Chapter Text
James Sirius Potter could count his absolute favorite things and people in the world with just two hands. There was his three-year-old brother, Gideon; his cousin Rose, also three, whom he essentially considered a sister; and then there is his snitch plushie that he cherishes as if it was his own baby. He also included his doting grandparents and his best friends, Psyche Nott and Scorpius Malfoy. And lastly, there were the two people he admired the most, the ones who took care of him when his mother had left, his aunt Hermione and his Dad.
James looked up to Hermione and Harry more than anyone else in his young life. And because he loved them so dearly, he was determined to see them become a couple so that he, his brother and pseudo sister could be a real legitimate family. He had noticed the secret, lingering glances they exchanged when they believed no one was watching, as the days bled over time James was certainly not gonna let them slip through the cracks. To achieve this master plan, he intends to recruit help from his family, his friends, and even a few mischievous portraits that have aptitude to make James' father and his family happy.
James Potter was going to be his father's ultimate wingman.
Winter
February 2005
Potter Manor felt strangely cold, missing the comforting warmth of the charms that usually filled its halls. A sense of panic hung in the air as Hermione arrived with her three-month-old daughter, Rose. "Harry!" she called out, her voice frantic as she searched for him. Stepping into the main sitting area, she found the moving portraits of Harry's parents, along with Sirius, Remus, and Tonks, all watching her with expressions of deep concern.
“Kitten!” Portrait Sirius exclaimed, his painted features etched with concern. Hermione stood before them, tears streaming down her face and her hair in complete disarray. She wore a long-sleeved pink shirt and sweatpants that were visibly soiled with baby vomit, appearing as though she hadn't found sleep in days. Sensing that she was likely mirroring Harry's own distraught condition, the inhabitants of the portraits remained respectfully silent regarding her disheveled appearance.
“If you’re searching for Harry, Hermione, you’ll likely find him in the study,” Lily’s portrait informed her, her painted voice held heaviness with each word. Hermione gave a sharp, tight nod, her breath catching in her throat. She began to turn away, pulling the infant closer to her chest, when Tonks’s portrait interjected.
“Listen, Mione, why not leave the little one here with us? I know your feelings on house-elves, but I’m certain Tally wouldn’t mind looking after her while you go and have a word with Harry”. Though Hermione initially moved to object, the look on the portraits’ faces made her reconsider, and she ultimately gave in. She summoned Tally to assist with Rose.
.
When she does she mutters to the portraits, “I am going to talk to Harry.”
“Please do, and kitten..” Portrait Sirius began causing Hermione to turn to him. Sirius sighed softly, “Love and support him for us.” Hermione gave them a small nod, her sad smile dawned on her face as she turned to go and venture into the home.
Suppressing her sniffles and fighting back tears, she was determined not to become an additional burden to Harry. She could already sense that something equally devastating had transpired. As she approached the study, the pulsing anger of his magic resonated through the manor's air, thick and suffocating. Her breath hitched as she finally forced her way into the room. Upon opening the door, she was met with a scene of destruction, glass shards, torn books, and shattered keepsakes littered the floor. At the center of the chaos, her best friend lay motionless.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders as she stepped further into the room. Harry had detected the change in the estate's wards the instant she arrived, recognizing her presence immediately. As he lay there, he questioned whether she had already uncovered the devastating truth or if she had come seeking him due to some separate trouble with her fiancé, Viktor Krum. Amidst his uncertainty, one painful reality remained clear, his wife of four years had left him for his best friend's partner.
Harry kept his eyes turned away as she began to quietly clear the debris from the study. Working in total silence, she meticulously restored the room to order. Only once the space was presentable again did she allow herself to close the gap between them, taking several hesitant steps until she was finally at his side. Seeing that he did not protest her presence, she moved quickly toward him, kneeling to lay down next to him. Her arms outstretched to wrap around his body, her chest pressed up against his back.
They remained there for several moments, neither of them uttering a single word to one another. Enclosed in their own private world, they simply held one another until they were both ready to break the silence. After about ten minutes more had passed before, Harry shifted onto his side to face her, leaving only inches between them. Hermione stilled, her misty teared brown eyes piercing into his glistening emerald eyes. Harry inhaled sharply when he finally began to speak, “Ginny left me and the kids.She said trying to be the perfect Ministry wife and keeping her career alive was suffocating her. She said she was leaving the country.....” He paused for a moment, swallowing his saliva he pressed on, “For the tour tomorrow. She packed a bag, Hermione. She left tonight.”
Harry knew why she was there. She was going through what he was going through. Hermione continued to stare at Harry, the last piece of her puzzle fell into place. Since she herself read a single letter about him leaving her and Rose, she felt like something was missing, like she didn’t have the full picture. But she had a sickening feeling Ginny was the reason Viktor left now. She took a deep breath as she said in a strained voice, “Vik—” she cleared her throat to not say his nickname she gave him, “Viktor left me too.”
Harry stared at her blankly. His eyes grew wide. There was no mention of Ginny. To Hermione, Viktor had just left her. Had he told her the truth? And for Hermione, this was confirmation. The truth slipped out without him explicitly telling her. After all, he saw his wife’s infidelity with his own eyes just a few hours ago when he went to surprise his wife after her morning practice. The agonizing image was seared into his mind, he had discovered her in the middle of her screwing Viktor Krum, the man who was supposed to marry Harry and Ginny’s closest friend, Hermione in a few months. Already reeling from Viktor’s sudden exit and a previous breakdown over the note he had left, Hermione stood before her best friend, struggling in vain to suppress her emotions. "Viktor left with Ginny," she remarked, the words phrased as a question but delivered with the weight of a painful realization. She bit her lip in a desperate bid for composure, but her strength gave way as she added, "He left me for her".
Hermione rolled onto her back, shielding her eyes with her hands as the tears spilled out uncontrollably. Despite her internal resistance, her body trembled with sobs that refused to subside. Harry remained beside her, watching with a heavy heart as he reached out to stroke her hair in a silent attempt to offer comfort. She swore under her breath, unable to bring herself to meet his gaze. It had been only a few months since Hermione had given birth to her daughter, while Harry was left to care for a three-year-old and a two-year-old after his wife’s sudden departure.
"I just... I can't wrap my head around it. What kind of absolute hippogriff dung is this, Harry?" she choked out, her voice trembling. "How could they do this to us? To the kids?How dare they..." Her words trailed off as she shook her head in disbelief. "He didn't even have the decency to tell me to my face. Just a pathetic note delivered by an owl, saying he wasn't ready for a domestic life—the marriage and Rose herself. That he still wanted to travel and 'have fun.' He didn't mention a word about Ginny," she spat out in bitterness.
Ginny Weasley had taken something from her once again. To Hermione, Ginny occupied the same space that Harry did for Ron. She was everything Hermione felt she was not. While Hermione considered herself beautiful only through deliberate effort, Ginny’s grace seemed effortless. Even during their overlapping pregnancies, Hermione felt she was merely glowing while Ginny shone like the sun. Ginny was the athletic, bold, and self-assured one, leaving Hermione feeling like nothing more than a plain bookworm—someone fundamentally unworthy of being loved. After all, Harry never saw her that way. All he saw was Ginny. And now her Viktor left her like Harry did all those years ago. Viktor saw her worth and threw her away.
Harry continued to look at her, he was silent, especially about how he found out. He assumed if he hadn't found out about them then Ginny would have done the same to him like Viktor did. Or maybe they would have still stayed and still be playing happy life with both of them and the families they were supposedly creating. He felt like it was his fault for what happened. “Sorry Mione.” Was all he said in a low voice.
Hermione's tears slowly stopped as she turned to face him. She shook her head, “Harry this isn't your fault Harry. It is their fault. They choose to cheat and leave Harry. And as much as I want to blame myself for him leaving—”
“It isn't your fault Mi.” Harry stated firmly.
“It’s not your fault either, Harry,” Hermione insisted.
“But it is, because I actually saw them,” Harry spat, his bitterness making his features twist into an ugly, pained expression. Then the ugly truth Harry had contemplated not telling her how he found out just came out like slugs did when Ron's spell backfired. He recounted the devastating moment he had walked in on them together in Viktor’s office only hours earlier, assuming that being caught was what finally prompted them to abandon their lives and flee. Hermione could only stare at him, her mouth agape in shock. The revelation that Harry caught them felt like another cruel twist of the knife. When Harry finished his truth on what happened and what he felt happened, Hermione simply snapped. It wasn't loud, it wasn't sadness, or anger, or laughter. It was silent.
Hermione just sat up really unsure how to react. But she knew one thing was for certain. This was not just a betrayal of the spouses, but an abandonment of the children. She had to think aboutRose, and she had to think about James and Gideon. Harry stared at her wondering what was going on through her mind, he sat up, leaning onto his side. His hand resting on her knee. He gulped as he called out to her, “Mi.” He felt like he broke her with him just uttering her nickname. It was then Hermione let out a humorous sort of laugh with tears streaming down her face.
“Wow.” Was all she was able to muster. “Does Pieces of Godric Shit—No this is- wow. What the fuck. Wow they fucking suck. Wow.” Harry stared at her, it wasn't like he hadn't heard her curse, but nothing like this. And damn it... It broke Harry who then started to laugh. Hermione snapped her head towards him, but instead berating him she let out a wet laugh of her own.
For a few minutes they drowned in their own laughter, trying to make sense of what had happened. They were both breathless at the very end as the emotions of their betrayal evaporated, all they did was stare at each other. They basked in the silence, shoulders sagged and Hermione—still reeling from their heartbreak—announced her next step, “Me and Rose are moving into the manor tonight.” Hermione shot up and started to head to the door.
Harry's eyes grew wide at her proclamation. “W-what?” He shot up while Hermione was already heading out the door of the study. He followed hot on her tail, confused at the whole ordeal. “Hermione, what are you talking about? You do—”
“Yes I—we are moving into the manor and that's final.” Harry stared at her disbelief as he watched her get up. Too shocked by the events currently transpiring in front of him. “I am thinking clear as day Harry so don't give me the bullshit that I am not thinking straight. I can see it in your face.”
“Well—” He began, still looking at his friend who had the look of determination on her face.
She went back down, kneeling on the floor, taking his hands in hers, “I will not spend a single night in that damn apartment, even if I have to buy out the rest of the lease to break it. That flat is the one I shared with Viktor for the past three years that we have been together. It wasn't our forever home, we were supposed to move to our new one after the wedding in May. So regardless I was moving out.” Harry looked at her, not moving from his spot. Hermione had pulled away and the warmth he felt disappeared, snapping back into reality. He shot up to follow her as Hermione was already at the entrance of the sitting room where she had left Tally and Rose, the fire in her voice rang through the space between them as he caught up to her. She declared, “I want to be here for you and the kids. We are all we have, Harry.” Those words were left hung in the air, Harry knew exactly what she meant. He knew that to him that he was all she had left.
Portrait Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Lily, and James stare at the young adults with sad eyes. They knew now what had happened. They didn’t mean to hear, but they were curious so they traveled to the frames to see what happened. Harry and Hermione had forgotten they were there as they were too busy staring at each other with heavy hearts. Hermione had taken Rose in her arms so she could give her a kiss, or at least tried to. But Harry strode over, taking the young baby in his arms, cradling her. Hermione’s breath hitched as he leaned down to kiss the crown of her head. “I won't leave you Mi. We have each other. I will be here for you, always.” He pressed her to his chest with his free hand. He held both girls tightly, not wanting to let go. Hermione in a muffled voice declared the same. They were staying for each other. And for the kids.
He smiled for the first time that day, he had a vision that everything would be ok. Before she left, Harry—still holding Rose in his arms as he wanted to tuck her into a crib in the kid nursery himself—Hermione said, “In the morning we will wake up, and have breakfast together. And when James asks we will tell him a kid version of what happened. And when we do, we will be there for him. The same for Gideon. I will be here helping you make breakfast. And as much as we want to break, we will be strong for them.” Harry studied her, and with a soft sad smile he nodded.
“We will get through this Hermione. We have been through worse.” Hermione inhaled at his words as she went past him and Rose to the floo togo back to her apartment and pack her and Rose's life away.