Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter .
Albus did not get kicked, nor was he forcibly removed from the Hagrid Household. This was not due to any feelings of mercy on Mr. Hagrid's part, indeed the protective father had looked very close to asking Albus to leave, but rather due to the unexpected arrival of Mrs. Livia Sprout and her daughter. Never has Albus been so glad to see a former student of his. Nor has anyone looked as put out as Mr. Hagrid at the thwarted opportunity to kick Albus out.
Albus is more than happy to use the distraction provided by Mrs. Sprout to make his own excuses and leave, before he puts his foot into his mouth again. (Mr. Hagrid is still glaring at him!)
"Goodbye, Mr. Hagrid, Tom, Mrs. Sprout and young Miss. Sprout. It was wonderful meeting you. And Tom? I look forward to seeing you on the 1st", a general sentiment, one that Albus has said many a times, but he is surprised to find that he truly means it this time. Albus is looking forward to seeing Tom again, to have him as Albus' student. He knows now that his preconceived notions about the boy are no longer valid, and while it will take him some time to recover from his unintentional hubris, Albus is looking forward to seeing Tom for who he is. He is sure that however Tom may turn out, it will be interesting.
Yes, Albus is going to enjoy having this bright boy in his class. Maybe Tom would turn out to be in his house as well. That would make things even better.
So, it is, that Albus leaves the Hagrids and co. with a completely different mindset than the one he came with. A better one, a more hopeful one, and definitely a happier one.
(He prays that Horace never finds out about his staring. That man would never stop teasing him if he were to find out. Merlin forbid!)
Rubeus is very happy to see Albus leave his home. Though he is a little regretful that he could not kick the man (literally and metaphorically), he contents himself with glaring at Albus as much as possible. Livia's presence is both an hindrance and necessary. Hindering because he cannot be violent. Necessary because he cannot be violent. Rubeus is rapidly losing self-control (Stop Staring at me SON!) and Livia is a much needed reminder that he cannot act on his violent instincts. Seriously. Not only is Tom's future education at stake here, but the reputation Rubeus has built will also be harmed if he were to give in to his urge. So. He must stop. (Glaring is completely acceptable though, especially since Albus seems to realize that he is doing something wrong, if that guilty face is any indication). Therefore he is relieved when Albus makes his excuses and leaves.
It is always wonderful to see Livia (Call me Liv, dear, we are going to be working together after all!) and Mona. These two had become family to both Tom and Rubeus, and for that Rubeus was very grateful. He cannot imagine a life without them now, and he knows that Tom adores his Aunt Liv and sister Mona with all his young heart.
Rubeus still remembers the first time they had met (almost 12 years now), and how, later on, both Rubeus and Liv had come together to start their business. It had been around that time when Merope had entered his life, and Rubeus had been unable to help as much as he should have. Liv had not held it against him, rather she had taken charge, and by the time Rubeus had settled Merope into his home, Liv had opened their shop "Quixotic" to great success. She had orders ready for Rubeus to take care of, while she dealt with the paperwork necessary to make everything legal. Rubeus knows that half the reason he is successful is due to Liv and her Hufflepuff contacts. Without that his method of working would have continued to be on a mouth to mouth basis. Rubeus had made her Co-Owner of Quixotic immediately, even though she had insisted he not do so, as the business was built on Rubeus' savings and work. When Rubeus had refused to reconsider, she had agreed to become the co-owner on the condition that she be responsible for the hiring of the staff. Rubeus had no objections to that. And thus, their business had been born.
Liv had been there for Rubeus after Tom's birth. She had known that Tom was not his biological son, but had not said a word about it. Indeed, she had helped Rubeus to gain complete custody and adoption of Tom, to make sure no dispute could arrive in the future regarding Tom's adoption. While Rubeus had started to learn how to care for a babe, Liv had taken to finding ways to ensure that their business would not be hurt, due to Rubeus' temporary absence. It was during one of their combined brainstorming sessions that they had hit upon the idea to breed and raise the magical creatures themselves, instead of going to find them in far off places. With Rubeus' capabilities, and Liv's legal understanding, they were able to buy a manor and its surrounding acres of forest-land, and convert it into a breeding ground cum sanctuary for the magical creatures. Warding it and making the place safe had taken time, but it had been worth it.
And now, after all that work, Quixotic had become a famous business, known for their ability to gather any ingredient, as long as it was legal.
Rubeus was grateful indeed for Liv in his life. The godmother to Tom, and a sister-figure to Rubeus himself, she had helped ease the ache left behind by the family he had lost. Being made Mona's god-father had been one of the happiest moments in his life. They helped him live in this time without regrets, and that was wonderful!
He does wish, though, that he had not bought that Merlin-forsaken kneazle for Mona. It was a being from Hell, and no one was going to convince him otherwise. Especially since she had already began her favorite game of trying to shred his boots. What had he done, exactly, to gain such enmity from Rue the kneazle, Rubeus will never know.
Livia has known for a long time (has it really been 12 years? How times flies!) that Rubeus had a secret he wasn't willing to tell. Maybe not a secret, but a past he never revealed, not to her, not to anyone. It doesn't matter to her though. Rubeus' present is all too clear to her, and she adores this man who has become family to her.
The first time she had met him, she had been surprised by his appearance. A part of her, she is ashamed to admit, had judged Rubeus on it, just like her colleagues had. She is forever glad that she had not allowed her prejudice to bleed into her professionalism. She had helped him find a house, and in that process had come to know just how wrong her judgement had been. One only needed to look Rubeus in his eyes, and see the kindness shining brightly in them to know his nature. It had been the start of a tentative friendship, and Livia has never regretted it since.
The friendship has given her so many things to be grateful for. She has gained a brother in Rubeus, a son in Tom, and had even met her dear husband while working with Rubeus. She had been heartbroken at his death, but had learnt to live with the help of Rubeus. Tom and Mona had helped heal a lot of the ache left behind, and in the days when she could not bear the weight of her sorrow, Rubeus would take Mona in and let Livia mourn, without having to worry about her daughter's well being. In turn, Livia would take care of Tom whenever Rubeus had to go away to collect his ingredients. He never stayed away for more than a week though. No matter the difficulty in obtaining what he wanted, Rubeus always made sure to come back in seven days, an unwritten promise to his family, to never stay away for long.
The business that she had started with Rubeus had been a whim, a whim that had paid off. Quixotic had gained a success the likes of which she had never imagined. She was proud of it. And remembering her earlier prejudice, and what it might have cost her, Livia ensured that she always remained open-minded about the people she hired. Truthfully, the main shop only needed her and Rubeus throughout the year. It wasn't a difficult job to take orders and then relay the goods to the customers. But every summer Livia hired at least four to five part-time workers, students who needed a little extra money on hand. Mostly sixth years and seventh year, while occasionally hiring fifth year students, if their need was great. Livia could well recall those students who were in Hogwarts studying on Scholarship, the way they would stare at the shops in Hogsmeade, but rarely ever bought anything. She had not known the reason then, she had been a child herself, but now, as an adult, those longing looks took a different meaning. One she could understand, and do something about. Rubeus, bless his heart, never questioned her decisions. Indeed, he always made sure to add a little extra to the children's paychecks, on the pretext of them doing an exceptional job.
No, her true pride (other than her children - Tom and Mona) was the farm. She had listed the farm as a breeding ground in her application to the Ministry. It was true. But what made her fill with joy were the employees who worked there. Werewolves, Squibs, disinherited Purebloods, and Muggle-borns with no place to go. It was not only a sanctuary for the magical creature they were breeding, but also a sanctuary to those beings whose existence the Wizarding world ignored or reviled. Those who were prejudiced against due to their birth, due to their ailment, or because they did not agree with their families. These were the people who worked at the Quixotic Farms and who had a home to go to at the end of the day. She and Rubeus had done that. She took pride in that. Oh, she knew it wasn't enough, but it was a start and she intended to continue to help those who needed it.
For now though, she needs to congratulate her little Tom-Tom! He is going to Hogwarts! He is going to be so brilliant! He looks so cute, waving his letter at Mona! He is going to Hogwarts! (She is going to miss him. Mona is going to be depressed when she understands what Tom going to Hogwarts truly means. Sigh, one step at a time. Excitement first, emptying nest sadness later).
She wonders which House he is going to be in. Oh, it doesn't matter! She knows that Tom is going to define the House by his attributes, instead of the other way around. She can't wait for the storm that is Tom to hit Hogwarts. The changes he would bring. It was going to be exciting!
(Perhaps she should remove Rue from where she is attacking Rubeus though… Nah, Rubeus is going to be just fine.)