Hello, my freaky darlings. Here we are one year in and the end still kind of out there because I don't know where I want to stop. My muse keeps wandering in circles getting new ideas. For those of you who have been here since Day 1, thank you! For those who joined on the way, thank you. For those just getting here, welcome! I know this ended in a horrible cliffie, but yeah. If you hate cliffies, you might want to wait until the next chapter is up. Usual disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 51 Spoiled Little Girl
The headlines declared it the Wedding of the Decade. The Beauty and the Beast, the genius Lestrange heir marrying the quidditch star. The Daily Prophet published a three page spread of photos. Every detail documented, the elaborate yet, classy, decorations, the clothes, the guests, all of it. Jealousy churning in her stomach, along with pregnancy nausea, Ginny Weasley devoured all of the coverage. She frowned at Luna Lovegood being maid of honor, but she was Luna Montague now, that might explain it. Again, something about Hermione Lestrange, now Flint, niggled at the edges of her mind, like she knew her from somewhere and just could not place her. The redheaded witch sighed, admiring the luxurious gown and fancy jewelry.
The Rowles refused to spend a knut on the wedding. And Arthur insisted they need to put money back for baby things. It would be at the Burrow, catered by Molly. Which meant, no five course meal with roasted venison and asparagus spears in an apricot glaze. It would be shepherd's pie and the like. Instead of a vanilla sponge cake with cherry chocolate ganache, they would be having plain yellow cake. Which, she admitted was better than spotted dick. Fleur stepped in and saved her from having to wear Molly's old gown. Her sister-in-law offered to remake hers, much to Ginny's relief. Her bouquet would be preserved wildflowers. Her father met every complaint with the statement that regardless of the plainness of the event the result would be the same, they would be wed. Ron reminded her that being married was what she needed to gain access to the family vaults. She hated waiting tables at the little cafe in Ottery St. Catchpole. Absently, she rubbed her stomach. She hated being pregnant, her skin itched, she constantly found new things she couldn't eat, and she was the size of a whale. The beginning of November could not come soon enough.
-O-
A mundane bell tinkled as Percy opened the shop door. Identical redheads appeared from the backroom. Eyes wide they slowly walked onto the show floor. "Hello," Percy gave a small wave. "A mutual friend suggested mending bridges. So, here I am."
"Come on in," gestured George welcoming.
"Look around if you like," invited Fred.
"Thanks, I will." Percy walked up and down a few aisles before returning to his younger brothers, "This is brilliant, guys, simply amazing."
George looked at Fred, "You really think so?"
"I do. Everything is so creative, then again you always were. I admired that, and your Independence. You were never afraid to go your own way, or do something crazy."
Eyes shining, the twins engulfed Percy in a group hug. "Thank you. This means so much," Fred told him.
George patted him on the back, "We should probably apologize for all the pranks over the years."
"And the one you just pulled?" questioned Percy.
Fred shook his head, laughing, "And the one we just tried to pull." He held up a powder packet. "Mood powder changes the color of your skin based on your mood."
"Brilliant, but, um, not today, please." George raised a teasing eyebrow. "I'm meeting Esme's father this morning, and Dad this afternoon.
"Esme?" Fred asked with a teasing lilt.
"My girlfriend, Esme Flint. I'm going to talk to her father about proposing. Then Dad to get the ring Gran left me."
"Wow," George's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe, "really?"
"Yeah, she's amazing," Percy's face lit up, a goofy grin spreading across his face. "She's beautiful, kind, patient. She lets me talk about work without rolling her eyes."
"Seriously?" asked Fred.
"She says she doesn't always understand, but she likes listening. She's been helping me with my syllabus."
"Is she as in love with you as you are with her?"
"I hope so," he tried to look nonchalant. "I enjoyed seeing you at Hermione's wedding. Maybe we can get together for dinner soon."
Recognizing the olive branch for what it was, George accepted, "We should include Bill and Fleur, make it a proper reunion."
Percy grinned, "Sounds great."
Fred frowned, "I don't know if you heard, but Gin's getting married at the end of the month."
"She is?"
"Claims Thorfinn Rowle knocked her up, played the pureblood princess card to trap him."
"Hmmm, Esme mentioned a wedding at the end of the month, that might be it. I suppose I'll be there then."
"Us, too. No one's pleased about it," Fred told him.
"Well, except Ginny and Mum. Kind of, I think they both would have preferred Harry."
Percy cleared his throat, "That won't even be happening."
"We know."
"Though he purchased a nice townhouse in London in case the baby is his."
George looked surprised, "You think he's going to raise the baby?"
"If it is his, I think he is considering it. I don't know if he completely knows until he has to decide. Which is understandable."
"Thorfinn might block the paternity test since they'll be married," Fred pointed out.
"Doubtful, he's less than pleased with this arrangement. If the baby is Harry's, he can demand a divorce. A Potter baby is his ticket out of this," Percy observed.
"Why not wait until after the baby is born?" George wondered.
"Mum and Ginny are going to push to skip the testing," Fred reported. "I overheard half a conversation, but didn't put it together until right now."
Percy frowned, "Our sister has always been stubborn, gets it from our mother. I suppose I shall see you next week for the wedding, then."
"Train wreck, you mean."
"That, too."
Percy took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and knocked on Merrick Flint's office door. "Enter." He turned the doorknob and hoped he looked more confident than he felt. Merrick stood when he entered, "Percy, my boy! What brings you by?"
"I wanted to speak with you if you had time," the younger man
offered his hand.
Merrick shook his hand and gestured to a chair in front of his desk, "Certainly, have a seat."
He sat, trying to keep his legs from bouncing. "I know you intend to allow your children to plan their own futures and find their relationships, which I respect and admire, but it feels wrong to consider asking Esme those kinds of questions without at least mentioning it to you. I know she values your good opinion."
Merrick nodded, "I do appreciate the thought, thank you." He settled back in his chair. "A professorship at Hogwarts is quite respectable. Have you considered living arrangements?"
"Professor Snape has offered me larger living quarters should Esme wish to live there. I am not a head of house, so I can live off-grounds if I wish. I intend to suggest looking at houses in Hogsmeade. There is also the option to do both. I am open to her preferences."
"Do you intend to make her work?"
Percy felt confused, Esme didn't work at the moment, and he knew his income was comparable to Merrick's. "If she wants to? She doesn't have to, but I would never stop her from doing what she wanted."
"Good," Merrick nodded. "Not that you need it, but you have my blessing."
"Thank you, Mr. Flint."
"Call me Merrick, we're about to be family."
"Thank you, Merrick."
Percy caught Arthur before his father left his office at the Ministry. "Dad, glad I caught you."
Arthur hugged him in greeting, "Me, too. How have you been?"
"Good, good. Everything is going well. This leads me to my reason for coming. I would like the ring Gran Cendrelle left me for an engagement ring. I plan on proposing to Esme soon." He worried that his father would refuse him for a brief second.
"Of course, it's yours. Would you like to come to the house and collect it?"
"Certainly. Time to start rebuilding our bonds. The twins and I are getting dinner soon. They suggested inviting Bill."
"Family is important, even those that aren't blood," Arthur told him quietly. "Let's go surprise your mum."
Together father and son entered the Burrow. "Molly, I'm home and I brought someone with me," Arthur called.
Molly hustled into the front room from the kitchen, "What? PERCY!" she threw her arms around her son, sobbing her happiness into his chest.
He patted her on the back, "There, there, Mum. It is nice to see you, too."
She released him, "Dinner will be finished in a few minutes. Nothing fancy, things have been so crazy with all the wedding planning."
"I heard about that, Ginny and Thorfinn Rowle, a bit of a surprise."
"It certainly is, but a new life joining the family. So many blessings." Molly beamed as she returned to the kitchen.
Arthur's frown deepened, "The thing you asked after is in here, son."
"Oh, thanks, Dad." He followed his father.
Arthur led him into the small study. He watched him remove a small green satin bag from a drawer. He paused for a moment and removed two more. "This one is yours, and these are the twins'. It might be prudent for you to take them with you."
"Dad, are you okay?"
"I'm not sure. I do not support this wedding. Ginny pushed for it for all the wrong reasons. I worry about what will happen in the future."
"You didn't petition for it?" Percy asked.
"No, your mother did. I didn't want to embarrass her by opposing it. But I worry about what happens after the baby is born. I expect all three of them to be miserable, and that is not what I want for my child or grandchild."
"I understand. Gin's been playing with fire for a while now. She's going to get burned in the end. I'm not sure where we will be living with my new job, but my door is always open to you if you need to talk or get away for a night," Percy trailed off, leaving the idea of a longer stay left unsaid. "I'll get these to the twins, or hold onto them until they want them, whichever they want."
"Thank you, son."
Molly soon called them to dinner. His youngest brother briefly wrinkled his nose at Percy, but soon turned to shoveling food into his mouth. Ginny waddled into the room, her stomach rounded. She gave Percy a half smile before sliding into her chair. "Hello, Gin, ready for the big day?"
"Which one?" she asked, gesturing towards her abdomen.
"Both, I suppose."
She shrugged, "I guess. I'm ready to be married and ready to not be pregnant."
"That's good," Percy replied lamely.
Molly smiled at him, "Will you be able to come to the joyous event, Perce?"
"Uh, yeah, my girlfriend's family received an invitation from Rowle."
Molly perked up, "Your girlfriend?"
"Yes, her name is Esme, she's lovely. We met through mutual friends last New Years'."
"Is it serious?"
"I'm thinking of proposing soon, so I suppose it is."
"Does she come from a good family?" inquired Molly.
"She's a pureblood if that's what you mean," he answered uncertainly.
"No, blood status doesn't matter. Who is her family?"
"The, uh, the Flints." The only sound for a few minutes was Ron's eating.
"I see," Molly looked uncomfortable. "I'm sure she's lovely. We'll meet her at the wedding, yes?"
"We will be there. I'm sure she'd be delighted to meet you."
"I have little to no interest in meeting Molly Weasley," Esme told Alex. "She's been horrible to Percy and Hermione."
"Yeah, I've heard stories. On the plus side, I don't think she has much interest in her sons, all her focus is on her golden daughter," Alex sympathized.
"You mean gold digger daughter, right?" Esme quipped back. "But I adore Percy, so I can put up with his mother for his sake." She played with the cup in front of her, "Are you going to the wedding?"
"No, my mother had a school days rivalry with Mrs. Rowle, so we didn't rate an invite. Not that the family is too excited."
"Who would be? Your son fooled around with some little girl and she's forcing her way into your family now? So tacky," Esme rolled her eyes. "And if I ever marry Percy she will be my sister-in-law."
"My sympathies," Vanessa deadpanned.
"You're not sorry, you cow," Esme laughed.
"You're right, I'm not." They both laughed."Sorry, I'm not sorry?"
Begrudgingly, Esme admitted to herself that the wedding in the orchard was not tacky. The rustic look of do-it-yourself paired with the apple orchard in autumn created an intimate ambiance. She squeezed Percy's hand. He looked relaxed except for the set of his shoulders. He smiled at her, in gratitude. She gracefully shook hands with his siblings as he made introductions. She made mental notes of the ones he seemed more at ease with. She greeted his mother who faked her way through a conversation about happiness and a future with Percy. His father hugged her and expressed his hope they could welcome her to the family soon.
The ceremony lasted mere moments, the bride and groom exchanging banal and the barest bond. The reception after lasted only a few hours. The meal was hardy and well prepared, Esme made a note to ensure the house elves knew how to prepare the meals Percy relished. Due to the bride's advanced pregnancy, there was no dancing. But it wasn't the disaster Esme and Alex thought it would be.
Ginny plastered a smile on her face throughout the entire day. She hates how cheap everything was, regardless of the compliments of others. She nibbled on the heavy food, not wanting the bloated feeling of a full stomach, just in case Thorfinn changed his mind about not having sex. She knew he was just being dramatic and pouting because she won. She would just have to console herself with lovely things. At 10 o'clock he collected her and transported her to their new home. "Your bedroom," he pointed to a door. He entered his room without giving her a backward glance. She sighed, he could have his little wobbly, she was Mrs. Rowle now.
Two days later she went to withdraw funds from their vault. The large stone room echoes with emptiness. Only a small pile of gold coins sat in the middle. When confronted Thorfinn laughed, "I told you that you would regret this. There is no money. My grandfather squandered all of the family money on his mistresses. We, my sweet, live off my salary. So, don't get any delusions of shopping sprees or fancy things. Your family isn't swimming in galleons, so just live as you did then." He gave her a wet smacking kiss on the cheek, "Good night, wife." He managed to make the word wife an insult. He whistled on his way out the door leaving her alone for the night.
The first week of November a glowing, tan Hermione bounced through Harry's front door, "Hello, darling!" she sang.
Harry hugged her, "Hello, yourself. You look like you had a good time."
"The best," she purred. "How have you been?"
"Bored. Neville helped me plan out the garden, we're going to plant it this spring as part of his mastery. Luna promised that the house is free of nargles, which is good."
"So, you're just waiting for Gin to pop?"
"Yeah, though I think Britta might fancy me."
"Took you long enough. Even Marcus noticed."
"Thanks, you couldn't mention it?"
Hermione shook her head, "And have you run for the hills or act strange around her? Nope. How do you feel about her?"
Harry shrugged and looked at his feet, "I don't know. She's nice, funny, sweet, and she's pretty. But, I can't trust myself. I thought Ron and Ginny were my friends. I thought they were both amazing."
"Okay, so how about we do a potion detox? If there are none in your system nothing will happen. And I can scan you for influence magic. That way you can know you aren't being influenced. Would that help?"
Harry thought about it, "Yes, not like all the time, but if no one is influencing me now, then I doubt she would in the future. Maybe, but I need to start trusting somewhere."
"You know you can talk to me. You can also talk to Britta. She knows some of this. Explain how you feel, and what you're thinking. Take your time deciding what you want."
"That sounds like a good idea."
They sat in silence for a few moments before she broke the silence. "Harry, have you considered whether Ron influenced you to be bisexual."
Harry laughed, "Nope, I can reassure you with perfect certainty that I like guys and girls. Did you ever notice Oliver Wood's arse?"
"I have. Saw him not long ago. It is still a very fine arse."
Harry sighed, "That's good. It should be declared a national treasure."
"I wouldn't go that far," she laughed. "But I can admit my bias."
Harry reported that Britta has been understanding of everything. She agreed they should move slowly, and make an effort to build trust. She held his hand while he waited for the detox to take effect. She simply smiled when nothing happened. "We take this one day at a time, Harry. If we are meant to be, we will be. If you find someone else, you have but to tell me and I will wish you well."
"You're far more likely to find someone easier to be with," Harry pointed out.
"Not today, I have not. Tomorrow will take care of tomorrow." She kissed his cheek. "Enjoy today." He nodded mutely, and they sat holding hands, enjoying one another's presence.
As Ginny's due date loomed, Harry spent more time, often overnight at Courtaney Ave. Five days after the Flints returned from their honeymoon, three days after Britta promised to take things glacially slow with Harry, a magpie patronus flew through the kitchen and circled over the breakfast table at Courtaney Avenue. "Ginny's gone into labor. Dad said to let you know."
Pale, hands shaking, Harry looked at Hermione, "What do I do?"
Marcus answered, "You report to St Mungo's, inform them you cut her off but want to establish paternity. There is the slightest chance that Rowle could block it as her husband, but I get the feeling if it isn't his kid, he wants out."
Green eyes, wide with panic, begged his best friend to help. "Let's finish eating, Varl's cooking is vastly superior to hospital food."
"You'll come with me?" Harry asked in a small voice.
She rolled her eyes, "I am not going to dignify that with a response."
Marcus guffawed, "Of course, she is, Potter. And I will be bringing you meals throughout the day. Then again they might offer to just notify you when it is time to test the baby. In that case, we'll watch brainless television all day."
"Thanks, Flint." Harry attempted to finish eating.
Hermione polished off her food, she stood and kissed her husband, "Thank you, brute. I love you."
"Anything for you, little dove."
Hermione looked to Harry, "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"I'll take us. The last thing you need is to splinsh yourself." Hermione took his hand.
A/N: In my defense I could have ended with just before the father reveal, but decided that was too evil.
