Come the Maëlstrom

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Harry, are you ready?"

"Yup!" he called, hurrying out from his bedroom and doing up his travelling cloak.

He didn't like to be hurried when he got dressed, but he supposed he had asked for it, in a twisted sort of way. When Hermione had left last night she told him what time she would come by to pick him up. He had only stepped out of the shower when he heard Hermione's voice calling him from downstairs. He didn't think could finish dressing so fast. When he walked into the living room, Hermione was standing in front of the fireplace with her arms crossed. He hurried over to the fireplace and reached up on the mantle for the Floo powder.

"Dinner won't be until later, why do we have to leave so early?"

"Because Ron would appreciate it if we could help out." Hermione replied. "Your cloak pin is crooked."

Harry looked down as she reached out and righted it. She patted it with finality a moment later.

"Couldn't we get there for two or three instead?" he asked. "I haven't even eaten anything yet."

"No, Ron asked me to get there for twelve, and he suggested you go with me. That was actually a very subtle way for him to get your help also. Besides, I'm sure Mrs. Weasley wouldn't mind giving you breakfast."

Harry settled for discontent grumbling as he reached into the Floo powder container and grasped a handful. He handed it to Hermione and stepped into the fireplace and threw it down, calling out his destination. Harry wasn't all too sure what to expect when he walked out of the fireplace into the Burrow. He certainly wasn't expecting to be swept up into a large hug by Mrs. Weasley.

"It's lovely to see you again Harry dear!" she exclaimed, as she stepped back so she could look at him. "You look a mite thin though."

Harry managed a smile as he heard the sound of flames coming behind him once again. He looked back and Hermione stepped out, dusting the Floo powder from her robes briskly.

"Is it just you Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked with a furrow in her brow. "Ron said you were bringing your boyfriend."

"He's been very busy lately and won't be able to come. I asked Professor Lupin if he would like to come. He said he would be by later since he's busy for most of the afternoon."

Harry glanced back in time to see Mrs. Weasley give a disapproving snort but she nodded her head nonetheless.

"It's nice to see you both. Ron and Parvati have gone out to pick up some groceries and Ginny's gone to get her friend. They should be back soon now."

"Anything we can do to help?" Hermione asked, removing her cloak.

"Not at the moment. Not until those groceries arrive. Have you eaten?"

"No actually," Harry said. "Breakfast would be nice."

"I haven't eaten myself. We'll all sit down and have a nice little meal together."

Mrs. Weasley hurried them to the kitchen and sat them down. Harry sat down a bit gingerly in the seat and Hermione took the one beside him.

"What's wrong? You look very uncomfortable." Hermione whispered.

"Well, the last time I was with Mrs. Weasley, I made a bed move. She just wouldn't let up and I got exasperated and –"

"Then try to keep your temper and be as understanding as possible," she patted his forearm. "And don't dwell on it. She's bound to notice that something is bothering you."

Harry snorted. "She's bound to notice I'm worried about something," he gave a wry smile. "I think the question is what isn't bothering me."

Hermione chuckled at that, earning a glance from Mrs. Weasley. "That probably is the better question. So, have you picked a job yet?"

"No, not at the moment," Harry replied. "Too many to pick from. And I want something that will keep me on my toes, you know? But I'm going to wait a year."

"That seems like a good idea. Maybe you could use it as a testing period, see what suits you."

Harry nodded his head. "What about you? Last I knew, you were fielding an offer from Gringotts, the Ministry and a few other places."

"You know, I got my Gringotts letter this morning."

Harry smiled at the mischievous smirk on Hermione's face. "And? You must have gotten the job."

"You are now looking at Gringotts newest Arithmantic forecaster, starting in November."

That's great 'Mione, I knew you could do it."

"Thank you. Apparently mine was the first application in and it was the most thorough. Not to mention error free."

"Yeah, that'll help your chances." Harry laughed. "Because every Knut counts."

Hermione grinned before she spoke in a low voice. "I can't wait to tell Severus."

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled for you. If you get something of a scowl or snarky comment, you know he's glad," Harry paused. "Or if he says something completely disparaging and acts like a general grump, you know he's absolutely ecstatic."

Hermione whacked Harry on the arm lightly. He clutched it, feigning agony with an over the top expression. Hermione laughed and shook her head.

"All right dears, breakfast."

A plate full of steaming food was placed right in front of them. Eggs, toast and some sliced fruit greeted them. Harry said, 'Thanks' and had made half of his toast disappear by the time Mrs. Weasley sat down with her own plate.

"Goodness, you must be hungry." Mrs. Weasley said.

"I didn't really have time to eat before we left." Harry explained before finishing off his toast.

"Meaning he slept in as usual." Hermione sighed.

Harry chose to keep eating, but his face went red. Mrs. Weasley tutted and started on her own breakfast. The sound of eating filled the kitchen for a moment before Mrs. Weasley spoke again.

"So Harry, what are you doing now that you're finished at Hogwarts?"

"Looking at different jobs. I'll start something in a year. I don't feel quite ready to go out and work."

"Are you sure that's a wise idea? Some of your skills might be forgotten and you might need to retrain."

"I'm sure I won't forget anything. I just want to make sure I pick the right job for me."

"Well, if you need something in the meantime, you should talk to Ron. He works at the Chudley Cannons training pitch. I'm sure he could get you a job there."

Harry nodded his head and stuffed his mouth full of eggs so he wouldn't have to reply.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Hermione mused. "All those people going in and out of a Quidditch pitch, even if it is just for training… Harry would get mobbed, the Cannons would never get any decent training in… he'd be blamed for the complete and utter defeat of a Quidditch team."

"There is that." Mrs. Weasley mused. "But surely there must be something else."

"Maybe he needs something that keeps him constantly moving. Such as a foreign correspondent."

"A journalist?" Both Harry and Mrs. Weasley spoke at the same time.

"You'd get to travel a lot, you wouldn't be in one place all the time, plus your writing has improved vastly in the last three years. I think you could make a viable career of it." Hermione explained.

"Sure, if I write under a fake name," Harry muttered. "And never step foot into a newspaper office."

"Well, that's the only one I could think of on the spot, but there're loads of others. You just have to take the time and look unless you use a glamour spell to hide your appearance and take a job anywhere. But that can cause problems if you're not careful."

"I know," Harry said. "It's just really frustrating."

"Then who says you have to leave the house? I'm sure there must be some place you can work from that would let you work from home and send the work in by owl or Floo."

Harry opened his mouth to point out something wrong with that, only he couldn't find anything. That was a very good idea actually. If he could find a place that would let him work from home, that would solve a lot of his problems.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said after a moment of thought. "That's probably the most viable option that I'll have."

"There're plenty of options for you both out there," Mrs. Weasley said firmly. "If you know where to look."

"Heh, 'Mione's done looking." Harry said.

"Oh, have you now? Where are you working dear?" Mrs. Weasley turned her attention to Hermione now.

"Gringotts," Hermione replied, shooting Harry a look. "It's not a big deal really, just some small post and –"

"It's a big deal if Gringotts hires you; they're very picky about who works for them." Mrs. Weasley began. "You must have –"

"Mum? I'm back!"

Ginny's voice came from the living room, and Mrs. Weasley excused herself. Once they were alone in the kitchen, Hermione spoke.

"Thanks Harry," she said dryly.

"Not a problem," he replied. "Besides, you lucked out by Ginny's arrival."

Hermione subsided into grumbles as she speared her eggs with her fork. Harry laughed and turned his attention to finishing off the rest of his breakfast. He had just eaten the last slice of apple on the plate when a throat being cleared made him look up. Ginny was standing there with a slight smile on her face.

"It's been awhile since I've seen you Harry. You didn't even show up at the graduation ceremony."

"What can I say?" Harry said with a shrug. "I didn't feel like a big fuss."

Ginny's smile widened a bit more. "It's nice to see you again too Hermione."

"You look great Ginny." Hermione beamed. "Apparently we get to meet your new friend today."

"I guess Ron's been going on about her, huh?" Ginny grimaced.

"Not really," Harry said lightly. "Not if you count one little mini-rant."

Ginny chuckled. "She's in the living room now. I invited her to stay for the week and Mum's trying to figure out where to put her."

"Is Ron all right with that?" Hermione asked.

"He can deal with it." Ginny said with a shrug. "I just can't figure out why he doesn't like her. Sure he's been protective of me, but this is a bit ridiculous. He doesn't even like being in the same room as her."

"I'm sure Ron has his reasons." Harry said finally.

"Yeah, I wish I knew what they were." Ginny sighed.

"Ginny? Where are you?"

"Hm?" Ginny turned at the sound of the voice. "In here."

Harry and Hermione looked at one another as Ginny disappeared for a moment. When they looked back up, Ginny was in the doorway with a girl beside her. The girl was Ginny's height and a bit thin with sharp features, but she wore a large smile on her face. Her hair was a pale blonde colour with dark blonde highlights in it, while her irises were dark blues. Harry had a niggling feeling that he had seen her before somewhere, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"You guys, this is Octavia Miller. Octavia, these are my friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you both." Octavia bowed.

"Nice to meet you as well." Hermione said bowing slightly in return.

"Likewise." Harry said a moment later, inclining his head slightly.

"Ginny's told me a lot about you both. I'm hoping we can get along." Octavia looked between him and Hermione.

"Well, we'll do our best." Hermione replied.

Harry didn't say anything at all. Maybe it was just his imagination about the way Octavia was looking at him. It seemed like there was a triumphant gleam in her eye that vanished as quickly as it had shown up. And that made him a bit nervous; what possible reason could Octavia have for looking triumphant? Of course, that could just be him, and she was actually glad to have met Harry Potter in person. But for some reason he wasn't that sure that his first impression was all that wrong. He scrutinised Octavia closer making Hermione and Ginny watch him. An uncomfortable silence descended in the kitchen. Thankfully, it was broken a moment later.

"Hey everyone! We're back!" Ron's voice was loud.

"We have groceries!" Parvati's voice joined his. "Let's get cooking!"

Ron and Parvati stepped into the kitchen, immediately falling silent and looking around. Once Ron's eyes landed on Octavia, an expression of irritation passed over his face.

"Hey Harry, wanna help with these? There's a lot to do today." Ron said as he walked past Octavia and placed the bag of groceries on the counter.

"Do you need help with those?" Octavia asked Parvati.

"I do, but I also need to talk to Hermione about something," Parvati said in an apologetic voice as she rested her bag on the counter. "I'll let you know if I need help with anything else later on."

Harry made his way to Ron as Octavia nodded her head. Ginny threw Ron a dirty look and took Octavia's hand and they left the kitchen. Harry reached into the bag once he was close enough and started taking things out from it.

"Sheesh, what's she doing here already?" Ron groused.

"They got here a bit after we did," Harry said. "Ginny doesn't know why you don't like Octavia."

"Even I'm not too sure why I don't like her. She just…… I just can't stand her. Something about her, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Harry said quietly. "Have you seen her before somewhere?"

"No, I haven't. I just hope nothing happens during dinner is all." Ron said finally. "Where's Mum? We can't get started unless she tells us what's being done."

"I think she's upstairs," Hermione said starting for the kitchen door. "I'll go get her."

"No, it's all right, I can go." Ron headed for the door as well.

"Do you have to be so stubborn? Just finish unpacking those groceries and by the time you're done, she'll be down here." Hermione vanished past the kitchen door.

"I can go find my own Mum in my home you know!" Ron yelled after her as he went through the door.

"Wow, some things never change," Harry said.

"Tell me about it," Parvati said as she continued taking out groceries. "They act like brother and sister."

Harry chuckled. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you know why Ron doesn't like Octavia?"

Parvati didn't say anything for a moment. "I can't really say. It was like seeing instant dislike. I'm sure she's a wonderful person, but there is something about her that makes me vaguely uneasy. I don't know what it is."

"Hm." Harry grunted.

"Why? Did Ginny ask you to find out or where you just curious?"

"Curious; Ginny said she couldn't figure out why Ron didn't like Octavia. But after meeting her… there's something about her that rubs me the wrong way."

Parvati nodded her head. "Well, I'll try to keep Ron from raising too much hell tonight. I know he wants it to be a nice dinner, but if Octavia is here, then all bets are off."

"I'll do my best as well." Harry replied. "Besides, between the two of us, I don't think it will be a disaster."

Parvati grinned and nodded her head once more. "I can understand why Ron is kinda of disappointed in her though."

"You do?"

"Yeah," Parvati nodded her head. "I mean, he was supposed to go to Auror school. They need good wizards badly; they're even hiring foreign wizards. Ron was a definite candidate, one of the best prospects apparently. But he realised how much his mum needed the help at home, he put his own plans on hold until Ginny graduates. And then Ginny turns around and throws it all back in his face by –"

That was all Parvati said as the kitchen door opened again and Mrs. Weasley strode in, rolling up her sleeves. Parvati closed her mouth hastily and turned her full attention back to the groceries.

"We have a busy day so let's get started!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.

Before long, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Octavia, Ron and Parvati were put to work, either in the kitchen or some other part of the house. Every so often, he would glance up and find Ron with a sour expression on his face. He found himself agreeing with Ron's earlier sentiment; he really didn't want anything to happen during dinner.

It had been a very long time since Lucius had actually gone to his lawyer's offices for any reason. Valerian was almost always on the go, so it was easier for him to stop by the manor when his services were required. So when he stepped out of the fireplace and was greeted by a polished desk in front of a wood panelled wall and a set of chairs by a window, he was fairly surprised. It had obviously been a long time since he had come to Valerian's office for anything. He approached the receptionist's desk.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy," the receptionist said as he rose. "Valerian is waiting for you in the room at the end of this hallway," he gestured to the hall to the right. "Almost all the reporters are here now, so it shouldn't take long to get started. Once the last few arrive, I'll come and let you all know."

"Thank you," Lucius said, inclining his head.

He started down the hallway, looking at the slivers of light that shone from the gap between the door and the floor. When he reached the door before the one at the end, he paused. There were shadows flitting by, as if pacing anxiously. And judging from how often it was, and the muffled sound, the room must have been crammed full of reporters. It didn't make him feel any better, but he knew he was going to have to go through with it anyhow. Curling a lip, he continued to the end door. He saw that it was open a crack; he was about to push it open when he heard voices.

"Look, maybe this isn't the best time. This really can wait, can't it?" Tonks' voice sounded a bit apprehensive.

"No, I don't really think so. We've just been dancing around it for a good while now." Valerian sounded quite firm. "You remember what we were like when Lucius went to get his wand. That… tension won't just vanish away."

"Yeah, but it wasn't just… that. There was a whole bunch of other things."

"Of which are considerably less now. Why don't you just say it?"

"What's to say? My stupid idiot of a cousin blurted it out last night."

"Well, I'm glad he did because I thought it was just in my imagination."

"…You're kidding right? Even now when I look back, it's so obvious! I just wish Draco hadn't blurted it out. I swear, he doesn't think when he's royally pissed off."

"I think that may be the understatement of the year. Besides, do you really think I want to hear it from him? I'd much rather hear it from you."

"Well, you'll have to wait!" Tonks' sounded a bit flustered. "So long as we have to work together, I'm not creating a conflict of interest! That just might get me booted off! I don't want that!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! I like working on Lucius' case. He's much more decent that some of the scum that I get assigned to."

"You're related to him. Isn't that already a serious enough conflict of interest?"

"That is easily nullified by the fact that I barely knew him before I started on this case. And, considering my background, Lucius would have no grounds for wanting to know me at all. Of course I'd get to know him through out the duration of his parole. But what you want… it seriously has to wait."

"Oh, I know it has to," Valerian's sly tone was accompanied with footsteps. "I just want you to say it. How is that a conflict of interest? I certainly don't see how it would impact the working… relationship we have now."

"I… It's… Because…" Tonks' faltered for a moment. "Goddamn you! You and your bloody…"

"Logic?"

"Quicksilver tongue." Tonks said slowly.

"My, that's the most flattering thing anyone's ever said to me." Valerian practically purred.

"Sarcastic prat." Tonks grumbled. "I don't know why I bother with you."

"Do you want an answer to that?" Valerian asked in a sweet tone.

"No, I don't." Tonks replied a bit sourly.

"Excuses, excuses…" Valerian sighed. "Do you know you're cute when you pout?"

"Bwa!" Tonks sounded utterly surprised. "I think you have me confused with someone else."

"Do I?"

"Merlin, would you stop being insufferable!"

"Would you stop being so stubborn?"

"No! That's me!"

"And that's what I like about you. It really won't kill you to say it."

"No, but it'll probably jeopardise the case. I'm not backing down on this one."

"Then can I ask you for one little thing?" Valerian voice was interspersed with the sound of footsteps.

"What?" Tonks sounded a bit cross.

"This."

For a few minutes, Lucius couldn't hear anything. He furrowed his brow, wondering just what was going on.

"You know," Tonks began, sounding breathless a few seconds later. "You have a funny way of asking."

"It seemed much more appropriate that words."

"Uh huh, and since when did a tongue ever do that when asking something?"

Lucius, who had been listening in silence, knocked promptly on the door. Salazar knew he heard enough for it all to make sense. Tonks made a startled sound before feet approached the door and it was flung open. Lucius found himself looking a purple and blue streaked haired, brown-eyed Tonks who looked mildly flustered. When he peered past her slightly, he found Valerian arranging files on a table.

"Is the room too warm for you?" Lucius asked, resisting the urge to smile.

"No, just a bit worked up." She said, sliding a look at Valerian. "But you're here on time and that's all that matters. Sorry I couldn't come pick you up. I was right tired after last night's episode. I'll make sure that notice conveniently vanishes away for a good amount of time for someone to forget."

Lucius waved a hand in dismissal. "Understandable. Now, is there any pressing matter that I should know about before I go to the manticores in the other room?"

"Nothing really," Valerian looked up from his files. "I'm assuming you read the article?"

"Thoroughly. Six times." Lucius replied.

"Excellent," Valerian gave a satisfied smile. "Do you want me present during the press conference?"

Lucius shook his head. "Though I have no doubt that you have some capable employee recording what it occurring."

"That's Cassandra for you. Always knows what to do. I don't even have to ask her."

Nothing was said for a moment, as Lucius noted the look that Tonks shot Valerian.

"Well, your receptionist said he would let us know when the rest of the reporters arrived." Lucius stated.

"Good," Valerian checked his watch. "Because Remus should be back at any moment."

"Remus?" Lucius looked at Valerian in surprise.

"Yes, Remus. He is responding on behalf of Loup Garou, since Ravenna is still at home asleep," Valerian said.

"I had thought she was going to be doing this herself."

"Not since she's been wearing herself out thin. Plus the full moon is approaching and she gets particularly exhausted a few days before she becomes very energetic," Valerian shrugged. "So Remus insisted on doing it in her stead. So far as I know, he doesn't suffer from the exhaustion like she does."

"Ah," Lucius simply said as he looked around to find only him and Valerian in the room. "Where did Tonks go?"

"Somewhere. I suspect she'll be back," Valerian tucked the files under his arm. "Besides, it's almost time to get this started."

"Nice to know you haven't started yet then."

Lucius looked back to find Remus walking into the room with a set expression on his face. Lucius nodded his head in acknowledgement before he looked back at Valerian.

"So why don't we go out there now?" Lucius asked, looking between Valerian and Tonks.

"Tonks feels it would be best if she was in there with you as well. There are still rogue Death Eaters out there. The fact that they are so quiet and haven't made a move yet makes her worry for your safety."

"Like a mother hen." Lucius sniped.

"Well, someone should, considering your current magical state." Tonks stepped back into the room briskly. "Just had to pop out for a second."

As if on cue, the receptionist's head appeared through the door. "All the reporters have arrived and are waiting in the room Sir."

"Thank you." Valerian said. "Well, I suggest you three get going."

Tonks nodded her head. "Remus, Lucius, ready to go?"

Lucius nodded his head and found Remus doing the same. She motioned them out the door and led them a few steps to the other one. When she opened it, there was an almost reverent silence from the other side as Lucius walked in, followed by Remus. Thankfully, no photographers were allowed and all cameras had been confiscated when the reporters had arrived at the beginning. Not that Lucius minded; Salazar knew the Daily Prophet had enough photos of him in archive that would be perfect to use on this occasion. Tonks closed the door and walked behind him and Remus up to the podium. He walked up to the podium and stood there as Tonks flanked him and Remus stood off to one side. He surveyed the reporters slowly, noting the Dict-o-quills poised over parchment.

"As many of you know," Lucius began slowly. "There was a recent article in the Quibbler, as told by a Miss Ginevra Weasley, that accused me of certain facts. I will state for the record now that I am not guilty of such acts. I have been tried by the fullest court of wizarding law and found innocent," he paused for a moment.

"Mr. Malfoy! Daily Pro-" a witch had practically burst upwards from her seat

Lucius held up a hand indicating silence and the reporter subsided. "However, should young Miss Weasley feel that justice has not been fulfilled, it would be in both our best interests if this were settled as thoroughly and as prudently as possible. I'm quite sure my trial cost plenty; a second one would be quite unnecessary. I have no desire to waste the court's time, delay much more important things or waste a wizard's taxes on something that proves to be useless. Now, are there any questions?"

"Troia Veridica! Daily Prophet!" the same witch as before jumped to her feet before anyone else even moved. "You claim that you would want this matter taken care of immediately. Would you be willing to take Veritaserum to prove your innocence?"

Lucius resisted the urge to make a face. The last time he took Veritaserum, he'd nearly died. He wasn't all that fond of the brew. "Yes," he hoped it didn't seem to long before he responded. "I would be willing to, so long as it is properly applied and the questions pertain to the matter raised."

"Rose Yasutoko! Witch Weekly! Is it true that you have married Severus Snape and are currently expecting a child?"

"For Salazar's sake," Lucius rubbed his temples for a moment. "Let me clear up this moronic rumour once and for all. I am not engaged in a romantic relationship with Severus Snape of any kind. The only relationship we have is one of platonic friendship, at best. While he may be able to persistently ignore the rumour, I am not him. And I am liable to sue for any more slanderous material of that nature should it arise again. Am I understood?"

The only sound that could be heard in the room for a few seconds was the sound of Dict-o-quills scratching away frantically.

"Mr. Malfoy! Elijah Goodkind! The Oracular! Are Miss Weasley's claims that Loup Garou is sheltering you true?"

"Eric Cambridge! Bombastic Monthly! If Miss Weasley's claims are true, why would a eminent werewolf rights group be sheltering someone who apparently doesn't suffer from their disease?"

Lucius narrowed his eyes at the man's implied statement. "I am not a werewolf. But on this matter, Remus Lupin, spokesman for Loup Garou will take the podium now." he stepped away and bowed slightly as Remus made his way to the podium. "Have fun." He whispered softly as the younger man passed by.

Remus slid him a look but didn't say anything. Lucius went to stand beside Tonks as Remus settled at the podium and cleared his throat.

"For starters Miss Weasley's claim that Loup Garou is sheltering Lucius Malfoy is false," Remus started. "So far as we know, he still owns his own property and manor and resides in it. If she implied sheltering of a different sort, then that is also false. The only involvement that Mr. Malfoy has had with the Loup Garou organization is a philanthropic one. If it weren't for his, and many others, generous donations we wouldn't be able to run the programs that we do or even be able to distribute the monthly dose of Wolfsbane potion free of charge to those who need it."

"Troia Veridica! Daily Prophet! You say you distribute free Wolfsbane. Is enough ever provided for all who come?"

"There is never enough Miss Veridica. Once we run out for the month, we run out; we do have a budget to follow. But we do have specially spelled rooms where people who are unable to get or afford Wolfsbane can come and safely transform. If the rooms are full we provide enough information to their family in order to fortify the strongest room in their house and minimise the possibility of transmission."

"Rose Yasutoko! Witch Weekly! Say someone lives alone; what is done in that case?"

"Usually, if they contact a Loup Garou centre, we will ask if they wish to have someone fully trained in dealing with transformations there with them during the full moon. If they select that, the volunteer goes and spells the room and locks them in for the night, and ensures nothing bad happens. If they don't want that, we provide them with information on how to perform the necessary spells by themselves."

"Marshal Byka! The Quibbler! Is it true that werewolves perform an annual fertility rite in Sherwood Forest?"

Lucius almost snickered when Remus stared at the man, absolutely floored. It seemed to take a few seconds before Remus composed himself enough.

"Er, no, there is no such werewolf fertility rite. There never has been. Ever." Remus gave the man a weird look. "Are there any more pertinent questions?"

"Troia Veridcia! Daily Prophet! How long has Lucius Malfoy's philanthropy towards your organisation been occurring for?"

"That is one figure I can't disclose, as per the contract drawn up when he approached us. But I am allowed to say that it has been for quite some time. Mr. Malfoy was gracious enough to allow us to name him as one of our benefactors."

"Sophie Maclean! Worldly Eye! Is there some reason why Mr. Malfoy didn't wish to be named before?"

"I believe that Mr. Malfoy should be fielding this question Miss Maclean."

And with that, Remus drew away from the podium, allowing Lucius space to walk up and speak. Lucius regarded the woman for a moment before he cleared his throat.

"I felt anonymity to be best since much of what I do is considered high profile. Being an anonymous benefactor would allow me to make greater contributions to the organisation and free both me and them from any sort of repercussions and hassling from reporters."

"Rose Yasutoko! Witch Weekly! By claiming anonymity in your donations to Loup Garou, have you been committing tax fraud, or has this all been perfectly legitimate?"

"I can assure you that it's all perfectly legitimate, and that I have committed no other crime that someone might think I have done. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a previous engagement that I must head off for."

And with that he stepped down from the podium and made his way out the door, ignoring the questions flung his way. Once Remus and Tonks were through the door he closed it firmly and made his way to the room at the end. Valerian was sitting in there at the desk, poring over some files.

"How was it?" he asked, not even looking up.

"Like all press conferences… more or less." Lucius said dryly.

"More or less?" Valerian looked at Tonks and then at Lucius and Remus. "Just what happened in there?"

"Some Quibbler reporter asked if werewolves performed an annual fertility rite in Sherwood Forest." Remus groused.

Valerian blinked before he coughed. A smile curled the corner of his lips and he coughed a bit more before he spoke. "Aside from that though, everything was successful?"

"For the moment, yes." Tonks said. "It's now up to Ginny as to what she wants to do."

"Quite right," Remus said absently as he looked at his watch. "Since we finished early, I shall be leaving now."

"All right; I'll have Cassandra send Ravenna a transcript of the press conference so she knows precisely what happened."

"Thank you." Remus said as he walked to the door once more.

"Where are you going?" Tonks asked curiously.

"The Burrow. They're having dinner and Hermione asked if I would like to come, since her boyfriend was busy with something else," Remus shrugged his shoulders slightly. "And it's been a while since I've seen them."

"All right then. I wish you luck." Tonks gave him a mock salute with a wide grin.

Remus smiled. "I'll see you later Tonks. Valerian, Lucius."

Lucius watched as Remus inclined his head slightly and hurried from the room. Once the door closed again, Lucius glanced at Tonks but didn't speak for a moment.

"Shall I assume that you must escort me back?"

"Yeah, sorry." She said in an apologetic voice as she rubbed the back of her head. "I know it's a pain in the ass, but I do have to be tracking your movements in a non-magical manner as often as I can. So that way, I know you're not deceiving me."

Lucius snorted as she rolled her eyes. "Yes, because heaven forbid that I should attempt to use potent spells with my dampened magic and flee."

Tonks laughed. "C'mon, let's get you out of here now then. Merlin knows those reporters are in there gossiping among themselves. You can slip out and they won't be able to corner you for anything more."

"A wise idea." Lucius said as Tonks hurried past him and opened the door.

"Now, if you don't mind me asking," she began as they walked down the hallway. "What is this previous engagement that you have?"

"Dinner. With Draco later on tonight."

Tonks made a grimace and sympathetic noise. "That should go well."

"Of course. Barring the fact that I had to order him to appear in the dining room tonight."

"Ouch," she winced. "He must be super pissed off at you."

"That hardly matters at the moment," he paused for a moment. "What matters is if he accepts it or not."

Tonks nodded her head as they walked into reception area. The receptionist smiled and waved goodbye to them as they stepped into the fireplace. A few seconds later they were stepping out into the main foyer of Malfoy Manor.

"Hey, Lucius." Tonks finally said.

"Yes?" he paused, looking at her.

"What if he doesn't accept it?"

Lucius didn't say anything for a long moment. "Then he doesn't accept it. But he will certainly have to learn to live with it."

"But if he has to learn to live with it, mightn't he grow to accept it?"

"I'm sure that's a hazard that Draco will easily see if he chooses to be stubborn and continue railing."

Tonks shook her head with a snort. "Wow, you're really going to leave him between a rock and a hard place, aren't you?"

Lucius simply shrugged. "Then I'm quite sure he'll be able to sympathise with you."

Tonks blinked and looked at Lucius in surprise. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Just when did you get to Valerian's offices?"

"I was there long enough to hear your little exchange." Lucius said finally.

"Bloody sneaky Malfoys," Tonks snarled as she stomped back into the fireplace. "No more eavesdropping, got it! Dear Merlin help me, I'm surrounded by insufferable men."

And with that, Tonks threw down the Floo powder and disappeared in a burst of green flames. Lucius smiled and then headed for his study. He still had some time before Draco arrived. And, even though Draco already knew, Lucius still had no idea what he was going to say to his son.

Harry was absolutely miserable at this point. The only thing that seemed to be keeping him sane at the moment was Hermione and her tranquillity amidst the silent storm that raged around them. But it was grating on his nerves and making him irritable. They all were at the kitchen table, chopping up vegetables that would invariably make their way into the dishes being prepared. The only problem was that Mrs. Weasley had assembled them in order of who could do what best. So what ended up happening was that Ron was chopping cabbage beside Octavia who was slicing up some carrots. Ginny was sitting on Ron's other side and systematically peeling and dicing her way through a mound of potatoes. Harry was sitting beside Hermione, chopping the onions while Hermione was shelling the peas with Parvati. And everyone was doing it by hand.

Mrs. Weasley, sick of the bickering and thrown hexes that quickly erupted between Ron and Octavia, and everyone else getting in the way, had set everyone to work at the kitchen table, under her scrutinising eyes with the warning that no one was to talk at all or use magic. It didn't help that Ron was fuming silently and pointedly ignoring Octavia and the dirty looks Ginny threw at him. And Parvati kept glancing down at Ron every so often with a nervous look on her face. And Ron, Ginny and Octavia were on one side of the table while Harry, Hermione and Parvati were on the other.

The way Harry saw it Mrs. Weasley was lucky that Ron was managing to hold his temper for so long.

He sighed heavily, and earned a sharp glance from Mrs. Weasley. When she saw that no one was talking she turned back to what she was doing. Harry had a sinking feeling dinner would be like this, only with a thoroughly confused Mr. Weasley, amused twins and a curious Charlie, Bill and Percy added. A slight stinging sensation in his eyes made him pause. The spell was wearing off again. He drew his wand and quickly recast it. Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley had told him about the spell before he started chopping. Otherwise, there would have been a lot of tears mixed in with these onions.

If there was one thing Harry hated, it was chopping onions. They were hard to peel, slippery, stank and stained your fingers if you chopped enough of them. He'd chopped enough onions at the Dursleys and now he was stuck here chopping up a whole bag of them and it was taking him forever.

"Harry dear, are you having some trouble with those?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking over his shoulder.

"I'm –"

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley looked up suddenly. "Sounds like someone else has arrived!"

Harry watched as she disappeared from the kitchen. "What the hell?" he said a moment later. "I didn't hear a thing."

"Mum's got hearing like a bat," Ron said sullenly, staring at his cabbage.

"I would expect that she knows what to hear for in her home." Parvati added.

"You think she'd hear when Ron badmouths my friend." Ginny muttered.

Ron's face flushed but his lips tightened as he glared at Ginny. "Look –"

"Hun, maybe you should pay attention to the cabbage, hm?" Parvati said cutting him off. "Don't want to chop off one of your fingers, do you?"

Ron snapped his mouth shut and looked back at the cabbage. Ginny gave a derisive snort and went back to the potatoes. Harry glanced at Parvati to find her looking at Octavia from the corner of her eyes. Harry looked over at the girl and found her placidly slicing carrots with a small, smile on her face. If Harry didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Octavia was pleased with all the tension at the table.

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley called from the living room. "Would you come here for a moment please?"

Ron was already halfway to the door when Mrs. Weasley was done talking. Once he was gone, Ginny snorted again.

"Is something wrong Ginny?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Oh, nothing, just how Mum favours him so much more now." Ginny said in a disgusted voice.

Harry watched as Hermione didn't say anything for a moment and jumped in. "Aren't you glad that she's not paying as much attention to you now? That means a little bit more freedom, doesn't it?"

"Besides," Hermione began. "Don't you think you're being a little bit harsh on him. Ron's probably given up a lot to do as much as he can. He's working and helping out around the house. I imagine that even you're benefiting from it."

Nobody seemed to notice as Parvati and Harry glanced at one another, knowing what else Ron had to give up.

Ginny's face flushed slightly. "Yeah, my brother, the Quidditch pitch and broom keeper for the Chudley Cannons. Real proud of that."

Hermione stared at Ginny in shock before she opened her mouth to reply but Harry shook his head slightly. Hermione didn't say anything but made a highly disapproving sound. True, Ron's job wasn't nearly as interesting as Bill or Charlie's, or as remotely demanding like Percy's, but he never thought that it would have mattered to Ginny, let alone that she would say something like that. He glanced over at Octavia and saw that her smile was… smugger. He blinked. He had to be seeing things; what kind of friend would be happy to see their friend badmouthing a sibling?

"You might as well go over there and help Harry with those onions. He's pretty slow at it."

Harry looked up to find Ron pulling a chair from the cupboard and enlarging it. Hermione and Parvati scooted their seats over to make enough room. Harry didn't notice any of this. He was too busy staring at the new arrival. He knew it did very little good to stare so, but seriously this was the last person he was expecting to see here. Or even wanted to see.

"Hey, Hermione, Parv, budge over. Give Seamus some room so he can help Harry with those onions. We're almost done and Harry's the only one that'll be left behind."

And with that said, Ron brought a chair over and plunked back into his seat and focused on chopping the cabbage again while Mrs. Weasley came back in and continued whatever she was doing. Hermione glanced at Harry but moved down when Seamus pulled the chair up a bit. Once the chair was settled comfortably at the table, Mrs. Weasley brought over a knife and chopping board for Seamus and once more silence reigned in the kitchen. It wasn't until the sound of feet stomping loudly in the living room came that Mrs. Weasley gave an exasperated sigh and stormed out to see what was going on.

"Hi Harry." Seamus said a few minutes later, breaking that silence.

Harry simply grunted in reply.

"You never showed up at the graduation ceremony," Seamus added.

"I didn't go," Harry replied curtly. "Couldn't be bothered with the fuss."

"Ah, I see." Seamus said finally.

Harry was acutely aware of everyone else at the table watching him and Seamus, expecting them to say something more. But he fixed his gaze on the onions, resolutely chopping. One by one, he could feel the glances leave him and he felt a bit more at ease. But every so often, he would feel eyes on him and he would look up. Seamus always looked away quickly, chopping his own pile of onions a bit too intently and with a slight telltale flush on his cheeks.

"Dear me, busy today," Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Are you seven almost done? Charlie's just arrived and I need some hands to help him degnome the garden."

"Again?" Ron sounded peeved. "I just degnomed it a few days ago!"

"That was over a week ago Ron dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "And you did a fine job. But we certainly can't eat in the backyard with all those gnomes there."

"Fine, fine. I'm almost done with the cabbage." He grumbled. "Just how many gnomes are out there if you need so many hands?"

"Far too many. I might have to call Murble's to take care of our gnome problem." Mrs. Weasley sighed. "When you, Hermione and Parvati are done I want you to go help Charlie."

"What about us Mum?" Ginny asked, reaching for her last potato.

"You and Octavia can go find the table cloth. You know the red one dear?"

"Yup. Where is that one any way?"

"Somewhere in the linen closet," Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry and Seamus. "And once you two get finished with those onions, you can go to the attic and get the big table."

"We don't really need the big table Mum." Ginny protested.

"I think we do dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "We have fifteen people sitting down to eat. That's a bit too much for our kitchen table to handle, even with the proper spells."

Ginny nodded her head and continued dicing away. One by one everyone finished off their vegetables and went off for their assigned tasks. Once Harry reached for his last onion, Mrs. Weasley stopped him.

"I'll take care of this. You and Seamus go look after the table."

Harry nodded his head in relief and rose. "What about the ghoul in the attic?"

"Just keep a bright light with you; he doesn't really like bright light. A good strong Lumos spell will be fine." Mrs. Weasley was already finished chopping up Harry's last onion and reached for Seamus' last three. "Just shrink it and bring it down. We'll set it up when they're done in the backyard. I suspect they might be awhile though."

Harry nodded and hurried out the kitchen and up their stairs, Seamus close behind him. He didn't say anything, but Seamus seemed intent on talking.

"How do you know where the attic is?"

"Ron showed me when I was here for a bit in summer." Harry said curtly as he reached the top landing and walked down the hallway and stopped halfway down.

"Last year?"

"Before second year."

"Oh."

"Move back a bit. The ladder kind of bangs when it comes down."

Seamus nodded and took a big step back. Harry only moved back a bit and drew his wand, jabbing it at the door imperiously and saying, 'Alohomora'. The door swung open and the ladder came banging down, only a step away from Harry. He looked back at Seamus who grinned. With a snort, he started walking up the stairs and into the attic.

"Lumos!" he said as he stepped onto the floor.

Bright light burst from his wand and there was a scrabbling sound away in the back behind some boxes. Well, the ghoul was the least of their worries for the moment. He stepped aside as Seamus came up beside him, drawing his own wand for light as well.

"So, a big table, right?"

Harry nodded his head as he looked at the cloth-draped shapes, most piled on top one another. "It might take us a bit."

"Nah, c'mon, we'll get this done quick." Seamus said, wandering off towards what looked like a promising shape.

Harry followed after him a bit reluctantly. Harry left his wand lighted while Seamus shifted the boxes with his. They moved some boxes aside, only to move them back when what they thought was the big table proved to be otherwise. It was surprising just how much stuff was crammed into this attic. When they'd made their way to the middle of the room and were moving boxes from what would hopefully be the big table, Seamus spoke again.

"Harry, why didn't you come to the graduation ceremony?"

Harry didn't reply for a moment. "I told you already."

"Harry," Seamus said after a moment. "What's the real reason. I'm not buying the 'too much fuss' line."

"Well, that's the reason. If you don't like it, then there's nothing I can do about that."

Seamus stopped moving the boxes and looked at Harry for a long moment. "You were avoiding me, weren't you."

"Don't be ridiculous." Harry snorted. "Keep moving those boxes."

"You've been avoiding me since that day in the school. I don't get it. Was it that bad when we were together?"

"No, it wasn't," Harry began. "But –"

"Oi! You two found that table yet?"

Harry looked back at the sound of Ron's voice echoing up into the attic. "I think so. Give us a moment!"

Seamus had a distinctly miffed expression on his face as he quickly moved the boxes off. They whipped the cloth off and found that they were looking at the big table. Harry outed his Lumos, forcing Seamus to light up his wand. Quickly, shrinking the table, Harry grasped it in his hand and made his way out of the attic.

"Was starting to think the ghoul got you both," Ron chuckled.

"You degnomed the garden awfully fast," Harry said as Seamus climbed down and he shut the attic door again and locked it.

"It wasn't as bad as Mum made it out to be," Ron said with a shrug. "We've got to get the table set up and then Mum wants us to cast a few spells to make sure everything's right."

Harry nodded his head. "What time is it?"

"Um, just after four. We're eating at five." Ron said. "That's why Mum is getting kind of anxious. There's still loads of stuff to be done and apparently Hermione's boyfriend isn't here yet."

He isn't coming; he was too busy. She invited Remus instead."

"Professor Lupin is coming instead?" Ron demanded. "Does Mum know about this?"

"Yes, she does."

"Um," Seamus began. "The table isn't going to set itself up outside you know."

"Right, right," Ron said absently. "Come on, we'd better get moving before Mum thinks we've skipped out."

They all headed back down the stairs and out into the backyard. Even when they were outside, joking and laughing with Charlie and Bill and the two girls they had on their arms, who had arrived when they were up in the attic at some point, he could still feel eyes on him. Every so often when he glanced up, he found either Seamus or Octavia looking at him intently. There was a small part of him that would be very glad when this dinner was over and he stepped out of the fireplace into his own apartment.