Squib 18 Courtship and Babies!
James was operating under strict instructions from his father. He apologized to Miriam. He gave her flowers or candy or cute toys every single day – and none of them were hexed or trapped, though some of the toys would change color or morph in other amusing ways. When there was a Hogsmeade day announced, he very formally invited her to accompany him and have lunch at the Three Broomsticks. She accepted, so he made a reservation for a table in a secluded corner and a nice meal. He and the Marauders stopped picking on the Slytherins. He stopped annoying the muggle study group, including no longer stealing their treats. He stayed away from Lily, even carefully staying on the other side of any class they shared, which was most of them.
Miriam responded by making sure he and his friends received fresh treats from her boxes. She dressed nicely for their lunch, though in layered sweaters and robes. It was still Winter in Scotland! She allowed James to walk her between classes and to sit with her at meals. It was clear to everyone – James was 'whupped'.
"Remus, I appreciate all you have done in trying to keep close to Lily for me, but it's over. I am going to marry Miriam. You can quit doing the extra studies, or hanging out with them."
"Actually, I think that would be a very bad idea. It would be clear to everyone that I have been your spy in the group and the one who has set up many of your tricks. I need to stay where I am. People think I am on the edge of your group now, maybe only because we are roommates. By staying, you have a source of information later, maybe even after Hogwarts." Remus could be as devious as Siri, when he put his mind to it!
The weekend after the Hogsmeade visit James had his first mandatory visit with the Druid who was going to conduct the wedding. There would be three of these visits, with each, and a final joint visit to explain the terms of the Marriage vows. Both they and their families would be able to comment and even revise the standard vows before they were made, much like a Contract. The terms in the Betrothal stayed active, but other things wind up in Marriage vows.
Escorted to a private sitting room, James was apprehensive. He had good reason to be! Today would be the 'birds and the bees' talk. He already knew this stuff! They had a whole stash of magazines in the boys' dorm that circulated freely. The school nurse had given every group of firsties the basic reproductive information, complete with diagrams It was true he had never been with a girl, but he was only 14! He had kissed a few!
"I assume you know the basics? I know you have had the basic lectures. I want to talk to you about consideration, and pleasure."
"Yada, yada. Girls are soft and warm. I don't get a choice, and neither does Miriam."
"True, and the same for generations of arranged marriages. That doesn't mean you can't be friends and partners. You can learn to please and comfort one another. Marriage is more than sex and warm fuzzies when you look in her eyes. It is a partnership, companionship for life. Many arranged couples even learn to love each other. You will have children together, but children will grow up and leave home. Your parents will die. Your friends and relatives will have lives of their own, families of their own. They may move away, or die. You and your spouse will still have each other, shared memories and experiences. You need to be a team, working together, both giving 110 %. You need to take care of her, find out what pleases her and try to provide it. Do more than what you are required to do. Be thoughtful, considerate.
Sickness and accidents happen. That's Life – and Death. Go through it together. Try to help when your spouse is having a rough time. Do not expect life to be easy. Troubles come to everyone. Life isn't Fair, and the worst often does happen."
When he left the session, James was subdued, He had a lot to think about! This was not what he had expected to hear.
Sunday morning, James watched for Miriam to arrive at the breakfast tables. He came early, and sat there nursing his tea and talking with everyone else, until she appeared. Once she had her plate and cup, he walked over to the green table. She looked up, curious. "Madame Hootch has completed the new obstacle course. Would you like to come flying this morning?" She would.
They met at the side entrance a little later, both having changed into warm flying gear and fetching their brooms. They were both of wealthy families, and on their Quidditch teams, so each had a current model Cleansweep. Each was accompanied by several friends, also dressed for flying.
Madame Hootch always made wonderful courses. It was early Spring, so the Sun was higher and warmer, though the ground was muddy where it wasn't covered with snow. There were drifts under the trees and along the buildings, but early flowers were poking up, trees were showing green and red tips, and there were birds. The edges of the Loch were free of ice and the little cove by the rocks where brave children paddled toes or took a dip on sunny days was actually open water, full of swans and geese.
She had outdone herself! The high meadow past the Stadium, where everyone went for picnics and the football players had pick-up games, had hundreds of hoops floating in the air like soap bubbles. They were all colors, and all sizes. Many had twisted ribbon streamers indicating which way the breezes were blowing. Obviously, you started at red and worked your way through the rainbow – but some were high, some were low, they faced every direction and even spun. They ranged in size from about one meter up to two, with most of the smallest ones at the top. Glints of gold that suggested snitches turned out to be flying disks, just the right size for grabbing and tossing to a friend as you went through. Beyond that, there were multiple sets, high and low, of a simple pair of hoops about a hundred meters apart, connected by a brightly colored rope tied between. Madame Hootch herself was playing on that one! She shot through one hoop, spiraled around the length of the rope, and shot out the other end. Some had three or more hoops – she changed the direction of her spiral as she went through the center. A Maypole 30 meters tall was in the center of the field, spinning slowly with hoops on long ribbons bobbing high and low. Catch a ride! There was a single large hoop in the middle of the little cove, low enough that the little waves were lapping over the bottom and the swans were swimming through. The children looked, whooped with joy loud enough to set the birds in flight, and took to the air! Most of the school had followed, and no one paid any attention to the color of the trim on a robe.
James and Miriam played their way through, just like the rest. Everyone repeated every run, faster and faster. As the swarm streamed through the water hoop, James splashed Miriam. She laughed with true joy, a laugh he had never heard before, and James decided right then that he would do almost anything to make her laugh like that again.
When the bell rang for lunch, they were all wind-blown and happy as they trooped in to clean up. "Lets do this again next week?"
"I'd like that!" So they did, spending every Sunday morning flying together. It might have rained all week, might rain again in the afternoon, but somehow Sunday mornings stayed clear enough for flying. The playing field course was busy any time the weather allowed, and nearly everyone went out on Sunday mornings.
The quidditch teams started weekly drills, even when it rained, beginning to train replacements for the next year's teams. Miriam was one of the ones leaving, so she was working with the hopeful younger Slytherin. James would be staying on his team, but he was needed to help train, too. Madame Hootch ran one group class a week for all hopefuls, one night per position. Each team then got one session with her for their team, all positions. Saturdays she had to run two groups, so the Pitch was scheduled all the time.
Lily and Alice, Frank, Sevi, and Remus were NOT on the teams, so they had more free time than the players did. Frank was studying hard for his NEWTs! He expected to do well, but the Auror entrance exams were rumored to be even tougher than NEWTs. He still came to study group to sit with Alice, but he was revising every book he had ever used. Miriam's wisdom in finishing her A-levels early showed. She had both Quidditch and her NEWTs, and some preparation for the wedding. She met with the Druid every time James did, and both were in correspondence with their parents over those approaching Vows. Both sets of parents had agreed on including anti-abuse wording, and Herman was holding out for strict Fidelity.
Miriam's mother was decorating the cottage they had bought for her just outside Hogsmeade, an old brick-and-stone Vicarage that was badly damaged at the rear so they could do extensive renovation work without upsetting the Heritage people. It was set in wide gardens at the top of a hill overlooking the Loch, and had unusually high ceilings. Even Herman didn't have to stoop to go through the doorways. Tall windows gave plenty of light and views of the gardens. The Aunts had been set to cleaning and replanting those gardens, while Herman and some of her brothers renovated, refinished, and painted. The wedding would be held in the field that came with the house, where they intended to keep a cow later. For now it was being smoothed with the grass mown short, ready for setting up event tents and plenty of chairs.
Everyone in the muggle study group was excited about babies. There seemed to be a lot of Mums expecting! Lists of names were compared, and a few people had baby books, which were deeply studied. Most of the girls were either knitting receiving blankets or embroidering bath sheets. A great many adorable stuffed toys were also created. A few families had already delivered! A large poster was made up showing who was due, when, and with space for the actual birth info. It was becoming clear the Mums were, as a whole, delivering early. Most delivered at home, with a Goblin midwife instead of trying to get to the National Health or St. Mungos. One who had gone the 'normal' route, but went to the Goblins for a checkup later, found she had a NEW Dalkon Shield she had not asked for.
Sevi and Lily, of course, were most interested in their own mothers. The fact that they were stuck in Hogwarts was driving them wild! Finally, the first owl arrived in mid-May! Eileen had delivered twin girls, at home. Rose had been there and had called the Goblins, and her friend Catherine came to help her until the ambulance arrived. Tobias had taken the rest of the week off work, after passing out pink bubble-gum cigars! The girls were identical, with black curls and dark eyes, and were very alert from the first. They were named Bethany Leigha and Georgia Meadow, which everyone agreed was a very pretty set of twin names. Piles of bibs were quickly embroidered 'Beth' or 'Gia' and mailed. Eileen was painting their toenails different colors to keep them sorted!
The guys at the pub settled their pool and bought a twin pram with large wheels as their gift. Large wheels were good for pulling the thing on and off the bus, and it had several baskets that could be removed or placed as needed.
A week later it was Rose's turn. She delivered a fine red-haired boy, who they named Alan Harold. His eyes were muddy blue, but almond shaped and she thought they would be green like Lily. Harold bought a fancy backpack carrier, declaring that Rose had carried the baby so far, and now it was his job. He meant it, too. Petunia did the unthinkable and skipped school and her extra classes for the week! Catherine was also there to help – by this time she considered Rose to be an extra daughter, and she was helping Eileen anyhow. Petunia knew tiny elves were helping, but they were under orders not to be seen or heard, so they weren't. Casseroles appeared in the oven when needed, laundry did itself, and nothing in the houses seemed to ever get dirty. Petunia mostly did the shopping, dashing to the store the moment her Mum or Eileen expressed a desire for anything at all – even a new jug of juice!
The last three weeks of school were harried, for those taking OWLs and NEWTs; for those preparing for after-school lives; and for those who were so intent on going home that they really didn't pay much attention to the tests. Once again, Filius had to administer the Defense exams as well as his own – he simply had both sets of students come to the same room and alternated the seats. You took your Charms at the scheduled time, and then took Defense on a second date with a different class. At least their homework had been graded! No tragedy this year. The Defense teacher simply had her baby boy early and took the last few weeks as her Maternity Leave. The girls packed up a nice collection of Layette things and stuffed toys for them.
Fleamont visited Albus one last time before the wedding. "Are you absolutely sure there is no way to cancel this Contract? James is so young! I wrote the date as 'after the girl graduates', but I really expected them to be the same age! James will be Emancipated at 14, which is ridiculous!" A cabinet rattled behind him, but neither paid attention. "I've talked to the Goblins and his Trust Vault will convert into his adult personal Vault, so I've arranged for his salary in the family business to be automatically deposited and Income taxes be paid. I'll start him learning the ropes as soon as possible, but he will need his income now."
"I have read through that Contract, and consulted with the sneakiest lawyers I could find. We wrote that thing better than we thought, and it's solid! It's not all bad, though. Lily Evans would have been a good Match. She would have brought a sizable fortune with her, as well as a lost bloodline, so we should keep trying to get her as a chattel to one of the Light families. We still don't know who she is Betrothed to, except he doesn't seem to be at Hogwarts so he must be older. He could be Traditional, or Dark, or a Death Eater! Whoever he is, he isn't one of ours, or I would know. We need to break that Contract.
But, the Bulstrode family is also rich and has Bloodline Gifts the Light has not had access to. I certainly never dreamed they would consider a Light-side connection! They are Dark, and heavily Traditional, but not sworn to the Dark Lord. They may have been glad to make a Light connection, to get their daughter away from the riffraff that might have offered for her. We need to use that to pry them to our views. You are in a very good position to help. They also have a great many sons, only about half of whom are married, so we should see if we can Contract some of our girls to them. They seem to rotate schools, keeping only one child in each. Miriam was ours. We'll have to see what other schools they use and hope we have girls in some of them."