You've Got to Live!

The wedding took place exactly five days later. It was a grand wedding, attended by almost everyone. Ron had refused to be their best man even after Hermione had explained the past month's events to him, though their friendship was back to normal. He just insisted that he would be the Godfather of their first child, but at present, he needed some time. He had attempted to apologise, but his two friends had cut him off and forgiven him.

The people who enjoyed the wedding the most were the orphans from Whitechapel. Harry and Hermione had kept Zephyr next to themselves throughout the ceremony and the feast. For once, the gloomy little boy was friendly and enthusiastic.

Draco Malfoy, now a celebrated light wizard, was the best man. He recognised Zephyr and offered him a place in the Malfoy Manor, which was promptly refused.

"I don't have anything against you, Draco," the boy said, "But I hate the name so much that it would be torture for me to live on the property of the man I have hated all my life."

Draco nodded and put a hand on Zephyr's shoulder.

"I understand perfectly, little brother. But you're welcome to visit. And there's a small problem as well. If I die without an heir, the property will come to you."

"I don't think that you're dying anytime soon, Draco. And Ginny Weasley is a nice choice."

They both laughed. Draco reached out and ruffled his young brother's hair affectionately. He had taken a great liking to the boy, who was not just mature, but rather witty as well. He was a bit unnerved by his astute observations, though.

"You know, little brother, I would really love it if you came by. I mean it. You are really a delightful person."

"Thanks, Draco, I will try to when I'm ready," said Zephyr softly.

"I shall wait. By the way, tell me about this uncanny ability of yours. You seem to be capable of sensing couples miles away!"

Zephyr smiled sadly.

"It's not just couples, Draco; I can sense lots of other feelings. I don't know the exact reason myself. Maybe I'm just a good observer, or maybe I'm sort of an Empath. However, it might also be that I sense emotions, particularly love, merely because I never received any in my life."

Draco put a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry and Hermione love you. I like you, too."

Zephyr smiled at him, nodding slightly.

"You would have made a great part of the family, you know," said Draco quietly, "I always wanted a little brother, but my parents never had any. My father thought there ought to be only one heir in traditional pure-blood families."

"Was he a good father to you?"

"I guess so. He did try to keep me happy, well, as long as he thought that I wanted to serve Lord Voldemort. I think he loved me in his own way, but he obviously put his interests first. He promptly decided to disinherit me when I made it clear that I wouldn't join the Death Eaters. He was killed by the Dark Lord himself before he could bring his plan into action, though. He and my mother, both were killed together, for Voldemort suspected them of treachery."

"Did you love him?"

"Yes. I did. I stopped being proud of him in my sixth year, but I still loved him."

"I'm sorry. I should not have brought up this subject."

The brothers hugged each other tightly. When they broke apart, both had big grins on their faces.

"Let us concentrate on the wedding, big brother," said Zephyr, still grinning, "by the way, how did you recognize me?"

"It was rather easy, actually. I would recognise the Malfoy eyes anywhere in the universe. If you hadn't had the dark hair and were a bit healthier, you would have looked a lot like I did at your age. You have the skin, the build and the eyes of the family. Only the midnight hair is different. You will try to be in Slytherin, won't you? Or will you follow the Gryffindors? Well, Harry might be an exception, but they're mostly morons. You know that he was nearly sorted into Slytherin, don't you? Even Hermione was nearly sorted into Ravenclaw. All others are cannon fodder. I'll tell you all the details..."

Zephyr's grin widened.

"Brother best man, you should return to the wedding, or else the lovesick couple will hex you into oblivion!"

Harry and Hermione observed this exchange with relief. They had been scared of what Zephyr's reaction to Draco would be. They turned their attention back to their wedding ceremony.

The couple went to France for three days for their honeymoon. Hermione was no longer worried about Harry's health. She knew that the potion had set itself firmly in his blood. Now his will could not defeat it. It was a huge relief for her.

On the last day of their trip, Harry silently observed Hermione pack. He was charmed by her graceful movements. He sighed happily. The past few days, ever since he had proposed to her, were the best days of his life. He had never felt so happy and content before.

"Get up and help me, lazy bones," said Hermione suddenly, interrupting his musings by throwing a pillow at him. He responded by scooping her up in his arms and planting a kiss on her forehead. He deposited her on the bed before sitting down next to her and waved his hand casually. All things packed themselves neatly in a matter of seconds.

"Why do you keep forgetting that you're a witch, my love?" he asked playfully.

"Your charming presence, my Lord, makes me unaware of everything other than you," replied Hermione. Harry couldn't resist planting a little kiss on her lips.

"Your exalted presence has a very similar effect on me, my Lady," he shot back.

"Does this explain why you were looking like a sheep about to be butchered at the altar?" she retorted.

"I - I was?" Harry was suddenly looking rather nervous, "Did I look too stupid? Did I embarrass you? Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry, Hermione!"

"Shut up, Potter," said Hermione, in a voice like Professor McGonagall. Then she started giggling helplessly. When she finally stopped, she saw Harry looking at her with a quizzical expression.

"Was I really looking that funny? Draco made me buy those robes; he said they would complement your gown," he said quietly.

"Harry, stop behaving like an idiot! You were looking absolutely gorgeous! It took me all my self control not to gape at you that day. So, it was Draco? Hmm, I wondered where you'd got the sense to get a robe like that."

"Why did you laugh, then?"

Hermione giggled again. "The look on your face - the look on your face when you were apologising! Honestly, I wish Colin were here to take that shot!" she said in between her giggles.

Harry smiled at his wife. He liked to see her laugh. He thought that she looked adorable when she laughed. The mirth in her voice lifted his spirits. He just stared at her, grateful for his luck in having her as his wife and wondering how she could love him. he was shaken out of his thoughts by Hermione.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Why do you love me?"

"Do I really need to answer that? Well, I love you because you are noble, sweet, caring, affectionate, modest, understanding, brave, witty, intelligent, honourable, gentle, good looking, a good human being and my best friend. I can write a hundred foot essay if you want to know the details, of course."

Hermione smiled as her husband blushed.

"Really? I haven't heard that many adjectives associated with my name in my life."

Hermione cursed the Dursleys inwardly. What had the insufferable Muggles done to him? She promised to herself that she would never let him be unhappy again. She would never leave him alone. She would always be there for him.

Hermione slipped an arm around her husband's waist and rested her head on his chest. He might not be as tall and muscular as Ron, she thought, but he is the most beautiful creature in the universe to me.

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." she said, imitating Trelawny's misty voice. Harry laughed out.

Hermione laughed with him and said softly, "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone before, Harry - so much so that it scares me. I can't imagine how a feeling as strong as this surfaced so suddenly. Maybe I loved you all along and didn't realise it. I have never felt so contented, so safe with anyone ever before. Being with you just feels so right. It's difficult to believe that we have been together for such a short period of time; it feels like centuries! I will love you forever, Harry James Potter, and don't you ever dare to doubt that!"

Her voice had risen slightly. Harry was staring at her, his face unreadable, his eyes shining. She stared right back, her eyes warm with love. It was a few minutes before Hermione realised that there were tears in his eyes. She threw her arms around him and held him tightly. A tear from his eye fell on her neck. She loosened her arms and looked up at his face. Gently, she brushed away the tears with her hands.

"Don't ever leave me, Hermione," he said quietly, his voice nearly cracking, "I don't think I'll be able to survive that."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to."

"Do you want to?"

Hermione sighed, irritated.

"No, I don't. But if you don't stop asking stupid questions like that, I will. I love you, you moron! Is it so difficult to accept that fact?"

Harry went red and cast his eyes on the carpeted floor and turned away his face.

"Sorry."

Hermione lifted her hand to his chin and turned his face back to her.

"Look at me, Harry," she commanded.

He obeyed.

"I understand that I'm asking for a lot, but please try to trust me, hon. I understand your insecurities; it was a good thing that the Dursleys didn't turn up for the wedding, for I might have cursed them awfully. But I refuse to allow you to harbour these false notions that you've developed about yourself. You must get rid of them. You must learn to acknowledge the fact that there are people who love you because you're just Harry, and not the Boy-Who-Lived. I'll make you a list of such people and remind you verbally that you are loved and cared for every hour if I have to. But you have to give up those negative ideas, love. I cannot do it together - you have to help me."

Harry nodded and gave her a weak smile. She summoned some chocolates and they ate in silence for some time. A memory flew back to Harry's mind as he bit into the bar of chocolate.

"Remember the time in the third year when I appeared behind you and Ron in Hogsmeade when you were planning to buy blood flavoured lollipops for me?" he said suddenly.

"Yeah. We got the shock of our lives!" said Hermione and they started laughing. They sat talking for a long, long time, talking of their school days.

"Remember you crush on Lockhart?"

Hermione shuddered. "Don't even remind me of it. I can't believe I actually liked that git."

"Oh yes, you did. You always liked beautiful people more. I wonder how you ended up with me!"

"I didn't! And you are very handsome in case you haven't noticed or heard."

Harry laughed. "Oh yes. The Witch Weekly offered me their 'Most Charming Smile' award, you know."

Hermione threw a pillow at him and retorted, "Remember your crush on Cho? I really enjoyed teasing you about her back then. You go for beauty, too."

"Well, I married you, didn't I? Isn't that proof enough that I'm a lover of beauty?"

Hermione blushed and threw another pillow at him, which he threw back, laughing.

"Look at us," she said, "We're flirting! I thought that was a pre-marriage thing."

"We always did break the rules, as Snape said."

"Yeah. Sometimes I feel sorry for him, you know."

"Me too. But I will kill him if you desert me for him!"

"Me and Snape? Have you gone mad? He is old enough to be my father!" Hermione shot another pillow at Harry.

Harry grinned and tossed it back. She smiled at him. A thought floated back to her brain, a topic she had wanted to discuss with Harry ever since they had decided to get married. Her face grew serious suddenly.

"Harry, there's something important that I wanted to discuss with you before we returned to England."

Her serious expression took the twinkle out of Harry's eyes. His face grew sombre and he shifted closer to his wife on the bed.

"About?"

"Zephyr."

"What about him?"

"Do you like him, Harry?"

"Oh yes. He's an adorable child. He reminds me so much of myself at that age. And yet he is so mature - it's eerie at times. Our backgrounds are a bit similar, too, though his are far worse than mine - no child should be subject to that. He deserves a better life, you know. Sally takes good care of the kids, but I got the distinct impression that no one likes him there."

"Yes. He's always the odd one out."

Harry sighed. He knew the feeling very well.

"I hope there are no bullies like Dudley there," he said.

"Not that I know of."

"That's a relief. I wish we could do something for him, but he's too proud to accept anything he finds remotely related to charity."

"We can."

"What can we do, Hermione? I would really like to do something for him, I am very grateful to him. If not for his advice, I might never have had enough courage to propose to you. I think I am beginning to have feelings of paternal love for the boy."

Hermione nearly laughed out in relief. This was going to be far easier than she thought. She looked straight into his eyes and asked, "Harry, can we adopt him? Please?"

Harry burst out laughing. "Sure! I'd love to do that. I've wanted to have him next to me since I first met him. He's a lovely child, Hermione," he said, grinning, but his face turned serious again as he continued in a much graver voice, "But I doubt if he would want to be adopted by us. He is such an independent child, Hermione. He refused Draco's offer. Do you think he will accept ours?"

Hermione thought about what Harry said. She nodded.

"Yes, his choice will be the ultimate, but I think that he just might agree. He told me once that he wished you were his father. He likes you a lot, and he likes me as well. In fact, we two are probably the only people he really cares about. If he does not want to be our son, may be we can take him in as our ward. We will just tell him what we want, and leave the decision to him. He is quite mature, and he can think for himself. What do you say?"

"I agree with you."

"Well, then, that's settled," Hermione said, her voice full of mirth. She scooted closer to Harry and leaned against him, taking up his hands in her own.

"Thank you for making my life beautiful, Harry. I never knew that I could love and could be loved so dearly."

"My pleasure, Madame. And my thanks to you too."

The newly wed Mr. and Mrs. Potter went straight to the orphanage after depositing their stuff in the castle. The children were ecstatic when given the presents from France. Hermione pulled Zephyr aside while Harry dealt with the rest of the kids.

"Zephyr, Harry and I have decided that we want to adopt you as our son. What do you say? The decision will be yours. You can come to us either as our son, or our ward or stay here," said Hermione softly.

The child stared at her blankly for a whole minute. Then he threw his arms around her and sobbed unrestrainedly. Hermione stroked his hair, wondering what to make of it. However, the boy pulled himself up almost immediately.

"I would be honoured to be known as Zephyr Adam Potter," he said quietly. Hermione couldn't resist hugging him tightly. A few tears of joy leaked from her eyes as well. She rushed to Harry. He looked at her questioningly, still surrounded by children. Hermione nodded, and went off to ask Sally about the adoption procedure.

Two hours later, Harry and Hermione walked out of the orphanage grinning like idiots, with Zephyr bouncing between them. They Apparated to the castle holding Zephyr in between. Dobby was already waiting for them there. The boy was taken to his room, which was next to his foster parents'. He gasped at the magnificence of the place.

"So, son, do you like it?" Harry asked, smiling.

"It's wonderful!" Zephyr chirped, then became suddenly silent.

Harry and Hermione exchanged worried glances. They knelt on the carpet next to the child.

"What's wrong, Zephyr?" Hermione asked softly.

"I - I was just wondering if I could - if I could call you Mum and Dad?" the boy asked nervously, eyes not leaving the floor.

The couple burst out laughing.

"Of course, you idiot! Do you think we adopted you so that you could call us Grandma and Grandpa?" said Harry.

The boy smiled and the three of them were to be found in a three way hug the next moment.

"Now, young man, get ready for lunch," said Hermione, dragging Harry out of the room. She pushed her husband into his room and ran down the stairs, yelling, "I want both of you downstairs in fifteen minutes!"

Ten minutes later, Hermione was staring at the head of the stairs with her mouth hanging open. Harry and Zephyr stood there, looking incredible in their robes. Harry was in dark green robes laced with gold and Zephyr was in dark blue robes trimmed with silver. She looked down at her own dark red robes, also trimmed with gold. She winked at them and said, "Quite the colourful family, aren't we?"

"Picture perfect, I'd say," put in Harry, coming down the stairs.

"I'd comb my hair if I were you, Dad, before I allowed anyone to take my photographs," said Zephyr, following his father's actions and taking his seat on the table.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, son. It just wouldn't stay put. Besides, Hermione likes it this way, don't you, darling?"

"Of course, sweetheart," said Hermione, batting her eyelids at him.

"Ugh!" said Zephyr, "You two are lovesick!"

"I thought that was a universally known fact," said Hermione, sitting down next to Harry.

Dobby appeared with the food just then. Winky and Kreacher followed, the latter muttering under his breath.

"I don't think we've met," said Zephyr to Kreacher. The old house-elf shot him a glare, which immediately melted into a smirk.

"I am Kreacher, young master. I am glad that there is someone of noble blood in this household."

"Pleased to meet you, but I don't understand, Kreacher."

Kreacher shot a glance at Hermione, then whispered to Zephyr, "The Master is a great wizard, but I don't think my old Mistress would have liked him. The Mistress is a good witch, I quite like her, but she is a Mudblood. But you have the noble blood of Malfoy in you, the same as my old Mistress, even though you are a half-blood."

"Kreacher, I must request you not to mention my bloodline again. I wish to forget it. I want nothing more than to be a worthy son to Harry James Potter and Hermione Granger Potter."

The old elf looked disappointed, but nodded. Harry and Hermione gave their son a proud smile, which made Zephyr think that this was probably the happiest day of his life. He smiled back and attacked the delicious food on the table.