Falling Twice [Harmione]

The End

The Epilogue Part 1 - A Peak into Family Life (Present and Future)

The newly christened Potter Manor was filled with people waiting anxiously downstairs as Hermione Potter gave birth to her first child. Some children were too rambunctious to wait inside and so played outside freely in the large acreage that surrounded the house and safely within wards that would make Hogwarts proud.

Harry's arms trembled as he held his son, finally emerging from the room where his wife was resting after a so-called "normal" birth. He quite thought he might change his mind on the number of children he wanted if that was considered normal.

James Sirius Potter cooed up at him, his dark brown eyes wide and inquisitive just like his mother's. "You already have Teddy as a brother, that would be enough right?" Harry whispered to the infant who grabbed his finger tightly. "Let's go meet everyone, son."

The first person he met was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, his knee jiggling with anxiety. "Ron," Harry said quietly so other people wouldn't rush in yet.

Ron jumped up like he was electrocuted spinning around. "Is everything okay is she – oh." He said pausing as he saw the baby in Harry's arms. His eyes watered as he got close. "Wow, mate."

"Meet James Sirius," Harry said adjusting his hold on the baby as Ron moved closer, his hand hesitantly reaching out to stroke the baby's soft cheek.

"He looks so much like both of you."

"He does, doesn't he?" Harry smiled down at his son, who was obviously the best baby in the world. "I'm glad I ran into you first though. I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Ron said nervously pulling his hands back to tuck them into his pockets.

"Yeah." Harry kept his gaze on his son. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry for how I behaved when everything was happening. When Hermione and I got together when she was hurt... and after." Harry looked up when Ron touched his elbow.

"You don't have to apologize to me for anything. We're best mates and we fight and mess up... and then..." Ron looked down at James again, dropping Harry's intense gaze. "Then after everything, we're best mates again."

"Well." Harry cleared his throat. "As my best mate, would you be my son's godfather?"

"What!?" Ron's voice came out in an embarrassed squeak and he cleared his throat several times as they both stared awkwardly at each other in the emotional atmosphere. "Really? Me?"

"Of course you. Who else would we ask?"

"Oh," Ron said softly with a dumbfounded look on his face.

When the silence stretched on for a few seconds Harry shifted uncomfortably and Ron snapped back to reality. "Oh! Yes! Of course, I want to be James' godfather."

"Brilliant." Harry smiled at him. "Would you like to hold him?"

Ron swallowed hard and nodded carefully taking the tiny infant from his father's arms. "Oh shit. He's so small."

Further away spying on them from a doorway Neville and Luna looked on as their friends awkwardly sealed up the last cracks within their friendship. Neville gave Luna a small smile. "I think they're going to be okay."

"Of course they are." She responded confidently. "There's not a single nargle within this house."

"That's good."

"And I sprayed nargleside along the perimeter."

"Oh."

"Don't worry I have some left for your house. You're infested." She advised Neville a little sympathetically.