Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter!
Now - Potters
Chapter Seven
Hermione blew into Spinner's End like a whirlwind. She didn't see Severus, so assumed he was still out researching. She shucked off her skirt and shirt then washed up. A cleansing charm would have been faster, but Hermione didn't trust her magic for even small, simple spells. It was times like this that Hermione was glad she'd cut her hair very short. She ran her fingers through it and went to pick out an outfit. She chose a lightweight pink tunic with a silvery beaded collar that extended onto the shoulders of the shirt. Hermione got it in Turkey. She pulled on grey Capri pants and beaded ballet flats.
Checking the clock above the mantle, Hermione noted she was fifteen minutes late. As she threw the Floo powder in and called out her destination, Hermione decided it was worth being late in order to kiss Adrian.
Hermione stumbled out into the Grimmauld Place kitchen, drawing the attention of the two residents. Harry was standing over an open oven, mitts covering his hands, and Pansy was leaning against the counter top. They all stared at each other for a moment. Hermione noted differences in both Grimmauld Place and in Pansy. Oddly, they were the same differences. Both seemed softer, homier, and less bleak. The house accomplished this with a good cleaning, new paint, and redecoration. Pansy's hair was longer and the cut was less severe than when they were in school. Her expression was not sour and she'd gained some weight, so she no longer looked painfully thin.
"Sorry I'm late," Hermione finally said, breaking the silence.
"Wow, you really do look different," Pansy observed. "When Harry told me about seeing you last night, I called him an utter arse for failing to recognize the best friend he's ever had. I guess I'll have to apologize for that comment at some point now. If I didn't know who you were, it would've taken me ages to place you."
"I'll say...thanks, I guess," Hermione replied. "You seem to have changed too."
"Of course," Pansy laughed. "How sad would it be if we were exactly the same as we were back in school?"
Hermione laughed along with her and Harry seemed to take that as a sign to resume whatever he had been doing with the oven. Something smelled good.
They all sat down and focused on dinner. Harry had cooked a chicken pie, which he served with fresh bread and a green salad. Pansy reported that Harry deserved all the credit, that she was pants at cooking. She had grown up with House-elves that did all the work, while Harry grew up being treated much like a House-elf. He was trying to teach his new wife a few simple recipes. So far, all she'd mastered was tea, scrambled eggs, and toast. Hermione felt that was a very good start. At least Pansy would be able to have breakfast.
Harry opened a bottle of wine and poured them all a healthy amount.
"I'd like to propose a toast," Harry smiled. "To long lost friends – may they not be lost long. I am glad you are back, 'Mione."
Hermione smiled and agreed.
"So tell us what you have been doing for the past four years," Pansy instructed.
"It's a bit boring to tell the truth."
"Indulge us," Pansy said dryly. Hermione chuckled at the other witch's sarcastic tone. Maybe she would like Pansy just fine.
"Well, as you know, I did well in my final year at Hogwarts." Harry snorted at her understatement, but Hermione went on. "I was offered several apprenticeships in various fields with some prestigious Masters. I thought about accepting one, but Ron had been so difficult about me returning to Hogwarts that I knew he wouldn't react well to me taking several more years to become a Master. Of course, once our relationship was over, I didn't have to consider him and his feelings any longer."
"Do you regret the breakup?" Harry asked tentatively.
"I don't regret breaking up with him at all," Hermione assured him. "We weren't well matched. We had very different interests, personalities…morals. I regret that he cheated. I regret that I had to find out about it the way I did. I wish we had ended things earlier and on good terms, freeing me up to pursue my studies and him to pursue his groupies. While he was the worst fiancé, he was a decent friend most of the time."
"He let the celebrity and money get to him," Harry sighed, shaking his head. "You know how sensitive he always was about growing up without money and when I got all the attention."
"I know." Hermione shared Harry's sigh. "It's just too bad our relationship, even our friendship, had to be shattered in the course of him sewing his wild oats."
"Enough about that prat," Pansy interjected. "I know about the Weasel. Tell me what you've been doing!"
Hermione laughed and went on to tell stories about her training. She had started with Potions. The Master she apprenticed with was based out of Canada, but traveled extensively sourcing fresh and rare ingredients. Of course, Hermione went with him. She'd spent weeks near the Arctic Circle, several very pleasant months in the Caribbean, and the hottest six weeks of her life in the Brazilian rain forest at the peak of their hot season. That was where she cut off her trademark long, curly hair. It had been so steamy that her hair was plastered to her constantly, like a thick scarf. She tried to braid it back and put up, but the humidity made curls spring out everywhere.
Harry and Pansy laughed at her descriptions. Pansy even commented how much better she looked. The other witch reported that Hermione's bushy mane had always distracted from the rest of her. Now they could see her delicate bone structure and large whiskey colored eyes.
Hermione told stories about her eccentric Potions Master, Marc Bouchard. He was in his eighties and had some pretty revolutionary ideas. He melted or blew up a cauldron at least once a month trying some experimental thing. Hermione was more a plan ahead, think things through person than a trial-and-error and 'let's just see what happens' person. Master Bouchard helped her learn to be more experimental, to understand that she didn't have to know how things were going to turn out before giving it a try. Harry agreed that that was a good thing for Hermione to learn.
While working on her Master in Potions under Bouchard, Hermione met some of the world's most prominent scholars and up-and-coming intellectuals. Another of Bouchard's revolutionary ideas was cross-discipline consultation and experimentation. Herbology and, to a lesser extent, knowledge of magical creatures had always factored largely in Potions. Bouchard also loved to see how Transfiguration, Alchemy, Charms, Runes, and Arithmancy influenced Potions. It was through these interactions that Hermione got to know Selma Turan, a Turkish witch and one of the top Masters of Arithmancy in the world. Hermione described Selma as a kindred spirit. She was only about ten years older and was just as invested in learning as Hermione. Harry laughed, saying that was not possible.
When she had achieved her Master of Potions, Hermione went to visit Selma in Istanbul and then stayed on to do a second apprenticeship to Master in Arithmancy. Once in Turkey, Hermione didn't travel around as much as she had the previous two years. She was still surrounded by fellow intellectuals, however, as Selma was a popular, cutting edge Arithmancer whose services were in high demand.
Hermione felt like she'd been talking for ages, but both Harry and Pansy seemed to very interested and asked loads of questions. Their plates were empty and the second bottle of wine was half-gone.
"So, with all the hobnobbing you were doing with all the smartest people of the world, did you find a wizard to replace the easily replaceable Weasel?" Pansy asked, a teasing tone lacing her voice.
"Pansy!" Harry scolded.
"What? It is a perfectly reasonable question," Pansy defended. "We are hearing about what your friend has been up to. She is a smart, pretty, grown witch. I doubt she's refrained from fraternizing with wizards, or maybe it was witches, for four years!"
Hermione laughed, but Harry just rolled his eyes and started clearing the table.
"I did not 'refrain from fraternizing,' as you said," Hermione said, chuckling. "I engaged in some very nice…flings, and a few relationships."
"Anybody we would have heard of?" Pansy asked eagerly, leaning forward.
Harry snorted from across the kitchen, where he was setting cleaning charms to wash their dishes. For some reason his disapproval of the conversation made Hermione laugh again, well that and all the wine she had drank. She figured they were all nicely tipsy.
"What kind of witch would I be if I kissed and told?" Hermione teased Pansy. She knew Harry didn't want to hear details about her sex life, since he'd always seen her as a sister.
"The normal kind who dishes with her friends," Pansy scoffed. Hermione had never had many close female friends. Selma was the closest female friend she had, and they didn't often dish about wizards for various reasons. Of course, living with Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil, Hermione was very familiar with the practice. She'd just never had anything to add back then.
"Well, I guess there was someone well known," Hermione said, grinning and blushing at the same time. "I spent a lovely few weeks with Heathcote Barbary in the Caribbean when I was there with Bouchard."
"Heathcote Barbary!? From the Weird Sisters?" Pansy was bouncing in her seat.
"A rock musician, Hermione?" Harry chided, although his tone was more teasing than anything.
"It is a fantasy most witches have," Pansy grinned. "How was it?"
"Just loads of carefree fun," Hermione replied. She smiled remembering. Heathcote knew how to have a good time, which wasn't entirely surprising given his profession. "I had a few flings like that over the years. Of course, Heathcote was the only famous rock star. The others were more along the lines of regular wizards; a winged-horse breeder on the United States west coast, a lesser Count in the Danish wizarding royal family, a wizard in our security detail in Central Africa, and another apprentice visiting with his Master. He was a Metamorphmagus studying Transfiguration, which was very interesting in the bedroom."
Pansy cackled with laughter.
"A rock star, a real American cowboy, a Prince, a bodyguard, and someone who could literally look like anyone during sex? I am so jealous right now."
"Hey!" Harry protested as he sat back down at the table.
"I was just admiring her sewing her wild oats," Pansy soothed, stroking his arm. "Not every witch has such adventures before she settles down."
"No one has such adventures," Hermione scolded. "The horse breeder was not a cowboy, the Count wasn't a Prince, the Metamorphmagus usually looked like himself, and the security wizard...well, he was a bodyguard. But the rest is exaggeration."
"Maybe, but that's how you should tell it from now on," Pansy advised. "It would be sexier that way."
"You mentioned actual relationships," Harry said, rolling his eyes lovingly at his wife and obviously trying to change the subject.
"Just two really," Hermione reported. "Both lasted about six months."
"And who were these delicious wizards?" Pansy asked. "A billionaire playboy and the Prince of Morocco?"
"No," Hermione laughed. "Just a former Potions professor and a former Quidditch player."
Hermione could see the wheels turning in Harry's head before his eyes bugged out. He'd obviously known she and Severus had been in touch over the years, but Hermione knew Severus would never have disclosed his own personal business to Harry.
"No!" Pansy gasped, looking gleeful. "Snape?"
Hermione nodded.
"I am so jealous! Snape is so sexy," Pansy squealed. "All the Slytherin witches have had a crush on him at some point during Hogwarts. As far as I know no former students had ever managed to catch him, until now!"
"Snape?!" Harry questioned incredulously. "Snape is sexy?"
He looked back and forth between the two witches, who were both nodding enthusiastically.
"He is powerful, dark, and mysterious," Pansy said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Plus he has that deep, silky voice that is sexy as hell."
"Don't forget his hands," Hermione interjected.
"Right! He has those long, tapered fingers and his hands look so...capable."
"You are both very disturbing," Harry reported, giving a shake as if he were shivering. Hermione just chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"Why didn't it work out, if you don't mind me asking?" Pansy asked a little gently.
"Now you ask permission to be nosy?" Harry scoffed.
"We wanted different things," Hermione shrugged. "Severus doesn't want to have children ever; while that is still something I want one day. It ended years ago. So now, we are just good friends."
Pansy nodded knowingly. Sometimes, no matter how much you care for a person, it just isn't a good match.
"So was the other relationship you had with Lockhart or Trelawney?" Harry teased. Hermione made a face. What disgusting notions.
"No," she said pointedly. "Viktor Krum. Bulgaria borders Turkey you know. He retired from play last year and he came to look me up in Istanbul. It was nice dating as adults. He has always been one of the sweetest wizards I've ever known."
"What happened there?" Harry asked, sounding a little disappointed. Hermione knew Harry always liked Viktor. Even though they competed against each other in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Harry confided in Hermione that he wouldn't mind if Viktor won because he was always so sweet to her.
"It was similar to what happened with Severus," Hermione sighed. "Viktor had retired because he wanted to get married and start having children, away from the spotlight. He found me because I was, in his words, 'the most quality, best witch' he'd ever dated. It was just all too fast for me. Sometimes I got the feeling it was a family Viktor wanted most, not me. I was just his top choice for a wife and mother. I suspect I was right, because he got engaged last month to a very sweet, family oriented Romanian witch. She was a former athlete too, a gymnast I think, and so they have loads in common."
This time both Harry and Pansy nodded knowingly.
"I've been talking about myself all night!" Hermione scolded. "You are supposed to tell me about yourselves and fill me in on the gossip here! Severus is pants at gossip."
"I'm surprised Draco and Blaise haven't filled you in," Harry chuckled. "They are two of the biggest gossips I know."
"Worse than Lavender?" Hermione laughed.
"Much!" Harry confirmed.
"Well, they've been focused on helping me with this Sorceress business," Hermione pointed out. "But I want to forget about that for a while. You two can tell me where everyone from school is now and what they are doing."
"You've found yourself nestled in quite the snake pit," Pansy observed, looking at Hermione speculatively. Hermione blushed slightly thinking about the four wizards she was so attracted to. Pansy just watched her reaction. "We will have to talk about that later. In the mean time, you've come to the right place for information. Let's take dessert in the lounge and we'll get you caught up."
Dessert turned out to be Harry's favorite treacle tart. Pansy was right; Hermione did come to the right place for information. Between Harry and his wife, they knew tidbits of information about everyone.
Harry basically enjoyed being an Auror. He was disappointed at first because he never got to go out on covert or undercover operations. He wasn't even assigned surveillance. It made sense really. Harry had one of, if not the, most recognizable face in Wizarding Britain. Instead, he was assigned to do a lot of public outreach, talking to citizens and children about Magical Law Enforcement. He found he actually liked listening to people's concerns and problems. Often, Harry could help do something to help. That's really all he ever wanted, to help people.
Pansy had studied to be a Healer, specializing in spell damage. She'd finished her training last year and now worked in the St. Mungos, most often in the emergency room. All the damage and death she'd seen during the war had made a profound impact on the young witch. She'd felt so scared and helpless in Hogwarts, unable to help Harry's side and unwilling to fully align herself with Voldemort as her family had done. The wonderful thing about being a Healer was she could treat everyone that needed help, regardless of politics. She made them better, and then left it to law enforcement to sort out the rest.
Pansy worked with Anthony Goldstein, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Daphne Greengrass, who were all Healers too. Daphne was engaged to Terrance Higgs. Harry said Katie Bell and Cormac McLaggen were field Aurors. Dennis Creevey and Romilda Vane worked with the Aurors in supply and support.
Lavender Brown and Colin Creevey both worked for the Daily Prophet, she as a gossip columnist and he as a photographer. Seamus Finnigan opened up a pub in Diagon Alley that did very well. Neville Longbottom had apprenticed under Professor Sprout and became a Master in Herbology. He was set to be the new Herbology Professor in the coming fall, since Sprout had announced her retirement. Neville had become quite the heartbreaker over the years, really coming into his looks. It turned out as witches got older some of them realized they did like nice, sweet wizards. He hadn't settled down yet though.
Pavarti Patil ran off with a very much older and very wealthy wizard from Russia. She moved around a lot, going from villa to castle to beach house. The last Gryffindor from their year, Dean Thomas, was a solicitor for the Ministry. He was in the papers a few months ago, when his engagement to Ginny Weasley imploded quite spectacularly. It turned out Dean had an on-again, off-again relationship with Michael Corner that Dean's family had never approved of. In the end, Dean decided his loving relationship with Michael was the one he really wanted. Ginny shouldn't have felt too scorned, since she was seeing Terry Boot on the side; but that was not the case and she made sure the press heard about it. Pansy guessed that Ginny had rushed to get engaged to Dean because Harry had married.
"Do you want to hear about the Weasleys at all, 'Mione?" Harry asked tentatively.
"I don't mind," Hermione assured him. She really didn't feel much about Ron anymore. It didn't hurt her to hear of him. "I saw Charlie a few times in Romania in the past four years. Bouchard liked the dragon scales that came from his preserve. I thought it would be awkward seeing him, but it wasn't really. After that, I always made it a point to stop by and see him when I was in Romania. We mostly talked about dragons and other things not related to home. We didn't talk much about the family. He did tell me about Molly and Arthur, though. When I was there last year, I got the impression he wasn't happy with Ron."
"That's an understatement," Pansy snorted.
"Ron...well, as I said, Ron let fame and money go to his head," Harry explained. "He kept up his ways, spending his time with groupies and gold-diggers. About two years ago, a witch came out of nowhere saying she'd had Ron's baby. It was a little boy. It turns out Ron always felt it was the witch's job to manage the contraception. It didn't seem to occur to him that some unscrupulous witch might want to trap him with a child."
"Poor, stupid, stupid Ron." Hermione shook her head. It seemed that he got his due. Maybe he would learn a lesson about how he treated others.
"Well, it gets worse," Harry sighed. "Ron didn't marry that witch, but does financially support her and his son. Last year another witch surfaced. This one wasn't toting an infant, but was six months pregnant. Molly had been livid the first time around, but opted to heap most of the blame on the witch. This most recent time though, she felt Ron should have known better. All of his brothers are extremely disappointed. They thought he's shown incredibly bad judgment."
"Well, he has," Pansy sneered. "Any wizard worth his salt can do a contraception charm in a matter of seconds. I think he just didn't bother."
Hermione just shook her head. Ron had two children. It was going to take her a while to wrap her head around that idea. She just couldn't picture him as the responsible, father type.
"He does live with this last witch, Ginger," Harry defended, though it clearly was hard for him to do so. "Ginger had a little girl, Melody, and since then Ron has really been trying. I'm trying to give him credit for that, rather than just assuming he isn't going to change."
Pansy rolled her eyes and Harry looked at her sternly.
"I don't say anything in front of him when we've seen him," Pansy defended herself. "I do feel a little sorry for Ginger. She seems to have real affection for the Weasel. I get the feeling he is just trying to do right so he doesn't disappoint his family, again. Ginger is a bit dim, but she isn't the bad sort. Unfortunately, the entire Weasley clan still seems miffed at Ron for losing you."
"Me?" Hermione was surprised. She had loved Ron's parents and brothers. She keenly felt the devastation along with the family when Fred died in battle. But of course, she knew Ron got to keep them in the breakup.
"Most of them prefer you as a person I'd wager," Pansy smirked. "They have to love him and stand by him when he behaves like a moron because he's family. Molly especially wanted you as an official family member. Poor, dim Ginger suffers in comparison."
"How are the rest of the Weasley children, besides Charlie?" Hermione asked, changing the subject. The best thing about Ron had been his family and she missed them.
"Ginny plays for the Hollyhead Harpies and quite likes it," Harry reported. "She's good too. It's just her personal life that is a mess."
"I'm all for a witch getting some of her own," Pansy put in. "Ginny is single, young, and pretty. There's no reason she shouldn't enjoy the company of as many wizards as she wants as well as a posh lifestyle. She has a holier-than-thou attitude that rubs me the wrong way, as if she is above wanting sex, money, and attention. If you are going to do it, own it. That's all I have to say."
"Doubtful," Harry teased his wife before continuing. "Percy is doing well. He works for Kingsley at the Ministry. That first year without Fred was hard on George, as you know. I didn't know you wrote him from Hogwarts. He told us later that your letters were his saving grace. Apparently, you struck the right balance of sympathy, practicality, and hope. Leaving Ron to pursue your goals inspired George in a strange way. He said bad things happen, but smart, strong people must move on; that when life doesn't go the way we plan, you have to adjust the plan. He began working on new products again, ones he and Fred had just started to dream up. Lee Jordan is now George's full partner. Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes opened a second store in Hogsmeade over a year ago. They are doing very well. Bill and Fleur have two children now, a girl and a boy. They both work at Gringotts and are still living at Shell Cottage. Now that you are back in town, I am sure George, Arthur, and Molly will want to see you soon."
"That would be nice," Hermione agreed. She didn't particularly want to run into Ron yet, but that would be an easy thing to avoid with a little planning.
They talked a little more about mutual acquaintances. Harry and Pansy relayed the highlights of scandals, funny things that happened, and some sad things. Hermione was glad to hear it all. She was under no misunderstanding that life back home had been on pause the years she was gone.
A third bottle of wine was mostly empty when Harry and Pansy's stories began to focus on Hermione's new Slytherin friends. Of course, there were plenty of stories about Adrian, Blaise, Draco, and Marcus' misdeeds. There were fewer stories about Theo, as he seemed to be slightly better behaved than his friends. It did seem that when Theo really got in his cups, he became overly brave and confident. That sort of thinking had him challenging Aurors to duels in the street and stripping off all his clothes in the middle of a Quidditch match. Marcus, not surprisingly, was known for fighting. Pansy and Harry stressed that Marcus didn't tend to start fights, but that he was often targeted due to his size and reputation, and Marcus wasn't one to back down.
Other than Theo's drunken exploits and Marcus' reputation for fighting, most of the stories had to do with witches. It seemed that none of them had really been in any long-term relationships. In fact, they seemed to treat witches as generally disposable, which gave Hermione some pause. Adrian had said he would be honored if her magic chose him to bind to her, but none of them had really ever tried to be with one witch for any time. Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to share her wizard with other witches. Throughout all these stories, Hermione saw Pansy watching for her reactions.
"So, are you going to have a go with one or more of them?" Pansy finally asked, her words slurring slightly from all the wine.
"Oh I don't know," Hermione groaned, flopping sideways on the sofa where she had been sitting. She buried her face in the cushions.
"Well what are you thinking?" Pansy pressed. Hermione rolled over on the sofa and faced Harry and Pansy.
"That Adrian is an amazing kisser," Hermione sighed. "Marcus is so hot I want to climb him like a tree. Draco pushes every single button I have, including the naughty ones. And Theo is the perfect mix of brains and body that I almost jumped on him and snogged him in a library today."
"So it is fair to say there is some attraction there," Harry laughed.
"It isn't funny," Hermione scolded. She knew she was pouting. It was the drink that was bringing out her immature side, she was sure. "Adrian said that with everything else going on, I need to just let them distract me and have fun."
"What's wrong with that?" Pansy asked, slumping slightly against Harry.
"I don't get a choice really if I make it to the final ritual," Hermione said somewhat bitterly. She rolled off the sofa to sit on the floor. Being upright felt better, like she was less pissed. "What if I find I really like one of them for the long term, but then my magic binds me to someone else? What if I have a little taste of something that I can never have again, and I am stuck missing it for the rest of my life? What if they are happy having some fun now, but none of them will come to the third ritual because they don't want to be chosen? Being an Ancillary is a lifetime commitment!"
"Sounds like you are over thinking this, 'Mione," Harry slurred. "You do that too much. Adrian is right. Just try to have some fun. You deserve it! If you feel yourself starting to get too attached, back off if you need to."
"You might not make it through all this," Pansy pointed out.
"Hey!" Hermione and Harry both protested.
"Just think of it this way," Pansy argued. "If these are your last three weeks of life, are you going to regret spending time with these blokes no matter how it turns out? On the other hand, if you chose to keep them at arm's length, are you going to regret not knowing what you could have had?"
Hermione was quiet while her intoxicated brain processed what Pansy said. She really had nothing to lose here. It was entirely possible she had only a few weeks left.
"You are a devilishly smart witch you know that?" Hermione said told Pansy. She tried to stand, but a wave of exhaustion coupled with all the wine made her plop back down on her bum.
"I know," Pansy nodded. "I've also been told I'm a terrible influence."
"She is," Harry agreed. He dragged himself to a standing position. "I'll Floo-call Severus and let him know you are staying the night here. You are much to pissed to be traipsing back to Spinner's End on your own."
"I'll show you to the guest room!" Pansy offered brightly, swaying slightly as she stood.
"I've got to be at Malfoy Manor in the morning for breakfast," Hermione said to no one.
"We'll make sure you get up," Pansy assured her, taking her arm and pulling her up. The action almost made both witches fall to the floor, but they steadied themselves on each other. Pansy looked over her shoulder. "Harry, tell Snape to bring Hermione a change of clothes and plenty of Hangover Potion for all."
The two witches made their way upstairs slowly, leaning on each other. Pansy pushed Hermione gently toward the bed in the guest room.
"Just remember," Pansy advised, "do what feels right and don't worry so much about the consequences when it comes to those wizards. You already have the Sorceress thing to contend with. Choosing to snog or shag some blokes is really a minor thing in the grand scheme, now isn't it?"
Pansy shut the door and Hermione ran Pansy's advice from that evening through her mind several times. It did seem like a silly thing to worry about. If she was going to be a bloody Sorceress she may as well try to have some fun along the way. The only question was, where or with whom to start?
Next - Malfoy Manor
