that she could not miss.” She believed him fully, in that moment, that he really did think he was wearing casual clothes, and she couldn’t help the small laugh that slipped from her mouth. It was a sound that was foreign even to herself, and it felt nice.

Before she could respond, Mrs. Weasley and Fleur bustled into the room, the former clapping her hands in excitement at everyone who had arrived. “Yes, well, thank you all for coming! There was no way we could not celebrate these accomplishments! The four of you are going to do so well. Percy, we are so proud of you and how far you have come. You are going to be fantastic as Transfiguration professor! Same goes to you, Harriet dear! Arthur and I are glad you are a part of the family and also want to congratulate you on all O’s on your N.E.W.Ts! That is such an accomplishment. Neville, congratulations as well dear, you are going to be a brilliant addition in the greenhouses this year. And Draco, dear, thank you so much for accepting our invitation! I hope we can put all the strife our families have into the past, and congratulations on your Potions position. Anyways, enough rambling for now. There is a table full of food and drinks and desserts. Plates and cutlery are to the side on the counter. Please, everyone help yourselves!” Everyone responded in kind, surging forward to get some food. Draco’s cheeks were tinged pink, and Harri decided that she was going to be his friend whether he wanted it or not.

Fleur surged forward, whisking Teddy away insisting that Harri should socialize and celebrate, but she knew it was just an excuse to steal the baby. His hair had changed to matched hers and she cooed and tickled his belly, Bill standing to the side looking at both in adoration. They would be fantastic parents, and it made her smile. She was sad that the start of their married life had begun the way it did, but they seemed to be making the most of it. She turned as Neville appeared, pulling Luna behind him. “Harri, Malfoy. How are you?” the question was directed at her mostly, but Neville had nodded at Malfoy, accepting that this was a thing that would be happening immediately, without any arguments. She appreciated that about him. Luna smiled, leaning forward to give her a hug. “The nargles are clear from your head today, Harriet. I’m glad to see it. Normally you’re so clouded that I can’t imagine how they don’t drive you nuts.” she smiled slightly at the girl, glad to see her two friends so happy together.

“Well, I am glad to hear that my head is clear today, Luna. I must say I definitely have noticed my brain being less foggy today. And doing good for the most part Nev. Taking it day by day. I was just telling Draco here that there was no need to be so stiff. We are a friendly bunch when we want to be.” She turned, making sure that he knew she was purposely pulling him into the conversation, including him. “I don’t know why you keep saying that as if I am scared. Malfoys don’t get scared at a room full of Gryffindors.” he turned his nose up slightly at her, and she could see Neville was adjusting to the new dynamic they were seeming to build. “Not all of us are Gryffindors, thank you. I find I am quite partial to my own house.” Luna seemed to have no trouble conversing with the Slytherin, and Harri knew she had made the right decision to include him.

As the three of them continued the conversation, she found herself looking around the room, not stepping until they found the familiar set of blue orbs across the room. To everyone else he might have looked to have been fine, no expression on his face. But Harriet could tell otherwise. There was pain in his eyes, a pain that she did not think would ever go away. It was mixed with longing, and some jealousy she realized, as he looked from her to Malfoy standing beside her. George had never been the jealous type in the past, but then again things had never been like this in the past. The foundation of their relationship had always been solid. She was pulled from his eyes by Neville turning to address her. “Want to go get some food, Harri?” he had a knowing look in his eyes, having been the only one to pick up on what, or who, she had been looking at. The look of pity in his eyes was almost too much. She knew that it came from the goodness of his heart, as he had been the only one she had told about what had happened with George, but it still stung. She nodded in agreement and wandered off to grab more food and mingle with the others as well.

As the night wore on, she found herself thankfully distracted by small talk and food, though she could not stop herself from following him with her eyes when she had the chance. He seemed to be doing the same. Ron and Hermione had pulled her aside to give her multiple gifts. Hermione had given her a beautiful, dark mahogany colored leather briefcase to carry around her things now that she was a professor. The inside had multiple pockets and extension charms that she had placed herself, and it had a golden name plate on the front that read “Professor Harriet Potter”. Ron had gifted her a deep teal and leather calendar book to help her keep track of her lesson plans. “Now, remember this when you go to grade any essays you assign us, mate.” Ron’s joke was met with a grin from Harriet and a smack upside the head from Hermione. Ginny had also got her a gift, a beautiful set of quills, with various shades of emerald, teal, and blue feathers to match the planner Ron had given her. She found herself feeling a surge of adoration for her friends, along with a pang of guilt over the fact that she had pulled herself away from them over the last couple months. She gave them all hugs, thanking them profusely. Hermione and Ginny waved her off, while Ron rubbed the back of his neck, his face tinged with red over the praise.

She spent the rest of the night going from person to person, talking to Percy about lesson plans, Charlie about the dragon reserve, and Bill about Gringotts as she had not been allowed to step foot back in there since they had broken into the Lestrange vault. She stopped to talk to Mr. Weasley about work and was pulled aside by Fleur who convinced her to let her keep Teddy for the night “To practice” for when her and Bill decided to have a baby soon. She decided to turn in for the night, hoping to get a full night sleep for the first time in months. She said her goodnights as everyone else continued to mingle and drink, even Malfoy who had rolled up his sleeves and was talking animatedly to Ginny about quidditch. The red-haired girl had a curious look on her face and was listening intently as Ron glared from across the room. Harriet tabled that scene in her head for another day and headed upstairs.

She did not notice she had been followed until a hand grabbed her elbow, turning her around and pushing her up against her bedroom door that had closed behind them. Her heart nearly stopped as her hand automatically reacted, reaching for the wand in her holster until she had processed that it was George who had followed her. Their eyes met and the intensity she saw there sent a shiver down her body. She felt like she should say something, stop whatever was about to happen from happening, but then he surged forward, his lips crashing into hers desperately, and the whole world faded away.

Chapter Text

Chapter Five: Hangovers and Lesson Plans

When she woke up the next morning, George was gone and the hole in her chest was bigger than ever. As she got up to get dressed, she felt as if she could still feel him. His lips trailing down her body, his tongue in places that only he had been. This time had been angry and desperate, different than the sorrow that had been present the last time they had been together. She almost dropped her hair clip when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her neck was covered in dark red and purple marks which trailed down to under her shirt. Her thighs held the same marks, another reminder of the events that had taken place the night before. Part of her wished she had been stronger, had asked him to leave rather than giving in. And yet the other part of her could not handle pushing him away. She just wished that he felt the same way about her. She wouldn’t allow it again, she decided, as she got to work placing glamours and bruise cream on the marks that were covering the visible parts of her body.

She went downstairs to Mrs. Weasley bustling around the kitchen cooking breakfast, while Mr. Weasley was sitting at the table reading the Daily Prophet, and Harriet saw that she was the first of the kids that had made it down. It was half past five, rather early, but she was so used to getting up early with Teddy that her body had adjusted to an earlier schedule whether the baby was there or not. She hurried to help her, ignoring Mrs. Weasley’s protests. She found herself feeling a little awkward as she knew there was zero chance that nobody had noticed George following her to her room, and she knew she was correct as she caught the married pair sneaking knowing, pitying looks when they thought she wasn’t looking.

The rest of the house began to trickle down as breakfast was getting done, and she couldn’t stop the amusement at the clear hang overs that Ginny and Ron were nursing. She handed them both a cup of tea and snickered at the grumbles that followed. Hermione followed her as she went to wash her hands before she ate while Mrs. Weasley was lecturing her two youngest children on watching how much they drank. The bushy haired girl had a knowing look on her face, and Harriet braced herself for the questioning that she knew was coming. “I noticed George isn’t here this morning. Are you okay, Harri?” the concern in her friend’s voice was palpable and she sighed. “No, he left before I woke up. I’m fine though, Hermione. I don’t really want to talk about it.” She dried her hands and went to step around her but Hermione moved to block her. “I know you say you are, but I just..we don’t want you hurt Harriet. I know you love George, but it doesn’t really seem fair for him to be using you like this.” she felt herself stiffen and couldn’t stop the defensiveness that rose up in her at those words.

“I said I am fine Hermione. I do not need you worrying about me, and I do not appreciate you talking about him like that. I am a grown woman, I can make my own decisions without you trying to tell me how to feel.” her voice came out sharp, and she wanted to scream at the pitying look that came across Hermione’s face. “Oh, Harriet I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come off that way. I know he isn’t meaning to Harriet, but I guess I just wanted to let you know if you need anything or you need someone to talk to, I’m here. And so is Ron, as soon as he recovers from his hang over.” Hermione ended her statement with an eye roll and Harriet let out a breath, forcing herself to calm down. Hermione was just trying to make sure she was okay. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have snapped. I just don’t want to talk about it. I appreciate you checking on me.” She leaned forward and gave her a hug, hoping that her friend understood that she wasn’t upset with her. Hermione hugged her back and they both headed back to the dining room for food.

The rest of breakfast was relatively uneventful. Bill and Fleur had arrived with Teddy towards the end, Fleur glowing with happiness while Bill looked so frazzled she couldn’t help but laugh at him. After breakfast was over, Harri gathered her godson and headed upstairs to work on her lesson plans. She really wasn’t deviating far from Remus’ lesson plans; he had been very thorough for all the things she needed to teach and it was incredibly helpful. But the school schedule being pushed out had made it to where she was having to move stuff around, cut some things that she felt could be. Even more difficult was the fact that there had been a whole new year added, which meant she was working fully on her own as far as coming up with lesson plans for the eighth years. It was not hard, per say, but it was tedious, and she was grateful for Hermione as she had been a good resource for her when she was unsure of anything.

Harriet had decided that as the eighth years were literally her age, she was not going to have a traditional class like the other years would be. She had decided that it would be more like a training class, set up as equals to perfect the skills she felt they had mostly already gotten, most from personal experience. There were not many coming back, some choosing to take their N.E.W.Ts and move on, others just not wanting to step foot on the same soil they had watched people die on a few months before, and she understood that. There was a good mix of all four houses returning, about twenty or so all together, which was more than she had been expecting if she was being honest. She was glad to have any, as she felt that her class had been robbed of the school experience that they had deserved, her included. So, she sat there and planned for the year and hoped that she would be the type of professor that made a lasting impression, not for her fame, but for the quality of the teaching that she was excited to be able to give.

Chapter Text

Fourth Year, Yule Ball

If she had not known any better, Harri would never have believed that the girl staring back at her in the mirror was her own reflection. Her hair, which Lavender and Ginny had both spent an hour taming, was pinned up in elegant curls, with a couple pieces pulled out to frame her face. Her eyelids had a dusting of silver shimmer, with dark eyeliner on her lower lid, and mascara making her eyelashes look even longer than they already were. Hermione had found a spell that had temporarily fixed her eyesight so that she could ditch the glasses for the night, and that combined with the makeup had her bright green eyes standing out. She had to admit that Ginny was right about green being her color as she admired the emerald ball gown that she had chosen to wear. Though she almost felt traitorous to her own house in Slytherin colors, the green matched her eyes perfectly and balanced her pale skin and jet-black hair.

“You look AMAZING.” Lavender squealed, pulling her out of her thoughts and making her jump. “Oh Harriet, you really do. The green was the perfect color.” Hermione smiled at her from where she was slipping on her silver heels, looking just as good in the ruffly, light blue dress she had chosen. Ginny was stunning in the dark, sapphire blue gown she had chosen. It complimented her hair and matched her eyes wonderfully. Lavender had chosen a dress to match her name, and her hair was set in loose, perfectly placed curls. “Thank you. You all look wonderful too! Thank you so much for the help, I am useless when it comes to anything to do with hair or makeup.” and truly she was. Though she felt that it was perfectly understandable to be bad at those things when she was constantly trying to keep herself alive.

“Oh, we need to head down or we are going to be late!” Ginny gasped, looking at the clock on the wall. “Ah yes, you guys go ahead. I will be right behind you.” Hermione waved them off, and Harriet shot her a smile already knowing who her date was and why she was planning to leave later than the rest of them. Harriet suddenly had a stomach full of butterflies, her nerves skyrocketing at the thought of going downstairs to her date. She just reminded herself that it was just George, not a real date. He had only asked her because he felt bad and she was his brother’s friend, she was sure. That did not stop the nervousness that was threatening to overwhelm her. She found herself rather enjoying spending time with him the last couple months, and she did not want to disappoint him.

She took a deep breath, grabbed her shawl and followed the other girls out of their room towards the boys waiting below. She kept her eyes on her feet as she descended the staircase, careful to not trip over her dress or the heels that she was not used to wearing. As she reached the bottom she allowed herself to look up and found herself looking into the blue eyes of her date, who was staring at her with a shocked look on his face. She blushed and stepped towards him, feeling very out of place. He was wearing a nice, simple set of black dress robes with green accents to match her dress, and he looked very handsome if she was being honest with herself. “Wow, you look beautiful, Harri.” There was a touch of something she did not recognize in his voice, and she suddenly felt very bashful. “Thanks. You look really nice too.” she noticed Fred wagging his eyebrows at her behind George and she rolled her eyes. “Shall we?” George offered his arm to her and she took it, allowing him to lead the way out of the common room.

They made it to the great hall, the trip quiet but comfortable. She almost puked when McGonagall grabbed them to lead the opening dance, but George took it in stride. He was a wonderful dance partner, leading them in the waltz like a natural. “Don’t look so petrified. I won’t bite if you step on my toes.” He joked, winking at her and easing her nerves. She wondered why she was ever so nervous for this. After all, it was just George. They had been friends forever it seemed. He spun her around the dance floor until the song ended, joking and giggling through the whole thing. Harriet smiled at Hermione and Krum, happy that her friend was enjoying herself. The beginning of the ball was a good indicator for the rest of the night as they danced through multiple songs and mingled amongst their friends. For once she did not mind having attention on her, especially when it was coming from George Weasley. He didn’t ditch her as she had expected, quite the opposite actually. He was very attentive to her, bringing her refills on her punch and food, joking with her friends, and sticking close in general.

“Well, I knew my brother was a right prat but I didn’t think he would make such a fool of himself like he just did.” They were slowly making her way back to the common room after the blowout that Hermione and Ron had just had in the middle of the staircase, sending both storming back ahead of them. “Yeah, I don’t know where he gets off making her feel like that but that’s Ron for you. Emotional intelligence of a flobberworm.” She was furious at the idiotic boy, but she would deal with that tomorrow. She didn’t want it to ruin the rest of the night. George laughed and she grinned at the sound. “That’s one way to put it. He might grow up one day, but we aren’t making any bets on that. We aren’t making any bets in general, though, not after that snake scammed us at the Quidditch World Cup.” the statement was meant to be humorous, but she could hear the slight bitterness in his voice and felt bad.

“Well, you’ll be better for it anyways. At least now when you get the money for your shop you can ease your mother’s fears by telling her you did not get the money from gambling. That will help the scandal of it, you know.” she made sure to keep a teasing tone in her voice as they walked through the portrait hole and to the common room. “I don’t know if our dear mother will ever come around to the idea of a shop, but luckily we still have time to change her mind.” he turned to her as they reached the staircases leading to the dorms. She suddenly felt nervous again, and wrung her hands, not sure what to do with them. “Thank you for taking me, George. I had a really good time. I know that I probably wasn’t your first choice, and I am just your little brother’s friend, and you felt bad for me but um-” she was cut off from her nervous rambling by George leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. She went still, shocked at the fact that she was having her first kiss, before letting herself relax into the kiss. He put one hand on her face and the other on her waist, pulling her closer. She wasn’t sure what quite to do with her hands, so she brought them up to rest her hands on his shoulders. She got lost in him, and warmth spread through her whole body.

It felt like an eternity had passed before they broke apart for air and George gave her a heart-stopping smile. “I fancy you, Harri, if that wasn’t obvious. You were my first and only choice. And you’re definitely not just my little brother’s friend. You never have been.” the butterflies that erupted in her stomach were born from happiness this time rather than nervousness and she smiled back at him. Before she could answer, however, the portrait door opened and they jumped apart, her face flaming bright red. “Well, I had a really good time tonight, George. Thank you for being my date. I’ll see you in the morning.” It was a promise rather than a question. “Of course. Have a good night, Harri. See you tomorrow.” She gave him one last smile before turning and bolting up the stairs and into her room. Hermione’s curtains were drawn around her bed, so she quietly slipped out of her dress and into pajamas before doing the same. She had gone into the idea of the Yule Ball dreading it and had ended with it being the best night of her life to date.