Harry Potter Boy who Lives

H P Boy who Lives 7th year

Chapter Seven

The Boggart

--

Harry learns that sometimes not having bad memories can come back to bite you in the arse.

--

Albus Dumbledore's Study

Harry sat down in his Aunt and Uncle's study, where his portrait, in full HBP dress, hung above the mantle of the fireplace. It was like staring up at his twin. "Trista outdid herself with that one."

"I see that you have discovered your portrait. Trista is a very gifted artist, as are your older sisters." Albus sat in one of the comfortable chintz chairs that he favored so much. "Now shall we have one of our talks?"

"I feel like everyone expects me to do what Olivander and the Sorting Hat said to me seven years ago, that being great and extraordinary things. So, much so I'm now the next Merlin-in-training." Harry confided in him.

"You are like Merlin, and have already achieved greatness, and done extraordinary things. Mind you all in the span of six years." Albus offered him a cup of hot chocolate.

"I can't have any, no matter how much I want some." Harry stayed true to his training.

"Chen's diet is very strict, so how about herbal tea instead." He handed him a cup of steaming hot tea.

Harry took the cup and took a sip of tea. "It takes some getting used to that's for sure."

"Now tell me why you shared your inner darkest memories with your loved ones." Albus had chosen to drink tea as well.

"I saw Draco's reaction, which wasn't at all what I had expected. He was impressed, astonished, and amazed, after seeing the final battle where Lucius Malfoy died. So I chose to share the rest with him and the others as well." Harry closed his eyes leaning his head back against the soft cushion on the chair.

"How does it feel to be free of those memories, but only for a time? They can't remain in the Pensive forever." Albus reminded him.

"My mind's sharper, now that I don't have those memories clear as day in my head. The shadow of them lingers, but without the detail." Harry tried to put words to how he was feeling. "I guess in all honesty, it makes me feel finally free of all of it."

"If I give you a Pensive, you must swear to me that you will not abuse it, by not returning your memories to your mind, after the span of one school week. On Saturday, the memories must be removed and returned to your mind. Do you understand?" Albus was deadly serious.

"I'd be able to concentrate during the week, without all of that in my head. Uncle Albus, I swear that I won't abuse the privilege of the Pensive." Harry promised.

"Your promise is as good to me, as any oath sworn. The Pensive will be in your room when you return to the Camelot Wing this evening." Albus finished his tea.

"Do we have to return Ron's memory? It's not vital to him or life altering if not returned." Harry set his empty cup down on a side table.

"That one has been taken care of, while yours are a part of what makes you who you are." Albus smiled at him.

"Uncle Albus, is there a way to make a copy of oneself?" Harry asked.

"While I understand why you asked such a question the answer in no." Albus watched as Harry slumped in his chair.

"I have Head Boy duties, DA meetings, and Quidditch practice to oversee. Add school and I'll be lucky if I can keep ahead of Morgana's next plan." Harry moaned.

"If you'll let him Sirius wants to help with the DA, as does your father. When it comes to Head Boy duties, delegate patrols, and oversee them with that astonishing new map of yours. Now as for homework, do not let that distress you, everything will work out for the best. I am always here if you need help with assignments and Morgana will remain in hiding, until Cho has a reason to come to Hogwarts." Albus conjured two lollipops.

"Allhallows Eve. She'll make her next move then." Harry longingly eyed the candy.

"It's quite all right, these are sugar free, so Chen cannot disapprove." Albus winked at him.

"Thanks Uncle Albus, I missed the lollipops." Harry took one of the candies.

"I shall have some sent to your room, it will be our secret. Now I promised James only to have you for a short time. So, off to your first taste of teaching." Albus glanced at the grandfather clock, it was going on five.

"Thanks for the talk." Harry decided to go to DADA Merlin style and vanished from the study.

"Now that's what I expect from my nephew." Albus smiled.

--

Harry appeared behind his father, who was lecturing the third years on boggarts. "Shh..." He held up his finger to his lips, when Rose Zeller, a blonde haired, blue-eyed Hufflepuff girl, spotted him and giggled.

"Did I say something funny, Miss Zeller?" James walked over to look down at her.

"No Professor Pendragon." Rose went back to her notes.

"Then why did we giggle?" James turned around, finding himself face-to-face with a corporal unicorn patronus. "So my son has finally decided to join us has he? Well, then he can show all of you what this amazing creature can do." James could actually touch the patronus.

"Dad, I'm not afraid of Dementors anymore, so I can't show them what a patronus can do." Harry was sitting in a chintz chair that he had conjured.

"I am well aware of whom you fear, but Sirius still fears them." James turned to Sirius, sitting on the stairs that lead up to James office. "Don't you my friend."

"Of course I fear what very nearly tried to suck out my soul." Sirius growled.

"Then it's settled, watch carefully class, a boggart feeds on ones fear, and in turn manifests itself into what you fear the most. This can be countered by using the Riddickulus charm. You continue to use the charm to make the boggart change, until it gets so confused that it deflates like a balloon." James turned from the class to focus on Harry. "Since a Dementor could never be brought into this classroom, we will use this boggart to manifest itself into one using Sirius' fear. Harry will then demonstrate what a patronus, like the one he conjured a moment ago, can do to a Dementor. Consider this a first day of class treat."

"Before I perform the Patronus Charm, and humor my father, all of you need to understand that conjuring a patronus takes a very strong witch or wizard. You take the greatest happiest feeling ever and channel that into your patronus, by saying Expecto Patronum." Harry added to the lecture. "Usually the result is a bright slivery mist; sometimes it takes the shape of an animal. Now it's rare, but some can become corporal, or very large animals like my stag or my more powerful unicorn. I discovered only weeks ago that the unicorn patronus can annihilate a Dementor."

The students stared wide-eyed at Harry.

"Now watch carefully." Harry waited at the ready, as James released the boggart in front of Sirius. It instantly morphed into a Dementor. "Expecto Patronum!" The patronus emerged from the silvery mist coming out of his wand and easily subdued the boggart back into the trunk.

The third years clapped excitedly, as Harry walked it around the room before it disappeared.

"What are you afraid of Harry?" Todd Stanton a Ravenclaw boy asked.

"Harry isn't afraid of anything are you, Harry." Third year Gryffindor Shelly Anders chimed in his defense.

"Well, son, answer the question." James put him on the spot.

"Yeah, kiddo, tell us." Sirius grinned.

"Third year it was Dementor that I feared. Now since August my life's changed drastically, but for the better. The boggart changed to Hermione and not a Dementor."

The class giggled and laughed.

"You mean you're afraid of a girl?" Evan Abercrombie of Gryffindor rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but you kids aren't old enough to understand the pressure or sheer terror that being in love with your soul mate can do to a guy. I was clueless about girls, because my mind was on survival, during my fourth thru sixth years." Harry grinned at them. "It really is scary, when your best friend turns out to be your destiny, as well. You see no matter how funny the boggart got when I used Riddikulus on it, to me it wasn't funny at all."

"So it's okay to be scared of girls?" Peter Eton asked timidly.

"Oh yeah, it's natural as breathing to be scared of girls or boys for that matter." James grinned.

Sirius was in a joking mood, so he let the boggart lose.

It morphed into Hermione, but she wasn't in a bikini quirking her finger at him like before. This time she was lying in front of Harry bleeding from a fatal wound.

"Riddikulus…" Harry croaked hoarsely, seeing her like that made his blood run cold.

:Crack:

She now lay lifeless, as she had that day fighting against Voldemort.

"Riddikulus!" There were now tears burning in his eyes.

:Crack:

This time it split into two, Morgana was killing Hermione in this morphing episode.

"I will not let you win!" Harry snarled. "Riddikulus!"

That caused it to deflate and fly back into the trunk.

"If all of you will excuse me, I don't feel much like teaching at the moment." He had tears streaming down his face, but he didn't care, as he vanished from the classroom.

"A boggart, class, feeds on fear, but is not deadly like a Dementor. The Dementor feeds on emotions to sustain itself, to the point of taking ones very soul for its meal. While Riddikulus does work against a boggart in most cases, there are some cases like Harry's, whose fear is so extreme, that one cannot put any humor to what they are seeing. The reason being is that he has been put through so much in his life, that it's difficult not to fear that he'll lose someone close to him again." James focused on the lesson and not on the anguish that his son was currently going through.

"None of you have fears like his, so the Riddikulus charm will work as it should. For instance one of you is afraid of snakes, so you picture the snake as something funny say Riddikulus, and poof it's a funny toy, or something along those lines. Then another student steps up, its now a mean teacher, you picture them in a dress, and laugh after saying Riddikulus of course, and so on until it deflates and whisks itself back into the trunk again." James fought the urge that was eating at him inside, which was to go after Harry, and continued class without missing a beat. "Now I want all of you to show me how much you have learned. I want a no less than sixteen, but not more than twenty-four inch essay, on boggarts due next class. Have a nice afternoon you are free to go."

"He went off to lick his wounds for a while. I saw this happen to Molly, as did Harry, summer of his fifth year back at number twelve. It happens when you have that lurking in the corner of your mind." Sirius knew that James wanted to go after Harry.

James paced the front of his classroom in frustration, "He fears the worst yet has seen the best."

"That may be true Prongs, but that doesn't ease his fear now does it." Sirius knew all about these things from experience.

--

Harry appeared in the Pendragon floor Common room.

Lily was waiting for him so she could treat his arm. "Harry. Honey what's wrong?" She tried to talk to him, but he raced up the stairs to his room.

Hermione came out of the Study. "Was Harry crying?" She'd just caught a glimpse of his face.

"He's really upset about something." Lily nodded.

"Did his first day of being an assistant professor go that badly?" He was blocking her out, which worried her.

"James was starting the third years with boggarts, maybe it went awry." Lily stared up at the steps. "When James gets this emotional he usually wants left alone. I suspect that Harry will as well."

"He's shutting me out, so something is terribly off with him." Hermione bit down on her lip.

"What does Harry see when around boggarts?" Lily tried to figure out what had caused him to be so upset like this.

"It was Dementors, until this August, and then it changed to me." Hermione answered honestly. "I'm scantily dressed, quirking my finger at him."

"This was before the camping trip was it not?" Lily pieced together the puzzle in her head.

"It was our first full day at Lazy Meadows. Why is that important?" Hermione frowned.

"He saw you dead, dying, or being killed by Morgana. The boggart can morph into your worst fear or he saw one of us die at her hands. That would cause him to emotionally break down like this." Lily surmised.

"Me dead, but we've both seen our future and it's glorious." Hermione paced in front of the fireplace.

"That doesn't stop him from fearing the worst. He put all of those memories into the Pensive; it's allowed other fears to surface." Lily wished her girls and their princes hadn't taken the pups for a walk. Harry needed them now.

"So, he's up in his rooms, having a private sob, because he saw me dead, dying, or being murdered?" Hermione felt like hurting something.

"That would be a yes." James walked in with Sirius.

"Harry vs. Boggart, the boggart cleaned his clock but good emotionally." Sirius agreed.

"Jenna was pining for you a little while ago. Go to her while we deal with Harry." Lily growled.

"I'll check in on him before dinner." Sirius went out the doors to check on Jenna.

"How bad is cleaned his clock emotionally?" Hermione could only imagine what he saw.

"You were lying in a pool of blood, became a lifeless body, and Morgana killed you, before the boggart flew back into the trunk." James was dead honest with her. "He stuck it out until it deflated back into the trunk. Before that he was doing brilliantly. Showed off his patronus for the third years and gave a good lecture on it as well. Sirius fears Dementors, so Harry used his patronus on the boggart Dementor. Then did question and answer, before Padfoot let the boggart on him, it went badly after that."

"That settles it I'm going up to see him." Hermione headed towards the steps. "And don't even think of trying to stop me." She glared at James, when he started to head her off at the stairs.

"He won't let you in, not until he's calmed down, so stay down here, and work on your homework assignments for awhile." James suggested.

"I haven't got any homework to do. Just reading, which I can do before bed." Hermione glared at him annoyed that he was keeping her away from Harry.

"I know that dad gave out an essay that's due tomorrow, what about that." James was a bit puzzled, because her schedule nearly mirrored Harry's.

"The boys have Grandfather Stephen, while Ginny and I have Master Chen. We went to the Orient with a Portkey, to learn about fresh medicinal ingredients for two hours. Then instead of First-Grandfather Merlin teaching Ginny and I, we now have First-Grandmother Mab and Aunt Celestra, who are also teaching us healing as well as practical magic." She paused to make sure that she still had his attention. "Aunt Minerva had us work on mastering our Animagus forms, but Ronald hit a bit of a snag again and tore up the classroom, because I called him a primate on Monday."

"So, he thinks he is one, and so the uncontrollable animagus ape." James surmised.

"Harry got this brilliant brainstorm that all we needed to do was remove that memory using a Pensive, which he borrowed from Uncle Albus..."

"He wished for it to appear didn't he?" James frowned.

"Yes, but it wasn't for his personal gain. He wanted to help Ron." Hermione added hastily. "Anyway he showed Ron, that it wasn't going to hurt to take that one memory from him, by demonstrating how it works. He put the memory of the last battle with Voldemort in the Pensive."

"Now the boggart incident is starting to make sense. He emptied his worst memories into the Pensive didn't he?" James was well aware of the plus and minuses of using a Pensive.

"Quite a bit of it, that's what Draco, Ron, Luna, and I looked at, while he was chatting with Aunt Minerva." Hermione nodded.

"Opened all of your eyes did it. Especially, Draco's I imagine." Lily could tell that seeing things firsthand, through Harry's eyes, had been eye-opening for Hermione.

"I had no idea about some of it. The books barely touch the surface. I wasn't there for most of them, so yes you could say that it opened my eyes." Hermione wished she had paid more attention to his feelings or asked more questions during those times of turmoil for him.

"If you place thoughts or whole memories into a Pensive, the shadow of those memories remains. There is however a downside to doing this, it makes way for thoughts, fears, and emotions that you weren't aware even existed in your mind." James explained. "Yes, it frees up your mind to think clearer, but it can, and often does free up other things as well."

--

Draco, Ron, Luna, and Ginny raced into the common room.

"We heard that Harry had a breakdown a while ago." Ron took deep breaths as he spoke.

"Is he all right?" Luna winded from running up a dozen flights of stairs, managed to get out what she wanted to say.

"The third years are really worried about him. The boggart in class made him have an emotional fit or something." Ginny gasped for air.

"Claim they saw Hermione dying, dead, or being killed by some raven haired hag. When Harry confronted the boggart." Draco had kept with his breathing exercises and was barely winded.

"Well, well, well, some things never change the castle grapevine is still in full swing." James groaned.

"Well?!" The four of them wanted answers.

"Daddy, what happed with Harry?!" Rory, Dromi, Wills, and Henry all came running in.

The pups raced up the stairs to their master.

"It's all over the castle." Wills was very concerned.

"They're all saying he had an emotional breakdown in the DADA classroom." Henry frowned.

"Calm down everyone, Harry had a not so great experience with a boggart this afternoon..." James started to explain.

"What does Ducky dressed up in skimpy attire, quirking her finger at him; have to do with him losing it?" Wills growled.

"HE SAW ME DEAD THIS TIME! NOT ONCE BUT THREE TIMES!" Hermione screamed at them in frustration. "IN A POOL OF BLOOD, LYING LIFELESS, OR BEING KILLED BY MORGANA! ARE YOU SATISFIED NOW?!" She ran up the stairs to her room in tears.

"I say let them all have a look in the Pensive, after that they won't gossip about Harry ever again." Ron growled.

"Yeah, he has every right to have an emotional breakdown or good well-earned sob if he wants." Draco seconded his idea.

"We could set it up down in the main Common room of the Camelot Wing." Luna suggested.

"It wouldn't be that much of a trial, because all of Gryffindor, and the senior DA are all gathered down there." Ginny agreed.

"Harry put his deepest darkest adventures in the Pensive, as well as the night he got the scar, and his time with the Dursley lot." Draco explained to his sisters and the princes.

"That he only allowed the five of you to see." James pointed out that factor.

--

"Actually, all the professors got a look at it as well, except for maybe you, Uncle Sirius, Master Chen, Uncle Stephen, and Aunt Lily." Ron blurted out.

"WHAT?!" Lily and James were now beyond furious.

"Aunt Minerva was talking to Uncle Severus and Uncle Albus was also there in the library. He had the Pensive sitting on a table." Ron hastily explained.

"Go on Ronald." James snarled.

"Uncle Severus was concerned when he saw the Pensive, said Draco was chatting on about seeing Harry's memories. Went on to point out that it wasn't a good idea to let Harry have one, the repercussions would come back and haunt him." Ron eyed them warily, when James swore under his breath. "Uncle Albus stated that it was the only way for Harry to learn the pros and cons of the Pensive. Then added that with his class and activity load this year, not having those memories clear as day in his head would ease up some of the stress, and pressure on him, but only during the school week." Ron continued to fill them in on what he had overheard.

"Well that was big of Uncle Albus! He could have asked us first, before giving him a Pensive!" James was very furious with his Uncle.

"Uncle Severus grumbled that in that case Harry owed him a look at his memories, because of some incident fifth year. So, of course, he looked. Then the other professors concerned about Harry arrived and all ended up sneaking a look as well." Ron finished his story.

"Where is the Pensive now?" Lily growled not pleased that her son's memories were out for show.

"On the table behind you Lily, my dear," Albus appeared in the common room. "I am very sorry that all of this got out of hand and that Harry had a difficult time today with the boggart. Had I known what was on your lesson plan, I would never have let him leave my Study."

"So, this is as usual my fault! I wasn't aware of his using a Pensive and usually boggarts are harmless!" James let loose his temper on his Uncle. "How dare you take it on yourself to give him a Pensive without consulting us, his very much alive parents!"

The clear sunny day vanished, as dark clouds formed in the sky, the wind began to howl, and lighting flashed across the sky.

"Harry was given a Pensive, because he is responsible enough, mature enough, and well schooled in both Occlumency and Legilimency. He is also seventeen years old and an adult in our world. Need I mention to add James Harry, that you and Lily Rosalyn gave him full permission to marry Hermione Granger, this past Saturday. This frees him of all your parental authority." Albus was calm controlled and very much the Co-minister of Magic.

"IT WAS A GODDAMN PROMISE CEREMONY AND YOU BLOODY WELL KNOW IT!" James roared at him.

"The first part was a Wizarding marriage ceremony binding and legal in our world. The second was a Handfasting ceremony, a promise to marry in one year, or less in a Muggle ceremony. This will be held in July or sooner that depends on the circumstances at the time." Albus corrected, "Bellow all you wish, but Harry is out of your nest James, no matter how much you may wish to deny it."

"Oh really, then why don't he and Hermione have their own quarters. Why are they with us instead?!" James was going to win some part of this verbal sparing match.

"That is because the two of them have never requested quarters of their own. He is content to be with you. When that changes they will have their own private quarters." Albus won that point as well.

"So, let me get this straight your indulging Lily and me by allowing us to have our son with us?! Oh, that is very big of you Uncle Albus!" James snarled bitterly.

"Your son is the reason that you're alive and talking to me. Never forget that James Harry Stephen Arthur Michael! You have been given a miracle, a second chance; because Merlin felt that Harry needed all of you in his life. Nevertheless, you cannot turn back the hands of time. He is a fully grown young man now and you have to accept that." Albus placed both of his hands on James shoulders. "You have three grown children, all of whom have found their soul mates. I can't begin to fathom how stressful that has been for you, but you have two little ones to look forward to this spring."

"I know that, but it's like losing him again." James let his temper fade away.

"James, you will never lose Harry or the girls, if anything you gain two sons and a daughter." Albus saw just how truly alike father and son were.

"I know, but I'm not ready to be a grandfather yet. I wasn't half as mature as he is at seventeen or should I say seventeen going on twenty-seven. It floors me that the two of them are fine about September nineteenth of next year between 12:30-1am." James began to pace in front of all of them.

"James, you know better than to invade someone's thoughts." Lily glared at him.

"I don't like being left out of the loop… Merlin's beard, three little girls all-identical except for their eyes. You and Harry aren't the only one in the family who can see things." James turned to Draco, Ginny, Ron, and Luna. "I don't see any harm in letting them see what's in the Pensive. Although, we're going to have to spring for 744 sets of Harry Potter books, or they'll be begging him to tell them the rest of the story."

"He voluntarily put his memories into the Pensive and I absentmindedly left it down in the main Common room. It happens when you get to be my age." Albus made the Pensive vanish off the table and winked at everyone.

"Uncle Albus you are not old." Lily kissed his cheek.

--

Later that evening

Harry stared out the window of his room, into the emerald green eyes of Empress; she was flying very close to his terrace. "How did you get free?" Harry raced out of his room and onto the terrace. "Priss you aren't allowed this close to the castle. What about your egg?"

:You are hurting, my egg is safe.: Priss spoke to him in his mind.

"Hurting? I'm sorry if my emotions are disturbing your clan." Harry reached out to run his hand over her scales.

:You are part of my clan. Why are you hurting, is it because of your broken wing?: Priss inquired.

"My wing? Oh, you mean my arm, no that's not why I'm hurting. I saw my mate die a few hours ago, not for real, but by a boggart morphing into her." Harry explained.

:I see. Those boggarts are vile little creatures. Your mate she is well?: Priss flew up to land on the top of the Star watching tower and looked down at him.

"Harry?" Hermione walked up the stone stairs that joined her terrace to his own. "Are you all right?"

"Empress, this is my mate Hermione and yes she is well." Harry pulled Hermione into his arms.

:She was the protective one from our first meeting. She is a worthy mate and strong like our clan: Priss was approving of his choice of mate.

Hermione stared up at Empress, towering above her from her perch above them. "Hello Empress. Were you worried about Harry?" She forced herself to remain calm and said something.

The Dragon stuck her enormous head down by her. :As were you. Did the prince shut you from his mind?:

Hermione's eyes widened, as she heard the rumble of the dragons voice in her mind. "Yes he did, but I understand why. So you felt that he was hurting?"

:When one of my clan is hurting I feel it as well.: Priss puffed hot air from her nostrils.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'll take care of him, so you can return to your baby. I mean egg." Hermione reassured the regal dragon queen.

:You are better, that I can see. I will leave you both now. My egg needs me. Do visit the clan, you are always welcome: Priss took off towards the forest.

--

Hermione went limp in his arms. "I just talked to a dragon queen."

Harry swept her up into his arms. "That you did my princess, in fact she sees you as a worthy mate for me." He carried her into his room.

"That's quite a compliment, I'm honored that she thinks so highly of me." She smiled up at him.

"Sorry about shutting you out. I just needed time to myself for awhile." Harry set her down on her feet, but was still looking down into her eyes. "Were you crying?" He ran the pad of his thumb along her damp cheek.

"I was worried about you. I heard what you saw this afternoon." She nodded.

"I wasn't ready to see that nor will I ever be ready to see that again. I removed all of those memories, only to have my worst fear surface, by the one creature that can make your nightmares LIVE and in full color." Harry hugged her to him.

"About your memories in the Pensive..." She looked up at him with wary amber eyes. "Would you be cross if others saw them?"

Harry pulled her back from him, so he could lock eyes with her own. "How many others?" He growled.

"I overheard them saying the whole castle. All of Gryffindor was down in the main Common room, as were the Senior DA members. They were all worried about your emotional breakdown." Hermione waited for him to blow a fuse, but that didn't happen.

"I'm not ashamed of my past. Let them have a look if they want. It's not like I can roar down there like a lion and give them what for. That just isn't me." He kissed her on the nose.

"You've been up here for hours. Is your essay even started yet? I'll help if you need it." Hermione glanced down at her watch; it was eight in the evening. "Are you hungry?"

"All finished, with three feet more than I needed, if you count the snaps that I added to it." Harry let her go, so he could show her his finished essay. "I was working on my Merlin ones when I spotted Empress outside my window."

Hermione took the essay, sat down on his bed, and set about reading it. "The snaps are a nice touch, but not needed. This is outstanding, an O level for sure." She handed him back his essay.

"Homework keeps my mind off things that are bothering me." He handed her five essays for his animal assignment.

"You really were occupying your mind." She read them and then stared at Harry. "These are also brilliant."

"Ruby is fascinating to talk to, being a bird, well, that's indescribable, and way better than flying a broom." Harry took Ruby out of her cage and set her on his shoulder. "Rad and Lady might be pups, but they're regular chatterboxes, at least when awake." The pups were snoozing on his pillows. "Crooks and Pepper like to speak their minds as well." Crooks and Pepper were sitting on the window seat. "This homework is interesting and actually quite fun."

"Draco and Ginny are overseeing patrols tonight. So, we can snuggle for awhile, after we get something to eat. I'm starving." Hermione got up and set the essays back on his desk.

"I could use some food and I never turn down snuggling with you." Harry threaded his fingers through her hair and kissed her.

"I was upset, but before I went to my rooms, I overheard your dad and Uncle Albus rowing." Hermione frowned. "They were really going at it verbally or at least your dad was. Uncle Albus mentioned something interesting though." Hermione laid her head against his chest and listened to the strong beat of his heart.

"Do tell, my love, you have my full attention." Harry growled softly.

"He said that you were an adult now. We both were and no longer under parental authority. Then when your dad lost it, added that the only reason we are with the family and not in our own quarters, because we're married..." She paused for a second and then continued what she was trying to say. "Is because we haven't requested one as of yet. That you and I are content to be with the family for now." Hermione saw that wicked gleam in his eyes. "Drat, I knew that I shouldn't have said anything about this to you. Now you're off and plotting again."

"Oh, I'm fine where we are for now, but come Christmas or New Years that may just change." He led her out of his rooms. "As for the first part, I'll humor Dad for now." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

--

Chapter Eight

Surprise

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I do not claim any of JKR's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.

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Cindra 2004-2008