Chapter Text
Iris Evans held her young nephew Harry in her arms as her world crumbled around her.
McGonagall and Dumbledore stood before her, explaining things in hushed tones.
Lily was dead, James was dead, Voldemort was dead.
That last fact was a blessing, but paled in comparison to the loss that ached deep into her bones.
Lily, her dear older sister was dead. Voldemort had killed her before dying himself.
Iris didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry, her emotions a turbulent whirlwind of contradictions.
Iris looked down at little Harry, the babe wrapped in a blanket, a bolt of lighting forever etched into his forehead.
She’s only eighteen, just barely legally an adult, and now she’s got a baby to take care of.
“If this is too much for you we understand,” Dumbledore said, “there’s always your sister Petunia that can take him in.”
Iris steps back, holding Harry closer to her like the old man might snatch him back.
“What? No!” Iris cries, her eyes wild and red from her tears, “no, I’ll take him. Of course I’ll take him.”
Dumbledore frowns, but nods, “you are legally his next of kin. Lily made sure that you’d be the first to get young Harry should anything happen.”
Oh Merlin, why did Lily have to die.
“Now then,” Dumbledore continues, ignorant to her breaking, “there’s the matter of protection. With Voldemort dead, you and young Harry will be safe from him, but his death eaters might retaliate.”
Iris gives a sniff, sucking up all her emotions and listens closely to what Dumbledore is saying.
She’s got a baby to care for now. She won’t let anything happen to him.
<><><>
Iris and Harry moves into a house in a suburban neighborhood surrounded by muggles.
The protective charms that go up are of Iris’ own design, working to hide them in plain sight, hence moving into a muggle neighborhood.
The house looks like any other on the street on the outside, but the interior is all wizardly, with spells enchanting objects and runes etched into walls for protection and strength.
There’s a large fireplace that Iris can stand in, for floo travel. There’s a small library full of spell books and wizard history. And there’s two bedrooms, one for Iris and one for Harry.
Iris juggles two jobs along with child rearing. They’re not hurting for money, James and Lily leaving behind quite a sizable fortune.
But it feels wrong for Iris to use any of it. The money is meant for Harry, using any of it without his consent rubs Iris the wrong way.
So Iris uses much of her own savings and a down payment form her parents to build their new home.
Using wizard contractors helps the process be done in three days time, enough time for Iris to pack up her meager belongs and leave her apartment.
Harry’s a good baby, he’s not fussy when being feed and he naps a lot, almost worryingly so.
Iris has lots of time to work her two jobs, her muggle one as a children book illustrator and her wizard one as a rune writer, writing runic symbols to charm things like expanding bags or brooms.
Iris has always been good with runes, understanding them as their own language with different parts working together.
Both jobs can be done from home, making Iris very much a homebody.
All alone with only baby Harry to keep her company causes her to go a bit stir-crazy.
She writes to McGonagall, her most favorite of teachers despite her class being Iris’ worst subject.
McGonagall gets back to her within the week, with a mailing address and a suggestion for a play date with the Weasley family.
Molly is an experienced mother with a newborn Harry’s age.
Iris looked over Harry from where he lay asleep in his crib and squinted at the babe.
Did Harry need socialization at this age?
According to the dozen of parenting books she later read, yes, he did.
So Iris sent her owl Snowy - a beautiful white little thing - and asked Molly if she would be okay with a playdate between Harry and her little ones.
The reply was quick to come, an emphatic yes with a date and time suggested.
Iris smiled to herself and packed a diaper back in preparation for the excursion.
<><><>
The Weasley house was a large stone pigpen with a variety of rooms coming out of it on all sides. It was lopsided and seemed like a borderline safety hazard, but it was definitely warm and loved.
Iris had flown to The Burrow by broom, unable to take floo as it was a location she had never been before.
Floo wouldn’t work unless the fireplace was public access or in the case of closed access, you had to physically have stood within the fireplace once.
It wouldn’t do for random people to just be allowed to invade your home whenever they wanted.
Iris landed her broom with grace, and unhooked Harry’s carrier from the shaft.
Harry’s bag was charmed and easily fit the broom when Iris slid it in.
Iris settled her clothes and fixed her hair, before heading for the front door of The Burrow and knocking politely.
There was rushing feet and then the door was thrown open, two identical toddlers with fiery red hair peered up at her and blinked simultaneously.
“Hello there,” Iris greeted them, kneeling down to face them, “I’m Iris Evans, I’m here to see your mother. Is she home?”
The twins exchanged looks and then as one yelled out loud, “mom!”
Iris winced and Harry startled awake from his nap and started to wail.
Iris quickly scooped him up and bounced him around while cooing softly to him.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Iris cooed, “everything’s okay.”
Harry wailed a little longer, before finally settling, his face red and blotchy from crying. Harry cooed up at her and Iris smiled, leaning in to rub her nose against Harry’s own.
“Sorry about that,” Molly Weasley said, scooting her toddlers out of the way and opening the door wide, “come in dear, come in.”
Iris smiled and reached for her diaper bag and carrier.
“Oh don’t worry about those dear,” Molly waved her off and pulled her inside the cozy home, “Bill, Charlie, come help Iris with her bags.”
Iris let Molly lead her indoors and watched as two more red heads, these ones between the ages of ten and eight, come down a set of winding stairs and head for the left open front door.
“Come along dear,” Molly said, pulling Iris along, “sit, sit.”
Iris was sat down in a comfy high back chair that rocked with her movements.
Molly went over to a bassinet set up nearby and pulled out a fussy red haired baby, before settling in an identical chair beside Iris.
“This is Ron,” Molly introduced, pulling up a blanket and situating herself properly, “it’s time for his feeding. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Iris said, rocking Harry back to and forth now that she was situated, “now that Harry’s up from his nap I should probably feed him too.”
Molly laughed, “the little rascals, always hungry.”
Iris nodded.
“Here you go miss,” one of the boys from earlier appeared, thrusting out Harry’s diaper bag.
“Thank you,” Iris said, shifting Harry to one arm and taking the bag with the other.
“That’s my Bill,” Molly introduced the boy, “my eldest at ten. He’ll be heading off to Hogwarts this year.”
“How exiting,” Iris said, her eyes crinkling, “what are you looking forward to most?”
Another red haired boy, this one slightly smaller than Bill jumps out from behind Bill.
“I’m excited for the dragons!” The boy exclaims, swinging Harry carrier around to and fro.
“Careful there, Charlie,” Molly scolds the boy lightly, “you don’t want to hit Iris and baby Harry.”
Bill pulls Charlie back, the younger looking sheepish.
“Sorry, Miss. Iris,” Charlie says, sounding quite chastised.
“It’s alright Charlie,” Iris says, “I think dragons are cool too. Thought I don’t remember seeing any until seventh year.”
Charlie beamed, stars in his eyes, “you hear that Bill! We’re gonna see dragons!”
“You and your dragons,” Bill sighed, shaking his head.
Iris laughed, a warmth growing in her chest at how domestic the Weasley’s were.
It was nice to be around.
Molly shifted, pulling Ron away from his feeding to burp him, before settling him down in his bassinet.
“It’s about lunch time now,” Molly said standing up, “I’ll go get us some sandwiches.”
“Do you need any help?” Iris asked, settling Harry down in his carrier.
“No it’s quite alright dear,” Molly was quick to reassure her, “you feed little Harry while I get busy.”
Iris nodded and picked Harry back up, reaching into the diaper bag to get a bottle which was still warm thanks to her charms.
As Iris feed Harry and Molly got lunch together, Bill introduced the last of the siblings.
The twin toddlers from before were Fred and George. At first glance they looked identical, but the more Iris looked the more small differences she saw.
And then there was Percy, five years old and very shy. He hides himself behind Bill the whole time.
Iris talks with Bill about school and an enthusiastic Charlie about dragons.
Then Quidditch is eventually brought up and Iris can’t help but brag about how the Holyhead Harpies had scouted her as a Seeker when she graduated.
She’d had to turn them down off course. With Harry around, Iris had no time to be training and playing Quidditch.
Iris smiled sadly down at her knees as the boys debated the best Quidditch team of all time.
Molly chose that moment to return with a plate pulled high with a heap of sandwiches.
The boys pounced on them and Iris was lucky to get half an egg salad sandwich and half a chicken sandwich before the food was all gone.
“Mom,” Charlie called, shoving the rest of his sandwich in his mouth, “Miss. Iris said she used to be a Seeker and the Holyhead Harpies wanted her!”
“Well now,” Molly said, nursing a cup of tea, “isn’t that something. Maybe Iris will show you some moves on her broom if you ask nicely.”
Iris froze like a possum, tea cup halfway to her mouth.
The boys pounced on her.
“Please Miss. Iris,” Charlie begged, tugging on her hand, “show us how you ride a broom!”
“Broom! Broom!” Fred and George chanted simultaneously.
Bill just laughed and Percy looked out from behind his brother with curious eyes.
“But Harry-“ Iris tried to protest, looking down at her sleeping charge.
“Will be fine,” Molly assured her, “he’s just sleeping, and I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Iris’ stomach roiled, she’d never been away from Harry for long. When she worked he was in a bassinet beside her.
Heck, he still slept in Iris’ room despite him having one of his own.
Iris looked back at the Weasley boys, the faces in various stances of pouts and begging.
Iris sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. She knew eventually she’d have to part from Harry for a spell, but she’d didn’t know it would be so soon.
“Alright,” Iris finally said, getting up from her chair and letting the boys drag her outside, “but just for a little while okay?”
The boys cheered.
“But not too little,” George started.
“We want to play for this long,” Fred continued holding out his hands a foot apart.
“Okay,” Iris said with a laugh, “I think that’s doable.”
Iris pulled out her broom from Harry’s diaper bag on the way out and the group congregated outside in the front yard.
Iris took some steps away and then mounted her broom.
Kicking off she hovered for a little bit, looking at the boys awed expressions, then blasted off up into the air.
Below her the boys squealed in excitement and started to dance around underneath her.
Iris smiled and did a barrel roll.