2 Chance Meeting
After the war, once life returned to normal, as fragile as that normalcy was, Harry had to face Ginny once again. No matter what he said or how, she would come back to demand, beg or otherwise claim her position as his lover and his mate. Hermione couldn't help him much, having recently become Ron's wife. She just couldn't take position against her new family.
Living at Grimmauld place was becoming impossible, as Ginny was either dropping for a visit or using the Floo to call him several times a day. There was no escape from her there. Every day that passed, her nagging was becoming more intolerable.
Harry found refuge in the Muggle world. He had enough money to rent a small house in London, close enough to all interesting places, yet secluded enough to give him privacy and peace. He had no Floo connection and didn't let Ginny find the address. When he wanted to meet with Ron or Hermione, he met them at a café or a restaurant, far away from the wizarding world.
He was just having lunch at a small diner, not far from home, when a young woman came in, pushing a pram with a toddler in it. He didn't normally look at most women and certainly not at mothers, yet the woman was really impressive. She was quite tall, wearing a tight shirt that accentuated her firm breasts and slim waist. Her long legs were also nicely accentuated by her tight jeans. He then noticed her face. She wasn't a classical beauty, but her face was certainly pretty and attractive, and yet it seemed to remind him of something that he didn't really understand. He shrugged it off and turned his attention back to his food.
A slight tap on his shoulder attracted his attention a moment later. "Harry?" the female voice asked.
He turned around. The same tall woman was standing there, looking somewhat uncertain. "You are Harry, aren't you?"
"Yes, I'm Harry. Do I know you?"
She smiled nervously. "You've not seen me for more than two years, and we've both changed since. I'm Millie; well – Millicent Bulstrode."
"Millie? What are you doing here? I mean… "
She smiled again, still a bit unsure of herself. "I know what you mean. My family disowned me after I got pregnant. Luckily, they left the trust vault for me. I could not stay in the same social circles as before, so I moved here. I live at the other side of this street, above the grocery store."
"I also live only a few blocks from here. I needed to get away from everything, at least for a while." He was still admiring her. Except for her size, there was very little left of old Millicent. Millie seemed to be more open and friendly, and much more confident. She also looked much nicer than before. Harry noticed some men watching her with fascination.
"Maybe we should go somewhere where we can talk more freely?" he suggested.
She nodded. "We can talk in my apartment. My son seems to be already tired. I'll just order a quick take-away, if you don't mind."
He finished his meal hurriedly and was ready to go as soon as she got her order, packed nicely in a paper bag. He took a glimpse at the child, but could see practically nothing. The toddler was already falling asleep, his eyes closed and his head protected by a hat that covered his hair completely, as the weather was a bit chilly.
Walking at her side, Harry noticed that the height difference was not as evident as it had once been. Millie had not grown any taller since he had last seen her, while he was still growing, as evidenced by his trousers that were becoming a bit short, despite being bought only after the victory. They were almost the same height now, and he liked it.
It was only a short walk. Millie opened the door to a modern apartment house and took the lift to the third floor. "I've been living here since before I gave birth," she said, unlocking the door and motioning him in.
Harry wasn't sure what to expect, yet the apartment seemed completely Muggle. His aunt would have felt comfortable in there. Only when looking closely, he noticed the Daily Prophet on a side table, mostly covered by a Muggle women magazine. The apartment looked clean and tidy. He wondered who was keeping it that way.
"Would you like some tea, or maybe coffee?" Millie offered, coming out of the nursery.
"Some tea would be fine. Don't you want to eat first?"
She smiled. "I eat well enough. It's company that I lack. Not that I had very much of it before, you know."
"I can wait while you eat. We may even talk a bit."
"Fine, then..." she motioned him towards the kitchen.
Just like the rest of the apartment, it was a modern kitchen, devoid of any magic. It also had a small dining area, suitable for up to four people. He sat on one chair while Millie put some water in the electric kettle and turned it on. She then took her food and sat at his side.
"There were various rumors about why you didn't come for the sixth year, but none mentioned pregnancy," Harry told her.
She snorted. "Nobody ever thought of me as worthy of a shag. How would I get pregnant otherwise? Luckily, our meeting remained secret, as it should."
A nagging thought came into his mind. He had never intended... Well, many things had happened differently than he planned, yet some turned for the best. "Do you mean..." He wasn't sure how to phrase the question.
"Charlus is the result of that fabulous shag," she said softly.
"But... how?"
She smiled. "Unlike most other girls, I've never used any contraceptives. None of the boys showed even the slightest interest in me. None would even consider raping me, so why bother? When I took my chance with you, I only wanted to experience sex, not even thinking of possible consequences, yet it was the middle of my cycle, the time I was most fertile and horny. I should have known better."
"So, that single time..." Harry found it difficult to phrase a sentence.
"Yes. I felt a bit nauseous by the end of term, but I thought it was just an out of season cold. When I kept waking up that way, my parents had me checked by a healer." Her expression changed, showing some stress. "They were furious that I refused to tell them whose child it was and yet I insisted on keeping it. Once it was clear that I won't be an obedient daughter, my father disowned me. I think he was relieved to have an excuse to do so. He had never liked me." Some suspect moisture appeared in her eyes.
"But he still left you some money," Harry pointed out.
"It was Mum. She's the one who handled the finances in the family, as Dad was never too keen with numbers. That's why they're almost as poor as the Weasley."
She wiped her eyes quickly. "Anyway, Mum made sure that I had enough to live on, at least until I gave birth. She also instructed me on how to talk with the goblins, so they would help me."
"She didn't expect you to 'go muggle', I'm sure."
Millie smiled. "No, but the goblins pointed out to me that the prices in the muggle world are much lower than in the magical one. I can buy more food for half a pound than for a galleon, despite it being equivalent to seven or eight pounds. Same goes for the rent, the clothing, and practically everything. I had most of the money invested and I can still live nicely on only the dividends."
"Still, living alone at sixteen..."
"It wasn't too bad. Nobody thought I was so young, especially since I was still wearing conservative clothing. I stayed at a small hotel for a few days, until I found this flat. Now, it's my home."
"How did you manage with the pregnancy?"
"Once morning sickness was over, it was quite alright. I checked with St. Mungos, at first, but then I found a maternity ward only a few blocks from here. The doctors there seemed just as nice as the healers and even more knowledgeable. When the time came, I checked in there and it went very well."
She finished her meal silently. "Now, care to tell me about your adventures?"
Harry sighed. He still didn't like to speak about that. "What do you know already?"
"Not much. I dared not stay in contact with the magical world while the Dark Lord rose to power. Mum used to send me some clippings every few weeks, though. I know you disappeared after sixth year and only came back to fight and eventually destroy the Dark Lord. My father joined the dark forces and perished along with his lord. Care to enlighten me?"
It took him more than an hour to tell her the main points only. He skipped over Ron's desertion, yet Millie noticed that he visited Godric's Hollow with only Hermione. He didn't elaborate about breaking into Lestrange's vault, but couldn't refrain from mentioning riding the dragon. He also skipped over the scene in the forest. Millie still noticed.
"You had quite a bit of adventure. You were lucky to have Hermione with you. Did you get any closer?"
He shook his head. "She's Mrs. Weasley now, married about a month ago, and seems to be happy with that, although I think she could do better than marry Ron."
"What about that Weasley girl, Ginny?"
"She's still trying to revive our relationship, unwilling to give up. That's the main reason I came to live in this part of London, where she's not inclined to visit. I'm still going to the Burrow for the weekend dinner, though, as skipping it would offend the rest of the family."
Some noise from the nursery attracted their attention. "Come, meet you son," Millie said.
Charlus was already standing in his bed, his unruly black hair going in all directions and his green eyes piercing into Harry's, who couldn't contain a gasp.
"He looks a lot like you, don't you think?"
Harry didn't respond. He only approached the crib and took the boy into his hug. The boy seemed to have sensed something, as he didn't shy out, nor try to squirm free. He just let the man hug him fiercely. After a while, Harry changed position, allowing the child to sit in his arms, as he turned to Millie. "Why didn't you tell me about him before?"
She sighed. "I wasn't sure how you might have reacted. While pregnant, I didn't want anything to do with the magical world. Then, there was also the danger, if anybody found that the child was yours. It became even more dangerous after the Ministry was taken. Then after the victory, I didn't really know what to do. I was sure that every eligible woman would try to have a chance with you."
Charlus seemed to be quite happy, sitting on Harry's arm, yet a certain smell made Harry less than happy. "I think he needs a nappy change," he said, passing the child to his mother.
"Don't you want to help with this?" she asked teasingly.
Harry made a face. "It's bad enough when I need to change Teddy's nappy,"
"Who's Teddy?"
His face turned somber. "My godson, Teddy Lupin. Both his parents died in the last battle and I help his grandmother raise him, whenever I can."
"Lupin? Like in – Professor Lupin?"
Harry nodded. "Yes. The last of my parents' close friends."
"I'm sorry. He was our best DADA teacher and a very nice man, despite his affliction. Would you like me to help as well?"
He looked confused. "Why would you?"
She shrugged. "I don't have much to do now. Getting to know some people would be nice."
"Didn't you make new friends here?"
She smiled. "I couldn't just go to a pub or a bar before, and I certainly can't now. I made some tentative friendships during the few meetings of the course that prepares women for first child, that the maternity ward offered, yet young mothers don't have enough time to spend on new friends. I only still meet two of them every other week."
"Well, I intend to go there tomorrow. You're welcome to join me."
By now, the child was already cleaned and changed. Millie took him lovingly in her arms. "Isn't he a darling?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.
Harry spent the whole afternoon there, enjoying the little child, who started calling him "dada", just as he was calling his mother "mama". Harry felt natural with Millie and Charlus, as if they were the family he had always longed for. Eventually, he also had the honor of changing nappies and then helping Millie put the child to sleep.
"Would you like to join me for dinner? It's more fun with some company, you know," Millie asked him, once the child fell asleep.
Harry shrugged. "I don't have any plans, so – why not?"
He was rewarded with a dazzling smile.
They had a simple dinner – mostly frozen food that she heated in the microwave oven, along with some fresh vegetables. "I never learned how to cook," she apologized. "The house elf was cooking at home, but I have no help here."
"Would you like me to let Kreacher help you? He's the house elf I inherited along with the house in London, the one I don't like staying at."
She seemed surprised. "That would be nice, really, but I'm sure you have some more house elves. One of the others may be better suited for such a small place."
"I own house-elves?"
"Didn't you know?"
Harry shrugged. "Nobody ever told me. I've got several thick folders at Gringotts, but they didn't bother explaining, probably still angry at me, despite agreeing that the break in was necessary. I only skimmed over the documents. Maybe I should try and read some more."
"I really think you should. From what I've heard, your family was one of the richest, way richer than either Black or Malfoy. You should at least learn what you own, I believe."
He seemed surprised. "Even the Black inheritance gives me more than I need to live comfortably for the rest of my life, including any family I may have. That's why I could rent the house I'm living in at the moment without being bothered by the price."
She shrugged. "It must be nice being able to live with disregard to expenses. I've never had that luxury, not even as a small girl."
"I didn't have it either, until after the war. It also looks like I still don't know all that I need to know."
"Would you like me to help you? I can tell you all that I know about both families, making you readier for what you may find in the bank documents."
He smiled at her. She was evidently looking for some company, being so lonely, but he didn't mind. This day was turning much pleasanter than he had the right to expect.
Millie seemed happy to tell him everything, yet they only covered a small part of it when she noticed his eyes drooping. "You seem to get tired listening to these stories," she noted.
"I'm sorry. You're telling them very interestingly, but I've not been sleeping too well since the battle. I keep having nightmares and I usually wake up more tired than I've been when going to bed."
"You're sleeping alone?" It was half question, half statement.
"Of course!"
"Maybe you need somebody with you. If you like, you may sleep here tonight." He was too tired to see the glimpse of hope in her eyes.
"It may not be proper..." he started hesitantly.
"Why? Sleeping with the mother of your child is as proper as can be. Besides, nobody needs to know."
He covered a yawn. "In that case..."
He really was too tired to mind, and the feeling of a soft feminine body cuddling into his was more relaxing than a sleeping potion. He didn't even wake up when Millie had to attend to a crying Charlus in the middle of the night, and she was feeling happy, when he turned around and hugged her in his sleep, once she came back to bed.
He only woke up, feeling fully refreshed, when a small hand grabbed his, and a childish voice was saying "Dada!"
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