A/N- Wow has it only been five days? Pretty pleased with myself right now. This takes us New Year's Eve all the way to the school year resuming. And I decided to do something for Millicent, lest she be ignored for Ron's character growth.
P.S. I still do not own these characters, except for Victoria and Gary. What I love about original characters is that they can never be out of character; they simply bend to my will. Useful when you can't think of anyone in canon who would do what you want them to.
After Greg had warmed up in the bath Luna pulled him to the bed where she snuggled under the covers with him. "I missed your warmth," she said softly, pulling him on top of her. Since arriving in Sweden they often slept that way, Greg's body serving as an extra blanket to keep her warm.
"You're so thin," he whispered, "what if I crush you accidentally?"
"You don't Greg," she promised, "you always feel warm and safe and good."
He bit his lip, "Well if you're sure. I always want to make my Luna happy." Luna smiled and kissed him gently. Greg closed his eyes as she tugged the blankets into place. He was certain they looked quite the odd couple. Greg was broad shouldered and strong. His baby fat had become broad muscles from his time as a Beater for the Slytherin team. He was also tall, standing at just over six feet tall at the age of fifteen.
Luna, in contrast, was beautiful and thin and fragile looking; calling her waif-like was an accurate adjective. She wasn't all that tall either, standing at about five feet, two inches. Their wedding night he'd been afraid he'd break her but Luna was stronger than she looked. Although one day walking into their rooms at Hogwarts to see her completely nude and working on her homework had been shocking, Greg liked the innocence of her carefree attitude. And her lack of shyness. The slight confusion on her face when she'd seen his erection from his view that day had been awkward but Greg had always been blunt. Bluntness definitely helped when it came to Luna.
After a nap Luna made him sit down in front of the fire while she made dinner for the two of them. They had talked to her father Xeno through the fire when they first woke and he'd decided to stay in his own tent. Xeno was quite odd and there was a disconnect between him and Luna; Greg had seen pictures of Luna's mother Maia, and wondered if it was because mother and daughter looked almost identical. According to Luna, Xeno had taken her mother's death very hard and they weren't as close as they once were. Greg was certain that Luna's attachment to him was in part because she felt so alone after her mother's death. He knew he'd always be there for Luna. He would be her rock just as she was his angel.
Hermione leaned into her boyfriend. They'd spent a large portion of the day with their friends but the evening was being spent alone. Since they didn't have their own rooms they had decided to stay in the Room of Requirement. "I think we should leave next year," Harry said.
She stayed still and closed her eyes before asking, "Why?"
"Well on the one hand, you and me on a boat means you in a bikini," Harry said, imagining Hermione's eye roll at his words even though he couldn't see her face with her sitting in front of him, "and there's also the fact that I just…I can't do it anymore. I can't be here. Hermione it sounds cold but our friends need to save themselves this time. We can't do it for them anymore."
"So long as we're here they won't do it on their own," Hermione agreed. Draco was an example, seeking their choice for minister. "They'll be upset."
"Yeah but for our own piece of mind I think we need to do it. We deserve to just be teenagers and we can't be that here."
Hermione turned and straddled his lap, "I agree. So what say we start planning our mode of transportation?"
"I say a boat. That way your parents and Sirius and Remus can come with us."
"Boats are expensive Harry," she said, running a hand through his hair. "Really expensive."
"I can imagine that but I have more money than I thought I did anyway," Harry said. "Gringotts sent me an end of year statement. They did a full audit of the Potter accounts," he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Hermione.
Hermione unfolded it and her eyes widened. "Harry…"
"Evidently fifteen is the age of full inheritance for magicals."
Hermione looked up at him, "Harry this…in pounds you'd be…"
"A billionaire, right?" She nodded and he dropped his hands to her waist, "I was stunned too, Hermione. And the amounts just grow each year. Apparently my parents were really savvy investors. The goblins have looked after my accounts since their deaths. They don't even charge for it. It seems that they really liked my mum."
Knowing how the conversation could go after that Hermione decided to stay on the path they were on previously, "Well then I guess the boat is doable."
"Yeah," he smiled, "I'll pay our way. Sirius will pay Remus to tutor us. We'll have a blast."
Hermione looked at Harry. He looked so excited. "Well I suppose I can agree to that provided that I choose your new wardrobe."
"Anything you want," he promised.
"Good boy," she teased, leaning in to kiss him. "But you know, if my parents come our wardrobes will have to be a bit less…revealing."
"Hermione you could wear a barrel and I'd think you're stunning."
"Very good boy," she responded, kissing him again. "Okay, I'm in. But we'll have to learn how to pilot the boat so we'll need lessons okay?"
"I'm okay with that. We definitely can't let Sirius pilot it. We'd be aground in seconds even if we were in the middle of the Atlantic with no land around us for days." Hermione laughed at his characterization of Sirius. He'd been arrested at such a young age that he'd kind of missed the growing up he should have experienced as he became a young man; that meant that Sirius was still finding himself and the Sirius they knew was still a giant kid.
"Sounds like we have a plan then," she said, resting her head against his, "now what should I do with my wealthy boyfriend?"
"Love him like you did before he was a billionaire?" Harry suggested.
"You'll always be that cute boy with the broken glasses that I met on the train on my way to Hogwarts to me, Harry," she promised, kissing him sweetly.
Aboard the Hogwarts Express Padma watched George as she read her book. He was frowning at a piece of paper he'd been scribbling on. "If you keep your face like that too long it'll freeze that way," she said after several minutes. George gave her a half-smile and she put her book down. "What's wrong?"
"I can't work out how to make this gag," he said, rubbing his face with his hands. "It's a Canary Cream. You turn into a canary after you eat it but only for like five minutes."
"George that's really complicated work," Padma said.
"Well yeah but it's all in fun," he said, frowning in annoyance.
Padma sat down next to him and leaned close to look at his diagram and recipe. George fell silent as she pressed her body against him. She felt so good. "You worked out the hard part; the transformation. The time duration seems to be your problem. What about smaller amounts?"
"H-huh?" He blinked, trying to pay attention.
She licked her lips and looked at him, "If you used smaller amounts of the ingredients key to transforming that should fix your problem."
"Y-yeah I thought of that," he said, "but then the transformation doesn't work."
Padma looked at the recipe, "And you have to be careful so you don't impact the taste."
"Exactly," he nodded, swallowing when she reached across him, her chest pressing into his arm, as she took a book on the magical properties of various plants from his bag.
"Are you okay George? You look flushed."
He looked at her to see a smirk on her lips. "Vixen," he growled before closing the distance between them and kissing her. Padma smiled into the kiss, her free hand running through his short hair.
They shared a brief but satisfying snog and when they parted she whispered, "Sage and thyme are both herbs that can, when combined with your other ingredients, impact the time duration of a spell."
George kissed her again, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said, moving back to the other side of the compartment to resume her reading. George smiled as he went to work on reading about the magical properties of sage and thyme. Their relationship had grown around the new year. At midnight Percy and Penelope had been kissing in their living room near the fire and George hadn't felt comfortable possibly imposing himself on Padma. They hadn't shared a real kiss since Christmas. But Padma had pulled him to her by his shirt and kissed him. After that kiss, when they went to bed that night, they'd talked about their relationship. There was obviously a mutual attraction and Padma had confessed wanting to see where their relationship went. George certainly wanted the same thing and said as much.
Since then they'd found themselves getting closer and sharing kisses and even snogging one another. George was quite enjoying the change and he could see that Padma did too; she had power in their relationship and she obviously enjoyed having that ability. George wondered about her family dynamic; his family was a matriarchy so having Padma lead the relationship made sense to him. It was normal.
Still, she liked having the control and he didn't mind giving that to her; not in the least. He worked on his calculations. He'd always planned to have this business with Fred. Now he was going it alone but George was determined that his dream come true. Padma had promised to help and she just had. George liked that.
Greg re-entered the compartment, his arms laden with snacks. "Any Nargles about?"
"No they don't like trains," Luna said, accepting the Cauldron Cake he handed her, "thank you love."
"Quite welcome," he said, kissing her cheek as he sat down next to her after laying out his purchases on the table, "any other creatures I need to worry about?"
"No we're safe here," she leaned into him, "I'm sorry we didn't see the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."
"I got to spend time snuggling in a tent with you," he smiled, "that was worth the trip on its own."
Luna smiled. Greg was so great, believing her in all of the animals she told him about. He never questioned her, never challenged her, never belittled her for her bizarre animals. It was an aspect of him that she loved. "I love you Greg," she settled against him, "I was surprised when you asked me to marry you. I just never thought anyone would want me."
"You don't know how wonderful you really are Luna," he said, his head resting against hers, "I'm just glad you said yes to me." She smiled and kissed him.
Percy looked at his wife, "So we're agreed?"
"We're going to help George with his business," Penelope nodded, "He'll be delighted."
"Yeah. He always wanted to open it with Fred but I think we can help him. Maybe not with the inventions but the financial side I can certainly help with," Percy smiled.
"I think Padma might be more help for George than you might expect," she said. "There's something to that girl I think George can unlock."
Percy raised an eyebrow, "You think he can make her a prankster?"
"Maybe not that far," Penny said, "but if you think she won't help him make his ideas a reality you'll be very surprised."
Percy grinned, "With her intellect and his imagination we'll be rich, Penny."
"I'd imagine so," she nodded. "I pity the professors of Hogwarts."
It didn't take long for Harry and Hermione to agree to keep his billionaire status quiet. They were also keeping a lid on their desire to just escape for a while. They kept up with their prefect duties, focusing mostly on the younger students since the older ones were now spread throughout the castle. "Who will Draco try to convince to run?" Harry asked her as they did their rounds the evening everyone had returned to the school.
"I don't know," she said. "He doesn't know anyone who could be trusted to repeal the law."
Harry sighed. Getting the law repealed was important. But who was to be trusted? They could think of two people; neither of them would get elected. Remus was a werewolf and Sirius wouldn't be caught dead as the minister. Beyond those two they had no ideas. "Hermione I don't think this route is going to work out."
"I'd have to agree with you," she said, squeezing his hand. "I wish it would, though." They walked in silence for a bit before Hermione suddenly stopped and Harry looked at her, confused. "Harry I know what we can do."
"What?"
"We need to find out a few more things about the Ministry. But I'm certain I'm right and we'll change the magical world forever," she said, taking him up a staircase toward the Room of Requirement. They had research to do.
Classes resumed two days later and Ron turned in his homework feeling very nervous. Before he'd never really cared so this was a new experience. Millie was very supportive, though, and it was nice to have her at his back. Although he didn't really understand why she was helping him. She wasn't his type and he wasn't hers. But then, he didn't know what Millie's type was. For the first time Ron wondered what she wanted in a romantic relationship; certainly not what they had. Was there someone she'd wanted but never had the courage to get?
Millicent gazed at the stars as she shivered drawing the constellations required for Astronomy. "Here you can share my blanket," a voice said. Millie didn't even have time to look up before she felt the warmth pressed over her shoulders. A young man sat down next to her and pulled it over his shoulders too, "Why can't they give us these assignments when it's warmer?"
"I can't fathom it," she said, looking at the handsome blue-eyed muggleborn Ravenclaw. His eyes were as blue as the badge on his robes. A rich blue that Millie quite liked. "Why are you up here at this time of night?"
"I could ask you the same question," he smirked. "Millicent, right?"
"Yes," she nodded, "and you are Gary."
"I am indeed," he smiled. "You have beautiful eyes Millicent."
She flushed red and looked back at the sky, "Nothing about me is beautiful, Gary."
"I would dispute that," he said. "I am an artist and I can assure you, your eyes are beautiful. Beauty is everywhere, Millicent. It just requires the right eye to view it."
"The right eye?" She questioned, curious about what he meant.
"Everyone can concede that a rose is beautiful, that a tulip is delicate. But when it comes to human beauty our tastes compete with our sexual desires," Gary explained. "Beauty in humans is subject to hormones and our imaginations. There are some viewed to be beautiful by most but even then others look at them and disagree. Your friends Victoria and Hermione are both examples."
"They're quite different."
"Exactly," he nodded, "that is what makes judging human beauty so complex and full of bias. A nude painting of a woman who is thin is judged beautiful now; that same painting two hundred years ago would have been deemed sad. But if the painting was of a nude, full-figured or even plus-sized woman, it would have been regal and sensuous. Tastes change with the times."
Millicent returned to her drawing. The conversation, though interesting, shed no light on the handsome young man she'd first become attracted to a year ago. She finished her work and looked at him. The way he concentrated when he drew…it was intriguing. She knew that he had the nickname 'Sketch' and that he always carried his sketchpad and pencils. He looked at her, "I've been wanting to sketch and paint a female but I've found no one who I'm particularly interested in. I'd love to sketch you, Millicent. Will you be my model?"
She was speechless. A boy who had many attractive options was asking her? "I…it's not nude, is it?"
"Not usually, no," he answered. "I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable," he added.
Millicent paused before answering, "I should talk to my husband first."
He blinked, "Right, your husband. I forgot you were married."
"I don't blame you for that," Millicent glanced at the wedding band on her finger, "I often forget as well." She suddenly offered him a small smile, "I'll talk to my husband and think about it before getting back to you."
"Sounds good," he said, smiling at her. "Reckon I'll stay out here a bit, finish my work."
"I'm headed inside," she said. "Good night Gary."
"Good night Millicent," he said, watching her leave the roof.
Millicent wasn't even halfway to her rooms before she'd decided she would do it. Gary was harmless enough. She didn't need Ron's permission. Their relationship was at best a friendship, nothing more. She returned to her rooms and prepared for bed; a certain blue-eyed brown-haired boy would be in her dreams.