Authors Note: Thank you to the five people who reviewed the previous chapter, obviously you are all fed up with this story so the next chapter will probably be the last.
Chapter 8. The Rum Factory.Having spent a pleasant night and had a good breakfast they were heading towards the Masters study, Harry didn't know how it had come about but he and Hermione were discussing the first Magi book, 'Principles and Practices of the Magi'. He told her and Ginny that there was nothing about the change ritual in the standard copy of the book and as far as they knew none of the Magisterium knew anything about it.
Merlin and Godric know about it and the Headmaster had been told of its existence by them, it was obvious that it would be best to keep it that way and so the subject should only be discussed inside a security bubble, such as they were in now.
He also told them both that Mad Eye Moody had sent a message about Snape's dubious dealings, apparently he had been working for not two but three people for years; Voldemort, Dumbledore and Artimus Smith. Snape was now destined to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban, with his friend Artimus for his part in the revolutionary coup that had surfaced at the party. It seems that he was number two in the organization of 'the Hand of Power' and he would have become the Headmaster of Hogwarts, amongst other things if they had succeeded.
In the Masters study Harry was looking at the elegant tapestry that depicted his family tree, its brilliant red and gold was a far cry from the dingy green and gold that had been the condition of the Blacks equivalent. This one also appeared to be far more magical than the one in number twelve Grimmauld Place. It listed what Harry estimated to be between sixty and seventy generations. The writing appeared to be tiny until you looked closely at an area and then the portion you were studying expanded so that it could be read easily.
At the very top was Myrddin Emrys, 'Merlin' as he had called him all his cognisant life and the Emrys name had lasted for nine generations, two hundred and fifty years or so. It appeared that Wizard generations averaged out to be slightly longer than Muggle ones; he thought that this was probably due to their extended lifespan.
When Godric Gryffindor had married Gwenhwyfar Emrys the family name had changed, that was just over a thousand years ago, then about seven hundred years ago the name had changed to Potter. In the later generations wizarding family names from three of the four schoolhouses were prominent with daughters marrying into the family, but the well-known Slytherin family names, were to no ones surprise all missing.
"It's shouldn't be to much of a shock Ginny that Godric liked your name," Harry said, "his wife was called Gwenhwyfar, the Welsh equivalent to Guinevere, is it fate or coincidence? We will have to wait and see, won't we."
Ginny was looking at him with big eyes but it was Hermione who said, "I need to find a book," and left hurriedly, heading in the direction of the library.
"Hasn't changed much, has she?" said Ginny with a small nervous smile.
Harry went over and knelt in front of Ginny and drawing her towards him gave her a cuddle saying, "I love you Miss Weasley and we will not let anything happen to you. Although I won't be happy until we make you Magi." As Hermione came back with three books Ginny felt a tingle through her body and he continued, "I have just cast a pair of semi permanent protection spells on you. One is a very powerful version of the reflection charm that we were using the other night in the room of requirements, woe betide anyone who throws a spell of any sort at you, without your permission. The other spell is a banishing shield, it will stop anyone with any evil intent towards you from touching you and they won't be able to hit you or throw things at you either. We won't let anything happen to you, don't worry."
Hermione could see that Ginny was fretting so had also started cuddling Ginny, "Do you think that it would help if Harry were to bring forward the induction?" she asked.
"No, not at all," Ginny replied. "I know that the time we have decided, my birthday, is correct and it is only a couple of days to wait, I just don't know why I'm so edgy."
There was a little friendly voice from one of the paintings on the wall, "It is linked with what I told you the other day," it was Merlin and he was in a picture of a wheat field with a rather attractive young lady, "having the destiny of a Magi is quite enough for one so young. It may not feel like it but it does put quite a strain on you and to your great credit you are bearing it exceedingly well."
"Thank you sir," Ginny sounded relieved, "so it could be considered normal then?"
"Yes it's quite normal," he answered with a smile, "and you should all stop calling me sir and things like that. Why don't you three all call me granddad?" As he asked this he seemed somewhat bashful, "I would really like that and when you marry, which you have implied that you are going to do, it will be true, in a many times removed kind of way."
"Talking about us getting married," Harry said, "what are we going to do about engagement rings? If we waltz into a shop in the middle of Diagon Alley and buy them they will print a special edition of the Daily Prophet with just one subject, have you any ideas?" The girls were obviously thinking as with a small smile he continued, "Anyway I haven't asked either of you yet, when it comes to it I might prefer Pansy Parkinson or Cho!"
As he said Cho he imitated a violent bout of vomiting and the girls jumped on him and started tickling him.
Three minutes later from the centre of a breathless, tangled heap of arms and legs in the middle of the floor came Harry's voice, "I must first admit that I do not have any rings at this time but Miss Hermione Bookworm Granger and Miss Ginevra Fun-bundle Weasley will you do me the honour of becoming my wives? "
From both girls there was a deafening whoop of, "Yes!" There followed an interlude of much kissing, cuddling and other romantic carryings on generally indulged in by those who have very recently become engaged.
No! Neither did they have sex, nor did they get drunk; Ginny is still to young for the first and they are all too young for the second.
After about half an hour of complete frivolity Merlin said, "You haven't checked all of this room yet, there is a safe hidden in one of the corners and there are some family heirlooms in it. I believe that it is quite possible you will find something suitable in there." The girls dashed away to look in the corners. "Come back I've not finished, only the Master will be able to find the safe, so you two girls sit down and let him look."
"Out of the goodness of my hart, I shall forgo my insane desire to just sit and read." Sometimes Harry enjoyed waffling, most especially when it annoyed both of his loves but in order to save his life, he quickly reverted to, "Also in order to assuage the burgeoning curiosity of my loves, I will put forth my utmost endeavour to find the safe."
He walked directly to the corner behind the door and opened a panel revealing a safe that was more like a room and more than large enough to walk around in.
"You, you, you, you thing you," Ginny spluttered as both the girls were slapping him playfully, "you knew where it was!"
"Of course I did," he admitted, "it's in the 'Constance Vigilance' handbook." Harry continued, "Ginny and Hermione are granted access to this vault whenever it is open."
In their rush the girls nearly knocked Harry over but they were all soon in the room looking around, it was neatly racked out and there were no books in view, however there were half a dozen closed cupboards. In the centre of the far wall was a plain picture frame in it stood Merlin with Godric and the latter said, "It would take you several days to examine everything that is in this vault, so I suggest that at the moment you concern yourselves solely with looking at the engagement rings.
There are nearly three hundred such rings in here, some of them are in pairs from the times when wives wished it and they are all identified as to who and when they were worn many, of them have been on more than one finger.
Not all of them were owned by Master's wives, Masters of course used some of them when they were female, some were used by sisters and some by the wives of brothers.
They are all in the second cabinet to the left of the door together with the wedding bands. Good luck."
Harry went to the second cabinet and after quickly checking the twelve shelves he removed the top one and placed it on a small table in the centre of the vault for them all to examine.
It had taken an hour and a half but they had been through all the shelves and were now back on the forth one which included a collection of eighteen pairs of rings, the girls had decided that they should have matching rings. The pair that seemed to draw them had belonged to Efa and Elen Glyndwr, they had married Iago Crochenydd in 1397, the sisters had died in 1544 when they were about 165 years old.
The rings were identical thick bands of Welsh gold and they each had two carat perfect Emeralds set in the centre of a slightly raised platinum Celtic cross, to say the least they were spectacular.
Before he allowed either of the girls to touch the rings Harry told Merlin and Godric which engagement rings they had chosen.
Godric said, "Ah Eve and Helen Glendower, Owen Glendower's daughters a fine choice. Efa and Elen had a long and happy life with James Potter which is the English translation of Iago Crochenydd, he only lived a couple of years after they died I think he was 182 or 183 a very reasonable age."
Harry took first one ring he held it then replaced it and after doing the same to the other one he said, "Both of these rings are charmed, if you put them on it will not be easy to remove them, that is one of the charms. The other charm is that you will love whoever gives you the ring until you or they die, I can tell you that it is possible for me to remove the charms but... I'm missing something. Why don't I want to remove the charms?"
Upon examining the tray of rings again, "You missed this one." He said to himself pointing to another identical thick band of Welsh gold with an unadorned slightly raised platinum Celtic cross; it was slightly larger than the other two rings obviously for a man. First touching it gently then picking it up he smiled as he replaced it and said, "They are three bound rings, the same charms are on the man's ring as on the other two. My immediate instinct is to say that this is what I want but it is not my place to put this on you, now that you know the situation do you want time to consider it? Or do you just want to find other rings?"
"I was drawn to those rings," said Hermione, "I don't know what it is but I feel that they are right for us."
"So do I, I just feel that they are right," said Ginny, "like you I was drawn to them. I think that we should wear them." Hermione and Harry were nodding in agreement with her and she continued, "So how are we going to do this?"
"All take one at the same time," said Hermione, "and put it on."
"Ok after three," said Ginny, "one, two, three."
Each of them took a ring and put it on, they waited, the rings looked even more spectacular on their hands than they did on the tray, still they waited, after three minutes Harry said, "I feel no different."
"Me neither." Both the girls said at the same time.
"Good!" said Merlin and Godric.
"What do you mean?" The three of them said at the same time.
"You feel no different," Merlin said smiling, "because you are no different, if any of you hadn't been completely in love then you would now feel different. Because of the rings you now have the strength of the love of the others to help you and if any of you get into danger the other two will know come to your aid. Apart from those times as I said you should feel no different, so have the three of you considered hiding the rings?"
"I can't do that kind of magic yet! I'm to young granddad," said Ginny smiling at him.
"These are charmed rings my dear," Merlin said smiling at her, "just think it invisible and it will disappear, think appear and it will, Iago Crochenydd the last level nine Magi in the family made them and that was an easy trick for him."
Harry replaced the tray of rings in its rack and the three of them made their way back into the study and he shut the vault door behind them.
Ginny was sat looking at her ring winking into and out of sight on her left hand when Harry said, "Being a cautious sole I don't think that we should broadcast the fact that we have become engaged and are wearing these rings. We should show them to both sets of parents but ask them to keep it quiet, we'll tell them that it is not exactly a secret but we feel it would be best if it were not common knowledge."
The girls agreed with Harry and all three of the rings disappeared at the same time and Ginny said, "Isn't it lunch time yet I'm starving, getting engaged gives a girl an appetite."
The others agreed so they left the Masters study then they met Jemma who was coming to tell them that it was lunchtime and she asked if she could have a quick word with Hermione.
Ginny and Harry went on to the dining room and Jemma asked, "We need to send out invitations for Ginny's birthday party if we are going to have one?"
Hermione answered, "We really need Harry as well to answer this."
Harry was being led out of the dining room by a grinning Mimi and he said, "Mimi told us all in a loud voice that you needed me badly, of course everyone took it the wrong way. So what can I do?" They explained the situation to him and he smiled waved his hand at a table in the corner on which appeared a pile of cards. Then he continued, "That's all of the sixth and seventh years, that's sixty four and they are all allowed to bring someone else if they want to, oh and you better ask Ginny's mum if there is anyone else. These invitations will act as portkeys to get them here and home then if there are any more I will make them tonight. Can you get them delivered Jemma?"
"Yes I can have them delivered easily," said a smiling Jemma, "and I will check with Mrs Weasley while you are all out this afternoon."
Very happily Harry and Hermione went back into the dining room for lunch.
As Harry and Hermione sat Ginny said to Hermione in a loud voice, "Well that didn't take him very long did it?"
The whole table collapsed in laughter, except for Harry and Hermione of course, Harry turned bright red but Hermione said with a cheeky smile, "No it didn't did it, Harry managed to satisfy my requirements very quickly." Then she started tucking into a hearty lunch.
Ron asked, "Are we still going to the Rum Factory this afternoon?"
"Yes we are," said Harry, "that is what Jemma really wanted to speak to me about. I assume that you still want to come with us?"
"Of course he does," said Luna, "he's talked about nothing else since yesterday and I have spoken to his mum and he is to be allowed to drink as much Rum as he wants to." Ron's eyes lit up and she continued, "Oh and his mummy also said that tomorrow is everybody shout at Ron day, but only if he has a hangover."
Ron directed, "Ha, ha, ha," at his mother who gave him a totally false big grin in return, the whole table, baring Ron of course, burst out laughing again.
"Come on," said Hermione, "we had better get changed before we go."
Ron moaned, "Why do we have to change."
"Because oh brother of mine," answered Ginny in her most patronising tone, "we are going to Barbados. Where sugar grows so that they can make Rum, which means that it is hot and probably humid as well, so go and put on your lightest robe."
"Do we need to put on Robes," inquired Hermione, "we did buy everyone shorts and I thought that this could definitely be the time to wear them?"
"That's what they are," Luna said with a big grin, "can one of you Muggle experts come and help me decide what to wear with them? Us witches don't know about such things."
"Harry can go with you," Hermione said, "I will need to help Ginny."
"Who's going to help me?" moaned Ron.
"You don't need help," Hermione answered, "you just put on shorts a T-shirt and trainers then you will be ok."
"So why do Luna and Ginny need help?" Ron was a bit antsy and he wasn't letting up.
Rolling his eyes Harry said, "Because they're girls, don't you know anything? They are much fussier than us and they need to look right. Come on we don't want to sit here all day."
Harry went into Luna's room with her and while she was getting her shorts out she said, "I tried these on but they are quite tight and you can see the outline of my knickers through them, is that right?"
"No," Harry answered, "most girls don't like that, where are the knickers we bought you?"
Luna opened her underwear drawer for him and he started looking through it, right down the bottom he found some G-strings and he said, "You should wear one of these, your shorts are white so the white one would probably be best."
"Hang on," said Luna and she grabbed the G-string and shorts and disappeared into her bathroom. She came out a minute later with her robes hitched up above her shorts, "How do I look?" she bent over showing Harry her rear, "it feels like my knickers are trying to go up my bum but I don't think that there is any sign of my underwear. So what else do I wear? I've had these sandals for years they look like they will do, but what about the top half?"
"Well it depends upon what you want to look like and how wild you want to drive Ron," he said, "it will be hot and sticky so some girls, if they are firm enough wouldn't wear a bra. Then all you have to do is decide if it's to be a little strapped top or a T-shirt."
She looked in another drawer, took out a top and went back into her bathroom, when she came out a minute later she said, "How do I look?"
Her little strapped top was bright red and with her short white shorts and sandals she looked very nice and Harry said, "I think that you look super Luna and I think that Ron will think so as well, but now we should defer to the ultimate authority on all things Muggle."
Hermione they found in Ginny's bedroom, she peeped around the door then let Luna in and shooed Harry away so he went to his room to change his clothes.
He put on a lightweight pair of very pale kaki slacks, emerald green deck shoes and a lightweight emerald green short-sleeved shirt and then he made a halfhearted attempt to do something with his hair but soon gave up.
When he looked at himself in the mirror he thought that he looked all right but it told him that by his age he should have learned to comb his hair properly, so he threatened it with a silencing spell and it shut up. Five seconds later he relented and apologised to the mirror then he said, "I know all about my hair it has a mind of its own, but comments about the rest of my appearance would be helpful." He thought that the mirror had now started sulking but he wasn't about to go down on his knees and beg its forgiveness so he ignored it and went into his bedroom.
Harry was sitting in his room reading a book and wondering how long they were going to be when the arch opened and two divine beings appeared and he looked at them longingly and said, "I am sorry but you appear to be in the wrong place, angels are supposed to frequent heaven and I am not used to them being in my bedroom."
Needless to say Harry's reaction produced broad smiles from both of the girls who were dressed identically in tiny white shorts, thin strapped sandals and emerald green tops that looked about to fall down.
"Don't look so worried," Hermione said, "they're held up magically."
Grinning Harry said, "Oh you thought that I was I looking worried? Actually I was just trying not to look too hopeful."
The girls slapped him for being cheeky but their smiles didn't diminish and having exchanged a round of kisses they went to find the other two.
Ron's first comment was, "How come Harry can wear trousers and I have to wear shorts?"
"Because," said Ginny, "Luna appears to be the only female, under thirty, who can keep her hands off of him. If we took him out in public with shorts on there would probably be a riot."
The five of them had started walking slowly down the stairs towards the entrance hall.
"Don't kid yourself, if you brought him out in shorts I would be after him." Luna admitted, "It's hard enough when he is covered but shorts would probably be too much."
"I didn't realise," sympathised Harry, "I am searching for something to lessen the effect but I think that I will have to discover it myself."
Ron sounded really interested and said, "What effect is that Harry?"
"We call it the 'Love God' effect," Ginny said, "it has been happening ever since he did for Voldemort and it's getting worse, we practically had to fight the girls off in some of the shops we went to."
"What about the one in 'Skimpiest'," Hermione reminded her, "the one with the big boobs, when she came out in just the see through bra and pants with high heeled shoes? I thought we were going to come to blows!"
"Sounds great," said Ron, "can't you pass some of it on to me?"
As we all have noticed on the odd occasion in the past Ron is not always the most tactful or discreet person on the planet, not surprisingly this proved to be one of those occasions.
Luna, in a voice that would have frozen the Devil's cocoa said, "So I am not enough for you Ronald Weasley?"
Ron had gone white and in a little squeaky voice said, "Do you know any good, quick death spells, that won't be as painful as what I am about to get from Luna? Mum should have made my middle name Prat because that is what I am. Forgive me please Luna?" He fell down on his knees in the middle of the inner hall and started kissing her feet.
"It's no good you getting down there trying to look up the leg of my shorts," Luna said, "the legs are too tight for that."
"I wasn't trying to look up your shorts," pleaded Ron, "honestly."
"So you don't even want to look up my shorts?" Luna sobbed, apparently nearly in tears, but because Ron daren't look up she winked at the trio.
"We'd best not get involved in lovers tiffs." Hermione said and the trio, who were having great difficulty not giggling out loud, moved to entrance hall.
Four minutes had passed when a very self satisfied looking Luna arrived with an extremely contrite looking Ron, "I think that we should get on now." She said.
Harry opened the portal next he gave permission for Luna and Ron to pass then they went through to Potter Lodge on the island of Barbados.
The entrance they arrived in was, in some respects, very similar to the one they had just left, the first very noticeable difference was that the outer door stood open and a warm tropically scented breeze was wafting through.
Stood waiting to greet them were two well tanned young women, they looked between twenty-five and thirty years old, neither was very tall but the taller of the two said, "I am the plantation manager, my name is Eva and this is Tanya she is the senior housekeeper," and very quietly she added," and we are both witches."
Harry put out his hand and shook hands with both of them, as he was shaking hands with Tanya she said, "If there is 'anything' you want don't hesitate to ask me." The way she said 'anything' and 'me' coupled with her reluctance to release his hand, left no one in any doubt as to what 'anything' meant.
Harry totally ignored the blatant offer and introduced the other four to the greeters then he asked Eva, "What do you suggest we do first?"
From the look on her face Ron thought that Eva was going to suggest Harry take her to bed, but she advised, "You should look at the house first, it shouldn't take too long and then I will show you the Rum processing."
Colonial houses don't tend to vary in much other than in the details, light and airy is the order of the day the windows were large, the rooms were also large and high, most of the doors were louvered and nearly everything was open for ventilation. In a word it was lovely and the garden just as much so with wide green lawns and violent splashes of colour where the flowerbeds met the neatly trimmed lawns.
On the way around Ron said very quietly, "I see what you mean with the girls it's almost frightening."
Then Luna added, "Scary, the blatant offers, right in front of us all. I would have scratched their eyes out."
On the verandas and within the house the furnishings were brightly coloured light comfortable tropical canvasses and rattans, the beds were four-posters enclosed in mosquito netting that looked more decorative than practical. But truly it did not take much over an hour to look over the house even though they met several of the other staff whom they greeted and were introduced to; quite reluctantly when they were young, female and pretty.
The trio being what they were found Tanya's antics amusing, but the five of them were soon handed over, albeit again quite reluctantly, to Eva for their tour of the Rum making facilities.
Luna was amazed at the endless sea of sugar cane covering the hillside and swaying gently in the breeze, Eva told them that there would be no one cutting it for another couple of months. It was all quiet as they walked through the primary processing plant, where cut cane would be brought to be chopped, cut and crushed to extract the raw sugar syrup.
Aromas are entirely subjective; the mash that was fermenting prior to distillation had a fairly unique smell that only Ron and Luna actually liked, Harry didn't mind it but Ginny and Hermione hated it. However they had soon passed that and were in the ageing hall which was really a cellar, great casks that Eva assured them were full of Rum, standing for up to twenty-five years.
Eventually they reached the point at which the normal visitors would start and finish their tour so for the first time since arriving in Barbados they actually saw some Rum even though it was behind the bar.
"Why have I never seen this on sale?" Queried Harry, "We go through 'the Leaky Cauldron' and 'The Three Broomsticks'."
Eva told him, "It is not sold in ordinary public houses, the importer only distributes it through what I believe he calls 'High Class' establishments." This was all said as though she didn't much like the distributor personally or his methods.
"I assume that you have a method of contacting the Rum's distributor," Harry said with a small smile and Eva nodded, "well I want you to pass him a message from me. Tell him that if I do not find my rum, generally available in any wizarding pub I happen to be in, then he will no longer be its distributor. It would be as well if you also told him that I intend checking with Tom and Mme Rosmerta that he is not asking exorbitant wholesale prices for it, also if you personally have any trouble from him let me know and he will have personal trouble from me."
At this point Eva couldn't help herself she kissed him. Then she burst into tears saying I'm sorry over and over.
Both Ginny and Hermione moved forward and cuddled her and Hermione said, "He has the same effect on both of us as well and we are with him practically all the time, it doesn't seem to ease up."
Harry had his cheeky grin on and he said, "You know Ron, I recon that it must be really disappointing kissing me, so many of the girls burst into tears when they do it."
Everyone burst out laughing including Eva, she said, "You're not a bad kisser it's just that I have been trying so hard not to make a fool of myself, then I go and do that."
"Well," said Ginny with a big grin, "we will all try to forgive you if you let us taste some of Harry's Rum."
"I'm not into forgiving her yet," said Luna, "I've never had a kiss from Harry."
Eva was pouring small quantities of Rum into glasses and she put a jug of iced water on the bar with it, then Harry said, "If you want to kiss me Luna you only have to get permission from three people."
All of them tried the Rum and Luna said with a small smirk, "I can only think of two, after what the carrot did earlier I shouldn't have to ask his permission."
"Aren't you going to have some Rum Eva?" Harry said and he looked passed Luna at Ron who nodded slightly then he continued, "And I wasn't thinking of Ron as the third person I was thinking of your dad."
The other four had great difficulty not laughing, Luna looked forlorn and said, "That's not fair, you know that he's in the Transvaal for another two weeks yet so how can I ask him?" Then she grabbed Harry and kissed him." Then she giggled.
Having poured herself a drink Eva had again put a small quantity of Rum into their glasses and Harry said to Luna, "What about the other two?"
"I was going to ask them retrospectively and at least I didn't cry like Eva." Luna said and she turned around and gave Ron a big kiss "That was better, Hi carrot."
"Was it really better?" asked Eva.
"Yes it was," answered Luna, "if I kiss carrot he kisses me back, but Harry isn't allowed to and it's no good kissing blokes who don't kiss back."
"If you had obtained the proper permission, signed in duplicate and witnessed by your dad," Hermione said, "he might have kissed you back."
"And what good would that of been?" Luna retorted, "We all know who he wants to kiss, so if he had kissed me back one time and I liked it he would never get around to kissing me again, so then I would be left longing for the rest of my life."
"Very philosophical Luna," Hermione said, "I never thought of that, but I never have that problem, do I?"
Harry said to Eva, "You know that Hermione is Muggle born, well her father is very fond of Rum so one day we might send her mum and dad here for a treat. I think that we will come back soon as well, I like it here."
Both of the girls agreed but the other two were busy playing who can kiss the longest, Luna was breathing through her nose so she kept winning, Ron might figure out why one day.
"It's time we thought about going back to the Potters Wheel, Hermione said, "what are we going to take with us?"
"We have made up a pack for you," Eva said, "and one of the elves will take it when you go. If you need more just ask Jemma she can always get it for you. Oh, and we have a new drink called 'Butter Rum' there's some in the pack and we will send some for Ginny's Birthday party, if she is still having one."
Ginny dug Ron in the ribs and said, "We're going now and you can stay if you want to but you will miss dinner. And yes I am having a Birthday party even if it's on my own."
The threat of missing dinner was better than any charm for getting Ron's attention, he was ready to go and they had all started the walk back to the portal.
Ten minutes later they entered the dining room and Jemma was waiting with a large package she had placed on the table at Harry's place, with their arrival the group were all in the dining room so Harry opened the package.
The tag on this on says that it is for Mrs Weasley, he took out a bottle of Butter Rum and passed it to her; the same thing had been sent for all of the females at the table. Next it was the turn of the men. Ron received a bottle of ten year old Rum but the Rum both Mr Granger and Mr Weasley's received was fifteen years old. Of course this only left Harry. His was not a bottle it was an earthenware flagon that would probably hold about three bottles, the label on it identified it as twenty-five year old 'Potters Finest Family Rum'.
"Should someone open one?" ventured Mrs Granger.
This seemed to be the cue for Jemma, "It is tradition that at the table, the Master goes around and pours you all Rum from his bottle. The bottles that have been given to you are yours so that you may have a drink at other times, if you run low then ask me and I will bring full ones for you, within reason.
To help I will try to define reason for you, if Ron were to drink his bottle in three days I would not replace it for a week, but if he were to sit down with some friends and drink it in one night I would replace it. It is simple really, if your use rate is reasonable it will be replaced without question, if I have any doubt then I will consult the Master and he would normally call a committee that comprises himself Merlin and Godric. Some times others such as the Headmaster would be added if the Master thinks that it is necessary, but normally this would not be so.
The Butter Rum is not alcoholic, although you may think that it is, enough of my babbling Harry will pour you all some Rum and dinner will be served."
Harry went around and poured them all some rum, then he proposed a toast 'to peaceful times' which they all concurred with, the adults all praised the rum and they ate dinner.
After dinner Ron and Luna disappeared up stairs leaving the trio alone with both sets of parents and Harry said, "Mr and Mrs Granger, Mr and Mrs Weasley I wish to inform you that this morning I asked your daughters' to marry me and they accepted."
With that the trio revealed the rings they were wearing, there was a lot of Oooing cuddling and handshaking eventually Hermione said, "It is a bit of a secret but we didn't want to keep it secret from you four, nobody else knows."
All the adults agreed that at the moment it was probably better this way, then it was time to adjourn to Merlin's study and then to bed.
AUTHORS NOTE: Please feel free to review if the mood takes you and I will feel free to write more if your reviews inspire me.