* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *
PART FOUR
Brave New World
Chapter 91: All Was Well
"Wolfie!"
Rob rolled his eyes, "Harry, I told you not to call me that."
Harry grinned, "I know. Are you still coming to the party tonight?"
"I said I would, didn't I?" Rob retorted as they walked into the CPS office together.
"I know, but you say things then don't follow through on them quite a lot," Harry said with a shrug.
"I'll be there," Rob said simply, "Did you hunt me down just to bug me or was there an actual reason?"
"There's a reason, we got a call," Harry said, handing him a memo, "It's an interesting one."
Rob looked down at the paper and raised an eyebrow, "That is interesting. Come on then, wonder boy, let's go."
Harry snorted, "I keep telling you, if you don't quit calling me wonder boy, then I'll not quit calling you Wolfie."
"What if I got bitten by a werewolf, huh?" Rob asked, raising an eyebrow at Harry as they walked towards the apparition point, "Then you'd feel bad about calling me Wolfie, wouldn't you?"
"Nah," Harry said with a smirk, "It would just make the nickname more appropriate."
"Damn kid, you are learning too much from me," Rob said, grinning proudly at Harry as they spun on their heels and apparated to the coordinates where the call had come from.
It was an interesting one because it was in Hogsmeade, which was generally considered a rather posh area where you wouldn't expect to find endangered children. As it was, the case revolved around a recently orphaned child who was being neglected by his elderly grandfather.
"Take the kid back to the ministry," Rob said to Harry in an undertone, "Jump through whatever hoops you need to, and get him to Lupin House as soon as you can."
Harry nodded, "What are you going to do?"
"I need to talk to the neighbour who made the call for the report sheet," Rob replied, "If I don't see you back at the office, I'll see you at Draco's place tonight for the party."
"Alright, see you later, Rob," Harry said, kneeling to explain what was going to happen to the little boy who they had just recovered.
Rob left the house and walked the short distance down the street to a small, quaint bungalow with roses growing in the front garden. He knocked at the door, and shortly after, a woman answered.
"Hi there, ma'am," Rob began to say before he really looked at the woman, "I'm …sorry, I need to talk to you about the call you made to the Auror department."
"Of course," She said, she smiled, and it looked so familiar, "Come in."
Rob did. He drank a cup of tea while she gave him all of the details. It didn't cross his mind that he didn't like tea. He was just drawn in by this woman. He had felt an instant connection with her, and she looked so beautiful but also so familiar. It was her heart-shaped face, her deep brown curls, that friendly smile and her eyes…there was something about those hazel eyes.
When he had finished filling in his report, Rob looked up at her and frowned.
"You have been looking at me very strangely, Auror," The woman, who had introduced herself as Jennifer, said.
"Sorry," Rob said sheepishly, "I'm not being creepy. You just…you really remind me of someone."
Jennifer raised an eyebrow at him, "Do I?"
Rob couldn't help himself, "What did you say your surname was?"
"I didn't," Jennifer said, "But since you asked, it's Weir."
"Weir?" Rob asked, his eyes widening, "Like Elizabeth Weir? Are you related to Lizzie?"
Jennifer smiled, "Yes, she's my older sister."
"Sister?" Rob asked, his eyes still far wider than usual, "She has a sister? Why didn't she tell me that she had a sister?"
Jennifer frowned, "Wait a minute…did you say, Lizzie?"
"Uh, yeah," Rob replied, looking up at her, "Why?"
"Oh, sweet Salazar, you're Rob!"
Rob's frown deepened, "Yeah…what, does nobody else call her Lizzie?"
"No," Jennifer replied, chuckling, "She hates it."
"And why did you say, you're Rob, like that?" Rob asked as an afterthought, "And did you say 'Sweet Salazar'? Were you in Slytherin?"
Jennifer smiled at him in amusement, "Yes, I was in Slytherin. And the reason I was surprised was because Elizabeth never mentioned the fact that you were Irish or that you were so…" she raised an eyebrow at him, "Athletically inclined."
At this, Rob grinned, "Didn't she? Probably too busy gushing over Shep, I suppose."
"Something like that," Jennifer agreed.
Rob chuckled and looked up at her again, "Right, well, if this is forward and weird, I'm sorry cause I've been out of the game a long time. But do you fancy coming with me to a party tonight? I'm only going because the Junior Aurors invited me, but they are all children, so I'm going to feel like an old man, and it would be nice to have some company."
"Is Elizabeth going?" Jennifer asked cautiously.
"Nah, she never goes out with the Juniors," Rob said with a wave of his hand, "She says it's unprofessional,"
"It is kind of unprofessional," Jennifer pointed out.
"Maybe, but it's also useful. When they are in a social setting, they are more relaxed, which means I can get to know them better, and by knowing them, I can tell when something is up with them," Rob explained, "And that's a pretty vital thing to be able to tell when you work in a dangerous environment."
Jennifer smiled, "Sounds like you care about them a lot."
"Yeah, well, don't tell them this, but I do," Rob said with a shrug.
Jennifer's smile widened, "Yes, I would like to go to the party with you."
Rob grinned, "Great! There's only one catch."
"Which is?" Jennifer asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"It's a Eurovision party," Rob admitted.
"A what?"
"It's a muggle thing, and it means you need to wear something neon, apparently," Rob explained.
"Okay," Jennifer said, she shrugged, "You have to try everything once, I guess, right?"
"Right," Rob agreed with a grin, "That is a good life motto. I'm with you on that."
Jennifer chuckled, "See you tonight then, Rob."
"See you later, Jenny," Rob said, winking at her and letting himself out of the house.
"I cannot believe I agreed to this."
Hermione grinned at Draco, "You look great."
"I look like a complete fool," Draco said as he looked down at the bright neon clothes Hermione had managed to convince him to wear.
Hermione herself looked ridiculous in a neon yellow skirt with a neon blue top and a pink feather boa, "It's fun, Draco, I can't believe you've never watched Eurovision before!"
"I've never watched it because it's a piece of muggle crap," Draco complained, "Is this why you insisted on having electricity put into the house?"
"I like electricity," Hermione remarked as the doorbell rang, "And you like this house, even though you pretend you don't. Get the door."
"Like this?" Draco asked. He threw himself down on the sofa, "It's your party, you get the door!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and walked down the stairs towards the front door while Draco poured himself a glass of firewhiskey. She yanked open the door and grinned when she saw Harry and Daphne on the doorstep dressed up in the 'neon' dress code Hermione had specified. Harry was lucky. He had gotten away with a bright green t-shirt, and Daphne being Daphne, was in a tight-fitting bright pink neon dress and yellow high-heels.
"You look great!" Hermione said. She hugged them both as she ushered them in to where Draco was sulking in the living room. Harry laughed out loud when he saw Draco in tight neon green trousers with a yellow top, "Nice look, mate," he remarked as he sat down next to him on the sofa and grabbed a butterbeer.
Daphne smirked, "Really suits you, Draco," she said in amusement, "Hermione's doing?"
"Do you really think I'd dress like this of my own accord?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Who knows what you and Theo do in the bedroom," Daphne said with a grin.
Hermione burst out laughing while Draco just sulked harder than ever before. As she giggled, Hermione said, "Sorry love, but I do think it kind of suits you."
At that point, the floo whirred to life. This time it was Neville and Lilly who were a little more lowkey with their choice of outfits than Harry and Daphne, but they still looked great.
"Hey!" Hermione said, "I'm so glad you could make it."
"I have no idea what Eurovision is, but it sounds fun," Neville said in amusement.
"This party is a great idea, Hermione," Lilly agreed.
"It will be fun," Hermione said happily.
"Wicked," Neville said. He walked into the drawing-room just as Theo and Sadie appeared in the doorway, having let themselves in through the adjoining door downstairs.
"How did the babies settle for your brother and Clara?"
"Fine, but we might get a call for help in half an hour," Sadie said with an amused chuckle.
"Nah, Clara will be fine. If it were Sorenson on his own, we'd be screwed," Theo said with a grin.
Theo had gone all out and was wearing neon pink trousers, green trainers and a neon blue t-shirt, whereas Sadie was far more modest in a green dress.
Hermione laughed, "I'm glad you managed to get a sitter so you could make it," she said, kissing Sadie on the cheek, "You look great, Sadie."
"Bloody amazing for someone who gave birth a few months ago," Daphne agreed, hugging her friend tightly.
Bill and Charlie arrived next, which made sense since Bill was currently living with Charlie. Alongside were their dates, Astoria and Lara.
Hermione greeted them both warmly, and Daphne shot Bill a smug grin. He had just started seeing Lara, rather than helping her out as a friend, and Daphne was adamant that it was all thanks to her meddling. Charlie and Astoria were doing well, despite not having moved in together yet. Taking things slower seemed to be working well for them. Bill and Charlie hadn't made much effort, they had neon shoelaces that glowed in the dark, but the women had made a bit more effort. Lara wore a neon pink skirt and, like Hermione, had a feather boa. Astoria had put a classy spin on the theme with a neon blue tea dress.
After that, Percy and Susan arrived via floo.
"Wow, this party makes my head hurt," Percy said, blinking in the sight of all the neon people.
Susan did a twirl and grinned, "This is my scene!"
They all laughed at her. She had almost every neon colour you could imagine on with a neon yellow dress and about 20 bracelets and necklaces, some of which were made out of glowsticks.
Hermione hugged Susan and chuckled at the look of exasperation on Percy's face. At that point, Ron and Ginny arrived.
"You guys made it!" Hermione said, "Come in, come in!" she hugged them both and, once they were in, shut the door.
"Ron, you didn't wear neon!" Hermione objected.
"Of course he didn't," Ginny said in amusement.
"I didn't think you were serious," Ron remarked, "Did everyone else dress up?"
Ginny burst out laughing as they walked into the drawing-room, "Looks like it, Ron," she said. She was referring specifically to Theo and Draco with their tight-fitting neon trousers. Ginny herself was wearing a bright blue dress, so she had done her part.
The doorbell rang again.
"That will be Rob," Hermione said, looking at Draco, "You can get it."
Draco huffed, "I am not answering the door looking like this!"
"He'll see you in two minutes anyway!" Hermione exclaimed, "Get the bloody door!"
Draco pushed himself to his feet and strutted off in the huff. He opened the front door and looked at Rob. He could tell that his boss was struggling to hold it together.
"You look fucking ridiculous, mate," Rob said, sniggering at the outfit.
"I know, blame the bloody muggle-born I asked to marry me," Draco said with a roll of his eyes, "Eurovision."
"Watch it. I'm a muggle-born," Rob reminded him as he stepped into the hallway after Draco.
"I don't have anything against muggle-borns," Draco said honestly, "Neon outfits and Eurovision though….that's a different story."
"And that is why I've never been to a Eurovision party before," Rob said dryly.
"You didn't have to come," Draco pointed out, "You could have used the whole, I don't like socialising with you guys because you're too young excuse that Elizabeth goes with every time."
"Well, I could," Rob admitted, "But I'm not Elizabeth, am I? I'm far more fun."
"But about as into Sheppard as she is," Harry said, smirking from the top of the stairs.
Rob rolled his eyes, "You know fine well why we were in that store cupboard Potter! You were there too!"
Jennifer shot Rob an amused look, "Is this the real reason you like hanging out with the Juniors?"
"No, that came out wrong," Rob said, glaring up at Harry.
Harry just grinned, "Going to introduce us to your date?"
"Yes, she's called Jenny," Rob said with a roll of his eyes, "Jenny, this is Draco. He's an idiot who is not a very good Auror. This is Harry, you've probably heard of him, he killed some bad wizard, saved the world or something, but he's a total prick."
"Okay, so first things first, my name is Jennifer," Jennifer said matter of factly, "Despite what Robert decides to call me. Also, it might be useful for you all to know that I'm a high ranking Democrat in the Department of International Magical Co-operation, so I know things, and I know how to make other people do the things I would like them to do."
Draco grinned, "Oh, this is good. You really know how to pick them, don't you Rob?"
At this, Rob just sighed half-heartedly.
Jennifer smirked, "Did you also know that your boss is of German descent and his real name is actual Robert Wolfenstein? There's a little fact for you, and I know a lot more, so every time he calls me Jenny, I'll pull another little fun fact out for you all."
Harry laughed loudly, "Oh, this could be a fun night, Rob. The only other person I've seen put you down that hard is…" he trailed off, and his eyes widened, "Wait a minute! You look exactly like her!"
Draco realised it a few seconds after Harry. His jaw dropped, "Your surname doesn't happen to be Weir, does it?"
"It does," Jennifer said, smiling sweetly at them.
"You're dating Elizabeth's sister?" Harry and Draco asked in unison.
"I asked her out on a date. We're not dating," Rob said, looking over at Jennifer, "Are we?"
"That depends on how tonight goes," Jennifer said with a sly smile.
"Wow," Harry said, "She's going to kill you."
Draco nodded, "Yep, it's going to be our next case, isn't it? Monday morning, we all get dragged into the corridor to a big meeting."
"Sumner puts on his best sad face and says, I am very sorry to tell you all that over the weekend, Auror Wolfe was in a bad accident. Not at all suspicious, just an accident sort of accident. He was a great Auror, nobody liked him, we shut him in a corner with some house-elves for five years, but he was a great Auror," Harry continued in jest.
"You guys are all fired," Rob said, practically huffing, "Go work in Vice or some other department that is way less cool than CPS."
"I can't work in Vice. I can't wear sunglasses," Harry said, motioning to his glasses.
"And I can't handle working with Mitchell," Draco said distastefully.
Jennifer grinned, "I like you kids. I see why you hang out with them now, Rob. They are wise beyond their years and sneaky. I love the sneakiness. Were you two boys in Slytherin?"
"I was," Draco said proudly, "Golden boy over there wasn't. He was in Gryffindor."
"I was a hat stall!" Harry pointed out.
"You two are married or nearly married. Quit trying to impress my not-girlfriend!" Rob exclaimed.
Draco snorted, "Come on, we better join the party before Hermione sends out a search party. Didn't you get the memo about neon, by the way, Rob?"
"I don't do neon," Rob said, "I am a hard arse Auror, not some pansy Junior-"
"Rob, you worked Domestics on your own for five years because you pissed off every Auror in the department," Harry pointed out as they reached the drawing-room, "You're not a hotshot."
Rob glared at him, and Jennifer struggled to hold back a chuckle. They stepped into the busy drawing-room together, and Neville immediately noticed that he wasn't alone.
"Robs got a date."
Rob rolled his eyes, "Yes, I do. Junior Aurors who I have the misfortune of working with, and the rest of you, this is Jennifer."
Jennifer smiled and raised a hand to wave at them all.
"You look kind of familiar, Jennifer," Theo said as he walked over to shake her hand.
Jennifer smiled, "You probably know my older sister, Elizabeth."
Theo and Neville looked at Rob in disbelief.
"Elizabeth?" Theo asked in shock.
Neville snorted, "Nice knowing you, Rob!"
"Fuck off, Fatbottom," Rob retorted.
Neville rolled his eyes, and Jennifer smacked Rob around the head, "Don't insult him for his surname. That name belonged to two of the greatest Aurors of our generation, you arsehole."
Rob snorted, "Well, what else can I slag him off for? He's like the bloody wonder kid over there. He's too damn good at his job! See these two, killing dark lords and beheading snakes before their 20th fucking birthdays."
"I'm sorry, did you just say beheading snakes?" Jennifer asked.
Neville grinned, "Yes, it's a cool story. It involves a cardigan and the sword of Gryffindor. Come on; I'll show you to the drinks cabinet and tell you all about it."
"And now he's stealing my not-girlfriend," Rob said with a shake of his head as Neville and Jennifer walked away together, "It's like Lizzie and Shep all over again."
Lilly stepped up next to Rob and said, "If he's stealing your not-girlfriend, he'll not have balls in the morning.
Rob raised an eyebrow at her, "Who are you again?"
"Lilly Moon, trauma healer, best in my year," Lilly said with a smirk, "And fiancé of Neville Longbottom."
Rob grinned, "I like you."
On the other side of the room, Draco, Harry and Theo discussed Rob's choice of date.
"He's dating Elizabeth's sister," Harry said with a shake of his head.
"He must have a type," Theo mused, "But then I guess I have a type. I mean, Daphne and Sadie look quite alike."
"Daphne never so much as kissed you," Harry snorted.
"Doesn't mean I never fantasised about it," Theo pointed out.
Harry made a face, "She's your cousin!"
"She's your second cousin, and you married her," Theo pointed out.
"Good point," Harry muttered distastefully, "That's enough about that. But seriously, don't you think it's weird?"
Draco shrugged, "It's weird, but I guess it kind of makes sense."
Theo nodded thoughtfully, "If you can't get the girl, right?"
"Get the girls sister apparently," Harry snorted.
"Younger sister," Draco grinned.
"Elizabeth is going to go nuts when she finds out," Harry snickered.
"Oh, I need to be there to see that," Draco chuckled.
"Right!" Hermione said loudly as she turned the television on, "Let's get started now that everyone is here!"
"What about Luna?" Ginny asked as she sat down on a giant beanbag and helped herself to a drink.
"She said she was busy," Hermione shrugged, "She's probably on another continent knowing her."
"Probably," Harry agreed with a chuckle.
Hermione smiled and turned the volume on the TV up, "Alright, everyone. It's starting; the UK are last this year, so plenty of time to get drinking!"
"What the hell is the point of this thing?" Theo asked as he grabbed a firewhiskey, "I just liked the idea of alcohol and dressing up."
"Every country in the final sings a song, and the rest of Europe votes!" Hermione said happily, "It's great fun."
"How is that fun?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Wait till you see the stuff they do," Harry said in amusement. He had seen bits of Eurovision growing up because the Dursleys had watched it every year.
"Oh, Ukraine is first!" Hermione said as she handed out drinks and turned the television up.
"What the hell is that?" Theo asked in disbelief.
"Is it a hamster wheel?" Lilly asked as she looked closer.
"That man is in a hamster wheel!" Sadie exclaimed.
"Hermione, what kind of weird Muggle shit is this?" Draco asked as the man in the hamster wheel started dancing while the woman sang a song about a clock or something like that.
"This is my culture Draco. If you want to marry me, deal with it!" Hermione said. She was mildly offended.
"Some fucking culture," Theo muttered under his breath.
"To be fair, Hermione," Lara cut in with an amused smile, "This is not the best of muggle culture."
"You make a fair point," Hermione admitted sheepishly as Sadie whacked Theo around the head for his previous comment.
Ron was watching the screen in amusement, "I feel like I'm on drugs or something…."
Harry snorted in amusement and glanced at Hermione, "This is nothing, trust me."
Hermione nodded her agreement, "He's right."
"Great!" Neville exclaimed, "This is fantastic."
Lilly laughed, "I've always liked it," she admitted, "Even if the UK hasn't won in years."
They made small-talk until the next song caught their attention.
"Is he singing about cheesecake?" Daphne asked with a frown.
"Uh, yeah," Hermione giggled.
"My kind of song," Theo said as he bopped along to the music.
Sadie rolled her eyes, "Shut up, you prat," she laughed.
Draco just shook his head in disbelief. He still wasn't convinced by the show, "Muggles do weird things for entertainment."
"They would probably think that Quidditch is weird," Harry pointed out.
"And using owls to deliver post," Hermione added.
"And the fact we still use quills and parchment," Lilly said, "They stopped using that centuries ago. We're so backwards. I mean, are there even any openly gay people in the wizarding world?"
"Yes," Theo and Draco echoed. They shared an amused look with Sadie and Daphne.
"Do tell," Harry said in amusement.
"Slytherin common room," The four said in unison, and the others laughed loudly.
"Everyone's had a crush on a bloke at some point, let's be honest, no matter how straight they are," Rob said.
"Even Harry had his thing with Cedric," Daphne said.
"I didn't have a thing with Cedric!" Harry objected.
"See?" Neville grinned, "Told you that everyone thought you were together."
"I thought you were taking the piss," Harry said as he looked around at the people he had been at school with, "Did everyone think I was with Cedric?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Susan replied, "Wayne Hopkins heard Cedric telling you that the Prefects bathroom was a good place for a bath and everyone was like wow, Harry Potter is punching this year."
Daphne nodded, "The whole school shipped you."
"Shipped us?" Harry echoed while Ron guffawed with laughter.
"She means they were all rooting for you to get together," Hermione said with an amused smile.
"We had a name for you and everything," Lilly piped up.
"You didn't?" Rob asked with a grin.
"We did," Lilly smirked.
"Everyone called it Harric," Sadie said.
"How the hell did I not notice this going on around me all year?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"Merlin knows, but you didn't notice a lot of stuff," Theo said with a shrug, "Like Draco's blatant crush on you-"
"- I never had a crush on him."
"Perfect Potter with his scar and his broomstick and his mesmerising green eyes – I hate him!"
Sadie, Theo and Daphne chorused.
Harry burst out laughing while Draco's cheeks turned bright red, "I was 12 years old when I said that, fuck you all!"
Lilly sniggered, "There's no shame in fancying Cedric, you know, Harry. Everyone did that year."
"I didn't," Hermione confessed.
"Well, of course, you didn't," Sadie said, "You liked Krum, but then again, you always have had a thing for the bad boys, haven't you?"
Hermione's cheeks flushed, and Draco grinned smugly.
"And I didn't fancy Cedric," Daphne remarked, "I preferred Fleur."
Bill snorted, "You would! She looks like you, and you'd shag yourself given half a chance."
"Of course I would. I'd be fantastic in bed," Daphne remarked.
Theo grinned, and Harry said, "Just occasionally, I can tell that you two are related."
Theo laughed, but Daphne glared at her husband in jest, "Now that's just offensive."
The others laughed, but then their attention was drawn back to the television.
"Wow. What is that?"
"The outfits are bright," Astoria pointed out.
"I like it," Hermione said as she bopped to the music.
"It's pretty good," Draco said. He was tapping his foot along to the catchy music.
"Oh my god," Hermione grinned, "Draco, you're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Draco scoffed, "Of course not."
"Yes, you are," Harry chortled, "You wanna sing along, really."
"No, I don't," Draco assured them.
"I'd vote for that," Daphne said with a chuckle, "Go Iceland!"
Hermione laughed, and they skipped over the next song, which was a slow love ballad. They spent that time taking the piss out of Draco for actually enjoying doing something Muggle.
"Okay, is that a circular piano?"
"I want a circular piano!"
"Theo, you can't even play the piano!"
"I'd learn if I had a circular one!"
Hermione laughed at the banter between Sadie and Theo; some things didn't change. She sat down next to Draco as Harry poured out drinks and handed them out.
"Is that a rollerblading swan, or am I drunk?" Draco asked casually.
"You're drunk, but that is a rollerblading girl dressed as a swan," Charlie answered.
Harry nodded, "I did tell you it would get weird. Eurovision is a showcase of the crackpots across Europe."
"Dumbledore should have gone on for the UK then," Daphne joked, and Harry shot her a mock glare.
"Sorry," She teased, "I didn't mean to insult your hero."
Hermione snorted in amusement, and Neville and Ron held each other up as they laughed at Harry's expense.
"Woah, what's happening now?" Ron asked. He looked at the television screen as a new song started.
"Uh, this is Poland," Hermione said with a frown, "And it appears to be rather…risqué."
Ginny snorted, "More like porn."
Ron gaped at the skimpy, busty blonde women singing and dancing on the screen.
"Merlin, they're stripping!"
"Draco!"
"And wanking a wooden stick," Theo said matter of factly.
"Churning butter," Sadie said as she glared at her husband.
"This is definitely porn," Rob said.
Jennifer cocked her head at the screen, "Yeah…" she agreed.
Ron was just gaping at the television. Ginny smacked him, "Oi! You are a father, Ronald! Stop drooling over some young blonde things!"
"They are pretty hot, to be fair," Bill said.
"Well, Bill," Charlie grinned, "You are quite partial to young blonde things."
Bill rolled his eyes, "One! I married one young blonde girl, and I'm going to get saddled with that for the rest of my life?"
"Oh yeah!" Charlie said with a grin.
Lara patted him on the back and said with mock sympathy, "Hurts to be a cradle snatcher, right?"
"Lara, you're like two years younger than me!"
At this, the others all burst out laughing. Rob lowered his voice and asked Jennifer, "You know I never asked, but how much younger than Elizabeth, are you?"
"Six years," Jennifer replied.
"Oh man, I'm a cradle snatcher too," Rob said with a shake of his head.
Jennifer just smirked in amusement, "Yep."
Sadie shook her head in amusement and looked at the screen, "As attractive as you all think the women are, the song is rubbish."
"It's catchy," Charlie argued.
"You would say that," Ginny said in amusement, "Honestly, men disgust me!"
"So now you all like my crappy Muggle TV show!" Hermione remarked in amusement.
"Yeah," All the men in the room echoed.
Hermione laughed, they might have grown up in many ways since their Hogwarts days, but some things didn't change.
"Is that a man…or a woman?"
"It's a man dressing up as a woman," Susan said, "It's called drag."
Draco raised an eyebrow, "Well, it's weird."
"For Merlin's sake, Draco!" Hermione exclaimed, "Just because something doesn't fit a perfect prototype doesn't mean it's weird!"
"Yeah, but it's a man with a beard being a woman!" Theo said.
"So?" Lilly asked defiantly, "If he wants to dress up as a woman and keep his beard, he can."
Percy frowned, "The muggle world is strange."
"Nah, the muggle world is open and unprejudiced, unlike the wizarding world," Charlie cut in.
"He's right," Susan agreed, "The wizarding world is the weird one. It's so backwards and old fashioned; this is the 21st century. People can be whatever they want to be."
"Okay, fine," Draco said as he raised his hands in defeat.
"Just listen anyway instead of judging," Rob pointed out, "The bearded girl can sing."
"And it's a good song," Daphne agreed, "I have to applaud the muggle world for being as open as it is. You're right; the wizarding world is backwards."
"Everyone has a right to an opinion," Jennifer said diplomatically, "But this is a party, so let's not express them too much, okay?"
"Ohh, guys, it's France!" Lilly said as she turned back to the TV.
"Who cares about the French?" Harry asked.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "France is lovely. What's wrong with the French?"
"Historically, the English and the French just don't get on," Harry shrugged, "Well, in muggle history anyway. The amount of wars they have fought each other in is ridiculous."
"Well, they were on the same side in World War One and Two," Lara pointed out.
"Yeah, but then there was the Hundred Years War, the Napoleonic Wars…." Harry said.
"Since when did you know so much about muggle history?" Hermione asked in disbelief.
"Since he bought a television set for the house," Daphne said, she rolled her eyes, "When I take Teddy out on a Saturday morning, he watches the History channel."
Hermione laughed, "Draco is fond of Muggle crime dramas…."
Draco snorted, "That was one time. There was nothing else on."
"Yeah, right," Hermione grinned.
"Anyway, the French are pretty crap," Harry said as he gestured to the TV.
"From what I gather, they are singing about moustaches," Jennifer said matter of factly.
"What?"
"Who in their right mind sings about moustaches and cheesecake?" Theo asked in disbelief, "If people enter their ENTIRE COUNTRY into this show to win it, why do they do such ridiculous things?"
"It's kind of a joke these days," Hermione shrugged, "And they obviously thought it was a good idea. If something's funny, people might vote for it."
"This isn't funny. It's just weird," Draco said.
Theo nodded his agreement, "I concur with that comment."
"You would, you'd agree with anything Draco said," Sadie said with an amused glance at her husband, "Sometimes I think you're married to him, not me."
"Well, I would have married him if it was legal. Instead, I'm stuck with you," Theo joked.
"I knew it!" Rob joked.
Harry chuckled and looked at Sadie sympathetically, "How do you put up with him, Sade?"
"Honestly, Harry, some days I ask myself that same question," Sadie admitted with a laugh.
Theo's response was to stick his middle finger up at Harry and say, "Shut up, Scarhead."
"Ah, the age-old insult," Harry said with an air of false nostalgia, "Takes me back to those days when you would all abuse me because you weren't cool enough to be my friends."
"Who'd want to be friends with the golden chosen one?" Draco asked sarcastically.
"All of you lot, apparently," Harry said in amusement, and Daphne chuckled.
They talked and drank throughout the night. They missed a lot of countries and only paid attention to the ones they felt required their attention.
Jennifer nudged Rob, "Look, Rob, Ireland is up next."
Rob stared at the screen in disbelief, "Who…the…fuck…are…Jedward?"
Harry frowned at the screen, "Um…well…they are very expressive, I guess?"
"Expressive?" Rob exclaimed, "They're like the Weasley twins on crack!"
Considering that several Weasley's were in the room, that comment went down rather well because they all saw its funny side.
"What are they singing about?" Lara asked with a frown.
"Lipstick, I think," Draco said in amusement.
"Is this what Ireland is like?" Neville snorted.
"That is not an accurate representation of Ireland!" Rob said, suddenly going more Irish in his defence of his homeland, "Ireland is lush green hills and proper whisky, not the shite you English bastards drink. Ireland is full of farmers, alcoholics, catholic priests and satanic nuns. These two little wankers are not Ireland."
"Alright, Rob," Harry said, shaking with laughter as he patted him on the back, "Calm down, shut your eyes and go to your happy place. Be on that hill in Kildare with the rain coming down and the bagpipes playing in the distance."
"I regret ever letting you practice for your legilimency test on me, you little wanker!"
Jennifer raised an eyebrow at Rob, "Do you think you could be this Irish all the time?" she asked, more than a little suggestively.
"Lizzie hated the accent," Rob said with a grin, "To think, I was with the wrong sister all that time. If only I had met you first."
"If you had met me first, I would have been in second year, which would have made you a paedophile," Jennifer pointed out, "So it's probably a good thing that you didn't."
Harry barked out a laugh and patted Rob on the back, "Oh, you're gonna keep him on his toes, Jennifer. He needs that. I reckon you should stick around."
"Alright, loverboy, I don't need you meddling in my love life," Rob said, nudging Harry out of the way.
Theo yawned and stretched, "Mione, how long has this got to go?"
"Why? You tired already, old man?" Charlie joked.
"I have twin babies," Theo said with a snort, "I'm always tired."
"Amen to that," Sadie agreed.
Harry grinned, "I have an awesome toddler who sleeps through the night unless he's teething, then he destroys all of the bedding…."
"What the fuck?" Rob asked.
"Oh, his dad was a werewolf," Harry said with a wave of his hand, "So when Teddy is teething, he destroys anything cute and fluffy."
Rob grinned and leant forward, "I like this kid. When can I meet him?"
Jennifer shook her head in amusement, "I'm starting to see why Elizabeth found you hard work."
"Oh, but I'm worth the work," Rob flirted.
Neville snorted, "No, he's not. Cut your losses and run now, Jennifer."
"You," Rob said, pointing at Neville, "Shut up."
Neville just grinned in response, and Hermione said, "Anyway, there isn't long left. This is the Netherlands, and after this, there is just one more country then it's the UK."
"This one sounds like some American country band," Draco remarked. He tapped his foot, "I actually quite like it."
"Bloody hell Draco, you are enjoying this, aren't you?" Harry asked in amusement.
"I am not enjoying it," Draco remarked, "Some of the songs are okay, but that is the extent of my enjoyment."
Harry and Hermione just shared an amused look; they took the mick out of Draco throughout the rest of that song and the next one. Then Hermione got serious, "Shh! We're on. I want to see who our entry is this year!"
They all fell silent as the stage lit up, and a young woman walked forward with a microphone in her hand. She started to sing, and the camera zoomed in on her face.
"Is that…Luna?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"Why the hell is Luna there?"
"What the hell is she doing?"
"She's the UK's entry!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Did you know about this, Hermione?" Susan asked as she stared at the screen in disbelief.
"No," Hermione said honestly, "Shh! I want to hear her!"
"So she's going by the fake name Moon," Harry said, shooting an amused look Lilly's way as Luna introduced herself.
She was dressed in silver and gold metallic dress robes, and her hair was crazier than Hermione's had been in first year. She had a horn on her head, and her make-up was all silver and gold.
"She looks so wizarding!" Daphne exclaimed, "The statute of secrecy will never let her get away with that!"
"It's Eurovision. The Muggles won't think anything of it," Hermione said offhandedly, "Can she actually sing?"
"Yeah, she's pretty good," Ginny said, "I've heard her sing before."
"What the hell is she doing?" Ron asked through his laughter as someone brought an item out onto the stage and helped her onto it.
"I think that's a unicycle," Susan said in amusement as Luna climbed up onto it.
The music started to play, and it was instantly recognisable.
"She's singing a Weird Sisters song!" Daphne exclaimed.
They all burst out laughing as Luna changed the words to a Weird Sisters song and sang, "Can you dance like a unicorn?" with a unicorn horn on her head while on a unicycle. The crowd seemed to love it and were all cheering and dancing.
Meanwhile, in Number 12 Grimmauld Place, everyone was rolling about the floor laughing. Sadie got to her feet and said, "I have to go to the toilet, or I'll wet myself," through her giggles.
"Merlin, Hermione," Draco admitted, "For a muggle show, that wasn't too bad."
Hermione laughed too, "Do you know what? The UK might actually win this year."
Rob snorted, "Hah! Fat chance! We going to treat this like any other Eurovision party and play a drinking game while the rest of Europe takes forever to vote?"
"Yes," Bill said, pointing at Rob and grinning, "I like you."
"And to think, you didn't want to come," Jennifer murmured in his ear.
Rob smirked at her, "You're my lucky charm, obviously."
"Have I told you tonight that I love your accent?" Jennifer asked him in a whisper.
"Once or twice," Rob said, flashing her a grin.
Harry chuckled and looked away from his boss. He wouldn't admit it, but he was happy to see him having a good time.
He smiled around at all of his friends… at Ron, who was a brilliant dad despite the circumstances. At Ginny, who was a fantastic mother and Healer, and who Lupin House could not do without.
At Bill and Lara, who were laughing together, Bill with his hand on the small of her back protectively. At Charlie, who was grinning and flirting with Astoria while she shook her head and smiled fondly at him.
At Sadie and Theo, who were settling into parenting so well now. At Susan and Percy, who were settling into marriage just as well.
At Neville and Lilly, who were blossoming as they found their feet with their new jobs. And at Hermione and Draco, who were happier than Harry had ever seen them.
All was well.
* ~ TBC ~ *