July 2019
It was over two months before anyone heard anything from the Potters. Even George did not seem to know much - Katie never really discussed it, being far too busy to want to discuss work when she was at home. Eventually, though, Harry turned up at Ron and Hermione’s home one evening when they had some of Ron’s siblings visiting, looking tired but much better than the last time they had seen him.
–How is the Potter family, then?†asked Bill as Harry sat down.
Harry took a breath and a moment to think before he answered.
–Making progress,†he said, nodding a little to himself. –Things are getting better, slowly but steadily.â€
–That’s good,†Hermione said, smiling.
–How are Ezzy and Ginny?†Ron asked. –Haven’t seen Gin in ages, is she at yours now?â€
Harry nodded again.
–I guess both of us are being a bit paranoid at the moment…†He shrugged sheepishly.
–Don’t want to leave him on his own?†Angelina asked understandingly.
–Yeah. Ginny more than me, I think,†Harry replied. –But she says she’ll come and say hello soon.†He leant back in his chair.
–How’s Eddie?†Fred asked quietly. Again, Harry paused for a moment before speaking.
–Better. He’s still very much always in his room, doesn’t want to come out. And he’s jumpy, very jumpy. But he’s alright around Esmerelda, actually; Sara thinks he probably hasn’t been around people his own age since he was here, so he’s kind of fascinated by her. One of the several reasons she didn’t head back to school with the others. We’re having her work sent home.â€
–Who’s Sara, Harry?†George asked curiously.
–Sara is a psychiatrist,†Harry said. –A Healer for your head, if you like,†he continued, seeing that the others were a little confused. Hermione met his eyes and they exchanged looks of amusement. –She’s a Muggle herself, but her husband and two kids are all our sort, so she works in both worlds these days. She’s one of the best.â€
Harry could tell that his various in-laws still did not completely understand what a psychiatrist was, but Hermione could tell them later, he was sure. For now, he should be getting back and making sure that everyone - Ginny and himself included - got a decent night’s sleep. He exchanged goodbyes with everyone before heading back home via the floo network.
~
August 2019
–Esmerelda, you need to be back in Hogwarts this term. I know we let you stay at home last term because of your brother, but you need your education -â€
–But I’ll do all my work at home, like before!â€
– - and Eddie needs to learn to be alright when you’re not around all of the time,†Ginny finished sternly. Her daughter scowled. They had been arguing this back and forth for over an hour - and this was only today. The same argument had been going on since Esmerelda’s Hogwarts letter had arrived nearly a month ago now. Harry stepped in with a suggestion he had been thinking about for a few days.
–Ezzy, how about this,†he began. She turned to him, and he could see that she was already anticipating another why-you-have-to-go-to-school argument.
–How about you go back to Hogwarts - hey, hear me out,†he said, as she tossed her hair angrily. –You go back to Hogwarts during the week and we let you come home every weekend. Does that sound reasonable?â€
He glanced across at Ginny, who also looked thoughtful. They waited for Ezzy’s verdict.
–I suppose…†Esmerelda looked uncertain. –I mean, it sounds fair,†she finished reluctantly. Harry nodded, pleased.
–I’ll send an owl to your head of house,†he said. –Remember we have to get permission from Hogwarts first; but as long as you’re getting your work done and it’s not too stressful to be going back and forth all the time -†he gave her a pointed look –- then I don’t think they’ll have any problems with it.â€
There was the sound of soft footsteps from the doorway, and Harry turned his head to see Eddie leaning gently against the doorway. It was a vast improvement on the Eddie of several months ago - the healers hadn’t been able to fix all of the scars as some were too old and in all probability had been caused by magic, but they had dramatically reduced the number on his face. He was still pale and thin, but less so than before, and although one half of his right foot had been so severely damaged that it had had to be removed, he had adapted almost flawlessly to the prosthetic replacement. And most importantly, although he was still very cautious and wary around other people, he walked mostly without the near-crippling fear that he had woken up with.
Harry smiled softly.
–Hello Ed,†he said. Eddie nodded at him, not quite meeting his father’s eyes with his own, and went to his sister. Eddie communicated pretty well - like Ginny, he could express himself well with just his face, and he was slowly learning to read and write again by copying Ezzy - but he had yet to speak at all since he had returned, preferring instead to stay silent and watchful. Esmerelda took her brother’s hand gently. As they left to go about their usual day - Eddie had a tendency to copy his sister in the way younger children will copy those a year or two older than them, and spent most of the day with his sister, learning what it was to be thirteen - Harry could not help but feel hopeful for the future. Eddie was still in a very difficult place; he had yet to start talking about anything that had happened to him. But he had made such good progress in the last few months, surpassing all expectations, that Harry allowed himself to dream for a moment the dream that he kept hidden in the back of his mind: Eddie and Esmerelda, several years from now, living out their lives in the best way that they could.
~
September 2019
Saturday morning, the first Saturday since Esmerelda had returned to school. Eddie had been even more withdrawn than usual around the house that week, seeming to be confused and lost even when Harry or Ginny drew him into something like reading or writing or playing cards as Esmerelda had taught him. It was just Harry and Eddie in the house - Ginny had gone through the floo a few minutes ago to pick up Esmerelda, but they were detouring via Diagon Alley to pick up a few things before they came back. Father and son sat in the living room, both cross-legged on the floor, a careful amount of space between them as they both read separate copies of the same book. Eddie was still very particular about how close people got to him - he tended to be jumpier and edgier the closer someone else came, with the exception of his sister. Harry was very careful to give him his space as they read.
When they got to the end of a chapter, Eddie following along well judging by the slight changes in his expression as he reacted to what he was reading, Harry closed the book gently.
–Ezzy’s coming back today, Ed,†he said quietly. –Are you looking forward to seeing her?â€
Eddie looked at his father. Esmerelda had her mother’s soft hazel eyes, but Eddie had a strange mix of grey-blue-green that made his eyes look like stormy seas, especially when they were widened as they were now. Eddie looked uncertain, but not upset, so Harry took this as a good sign. They had explained to Eddie what was going to happen before it did, but he had only gone quieter than usual and nodded slightly.
All of a sudden there were footsteps in the kitchen; Eddie jumped a little but Harry waited patiently before holding out his hand for Eddie to take.
–It’s just Ginny and Ezzy,†he said. –Come and say hello?â€
After a moment’s hesitation, Eddie reached out and took his father’s hand with slender fingers. They both walked towards the kitchen, Eddie moving to be a little bit behind his father, uncertain.
When they got into the kitchen, there was Esmerelda. She grinned when they walked in.
–Hi Eddie!†she said. Harry could see her toning down her energetic mood so as not to make her brother jump. Eddie leant around his father to see, and his eyes widened at the sight of his sister. Ezzy held out her hand.
–I’m back for the weekend Eddie, remember?†she asked carefully.
Eddie seemed to consider this, chewing his lip. Then he gave a hesitant nearly-smile and took his sister’s hand.
–I’ve got some new books to show you,†Ezzy began as she led Eddie upstairs to her room. Ginny, who had been standing in the opposite corner waiting for the twins to meet, came into the middle of the room.
–I think you were right,†she said quietly. –I’m glad she’s back at school and seeing her friends, but Eddie needs her too.â€
Harry nodded.
–I just hope that we’re not pulling her too many directions at once,†he said.
~
December 2019
For Christmas that year, Eddie received a number of simple little presents, but his favourite came from his uncles Fred and George. It was a simple necklace, a blank pendant on a chain, just like the ones that Harry, Ginny and Ezzy wore along with the rest of the Weasley family. When Ginny helped him put it on and the pendant rested against his skin, the metal swirled slightly and on the surface there formed a symbol Harry had not seen before: something like two question marks, one overlapping the other. On the back there was a simple –W†and a holly leaf.
–You’ve got a family, Eddie,†Harry said softly. Eddie did not smile, but his eyes were brighter.
~
February 2020
Eric Hathaway, minor employee of the Department of Mysteries, attached to the Mage Research Group, sat grumpily in the corner of the Leaky Cauldron, nursing a Firewhisky and a frown.
He had planned to spend the night with his friends, but they had all apparently decided that they had better things to do. Girlfriends, mostly. And a fiancée in one case.
Eric took a sip of the Firewhisky, scowling. He’d just have a night in instead. Maybe flick through the paper that he’d picked up that morning but not had time to read. Draper had had them all on their toes all day, cross-referencing dates and weather patterns and newspaper articles. The woman had clearly got something on the brain, and as Eric and his co-workers were never given any of the top-secret details they were stuck trudging through endless bits of paper until one of them caught her fancy.
He was still grumbling internally about his boss when someone sat down next to him.
–Eric!†a loud voice said, as a hand gave him a friendly slap on the back. –Haven’t seen you since Hogwarts, how’ve you been?â€
Eric turned to look at the stranger and smiled. He was sure, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he was angry at the interruption to his solitude. But that didn’t seem to matter.
He took another sip of the Firewhisky and the happy numbness intensified. What a good evening he was having…
The next morning, Eric woke up in his own bed with several empty bottles of Firewhisky and a hangover. He looked at the time, groaned, and forced himself out of bed to rush to work. He had to nip back to the Leaky Cauldron on his way there; apparently he’d left his work keys there last night.