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Chapter Text

One shots (Phan):

Wokingham, Berkshire, England, Summer, 1989.

Daniel James Howell always knew that he was special.

It started when he was six- the young boy realizing that something was wrong, and unnatural about him.

He could read minds.

And he tried to tell his parents at first, only for them to play things off, believing that he was lying for attention.

He wasn’t.

Their relationship became rocky after that, getting worse when he was seven years old, the year when his younger brother was born.

And he hated Adrian.

The younger boy was the center of their entire world, while he was pushed to the sidelines, slowly becoming the forgotten son.

He just kept his abilities to himself after that, but that didn’t stop him from feeling the thoughts of the people around them, the feeling overwhelming to him.

He just tried his best to block them out, his life moving on after that as he acted like the perfect son, even though he wasn’t.

It wasn’t until his eleventh birthday however, when everything changed once again.

For worse.

He just woke up that morning, getting dressed in the same black outfit that he wore every day, before he walked down the stairs, having plans to make breakfast.

Which was when he paused.

There was something in the mailbox, the feeling calling to him, causing him to walk outside into the hot English heat, the cement hot under his bare feet as he walked towards the mailbox.

Got it.

Daniel J. Howell, the thick paper read, the words written into an emerald green ink, his eyes going wide once they scanned the words that were written.

The smallest room upstairs.

Wokingham.

England.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, before he pulled the letter out of the envelope, walking back into the house just in time for his mother to appear at the bottom of the stairs.

Dear Mister Howell,

We are pleased to inform you that you’ve been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The term starts on September 01st, and a representative will be sent to your house to give you more information.

We await your owl.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall.

Deputy Headmistress.

“What’s that, sweetheart?” His mother just asked him, her tone of voice sickly sweet, even though her eyes showed a different emotion.

She couldn’t have given a shit.

“It’s a letter,” he just responded, his tone of voice filled with confusion, as he handed it to her, unaware that this would be a bad decision.

In fact, his actions caused a heated argument between his two parents, the young man forced to babysit his four year old brother, who was cranky that morning.

“No! No! No!” He kept screaming, throwing his toy car onto the ground, causing the young boy to get a massive headache.

He just wanted the pain to end.

Eventually though, his parents reached a decision, the older couple allowing him to go, even though they were skeptical.

I mean, of course they were, but it wasn’t until a representative of the school came to see them, confirming that the letter was true.

It wasn’t a prank. It was actual reality.

He just got his school supplies, his last night in his childhood home tense, especially since he knew that he wouldn’t see them for an entire year.

But maybe that was a good thing.

They just dropped him off at King’s Cross the next morning, giving him a dirty look as they walked away, leaving him alone in the middle of the station panicking.

Where was that stupid platform?

“Hey. You alright?”

The voice came from an older looking boy, one with ginger hair and bright blue eyes, a smile on his face as they made eye contact.

He just shook his head, tears in his eyes as he continued looking at the other boy, who was handsome, his looks stirring something inside him.

Butterflies?

“Are you looking for the platform?” The other boy just said again, causing his eyes to widen in shock, before he nodded, causing the older boy to take his hand.

“Follow me,” he just said again, before he led the younger boy through the platform, causing him to laugh lightly at the look in his eyes.

It was a look that he recognized instantly.

“Are you a muggle born?” He just asked, once they were settled into a compartment, his older brother leaving them alone so that he could join his own friends.

“What’s that?”

He just frowned at those words, his bright blue eyes looking at the younger boy as he took the time to process everything.

He had a tanned complexion to his skin, along with curly brown hair and brown eyes, which had a hint of innocence to them.

“It means you're a wizard born to two muggle parents.”

“Oh.”

There was a short silence after that, the train departing the station, before the younger boy spoke again, his eyes focusing on his hands as he spoke.

“Then yeah. I guess.”

He didn’t sound confident, but he just changed the subject, introducing himself after that, not expecting to get a response back.

“I’m Phil. Phil Lester.”

He didn’t, but he didn’t mind, just took the time to talk about himself, telling the younger boy that he was a second year Hufflepuff.

He also bought some sweets from the trolly, sharing his favorite candies with the younger boy, who gasped once they opened a chocolate frog card.

Pretty cool, right?

But unfortunately, though, before they knew it, the train arrived at Hogwarts, causing the two boys to go their separate ways, one towards his house table, and one with the other first years.

They were led into the Great Hall, before the sorting happened, the houses getting chosen by a torn and dusty hat, causing the younger boy to become disappointed.

Whatever he was expecting obviously wasn’t that. You know?

“Howell, Daniel!”

He just took a deep breath, before he walked towards the stool, the sorting hat getting placed onto his head after that, the silence suffocating.

“You have ambition,” the dusty old hat just told him, his tone of voice smooth sounding inside his ear, causing him to fidget with nervousness.

“You’ll do well in Slytherin, but it’ll be a hard path ahead of you. Are you up for it?”

He knew what the hat meant, of course, the young boy told by Phil that purebloods hated muggle borns, looking down on them, believing that they stole their magic.

They didn’t obviously, but apparently there was an entire war about it, one that reminded him of the Holocaust, which was also quite brutal.

But not every pureblood family believed those beliefs though- those families getting labeled as blood traitors, causing them to become alienated from their own community.

The two biggest examples were the Lester and Weasley families.

So it was nice to know that his new friend didn’t believe those beliefs.

“SLYTHERIN!”

Even though he was expecting it, those words still caught him off guard, causing a tense smile to appear on his face as he walked towards the green and silver table that clapped for him.

Well at first they did.

He just exchanged a look with his Hufflepuff friend, who smiled at him, before he looked away, sitting down next to a terrifying looking boy, who couldn’t have been much older than him.

And the sorting moved on after that, the young boy listening to the conversation that flowed around him, until it turned to him, someone asking him a question that made him freeze in horror.

“Well, Howell? What do your parents do?”

He just looked at the person who spoke, a young girl with dark raven colored hair and green eyes, her words causing everyone to turn towards him.

“Um.”

He didn’t know how to answer that question, especially since he knew that most of his housemates were purebloods, who hated him.

Great.

“My fathers a accountant,” he just stated, his tone of voice soft, his face growing red as everyone continued to stare at him.

And he was about to talk about his mother when he paused, the words that were said causing him to become frozen, everyone that was staring at him becoming darker.

“You’re a mudblood?”

Those words were said loud enough for the entire table to hear them, causing the rumors to spread after that, none of them able to believe it.

Was Merlin punishing them for something?

“There’s a mudblood in our house?”

“That’s impossible.”

“You don’t belong here, mudblood.”

He just lowered his head at those words, aware that the students next to him changed seats, leaving a large gap between him and the other students.

He wasn’t welcomed.

And what made things worse was the fact that the whole school noticed this, the other students giving him pitying looks, which quickly tired him.

Even the professors gave him pitying looks, which soon grew old very quickly.

Besides, he was used to getting bullied, the behavior of his house mates nothing new to him, his own head of house encouraging the bullying, doing nothing to stop it.

Which sucked, to be honest.

What was new to him though, was the fact that Phil Lester stuck by his side, his only friend during school.

I mean, they were inseparable, and even wrote during the summer, a day never going by when they didn’t write to each other.

It was during his third year however, when something exciting happened, catching him off guard.

Not only did Slytherin get most of the students that year, but a name was also called, one that caused a harsh silence to fall over the hall.

“Potter, Harry!”

His eyes went wide with shock, his best friend Phil telling him all about the first wizarding war, and how it ended.

And he still couldn’t believe that a baby defeated the darkest wizard of all time, the events skeptical to him, even though he kept those thoughts to himself.

No one needed to know that he thought that. After all, it’d just do more harm than good.

Unfortunately.

His eyes watched as a timid boy walked up to the stool, a silent conversation happening for a couple of minutes, before the hat spoke, causing his fellow house mates to boo in response.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

He didn’t join in though, just kept his head down as he listened to his house mates silent conversation, everybody pretending like he didn’t exist.

Which caused the first years to notice this, their questions getting answered by the older students, who advised them to stay away from him.

“He’s a mudblood,” he heard someone whisper, an older boy that he recognized as Marcus Flint, the captain of the Quidditch team.

And the word meant dirty blood- the word causing him to flinch even after two years of hearing it, the young man realizing that Hogwarts wasn’t everything that he thought it would be.

Unfortunately.

And that turned out to be an interesting year, not just with the troll incident, or the Mirror of Erised, which he and Phil accidentally discovered one evening.

But his house also lost the house cup, losing it for the first time in seven years, the house of the lions getting it instead.

Due to the actions of Harry Potter and his friends.

They were called the Golden Trio, and quickly became famous at Hogwarts for breaking the rules, causing their house to lose hundreds of points.

But those weren’t the only things that happened.

That was also the year his parents kicked him out, telling him through a letter that he wasn’t welcomed home, causing him to go home with his best friend, who’s family welcomed him with open arms.

They also confessed their feelings for each other, the two of them dating after that, their fourth and fifth years even crazier.

It started when they were walking around the Quidditch pitch one morning, their hands connected as they enjoyed the sunshine that shone over them.

But the silence didn’t last long.

They soon came across a group of Slytherin’s, all of whom they recognized as the Quidditch team, who were standing in front of the Gryffindor team, three young lions with them.

Also known as The Golden Trio.

“Shut up, you filthy mudblood,” they heard a horse faced boy with pale blond hair say, causing his eyes to narrow in anger, as he led his boyfriend towards them.

“Leave her alone, Malfoy!”

His words caused multiple pairs of eyes to turn towards them, some narrowed in matching anger, and others wide with surprise, especially once they noticed that a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff were together.

Not only that, but he was defending a group of Gryfindors, even though both their houses had a long standing rivalry.

But his reasons for defending them soon become clear.

“Or what, Howell?” He heard Marcus Flint say, his tone of voice harsh and filled with disdain, as he looked towards the two of them.

“What is a mudblood like you going to do about it?”

He could see the surprise on the faces of the Gryffindor’s- mainly the three second years- but he just held his head up high, as he stood his ground.

And it turned out that he didn’t need to do anything- one of the second years speaking up for him, saying a spell that unfortunately backfired.

“Eat slugs, Malfoy.”

He casted it on himself instead, causing both him and his boyfriend to help him towards Hagrid’s, his two friends following behind them.

And the young second year was given a bucket, before the five of them sat in silence, picking at the rock cakes that they were given.

Well, that was until the silence was interrupted, the bushy haired girl whispering the words to herself silently, almost like she was intimated by the presence of two older strangers.

She probably was.

“I don’t even know what that means.”

A tear slipped down her face, the despair in her tone of voice causing him to speak up, causing three pairs of eyes to turn towards him.

“It means dirty blood.”

He just continued holding his boyfriend’s hand, the two of them ignoring the three best friends, who exchanged a weary look with each other.

“Is it true that you’re a muggle born?”

Those words came from the boy who lived himself, his green eyes narrowed in suspicion, almost like he believed that this was a prank that was planned by the Slytherins.

But he didn’t blame him, knowing that he would have the same suspicions if he was in his shoes.

“My parents are muggles, if that’s what you're asking.”

“But you're a Slytherin.”

This time it was the young girl who spoke, her eyes weary as they looked at his green tie, along with the snake emblem that was on the side of his robe.

Once again, he didn’t blame them.

“It’s not easy being a muggle born in Slytherin. But I’m managing.”

“Barley,” he heard his boyfriend mutter underneath his breath, all four of them flinching at the sounds of retching, the younger red haired boy continuing to throw up slugs.

Disgusting.

“What does that mean?”

“It means, Dan, that you’re the most hated student in all of Slytherin. They all want you dead.”

“You’re overreacting, Phil. It’s not that bad.”

His boyfriend just gave him a knowing look, causing him to sigh, before he turned towards the young girl, who continued crying silently.

“What’s your name?”

“Hermione,” she just muttered, still not comfortable around either of them, mainly the younger man, who was a Slytherin.

And he could understand her hesitance. Trust me. He really could.

“Well Hermione, if they continue to give you problems, you come to one of us, alright? We’ll handle them for you.”

She just gave them a small smile, before the two of them left after that, a mutual understanding forming between all five of them, the three lions knowing that they had two extra people that they could rely on.

But it was two years later though, when everything really changed.

He was used to the overwhelmingness at this point, the young man blocking out people’s thoughts at this point, noticing the fact that Slytherin was getting fewer and fewer students with each passing year.

But maybe that was a good thing- especially with how the year would end.

It started though, with the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament, causing the entire school to go haywire, including his goofy boyfriend, Phil.

He wasn’t that excited though, but that made sense, considering the fact that he was a muggle born, finding the whole tournament horrifying.

He didn’t grow up in the wizarding world like Phil, after all, causing him to still be amazed by everything that he’s seen, even after living with a wizarding family for three years.

He was a sixth year at this point, but still couldn’t enter the tournament, unlike his boyfriend, who was a seventh year, excited by the fact that he was able to enter into the tournament.

But unfortunately, Phil Lester wasn’t chosen as the Hogwarts champion.

No.

Instead it was Cedric Diggory, a fellow housemate of his boyfriends, the announcement causing the Hufflepuff house to go wild, their cheers echoing through the hall.

But he wasn’t the only Hogwarts champion.

Harry Potter was also chosen as champion that year, causing the young man to realize that it wouldn’t be a normal year.

Great.

The only good thing about the tournament though, was the fact that the school was hosting a Yule ball, the only good thing that came out of that year.

In fact, they attended together, the two boys having the time of their lives as they danced, before sneaking out to kiss underneath the moonlight.

And they didn’t want the moment to end.

The final two tasks flew by in a flash though, the third task ending in an unexpected way, shifting the entire world on its axis.

Literally.

Not only was Cedric Diggery murdered unexpectedly, but Harry Potter also claimed that the dark wizard Voldemort was back, and that the second wizarding war was ahead of them.

Shit.

The Minister of Magic, though, just denied those claims, making a statement saying that both the boy who lived and Dumbledore were delusional, wanting to shatter their perfect world.

But that wasn’t the case.

It was proven at the end of his seventh and final year, that Lord Voldemort was indeed back, the Minister of Magic seeing him with his own eyes.

And no one was safe at this point.

In fact, he was in the middle of training to become a healer when the wizarding war began in 1996, the entire wizarding world getting thrown onto its feet.

Not only did the Death Eaters take over the ministry, but muggle borns were forced to register in order to keep their jobs.

Including him.

He also had to push back his wedding to Phil, neither one of them wanting to get married in the middle of a war.

For obvious reasons.

And those would be the worst years of his life, the war taking a toll on both of them, especially since his fiancé was fired from his job as an Auror, due to the fact that he was a known blood traitor.

He still had his healer training, sure, but the problem was that he wasn’t paid, due to the fact that he was a known muggle born.

A registered muggle born.

The only reason behind why he registered was because he knew what happened to the people that didn’t.

The muggle borns that ran were hunted down and killed- plus he did it to save his parents and brother, who were oblivated, forgetting the fact that he existed.

But he knew that things were better that way.

On May 02, 1998 however, the Death Eaters would storm Hogwarts, the events that followed becoming known for centuries.

The Battle of Hogwarts.

That was the day the second wizarding war came to an end- Harry Potter standing victorious, the young boy defeating Lord Voldemort during a duel.

Not only for the light to win the war, but the remaining Death Eaters were rounded up and sent to Azkaban, serving life sentences for their crimes.

But that didn’t mean that life went back to normal.

At least for Dan it didn’t, the young man shaken up by the events of the war, causing him to resign from his healing mastery.

His fiancé, though, was able to get his job back, and the two of them were finally able to marry, becoming husbands during a small and private ceremony with only his in-laws present.

And he had the chance to lift the memory spell on his family, but he decided not to, knowing that the Howell’s were better without him in his life.

Well, at first.

Because he soon realized that he missed them, both his parents and brother, even though he didn’t have a good relationship with either of them.

Which meant that he went to the Ministry of Magic, and was able to get the memory charm lifted, causing him to visit them for the last and final time.

But life moved on after that, the young man building a new life with his husband, both him and Phil happily in love, spending the rest of their lives together.

And that would never change.

Chapter Text

Reconnecting:

Muggle London, Summer, Nineteen Years Later.

Daniel James Howell-Lester hasn’t talked to his family in years.

The last time he saw them was shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts, the memory charm getting lifted, causing the family of three to remember everything.

And they weren’t happy.

In fact, they despised the fact that magic was used on them, his parents making it clear that they never wanted to see him again.

Well, it was mainly his parents, his younger brother eventually coming around, the two of them exchanging numbers, even though they rarely spoke.

He refused to go to any family gathering, preferring to spend time with his in-laws instead, the proud uncle of a little witch named Freja Lester, the daughter of his brother and sister-in-laws, Martyn, and Cornelia.

Until the call came.

It was a normal Sunday morning in the Howell-Lester house, the couple eating breakfast that morning, before the older man had to go into work, kissing his husband goodbye before he left.

Which left him alone, but he didn’t mind, the younger man spending the day watching their muggle neighbors, the familiar neighborhood comforting to them.

It took Phil a long time to adjust to muggle technology, but after many years of living in the muggle world, the older man has finally got it.

Thankfully.

In fact, he remembered the day they first moved into their London apartment, and how overwhelming it was for the both of them, for two different reasons.

It was overwhelming for his husband, who grew up in the wizarding world, the idea of muggles hard for him, even though he grew up in a family that supported them.

But it was also overwhelming for him, on the other hand, due to the fact that he hasn’t stepped foot into the muggle world since he was thirteen, the year that his parents kicked him out.

Permanently.

Which meant that there were many hard years for both of them, but they just grew with each other, the two of them eventually creating a set routine.

A routine that didn’t involve a phone call, his thoughts interrupted by the shrill ringing that came from their landline.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he walked towards the device that they rarely used, only using it to communicate with the muggle side of their family.

Which wasn’t often, to be honest.

And they were considering getting rid of it, his thoughts running wild as he picked up the phone, before he placed the receiver next to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Dan? It’s Adrian.”

I know who it is, he just thought to himself, a frown appearing on his face at those words, his brown eyes glancing towards the calendar that was hanging in the kitchen.

June.

“Is it Christmas already, Adrian?”

His tone of voice fell flat, causing the younger man to stutter for a couple of minutes, before he sighed, especially after he realized that his brother was teasing him.

Just in a derogatory way.

“Of course not, Dan. I’m calling because we need your help.”

“Who’s we?”

The entire conversation was foreign to him, nothing making sense, especially since his relationship with his younger brother was non-existent.

Like literally. They could barely tolerate each other, but they were trying.

Slowly but surely.

“My wife and I.”

He just sighed, before he spoke again, the words flowing out of his mouth automatically, even though he knew that he was going to regret them later.

Especially since it involved returning home to his hometown.

Great.

“Do you still live at our childhood home?”

He could feel his brother's surprise at those words, an uncomfortable silence settling around them, before the younger man spoke once again.

“I couldn’t sell it, Dan. You of all people know that.”

He may not have been close to them, but he knew that their parents death shocked Adrian, who had the perfect relationship with them.

He was the center of their whole world, causing their late parents to give their youngest son everything, including the family home and farm land that surrounded it.

And he didn’t attend the funeral- knowing that he wouldn’t be welcomed- meaning that he sent a condolences card in the mail, even though he didn’t mean the words that were written.

That was obvious.

“I’m on my way,” he just stated, before he hung up the phone, finding himself writing a quick letter, his words sloppy as he rushed, not even letting the ink dry before he folded it.

Phil,

Something came up. An emergency I think. I’m returning to my hometown, I don’t know when I’ll get back.

Love you,

Dan.

He just watched as the owl flew away, before he grabbed his jacket, locking the door behind him, before he walked towards the nearest Tube, knowing that wizarding transportation would be even faster.

But that was the problem.

He didn’t want to return back to his hometown.

In fact, he wanted to stall for as long as possible, meaning that he took the Tube from London to Wokingham, exhausted by the time he finally got there.

And the tiny town hasn’t changed, everything practically the same as he headed towards his childhood home, the feeling overwhelming to him.

He just knocked on the door, and was holding back tears by the time the door opener, his younger brother appearing in the doorway, looking absolutely exhausted.

He didn’t blame him.

“I didn’t think you were coming,” he just muttered in greeting, opening the door even wider, allowing the older man to walk inside.

“I told you I would.”

He knew what his brother meant though, the conversation falling flat as they walked into the living room, a familiar woman waiting for them.

His sister in law, Alyssa.

She just greeted him with a forced smile, causing him to get even more confused, especially once he noticed the young girl that was sitting on the couch, kicking her feet back and forth.

His neice, Olivia.

“Uncle Dan!” She just shouted once she saw him, the young girl always filled with energy, a little ball of endless sunshine.

Literally.

It was a running joke in the family that she had ADHD, especially since she was constantly buzzing around, unable to stand still.

She wasn’t diagnosed though, so nobody actually knew if that was the case.

He opened his mouth to say something, but, before he could, his sister-in-law spoke, her tone of voice calm as she addressed her young daughter, who continued looking at him with bright blue eyes.

“Liv darling, can you give us a minute? The adults need to talk about something.”

He watched as her eyes dropped, before she just nodded, giving him a quick hug before she danced out of the room, almost like she was a prima ballerina.

And maybe she was.

“What’s going on?” He just asked, once his niece left the room, her bedroom door closing behind her, telling all three of them that they had the living room to themselves.

His tone of voice was quiet and calm, his eyes watching as his brother and sister-in-law exchanged a look with each other, before the younger man handed him an envelope.

A familiar looking envelope.

And it didn’t take him long to realize what he was looking at, causing his eyes to widen in shock, one thought on his mind.

Karma really is a bitch.

“Oh.”

He didn’t have to look at it to know that it was a Hogwarts letter, his one word answer causing the younger woman to look at him, shock noticeable in her eyes.

“You know what this is?”

Her words caused him to look at his brother, who had a sheepish smile on his face, causing him to realize something.

“You never told her.”

“I didn’t know if you wanted me too,” the younger man just responded, causing him to hum once he thought about it.

It was a fair assumption on his brother's part, especially since he wasn’t close to the younger man’s family, only seeing them every Christmas.

Well, that was only after their parents died two years ago, their deaths still fresh in their minds, especially since his niece was close to her grandparents.

Which was shocking to him.

“Do you mind if I make a cup of coffee?” He just asked, his eyes watching as the couple looked at each other, before they shook their heads.

That was how he found himself holding a mug of coffee- black how he liked it- as he sat on the couch across from the younger couple, preparing to tell his story.

And oh boy, it was going to be a long one.

“On the morning of my eleventh birthday, we got an identical looking envelope in the mail.

Our parents, knowing them, believed that it was a joke at first, until a professor came to our doorstep.”

He paused, taking a sip of his coffee as he thought about his next words, knowing that they were going to break his younger brother.

Adrian looked up to their parents, which is why the truth was going to be hard for him, but he knew that he had to get this off his chest.

It’s been a long time.

“They hated magic, and believed it was an abomination. In fact, when I was thirteen, they told me through a letter to never come back.”

“You never told me that.”

There was a tense silence after that, the younger couple continuing to stare at him as he took another sip of his coffee, before he sighed, not daring to make eye contact with either of them.

“I thought you knew.”

His words were sincere, showing that he really did believe that his younger brother knew, treating him that way because their parents did.

But apparently he didn’t. And man, this really was confusing.

“No, I…”

The younger man sighed, before he grabbed his hand, a part of him wanting to pull away, even though he didn’t, refusing to give him a smile.

“I knew that our parents hated you, Dan. But I didn't know that it was because of your magic.

If I knew that, I wouldn’t have treated you that way. It was wrong of me, I know that now.”

No one said anything for a couple of minutes, until the younger man’s wife spoke up, asking the one question that wouldn’t leave her mind.

“Is Hogwarts a safe place?”

She cared about the well being of her daughter, and he knew that Olivia was the reason behind why she was asking that.

Which meant that he was honest when he spoke again, telling them that it depended on the students that went there, especially since children were influenced by their parents.

Trust me. He knew that for a fact.

He didn’t go in depth about his time there, but did hint onto the fact that he was bullied relentlessly, and that he had some sort of trauma for it.

PTSD most likely.

Which horrified his brother and sister-in-law, who looked at each other, knowing that there was more to the story than what he was telling them.

They didn’t mention it though.

“Will that happen to Liv?” They just asked again, his younger brother to put things straight, who grabbed his wife’s hand, squeezing it lightly.

Their eyes watched the older man closely, watching as he took another sip of his coffee, a longer one this time, before he slowly started to relax, thankful that they changed the subject.

“I don’t know,” he just told them, his brown eyes glancing towards the stars, the bedroom door still closed, causing him to smile softly.

He was fond of his niece after all- he loved Freja, sure, but she wasn’t his niece by blood, meaning that he shared a closer bond to his brother's daughter, than he did with Martyn’s.

If that makes sense.

“It shouldn’t. Times are changing after all, meaning that this new generation should be more open minded.”

He watched as they glanced at each other, before his brother spoke again, keeping his tone of voice calm with every word.

“Can we think about it? It’s a lot to process, Dan. You of all people know that.”

He just nodded, before he got ready to leave, only to pause in the doorway, before he turned towards his younger brother.

“I’d do anything for Olivia. You know that.”

He left the house with a smile on his face, a little too tired to take the Tube back home, which is why he chose to apparate instead, hoping that he didn’t splinch himself.

And he didn’t.

To his surprise, his husband was already home when he arrived, just getting home by the looks of it, the older man still dressed in his Auror robes.

He was head Auror at this point, and was one of the best Aurors on the entire task force, the best at his job.

Or maybe that was just him being biased.

“You look exhausted,” the older man commented, once he walked into the living room, practically collapsing onto the couch.

He just hummed in response, listening to the sounds of his husband taking his shoes off, before he spoke again, his tone of voice filled with curiosity.

“I got your letter. Are you going to tell me what happened?”

He just shifted his position, his eyes watching as his husband took his robes off, leaving him in just his undershirt and pants, the sight never failing to make his blush.

He was thirty nine for Merlin’s sake, but was still blushing like the lovesick teenager that he used to be.

And sometimes he hated it, but sometimes he loved it. Today he didn’t.

“You remember OlIvia, right? My niece.”

His eyes continued watching the older man, watching as he took his contacts out, before he put on his glasses, the chunky frames making him look even more hotter.

And man, he loved those glasses.

“Adrian’s daughter? Yeah, I remember.”

He just sighed, before he shifted his position once again, leaving his head back against the couch cousin as he spoke, telling his husband all about his day.

He told the older man about the phone call, along with the Hogwarts letter, both his brother and sister-in-law overwhelmed by everything that they were told.

“They’re going to think about it. They’ll most likely call in a couple of days.”

He could tell that his husband was left speechless by his words, and he couldn’t blame Phil for that one, especially since the older man knew what his relationship with his parents were like.

He may have never met them, but he was there when he got the letter, the older man comforting him when he cried, letting him cry into his chest.

“You okay? I’m surprised you're not overthinking this.”

He just smiled softly, before he stood up from the couch, wrapping his arms around his waist after that, the older man holding him close, rubbing calming circles onto his back.

Their relationship may have been filled with many ups and downs, but the two of them loved each other, excited to grow old together, and watch their beloved nieces grow up.

And they wouldn’t have things any other way.

Chapter Text

The Mirror of Erised:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Second Floor Corridor, Winter, 1991.

Daniel was thirteen when he started questioning his feelings for his best friend.

It started one evening when he was sneaking around the castle with Phil, their footsteps quiet as he tried not to laugh at a joke that the older man said.

But they couldn’t keep quiet for long.

In fact, their giggles got the attention of the caretaker, along with his cat, the two of them at the other end of the corridor, causing the two of them to panic.

“Who’s there!”

His footsteps came towards them, causing the older man to grab his hand, before he spoke, his words whispered into his ear.

“Quick Dan. In here.”

He was pulled into an abandoned classroom after that, the footsteps passing them, causing the two of them to release identical sighs of relief, small smiles on their faces.

And they were about to leave when the older man paused, his eyes going wide with shock as he looked over his shoulder, causing a frown to appear on his face.

“Phil?”

He paused though, once he noticed what his best friend was looking at, causing him to stare at it with wonder.

Standing in front of them was a large mirror, four words engraved onto the top, the moonlight reflecting on them, causing the two of them to read them perfectly.

The Mirror of Erised.

“Desire,” he heard his best friend mutter, before he walked towards it, his brown eyes watching him the entire time.

And he watched as he tensed up, what he was seeing unclear to the younger boy, who walked forward slowly, not stopping until he was standing next to the older man.

His true heart's desire was to marry Phil, the two of them wearing matching rings on their fingers, kissing happily, surrounded by the older man’s family.

“Woah,” he found himself muttering, his words causing the older man to shake his head, almost like he was coming out of a trance.

“Let’s go, Dan. We shouldn’t be seeing this.”

He just pouted, but didn’t say anything as he followed the older man out of the classroom, the coast clear as they snuck back towards their dormitories.

But he wouldn’t be able to sleep that night.

What he saw in the mirror never left his mind, his deepest desires haunting him, causing him to realize that he wanted something more.

He didn’t want to be friends with Phil- he wanted to be boyfriends with the older man, knowing that he didn’t want to ruin his friendship.

Which is why he said nothing.

In fact, he would visit the mirror a couple of weeks later- a couple of days after he returned from winter break- only for his heart to sink.

It wasn’t there.

And he had a feeling that his best friend tried the same thing, but neither one of them spoke about it, causing it to become the elephant in the room.

That was, until the letter came.

He was sitting in the Great Hall that morning, alone like always, ignoring the chatter that flowed around him, his brown eyes focused on the oatmeal that was in front of him.

Maple and brown sugar.

And he didn’t look up until the owl post came, the young boy having a daily habit of watching them, feeling sympathy for the lonely creatures.

It must’ve been hard being an owl, but his attention was soon caught by his best friend's owl, which was flying towards him, a piece of paper in its beak.

Which made his heart drop, especially since he wrote to his parents a couple of days ago, updating them about his grades, along with his growing friendship with Phil.

And, as the days turned into weeks, he slowly gave up on getting a response, his heart getting even smaller as the owl flew towards him.

He just gave the creature a treat, watching as it flew back towards its owner, his eyes focusing on the piece of thin computer paper that was in his hands.

He released a deep breath, before he unfolded it, ignoring the fact that every Slytherin was staring at him.

Great.

But his heart stopped at the words that were written on the page.

Daniel James,

You aren’t coming back after you finish the school year. In fact, your father and I talked about it in great detail, and we’re kicking you out.

We started cleaning your room out a couple of weeks ago, and have been planning this for a while now.

Your magical abilities are an abomination, and are a sin against God.

We are no longer calling you our son.

Don’t contact us again.

Sincerely,

Mister and Misses Howell.

Tears filled his eyes, and, before he knew it, he refolded the piece of paper, before he ran out of the Great Hall, going to the only place where no one would find him.

The kitchens.

Well, no one besides Phil, that was, who watched everything unfold from the Hufflepuff table, a frown appearing on his face once he noticed his best friend leave the Great Hall, tears in his eyes.

“Excuse me,” he just muttered to his other friends, who didn’t say anything as he got up from the table, the older man passing the green and silver on his way out, the other Slytherins roaring with laughter.

Which caused his hands to form fists, but he didn’t do anything as he searched for Dan, knowing that there was only one place where he would go.

The kitchens.

And he was sobbing in the corner when he got there, the house elves avoiding him like the plague, especially since Dan tried to free them on multiple occasions.

He didn’t believe in slavery after all, the younger boy always trying to give them a piece of clothing, shocked by the fact that they always cried at the action.

“Are they not greatful?” He just asked the older man one afternoon, causing him to release a sigh, before he tried to explain the fact that house elves were born to serve wizards.

But Dan still didn’t understand, but did slow down his efforts, putting more gaps between the days when he would try to free the elves.

They still didn’t like him, however.

He just shook his head, before he kneeled down next to the younger boy, who didn’t say anything, just handed him a piece of paper.

He took it, his heart sinking into his chest once he realized what he was reading, the words on the page making him hate his boyfriend's parents.

Wait. Boyfriend?

“You can stay with me, Dan. You know that my parents will welcome you into the family. Plus, Martyn loves you already. And frankly so do I.”

His eyes went wide at those words, but so did his best friends, who looked at him with a shocked expression on his face.

“You love me?”

His words were whispered as he spoke, causing the older boy to smile softly, before he confirmed that he did, positive that he was going to get his heart broken.

But he didn’t.

“I love you too, Phil,” the younger boy just responded, before the two of them kissed, the taste of salt on their tongues due to the tears that fell down his face.

“We’ll get through this together, Dan. I know we will.”

And they did.

Not only did he move in with his best friend, but the two of them also became official boyfriends, knowing that they would love each other for eternity.

They would be able to conquer anything, as long as they stayed together.

That was a promise.

Chapter Text

Diagon Alley:

Diagon Alley, London, Summer, 2017.

Olivia Maria Howell was a witch.

It’s been a week since her eleventh birthday, and she still couldn’t believe it, the entire thing feeling like a dream.

I mean, she knew that she was special for years- her parents calling her their miracle child, due to the fact that they’ve been trying for a baby for years.

They were even told by many doctors that they were infertile, and that a child would be next to impossible for them.

But then she came along.

And she was spoiled rotten by her parents- not to mention her Uncle Dan, who she didn’t see all that often, due to the fact that he lived hours away in the city of London.

She still loved him though, having a special bond with him, even though he only visited every Christmas, never staying long.

Well, at first he didn’t visit at all- only visiting them once her grandparents died two years ago, catching her off guard.

She knew though- from overhearing her parent’s conversation- that her uncle had a strained relationship with her grandparents, but she just couldn’t understand why.

Her nana and papa were nice people, and always showered her with gifts whenever she saw them, even though their smiles became forced whenever she asked about him.

It wasn’t until they died however, when she realized that they hated her uncle, the memories of them always tensing up whenever she mentioned him becoming more clear to her.

But at the time she didn’t understand why- well, until she got her Hogwarts letter, everything became clear.

He was like her. Magical.

I mean, her parents were as normal as possible, meaning that she had to get her magic from someone, especially since she didn’t get it from either of her grandparents.

Which meant that she got it from her uncle.

She didn’t say those thoughts to anyone else though, but she was excited once her parents made plans with her uncle, who invited them to go with him to shop for school supplies.

He said that he was going with an old friend, inviting the family of three to go with them, her parents accepting the invitation.

Which brings us to now- the family of three currently driving towards London, the young girl kicking her feet back and forth as she chatted about how excited she was.

But she was also nervous, unaware that she wasn’t the only one, her beloved uncle also waiting impatiently as he sat at a table in the Leaky Cauldron, waiting for his brother's family to arrive.

He was tapping his leg up and down nervously, his wand hidden inside the sleeve of the jacket that he was wearing.

Dangerous, I know, but he didn’t know if he’d need it, meaning that it was better to have it on his person than leave it behind and be sorry.

And his eyes flickered towards the watch that he was wearing, the time passing by slowly, only a minute passing by since he last looked at the screen.

“Uncle Dan!”

He looked up, a smile appearing on his face at the young girl that was walking towards him, the one who was holding hands with a familiar man.

His husband.

He just greeted Phil with a kiss, the older man smiling at him sheepishly, before he apologized for being late.

“She wouldn’t stop talking about Olivia,” he just explained, sitting down next to the younger man, before he ordered two butterbeers, along with an apple juice for the little lady sitting across from them.

“Do you think she’ll like me, Uncle Dan?”

He just looked at her, before he smiled, his tone of voice light and calm as he responded, the taste of the butterbeer comforting to him.

“I think she will, princess.”

And he knew that for a fact.

His blood niece was as extroverted as it got, meaning that she was always in the mood to meet new people, obsessed with asking questions.

In fact, he remembered the first time he met her, a couple of weeks after his parents died, the first Christmas that he spent with his brother and his family.

And it was an interesting experience, the young man wishing that he could celebrate with Phil, who was in his northern hometown with his parents, who sent him home with extra gifts.

But he still wasn’t comfortable telling people about his sexuality at that point.

It was even harder with strangers, but his husband understood, not wanting to push him into doing something that he didn’t want to do.

“Are you sure you want to meet him?” He just asked after a couple of minutes, knowing that the older man would know exactly who he was talking about.

Thankfully.

“He’s your brother, Dan. I’ve been wanting to meet him for years.”

Those words made his eyes widen, his husband’s words catching him off guard, due to the fact that he never expected them.

For obvious reasons, of course, the older man never telling him that, knowing that fact to himself.

Until now.

And he was about to ask him what he meant, when the silence was interrupted by a little girl climbing onto his lap, catching all three of them off guard.

“Uncle Dan!”

He just laughed, before he pulled her off him, before he introduced her to his friend Phil, and the older man’s niece Freja, who took a liking to her right away.

And if her parents noticed their matching wedding rings, they didn’t say anything, just smiled politely at the older man and young girl, before the group of them got moving.

They just used their wands to unlock the entrance to Diagon Alley, before they introduced the family to the shopping area, aware that they were looking around their strange surroundings with awe in their eyes.

And both young girls got their wands that day, two of them becoming fast friends, even though one was a pureblood, while the other was a muggle born.

But Freja wasn’t mean or anything, just remained patient as she continued chatting to the young girl, who listened carefully, her brain absorbing everything that she was being told.

Which left the adults to follow behind them, the younger man getting caught in a conversation with his sister-in-law, leaving his husband alone with his brother.

If only he knew that.

“Are you Dan's husband?” The younger man just asked him, his tone of voice calm, as he looked at the taller man, who had dyed black hair, his roots a bright ginger red.

“I’m sorry?”

“Are you Dan's husband?” He just asked again, keeping his tone of voice low as he spoke, his eyes glancing at their matching rings which confirmed his suspicions.

That didn’t stop him from asking though.

He was confused though, by the fact that his brother introduced the older man as an old school friend, when it was clearly obvious that they were more than friends.

But he knew that Dan had a reason for lying, one that's none of his business, even though he was curious.

Of course he was. He was a Howell, after all.

“Yes,” the older man just responded, his tone of voice muttered as he glanced at his husband, who continued talking to his sister-in-law, paying no attention to his own conversation.

“Dan was afraid to tell you.”

“Why? Neither my wife nor I will judge him for his life choices.”

He just heard the other man sigh, before he spoke again, his hand running itself through his dyed hair as he spoke, messing up his quiff.

“He didn’t explain his reasons specifically, but I got the feeling like your parents were homophobic.”

Those words caused his eyebrows to furrow in confusion, before he shook his head, finding himself denying those claims.

“They weren’t homophobic, but they did raise us inside the Catholic Church. That could be a reason why.”

They went silent after that, just in time for the two girls to get tired, the four of them thankful that they got everything on the list.

Which meant that they soon went their separate ways, but not before making plans to meet at Kings Cross on September 01st, the two of them knowing that the family would need help finding the platform.

Speaking of which.

“Thank you for inviting us, Dan,” his younger brother just told him, before the family of three drove away, leaving both him and his husband alone with a sleeping child.

And man, was she heavy.

“I’ll meet you at home,” his husband just told him, before he apparated to his brothers place, leaving him alone in the middle of London.

But it wasn’t a long walk back to their apartment, the young man exhausted by the time he returned home, placing his keys into the bowl that was standing next to the front door.

And he was lying in bed by the time his husband returned home, his eyes watching the older man silently, before he climbed into bed, greeting the younger man with a kiss.

A passionate kiss, one that quickly grew heated, the two of them caught up in the moment, a peaceful bliss surrounding them.

They were madly in love with each other, the two of them excited to grow old together, spending the rest of their lives together.

And nothing could tear them apart. That was a guarantee.