AN – So I have had this song stuck in my mind for the last couple of weeks and this one shot developed itself.
The song is Go away little girl by Steve Lawrence. A golden oldie
Go away little girl
Harry sat on the balcony looking out over the ocean in front of him while drinking a beer and reflecting over his life which had seen him secluded from everyone after the war had ended almost 5 years ago. It was rough in the beginning; everyone blamed him for Ginny's death, each and every Weasley except for Bill who had seen reason. But where Bill had disagreed with his family, Hermione had agreed and stuck close to Ron and Molly. It was two days after the war when they were walking down to the great hall and Malfoy hit her with the killing curse from behind and then cackled like his aunt when he was taken away. Everyone assumed he was going for Harry and after the truth serum had been administered everyone was proven wrong, he had done it simply to make Harry's life miserable. He was sentenced and given the kiss from a dementor. Harry went to Gringotts and claimed all his inheritances from Sirius and his parents. He was left with 7 houses and millions in Galleons, enough to last him all his life. He sold everything but the house which was on the outskirts of Tinworth, Cornwall which was down the beach from Bill and Fleur which they found out the very same day.
He sat there and summoned another beer from the pack in the living room and applied a cooling charm with the Elder wand. Looking at it in his hand he felt weird, but that probably had to do with the fact that he was the holder of all the Deathly Hallows. Once he had laid down in his bed the night the war ended he did not feel right leaving the wand in the Headmasters office, so he put on the cloak and went back to fetch it. Once inside Harry had a discussion with the man who had helped end Voldemort, Dumbledore felt that Harry should have them as he was the last descendant of the Peverell family and once he summoned the ring it came crashing through the window and after a quick reparo no one would know that he was there or that he had the wand.
Fleur tried inviting him over for dinner almost every night and their brown owl had its own perch at Harry's place. She couldn't floo him because he refused to open the floo to anyone but himself and had only keyed Fleur and Bill to the wards. Cissy, his house elf, appeared asking whether he would like some lunch to which he agreed to. Within minutes he had a roast beef sandwich with a butter beer. Shortly after lunch he saw the brown owl come flying towards him and he felt his heart pain for Hedwig, he still missed her terribly. He detached the note from her leg so that he could read it and called for Cissy to fill her bowl with some water and food.
Harry,
It would be a blast to have you for supper
My sister is visiting and is excited to see you as well
Love Fleur
Harry thought about when last he had seen Gabrielle and how she had looked, and then she was only a little girl barely starting her schooling at Fleur's alma mater. The owl sat watching him and waiting for an answer. Deciding that it had been almost 3 years since he left the house Harry replied positively and sent the owl on its way.
"Cissy"
"Yes Master Harry"
"I want you to go and get me flowers, preferably some white lilies and purple roses. Also I want you to get me some wine, red and white"
"Yes Master Harry. Cissy will be bringing the slips for Master Harry to sign for payment."
The elf left and Harry went upstairs to cut his beard and hair to reasonable lengths so he didn't offend Fleur. He started the shower and summoned another beer. Before he could drink Cissy appeared with slips from the florist and winery, he signed them and told her to leave them on the table so that he could grab them on the way out. He took a long swig from his beer and stood under the shower letting the warm water run over him while he thought about what his life had become. He usually spent his days drinking and watching the ocean, those were the days when he thought about Ginny and everyone he had lost a lot, or he spent them fighting duelling dummies and learning a broad range of spells, ranging from cleaning to killing. Kingsley sent him monthly letters asking him to join the Aurors and he flat out refused the first time and just didn't respond every time after that.
After his beer was finished he started washing his now shoulder length hair and let the potions he used for his hair run through his beard which now shorter than a centimetre. He finished washing and got dressed, choosing to wear a black pair of jeans with a black pair of trainers and finishing it off with a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He touched the Elder wand to his forearm and it disappeared and it would appear when he needed it again, he figured out this trick in one of his books. He grabbed the two bunches of flowers and the wine and made his way to the only Weasleys that would have him. When he got closer to Shell cottage he saw the lights and heard laughing inside which was unmistakably Bill. He knocked on the door and waited to be let into the house; Fleur opened the door and rushed to hug him
"I just had to make sure it was really you standing there, come inside"
"Thanks, these are for you" handing Fleur the purple rose
"Thank you, they are fantastic and I'm glad you remembered they are my favourite. Who are those for?" pointing at the other bunch
"Dobby"
"Where are your glasses Harry" Bill said as he walked into the kitchen before Fleur could express any grief for the deceased elf
"I don't need them anymore. I found a spell that I cast on myself that repairs vision"
"You are crazy, what if you were blinded?"
"Then Cissy would have needed to feed and bath me"
"Okay Harry, by the way Gabrielle will join us shortly; she just went and got changed"
"It's not a problem. So how are things at Gringotts since you both are working there?"
"It's a different place Harry, there are more human tellers now than Goblins and the curse breakers have been asked about starting a new private company which would still do work for Gringotts but would be a separate entity"
"And how do you feel about that Bill?"
"Well on the one hand I worry that relations might deteriorate between the two entities which might result in some ministry officials stepping in. On the other hand I'm looking forward to it as it'll mean better working conditions and opportunities for the staff"
"It does sound interesting"
"Interesting enough for you to sign up?"
"Not a chance"
"Come on Harry, when will you leave this area? You haven't been out of that house since the last time you came to supper which was years ago!"
He stood up and made his way to the door, this was the first time Bill had pushed the discussion and he was not in the mood for a fight with his only friends
"Don't leave Harry, I just mean it's time for you to move on, you don't get it…"
"No, you don't get it Bill. Your family and Hermione were the people I fought for, they made it necessary for me to spend months finding bits of that bastards soul so that I could come back and live with the people who I loved and I had two fucking days of it. I don't care much for the rest of the magical population and I have no interest returning to it, you guys are my last contact with this world. I can live in that house for the rest of my life if needs be. I don't need this"
"I'm sorry Harry but please stay, its great having you around"
He sat down and drank deeply from his glass and then she walked into the room, she was wearing a white dress and she had no shoes on.
"Hi Harry" she walked across the room extremely graceful and embraced him
"Hi there Gabrielle, how are you?"
"Excellent! I graduated yesterday and now I am taking a year off"
"That's great!"
"That's not what our parents think, that's why I offered to let her stay here instead… Bill please will you open the red wine so that it can breathe" Fleur instructed
"I'm going out for a minute" Harry spoke as he stood
He sat next to Dobby's grave remembering how he had dug the grave himself with his hands and not his wand.
"Hey Dobby, it's been a while hasn't it pal? You know I miss your craziness, you were unique buddy, Dobby the free elf and Harry Potters friend" he watched the waves for a bit
"Harry" he turned to see her standing there in her white dress
"Do you mind some company?"
"Not at all, it's just Dobby and me"
"Will you please tell me about him?"
"He was a fantastic elf" and so Harry told her about how he met Dobby and everything they had been through
"And then we arrived back here and his eyes were wide with shock and when I looked down I saw that crazy bitch's knife in his chest" he wiped a tear away
"Then he said 'Such a beautiful place it is, to be with friends. Dobby is happy to be with his friend, Harry Potter' and then he was gone. I dug this grave for him and carved the stone because he deserved no less. That is the story of Dobby, the free elf"
He turned to her and saw the tears falling freely
"Don't cry, you would've loved him if you met him"
"I apologise, everyone tells me I cry too easily"
He got up and offered her a hand up. She wiped away her tears and they went back inside
"I hope you're ready to eat"
The meal was pleasant and soon they were talking about Quidditch and the upcoming world cup. Bill was trying to persuade Harry to come over for England matches so that they could watch it on TV since they had figured out how to broadcast matches magically.
"You know Gabrielle played Quidditch at school?"
"Really? Which position?"
"Seeker" she said shyly
"Do you know who her inspiration was?" Fleur pressed
"Please do tell"
"You, since you saved her from the lake" Fleur teased and so the rest of the night continued with laughter and wine flowing freely. Harry made his way to the bathroom and rinsed his faced and then heard new voices from the living room. He opened the door and made his way back out.
"So dad suggested that we… WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?"
"Calm down Ron. We're having Harry over for supper"
"I'll be leaving actually, thank you for the meal Fleur, Bill I'll owl you about the World cup"
With that he walked past Ron and Hermione and out the door. It closed behind him and six steps later it swung open again rather violently.
"You leave my family alone Potter!"
Harry simply kept walking but removed the Elder wand from it concealment and cast a silent shield around him not trusting Ron's temper.
"DO YOU HEAR ME POTTER!"
Another seven steps later he felt something hit his shield and he turned around in the dark and glared at Ron who had Hermione by his side. The fact that she didn't stop him spoke volumes about how much their friendship had changed. Before Harry could say anything Gabrielle came running out and pushed Harry backward.
"I don't need you to stop me; I wasn't going to do anything."
"I'm not doing this for you I'm doing it for Bill, Fleur is fixing his nose and the sooner you leave the sooner Ron leaves which means Bill won't attack him"
"What did he do?"
"He called Bill a traitor and punched him"
"Let go of me Gabrielle" she simply let her arms drop to her side and watched him walk back to Shell cottage
"Listen here Ron, I have no problem with everyone hating me but don't take it out on Bill. Take it out on me, I chose to accept their invitation. Don't fight with your family"
"Don't tell my husband what he shouldn't do Potter. He can do as he damn well pleases"
Shocked by Hermione's tone and speech he walked past Gabrielle and into his own house. Clearly the world had changed and he had best stay out of it. There was an unknown owl sitting on the perch with a note attached to its leg.
Mr Potter
Please present yourself to Gringotts at the earliest convenience
An urgent legal and financial matter has arisen and requires your presence
I know you prefer privacy so this letter will act as a Portkey. Just drop some blood on it to activate
Shortwhip
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When he arrived at the bank he saw what Bill meant about the changes inside Gringotts, it was brighter and lighter inside the bank. Wizards looked happier dealing with other wizards behind the counters. He went up to Shortwhip's office which overlooked the alley; he stood at the window and watched the foot traffic which seemed different to how he experienced the alley when he was younger.
"Mr Potter"
"Shortwhip, how are you?"
"I'm getting old Mr Potter. My replacement will join us shortly and she will explain everything. For the following two months however you'll send any instructions to me and I will forward it on to her. She is working under supervision as the muggles call it"
"That's fine by me, but you don't look a day over a hundred"
"Actually I will be turning two hundred when I retire"
"No shit" and before he could continue there was a knock at the door
"Come in"
Padma Patil stepped through the doors wearing robes with the Gringotts emblem on them and underneath she had on a black skirt and white shirt
"Hi Harry"
"Padma? Banking?"
"I think you should know my sister is basically the new Rita Skeeter" Shortwhip cleared his throat clearly signalling that they were off topic
"Right, so why am I here today?"
"Well your contact at the bank is changing and we need to have it on record that you are happy with your new advisor"
"I am, anything else?"
"Well we received a claim against the estate and it looks legitimate but we need you to advise"
"And may I ask who this claim is from?"
"Ron and Hermione…"
"Mr Ronald Bilius Weasley and Mrs Hermione Jean Weasley is the correct way to address them Ms. Patil"
"I'm sorry Mr Ronald Bilius Weasley and Mrs Hermione Jean Weasley are representing the Weasley Family in this matter. They are claiming that it was your decisions which lead to the death of Ms Ginerva Weasley and has resulted in loss of income and they are claiming damages of 3 million galleons"
"Before you continue, why are my bankers dealing with this?"
"Since you do not have a lawyer Mr Potter, we were the only defence against it. We could find you one and then take it from there? Or we could continue as is and sort out this matter before the papers get hold of it."
"So they want 3 million?"
"Yes but you should not pay it, there is no evidence to the fact and we have looked over the claim and feel it is frivolous."
"Then send them that response, but I do not wish to make a public appearance. So if it has to go in front of the authorities I will need legal representation"
"Ms Patil is actually a qualified lawyer so she can represent you Mr Potter"
"Thank you. Shall I be off then?"
"Yes you may. Also you might consider getting an owl to make correspondence"
"I will look into it"
With that he floo'ed back home and called for Cissy
"Master Harry, is there anything Cissy can be doing for Master Harry?"
"Yes please, I want you to go to the Owl emporium and get me an owl"
"Any one Master?"
"Which ever one you think is best Cissy" and then she left only to return moments later with a slip; listing that she was getting one owl, one perch and food for the owl, which Harry signed and waited for her to return.
The cage that she had was gold and likely very expensive, the owl inside was pitch black and simply looked at him and reminded him of Hedwig.
"Master the shopkeeper said the cage is to be thanks for what you done"
"Thanks Cissy"
He took a closer look at the howl he couldn't believe how much she looked like Hedwig; he was interrupted by Fleur's owl land.
Harry
I'm so sorry. We didn't know they were planning anything
Bill is going to speak with the rest of the family now
Please do come for dinner again
Also Gabbi says hello, could you maybe add her to your wards?
Fleur
He summoned parchment and a self-inking quill
Fleur,
It's no problem
How about you come here for supper tonight then I'll key her in?
Harry
Harry sent his owl with Fleur's and then decided that Fleur would probably accept
"Cissy"
"Master Harry called"
"We are having guests for supper. Prepare supper for four"
"What would master like?"
"Anything you feel like cooking today Cissy. Try and surprise me"
"I will try Master"
He spent the afternoon duelling and eventually got bored with it, it surprised him how the practice did not manage to take his mind off the Ron and Hermione situation. He went outside and sat on the beach where the waves were crashing and looked out across the ocean.
His owl landed on his shoulder and pushed her leg out
Harry,
We'd love to
Bill
He stroked the owl and she reacted just like Hedwig used to
"So what are we going to call you?"
She nipped his fingers and took off over the ocean. He noticed how fast she flew, much faster than Hedwig flew. He thought about how it felt to fly and he stood up and dissolved the same way Voldemort used to flying without the assistance of a broom. It was a skill he discovered in the early days of his isolation, it would freak everybody in the order out. They would definitely think he was the next dark lord. The wards alerted him that someone was trying to enter without his permission, he landed and apparated to where the problem came from and was faced with Gabrielle standing there alone.
"Hi Harry, Bill and Fleur are running late"
Harry closed his eyes and waved his hand
"Hi, that's fine let's go back to my house"
She stepped forward and found herself undeterred this time
"So how was your day Gabrielle?"
"It was okay, I was hoping to fly this afternoon but it seems that I left my broom at home and the house is currently locked so I can't get in to fetch it"
"Why not just unlock it? Don't they teach you Alohamora?"
"Locked with a spell Harry" she said as the put her head in her hands
"Well shit, I didn't think people done that. I do have my old Firebolt in my trunk if you want to borrow it but its old compared to what you're probably used to flying."
"Really? I can fly on Harry Potter's Firebolt? Is it the same one that he won the first task on?"
"Stop acting like a fan girl. It does not suit you"
"Okay"
He waved his hand again and continued speaking
"And yes to all those questions"
She looked at him and smiled and saw something in her peripheral, he stepped forward and grabbed the broom before it could do any damage
"Here you go"
"You're so good at wand less and silent casting"
"Practice"
"You sound like a real headmaster now Harry"
But before he could reply she mounted the broom and off she was, she flew beautifully. He shook his head and realised for a moment that she was not the little girl he saved from the lake back in his fourth year. She flew across the ocean letting her toes touch the water and made her way back landing gracefully to applause from Bill and Fleur.
"The Firebolt still lives hey Harry?"
"Yeah and now it has a new owner"
"What do you mean Harry?" Fleur asked
"It's Gabrielle's graduation present"
"Oh thank you so much Harry!" She ran up to him and hugged him with all she was worth. He noticed how much she had changed. Her hair was long and blonde with a few almost white strands in between. Her figure was slender but at the moment her breasts were pressed into his side which felt extremely pleasant.
They walked to the house and found that Cissy had been waiting for them with a smile; she hopped up and stood bouncing on her feet.
"Shall I bring some drinks Master?"
"Sure, what would you like?"
"Butterbeer for me please Cissy and if I know my wife and her sister they would like some white wine" Bill said and received nods from the ladies
"Bring me a Heineken Cissy"
"What is a Heineken Harry?"
"Muggle beer Bill, you should try it"
"Cissy please bring me a Heineken instead"
As she left they took their seats in the lounge area which had all its original furnishings. Cissy returned with the drinks and informed them that supper would be ready in ten minutes. She bowed and left the room
"So you still can't get her to stop saying Master?"
"No, she refuses it completely"
They all laughed at it and then came the silence, everyone knew what needed to be said but feared that it would ruin the evening.
"So Harry"
"Don't say it Bill, I know you and Fleur had nothing to do with it"
"Yeah but you need to hear who the idea came from and it isn't pleasant"
"I'm guessing it was your dad?"
"How?" Bill said flabbergasted
"Because I before Ron demanded to know why I was there he said 'so dad suggested' or something along those lines"
"Well there's the reason Kingsley wants you to be an Auror, you don't miss anything. But yes it's something my dad and Fred came up with"
"Fred?" It was Harry's turn to be shocked
"Yeah, he works in the ministry now alongside Hermione"
"Well fuck! There goes my hope that it wasn't just you who would see sense and reason"
"So what are they asking for? They won't tell me unless I sign some parchment Hermione whipped out"
"3 million galleons for loss of income, as if Ginny was going to give them all the money she made. Sometimes I swear that they didn't know her at all"
"They didn't; my dad always just saw his little girl with her knight in shining armour, my mom always thought of the grandchildren they would raise together and the rest of the guys thought she would be this wicked chaser or seeker for a professional Quidditch team"
"I'm sorry she is gone Bill"
"It was not your fault Harry and I hope you aren't going to be paying"
"Gringotts advised that I shouldn't, so we'll see how that goes over. I'm just glad that the best curse breaker and probably the only person who could attempt to take down my wards won't help them"
"I wouldn't even attempt it" he blushed before he continued
"I used a spell we have in the department to see which wards are up and it couldn't identify which wards you had up except for the anti-apparition ward"
"So curious aren't you Bill, I'll show you how and what to put up if you want to ward against the other Weasleys"
"Let me think on it" they looked at the sisters who were talking away furiously in French with huge smiles on their faces. A minute or two passed before they realised that they were being watched and Gabrielle started to blush
"That conversation seemed extraordinarily entertaining"
"Oh it was Mr. Potter" Fleur replied
Cissy popped in and informed them that supper was ready, they made their way into the formal dining room and opened the doors which looked out over the beach. They started the food and it was delicious.
"So Harry, I know you do some duelling with dummies and I thought this might interest you"
"Come now, you can't say that and then take a drink of your beer leaving me hanging"
"Which is delicious by the way, can you get me some as well? And they have discovered an old spell which is apparently the root of twins. The spell allows you to create a perfect copy of yourself for a length of time. It splits your core in two so your spells are weaker and you have to be really strong to cast it. A few of us at the department have tried but no one could do it. Feel like having a go?"
"Magic never ceases to amaze does it? Sure let's try after dessert"
Cissy cleared the table and served dessert which was a berry cheesecake
"Cissy will you please write down this recipe for me?" Gabrielle asked
"Master will have to say it is okay for Cissy to, it comes from the family's cooking books"
"Sure Cissy you may make a copy of the book for her"
They finished dessert and went to Harry's duelling room.
"So what do I do?"
"Okay, it's similar to apparition. Focus, wand in hand, and the incantation is duplum corporis"
"No wand movement?"
"None"
"Duplum corporis"
There was a flash and then there were two Harry Potters standing in front of Bill. One of the Harry's inspected the other which caused the inspected to fidget.
"Do I always do that when people look at me?"
Three yes's caused both to blush
"Want to duel?"
The body double smirked and nodded, as Harry walked towards the other end of the room he was setting up barriers so that the others wouldn't get hurt. Bill asked if there would be rules and Harry just shook his head and Bill counted them in and then the show began.
The double cast two quick stunners, one straight at Harry and one to his left, which was where he was going to dodge. He threw up a wandless protego and summoned two boa constrictors and set them on the double. The double cast a stunner followed by a patronus (which to Harry's surprise was a doe) and followed it with a sectumsempra. Still shocked by the patronus Harry couldn't dodge the curse and it hit his left arm. He cast six blue spells and the fifth on hit the double knocking him out.
"Harry! Are you okay?"
"I am, he waved the Elder wand and his arm healed immediately. So how do I end the spell Bill?"
"Simple finite while touching the other"
Harry done as he was told and soon there was only one Harry.
"So what was that? The patronus I mean, that surprised you"
"Watch, expecto patronum" and a stag burst forth from his wand and stood next to him.
"This is my patronus, apparently my dad had a stag as well and it was his animagus form and my mom had a doe"
"That is interesting. I wish we could find someone else who could cast the spell as well"
"Let's go back outside. I know Cissy doesn't like coming in here"
"So what else can you cast that we haven't seen Harry?"
"There are the wards which surround the house, the eyesight spell, there's one which might freak you out but I'll show you since I feel like bragging and then there's the high powered stunner I cast last and some stuff that I hope you'll never see me use"
"I wondered what that blue spell was"
"It has thrice the power a normal stunner does and it can't be blocked by protego"
"Okay, so two things…" Gabrielle started and she took another glass of wine from Cissy.
"…Why doesn't Cissy like going into the duelling room?"
"That I do not know, she seems scared to say"
"Do you mind if I ask her Harry?"
"Gabrielle!" Fleur was shocked her sister was pushing personal matters like this
"No its fine Fleur, that type of curiosity is the reason I defeated Voldemort"
"Cissy" called Gabrielle
"Yes miss"
"Why don't you like going into Harry's duelling room?"
She looked towards Harry and he nodded for her to answer, Cissy wiped some tears away.
"Master looks so angry and hurt when he is busy. It hurts for Cissy to see that she cannot help"
"Aww Cissy, don't worry about me okay?"
"Cannot help it Master" she smiled softly and popped away
"So Harry now that things are weird already. What is this secret spell you're going to show us?"
"Let's step out onto the beach, and you can't tell anyone about this or I won't hear the end of it"
"Show us already Potter" Gabrielle demanded impatiently
He took two steps and then and started flying. They watched with wide eyes and Bill had to do a double take. He landed and they remained speechless
"So yeah"
"How?" Gabrielle asked
"When?" Bill asked
Harry laughed because he knew from their tones that they were pleasantly surprised
"Both are easily answered, one day I stepped outside thinking about the final fight and I remembered that Voldemort could do it and I just tried flying and then it happened. When, it was the first night after I left dinner from you guys. I didn't leave the house for a while after that. I looked it up in one of the books I have here and apparently it is dangerous magic because some people can't put themselves back together"
"Ouch. Crappy way to die"
"Yup"
The rest of the evening was pleasant and Harry had not laughed that much in a long time. He agreed to watch every England match with Bill which made everyone in the room smile. When they left Harry Potter went to bed feeling loved and happy for the first time in a very long time
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The nightmares seemed to feel his happiness and attacked that night and he had every one of them; the one where Sirius fell through the veil, the one where Voldemort had won, the one where Ron and Hermione refused to help him find the Horcruxes, the one where they sold him out to Voldemort. Even his occlumency did not help him, he woke in the early hours of the morning covered in sweat and then he wept for Ginny. In those two days being with her helped him deal with all his losses, he wept for Ron and Hermione who had left him behind and treated him as if he was Voldemort. They days passed and some days he heard Gabrielle or Fleur talking to Cissy, none of them dared coming into the room not that they would be able to. He entered a cycle of drinking in the dark, crying for his lost ones or passing out. The days turned to weeks and there seemed no reason to break the cycle. Until there was an urgent and constant knocking at his window, he ripped open the curtains in a drunken fury and saw that it was a Gringotts owl.
Mr Potter
I know you planned to avoid it but the Weasley family has gotten the court to issue a summons for the 31st July. Should you not appear the case will be awarded to the Weasleys
Court will commence at 9:30 am
Please contact us should you have any questions
Ms. Padma Patil
Account Manager
The letter drained all his anger and sobered him up. He opened the door and the windows of his room and stepped into the shower with a bottle of firewhiskey and opened the facets. After the bottle was finished and the water had soaked him he stood up and got undressed. He stepped into the room and found it had been cleaned with the cupboard being filled with more alcohol. He dressed in a cotton pants and a loose fitting shirt and grabbed another bottle of firewhiskey and sat on the beach drinking. He felt someone enter the wards and then she sat down next to him, she was wearing a green dress and her hair was tied back in a ponytail. He took another swig from the bottle and put it down next to him. They watched the wave's crash and the two owls fly overhead, Fleur's and his side by side. She took the bottle and drank a little bit and coughed.
"Are you okay?"
"No"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not particularly"
"Okay"
They sat for a moment more watching the ocean, and she took another drink of the firewhiskey and managed to suppress the cough this time.
"You shouldn't drink like me"
"Why?"
"It's not good for your health"
"So why do you do it?"
"Because it's not good for my health"
"Harry…"
"You should leave Gabrielle"
"Why?"
"Because if you stay I might fall in love with you because you have the right qualities"
"And what are those?"
"You're beautiful, you love flying, you're caring and feisty and you are curious. So you need to go or I won't be able to let you go"
"What if I don't want to go?"
"It doesn't matter, you should go"
"But you need someone to keep you from drinking yourself to death Harry"
"Not particularly"
"Then…"
"It might be easier than the alternative"
"Which is?"
Harry took another swig of the firewhiskey and then it was finished. Waving his hand he summoned another bottle and caught it putting it between them again.
"Which is what?"
"Facing them"
"Who?"
"Stop please Gabrielle?"
She was silenced once again and the light was starting to fade. Harry waved his hands and started a fire pit in front of them. He threw some firewhiskey on the drift wood and set it alight.
"You're quite strong with your magic Harry"
"Happened after I died"
"You died?!"
He chuckled "I forget some people still don't know that"
"Then how are you alive?"
"Because it seems death is too easy for me, life is my sentence"
"That's dark Harry"
"You should leave Gabrielle"
"No"
"Call it a day Gabrielle"
"I'm not leaving you"
"Everyone leaves eventually and you will too"
"Harry" he voice soft
"Go please?"
"No"
A dove patronus landed on her shoulder
"Gabrielle, Bill and I are going for supper. We are apparating in the next 5 minutes. If you're not here we'll go without you" Harry could hear the smile in Fleur's voice
"Go with your sister. I'll be here when you return"
"No. I am not leaving you"
"God Gabrielle please!"
She wiped a tear from her face and stood up taking the bottle and throwing it into the fire and then she left furious that he refused help. He summoned a six pack and continued his drinking.
"Ginny why did this have to happen?" He spoke to the flames
"I loved you more than anything and then you were taken away, why must I live without you?"
"And now she's here, do you know how I feel when I see she has every attribute which made me fall in love with you?"
"I'll love you always Gin, no matter what happens with Ron and Hermione"
Now that he was drunk enough and broken enough he summoned the Resurrection stone and turned it over three times thinking of her red hair and soon enough she was sitting in the same spot Gabrielle had previously occupied
"Here's something I never thought would happen. Hi Harry"
"Gin"
"So Gabrielle Delacour, not a bad replacement" she joked
"I always forget that you are Fred and George's sister" he said plainly
"So what's wrong?"
"Everything is fucked"
"So ignore everything, set you wards so that nothing can come in except for air"
"That won't work"
"It will, it will take you out of the world that causes you so much pain. They can claim whatever money they want and you will be ignorant to all of it"
"Bill and Fleur"
"Ah there it is, there is some happiness in the world for you. Fight for it Harry"
"Why? You're gone"
"But there's someone who wants to make you happy who 'has every attribute which made me fall in love with you'?"
"She's only a girl…"
"And you are only a guy, 23 years old and you deserve to be happy my love"
"Do I?"
"Yes! You do, you have sacrificed more than what could be expected, speak to Sirius or Dumbledore or your parents and they'll all tell you the truth and it'll be this. You saved the world, now go and enjoy it"
"So you're really okay with it?"
"I am, just don't forget me"
"What about Ron and Hermione?"
"I can't help you there. They have become so different and spiteful"
"Thank you, I love you"
"I love you too Harry"
And with that he said his last goodbye to Ginny and continued his drinking. He continued drinking until she sat down next to him again.
"Told you I'd still be here" he smirked
"You seem to be feeling better?"
"Just really drunk and slightly proud. I haven't drank this much before, not consecutively at least"
"Bill and Fleur are worried about you Harry and you're proud you're this drunk?"
"Well now you're ruining my fun. Let me walk you back then they'll see that I'm okay"
He stood up and offered her his hand and she took it even though she was still mad at him
"Do you want to hear a secret about Harry Potter?"
"Sure"
"He is the master of all the deathly hallows"
"Are you talking about the ones from the story about the three brothers?"
"Yes Elle"
"Wow, can you show them to me?"
"Here is the Elder wand and the stone; I'll show you the cloak when you're over again"
He handed her the Elder wand
"It feels so powerful"
"It is, I could repair my old wand after it snapped and I only used a simple reparo"
"That is amazing"
The arrived at Shell cottage and she handed his wand back to him, the door was ripped open and Bill stepped forward and hugged Harry
"You had us all worried you idiot and you smell like year old firewhiskey"
"Harry!" beamed Fleur when she saw him. This is why Ginny wanted him to enjoy life, people still loved him.
"I'm sorry guys, rough few weeks"
"It's fine Harry, I just wished you'd talk to one of us"
"I spoke to someone and she told me to enjoy my life and stop wishing to join the dead"
"Good! Whoever that was just said what the rest of us have been thinking, now I hope that we'll be seeing more of you around town"
"Well I have a court appearance tomorrow, so it'll be all over the Prophet"
Bill and Fleur nodded and left the two of them alone at the kitchen table. She still held his hand and watched him intently. He just sat there thinking about the day that was ahead of him, when he looked at her he noticed that she looked sad
"Hey, everything is going to be alright"
"You won't say that when you return tomorrow. You'll be sad and angry and you'll probably go drink again and disappear for weeks"
"You seem to know more about my future than I do"
"Promise me something"
"What would you like me to promise you?"
"Whatever happens tomorrow, give Cissy permission to let me into your room?"
"That isn't Cissy who is keeping you out; only two people are keyed to enter that room. Cissy and I, and Cissy is only there to clean up and to restock my shelves"
"So let me in?"
He knew that she didn't mean his bedroom, she meant into his life
"Okay you can come in"
"Thank you" she said as she let go of his hand and kissed his cheek
"I'm going to make my way home now, long day tomorrow" she nodded and he apparated home
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The next morning he was sitting in Padma's office waiting for her to get everything she needed before they would walk to the Ministry.
"So how long has it been since you've walked through Diagon Alley?"
"About five years"
"Let's go face them then"
As they left he saw numerous heads turn seeing him strolling down the alley, he noticed that there had been many changes, two new bookstores and a new broom shop stood out to him. He noticed a small shop called Longbottom's apothecary, he looked at Padma and raised an eyebrow
"Neville and Susan own and run it, you can see them later"
When they arrived at the ministry things got busy because the crowd that had gathered and asked for autographs. After five minutes, which felt like an eternity, Padma dragged him to the court room. It looked less like the court where he had his underage magic trail and more like a court room he saw on TV once. Hermione and Ron where at the one table and Padma led him to the other. The judge stepped in and started proceedings.
"The Weasley Family sans William Weasley represented by Mr Ronald Weasley and Mrs Weasley vs Harry Potter. Mr Potter you are being sued for 3 million Galleons for loss of income. Your lawyer has entered a plea of not guilty, would you like to change that plea at this time?"
"No your honour"
"Thank you Mr Potter, now please take the witness stand as you are the last witness" Harry moved to the stand and swore an oath on his magic to tell the truth without omission or embellishments. Hermione rose to question Harry
"Were you and Ginerva, Ginny, in a romantic relationship at the time of her death?"
"Yes"
"And it is on record that Mr Draco Malfoy killed her to make your life miserable?"
"I would not know, but that is what he said in court"
"And are you miserable?"
"Most days"
"Are you more miserable than the family who lost their youngest child?"
"I would not know as we haven't been in contact. Except for Bill who I think is miserable but the extent or depth of his misery I can't judge"
"Do you believe you are the reason Ginny died?"
"No"
"But Mr Malfoy done it to make your life miserable, how do you explain that?"
"I can't explain it; he acted of his own free will"
"If she wasn't close to YOU she would be alive is that not right Mr Potter"
"She might be alive, but there are others who had died in the battle of Hogwarts and she fought Bellatrix LeStrange as well so she might have died whether or not she was with me Mrs Weasley"
"That's not true, if Ms Weasley would not have fought so hard against authority figures and would've taken shelter in the battle of Hogwarts"
"Are you honestly saying that someone who had parents and siblings fighting a dark lord would have hidden away in the final battle? Your honour I object to the statement being ridiculous and speculation. My client shouldn't have answered most of these questions"
"Sustained, Mrs Weasley please get to your point"
"Mr Potter, do you feel responsible for Ginny's death?"
"No"
"You're a right bastard Harry! No further questions your honour"
"That will be a one thousand galleon fine for contempt of court Mrs Weasley. Ms Patil your witness"
"Mr Potter is there anything you would like to say regarding this case?"
"Objection your honour"
"On what grounds?"
"She's asking for an opinion"
"Overruled, I'll allow it"
"I think there is no reason for this case. I would give up all my money and fame to have any one of the people I loved back with me, and that includes the living members of the Weasley family. If they needed money, I would be glad to have helped all they needed to do was ask. I miss Ginny terribly but I have come to understand that death is not the end but only a departure from this realm"
"Thank you Mr Potter, no further questions"
"Your honour we would like to submit a motion"
"You may propose one Mrs Weasley"
"That Mr Potter pay for damages to the home of the Weasleys which were suffered as a result of an attack on his life. All we ask for is one and a half million Galleons"
Padma stood to object but Harry just shook his head at her
"Court will resume at 2 this afternoon for a verdict"
Harry closed his eyes and rubbed his temples; he stood and sat next to Padma.
"So we have an hour and a half until we need to be back here, care for lunch?"
"Sure"
They had lunch at one of the newer café's and spoke about Padma's life after Hogwarts, they were constantly interrupted by people saying thanks or asking for autographs. They made their way back into the courtroom with 5 minutes to spare. Ron followed shortly afterward now wearing his Auror robes
"So you're going to destroy another families lives Potter, the Delacours probably do deserve it for not helping us fight the war"
"Leave them alone Ron, they haven't done anything to you"
"A friend of my enemy is an enemy of mine"
"When did we become enemies?"
"It doesn't matter, even if we lose today this fight is not over"
"Ron just stop, for fuck sake. We were friends; let's just drop all of this"
"Stop telling my husband what to do Potter! He makes his own decisions, this is not Hogwarts"
The judge stepped in and everyone was silent waiting for the ruling
"Mr Potter please stand" Harry stood "This case from the very beginning felt wrong to me, not only was the champion of our society being sued but it was being done by those extremely close to him. After reviewing the facts of the case and all the testimonies I have decided to award the Weasley damages and loss of income…" The noise in the room picked up with all the Weasleys in attendance smiling at their good fortunes "… to the value of Fifty thousand galleons for loss of income and one hundred and fifty thousand galleons for damages done to all Weasley properties from the first of September 1993 till today the 31st July 2003. If there are no further motions then I would like to say thank you to everyone involved"
"Your Honour, I would like to ask the court to disallow any further civil cases to be raised against my client from the Weasley and the Grangers for any events which took place before today?"
"Motion passed. Mrs Weasley the fine for contempt of court is payable before the end of this week"
Everybody left the courtroom with the Weasleys looking very upset at the monies due to them, Harry left the building as quickly as possible so that he avoided them. He ducked into Neville's shop so he could say hi to an old friend. A tall man stood behind the counter trimming a plant which seemed to twitch with every cut.
"Come now, you know I'm doing this for your own good"
"Neville?"
He looked up not recognising Harry with the beard and without the glasses
"Can I help you sir?"
"I'm looking for something that can help me breath under water for an hour"
Neville smiled
"You know I once stole some gillyweed to help a friend with a similar request. I thought he died when he fell into the water seemingly choking"
"You shouldn't feel bad Nev, you stole from Snape and that's first class in my book"
"Harry, is that you?"
"In the flesh" Harry spread out his arms, Neville gave him a brief embrace and called Susan from the back
"You won't believe who is standing in our shop"
"Calm down Neville, it's not like Harry Potter is here"
"Actually Susan I am"
"Wow Harry, where are the dorky glasses?"
"Got rid of them a couple of years ago, you two married?"
"We are, I stayed at Neville's place for a while after the fight and then it kind of just happened"
"Well congrats guys"
"How did the case go?"
"It went okay I guess. I lost but not for the full amount and they can't instigate any new claims against my estate"
"So I guess it was a draw?"
"Yeah you could look at it that way"
"So how have things been Harry we haven't seen you since the battle"
"Things could be better but there have been bright patches, I should actually be going I'll see you around"
"Bye Harry"
He stepped outside and apparated home and decided to take a shower before he went to Bill's. He opened the curtains and summoned a beer while getting undressed. He got into the shower and enjoyed that the trial was over, now all he had to do was avoid doing anything criminal and he should be golden. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Stepping out of the bathroom he saw her laying on his bed waiting patiently for him.
"Enjoying yourself?" he startled her and she jumped off the bed to embrace him
"Are you okay? How did it go?" she looked up at him without letting go he started down into her blue eyes which stared at him unblinking
"I'm fine actually and it went as good as I could hope. Now may I get dressed?"
"No. I'm quite enjoying myself"
He ran his hand down her back causing her to shiver and let out a near silent purr and she stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek
"You can get dressed now, I'll see you down stairs" she walked away in tight black jeans and a white top which left him staring after her.
"Yup, I'm so fucked"
"Not yet!" she called from outside
When they arrived arm in arm at Shell cottage while they were chatting away about how school was for her compared to his Bill knew that his friend was on the road to recovery. He stepped outside and there was a loud crack of a witch or wizard who should have failed their test. Ron had landed in front of Gabrielle and Harry and didn't see them as he made his way to his brother
"Knew I was coming with good news hey Billy?"
His eyes betrayed Harry's position and Ron spun around to see Harry standing there with Gabrielle on his arm and two bottles of wine in hand
"So this is why you're over Ginny? Some blonde French slut and you don't miss her so much anymore hey Potter" Gabrielle's grip tightened around his arm but Harry remained silent
"Ron that's my sister in law you are talking about. I'd appreciate it if you left before Fleur hears about this. You aren't allowed here anymore"
"Oh fuck off Bill, when he is done with her he'll probably pay you to see how the older…" then Ron was on the ground bleeding from his nose and mouth
"Talk about Fleur again and I'll forget you're related to me Ronnikins"
He apparated away and the three of them went inside. Harry opened a bottle of white wine and reached into his pocket pulling out a small box and handed it to Bill.
"What is this?"
"Present one of two, enlarge it and open the box" he said as he poured a glass of wine and handed it to Gabrielle. Bill done as he was instructed and found forty eight bottles of Heineken in it.
"Thanks mate. You want one?"
"Naturally and present number two is that I think we should put up wards tonight"
"I agree Harry, my husband has had long enough to consider it…" Fleur spoke as she came down the stairs "and I see you brought wine again"
"This one asked me for it and as much as I try I cannot tell her no"
"I know how that goes mate, you'll be married one of these days and you'll wonder how it happened"
"That doesn't seem too bad a prospect" Harry replied as Gabrielle settled into his side once more
"I'm sure. So what happened at the trial?" Bill asked as he was pouring a glass of wine for his lady.
"Well they won, two hundred thousand galleons. Fifty for the loss of income and one fifty that Hermione managed to sneak in as damages to Weasley properties due to the family being associated with me. But now they cannot file another civil lawsuit against me for anything that happened before today. So I guess that was my present?"
"What present?" Gabrielle asked the question all three were thinking
"You don't know and you call yourself my biggest fan"
Bill remembered first "Honey tomorrow is our anniversary"
"Yes"
"And the day before our wedding there was a cake shaped like a snitch"
"Because it was Harry's birth… Happy Birthday Harry!" she ran to him and hugged him tighter than Molly would.
"I can't believe we forgot, Bill lets go and get something special for him" she didn't wait for her answer and dragged him out the front door and seconds later there were two faints pops announcing their departure.
"Happy Birthday Harry" Gabrielle said softly to him. She put down her wine glass and kissed his cheek and looked into his eyes as if asking permission. She kissed him again but this time one the lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her body closer to him and parted her lips slightly. He took the opening and let his tongue explore her mouth which tasted like the wine she had chosen. He ran his hand down her back and she let another small purr out.
"Now this is a happy birthday I could get accustomed to" he sat down on the chair and she straddled him and started kissing him again. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this happy, this beautiful girl wanted to care for him and be his. He broke the kiss and watched her.
"You know that you're extremely beautiful"
"Thank you" she started blushing
"And now you can't leave me Elle"
"I hoped it would happen like you said it would"
"Well I'm rarely wrong"
AN - Please read and review.