The Brightest Sun

Chapter 8

Halloween had always been a terrible time for him, and the last years had only cemented his dislike of the holiday.

For the children's sake, Harry had dressed them up in ridiculous outfits as they hunted for candy. Rhaenys had wanted to be a kitten to match Balerion, the little girl pleased as punch when she had seen the whiskers. Aegon had simply repeated his favourite word, dragon, and the giggling baby had roared adorably as Sir Teddy the Knight tickled him.

"What is that?" she asked, catching the flash from the bulb.

He had brought his camera out, snapping photos of the children as they danced about the house in their outfits searching for candy, and one memorable moment of Elia snorting in laughter as the three ended up tangled on the floor courtesy of Balerion the Cat.

"Camera," he said, before remembering they wouldn't know what that was. "It takes pictures, like mini-portraits."

"Do these talk as well?"

Snorting, he shook his head. "No, no talking though they do move. Say cheese!"

Teddy had looked up with a toothy grin and bellowed cheese, and Harry felt himself shake in a rib-aching laugh as he saw the look on Elia's face at those words.

"You wizards are such odd people," she murmured in exasperation, eyes lit in amusement.

She had seemed freer these last two weeks; there was still a sense of heaviness lining her shoulders, things left unsaid or the homesickness he had been waiting to see, but she had been more relaxed. Far better than she had been in the days immediately following their talk in the library. He knew what it was like – how could he not with Teddy in his care – and Harry was determined to never let her go back to that fear for her children.

For once, their roles were reversed; Harry was brooding beneath the pleasant smile and Elia the more relaxed of the two.

The dreams had returned, flashes of green light and his mothers scream, mixed in as they were with Andromeda's final moments. Even Sirius made an appearance, and Harry had barely slept, his nerves fried and magic coiled in anticipation.

"…ter-Black!"

He blinked, gaze wandering to Elia who stood closer than she had before, a look of concern on her face.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in thought," he said with a slight smile that did nothing to convince her.

She moved even closer, and Harry held his breath in surprise. Elia had never seemed comfortable in close quarters, and Harry had kept a polite distance. She had been even more distant after the library, a touch of embarrassment on her face for two days as he had wisely not remarked on what had occurred. The hug had been expected, and in the aftermath had made things slightly awkward between them.

"I'm fine, really," he insisted lowly.

"Of course, my lord, but perhaps it is past time for the children to sleep," she said, tilting her head in their direction even as her eyes flashed with concern.

He felt his lips unwillingly twitch into a smile as he saw the three children on the couch, Aegon dozing lightly between a tired Rhaenys and Teddy.

"I'll take Rhaenys if that's alright with you?" he asked her. Elia nodded in agreement, and Harry scooped the little princess into his arms, Teddy stumbling to his feet and gripping his free hand as Aegon was lifted into his mother's arms.

He hovered awkwardly by the door to their rooms; he had given Elia a suite of rooms that connected to rooms for both Aegon and Rhaenys, but she had been reluctant to let them leave her sight.