Times
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters, although I wish I did. They are all property of J.K. Rowling and her business associates.
2. Lord Potter Time
The setting sun was shining through the curtains when Harry woke up. He looked at Hermione, who was still sleeping with her head on his shoulder and her breasts pressing into his chest. "My Fiancée!" he thought contentedly, as his mind went on, showing him images of them both with a baby and then with a child and a baby. He loved the idea of starting a family with Hermione. Then another thought came nagging: he couldn't support a family! Well, he had a place to live, at least – Grimmauld Place was his, as Sirius willed, but that didn't solve the main problem. He needed a job, and the only job he had previously considered was being an auror. While this was a respectable job and he could probably be quite adequate at it, this didn't seem to be an ideal job for a husband or a father. It entailed long absences from home and taking constant risks, fighting the "bad guys". He thought he would rather take a job which allowed him more time to spend with his wife and his kids, once they arrived. Yet becoming an auror required a long training before he could even contemplate supporting himself, let alone another person, and most other jobs posed similar obstacles.
Hermione was stirring awake. She opened her eyes and his eyes locked with hers immediately. She smiled at him and her smile made him suddenly feel much warmer.
"Slept well?" he asked.
"Wonderfully! Now I'm fresh and ready to continue with what we've done before falling asleep..." Her mischievous smile told him exactly what she meant.
He wasn't sure anymore. "Hermione, I was thinking... I'm not sure I can support you. Maybe you shouldn't marry me..."
She stopped him with a finger on his lips. "Are you trying to get out of your promise? I'm not going to hold you to it if you aren't sure, you know."
He could see she was hurt. "No, not at all. I was just thinking that if I can't support you, if I can't make you happy, then maybe you can find happiness with somebody else..."
Hermione looked relieved by his explanation. She was even smiling a bit, yet Harry couldn't see anything funny in the situation.
"Harry, what do you know about your heritage?"
"Not much, really. I was too busy trying to stay alive, as you know just too well, so I couldn't spare the time to find much about ancestry."
"Let me tell you, then. While we stayed with Sirius before our fifth year I had several long talks with him, mainly about you and your parents. He told me about your grandparents' house. He actually called it a palace. He told me that your dad didn't have to work and only volunteered to help fight against Voldemort. I then looked in the library for information. The Potters own so much, that their assets could not even be estimated and you are the only heir. I doubt you could spend a tenth of what you own in a lifetime. You are rich, Harry; richer than Malfoy could even dream of."
Harry was shocked by the revelation. It took him a moment to respond. "You mean that I can marry you and not worry about money?"
"You don't have to worry about money regardless."
Harry took her hands in his, feeling another wave of love emanating from their joined hands. "Then I'd like to marry you as soon as possible."
She only kissed him, and it soon turned into another session of love making.
Hermione was caressing his hands while calming down from their sexual high. "Why don't you wear your head-of house rings?"
"I don't have any." Harry sounded bewildered.
"You should have. You are the head of the Potter house as well as the Black house." She pondered a bit, trying to recall some information she had read in a book. "I believe you can summon the rings once you declare yourself the head of house and recognized as such by the magic in the ring."
"Are you sure?"
"It's worth a try," she shrugged.
Harry sat up in the bed and spoke solemnly: "I, Harry James Potter, hereby take the position of head of the Potter house by rights of my ancestry."
He looked at Hermione. "Is that all?"
"I think so. Try summoning the ring now."
"I, Harry James Potter, head of the Potter house, hereby summon the head-of-house ring." He waited a few seconds before slumping back. "It doesn't seem to wor..."
A bright flash of light cut his words as a signet ring bearing the Potter coat of arms appeared on his finger. The light seemed to get absorbed by the ring, only to start traveling along his body. The light didn't move continuously. It stopped several times. Each time it started moving again Harry felt his magic grow. It only took a minute or two and then the light faded and disappeared.
"What was that?" he asked.
"According to the books, most such rings contain strong spells to heal and protect their wearer. It seems like it found a few problems and corrected them. How do you feel?"
"I feel powerful. I feel I..."
Another flash interrupted him, as another ring appeared on Hermione's finger. They both looked at it, surprised to see it was another signet ring with the Potter crest, only smaller and looking quite feminine. Hermione was also scanned by the light which only stopped twice.
"What does this mean?" Harry asked, expecting Hermione to know the answer, as usual.
She thought for a moment. "Do you remember our first climax together?"
Harry smiled broadly. "I'll never forget it!"
"Was there anything different about it, anything you didn't experience with Ginny and didn't experience the second time we... shagged?" She was not going to tiptoe around a word that was perfect for describing the situation, yet her face reddened.
Harry thought for a moment. "There was some kind of light. I looked at you and you seemed to glow. You looked even more beautiful than ever."
Hermione smiled at the compliment. "I saw the light as well. You were glowing brightly and there was a kind of halo around us."
"That must mean something..."
"It does. I think it marks a soul bonding. If that's what has happened, then we are soul bound."
"Meaning?..."
"Soul bonds are stronger than marriage bonds. They are quite rare, yet couples bound that way are considered married." She was smiling brightly, yet Harry needed some more time to comprehend.
"You mean we are already married?" he finally asked.
"Yes, my dear husband. How else could this Potter ring appear on my finger?"
As the understanding downed on him, Harry started smiling as well. "Then, Mrs. Potter, I believe we should get some dinner and then discuss our next moves."
Hermione summoned their clothes. They were already half dressed when she asked "Did you and Ginny use any contraceptive spells?"
"I'm not sure. I've not seen her cast any, but she may have done it beforehand. Yet you didn't use one either."
"I used one before going with Ron. It holds for twenty four hours at least." Hermione frowned and seemed to think hard. "Oh, No..." she finally said.
"What do you mean?"
"I believe Ginny has a plan. Either she is pregnant and wants you to feel responsible or she may want you to impregnate her so she can force you to marry her."
"Why would she want this?"
"First – she has, or at least had, a crush on you, and second – you are a catch for any girl."
He found it hard to believe. "Me, a catch? I've got nothing to offer except my so called 'fame'."
"Harry, you keep forgetting how rich you are. Once you take hold of your position you will surely become the most influential person in magical Britain. That alone is incentive enough for many girls to seek your company."
Somebody was knocking on the bed's post. "Harry, mate – dinner is being served in the Great Hall. Everybody expects you there."
Harry put his head between the curtains, making sure to keep Hermione hidden. "Just give me a moment to get dressed. You may go and keep a seat for me."
Ron seemed to like the response. "Fine. Will you look for Hermione and make her come as well? She's not in her dorm and I'm too hungry to look for her."
"Sure. I'll bring her."
"Thanks, mate." Harry made sure Ron left the room before turning back to Hermione, noticing her ring.
"I'm not sure if we should show our rings right now. We haven't thought of how to let Ron and Ginny know about us."
"I really feel like showing it to the whole world," she smiled at him, "but I think it is better if we wait a bit. Do you want me to take it off?"
Harry frowned. He didn't want Hermione to ever take that ring off. "There must be a way to hide it..." He thought a bit. "Maybe I should just tell the ring to become hidden, just as I summoned it," he suggested. Hermione nodded.
"Let this ring become hidden," he said solemnly. The ring faded and became invisible. He could still feel it but not see it. Hermione repeated his action, rendering her ring invisible as well.
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