Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
Chapter Twenty One - Into the New Year
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―==(oIo)==―
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Among the mail that arrived for Harry the next morning was a letter from Molly Weasley. In various parts of it she: demanded to know why he had the aurors blocking her from talking to him; demanded to know why Luna was the one sitting with him on the stage and holding the case while he was awarded the Order, 'as everyone knows you and Ginny make a wonderful couple'; demanded he come and visit with 'his family' at the Burrow, where she was 'sure to cook him all his favourite dishes'; demanded to know why he didn't let her know as soon as he was back; and other similarly poorly-couched demands.
He just sighed and slipped the letter down the table to Sirius.
Apparently, Hermione received a similar letter, as she was reading it with a scowl on her face and looked like she was trying to use 'laser eyes' to burn it to smithers.
As it was the only letter she'd received since she'd been there, she'd only opened it once Tonks and Sirius scanned it for harmful magics. That's how Harry knew who it was from.
Thankfully, there weren't any. It was just a plain letter.
After passing his own letter to Sirius, Harry asked her, "I take it Missus 'Howler' Weasley demands information from you?"
Looking up and still scowling, she snapped back, "Yes."
Getting her anger back under control, she seemed about to explain before she simply and firmly slid it over to him. "Here. You read it. I don't think I can tell you what's in it without completely losing my temper."
Without a word, Harry picked it up and read it. And could easily see why Hermione was so upset.
Molly couched similar demands of her as she's made to Harry. But hers focused on how Ron missed her and 'was looking forward to re-establishing a close and long-lasting relationship' with her. But also went on about how Molly was 'disappointed' she disappeared so suddenly when she did. And demanded to know why she hadn't immediately let them know she'd returned when she did.
As he slid the letter back to her he asked, "How do you want to handle it?"
"Well, I'm not going to go and see her... or Ronald... that's for sure," she firmly replied.
"May I?" asked Sirius, holding out his hand for her.
She immediately slid the letter to him.
Sirius had already finished the letter to Harry and had set it aside. Now he read the letter to Hermione.
Once he was done, he looked to her and said, "You know what she's trying here, don't you?"
"She's trying to hook me up with her waste-of-oxygen youngest son," she grumbled. Then she turned to Harry and said, "It seems that Seer you know is right about that, too."
"I did not doubt it," he replied.
Sirius asked, "Want me to handle it?"
"Better you, than me," said Harry. "You know what I'd likely do."
Sirius only nodded before turning to Hermione. "Hermione?" he asked.
She only hesitated a moment before she replied, "Yes. Please. I will be no one's... brood mare."
Pleased, Sirius said, "I'll go see Arthur later this morning at work and show him these letters, if neither of you mind. Then I'll go visit them both at the Burrow, once he's finished work."
"I don't mind and I don't mind you telling them I'm already in a relationship I intend to see through to marriage," said Harry. "Just don't let on it's Luna."
"And you can tell Molly, from me, that I'm only visiting Britain for the Christmas break," said Hermione. "I will be returning to my home overseas, my boyfriend and returning to my studies and the apprenticeship I'm undertaking. And that I was deeply offended she referred to my parents as 'those muggles' and how I now need to keep my distance from her unless I be tempted to hex her right into Saint Mungo's for her disrespect."
Sirius grinned back and said, "That should do it."
Finally getting to the Daily Prophet, Harry was pleased to read the articles about his being three times awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, and the resultant formal dinner were written without too much 'extra'. Even then, the only dressing up was as it applied to how pretty the ladies and how debonair the men looked.
"It seems my words to Cuffe have again temporarily stopped Skeeter in her tracks," he said. "She was actually there, you know."
Sirius, while as surprised as the others except Luna, was the first to ask. "She was?"
Harry nodded and said, "She was riding in Cuffe's wife's hair on her hairclip. From the look of the clip it looked to have been created with the idea of Skeeter riding on it, when Cuffe wanted to take her places she wouldn't have been otherwise able to get in; such as the dinner, last night."
"Damn!" said Tonks. "Hammer's going to be real interested in hearing of that."
Harry had originally thought to use the woman as a ghost writer for a book on both his history and Dumbledore's shenanigans. Now, not actually having a use for the vile woman now that both Riddle and Dumbledore were dead, Harry didn't try and talk her out of it. He'd now let the rune stones lie where they fell.
Harry turned to Sirius and asked, "What're your plans for dealing with Molly the human Howler?"
His off-the-cuff comment of his nickname for Molly, even if he otherwise liked the woman, had Remus cough up some of the tea he was drinking at the time. Thankfully, it never landed on anyone; and Tonks's thumping him on the bank had Remus clear his lungs of anything that made it down and into his airway.
It did leave him a little red-faced, though. And he looked at Harry with both an expression of blame and amusement.
Sirius had howled with laughter, both at Harry's comment and Remus's initial reaction to it.
Hermione waited until Remus had stopped coughing before she looked at Harry with a frown. "That's not nice, Harry."
"But is accurate, Hermione," he returned.
"It is!" laughed Sirius.
He finally calmed down and replied to Harry's question. "If all else fails, I intend to threaten them, Harry. I'll figure out what I'm going to actually say to her once I've spoken with Arthur and expressed my disappointment with both him and his wife."
"Disappointment with him?" asked Sandi.
Sirius nodded and replied, "As both her husband and her Head of House, her behaviour is reflected directly onto him. It's his responsibility to make sure she doesn't do anything that brings his House, as a whole, into conflict with others. And they all already know they're only one step away from being declared anathema to the House of Black and, also through me, the House of Potter.
"Her plans, as she's barely-concealed in her letters to Harry and Hermione, do exactly that. Harry has the right to challenge the man to an honour duel over it if he doesn't bring his wife to heel. And that's one of the things I intend to tell Arthur to ensure he actually knows that."
Marc gave a falling whistle in surprise and said, "In other words, it's a serious issue."
"Yes," Sirius firmly replied, all trace of levity now missing from his voice.
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―==(oIo)==―
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It wasn't until after breakfast that Harry finally had time to have a good look at the Order medal. And was sitting at the desk in his room closely looking it over.
The medal was, unsurprisingly, made of gold. The First Class was gold, the Second Class was silver and the Third Class was copper-bronze; not that it was any surprise to learn that. It was also a perfect circle with the only 'mar' to that being where it was solidly welded to a bar with a slot through it just wide enough for the accompanying ribbon to be fed through and remain flat. It was a gap of about one-sixteenth of inch high, by one and a half inches wide.
On one side it was moulded with a relief of the bust of Merlin taken from a one quarter, slightly sideways, turn; complete with the top half of his long beard. And the other side was smooth except where it was engraved with his name, above the date it was awarded, above the numbers '342, 343 & 344'. The three numbers represented the times the First Class had been awarded. His were sequential because he was signed off on being awarded all three together.
The one and a quarter inch wide ribbon, fed through that bar, had a half twist to make the ribbon lay flat in a Moebius strip. It also had a bar clipped to the ribbon each side. Both were, except for a small round disc in the centre of each, otherwise plain and looked somewhat like identical tie clips. The discs were actually the obverse face of miniature Order medallions. And the bar and discs were also gold as they, too, represented the awarding of a prior Order of Merlin, First Class. The two bars represented it being twice otherwise awarded.
With the exception of what had been engraved on the back of the main medal, all that information had been faithfully included as an article in that morning's copy of the Daily Prophet. However, it was more impressive when actually seen up close.
It was into this tableau that Luna walked in, leading Hermione.
She asked, "Still trying to get your head around it?"
"And thinking that one of these should have been mine back when I killed the basilisk," he sighed.
"Not one back in October, eighty one?" asked Hermione.
"No," he replied. "Only a completely stupid twit, without even a modicum of sense in logic, could possibly believe I had anything more to do with Riddle's defeat, back then, than to be a living target for him.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "Whatever happened, happened because my mother... and possibly my father... put something in place; a trap, perhaps. And Riddle fell for it."
Hermione thought about that and finally said, "That... actually makes a lot of sense."
Harry lightly smiled at her and said, "Which shows you haven't been too badly infected, yet, by the logic draining disease nearly every other magical seems to be suffering from."
"Then why did you accept the Order for it?" she asked.
"In Mum's name," he said. "Think about it, Hermione. Can you honestly see any of those pure-blood bigots on the Wizengamot - irrespective of whether they're supposed to be Light, Dark or Neutral - awarding a muggle-born an Order of Merlin?"
She replied, "I'd like to think they would."
"And, yet," he said, "By the words you used, you also know they wouldn't."
She sighed and nodded. "I'm sooo glad you don't see anywhere near this level of bigotry in the US. Oh, it's still there in some places and circumstances. However, it's so minimal and anyone caught overtly being bigoted to anyone else by the MaCUSA aurors - the Pride - is heavily fined.
"Rumour has it they suggest to the offender he or she move to Britain or one of the European countries. That, at least, gives me some measure of comfort."
Harry smiled back and said, "I'm glad you've found a home for yourself in America, Hermione. All the time I was on Hadrian I felt sure you were killed that night at the Ministry.
"That you have, instead, been living safe and hale in America makes me very happy."
"I wish I could have helped you in your fight against Riddle and... and... Dumbledore," she said, with the last name being almost spat.
"You did," he smiled. "I remembered you once saying how magic cannot be about wand gestures and incantations. That there had to be much more to it. It was that statement from you, together with what I remembered from that text on magic theory by Adalbert Waffling we bought as one of our texts for first year, that led me to eventually developing the way I use magic.
"It's intent, Hermione," he explained, knowing he was someone breachign his statement to her he wouldn't teach her how to wield magic as he did. "In seventh year you learned point and silent casting, right?"
When she nodded back, focusing quite intently on what he was saying, he continued. "That leaves you with intent and the will to make magic happen. The wand gestures and the incantations are nothing but... mnemonics, I think they're called... to remind your body how to channel your magic to make magic happen. They're just crutches!
"That's the secret to what I do, Hermione," he softly said. "There's no big trick or ritual to it.
"And it only works with cast magic. It doesn't work with potions or anything like that. For those subjects I'm still going to have to study hard to earn my NEWTs. And I've found that Luna is a great teacher." He then grinned and slyly added, "She gives good rewards."
As Hermione blushed, understanding what Harry meant by his expression, Luna didn't. She just lightly whapped him in the back of his head. "Don't embarrass your friend," she scolded him.
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―==(oIo)==―
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As Christmas was fast approaching it was time to get out the decorations. That is, Dobby got out the decorations and put up most of them, except the tree.
"No tree?" asked Harry.
"No," replied Sirius. "In some homes in the magical world we burn what's known as a Yule log. But that's only a tradition that dates back a couple hundred years, just as the Christmas tree does.
"We had a Christmas tree... or, rather, trees... when I used to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. So, I thought the magical world had the same tradition."
"No, that was Dumbledore's influence," said Sirius. "And he only started there being any decorations at Hogwarts only once he became headmaster."
"So... where do the gifts go before they're distributed?" asked Harry.
"You hold onto them until the night before Christmas," said Luna. "Then, the house elves gather them and distribute them to the foot of the recipients bed."
"Oh! That's what happened at Hogwarts," said Harry. "I thought they did that because it was safer - preventing possible theft - by directly distributing them, rather than leaving them under a tree in the common room... or maybe the Great Hall."
"Nope," grinned Sirius. "There were some Yule traditions Dumbledore didn't dare break... or change. That was one of them."
As for the decorations going up, Dobby had them up within a few minutes.
Then Luna led him about to 'tour' them. Harry had to admit they were very pretty and gave the place a much more friendlier and welcoming atmosphere.
However, he liked it a lot when he discovered a tradition that Luna also liked. It had to do with standing under mistletoe. As soon as he went to step through a certain door, Luna grabbed him, indicated the mistletoe hanging above the door frame, told him what it meant and smooched him good and proper.
That was when Harry wondered if he could have the mistletoe hang over every door-frame and for every day of the year.
He hadn't realised Luna had picked up on that until she suddenly gave her tinkling laugh. "That would mean it would no longer be special, Love."
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As promised, Sirius went and visited Arthur just after lunch and arranged with him to visit the Burrow that evening.
Then, after finishing his dinner, Sirius left.
As soon as Sirius was through the floo, Harry called his loyal little friend, "Dobby."
When the elf immediately popped in, he asked, "Yes, Master Harry?"
"Can you go and keep an eye on Sirius at the Burrow and make sure no one, especially Molly Weasley, tries anything untowards against him?" he asked. "If anyone does, pop him right back here, would you?"
"Yes, Master Harry," replied the elf before he immediately popped away.
Remus said, "I don't think Molly's going to actually try anything, Cub."
"That's not a certainty, Remus," said Harry. "Better safe than sorry; yes?"
Remus just gave a shrug and didn't push it.
However, it seems Molly didn't get a chance to voice or show her displeasure towards Sirius. Arthur had come down heavy in his role as Head of House Weasley on his entire family as soon as he returned home from work. He made dire threats of Disownment and being kicked from the family with no name; and had to silence his wife on two occasions just to shut her up enough for him to lay down the family law.
Once Sirius turned up, welcomed through the floo, 'Lord Black' then laid down the law regarding 'Heir Hardwin James Potter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black' and that any further attempts to ensnare him into marriage with one Ginevra Molly Weasley, through whatever means, would see the House of Black declare attempted line theft and blood feud on the House of Weasley. Then added the same about Hermione Jean Granger.
Then sealed both with a magical oath, right in front of them, where he declared that if Harry started to show any affection towards Ginny, or Hermione towards Ron, he would immediately have both or either taken into custody, taken to Saint Mungo's and put through a barrage of medical tests. If either came back detected as positive for any mind altering magics, potions or otherwise, the declaration and blood feud would immediately kick in.
Arthur had to put Molly under both a body bind and a silencing charm before Sirius could even make the oath. However, once Sirius did, Arthur released her again.
However, by Molly's inconsolable reaction - which wasn't reflected in her daughter's reaction, as she actually appeared relieved - it was easy to see the woman had finally had to accept that her precious Gin-Gin would not be the future Lady Potter, nor would Hermione be the future Madam Hermione Weasley.
Before he left, Ginny asked Sirius for a quiet word away from the rest of the family, but with her father present. Sirius granted it and they went out to Arthur's woodshed cum 'mancave'.
There, she said that after Harry had had a go at her and her actions in school the first time she confronted him outside Gringotts as part of the Order, she had - on her own back and paying for it out of her earnings from professional Quidditch - started seeing a mind healer. From that she'd already come to understand and accept that her dream of becoming Lady Potter was a complete fantasy her mother had drummed into her head and that she did actually need serious mental help. She was now getting it.
And then asked Sirius to pass that information onto Harry, together with how she was sorry about everything she'd been involved in that was actually against him.
Sirius promised he'd tell him and did precisely that on his return.
Harry didn't know whether the girl was telling the truth or not, or whether it was simply another ploy, but he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt... for now.
It did not mean he was willing to have anything to do with her, though.
Later and in the privacy of their rooms, Luna told him it wasn't a ploy, but he should still keep his distance from her lest she be tempted. A 'request' of which he was more than happy to abide.
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―==(oIo)==―
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It was a couple of days later Luna received an owl from her father letting her know he'd just arrived back in Britain.
However, Luna already knew and had already made plans with Harry to go and see her father.
He was heading in to Gringotts to arrange the to-be-offered betrothal contract while Luna was heading home to, as she put it, "Prepare Daddy to say, 'Yes'."
As Luna was about to step through the floo, she looked to Harry and said, "Remember; give me two hours. However, I think you'll chew up almost all of that in Gringotts writing up the betrothal agreement."
Harry didn't think it would take anywhere near that long, as the text had already been written up with Sirius's help. They'd gone back through the old betrothal agreements that the Houses of Potter and Black had both used in the past and drafted a more modern version off them.
Harry was actually stunned and appalled by the wording of some of the old Black ones, but the very old Potter ones were almost as bad.
"I'll be fine," he said to her.
A moment later, she was gone through the floo.
Sirius, who'd been watching, immediately asked, "Got the Potter betrothal rings already, Pup?"
"Yes," Harry immediately replied before he hesitated. "Sirius?"
"Yeah, pup?"
"If I marry Luna and she takes my name..."
"With there being no other Lovegoods left but her father, the line dies out; yes," said Sirius.
Harry frowned and said, "I'm going to add a clause to the agreement."
"To continue her line through one of her children?"
"Yes," he replied.
"Harry... don't you think she's already Seen this situation?" Sirius asked, demonstrating a rare show of a pure-blood using logic.
Harry frowned and said, "That's a point. I wonder why she never said anything. She knows I would have listened."
"Harry, the House of Lovegood is only an Elder House," his godfather patiently explained. "If you entered a condition of the contract that one of your children was to take the name Lovegood to continue her line... and you don't have enough children to continue your own lines..."
"A noble House would end," sighed Harry.
"That's right," nodded Sirius. "However, even without the clause in the agreement to continue her line, there's nothing stopping you from doing that anyway. You just have to make sure you have enough kids to continue your own lines first."
Harry thought about that for a long bit before he nodded and turned to his godfather. "Thank you, Sirius."
Sirius smiled back and said, "You're welcome. Now, you'd best get to Gringotts and get the agreement properly written up."
Harry smiled back, gave a nod and stepped forward to the fireplace. He was gone a moment later.
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―==(oIo)==―
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When both Harry and Luna returned together just before lunch, both were sporting mile wide grins and both wore their betrothal rings.
Hermione had learned what they were up to while they were away and was one of the first to greet them. She did so with a beaming grin of her own and a squeal of pleasure over Luna's ring.
Peering closely at it, she said, "Ohhhh, I do hope my man gives me something even close to as beautiful as that!"
That then had both young ladies run off to show Sandi.
Harry just shook his head at how women - and even girls - got all gushy over a simple piece of jewellery.
When he found his godfather, Sirius grinned and asked, "Done?"
Harry grinned back and showed his own left ring finger.
Sirius laughed and called Dobby to bring them one of the expensive bottles of aged champagne from the townhouse's cellars and a half dozen glasses.
"What was Xeno's reaction?" asked Sirius as Remus and Marc came in.
"Exactly as the Seer said it would be," said Harry, seeing Marc before he answered. "He said that as long as Luna was happy with her choice of husband, then he would be happy as well.
"I did have to promise to give him an interview for The Quibbler at some time, though. He wanted to know of what fantastic creatures I ran across on Hadrian."
Sirius sniggered while Remus said, "That sounds like Xeno."
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―==(oIo)==―
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The remaining days leading up to Christmas were, for the most part, calm in Grimmauld.
Shopping excursions were made to buy gifts, the Grangers went out to visit friends they hadn't seen in a couple of years and word came from the DMLE as to the punishments given to people who had committed crimes relating to Harry.
The trials of all the captured Death Eaters were nearly over, with Harry not requested - even though he was now a sitting Member of the Wizengamot - to sit on any trials due to how close he was to being one of the main victims.
However, Sirius had to sit a couple of them, but always returned to the townhouse upbeat and happy with the results.
Of all those captured who bore the Dark Mark, not one of them managed to escape due punishment. Especially when an 'expert' on the Unforgivables from the Department of Mysteries proved that none of the Unforgivables could be cast while a person was under the effects of an Imperius curse.
"The Imperius curse leaves one with a strong sense of euphoria," he explained. "As the Killing and Cruciatus curses can only be cast when one powers them with a strong sense of hate in one's soul, they therefore cannot be cast while under the effects of the Imperius.
"Then the Unspeakable went ahead and, with volunteers, proved it!" he laughed.
"He also gave a spell to the aurors that allows them to go further back into the history of cast magics on a witch or wizard's wand than the Prior Incantation charm. The new charm also indicates, through magical signature, who actually cast the charm through the wand.
"Then they only needed to cast the charm on the wand, show it being used to cast an Unforgivable at least once and who cast it and that witch or wizard were immediately sentenced to Life in Azkaban.
"Once they were sentenced to Life they're no longer considered a witch or wizard, let alone a pure-blood; which means they could then use Veritaserum on them and force them to admit all their other crimes!
"The Wizengamot are now churning through all the Death Eaters like they're on a production line, or something. Today, alone, we went through eight cases; all guilty."
And laughed in happiness.
"Oh!" he suddenly said. "As for all those who sent you mail with compulsion charms or the like, once they were told they could be charged with Line Theft for what they did, they all coughed to lesser charges. The only ones who actually ended up facing court... and that was before a tribunal, rather than the full 'Mot... were the ones who sent you harmful mail, such as the idiot who sent one that was keyed to explode when the letter was opened. That idiot was charged with attempting to end the line of two Noble and Ancient Houses, faced the full 'Mot, was found guilty and was sent to Azkaban for Life."
Other than that, a lot of the time was spent in Sirius's home. The only oddity was when Dobby asked Harry to visit Potter manor once more to see all the work done; for which Harry was happy to comply. As the Granger parents were out that day, they didn't accompany him; but everyone else did.
In a very short time-frame the four house elves had worked wonders. Of course, they'd had help from other elves - including those not bonded to anyone - but the work they'd done, in Harry's opinion, was near miraculous.
The manor was not just cleaned up, it was as if it was sparkling new with perfectly established gardens.
The wards had also been repowered - apparently by the house elves working in unity - and the manor was once again ready for anyone to move into and be very happy.
On first seeing it again, Harry was stunned. It was a long moment before he softly said, "Wow!"
Also stunned, but for a different reason, Hermione quietly asked, "This is yours, Harry?"
"Yes," he replied. "It's the Seat of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter. The House is... headquarters, for want of a better term... for the House."
Once they'd toured the manor, Harry called Domo and Dobby.
When both elves popped in, Harry looked to them and said, "You and the other elves had exceeded my expectations, you two. I am very pleased. Please let all those elves who worked to bring Potter Manor back up to standard that I am as pleased with them and thank them for their service."
Both elves beamed back in pride and happiness. "Thank you, Master Harry," they both said in near stereo before they both popped away again.
"Dobby," he then called.
When the elf popped back he said, "I think Luna and I will be moving into here shortly after New Years. Maybe the second or third of January. Please have things ready for that time."
"Yes, Master Harry," said Dobby, before he again popped away.
"If you were to ask Daddy if I can move in with you then, Harry," said Luna. "I believe you'll find he'll say yes."
Harry gave a nod back, not even thinking about how the young woman he planned to marry always knew of what he was thinking at the time he was thinking it. "This is another of those times you'll tell him to say yes, isn't it?"
She just smiled at him.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Christmas was great, even though Harry had already declared it absolutely brilliant before he'd even made it down to breakfast.
As he walked into the kitchen and after wishing those already there a Merry Christmas, he looked to Luna and said, "The concept of leaving gifts at the foot of each recipient's bed might be a wizarding world tradition, but I like the idea of having a tree and distributing the gifts once everyone could sit down and do it like a ritual."
Luna smiled back and said, "You want to see the looks on peoples faces as they unwrap their gifts."
"Yes," he easily replied. "I want to be able to see the expressions on my children's faces as they receive them."
"Then we'll do both," she declared. "We'll leave a small lot on their beds and save the rest for when we're all sitting together around the tree."
Marc cut in and said, "You two talk as if you getting married is a done deal."
"It is," said Harry. "It's been Seen that we'll marry. However, we've not been told how many children there will be."
Luna said, "We believe that's being withheld because the future, concerning that, is not yet fully determined."
Sandi said, "It must be nice knowing you're destined to marry and have children."
"It's a great relief," agreed Harry. "It wasn't that long ago I didn't believe I had any such future. I thought I was destined to die on Hadrian, alone or as a fallen in battle."
That put a dampener on the conversation. To lift moods again, Luna asked, "Sirius and Hermione not down yet?"
They were the only two missing from the table.
"No," said Remus. "Sirius had a late night. I don't know about Hermione, though."
"I was awake," said Hermione, walking in. "I was writing a letter to my boyfriend."
Marc asked, "You realise the letter's only going to beat you back there by a couple of days, right?"
"Yes," she replied. "However, it'll give him something to ask me about; once we're back."
As Sandi slightly giggled, Marc just looked a little exasperated.
Though she'd already unconsciously let it slip, Hermione had admitted to the non-Grangers about her boyfriend only a few days earlier. Her parents had already met him and, apparently, really liked him.
He was another muggle-born - no-maj born - also studying at University at which Hermione studied, but looking for a degree in Biological Anthropology. It was a field within human biology and the more general discipline of anthropology, relating to biological and behavioural aspects of human beings. He was planning on looking for the 'magic' gene that differed no-majs/muggles from witches and wizards.
Harry thought it was both a lofty goal and one well worth the effort.
As Hermione explained about her boyfriend, Harry could easily tell she thought the young man to be her equal in academics, at least. And it was clear she was very likely very much in love with him.
Harry had once thought of Hermione as a possible future wife. However he also quickly realised, at the time, he'd never be her equal or even come close to understanding a lot of what he knew she'd go on to find enthralling. That was when he began to think of her as a loving big sister.
Therefore, finding out some other man had captured her heart did not upset him. He was actually happy for her.
And Luna's relieved smile to him when Hermione wasn't looking told him that Luna had worried that wouldn't be the case. He'd softly smiled back and gently winked at her. And the pleased smile Luna gave back showed she'd understood he understood what had worried her.
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―==(oIo)==―
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As they'd planned, the Grangers left the day after Boxing Day, two days after Christmas. That gave them plenty of time to get back to Massachusetts and readjust to the different time zone before New Years' celebrations.
Hermione was almost teary to be leaving again, but also admitted she was looking forward to seeing her 'man' again. (An admission that had Marc, yet again, roll his eyes.)
Harry had to cover his smirk.
Then she told him she would try and return for 'the wedding', if it was scheduled to be during a period she was off school.
"Whose wedding?" Harry asked.
She gave him the look she used to give back at Hogwarts when she'd thought he was being an idiot. "Don't be wet, Harry," she lightly scolded him. "Yours and Luna's, of course."
The implied request to schedule it for when she had the time to attend was not lost.
"Send us an overall timetable of your studies, when you can," smiled Luna. "We'll see what we can do."
With one last hug to both of them, she joined her parents for the portkey that would take them to a warded and muggle-repelled room at Heathrow. None of Grimmauld's residents joined them, because the Grangers would go directly from the room and through the 'passenger only' entrance to beyond and they'd not be able to see each other again before the flight.
With them gone, Harry gave a quiet sigh and said, "Don't get me wrong; I loved seeing Hermione again and making sure she was alright, but she can be tiring."
When none of the others said anything, not even to disagree, he turned to Sirius and said, "I'm glad she's gone back to Massachusetts and has a solid boyfriend. Her being ensnared by the Weasleys while she was here was an ongoing worry."
"If she'd come into contact with them, we'd have immediately scanned her, Harry," Sirius assured him.
"As would have I," said Harry. "However, if they'd done anything to her, I then would've had to act against the Weasleys. That's something I'm quite willing to do concerning Molly and the two youngest, but its effect on Arthur and the others would've still hurt and I don't want to cause them any harm.
"That she's gone back to America and is, again, out of reach of their scrying bowl is a great deal of relief."
"You thought they'd try to scry for her?" asked Sirius.
"As hell-bent as Molly was to get Hermione for Ronald?" Harry asked right back. "As she was more than willing to try love and loyalty potions, I wouldn't put it past her to try."
Sirius frowned back and said, "She could still try a scrying."
Harry grinned and shook his head in the negative. "Maybe. But Molly doesn't have the magical power or skill to reach that far. And I can't see her having the galleons to pay for a professional scryer to do a focussed scrying for her."
Sirius nodded and muttered, "Good point. Right on both counts, I think."
"As such, she's safe," said Harry, before he turned to Luna. "Yes?"
Luna nodded back and replied, "Yes. She'll also marry her man in three years and, even if they then do find her, they won't try anything. Molly would declare her 'sullied' and not fit as wife material for her son. And that will be the end of it.
"Molly would not accept that Hermione is not a virgin, even now, until she's at least married."
"She's sexually active?" asked Harry. Then immediately adopted a pained look and said, "Actually, I don't want to know; I don't need to know."
Luna grinned back and said, "She is twenty years old, Harry."
However, Harry was still relieved Hermione getting married would be the final end to the risk.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After a quiet New Years / New Millennium and a day of recuperation on the First, on the Second Harry and Luna moved to Potter Manor more or less permanently.
Then, now out of Grimmauld and at Luna's urging, Harry really started to knuckle under with his studies to get his NEWTs. It was Luna's intent - and now his - to have studied enough to confidently sit for his NEWTs at one of the Ministry-sanctioned exam periods at the Ministry in a room just off the offices of the WEA that were held over summer.
It gave him approximately six months to get everything up to 'good enough' to sit those exams.
What he didn't know was that Luna had already spoken with the new tutors arranged by her and Sirius and told them to 'downplay' just how well he was doing in order to have Harry try harder.
Harry would be happy with an Acceptable in every subject; however Luna was aiming for him to have Outstandings.
He could have gone for the exams earlier, but not if he wanted to include Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. That was the reason for the delay.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
On her return to America and after first contacting 'her man' to let him know she was back, one of the first things Hermione did was write to Harry and Sirius to let them know she and her parents had safely returned to their home in Massachusetts.
She also let them know, while her parents would be celebrating the New Year / New Millennium with their near-new American friends, she would be spending the time with her boyfriend. She was planning for her boyfriend to 'get lucky' for being such a good boyfriend and not being too upset she'd spent almost all of December and Christmas in Britain. She planned for them to be in his bed in his Boston apartment near the main campus of the University of Massachusetts, their alma mater, when the city's fireworks display went off at midnight.
On reading that, Harry had snickered, which earned him a light punch to the arm from Luna for being 'such a boy'. When Sirius read it and laughed, he too earned a light punch to the arm from the blonde.
He asked her, "Have you Seen her being happy with him?"
He wasn't part of the conversation between Harry and Luna about it, when they'd discussed it earlier.
"For being such a boy about it I probably shouldn't tell you... but, yes, he's good for her," she replied. "Nearly all lines I can See show that she'll end up marrying him once she finishes her education. They'll make a wonderful family and will continue to stay in contact with us."
"Good," he firmly stated with a smile. "I'm happy to see the gold I spent on her won't be wasted."
That was why, a few days after he and Luna moved into Potter Manor, Harry was taking a break from his studies and was writing her a letter back.
Surprising him, Hermione had continued to use the name 'Hermione Granger' once the family emigrated. When he'd asked her about it, she said that Sirius had the goblins erect an anti-owl mail charm over their new home as soon as they moved in 'to stop anyone trying to find out where she lived via owl post'.
Unknown to her until over a year later, he'd also 'bribed' the Principal of Ilvermorny to add her as one of those at the school who weren't to receive any private falcon mail while at the school except from her parents or him, Sirius. It was a service the school provided for a small fee, to protect children from anyone trying to harm them through the mail.
Luna had been outside working the manor's greenhouse used for growing in-manor use vegetables and potions ingredients and had just walked in.
"Writing a letter to Hermione, Love?" she asked, before he could even say anything.
"Yep," he replied. "Anything you want me to add for you?"
"Just send my love," she replied.
When Harry nodded and wrote exactly that, she warned, "Mister Houhoutas will be here in about fifteen minutes, Harry. Make sure you're ready."
"Of course," he muttered, still writing.
"Let him know I've also planted dittany and fluxweed in the brown pots, would you?" she asked. "I don't want him to think those pots are empty except for the potting mix."
"Of course, Love," he replied.
Andreas Houhoutas was Harry's Potions and Herbology tutor.
"Thank you," she said. "Now, I'm going to go and adjust the wards to let him in and have another look at the ward scheme. I can already envision changes to it I think you'll like."
"Alright," he smiled at her. "Just don't do anything dangerous without me being there to rescue you if necessary."
"Of course not," she replied, bending over to kiss him on the cheek before she headed off.
Harry just gave a slight huff of amusement before he added the final touches to his letter to Hermione.
Hedwig, who had retained her ability to know where and when 'her wizard' needed her services to deliver mail even while he was gone, flew in and landed on the table before him.
"Hi, Hed," he softly said, running his off hand over her head and upper back feathers as he finished his letter.
She gave a soft bark back and lightly nibbled on the side of his index finger as he stroked her.
Less than a minute passed before Harry tied the letter to the owl's leg. She flew out a few seconds later heading for the International Owl Post collection point in the Ministry.
From there the letter would be magically stripped from Hedwig's leg and bundled in with all other mail heading out to MaCUSA by Ministry portkey, to then be distributed across North America by Falcon Mail.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
January slipped into February and, before Harry could properly comprehend it, Valentine's Day was only a couple days away. He was so focused on his studies he nearly missed it.
Wondering what to do for it and at a loss for something suitable, he visited his godfather. As soon as he was through the floo into Grimmauld he was greeted by the 'new' Black house elf, Prankster.
"Welcome to Grimmauld Place, Master Hardwin," the little elf said in an almost solemn voice.
"Hiya, Chuckles," said Harry. "I've just come to ask The Great One, Lord Paddus Footus, for some ideas for Valentines."
With a slight look of pain at Harry's mode of address the elf calmly said, "Master... P-Pad-foot... is in his office."
The way the elf near-spat the name 'Padfoot' had Harry snigger back. The elf was well trained before Sirius bought him over from one of the properties he'd recently inherited and had to fight against that training to address 'Master Sirius' as 'Master Padfoot'.
The elf's name wasn't supposedly Prankster; or even Chuckles, as Harry addressed him. He had no idea what it was, but knew Sirius had changed it to Prankster when he brought him over.
"Thanks, Giggles!" said Harry, walking past a then suddenly sighing Prankster.
Once he'd heard Harry's problem, his godfather pressed, "Harry, ask her. This is not like buying a birthday or Christmas present for her, it doesn't have to be a surprise."
"That doesn't mean I can't do with hearing suggestions about what to suggest to her," said Harry.
Sirius thought about it for a long moment before he asked, "That picnic you and her were supposed to go on when you visited James's, Lily's and Selene's graves and was interrupted by Lucy and his two butt-buddies that day... did you actually ever get to have that picnic?"
Harry was surprised and somewhat disappointed in himself for not also thinking of that.
"Damn!" he exclaimed. "No; we didn't!"
"Sooo...?" asked Sirius, with a smirk now playing over his lips.
"Brilliant!" declared a now happy Harry.
"Then my job is done," declared Sirius, before then openly grinning back.
"Thank you!" declared Harry. "Okay. Bye!" And hurried back to the floo.
Two seconds later, Sirius heard his godson called to the house elf, "See ya, Rip-Snort!" as he ran for the floo.
"Master Hardwin!" the elf exclaimed back, scandalised.
With a quiet chuckle Sirius returned to his never-ending parchmentwork.
He didn't know why his godson had decided to tease his new house elf, but it was sure interesting and fun to hear and watch.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Luna turned out to be all-for the picnic idea, plus having it in the same place. That was the small glen in the small grove of trees on the Lovegood property.
When they arrived with a picnic basket, Xeno didn't bat an eye. He only warned them, "Don't upset the fairies!"
"We won't!" Luna sang back as they hurried out the door.
When they got to the glen, Luna pointed to a small ring of mushrooms off to one 'corner' and said, "They're under there."
Not one to argue, Harry just went with it. "What do we need to do to not upset them?"
"Fire is the main one," she replied. "Then it's heavy spices, particularly black pepper; littering; negative emotions, especially anger; that sort of thing."
Harry thought about that and said, "So, we don't light any fires or use any spices in or on our picnic foods. We don't leave anything behind when we leave. And we hold no bad emotions in our minds or hearts for the whole time we're here. Got it."
Luna grinned back and said, "I love you."
It took Harry a few moments to realise what she'd just said and turn a beaming smile on her. "And I love you, Luna Selene Lovegood."
A few minutes later, she almost tentatively asked, "I know we said it could wait, but what do you think of the idea of us marrying in late August?"
"A summer wedding?" he asked. "I'm all for that, but why bring it forward from November?"
They'd originally planned for the wedding to be held on the weekend closest to the day Harry set foot back on English soil after escaping from the SGC.
"Because those are the first couple of weeks after Hermione's long break for the University year in mid August, the last couple of weeks before Hogwarts recommences and you will have very recently picked up your NEWTs," she replied. "A honeymoon then won't get in the way of an opportunity for you to study for a Mastery, if you want it."
Harry thought about it for not that long before he replied, "If you See it being a good time for us to marry, then I'm all for it. Actually, if you simply want to have the wedding then, I'm all for it; it doesn't have to have anything to do with your abilities."
She beamed a smile back at him. "Thank you, Harry."
The day was a success with Harry happy his godfather reminded him of the picnic idea.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
That evening, Harry and Luna had just finished making love on a large rug on the floor before the fireplace in the main lounge and were sipping hot chocolate while staring into the flames. The lights had been dimmed right down to where the fire became the main light source and the wizarding wireless was playing romantic tunes from the WWNs scheduled 'night of romance' play list.
Luna calmly asked, "Harry; did you deactivate the floo before we did what we just did?"
Harry paused in shock for a moment before he muttered, "Errr..."
That had Luna suddenly giggle in surprise.
Harry sighed and said, "I suppose we should be thankful that Sirius, Moony or Tonks decided not to pay us a visit this evening."
The fire they were laying before was the floo point for the Manor and anyone could have called while they were in the middle of their 'mattress mambo'. That meant, as soon as the connection was made, the caller would have immediately been looking right at them before they could even react.
Still giggling a little, Luna said, "They wouldn't have. Remus is enjoying a similar evening with Tonks; and Sirius was spending the evening prowling the nightspots looking for a... shall we say... non-clingy agreeable witch."
"Did he find one?" he asked.
Luna smirked back and said, "Sirius never has problems finding an agreeable witch, Harry. His problem is finding one who isn't going to try and fall pregnant by him or is otherwise determined and planning to become the next Lady Black."
"Does he eventually find the next Lady Black?" he asked.
"I've promised him not to tell anyone unless he specifically asks me first," she replied.
"Then don't tell me," Harry firmly returned. "I have no problem with you concealing that sort of information. It's Sirius's privacy and he has the right to have it protected."
She grinned back, took both their mugs and set them aside and out of the way of getting knocked over. Then she hopped up onto his hips while he was lying propped back and reached for his groin.
"The night's not over yet, Harry," she sultrily declared. "And I know you've got more left in you yet."
As she fondled him he grinned back and reached for her nipples. "As my lady commands," he softly said.
"The Floo, Harry," she calmly said.
"Oh! Right!" he exclaimed, reaching for his wand.
Just because she told him Sirius, Remus or Tonks wouldn't floo-call, did not mean anyone else wouldn't.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ