"I can't do it, Daddy!" Catherine sighed, dropping the shimmering shield in front of her.
"Yes you can. Just concentrate." Harry said soothingly. They were standing in the dueling room; Catherine had begged him to teach her some magic as he had promised. Instead of teaching her summoning spells, which she already knew, he had begun to teach her shielding spells.
He knew he and Hermione wouldn't always be around to protect her and he wanted her to be able to protect herself if anything happened.
"I am concentrating!" she ran a frustrated hand through her wayward curls, a habit she had picked up from Harry.
Harry smiled knelt in front of her, placing his hands on her green t-shirt clad shoulders.
"I know, luv. Take a deep breath, calm down." She nodded and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Better?" he asked when she opened her eyes. She nodded again and her eyes narrowed in determination.
He squeezed her shoulders and released them; he stepped back and once again raised his hand. He flicked his wrist, shooting out a spell with as little power in it as possible.
"Rictosempra." The spell shot out of his hand and headed for the little girl. She raised her hand and a shimmering white shield appeared in front of her. The spell bounced harmlessly off of the shield.
"I did it!" she squealed happily, dropping her shield. He grinned and stepped closer to give her a hug.
"Yes you did! I'm proud of you." He released her and she beamed up at him.
"Can I try it again?"
"Of course! This time let's try to keep it up a bit longer." She nodded and he stepped back. He lifted his hand and once again flicked his wrist, putting a bit more power into it than the last one. The spell flew towards the child who immediately raised her hand and the bright shield appeared in front of her.
The green of her eyes seemed more intense than usual, glinting with some unseen light. The shield grew brighter and seemed to warp, changing from a flat disk of white in front of her and slowly wrapping around her until it completely surrounded her in a giant globe of magic. The spell once again bounced off of her shield and it held.
She continued to hold up the shield for a few more minutes, Harry could barely see her through the globe but he could see her outline and he could tell she was sagging slightly.
"Ok Cattie! Lower the shield!" he shouted. At first he thought she hadn't heard him because there was no change in the shield but slowly it began to shrink, seemingly being absorbed into her body. In less than a minute it was completely gone.
The child dropped to her hands and knees, sweat pouring from her face. Harry flew towards her, dropping to his own knees in front of the now slightly shaking child.
"Cattie! Cattie, luv, are you alright?" he asked frantically, his hands cupping her face and lifting it so he could look into her eyes. Her face was flushed and clammy but her eyes were still bright and alert. Her breath was coming in pants. Maybe he was pushing her too hard.
"I'm-I'm ok, Daddy." She managed to say through her gasps, trying to smile. He shook his head and scooped her into his arms.
"Maybe we should take a break." She opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off. "Don't argue." His voice softened. "Magic is hard and sometimes tiring. That was a very powerful spell you just did and I'm so proud of you! You did a great job." She grinned tiredly and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you, Daddy." She yawned. "I am a bit tired, can I go lay down for a little while?" he nodded and shifted her to his hip.
He carried her out of the room and down the stairs; he padded down the hallway and into her room. He placed her on the bed and she promptly leaned against her pillows.
"Stop worrying Daddy. I'm just tired." She yawned; hugging her pink stuffed monkey she named 'Rosie'.
"I'm not worried." he lied.
"Yes you are." She said, rolling her eyes. She snuggled deeper into her large pillows, her eyes closing briefly. He shook his head, smiling slightly, and kissed her forehead.
"I'll be back to get you for dinner, ok?" she nodded, her eyes closing again. He left her room, closing the door behind him, and headed down the hallway and to the library.
Hermione had planned on spending the day trying to find out more information on Ravenclaw's chess piece. He had offered to help but she insisted that he go ahead and start teaching Cattie instead. Truthfully he hadn't really thought about the horcruxes in a while.
He found Hermione at one of the huge wooden tables surrounded by books about ancient artifacts and the founders. He could only see her head from above the stacks of books; she didn't turn around when he stepped behind her.
"How's it going?" he asked, peering over her shoulder. She jumped, obviously not noticing that he had even walked into the room.
"Harry! Don't sneak up on me!" she had her hand over her heart and she mock glared at him. He grinned and slid into a seat next to her.
"I didn't, you were just being unobservant. Anyway, have you found anything new?" she sighed and shook her head, tucking a curl that had escaped from the messy bun on top of her head behind her ear.
"Nothing. There's surprisingly very little information on Rowena Ravenclaw and after that mention of it in Hogwarts: A History there is nothing on the chess piece. It's like after her death it just dropped off of the face of the earth." She closed the thick tome in front of her. "So, how'd it go with Cattie?"
"It was amazing 'Mi!" he grinned. "She conjured a perfect shield, a perfect one. "She has more power than I expected from someone so young. At first I thought it was because of the adoption but when I thought back on the attack she was able to produce just as powerful of a shield then."
"She really did well?" she asked, excitedly.
"Extremely well. It tired her out quite a bit though, she's taking a bit of a rest in her room right now." Her eyebrows creased with concern.
"Maybe I should go check on her…" she swung her legs over the side of the chair and made to get up but Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap.
"She's fine 'Mi, just tired." He placed a swift kiss on the back of her neck. She tilted her head and he kissed her cheek.
"You know Remus and Tonks's wedding is tomorrow." She said, resting her head on his shoulder.
"What time?"
"Well the invitation said to be there at 11am."
"Where?" she turned her head and shot him an exasperated look.
"Honestly! Didn't you read the invitation?" he grinned crookedly.
"I read the beginning." She sighed and laid her head back in his shoulder.
"Anyway, it's at Grimmauld Place." He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on top of her head.
"Good."
10:30am and the Potter home was in chaos.
"Catherine! I said no!" Hermione snapped at her daughter. She had been trying for the past half an hour to get the little girl dressed for the wedding. She had woken her up an hour earlier to avoid the rushing and confusion, unfortunately Cattie seemed to have other ideas.
It had started when she woke her up, the child moaned and whined because she said she was "still tired" though doing the week she never had any problem with waking them up before the had even decided to rise. She had dragged her feet in the shower and now after Hermione had dressed her into a pair of white silky dress robes with small roses around the hem and sleeves and a red ribbon tied around the waist she was whining because she wanted to wear her favorite pair of yellow rubber boots! And they hadn't even gotten started on her hair yet!
"But Mommy-" she stopped abruptly when her mother shot her a sharp look. She quieted down and put on the white dress shoes she was given. While she tied the straps Hermione started on her hair. She flicked her wand over the wild curls and they were instantly tamed, falling in smooth tumbles down her back. She separated the top and pulled it into a ponytail with a bright red ribbon. She took a step back and surveyed her work, satisfied that the little girl was ready she kissed her cheek and headed back to her and Harry's room. She was ready to start panicking when she didn't immediately see Harry but she relaxed when she caught sight of the open bathroom door. There was the faint sound of muffled curses coming from inside and she smiled, moving into the room.
He was standing in front of the mirror, a look of intense irritation on his face as he wrestled with his tie. Just as she stepped in he ripped it off angrily and glared down at the silky black fabric.
"Need any help?" he whirled around at the sound of her voice, the tie dangling from his fingers. He grinned sheepishly.
"That'd be nice." She smiled and stepped closer, taking the tie from his hand. She wound it back around his neck and began tying it.
"Why didn't you tell me you looked so good in a suit?" she asked him, smirking. A blush flared across his cheeks but he returned her smirk.
"It'd be impossible to describe." He winked.
"Think a lot of yourself don't you Potter?" she said with a firm tug on his tie. She released it and stepped back.
"Perfect." the dark suit fit him perfectly as Yves had intended. Black dress robes were pulled over the suit. He looked very dapper, the eyebrow stud and messy hair somehow didn't ruin the affect at all. He grinned and did a little twirl.
"Thanks, luv." He frowned down at her.
"Is that what you're wearing?" he asked, incredulous. She frowned slightly, offended by his tone then she remembered what she was wearing and groaned.
With waking and dressing Catherine she had forgotten to get dressed herself. She had just jumped out of the shower that morning and pulled on a bathrobe, her hair was a right bushy mess and they needed to be leaving in the next fifteen minutes.
"Go make sure Catherine still has her shoes on and go downstairs while I get ready." She told Harry, pushing him out of the bathroom. Before he could answer the door was closed in his face. Shrugging he left the room.
Catherine was still wearing her dress shoes when he walked into the room but she was still eyeing her boots longingly.
"Come on Kitty-Cat, let's go downstairs." She hopped off her bed and he picked her up.
"Where's mommy?" she asked as they walked down the staircase.
"She's still upstairs, getting dressed."
"Oh." The walked down the hallway and into the family room, plopping down on the cushy couch.
He and the little girl played 'Eye-Spy' while they waited for Hermione to descend the stairs. After spying the silver picture frame for the fifth time he was about ready to go up the stairs and go and get her when he heard the bedroom door close.
"Ready to go…" his voice trailed off, mouth dropping open. He had always thought Hermione was beautiful but…but this was amazing.
She was wearing off-the-shoulder dark red dress robes trimmed in gold and her dark hair was loose, curling down her back, and a gold headband was pushing the hair away from her face. She wore very little makeup, just a bit of pink lipgloss and shimmering gold eyeshadow and she was wearing a pair of gold kitten heels.
"How do I look?" she asked, doing a little twirl. He continued to stare, completely speechless.
"Absolutely gorgeous." He said softly. The gentle blush he loved so much flared across her cheeks and she smiled, obviously pleased.
"Thank you." She kissed his cheek, thanks to her shoes not having to stand on her toes as usual. Catherine hopped off of the couch and wrapped her arms around Hermione's waist.
"You look so pretty Mommy!" she gushed. Hermione bent down and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you Cattie! You look beautiful." The little girl blushed and released her.
"Thank you." Harry grinned at the both of them and gestured towards the fireplace.
"Shall we go?" he asked.
"We shall." Hermione walked up to the mantle and grabbed a handful of floo powder out of the jar and threw it into the ever burning fire. The flames flared green and she stepped inside.
"12 Grimmauld Place!" she disappeared and as soon as she was gone Harry looked down at the child standing next to him.
"Ready?" she nodded firmly and he picked her up. He grabbed and handful of the glittery green powder and threw it into the flames, before he stepped into the fireplace he turned and looked down at the little girl in his arms. "Do you remember what to do when we floo?" she sighed heavily.
"Yes Daddy. Keep my eyes and mouth closed and don't let go of you or Mommy."
"Good. Let's go!" he stepped into the fireplace and Catherine locked her arms around his neck, burying her face in his neck.
"12 Grimmauld Place!" he squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to think about the insane spinning and the sudden nausea he was feeling.
He made sure to land on his back so Catherine wasn't crushed when they tumbled out of the fireplace at Grimmauld.
"Harry!" someone shouted. He felt hands reach out and haul him to his feet, Cattie still in his arms. "Good to see you mate!" at first he thought he had spun a little too much and he was seeing doubles when he realized who he was seeing.
"Fred! George!" he exclaimed, grinning. "How've you guys been?" one of the twins, he wasn't sure which one, grinned at him.
"We've been grand our esteemed investor!" the other twin also grinned.
"As you can tell." He said, gesturing to their outfits. Harry's eyebrows shot up at the rather…flamboyant suits they were wearing. They were wearing black dragonhide suits, one with a nearly fluorescent orange button up shirt and an orange and white striped tie, the other a purple shirt and white and purple striped tie. Both had grown their hair long, which Mrs. Weasley couldn't be happy about, and had it tied back in ponytails with red ribbons.
One of the twins, in the purple, looked at Cattie curiously.
"Well, so it is true! There's a little Miss Potter." He took a dramatic bow, tipping an imaginary hat. "I am George Weasley dear lady." He took he hand and kissed it sending her into giggles. Fred stepped forward and bowed also.
"Fred Weasley at your service." She stuck out her hand and he promptly kissed. She raised her chin and peered down at them.
"Catherine Elise Potter. I'm charmed to meet you." She said haughtily then broke back into giggles.
"I like her." George said. Harry placed the little girl on the floor and took her hand. He was a little thrown when he realized that they weren't the only ones in the room.
Across the room; leaning against the wall with a cup of pumpkin juice was Hestia Jones. Her black hair was pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck and she was wearing soft purple dress robes and she was watching them hesitantly.
Harry could feel Catherine grabbed hold of his leg. She remembered that woman; she had been with the man who had tried to take her away from her Mommy and Daddy!
The woman stepped away from the wall, placing the cup on a coffee table, and walked hesitantly towards them.
"Hello Mr. Potter." She looked down at the wary child. "Catherine." Harry kept his face blank but afforded her a short nod. She look down, wringing her hands then took a deep breath and looked up, directly into Harry's eyes.
"I just wanted to apologize to you and your family. I had no idea the Dumbledore was going-was going to do that! He had only told us that he had found you and that he needed to speak with you, that he just wanted us to guard you! If I had known…If I had known what he had planned I wouldn't have gone." Her voice rang with sincerity and her eyes never strayed from his. He stared into her eyes, searching for any sign of insincerity.
"Apology accepted." She let out a small breath and smiled at them.
"Thanks Mr. Potter." He returned her smile.
"It's Harry."
"Ok, Harry." She looked away from him and stooped down, eye-level with Cattie. "Do you forgive me also?" the little girl stared at her thoughtfully then nodded, a shy smile playing on her lips. They lapsed into a short awkward silence then the woman smiled again.
"Well I ought to be getting upstairs, see how Tonks is doing." She nodded again and left the room, heading up the stairs.
"What was that about?" George asked, once she was gone.
"She was just apologizing for Dumbledore's little…ambush." Fred nodded in understanding.
"Ah, we heard about that." He winced "Not something you'd expect old Dumbles to do."
George shook his head. "Oh how the mighty have fallen." He suddenly grinned. "Now is not the time for such grim talk!" he slung an arm across Harry's shoulder. "Not when the great Harry Potter has returned!" Fred also swung a long arm across his other shoulder.
"We've missed you mate! We haven't had a near-death experience in about…" he made a great show of checking his watch. "Two months and twenty days!" he exclaimed, a look of shock on his face.
George wagged a finger at Harry. "You must be slipping mate." He opened his mouth to retort when Catherine tugged on his pants leg.
"What's the matter, luv?" he asked her.
"Where's Mommy?" he looked around the room, where was Hermione?
"Your Mommy is in the kitchen." George said, gesturing to the door on the far side of the room. They followed the twins to the kitchen. They didn't hear any voices when they came to the door but when Fred opened it they understood why.
Hermione was standing on one side of the kitchen island, her hands resting on top of it and an almost anguished look on her face. Across from her, standing in the doorway of the other kitchen door was Ron.
One of his hands were gripping the doorframe so hard his knuckles had turned white and he was glaring angrily at the girl across from him, or at the ring on her finger. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur Delacour were also in the room, watching the two teens. The room was thick with tension.
Ron's eyes moved to them, Harry watching them cautiously with a little girl clutching his hand. He stared at the child, the bright green of her eyes, the gentle slope of her nose, the dark curls that tumbled down her back, the shape of her cheekbones, the aristocratic arch of her eyebrows, and the delicate pout of her lips. She was the perfect mixture of Harry and Hermione and it sickened him.
There was a flash of hurt in his eyes then his face dissolved into anger and he stormed out of the room. Both Harry and Hermione flinched when the door slammed. Her eyes began to fill with tears and Harry promptly stepped away from the door and to her side, sliding an arm around her waist.
"It's ok luv, he'll come around." she let out a noise, something between a snort and a sob, but nodded. Harry released her waist.
"Yeah." She took a deep breath, pulling herself together, and forced a shaky smile onto her face. Mrs. Weasley stepped forward and pulled Harry into a hug.
"Good to see you again, dear." She said softly into his ear.
"It's good to see you too Mrs. Weasley." He said as she released him. She smiled and squeezed his shoulders.
"I guess congratulation are in order?" she gestured to the ring on Hermione's hand. Harry nodded and she smiled brightly though there was a trace of sadness in the expression. "Congratulations dears." She gave them each a hug and a kiss on the cheek then pulled back.
The smile faltered. "I should go and check on Ron." After another small smile she left the room. When the door closed behind her Harry was suddenly engulfed in a heady scent of flowers and something akin to honey. Slim arms had encircled his neck and a distinctly feminine body was pressed against his.
"'Arry!" Fleur exclaimed, kissing both his cheeks. "It'z so good to zee you!" He was staggered for a second, suddenly hyper aware of how stunningly beautiful she was but he quickly shook it off and grinned at her.
"Hello Fleur! It's good to see you too. How've you been?" the beautiful veela woman stepped back and he took a good look at her, slightly surprised at how he barely felt a twinge at her beauty.
She was wearing silk purple dress robes much like the ones he saw Hestia wearing. They were low-cut, showing off her slender neck, her silky blonde hair was pulled into a French braid that fell down to her slim waist and a simple gold necklace with a diamond was her only adornment. She was stunning but to him she didn't hold a candle to Hermione.
"I have been very well." she said happily.
"I see that you English is a lot better." She beamed and glanced over her shoulder at Bill, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Bill 'az been helping me." Harry smirked at the obvious looks of adoration on both their faces.
"She's a very good student." Said Bill, grinning.
"I bet she is." One of the twins snickered. Mr. Weasley shot them both looks and then moved from where he was standing, by the pantry, and walked over to Harry and Hermione, laying a hand on both of their shoulders.
"How are you two, really? We've all been so worried about you." Both his tone and his expression was serious, and lines had appeared on his face that hadn't been there before.
Hermione smiled softly at the man and placed a hand over the one on her shoulder.
"We're good, really good. There is no need for any of you to worry about us. Or Catherine." Her hand dropped from the older man's and she ran a hand through Cattie's curls. The child had sidled up next to them as Harry had been talking to Fleur.
Mr. Weasley blinked and looked down in bemusement at the little girl, he had truly forgotten all about her.
"Oh, yes. Catherine." He knelt down and smiled at the child. "Hello Catherine, my name is Arthur."
"Hi." She said, smiling shyly. He smiled at her again and stood back up, turning his attention back to the two teens.
"Does Remus and Tonks know that you're here?" he asked them.
Harry shook his head. "I don't think so." The elder Weasley man rubbed his hands together then gestured to the second door.
"Well then let's go up and tell them!" He led them out of the sunny kitchen and up the staircase. Their feet sunk into the plush carpet of the hallway, their steps completely muted by the flooring. He led the farther down the hallway and stopped.
"This is where Tonks and the other women are." He said, pointing at a large door which was probably Remus and Tonks's bedroom. "And this is where Remus and the men are hiding." He gestured to a smaller door, a guestroom more than likely, the same room he and Ron had slept in. He reached over and knocked on the larger door. There was a nothing for a second but then a feminine voice shouting for them to come in.
Mr. Weasley turned the handle and pushed the door open.
Girlish giggles and feminine voices flooded the hall as soon as the door was opened. Mr. Weasley seemed to pale slightly and he looked like he wanted nothing more than to turn around and escape back to the safety of the kitchen.
Remus and Tonk's bedroom was painted a soft tan, the carpet a plush white. There was a large sleigh bed next to two large windows made of light wood, the blanket was a deep red with gold threading and dark red curtains covered the windows.
There weren't many people inside; Malfoy was lounging on the bed, his arms folded behind his head, wearing a dark suit the dress robes lying next to him. He was staring up at the ceiling with rapt attention though every once in a while his eyes would flick to a woman sitting at the foot of the bed. Hestia Jones was sitting on a bench at the foot of the bed next to a woman that held a striking resemblance to Narcissa Malfoy. She had white blonde hair pulled into a low bun and bright gray eyes but unlike Narcissa her face was rounder and kind, the eyes warm and soothing and the mouth slightly upturned as if there was always a smile waiting to come forth. She was wearing long pale gold dress robes and gold diamond earrings hung from her ears.
Standing next to the two women, looking bored out of his mind in a dark suit, was a man with close cut graying brown hair and a heart shaped face. His eyes were laughing and the color of a midnight sky. These people were obviously Tonks's parents. Also in the room was Ginny Weasley. She was wearing seemingly new purple dress robes and her fiery red hair was pulled into a high bun with two curls framing her face. A girl, about a year older than Catherine was also in the room. She with flowing golden blonde hair in ringlets and pale blue silk dress robes. Even though he hadn't seen her in two years he instantly recognized her. Gabrielle Delacour. There was another woman in the room dressed in formal black dress robes, closely cropped silver hair and a monocle. Another face he recognized, Amelia Bones.
And in the middle of it all was Tonks.
She was standing in front of a large picture window. She had forgone dress robes in favor of a muggle wedding gown. Her dress was rather simple, a floor-length white gown with thin straps that crossed in the back. Her pale hair was pulled into a bun and fastened with a single silver clip and a thin silver circlet was placed on top of her head, studded with tiny diamonds. It held a sheer veil that flowed down her back. Her lips were painted with red lipstick. Her cheeks were flushed and her clear eyes sparkled with a happiness he had never seen before. Right then and there she was more beautiful than any veela.
Harry was pulled out of his musings by a squeal and a shout of his name. Before he could register who had spoken he was nearly knocked off of his feet by a weight hitting his legs and someone wrapping their arms around them.
He looked down into the bright blue eyes of Gabrielle Delacour. She said something to him but it was in French and all he caught was his name.
"Err…Hello?" he said hesitantly. The little French girl released her hold on him, still beaming, and Catherine promptly stepped forward and wrapped one of her arms around his leg. Who was this girl and why was she hugging her Daddy? Still clutching his leg she watched the blonde girl through narrowed eyes.
Said girl opened her mouth to let out another stream of French when Tonks stepped away from the window and crossed the plush white carpet to where they stood, still in the doorway. She immediately pulled them both into hugs.
"Hermione! Harry! It's about time you two got here! We were about to start without you." She released them, grinning.
"Tonks you look gorgeous!" Hermione exclaimed, a tinge of awe in her voice. Tonks flushed a bit.
"Thanks." She said and ran a hand over the silky fabric of the gown. She seemed a bit in awe herself. Her eyes suddenly began to fill with tears.
"I'm getting married." She whispered brokenly. The woman, Andromeda Tonks, stood from the stool and quickly crossed the room to pull her daughter into a hug.
"It's alright, Dorrie." She murmured into the younger woman's ear, rubbing her back. Tonks sniffled and pulled her head from her mother's shoulder, wiping the traces of tears angrily from her face.
"Why do I keep doing that!" she exclaimed, obviously frustrated, and still wiping her eyes. Mrs. Tonks smiled amusedly at her.
"Because you're pre-" Tonks shot her a look and she quickly rectified what she was saying. "preparing to get married!" Harry's eyebrow shot up, so they were keeping the pregnancy a secret?
Tonks rolled her eyes but hugged her Mother again. He saw her whisper something in the older woman's ear but he couldn't hear what was being said. When she released her from the embrace she turned back to the young couple, noticing that Mr. Weasley had slipped out during her little 'episode'.
"Sorry 'bout that you two, I'm a bit overemotional today." She said, smiling apologetically.
Harry waved a hand dismissively. "It's alright, we understand."
"Have either of you spoken to Remus yet?" she asked glancing towards the door, her eyes brightening slightly as she said his name.
"No, we've only just got here actually." Hermione answered her. The woman nodded and gestured towards a cream colored couch, indicating that they could sit over there. Harry took one look at the assembled women and the weary man and took a step back towards the door.
"I'm just going to go speak to Remus." He said hastily. He detangled Cattie's arm from his leg and made towards the door.
"I'll come along." A smooth voice said from behind him. He turned, keeping the surprise out of his face and shrugged as Malfoy slid off of the bed, throwing his robes over his shoulder, and followed Harry out.
He sighed in relief when the door closed behind him. He crossed the hallway and to the smaller door, Malfoy silently following behind. He knocked on the door and was a bit of shuffling then the door opened. Remus instantly pulled him into a hug.
"There you are Cub." He said once he released him.
"Hey Remus." A smile tugged at his lips as he took in the older man's extremely nervous expression and the near panic on his face. "How are you?"
"Me? I'm great." His voice cracked on the last word and Harry raised an eyebrow. Malfoy rolled his eyes and pushed past them and into the room, sliding onto a couch.
Remus ushered the other teen inside before he could ask anymore questions and possibly freak him out any further.
They had painted the room a soft green. The floor was a light wood with a large green floor rug in the middle and a window took up half of the far wall.
There were only three other people in the room. Mr. Weasley was sitting in a tan arm chair in front of the window, Charlie Weasley was sprawled across a green and tan bed in the corner and Kinsley Shacklebolt was leaning against the wall next to him. They were all wearing black dress robes with suits underneath though Mr. Weasley's looked a bit more worn than everyone else's.
"Well if it isn't the Boy-Who-Disappeared!" Charlie teased. He got up from the bed and clapped Harry on the shoulder. His ponytail was longer, flopping over his shoulder, and he still had his earring. "How's life been treating you?"
"Pretty good." Harry said, grinning. Kingsley pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to them, clasping Harry's hand in his in a firm handshake.
"Hello Potter. Have you been taking care of the girl?" he asked. The warm brogue of his voice brought a smile to Harry's face. Everything about the big man was calming and comforting but there was no doubt that if he needed to he could be quite dangerous.
"Yes, we've taken very good care of her." He answered. He plopped down in a chair next to Mr. Weasley.
"So, what time does the wedding start?" he asked. Remus checked his watched and paled dramatically.
"Five minutes." He choked. Just as the words left his mouth there was a knock on the door and without waiting for an answer the door opened and Amelia Bones.
"We're ready." She stated, a small smile tugging at her thin lips. What very little blood that was left in Remus's face drained away and he slumped into another armchair next to Harry's.
"You know your Father was a right mess the day he and Lily got married. He was as pale as snow and sweating buckets. Sirius and I even had to stop him from escaping out of a window." He chuckled slightly. "We teased the life out of him. But now, now I understand what he was feeling." He took a deep breath and stood up.
"Let's go."
The backyard of Number 12 Grimmauld Place had been completely transformed.
The entire area was shaded by a canopy of white roses that let sunlight filter through, casting soft light of the guests below. The few guests sat on cushioned wooden benches below the canopy facing an alter. The alter was made up of a white rose covered arch where Amelia Bones stood, Remus nervously standing next her and surprisingly Draco standing next to him. A large circle was made with rose petals in front of the alter and a white silk carpet extended from the backdoor all the way to the arch and rose petals were scattered over the grass and carpet.
Sitting right up front, next to Andromeda Tonks, was the Potter family. Catherine was sitting between Harry and Hermione, her feet swinging and looking around for Tonks. Directly behind them were the Weasley's. Including Ron but sans Ginny. Gabrielle was also sitting with them, her head on Bill's shoulder.
Suddenly soft music began and the backdoor opened. The first to step out was Hestia, a banquet of violets in her hands. She advanced slowly down the aisle, after her came Ginny, and then Fleur. They walked down the aisle and stopped by the arch, just outside of the circle.
The music changed, becoming the classic wedding march and everyone stood. Tonks appeared in the doorway, her arm threaded through her father's. Even through her veil Harry could see the beaming smile on her face and the tears shining in her eyes.
As she walked down the aisle Remus's hand flew to his chest and his mouth dropped open, from his seat Harry could see his eyes moisten.
When they made it to the alter Mr. Tonks turned to his daughter, lifted her hands and kissed them then pulled her into a hug. He held her for a long time, seemingly reluctant to let her go. Once she finally released her he gently grasped her hand and placed it in Remus's. Mrs. Tonks let out a small sob. Ted Tonks stepped away from his daughter and her soon-to-be husband and headed to a spot next to his wife, who immediately took his hand.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." Amelia Bones began. "You all know why we are here today, to join these two people in a tradition held most sacred in our world-marriage. Now if the bride and groom would please step into the circle and take hands we will begin."
At those words, Remus and Tonks stepped into the flower circle. He reached up and lifted the veil away from her face, he took both of Tonks's hands in his own and smiled at her.
"Both of you have stepped into this circle as two separate people on two paths that will combine here. And when you step out, your paths will combine together and take down a most wonderful road that is paved with both your loves for one another," Ms. Bones said "Now, if we could have the rings."
Malfoy reached into the pocket of his robes pulled out a tiny platinum ring with an engraving of leaves making a circle all the way around the bands with a diamond cut emerald and handed it to Remus. He reached into another pocket and pulled a near identical ring though it was larger and there was no emerald.
"Now, if you two would please place the ring on each other's fingers we can continue," Amelia announced.
Remus reached across, taking Tonks's left hand with his right as she did the same. At the same time they both slid the platinum bands onto each other's fingers before looking to the older woman in front of them. "Now, if the groom would please repeat after me. I, Remus John Lupin, take you, Nymphadora Joanne Tonks,"
"I, Remus Lupin, take you, Nymphadora Joanne Tonks," Remus repeated. Everyone chuckled at the look of distaste on Tonks's face at her name.
"Into my heart forevermore," Amelia Bones continued once everyone had calmed down.
"Into my heart forevermore."
"My love as ongoing as this circle."
"My love as ongoing as this circle.
"Until death do us part."
"Until death do us part.
Amelia smiled warmly at Remus before turning to Tonks, "And now if the bride would please repeat after me. I, Nymphadora Joanne Tonks, take you, Remus John Lupin."
"I, Nymphadora Joanne Tonks, take you, Remus John Lupin."
"Into my heart forevermore."
"Into my heart forevermore."
"My love as ongoing as this circle."
"My love as ongoing as this circle," her voice cracked slightly and she began blinking rapidly.
"Until death do us part."
"Until death do us part."
"By the Power granted by me through the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife," She declared, placing her hands over both Remus's and Tonk's hands. She turned to smile at Remus before announcing loudly, "You may now kiss the bride."
"Don't mind if I do." He pulled her close to him and pressed his lips against hers. Cheers rose from the guest and everyone rose to their feet.
"My I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Remus Lupin!" Ms. Bones managed to shout over the cheering. Hermione leaned over and shouted in his ear.
"I don't think I've ever seen either one of them so happy!" Harry grinned in return.
It took less than five seconds to vanish the benches and the arch. The canopy of flowers was transformed into a canopy made of a gauzy gold material and a shiny wood dance floor seemed to grow out of the ground. Tiny lights floated around the ceiling of the canopy and small tables covered with purple tablecloths and purple cushioned chairs. As soon as everything was transfigured music began to play.
Remus extended a hand to his new wife, bowing slightly. She smiled and curtsied in return, taking his hand. They stepped onto the impromptu dance floor, their arms instantly wrapping around one another as they swayed to the slow notes of the song.
Soon Mr. and Mrs. Tonks made it onto the floor and following them was Bill and Fleur and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Out of the corner of his eye Harry could see Hermione swaying slightly to the music and he said something he'd never though he ever would.
"Care for a dance?" he asked her. Her eyes lit up and she nodded, extending her hand for him to take. Before they walked onto the floor Hermione turned to tell Cattie where they were going but she had already sidled onto the dance floor with Gabrielle, seemingly having forgotten her earlier anger at the other girl, and they were dancing around, neither one actually on time with the music. They shrugged and stepped onto the floor, Harry's arms encircling Hermione's waist and Hermione wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Sorry if I step on your toes." He murmured. She chuckled.
"It's ok, love hurts." suddenly her eyes widened. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" she whispered hastily.
"What?" he looked around, confused.
"Turn around." He spun, so that he was able to see what she had been looking at. His eyes widened. A few feet away from them, dancing rather close together was Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley.
"Tell me Hermione, is fire raining from the sky?" she snorted.
"Not yet." The unlikely pair twirled towards them and stopped right next to them.
"Harry." Ginny said, smiling brightly at him. "Can I speak to you for a second?" she glanced at Hermione, who was watching them with raised eyebrow. "Alone?"
"Err…" he looked to Hermione who pressed her lips together but shrugged. "Sure." He answered hesitantly.
"Great!" she placed a hand on his arm and began to lead him towards the back door. When he looked over his shoulder he saw Draco offer his hand to Hermione as an invitation to dance which she accepted. Harry looked up at the sky waiting for the fire to come.
Ginny led him back into the house and up the stairs. They walked in silence to the guestroom that he and the other men had been sitting in earlier.
"It's been a while, Harry." The red haired girl said, closing the door behind them. He smiled politely.
"Yeah. How have you been?" his voice was casual and relaxed but inwardly he was deeply uncomfortable, the way she was looking at him made him squirm in discomfort.
"I've been good." She sat in one of the armchairs and gestured towards another across from her. He sat in the chair, sitting stiffly. She took a deep breath and folded her hands in her lap, her eyes filled with determination. "Ok Harry, I asked you up here for a reason."
He had a bad feeling about this. "Go ahead."
"You see…ever since I first saw you in your first year, before I came to Hogwarts, I had…feelings for you." He worked hard to keep the look of mortification off of his face. Turns out his feelings were spot on. "At first it was just that you were the Boy-Who-Lived and then…then you saved me. You were, are, my hero." She leaned forward and he inched back.
"Ginny…" he said, at a loss for words.
"I know it's sudden but I really think we'd be great together." She placed a hand on his knee. He shifted his leg so her hand slid off.
"Look Ginny, you're a nice girl and I like you." Her eyes lit up and she made as if she was going to throw her arms around him but he held up a hand. "But I don't like you that way." She blinked, seemingly shocked by his words.
"But…but I always thought…I always thought that you liked me. We have so much in common!" he could tell she was beginning to get upset. "We both love quidditch, we're both seekers…" he shook his head.
"What about Hermione, Ginny? Catherine?" unusually she seemed to calm and she even smiled a bit.
"Oh, I understand about them Harry. You and Hermione adopted her to protect her. The same reason Hermione is living with you." She placed her hand back onto his knee. "That's why I like you so much, you'd pretend to love them just to keep them safe." This time he didn't bother to subtly move her hand he just grabbed it and threw it off of him. He shot out of his chair, glaring down at the stunned girl.
"Catherine is my daughter. I love her more than you will ever know." He stepped closer and she shrunk into her chair. "Hermione is my fiancé. We are getting married."
"B-but Harry…" she still wasn't getting it. He was going to have to hurt her.
"No Ginny. What kind of relationship would we have? We barely know each other! We've never even had a real conversation and you expect us to all of a sudden be in love! Love doesn't work like that. You cannot have a relationship based on hero-worship and jealousy!" her eyes were filling with tears, pity and guilt shook his resolve but he plowed on. "Get this through your head. I will never love you a tenth of the way that I love Hermione. That I love Catherine." The tears spilled from her eyes and flowed down her face. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before she jumped out of her chair and raced out of the room, her hands over her mouth to keep the sobs in and tears streaming down her face.
When she slammed the door behind her he collapsed back into his chair, burying his face in his hands with a groan.
"I'm a horrible person." He mumbled into his hands. He sat in the silent room for a few more minutes, trying to calm his frazzled nerves. He was just standing up to head back downstairs when the door to the guestroom flew open.
"Who the hell do you think you are!" Ron shouted. His face was red and he was glaring at Harry with fury burning in his eyes. He slammed the door shut and the wall shook with the force of it. "How could you say that to Ginny!"
"Look Ron-" the redhead immediately cut him off.
"Don't you dare! You disappear for a couple months then come back thinking that you're better than us!" anger rose in his chest and he stood from his chair.
"I have never once said I was better than you and I sure as hell don't believe it! We've been friends for way too long for you to even think I feel that way." If anything Ron's face became redder and he stared at Harry incredulously.
"Friends! A friend would send someone an owl when they dropped off of the face of the earth! A friend wouldn't treat his friend like dirt!"
"You have no right to talk! I sat in the Dursley's house, miserable, trying to figure out why my so called best friend didn't even bother to owl me!" Harry shouted in return. By now they were standing directly in front of one another.
"I told you already! Dumbledore forbade us to send you any message! He said it was the only way to keep you safe!" Harry snorted.
"And you believed that!"
"Why the hell would I think any different! Dumbledore always has his reasons!"
"That doesn't mean he's always right! Do you know how I felt? I felt like you had left me, abandoned me when I needed you most!" he could not keep the hurt and sadness out of his voice.
"Yes I know how you felt! How I feel. How do you think I felt when you disappeared? When everyone seemed to believe you were…that you weren't coming back! Then Hermione's family is attacked and then she's gone too!I had no idea where you were or if you were even alive…I thought you both were dead." His voice cracked on the last word and he was struggling with his emotions, blinking his eyes rapidly. The back of Harry's own eyes began to burn and he clenched his fists, hoping to stave off the tears that threatened to fill his eyes.
"And then…" Ron croaked. "And then you come back and you were so cold! It was as if I didn't matter anymore. You and Hermione had went and started a family. You had a whole new life and I wasn't apart of it." He ran a hand over his face, angry at himself for the emotion in his voice and the welling in his eyes. "I always thought of you as my family…my brother." He flushed, obviously embarrassed to admit how much he actually cared. The wetness in Harry's eyes spilled over onto his cheeks.
"You are my brother Ron." He said, his voice rough. Ron bit his shaking lip and quickly looked down to the floor so Harry couldn't see that he too had succumb to the burning of his eyes. "I'm sorry I was so cold to you, I just…I was so hurt Ron! Not only had Dumbledore betrayed me it seemed like my best friend, the closest thing to family I had, had also hung me out to dry. After seeing how alone and scared Hermione was, how no one had come for her I was even angrier." Ron looked back up and shook his head.
"We didn't know until it was too late-"
"I know. Your Mum told me that." They stared at one another for a second then Ron spoke.
"I just want us to be friends again." He whispered brokenly. Harry took a shuddering breath and offered his hand to Ron to shake. The other teen clasped his hand and pulled him into a hug.
"We are." Harry said softly. Ron released him, wiping his cheeks, a smile on his face. Harry smiled in return.
"I just hope Hermione will forgive me." The redhead said, his smile faltering.
"She already has." Both boys turned quickly to the doorway where Hermione stood. Her cheeks were wet but she was smiling through her tears. She stepped closer to them, closing the door behind her. "Did you really mean it?" she directed her question to Ron.
"Of course." As soon as the words left his mouth she threw her arms around his neck.
"We missed you so much Ron." She said, her tears coming full force. She reached over and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him into the hug.
"I missed you guys too."
So just like that the Golden Trio was back together. There were a few scratches and scrapes that would take a while to heal but for now things were ok, they had been brought back together.
The days following the wedding were quiet. Remus was on his "Honeymoon" which meant he wasn't able to come over and teach Harry dueling so he spent much of his time practicing new spells, trying to commit as many as possible to his memory. When he wasn't doing this he was helping Hermione research various items used by the founders trying to find more clues to the horcruxes or he was teaching Cattie spells. He had even taken to teaching her how to play his guitar though it was a little large for her, she was doing remarkably well.
It was after one of these such lessons that Hermione stepped into the conservatory, where he and the little girl were, and walked over to the wicker couch that they were sitting on.
"I did really well today!" Catherine exclaimed to her mother.
"Really?" Hermione responded, pulling the child onto her lap and trying, in vain, to smooth down an errant curl.
"Yep! Daddy said I'm a natural. Right Daddy?" Harry nodded in agreement as he placed the guitar back into it's case. After running a loving hand over the dark wood he closed the case and flicked his wand, sending it back to their room.
"So, any luck?" he asked the woman across from him.
"No, didn't find a thing." She sighed and pulled her ponytail tighter. "I was thinking we need a bit of a break, we need to get out of the house for a little while." Harry's eyebrows shot up.
"Out where?" he asked her. She grinned and sat up straighter.
"I was thinking we could go into town." Harry looked at her dubiously for a moment then shrugged.
"Alright, I don't see why not." Hermione grinned happily.
"Great!" she placed Catherine on the ground. "Go put your shoes on, luv." She little girl nodded and skipped happily up the stairs and out of the room.
"Is there any particular reason you want to go into town?" Harry asked.
"No, I just need to get out of the house." She stood up and held a hand out to him, he allowed her to pull him out of his seat and up the stairs.
They headed into their bedroom, Harry released Hermione's hand and walked over to the wardrobe. He pulled a simple black jumper out of it and his bag the he pulled it over his white t-shirt and jeans, he grabbed his shoes from next to the bed and slipped into them. Hermione had pulled a pale blue sweater over her head and changed out of her sweatpants and into a pair of dark jeans.
When they left the room Cattie was already out of her room and heading for theirs. She was wearing jeans and a purple and white striped hooded jacket over a black shirt and her favorite red sneakers.
"Where are we going again?" she asked them as they walked down the stairs. "Because I'm getting kind of hungry."
"We're going into town, a few miles away from here. We'll stop for some lunch." Harry answered her.
They continued down the stairs and into the entrance hall. Hermione opened the door and they were nearly blinded by the bright sunlight.
"Nice day for a trip." Hermione observed, her hand shielding her eyes and a large smile on her face. It was a beautiful day, one of the last few days of summer.
Harry reached into his bag and pulled out the shrunken motorbike. He placed it on the walkway in front of them and tapped it with his wand. The bike sprang back into it's original state. He didn't hesitate to pull the helmets out of the compartment and hand them to his two girls, Hermione once again reminding him to get a third helmet.
Soon they were all on the bike and zooming down the tree lined road. Getting to town only took a few minutes and they were soon pulling up in front of the tiny café he and Hermione had visited all that time ago. It seemed like it had been years since then.
The café was as warm and cozy as it had been the first time. Instead of sitting by the window they slid into a booth nestled into a corner of the shop.
A familiar woman with light brown hair walked over to their table, a notepad in her hand. She nearly dropped the notebook when she saw the new edition to the party.
"Um, Hello, I'm Elizabeth and I'll be your waitress today. Again." She placed three menus onto the tabletop. Her eyes flickered restlessly from Harry's face to the little girl who was reading her menu, ignoring her.
"Nice to see you again Elizabeth." Harry said, smiling at her. A flush made it's way to her face and she stopped looking at Cattie. "Could I have a glass of orange juice, please?" she nodded and quickly jotted it down in her book. She turned to Catherine, skipping over Hermione.
"What kind of drink would you like sweetie?" she asked her, as if speaking to a much younger child. Cattie gave her a cold look, she was small yes but that didn't mean she like being talked to like she was a baby.
"Chocolate milk, please." The woman blinked at the cold tone coming from the child and Hermione was suddenly very proud of her daughter.
"Err, ok." She wrote that down to and rather reluctantly turned to Hermione. "Drink?"
"Earl Grey, please." Her tone was only slightly nicer that Cattie's.
"Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks. Just tell me when you're ready to order."
"I'm ready!" Catherine said happily, her former coldness gone for now. "I'd like a Cinnamon Roll." She handed her menu to the woman.
"I'd like that also." Hermione said, also handing the waitress her menu.
"Blueberry Muffin for me." Harry spoke, handing her his menu. She wrote it all down and left the table. "So what do you want to do?" he asked Hermione, once she was gone.
"I'd like to go to that bookstore." She said, pointing through the window to a bookstore across the street next to an antique store, ignoring the roll of Harry's eyes. Catherine's head shot up from where she was spinning a saltshaker.
"Bookstore!" she asked excitedly. Harry winced, he was going to be stuck in bookstores for the rest of his life.
Elizabeth returned quickly with their orders balanced on trays in her hands. She set a muffin about the size of a large man's fist in front of Harry and his glass of juice then the icing smothered cinnamon rolls in front of Cattie and Hermione, along with their drinks.
"Thank you." Catherine said politely. The woman nodded and left the table.
Catherine entertained them through their meal by telling them all about the books she was going to get and how yummy her roll was. When they finished their food Harry paid, leaving a tip for Elizabeth, and they left the warm confines of the café.
It was a very short distance from the sidewalk in front of the café to the bookstore so Harry left his bike parked where it was and they jogged across the narrow street.
They had to walk a bit to get to the bookstore and the crosswalk was a little ways down from it. They walked slowly down the sidewalk peering into shop windows. As they were passing the antique store, Cullen's Antiques, Hermione suddenly stopped.
"Harry!" she gasped, pointing at something in the window. He looked to where she was pointing and his mouth fell open. "It can't be! It couldn't have been right under their noses!"
Sitting on a shelf in the window was a snow white chess piece. Tiny gold jewelry was embedded in it, a necklace around it's neck, rings on it's fingers, it's robes trimmed in gold, and a gold crown on it's head. It's features were carved in amazing detail, it had the face of a beautiful woman. It was the Queen.
"It's impossible." Hermione murmured from next to him. "It can't be right there." Harry tore his gaze from the beautiful piece and turned to Hermione.
"We have to check anyway." She nodded and together they headed for the door.
"But what about the books!" Catherine exclaimed from behind them. When they continued to the door she sighed heavily and followed them inside.
Soft classical music was playing when they stepped inside and a tiny bell rung when the door was opened. They turned a corner, fully intending on checking the chess piece for the ornate S that Slytherin had taken to have stamped or engraved on anything he touched but as the walked to the shelf they were horrified to see a pudgy man taking the piece from the shelf and handing it to a woman in a black suit and horn-rimmed glasses.
"It's an amazing piece of craftsmanship." The man was saying. "Quite expensive. I'm surprised you bought it." The woman waved a tanned hand dismissively.
"Money is no object. My employer needed a gift for his young son you see, he's a chess champion." She spoke with a thick Italian accent. Panic began to rise in Harry's chest as the man began to wrap with piece in paper.
"Wait!" he said hastily, walking quickly towards them. The man turned to him with a questioning but kind look and the woman with a single raised eyebrow.
"What can I do for you young man?" the man asked him. Harry turned to the woman who had bought would could easily be a piece of Voldemort's soul.
"I will pay you double whatever you paid for that chess piece." Her other eyebrow shout up, disappearing under her thick black bangs.
"I'm sorry young man but it is not my decision. My employer might be willing to sell it to you though." She reached into the small purse on her shoulder and pulled out a business card which she handed to him.
Emilio Armand
Was printed neatly on the front with a crest under it. He looked up from the card to see the woman had already walked out of the door. Before he had a chance to decide to chase her down, stun her, then take it she was already in a red Porsche and zipping down the road.
"What are we going to do?" Hermione asked, stepping closer to him and speaking low so that the shop owner was unable to overhear them. Harry flipped the card over.
Rome, Italy
"We're going to Italy."
A/N: Ok, I'm just going to say it now. There will be NO Ginny/Draco romance. Sorry to all you D/G shippers but it's not happening in this fic.
I know you all expected action in this chapter but unfortunately you were wrong! I'm pretty sure y'all have been getting tired of the constant emotion in the past few chapters but fences needed to be mended and lines drawn before things could really get going. I had to cut the wedding a bit short because this chapter was waaaay to long so sorry about that. Also the vows from the wedding were adapted from a fic called "Beautiful" by Ella Cieux.
Anywho thank you for reading and reviewing! It always makes my day to see a new review in my e-mail .