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“Oh! I’m so excited!” She says while her partner shook his head. Usually, he's the one overflowing with excitement, especially for an occasion such as this.
"If you smile like that everyone will see your wrinkles; it's not the most flattering image." He grinned while holding her shoulder, and she slapped him for his comment. Her eyes look playful and angry, and that is a dangerous mix from his experience. He could only grab her hand to walk towards the gate.
"Come on, Lilyflower. it's time for us to go," he said, and her playful mood disappeared while passing the gate with her husband. She felt nervous and unconsciously squeezed her husband's hand.
"I hope we can meet him," she whispered to her husband. James nodded solemnly and waved his hand to their friends before they disappeared as a white light surrounded them.
- \(^_^)9 -
It started a few weeks ago when a mysterious figure approaches them and gives them an offer they never thought would be possible.
The black robes it wears dangle sweeping the ground when it walks. Its eyes were sharp, and a cynical and sadistic smile adorned his face. It waves its hand to everyone it passes by, everyone knows what happens to you when the end of October comes near, and it approaches you. Most of them are hoping it will come to them, but no one knows how it works. It finally stops at a minimalist house with a little flower garden in the little front yard. Roses, jasmines, hibiscus, petunias, and lily flowers decorate the little garden. It admired the beautiful garden for a while before continuing its mission, knocking on the doors a few times, before someone came to welcome it.
“Your garden is really lovely!” It says, and without further ado, enters the house, passing by the host.
Minutes later, tea was served as it was joined by its hosts in the sitting room. “You know who I am.” It says while sipping at its cup of tea. It was not a question, and the host only nodded and waited for what came next. Lily, the host of the house, didn’t want to be rude to the entity in front of her.
It checks her and her husband before waving its hand, and an old book appears at the table. It waves its hand again, and the book opens to a page about halfway through.
“Ah... How rude of me. Even though you know me, it's really rude not to introduce myself. Let me start again. I don’t have a name; everyone calls me Death” Its voice is a bit scary when it says its name with a sadistic smile.
“What can I do for you, Death?” Asked James politely.
“You're really clueless, huh? Nobody informed you of what it means when I approach those in my realm?”
“No... I… I mean, I've only heard rumors, but I am not sure about it.” Lily answers Death's question with a curious yet nervous expression on her face. Death sips its tea again.
“Right, I will explain, It’s useless if I offer you something but you don't know what it is.” Death then explains the meaning of its appearance every last week of October to every dead person in the afterlife. Lily and James gasp, Lily in particular is overwhelmed with joy and squeezes tightly on James' hand.
“So.. you say that we can come back to the living world for three days!?” Lily said to make sure of it.
“Yes, I did, Mrs. Potter. I offer both of you back to the living world for three days, and if you are lucky, you can meet your son,” Death says full of emphasis when saying their son.
“I accept!” Lily agreed without thinking twice.
“Lily…” James tries to make it more sense to Lily. He is not really sure about the offer.
“James, it’s an opportunity that we may never get again! I miss him, James... I really miss him.” Lily says with sadness, but also with a slight excitement that she can’t hide. James sighs and feels defeated.
“Fine.. but I want to read the contract first!” Death smiles again and pushes the old book.
“The contract, as you can see, is on that page of the book. Read it as long as you want,” Death says while seeing the couple with an unreadable expression.
“If you're finished reading the contract, just sign it.” Death waves its hand, and the quill appears next to the contract book.
“We can meet our son, but he can't recognize us? Why? Can we have an exception to this clause?” Lily tried to bargain with Death, but it shook its head.
“No, Mrs. Potter. It’s the only deal I have for you if you want to go back to the living world and meet your son”
“But-” Death stops Lily from attempting to bargain again.
“If you are clever, you can find a way to communicate with your son without violating the contract” Death knows that is possible, it was not the first time someone had tried to bargain with it, and it amused Death.
Then Death watched both of them sign the contract book, and the book suddenly glowed before vanishing.
“Ah... Happy to work with you two. Be ready to go on the night of the 28th of October. Don’t bring anything.” Death says, before vanishing into thin air.
- \(^_^)9 -
A red banner decorated with colorful lights illuminated one of the dark corners of Diagon Alley. It read "HalloW! Cafe, welcoming every customer who comes for dinner or even just hanging out with friends." This quaint cafe only opened after sunset and closed before sunrise, only appearing for a few days every year. Aside from that, this little cafe could only be seen by those who are pure of soul or are intimately familiar with Death. It became a legend in the Wizarding World, especially in Wizarding Britain. The existence of this cafe was only spread through word of mouth and exclusive leaflets. Every year, many people would go to England to visit this little cafe, but only a handful would ever find the elusive restaurant.
That night the cafe was not as full as the last two days. It’s the last day of the year the cafe can be seen, and Lily was optimistic that Harry would come to visit the cafe that night, and eagerly watched the door to see her beloved son walk in. James was a little more skeptical; he didn't want to burst Lily’s mood, but as the night was crawling on he had the feeling that the opportunity was just too good to be true. He didn’t want her to get disappointed if the ones she wanted to see the most wouldn't even find the little cafe. It was a small cafe tucked away in the dark corner of Diagon Alley, after all, not like The Leaky Cauldron, which was a much more easily accessible venue.
"Why don't you take over Carina’s place as a hostess? So you will know exactly who is coming." He suggests. He said it with his patented Potter charm. Her eyes sparkle at the thought of seeing Harry as soon as possible, and she immediately approaches Carina to switch places.
"Is that ok?" Asked an apron-wearing, ponytailed black-haired wizard, while giving a tray with a bowl of tomato soup and spaghetti to James. James just nodded and accepted the ordered food for their patrons.
"I don't want to see her get disappointed because Harry didn't come, but at least now she is getting a heads up when someone new enters the cafe. It's the last day after all". James sighed, took the tray, and went to the patrons who ordered the food. For a moment, his expression changed to become more professional.
- \(^_^)9 -
Brooding. That's the activity Harry’s often doing when the 31st of October comes near. Daphne knows exactly how to make his mood better, but that day, Iris had been throwing tantrums since the morning, making the couple overwhelmed. They don't know what set her off and have no clue what they should do to calm their daughter; they’ve tried everything already. The day has been so hectic that neither of the couple realized that it was already Halloween.
Daphne finally gets Iris to calm down by telling her they will go for a walk. Iris' eyes lit up with enthusiasm about the idea of going to Diagon Alley at night. Daphne gives Harry an apologetic smile; taking Iris out to Diagon Alley is going to be another tiring event, after a day filled with them. Harry only sighs and says yes to his daughter who gives him puppy eyes while her face glistens with tears. Daphne kissed her husband and persuaded their daughter to get ready.
Harry, with his lovely wife and their little daughter, finally arrives at Leaky Cauldron. Before walking around Diagon Alley, Daphne suggests they get dinner first. Iris only ate fruits and milk all day and that makes her worry, a growing girl needs her nutrients after all. At first, Harry thought it would be a good idea if they just ate in Leaky Cauldron, but that night the bar was crowded and Iris looked like she wanted to start to cry again; she does not fancy crowded places. Iris hugs Harry tight while they try to get out of Leaky to Diagon after exchanging greetings with the barkeeper, Goro, the new barkeeper after Tom retired. He understood when he saw Iris' expression and helped them toward the wall gate.
"Thanks, Goro!" Harry said, Goro only waved his hand and back to his position. Harry unconsciously taps the brick.
“I didn't know the Leaky was going to be that crowded tonight,” Harry sighs. "If I had known, I would have suggested that we apparate to Diagon Alley directly, shhh Iris... we’re here," Harry says softly as he rubs his daughter's back.
“Welcome to Diagon Alley, Iris,” Daphne says with a wide smile.
“Let’s start walking, shall we?” Harry grabs Daphne’s hand and starts to walk.
Iris looks happier, her eyes wandering and inspecting every closed store they passed.
“Do you know of any place that is still open at this hour?” He waves his hand while murmuring ‘Tempus’ quietly, Daphne tries to remember what Astoria had told her about a little cafe.
"Hmmmm maybe," Daphne looked off down the street at a small side road toward the end of the alley. "I think Tori told me about an out of the way place she heard about once. Maybe we should try it?"
Thankfully, Diagon Alley wasn't as crowded at night as it was during the day. Almost all of the stores are closed and one of the only things open in the main alley is Gringotts. Only the light from each storefront helped illuminate the darkened street. Both mother and daughter went to hold Harry closer. The creepy atmosphere felt like crawling underneath their skin.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Harry asked, unsure. As they walked, Iris was happily asking her dad about anything and everything they saw on their stroll through Diagon Alley. Daphne smiled and glanced occasionally at their interaction while looking for the little cafe that Astoria had told her about.
Daphne nodded "Yes. Tori said the cafe is not that far from Gringotts". Both of them suddenly stop when Iris points her finger to the bright place excitedly to her father and asks to get out of Harry's embrace, but Harry hugged her tighter. Harry and Daphne had never seen that place before. Where did it come from? A few minutes ago both of them had not seen that place at all.
“How have we never realized this place exists? Is it new?” Harry asks, confused. Daphne shook her head.
"Tori has been here before, I think... I think we are in the right place." Harry is skeptical of the cafe; he has never seen this place in all the times he's had a night patrol of Diagon Alley. A bright red banner with the cafe's name pops up.
"HalloW! Cafe" Daphne reads. Harry and Daphne looked at each other.
"Are you sure?" Harry hesitates but Iris pinches Harry's cheek for attention.
"Let's go inside, daddy!" She said excitedly. The brightly lit cafe attracts her like a moth. Harry didn’t want to make her daughter more upset, so he and Daphne decided to enter that place. Both of them realize how hungry they are.
"Okay let's go!" Harry and his little family enter the cafe and the welcome waiter automatically welcomes their arrival.
"Welcome to HalloW! Cafe, follow me please!" The waiter said politely, leading them to the table. After they sit in their perspective chair, the waiter gives them a menu book.
"Please push the button if you are ready to order," they said, while pointing to the little box with a red button, then the waiter goes back to her position.
- \(^_^)9 -
Lily had spent most of her day welcoming random people into the cafe, but she was really only looking for one specific person. Even with the mind-numbing task ahead of her, she held onto the spark of hope that Harry would be the next person to walk in; this is the most exciting she has been in a long time. She likes to see people interacting with each other, witnessing every expression. To be honest, Lily wants to give up waiting for her son to come. But deep in her heart, she is still wishing and optimistic that her Harry will come. Although she knows when Harry comes in, he won’t recognize them, that’s the main rule Death had told them. Their faces will disguise themselves when someone who knows them comes. Although Lily and James didn’t like it, the prospect of interacting with their son was a blessing.
Suddenly her eyes lit up with enthusiasm when the little family entered the cafe. She kept her expressions professional, but she was on the verge of jumping with joy. Her Harry's coming! And with… oh! Her daughter-in-law and their daughter! Her granddaughter! She feels giddy with happiness. She can’t help but smile widely. She cursed it in her mind. Her wishes come true!
Lily saw James gasping at his position silently. She makes sure that he can see Harry. Both of them really can’t control their happiness.
‘MY HARRY IS FINALLY HERE!!’ They were both screaming to themselves.
James had to take a deep breath a few times before he does something stupid. Eventually, though, he managed to calm himself.
Lily wants to hug and kiss them, but she can't. She glances at them secretly when they enter the cafe.
Unnoticed by all of them, Iris' eyes widened when she saw the waiters for the first time.
- \(^_^)9 -
"Nice place isn't it?" Her eyes wandered through the place; not a lot of people came that night. Only a few tables were occupied. Harry nodded to agree.
"What do you want to eat, Iris?" Iris looks at the menu book and thinks hard about what she wants to eat. After a few minutes, she finally points her finger at the roast chicken. He looks at Daphne for approval of their daughter's choice, and Daphne smiles and nods to let her daughter eat what she wants tonight. Daphne was a notoriously picky eater, and she knew that Iris was the same way, she didn’t want Iris to choose something that she wouldn’t enjoy
Harry knows Daphne is just very protective and careful; raising their firstborn has been a challenge, with neither of them having positive parental figures to fall back on for support. Daphne was left to be raised by her father's house elves; he did not take an active role in her childhood after her mother passed away. Both of them had learned on the fly with Iris, but they are doing their best to provide everything for her.
After settling with their order, Iris pushes the red button. Not that long after, an enthusiastic James Potter, donning his disguise, appears at their table.
"Are you ready for the order?" He asked professionally, before taking their order. James was surprised to see Harry now, he had grown into a fine handsome man. Accompanied by a really beautiful wife and cute little daughter. The scrawny little boy he saw a few years ago vanished, and he was proud of him.
Lily rushed back and asked to swap back to waiter duties; she desperately wanted to interact with the Potter family again. Carina gave Lily a knowing smile before taking up door duty again; she was in the same position when the cafe first opened. It’s their turn. She is happy for them.
Lily hugs James tightly when she arrives at the waiter's post.
“He showed up, James! And he didn’t come alone!” Her cheeks were wet with tears. James' eyes also glistened with tears as he tried his hardest to keep a tear from falling.
“I know! I just took their order... She is really lucky to have our Harry. Harry looks to love them so much. But ... their daughter has been looking at me with a weird expression.”
“What do you mean?” Lily secretly glanced at their table. She saw the little girl smile at her. Lily was surprised by that.
“She... She… She is smiling at me, James! Does she recognize us?” James is thinking hard. Lily saw him demand an answer.
“I... I think so”
“Table 7!” The chef's yells startled both of them.
“Let me…” Lily takes the tray and brings the order to Harry’s table.
- \(^_^)9 -
Iris who openly saw the interaction between the waiters frowned confused. She thought hard and tried to remember where she ever saw their face.
"What's wrong, Iris?" Iris looked up at her mother.
"I think I have seen them somewhere, but I don't remember" Harry frowned.
"What are you talking about, honey?" Iris pointed her fingers at the waiters.
"Them… they look familiar" Harry watches the waiters and tries to remember if he and Iris ever meet them somewhere. Iris does not often go outside and meet new people, so everyone who meets Iris should meet Harry or Daphne first.
"Don’t think that hard, honey. You will get the answer later, ok?” Harry patted her hand and sip his water suspiciously.
- \(^_^)9 -
“Order for table 7!” Lily in disguise announces, when arriving at Harry’s table and serves the food.
“That’s mine!” Iris says, trying to get up from her chair to reach the food.
“Patient Iris..” Daphne warns, but Iris ignores her. Harry holds her fast so she sits still.
“Ah… the kids are always impatient for their food. Don’t worry about that” when her food is served in front of her, Iris grabs her fork and stabs the carrots before she eats it happily. Lily smiles at her enthusiastic granddaughter.
“Her enthusiasm for food reminds me of my granddaughter. Your daughter’s really cute” Lily said about her imaginary granddaughter to Daphne. Daphne warms up and smiles at Iris and then at Lily.
“How old is your granddaughter if you don't mind?” Lily watches Iris eat. Harry helps cut the roast chicken so she can easily eat it.
“She is currently 5 years old, how old is she?” Lily hugs the tray.
“Four!!” said Iris with a mouth full of food.
“She turned 4 years old last month,” answered Harry, his eyes shining proudly.
“I think I should go back to my post. Enjoy the food, please push the button if you need something else” said her again while smiling at both of them before going back to her post.
Iris, although still 4 years old, is a very observant child. While her father cuts her roast chicken, Iris watches the waiter and her mother interact. Now she remembers who she is after looking at her closer. But why didn't her parents recognize her? Her mother treats her like a stranger. She was confused. She wants to tell her parents who she is, but somehow she can’t say anything. So she just chews her roast chicken slowly in frustration, sometimes stabbing her carrots and fries.
- \(^_^)9 -
Harry is aware that her daughter is suddenly eating her food silently. While Daphne didn't think much of it, she was glad that Iris was finally eating something that wasn’t fruit. She was too tired to notice the small things.
“It's been a very long day,” Harry nodded.
“But the day is not finished yet,” said Harry.
“I know, we still have to get home and get Iris in bed” Daphne sipped her cider slowly. She glances at Iris who finishes her food.
“Go home now, Iris?” Suggest her father. Iris shook her head, disagreeing.
“But it’s late at night, Iris,” Daphne persuades her. But Iris only starts to cry again.
“Oh god” murmured Harry tired.
Both Harry and Daphne tried to get Iris to settle down, burning with embarrassment that this was happening in a public place. As they were running out of ideas Lily and James stepped up. They approached the crying child.
“Hello... What’s your name? My name is Charlus” James says, kneeling down while talking to Iris. Iris stops crying to answer.
Harry and Daphne were prepared to just apparate home, wanting to get out of the public as they were out of ideas to deal with Iris. Watching their daughter talk with the waiter cheerfully, both new parents have never been so grateful for someone to enter their lives for once.
“Here... it’s for you” Lily gives her a stuffed dragon.
“For me?” Iris was awed by the new stuffed dragon. Its color is red with a shade of black as highlights.
“I know you recognize us and want to tell them who we are but can’t, right?” her eyes wide, Lily caresses her cheek full of affection.
“I know it’s frustrating, but you can’t say anything when you're still here. Tell them you talk to me and grandpa when you arrive home, ok?” Iris only listens to every word her grandmother says. She wiped her tears with her sleeve.
“Be a good daughter for your parents, Iris, they really love you” Iris hugs Lily and says thank you quietly. Lily smiles and pats her head before kissing her chubby cheek.
“Oh.. when you arrive home, give the letter inside your stuffed pocket to your father.” Lily wink at her. Iris smiled and nodded.
“Grandmother and grandfather love you, Iris” whispers Lily before Iris runs to her mother. Daphne hugs Iris and says sorry for the inconvenience.
- \(^_^)9 -
While Lily is in charge to handle Iris' tantrum, James approaches Harry and Daphne to calm both of them.
“Thank you... Honestly, I don’t know what would have happened if you didn't step up” Harry was extremely grateful. He saw Iris talking with a waiter who didn't know her name.
“Charlus? Can I call you Charlus?” James nodded.
“Charlus, I’m very grateful that you showed up when you did, talking to Iris and helping her calm down. She has been crying all day. I don’t know what happened. We didn't know how to handle it. It’s her first time she’s crying a lot like that, both of us are really tired” James gives Daphne a glass of water, and she starts sobbing in Harry's arms.
“Kids are always a handful, I admit. When my son was the same age as Iris, we were doing the same thing as you. If she throws a tantrum again, I recommend trying to talk to her slowly, that is one of the best ways to get the children to think about what they want and it gets them to stop crying a lot of the time.” Harry nodded solemnly.
James doesn't know what he was saying, he never got to take care of his son. The same son who is standing in front of him, and who grew up alone without him and Lily. He never saw him at the same age as Iris. But it's the right thing to do. James remembers what Andromeda did when he and Lily visited her. That time, Nymphadora threw a tantrum and she handled it flawlessly. Those are the experiences he was pulling on
“Thank you,” James patted Harry's shoulder and squeezed it, giving him strength. James sees Iris run and approaches her parents, Daphne hugs her tightly.
Lily smiles at James. Then both of them watch the small family out of their cafe. Both of them will never forget what happened today. He will say thank you to Death, who gave them the chance.
- \(^_^)9 -
Iris was sleeping soundly when they arrived at their lovely home. She hugs the new stuffed dragon close to her chest.
Becoming a parent is exhausting, and Harry respects all of the parents out there who can handle their children flawlessly. Daphne sat next to Harry on the sofa after tucking Iris into her bed. In her hand are two bottles of butterbeer, one of which she gives to Harry. Harry said thanks and drank deeply until putting it down and looking at his lovely wife. Daphne, unlike Harry, drinks it slowly, savoring the taste of her favorite drink.
“We really learned something today, huh?”
“Yeah… it makes me really wonder if I'm doing a good job with Iris”
“You are still a wonderful mother, Daph” Harry pulled her into his lap. Wrapped his arms around her waist, he rested his head on her shoulder.
"Is that so?" she feels her cheeks blushing. He nodded while leaning into her shoulder. "And you are an amazing father" praised Daphne.
"I think we make a great team." He whispered. She feels shivers down her spine as he placed a kiss on her cheek.
"I'm too tired to do that," She said with a small laugh, and Harry agreed. It had been a rough few days, and he just wanted to relax with his wife. He wrapped his arms around her and began to drift off to sleep. She was watching TV when she heard a light snoring. She smiled and caressed his hand, not that long, she too fell asleep in his lap.
The sound of a giggling Iris woke her immediately. Her daughter was wide awake and making a ruckus playing with her new toy. She realized that she was sleeping on her husband's lap. She can imagine how sore his body is, sleeping on the couch with her on top.
“Don’t go...” he mumbled, pulling her in his hug.
“Morning, charming. Iris is up.” Harry opens his eyes immediately.
“She's not crying again right?” Daphne smirked but then she shook her head and kissed his lips.
“No.. she’s giggling madly. I think she is too happy with her new toy”
“Good! I want bacon and eggs” he demanded playfully, Daphne kissed him again on the lips before getting up to find her daughter.
She found her daughter in her playroom, "Morning, princess."
"Mommy!"
"Let's have breakfast... What do you want this morning?" Iris pretends to think, she and her mother walk hand in hand from her playroom to the kitchen.
"The same as daddy!"
"Right! as ordered!" she said, saluting like a sailor. She saw Harry already at the kitchen table helping himself to a cup of coffee and a newspaper.
"Morning, daddy!"
"Morning!" Harry helps Iris sit in her high chair.
"Dragon?!" Iris panics looking for her new dragon. Harry summons her stuffed dragon before Iris cries again.
"Here, princess."
"Thank you.." smiles Iris. Then she remembered what her grandmother told her. She opened the little pocket of her stuffed dragon.
"Daddy! here! I got a letter for you, it's from grandmother!” Harry frowned and said thank you to Iris.
"Who is this grandmother, Iris?" Daphne asks suspiciously.
"The woman who gave me this." Iris shows her stuffed dragon proudly. Harry immediately opened the letter and read it... then read it again. Then he read it a third time, just to make sure it was real.
- \(^_^)9 -
Dear Harry and his little family,
We hope this letter reaches you.
You probably won't believe us, but tonight we get to personally meet you in a corporeal form. Even though we are not able to tell you who we are, it is still the happiest night we have had in a very long time.
A few days ago, death visited us and offered us a chance to go back to the living world for the last 3 days of October. I know you often have trouble with Halloween, and I was almost devastated thinking that you would not come, and I almost did not believe my eyes when a miracle happened, and you actually walked through those doors! You can't imagine how happy we both were. You have grown into a man the fine handsome man we always imagined you would be,
We think this is the only way we can interact with you without violating the oath we took with Death. Iris managed to recognize us so it gave us the idea to write this letter to you.
You are an amazing father and husband. We can see it when your wife looks at you and you look at her full of love. She is very lucky to have you, and your daughter adores both of you.
We are very happy to see you living a good life.
I'm really proud of you. I'm really really proud. If I could say it a million times, it would still not be enough to get the message across.
We love you. Always.
Don't do anything stupid to try and get to see us before the time is right. Cherish the time you have with your family. We will meet again some day, but until then live a long and happy life.
Full of love from your mom and dad in the afterlife, we will love you always.
Lily and James.
- \(^_^)9 -
Harry cried... He never imagined yesterday's Iris issue leading him to such a surprise like this. He never dreamt of having a letter in his parents' handwriting. Yesterday was a blessing in disguise, after all. He gave the letter to his wife who was confused at seeing him crying while hugging his daughter tightly. Iris hugged him back, crying too.
Daphne urgently read the letter. Her eyes glistened with tears. She turned off the stove and wrapped her arms around Harry.
“Oh, Harry!” Both adults finally let their emotions spill over, all the frustration and sleepless nights leading to this amazing letter. Harry held his wife close while Iris managed to squirm out of the grasp of both her sobbing parents.
He didn’t know how long he was crying, but he felt better.
“Thank you,” he said.
“I’m yours Harry, and you are mine. We’ll get through this together.”
“Yesterday certainly was a test of that.” he chuckled, pulling Daphne to his lap and kissing her neck.
“Hands to yourself Mr. Potter, the baby is still here,” Daphne warned.
“So what will you be doing today? Besides lazing around at our lovely house,” she teased. Harry rested his head on her shoulder.
“I think I'm going to put last night's memories in the Pensieve, wanna help?” He asked Daphne.
“Of course... I want to check it too. I can't believe we couldn’t see your parents there.”
“I know... It doesn't seem real.” But before both of them off and walk towards his study, Iris giggles madly and approaches them. Above her head, the stuffed dragon flew around in a circle.
“Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Harry?” Daphne asked with a mischievous smirk. Without warning, Harry picked Iris up and she squealed.
“I’m very proud of you, Iris my princess!”
— END —