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"…and that's….all I have to say about that." Said an exasperated Addie. She put a hand on her pregnant belly and leaned back into her plush chair. Peter took her hand in his not caring that it was sweaty. He had to be there for his wife during these trying times.
"It's alright Addie, be calm, for the baby." Said Peter. He wasn't happy that his daughter and pseudo son were having a baby. Actually, it disturbed him a bit. He was a pureblood and all but for Remordereian aristocracy it never got closer than first cousins…not that Harry and Portia were actually siblings but they were raised as siblings…even if it wasn't wrong it disturbed Peter.
"It's not as if we can't afford it." Said Portia as she sweated under the Indian sun. They were out in the in one of the many gardens around the plantation; Portia thought that the cheery scenery would calm her parents. She was wrong.
"Yes, it's only one more mouth to feed. Besides, people ur age used to get married all the time." said Harry trying his best to sound like a man sure in his convictions.
"It's not as if they didn't have a marriage contract." Called Persephone from across the garden. The servant holding her magical sunlight blocking parasol attempted to move her away.
"It's an epidemic." Whispered Peter as he saw his pregnant niece walk away through the garden; even younger and smaller than Portia seeing her in that state of affairs was disturbing. The possibly fake marriage papers, marriage papers to a man thought dead for centuries, lessened the blow.
"I am at the end of my tether." Said Addie as she saw Persephone flounce away. Galatea, her son, and her unborn child were there too. Hiding from the Ministry, most likely.
"Honestly mum, there's a madman running around killing people and we fought him, by the way, but you're upset about this?" said Portia standing up to her full, but not very impressive, height. She stood there staring her mother down as best as she could, the wind whipping her long blue silk dress and brown braid.
"You are not to get involved with all that, do you hear me, daughter?" said Peter deathly serious. He wouldn't see her suffer the same fate he did.
"We already are. I have been since I got this." Said Harry brushing his hair away from his scar.
"Galatea says that we have to let him run wild in their world then we'll do something when they are at their most desperate. We know what we're doing." Said Portia sitting back down. Addie and Peter glared at them. Portia and Harry shrunk under the collective disapproval of Addie and Peter.
"I don't like the way your life is going and I refuse to let Galatea Black dictate it!" said Addie. Maybe it was the heat, the situation, or the little person currently growing within her but she had enough. She just wanted a quiet life in the Indian country with her husband and children.
"I was involved and that war took everything I ever loved, everything but you three, from me." Said Peter. There was a moment of silence as they all let that sink in.
"No, Albus Dumbledore took it all from you. It's different with Galatea." said Harry taking Portia's hand in his.
"How? I admit she's done a lot in her few years on this world, her son is proof enough of that, but she is obviously biting off much more than she can chew. I've seen him, the Dark Lord, and it will take more than you and three pregnant girls to stop him!" said Peter. Addie put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. That is why she chose to focus her anger on the subject of her daughter's pregnancy, so they wouldn't talk about what must not be discussed.
"I've seen him too. He's a lot like a child in many ways. He rants and raves, can't focus on too many things at once, and tortures his own followers." Said Portia. She shuddered as she remembered the monster that emerged from the cauldron.
"He didn't come back right. He's like a snake demon man thing. It's…unpleasant." Said Harry. He could see those red eyes, the translucent skin, and oh merlin the smell!
"I don't care if he came back as a pretty pink unicorn, I won't have you losing your very lives." Said Addie. She could hear her children playing in the distance. The loss of any one of them would be like losing a limb that she couldn't possibly grow back.
"Mother, we've been to so many places and done so many things already." Said Portia almost pleading with her mother. It wasn't as if her mother had any real ability to forbid her, she could just jump into the time stream after all, but this disapproval hurt. She wasn't a little girl anymore; she could make her own decisions.
"We've been to other worlds and come back in one piece, we'll be fine." Said Harry putting his hand over Portia's belly without realizing it.
"There's nothing we can do to stop you, is there?" said Peter quietly. He saw himself in them, ignoring the pleading of his wife and sister, going off to play secret agent man, losing practically everything. Maybe it would be different for them, maybe they would achieve whatever it was that Galatea was working towards.
"Short of killing us? No." said Harry. Addie gave a heavy sigh. She supposed that this is what motherhood was about; giving life and watching them ultimately leave you. She just had to hope that Portia would be alright in whatever she chose to do.
"I suppose that this is nature's way, isn't it? I give your life knowing you will leave me?" said Addie
"No mum, I would never leave you. I will come back from wherever it is that Galatea will lead us, I always have… and I will come back for my child as well." said Portia thinking of the little green eyes boy she had only glimpsed. Pietro Potter.
"We'll have to have a wedding." Said Addie bringing a lace gloved hand to her glassy eyes. Peter pulled her close, locks of hair escaping from the tower upon her head.
"There'll be a giant cake and all of society just like you always wanted for me." Said Portia attempting to lighten the mood. Harry felt ice in his veins. He was opposed to the idea of being married, actually it would be nice to wake up to her every single day, but the thought of being in front of everyone…and then there would be children.
"They, the children, can all play together." Said Peter. They children were splashing in the pond now, Timothy was swimming with sickly Bertie Bott on his back. He could just see a little version of Harry and Portia there with them.
"We'll need to have the wedding soon, to take care of your indiscretion." Said Addie giving Harry a pointed look just in case he didn't know what she was talking about.
"I never did anything with Ginny Weasley! I don't even know her." said Harry. They were back to this again. He never slept with her, he would have remembered if he had. Besides, he was with Portia then. He had no need to be with Ginny.
"Harry, please! The goblins did the blood test and a more accurate one was done at their hospital, you are the father of her little bastard." Said Addie. Peter wanted to stay out of this, as far as he was concerned this was none of his business.
"Well then I'd like an explanation of why I have no memory of even having a conversation with her let alone stripping down and sticking my-!"said Harry loudly before Portia slapped a hand over his mouth. They gave a fretful look towards the children but they didn't notice. Now even Galatea was relaxing with her child. She looked a lot younger then, with her black hair down and an actual smile on her face. She laughed as Timothy splashed her, not caring about the water on her pale green dress.
"Aren't you a wizard?" asked Addie sarcastically. Portia felt her breath hitch in her throat. She never thought of that because she didn't particularly want to think about Harry being with Ginny like that. As far as she was concerned Ginny was a dirty rotten lying slag.
"I-I'm sure nothing happened. I don't even know her!" said Harry. He was pacing now. The thought of someone making him do that, against his will, made him want to vomit.
"You're the boy who lived, everyone knows you." Said Portia. Ginny had just been upgraded from dirty rotten lying slag to disgusting pervert in Portia's mind.
"I don't feel well." said Harry sitting down directly onto the grass. He needed to clear his mind, he needed-needed-well something! Not this!
"Well, we'll just have to…do…something." Said Portia as she tried to comfort Harry like she thought a wife should. Wife…the word was heavy in her mind. She shook it away, now was not the time.
"We'll have the wedding as soon as possible. The child will have no claim on the house of Potter so long as you have a legitimate heir." Said Addie as she stood up. Peter looked torn for a moment but decided to follow his wife.
"Where are you going?" asked Portia as Harry attempted to drown his feelings for the good of his family. He was a man now and men didn't cry like little children.
"To plan your wedding and secure your future." Said Addie as she and Peter walked back towards the main house. Portia held Harry until he calmed down sufficiently. Then, as a distraction from the drama that was their daily lives, they joined the children at the pond.
"I will not put everyone into a panic just because of the words of a few fourteen year olds!" said Cornelius Fudge practically shouting at Dumbledore.
"He's back and for every moment you wait another person dies!" said Dumbledore. He wished the Fudge would see reason and do something before things got back to the way they were the last time Tom was at large.
"We don't even have proof that the Dark Lord killed the Diggory boy! We ambushed the imposter Moody and found the killing curse having recently been cast from his wand. How do we know that the entire encounter wasn't just planted into their minds?" asked Fudge pouring himself a nice, stiff brandy. Dumbledore always thought he knew better than everyone else.
"Because I know he is back! This could not have been fabricated!" said Dumbledore pounding his fists onto the desk. Portraits of former Ministers began to murmur amongst themselves.
"How, Albus?! Sure he could be back or Barty Crouch Junior could have simply spirited the children off for some sort of dark ritual, or sacrifice, or perhaps just to satisfy some sort of perversion! The children overpower him, he alters their minds, and they return with some cock and bull story to throw us off his scent." Said Fudge attempting to get Dumbledore out of his office as soon as possible.
"Portia Pettigrew positively identified Barty Crouch Junior as posing as Alastor Moody. Therefore her mind was not altered and the Dark Lord is back! How can you be so stubborn?" asked Dumbledore wanted to take the man and beat him over the head with a book to knock some sense into him.
"Maybe he couldn't alter their minds completely; there were four of them there after all. Merlin! How can you be so blind?" said Fudge
"It's you that is blind, he's back and you just theorize and chatter! Lives are at stake! Our entire world could be destroyed because of your inaction be it by The Dark Lord or Galatea Black or-" said Dumbledore
"Again about Galatea Black? I don't like the bastard and more than you do but she hasn't done anything illegal and you have np evidence that she has anything to do with this." Said Fudge
"She's planning something. I'm sure you know of the work she presented a few months ago about the other world." Said Dumbledore fearing the worst. With Tom back who knew what she would do or what she was capable of.
"She's a little girl playing with forces beyond her control. I have more important things to worry about, Albus! The economy, the goblins, the security at Azkaban because it looks like people just go strolling out at their leisure, and the state of education and medicine! You know as well as anyone that our world is not in good shape right now and you want to work everyone into a panic!" said Fudge
"We're only in this state because of the last war! Once we get our population up and repeal the anti-muggle born and werewolf laws-" said Dumbledore before Fudge cut him off
"Those laws are in place for a reason, Dumbledore! Werewolves are dangerous and muggle borns, no matter how intelligent, do not fit into our world. I have more important things to worry about, the work of government cannot, ever, stop. Until I have conclusive proof that the Dark Lord is back and this is not just the work of a madman!" said Fudge
"Well then we'll continue this conversation when you have the conclusive proof you need. I only wonder how many more lives will have to be lost while you do twiddle your thumbs and do you precious work of government." Said Dumbledore
"That precious work of government is what keeps us all from degrading into muggles." Said Fudge with a barking laugh
"You do what you will and I shall do what I must." Said Dumbledore as he departed. He needed to have a few more words with the Weasleys before have many words with Lady Galatea Black.
"I don't want money, I want punishment!" screamed Arthur Weasley as he stood in the Department of Unintended Consequences; the keepers of the true bloodlines. He was there to see what could be done about Harry Potter.
"We cannot punish the boy for an indiscretion which most of pureblood society is guilty of, not to mention the fact that you don't have a legal leg to stand on." Said the man at the desk, Arthur had forgotten his name. He didn't work anywhere near this department.
"He took advantage of my daughter. If there isn't a department in this Ministry that can punish him then I will!" said Arthur as he paced the room, his face almost as red as his hair. The over-worked under-paid civil servant just wanted this man out of his office.
"That man took advantage of my thirteen year old daughter! I want justice!" said Arthur ready to take the man by his neck and throw him across the room.
"That man is fourteen years old. There was a tryst between two kids and this happened. There is nothing that can be done. If no legal heir is produced before the death or lifetime imprisonment of the father and there is no one from the main line of the family left alive then the will inherit. Maybe it'll pull a Galatea Black, who knows?" said the ever suffering desk slave. Ever since Galatea Black had swooped in and shook everything up his office was bursting with the muggle born spawn of previously dead houses.
"Don't you understand English? I don't want money!" said Arthur throwing some books from the desk in rage.
"Then get out! What we have here is Dumbledore lowering the contraceptive wards around the schools, it's right there in Hogwarts if you don't believe me about them, and now this happened! If you want punitive justice bother Crouch! Bother the Aurors! Take the law into your own hands! I don't care, just leave!" said the tortured human being as he stood up and pointed towards the door.
"You couldn't pay me to stay!" said Arthur as he stormed out of the office. He stomped the entire way to Crouch's office, he even stomped in place and grumbled to himself in the elevator. He didn't even knock, he simply broke open the door and found himself standing in a pool of sticky red blood.
"Oh-Oh-Oh! Somebody! Help! For the love of Fucking Merlin somebody, help me!" screamed Arthur as he made his way to try and save Crouch. It was too late, he was already dead. The knowledge of the monster his son had become had pushed him over the edge. In his madness he killed his wife, elves, and then organized his office on last time before summoning his heart from his chest. A few days later Hermione Granger would go into the Office of Unintended Consequences on a lark and leave Hermione Granger-Crouch. A few days after that she would receive an invitation to the wedding of Harry Potter and Portia Pettigrew. In her curiosity about these people and due to her lack of knowledge in her place in society she would attend; not knowing that it was strange for her to get an invitation with an all-expense paid round trip ticket paying her way there through muggle and magical means.
"Hello, my name is Hermione Jane Granger-Crouch. Oh, sorry, Lady Hermione Jane Granger Crouch." Said Hermione as she introduced herself not to an adult but to the little half fey child who stood before her. The books she had read about manners told her to always use her full name and title when meeting another person of her station, young or old.
"Timothy Oberon Black heir to the house of Black son of Galatea Black and the fey known as Puck born on-" said Timothy before Beadle Bard cut him off. They looked very much the little gentlemen in their velvet suits and perfectly groomed hair and nails.
"Timmy, you don't have to say all that. Just your name and title." Said Beadle Bard have much more experience with these things, not having lived for so long on a block of ice or hidden behind his mother's skirts.
"Oh, sorry." Said Timothy to the pretty lady. He knew that she should have been with the other ladies and not the kids but he guessed that the other ladies must have been teasing her. There was something about her that just stuck out.
"Oh, that's quite alright." Said Hermione sweating like a pig under her layers of underclothes and pretty coats. There were spells to keep her cool but they might have reacted adversely to the spells in her hair, clothes, and makeup. She didn't know why she was here. Well she knew she was hear for the wedding and out of curiosity but these were just things she said to convince herself.
"No it's not; mummy says that manners are what separates us from the unwashed masses." Said Beadle with all the conviction he could muster. Hermione giggled at the seriousness the little boy managed to infuse into that statement.
"Boys, leave the lady alone and go play with the other children. It looks like they're going to play some sort of game." Said Galatea shooing them to the mass of children, native and colonial, playing together. Hermione resisted the urge to stare, it was Galatea Black.
"H-Hello, my name is Lady Hermione Jane Granger-Crouch." Said Hermione nervously as she stared at the older girl. She looked the picture of the aristocratic lady with her long black hair put up in an intricate braided style and he dress of pale green accented with the most delicate of lace; the underskirts pulled up in an attempt to cover her pregnant belly. She didn't look cold and calculating like she usually did; honestly Hermione thought she looked like her mum.
"I know who you are; I went to Hogwarts for a time when I was younger." Said Galatea in what she considered her friendliest voice. It was imperative that Hermione joined them in the near future.
"I-I'm sorry, we just never formally met…or maybe we did and I forgot." Said Hermione, her eyes darting for the sickly little sister. The bride and groom wouldn't be out to mingle until it was time for the vows to be said.
"You're nervous, don't be. It's a joyous occasion." Said Galatea as they made their way away from the children who were not casting stinging jinxes at each other. Thank goodness their clothes were mostly impervious. The help was trying to keep it all in the children's area.
"I'm sorry it's just that… I don't really even know why I'm here." Said Hermione the words coming out like vomit. Well she could at least be thankful that it wasn't real vomit with the way her nerves were wound.
"Why to observe the human freak show that is our lives, of course." Said Persephone coming seemingly out of nowhere.
"I'd imagine the free travel to get here must also have sweetened the deal." Laughed Galatea. From what she knew this girl only had one real friend in the world, the often boorish Ronald Weasley. This girl craved female friendship from people on her level even if she herself didn't recognize it.
"Oh, hello. I'm Hermione Jane-" said Hermione before Persephone put a hand up to cut her off.
"I know who you are. I'm not one of those society ninnies my aunt decided to invite, I actually have enough mental capacity to remember who people are." Said Persephone. Hermione tried not to openly stare. This girl was small, smaller than Portia and unattractively thin. She was trying to disguise her pregnant belly just as her older sister was but on her small frame it was very prominent. Her skin had a strong smell, not a completely bad one but one which she tried to disguise with perfume. He skin had a sort of glistening to it as well.
"She's allergic to sunlight, that's what the smell is and that's what the parasol is for." Said Galatea seemingly reading her mind. That was impossible; she was not making eye contact with Galatea.
"Oh no, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" said Hermione her pulse quickening as she realized her social faux pas. The last person at this party she
"No, it's alright. It's not exactly top secret, my condition. It's actually pretty common with the more pureblood families." Said Persephone. She stopped caring about her condition and who knew about it long ago. She may have been sickly but she wasn't an invalid.
"By pureblood she means inbred." Said Galatea in a faux conspiratorial voice. Hermione smiled, she didn't quite know what to make of that joke.
"Which makes sending out the invitations all the more difficult. Mariette Fiona Pettigrew Hillspare can often be confused with Mary Fiona Hillspare or Marrietta Fyona Pettigrew or any number of people. I bet it's easier for muggles, when they meet they don't have pull out books of genealogy for every little thing." Said Persephone. Hermione felt some of her anxiety melt away. It was nice to talk to another girl. Ginny was nice but privately Hermione thought she was a little mad with the calling herself Ginny Potter and talking about that Tom guy and turning all of Gryffindor tower upside down when that diary went missing.
"More like stud books. I can't believe what happened with me. Mum caused quite the scandal." Said Persephone. Hermione felt good now, she didn't know how good it felt to gossip even if it was about people she didn't know and she was learning about how their society worked, too. That was a big complaint about muggle borns in wizarding society, they didn't assimilate properly.
"I know but we've taking quite a bit of the gossip away from her. I'm not sure if she showed up though." Said Galatea
"She had better; we invited her because we wanted to. Most of these other people were invited because they had to be.
"Um, if I may ask, why did you invite me?" asked Hermione. She didn't know either the bride or the groom very well. She read that the heads of houses were often invited to society gatherings but she expected to see people who looked like her classmates or at least hear some familiar last names.
"You seem like an intelligent and interesting person whom we would like to get to know. Also, Portia likes you so we like you." Said Galatea making herself seem as open and friendly as possible.
"Besides, you obviously have good breeding." Said Persephone. Galatea silenced her sister with a glare. Hermione immediately felt righteous indignation but reminded herself that Persephone didn't say it to be mean, it was just a part of her culture.
"It's alright, really. That's just the way your culture is. I've learned to respect other people's cultures after a bit of a fiasco last year." Said Hermione
"Oh, do tell." Said Persephone looking every bit the thirteen year old girl she was. Hermione analyzed what she said and found no unkind intention in what Persephone said. It felt good to have someone interested in what she had to say. A nice change from Ron if there ever was one.
"Well I found out that Hogwarts enslaved house elves to do the cooking and cleaning and I wanted to liberate them because in the muggle world, or at least we try in the muggle world, slavery is illegal and no self-respecting person would ever keep a slave. I wanted to liberate the house elves and everyone teased me mercilessly, even Ron, so I did my reading and dropped it." Said Hermione. Galatea and Persephone put reassuring hands over hers.
"A noble cause if there ever was one; those things are creepy." Said Persephone picturing their hairless, leathery bodies barely covered by tea towels and wash clothes.
"That entire race went mad a long time ago. We use human servants, mainly squibs and people with very weak magic." Said Galatea. Hermione felt better about that. It was good to find someone who, in a roundabout way, believed in the same things she believed in. A loud trumpet announced the beginnings of the wedding proceedings.
"Finally, how long does it take to put on a dress?" said Persephone as the mass of people made their way to the large covered tent.
"That monstrosity? It looks like the silk mill threw up on her." said Galatea as they made their way to the tent. They led Hermione to some seats up front. She sat sandwiched between Timothy Black and Persephone. She could feel all eyes on her.
"Here comes the groom." Said Timothy as a fanfare announced Harry assent down the aisle. He walked arm in arm with Addie and he looked like he had an entire lemon in his mouth and nails in his shoes. Aside from that he looked good in his white suit.
"Timmy, face forward." Said Galatea sounding like a mum again. It amazed Hermione how she could go from teenage girl to mum and back again.
"But mummy, I want to see auntie Portia." Whined Timothy. He looked across the aisle and mimicked the perfect posture and pose of Beadle Bard. He always did these thing right.
"Well here she comes." Said Galatea as a bridal march was played by an entire orchestra. It was very much like the muggle ceremony that Hermione was accustomed to with the music and the dress but instead of vows there were promises made which were bound with magic. When the ceremony ended rice began to rain down from the sky. She ate and danced and talked and forgot all her troubles. The liber application of alcohol helped in that respect. She had, all and all, a good time…all went according to Galatea's plans.
