Chapter 7

"Wake up, pups!" Sirius's voice echoed throughout the house due to a powerful sonorous charm. "We are headed out in 45 minutes."

"Kill me now," Harry weakly groaned into her pillow. Her wild hair shifted to a sickly green as the contents of her stomach struggled to stay put. She made the attempt to crawl out of bed slowly, but a shift in her stomach had her running to the bathroom to empty its contents into the porcelain toilet bowl.

Once her stomach was cleared out, she went to the sink and started to brush her teeth when Regulus suddenly burst into the bathroom. Seeing her standing there in nothing but panties and a large t-shirt momentarily startled the young man until his stomach lurched, and he was forced to launch himself at the toilet bowl to prevent himself from making a mess of the bathroom.

Still gaping at the unexpected intrusion, Harry couldn't help but laugh at the situation they found themselves in this morning. Hearing Harry losing to her fit of laughter, Regulus looked up with a pout.

"Oi!" he finally blurted. "Everything is too bright and too loud. Can you tone it down a bit?"

Harry could only nod her head. Laughing had only made her feel worse. Her head was throbbing, her stomach was aching and empty, and her laughter had caused a sharp pain in her side.

"No problem," Harry replied. "Remind me never to drink with you again. I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

"I have that effect on beautiful girls," Regulus winked at her before turning back to the toilet bowl for another session.

Harry couldn't help herself and was forced to leave the room before she joined him alongside the bowl. After getting dressed for the day and tying up her hair, she slid herself into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, the jumper that Mrs. Weasley had knitted her tied around her waist, and headed downstairs to the kitchen to offer help to Calliope, who was preparing breakfast.

"Kaliméra, Harry," the Veela greeted her in Greek. "Could you please set the table?"

"Good morning, mum," Harry replied before hugging the woman. After her greeting, Harry set the table for everyone and filled their glasses with fresh orange juice. By the time Sirius and Regulus entered the room, the table was set with an assortment of bread, fruit, cheese, yogurt, honey, and pastries.

Harry had gotten used to these healthy breakfasts and, with active exercise, had become quite fit. Harry would never be fat due to suffering malnourishment at the Dursleys, but she had added on some muscle and was now a healthier weight. Her current figure would cause many who saw her to be jealous of her trim form.

"Good morning, girls!" Sirius exclaimed as he planted a kiss on his wife and joined them at the table. "Are you all excited to finally return to jolly old London?

"Dad," Regulus groaned. "Too loud."

Harry had to groan in agreement. She was trying her best to keep her stomach from tossing about too much and was taking her movements as gently as possible. The juice wasn't helping, and she had been forced to switch to a glass of water. She didn't think she would have survived the morning if this had been an English breakfast like was common at the Weasley residence. That would have been too much grease for her current situation.

"Well, pups," Sirius said. "Let this be a lesson. Never drink more than you can handle. Now, hopefully, you won't be tempted to make the same mistake again."

"We've learned our lesson, dad," Regulus complained. "Now, can you please take away the pain?"

Sirius winked at his wife because he knew she was up early making the hangover potion. Calliope smiled back at being caught and gave the two teens a vile each, which they instantly downed. Relief flooded their senses, and they gratefully thanked the matriarch of the family.

Once they were finished with their plates, a quick scourgify from Calliope cleaned what remained before she levitated the plates and silverware back into the cabinets. Harry once again marveled at how useful magic could be in daily life.

"I don't know if I will ever get over how great magic is. It would have taken me at least 30 minutes to clean all of those by hand back in Surrey," Harry remarked.

"Harry?" Calliope asked. "How often did those muggles have you cleaning their house? When Sirius brought you here, your hands were cracked and bleeding from constant use. Those animals treated you no better than the most retched of house elves, didn't they?"

Harry dropped her eyes to her knees as she began to fiddle with a loose string on her jumper. 'It really was that bad, wasn't it.' she said to herself with a sad smile.

"Aunt Petunia taught me how to cook and clean since I was five," Harry replied. "I was told that it was my job because I wouldn't be going to school with her Dudders. She and Uncle Vernon didn't want me to be a burden and made it very clear that I was a freak and wouldn't be able to get a real job. Aunt Petunia said that I was lucky that they even took me in.

"I only ever went to primary because our neighbor asked why I was still home at eight years old. It got worse then because I liked school so much. If I got better marks than Dudley, then I would be hit and forced into my cupboard without dinner. I kind of learned not to try at that point. It didn't matter anyway. You and Sirius have treated me more like family in this past month than the Dursley did for the past 13 years. That place may have been a house, but it was never my home. I now know what a home is. It's about being around people who love and care about you. You have given me this, and I don't know if I can ever repay you."

There wasn't a dry eye in the room at Harry's words. The sad smile on her face had turned into a genuine look of joy, and Calliope soon had the young woman wrapped up in her arms as if she could take away the years of hurt that she was forced to endure.

"Dad," Regulus whispered to his father. "If you don't kill them when we return to Britain, then I will."

Sirius nodded his head in affirmation. Harry, of course, could never know, but the Dursleys were marked for death. No one hurts his pups and gets away with it. He locked eyes with his wife, who was looking up at him from her position near Harry. Her eyes were struggling between human and avian, and he could see that they were both in agreement with the fate of the Dursleys.

No one harms a member of a Veela's family and gets away uninjured. By either talon or flame, the Dursleys would feel her wrath soon.

"On to a lighter topic," Sirius said as he attempted to change the mood of the room. "I have had the goblins recover the family heiress ring from the Potter vaults and the Black engagement rings."

Harry took the Potter ring reverently and examined it in her palm. The ring itself was simple and appeared as though molten gold had been roughly shaped to fit on a finger. A simple ruby sat on the face of the ring, and the words "Virtutue Acquiritur Honos" were engraved around the stone.

"Thank you, Sirius," Harry gushed as she slid the ring onto the primary finger of her right hand, startled when it adjusted to fit. "What does it mean?"

"It means that honor is acquired by virtue," her dogfather replied. "Simply put, to honor your family, remain virtuous. Uphold the high moral standards of the Potter line, and you will always be supported by the Potter family's magic. Your father's journal should have a code of honor that all Potters are expected to adhere to. Have you finished with the journals yet?"

"Not yet," Harry stated. "But I'm working on it. I guess I was distracted by all of the spells and secrets that he discovered."

"Don't worry, pup," Sirius said as he ruffled her hair. "Take your time. You don't need to know it all so soon. You have until your 17th birthday before you need to make all of your family oaths and take up your responsibilities. I will be here every step of the way so that you know what you are getting into. The ring itself will help you to keep a level head. The Potters were known to get a little hot-headed and with your mother's blood in you as well, let's just say you will need the help. It also has some defensive magic which can deflect minor hexes and curses by enabling you to slap them out of the way. You will need to practice with the timing, though."

"Thanks, Padfoot," Harry said as she hugged the man. "Thanks for everything that you've done for me."

"Son," Sirius called Regulus to bring him back into the conversation and tossed him a small velvet-covered box. "If you would do the honors."

Regulus nodded his head to his father and snapped open the small box in his hand. Within the box was a beautiful platinum engagement ring with a black diamond standing proudly in an emerald cushion cut. The five-carat diamond was surrounded by smaller white diamonds and was spelled to protect the wearer from external manipulation such as potions and curses. The ring would even heat up in warning should it detect an attempt at any mental manipulation.

Abruptly, Regulus knelt in front of Harry and took her hands in his. He opened his mouth to start but shut it once again to find the correct words.

"Harry," the nervous teen started. "I know that we haven't known each other for very long, but what I do know is that I have come to care deeply for you. You have a strength of character that I have never seen before, and I could honestly see us together for many years if you choose to keep me around. I know that this betrothal was designed to protect you from the politics of Magical Britain, but I have hope that this will lead to a bright future together. Would you do me the honor of wearing my ring to show all that you are my betrothed and future wife?"

To say that Harry was stunned would be a disservice. In her mind, she knew that this started as a form of protection for her against potential threats, yet there was a knowing sensation that this was to be one of the most important decisions of her life. With her decision made and her heart set, she nodded her head up and down.

"Yes, Reggie," Harry proclaimed. " I accept your ring and your hopes for the future."

With a smile, Regulus slid the ring onto Harry's left hand, and it resized to fit perfectly around her finger. The ring was truly magnificent, and harry had never seen something so beautifully feminine. Calliope was jumping with joy and wrapped her arms around both teens as though she would be able to draw them into her impressive bosom.

"Mum!" harry and Regulus complained. "Can't breathe!"

"Sorry, my darlings!" Calliope cooed at them. "I am just so happy for the both of you!"

"Well, everyone," Sirius declared to the room and pulled out an old glove. "It's about time that we head out. If you would each grab hold, we will soon arrive at 12 Grimmauld Place, London."

"What's with the old glove?" Harry asked.

"Portkey," Regulus shared. "I'd take a deep breath if I were you, and whatever happens, don't let go."

Tentatively, Harry reached out and grabbed onto one of the fingers on the glove and held her breath.

"Three, two, one!" Sirius counted out, and at zero, they were all whisked away from the Black Villa of Santorini.