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Weep Not for the Memories
Kenneth swirled a tumbler of whisky and gazed, unseeing, across his study at the fire. Truthfully, he didn't necessarily need a fire this evening — it was warm outside, on the cusp of summer — but more than anything, he wanted the light the fire brought to the room.
His eyes shifted from the fire to his desk, where several photographs sat lined up, all in pretty frames that Courtney had found randomly throughout the past few years.
There was a picture of Karen a few days before graduation; she was smiling beautifully and waving at the camera, her long hair catching in the breeze.
There was a picture of the Gryffindor boys of 1996, all four of them; Fred was hanging between George and Kenneth's shoulders, while Lee and George laughed. Fred grinned maniacally, and Kenneth smirked in the picture, a moment frozen in time.
Then there was a picture of Kenneth, Gilbert, and Cedric, taken in sixth year; Cedric was in the middle, looking so young and full of life. It had been in the spring, before the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Kenneth and Gilbert looked naive and innocent, with no inkling of what life held for them in the future.
Finally, a picture of Luke, taken the summer before his fifth year — because Lorraine insisted on taking pictures of her sons each August so she could see how much they grew from year to year. His brother was rolling his eyes and giving the camera a forced smile, one that said Do I have to pose for Mum again? Ugh!
Kenneth swallowed and closed his eyes, but the images were still in his mind, now along with other thoughts.
Christmas 1997, when Luke showed Kenneth how he was being tortured under the Carrows, for standing up against Voldemort's rule.
May 1998; Karen's body was lying in a casket at the front of a small church. She had looked serene and beautiful in death, but it was merely a shell of her living self…
Fred, wearing magenta robes in his own coffin, and looking too peaceful for the personality he had been in life.
Harry clutching Cedric's body after the Third Task, as screams rent the air…
"Kenneth. Come back to me, handsome."
Kenneth jerked and his eyes opened.
Courtney stood before his desk in a dark green, silk dressing gown, a sad, knowing smile on her pretty lips. Damn, he hadn't even heard her enter his study, he'd been so absorbed in the past…!
"Sorry," Kenneth muttered, sitting up straighter and taking a fortifying swig of whisky.
She moved around the desk, fingers trailing against the wood before they raked into his hair, and she whispered, "Don't be. It's not as if we can help it, sometimes."
He sighed, wrapped an arm around her small waist, and sat back. "I wondered if we should just take Dreamless tonight and be done with it."
"No. It makes me groggy," she answered, reaching over to straighten the picture of the Gryffindor boys. "And we'd probably miss tomorrow's ceremony."
"Not like I'd complain," he grouched.
Her voice was sympathetic. "As long as you work for the Ministry, and keep climbing the ranks, you'll have to attend the anniversaries."
"Maybe I should quit."
Her fingertip lingered on the corner of Karen's frame. "You know I'll support you no matter what you decide. But… I think you have far more to do there. And I think she would say the same thing."
Logically, Kenneth knew that, but tonight was not a night for logic.
He could hardly believe it had been ten years since the Battle of Hogwarts, and yet, the memories came to him as easily as breathing. If he allowed himself, he could still hear the explosions, still feel Karen's sweaty palm in his as they ran through corridors battling Death Eaters, still see the way the blackness crept in on the edges of his vision, still feel the way the castle shook when it took a hit from a giant's club in the middle of the morning…
"Kenneth." Courtney's voice was a damp, breathy whisper in his ear.
He sighed and turned to bury his face against her chest. "Sorry."
"Don't be. I just don't want you to get trapped there, that's all."
"And you? How are you feeling this evening?"
Wryly, she said, "About the same as you, I imagine." Her fingers slipped beneath his burgundy velvet smoking jacket to trace the scar hidden beneath his shirt, and her gaze became rather haunted.
"Get a whisky," he murmured, catching her hand and nodding towards the drink cart he kept in the corner of the room.
At that, she laughed and teased, "We can't sit here drinking all night, either!" Despite that, she pushed away from him and waved her wand at the decanter of Campbell's.
He watched silently as she got a glass, but before she could rejoin him, there was a knock on the front door. They both turned in surprise; it was eleven at night. Kenneth rose with his wand in hand, the hair on his neck prickling.
When he got to the front door, he called out sharply, "Who is it?"
"Chrysanthe, Head Boy. Open up."
He frowned. "Er, what did you do when you found out I'd read Harry's interview in the Quibbler our seventh year?"
"Trick question; I gave you that article. I'd charmed it to look like Transfiguration homework so the Bitch wouldn't find out."
Kenneth opened the door to find Chrysanthe, Danny, and Dylan (asleep with his head against his mother's shoulder) on the stoop.
"Mind if I put Dylan down with Orelia?" Chrysanthe asked, bustling inside and past Kenneth before anyone could stop her.
Courtney's voice came from behind him. "Never. Come on up, Hayden. Did you really charm that article?" she asked, amusement lacing her voice.
"I did indeed. Wouldn't mind visiting Azkaban and throwing it in her face these days," Chrysanthe said darkly. "I kept it when Kenneth gave it back to me."
Courtney snickered. "I'd go with you, if you want. The Bitch was furious that everyone had read it against her orders, but she couldn't catch anyone reading it or figure out how they were getting away with it! She was such a fucking moron!"
"Wasn't she? Oh, but I really would like to go to Azkaban and gloat…"
Kenneth rolled his eyes and watched as the two women headed upstairs together, Chrysanthe holding her son and Courtney holding a whisky double, now joking about what they would like to say to certain people currently in prison.
Behind him, Danny closed the front door, but he waited until their wives were further down the upstairs hall before he said quietly, "Sorry to barge in like this, but… she didn't want to be alone tonight. She was getting a bit stir-crazy."
"I can certainly understand that," Kenneth muttered, turning for his study again. "Campbell's?"
"I wouldn't say no to anything, if I'm honest."
While Kenneth got Danny a drink, the Hufflepuff moved behind the desk to look at the photographs. Unsurprisingly, his face fell and he immediately picked up the picture of Kenneth, Cedric, and Gilbert.
"Man, I miss Diggory sometimes. He was always sensible."
"He was," Kenneth agreed, handing Danny a double.
"He somehow kept me in line all those years in school. Wish I could apologize to him for acting like such a hellion back then."
Kenneth smiled. "I'm sure you didn't bother him that much. He got along with everyone."
Danny smiled wistfully. "He did." Then, after taking a sip, he promised, "Listen, we won't stay long —"
"You can stay all night, if you'd like. I don't mind. As long as we're being honest, it's a nice distraction."
"'Santhe thought you'd say that. She insisted you would probably still be awake."
Kenneth smiled wryly. "She knows me well."
Danny groaned and sank into one of the chairs in front of Kenneth's desk. "God, I hate this night. 'Santhe has the worst nightmares if she doesn't take Dreamless."
"I know how that is, too." Kenneth swirled his drink. "Do you not have nightmares?" he asked curiously.
Danny shrugged. "Rarely."
Lucky, Kenneth thought. But then, Danny had always been the sort to look on the positive side, no matter what. Kenneth rather envied that ability.
At that moment, the fire unexpectedly turned green, and to his surprise, Angelina gracefully spun out onto the hearth rug. Her perfect eyebrows arched when she saw Danny.
"Oh, are we having a little party, then?"
"May as well," Kenneth shrugged, waving his wand to pour a glass of Schettler's Finest for her. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"We needed a distraction. George is coming behind me; he wrangled the sprogs to Molly and Arthur's earlier this evening. She likes them all around her on this particular night. Keeps her mind off… things. But George didn't want to stay there tonight." Angelina sank into the chair next to Danny and sipped her own liquor. "Where is Dag?"
"Right here," Courtney said, stepping back into the room. "Thanks for coming, Johnson. Sorry I'm not properly dressed. I hope no one cares." With that, she walked around the desk and sat in Kenneth's lap. He barely caught her and steadied her, and she sank partially between his right leg onto the seat, so they were wedged into the chair together.
"For the love of…" Kenneth pinched the bridge of his nose. "Really, Courtney?"
"What? Ang and Youngman have those seats."
Chrysanthe, who had entered behind Courtney, waved her wand and conjured another chair for herself, next to her husband. "I don't care if you're in your dressing gown," she declared, "or even sitting on Kenneth's lap. But if you start snogging him, I'm leaving, Dagworth."
Courtney grinned devilishly at her. "I'll keep that in mind for when I want the house to myself again."
The fire turned green a second time, but Kenneth ignored it; he knew it was likely George. To Courtney, he complained, "Conjure your own chair, would you?" though he made no move to dislodge his wife, either. It was just that he liked to keep some things about their relationship private, just between the two of them…!
"I like your lap, handsome."
George rolled his eyes and dusted ash from his bright purple smoking jacket. "Godric's bollocks, I'm going back to our place if coming here means watching Towler and Dagworth flirt."
"Oh, don't be a killjoy." Courtney laughed, and she conjured George a chair, too.
He didn't sit down, however. Instead, he moved behind the desk, next to Kenneth and Courtney, to look at the photographs. His face and shoulders fell, as he picked up the one of the Gryffindor Boys of 1996.
"Where is Lee tonight?" Kenneth asked, before sipping his whisky.
George shrugged, his eyes now haunted and a bit dead. "No idea. Probably working late at the Wireless Network to avoid thinking about… things."
At that, they all sobered again.
After a few prolonged seconds, Angelina raised her wand and cast a couple of Patronuses, which vanished. "Alicia, Adrian, Katie, and Oliver should join us," she murmured.
"Oh!" Chrysanthe smiled. "Good idea."
"Yes," George stated dryly. "Misery loves company, after all."
Angelina swatted him and scoffed, but Kenneth thought he knew what George meant. None of them really wanted to be alone on the tenth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. It was why they were all in his study uninvited, after all — and why he wasn't kicking them out.
Adrian had asked Professor McGonagall if he could stay at his cottage in Hogsmeade that night, mostly because he did not like being in the castle on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. Not that he couldn't compartmentalize the bad memories, but it was tedious.
Which was how he found himself on the sofa in his library with Alicia, enjoying a nice cognac, able to relax because he knew she had taken the children to his parents' estate for the evening. His mother had begged, Alicia had willingly relented, and Atticus and Bridget had agreed to let Alania keep their four, too.
In truth, Adrian was hoping for a nice, romantic evening in which he and Alicia could ignore the bad memories in favor of each other, but at a quarter-past eleven, Angelina's harpy suddenly appeared before them.
We're all gathering at Kenneth's house for a bit, come join us.
Alicia sighed and put her wine down. "Ugh. That means George is moody. Not surprising tonight, but still… I wonder how they ended up at Kenneth's place?"
"Who knows?" Adrian frowned. "Do you want to go? Or stay here?"
It was a toss-up, really. It would be nice to see their friends, but it would also mean reminiscing…
Alicia stared at the fire for a moment before she said, "I suppose we can, for a bit. The children are at your mum and dad's, so it's not like we have to worry about them."
Adrian rose, stretched, and helped Alicia off the sofa. "Floo would be fastest, then."
"We won't stay long," she promised, smiling at him. "I'd very much like to get you in bed, Pucey."
Adrian chuckled, because he wanted to get her in bed, too. It was always a surefire way of forgetting bad memories on this particular night. Maybe they wouldn't stay long.
Moments later, he found himself spinning out into Kenneth's study, to find a small crowd had already gathered. Courtney was sitting on her husband's lap, while George, Angelina, Chrysanthe, and Danny were sitting in comfy chairs around the desk. Four framed photographs were in front of Kenneth, and Adrian and Alicia stepped around the desk to view them.
"Oh, this is a good one of Karen," Alicia said softly, picking it up.
"I think Chrysanthe took it," Kenneth replied, without any trace of misery he would have had in his voice nine years earlier.
"I did," Chrysanthe said sadly. "It was right after exams, our seventh year."
Adrian picked up the one of Kenneth, Gilbert, and Cedric. "It's odd," he said thoughtfully. "Trying to imagine what Diggory would have done in our world if he'd lived. I mean, I know what Fred would have done, and Karen. But not Diggory. You'd think I would have known, since we were all prefects together, but I don't."
Kenneth arched an eyebrow and gave him a small smirk. "He wanted to be an Auror, actually."
Surprised, Adrian put the photograph back down. "Did he?"
Kenneth nodded. "That's what he declared in fifth year, when we had career advice. He liked the idea of catching dark wizards."
Adrian shook his head. "To think, he and I could have been colleagues…!"
Kenneth's smile grew sad. "He would have liked that, I think."
There was a knock on the front door, and Adrian, who was still standing, said, "I'll get it. Courtney's comfortable."
"Thank you, Adrian," Courtney called out coquettishly.
He left the others in Kenneth's study, chatting about what sort of Auror Cedric would have been, and stepped into the front hall, to the front door.
"Who is it?" he called out.
"Gilbert Royle and Cassius Warrington," Royle's voice said.
Adrian hesitated, trying to think of a security question, and decided to ask, "When we were children, Marcus Flint stole something from Warrington at his birthday party one year. I got it back. It was my first bit of accidental magic. What was the gift?"
Cassius answered. "It was my first broomstick."
At the same time, Gilbert muttered, "Helga's tits, Flint was such a fucking wanker."
Adrian opened the door and stepped back to let them in. "I assume Kenneth contacted you."
"Danny did, actually," Gilbert replied. "He said something about an impromptu party at Kenneth's house to commiserate about the war. So I thought I'd drag Warrington along, too."
Cassius's expression instantly became closed and he lowered his gaze. "I told him no one would want me here, but he didn't listen. He insisted it was fine."
"He's right," Adrian insisted. "It is fine. Come on in."
Of course, there was one person who rolled his eyes when Cassius entered: George Weasley.
"I swear to Godric," the remaining twin grouched. "This is not the motley crew I expected to be a part of ten years ago!"
Angelina whacked his shoulder as she rose to go back to the drink cart. "Be nice," she ordered. Then, more politely, she asked, "Warrington? Want a stiff drink?"
"Please," Cassius said, his voice a bit brittle. "Anything, I don't care what."
Gilbert joined her to help. "Schettler's looks good."
"Great minds." Angelina grinned, bumping Gilbert's shoulder with her own. They were the only two in the room who preferred Schettler's to Campbell's or Firewhisky.
A few minutes later, Katie and Oliver arrived too, which meant Kenneth's study was getting over-crowded, but Adrian noticed no one seemed to mind. Katie, Oliver, and Alicia sat together on the leather sofa, and Adrian conjured a leather armchair to sit next to them. They whiled away the time chatting about different things: what everyone was doing that week, how jobs were going, who's child had lost a tooth or learned a new word, what was going on with Quidditch. But when the clock on the mantle struck midnight, everyone froze.
Adrian immediately forced himself out of the past, though not with as much difficulty as some others in the room. He had been an Auror after all, and fighting had been his life from mid-1997 until 2004, when he'd taken the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. On the other hand, George's face went blank and his eyes shuttered, while Angelina looked as though she had no idea what to say to him. Chrysanthe became very still, Danny reached over to grasp her hand, and Katie leaned her head against Oliver's shoulder. Kenneth's expression also became quite serious, and Courtney's eyes took on a distant, glazed look.
At least thirty seconds after the last chime, Kenneth roused himself and asked his wife quietly, "Where were you at midnight, that night? I don't think I've ever asked."
She didn't move. Instead, her eyes remained distant, seeing things no one else could see, because Courtney had been in an entirely different place at the start of the battle than the rest of them.
"I was in Hogsmeade," she finally answered, her voice clear and almost unbothered, with the haughtiness that Adrian remembered her using so frequently when they'd been at Hogwarts.
She went on, "Rabastian Lestrange showed up at Cecil's house and demanded a Healer accompany him to the battle. The Dark Lord moved too fast for Cecil to order a fully-qualified Healer to go, so I drew the short wand, just as I had known I would, months before we even got to that point. But," she added, with a touch of both bitterness and pride, "I was also too valuable to send in with the first wave of fighters, so I stayed behind with the Dark Lord's most loyal supporters for two bloody hours, keeping my fucking mouth shut and pretending to be a good little pureblood witch like they expected, while they bitched about how much they hated Potter and muggle-borns, and what they were going to do to the defenders they caught. It wasn't until after two in the morning that I was allowed to go to Hogwarts, and even then, I had specific orders. I was to heal the Dark Lord's oldest supporters first, and then the newer recruits. There was a hierarchy, and I had to follow it. I slipped in front of their lines as soon as I was able to do so. I Disillusioned myself to do that, but I had to remove the charm to start actually healing people, so I wouldn't scare anyone."
No one spoke for a few seconds; then Katie rose to get something to drink. On her way to the cart, she poked Cassius in the shoulder with her wand and said, "Where were you, Cassius?"
He closed his eyes and winced. "Salazar, Bell! Seriously? Where do you think I was?"
At that, Katie smirked, waved her wand, and refilled her glass with Campbell's. "With the Death Eaters, of course, but I was asking more specifically. Were you with the first wave of fighters?"
"Unfortunately," Cassius said bitterly. "Like Courtney just said: the newer recruits were ordered to go first, but the winds around the castle were so powerful we had to send back for someone with more experience to break the spell. I sure as hell couldn't do it, not with a mere Acceptable in Charms."
Adrian couldn't help but smile. "You might tell Professor Flitwick that one day. It would boost his ego — not that he needs it, of course."
The tension broke for a moment, and everyone chuckled.
Cassius gave Adrian a wry smile. "Perhaps one day."
Curiously, Angelina asked Warrington, "What happened once you got onto the grounds?"
Cassius sighed and looked away. "You'd call me a coward, Johnson, and I suppose I was. I headed straight for the Slytherin dormitories. Malfoy had given several of us the password in case we needed to go there and tend to injuries. I Disillusioned myself and hid in my old dorm. Even if it was cowardly —"
Chrysanthe interrupted him. "Maybe, but it also meant you didn't harm or kill anyone," she pointed out.
George opened his mouth, but Angelina kicked his shin and said staunchly, "Chrysanthe is right. You didn't hurt anyone that night."
Cassius sighed heavily. "Well. I just didn't see the point in dying for a fucking old arsehole with a mutilated face who had a ridiculous grudge against a seventeen-year-old Gryffindor Quidditch Seeker."
At that, everyone burst out laughing.
"Wait, wait!" Chrysanthe gasped. "What did you say again? You didn't see the point in dying for a fucking old arsehole…?"
"…with a mutilated face," Cassius finished, grinning at her.
Danny was howling. "Who had a ridiculous grudge against a teenaged Gryffindor Quidditch Seeker! Fucking hell, that's the best way I've heard it put yet!"
George pounded the arm of his armchair with his fist while laughing, before slapping his thigh. "Godric, that was brilliant, Warrington! Just for making us laugh, I won't even take the mickey on you the rest of the night!"
Even Oliver was chortling. "Aye, we all needed the laugh," he said, grinning.
Katie had tears in her eyes. "Merlin, we did!"
But at that moment, something happened that brought them all back to reality. The door pressed open to Kenneth's study.
Adrian jolted. Sterling, who was only three, was standing there with tears streaming down his face and his light brown hair a tousled mess, dressed in pyjamas with feet, and clutching a soft dragon plush toy. He looked panicked to see so many people in his father's study, and he froze on the threshold.
Because everyone was still laughing at Warrington's remark, no one else noticed Sterling except Courtney and Kenneth. Courtney instantly jumped out of her husband's lap as Kenneth stood and quickly moved around the desk, through the chairs, and knelt before his son. The laughter instantly stopped as everyone realized Sterling was in their midst, and they all looked horrified that they had woken him.
Sterling's lip wobbled the second he saw his father hurrying towards him. He burst into tears, even as he launched himself into Kenneth's arms and buried his face against Kenneth's chest.
"Sterling! Shhh, it's alright," Kenneth murmured. "I'm so sorry, son, we didn't mean to wake you —!"
But it turned out that wasn't it at all.
"S-s-spider!" Sterling sobbed. "A big spider!"
It struck Adrian very belatedly that he was standing next to Kenneth, with no inkling of having pushed out of his chair to rush to help his godson, his wand gripped tightly in his hand, ready to actually fight if he had to. Startled and unnerved, he swallowed and pushed his adrenaline down. Sterling wasn't in any danger, he told himself forcefully. None of them were. Calm down.
"Shhh," Kenneth whispered, holding Sterling more tightly. "Where?"
"It-it ate C-Crawsy!" Sterling's voice became high-pitched. "And then it was coming after m-m-me!"
Adrian stiffened as a different implication struck him. For a brief second, he was on the grounds of Hogwarts, ten years prior, yelling frantically at his mother to get back to the castle because those goddamn acromantulas were scuttling out of the forest, intent on eating people.
Adrian wrenched himself out of the past again, though it was a bit harder this time. His godson had merely had a nightmare, but while it had been the nightmare of a young child, everyone in the study knew damned well it wasn't necessarily just in one's imagination. Massive spiders were real, and they had all had to face them exactly ten years earlier. Courtney, Kenneth, Royle, Hayden, Youngman, Wood, Alicia, Katie, and Angelina had all been on the grounds at some point that night, just like Adrian. Only George and Cassius had remained in the castle throughout the fight.
When Adrian glanced surreptitiously behind him, it was to see everyone sitting very still, backs rigid and wands or drinks in clenched hands. George's hand had a slight tremor as he suddenly threw back the rest of his firewhisky, and Cassius's eyes had closed while his mouth was in a thin line.
Courtney knelt beside her husband and stroked Sterling's beautiful, silky hair. She whispered, "Oh, darling, it's alright… Mumma and Daddy are right here… we would never let anything hurt you!"
Crawsy suddenly pushed into the study from the front hall, twisting his own pyjamas as he did so. Hoarsely, he whispered, "This is Crawsy's fault!" His large eyes met Courtney's as he explained, "There was a spider in the kitchen earlier today, and Master Sterling was afraid, so Crawsy killed it for Master Sterling! But Crawsy didn't mean for young master to have bad dreams!"
"See, darling," Courtney insisted. "Crawsy's right here, he's perfectly fine!"
Sterling, still crying, peeked out from under his arm and sniffed. "C-Crawsy?"
"Yes, Master Sterling," Crawsy said gently. "Crawsy is alright. Crawsy would never let a spider hurt young master!"
"Neither would we," Kenneth said softly. "And we wouldn't let one hurt Crawsy, either."
"It was s-s-s-so b-big!" Sterling wailed.
Chrysanthe swallowed, clenched her fists, and closed her eyes, and Katie twisted her fingers together and glanced at her husband, who had a haunted expression on his face.
"Come on," Kenneth said, standing easily with Sterling in his arms. "Why don't you join us for a bit?" He made his way back to his desk and sat down, now with Sterling in his lap.
Crawsy tugged at Courtney's dressing gown. "Crawsy is so sorry, Miss Courtney," he whispered.
Courtney patted his shoulder. "It isn't your fault," she insisted. "He's three, he's going to have nightmares sometimes. But, would you mind bringing some warm milk up? That might help."
"Of course, Mistress!" Crawsy instantly vanished to get the milk.
Courtney rose and went to Kenneth and Sterling. "Shh," she said, brushing Sterling's hair back once more. "It's alright. Crawsy's going to bring you some warm milk."
"Would you like that?" Kenneth asked.
Sterling nodded and peeked over his shoulder, suddenly aware again that there were a lot of people around. Embarrassed, he buried his face in Kenneth's chest once more.
"You know everyone here," Kenneth reminded him. "You know Uncle Ade and Aunt Alicia. And Mr. George and Mrs. Ang…"
"And your Aunt 'Santhe and Uncle Danny," Courtney encouraged, nodding towards them. "Mrs. Katie and Mr. Oliver, Mr. Gilbert, and Mr. Cassius…"
Crawsy reappeared and held a sippy cup of warm milk out for Courtney.
"Thank you, Crawsy," she said, smiling at him, before handing the cup to Sterling.
Kenneth shifted his son in his lap, and Sterling began to drink his milk, while his damp eyes blinked and slowly took everyone in, the embarrassment fading away.
"No one here would let anything hurt you," Kenneth murmured again, pressing a kiss to the top of Sterling's head.
"Here," George said briskly, rising and waving his wand. A cookie appeared.
Kenneth narrowed his gaze at George, but George merely held the cookie out to Sterling, who hesitated for only a second before reaching out for it.
"It's not a joke, I promise," George stated, his eyes meeting Kenneth's. "I wouldn't be so mean as to prank a sprog who just had a very real nightmare."
Kenneth's face relaxed. "Sorry," he muttered, looking back down at Sterling. "Old habits, Weasley."
George smiled wryly. "Well, we did prank you a lot during school, so I can't blame you there."
"We should go," Katie murmured suddenly, pushing off the sofa. "We should check on our own sprogs."
Oliver immediately stood up with her.
George's eyebrows went up. "Aren't your parents keeping them tonight?"
Oliver shrugged. "Doesn't mean we want them having nightmares tonight." With that, he lifted a hand in farewell. "Thanks for the company, everyone. We'll see you tomorrow at the memorial."
Angelina stood, as well. "Come on, George. We should get some sleep tonight, too."
George ruffled Sterling's hair before joining Angelina at the fireplace to Floo out behind Katie and Oliver.
With the four of them gone, the room was a lot less crowded. The warm milk was starting to take effect and Sterling was getting drowsy again. Courtney took Angelina's former chair, and Adrian and Alicia moved from the sofa to the small circle around Kenneth's desk, but there wasn't much to say, now. Everyone just sipped their alcohol and watched Sterling until he fell asleep against Kenneth's smoking jacket.
"Want me to carry him back to bed, handsome?" Courtney asked softly.
Kenneth shook his head. "He's fine," he whispered, moving the forgotten sippy cup and half of the cookie to his desk. "I'll carry him up in a bit."
Adrian sighed. "I hope ours aren't having nightmares."
Alicia gently squeezed his arm. "They're at your mum's, and she'll have charms around the nursery to let her know if one of them has a nightmare. She always puts those up. Atticus and Bridget are there, too. Unless they went out tonight to join Bill, Fleur, Conall, and Bess."
Adrian smiled. "They probably did, knowing my brother. But you're right. Mum will have charms up."
"She thinks of them as her own," Alicia said.
That was true, too. But Adrian still didn't want Ashton or Astra to have a nightmare and him not be there. Maybe he and Alicia should stay at Pucey Villa instead of Pucey Cottage for the night…
Alicia arched an eyebrow. "We can head back," she said, guessing his thoughts.
Adrian nodded. "We'll see all of you tomorrow," he promised the others, rising out of his chair.
Gilbert and Cassius stood, too. Apologetically and quietly, Gilbert said, "We'll head out as well. Don't get up, please," he added. "He's asleep."
Kenneth gave them a small smile. "Thanks. See you both tomorrow?"
Cassius grimaced. "Royle insists I come, so I suppose so."
"It'll be fine," Gilbert insisted, as they headed for the door.
"He's right," Adrian agreed, as he and Alicia took some Floo powder. "We'll see you both tomorrow."
After Gilbert, Cassius, and Adrian and Alicia left, it was just Chrysanthe and Danny once again, and they remained sitting in front of Kenneth's desk, silent and pensive. Not that Courtney minded. She knew Hayden struggled with the events of this anniversary more than most people.
"It's nearly one," Danny finally murmured, glancing at his wife.
Chrysanthe didn't move or speak right away. She just looked resigned, lost in the past. After a few moments, however, she finally roused herself and said softly, "We should go."
Courtney glanced at her husband. Sterling was out cold against Kenneth's shoulder, and Kenneth looked perfectly at peace with the world in that moment. He'd removed his glasses and his own eyes were closed as he relaxed in his comfortable leather office chair, though Courtney knew he wasn't asleep. In a way, she was almost rather grateful Sterling had had a nightmare; it had pulled Kenneth back into the present, and kept him from sinking into old memories. Her husband was a protector, and he would sit up all night holding their son if he thought for one minute that it would keep Sterling from having another bad dream.
Turning back to Chrysanthe and Danny, she said softly, "No. Just stay here tonight."
Chrysanthe looked confused and worried. "What?"
"We have plenty of spare bedrooms. Just stay here tonight. That way, you won't have to wake Dylan."
Chrysanthe's shoulders sagged. "Oh," she whispered. "No, I wouldn't want to wake Dylan."
Danny looked at Courtney. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," Kenneth murmured, not even opening his eyes.
"Come on," Courtney said, rising and prodding Chrysanthe. "You can have one of the back bedrooms on the first floor. It's quiet, and you'll also be near the nursery. I'll modify the wards so you can enter in case you need to check on Dylan. And you can have breakfast with us in the morning, before we have to be at Hogwarts."
Chrysanthe nodded and swallowed. "Thank you, Dag. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just… shown up at eleven at night, should I? I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Don't you dare be sorry. I'd rather you come find us if you need us. We're all in this together, aren't we? Next year, we might show up at your house."
Chrysanthe gave her a small smile. "You'd always be welcome."
They headed upstairs, leaving Kenneth alone with Sterling in the study, but Courtney didn't worry about that. Sterling was keeping Kenneth's own nightmares at bay for the moment, after all. Though, in truth, Kenneth hadn't had as many, or as bad, as he did in the first couple of years after the war.
"Do you want some Dreamless Sleep tonight?" Courtney asked, glancing back at Hayden.
Chrysanthe shook her head. "No. If Dylan wakes up, I want to know."
"I know what you mean," Courtney agreed. By that point, they had reached the top of the stairs, and she added, "I'm going to check on Orelia before I go to bed. Do you want to come?"
Hayden nodded. "Please."
A few seconds later, Courtney gently pressed the nursery door open and peeked inside. There was a single, dim bauble lit in one corner, casting enough light for them to see where furniture was, and she made her way to the large crib. Orelia, just a year old, was curled up with Dylan, who was sucking his fingers. 'Lia's own fingers were gripping Dylan's sleeve. The two of them would be in the same year at Hogwarts; Dylan had been born in October, and Orelia in March. Courtney wondered if they would end up in the same house or different houses. They were too young to tell just yet, but she would bet a few galleons that Dylan, at least, would very likely go to Hufflepuff like his parents.
Chrysanthe sighed softly and whispered, "I'm glad they're sleeping peacefully."
Courtney smiled and straightened the blanket. "Me, too."
Chrysanthe reached forward and gently brushed Orelia's silky, fine fringe back. "Her hair is getting longer," she murmured. "And it's the exact same color as Kenneth's hair, isn't it? And Sterling's."
"It is, and do you know? That makes me stupidly happy. Kenneth wanted her to have my hair, but I'm glad she favors him instead," Courtney whispered. Then, touching one of Dylan's small black curls, she added softly, "Dylan's has gotten so curly, hasn't it?"
He may have gotten Danny's hair color, but the texture was all Chrysanthe's.
Chrysanthe leaned her head on top of Courtney's. "It has. Every time I see those curls, it makes me stupidly happy. His hair has something from both me and Danny."
Courtney squeezed Chrysanthe's hand. "Come on, they'll be fine."
As they stepped back into the hall and Courtney closed the doors and began modifying the wards so Chrysanthe and Danny could enter the nursery if needed, she said quietly, "My nightgowns are probably too short for you, but I can lengthen one, if you'd like."
"No, it's fine. I can conjure one of my own. But thank you. I already feel bad enough as it is that I just barged in at eleven at night and now you're having to put us up…"
"We already told you, it's no trouble. You're Orelia's godparents, and we're Dylan's godparents. It's absolutely fine for you to stay the night."
"I keep wondering," Danny joked, from where he'd been waiting in the hall. "Does that make Dylan and Orelia god-cousins?"
Courtney almost laughed again. "I don't know. Maybe!" With that, she turned to head for the guest bedroom.
Behind her, she heard Danny ask his wife, "Will you be able to sleep in an unfamiliar room?"
"That won't bother me," Chrysanthe promised. "It helps just to know Kenneth and Courtney are in the house, too."
Courtney waved her wand and opened a guest bedroom door, which was at the back of the first floor hall. "Is this alright?"
"It's fine. You could put me in the attic and I would be alright."
"Salazar, Hayden, I wouldn't dare put you in the fucking attic. Breakfast is at eight. We intend to sleep late tomorrow."
Chrysanthe's eyebrows pinched. "You aren't going to go to the markers at dawn? I thought you always did."
Courtney shook her head. "Not this year. We discussed it, and decided we would just visit them after the ceremony. It will give us more time to have a bit of a lie-in, and we won't be worrying about the children."
Danny nodded. "Good idea. Thank you for letting us stay the night."
"Of course. Let us know if you need us? And you can always call for Crawsy."
"Thank you, Dag," Chrysanthe whispered.
When Courtney went upstairs with Chrysanthe and Danny, Kenneth remained in his study with Sterling for another minute. While feeling his son's steady breathing against his chest, he turned his gaze back to the photographs. This time, the one that caught his eye wasn't Karen's, Cedric's, or Fred's pictures, but Luke's. Sadly, Kenneth twitched his wand and brought the photograph closer so he could pick it up with his free hand.
Since Sterling's birth, Kenneth had often wondered what kind of uncle Luke would have been. The type to sit on the floor and play with his nephew and niece? The sort who would have bought them sweets and toys? Would he have played with them in the small backyard, or taken them to Diagon Alley? Kenneth could make educated guesses, but Luke had been so young when he'd died.
Kenneth also often wondered what Luke would have done when he graduated Hogwarts. Most of Luke's letters had been blacked out his fifth year of school; if Luke had admitted anything regarding career advice, it hadn't shown up in what little of the letters Kenneth could read.
He finally sighed and shifted again to stand up with Sterling. He waved his wand at the fire and candles to extinguish both, before he quietly exited his study. In the front hall, he cast a couple of obscure locking charms on the front door, and then headed upstairs.
Danny was waiting in the hall for Chrysanthe and Courtney, who were in the nursery. He nodded and gave Kenneth a bittersweet smile as Kenneth stepped onto the landing, and Kenneth returned the smile as he headed for Sterling's room.
A part of Kenneth wanted to bring Sterling to bed with him and Courtney that night, just in case, but he also knew his son would probably end up sleeping horizontally, with his feet or knees in the middle of Kenneth's back and his head across Courtney's middle. Neither of them slept well if Sterling slept with them. Was it possible to love his son and ruefully not want to sleep in the same bed with him, all at the same time? Yes, Kenneth thought dryly.
Crawsy appeared in Sterling's bedroom as Kenneth was pulling the counterpane over his son.
In a hoarse whisper, while twisting his fingers together, the elf said, "Crawsy will watch over Sterling tonight, Master Kenneth. Crawsy feels very bad that he gave young master a nightmare!"
"It wasn't your fault," Kenneth insisted softly. "Courtney is right; all children have nightmares. You don't have to sleep up here."
But Crawsy shook his head. "Crawsy would feel better if he slept near Master Sterling tonight. Please?"
Kenneth sighed, but didn't argue. "If you wish," he agreed, and he waved his wand, conjuring a little elf-sized bed with blankets.
"Thank you, Master Kenneth," Crawsy whispered, crawling into the bed.
A few moments later, Kenneth stepped into the master suite. Courtney had apparently gotten Chrysanthe and Danny in a guest room, because she was seated at her vanity. Her dressing gown was draped over the back of the chair, and she was wearing a short, black negligée that showed off her beautiful pale skin.
He smiled at her as he closed the door. "Are they settled in?"
"Yes. Hayden feels bad; she thinks she's inconvenienced us."
Kenneth shook his head, took his smoking jacket off, and flicked his wand, sending it into the wardrobe. "They definitely haven't. I know this is a hard night for her."
"I told her that, too." Courtney finished rubbing rose-scented lotion on her arms and hands.
Kenneth exhaled slowly as he stripped his shirt and tossed it in the clothes hamper. Merlin, he loved the things his wife wore to bed. She knew exactly how to get his attention. Getting himself under control, he took his glasses off and placed them on the bedside table, then he ducked into the loo to use the bathroom. A minute later, he was back in the bedroom, his shirt and trousers stripped off, wearing only his pants. By that point, his wife was already in bed, and she had extinguished all of the baubles. The only light came from a candle she kept on her bedside table.
As he slid beneath the counterpane, she asked, "Sterling didn't wake when you took him to his room, did he?"
"Thankfully, no. But Crawsy insisted on sleeping in his room tonight, even though I said he didn't have to. He didn't want Sterling to have another nightmare. I've got the usual charms set in case he wakes."
She nodded, shifted closer, and laid down.
Kenneth twisted to face her, and she immediately crawled into his embrace, her leg hooking right over his hip and thigh. He wondered if she was wearing knickers. The very idea that she might have been sitting in his lap, downstairs, with all of their friends around them, for two solid hours, wearing nothing but that dressing gown and this piece of lingerie and possibly no knickers, had him rock hard in seconds. He quickly ran his hand over her hip, down the back of her thigh, and up again.
She was wearing knickers, and he exhaled the breath he had been holding as he murmured, "I hope you're not planning to sleep for a bit, yet."
Her lips curved as she shifted closer. "Well, I had hoped for a shag, yes. Or we could just shag all night."
He chuckled. "I wouldn't be opposed to that, either. Not like I'm going to sleep much."
Her fingers traced along his scar and her expression grew serious. Kenneth watched her for a few seconds before he gently took her hand and linked their fingers together.
"Courtney."
She sighed and closed her eyes. "Sorry."
"Don't be. I know better than anyone that tonight is hard."
"It just… it normally doesn't bother me," she admitted. "But for some stupid bloody reason, tonight…"
"It's harder," he repeated. "But seriously. It doesn't bother me anymore. It hasn't for years, you know. It's just a white line, now."
At that, she smiled wryly and met his gaze in the dim candlelight. "You know, I distinctly seem to remember you telling me more than once that you hated that damned scar, because it was such an awful reminder."
"It was, that first year," he agreed. "But now…" He trailed off, leaned in, and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Now," he murmured, "it reminds me how utterly brilliant my beautiful wife is." Nuzzling her nose with his, he added, "Every time I see it, I think of how much I love you, and how bloody talented you are, that you saved my life when you were only a trainee Healer."
She flattened her palm against his chest and buried her nose in his clavicles. "I was so afraid I would fail, and that Karen would be devastated." Her body sagged.
"I think she'd be proud of you."
There was a long pause, before she finally whispered, "I hope she would be, too."
"Regardless, I'm proud of you. Always. You saved my life, and then you helped me open my heart again. No other woman could have ever done what you did. I love you so much, Courtney. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love you."
She relaxed and kissed the base of his throat. "I love you, too. Now please shag my brains out, if you would, and take my mind off everything for a bit."
Kenneth chuckled. "Gladly."
Chrysanthe was staring at the ceiling. It was a strange room, but not unwelcome. It was a nice change, really. And the fact that Kenneth and Courtney were in the same house also made her more relaxed. If she had stayed at home, she would have been pacing the house all night, trying to distract herself. At least now, she might get some sleep.
Danny stripped out of his clothes and draped them over the armchair in the room. When he was down to his pants, he climbed into bed and got comfortable.
Chrysanthe immediately snuggled against him, closed her eyes, and sighed heavily.
"You know," Danny murmured, flicking his wand at the candle, sending the room into darkness. "She's not Karen, but I think Dag is just as good a friend to you as Pickford was."
Chrysanthe smiled sadly. "She is. I'm so glad I have her."