𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐶𝑋𝑉𝐼.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚-𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙-𝙨𝙞𝙭𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

TWO DAYS AFTER Voldemort died, Caroline and Harry traveled to Remus and Tonks's house. Caroline wanted to clean it out before they met Teddy. She tied her long braids that desperately needed to come out into a high ponytail, wearing fresh clothes as she and Harry packed up the house, preparing what they would keep and what would go to Tonks's parents. The house was given to Caroline, per Remus's will. She would live there, considering there was no one else around.

"What are we doing with the closets?" Harry asked. They were in the master bedroom now, magically packing everything up in boxes.

Caroline placed a pile of photos into a box that would go to Tonks's parents. "Pack everything up. We'll keep it in the attic for Teddy." she decided, and Harry nodded, doing as she asked.

They were done a few hours later, and Caroline and Harry collapsed on the sofa in the sitting room, waiting for Andromeda and Ted to arrive. "Are you gonna give Eloise her memories back?" Harry wondered, Caroline's head on his shoulder.

She shrugged. "Maybe. After we meet Teddy, I'll try to find her, see if she's happier without memories." Caroline decided, and Harry nodded.

There was a knock on the door, and when Caroline answered it, her lips turned upwards into a smile. The baby looked so much like Remus, with Tonks's flair. "Caroline, Harry, hi." Andromeda smiled, holding a sleeping Teddy.

"Hi." Caroline said breathlessly, eyes unwavering from Teddy.

They were in the sitting room, Ted now holding the baby while Andromeda unfolded a piece of paper, passing it to Harry and Caroline. "Remus and Nymphadora named you two Teddy's godparents. They wanted you to take him should something happen to them. That's why Remus left you the house." Andromeda explained as the two read over the papers that stated Teddy belonged to them now.

Caroline looked up at her aunt's parents. "How are we supposed to raise a baby? We're only seventeen." she said meekly, looking over at Harry, who would do whatever she wanted.

Andromeda reached across the coffee table, taking both Caroline and Harry's hands in hers. "We'll help you every step of the way. But we can't raise a baby. We're too old," Ted grumbled at that, but his wife shushed him. "You will never know just how much Remus and Nymphadora loved you both. They trust you with their son, and we do, too. You saved the Wizarding World, you can take care of this baby. We know you'll be excellent to him." the woman spoke softly.

"Something else, too," Ted grabbed two pieces of paper and handed over to Harry and Caroline. "Remus and Nymphadora were set to adopt you both the moment the war ended. They wanted to give you a home." the man said, and tears pricked both Caroline and Harry's eyes as they read the adoption papers.

There wasn't a decision. Teddy was now theirs. Ted and Harry moved Teddy's things into Caroline's old room, Andromeda holding the infant while Caroline placed a bassinet beside the bed in the master bedroom. Caroline used her wand to enchant a mobile above Teddy's crib in his new room that was identical to the one Delilah made for Caroline. Stars and moons, sparkling in a perfect fashion.

When Andromeda and Ted left, Teddy was asleep, neither Caroline nor Harry holding him yet. They were too afraid to hurt him. Caroline paced in front of the bed in the master bedroom that Harry laid on, watching Teddy sleep in the bassinet. "How am I supposed to raise this kid? My first parents died on me when I was a year old, my second dad died, and my second mom tried to off herself when things got too hard." Caroline said, toying with her braids.

"Why are you asking me? My parents died and I was raised by my abusive aunt and uncle." Harry voiced, staring at Teddy's tiny breathing.

"What if I die or try to kill myself?" Caroline asked, nervous. Teddy was relying on her, and she didn't trust herself.

"You won't. You're stronger than your parents, all of them. You'll be a good mother, Carol," Harry said strongly, convincing her after another moment of silence. "I know it."

Caroline sighed, flopping on the bed beside Harry, his arm swung across her waist. She glanced over at the baby. "So, this is our baby to raise?" Caroline asked.

Harry was a little unsure. "Yeah?" he asked, debating if they were mom and dad or aunt and uncle.

"And we're okay with that?" Caroline questioned, playing with Harry's bracelets.

"Yeah." Harry nodded, kissing her neck sweetly.

"So, he's living with us." Caroline verified, making sure she and Harry were on the same page.

"I think so." Harry settled on saying, glancing at the sleeping baby, swaddled in a blanket that had stars on it.

Caroline frowned. "But are we living together?" she questioned.

Now Harry was confused. "Maybe?"

"Shouldn't we?" Caroline turned to look at her boyfriend. They were soulmates, Dumbledore had said when Harry died.

"Probably," Harry nodded. "You want to live together?" he asked, gazing at her through his glasses.

Caroline shrugged. "Not like there's anywhere else to go." she said, Harry sighing.

"So, yes?" Harry tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Yeah. We'll live together." Caroline decided, pressing a kiss to Harry's cheek.

Then, Teddy started crying, loudly. "Oh, no." Harry said, sitting up to see that Teddy was fine, just woken up.

Caroline rolled over, lifting her head from the mattress. "I don't like that." she grimaced at the sound of Teddy's wailing.

"What do we do?" Harry asked. He had never been around a baby before, so he was just as clueless as Caroline.

"Pick it up?" she suggested, unsure of what else to do.

"'It'?" Harry's eyes widened at her word choice.

"Him. Pick him up." Caroline corrected herself, growing frustrated.

Harry frowned. "You do it." he pushed Caroline's shoulder gently towards the bassinet.

Caroline looked over at him, an appalled expression on her face. "What, are you afraid?" she asked, flicking him in the forehead.

"Yes." Harry said. There was a speck of fear in his eyes.

Caroline rolled her eyes and stood up, gently reaching into the bassinet. She steadied her shaking hands and lifted Teddy into her arms, the little baby ceasing his crying as he felt her touch. Caroline smiled in awe, brushing Teddy's brown hair from his eyes, the baby grasping her finger, cooing. "Okay. This can work." Caroline decided, looking up at Harry.

He stood up and walked over to her, holding her from behind, gently cradling Teddy's head. He kissed Caroline's head, and then the door was pushed open, an older calico cat waltzing in with a snow white cat beside her. "How did they get here?" Harry asked, looking down at Penny and Marie.

Caroline smiled. "Magic." she settled on saying, sitting down on the bed so Penny and Marie could gently sniff Teddy. That was perfect. They had a family again. And it was even better when Caroline decided to give Eloise Jones her memories back, the woman crying when she held her daughter.

She was fixed. Eloise now understood everything that had happened, and she had accepted it. She bought Caroline's childhood home back, someway, somehow. She was happy, she had a daughter, and a grandnephew. Caroline had a family again. And it would only grow in the next nineteen years.

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