Work Text:
You have your mother’s eyes
The man was asleep on his side of the bed, his arm stretching to the empty spot by him. His messy hair falling on his forehead, hiding the scar on his skin, his unshaved cheeks made him look wilder than he was, in complete contrast with the serenity on his sleeping face.
The door of the bedroom opened soundlessly, the little feet rushed to the double bed and the little girl reached for the covers, crawling beneath them and under the man’s arm, nestling in the cradle it created. The man stirred in his sleep and wrapped his arm around the child, instinctively bringing her closer to him, protecting her. One eye bright green eye opened to check outside, it was still too early. He closed it again and planted a kiss on the child’s forehead as the two fell asleep together under the warm covers.
It was hours later, when the man stirred again at a peculiar sound. Harry’s eyes opened quickly, the arm wrapped around his daughter moved to his stomach which protested loudly after days without a proper meal. The mission had kept him out of England for almost two weeks, two weeks of hunting down dark wizards, at least he had been successfully and safely back home.
He had flooed into the bedroom in the middle of the night, inevitably waking up his wife who after making sure with a set of spells that he was safe and sound as he declared himself to be, got dressed and left from the same floo to the ministry, where job was already waiting for her at the Department of Law Enforcement. Hermione had withdrawn from the field the moment she learnt of her pregnancy and within a couple of years she had become the Head of it, the youngest of her position. Harry smiled at the thought, every auror returning from a mission had automatically three days off, he was glad he could snuggle with their only child instead of facing his Head of the department in such a crazy day like the ones always following big missions. He knew Hermione was glad he would stay home too.
‘Daddy, you’re awake,’ the girl in his arms mumbled happily and wrapped her arms around her father tightly. Harry grinned and returned the hug the moment Crookshanks jumped on the mattress and watched father and daughter, Hermione’s eyes and ears at the house.
‘I am,pumpkin, were you a good girl while I was gone?’ Harry asked and the girl nodded frantically before a yawn could escape her lips. ‘Did you listen to mummy?’ Harry asked and the girl nodded again. ‘Did you eat your vegetables?’ he added and the girl looked down in guilt, causing Harry to grin but speak in a stern voice. ‘Lillian Jane Potter…’ he called out her full name and she looked up at him apologetically.
‘You cook them way better than mummy, but I ate the carrots every time!’ Lily protested and Harry couldn’t help but laugh and nod his head in understanding, Hermione had improved into cooking but soups and vegetables were not her strong suit.
‘It’s alright, I understand. Well it’s a good thing we’ll be eating at grandma’s tonight, right?’ Harry asked and Lily grinned and nodded. Hermione always made sure of their daughter never missing her family and friends. Rebuilding and living at Godric’s Hollow had its perks but they were away from the Burrow and London so they made sure of visiting everyone frequently. Hermione had informed him she had planned on going at her parents that night. Harry knew Jane and Edward Granger would be more than happy to see their son-in-law after so many days. Harry only hoped Jane would have cooked that amazing sugar-free tart that she made. His stomach growled louder at the thought, his mouth watering. ‘It’s time for breakfast!’ Harry announced and stood up, picking up the girl and throwing her over his shoulder on his way to the bathroom so they could wash their teeth and prepare for the day. Lilly laughed and screamed at her father’s shoulder.
Their day passed by smoothly, breakfast, a snow fight outside, preparing a quick lunch of sandwiches and pumpkin juice and then finishing the book Hermione had started with Lily on math. Harry helped the five year old take a shower and then jumped in too while she played with Crookshanks on the bed, watching muggle television as the house allowed muggle devices to function.
Lily squealed the moment the floo was active again and Hermione Potter came out of it with a small huff of exhaustion that turned into a huge smile at the sight of her daughter beaming and rushing to her. Hermione picked up her child, the heavy cloak over her robes making it slightly difficult but she held the girl in her arms as she showered her face with kisses.
‘Oh you smell heavenly,’ Hermione spoke affectionately as she blew air at her girl’s neck, making her laugh hysterically. ‘Where’s daddy?’ Hermione asked the moment Harry entered the bedroom with a smile on his face, already dressed in his muggle clothes for the evening. The couple smiled at each other as they reached for one another, sharing a kiss with Lily still in Hermione’s arms. The girl grinned and settled in her mother’s bosom as Harry held both. ‘Give me a moment to change clothes and we’re leaving for my parents’.’ Hermione spoke to her husband as they broke their kiss. Harry nodded and took Lily from her arms, spun her around to make her laugh and then landed on the bed with a thud. ‘Don’t break the bedroom while I change.’ Hermione commanded them both and was met with laughter as father and daughter started a pillow fight with Lily declaring herself the winner.
Hermione changed quickly and soon they were leaving for London via the floo. Being war heroes and working at the ministry helped a lot when you needed the floo network linked with muggle places and your house in a wizarding village having muggle devices working properly. They exited the living room of her parents who knew not to have fire in it and Lily rushed to her grandmother who opened her arms for the child, accustomed to the entrance of wizards in her house via the fireplace.
‘Welcome, dears!’ she greeted her daughter and Harry with a huge smile on her face the moment Edward Granger came out of the cellar with a bottle of wine for the evening. The Potters greeted the Grangers warmly and all moved to the couches, catching up on their news.
Harry smiled brightly as he watched Edward play with Lily while Jane spoke with her own daughter. Hermione’s parents had accepted him with love and trust after all he had been through with their daughter. Harry had followed Hermione to Australia to bring them back and to their eyes it had felt only natural he and Hermione ended up together.
For others it hadn’t been, breaking up with Ginny and Ron respectively had been hard, anger and awkwardness had ensued but with time, everyone accepted their choices. Everyone accepted their right to happiness. During the war, the two had been friends, and the most important people in each other’s lives, but when the war ended, when the looming fear and insecurity were gone, both Harry and Hermione realized their friendship was always more than that, their feelings ran deeper and the path was paved before them, all burdens forgotten and gone.
Soon, Jane was beckoning her husband to the kitchen for help, Hermione was ordered to follow but Harry was ordered to stay where he was as he was still tired by the mission. He didn’t even protest his mother-in-law -from whom Hermione had taken her commanding ways -as he was left in the living room with his own child who rushed to him and climbed on his lap.
‘I missed you, daddy,’ Lily spoke honestly. Brown bushy hair, beautiful pale skin and two chocolate brown eyes, she was just like Hermione, inside and out and he was only happy his daughter took from the Brightest Witch of her Age.
‘I missed you too, jelly bean,’ Harry used his first nickname for her and Lily grinned and hugged her father again. ‘But I won’t be in missions for weeks to come. I promise,’ he added as he buried his face in his daughter's hair. ‘And since I’m not working tomorrow, we could go to DIagon Alley, buy books and ice-cream,’ Harry offered, knowing he was buying his guilt of her fear. Lily squealed and clapped her hands.
‘Four books, four scoops of ice-cream!’ Lily demanded and Harry laughed.
‘Four books, two scoops,’ he bargained back.
‘Five books, two scoops and a flake!’ Lily bargained harder and Harry chuckled and nodded, unable to deny her anything. Lily grinned, her eyes flickering with excitement. Her parents were back, her grandparents loved her and the next day more books and ice cream were on the menu, she couldn’t be happier, Harry knew as he observed the beauty of Lily’s face. She was so different from the Lily she had been named after, and so similar to his best friend and wife.
‘You have your mother’s eyes,’ Harry found himself speaking the words he had heard so many times over his life and knew Lily would listen too. Lily looked up at her dad, an obvious look on her face.
‘I know, daddy,’ she only said in that matter-of-fact tone inherited by her mother, before she could jump off his lap and rush to the kitchen as her grandmother was calling out for her, no wonder to give her a small piece of roasted potato while serving the food.
Harry could only grin as he watched the bushy brown hair fly behind the child who descended into the kitchen.