Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To Katie2001: I'm going to miss the Theo and Ciara moments as well. He will definitely miss his little duck. Yes, I think Goldstein's party will be fun! I hope you enjoy it. Thank you! To Tmrpotterhead250: Thank you! Yes, unfortunately Padma lost her twin sister and her girlfriend. She will be grieving. Tonks is alive! We will see more of Hermione and her parents. Theo does love Sebastian, but admitting it aloud. He's most certainly not there yet. As to Luna and Rolf, sorry, not yet. Thank you! To riddermark: Unfortunately, Bellatrix has not died yet lol. Thank you. To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you! I appreciate the more detailed second review. Padma is definitely heartbroken and she stayed by Lavender's side until she died. Yes, I decided not to focus on the funerals because I thought it would be too emotional to see all of them. Thank you! To The Geordie bookworm: Thanks for needing to read the chapter before bed! That means a lot to know you're so excited for it. Thank you! To CampDBow: I am also sad Arthur didn't make it, but I agree, it's unrealistic for all of the Weasleys to have survived. Thank you very much! To Nightwing2013: Fakenham is the town where Theo's home resides in Norfolk. Thanks for liking my little nod to the Floo plant. Thank you! To A Huge Fan: Yes, it does start the yay we survived bit lol. Yes, those three escaping means there's still trouble in the air. Thank you!
To Wolf's scream: Mothers always have the ability to pull rank, no matter how old they are. Yes, McGonagall definitely protested her trip to St Mungo's. Dean's dad turned out to be a good guy and despite not fighting in the final battle, he is still trying to help. Thank you! To GreyGrass: There is lots more Ron and Hermione coming up. Theo and Bas are a couple I've enjoyed writing about, so yes, there will be more of them soon too. Thank you. To scrappy8: Thank you! As to what they are planning for Harry, you'll have to wait and see. Thank you! To one-of-a-kind-copycat: Thank you! I'm glad I've filled you with some dread and anxiety on what's to come. I'm glad I can still keep people on their toes. Thank you! To KingRajesh: I think they did want to go down fighting, but at the same time, the sight of their leader and the person they worshipped like a god going down… they will do everything possible to prove it didn't happen. Thank you! To ahlem stelena: Thank you and yes, Tonks is alive and well. Why did Crouch have to survive? Because he's so fun and I wasn't done with him yet. Thank you! To Sets: Poor Theo indeed. The poor bloke is a horny mess lol. I think you meant poor Padma, Parvati died in the final battle. Goldstein's bash is exactly what they all need. Yes, Tonks is safe from the werewolf blood. Thank you! To Read and Fly: I know the hysterectomy wasn't a great surprise, but Tonks is alive and that's what matters. Theo and Bas are very passionate for each other. Harry and Ginny definitely deserve a holiday. Yes, too soon for a Hinny proposal. You think Crouch, Bellatrix, and Belladonna arguing to try for Mina, Leo, or Teddy? Interesting. We will have to wait and see. Thank you! To notyap989: Thank you!
To Mutt N Feathers: Thank you! To ascfan: You can feel bad for Belladonna as she grieves a child, doesn't mean she's less of a monster. Thank you! To Sunny JS: Yes, still some action to come! Thank you! To alix33: Sadira knows her son well and is more than capable of dishing out threats when warranted. It's fair that your distraught on Theo's behalf. Losing Ciara was hard on him. Thank you! To Slaidback: Yup, the last three — The Evil Trio. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Yes, Bas and Theo are back to their normal selves. Theo loved those healer robes and yes, he bought four separate ones. Maia Roberts is the wife of Adrian, yes, and the woman who helped Tonks understand what it was to be a werewolf's mate. Nope, definitely hard tests. And I think we can all say, Crouch isn't suffering enough. Thank you! To the Mandalorian terminator: Wakanda Forever was amazing and I highly recommend. You'll have to wait for more on the Evil Trio, but yes, Wizarding Britain is rebuilding. Thank you! To puttyman24: Yes, Tonks and Zee are both alive and well. As to the Evil Trio's plan, we shall see. Thank you! To saucyswimmer: Theo definitely wanted to make sure Bas was very well cared for. They are wonderful for and to each other. Thanks for the second review! I'm glad you love saucy Theobas with domestic Oliver lol. Harry is very selfless and caring. He will have to cope with everything eventually, but he's not there yet. Thank you! To wiebenor: Sometimes it takes an hour or so for the new chapter to be there. But you can also read on Ao3. Thank you. To pix25: I think the exams were a nice return to normal that they all needed. Thank you!
To Emma Janet: I don't think the robes healer bought are quite acceptable as actual healer robes lol. We'll see a little bit more of Padma, but I don't plan on writing too much about her character. We will see the outcome of Hermione and her parents soon as well. Thank you! To ellyann13: Harry wasn't obligated to attend all of the funerals, but he made time to go to every one he could. Rolf's menagerie was inside of his suitcase so yes, it survived. Thank you. To Pearl1234: I hope I made you day a little better, thank you for reviewing! To AnyaLilka-Torril: Thank you! I know it was a lot of deaths, but not as many as it could have been. Thank you for saying I did "an excellent job of showing the numbness that comes with grief as well as the blur of time after." Thank you very much! To Padfoot777: Thank you for saying the chapter was a beautiful mix of sad and hopeful. Sorry to leave you hanging lol. Thank you. To Sloopyqueen4: We will see a vacation for Hinny, yes. We won't see any of the trials, just mentioned. Thank you. To Nuno Neves: Thank you for saying the chapter was both amazing and emotional. I'm glad you enjoyed the dialog between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Theo and Bas are very cute together! Thank you! To ThomasAvery: Thank you! As to Third Time's the Charm, it will be more like ASC. The First Time Around was only written in snippets because that's the way I had it written and because I never seem to have the full desire to write a full Marauder era story. Thank you! To The Booknerds: Thank you for saying you have chills! Thank you!
To StarryNights: Thanks for loving Theobas. Happy to provide a plot twist, thank you! We will catch up with Blaise and Draco soon and it's a bit soon for Theo and Bas to be thinking about marriage. Thank you! To CorbanD17: Being scared for Harry is fair. Thank you! To shuweet: Thank you! Yes, Theo and Bas will have to have the real conversation of their feelings. Thank you! To Tawny779: Ha, I can sense your sarcasm from Canada lol. Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr: Nope, the Evil Trio is still on the run. The Goldstein party is fun (I think). We needed to give them this moment. Thank you! To AmericanDesi: Harry will get some peace… eventually. Thank you! To : I know, poor Padma and everyone else who lost a loved one. The Terrible Trio, I like that, I've been calling them the Evil Trio in my head. Thank you! To Preethi Rao: It is satisfying to see everyone taking their NEWTs. I also felt it was kind of cheated in canon and deserved some recognition for them. Sorry, the Evil Trio are still on the loose for now. Thank you! To abhiav_india_16: Thank you. I'm glad you were waiting with baited breath for the death list, it means I did my job well. Why did the stone show Voldemort the people he killed? Harry and Ginny helped fix the stone so that it would show the people he murdered, it was part of why they attached the stone to his chest. Yes, the Evil Trio are still on the run with more to come. First of all, I have used the title of both stories in ASC and TFTA as well as mentioned kismet more than once, so obviously I will be doing that. I appreciate the recommendation, however I do try not to be influenced by other fanfics when writing my own. Thank you for saying my writing has been an inspiration and I wish you nothing but luck in your own writing. All writers deserve unconditional support in my opinion as writing is hard. Thank you! To TatiRena: Thank you! I've always wanted to read about Ginny and Harry kissing in the rain. Thank you! To reginaphalange: Thank you!
To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To katelyn453: No, Sebastian most definitely wanted to help Theo out lol. Thanks for loving my Hinny in the rain moment. Thank you! To BadWolfKris: Thank you! To Ladylucens: Thanks for catching up and thanks for loving Hinny's moment in the rain. Thank you! To EhSohMaria: Thank you! To mike3308: Thanks for enjoying the story despite it being a Hinny one. I don't really know what to say about that to be honest. But thank you? To ravenclaw_rockchick: I'm sorry to have made you cry again over Arthur. I did cry through most of Wakanda Forever, no shame lol. Thank you! To decoy73: Sorry to crush your dreams, but yes, they are dead. Thank you! To JustADeathEater: Thank you! I'm glad to hear you're excited. Thank you! To Guest: She will. Thank you. To tim2604: Theo is a very dedicated, hopelessly head over heels in love boyfriend. Yes, many dead. Harry will take the blame even though it's not his fault. Thanks for loving the scene in the rain. They did deserve that time together. Haha, that Hermione line was fun. Of course the Terrible Trio or Evil Trio is planning something horrible. It's in their very nature. Thank you! To SMalfoy09: We will see more of Harry reacting. Thank you. To MotherofKatie: Aw, I love that you saved the last five chapters to binge and considered it worth it. Thank you very much!
To Bellmel: Theobas and Hinny, yes. Theo is wonderful and Bas is so grumpy lol. You are definitely right, if it was Theo who needed minding, Bas would be just as attentive to Theo if not more so. He would be way more of a mother hen. He did say "I adore you" because Theo hasn't said he loves him back. I think part of him is afraid to push it. Yes, Bas does have some insecurities as well. I know, poor Harry is taking everything to heart and the losses. Then he's trying to be there for everyone as much as he can be. Ron has no qualms about telling Harry and Ginny they shag too much lol. Yes, Ron will be very disappointed when he gets to Australia lol. I'm so glad you loved the Hinny dancing in the rain. It was so fun to write and very much needed for the both of them. Thank you so much!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO:
The One With the Blow Jobs
While Harry was finishing up his NEWTS, Ginny finally made time to check in on how her friends were doing. Losing Arthur was still hard and some days she found herself just crying for reasons that she couldn't even begin to explain, but she was moving on and she was starting to take steps to figure out her plans for the summer.
Her first step in doing so was trying to get out of the house. Being stuck in the Burrow with her grieving family was both the closure she needed and the place she needed to escape from. Having Harry come hold her almost every night had been a complete blessing and she wasn't sure if she would have survived the last month if it hadn't been for her incredibly attentive boyfriend.
Bill and Fleur were over more often than not. Ginny found they were all taking turns to cook dinner, which made Molly fuss, but helped their mother stay occupied and busy. Charlie and Aydin always made the day better. Percy was already back to his bossy self and if Ginny hadn't seen him crying into Audrey's shoulder at her father's funeral, she wasn't sure if she would have noticed a difference in her brother. Audrey confided in her that Percy was plagued with bad dreams and they spent a lot of nights having conversations at three in the morning.
Fred and Fiadh stopped by for lunch and dinner, Fred making their mother laugh by claiming they were going to name the twins the most ridiculous names he could imagine. Most recently had been Freckles and Speckles which had made George laugh so loud he'd spewed pumpkin juice from his nose. George and Angelina were loosely planning a wedding, keeping the conversation light, and it was exactly the kind of happiness Ginny knew they all needed. Ron and Hermione were studying for their exams or talking about their upcoming trip to Australia.
But Ginny still needed a little break from all of it.
And the best way she thought to do that was to finally take the time to check in on her friends and see how they were dealing with things. Luna, Colin, and Theo had checked in with her almost every day, but Ginny hadn't been as attentive to them and she wanted to remedy that.
The first thing that she did when Harry and Ron went to the Ministry to write their exams was to spend a few days with Luna and Colin. Colin was equally as happy to get out of his own house. Cora and Ray Creevey had taken the death of their youngest son about as well as expected. After the funeral, Colin had helped them go through his things and bring his stuff home from Hogwarts. Ginny couldn't imagine how hard it was on him and on his family.
"Mum just sits in his room," Colin admitted, stretching his legs out in front of him where they were spread out on a blanket on the rooftop garden of the Lovegood house. "She sits on his bed and holds some of his clothes and just cries. Dad tries to tell her that's not healthy and she snaps at him. I wish it had been me."
"No," Luna said, reaching out to take his hand. "I am so sorry that Dennis was killed, Colin, but wishing it was you isn't going to make it any better. Your parents would still be absolutely devastated. Losing a child can't be an easy thing to deal with."
Colin let his head fall onto her shoulder, his eyes softening when Ginny took his other hand in hers. "Dennis was just… he was so fun and so eager. He wanted to help and to save the world. He told me that he wanted to be a fire fighter in the fire broomgade and now he won't ever get to grow up or do those things and I don't know how to deal with it. I don't know how to… fuck, I miss him, you know? I just bloody miss him."
"I know," Ginny whispered, squeezing his hand. "We miss him, too. Remember when he walked in on us talking about how you thought Harry fancied me?"
Colin's lips curved. "No, I didn't think he fancied you. I was totally right. Harry did fancy you. Dennis said that you were lucky Harry fancied you because my crush on him was just downright embarrassing."
"You fancied Harry?" Luna asked.
"Doesn't everyone?" Colin countered. "I mean, he's just so sexy and he doesn't even know it. Ginny's one lucky witch."
"So is Harry," Luna said. "I think they complete each other. But yes, Harry is very sexy."
"They do complete each other," Colin agreed. "But Dennis liked to tease me whenever he found out that I fancied someone. Did I tell you that he somehow got Mum to send some old photos and he showed Freya embarrassing baby photos of me?"
"No!" Ginny exclaimed. "He didn't! How embarrassing?"
"Let's just say toddler me in the bath wasn't afraid to let it all hang out."
Ginny and Luna chuckled.
"He adored you, Colin," Ginny said. "He wanted to make you proud."
"I am. I was," he corrected. "And now… Freya's gone, too. I know that we were broken up, but… she was great and she…"
"I know," Ginny said, understanding exactly what her friend wasn't saying.
Loss had hit all of them in different ways. Friends. Family. Teachers. Co-workers. It seemed that there was no one who hadn't been affected by the loss in the Battle of Hogwarts. The three of them sat there in silence for a moment before Colin put his arms around both of them.
"How have you two been dealing with stuff?"
Luna bit her bottom lip. "Daddy says that grief comes in waves and every person processes things differently. So many of our friends were killed and Ginny's dad and… but then Harry defeated him. It's so much loss for one good deed and yet, I know those who died would be happy that we're safe now."
"They would," Ginny agreed. "Dad was my hero growing up and… if he had lost Mum, I don't know if he would have been able to go on. Mum's doing all right and me and the boys are… well, as good as can be expected."
"Is Harry still holding you each night?"
Ginny nodded. "Yes. He's been so amazing. I don't know if I would have survived it without him."
"You would," Colin told her. "But it's nice to not have to."
"Quite," Luna said. "It will also be lovely to get away from everything for a bit. Ginny, are you sure that you won't come with us?"
Ginny had been surprised when Colin told her that he and Luna were going to Canada together for the summer. Luna wanted to study some of the magical creatures and plants there and Colin wanted the break. After losing Dennis, the last thing that he wanted was to stay at home with his grieving parents. He needed to get out and to get some air, he claimed. He was going to explore the beautiful scenery that the country had to offer and spend his summer lost in photography. Ginny thought it sounded perfect for them.
"I wish I could," she admitted. "But with everything going on here, with Dad, with my Quidditch training in August, and Harry's grandfather passing… I think I'd rather stay closer to home. Close to Harry. If it was a week or two I'd consider it, but two months is more than I'm ready for."
"Well, you could always join us somewhere for a week or two and then come home," Colin offered. "We'd love to have you."
"I'll think about it," Ginny told them. "But I really just want to spend some time with Harry and his godson and with Mina and Leo. I want to help George and Angelina plan their wedding and just… I want to focus on the good things that are to come."
Colin pressed his lips to her hair. "I think that sounds brilliant."
Colin told them about the photos he and Edie had taken during the final battle. He had hundreds and despite selling a few select ones to the Daily Prophet, he'd decided to print a photo book instead.
"A photo book?" Luna repeated. "Of the battle?"
Colin nodded. "Yeah. I've been thinking about it for a few weeks now. We got some truly incredible shots of everyone. Of the battles raging, of the heroes who fought. I have some of Harry that will literally give you chills and wet your knickers at the same time. He looks so powerful and so sexy and so… confident. I even managed to get a photo of him summoning the lightning and hitting Voldemort. It's amazing. I'm really proud of how they turned out."
"That's amazing, Colin," Ginny said. "So you're going to publish it?"
"Yeah, that's the plan. I'm going to organize it this summer and see what I can do come September. I'm going to dedicate it to all of those who gave their lives in the Battle of Hogwarts and send all of the royalties to charity or something. It will be by Edie as well."
Luna gave Colin a thoughtful look. "I think that's a splendid idea. Daddy can help you put it together and get it published."
"Thanks, Luna," Colin said. "I was hoping he might have some advice on that."
The three of them looked up when Theo came up the stairs, the pitcher of white sangria in his hands.
"Sorry I'm late, but I come bearing beverages!"
The three of them jumped up to hug him and he laughed. He hugged each of them tightly before settling himself onto the blanket and pouring them each a glass.
"Let me say, NEWTS are no joke. I'm properly exhausted."
"Are you done?" Colin asked.
"Yes," Theo said. "Thank Merlin, because if I study anymore, I think my brain will melt."
"Brain melting has been disproven," Luna said. "Though headaches could be a strong possibility."
Theo snorted. "Thanks, Luna."
"How have you been doing with Ciara?" Colin asked.
Theo let out a long breath, reaching for his cup to sip his sangria before he spoke. "I don't know. It comes and goes. I loved her like she was my niece or a little sister or something and when she called me 'uncle' my heart felt like it would burst. I'm so hurt that I won't see her again; that my little duck won't get to grow up."
"Have you talked to any of her family?" Ginny asked.
Theo shook his head. "Not really. Not since the funeral. Nimah and David, her parents, they were just beside themselves. She was their only child. I spoke to Tiernan a bit at the funeral when I went to pay my respects. They're all in mourning, obviously, but King Taliesan said that he was building a statue in her honour in Tara to show that every fae who fought against the Dark Lord can be called a hero. The statue is going to be of her and have the names of all who died inscribed on it. Not just fae — everyone."
"That's beautiful," Luna said. "Everyone who died deserves to be called a hero after how they fought. No matter what happened, they wanted to help."
"Agreed," Ginny said. "What a beautiful tribute. How's Sebastian doing, Theo? He's back to work now, right?"
Theo bit his bottom lip, his face breaking out into a wide smile. "He's… amazing. Yeah, he's back to work and completely healed and… just amazing. The only nights we've spent apart are the ones where he's had to work. Plus, I've been helping plan his parents' vow renewal and anniversary thing for next month. It's all coming together."
"Did you ever end up meeting his family?" Colin asked. "I thought that you had a birthday party or something coming up?"
"It was cancelled," Theo replied. "With everything that happened and Bas getting injured, they ended up deciding not to do anything. His parents anniversary party is next month so I think I'll just meet them all then. I did meet his mum, briefly, at St Mungo's. She's a healer there. She seems very nice. But there's… there's something else."
"What?" Ginny asked.
Theo bit his lip again. "Bas told me that he loved me."
Colin's eyes widened. "Really? Theo, that's great news!"
He nodded. "I thought so. I mean, I think that I've just been waiting for him to say the words because when we're together it just feels right, but he… he said them when he woke up in the hospital while I was yelling at him for almost dying and… I realized that when he thought that he was going to die, he tried to tell me that he loved me right before he passed out and I just… who does that? Who admits their feelings when they think that they're on their deathbed?"
"What did Bas say to that?" Luna asked. "I don't know if yelling at him is a good answer, Theo."
"Well, I was upset!" Theo exclaimed. "I didn't know if he would wake up and I thought that he'd died in my arms and it was like Finn all over again and… he laughed at me. Not in a mean way, just in an amused way like he expected my little freakout and was so happy to see me at the same time."
"Did you tell him that you love him back?" Ginny asked.
Theo's cheeks heated as he shook his head. "No. I was too upset and too overwhelmed and too everything. The battle had just ended and I'd been sitting by his bedside for hours, still in my bloody and dirty clothing, and when he woke up, I was just so grateful that he was alive. And since then… he hasn't said it again."
"Have you said it to him?"
Theo shook his head. "No. What if… what if he's changed his mind?"
"He hasn't," Ginny assured him. "But maybe he's waiting for the right moment again or worried that he scared you and is holding back. I mean, you had just been through a war and he knows that you lost Finn in a similar way. He probably doesn't want to rush you."
Theo nodded. "Maybe. I've been trying not to think about it. Plus, I've been studying for my NEWTS and trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do with my life."
"I thought that you decided to be a mind healer?" Colin asked.
Theo shrugged. "I think so. I mean, I'm still thinking about it. I want to work with kids, I think. I want… I want to do something to help kids who were treated shitty or grew up with bad parents or anything. I'm still trying to figure it all out."
"There's no rush, Theo," Ginny told him.
"I know, but it's been on my mind," he said. "I love being in the Wizengamot, but I need something more to occupy my time, otherwise I'll just be pining for Bas while he's at work. As much fun as that is, I need a purpose. Until then, I want to finish refinishing Norfolk. Get the last few rooms painted and cleaned up; get rid of some unwanted furniture and junk. Go through all of the boxes in storage and see what needs to be kept and what needs to go. That's my plan for the summer. I want the house to be done by my birthday. It will be one less thing to worry about."
Luna smiled. "That sounds lovely. It will be strange not having you at Hogwarts with us in September."
"Strange all around," Ginny added. "No Theo or Harry or Ron or Hermione or Neville…"
"Ginny's going to go mad," Theo teased. "All those days without her boyfriend's tongue… complete madness."
Ginny elbowed him. "Harry and I are not that bad. I'll have you know that we've barely done anything since before Tom… he's only held me."
Colin lifted an eyebrow. "Really?"
Ginny blushed. "Yes, really. We haven't done anything more than quick kisses until two weeks ago."
"What happened two weeks ago?" Theo asked, topping up Ginny's glass of sangria.
Ginny's eyes brightened. "We kissed. In the rain. It was like a story or something. I didn't think anyone really shared kisses in the rain like that."
Colin rolled his eyes. "Well, of course you did. So, kisses in the rain…"
Ginny bit her lip and before she could even say anything, Luna's smile widened.
"Well, that sounds like Harry, doesn't it? Hasn't touched you in almost a month so the first thing he does is lick you properly."
"Lucky bitch," Colin said, making her laugh.
Ginny grinned at her friends and thought despite her heavy heart, things were finally getting back to normal.
~ ASC ~
Zee sat behind her desk, half-listening to the sounds of the magical creatures behind her walls as she attempted to finish up the mountain of paperwork that she had somehow accumulated. Returning to work without Lady Godiva to lie at her feet had been a surprisingly difficult transition. She'd almost taken Padfoot with her a few times just to stop the feel of loneliness, but the last thing that she wanted was to take the dog away from her babies.
Mina and Leo adored Padfoot.
She missed her father more than she could put into words. She knew her mother missed him even more. It was like part of them was missing and some days it hit her harder than others. Harry had been a godsend and Zee couldn't imagine surviving the last month without him.
He helped with Mina and Leo almost full time and when Sorcha had to work, it was Harry who stayed with them all day. They were completely in love with him and it warmed Zee's heart to watch him hold them and play with them. He was truly an incredible big brother and having him around to help out somehow made losing her father seem a bit more bearable.
Losing Lady Godiva was different. The panther had been with her for over a decade and Zee couldn't remember working without her. Being at work without the panther underfoot felt like she was missing something and somehow made her feel like she wasn't being as productive. It was definitely a transition that she needed to deal with.
But Zee was trying to make sure that Harry was getting the time he needed away as well. She knew that he spent most nights with Ginny and she knew that Ginny needed him to help her deal with losing Arthur. Zee made sure that he had study sessions with his friends to prepare him for his NEWTS and together she and Harry spent a few evenings on the couch, watching films together to pass the time and to stop them from thinking about Misha and everyone who they had loss. Knowing that Harry was writing his NEWTS and finishing up the last bit of his schooling seemed unbelievable.
In two months' time, he would be starting at the Auror Academy.
Life had a way of surprising her.
Once Zee had returned to work, she and Oliphant had done what they could to restructure the Menagerie. They housed all of the magical creatures that had been injured in the Battle of Hogwarts. They wrote up reports and detailed minutes of the battles with the other magizoologists, keeping track of the names of the agents as well as the magical creatures to make sure that everything was documented appropriately. Zee said goodbye to her friends as they returned home, the last to leave being Ouellette and St Louis from the Canadian Ministry with their Canadian geese.
When the caramel cappuccino sat on her desk, she looked up at Rolf with a grateful smile.
"How did you know that I needed that?"
Rolf shrugged, making himself comfortable in the chair across from her desk. "I needed a sugar rush so I assumed you might as well. How are things going in here?"
"Slow," Zee admitted. "How did Greece go?"
"Good. No mishaps," Rolf said. "My report's here, but the Chimera has been returned home safely and I have the permits and reports from the Greek Tmíma Magikón Dimiourgión."
"Excellent. Thank you."
Rolf tapped his fingers on his knee and Zee raised an eyebrow.
"Was there something else?"
He rubbed his hand over his chin before he nodded. "Maybe."
Zee leaned back in her chair. "What's going on, Rolf?"
"All right," he began, leaning forward in his seat. "So, during the battle, everyone was amazing, right? It was… it was so bloody awesome to see people coming together like that, to fight, to defend. People and magical creatures working together alongside of other magical beings. It was the way world should be. I mean, there was even a woman on a thestral!"
"There was," Zee said. "Hagrid has a herd of them at Hogwarts."
"Well, it was brilliant," Rolf breathed. "And the witch riding the thestral was just…"
Zee smiled, her eyes softening. "Did someone catch your eye, Rolf?"
He blushed, making the freckles on his nose look more prominent. "Er, sort of. I mean, I sort of met her before, but not really. We kind of passed each other in Hogsmeade when she was fighting a Death Eater and I was impressed. She was vibrant and unafraid and tenacious. She fascinated me. She had this long blonde hair and was just… so beautiful. Then I saw her flying on a thestral at Hogwarts and just… wow."
Zee watched him for a moment, the way his eyes were wide in excitement as he spoke about this mystery woman. It was nice to see him so lit up about an individual and she wondered who it was that had captured his attention so seamlessly.
"Did you want me to ask around?" Zee asked. "I'm sure that someone knows who she is."
Rolf blushed even darker. "Oh, erm," he began, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "I mean, you don't have to. I don't want to bother you or anything. I just thought… she was brilliant."
Zee smiled. "Well, I can't make any promises. But, I can ask around."
Rolf jumped to his feet, his eyes twinkling. "Thank you, Zee. Thank you!"
Zee watched him practically skip out of her office and thought his little crush was rather adorable. As to finding out who it was, well, that might be more difficult. Hagrid had used the thestrals as part of the defence and there had been at least two dozen people on and around them. But she would see what she could do about finding a mysterious blonde.
She glanced at her watch and took a long sip of her caramel cappuccino before turning back to her paperwork. That was exactly the break she'd needed.
~ ASC ~
Harry held Ginny's hand in his as they arrived at the Goldstein Manor in London with Ron and Hermione. His eyes moved over the massive house in northern London and he whistled. Ron had told him about the Goldstein mansion, but Harry hadn't really realized how huge it actually was. Considering he'd seen the elegance of Wiltshire, he had to admit, Anthony Goldstein had a very impressive house.
"Wow."
"Wait until you see the inside," Ron told them. "It's no wonder the prick is so pompous."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "For the last time, Ron, Tony's a nice bloke."
Ron scowled. "Take it back."
Ginny elbowed him. "Shut it, Ron."
Harry draped his arm over Ron's shoulders. "Don't worry, mate. I'd take you over Tony in a heartbeat."
Ron stuck his tongue out at Ginny and Hermione. "See, Harry cares!"
Hermione shook her head as Ginny linked her arm with hers. "Why do I put up with him again?"
"I've asked myself that every day since you started dating him," Ginny teased.
"Oi!" Ron exclaimed.
Harry chuckled as they headed up the drive towards the Goldstein Estate.
"So, the last time I was here, Goldstein gave me the whole spiel on the place. It actually rivals Buckingham Palace," Ron told them. "The place has twenty-five bedrooms all with their own suite and has a large ballroom, a drawing room, a study, dining room, billiard room, a gallery room, an art room, an indoor swimming pool, a full Roman bath and spa, a workout room, and a massive garden that Nev was practically drooling over the first time he was here."
"Twenty-five bedrooms?" Hermione repeated. "Blimey! Who would ever need that many?"
"Sixty-five rooms over all," Ron corrected. "It's kind of mad. It's no wonder he's such a pompous arse, really."
Ron plastered on a big smile as the front door opened and they were greeted by a house elf. They stepped into the large entrance way full of marble and Mandy came out of the drawing room.
"You made it!" Mandy exclaimed, rushing over to hug Harry. She kissed his cheek and smiled up at him. "Thanks for coming. And thank you, Harry."
Harry awkwardly nodded. "Erm, you're welcome."
"Tony's already getting people set up in the pool room. You all brought bathing suits, right?"
"We did," Ron assured her.
She gave them directions and the four of them headed down to where the party was taking place in the swimming pool room of the house.
"He has an indoor swimming pool?" Harry asked as they walked down the stairs.
Ron snorted. "I told you mate, you haven't seen anything yet!"
Harry had to agree with Ron's assessment.
They walked through the gallery room and into the art room which were full of sculptures and works of art that Harry guessed had to be worth thousands of Galleons if not millions and when they headed down the large staircase and into the billiards room, he started to recognize some of his former classmates. The billiards room had a pool table, a tennis table, and a card table. The doors on the right were open to reveal the massive indoor swimming pool with lounge chairs spread around it. The far side of the pool had a bar set up outside and inside the pool to allow people to swim up for cocktails if they desired. A large table was spread across the wall full of food as well.
"Bloody hell," Harry muttered.
"Told you," Ron said, waving at Neville.
Neville and Hannah were sitting on a lounge chair by the left side of the pool. They were both in their swim suits and each had a drink in their hand.
"Hey," Neville said, grinning. "I'm glad that you guys made it."
Harry grabbed the lounge chair next to Neville and tugged Ginny into it with him as Ron and Hermione chose the one on the other side.
"Is everyone coming?" Harry asked.
"For the most part," Hannah said. "It seems like almost everyone has made time to show up."
"Minus the few crazies," Ron added.
Within thirty minutes, it seemed that everyone had arrived and Anthony whistled to get everyone's attention.
"I just wanted to thank everyone for coming tonight. It's been seven years since we all first met at Hogwarts and a lot has happened since that first train ride," Anthony said. "Tonight is to celebrate our victories and to send us all off on a path towards a good future. I want everyone to swim, to drink, to play games, and to have a good time. If anyone drinks too much, feel free to crash here, I have the room. But first, I want everyone to take a glass of the Prosecco that's coming around. Parkinson, my house elf has sparkling apple juice just for you. Take your glass and let's all have a drink and a moment of silence to those amazing friends who can't be here tonight."
The room had gone fairly silent at that as they all accepted their glasses from the house elf bringing them around.
"Let's take a moment," Anthony repeated. "To honour our classmates whom we lost in this war. Susan. Kevin. Tracey. Lavender. Natalie. Parvati. Su. Stephen. Lily. And Terry."
Everyone was quiet as they raised their glass and drank to their memory.
Anthony nodded. "Please, enjoy yourselves and let's celebrate the futures we are beginning thanks to the Chosen One. To Harry!"
"To Harry!"
"To Harry!"
Harry blushed as people began to cheer his name, raising their glasses more and more. When everyone drank to him, he gave a small smile and bowed his head in thanks. Ginny squeezed his hand in hers and he gave her a grateful look.
They took their seats back on the lounge chair as a DJ began to play some music and Harry shook his head.
"He hired a DJ?"
Ron snorted. "Harry, I don't think you understand how ridiculously rich Goldstein is. This party is actually tame." He stood up and pulled his shirt off, dropping it on the chair next to Hermione. "Now, who wants to go for a swim?"
Before anyone could say anything, Ron dove into the water in his bright orange and white bathing trunks, grinning when his head broke the surface.
"Water's great!"
Hermione took off her own shorts and tee shirt, revealing a navy blue one-piece before she joined Ron in the water. Ginny pulled her shirt off as she sat down next to Harry, revealing her turquoise bikini top.
"I think that I need a new swim suit, this one is starting to get a bit raggedy," Ginny said.
Harry's eyes were on the way her tits were filling out the top until Ginny pinched him. "Ow. Yes, sorry. New suit. I was listening."
He undressed himself, revealing his own black baggy bathing trunks just as Theo and Sebastian made their way over to them.
"Hi, all!" Theo exclaimed, his eyes on Harry. "Lover! Where's that sexy blue suit I bought you?"
"He wouldn't wear it," Ginny said. "He claims he lost it."
"I picked that out just for you!" Theo protested.
"I'm not wearing that in public, Theo," Harry insisted. "It's way too tight and short."
"Exactly," Theo teased, winking at him.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Sebastian, mate, control him."
Sebastian chuckled. "Nah. He's too entertaining."
Theo beamed at him before he grabbed his boyfriend's hand. "Bas, this is Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott. This is my boyfriend, Sebastian Kane."
"Nice to meet you," Hannah said, smiling kindly.
"Bas, Hannah is the one who baked those delicious fairy cakes I brought you to try. She's going to do all of the desserts for your parents' party."
"I'm excited to do it," Hannah told them.
"What's up, bitches?" Blaise said, grabbing Theo from behind so that he shrieked.
Theo turned to throw his arms around his friend. "Blaise!"
Blaise hugged him tightly. "I dragged Draco with me, don't worry."
Theo beamed and threw himself into Draco's arms next. Draco, who had been carrying a drink and his beach towel, almost dropped everything when Theo grabbed him. The two Slytherins took a seat on the side of the pool, their feet in the water as Sebastian said hello to Ron and Hermione in the pool below them.
Harry found it was a rather chill evening. Everyone seemed to slowly make their way over to where he and Ginny were sitting to say hello and to offer their thanks for what he'd done. At some point, Theo had pulled Ginny away from him to swim and Harry found himself sitting with Neville and Sebastian when Mandy approached him.
"Hi," she said, offering him a drink. "Are you having a good time?"
"Yeah," Harry assured her, accepting the tall fruity beverage. "It's great. This was really nice of Goldstein."
"He's a great guy," Mandy said. "He um, he actually asked me to marry him."
Harry's eyes widened. "Wow. Well, congratulations."
"Thanks," Mandy said. "We're going to have a long engagement, but I'm very happy. I leave next week for Abu Dhabi to work in their curse breaking program and Tony starts at the Dian Cecht Healing Academy so we'll be doing the long distance thing for at least two years."
"That's amazing, Mandy," Harry said.
"Tony will be working with Padma, Megan, and Lisa, but I think that they're all branching off into different fields of healing. It's nice to see everyone come together like his, even if it's for the last time."
"It won't necessarily be the last," Neville told her. "I'm sure that we'll all keep in touch."
"Oh, for sure," Mandy agreed. "But not all of us, not like this. We'll all be going our separate ways and just our little groups will stay in touch, I'm sure."
"Yeah, you might be right," Harry admitted. "Do you know where everyone else is headed off to?"
Mandy made herself comfortable in the chair next to Harry and smiled. Her eyes roamed around the room as she began to point people out and share their futures. "Absolutely. Sally-Anne is training to be a cosmetic witch with that hair salon in Diagon Alley. Oh and Justin is going to be an advocatus, I heard that he was accepted into the Lex Schola along with Blaise and Morag. Roger's heading into the Department for the Reconstruction and Cooperation with Magical Creatures and I heard Hermione has a spot there as well. David's going to work for the Department of Mysteries. Wayne has a job lined up with the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Seamus is going to the OFB, which I'm sure you know. Michael is going to be a magiarchitect. Pansy has that lingerie shop in Apricity Lane and I heard that Daphne will be assisting her with that. Dean is going to be working with art, but I didn't hear in what capacity. Millie is focusing on motherhood. As for Theo, Draco, Goyle, and Sophie, I have no idea. Neville, I heard that you and Hannah are looking to go into business together?"
"Eventually," Neville said. "Probably at least a year away. In the meantime, I'll be working in my own greenhouses and Hannah will be running her catering business."
"Yes," Hannah said. "But Mandy already knows how excited I am for that."
Hearing about what everyone's plans were did make leaving Hogwarts seem more real, Harry thought. Everyone would be heading into jobs for the most part. It was an interesting concept to think about the future in those terms.
Dean came over to join them, some fruity cocktail in his hand with an umbrella sticking out that matched the one in Harry's hand. "Hey, all!"
"Hi, Dean," Neville said.
"Your drink looks delicious," Hannah said. "What is it?"
"Sex on My Face," Dean said, taking a long sip as Harry blanched. "What? That's what the bartender said it was called."
Neville snorted. "Mandy was just filling us in on where everyone plans to do with school being done. Are you still planning on travelling?"
Dean nodded, stretching his long legs out. "I think so, yeah. Reconnecting with my dad has been kind of awesome," he admitted. "He wants to take me around to some of the places he works, show me some of the art and galleries that he helps with. I think we're starting in Egypt."
"When do you leave?" Harry asked.
"Not until the first week of July," Dean said. "I'll probably be gone most of the summer and maybe into September, but my mum is going to help Seamus find a place if they can. When I come back, I want to move in with my boyfriend. He'll be deep into fire broomgade training by then."
"Seamus is going to be a fire flier, that's really peng," Mandy said.
Dean grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. "Wait until you see him in uniform."
Gary Rivers came to stand next to Dean. "Hey, Potter, I heard that you and Weasley are going to be Aurors as well?"
"That's the plan," Harry said. "You were accepted into the academy?"
Rivers nodded. "I was. I'm excited about it. I've always wanted to be an Auror."
"Me too," Harry told him. "It will be fun to see you in basic."
"I heard it's hell."
"Me too," Harry repeated. "But it's going to be brilliant."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Rivers, you better prepare yourself. Harry's mad. He actually likes to run and work out. It's a terrible sickness."
Sebastian chuckled. "I like to run every day."
Dean looked over at Sebastian in horror. "It's spreading!"
Harry snorted. "Shut it, Dean."
A house elf continued to wander around with more drinks as they ate and chatted and drank. At one point he found Ron drinking a red cocktail that was apparently called the Red-Headed Tart, while Ginny took a gold beverage called the Cock Sucking Cowboy. The names made him laugh, but he had to admit, all of the drinks were delicious. Harry noticed that people wandered around, swimming and playing games, but eventually he found himself talking to almost everyone at some point. The most surprising was when he made his way to the toilet and came out to meet Goyle in the hall.
"Goyle," he said, turning to move around him.
"Thanks, Potter," Goyle said.
Harry turned to look at the tall, muscular wizard, his eyebrow rose. "You're welcome."
"No, really," Goyle said. "I didn't get much choice in the matter, but I did choose the wrong side to start and… I know that you helped keep Pansy and Grayson safe. Thank you."
"You may have chosen the wrong side, Goyle, but in the end you did the right thing. No one can ask for much better."
He left Goyle staring after him and headed back towards the party. When he turned down the long hall that led to the indoor swimming pool, he caught sight of Sophie Roper walking towards him. She was wearing a white string bikini that hid next to nothing, showing off her fantastic body and she smiled at the sight of him. Her brown hair was in a high bouncy ponytail.
"Hi, Harry!"
"Hi, Sophie," Harry said.
When he made to move around her, she grabbed his hand. "I just wanted to say thank you for everything that you did. You really are a hero, you know that?"
"I just did what was necessary," Harry told her.
"It was more than that," Sophie insisted, taking a step closer to him. "You protected all of us. You defeated the darkest wizard the world has ever seen. We owe you everything."
Harry shuffled uncomfortably on his feet. He appreciated people thanking him, but when people started claiming they owed him, it wasn't anything he wanted to hear.
"Really, it was nothing."
Sophie tapped her long hot pink nails over his naked chest. "It wasn't nothing. It was incredible. I know that my measly thank you doesn't mean much. Why don't you let me thank you in a different way?" She took a step closer, her nails moving downward to brush the drawstring of his swim shorts. "I'll suck you off so good you'll know how I much I appreciate you and what you did for us."
"Erm," Harry began, his neck flushing. "No thank you."
"Lover!"
Relief washed over Harry as he reached for Theo's hand, pulling him against his side. "Theo, hi! Sophie, I'm sorry, Theo needs me. We'll talk later, bye!"
Theo goggled at him as Harry dragged him down the hall in the opposite direction. "Hey! Some of us have to piss and the loo is in the other direction."
"Remember when I sent Zee and Molly to your trial? You owe me!"
"Um, remember when I gave Ginny tips on how to suck your cock? My debt's been paid."
Harry winced. "You fight dirty."
"Well, I do really have to piss," Theo said. "I just had two blow jobs."
Harry's eyebrows rose into his hair and Theo cackled.
"The drinks, lover! Bas will get the real thing later."
Harry looked behind his shoulder. "Fuck, she's still over there!"
Theo looked back at Sophie and then turned to grin at Harry. "After all this time and you're still scared of little Sophie Roper?"
"She just offered to blow me as a thanks for defeating Voldemort!" Harry hissed, his cheeks flaming in embarrassment. "What do you even say to that?"
"What did you say to that?" Theo asked, his brown eyes twinkling.
"Erm, no thank you."
Theo laughed and linked his arm through Harry's. "You really are a cabbage, Harry Potter. Come on. Walk me to the loo and I'll protect you from Sophie Roper."
"Promise?"
Theo kissed his cheek. "Promise. But, lover? I can't wait to tell Ginny about this one!"
Harry scowled at that, but let Theo lead him away. They ran into Ron coming out of the bathroom so Theo passed Harry off to Ron and the two of them headed back towards the pool, chatting. Ron jumped back into the pool, yelling "cannonball!" Someone hollered and laughed. Harry caught sight of his girlfriend's red hair by the snack table and hurried over to her. He grabbed two of the shots from the tray the house elves were passing. They each had a dollop of what looked like whipped cream on top and looked like a rather delicious dessert.
"Pudding?" he offered.
Ginny's lips curved. "Blow job."
Harry choked as he got white cream on his lip. "What?"
"The drink in your hand," Ginny said, smirking. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," Harry said. "Just fine. The drink names are making this evening weirder." He put his drink down and slipped his arms around her waist, pressing his lips to the freckles on her shoulder. "I miss you."
Ginny grinned. "Theo and I were chatting. You were hardly lacking in company."
"Not the company I wanted," Harry told her. "Plus Sophie found me and I had to beg Theo to save me."
"Oh, really? And what did Sophie want?"
Harry's cheeks flushed. "She scares me, Ginny and I already know Theo told you."
Ginny laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Need me to protect you?"
Harry ducked his head to kiss her. "Always. Come on. Let's go for a swim."
Ginny speared another piece of cheese before she let Harry lead her into the pool. It wasn't long before someone started a water volleyball game and Harry and Ginny were on the winning team. More drinks were passed around and Harry noticed that some people were dancing and singing. A few people had wandered into the billiards room to play games and everyone seemed to be having a great time.
When Ginny curled into his arms in one of the lounge chairs as they watched everyone around them, Harry thought that this party had been exactly the little bit of fun relief that he'd needed. Seven years of Hogwarts had seemed to flash by in a blur and now they were starting their futures, adults heading out into the world.
School was over and now, life was just beginning.
A house elf passed around the little dessert shots again and when Seamus whistled, making everyone turn, he yelled out, "Who wants a blow job?"
Harry snickered and Ginny kissed his chin.
Yeah, this night was the exact break they needed and when he looked deep into Ginny's chocolate brown eyes, he thought that he couldn't wait to see where life would take him next.
~ ASC ~
Being back at the Goldstein Estate only reminded Neville of all of the moments he'd shared with Hannah here. It had been here at Goldstein's party that he'd really spoken to her for the first time. It had been here again where they'd made up and she'd agreed to be his girlfriend. It was funny how Anthony Goldstein's house unintentionally had played such an important part in his relationship with Hannah.
It was why he held her hand now as they walked through Goldstein's beautiful and extensive gardens.
"Are you sure that your gran isn't going to mind me running a catering business out of the kitchen?"
"Nope," Neville told her. "She's fully on board, especially if you keep her stocked in apple and caramel desserts."
Hannah grinned. "I can do that."
"I think the catering idea is brilliant," Neville told her. "You've been doing a small scale version of it at Hogwarts now for the last year and you've seen how much people love your baked goods."
"I know," she agreed. "And it's a great way to save money for my bakery. What I'll be putting together for Theo alone… he's spending a fortune on dessert."
"Theo can afford it," Neville teased. "And that party will give you even more business, just watch. But we're still going to be looking up some spaces soon. I want to get an idea of what's out there."
"I won't have you paying for all of it," Hannah insisted. "I'm saving up so that we can go into it together."
Neville pulled her close and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Hannah, you are nothing like your mum. I know that you aren't with me because of my money. Stop worrying."
Her brow furrowed. "It's not that, it's… this has been my dream, Neville. I want to achieve it on my own merit."
"And I'm incredibly proud of you for that," he said. "No matter what, we're going into this fifty-fifty, but I still think that we should start looking for spaces. It doesn't hurt to keep our eyes open."
"I can agree on that," Hannah said.
Neville kissed her. "Good."
The sound of rustling had them both turning. Neville squeezed Hannah's hand as they moved around the corner of the garden and Neville blanched when he realized that it was Lisa Turpin and David Runcorne having sex in the grass.
"Erm, let's go this way," he said, his cheeks flushing.
Hannah bit her lip as Neville pulled her in another direction. "I didn't even know that those two were dating."
"Me neither," Neville said. "They could just be together for the night. Come on, let's head back inside and go back in the pool."
Instead of answering, she stopped him in his tracks and stood on her toes to kiss him.
"I have a better idea," she whispered.
Neville grinned when she tugged him into another area of the garden and straddled him on the bench. When her lips met his, he wrapped his arms around her and thought her idea was pretty damn good.
~ ASC ~
It had been a week since he'd written his last NEWT examination and Draco was starting to feel some semblance of normal again. After spending the Saturday after his exams at the Goldstein Estate for a party with his former classmates, he thought it finally felt like he was moving on from Hogwarts in a way that he hadn't realized he needed. Now, a week later, Wiltshire Manor was slowly emptying out, and it felt almost surreal to watch these people that he'd lived with for months move out with no plans of returning.
The first to leave had been Pansy and Goyle which didn't surprise him in the least. Goyle's mother, Agnes, had been arrested for her association with Voldemort and Pansy and Goyle had moved back into the Goyle Estate in Chalcot Crescent. The two were already busy working on re-opening Sophistication by Pansy. Last he heard, Pansy had a goal of the end of June and he knew that she would definitely succeed there. Grayson was eight months old now and within a week of Goyle having come to live at the manor, he'd been crawling all over the place. Draco had to admit, watching Goyle with his son was pretty adorable. The man was completely over the moon for him.
Aeliana Avery had left next. She said a quick goodbye, pecked Blaise on the lips, and took off to an island somewhere without looking back. Her divorce to Holden Ledbury had finally come through since he was locked in the Azkaban Crypt and she was more than happy to head out.
When it came to everyone else, it was a matter of getting them home. Those who had parents who had forced them into their marriages, those parents had all been arrested by the DMLE, which meant that all of their properties were immediately handed over to their children. Despite being minors, marriage entitled them to the property deeds and gave them the authority and autonomy that they wouldn't normally have.
This meant that the Wizengamot Administrative Services was sending agents over to check in on them and make sure that they were handling themselves all right. It was a delicate situation as by law, anyone under the age of sixteen wasn't entitled to live without a guardian, but since they were married, they were legally able to be guardians themselves. Social wizards were checking in to see if they needed help or assistance, but for the most part, those who wanted to stay married were allowed to do so and those who didn't were undergoing the process of annulments and divorces.
Graham, Shanae, and their eight-month-old-son, Henry, were an example of this. They had left two days after Aeliana and the little family had moved into a small cottage in Leeds that had once belonged to Graham's grandparents. Shanae was sixteen, but Graham wasn't sixteen for a few more months, yet they were the parents of a happy and healthy eight-month-old-son.
Needless to say, things weren't exactly simple.
Malcolm Baddock had left next. His aunt came from New Brunswick, horrified when she discovered what his parents had done. Malcolm was planning on going home with her for the next few years and finishing his education in Canada. Draco had a feeling that he wouldn't return to England any time soon, if ever.
Flora Rowle and her son Ethan had moved into one of the flats in Bath that the Rowle family owned. Since Flora had married into the Rowle family, she received access to their properties and wealth when her husband was arrested and put into Azkaban. She had immediately filed for divorce. Juliet, Xander, and their daughter Penelope were able to rent a cottage in Hogsmeade. They had decided to give their marriage a go and Xander's sister Marion and her son, Bennett, moved in with them for the time being.
Millicent and Hestia moved into the Bulstrode home together with their two daughters, Claire and Emery. Draco wasn't sure if the two were in a relationship together or merely clinging to each other in friendship, but he thought that them living together was probably for the best, especially since Hestia was pregnant with Crouch's child again. Since Crouch hadn't been caught yet, divorce papers had been drawn but neither of them could make it official without Crouch's signature, leaving them in a limbo of sorts.
Daphne and Astoria had been the last to leave. Daphne had taken Astoria with her and gone to the home of Atticus Macnair. Draco had received a wedding invitation a week later and stared down at it in shock. He couldn't believe that Daphne was really going through with the wedding, but according to Blaise, the old man wanted companionship and in exchange, he was giving her all of the clothes she could ever want and paying for anything Astoria might need. Draco might not understand it, but since he knew that the Greengrass family had claimed bankruptcy before the Dark Lord had fallen, he could see why that appealed to her. With her father being arrested at the Battle of Hogwarts, it didn't leave her with very many options.
The last person to leave was Blaise. He'd stuck around an extra three days after everyone else and then he'd hugged him tightly and told him that he was going to Sicily.
"I'll be back in a few weeks to sit at Mamma's trial, but I need to go home, mate."
Draco nodded, holding his friend in his arms. "I get it. Keep in touch, will you?"
Blaise blew him a kiss. "Don't worry. I know how much you're going to miss me."
Draco rolled his eyes, but when Blaise finally left, he found himself standing in the middle of the entrance way, the silence of the manor completely deafening. He spent the first two days checking all of the rooms, making sure that no one left anything behind and then by day three, he found himself going to Azkaban.
He gave his name at the front of the crypt and followed the guards through to the visitation room. When two guards brought his father into the room, a strangled sob tore through him, surprising him. He wrapped his arms around Lucius, ignoring the magical cuffs that chained his arms and legs, and just held on.
"Draco," Lucius breathed, turning his cheek to his son's. "My boy."
"Dad," he croaked, pulling back to look at him. "Hi."
The guard moved to stand outside of the door as they took a seat at the table. Lucius smiled, his pale face lighting up.
"I can't believe that you're here. You're alive. You're well?"
"Yes," Draco said. "You've been getting my letters."
"I know," Lucius told him. "But seeing you here is something else entirely. Are the rumours true?"
Draco nodded. "Yes. He's gone, Father. Potter defeated him. Almost everyone has been rounded up and arrested. There are a few stragglers, but the MIA is working with ministries all over Europe to keep tabs on them."
"Good," Lucius said. "And you? Did you write your NEWTS?"
"Yes. I wrote my last one last week. It feels good to be done."
"I'm glad of it. It's good to see you, Draco," Lucius insisted. "What are your plans now? Are you going to take your seat in the Wizengamot and step up as earl?"
Draco hesitated. "Father, I don't know if I want that. I don't… I've been in hiding for two years and now… I don't know what I want, but it feels like stepping into all of that is going backwards in some way."
"You're a Malfoy, Draco. Our family has a checkered past, but we've always had a voice in the Ministry. We've always held our heads high and kept the estate going."
"I know, but right now, I don't feel like it's where I need to be."
Lucius licked his dry lips, his eyes on his son. "Where do you think you need to be?"
"I don't know," Draco repeated. "Everyone has moved out of the manor and it's so empty and… Blaise is back in Sicily and Theo's happy with his Auror and finishing up his reconstruction of Norfolk. There's nothing for me here, Father."
"Where are you going to go?"
Draco shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well, it seems like what you don't know could fill up a letter. What do you want, Draco?" Lucius asked.
"I want… I want to see the world," he admitted. "I want to just get out of England and all of the stress of the Dark Lord and Death Eaters and trials and… war."
"So, go," Lucius said, his lips curving. "Go. Travel the world and see what you want to see. You have responsibilities as the Earl of Wiltshire, but most of them can be done via owl. Go. Find yourself and find what you want or who you want to be. Go explore all of our properties and figure things out. You're eighteen and you deserve to enjoy being eighteen."
Draco reached across the table to touch his father's hand, a feeling of relief and calm washing over him for the first time in years. "Yeah?"
Lucius turned his hand to squeeze Draco's between his cuffed ones. "I made a lot of mistakes, Draco. I'm not proud of them and I'm not proud of what I allowed myself to do because I was afraid of your grandfather. I'm paying for my mistakes now. I'm willing to do that, but what I'm not willing to do is watch you not be happy. Find whatever makes you happy or whoever makes you happy. That's all I want for you and I know it's all your mother ever wanted for you, too. If it takes you travelling to another country to do so, than so be it. Just promise to send your old dad a letter, will you?"
Draco smiled. "I can do that."
"Good," Lucius said. "Now, tell me everything. How are Theo and Blaise? What's new with them? What are their plans?"
Draco leaned back in his chair and when he began to talk, he couldn't stop smiling. When the guard came to tell him his visitation hour was over, he hugged his father once more and promised to write soon. Then he returned to Wiltshire Manor and packed a bag.
He didn't know where he was going and he didn't know how long he was going to be gone, but he was leaving England.
And he couldn't wait to see what came next.
End Author's Notes:
Here is the Hogwarts class of 1991-1998:
Hufflepuff:
Hannah Abbott — caterer/plans to open bakery
Susan Bones — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Megan Jones — healer
Sally-Anne Perks — cosmetic witch
Kevin Entwhistle — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Justin Finch-Fletchley — lawyer
Wayne Hopkins — Department of International Magical Cooperation
Roger Malone — Department for the Reconstruction and Cooperation with Magical Creatures
David Runcorne — Department of Mysteries
Slytherin:
Tracey Davis — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Theodore Nott — unknown
Daphne Greengrass — retail with Pansy
Millicent Bulstrode — motherhood
Pansy Parkinson Goyle — business owner
Greg Goyle — unknown
Ophelia Rowle — arrested and sentenced to Azkaban
Vincent Crabbe — arrested and sentenced to Azkaban
Draco Malfoy — unknown
Blaise Zabini — lawyer
Gryffindor:
Harry Potter — Auror
Ron Weasley — Auror
Dean Thomas — artist
Seamus Finnigan — fire flier with the OFB
Hermione Granger — Department for the Reconstruction and Cooperation with Magical Creatures
Lavender Brown — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Parvati Patil — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Sophie Roper — unknown
Natalie Monroe — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Ravenclaw:
Mandy Brocklehurst — curse breaker
Su Li — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Morag MacDougal — lawyer
Lily Moon — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Lisa Turpin — healer
Padma Patil — healer
Stephen Cornfoot — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Michael Corner — magiarchitect
Anthony Goldstein — healer
Gary Rivers — Auror
Terry Boot — deceased in Battle of Hogwarts
Reminder of who was living in Wiltshire Manor with Draco and Blaise:
1. Malcom Baddock (15 year-old Slytherin married to Alecto Carrow)
2. Graham Pritchard (15 year-old Slytherin)
3. Shanae Templeton Pritchard (wife of Graham and 16 year-old Slytherin)
4. Henry Graham Pritchard (son of Graham and Shanae)
5. Flora Carrow Rowle (wife of Caleb Rowle, twin sister of Hestia, 16 year-old-Slytherin)
6. Ethan Caleb Rowle (son of Flora and Caleb)
7. Aeliana Avery Ledbury (19 year-old wife of Holden who is in Azkaban)
8. Juliet Parks Lofthouse (wife of Xander, 15 year-old Ravenclaw)
9. Penelope Juliet Lofthouse (daughter of Juliet and Xanderr)
10. Xander Lofthouse (18 year-old Slytherin, husband of Juliet, brother to Marion)
11. Marion Lofthouse Belby (sister of Xander, wife of Marcus who is in Azkaban)
12. Bennett Marcus Belby (son of Marion)
13. Millicent Bulstrode Crouch (18 year-old Slytherin, wife of Crouch)
14. Claire Maybel Crouch (daughter of Millie)
15. Hestia Carrow Crouch (16 year-old Slytherin, twin sister of Flora, wife of Crouch)
16. Emery Helen Crouch (daughter of Hestia)
17. Pansy Goyle (18 year-old Slytherin, wife of Greg)
18. Grayson Goyle (son of Pansy and Greg)
19. Astoria Greengrass (15 year-old Slytherin)
For anyone interested in my alcoholic beverages.
Blowjob:
½ oz Amaretto liqueur
⅕ oz Irish cream liqueur
Whipped cream on top
Served in shot glass.
Sex On My Face:
½ oz banana liqueur
½ oz Yukon Jack Canadian Whisky
½ oz Malibu coconut rum
1 splash of Cranberry juice
1 splash of Pineapple Juice
1 splash of Orange Juice
½ oz of southern comfort peach liqueur
Served in tall glass with ice.
Redheaded Tart:
1 ½ oz of Jagermeister
1 ½ oz of peach schnapps
Fill with cranberry juice.
Served in shot glass.
Cock-Sucking Cowboy:
⅔ oz of butterscotch schnapps
⅓ oz of Bailey's Irish cream
Served in shot glass.
Thank you for reading and please review!