HP Life after Hogwarts
Chapter 8
It's about time
--
What's this one about you ask? Sorry, that's a bit of a surprise so read on to find out.
--
Later that evening Hermione was on a high from playing Quidditch again, so she decided to treat the two of them by making double fudge chocolate chip biscuits.
James, Lily, the twins, and pups were off to Hogwarts for the weekend.
Rory and Dromi were off to Highgrove.
Luna and Ron had wed, at least in the eyes of their world, in the fairy gardens during the autumnal equinox, and were happily settled in their place on the lake.
Therefore, they had the manor all to themselves for the weekend.
The only ones besides them were Dobby, Winky, and Kreacher, who had little homes of their own on the manor grounds.
"I forgot how energized that playing Quidditch makes me." She smiled at Harry, who was making the two of them fried chicken for dinner.
"I loved how you flew circles around Ron and Logan." Harry set the chicken on two plates. "Wood was so over the moon that he was doing loop-the-loops with his broom. The World Cup is coming up again, so he has his sights on winning it."
"Miss Dani was awake and fussing." Winky walked in with Dani in her arms.
"She's had a long day." Hermione smiled at her daughter and Winky, as she loaded the baking tray with spoonfuls of biscuit dough.
"She's miffed because we clipped her wings." Harry took a tray of golden buttermilk biscuits out of the oven.
"You's used Magus Modestus charm on them?" Winky loved helping with the babies and was very protective of them. "It's no wonder she be fussy."
"Just set her in her baby swing. She'll settle down." They loved the swing, because they could go about what they were doing and the girls enjoyed the swaying motion of it.
They had received four sets of them as baby gifts, so they had them in various rooms of the manor.
Winky carefully set Dani in her swing. "Not to worry, Miss Dani. You's have your magic again." She cooed down at the infant.
"She still has magic, just not enough for her to hurt her or her sisters." Harry added pieces of sweet corn on the cob to the plates.
"The two of us can manage on our own for the weekend, so why don't you and Dobby take a holiday this weekend." He suggested.
"Harry, that's a lovely idea. The two of them need some quality time together." Hermione put the trays of biscuits in the oven.
"Dobby won't go unless Kreacher approves." Winky blushed. "But a holiday would be lovely."
"Why's that Winky? I've asked Kreacher and Dobby, but they refuse to say." Harry added helpings of mash and gravy to the plates.
"Kreacher is his elder." Winky started the swing then sat down next to it.
"Elder as in the two of them are related?" Hermione had never even thought the two elves could be kin to each other.
"That's right Mistress Hermione; Dobby is Kreacher's only grandson." Winky nodded her enormous brown eyes full of emotion, as if contemplating if she should have told them or not.
"No wonder he's so hard on Dobby. He expects more of him." Hermione took the first two batches of biscuits out of the oven and set them down on the island to cool.
"Stop that, raw dough isn't good for you." She swatted Harry's fingers, when he nicked some of the batter from the bowl, as she went about transferring the biscuits onto a cooling rack.
"I can't help it, angel. This is really good." His eyes danced mischievously, as he reached around her to nick a biscuit off the cooling rack. "I take that back, we could make a mint selling these. They are so good I'm in heaven."
"Focus on the situation, besides we're about to eat dinner." She gave him the look.
"Oh, very well, I'll behave for now." He playfully nuzzled her neck.
"Be a good Wolfe and we'll see." She goosed him when he walked by her. :I took a certain potion today and your sisters are right it does taste like honey.:
Harry's grin widened even more. "Winky where are Kreacher and Dobby?" He asked. :In that case one quite weekend for the two of us coming right up.:
"They's be upstairs with Miss Ally and Miss Mia." Winky answered.
Harry walked over to the monitor and in seconds, the nursery was on the screen. The two elves were conjuring bubbles for their two charges, as they rocked them. "Good the two of them are up. Would you please bring them down to the kitchen? Dani's enjoying her swing and would like it if her sisters could join her."
Kreacher and Dobby appeared in the kitchen with the babes in their arms.
"They's all changed and happy Master Harry." Dobby beamed at him.
"They aren't bad as babes go." Kreacher set Mia in her swing then took Ally from Dobby and set her in a swing as well.
"Kreacher, I'm curious about something." Harry handed the three of them a biscuit.
"What about Master Harry?" Kreacher had a weakness for sweets and this biscuit was very tasty.
"Is Dobby your grandson or something?" Harry arched a brow at him.
Kreacher's mood darkened and he narrowed his eyes at Winky. "The lass has a big mouth." He growled.
Dobby flattened his ears, narrowed his enormous green eyes at his grandfather, and immediately came to Winky's defense.
"She's free to says her mind. Yes, Master Harry, I's his grandson." He was now standing protectively in front of Winky. "He's never thought much of Dobby, but I's all he's left in the world."
"Winky thinks Dobby's great! Winky loves Dobby!" Winky, ears flat and eyes narrowed at Kreacher sprang to her feet to defend her beloved.
"You's crotchety old elf! Be nice! He's help save us likes Harry! He help us be free!" She got directly in front of Dobby and looked like she was ready to go rounds with Kreacher.
"He has shown promise these last few years." Kreacher, impressed by what he was seeing, thought maybe there was hope for a next generation after all.
"Well?" He gave Dobby a look.
"Dobby loves Winky. He thinks she be beautiful, brave, and smart." Dobby was now holding Winky's hands in his own. "Dobby wants us be like Master Harry and Mistress Hermione."
Winky threw her arms around Dobby. "Winky wants that too." She squeaked happily in her high-pitched voice.
"It's about bloody time! I's thought you's was hopeless!" Kreacher was all smiles now.
"Dobby waits for Winky to be better again. I's very patient like Mistress Hermione." Dobby hugged her close.
Winky stared adoringly up into his eyes. "Dobby sees Winky through goods and bads. Never leaves her, hides her, protects her, and holds her during bad dreams. Dobby loves Winky even with her faults."
"Oh that's so sweet." Hermione laid her head against Harry's shoulder.
"Females…" Kreacher saved Hermione's second batch of biscuits by getting them out of the oven. "They go all weepy and then forget about everything."
"Kreacher, do me a favor and make some more food. I'll be back in a few." Harry had a plan, couldn't wait to set it in motion, and vanished.
"A Handfasting is what's needed." Kreacher went about making more food.
"That's a brilliant idea. I have just the thing for Winky to wear too." Hermione smiled at the two of them.
"We is getting married." The two were all smiles.
"It's about bloomin time too." Kreacher was making a cake, as well as more food.
--
Harry returned with his Uncle Albus. "I figured if anyone deserves the honor of marrying you then its Uncle Albus."
"I am honored and very pleased the two of you are finally making it official." Albus winked at them.
Harry held up a child size formal suit for Dobby to wear. "This should do in a pinch."
"Master Harry's so nice to Dobby." Tears welled up in Dobby's enormous green eyes and he ran over to hug his leg.
"The three of you are family to us and we want you to be as happy as we are." Harry reached down and patted his head. "So do you want anyone besides us here to witness your wedding?"
"Masters Ron and Draco, and Mistresses Ginny and Luna have all been so wonderful to us. We wish them here too." Dobby nodded.
"I thought as much and they should be here anytime now." Harry smiled down at him. "I asked Logan and Thea too, if that's okay.
"Master Logan and Mistress Thea are always welcome, they be family too." Dobby was a very happy elf.
"So what's this we hear about someone getting hitched tonight?" Ron, Luna, Draco, Ginny, Logan, and Thea arrived.
"Did you really think that we'd miss covering such an event for the paper?" Fred, George, Katie, and Trista also arrived.
"We also care about the two of you." George smiled.
"Hey now, you can't leave us out of it either." Sirius, Remus, Jenna, Gene, James, and Lily arrived minus the babies.
"Gryffindor is baby-sitting for us tonight." James grinned.
"We wouldn't miss this for the world." Lily smiled at Dobby.
Rory and Dromi also arrived. "Hey, is it true that there's a wedding here tonight?"
"Are the two of them finally getting married?" Dromi smiled.
"Wills and Henry both send their love and are fine. They got permission to call us by order of the Queen. I told them that it could have been their temper that triggered the storm and the rashes on the sergeants, so now they have vowed to keep their tempers in check. Oh and they get to attend everything at the end of this month." Rory filled everyone in on the princes.
"See Dobby, we love the three of you very much." Harry conjured a hanky for him, because he was bawling happy tears.
"Wicked cool, I get to shoot Dobby and Winky's wedding." Colin arrived with his camera gear.
"So where are Kreacher, Winky, and Hermione?" Draco asked curiously.
"Kreacher is busy cooking up a storm and keeping an eye on the girls, who are happily swinging in their swings. Hermione is upstairs getting Winky ready. I'm going to do the same with Dobby. The only thing left is to set things up in the Fairy gardens." Harry was happy everyone was here to share this with Dobby.
"Dad and Mum send their love. They would be here, but there's something that they have to attend with Aunt Elizabeth." James told Harry.
"Now as for the other leave that to us." Lily winked at her son.
"Okay everyone; let's make this happen for Winky and Dobby." Ron grinned.
--
Hermione had been working on a dress for Winky in hopes the two of them would eventually tie the knot. It was a pretty white knit and crochet dress with pearl buttons and a lace veil. "Oh Winky, you look beautiful." She watched as Winky came into view. "Do the slippers fit? I wasn't sure of the size."
"Oh Mistress Hermione, I love it and slippers feels good on my feet." Winky beamed happily up at her and hugged her leg.
"I'm happy that you like them." Hermione had changed into her fuchsia crocheted slip dress for the occasion. "Your little cottage was designed with the two of you in mind and now you'll be able to share it with him now."
"I hope we's can be like you and Master Harry." Winky sighed.
"The two of you have been through a lot and that's proof that you can be like Harry and I. Now let's go get you married." Hermione hugged her.
--
"I's never looked this fancy before." Dobby stared at his reflection in the floor-length mirror.
"Well, you only get married once." Harry had changed into a nice suit for the occasion. "So you might as well do it in style." Harry grinned down at him.
"I's glad to have to do this once. You's had to do this twice and once more too." Dobby blinked up at him.
"That's true, but normally all it takes is once. No one ever considers mine and Hermione's life normal." Harry chuckled. "So, is it tradition for you to both wear a ring or what?"
"Us elves no allowed to wed, so Dobby not sure." He sighed heavily.
"Well, in that case let's start a new tradition and you can give each other these." Harry thought of what he wanted and two tiny Claddagh rings appeared in his hand, one with pink sapphire heart for its center for Winky and one plain gold one for Dobby. "They represent your eternal love, loyalty, and friendship for each other."
"Oh, thank you master Harry." Dobby was about to get all weepy again.
"I'm happy to do it Dobby, now let's go get you married." Harry hugged him.
--
They had decorated the garden as it had been for the other weddings. Magic candles lit up the gardens where everyone gathered to witness the happy occasion.
"This is perfect, thanks everyone for helping out with this." Harry and Dobby walked outside to join them.
"Our Winky and Dobby deserve a pretty wedding." Luna and Ginny smiled.
"That they do, girls." Ron grinned.
"This might start a tradition for other elves to follow." Draco had never seen the little guy so happy. "You look good, Dobby."
"Hermione and Winky just walked outside. Are you ready to get hitched, Dobby?" Harry grinned at him.
"I's ready." Dobby nodded.
"Everyone gather around the stone dance and welcome the bride and the groom." Albus smiled, as Hermione and Winky joined them.
Dobby's enormous green eyes lit up with delight when he saw Winky. "You's beautiful Winky."
Winky blushed. "I think you's handsome too Dobby."
"Aunt Mattie and Uncle Paddy are watching the girls, so Kreacher can join us." Hermione smiled at Harry.
"I wouldn't miss this for the world." Kreacher was dressed up like Dobby. "Let's get these two hitched."
Albus did just that and ten minutes later, the two of them were officially married. "May the two of you live long happy lives."
"Glad that's done, now I can take a holiday and rest." Kreacher grinned.
Fred and George lit off fireworks in celebration of the event.
:It's loud Dada! I's scared!: Dani didn't appreciate the noises occurring outside.
:We's no like noise...: Ally and Mia whimpered.
:Make it stop...: Dani whimpered.
Harry winced in pain from the force of the girls emotional pleas. "Hey guys! Cool it with the pyrotechnics! You're scaring the girls!" He shouted at the twins.
:It's okay babies. Daddy will make the loud noise stop.: He tried to calm them, but they were too spooked by the noise.
:Mama hold us!: The girls decided that maybe Mummy would be best to chase their fears away. After all, she provided them with nourishment, rocked them to sleep, sang to them, and kept them safe
"No way! Are you talking to them like before?" Fred and George gaped at them in shock.
"Yes way! Now cool it with the fireworks!" Harry growled.
:Your Daddy is making the noise stop, my darlings, and I will be with you in a minute.: Hermione tried to soothe her girls. "Harry and I have to tend to the girls, but there is a feast waiting inside in honor of Dobby and Winky."
"Sorry, if we scared them." Fred frowned.
"Yeah, no harm was meant, we adore those little munchkins." George put away the fireworks.
"I spooked them with my storm this afternoon and now they don't like loud booming noises, especially Dani. We know that you didn't mean any harm." Harry reassured the twins before he and Hermione went to tend to their girls.
A storm was brewing and the first drops of rain fell from the sky.
"Like father like daughters." Sirius grinned.
"The scary part is the one causing this storm just got her magic bound this afternoon." James and the others headed back inside and out of the rain.
"Dani is doing this?" Albus arched a brow at James.
"That or the three of them combined." James nodded.
"Fascinating," Albus mused. "I'll have to tell Stephen. It may change his view on Molly's proposal for a Wizarding primary school."
"It's got all of our votes." Remus, Sirius, Gene, Jenna, Logan, Thea, Lily, and James all said at once.
"Ours too," Ron, Luna, Draco, Ginny, Trista, Katie, Fred, George, Rory, and Dromi also agreed.
"Celebrate now. Plan future later." Kreacher wanted to focus on the now rather than the later. He was happy and wished to celebrate.
"Something smells great." Ron was starved.
"Yeah, let's enjoy the feast." Logan was also hungry.
"Dobby, Winky, your wedding feast awaits." Mattie and Paddy had everything all set out in the formal dining room.
--
"Another storm this is just wonderful that's the last thing we needed tonight." Harry walked the nursery floor with Dani howling up a storm in his arms.
"Ally and Mia were hungry and afraid of the twin's fireworks. It's Dani who doesn't like storms." Hermione had just finished nursing Mia, who was contently snuggled against her Mum's shoulder. "Isn't it odd that this one seems to be a conjured storm as well?"
"I'm aware of that, but this one isn't mine." Harry decided that rocking her in the rocking chair might appease his fussy baby girl.
"Dani, enough with the caterwauling, it's just a loud rainstorm. Daddy and Mummy aren't going to let anything or anyone hurt you." A loud crash of thunder, that shook the house, had her howling even louder.
"Especially, since she was the one who created this very storm." Albus conjured rainbows all over the room. "Perhaps this will soothe her." Magical butterflies flew about the room.
"Thanks Uncle Albus, she loves rainbows." Harry sighed in relief. "I should have thought of that ages ago, but it's been a long day."
Dani was focusing on the pretty colors and magical butterflies flying about the nursery, so her crying had calmed down to a whimper, and with her mood happy again the storm died down to just rain.
"Did someone say they liked rainbows?" Fred and George had come up to check on everything in the nursery, since the two of them had yet to come down for nearly an hour.
"We can easily supply the munchkins with a rainbow for their nursery." George smiled.
"It'll make a nice night-light for the little angels." Fred agreed, "Somethin to keep the scary storms and the like away."
George conjured a medium sized glass box with fairies on it and then used their Verus Arcus charmto create a tangible rainbow inside it. "There you have it, one Uncle Fred and George, storm chaser just for the munchkins."
"That was a lovely thing to do and it will soothe them at night with its soft colorful glow." Hermione smiled at them. "The girls are lucky to have such doting Uncles like the two of you."
"We've been trying to think up ideas for the little ones." George cooed down at Ally.
"Our first creation was something that Mum suggested. It's an Ever-freezing teether for MJ, Izzy, Liam, Julie, and Nathan, as the poor babes is starting to teeth now." Fred grinned.
"We're also trying to tweak a baby swing to work without the use of Muggle batteries. Ron was saying the girls love swinging in them, but they tend to eat batteries like a kiddy eats candy." George was conjuring bubbles for Mia.
"So, are we going to be seeing the two of you becoming father's anytime soon." Albus was cuddling Dani in his arms. His beard fascinated the infant.
"Yeah, big brothers, are we?" Harry arched a brow at them.
"Yes, do tell inquiring minds want to know." Hermione put Mia down in her bassinet for the night.
"We're only twenty-one; ask in a year or two when we've mastered being responsible adults." The twins grinned sheepishly. "If it's all right with you, we'd like to get a few years of baby-sitting under our belts before starting a clan of our own."
"Well, boys that's very wise of you, after all practice does make perfect." Albus winked at them.
"Its okay, big brothers, you can stop sweating bullets, we'll be nice to you. We were only teasing you. You've all the time in the world to start a family when you're ready." Harry grinned.
"Harry's right when it's meant it will happen." Hermione smiled.
"Meantime we'll just focus on spoiling the current generation." Fred cooed down at Dani.
--
Harry and Hermione snuggled on the LuvSac next to the fireplace in their bedroom.
Kreacher had left on his holiday.
Winky and Dobby were off honeymooning in Avalon.
Everyone had gone off to continue their weekend plans.
The two of them had the manor all to themselves and were enjoying a sliver of quality time while the triplets snoozed in the nursery.
"What were you and Logan chatting so seriously about and why did you disappear into the study with him, Rory, and Draco?" Hermione took a drink of sparkling cider from a champagne flute.
"He was just filling me in on Auror business. The four of us didn't want to spoil the party with serious talk, so we adjourned to the study." Harry fed her a chocolate covered strawberry, before exploring her face with his mouth.
"Did they weed out some more Deatheaters, Dark Wizards, or Witches?" Hermione pulled out of his arms, so she could think clearly, which was impossible with him nuzzling her neck.
"More leads on Karkaroff and yes more Deatheaters have been weeded out and with them came new names from other parts of the world." Harry desperately craved alone time with her, but wasn't going to lie to her to get his way.
"Everyone knew that Voldemort had vast connections all over the world, so it shouldn't be that big of a surprise to Uncle Max or Aunt Harley." Hermione fed him a strawberry.
"The list has over three thousand names on it, many of whom are members of The International Confederation of Wizards, the International Federation of Warlocks, and the Wizengamot. Some are even invited to our Royal circus…I mean wedding." Harry waited for her to tear into him, but to his delight, she did the exact opposite.
"It seems as though our third wedding will be a coup for the Auror's and Hit wizards, as well as an appeasement for your Grandfather and the council." Hermione set the tray of goodies and the flutes of sparkling cider out of harms way then focused on him and him alone.
"Meantime let's focus on us." She purred, as she slinked up against him and kissed him.
"Oh yeah, sweetness, let's focus on us." Harry had no problem complying with her request, as he deepened the kiss, and all thoughts of anything but her vanished from his mind.
--
Chapter 9
The Next Generation
--
I do not claim any of JKR's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.
--
Cindra 2004-2008