Chapter 25
"I can't believe Professor Dumbledore tried so hard to stop us from coming here." Alex said again.
"Harry is in more danger than ever." Remus Lupin pointed out.
"But Hermione is leaving with her parents for Australia." Alex returned. "She is one of Harry's closest friends, if not the closest, after Katie. He needs to be able to say goodbye in person not through a letter."
"I agree." Tonks added. "The kid needed to get out of that dreary house."
The three stood a polite distance away from where Harry and Hermione sat on the back porch stairs of the Granger household. The two were sitting closer than most friends would and tears were streaming down Hermione's face. Sirius as a black shaggy dog lay at the foot of the steps, ears alert, though his eyes kept flicking to Harry and Hermione.
"Does Dumbledore know that the Mutt has come along?" Tonks questioned.
Lupin looked a bit uncomfortable. "Ah, well he didn't say he couldn't come along."
"Uh-huh," Tonks made a skeptical sound.
"Hermione and Harry are the reason he escaped from the dementors." Alex commented.
Remus turned to him in shock. "How do you know about that?"
"Harry told Fleur and I when we asked how he knew the Mutt."
"I'm really starting to like that name for him." Tonks chuckled.
Sirius the dog, A.K.A. The Mutt, lifted his head and shot the three a look.
"Careful Tonks," Remus warned. "He has a lot of free time on his hands to get back at you."
Tonks turned her nose up at the warning. "If he keeps calling me by that horrible name then I will keep calling him Mutt."
A tearful sob drew their attention to where Hermione was now hugging Harry tightly and crying into his shoulder.
"Poor kids." Tonks observed.
Alex and Lupin watched on in silent agreement cursing the war that was only just getting started.
.
"Fleur?" Alex asked tentatively looking down to where Fleur was resting her head on his lap.
"Mmm?" Fleur hummed to show she was listening.
"I was thinking." Alex swallowed the lump that was building in his throat.
"Oh?"
Alex swore he could hear the smile in her voice but she did not voice the joke she had obviously thought.
"I don't want you to go back to France."
"Where would I go?" Fleur asked forlornly. "I 'ave not finished my school and zere are my proficiency exams after zat."
"You could attend Hogwarts." With me he didn't have to add.
"Will 'Ogwarts even be open?" Fleur questioned gently.
Alex frowned. The start of term letters had not come at their usual time. In fact they had yet to arrive with only two weeks left to the usual start of term. "I don't know." Alex admitted.
Fleur did not ask for him to attend Beauxbatons. She knew he didn't want to leave his family in danger.
"What will you do if 'Ogwarts does not open?" She asked.
"I don't know." Alex sighed. "Technically schooling isn't mandatory after you have your OWLs. So, maybe I will self study to take my NEWTs next year. I only need the requisite NEWTs for whatever career I want so... " he trailed off.
"What is it you want to do?" Fleur rolled in place so she was looking up at Alex.
"I had thought about going into business with Fred and George." He said.
"But zat is not ze case now?" Fleur lead.
He shook his head. "No. I mean I guess not. I don't mind helping out with it but I don't think that it's what I want to do. What about you have you decided for sure what you want?"
"I want own my own business." She said.
Alex was a little surprised. "What kind of business?"
Fleur shook her head slightly. "I do not know."
"Well I need to know if I am going to get the proper NEWTs to work for you."
"Oh?" Fleur smirked as she pulled herself up to sit next to Alex, leaning into him. "I can be very demanding, do you zink you could keep up?" She said into his ear.
Alex felt a tingle shoot down his spine. Damn her teasing, but two could play this game. "I think I could do more than keep up. Maybe even leave you breathless and panting." He turned to stare into her eyes.
"Such confidence." Her voice husky and eyes smoldering. "Do you 'ave any proof to back up such claims?"
"Perhaps a demonstration is in order." He leaned into her and she allowed his weight to push her to lay across the couch, him hovering over her.
"Ahem."
The both of them all but fell off the couch, startled by the sound. They peeled over the couch to see a very amused Karin and Ben McKnight.
"It's like they are psychic." Alex grumbled as he extracted himself from the tangle of his a Fleur's limbs.
Fleur just smiled unashamedly, slipping off the couch to stand next to Alex.
"Ah looks like we interrupted something." Ben said through a smile.
"We have the best timing." Karin agreed.
Alex grumbled something unintelligible that not even Fleur could hear though it still made her smile all the more.
"Alex there is something I want to talk with you and Luna about could you go get her?" Karin's tone may Alex worry but he did as he was asked and soon the whole family was in the living room.
"Ben and I have been talking," Karin trailed off, unsure how to say what it was she wanted to say.
Benjamin McKnight took over. "We are considering the Delecour's offer to house you so you might attend Beauxbatons."
Fleur rocked in surprise. She had not known her family had made such an offer. "When?"
"They offered when we were working out your stay here for the summer." Karin answered before turning to Alex and Luna. "The Ministry has decided not to permit Hogwarts to start another term until the safety of the students is guaranteed. Though from what I've heard there was not much of a student base that was willing to return."
"But I have my OWLs, I can self study for my NEWTs." Alex protested.
"And what about Luna? Would you neglect her studies? Could you both teach her and study enough to get a proper score for your NEWTs?" Karin pointed out softly. "I have to work and with things the way they are my day will only be getting longer so I cannot teach Luna what I would want her to learn that means it would be up to you."
Luna turned away from Alex in obvious guilt.
Alex noticed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to reassure her. "Luna is way smarter than me I'm sure she could probably take my NEWTs for me."
Ben stepped forward. "Alex you May think we don't know why it is you really want to stay but your mother is damn scary when it comes to you. She has friends in that Order you are a part of and while we don't like it we were willing to stay quiet so long as you kept your head on straight." He places his hands on his son's shoulders. "But after the attack on your friend Harry, we would prefer if you would take the Delacour's offer."
Fleur places a hand on Alex's arm, a silent plea for him to accept.
Alex looked from his father to Fleur then to his mother and finally to Luna. "What do you think?" He asked Luna.
Luna turned to Fleur and purposefully took hold of one of Fleur's hands.
Alex took a deep breath. "Okay we'll go."
.
Alex and family stood on the platform for the muggle cross channel train that had opened just last year. "Mum I know you are all about caution but this is plain paranoia."
"Nonsense." Karin said. "It is a perfectly reasonable precaution. No one would think to look for a couple of witches and a wizard crossing the channel this way."
"The logic escapes me." Alex retorted.
"The sort that is causing trouble would never think to look here or so your mother tells me." Ben said. He leaned closer to Alex in faux whisper. "I don't get it either but it's best to make your mother happy."
Karin retorted with a heatless glare.
All the joking was to distract them from what was to come, but an announcement over the intercom ruined that.
"That's our train." Alex said sullenly. Luna grabbed his hand in sudden trepidation.
"It will be fine you two." Karin gave them both a hug. "The Delacour's will pick you up on the other side and then if's off to school starting Monday."
Luna tightened her grip on Alex's hand. He knew what she was thinking. "Yeah a new school with unfamiliar faces and a war back home, loads of encouragement there mum." He tried for levity but it fell flat.
"You will be fine." Karin assured them. "Fleur will be there to look after you both." She pulled the Veela girl into a hug as well. "I could hope for nothing more for my son than for him to find a woman such as yourself." She said quietly to Fleur. "I know you will take care of him."
Fleur nodded. "I will." She promised.
Ben hugged Alex first then knelt down to hug Luna. "You keep him out of trouble for me?" He asked the girl.
Luna gave Ben a nod and a slight smile before taking Alex's hand.
Another call over the station's intercom.
"Better hurry." Ben said, wrapping an arm around his wife. "You have your things?"
Alex and Fleur both patted a pocket to be sure and nodded.
"Good, we love you." Ben said. "All three of you."
Karin took a deep breath. "Be safe. I love you." She said to them.
Alex responded in kind before reluctantly Turing towards the train. Fleur thanked the McKnights and took a few hurried steps to take up Luna's other hand.
Ben and Karin stood there holding each other, watching the three kids depart. For even though two were legally adults, neither Karin nor Ben could see any one of the three as anything but a child.
"I'm going to miss having them around the house." Karin said.
"I know what you mean." Ben hugged his wife tighter. "But they will be back. And one day maybe with kids of their own."
Karin playfully hit Ben once on the chest. "Not for a few years more at the very least." She huffed. "I'm not ready to be a grandmother."
"Yes Dear."
Author's Note: This was my original End to The Gift though it was to take place only a week or two after the Third Task Battle but I stretched it out a bit to fit the Order into the story better. I have also since decided not to end The Gift and start The War because I just can't write fast enough to make it worth your while. So, that being said welcome to unofficial start to The War. The War will pick up a few months into the term at Beauxbatons sometime in December I think. Definitely close to Christmas time. Anyway look forward to it.
Thank You! To those of you whom have Fav and/or Followed your support has been most welcome and appreciated. I hope it has been a good read so far and I look forward to posting new chapters for you.
K. Raiden