Aevumiter

39: Aftermath

The darkness gave way to light, and it was blinding. He took a few seconds to adjust, which was rather shorter than it ought to have taken. He became first aware that he was wearing his favorite sweater; soft and sage green, one that Draco had picked out for him when they'd gone shopping. Secondly, he was laying on the floor of King's Cross station. 

Harry got to his feet, and wondered if he'd find Voldemort's pathetic form here. Had Dumbledore perished in the battle? Would Harry speak to him again, in this place? As he looked around, he stumbled, barely managing to keep himself from falling.

"Wotcher, Harry." 

Harry whirled around at the voice, and found a familiar face, smiling at him. "Tonks."

"I thought I was the clumsy one." Tonks beamed. 

"I've just died." Harry said, without thinking. 

Tonks laughed. "I'll give you that. Come sit with me?" She pat the bench seat next to her. 

Harry sat down, staring at her all the while. "Tonks. I... I didn't think I'd see you here." 

Tonks shrugged. "You see lots of things here." 

"You do?" 

Tonks nodded. "Thanks for taking care of Teddy for us." 

Harry's heart skipped a beat. "...What?" 

Tonks frowned for a second. "Things are different, this side of the veil. I don't think I could explain to you how, it just is." 

"Like I can't explain how I see and feel magic." Harry said. 

"Yeah, like that, I think." Tonks said. 

"Tonks, I'm so sorry-" 

Tonks made a rather startling noise, and Harry went silent in shock. She spoke as if it was completely normal a second later. "Look, Harry, I don't want to hear you apologize. It's not so bad here... I've had a grand time, really." 

Harry blinked. 

"Oh, look!" Tonks pointed off to the side, and Harry looked. 

He saw an older version of himself, with shoulder length hair. Beside him was Draco, looking just as old as he was, his hair only slightly longer than present day Draco. In his older self's arms was a child, roughly eight years old, with dark hair. The child's hands were buried in the hair at the back of Harry's neck.

"-and she said it was weird that I have two daddies." The child frowned. "But I have three. And a mummy." 

"She doesn't know that it's okay to have more than one Dad." Older Harry said, gently. 

"She doesn't know a lot of things, Teddy." Draco said, brushing a thumb over the child's cheek. Over Teddy's cheek. "Don't let people's silly ideas upset you." 

Harry took in a shuddering breath as the figures faded. "What was that?" 

Tonks shrugged. "Hard to explain." 

"That was... That was me and Draco, with Teddy." Harry said, quietly, in confused awe.

"Yup." Tonks said. "I told you, it isn't bad over this side." 

Harry cried. He sobbed, in grief, in relief. And Tonks held him. 

"I think you've got to wake up now, Harry." Tonks said. "Take care of the family for me, yeah?" 

Harry nodded, emphatically. Of course. Of course he would; she needn't have asked. 

Harry still held onto Tonks as long as he could, before waking.