Day Twenty-Three
Harry stares down at the envelope, contemplating. He’s not sure what compelled him to pick up this letter today.
To Moony
Maybe it’s because Andy is bringing Teddy over (a poorly disguised plan to give him company while Ron takes Hermione out to talk about her parents) or because it’s a full moon tonight. Maybe it’s the fact that Ron is forging his new path, which is making him consider his own. He feels partially guilty that he’s reading this letter, not even meant for him, before the one his mother wrote. But healing isn’t linear, and this one feels right.
He takes a deep breath and unfolds the envelope, two letters falling out. One in elegant looping cursive, the other in halting scratching handwriting similar to his own.
Dear Moony,
Well, here we are, my friend. As I write this, I don’t even know where you are, off on some mission. It’s getting harder these days to keep track of all the secrets we have to keep.
I’m sorry, Remus. I’m sorry this burden has been placed on your shoulders. We’re writing these to all three of you in case you have to raise Harry in our place. So, at the very least, I hope you have each other. And if not? I hope that you’re strong enough to do it on your own.
Don’t let Padfoot go mad, please? Another burden to place upon you, I know. But you’re the only one who can. Trust him Moony, help him, keep him safe. If he doesn’t have me, then he only has you.
Don’t be afraid of yourself, Moony. I wouldn’t trust you with Harry if I thought you would hurt him. Don’t let your demons keep you from loving him and letting him love you. You’re his favorite, you know (don’t tell Sirius)
And most of all, don’t be afraid to get angry. Angry at the world. Angry at Dumbledore. Don’t let the unfairness keep Harry from you. If you’re reading this, then the world owes my son everything, and you should use it. Don’t let them take him from you.
I love you, Moons.
Prongs
Surprised at the tone of his father’s letter, he turns to his mother’s, wondering if there’s more context.
Dear Remus,
I’m furious you know that I even have to write this. That there is a possibility that you are raising my son instead of me. Dumbledore tries to tell me all will be well, but in my heart, I know that something is coming.
Don’t trust him, Remus. He’s separated us, kept us from each other. He will try to keep Harry from you. Do. Not. Let. Him. And my god, Remus, if he tries to put Harry with my sister, hex him.
I hope you can live a good life, my friend. I hope that the world treats you kinder than it does now. I hope you can become everything you’ve ever wanted. I can see it, you know? Professor Moony sitting in his chair by the fire, sipping on his hot chocolate. Oh, I know how you hate when we call you that. But it’s a good dream for you Remus, you should pursue it.
Thank you, Remus, for taking Harry or supporting Sirius in taking him in. James is under the illusion that if you’re reading these, Peter will also be with you… but I know he will not. And whether that be because he’s dead or a traitor, I’m sorry you have to grieve for him alongside us.
Love, Lily
Don’t let Harry have too much chocolate, okay? You know how he is on sugar.
Harry reads each letter again in shock. He had hoped for more encouraging words, the outpouring of love even that he had read in his own letters. But instead he can feel the anger oozing from the pages, as if it’s dripping from the ink. A story is told to him in between the lines.
A hot flash of anger courses through him. Why wasn’t Remus given this letter? The very things his parents begged of him were left unaccomplished. In fact, all their worst fears came true.
He stomps down the stairs to the library to find Hermione. She looks up at him in concern and he just thrusts the letters in her face. She takes them from him gently, reading them over.
“Oh my,” she says as she scans them.
“Is it as bad as I think it is?” he asks, pacing frantically. “I mean, I’m understanding it, right?”
“It’s not… good,” she sighs. “I mean, your mum suspected Peter at the very least,”
“This must have been right after they made him secret keeper,” he fumes. “Why else would she say that?”
“It must have,” she frowns. “And it also explains why they trusted their friends over Dumbledore,”
“Why Peter?” he growls.
“They told us, remember? Sirius didn’t trust Remus and thought Voldemort was onto him, so he told James it should be Peter,”
“Well, why not Regulus?!” he exclaims. “I mean-”
“Harry… Regulus would have been… it would have been after,”
He swallows hard, collapsing on the couch next to her. “Right,”
“I’m sorry,”
“Why didn’t Remus get the letter then? I mean, I can see why Sirius and Peter didn’t get theirs, but Remus?”
“I think you know why,” she says sadly.
“Dumbledore,”
“You know how the wizarding world is about werewolves. Dumbledore either convinced him, or Remus convinced himself that no one would let him keep you. With Sirius in Azkaban and Peter presumed dead… well,”
“I’m so angry, Mi,” he says, tears forming in his eyes. “I’m angry at Dumbledore and my life and Kingsley and sort of at Ron still. I’m just so angry,”
“Maybe you should take your dad’s advice then. Let yourself be angry and use it for the right things,”
“Like what?” he scoffs.
She shrugs. “Yesterday you baked cookies. Tomorrow you could start a fund for something. It can be anything,”
“I- I want to build something,” he says softly. “I feel like I’ve done so much tearing down,”
“What do you want to build?”
He takes a deep breath, allowing his latest idea to finally be released into the world. “I want to turn Grimmauld Place into an orphanage. But not that, because I hate that word. I want to create somewhere for kids who may be all alone now, somewhere happy for them to grow up and be okay about coming back to when they’re not at school,”
“Oh, Harry,” she sniffs. “That sounds wonderful,”
“It does?”
“Yes! It’s a beautiful idea,”
“Okay,” he says shakily. “Okay, good,”
“Are you sure you're going to be okay without us tonight?”
“Yeah, you two have fun. Celebrate. Andy’s bringing Teddy over, so I won’t be alone,” he assures her. He knows the real reason Ron wants to take her out tonight, but that’s not his place. He had meant it when he said it was a them conversation, at least for now.
“Okay,” she sighs. “He’ll be home soon, you know. If you want to talk to him?”
He grimaces. He hadn’t expected Ron to start so soon, but apparently, they wanted to get him through training as fast as possible. Harry didn’t like it.
“No, I don’t want to keep you guys from your date,”
“Okay… I just, I don’t like when you two are upset with each other,”
“I know,” he frowns. “But it’s not like school, Mi. I meant it when I said I’d support him. I’m just still a little frustrated about it,”
She smiles at him softly. “He loves you,”
“And I love him,” he laughs. “But the thought of- I keep seeing him drop in my head from the poison. I picture him dropping like that in the middle of some duel, and… it’s just a lot,”
“Oh, honey,” she sighs sadly, kissing his cheek. “He’s going to be okay. You taught him well,”
He snorts at the concept. “He helped me teach more often than not. Don’t go giving me a big head,”
She hums. “Even better then. Just give it time,”
“Yeah,” he sighs.
“You sure you’ll be okay?”
“Yeah, I thought I’d ask Andy about Regulus,” he shrugs. “And I want to see Teddy. I’ll be fine,”
His eye catches sight of the scar on his hand. It’s not lying if it’s mostly the truth, right?
✦✦✦✦✦
“A muggle restaurant? Really?” Hermione laughs as they walk up to the tiny brick building.
Ron shrugs sheepishly. “I know you miss muggle places. You’ll have to teach me how it works,”
“I love it,” she giggles, reaching up on tiptoes to kiss him. He opens the door for her, and they get seated at a cozy table in the corner. It’s not very busy, so within a few moments, their waitress comes over and takes their order.
“How was your day?” he asks, reaching across the table to take her hand.
“Good,” she shrugs. “I read mostly. Talked to Harry,”
“Is he still…”
“A bit,”
Ron sighs. “I know he said he was fine with it, but… I wish he’d tell me if he’s not,”
“Just give it some time,” she says gently. “It’s going to be an adjustment for all of us. The house was quiet without you. Speaking of… how was it?”
Ron lights up in a way Hermione has never seen before. “It was fantastic, actually. Mostly paperwork and boring bits, but everyone so far is really serious about rounding up all the death eaters as fast as possible. Even though I’m just in training, they were asking me about things and, you know, listening to me. But not just taking my word for it either like they would with Harry. They weren’t afraid to tell me if I had something wrong,”
“Wow,” Hermione says, genuinely surprised. “I expected more chaos,”
“I did too,” he grins. “It just- it really solidified it for me that I made the right choice. For the first time since the battle, I wasn’t worried. I mean, somewhere in the back of my mind, I was worried about the two of you at home. But mostly I was so busy I didn’t have time to think. I could channel all my anxious energy into something productive,”
“That’s great, Ron, it really is,” she smiles. “I’m really happy for you,”
“You are?” he asks hopefully.
“I really am,” she assures him. “I’m a little worried about it of course I am, but I think that’s just going to be part of you being an Auror from now on. But mostly, I’m proud of you and excited for you,”
He lets out a big breath, a load of tension draining from his shoulders. “That means a lot, thank you,”
“You’re welcome,” she grins.
“Um- there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I-”
He’s interrupted by the arrival of their food. As they get situated, she can’t help but notice the nervous look on his face. “You were saying?” she asks, anxious about whatever he was going to ask her.
“Oh, right,” He takes a deep breath as if he’s steadying himself. “I wanted to ask you… about your parents,”
She freezes. “What- what about them?”
“Hermione,” he says gently. “You know what about them,”
She huffs and pokes at her food, not wanting to talk about this.
“You don’t have to talk about it,” he finally says. “I just- I noticed it hasn’t come up yet, and I didn’t know if you needed help or something,”
Her heart softens a little. “No, thank you, though. I don’t need help with it,”
“So… are you going to go get them or?”
“You said I didn’t have to talk about it,” she mutters.
“I- I did say that,” he sighs. “Alright, that’s fine,”
They sit in silence for a moment until the clanking of forks and the din of the restaurant tips her over the edge. “I’m scared,” she admits.
He looks up at her, surprised. “Of what?”
“That they’ll hate me,”
“Oh, honey,”
“They just never understood, you know?” she sniffs, fighting back tears. “It's not their fault. I didn’t tell them a lot about what went on at school, the bad stuff. But when I would talk about magic, it was like I was speaking another language! They did their best to understand, but how could they ever understand this?”
“Because they’re your parents,” he says soothingly. “And they love you,”
“And what about the new life I gave them?” she asks. “Isn't it wrong of me to take that from them?”
“Maybe,”
“And they’ll never understand this,” she says, gesturing between them. “You said it yourself,”
“You don’t know that, love,” he says firmly. “Your parents are smart people, aren’t they? They’re those, those teeth healer people,”
“Dentists,”
“Right, that. You’re their kid. Surely they’d at least be willing to try to understand,”
“I suppose,”
“Just don’t sell yourself short, okay? And if you need someone to go with you, then I’m here,”
She sniffs. “Okay. I’m not ready,”
“That’s fine,” he smiles. “I just wanted you to know that I noticed and wanted to make sure you were okay,”
“You know you’re pretty good at this boyfriend thing,” she chuckles.
He laughs. “I’m trying, really hard,”
“Can I talk to you about another hard thing then?” she sniffs.
“Of course,”
“I- I think I want to go back to Hogwarts. I want to take my N.E.W.T.S.,”
“I figured as much,”
“But I can’t leave Harry,”
“You don’t have to?”
“What do you mean?”
His eyes widen in surprise. “Hermione, you’re the brightest witch of our age. You’re a war hero. And an adult. Do you really think McGonagall wouldn’t work something out with you? Especially if it was so, someone could stay with Harry while I’m gone all day?”
“Oh,”
“I mean, unless you feel like you actually have to be at school,”
“No, no, I don’t,”
“Well then, there you go,” he grins. “Nothing to worry about. I’m sure McGonagall is already working something like that out. Maybe you could owl her and offer some ideas,”
She bites her lip. “What about after?”
“You mean after you’re done with school? About Harry?”
She nods anxiously, and he sighs.
“I think it’s too soon to know. Hopefully, he’s better enough in a year that we all feel good about him being home alone,”
She nods, thinking things over. It was this unspoken thing between them: Harry couldn’t be alone. That was why she had owled Andy, asking if she would bring Teddy over to keep them company, pretending it was her idea. Deep down she knows that Harry probably saw through it, but he hadn’t said anything, probably to pacify their worries.
“You’re right,” she sighs. “Too soon to worry about it,”
“What do you want to do? After? You know you can do anything you want,”
She huffs. “I still can’t believe he did that,”
He laughs. “He did it so Kingsley doesn’t try to stick you somewhere you don’t want to be, not so that you can get some top dog spot in the ministry. Harry knows you would never do that,”
“I guess,” she sighs. “I’m not sure. Something in magic law, maybe? I’ve always been a bit passionate about changing things,”
“That you have,” he chuckles. “I think you’d be really good at that,”
She blushes. “Really?”
“Yeah, I really do,”
✦✦✦✦✦
“Harry?!” she calls, pushing open the front door. “We’re home!”
“I bet you a galleon he’s in the kitchen,” Ron murmurs, making her laugh.
“In the kitchen!”
“Told you,”
She rolls her eyes and heads towards the kitchen, anxious to get her eyes on Harry and make sure he’s okay. They had both been a bit twitchy over the rest of dinner, not used to leaving their boyfriend on his own.
“Hi!” he says when she walks in.
“Um, hi?” she says, taking in his ruffled appearance. “You have chocolate on your cheek,”
“Oh,” he mutters, wiping at his face with a towel. “Was making brownies,”
“You okay, love?” Ron asks, clearly as concerned as she is.
“Yeah, I’m fine! Andy left a bit ago, um so I baked for a while. How was your date?”
“Wait, Andy left early?” Hermione asks, stepping further into the kitchen as if to look for the woman. “Or were we late?”
“Both,” he says softly. “Teddy was fussy,”
Ron frowns. “How long were you alone?”
“About an hour? I mean, Dizzy’s around somewhere,” he shrugs. She studies him for a second more and realizes his hair is even more ruffled than normal, his eyes red.
“Harry, were you crying?” she asks softly.
“No, no! I’m fine,” he says, twisting his hands nervously. “You two should go do whatever you were gonna do,”
She turns to Ron, who frowns at her.
“Stop doing that thing,” Harry pouts. “The silent talking thing,”
“Alright, fine, we’ll do it out loud,” Ron scoffs. “You’re clearly upset, so start talking,”
“I’m fine!”
“Uh huh,” Ron says, crossing his arms. “So if I come over there and hug you, you’re not going to break down?”
“Er- well,”
He steps forward, and Harry leans away, but he’s no match for Ron’s long strides. The second his arms are wrapped around him, Harry melts, his shoulders shaking with soft sobs.
“Oh, Harry,” Hermione sighs softly, crossing the kitchen to join her boyfriends. “Love, what happened?”
“I don’t know!” he cries. “I was doing fine when Andy left, I really was, and then she did, and everything just came crashing around me. I tried to bake to keep me from spiraling, but I just cried the whole time,”
“Did you go- you know, ghost?” Ron asks nervously.
“No,” Harry mumbles. “Almost, but I kept it together,”
Hermione frowns. “Maybe you need to let it go,”
“No, no, I’m fine,”
“Harry, you haven’t had an episode in days, which may seem good, but if you’re holding all that in? That’s not healthy,”
“I’m fine,” he insists. “Just- just not used to being alone is all,”
“Well, you’re not now,” Ron whispers. “We’re here,”
“I’m fine!” he insists once more, but it lacks conviction.
She reaches a hand out to brush the long curls off his forehead, and he sighs in relief. “You know, your hair is long enough to pull back if you wanted,”
“Can’t,” he mutters. “Scar,”
A wave of love washes over her, so intense it makes her heart hurt. It’s mixed with anger that Harry’s gentle soul had been put through so much pain and a desire to mend, to heal, to take care of him. She catches Ron’s eye and gently nods upstairs with a raised eyebrow. He barely nods, and she’s grateful, as always, that they are on the same page when it comes to Harry.
“You know it’s just us, baby,” Ron murmurs. “You don’t have to hide,”
“Come on,” Hermione insists. “I have a tie upstairs,”
“It’s fine, Mi, really,” Harry pulls away from them. “I’ll just- RON!”
“Come on!” Ron exclaims with a laugh, bending down to throw Harry over his shoulder. “You’re being stubborn tonight,”
“You’re the worst, Ronald Weasley!” Harry grumbles, his face bright red, clearly embarrassed at how easy it is for Ron to lift him. Hermione’s a bit surprised at it herself, but she supposes that Harry is still a bit underweight from their time on the run.
“Yeah, but you love me,” Ron grins.
“Unfortunately,” Harry grumbles. Hermione follows them upstairs, resisting the urge to laugh at Harry’s expense. She’d never tell him, but he’s cute when he’s grumpy.
Ron deposits Harry on the bed, and she digs a hair tie out of her nightstand. When she runs her fingers through his curls, he sighs again.
“I didn’t realize how much it bothers me,” he mumbles. “Having it all in my face,”
“Well, you can wear it like this as much as you like at home,” she grins, tying off his hair at the back. She steps back to admire her work, and her stomach flips.
“What?” Harry asks worriedly. “Does it look bad?”
“No,” Ron whispers in clear arousal. “It looks so fucking good,”
Hermione agrees. She’d always thought Harry was handsome, but without his dark hair taking all the attention away, he’s downright gorgeous. A few shorter stands still spring free, but they only serve to frame his face, making the perfect setting for his piercing green eyes. His scar, of course, is now more prominent, but it looks softer, more muted than it used to. It’s as if the dark magic inside him had made it red and angry, and now that it’s gone, all that remains are soft white bolts gently decorating his skin.
Harry stares at them nervously, expectantly, making Hermione aware of how thick the air is with tension. She can feel it radiating off of Ron, as well as her, how much they want him, want to take care of him. She turns to look at Ron, unsure of where to take this and how to express what she’s feeling.
As if she’s given him permission, he steps forward eagerly, capturing Harry’s mouth hungrily. She’ll never tire of the way Harry melts under Ron’s touch.
“Ron,” Harry gasps when he pulls away. “You don’t have to-”
Ron silences him with another kiss. “We want to take care of you, baby. Can’t you see that?”
Harry recoils as if the words sting. “You do?”
“Will you let us, sweetheart?” she whispers, wrapping one of his stray curls around her finger, her thumb gently stroking his cheek. “Let us take care of you?”
He looks between them both cautiously, then takes a deep breath. “Okay,” he whispers so softly she almost misses it.
She’s on him instantly, climbing in his lap, kissing him hard. One hand cupping his jaw, the other slotting in his pulled-back hair, pulling him closer. She tries desperately to put every ounce of emotion into the point where their lips meet, hoping he’ll feel how much she loves him.
Ron’s fingers brush across her neck, moving her hair to the side to get to the zip of her dress. She recoils a little as the cool air brushes against her back, and Ron moans. Harry pulls away from her bruising kiss to look at Ron curiously.
She feels her cheeks flame. “I may have um… I thought maybe something would happen, so I-
Harry turns back to her, eyes wide. He grabs each of her sleeves and tugs, revealing the purple set she had put on, anticipating something this evening. She feels fingers grasp her ponytail, lightly pulling her head back, and Ron’s lips are on hers kissing her greedily.
“This is supposed to be about Harry, remember?” She laughs softly.
“I don’t mind,”
She looks at him and sees a familiar look on his face, one she’s felt on her own before. It seems she’s not the only one who likes to watch.
“Another night, love,” she smiles.
She pushes herself off Harry's lap, and Ron eagerly takes her place, pushing him onto the bed and crawling on top of him. She can hear Ron whisper something and then clothes are flying, shirts discarded on the floor in favor of skin.
She lets her dress drop from her body before walking to the head of the bed, sitting just above Harry. She takes his hands in hers, pinning them to the bed above his head so he has no choice but to accept Ron’s devoted ministrations. He whimpers needily into Ron’s mouth, his hands straining against Hermione’s, desperate to feel and touch.
“Tell me what you need, baby,” Ron murmurs. Even though his low voice isn’t directed at her, it still sends shivers down her spine.
“Both of you,” Harry says, swallowing hard. “I need both of you,”
Hermione leans down to kiss him in response, letting go of his hands so he can tangle them in her hair. “Same time?”
“Please,” Harry begs breathlessly.
She nods, pushing down her nerves, and reaches over to the nightstand to grab their trusty bottle of lube. She tosses it to Ron whose eyes widen, putting the pieces together.
“Come here,” Harry murmurs, reaching for her hips. She lets him guide her, surprised when he sits her straddling his face. He licks a stripe against her core, and she gasps, placing her hands on the wall to steady herself.
“I thought… this was supposed to be about you,” she pants.
“It is,” he mutters from beneath her. “This is what I want,”
He licks and sucks at her folds eagerly until he suddenly gasps against her, making her squirm at his hot breath. She glances back to see Ron smirking.
“Carry on,” he teases. She sees his wrist jerk, and Harry bucks beneath her, pressing his nose further into her clit, making her squeak. “That’s quite the effect,”
“No kidding,” she gasps. Harry continues to squirm under Ron’s attention all while eating her out, filling the room with their combined whimpers and moans. Harry finally pats her hip, and she lifts a little, letting him breathe.
“Please,” he whimpers, glancing down at Ron. “I’m ready, baby, I want you,”
“You sure?” Ron asks, looking a little nervous. “You sure you don’t-”
“Ron,” Harry whines.
“Alright, alright,”
Hermione’s not sure where to look, but she finally settles for Harry’s face, reveling in the way his face screws tight and then relaxes completely. “Feel good?” she asks softly.
“So good,” he pants.
Ron moans behind her. “Merlin, baby, you feel incredible,”
“Your turn,” Harry whimpers, looking up at her expectantly. “Please, Mi?”
“Okay,” she says shakily. She pushes herself onto her knees and scoots back down his body until he feels his cock brush against her and Ron’s chest against her back.
“Oh fuck,” Ron pants when he realizes what’s about to happen. “This is what you meant by both of us?”
“Please,” Harry nods.
“Just one second,” she mutters. She reaches for the bottle of lube, not even daring to try without it. She fumbles with the bottle a little, and Ron’s hand is on her.
“I got you,” he murmurs gently. “Yeah?”
When his fingers sink inside her, she moans, leaning back against his shoulder.
“Wow,” Harry sighs appreciatively. “That’s quite a sight,”
“Good?”
“Yeah,” she pants, already missing his fingers. “Ready, love?”
“Merlin, yes,”
It takes a second of fumbling, they’re both new to this after all, but then she’s sinking down, gasping at the stretch. “Fuck,” she whines. “Oh, this is so different,”
Harry’s hands grasp her hips, helping to guide her down. “You feel so good, Mi,”
“This is so hot,” Ron laughs, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “Harry, can I move?”
“Please do,” he groans. “It’s getting a bit- oh fuck,”
Hermione sinks all the way down as Ron begins to move, sending waves of pleasure across Harry’s face. She experimentally lifts up a little, and the effect is immediate. Harry goes speechless, his eyes rolling back in his head. His hands grip her hips like a vice, and he looks almost delirious with pleasure.
“Look at him, Ron,” she murmurs, leaning to the side a little so he can see. She lifts again, ensuring the man behind her can see the full effect.
“Fuck, baby, you look so… so…”
“Pretty?” Hermione offers.
Harry turns bright red at the compliment. “I, uh-”
“You really do,” she sighs, beginning to ride him. “I mean, you’re just falling apart, love,”
“Mi!” he gasps. “Honey, please,”
“What do you need, baby?” she coos. “Whatever you want,”
“Just- more- fuck, I don’t know,” he rambles. “You both feel so good,”
Ron laughs, one of his hands sneaking between them to play with her clit. “Imagine how it’s going to feel when she cums, Harry?”
“Oh god,” Harry pants, squeezing his eyes shut. “Please, please,”
Ron’s fingers, combined with the sight of Harry’s face, push her to the brink alarmingly quickly, making it harder for her to focus on her task, her hips stuttering. The dynamic flips and Harry watches her with a hungry look, his hands never leaving her hips. “Are you gonna cum for me, Mi?” he pants. “You said I can have what I want. I want you to cum, love. Be a good girl and cum for me,”
“Oh, fuck, Harry!” she cries. “Not fair!”
“Do what he wants, baby,” Ron murmurs in her ear. His thrusting into Harry means his pelvis snaps against her ass with every thrust. He presses his fingers a little harder into her, and it’s enough to tip her over the edge. She goes limp in Ron’s grasp, causing her to sink all the way down.
Harry cums with a shout, his hips jerking into her, filling her up. She could have pulled off, but she sort of likes the feeling. Ron follows close behind with a soft moan, resting his forehead against her shoulder as he does.
For a moment, the only sound is their soft panting, all three of them taking stock of what just happened. It doesn’t last long as she becomes overly aware of how sticky and oversensitive she feels. She gently lifts herself up, making Harry groan.
“Sorry,” she winces as she pulls off and flops on the bed next to him.
“‘S okay,” he mutters. He tenses for a moment. “Oi, some warning, mate?”
“Sorry, love,” Ron sighs, collapsing on Harry’s other side. “Well, that was quite the event,”
Harry laughs. “You two are something else,”
"You're one to talk,” Hermione laughs.
“I would have been perfectly happy to-”
“Hush,” she shushes him, laying her head on his chest. “Not what I meant,”
There’s a beat of silence. “Thank you,” Harry murmurs. “I- I feel better, I think,”
“Well, I’d hope so after that,” Ron snorts.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Hermione asks. “About why you-”
“No,” Harry says quickly. “It was something Andy said, I think. It’s fine,”
She frowns, propping herself up to look at him. “You can tell us, love,”
“We just had sex!”
“I like it when we talk after,” Hermione shrugs.
Harry looks at Ron for help but is instead met with concerned eyes. He sighs in defeat. “I asked her about Regulus,”
“And?”
“She wasn’t surprised,”
“What do you mean?”
“The second his name came out of my mouth, she sighed like she had been waiting for it. Then her eyes went all dark and sad. And she just said it was a shame that Reg- that’s what she called him- kept so much from so many people,”
“What does that mean?” Ron frowns.
“I have no idea! I don’t know if she meant he kept things from Sirius or her or my parents. And she wouldn’t elaborate either, not on that. She told me a little bit about what he was like as a kid, but nothing substantial,”
“So, why did it make you spiral?”
“It just made me start overthinking. Like, is there some other big secret that I’m not going to find out for another ten years? I mean, what- what am I supposed to think when she says stuff like that? I’m so sick of secrets and cryptic messages,”
“I know, love,” she says gently. “I’m sorry,”
“It’s alright,” he sighs. “Just my life, I suppose… still,”
“I could- I could try to help,” Ron says tentatively.
Harry looks at him, surprised. “What do you mean?”
“At work,” he says, looking nervous. “We have records on all death eaters past and present. I could pull his file. I’m supposed to be reviewing them tomorrow anyway,”
A flash of hurt and then hope crosses Harry’s face. “I- yeah, okay. Thank you,”
“Of course,”
“Well, whatever comes to light, we’re here for you,” Hermione assures him. He smiles at her and presses a kiss to the top of her head.
“On the bright side,” Harry chuckles. “There’s brownies downstairs now,”