Perhaps it was just a normal Sunday for other people, perhaps it wasn't. But one thing was for sure. Something peculiar and depressing happened on that day.
A loss of two parents, and a small orphanless child cradled in blankets, crying as he stared at his mother's blanket eyes, reaching out for her hand which lay limply at her side.
Orphanless child who is now turning 15 soon. Harry Potter.
"Estimado," Effie calls from downstairs, a clatter of plates echoing through the silent cottage.
"Coming, Niñera," he is rather proud of himself for learning Spanish, it didn't come easy to him but he's glad he can do it now, it gives him more ties to his father who everyone says he greatly resembles which he carries with pride.
Harry quickly walks down the stairs, almost running into the kitchen when he smells the distinct scent of empanadas.
"Niñera! Thank you, it smells delicious," he smiles up at his grandmother before sitting down at the table opposite her. Quite a big table for only two people, he thinks but he never says so.
"It's no problem, querido," she smiles and hands him his cutlery before starting into the meal.
At the Potter household it's never silent. There's always some sort of background noise if there is no one talking, a running pipe or there ghoul making funny noises. It's peaceful and beautiful and it feels more like home than anything ever has, at least to Harry.
"Niñera?" Harry looks up from his plate and sets down his fork and knife.
"Yes, estimado?" She smiles gently at him, also setting down her cutlery.
"Will you tell me some more about Papá?" He askes tentatively, it's not a hushed topic but he does know how emotional it can get, depending on how Niñera's back pain has been recently, and it hasn't been great though she stubbornly believes she doesn't need to go to the hospital.
"Would you like that?"
"Yes, if you don't mind,"
"If you're sure," she pauses and when he nods she begins, "You know your mother?"
"Lily?"
"Mhm, well she wasn't the only one of his lovers and your Papá wasn't her only one either though others might say so, they had lover's in secret because it wasn't something that wasn't well... allowed I suppose, though you do know that it's okay to love who you love, yes? I have taught you atleast one thing?" She chuckles more to herself than anyone.
"Yes," he nods eagerly.
"Well, let's start with your Papá first, yes?" He nods, "Your Papá was a true romantic at heart, he loved freely and recklessly because he could and people would trip over themself to win his praise but his eyes were always stuck on one thing, you're Mamá,"
She takes a pill before carrying on, "That is until one day his eyes were fixed on one other person, Lily was out of sight as soon as he caught eyes with this new person, he was confused and rather scared because he thought it was just him, making this all up in his head because he needed someone else that would give him the time of day, well he turned this love into anger and ended up hating the person he loved for a year at most before someone told him that he liked boys, your Uncle Padfoot, and you know that's alright, yes?"
"Yes," Harry smiles and nods happily, "No one talks about it though,"
"Yes, I didn't think they would. Well, in short Uncle Padfoot and James soon talked and all was well but luckily for him he sooner rather than later found out that this man he loved was not the person he hated. Funnily enough it was Regulus Black, Uncle Padfoot's brother. He was a beautiful boy and had gorgeous eyes, different colours they were, we'd sometimes joke that his eyes were his magic, perhaps they were. They did make your Papá fall in love with them," she chuckles again before nodding at his plate, "You finished, amar?"
"Mhm, please continue though," he says to which she chuckles and continues.
"After a month after his realisation he walked in on Regulus speaking to his friends, 'more like moaning to them' he had said," she shakes her head and laughs fondly, "Well he was talking to them about him and how 'annoying but beautiful and pretty' he was, eventually they started going out after they had a very passive agressive argument about how much they hate each other before kissing and agreeing to date, it was rather funny to hear it from both perspectives I must say," she laughs again and Harry smiles wider and lets out a small laugh himself.
"What happened then?"
"Hm?"
"Why did they break up if they loved each other so deeply?"
"Ah, yes. It's rather sad, well no, it's devastating. You know how you're Uncle Padfoot ended up staying with us in the end?" He nods, "Regulus had to stay behind, nothing could get him out no matter how much we tried it wasn't going to work because they had such a tight hold of him with magic and in the mind there was no getting him out. We did try, you have to understand that, we tried so much but it didn't work out in the end, Regulus went off with the Death Eaters and didn't live to tell the tale, he tried to save the world but the world was too wide enough to be saved," Effie's eyes start to water before she turns away and finishes washing up and wipes away a single tear that flowed down her soft, wrinkled face, years of aging and grief washed away by one swipe of a sleeve.
"I wish I'd met him," he says quietly, bringing his plate to the sink, "He sounds like a lovely person,"
"He was," she says quietly before turning around and breathes in before smiling brightly, "Is there anything else you would like to know, estimado?"
"Mamá, you said she had a lover to, was it a boy?"
"A girl, a beautiful girl who gave her the world and so did Lily," she smiles as she sits down at the table, "You want a tea or coffee, querido?"
"Coffee, please," she nods and starts to make it before setting it down in front of him.
"Her name was Mary Macdonald, she isn't well-known but she was a powerhouse in Gryffindor back with your Papá, her and Sirius were close like Marlene was with James, you remember Marlene?" He nods, "Yes, well, Mary and Sirius dated for a while, I don't think they were interested in each other more like they wanted to impress there separate... crushes? Yes, crushes. Mary and Lily were... very intimate let's say for a while before they dated and it grew lots of tensions of needing and yearning for each other because of this,"
"Sexual tension?"
"I wasn't going to say it but yes, sexual tension which led to more sex and more hunger for love so it was rather annoying for Marlene as she told me when she came over once and I found it hilarious. Eventually Marlene shoved them in a cupboard to talk about it and the next day they were dating," she chuckles with a smile, sipping on her coffee before setting it down and looking at Harry, "Do you know anyone who likes the same gender?"
"I think so," Harry nods, "I think Ron likes both and Hermione does too but Ron says he doesn't care who he's with as long as he loves them, which is rather sweet," he thinks with a smile, "I think Hermione and Ron like each other though they won't say it, it's very obvious either way,"
"Sounds like someone I know,"
"Who?"
"That's a story for another time, do you want to go for a walk?"
"Yes, please, Sirius said he would come round later in the afternoon so we shouldn't be out too long,"
"Oh yes! I can't wait to see him, it's been ages,"
"It's been a month, Niñera,"
"Too long," she chuckles as she grabs there coats, holding out his one for him before putting on her shoes and walking out, "Hurry, we might not be able to see the deer if you go at this pace,"
"I'm coming!" Harry hurriedly puts on his shoes and coat before walking out the door, shutting it closed quickly, quickly running over to the pigs before kissing each one of there heads and chasing after Effie who is waiting by the gate.
"Ninõ tonto," she chuckles before shutting the gate closed behind them, holding out her arm for Harry to take as they start to walk to the forest.
"Niñera!" He laughs as she ruffles his hair fondly, beaming up at her and leaning on her shoulder lightly so it doesn't hurt.
They silently walk towards the growing forest, the wind whipping their hair around, whistling and weaving through the trees as they draw closer to the large trees ahead. A tiny prick of sun peeking out from behind the clouds shone half of their features beautifully, the grass swaying in the slight breeze gracefully.
"What happened to them?" Harry asks distractedly, "Why wasn't Mamá with Mary in the end?"
Euphemia thinks for a couple minutes, watching the pretty world around them as she thinks or perhaps musters the courage to talk about it? Maybe he shouldn't have asked at all-
"Mary didn't want to be apart from the war, she wanted a peaceful life she wasn't going to get, but she craved for it anyway, wanted Lily with all her heart that she would let her take her anywhere she wanted and that was too dangerous for her so she needed to step away before it was too late and her whole life was taken from her by the war and by Lily, though I doubt she would have minded if Lily had taken her life, all she wanted was her and that's what she got but she couldn't have that anymore, tragic love stories, beautiful and loving but tragic and horrible, but at least they experienced that pain of loving someone so much that you would kill for them or die for them but they weren't allowed to do that of course," she looks ahead with a sad gaze, her eyes softening as she looks throw the trees.
"So James and Lily,"
"So James and Lily," she repeats and nods with a grimace.
"You think they loved each other?"
"I think they did, but there hearts were always someone else's so it was hard to love each other in the way the other wanted, but I do think they loved each other, you understand what I mean?"
"Yes, I think I do," he nods with a small smile.
"Good," she nods and kisses his forehead before they walk into the forest, a small lantern guiding their way that Effie had placed beforehand.
In a comfortable silence, they walk ahead, the lanterns blinking and flickering in the darkness making the scene ethereal and beautiful. Birds chirp happily overhead, the wind swooshing through trees, magic. Magic. Magic.
A pair of antlers quickly flashes them before shooting off deeper into the woods, small pixies and fairies start to descend as soon as the lanterns start to slowly stop and forest animals that could only be described as magic start to appear on the ground, scuttling around their feet happily.
As the walk past the last lantern a small lake lies in front of them, glistening beautifully in the small slip of sunlight, making it more magical then it already seems. Small pairs of glowing antlers start to appear, no longer shy in the still presence of mortal magic, gracefully walking over to the lake and drinking from it, mothers lie on the side watching their fawn's drink, play and splash in the water happily.
Families surround the lake, nudging with their noses at their beloveds with a loving touch before sitting beside them, some laying their heads on backs, some rubbing noses with a satisfied snort and some cradling newly borns against their necks, keeping them warm from the slight gust of wind that weeves through the trees.
"Your Papá loved it here, would watch them for hours and come back home later because he was too caught up staring at them," Effie whispers, standing still, a small smile flickering across her wrinkled face.
"I would think so," Harry smiles and turns his neck slightly to look at Effie, a small tear rolling down her face not quite sad but not happy.
Somewhere in between.
A single tear and a single memory.
A single tear.
A single memory.