Preface:
This one shot takes place nearly several decades after the war. This story does contain hinny scenes (Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley).

Dedicated To:
Dark_Ghostie for giving the perfect for a 1k read special one shot and of course, to all the readers who made it possible. Thank you, pal. Thank you, guys! I couldn't get the Weasleys in as well as the word count exceeded 2k. So, I really hope this lived up to your expectations!

The sun was lazily setting over the horizon which the Potter Cottage overlooked. Birds were returning to their home eagerly, chirping melliflously. A soft tune rang in the atmosphere, creating a much serene ambience.

"How I wish the good ol' times returned." Harry Potter, aged fifty six, was seated on the comfortable couch, a cup of tea in his hand. He took a sip from it, waiting for his wife to speak her part. It was not necessarily for verbal communication to understand each other but they preferred to force the silence out of the atmosphere. The painful silence which had fallen over the Potter-Weasley household after their kids moving out.

"I know," Ginny said, sighing. "I really miss the times when we were active. . . It feels like all our limbs have sobered up after their leaving." The next generation of the Potter-Weasley clan had all gone on a mysterious mission to help the Muggle world stop a war. There had been no news of or from them since more than three months. Harry's heart ached for not being able to help them. He was forbidden by a mere parameter - age. Why didn't anyone understand that one is never too old for an adventure?

He voiced it out as well. "One is never too old for an adventure. Why don't the Muggles and the Ministry understand that? What are we, fifty!"

"You are nearing, sixty, Mister," Ginny pointed out.

"Ah, don't be joking, Gin. I have been going through some rather life-endearing adventures since I was this year old!" He did a peculiar action which showed a very minute gap between his thumb and forefinger. His wife merely rolled her eyes at him. This joke had gotten old.

"I guess I could agree with your 'splendid' quote," she said instead, trying and successfully changing the subject before it could go on to what it always becomes. "If Hermione was the Minister, she would have never allowed this."

"The main flaw committed by her was not increasing the retirement age. I mean, I totally get it that at this age we become sore but those willing should be allowed to work."

"You know her. She doesn't want people, why, even elves to be exploited. Those poor creatures who find joy in work are restricted as well. Well, what do you know?" She got up and snatched his glass without bothering to wait, before going to the kitchen to wash them. Harry pouted at her back for snatching the last sip of his delicious tea away from him. Ginny's voice in rhythm with the radio echoed all its way from the kitchen to his ears and he fell into a mesmerized trance.

An owl carrying a letter interrupted his reverie. It dropped off the parchment and without bothering to even take a treat, flew out of the window. Harry opened it curiously. Who could be owling him? Owls were getting rather outdated in the world of magical communication thanks to coins spiked with the protean charm variants.

Inside the envelope sat a parchment, looking as old as it can be. Harry could feel Ginny's presence over his shoulder when she inhaled sharply at the scent of old parchment. It had become one of her personal favourites lately.

Dear Mr and Mrs Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that there is a ball for privileged wizards and witches of the early 2000s this Thursday. It will be held in a quaint meadow, just a few miles in St Ottery Catchpole. We kindly request your humble presence.

Regards,
Eddie

"Who is Eddie?" Harry questioned. "Eddie Redmayne?"

"Eddie Who?"

"The Muggle Actor who portrayed as Luna's great-something-in-law in a movie, of course! Come on, Gin. Don't tell me your brain is getting fuzzy."

Ginny slapped his right arm with her bare hand and boy did it hurt. "Ouch!"

"What have I told you about teasing me, old man?" She glared.

"Yes, dear."

"Good. Now, who's Eddie?"

"I have no more knowledge than a Slowbro."

Ginny's face took a blank expression again, as if trying to recollect who or what a Slowbro was. Harry smirked and earned himself another slap. "It's a Pokémon! That Muggle cartoon show!" He gave up, rubbing his numbing right arm with a growl.

"Whatever. Who's Eddie again?"

"I have no idea but since it's near The Burrow -" Harry got up in a swift motion, one he thought he had long since forgotten he could do, and fell on one of his knee. "Will you, Ginevra Potter, do the honours of accompanying this sweet cinnamon roll to this Ball?"

"What's a cinnamon roll again?"

"My, oh my!"

-xoxo-

That Thursday evening, Harry Potter, aged fifty six but felt more than a hundred, was seated in an uncomfortable chair, the invite in his hand along with a cup of cold tea. "You know, Gin?" he called out to the floor above.

"WHAT?!"

"Don't you think you are a tad bit old to wear makeup and all?"

Harry winced when a doe landed in front of him, transforming into a glitching doe-horse often. "HARRY FREAKING POTTER! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TEASING?!" That, was the modern howler, yes.

"Yes, dear."

"Good." It vanished.

Harry sighed dreamily, looking at the parchment. Perhaps, despite aging and all, his and Ginny's relationship dynamic never changed. He would give anything, besides her of course, to let it remain constant for the remaining of his life.

But the nabbing question in the back of his mind, no correction, in the front of his mind seemed to eat up that temporary reminiscence.

Who on earth was Eddie?

Ginny's descending footsteps echoed above him and he threw the invite into his pocket. There was his jaw to be dropped soon and a tongue to recover quickly. That was his priority. Guess he just had to find out in a couple more hours about the mysterious host.

-xoxo-

The sun seemed to taper down faster than normal as the stars rose, twinkling mischievously and foreshadowing something that Harry, for the life of him, could not find. The wind was slow, gentle and well-paced against the humid atmosphere. The beautifully asymmetrical leaves of various trees in the meadow near The Burrow fell on their path like a red carpet. Memories as old as good times itself flooded his brain. Ginny's arm in his seemed to remind him of the various detours they'd do to avoid being caught by Ron after a particularly late date night.

The look on Ginny's face spoke the same volume, allowing a pang of sadness to reverberate within him. Oh, how much he would give for the good old times to return?

"My. . . oh, my!" Ginny's exclamations, followed by the sharp withdrawal of her arm brought him back to the present and his own eyes widened at what he was seeing.

In front of him was a mother tree, as tall as the highest spire of Hogwarts itself and as lopsided as The Burrow itself. Fancy lights hung from its branches, illuminating the otherwise dark meadow. Small notes along with tiny packages accompanied the lights. The air around the tree seemed much fresher and warmer. There was just a blissful touch to it. A feeling of reminiscence that brought tears to the eyes.

"'Dear Dad, can we have one tea party please?' Harry, look! This one looks like it's from our Lily! Our baby!" Ginny exclaimed, holding one of the notes in her hands. Harry looked at her from over her shoulder before reaching to another one just out of her reach.

"'Dear Mum, I bet you couldn't reach that and Dad had to take it. If I won the bet (which I'm sure I did), please allow me to bake you a Potter Special Caramel Cake. Yours truly and literally yours'," he read out. "That sounds like the kind of thing Jamie would do."

"Hear this one. 'Dear Dad, I didn't just go back in time to let you die. I went back in time to know how much you cared. I guess it's safe to say that I missed, like really missed, your care and all the spotlight I got thanks to you.' Sounds a bit like Albie, doesn't it?" Ginny smirked. Harry smiled at the note before reaching out again to take the last one from the branch hanging close to them. It was a blue coloured paper, the colour that he'd easily recognize anywhere. "That one screams Teddy."

Harry nodded at her statement and opened it. "'Bet you thought Eddie was that Muggle actor Eddie What-is-his-name. Happy getting pranked by your werewolf, Harry and Ginny.' It is. It is Teddy and they are all right. . ."

"They did some pretty accurate bets, didn't they?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah. I just wish I could fulfil Lily's wish too. . . and meet her perhaps. . ."

"Daddy!" The voice brought tears to Harry's eyes and he opened his arms wide expectantly. The familiar warmth of his daughter, his little girl, his adorable angel filled his chest and the nostalgia rushed through him like adrenaline. He could hear Ginny's faint, rare sobs but he was no more than a crybaby then to tease her about it. Oh boy, he had never had the faintest idea how much he had missed his family. When he opened his ideas, a teary-eyed Lily Luna Malfoy was looking up at him.

"Oh, you have no idea h-how much I missed you, Angel," Harry whispered in her ear as he pulled her into another hug. Her giggles echoed in his ears. It was the same sound she had made when he had first carried her and had proclaimed her to the world as his daughter.

"It's a shame, really!" His son's snarky yet deeply missed voice came. Harry withdrew from the embrace and patted the boy's - no, man's - shoulder. Albus, who was hugging Ginny also received a hair-ruffle from Harry.

"I can't believe you are - you are back!" Ginny exclaimed, tearing up again and being comforted by James who looked as if he had eaten ginger. The Potter was trying his best not to break down. Harry was just about to ask for Teddy when the voice appeared along with its speaker.

"Don't think I abandoned you. Yet, Harry. I love you and Ginny but chocolates more." He smiled, walking from behind the tree to hug Ginny. Harry shook his head. Everything that had happened took place in a matter of few seconds that he found himself daft enough to not comprehend it all.

"How did you do it? All this setup?" He found himself asking.

"Simple, really," James answered, offering his mother his handkerchief but she firmly refused it.

"All we needed was magic, a little help from our cousins who are on the other side and of course, the determination," Albus supplied. "The determination to make the good old days come back, even for a while, for the ones I - we -" He pointed at his siblings, "love the most."

Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance; a glance that spoke volumes than mere words before the eldest Potter made a move and wrapped his arms around his family. The group hug lasted for several blissful moments before breaking for a surreptitious dinner with the Weasley clan as well.

Harry had to admit, it was the best adventure he had ever gone through and might ever go through: the adventure through good old times with your loved ones safely by your side and, under the ambience of the pretty stars. It was the moment he would reminisce for the rest of his life.

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x