Chapter Text
1st May 1998
He could not pin point when everything went south. Harry was helplessly listening to Hermione's screams from the dungeons of the Malfoy Manor and he wanted to blame it all on their best friend Ron, who had abandoned them half way through the mission or Dumbledore, who thought three seventeen year olds were capable of completing this mission. But he knew better, if he hadn't said Voldemort's name, they would still be in the safety of their tent. It was all his fault. Malfoy had warned them about the taboo on his name a week ago but he had been extremely angry about the kidnapping of Luna and other mates that it was too late when he realized what he had done. Hermione had still managed to mask his features by sending a stinging hex at him to disfigure his face and Draco didn't identify him. It was all for naught, when the sword was discovered, Harry was dragged down to the dungeons and Hermione was held for a girl to girl talk with Bellatrix.
Harry was waiting for Dobby to return to get out of here and save Hermione. He had asked Dobby to get their friends and Mr.Ollivander to safety first because he knew that in the event of his escape they would all be killed immediately. He also knew that Malfoy would have kittens for not prioritising Hermione and she would be scolding him for not escaping with them and saving the world. He was losing hope with every passing second and promised himself that they would be together whatever happens. They will either live together or die together. For him, the world without her wasn't worth living or even saving. She was the only person, with the exception of Sirius, who cared for him unconditionally. He had always considered her his sister, right from the first year but it was only in the last few months in the tent, he realized that she was no ordinary sister and the bond they shared was very special, not even the evil of the horcrux could intercept it.
•••••••
Harry squeezed Hermione tightly to him as Dobby reached out to apparate them to safety. All would've gone well had it not been for Harry stumbling over a hard stone. They could've escaped in time but they weren't lucky as Bellatrix took this opportunity to throw the dagger, which she used to carve Hermione, at Dobby. Before he could comprehend what had happened, Voldemort apparated before them and last thing he heard was his name before two killing curses were shot at them.
Hermione took the curse to her chest and he watched as she fell forward. He knew she preferred this to the torture from Bellatrix or god forbid Greyback. She had looked like she had long accepted this end and it broke his heart. He saw Draco screaming Hermione's name and being physically restrained by his parents before the curse hit him. He felt excruciating pain in his scar as he reminisced his journey, memory by memory, cursing himself for all bad decisions and wishing he could correct them all for their sake. He wished for a peaceful life with Hermione before everything went blank.
It could have been the Beltane night or their bond or the hallows, it was not known what had granted his wishes. Not only did his but also, 37 years in the past, the wishes of an old couple of a nearly extinct family line came true.
31st December 1960
Helena and Hector Selwyn, aged 45 and 48 respectively, had been trying to conceive for the past 20 years with no success and had finally succeeded about a little over eight months back. Helen had gone into labor in the early hours of the day and the midwife and the nanny elves were attending to her. They had decided to wait until birth to know the baby's gender due to their past experience with miscarriages. When Hector had taken to pacing the drawing room of their ancestral home at Wiltshire, England to assuage his worry, their chief house elf, Nikky, popped in requesting his presence in the labor room.
"Congratulations Lord Selwyn. You are blessed with twins, a boy and a girl. The mother and the children are healthy and the children seen to have an unusually strong bond, even stronger than one most magical twins have" informed the midwife.
"Thank you Mrs. Zenith, you have done an exceptional work, please feel free to contact us in case of any need. Though I must request you to keep their birth and bond confidential. We will announce their birth in the Daily Prophet in few days, post their introduction to the family"
"Of course" agreed the midwife and bid him goodbye
Hector hurried inside to check on his wife and children. As he stepped in he froze at the sight of his Helen hugging both the babies to her side. He hasn't seen her so radiant since long and he still couldn't believe he was a father now, the father of twins. The tiny little bundles in his wife's hands were theirs, how they had longed for this day.
"It was definitely worth the wait dear. They're the most beautiful babies in the world" declared Helen
Smiling at his wife's declaration, he marched towards his family and he sat next to his wife after placing a kiss on her forehead. She had gone through a lot for their family.
"Definitely worth the wait if it makes you this happy dear"
"Here Hett, meet our first born, handsome little Heracles Aganus Selwyn"
Hector looked at the baby boy on Helena's right, he had brownish black hair like him and sage green eyes like Helen. He was all and beyond what he had expected and he reached out to hold his arms.
"and here is our little lady Hermione Athena Selwyn. The midwife asked them to be kept closer to each other for a month or two as the bond could take some time to settle. It seems they will have a very powerful bond"
He was not hearing much of what Helena was saying because as soon as he locked eyes with his daughter, he was mesmerised by her eyes. It was honey glazed brown like his mother's and it glittered like gold as she looked up at him. She had dark brown hair like Helena and she was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. He held a finger in front of the babies and they instantly grabbed on to it at the same time and this feeling of these tiny fingers in his hands was otherworldly. He had never felt so content in his life. He looked up to see his wife smiling warmly at him and he wanted to preserve this memory forever.
"Our Mia and Harry are going to be the stars of wizarding world"
"Mia and Harry, I like it. We should get ready for the birth announcement and we must also inform our relatives in Britain before the newspaper does, else your sister and cousins will be offended"
"Yeah, Dru is behaving a lot like Walburga these days. Don't know what happened to my sweet little cousin. Not sure when Kala's due date is, our children will be in the same year as their cousin at Hogwarts. Euphe might want to come over with James for few days, they are very close in age too though Jamie will be a year ahead at school"
"At least now my sister-in-law needn't worry about lack of play mates for baby James, he has got two tiny cousins"
