* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *

PART FOUR

Brave New World

Chapter 67: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

As November wore on, Harry and Daphne's surprise wedding loomed ever closer, which led to some interesting wedding planning 'meetings'. Harry and Neville went for a walk and spent about five minutes of the 40-minute walk talking about the wedding.

"Daphne wants me to discuss wedding plans with you," Harry said with an amused grin, "She thinks it's going to take a long time to work out what colour the hem on the robes should be."

Neville scoffed, "Easy, whatever the colour theme is for the wedding, hem the robes in that colour."

"Done," Harry grinned, "Oh, and can I have your opinion on wedding rings?"

"Sure," Neville laughed.

"Do they need to match?" Harry asked.

Neville frowned, "No…why?"

"Because I want gold," Harry explained, "I'm a Gryffindor, you know? I like gold."

"But Daphne wants silver?" Neville guessed.

"No," Harry scoffed, "Have you met Daphne Greengrass? She wants platinum, just like she wants ice sculptures and just like she got her dress from a designer shop in France. She thinks I don't know how much it cost, but I'm not stupid."

"She's high-born," Neville said with a grin, "She's hot, and she's classy as fuck, but you've got to pay the price, literally."

"Tell me about it," Harry snorted, "Thank Merlin that I'm a millionaire."

Neville chuckled, "Any other wedding-related things to discuss?"

"She wants me to tell you to make sure you actually write your speech down, and she wants you to practice it on someone to make sure it's not terrible," Harry said with a wave of his hand, "But we'll just have Draco or Theo lie and say you practised it on them. You come out with your best stuff when you talk from the heart."

"Do I?" Neville asked.

Harry shot his best friend a look, "We lost Harry tonight, but he's still with us, in here."

"You memorised my speech?" Neville asked with a shake of his head.

They reached Dave's cabin, and Harry opened the door, "Of course I did. It was your greatest moment."

"My greatest moment," Neville laughed, "Hey, Dave."

Dave hissed a greeting, and Harry sat down on the floor with him. Neville sat down on a wooden bench and handed Harry the bag of dead rats and mice.

"It was your greatest moment," Harry said, "I can't talk about it specifically in front of Dave, or he'll get upset, but what you did to that Horcrux, it turned the tide of the war and that speech…it gave me hope, Nev."

Neville looked out of the window thoughtfully, "It's starting to feel like it was a long time ago, isn't it?"

"Far more like a distant memory than a new wound," Harry agreed. He hissed, "How are you, Dave?"

"Miserable," Dave hissed back.

Neville watched them converse with interest.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"This country is so cold. This white thing, this white demon, I hate it."

"It's called snow, Dave."

"It is diabolical. I crave heat. I need more heat."

"I'll get Hermione to make the cabin hotter," Harry hissed at the snake, "And I'll keep you in here until it gets warmer."

"I feel caged, like a beast."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Rather be getting hunted for your skin, would you?"

"No, I did not mean that you smarmy little human. I could crush you to death in thirty seconds."

"I know you could, but you won't because I'm your friend," Harry remarked.

"This means nothing. I have eaten my friends before."

"Gee, thanks, Dave," Harry snorted. He glanced over at Neville, "He's threatening to eat me."

"Sounds like your average Saturday night," Neville sniggered, "He's always threatening to eat you."

"And yet he hasn't done it yet," Harry said, shooting Dave an amused look. He hissed, "I can make your house bigger."

"Yes. Do this. I also require a mate."

"I'm your mate, Dave."

"No, you foolish human. I require a mate of my own kind."

"Dave, we've had this conversation. It's not as simple as that. You know that female Boas don't like to mate with just one male. She would get bored with you."

"Not if you chose her wisely."

"Dave, I'm not choosing a mate for you," Harry said in English, and Neville snorted in amusement.

Dave hissed, "You disappoint me."

"I don't care. I'm not on board with a litter of up to 64 snakes being born out here. Daphne would literallykill me."

"I will crush you to death if you do not consent."

"Will you really, though?" Harry asked in parseltongue.

If snakes could roll their eyes, Dave would have done. Instead, he hissed half-heartedly and turned his back on Harry.

"And now he's fallen out with me," Harry said with a snort, "Come on, Nev."

They left the cabin, and Neville said, "So how do snakes mate then?"

"Oh, the usual way, sex," Harry said in amusement, "Some have live young, like Boa's, and others lay eggs. The females are the dominant party. They have sex with lots of males while the male gets attached to one female. Anacondas are terrifying; the female can eat the male during sex which is just horrific."

"Like Black Widow spiders," Neville mused, "So female snakes are slags then, yeah?"

"That's one way of putting it," Harry snorted, "Just don't say that around Daphne and Astoria, or you will get cursed into oblivion."

"I'm sure I would," Neville laughed.

"Okay, so last on the agenda is the top table."

"Oh, here we go," Lilly muttered, "There's going to be a catfight over this one."

Astoria raised an eyebrow at her, "Lillian, Daphne and I have never had a catfight."

Daphne smirked as Lilly looked at her in disbelief, "Can you make her stop calling me Lillian?"

"No can do," Daphne chirped, "She doesn't like you, so she won't use anything less than your full name."

"Why doesn't she like me?"

"I can talk for myself, and I don't like you because you are too forward and coarse."

"Oh, so I'm too common for you," Lilly countered, "Your sister doesn't mind."

"My sister has always liked them on the rough side."

Daphne winked at Lilly behind Astoria's back.

Lilly had to bite back an amused grin, "Okay rich girl. You don't like me, I don't like you, but we're both involved in planning this wedding, so let's just agree to disagree?"

Astoria nodded, "Agreed."

"Glad you worked that out, Cagney and Lacey," Daphne smirked, "So, top table?"

"Yes, well. Are you going for the traditional layout?"

"I don't see how we can," Daphne answered Astoria, "Three people who should be there can't be because two are dead, and the other is a homicidal maniac who is living out the rest of her life in Azkaban."

"She was still our mother."

Lilly shot Daphne a knowing look, "That's beside the point. The way I see it, you can do this one of two ways, no actually…three ways. Option one, you go with the traditional layout and find people to fill in the gaps. Option two, you decide who matters to you and who will be giving a speech and make sure they are at the table. Option three, you say fuck it and don't have a head table. You and Harry just chill out by yourselves up there."

"They can't not have a head table!"

"Why not? It's just a bloody table!"

Astoria took a deep breath here, "Just to be on the same page. You are saying that there is no top table whatsoever?"

"The same page?" Lilly scoffed, "Hun, we're not even in the same fucking library."

Daphne couldn't help herself; she let out a reluctant laugh. Astoria glared at her, and Lilly shot her a grin.

"Girls, could we please have a civil conversation about this?" Daphne asked through her laughter.

"We cannot have a simple conversation when Lillian degrades every idea that I have," Astoria said irritably, "She said that ice sculptures of peacocks would be too pretentious."

"They would be too pretentious, to be fair," Daphne muttered, "I'm not marrying Draco Malfoy anymore."

"No, but you are still going to be a Marchioness," Astoria pointed out.

Lilly rolled her eyes, "What is this, bloody Upstairs, Downstairs?"

"Well, I know where you would be," Astoria muttered.

"Yeah, so do I," Lilly retorted, "Upstairs, with my husband Earl Neville fucking Longbottom."

"Pretty sure his middle name is Frank, Lil," Daphne said as she laughed at the argument between the two of them, "And I'm guessing he got his title then?"

"Yes, he did," Lilly said, crossing her arms over her chest, "So like it or lump it, sweetheart, when I marry him, I'll be Countess Longbottom, regardless of how common you think I am."

Astoria raised an eyebrow, "You can put a monkey in a spacesuit and stick it in a rocket, but that doesn't make it an astronaut."

Lilly got to her feet and reached for her wand, "And princesses look innocent until their sex tape gets leaked."

"Oh, for the love of the founders," Daphne muttered as she got to her feet and stepped in-between the two women, "Astoria, stop speaking before Lilly seriously hurts you."

Astoria glared at Lilly but didn't say anything.

Lilly rolled her eyes and holstered her wand, "I'm going downstairs for a coffee. Think about those options, Daph."

"I will, Lil."

When she left the room, Astoria scoffed and said, "She is impossible! She is rude and coarse and opinionated!"

"I know," Daphne said with a smirk, "I love her."

Astoria glared at her sister, "I give up on you."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Morning, guys!" Blanche chirped as they walked to their Monday morning class together, "Want to see a cute baby picture?"

"Oh, come on, you know me," Harry grinned, "I always want to see a cute baby picture of my goddaughter."

Blanche pulled a polaroid of Hope out of her pocket and said, "She's holding her head up really well now. Isn't she adorable?"

"She's sweet," Harry said with a smile, "How's the house coming along?"

"Good," Blanche replied, "W – They – move into it in a couple of days."

Harry shot her a grin. He had spotted her little slip-up, "We?" He mouthed.

Blanche rolled her eyes, "Shut up," she said simply as she put the picture back into her robes.

At that point, Harry said, "Well, bye guys! Have fun in Muggle Relations. I'm off to take a nap!"

Emily shot Harry an amused look, "I'm going to get some extra duelling practice in. Do you want to join me?"

"Nope. My part werewolf son chewed through everything soft on his bed last night. Daph and I were using 'reparo' for about an hour. It really doesn't work on a feathered duvet, by the way."

Neville sniggered in amusement.

"So I'm going to head up the common room, you know the one that we never use? And I'm gonna sleep for a whole, glorious, golden hour," Harry said cheerfully.

"Thanks for the moral support, mate!" Neville called after him.

"You're welcome!" Harry called back.

"Do you reckon Hermione's teaching is going to make this week easier?" Theo asked Draco in a whisper.

"I doubt it," Draco replied, "Those muggle TV shows seem a bit far-fetched."

Neville snorted in amusement but said no more on the subject as they all took their seats.

Carter smiled at them all, "Morning guys! Today you're going to be heading up to Scotland to work with the muggle police on a murder case."

Draco and Theo shared a grin.

"Yes!" They exclaimed in unison.

Carter raised an eyebrow at them, "Are you fond of Scotland, boys?"

"No, ma'am," Theo replied, "But I guess this means the six hours of "Taggart" that his missus subjected us to last night will come in handy."

"Subjected you to?" Carter asked.

"She bound us to the sofa until it was finished," Theo explained.

"Then gave us a pop quiz."

"I…I think I've heard enough," Carter said while Neville roared with laughter.

Later that day, the Auror trainees were gathered together in the lecture hall that they had gone to for the selection process.

"Good morning, recruits!" Sumner boomed, "As we near December, we inevitably near Christmas. You will do well to learn early on that Christmas is a luxury that we cannot always afford in this job. Every year someone has to man the ship while everyone else gets pissed and starts family arguments."

There was a general snort of agreement.

"So," Sumner continued, "The two trainees who are on Christmas duty this year are Recruit Nott and…Recruit Potter."

Harry had to fight to keep the disappointment from his face. It was his first Christmas with Teddy. Daphne had been looking forward to it so much as they worked out what gifts to get him and what family traditions they would implement. The thought of missing that to work made him feel sick to his stomach.

He glanced over at Theo. He looked equally as disappointed.

"Is that a problem?" Sumner asked.

"No, sir," Harry and Theo both replied.

"Good, dismissed then Recruits!"

"Harry, you alright?"

Harry sighed and nodded as he and Neville walked out of the centre together, "Yeah, just a bit down. You know it's Teddy's first Christmas with us as his parents, and I just…I'm gutted that I'll not be there."

"And Daph is going to go mental, isn't she?"

"Fair chance, yeah," Harry said, rubbing his eyes, "But it is what it is. Sumner is right…this is going to happen in our line of work."

"Still," Neville frowned, "It's Teddy's first Christmas with you guys."

"It is what it is, Nev," Harry said stiffly, "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Neville said, frowning deeply as he apparated back to Longbottom House.

"Hey, Draco, what's up?" Theo asked as he stood at the doorway that connected their basements.

"I just wanted to check that you were okay with the whole Christmas thing?" Draco said.

Theo sighed, "I just have to be, don't I? Sadie's upset obviously because her family are big on Christmas and she's pregnant and emotional, but at least this way, I'll probably get next Christmas off with the babies."

"I know," Draco frowned, "But it doesn't feel fair, does it?"

"Life is hardly fair," Theo pointed out, "Are you coming in for a drink or are you just going to hover in the doorway all night?"

Draco glanced at the time, "I'll come in for a drink, but don't tell Hermione."

"Deal."

"Would you mind if I had to work on Christmas Day?"

Lilly looked up with a frown, "You guys have to work Christmas?"

"Just two of us," Neville said, "But if I had to, would you mind?"

"I won't lie and say that I wouldn't be upset because I would be," Lilly replied, "But I would understand. We would just have to make the best of it and have a Christmas Night instead of a Christmas Day."

Neville breathed out a sigh of relief, "Thank you. I need to talk to Sumner on Monday morning and ask to take Harry's place. They put Harry and Theo on Christmas Day."

"The one with a kid and the one with two kids on the way?" Lilly asked in disbelief, "That's a bit insensitive."

"I know," Neville agreed, "And it's Harry's first Christmas with Teddy since the adoption. He can't miss that."

"No, he can't," Lilly said with a nod, "As much as it will suck not to spend Christmas with you, it's far more important that Harry gets to spend it with his son."

Neville smiled and kissed her, "You're a beautiful person, inside and out, and I love you so damn much for it."

Lilly smiled into the kiss and mumbled, "Closet Hufflepuff right here."

"You and me both, baby," Neville said, deepening the kiss and backing her up against the kitchen worktop.

"Love?"

Hermione glanced up from her paperwork, "Yeah?"

"How would you feel about me working Christmas?" Draco asked cautiously, "I know we're supposed to be spending it with your family this year."

"If you have to work, my parents would understand," Hermione assured him, "And so would I, as much as I would miss you."

"Two of us have to stay on duty for Christmas," Draco explained, "The two who were allocated the job were Harry and Theo."

Hermione scoffed, "That's stupid."

"I kind of thought the same thing," Draco sighed, "So I thought if I volunteered, then Theo wouldn't have to work it, and he could spend it with Sadie. Merlin knows she needs him right now."

"Of course she does," Hermione agreed, "She's having a horrible time of it with her pregnancy. On the bright side, twins are almost always born early, so hopefully, her ordeal will be over sooner than she expects."

Draco hummed thoughtfully, "Thank you."

"What for?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Being so open and accommodating," Draco said, kissing her on the forehead, "You understand my job and don't question it. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that."

Hermione smiled, "I just spent two months working in the Auror department. What you do for our country is a noble thing, Draco. I won't begrudge little things like missed Christmases or birthdays for the sake of that."

"Still," Draco said, holding her chin in his hand so that she was forced to look him in the eye, "I love you all the more for it."

Hermione smiled and kissed him softly, "I love you too."

"Excuse me, sir," Neville said, jogging alongside Sumner on Monday morning as they did their loop of the track.

"Yes, Longbottom?"

"I wanted to ask you if you would switch Harry and me for Christmas duty," Neville said.

"You want to do Christmas duty?" Sumner asked in disbelief.

"Not really, sir, but Harry can't do it," Neville said, "He would never say anything, but it's his first Christmas since he and Daphne adopted their little boy. He can't miss that sir, he shouldn't have to, and my fiancé is fine with me having to work, so if you could swap us out, I would appreciate it very much."

Sumner surveyed him for a moment, "I will think about your offer Longbottom," he said before picking up the pace and running ahead of Neville.

Neville sighed and dropped back slightly. At the very least, he could say that he had tried.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in."

Draco stepped into Sumner's office, "Sorry to bother you at the end of the day, sir."

Sumner shook his head, "What can I do for you, Recruit Black?"

"I just wondered, sir…is it possible to change the roster for Christmas Day? I just feel like Theo should be at home with his wife. She is pregnant with their twins, and she needs him, especially at a time like Christmas. I, on the other hand, would be forced to spend Christmas dinner with my future wife's in-laws, who are very boring dentists, so I would quite happily switch places with him."

Sumner leaned back in his chair and smirked.

"If that's possible, sir," Draco added.

Sumner hummed, "That is an interesting perspective, Recruit Black. I will think about your offer."

"Right," Draco said. He took a step back towards the door.

"Dismissed Black!"

"Yes, sir," Draco said, exiting the office as quickly as he had entered it.

The following morning, the recruits were all called back to the lecture theatre, and Sumner stood to talk to them all once more.

"Good morning again, recruits!"

They all echoed a 'good morning' back at Sumner.

"You are gathered here today because I told you all a little lie yesterday. Once you qualify as an Auror, you will be required to work Christmas, but right now, you are not. I simply used the timing to set you a small task which you all passed. I needed to see if those with loyalties out-with Auror training would put their family or their career first and Recruits Potter and Nott, you both put your career first so passed with flying colours."

"I also wanted to test your bond with your Auror partner," Sumner added, "Since both Recruits Longbottom and Black came to me and asked to switch places with their partner, you both pass too."

Maxwell Harper raised a hand, "Why didn't you test us, sir?"

"Because Harper, the rest of you haven't been doing well enough to warrant it."

The others snorted in amusement at this witty retort.

Harry shot Neville a grin, "Thanks, Nev," he murmured under his breath.

"Don't mention it," Neville said calmly.

On their other side, Theo was hugging Draco in a theatrical, overly affectionate show of thanks. And Draco was grumbling while he tried to shake him off.

Harry snorted, "Some things never change."

"Clearly," Neville said through his laughter.

"So," Harry said, cornering Daphne in the kitchen of Potter Manor one evening early in December, "How do we keep a secret wedding a secret then?"

Daphne smirked, "Don't worry, I have it all planned out. Everyone already knows that we are having a huge New Years Eve party starting at 7 pm. That's actually going to be our wedding reception, but they won't know until they get here."

"Right," Harry said, "And what about the others? I mean, should we tell anyone else?"

Daphne shook her head, "As it stands, the only people who are in on the secret are my father, Astoria, Neville and Lilly. I'm thinking we ask the bridal party and the groomsmen to come over earlier to help set the party up, and then when they get here, we tell them that they are actually at our wedding."

Harry chuckled, "Yeah…that works."

"And as for keeping it secret? There's only a month to go, and with everyone getting so excited about Christmas, I doubt they will notice anything amiss with us."

"Alright, you have it all under control," Harry agreed with a smile, "Of course you do. I'm sorry that I ever doubted you."

Daphne grinned at him, "You should be," she smirked as she stepped out of the kitchen.

"Have you ever heard of polyjuice prostitution?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at his best friend, "This is what you wanted to meet up and talk about a week before Christmas?"

"Seriously, Harry, have you heard of it?"

"No," Harry said, handing Hermione a cinnamon latte and heading out into the frosty park with her, "Why?"

"Because I unearthed it while working for the Hit Wizards last month, and it is beyond wrong," Hermione told him, "There is a brothel in Knockturn Alley."

"I know, prostitution isn't illegal in wizarding Britain," Harry said in an undertone.

"It should be," Hermione muttered, "But that's not the point anyway, well not really. This particular brothel uses polyjuice potion, so this is how it works. You get the hair of someone you want to sleep with, take it to this brothel, pay a fortune, and you get one hour with that person."

Harry frowned, "That's…."

"Disgusting?"

"How is that not illegal?"

Hermione shrugged, "If I knew, I would tell you. I asked Draco if he would propose it to Kingsley when the Wizengamot meets tomorrow for the last session before Christmas, but he was pretty reluctant."

"Well, I can understand why," Harry admitted, "We have only sat in on a few sessions. It would look like we were pushy if we tried to propose laws so soon."

"But you know Kingsley," Hermione pushed, "And you don't normally care about doing the right thing, even if other people don't want you to."

Harry smiled at her, "I'll propose the law, but don't get your hopes up. They might not allow it with me being a new member and all."

Hermione beamed and shoved a folder into his hands, "Here's the proposal. Just drop it into Kingsley's office when you get a chance."

Harry shook his head in disbelief, "You are way too organised for your own good, and you owe me big time for this one, by the way," he said as he walked away from her.

"I know!" Hermione called after him.

"Draco," Hermione said as she slid a plate of food onto the table, "Don't get annoyed with me but…I sort of asked Harry to put forward that law for the Wizengamot to consider."

Draco looked up at her in disbelief, "Seriously? I said no, so you ran to Harry, who you know is superior to me?"

"It has nothing to do with titles or how much respect one family apparently has," Hermione said shortly, "It has everything to do with the fact I saw the case files of the girls working in that disgusting place! I saw how young they were, I saw their horrific backstories, and I saw how they had been forced into that life. It is so goddamn wrong, Draco! I think of how those girls will spend Christmas this year, and I feel sick, so I need that law to be proposed! I went to Harry because you weren't willing to put it forward, and I understand why, Harry did too."

"But Harry doesn't mind putting his neck on the line because he never has done," Draco said testily.

"Harry doesn't care about politics in the same way that you and Daphne do," Hermione argued.

"I hate to break it to you, Hermione," Draco cut in, "But Harry is Marquiss Potter now, and Neville is Earl Longbottom. They care about politics because they have to, whether they like it or not."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest huffily, and Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Harry just wants to do the right thing, regardless of how many people it pisses off or how many noses it puts out of joint," Hermione countered, "You play the long game, the clever, political game which is incredibly intelligent of you but Harry doesn't have that in him."

"So what you are saying, in a particularly roundabout way," Draco said with a slight smirk, "Is that you just used your best friend?"

"I…" Hermione cut herself off.

Draco's smirk widened, "My my, Hermione Granger, I really have rubbed off on you."

Hermione glared at him, "I didn't use him-"

"So asking him to do it because you know he doesn't understand politics enough to say no, wasn't using him?" Draco countered. He leant back in his chair and surveyed her.

Hermione sighed heavily and sat down across from her fiancé, "So maybe I did use him a little bit. Why do you look so happy about it?"

Draco laughed, "I just think that I have trained you well, young padawan."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I'm regretting showing you Muggle movies for that damned class of yours."

"Hey, I got an A in that class thanks to you," Draco said with a smile, "Harry and Neville got a bloody O obviously, but an A is still a pass. You must be a good teacher."

Hermione smirked at him, "Obviously."

"Hey babe," Daphne said, kissing Harry lightly and putting a plate down on the table when he walked into the kitchen, "How was your day?"

"Good, how was yours?" Harry asked, hanging up his coat and sitting down.

"Busy," Daphne replied. She put a plate down in front of Teddy on the high chair and said, "Now, if you throw that on the floor, there will be no jelly."

"Uh-huh."

Harry chuckled, "You're more of a domestic goddess than usual today. Did you break a particularly difficult curse, or do you have bad news?"

"It's a bit of both," Daphne admitted, "We did have a pretty interesting but creepy curse today. It looked like a haunted house, but it was a cursed chest in the basement with a," she looked at Teddy, who was busy stuffing his face with mashed potato then mouthed to Harry, "body inside."

Harry frowned, "Yep, that's creepy."

"And Bill is more mopey than usual at the moment too," Daphne added with a wave of her hand, "But the other thing is, I finished early today, so I visited Dad in the hospital."

"Yeah? How is he doing?"

"Good," Daphne replied, "They are happy to discharge him at the end of the week, but until he's properly on his feet again, they will only discharge him into the care of a relative and Astoria has such a tiny flat-"

"Of course he can stay here," Harry interjected to save her having to go off on a tangent.

Daphne breathed a sigh of relief, "Are you sure? He is difficult when you have to spend a lot of time with him, and it means our free time will be even less our free time than it is right now."

"And it's not going to be forever, just until he's walking by himself and eating properly again," Harry said, "So it's fine. Can you get away early on Friday to pick him up?"

"I doubt it. Bill and I have that international case over in Belgium on Thursday, and unless it's a quick one to close, I don't think I'll be back," Daphne admitted, "I was going to ask if you could do it?"

"I can't on Fridays Daph, I have the simulation room all afternoon," Harry reminded her.

Daphne cursed under her breath, then frowned, "I suppose we could always ask Narcissa to do it?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at him, "Are you trying to set your dad up with Draco's mum?"

"No," Daphne said, making a face, "The thought is horrific, but she would do it. My dad is her friend."

Harry nodded, "She would do it; you're right. Whose dropping Teddy off tomorrow morning?"

"You are. I'm off to Surrey first thing," Daphne replied.

"Alright, I'll ask her when I drop in then. Are you picking him up tomorrow? I've got the last session with the Wizengamot before the Christmas break," Harry said, glancing over at his little boy.

"I know, I'll be fine to pick him up," Daphne replied.

"How has he been today?" Harry asked conversationally.

"Hyper since I picked him up," Daphne chuckled, "He had fun visiting Dad at the hospital. Andromeda said he had been pretty quiet today, though."

"We'll keep an eye on him," Harry said, cocking his head at the little boy.

Teddy looked up with a mouthful of carrot and grinned.

Daphne chuckled in amusement, "Agreed, but I'm pretty sure he's adjusting just fine."

"Me too," Harry said through his laughter.

"Hey! How did it go?"

"Sweet Salazar!" Draco jumped.

"Sorry," Hermione said sheepishly.

"You could have let me take my coat off before you jumped on me," Draco said, hanging his coat and scarf up, "Have you been waiting in the hall?"

"No, I just came in when I heard the front door," Hermione admitted sheepishly, "So how did it go?"

"It's killing you that you can't sit on the Wizengamot, isn't it?"

Hermione scoffed, "It's hardly democratic, is it? Letting the lords of the country decide the laws for all of us."

"Luckily for you, the lords of this country seem to like you," Draco said, shooting her an amused look, "Your golden best friend persuaded Kingsley to propose the law."

"And?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"It passed," Draco replied, "By a landslide vote. Polyjuice prostitution is now illegal, and anyone who runs an illegal brothel, or uses one, will get time in Azkaban."

"What about the girls forced to work there?"

"They will be re-educated and given respectable jobs," Draco replied, smiling softly at Hermione, "You are changing this world Hermione Granger, one favour at a time."

Hermione smiled tearfully and hugged him tightly, "Thank you, Draco!"

* ~ TBC ~ *