I hope our story has a happier ending

another turning point

They do a celebration with the Weasleys and Neville and Hannah a few days before Harry's actual birthday; on the day of, it's a smaller affair—much more his style, just Andy, Ted, Tonks, Percy, Teddy, and of course his dads and his sisters and his soul mate.

(He loves Molly and everyone so much for kicking up a fuss about him, but then he's never been much for being the center of attention; and now more than ever, any such positive atmospheres feel like a forced façade.)

(It's nice, just being at home with the people he loves the most—the people who know he's not trying to bring down the mood, but that he genuinely can't bring himself to pretend like anything else matters when matters are so grave.)

Hermione lets out her first laugh since April when Teddy smashes his own face in the frosting of a slice of cake, breathing just a bit easier when it draws a smile from Harry, too.

Remus and Sirius look on with wistful expressions—so proud, that their boy has made it to adulthood.

(So terrified, for what this next year will bring. So sorrowful, that James and Lily aren't here to see it.)

They hadn't fought any further about Remus returning to Hogwarts; Sirius doesn't like it, but he wouldn't love Remus if he weren't the kind of wizard who would put himself in such a volatile position knowingly in order to defend the most innocent of them all, to stand between children and darkness.

(At the end of the day, he knows it's not his decision.)

Andy tells stories of her own memories from Harry's infancy, the times James had come over to hang out with his and Sirius's favorite aunt, the few times a five year old Tonks had accidentally almost dropped him were it not for a well-aimed cushioning charm.

Luna curls into his side, always one for physical contact, and desperate to get as much in as possible now, before she's again left alone when they go off on their Horcrux hunt.

"Is there anything else you want to do to celebrate, pup?" Sirius asks, smiling down at his son with such love in his eyes and joy in his smile that the age and wear of thirteen years in Azkaban nearly disappears.

"I think—" Harry blows a deep breath through his lips as he pushes back from the table. "Let's destroy the horcruxes."

Hermione's jaw drops. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I mean it." Her brother's eyes are beseeching, willing her to understand. "If we can't find any, or if something goes wrong...I need to know that at least the ones we've found have been taken care of. Until we get rid of them, nothing we've done so far makes any difference."

"Such a disaster bi, that one," Tonks mutters with a snort. "Gets it from his father."

Remus rolls his eyes. "I resent that."

"Truth hurts, Moony my love," Sirius comments cheerfully. "But it's one of your most endearing qualities."

It's the best day in the worst time—Hermione finds herself exhausted and overwhelmed with emotion, the love and fear and sorrow swirling together and consuming her.

Harry notices er fatigue, spots the tilt of her eyebrows that means she's trying not to feel; he cocks his head at her with worry. Gives her the look—the one that means if she needs out they'll disappear, right now. "Unless you want to wait—"

"No, we should do it," Hermione tells him, forcing a smile onto her face. "You're right, it'll feel better once we know there's something that's better than it was. And it's a good idea to do it now, while we have support, rather than not knowing what we're up against alone. Especially given that the diary already, you know, actively tried to kill you and Ginny."