Wheels Within Wheels—Part Two

Kendra and Lily

Chapter Eleven

Harry and Daphne Have An Engagement Party to Plan

Daphne walked into the salon as two 'pops' sounded from the front step. Harry got up to put the furniture back where it had been.

"According to the witch couple who just left, you are amazing," Harry said.

"I don't know if that is true or not, but it's still nice to hear," Daphne said.

She maneuvered behind Harry and wrapped her arms around him, pinning his own to his sides. "I hope it all works out for them. I want to see them again, together, soon. I promised we'll keep their room ready, just for them."

"The study worked out well."

"Madame knows her stuff."

"I try not to meddle in other peoples' lives," Harry said.

"I know you do. You're a good man, Harry."

"It isn't good to make assumptions based on what happens in a parallel timestream," he said.

"Not generally, no. But, your instincts were spot on, this time, weren't they? And you kept me in the dark and played me like a master fiddler to pull it off! In the midst of a charity ball! So advanced! That was a beautiful thing you did, Harry, with a bit of magic, and a bit of luck. You kept me right beside you too, you lovely wizard."

"You don't have to worry about Ginny and me, now, do you think?"

"No, you've put that to rest, but now I have to find something else to make me flare my nostrils and show my claws. Otherwise, a witch just doesn't keep the rust knocked off."

"Oh, claws, that reminds me," Harry said. "Can I just…"

He untwined Daphne's arms and left the salon. A moment later he was back, with the article he had torn out of Transfiguration Today. Harry led Daphne to the arm chair by the window, sat, and pulled her down onto his lap.

"Is this one of your surprises, Dr. Greengrass?" he asked, giving Daphne the clippings.

"Harry," Daphne said, her voice betraying a little strain. "I got interested in transfiguration because of Professor MacGonagall, and she kind of mentored me, and with her help, I learned to do some very advanced things, among them, transform myself. Are you alright with animagi? Some wizards are very prejudiced. I wanted to see if you were, before I told you. I control it, meaning I don't have any involuntary transformations. I don't have a compulsion to transform, but I really like the way I feel."

"My father was an animagus," Harry said. "And Sirius. They taught themselves so they could hang out with Remus Lupin when he had to go through his werewolf phase. They were rogues, never registered, as far as I know. You are…?"

"Oh," Daphne said. "So you don't have a problem with me? I'm in the Registry. MacGonagall is very strict about that. You can look me up, Head Auror."

"No. I don't have a problem. Ha-ha on the Registry," Harry assured her.

"Good," Daphne said, and while Harry was holding her on his lap she transformed into a lynx, with a coat of thick, platinum fur, black points, tufted ears, amber eyes and a tail. The lynx put her paws on Harry's shoulders and licked his face. Her rough tongue was irritating, but Harry thought it best to let the lynx have her way, at least until he had familiarized himself with the etiquette of human-lynx interaction.

The chair really wasn't big enough for Harry and an adult lynx, but he scooted over as far as he could, letting the lynx have some territory and holding the rest on his lap. Harry wasn't really thinking about it when he started scratching behind the lynx' ears and under her chin. She started purring almost immediately, using her paws to move Harry's hand around and show him where all the best scratching places were. Harry lost track of time, which simply became Now, as he let the buzz of the near-constant motion of the past day-and-a-half catch up to him.

Sensing he was about to doze off, he stopped scratching and sat a little straighter.

"The day's getting on," Harry said. "Did you want to do anything?"

The lynx sat up and looked Harry in the eye. Harry would have sworn he recognized disappointment on the lynx' face, despite his dearth of knowledge of lynx lore. She bounded off the chair and down the hall, and a few moments later, Daphne walked into the salon.

"Raffles needs a visit," Daphne said. "We have an invitation for lunch, if you want to go."

"Perfect," Harry said. "Can I go like this?"

"Of course, Harry. If you need to, you can always change into some of the clothes in your room."

Harry and Daphne stepped into the fireplace, Daphne dropped some floo powder and said, "Greengrass Manor." With a WHOOSH they were gone.

Moments later, they stepped out of the fireplace in the Greengrass library.

"Oh, what a lovely surprise," Kendra Greengrass said. Raffles had been sitting next to Kendra on one of the massive leather library couches. He jumped down, barking, and ran to Daphne, who scooped him up and began kissing his face.

"Well, it's Mr. Raffles, isn't it?" and other nonsense continued until Raffles calmed down. Then it was Harry's turn. Keeping Raffles at his flat for two days seemed to be all it took for Raffles to accept Harry as a surrogate for Daphne. Harry was thus subject to being greeted with every bit as much ceremony as Daphne, should the mood strike Raffles.

Daphne crossed the distance to the couch, bent over and kissed her mother on the cheek.

"Who's here?" Daphne asked.

"Your father is in the garden with a quill and some parchment, documenting what's in the beds at the moment, and writing down the changes he wants to make in the spring. Astoria is upstairs, whether she is conscious or not is unknown at present, so if you want to poke your head in her room, you can tell her we expect Draco within the hour.

"How are you, Harry? I've just left you standing there with Raffles to keep you company. How about some coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?

"Daphne?" Harry asked. "Hot chocolate sounds good to me, should we get two?"

"Let me go check on the Honorable Miss Astoria," Daphne said.

"Hot chocolate for two then," Kendra said. "Trix?"

"What did you think of the ball, Harry?" Kendra asked when Trix had disapparated.

"It was my first one," Harry said, as Raffles continued administering a thorough smelling-over. "Without anything to compare it to, I give it highest marks. It even had an imperious old lady showing the young pups a thing or two. What more could we ask for?"

Kendra laughed out loud at that, highly unusual for the usually-subdued witch.

"Augusta! She backed it up, too, didn't she? Fifty years of volunteering, a million galleons raised for the hospital, I was so happy for her. Frank and Alice were so much better than the last time I saw them. Alice recognized me right away. The last time, I'm not sure she ever figured out who I was.

"How was your party afterwards? I was asleep by the time Astoria came in, so I don't have any gossip after the point where Fabio and I left. Daphne took a break from her dancing to blow us a kiss. Wish I had a picture of that."

"I think everyone had fun," Harry said. "Daphne took Draco and Astoria to say hello to Walburga's portrait. It was nice. Walburga was extremely gracious, which surprised me. I told her about getting announced by the herald using my titles, which I sense is important to her. She didn't insult me, so that is a high compliment."

"You're right Harry. I'm sorry you're treated that way. She formed her ideas a long time ago. You'll do more for the House of Black than all of her contemporaries with their schemes and violence. I didn't know Sirius well. Sirius moved too fast for anyone but James to really get to know him. I know he meant a lot to you."

"Thank you. They left me quite a legacy to live up to," Harry said.

"And, Daphne and I have now hosted an event at #12 Grimmauld Place."

"You've arrived Harry! Magical society will have its expectations," Kendra said.

"It was ten people. We couldn't even get Tracey to come," Harry laughed. The idea of becoming a social circuit mover and shaker was alien to the adult who still thought from the perspective of an impoverished orphan, despite the professional and financial success he had experienced.

Raffles jumped down as Daphne entered the library, followed by a yawning Astoria.

"All okay, dear?" Kendra asked.

"Just tired," Astoria said. "I feel like I could sleep all day. That's probably not a good idea, when my future lord and master is due to arrive any second."

She knelt to give Raffles' ears a good scratch and exchange some nonsense greetings.

Harry thought back to his conversation with Draco at the ball. Draco didn't seem to be of the opinion that he was anyone's lord and master. Quite the contrary, in fact. It sounded to Harry as if Draco had been stripped of his free will and lived solely to serve the needs of his empress, the Honorable Miss Astoria. He sneaked a look at Daphne, who had a little half-smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she gave her head the very slightest of shakes.

"Puppies!" she seemed to be saying.

"Astoria, Harry and I wanted to propose something to you and Draco, but if you don't like the idea, we'll just drop it," said Daphne. "Now that you've seen #12, what would you think if Harry and I gave you and Draco your engagement announcement party? The magical venues won't be available from now until well into January. We think we could handle up to one hundred, if you do a buffet."

"Daphne! Really? Would you?" Astoria cried. "Oh, that would be awesome. The stuff of legend! I love it. Oh, we have to ask Draco, don't we? Darn! What if he says no?"

Harry looked at Daphne. Daphne looked back. She raised her chin a little and dropped it, advising Harry his comments were now required.

"Astoria, if you want an engagement party at #12 Grimmauld Place, we're both pretty sure Draco will want that, too. In any event, we'll discuss it when we're all here. What did you think of the house?" Harry asked.

"I loved it, especially Madame Black," said Astoria.

"Did you meet Walburga?" Kendra asked.

"Oh, yes, Daphne introduced us. I curtsied and everything. Draco's her grand-nephew, of course. She was very sweet to us, wasn't she Daphne? AND, according to her, I have the look of Slytherin House!" Astoria bragged.

"She was very sweet," Daphne said. "I think she is getting to like the idea of having people around again. She was alone with Kreacher all the time Sirius was in Azkaban. She probably went months, or years, without any stimulation at all. It's a wonder the portrait didn't recede into permanent dormancy. I can't imagine Kreacher is a source of scintillating repartee."

Harry heard a distant 'pop' followed by the squeaky gate's rusty-hinge tones.

"WEL-come to Greengrass Manor, Master Draco, so good to see you once again. Madame Kendra is expecting you. Please go right on in."

The front door opened and Harry heard Trix' voice.

"Master Draco, so good to see you, please go right on in the library," said the little house elf.

Raffles had to get down to charge Draco, and Harry nearly lost the little Bichon before he could put him on the floor. It must not have hurt Raffles' feelings, though, because he ran right back to Harry and asked to be picked up, as soon as he had greeted Draco.

"Hot chocolate, Draco?" Kendra asked. "Coffee, tea, mineral water, pumpkin juice, hot pumpkin juice?"

"The hot chocolate sounds good," Draco said. "It's finally getting to feel like winter is coming. We need to get rained on, and snowed on, and feel the cold more. Magical people have gotten used to too many warming charms, and drying charms, and starting up the fireplace with a wand."

Draco's comments were so out of character, everyone stopped talking. No one had a response. Draco was from an old pureblood family, and the Malfoys denied ever having had a non-magical member, going all the way back to the hominids roaming the savannah. Lucius and Narcissa were the furthest from outdoor enthusiasts that it was possible to be. Harry wondered what was going on, for Draco to express regret for wands' utility around the hearth.

Harry resolved once again to keep his ears open and his mouth shut. He figured he knew two things already—whatever was behind Draco's comment was probably interesting, and, if he showed too much interest, Draco would become sensitive and clam up.

Trix brought Draco his hot chocolate. Harry was ready to take Draco up on his comments about getting outside into some late fall weather, because he was feeling the need for some fresh air, when Astoria spoke.

"Draco, Daphne and Harry want to host our engagement party, what do you think about that?"

"Really?" Draco asked, looking at Harry, then over at Daphne. "You'd do that for us? Well, thank you! Where?"

"At #12 Grimmauld Place," Daphne said. "You can have it any time you want. There wouldn't be any competition from other holiday events. That's the advantage. If you're okay, we can discuss it with your parents, and if everyone is in favor, we'll get started on the planning."

"Astoria?" Draco asked.

"Absolutely!" Astoria said. "Gosh, it was worth getting out of bed for this, after all."

Harry still had Raffles tucked under one arm.

"Draco, if you want some fresh air, we could go locate Mr. Greengrass, then the witches can talk winter garlands, or punch recipes," Harry said.

Three witches turned their heads and stared at Harry.

"Just saying…" Harry offered.

"Great idea!" Draco added, taking a pinch of Harry's sleeve in his fingers. "We'll come back when you need us for the decision-making phase."

Draco got Harry out of the library, and harm's way.

"I'd heard you've been time-traveling, Potter," Draco said when they got to the central hallway. "I guess this is your year of living dangerously."

"Was that too dismissive?" Harry said. "It was only partly in jest. That really is what they'll want to talk about."

"Best not remind them you see behind the curtain," Draco advised. "It's supposed to be as intriguing for you as it is for them. Secretly, they know they're torturing us, but part of the fun is watching us pretend their plans are our highest priority."