Sirius Black looked at the couple sitting before him, and started to explain himself. "It isn't me asking this, but the Ministry itself. I'm only the messenger."
Ron and Hermione smiled at each other, and then Ron told Sirius that they had no difficulties with paying his sister a visit. They would be free to go at anytime. "That is Hermione's job, after all, to make goodwill visits for the ministry."
"There is more," Sirius told them, "The elves have a close relationship with a nearby fishing village, and we would like you to visit there as well. We are doing this in cooperation with the Irish Government."
Hermione spoke this time, "THAT was a strange thing to say, Sirius. Why are we visiting the village."
"Draco Malfoy," Sirius said, "He lives there. We want you to find out what he is doing. He has had some secret plan he has been developing for years, and we need to get some idea of what it is."
"He'll know we're coming," Hermione told him.
"Not necessarily," Sirius said, "He knows all the possible futures. He only knows you may come."
Curiosity was the main reason they agreed. No one had any direct contact with Malfoy in over seven years. Both of them wanted to know what happened to him.
*
Ginny greeted her brother warmly, and her sister-in-law. After she graduated from Hogwarts, she returned to the Grey Havens, and her husband, Galdor. (Molly had her way, and gave them the perfect wedding). She told them all that she knew of Draco, but there was not much that was of help.
Draco made his living as a fisherman, going out on one ship or another. He was using his talent to point out the best places, and the boats always came back full.
Draco had made the original trade agreement with the dwarves, which began to transform the village into a small town, and a unique town at that. There was the quiet part, which looked like a quaint village, but there was the secret part, hidden by magic. This is where the fishermen, and Draco, lived. Dwarves lived there also, as did other races. Gringotts had recently opened a branch office, as well.
Draco Malfoy was known to be married, but many people didn't speak about him. They tended to change the subject, whenever it was brought up. This was not out of fear of him, but for fear that they might give out their big secret. He was thought to have two children, because he has been referred to as a good family man. Also people have mentioned his child looking just like his father, and her mother.
Efforts to talk to Draco Malfoy directly ended quickly but politely. He would always have something he had to do, and others nearby that he had to do it with.
Hermione and Ron pondered what they had been told, but they found it very confusing. Ron said it was as though Malfoy was deliberately trying to make people suspicious. They made their plans to sail into town the next day with one of the elvin ships.
*
Not far away, in the town if Dingle, Harry Potter was sitting in his hotel room. He had made a successful living as a consultant for businesses in the wizarding world who wanted to do business in the muggle world as well. He had received a consulting job from Gringotts to examine the surroundings of their new branch office, near the Grey Havens, and Harry was traveling muggle style to get a feel for the neighborhood.
As had become his style, when he traveled this way, he would drive a car, then stop at a random hotel or inn, but this time, there was a message waiting for him. It was from Draco Malfoy. It was a short note. It told him where in the village to find the information hut. He was told to ask for Draco at 11:03 A.M. and he would be given directions. The last line was, "You need to come, your future depends on it."
He slept fitfully that night and drove to the village after breakfast. He found a place to park and walked along the picturesque dock toward the booth labeled information. As he neared the booth, a middle-aged woman asked if she could help.
Harry looked at his watch, and the lady said, "Are you waiting for 11:03?"
"Yes, I am," Harry answered in surprise.
"I thought it was you, Mr. Potter. I've seen your picture in the Daily Prophet." Then she laughed. "Here I am, sounding like the tourists. You don't want to here that. Mr. Malfoy's at the Drowning Fish, just down Private Road on your right."
Harry thanked the woman, and gave her his autograph. He walked to Private Road, which looked like it was a brick wall instead of a street, but he was used to such magical tricks from his years at Hogwarts.
Harry walked through the sparse tourist crowd, a young couple come to see the boats, weekend shoppers looking in the antique shops, and a young boy, seven or eight, leaning against a post rather than be dragged though the boring shops. He walked through the wall and down the road, to find an instant change. It was still the shopping weekend attitude but the shoppers were larger in number and different as well. The first shop he passed sold cutlery and a young couple was coming out, but they were dwarves. Children played along the docks, but Harry had to look close. In one group, of five boys, there were two human boys, two dwarven boys, and a hobbit.
This is not an ordinary town, Harry thought, as he stepped into the Drowning Fish Pub. He looked around the crowded Tap Room as a young lady came up to him. "Good day, Sir," she said, then added, "You're a handsome young lad. What would your name be?"
Harry looked over to see the boy who had been leaning against the post. The boy smiled at the hostess and said with a smile, "I'm Harry Potter, Ma'am."
"You're Harry Potter?" the waitress said in mock surprise.
The boy pushed his brown hair out of his eyes and grinned, "Well, it is Harold Potter, Jr., but I prefer Harry."
"Then Harry it is," the lady said, then turned to Harry saying, "That is quite a boy you have there."
*
Harry Potter was not very happy. This was the most boring thing to happen yet. He had to sit in the boring car as they drove down the boring road to this boring town. Now his Mom wanted to shop in the most boring shop she could find. He refused to go in and leaned back against the post in total disgust, at least as much disgust as a seven year old boy could manage. He pushed his hair out of his eyes, and looked at the dock. "How can they make boats look so boring," he said to himself, just as a man walked past him.
Harry turned to look at the man. He wasn't walking down the street but straight at an old brick wall. The boy grinned at what he thought was about to happen, but his jaw dropped when the man walked through the wall. Harry immediately turned to follow. When he put his hand out, and it passed through the brick, he took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The world changed, and boring was gone completely. He almost bumped into a couple of dwarves, and excused himself. He had seen dwarves before but they were never so stocky. Looking ahead, he saw the man staring at the docks. Harry looked over as well, and saw the same group of children. "It's a fairy tale land," he said, and a big grin crossed his face.
The man turned into a pub, and Harry saw the name. It was the same name as the place they were supposed to have lunch. He decided to make sure, then run back and get his mom. He went in and found himself standing next to the same man, when the hostess came up.
"Good day, Sir," she said, then looked at him. "You're a handsome young lad. What would your name be?"
The boy looked up at the hostess and said with a smile, "I'm Harry Potter, Ma'am."
"You're Harry Potter?" the waitress said in mock surprise.
The boy pushed his brown hair out of his eyes and grinned, "Well, it is Harold Potter, Jr., but I prefer Harry."
"Then Harry it is," the lady said, then turned to the man saying, "That is quite a boy you have there."
"He isn't my son," the man said.
"I'm sorry," the hostess said, "When he said he was Harry Potter, Jr. . . . I mean, I have a reservation for two, under the name Potter."
"That would be me and Mom," Harry said, interrupting the hostess. "Why did you think it was him?"
The man looked down at Harry, and grinned, "Because my name is Harry Potter."
Harry stared up in surprise at the black- haired man. "I, I'd better get my mom," he said.
He turned just as his mother came through the door, shouting, "Harold Everett Potter, Junior. What did I tell you about running off?"
Harry Potter reached behind him and grabbed Harry Potter by the hand, asking, "Mister, can you help me.?"
"Who are you?" Harry's mom asked, her blue eyes glaring at the man.
"I'm Harry Potter, Mrs, Potter," Harry said, "and there appears to be a misunderstanding."
"The misunderstanding is that a seven year old boy does not have enough sense to stay put. Now, who are you, really." The lady glared at Harry, then noticed his scar. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, I didn't recognize you without your glasses."
Harry smiled and extended his free hand, "I wear contacts, now. And the name is Harold James Potter. I'm happy to meet you."
"Camille Potter," Harry's mom said, and shook his hand.
As the hostess led the three of them to a booth, Harry forgot about Draco for the moment. All he wanted to do was know more about this woman who had walked into his life.
*
Hermione knocked on the door, but there was no answer. This was confusing. If this was the right address, then Malfoy lived in a house smaller than the Gryffindor Common Room. That couldn't be right.
She tried once more, and a neighbor came out. "They're not in. They always go to the pub for brunch after Sunday Mass. You'll find them there."
"The Pub?" Ron asked.
"Go to the corner and turn right, follow that to the docks and turn right again. You can't miss it," the woman said smiling, then asked Hermione, "Are you that married couple that are related to the elves?"
"Uh, Yes," Hermione said in surprise.
"I thought so," the woman said, smiling in triumph, "and congratulations, dear. I know you'll be happy."
Ron stared after the woman as she left, and asked, " what was that last part about?"
"I have no idea," Hermione said, knowing exactly what the lady had meant.
They followed the directions and found themselves outside of the Drowning Fish Pub. With misgivings, they went in. The hostess greeted them by name, saying that Draco was waiting for them. They walked by Harry without realizing it, and he was too busy talking to Camille to notice them. Draco was in the mens room at that time, trying not to laugh.
The hostess led them to a large table with eight chairs, three were empty, but one had a pint glass in front of it. Introductions were made as Sean MacManus introduced his sister, Fiona Malfoy. Fiona laughed saying that Ron's hair was redder than hers. She then introduced her oldest son by telling Cathal to behave. The Six year old refused, until his mother stared him down.
Both Ron and Hermione were surprised when the five year old daughter was introduced as Virginia. Fiona said that it must be a lucky name, but that Ron would know. Fiona then showed her pride as she held up the three year old. "I insisted Draco name her, since I named the first two," she said to Hermione. "He said to name her 'surprise,' because she was. He chose Evelyn. He said it had something to do with you."
Hermione blushed, "I don't know if he told you, I am know as the Lady Elvellon. The word means elf-friend. Evelyn sounds very much like that."
"Evelyn," Cathal shouted in delight, "You're named after an elf-friend."
The three year old climbed over to Hermione to thank her, and ended up in her lap. Hermione was embarrassed and delighted by this. Fiona offered to take her back, but Hermione said things were fine. Fiona grinned at her saying, "Then think of it as practice."
"What do you mean?" asked Ron.
"I haven't told him yet," Hermione told Fiona, enthralled at the little girl in her arms.
"Told me what?" Ron asked.
Deliberately ignoring him, Fiona asked, "What month are you?"
Ron went pale as Hermione answered, "Only my second, I wasn't sure until a week ago."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ron asked, trying to decide whether to be happy or angry.
"Because you would have refused to let me come," Hermione said, "and I had to find out what was going on."
"And now you know," Fiona said.
"But I don't know why," Hermione said.
"We're back," A bearded man called as he neared the table, carrying a baby in his arms. "He's all clean and ready for a nap, I think."
Both Hermione and Ron were startled. It was Draco Malfoy, but he looked different from what they had expected. He still had blond hair, and a thick but well groomed beard as well. He had filled out, and clearly did a great deal of outside work. The strangest thing was that he was smiling at them.
Draco turned and said, "Would you like to hold him, Ron? You can get to know what its like."
Ron politely declined saying he'd find out soon enough. The baby was passed to Fiona, who placed him in a stroller. Draco looked at Cathal, and said, "If you can find a friend, you can play darts, but stay out of the way." The boy disappeared from the table.
Draco pointed to Hermione, saying, "She gets the tea, Ned." The man with the tray set the teapot and cup down, in front of Hermione, as well as a breakfast platter. Ron got the same breakfast, and a pint glass filled with a muddy looking liquid.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Guinness," Draco said, as he picked up his own pint, and drank. He sat his glass down, and turned to Ron. "I owe you an apology," he said, "You have no idea what is going on here. Just relax and you'll understand when you leave." He leaned forward in a conspiratorial whisper and said, "I'm playing a trick on Harry Potter, and he's about to find out."
Ron was confused by the situation. This was Malfoy, the schemer, the most malicious boy at Hogwarts, President of the Future Death Eaters Club. Yet he called Ron by his name, bought him a . . . Guinness, and confided in him.
"What kind of trick," he asked suspiciously.
"The kind of trick 'Mione played on you, so she could come here," Draco said, "and have you thought of a name yet, if it's a boy?"
"I only found out two minutes ago," Ron said, trying to be friendly, "maybe Charlie, he saved my life."
"And if it's a girl?"
"Molly," said Hermione after a short pause. Ron looked surprised and then nodded in agreement.
Draco stared off into space and then said, "She's going to love that name, and her grandmother."
"Draco," Sean yelled out, "They didn't ask to know."
Draco blushed and apologized, then smiled and asked, "would I be giving anything away if I told you she was going to have red hair?"
Even Ron laughed, forgetting who Malfoy was for the moment.
*
As they sat, their waitress told them that Mr. Malfoy was busy with friends and would talk with them when he could. Harry mentioned that Draco was an old friend. Camille said that she had received a letter from him, offering her a job, and paying her expenses for the interview. Harry Jr. said his Mom should have done it over the phone.
Then a blond haired boy walked by, stopping when he spotted Harry, and asked the boy if he wanted to play darts. Harry looked at his mom, who nodded, and said yes. "I'm Cathal," the boy said, and received "I'm Harry" as the reply.
"He looks familiar," Harry said to Camille as the two boys left.
"As in, you've seen him before, or, he reminds you of somebody?"
"He reminds me of Draco, the reason both of us are here."
Camille looked at Harry, and then looked at her son, along the far wall, learning how to throw a dart. "What type of person is Draco Malfoy?" she asked.
"I don't know," Harry said, "He was the worst kid I knew but then he saved my life and embarrassed me in the process."
"He's a wizard, then."
"Yes," Harry said with a sigh, "although why he is here, I don't know. His family is rich, and would refuse to degrade themselves by coming to a place like this."
Camille smiled, and motioned toward the two boys, "Maybe it's to play darts?"
Harry laughed at that, and then asked a question of his own. "Where is Harry Potter, your husband?"
"Harold Potter," Camille corrected, "He hated being called Harry. He died almost four years ago. Harry barely remembers him." Her voice failed for a moment, then she added, "I married him because of you. In all my years at Beauxbatons, that was the main subject amongst us girls, especially after you began attending Hogwarts. I tried to get selected for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, just to see what you were like. I was over my crush by then, but not my curiosity."
Harry blushed as she admitted the crush, but she told him that she also had crushes on Victor Krum and all of the members of the wizard band, Bad Warlocks. "Then I graduated, but I didn't want to stay in France with my mother. I was born in London, you know. I was wandering around, when I found myself at a summer party at a local college. I met one of the new teachers, who told me his name, your name. I talked with him, and fell in love with a muggle."
"He was a muggle?" Harry said in surprise.
"How many wizards do you know named Harry Potter, " Camille said with a laugh, "Yes, he was a muggle, and I've lived as one for eight years. I don't know if Harry has any magic in him, but I didn't want him to feel like an outcast in case he doesn't. I know how they treat squibs."
"You'll have to tell him something, now," Harry said, "but I could help you with that, if you want a job?"
"What kind of job," she asked.
"Consulting," he explained, "My company advises businesses in the wizarding community on how best to market their products in the muggle world. I am half teacher, and half ad-man, and half dead from having to do all the big things myself."
Harry smiled as he began to go into details. He had become a salesman, now, and was determined to get this woman to ask for the job. He told her how the difficult part of finding the right person was that he needed someone equally at home in either culture, and how she fit the bill. If she had good presentation skills, she would be a natural for the job. He was honest with her as well. If it didn't work out, she would be asked to leave, but if it did, she could find herself, in time, as a junior partner.
Camille accepted, and Harry ordered lunch to celebrate. She would start the next day, working with him on the Gringotts job.
Camille looked Harry in the eyes, "I don't know if I should tell you this, Harry, but when I married, I had to get married. I think you know what I mean."
"I'm not the one to judge," Harry said, "I never had a family. As long as they loved me, I wouldn't care if my parents ever married. You've still got the job.
Harry wondered why she had told him about that. It was a personal matter, but then they would be working close together for the near future. Camille probably thought it best not to have any surprises.
Harry came back to the table when the food was served, and asked his mother a question. "Are the two of you going to get married?"
"No," His mother answered, "I'm going to work for him. What ever gave you that idea?"
"Cathal said his Dad wanted to get the two of you together," the boy answered.
Camille and Harry looked at each other, and Harry laughed. "It's a joke," he explained and told them about Draco and his abilities. "I'm in danger of losing clients because I can't give them enough of my time, and Draco promised to help me whenever I was in trouble."
Camille smiled at the thought. She had been tricked into coming for a job, only to end up getting a job.
"Did you clear everything up?" Draco said, walking up to the table.
"You know we did," Harry said, with a smile, "and thank you, again."
"It's going to work out," Draco said with a smile, "and when it comes time, you can rename the company, Potter and Potter. Camille, he did tell you about the possible partnership, didn't he?" Draco walked off laughing to himself, at his little joke.
*
"He is mad," Fiona said. when Draco excused himself.
"In a good way, though," Sean said, "He has a curse, and he turned it into a blessing."
"I understand it," Ron said laughing. He turned to Hermione, "I know Draco's secret plan. Listen, if you could have any future you wanted, what kind of future would you be happy with?"
"I don't know," Hermione said.
Ron made a gesture that included Fiona and Sean, the children, the friends who greeted Draco as he walked back to the table, and said, "Draco does. He built a life where he would be happy."
Hermione gazed at Evelyn, who had fallen asleep in her arms, and smiled at the thought. When Draco came back to the table, she asked, "Will they be getting married?"
"Not for a while," Draco said, "They need to get the business in order, first. Besides, Harry doesn't believe in marriage. He'll need constant suggestions to take the hint."
Fiona smiled at her husband, "and would that suggestion be his having to explain to everyone who Harry Potter, Junior, is."
"Draco, is that your plan?" Hermione asked, "to give everyone a fairy tale life, with a happy ending."
Draco stared at Hermione, looking at her as hard as he could. "As many happy endings as I can," he said.