The party had been Molly’s idea.

I was sat at the kitchen table, staring at the front the front page of the Prophet, just as I had been when she’d gone out to collect the morning eggs: I hadn’t read a single word by the time she returned, the hinges screaming as she pushed through the door.

“The hens have been laying so well for the past few days.� She thrust the basket, brimming with fat, speckle-shelled eggs, under my nose. “I’ll have to bake something, use them up. It’d be such a shame to waste good eggs, they’re the best we’ve had in years. Perhaps a cake, a nice sponge…�

Of course, a nice sponge requires a few friends to share it with and by lunchtime that day a guest-list had been made and Molly was composing invitations to a quill. But the owls bearing responses were slow to return. I pretended to share her dismay and listened to her fret, as I had always done, but this was the first time my heart wasn’t in it.

The children replied immediately. Fleur had had a difficult pregnancy, but Bill sounded confident she would be well for the day: it would be the first time that Victoire, our first grandchild, would be introduced to our friends. Charlie said he was due a visit anyway, and would be glad of some home-cooking after a year away. Percy enquired as to whether this would be an appropriate opportunity to introduce us to a “charming young woman� whom he was “extremely fond of�; Molly saw his letter before I could hide it, and immediately wrote back that she would be most welcome. Ron and Harry would come early to help decorate. Hermione and Ginny were allowed to come home for the weekend, although Hermione would likely be bringing half of Hogwarts library with them. And George… George was coming, which was enough.

When I awoke on the morning, I was alone in our bed. The curtains were open and the May sunlight was warming Molly’s empty pillow. I dressed quickly and steeled myself with a deep breath before going downstairs.

“Have some more, dear, go on. Ron’s always complaining that they never give you proper lunches at that place, and you’re looking dreadfully thin.� Molly was tipping bacon onto Harry’s plate. She wasn’t wrong; Harry did look thin, although there was colour in his cheeks, and his hair was shining. He was bigger from the under-nourished twelve year old my sons had rescued, and the lonely thirteen year old I’d warned of a madmen, and the uncomfortable fourteen year old we’d collected from a ruined sitting room. He was happier than the angry fifteen year old we protected for as long as we could, and the resolute sixteen year old who arrived in this kitchen on a dead man’s arm. And he was far more alive than the man who attended the wedding of one of my sons and the funeral of another in the space of nine months.

“Good morning, dear.� Molly offered me her cheek to kiss, but didn’t pause for a longer greeting. I sat with Ron and Harry and ate. Ron was talking between mouthfuls of bacon and toast, telling his mother some funny story about a reporter, but there was something wrong; his voice was too chirpy and the words coming too quickly. After a few minutes, his story ended and the room fell silent.

We all felt the atmosphere change, the tension rise. I put my mug down and winced at the clink it made. No one looked at each other.

“You know, it isn’t too late to cancel, mum,� Ron said, as gently as he could manage.

“Why would we do that? It’ll be lovely to see everyone. Bill Flooed this morning and said they’ll be bringing Victoire. It’s been two weeks since my grand-daughter was born and I’ve only seen her twice! And Andromeda will be coming, and you know how little she makes appearances now, it’ll be so good for her.� Molly spoke into the pile of dishes she was washing by hand, not looking at any of us. “Charlie’s come all the way back from Romania, and… and George is coming.� A plate slipped from between her fingers and landed in the sink-full of water, covering her apron in bubbles.

“I’ll do that,� said Harry, getting quickly to his feet. “Thank-you so much for breakfast, let Ron and me clear up.� Molly had the sense to nod and step back from the sink. She wasn’t crying, but her eyes were turning ruddy. I put my hand on her shoulder, steering her gently into the living room.

“I thought if I was busy, I wouldn’t think about him so much,� she said as soon as we were alone. Her voice was stronger than I had expected: thirty-one years of marriage and she still surprised me.

“A year tomorrow…� I stopped as her expression shifted, her lower lip trembling.

“Is it really tomorrow? I wasn’t sure… I couldn’t remember the date.� Now she was crying, heavy tears crawling down her cheeks. “I couldn’t remember him when he was alive, and-“

“What do you mean? Of course you could remember him.�

“Not well enough. What sort of mother can’t tell her children apart? I couldn’t remember his face well enough when he was alive, and now I can’t remember what happened when he died and we buried him.� She sunk into my armchair, her elbows on her knees and her fingers clutching at her hair. She didn’t make another sound, but I could see her shoulders jerking as she sobbed.

“Molly…� I knelt next to her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. “I could never tell them apart either. Nor could their brothers, or their sister. Sometimes, I wondered if they even believed they were one person. You are a wonderful mother, and a wonderful woman.� I kissed her cheek and tasted salt. “If you don’t want anyone to come, I’ll stand at the door and send them away myself.�

“N-no,� she said, quietly. She hesitated before speaking again, her breathing steadying. “I don’t want that. The house is too quiet now.� I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat. We chose this house as newlyweds because of the space – the number of bedrooms, the storage, the garden, the nearby orchard for flying lessons: we had never intended to live in it alone.

“Then we’ll fill it again.� I kissed her temple, her hair clinging to my damp lips
.
*

We were lucky that the weather was so kind to us that day: everyone who said they’d come did, and most arrived with additional guests in tow. All were friends, and all were welcome, but we had to set up tables in the garden, and conjure chairs. Charlie stayed near the food, replenishing it whenever the plates began to look empty: he winked at me when I saw him doing it, and made a “shush� motion towards his mother, who holding Victoire and hadn’t noticed the shortage.

I when I saw my wife and my grand-daughter together. Victoire was perfect, and Molly hadn’t looked so content in months: even her sleep was no longer peaceful. Bill’s arm was wrapped around Fleur’s waist. She looked a little more pale than usual, but her smile broader than I’d ever seen it. “You must come for dinner next weekend; my muzzer is coming, and she will cook in our kitchen, she’d love to see you again!�

Ron’s voice cut across Molly’s reply. “Your exams don’t start for another week, I don’t think a Butterbeer will hurt…� He stood in front of Hermione, who was leaning against the wall of my workshop, chewing her thumbnail and wearing a harried expression.

“That’s easy for you to say, you didn’t even bother going back to Hogwarts.�

“No, but then we all knew I was only going to get A’s and E’s, just like you’re going to get twenty O’s again.�

“It wasn’t twenty!� But she was laughing, and she took the bottle he offered her.

“May you never end up as my boss.� They tapped bottles, and Hermione’s curls caught the mid-afternoon sun-light as she shook her head.

A small group of Order members sat together under the tree; Mundungus, Sturgis, Hestia and Dedalus. They were too far away for me to hear what they were saying, but Mundungus and Dedalus were laughing at something, and Hestia was banging Sturgis’ back and wagging her finger at the other two.

I was watching them for too long, but just as that occurred to me Percy appeared. “Kingsley asked me to send his sincere apologies that he couldn’t attend, but being Minister for Magic does have some responsibility, he hopes you understand.� The girl on Percy’s arm was tanned and heavily freckled, her forehead covered with a heavy fringe of dark blonde hair. When she smiled, her bright blue eyes crinkled, and I saw that one of her teeth was cracked.

“Of course, of course.� I dismissed the formalities quickly, then turned to her. “I don’t believe we’ve met?�

“Audrey Raines,� she said, extending her hand. Her fingers were slightly calloused and her grip was firm, though my hand dwarfed her delicate one. “It’s an honour, Percy’s told me so much about you.�

“Has he?� I asked. Percy was beaming down at her, his expression almost wondrously happy. “All good, I hope?� A flash of red beard caught my eye: George had slipped inside, quiet and alone. “Sorry, excuse me a moment.� I crossed to the door as quickly as I could and called his name when I got inside.

“In here.� The answering voice was Ginny’s, and it came from the living room.

George was stood in the living room doorway; inside, Ginny and Harry sat cross-legged on the floor, and a turquoise-haired Teddy Lupin was taking wobbly steps between them. He reached Harry as I watched, and fell giggling into his lap. Andromeda was perched on the edge of the sofa, her gaze so fixed on her grandson that I don’t think she’d noticed George and me arrive. Her eyes were sunken, so like her sister’s that it was unsettling, but as Harry picked Teddy up and placed him carefully back on his feet, she smiled and any resemblance was suddenly gone.

George turned to face me and managed half a smile. He’d had a haircut and trimmed his beard since last week, when I last visited the shop, but he was still sallow-skinned, and his eyes were hollow; he looked more like Andromeda’s son than mine. “Alright, dad?�

“Yes, thank-you. It’s good to see you. How’s the shop?�

“Yeah, doing fine. Thinking of advertising for another mid-week assistant, it gets quite busy some days.� George rubbed at his beard with one hand, and the knuckles were alarmingly bulbous. He was so thin nowadays.

“Sorry, we’ll get out of your way.� Andromeda scooped Teddy up and made to slide past us, her cheeks pink.

Teddy, however, had other ideas: he squealed with joy, reached for George’s face and screwed up his own for a moment. When his face relaxed, it was covered with a miniature version of George’s bright red beard, so long it fell half-way down his chest. Andromeda stopped and snorted with unexpected laughter; her laugh sounded hoarse, as though she hadn’t used it in a long time. Behind her, Ginny was giggling, and Harry was struggling to maintain a straight face behind his hand.

George took longer to react, his expression troubled, as though he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. Then he grinned. “That is a fine beard, sir.� He reached out a finger, and shook Teddy’s hand when he grasped it.
“Beard!� Teddy repeated happily, his voice muffled by the hair, which was slowly turning turquoise from the root.

“Harry, I think you’ve been hogging my little sister for too long,� said George slowly. “Mind if I steal her away for a drink and a bit of a pep talk? Can’t let her go back and face her exams without giving her a few tips.� George extended his arm to Ginny, who rolled her eyes before stepping forward to meet him. My son linked arms with my daughter and winked at her. “I have wisdom to impart.�

Teddy wouldn’t let go so easily; he was yawning, and a tired baby is a clingy baby. In the end, Harry had to swap fingers with George so that he could leave. Andromeda gave Harry a weary smile. “I’m so pleased he’s taken to you.�

“So am I.� Harry looked nervous for a second. “If you want to go and enjoy the party, I can stay in here with him for a bit…�

Andromeda hesitated, then took a deep breath. “That would be lovely. Sit down, and I’ll give him to you.� I watched her show Harry how to hold the baby. She fussed over his head, and asked three times if Harry was sure, and if he was comfortable, before she stepped back. Harry was looking down at Teddy with a proud expression, and Teddy’s eyes were beginning to drift closed when I placed my hand on Andromeda’s back.

“Can I offer you a drink?�

“Yes, please.� We both left the boys we considered sons and re-entered the party, and for the first time that day, I felt as if there were things still left to celebrate in the world.