Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or NCIS or any of their characters. I do however own this story, I wrote it and I do NOT give permission for anyone to post it anywhere else. If you want to share it post a link.
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They days passed in similar manner, Hadrian getting to know Hannah and finding he quite liked her in spite of her gossiping ways. She was definitely a positive influence on Neville and a good mother. Their children were delightful.
She had however managed to tell him news about half their Hogwarts class, including several things he was sure the people involved wouldn't want talked about so he could understand why Neville had lied to her about the Wedding. Not surprisingly, Tim found it difficult to get to know her since most of her conversation was about people he'd never met and many he'd never heard of.
Teddy and Franklin played together well though Franklin wasn't yet at the age of co-operative play and Teddy sometimes became frustrated with him not following instructions. The adults were all quick to notice and intervene when it happened and soon after the two would be back playing with minimal fuss. The two babies close in age really didn't interact much but they happily shared a warded and shaded blanket on the beach.
Tim and Neville became firm friends though Tim found himself having to explain a lot of the things he said. He didn't realise how much Hadrian's muggle upbringing had helped him to understand things when he first came to America. Neville was fascinated by their lives in DC but either Hadrian or Tim needed to go back and explain things and correct misunderstandings in almost every conversation they had with the British couple.
"I got an O for my muggle studies NEWT" Hannah cried in frustration one day. "I studied really hard and you're telling me that everything I learned is lies?"
"Not all lies but out of date" Hadrian tried to explain. "From what I could tell talking to Sirius, and Mr Weasley the wizarding world hasn't changed much in over a hundred years. Sure, brooms are a bit faster and there have been a few new spells invented but a lot of them are banned in Britain anyway. What wizards don't understand is that the non-magical world changes very quickly. When I was at school I'd come home for the summer and some of the technology had changed since I left in September and I'd have to relearn how to do things. Hermione said that the muggle studies course was more than fifty years behind the times, they were just learning about early automobiles and electric lights. The problem is even when the muggle raised complain the purebloods don't understand the problem because the British wizarding world has changed very little in that time."
Hannah sighed and lost interest but Neville listened attentively. "Once I reach thirty I'm eligible for a seat on the Hogwarts board" he explained. "The better I can explain some of these things the more chance I have of getting the course updated enough to be useful."
"It needs to be taught by a muggleborn, preferably one who still spends most of their time in the muggle world and only comes to Hogwarts one day a week to teach, otherwise it will be out of date again within a few years" Hadrian said.
"I don't think I'm ever going to get that past the board" Neville frowned.
"Sure you will, just let me know in advance when I need to come. As the Duke of Gryffindor and the Earl of Slytherin I have the power to sack the entire board of directors. And I will once there are decent people I know to put in their place."
"Will you send Teddy to Hogwarts?" Neville asked.
"Probably not. Wizarding schools start at eight in America so by the time he 's old enough to go to Hogwarts he will be at a third year level with charms, transfiguration and DADA, fifth or sixth year level for Runes and Arithmancy and at least fourth year level in Potions and Herbology" Hadrian said laughing. "Can you imagine McGonagall's reaction if I demanded he be placed in those classes. Not to mention the pureblood's reactions."
Neville laughed too but Hannah frowned. "Aren't you depriving him of his heritage. Surely he'll want to go to the school his parents went to."
"Hogwarts is also the place his parents died. But if Teddy wants to go there and he's prepared to sit through first year classes again and be away from us for months he can. But Salem students come home every night until they're fourteen and then every weekend after that. I think he'll choose to stay with his friends" Hadrian replied calmly. "And you also have to remember that in Britain Teddy is well known as the son of a werewolf. The fact that both his parents died as heroes in the Battle of Hogwarts is forgotten or ignored but the stigma will never truly be forgotten.
"Aren't you planning on coming home Harry?" Hannah asked. "Surely you don't want to stay here in isolation forever no matter how nice it is for a holiday."
"Yeah! We're only here for the week you are. Tim's only got one week off. We need to get home and get ready for Teddy to start kindergarten and my paternity leave is almost over" Hadrian replied cheerfully.
"I meant home to England?" Hannah asked.
"I don't think I'll ever move back to magical England permanently. I've got used to being able to live without having all my decisions scrutinised by the likes of Rita Skeeter and I don't want to give that up. Besides you know that most of that world won't accept my marriage. Tim would be in grave danger there once they knew who he was" Hadrian said seriously.
"That's why we're here on this island in the middle of nowhere instead of visiting you in your home isn't it. And you've all been so careful not telling me the name of the island too. So that I can't accidentally tell people where you live" Hannah realised horrified. "You're afraid that someone would hurt Tim, Teddy and Rosie if they knew?"
"Teddy is the future head of the House of Black and Rosie is currently the Potter and Peveral heir, if I have a son they will also be the heir of Gryffindor and Slytherin. There are a lot of people out there that will object to Tim as my partner not only because he is a man but because he is what you would call a muggleborn and his magic is bound so strangers would think he's non-magical" Hadrian replied.
"His magic is bound?" Hannah asked shocked. "Who would do such a thing?"
"My parents" Tim said dryly, "Or rather the department of magical education did it at my parents' request when I was eight. It's standard practice here that a parent can choose to have their children's magic bound if they don't want to send them to a magical school."
"And people say we treat muggleborns badly" Hannah exclaimed crossly, we don't do that!"
"No Britain doesn't but they also don't monitor muggleborn children's families for signs of abuse either which Tim's country does vigorously from the first signs of accidental magic and children in danger are removed from their families and given to either magical parents or other parents who have a magical child. Every couple of years in Britain there is a muggleborn child that either doesn't live long enough to go to Hogwarts or is so damaged that they need to spend up to a year in St Mungos healing before having their memory altered because of their parents violent reaction to their accidental magic. And that's not even considering the fact that during both wars, any muggleborn children that performed any big burst of accidental magic that required the obliviators to be called in, were killed by the deatheaters within weeks of it happening" Hadrian replied.
"The reason you have a population problem is that children aren't being protected. Did you know that if two squibs marry each other, they have a fifty percent chance of their children or grandchildren being magical, and even marrying a muggle there is a ten percent chance of magical descendants within three generations. In fact, there is a theory that all so called muggleborn's are actually descended from squibs. That's possibly the reason there are so many more muggleborns born in the countries where the majority of squib children aren't killed."
"They're not" Hannah protested horrified.
"Did you know that Draco Malfoy was actually the fifth child born to his parents" Hadrian retorted. That Crabbe and Goyle both had older brothers and Knott had two sisters that both died shortly after their eleventh birthdays. There's a reason pureblood children are rarely seen until they're eight or nine."
"How do you know that?" Hannah demanded.
"Draco's mother was a Black her children are on the family tapestry. Draco told me about the others" Hadrian replied.
"You mean pureblood children are kept hidden until they show signs of magic? That's why I never had friends before Hogwarts. Franklin hasn't shown signs of magic yet but he's having so much fun with Teddy. I'm glad we brought him" Neville said.
Hadrian grinned. "Yeah but I've no doubt that you'll both still let him live and keep him if he turns out to be a squib" he said confidently.
"Of course" Neville replied as if no other course of action would ever be considered.
"Yes" Hannah replied more hesitantly, but maybe he would be better off in the muggle world. I wouldn't want him to turn out like Filch."
"Filch should never have been hired at Hogwarts. It was bad enough that he was totally unsuited to working with or near children and a miserable bastard but he is the only squib adult that a lot of wizarding children even know and it gives them a very negative idea of what their life could be" Hadrian said angrily. "Filch is a miserable man who hates children, he would have been a miserable wizard who hates children if he had magic. It's not being a squib that made him the way he was, it's being treated like he's barely human because he doesn't have magic."
"But what do you think Harry would Franklin or Ellison be better off in the muggle world if one of them is a squib and the other isn't?" Hannah pressed.
"No child is ever better off being without their parents Hannah" Hadrian said fiercely. "It would be even worse if he knew that they were alive and just didn't want him." He got up and walked away. A few minutes later they could see him flying his broom low amongst the waves.
"Hadrian is right" Tim said watching his husband worriedly. "The knowledge that you weren't wanted, that you weren't good enough for your parents to keep, especially while they kept your sibling would harm a child for the rest of their life."
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Hadrian had calmed down by the time he joined them for dinner, but Neville and Tim monopolised the conversation for the rest of the evening keeping to general topics and Neville asking about Jimmy who he'd become quite friendly with at the wedding. Tim told a couple of stories of cases he'd worked lately that weren't classified, and Neville reciprocated and they ended up in a discussion of forensic evidence. Neville admitted that they tended to ignore the physical evidence that can be easily faked by magic in favour of magical signature residues. Tim spoke of his frustration that when magical cases spilled over into the nonmagical world the Aurors tended to fake some of the physical evidence themselves to justify arresting the person they magically knew was responsible."
"Yes but wizards are capable of spelling away the physical evidence and you wouldn't want someone to get away with it just because they had magic. The nonmagical trial is mostly for show anyway, as soon as they're arrested they're transferred to a magical prison and have a magical trial. If their found innocent by the magical courts charges will probably be dropped in your courts as well unless there is genuine physical evidence."
"What happens about sentencing?" Tim asked.
"They go by the magical prison sentence" Hadrian replied. "Don't worry, because there's no parole in the magical system they serve at least as long as they would've served with their non-magical sentences. Besides even in our country prisons only just meet the international amnesty minimum standards. In Britain, the prison is a centuries old fortress without any weather control charms on an island in the north sea, the cells are cold and dank, with one small barred window open to the elements and prisoners are allowed out to shower once a month. And that's before you get to the guards. British prisons are guarded by dementors, soul sucking demons who remove all warmth and happiness from the air and make you relive your worst moments when they're nearby. Very few people leave maximum security of Azkaban alive let alone sane."
Tim shuddered. "It's a good thing then that witches and wizards have better ways of making sure that the person sentenced is actually guilty" he said.
"Except that the whole bloody government was so corrupt that my godfather spent twelve years in maximum security for something he hadn't done without even the pretence of a trial" Hadrian growled. "Even after he died saving my life when I was fifteen he still wasn't publicly cleared for years."
"Who was your godfather Harry?" Hannah asked curiously.
"Sirius Black" Hadrian replied.
Hannah gave a little shriek, "But…"
Neville covered his wife's mouth before she could speak. "He's innocent remember" he said firmly.
"Are the regular prisons warded to prevent a wizard from escaping if we don't find out a suspect or convicted criminal is magical?" Tim asked.
Hadrian looked thoughtful, "I doubt it" he said. "You'd have to ward all the police station lockups all over the country. The FBI lockups are and probably the big city lockups where we've had cases but not every little sheriff's office across the country. But if you think you want a lockup warded or a perp tested for magic you can call me and I'll either come or send someone."
"Do many witches and wizards live in the muggle world where you live?" Hannah asked surprised.
"Yes, more than half do, it helps that we don't have our own currency and we've managed to get electronics to work around magic and the schools use portkeys to send the kids home at night so if you were into a sport or learning to play an instrument or something you can still do that and still keep in touch with your muggle friends and family" Hadrian described. "There's no separate wizarding fashion or music and the distances involved make a floo network impractical so kids use muggle transport other than portkeying to and from school. There really isn't a separate wizarding world."
Hannah and Neville looked shocked at the idea and Hadrian thought this would be a good time to leave them to think it through. "I'm exhausted, I think I'll head to bed" he said. "Night Guys, see you tomorrow."
"Night Neville, goodnight Hannah" Tim said getting up.
"Night Harry, night Tim" Neville replied.
"Goodnight" Hannah said. "Sleep well."
-o0o-
"You know this works well having guests on a different time clock so we still get time alone" Tim said cheerfully as they sat down to breakfast as a family the next day.
"Yeah it's been good to see Nev but it's good to have time on our own too. I frequently feel like I spend half my time with them justifying my lifestyle and my decisions or teaching them that wizarding Britain isn't the whole wizarding world. It feels like a lot of work sometimes."
"Yeah but once they understand things will get easier" Tim said encouragingly. "And if they can go home and talk to others how the rest of the world isn't like Britain it will make a difference. The sort of difference Kingsley wanted to make by sending you to America to learn about the rest of the world."
"Well I've certainly chosen the right woman for that" Hadrian said laughing. She was one of the biggest gossips in our year and unlike Lavender people actually listen and believe her."
Tim laughed. "She means well even if it does feel like she comes from another planet half the time."
"Or another century" Hadrian said. "The British and European wizarding worlds went into hiding in the 1600s at the time of the witch burnings but unlike the rest of the world they never reintegrated and for some reason their morals and customs stagnated, new ideas weren't trusted."
"She's like the Amish" Tim said thoughtfully. "Or one of those super conservative religious cults that isolate themselves from the evil modern world."
"Like an Amish child perhaps, the adults mostly know at least something about the world they've chosen to reject" Hadrian said.
"But you weren't that bad, sure there were things I was surprised you didn't know or hadn't seen but.." Tim trailed off unsure what else to say without insulting Hades' friends.
"I grew up in the muggle world until I was eleven, sure I spent a lot of time in the cupboard but I knew that the world was out there. Wizarding children are rarely taken out of the house until they're none or ten and then only into the all wizarding towns and enclaves. It is entirely possible that neither Neville nor Hannah have ever seen a car or a house with electric lights or a telephone, let alone TV and computers other than when Neville came to our wedding" Hadrian said.
"Maybe we should update the house and install a theatre room so we can show them some movies and stuff next time" Tim suggested.
"You'd be willing to give up a week here on our own to have them come again?" Hadrian asked.
"Yeah it's important to keep up with your friends. You encouraged me to keep in touch with mine" Tim replied hugging him.
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Neville and his family eventually woke up and breakfasted before joining Tim, Hadrian and the children on the beach. Today Hadrian was sitting with the baby while Tim was showing Teddy the creatures in the rockpools.
"It's nice that you and Tim share looking after the baby" Hannah said.
"It helps that she's bottle fed so both of us could feed her right from day one" Hadrian replied. "It's been really great having the time off to spend with her but part of me is looking forward to being back at work in an adult environment."
Hannah nodded. "I don't want to go back to work but I do love leaving the kids with my Mum and going shopping and out to lunch with Susan and my friends."
"What did you do for work? I'm sorry I don't remember" Hadrian asked.
"I worked in the Floo regulation office. I don't know if you forgot or never knew in the first place, it was okay but it's pretty boring so I didn't talk about my work much" Hannah said forgivingly.
"Was there something you would have liked to do?" Hadrian asked.
"No not really. I love children and always wanted to be a mother" Hannah replied.
Hadrian nodded. "I always wanted a family of my own but I like going out to work too. I'm just lucky we have such great help in Tollie. Before Teddy came to live with us I didn't think I'd want an elf, I liked cooking and buying fresh foods at the market and looking after Tim and our flat but I don't know where I'd be without them now."
"I couldn't look after Longbottom house by myself" Hannah said horrified.
"No, I couldn't look after our house and this one by myself either but it was fun to share the chores and cook together, Tim and I used to live in a small one bedroom flat. Even without magic I could have cleaned it in an hour."
"What are Tim and Neville doing?" Hannah asked as they dropped out of sight among the rocks.
"There's a good size rock pool there for learning to swim. Tim was talking about trying to teach Teddy" Hadrian replied. Tim had also wanted to teach Hades once he found out that his husband couldn't swim without something called Gillyweed, but that was something Hadrian wanted to learn in private. Tim had promised him a lesson tomorrow morning before the Longbottoms got up, while Rosie was napping and Teddy was with Tollie.
Over in the rockpool Neville cast buoyancy charms on Franklin and offered to cast them on Teddy.
"No, it's better that he learns how the pool feels without them. I can't cast them and if he gets a false confidence from the charms he might try to swim on his own and get himself into danger.
"His accidental magic would probably save him if he did fall in" Neville said. "Especially since he's already shown signs."
"I don't want to depend on it though, what if it doesn't?" Tim said.
"You should get Harry to ward the pool so children can't get into it without an adult if your so worried. That's what we did with the pond at home" Neville suggested.
"Hadrian had the whole beach warded like that before we came" Tim said. "But if we're already in the beach he could be here in seconds. He needs to learn to swim if we're going to spend a lot of time here. He's very independent, he likes to be able to do things on his own. He hates running into the magical barriers. Could his accidental magic find a way through the ward?"
"I've never heard of a child doing that, but I'd be a lot more concerned about Rosie, Harry's magic often did the impossible when we were in school" Neville replied. "Did you magically or blood adopt Teddy?"
"No Hades didn't want to take Remus and Tonks' place like that" Tim replied.
"Then you don't have to worry about him having Harry's crazy magic. The wards will be enough to keep him safe" Neville reassured him.
Teddy loved the water and quickly learned to hold his breath and put his face under without fear. Hadrian had cast charms on his eyes so the salt water wouldn't sting. The pool wasn't more than waist deep on Tim with a rough stone bottom and uneven edge so Tim couldn't throw Teddy up in the air as he would in a swimming pool, but he made a game of letting him go and encouraging him to paddle a few feet to him and then swooshing him through the water. Teddy was soon paddling around the pool independently as Tim hovered within catching distance in case something went wrong. Franklin was more timid and happy to cling to Neville as he bounced him in the water and encouraged him to kick and paddle, but he was still having fun. Both boys were relishing being the centre of their fathers' attention as much as the sunshine and the water.
The two babies were fed and taken back to the house by Tollie for their naps and Hannah and Hadrian joined the others.
"Papa look, me swim on my own" Teddy yelled leaving Tim and swimming towards Hadrian.
Hadrian hurried forwards and caught him as he was about to go under. "Great job Teddy do you like swimming?" he asked. "do you want to swim back to Daddy"
"Yes" Teddy said. Hadrian let him go and he paddled back to Tim.
Hannah joined Neville, a little self-conscious about the way her bathing suit clung to her when it was wet leaving her feeling both exposed and uncomfortably covered in cold wet fabric. She was relieved to see that Tim and Harry weren't paying her any attention, focused on each other and Teddy.
Franklin was glad to see his mother and clung to her tightly. Neville leaned over and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "He likes the water but he doesn't want to be let go" he said quietly.
"Is he warm enough" Hannah worried. "He loses heat a lot quicker than we do." But when she checked his skin seemed warm enough though they soon move to one of the smaller pools where he could sit in the six inches of water and play independently.
When Hadrian looked over at them later Franklin was happily splashing his parents who were ignoring him for the moment to exchange light kisses. Hadrian grinned happy for his friend and leaned in to give Tim a kiss while they weren't looking.
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A/N: Thank you to Rori Potter, Kaorilamb, Carl-the-strange, lilly-flower15, Kourtney Uzu Yato, Locket1, xDarklightx, mayawene, Gracie15Trowa, Firehedgehog, Poisonsnake23, charm13insomnia, SpiritBlackPaw, mumimeanjudy, buterflypuss, DS2010, .9, acherongoddess, serenityselena, DarkRavie, Village-Mystic, Merlenyn, kimbarn30, Silvermane1, julschristine975, asdf (Guest), DevilishAngel666, Falow53 (Guest), Maben00, Reader Ethiriel, lia (Guest), gabrieljuarezl, LadyDrak75, cilia-chan, Jdl (Guest), AlixMM, veyronking995, Kimpatsu no Hoseki, PLF94, deludedfool, Abriekayua, GordonTM, Hornbugv, Blackkitten23, Sekhmet Malfoy, shadowhisper7460, Mundanealumne, Sapphire Quill, WLMNA, moonlitterrace, JES81, Lupawolf67, ob1292, ksx6, Dusk11, yosemitegal, shadowwolf89, HPMonsterbookworm88, Guide of souls, TWLOHA26, Serafin333, natsunathylem, creven16, Misao-chan9970, ShadowWorldOfSpies, Aire5, maypleberry, royalcloud12, brokendreamer49, Crafty Beth, wickedlfairy17, king Trell, BloodyRiley, MarvinMartian009, ShadowWolfLuna, holymanga, angeloneofakind, midnightstorm111, NCIS2011, Kinscem, bella cullen the original, Ashy3, constantine86, Tammarainia, Tiamac7, GarfieldMSB, SmallSpider, a5morgan55, Nyx2029, sharlieanne, RubinRed, HJP 92, , SSGRet, njbethany, Ianahkal, Goddess of the Black Rose, Jessalynvix, loralee1, FatalTaru, NerysRhys, Karasu-archer, rcb3130, MadLAB, simsus, Jemmachani, skyefire, harrisonlynne2, lunyoha, Archangel N. Bloodraven, Midge101, britneylou, Nzingha28, Shinigami' .Shadow, XxRahzelxX, Pawesome Sauce, moonskip, Saria0912, cruhl, fluffy24, Gundam of Death, potter8668, ChocolateRedVelvet and Onyx2012 for your support.
