War is Over

19.

"What're you doing today?" Reg asked me while he got dressed for work. I hummed for a minute, contemplating my response.

"Well, I'll probably get violently ill in an hour or so after I eat a piece of bland toast, then I'll lay in the couch and complain to Vega— maybe Barty— about how my back is killing me, then I'll likely cry for a while, and then you'll be home and I will either start supper or beg you for chinese takeaway from the muggle world." I replied. He nodded.

"Got it down to a science, do you?" I nodded.

"Mhm, it's a daily occurrence." He chuckled and leaned over the bed to kiss me.

"I'll see you tonight love. Make Barty make you breakfast if you don't feel well." I nodded.

"He already does." He hummed as he walked out.

"Good." Vega nudged my arm with her hand, I pet her gently.

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"Potter, your husband's going to kill me if he walks in the house with you standing on a dresser like that." Barty panicked as he spotted me. I smiled.

"Barty, I'd sooner kill my husband than let him tell me what I can and cannot do." I replied as I patched the wall. One thing they forget to mention about old homes is that the foundation isn't always amazing. We had a storm last night and found a hole in the wall in Barty's room. It let in quite a bit of the storm.

"When I asked about getting this fixed I didn't expect the six month pregnant lady to just hop up on my dresser." Barty told me.

"Do you want it fixed or not?" I asked, finally looking down to him. He sighed dramatically.

"Yes."

"Then shut up." I went back to work.

"You two thought of a baby name yet?" I nodded.

"A few."

"Can I hear them?" I shrugged.

"Nioma, Astrid, Faye and, uh, Elenora."

"Faye is a terrible choice for you two." I cocked my head.

"And why is that?" I sat down on the dresser, he offered his hand to help me down.

"Reg got attacked by fairies in first year." I covered my mouth to stop a laugh.

"I didn't know that. We thought like the star." Barty shrugged.

"Elenora, like a sun's ray?" I nodded. "That's not a star."

"The sun is a star."

"Nova isn't a star name."

"Supernova." His face fell. I nodded.

"Why would your parents do that to you?"

"They didn't, at least I don't think. I've never asked. I didn't even know about it until school, kids used to make fun of me for it after astronomy."

"Hence your guard dogs." I nodded.

"Yeah, the star gets too hot, it blows up. Fitting though innit?" I joked. He nodded.

"I don't think it's a bad thing, yanno, being like that." He stated. I shrugged as he sauntered over to the bed. "At least you know what you stand for, everyone knows what you stand for. They always have. You made a name for yourself, hell, you have your own name. I'm just Barty Crouch Jr. A sorry excuse for a follow up." I sat next to him on the bed.

"I don't think you're a sorry excuse. You want to know what I think?" He nodded. "I think everyone was pulling you in a million different directions and you finally got fed up and fled. I think you're the smartest, and bravest person of all our friends. I think Barty Crouch Jr. would have never held me and Reg on trial for something he knew we didn't do, like his father. I think you were so scared of what your friends would say when you came back, but you couldn't stay away. You're loyal. You're smart. You're brave. Hell, you should have been a Gryffindor." He laughed.

"And even if you did try to kill me when we were young, I'm glad we became friends. I quite like you Barty and I'm glad you're back." I patted his leg. He wrapped an arm around me.

"Thank you, Nova."

"Thank you, Barty."

"What're you guys doing?" Reg asked as he appeared in the doorway. I smiled.

"Barty had a leak in his room, we just fixed it." He narrowed his eyes at me.

"We?"

"Barty climbed up there, I just told him how to do it." Reg nodded.

"I'm going to change, then Chinese takeaway?" He asked. Barty and I nodded.

"I'll ring Marlene and Evan, see if they want to join." I hollered after him. Barty smiled at me.

"You're an enigma, Nova Potter." I laughed.

"Don't tell my husband."

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"I like Elenora." Marlene told us as she took a bite of rice. I nodded.

"Me too."

"It's close to your mum's name too, that's cute."

"Middle name?" Evan chimed in, I looked to Reg. He smiled and grabbed my hand.

"Minerva."

"Elenora Minerva Potter, really mystical." Barty joked.

"I thought you'd just name her Minerva." Evan pointed out as he leaned his head on Barty's shoulder. Barty instinctively brought his hand to Evan's hair. 

"And prove Panda's theory right? Hell no." Reg replied. I leaned closer to Marls.

"Minnie is cute for a little girl though, yeah?" I whispered. She giggled with a nod.

"We're not naming her Minnie." Reg groaned as we giggled.

"I'm not saying we are! I just think it's cute." I replied through a laugh. He rolled his eyes. Marls passed me a takeaway box of noodles and I scooped some on my plate. She poked my side and pointed to Evan and Barty on the couch, Evan had dozed off on Barty's shoulder while Barty scratched his head.

"Why don't you take him to bed?" Marlene asked with a grin. "He's had a long day." Barty nodded and gently woke Evan up before leading him up the stairs. I grabbed Marlene's hand.

"You don't miss being whatever you were with Rosier, right?" She shook her head.

"I just miss having someone," She took a deep breath. "I really miss Cas."