HP Life after Hogwarts
Chapter 26
New Endeavors
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Notes:
: : Telepathic thought
Characters Silent thoughts or words in italic
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Nanda and her loyal crew arrived at Sanctuary around noon. "Amazing they went all-out for Christmas. This must look spectacular at night."
"Check out this morning's Quibbler and you can see just how grand this looks at night. The boys did a full spread on the party last night." Dan unloaded their bags onto the drive. "I hope you enjoy your stay now if you will all excuse me I have to run. I have a date tonight and other than this my schedule is free." Dan got back into the Limo and off he went.
Henry and Dromi stepped outside to greet them.
"Welcome back to England." Henry smiled at Nanda.
"I'm sorry that we missed seeing Dan off." Dromi watched as the Limo vanished with the usual cracking sound.
"Our man Dan has a hot date tonight." Nanda grinned.
"Well, then in that case more power to him." Henry chuckled.
"I trust that you had a pleasant drive." Dromi ignored that comment and focused on Nanda and her crew.
"The plane trip was dodgy because of lots of turbulence, but the drive was relaxing." Nanda stifled a yawn with her hand. "Excuse me for that…I took the red-eye to New York from L.A. and from there I caught the earliest flight to the UK."
"Let's get you settled in your room, as for the gents, well, you fellows remember the way to the Guest Cottage don't you." Henry gave her crew their sleeping arrangements.
The two men grabbed their gear and headed towards the back.
"There's hot soup and sandwiches waiting for you in the Guest Cottage!" Dromi called after them and one of them waved a hand in acknowledgment.
"You weren't broken last night, at least not that I could tell from the footage or the stills that I've seen of you." Nanda spied his injured limb. "Care to tell me what happened after the Ball?"
"Fluffy caused a minor chain reaction, while we were stringing up the lights here in the front of the house. The result was me busting up me arm and Draco busting up his leg. Ron got off easy. He managed to hang onto the roof, until Harry could get to him with his broom." Henry grinned at her.
"Fluffy?" Nanda stared at him in disbelief. "As in the three headed hellhound that was guarding the Sorcerers stone during Harry's first year at Hogwarts?"
"One in the same except that Fluffy is a big softy now and has been downgraded size wise." Henry whistled for Fluff, but he didn't answer back with his usual chorus of barks. "That's odd he always comes running when called."
Two terrified shouts echoed around them form the back grounds. "M…M…M…ON…STER! IT'S A MONSTER!"
"I told you to put him inside, but oh no you had to let him out for his afternoon romp!" Dromi wasn't at all pleased with Henry about Fluffy, but then she was beyond miffed at him over the current mess that he and Wills had gotten them all into. "FLUFFY! YOU WILL LEAVE THOSE POOR MEN ALONE AND GET YOUR TAIL OVER HERE RIGHT THIS MINUTE!" Dromi used her wand to amplify her voice.
Fluff knew when to ignore a command and when to obey, so he left the two strangers by the Guest Cottage then bounded off to answer his mistress's call.
"Romi don't take out your temper on poor Fluff. I mean it's me that you're beyond toasted with." Henry had rarely seen her this furious, unless you counted that whole cooking incident, and he didn't relish sleeping alone again tonight.
"I am doing no such thing, Henry Charles Albert David! Would you rather that I let Fluffy use them as one of his chew toys?!" Dromi snarled icily at him, her hazel green eyes blazed with temper.
Fluffy obediently laid down in front Dromi with his three heads buried between his paws whimpering like a whipped puppy.
"I hear you there big guy. I'm scared of her too when she's like this." Henry muttered under his breath.
Dromi knelt in front of Fluffy and gently stroked each of his massive heads. "We are polite to our guests and they are not chew toys. Is that understood?" She spoke to him in a firm, but soothing tone.
Fluffy wagged his tail in response.
"Good…Now this one standing beside His Royal Wickedness is Nanda and she is our friend. Those two men are with her which makes them welcome here, but any other intruders are to be chased off. By that I mean strange looking insects or strange women wearing cloaks." Dromi kissed his nose. "Now go play and mind your manners."
Fluffy gave her three sloppy kisses and then went off to go guard his domain.
"I'll tell you one thing he makes the perfect watchdog." Nanda smirked.
"We have it posted right on the front gates. It's a sign that says beware of Hellhound." Dromi managed a small smile.
"Yes, but no one in the muggle world would ever take that sign seriously and just assume that it was a joke." Nanda followed them inside. "This set up would make Martha jealous." She took in the holiday decor.
"This is nothing compared to the backyard." Henry headed up the stairs with her bags.
"Oh really?" Nanda arched a brow at Dromi.
"The Weasley twins, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle took great pleasure and care in fixing up the backyard, so at night it looks like an enchanting wonderland." Dromi chatted away as they walked into the Common room.
The most striking decoration, besides the lavishly decorated Christmas tree, was the Hogwarts Express was making its journey around the center of the tree.
"This is beyond amazing." Nanda took in the wizarding and muggle decorations all over the tree.
"You look tired." Dromi motioned for her to sit on one of the couches.
"It was a long flight. I feel like I could sleep for twenty-four hours straight." Nanda yawned as jet lag and fatigue finally overcame her.
"Feel free to stretch out on the couch and snooze the afternoon away." Dromi stretched out on the LuvSac and went back to reading Harry and Hermione's version of their sixth year.
"As tempting as that sounds…" Nanda forced herself to wake up and focus on what needed to get done. "I really should take a look at what you wish me to share with the eagerly awaiting public eye." Nanda sat up stifling yet another yawn. "I'll focus on that first and then recharge later."
"Wills is making lunch and Rory is in the library sorting through the stacks of snaps that Colin took last night at the party." Dromi marked her place and set the manuscript back down on the ottoman.
"Is that what I think it is?" Nanda spied the tentative title, who it was by, and her interest instantly peaked.
Dromi nodded. "It's Harry and Hermione's first draft of their 6th year masterpiece. I think that its fine the way it is, but those two are beyond perfectionist when it comes to their writing."
"And this is?" She spied a thoroughly leafed through hardcover copy of HBP, but with an entirely different cover.
"What Jo is releasing on the twenty-first." Henry growled from the archway. "I'll be in the kitchen with Wills. Enjoy your chat." He walked off towards the kitchen, clearly not in the mood to go rounds with Dromi again.
"Romi cut the guy some slack. It was mistletoe and you looked to die for in that golden creation that looked as if you had to pour yourself into it." Nanda was neutral, so she could easily see both sides to the situation.
"I know…" Dromi blinked back the tears threatening to fall and cleared her throat as if that would rid her of the frog in her throat. "It's just that being compared…" Her voice broke a little as she tried to explain her feelings. "To his ex-flame or that tart Paris really stings…" Dromi didn't care if she was breaking down in front of Nanda she was miserable and just wanted to curl up somewhere and cry. "'Ice Princess's shock all by turning into sexy enchantresses…' 'Proper Princesses or are they really femme fatales…' '…Seducing Sirens weave spell over their handsome princes'...Those headlines aren't exactly flattering at least not to me."
"Sweetie, you can't let what they write bother you so much." Nanda got up and gave her a hug. "You know the truth, draw on that. Ignore the rest. Their problem is simple you have this fabulous life and they are beyond jealous of what the four of you have."
"I shall try…" Dromi wiped away her tears. "Let's go see what Rory is up to…I need to watch that video of Fluffy causing havoc out-front…I need to laugh." She got up and headed for the library.
--
Godric's Castle
Regulus found himself decked as soon as Tonks had handed off baby Matt to Charlie. "It's good to see you too Dory, you were a scrapper at eight, I see that some things never change." He rubbed his sore jaw.
Tonks then hugged him fiercely. "Next time don't stay dead so long." She blinked back tears of happiness.
"Yeah, well, I'll try to remember that." Regulus hugged her back. "So you and Charlie Weasley got hitched did ya?" He grinned at Charlie who was cuddling Matt in his arms.
"Yeah, we kinda did and Bill married himself a classy french beauty." Charlie grinned at him. "So how does it feel to be back among the living again?"
"I have gotta catch up with Bill, a classy French beauty married the pirate?" He shook his head in disbelief. "If I regret anything it's letting Bill think that I've been dead all this time…He was my best mate and my contact with the Order…"
"He's gonna most likely deck you first and then drag you out to the pub to get rip-roaring drunk and chat about old times." Charlie was glad to see that he was alive. "He really took your death hard…"
"I'll make it up to him somehow that's a promise." Regulus felt lower than Flobberworm mucus, so he changed the subject. "Now as for being among the living again, well, it's not that bad. Although, I'd prefer less violent greetings, as it is I've angered one of my nephews to the point of him wanting to AK my hide. I was ordered to read this enormous stack of books that's if I ever wish to speak with him again." Regulus grinned sheepishly.
"Harry only gets his back up like that on an off day or if someone goes and throws his past back into his face again." Charlie frowned at Regulus.
"Or when anyone is moronic enough to compare their life to what Harry went through that also get his back up." Tonks narrowed her eyes at her cousin.
"Oh Leo! Tell me that you didn't alienate him already! He's Aunt Mab and Uncle Merlin's favorite." Dahlia also gave him a dirty look.
"He's fully trained by Master Chen and Merlin. You're damn lucky that he didn't seriously hurt you." Stephen told Regulus of the facts.
"No he's fortunate that it was Mab that also helped by providing him the means to rein in that temper of his." Anna was cuddling little Candy on her lap.
"Mab, Merlin, and Master Teacher all had a hand at molding him? By the gods wasn't that overkill?!" Regulus stared at Stephen in disbelief.
"His sixth year consisted of attending class during the day and training from ten to four in the morning with Remus, Tonks, Kings, and Mad-eye. I'm not even including keeping up high marks in all his classes, captaining the Gryffindor Quidditch team, being a Prefect, leading the DA, and having evening sessions with Uncle Albus. Believe it or not he also managed to squeeze in quality time with his friends." Stephen calmly sipped his drink.
"Talk about your overkill." Regulus conjured himself a fire whiskey and downed it in one-shot. "So is anyone up to giving me a short rundown on Harry's adventures?"
"You can't be serious Regulus." Tonks couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Were you that far from civilization the whole time? Harry's antics are legendary."
"I paid attention to what was going on with Sirius, but on hearing of his death wasn't all that happy with James and Lily's pride and joy. Because rumor had it that it was his half-arse antics, bad judgment, and temper that got my brother killed in the first place." Regulus snarled sarcastically. "So, no you could say that at the time I wasn't a big 'Chosen One' fan."
"Read the books before you even think about judging him!" Tonks gave him a hotfoot and then stunned his arse.
"He had one year with his parents then Lucius, MacNair, Pettigrew, and Voldemort ruined all that by murdering his parents and then framing Sirius as the murderer! Professor Dumbledore took away all memory of that one year from him, so he was robbed of that as well! He was raised by the most vile heartless Aunt and Uncle that even you can imagine! They treated him like a slave for most of his life! I'd wager that it started before he was even four-years-old! Those monsters locked him in a cupboard under the stairs until he was almost eleven and never allowed him to have anything while his cousin was spoiled mindless! It was only when Professor Dumbledore sent him his letter that Harry was moved to the spare bedroom upstairs!" Tonks spoke with sheer venom in her voice. "It wasn't until Hagrid came to fetch him that he learned the truth about his parents and then only then did his life truly begin! But then Voldemort couldn't have that, so he did his best to try to kill him during the confrontation with him not once, but twice during his first year."
"It's okay Dory he didn't know…" Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder.
"No it is not bloody well okay!" Tonks seethed. "You wished to hear about Harry and so you shall! His second year consisted of his first taste of what a real family felt like. He met Molly and Arthur Weasley after their son's busted him out of his prison at the Dursley house. Those cretins had barred his window! Then Lucius snuck Voldemort's school dairy into Ginny Weasley's things and that started up the whole Chamber of Secrets debacle again. He went through hell with the students, because he could speak parseltounge. Harry went face-to-face with Aragog in the forest, and he defeated the basilisk by defeating it not by magic, but with Godric Gryffindor's sword, the result was him thwarting Voldemort's attempt to rise again. In case you aren't counting that's three times that he defeated the Dark Lord. Third year was the year that he found himself face-to-face with a Dementor, met Remus, discovered that he had a godfather, and learned to prefect a corporal patronus charm, a stag like his father's animagus. The rest you can read about in the book. Fourth year was the Triwizard tournament. Barty Crouch Jr took the place of Moody, to get Harry into the tournament, so he would eventually find himself in front of the Dark Lord. Long story short he made it to the end of the tournament, and Cedric Diggory died shortly after a Portkey took the two of them to a cemetery where Voldemort awaited Harry. Harry, after enduring curse after curse, his body barely able to stand, faced off with a reborn Voldemort and lived to tell about it, read the book if you want details. Fifth year was his angry year and after Sirius died he was told by his Uncle about his destiny. Again read the book. Sixth year…You are going to have to read the book about that. Seventh, he actually got his family back and found that his best friend was his soul mate. Anything else you wish to know then you need to ask Harry." Tonks took Matt from Charlie and left the Great Room.
"Read the books and watch the DVD's that they did of the books…I've got to go calm down Dory." Charlie left him with those words. "Oh and touch base with Bill."
"Looks like I've some reading to do." Regulus downed another drink.
--
Diagon Alley
"This place looks fantastic." Parvati strolled into the now completely stocked and ready to open shop. "Sorry that I'm late."
"So, how was your morning and early afternoon with Michael?" Padma winked at her sister.
"It was enjoyable enough, as long as he wasn't going on and on about his training to become a Curse Breaker for Gringotts." Parvati set her purse on the counter and glanced around the shop filled with happy couples in love. "Boy do I suddenly feel like a ninth wheel." She pouted.
"The best part is yet to be seen. We've a flat all ready for us to move into next to the shop." Padma thought that hearing about the flat might just make her forget that she was surrounded by couples.
"You've both got your own bedrooms complete with full baths; there is a kitchen, and a Common room downstairs." Kate was only too happy to cheer her up.
"Daddy is going to grumble and Mum is going to pout, but this is smashingly wonderful news." Parvati was once again all smiles.
"Here's the key." Cedric tossed the set of keys to her. "Go have a look at your new place. It's the next door over."
Parvati caught the keys, grabbed her purse, and raced out the doors.
"Did the two of you leave out the part where Dean is living in the flat next-door on purpose?" Harry arched a brow at Dean and Padma.
"What she doesn't know won't kill her at least until we're moved into our new place." Padma growled.
"Not to worry Padma we're not going to say a word." Hermione reassured her friend. "Right everyone?"
"Oh yeah, right…Mums the word. Got it." Seamus, Cedric, and Harry nodded.
"Your secret is safe with us." Lexi and Kate smiled.
"I'm sure as hell not about to tell her." Dean smirked.
"It's not that I don't trust her…" Padma bit down on her lower lip. "I do. It's just that she's weak and would spill the news to Daddy. The result would be Daddy going mental and that's not a good thing."
"So have the two of you set a date yet?" Lexi decided that a change of subject was in order, because Parvati was coming back into the shop.
"Valentine's Day." Dean and Padma answered in unison.
"That's a lovely day for a wedding." Hermione smiled.
"Mum wants her to have this grand affair, but those two want a quiet wedding instead, so they chose February instead of May or June for their wedding." Parvati rolled her eyes at her sister and Dean, they were kissing again. "I just don't see why everyone is in such a rush to start a family. The war is over. We've plenty of time to focus on babies after we've lived for a few years."
"Who said anything about having babies? Not that there's anything wrong with having kids, because there isn't. The thing is right now I'm happy to just play doting Auntie to your little ones." Padma stated her mind on the subject. "I plan on taking the potion that way Dean and I will mutually decide when the time is right to begin a family instead of fate."
Dean felt a wave of relief wash over him, because they had yet to talk about the whole having kids issue and he was relieved to know the two of them were on the same page about it. "I want us happily settled in a place of our own before adding a little one to the mix."
"That is as it should be." Harry and Hermione grinned at them.
"So where do you two fancy on putting down roots?" Seamus asked.
"My grandparents left me some land in Godric's Hollow. It's about ten or so acres that's perfect for a house." Dean was already having Marcus design some plans for him to surprise Padma with for Christmas.
"Is it that lovely meadow with the stream where we picnicked this past summer?" Padma smiled happily up at him.
Dean nodded.
She happily threw her arms around him and kissed him.
"Oh goddess! Anymore mush and I'm going to hurl! I'm off to get things for the flat!" Parvati, disapparated from the shop.
"Is she really serious about Michael Corner?" Seamus wasn't a big fan of the guy.
"Not really. He bores her to tears most of the time." Padma turned to look at Seamus. "She secretly fancies one of the Beaters on Puddlemere United, but she hasn't gotten up the nerve to try to chat with him yet."
"Casey is dating Alicia Spinet, but Chase is a nice guy and perfect for Parvati." Hermione was in a matchmaker mood.
"Chase is the one she likes." Padma grinned.
"Parvati and the Iceman?" Cedric smirked.
"He's in the midst of training to become and Auror." Harry growled.
"Oh really, well, that's even better." Padma smirked.
"It wouldn't hurt to arrange a chance meeting between the two of them." Hermione was already plotting.
"We're off until after the first of the year, but no I don't see why something can't be arranged." Harry was just going to let her have her fun and went along with her plan.
"Chase and I are friends and it just so happens that he's going to be my flat mate. He and Casey are at odds about what can and can't go on at all hours of the night at their flat. I have the extra space, so I offered the other room to him." Dean was also all for the plan. "He's moving in on Monday."
"Well then it's settled we're going to help Parvati meet her dream guy." Lexi was all smiles.
"I mean it's only right that she be as happy as all of us are." Kate agreed.
"It's only a meeting, so it's not going to hurt anything." Cedric sighed in defeat the women had the upper hand on this issue.
"The thing is one never knows what the fates have in store." Seamus also decided that it was wiser to just let them plot and have their fun, so he smiled his approval.
"Now if you will excuse us Hermione and I are still on a date." Harry pulled her to him and they both vanished.
--
Parvati was in a mood, so she set about shopping for things that their place was in need of. She was happy that her new flats location allowed her to have any of her buys delivered directly to her flat and didn't have to carry anything around with her.
It annoyed her that everyone was happily married or paired off and that she wasn't happy with her life. Michael was becoming annoying and soon she would have to break it off with him, meaning she was going to be alone again. She was so into her own thoughts that she wasn't paying the least attention to where she was going and ended up walking into what felt like a brick wall, landing on her bum.
"Oh Frazzle! I'm so sorry about that…" She glanced up to see what it was that she had run into. It was Chase Landry and at that very moment she wanted to crawl into a corner and die. Could he be anymore handsome…
"Are you all right?" Chase offered her a hand up; his handsome face was laced with concern that he might have hurt her. Nice going Chase smart move running into your friend's fiancée. God she's beautiful…Stop that she's Dean's woman now cool it!
"No harm done…" She managed in a breathless voice as he helped her back up to her feet. "I'm fine…"
"Good, because Dean would lay me flat or try to anyways for harming his girl." Chase raked his left hand through his golden blonde hair, as he tried to cool down his instant reaction to just touching her hand. She's taken and that's all there is too it, so enough with the wanting to grab her and kiss her senseless nonsense!
He thinks that I'm Padma and doesn't have a clue that we're twins. Parvati arched a delicate pencil thin brow at him in surprise. "I don't really see that to be a problem, since I'm not my twin, and she's currently setting up Enchanting Imaginations with Dean and the others."
She brushed off nonexistent dust from her robes and then casually went about checking her perfectly manicured nails. "Not even so much as a broken nail, so you're off the hook." She smiled at him.
Yes! She's a twin and I see no rings on her fingers either! Chase was very pleased with what he had just heard and relieved that all this time he hadn't been secretly longing after his friends fiancée.
"Uh, sorry if I'm staring, but you're gorgeous…" He wanted to kick himself for speaking his mind, but then again she wasn't glaring at him either which was a good sign on his part.
"Excuse me?" Her eyes widened in surprise. Yes! He might just like me too!
"Your, uh, beautiful, but then I bet you hear that a lot." Chase often spoke his mind a habit that often times got him into trouble, but then that was just a part of him that set him apart from his twin. "I'm Chase Landry by the way." He flashed his killer smile that often caused women to swoon.
Now Parvati remain calm and for Mab's sake don't faint! She lectured herself when he smiled at her and her legs felt like they were melting into jell-o. "I'm, um, Parvati Patil and it's nice to meet you." She looked up into his endless sky-blue eyes and got lost in them.
"Would it be to forward of me to offer to buy you lunch and then maybe after we could take in a movie and who knows dinner afterward?" Chase took a chance and asked her out.
"Lunch, a movie, and then dinner sound lovely." She was now one very happy young woman, because her dream hunk had asked her out.
"Well, then my lady let us be off." He offered her his arm and the two of them were off on their first date.
--
Harry took Hermione to lunch at The Three Wishes, a dining establishment that ranked up as first-class in the Wizarding World, and as usual all eyes in the restaurant were on watching their every move.
"I thought that this was a good idea, but it's like living in a fishbowl." Harry laced his fingers with Hermione's.
"This was a lovely idea and far better than eating at one of those fast-food establishments that you usually favor." Hermione fed him some of the dessert that they were sharing.
Harry responded in kind. "It's not the food isn't top-notch, because it is…" Harry leaned across the table and kissed away any chocolate from her lush mouth. "Everyone won't stop staring at us." He growled between kisses.
"Just focus on us and ignore them." Hermione purred.
"Oh, I think I can manage to do that." He cradled her face with his hands and kissed her as if she were the most delicious sweet on the planet.
Flashbulbs went off all around them as members of the press covered their date for their papers or magazines.
"Let's take this somewhere a lot more private." Harry drew the line at posing for the press while in the middle of a date with his wife.
"Or we could make the most of our alone time and take in a movie or two." Hermione wasn't ready to return to the castle just yet. "I want to see Narnia and you want to see King Kong."
"The movies it is then." He signed the bill, got up out of his chair, pulled her into his arms, and they vanished.
--
Sanctuary
Nanda finished her piece, complete with a four-page photo spread, and uploaded the article to OK magazines server. It didn't hurt that OK gave an obscene amount of money to the Pendragon foundation and that in itself had earned them the exclusive family photos and her interview with the Four Hearts.
"Wills this food is fabulous," She was enjoying her lunch of meat pies and chips.
"Thanks for the compliment, so are you also here to cover the book release on the twenty-first too." Wills arched a brow at her.
"That was the original plan that and I wanted to spend some time with Harry, Hermione, and the girls." Nanda nodded.
"She's at Hogwarts subbing for Uncle Severus this week, but I see no reason you can't go and visit with them there." Rory was cradled in Wills arms.
"Me visit Hogwarts." Nanda coughed, nearly choking on the meat pie that she had just barely managed to swallow.
"Oh yes, you must. It's beautiful this time of year, so you must see it." Dromi smiled and snuggled closer to Henry. "Last Christmas it was spectacular, because it was all decked out for the 1005th anniversary of the school that and Hermione was excessively compensating because she missed Harry."
"Her brother and sister dubbed her the Christmas Nazi, because she was obsessed with making everything perfect for when Harry got back from his first mission. The twins are big Sci-Fi buffs and love the show Roswell and so the nickname for their big sis." Henry chuckled.
"Only she was way worse than Isabella ever was in the show. Hermione decked the halls from Hogwarts, Highgrove, The Shrieking Manor in Hogsmeade, Lazy Meadows, Sanctuary, Godric's Castle, and more." Wills chuckled. "The Prefects were all going to revolt and she did the impossible that year by clearing out the castle of students."
"Yeah, but she got what she wanted for Christmas early last year." Rory giggled. "I don't know what the deal is between them, but major events in their lives happen during days ending with the number 8."
"Oh really please do go on." Nanda's interest was peaked.
"Let's see August twenty-eighth of 2004 they had their wedding/Handfasting ceremony, because Daddy tried to bond with Harry the manly way by introducing him to drinking Fire Whiskey, Beer, Ale, and Guinness all in one day. The thing is that Harry goes completely marauder when drunk. He took off into Loc Ness and went to go surfing on Nessie." Rory giggled.
"Now this I didn't know." Henry chuckled.
"Hermione shares a link with Harry, so she too was under the effects of his drinking. She decided to call him to her by howling like a wolf." Dromi smirked.
"Baby brother reacted to this by diving off Nessie and changing into his animagus form, a jet-black green-eyed wolf. He then went to go in search of his mate, at the women only campsite up on the hill. He found her and whisked her away to somewhere private, in this case under a tree that just so happened to be the home of the fairies." Rory wiggled her eyes playfully.
"Oh no, tell me they didn't try to go for it under the tree…" Nanda bit back her laughter.
"Oh yes, they did, but Uncle Cameron found them in time and they were taken straight to Avalon to the first-grandparents." Dromi nodded.
"Aunt Celestra counteracted the effects of the drinking, so Harry and Hermione both had no recall about what they may or may not have done. Fairy bylaw stats that if a couple of fey blood chooses one of their trees to frolic under the two be wed in a Handfasting ceremony that very day. Daddy was livid about it and Mum wasn't at all pleased either." Rory remembered that day vividly, since she and Dromi had watched from the shadows as the events before them played out in front of them.
"You two were there?! You stood back in the shadows and left the two of them to their mercy?!" Wills narrowed his eyes at Rory.
"He was your brother." Henry scowled at Dromi. "Rory I can understand, but not you."
"We were still new to everything around us and were still trying to get our bearings." Dromi pouted.
"Oh, I'll just bet you were…" Wills grumbled.
"What do you know that I don't?" Henry asked his brother.
"Katherine Aurora didn't help her brother, because at the time she was too busy drooling over Sir Talon and his men." Wills stated darkly. "I may have been cationic when I first set eyes on you, but I do recall something about there being plenty of hunky knights and even Princes in Avalon and that you enjoyed the view!"
"I didn't get to meet Dromi until after Hermione and Harry's first wedding, so this is all news to me." Henry shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh please! You were with Kate at the time, so I was still a free agent." Rory crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue at him and found herself kissed senseless.
"Just ignore them. I was far more interested in the magic and healing techniques of Avalon than I was any of the handsome suitors rivaling for my attention." Dromi sighed in frustration then continued with their tale. "It was during this time that first-Grandpa first clued them in about the triplets."
"Ok now that we have the twenty-eight taken care of what does the eighteen have to do with the two of them?" Nanda decided that a change of subject was in order.
"Eighteen was the magic number in Daddy's eyes that would keep baby brother inline. The kicker was that Hermione had neglected to mention the tiny little fact that she was a year older than Harry, so Daddy's plan to keep them in check until she turned eighteen was a wash from the start. There was the other little bit about our world seeing them as a happily married couple instead of just being promised to each other too. Daddy was forced to rely on the fact that Harry had never broken a promise in his life." Dromi explained.
"The one factor that none of them were counting on was that Voldemort had a not so happy mother with her own agenda in mind. That being that Harry was going to give her what he had taken away another heir. Now as you can imagine Hermione wasn't very happy with her little plan and so the day after the two of them wed she came up with what she called the three strikes clause." Henry had some idea about this particular part of the story.
"Three strikes?"
"Morgana was using her many-great-granddaughter Cho Chang to get her claws into baby brother. If there is something that is very well-known then it's that Hermione doesn't share." Wills chuckled. "And Cho was enemy number one in her eyes."
"First-Grams having discovered what Morgana was plotting came up with an antidote to the most powerful love potion in the world. She had Uncle Severus brew a batch and take it to Harry. The potion makes the person, who takes it; stay true for all eternity to his or her soul mate. He took it the afternoon before Morgana had Cho make her first move and what Hermione called the first strike. I have to add that Severus tried it first and that is how his romance with Sibyll started." Dromi wasn't so keen of anything that happened afterward except for they themselves had met their princes.
"Harry and Hermione had a row that morning over his schedule for their seventh year. She thought that it was going to be too much and academically challenging for him to handle. Harry didn't react well to his bride being an academic snob, so he went off to brood back at Hogwarts. Uncle Severus sent him to Diagon Alley on some errands, as something that might just cool off his temper towards Hermione. Unknowingly sending him to where Cedric and Cho were currently shopping." Rory took up telling the tale of the three strikes. "A week previous Gramps had made it so it was taboo for Cho to get within ten feet of Harry or Hermione, so when she walked up to him Harry was so not please when she kissed him. It didn't cause a stir in him like the potion was supposed to cause, what it did was make him want to hurl."
"Cho was wearing something like love potion No. 9?" Nanda was trying her best to keep the facts straight in her head.
"That's precisely what she was wearing and the reason she had Cedric following her around like a loyal lapdog. Hermione was not pleased with what had happened and Cho was lucky that she left there with all her body parts intact. Harry did however manage to test her for being a dark witch and she failed. The result was that she had a faint mark on the top of her hand. She of course was furious and took her boy toy and left. The result of that day was the two of them making up and Rory and me making our appearances." Dromi smiled.
"A few days later, on Platform nine and three-quarters Cho lost her boy toy when the spell over him was broken just by Cedric setting eyes on Kate. This of course enraged Morgana, but she bided her time until the day before Halloween when Morgana herself appeared on the pitch and cast a curse that de-aged both Draco and Harry to the age of six. That was strike two in Hermione's eyes." Dromi summoned a photo album from one of the shelves to her. "This is Mum and Daddy's second wedding album from last year. There are loads of snaps of the two of them as adorable six-year-olds." She handed it to Nanda.
"Oh, they were soooo adorable." Nanda leafed through the album.
"And very unhappy at the time," Wills and Henry chuckled. "To this day the word adorable makes them wince."
"First-Gramps was still pretty much tapped out magic wise from bringing all of us back to the land of the living, so the boys were hidden away for nearly a week at the palace in Avalon. What we didn't realize was that Harry was no longer her target, but Hermione was." Rory was all serious about everything now.
"Everyone thought that it was in Hermione and Ginny's best interest if they stayed away from the boys, but Hermione didn't see things that way. They ditched their afternoon classes and went in search of the boys." Wills grumbled.
"Hermione was hell-bent on getting to Harry; because Morgana was influencing her subconscious into thinking that he was sick. She triple jinxed Uncle Sirius and then the two of them went off into a blinding blizzard. Long story short Merlin and Mab were ready to sort out Harry and Draco that evening. But sensing that Hermione was in mortal danger, Harry went beyond meltdown temper wise. He told them that if Hermione died because of their paranoia, he would make Voldemort look like a declawed kitten and then wreak havoc on us all. That tirade convinced Mab to fudge the counter incantation by two years. The result of her actions was Harry completely trained as the next Merlin, as an Auror, and with all the knowledge that he needed for both worlds. He easily rescued Hermione, who after leaving Gin safe and warm at Hagrid's cabin, went wandering into the blizzard to find Harry. She ended up nearly freezing to death and badly broke her ankle. That was most defiantly the third and final strike." Henry growled.
"Hermione was sick and laid up for most of November, but she managed to take her N.E.W.T'S early with Harry, Rory, and Dromi. They all passed them all with straight O's. Harry also took his Auror trials with Rory and they also passed those with flying colors. Hermione was still in a cast and grouchy as hell, so Harry whisked her off to Avalon so Celestra and Mab could finally heal her. Mab had been laying low for weeks because of the reactions to what she had done to Harry. Let's just say that their Dad was less than pleased with this turn of events." Wills chuckled.
"They had no trouble healing Hermione of what was ailing her or of her broken bones, but mixing both wizarding and Avalonian medicines made our Hermione, uh, playful. So much so she nearly pounced on Harry during high tea…" Henry started to chuckle, because this part was hilarious. "Harry ran for the hills or should I say went hunting on his first Auror mission to, uh, keep his promise to his elders. That being staying celibate until after the whole Morgana nonsense was over on New Years Eve."
"Poor Hermione, no wonder she went into busy mode." Nanda smirked.
"The catch was that she had no memory of high tea or pouncing on Harry and he had left her without saying a proper good-bye." Wills summoned Harry and Hermione's Christmas wedding album to him.
"He did nevertheless spoil her mindless with everything she needed for their wedding on Christmas Eve." Rory handed her the Album.
"They look so happy…that dress is beyond fabulous…and the jewelry…" Nanda looked up at Wills. "Are those crown jewels?"
"Grams gave her a jewelry set that once belonged to Mary Queen of Scott and she's wearing the bracelet. Her mum gave her a pin that had once been given to her by my mother and Harry provided her with a one-of a kind tiara and the locket around her throat." Wills answered her question.
"He came back from the mission on December eighteenth. After he sprang all her early Christmas presents on her the two of them made up." Henry grinned.
"He was so beat from his mission that he had little or no recall of a key moment in their lives and Hermione was in denial that a part of her was very much the seductress. They both turned their focus on giving Michael his wish and kept their tempers towards each other in check, until the evening that he lost his battle with cancer. Harry was still not at one hundred percent and she was still miffed that he had ditched her for those two weeks. She reacted to something that Daniel had said and that got Ron and her to go into one of their usual verbal brawls. They were at Highgrove and Harry didn't want them busting up the place, so he got between the two of them. She called him a coward for running away for two weeks, made him S.I.N.G., and then mind you without a wand proceeded to turn him into a giant tortoise. Ron got her back up about the true reason she had forced all of them to undergo decorating hell and that ended him being turned into a weasel. Harry was beyond furious with her, because she had obviously been holding out on him about what she could do magic wise, and it didn't help when she snarled down at him you Merlin and me Mab." Wills remembered that night as if it were yesterday.
"He was already mad at the world because of losing Michael, so that comment was the straw that broke the camels back." Henry sighed.
"Hermione and the rest of us girls took off for girls only night at Hogwarts, while the boys stayed there at Highgrove. None of us knew the real reason she had wanted to leave was to find a quiet place and read the advanced copy of HBP. Jo had brought it for Michael, who in turn had given it to Hermione." Rory conjured herself a flute of Avalonian elderberry wine and took a healthy drink from the glass.
"I'll wrap this up. In the book it has Harry thinking that he's going to die. He wrote letters to both Ron and Hermione and left her a locket. It has pictures of the two of them inside it, plays the tune of Destiny, and he had Harry loves Hermione engraved on the back of it. He had poured his heart out in that letter to her and told her good-bye, that he loved her, and that he wished for her and Ron to have a nice life after he was gone." Henry conjured himself his own drink and downed it in one-shot.
"She having read that in the book, raced up the stairs to her room to see if he had in fact written her a letter, or left her a locket. She found them exactly where it was stated in the book." Dromi was also drinking some elderberry wine.
"Harry, who after nearly drinking an entire bottle of fire whiskey and spilling all of it to the rest of us guys, had been passed out on the couch in the Common room at Highgrove. I kept watch over him and wasn't expecting him to move until morning, but sensing her distress he of course went to her side. The two of them have been almost inseparable since then." Wills was also drinking his own glass of wine.
"Would it be too much to ask if I could read that version of HBP?" Nanda composed herself enough so she could speak. She now had an idea about what her friends had gone through and why they felt the way they did about so many things.
Henry got up from the couch and walked over to her computer. "Sure you can read Jo's version of that time, but if you ask me this is the far better read." There was a CD of the rough draft of Harry and Hermione's year six on the desk and he went to download that onto her computer.
"He isn't paranoid or stalking Malfoy nor is he fantasizing about Ginny. In fact there is a lot more depth to it." Wills handed Nanda a glass of wine. "It's vintage Avalonian elderberry wine."
"This is really good." Nanda tested her drink and highly approved. "It's even better than vintage champagne."
"Yes, but this doesn't have any of the side effects like liquor or any alcoholic drinks has." Henry was uploading sixth year into her computer.
Nanda yawned tiredly, "I'm sorry, but the jet lag is settling in."
"Well that's understandable. You were covering the rebuilding efforts on the West Coast and then were told to drop that story and head here." Wills arched a brow at her.
"Pretty much...It amazes me how resilient Californians are. What's left of the west coast is a series of islands off the coast of the US. Los Angeles is picking up the pieces and is rebuilding at a record pace, all the cities are." Nanda yawned again. "Sorry about that, but it looks like it's going to be an early night for me." She set her laptop back in its case with the book and stood up.
"We were thinking of seeing a movie tonight, but we didn't want to leave you here alone." Dromi sighed.
"I'll be fine curled up in bed reading until I fall asleep, so go out and take in a movie." She was dead tired.
"Feel free to raid the kitchen if you get hungry." Rory wanted to see Narnia again."
"I'll see you in the morning." Nanda went to leave the library. "I hear Narnia is a good choice, Kong isn't bad either, but GOF has done gangbusters so far."
"It's a toss up between Kong and Narnia, so we'll see you in the morning." They bid her goodnight.
--
Hogwarts
"Did we enjoy our day?" James, Lily, Remus, and Gene were in the Common room trimming a Christmas tree.
"We manage to enjoy an actual date which is a rarity for us." Harry grinned.
"We helped set up Enchanting Imaginations with Cedric, Kate, Lexi, Seamus, Padma, and Dean." Hermione was in a glorious mood.
"Was this before or after Harry declared his undying love for you and you kissed his socks off because of it?" Remus arched a brow at them.
"Now Remus they were seen kissing all morning and throughout the day." Gene smirked.
"That would be after my declaration and then we left to dine at Three Wishes for lunch."
"Where even more kissing and hand-holding ensued." James chuckled.
"We were on a date, so yes that did occur." Hermione smothered a yawn. "I've got a long day tomorrow."
"So how was the feature?" Lily asked.
"Narnia was fascinating and action packed. King Kong was a modern remake of the original version, so it wasn't that bad either." Hermione yawned hugely.
"Narnia was the start of an epic series of movies. Kong was an action movie and we both enjoyed our day immensely." Harry changed the subject from them to the girls. "So how were the girls?"
"They were perfect little angels. They love playing with Nate and the twins. They can't get enough of their new riding toys? The six of them played on them all afternoon until naptime and then were back on them after they woke up." Lily was weaving strands of garland around the tree with her wand.
"It's so cute. The three of them love to hear your voices and say Dada or Mama when they hear you teaching them a lesson about shapes and colors." Gene smiled.
"They missed you both more and tried to wait up for you." James was adding Moons and Stars of silver and gold to the tree.
"Thanks for watching them for us today."
"No thanks are needed. The two of you needed the down time."
"Wills, Henry, Rory, and Dromi were watching Kong two rows down from where the two of us were sitting. If Nanda arrived then she must be in one of the guestrooms sleeping off her Jet lag." Harry paused on the stairs.
"She wants to visit with the two of you and the girls and knowing Nanda is well underway with fixing the mess that those four got into last night." James was circling the tree to see if it needed anything else.
"If she can fix that mess then she'll have earned a trip up to the castle." Remus growled.
"She can visit with Harry and the girls while I'm teaching class or she could go explore Hogsmeade." Hermione headed to their floor to check on the girls.
"I can show her all around the castle and while I'm at it devise a plan on how to get Chase and Parvati to accidentally meet." Harry headed after her.
"Chase and Parvati it sounds like Padma wishes to pair her sister off with someone other than Mr. Corner." James arched a brow at Remus.
"We saw the two in question strolling hand and hand while we were at Diagon Alley this afternoon." Gene added never-melting icicles to the tree.
"The two of them looked very much the happy couple to me." Remus added the star to the top of the tree.
"Well, then won't their matchmakers be in for a surprise when they try to set them up on that blind date." Lily was pleased with how they had trimmed the tree.
"At least the two of them will enjoy their date." James was adding colorful candles with harmless colorful flames as the finishing touch to the tree.
"Charlie and Tonks saw Regulus this morning." Remus set about decorating the rest of the Common room.
"Was Bill there as well?" James decorated the banister with garlands of ivy that he conjured from his wand.
"No, he wasn't there, but Tonks set him straight about Harry. I would say that it's a sure bet that he's reading the books tonight." Remus answered him.
"Bill and Fleur are in France visiting her family, so he has time to think of how to go about seeing his best friend again." Lily curled up on the sofa and went back to reading her son's version of sixth year.
"No amount of time is gonna prevent Bill from cleaning his clock for staying dead all this time especially after Voldy was gone." James sat down beside her. "Bill took his death hard and blamed himself for not telling him to get out of there sooner."
"He was deep undercover. No one except Severus could have gotten him out of it alive." Remus didn't wish to think about those dark times and was saved from talking about it by little Nate's cries from the baby monitor.
"We'll see you two in the morning." They headed upstairs.
The twins were also awake and fussing.
"Duty calls." The two of them headed to their floor for the night.
--
Sanctuary
Regulus was glued to the books that he'd been ordered to read. He loved reading, so it wasn't like it was a major chore for him. Dahlia and Candace were in Avalon for the night, so he was free to lie on the couch in the Common room and read.
"The boy after what he's been through should be insane." He had skimmed through the first five books and was starting in on reading about year one.
"I'm gonna take great pleasure in tearing him in half if Charlie was pulling a prank on me." Bill had just finished having dinner with his parents a few hours before. Charlie had hinted to him there was a ghost from his past at Sanctuary that he just might wish to see. And then before he could ask what he was talking about Charlie, Tonks, and baby Matt had all left for Hogwarts.
Ah hell! I knew that he wasn't gonna keep his trap shut! Regulus sank even lower on the couch and chose the wise route not saying a word.
"What the bloody hell did he mean by saying there was a ghost from my past at Sanctuary that I just might wish to see?" Bill grumbled darkly as he looked around the manor. "No one is even home right now." He stalked into the Common room, but saw nothing out of the ordinary there either.
"I believe that he was referring to me." Regulus spoke up, but remained exactly where he was.
Bill recognized that growl immediately and stopped dead in his tracks. Regulus was dead and had been for eighteen years now, so this wasn't possible his mind was playing tricks on him. "Regulus?" He growled hoarsely. "Is that you? Are you here?"
Regulus sat up, so he was now visible. "Uh, surprise mate."
"But…you…"
"Yeah, I know died, but it was necessary to have everyone believe that I was dead and the only way to handle the situation."
"You faked your death?!"
"Severus was ordered by Voldy to dispatch my sorry hide, so I played dead and laid low in a cabin in the Alps for nearly seventeen years. I stayed pretty much all by my lonesome and liked it that way until two years ago when I came across my future bride. After that, well, I was whipped and under her spell as it were." Regulus didn't feel like adding details and Bill was not pleased with him as it is, so he decided that it was best to just shut up.
"Voldemort has been dead for over a year, so why in Merlin's name did you not come out of hiding?!" Bill paced in front of the fireplace, as not to give into the urge to pummel the hell out of Regulus' face.
"Yeah, about that, uh, Severus made it clear that if I showed my face again that he was gonna hunt me down and finish the job. Severus might have been an arse half the time, but he was still lethal as they come, so that threat was very real in my mind." Regulus eyed him warily.
"That was while Voldemort was still a threat, but after baby brother defeated him no I don't bloody well think so! You could have at least sent word to me using our secret code, but no you decided to play house with what a Princess of Avalon!!" Bill snarled down at him. "I was a Curse Breaker for years while you were in hiding! You could have easily sent word to me and no one would have been any the wiser!!"
"I was not playing house!! She tricked me into taking her in after feigning being lost on my mountain! I thought the woman who I had grown to love was from our world for nearly a year and was content to share the rest of my days with her. It wasn't until her father King Oberon of the European clan of Fairies popped into my place for a visit and that Dahlia was his youngest daughter!" Regulus glared at him.
Bill still wasn't buying any of it.
"We were married straight away and then my mountain home was a memory and I was living in Euro-Avalon. I love my Dahlia and our baby girl to distraction, but how she went about things was just bad form on her part." He thought after hearing that part that Bill would cut him some slack, but it wasn't gonna happen any time soon.
"Now as for contacting you, well, that's simple. I had no contact with our world. I only got bits and pieces of news when I ventured down from my mountain to get supplies, so I had no clue what the hell it was that you had been doing! Being dead means just that! No contact whatsoever best mate or not! I was not gonna risk anyone that I cared about with Deatheaters afoot! And for what! My brother framed for the murder of his best mate by none other than the Rat Traitor Pettigrew! James, Lily, Jenna, Aunt Anna all dead and Harry alive, but forced to live with his Aunt and Uncle! I never knew who ratted me out, but Peter should be glad that he's rotting in hell!" He stood up, so the two of them were glaring murderously into each others eyes.
"Yeah, well, shit happens and that's life!" Bill hauled off and decked him sending Regulus flying onto the sofa.
"I know loss Regulus! I lost you my best mate first! I then lost several friends in one-shot and then that day that we were all battling at the ending battle against Voldemort I lost my baby brother when Voldemort himself cast Avada Kedavra on him! The only reason we have everyone back among the land of the living is that Harry earned the right to have them all back when Merlin granted him that wish! I was at a loss about why he didn't bring you back as well, but then chalked it up to him only bringing back those who Harry was close to. The truth was that he couldn't revive someone who was already alive and living it up at his brother's and sister-in-laws palace in Europe! He couldn't bloody well say I hate to break this to you, but you were lied too! Regulus Black is very much alive and married to my great-niece! You mourned his sorry arse for nothing! Felt guilty for years because hell I thought that I blew your cover and was the reason you got dead! I never trusted Severus after that night when he…" Bill punched him again when Regulus got up and squeezed his eyes shut as the memory of that night played over in his head. "…Reported to the Order that you were DEAD! Voldemort had gotten paranoid, so he had you dispatched before you turned traitor and that Bellatrix and Rodolphus had personally completed the task!" He hauled off and hit him again.
"Yeah, well, Severus if anything is through about everything no matter how it might effect everyone else involved! In other words he could give a fucking shit about anyone else's feelings, not that I blame him any, because he's been through his own version of hell! Not once mind you did he ever falter from his mission that being the end of his biological father and his minions. After all that was the whole point was it not?! You were all willing to sacrifice Harry for the cause! Your kid brother and his wife died for the cause! Harry's wife nearly died for it! Sirius died for it! James, Lily, Jenn, and Aunt Anna died for it! Lily and James twins died because of it and Frank and Alice suffered for seventeen years for it! So, you can take your fucking guilt and shove it!!" Regulus gave as good as he had got.
"What in Mab's name is going on here? Stop brawling with each other before you break something!" Nanda half asleep and in her robe had her wand pointed at the two of them.
The two in question turned to glare at her. "What's it to you?!"
Nanda stunned them with Stupefy. "Wrong answer! Start talking or I'm gonna get really bitchy!!"
"I was catching up with my thought dead best mate Regulus Black! Who the hell are you anyway!?" Bill gasped in pain and snarled that at her through gritted teeth.
"You must be Ms. Lewis…" Regulus was a little more civil towards her. "Sorry if we woke you."
"The pups, cats, and Fluffy woke me up, but then you two were too busy pummeling each other to notice that they needed to go out." Nanda scowled. "He's alive so stop trying to kill each other and be happy about it! Life is too precious to waste it like this." She left them to work it out.
"Sorry about everything Bill." Regulus suddenly felt lower than low.
"Sorry about that Regulus." Bill helped him back to his feet. "What do you say you and I go get sloshed."
"My two are in Avalon visiting the family, so I'm for getting sloshed if you are." Regulus touched his fingers to his split lip and grinned at him.
"Fleur is pissed at me about something, what I have no clue. She's been miffed at me since my birthday or should I say our birthday." Bill took out his wand.
"That long, eh? Maybe you might just get to be a Daddy before you turn forty." Regulus smirked.
"What's with all the reading material?" Bill chose to ignore that comment.
"Denial will get you nowhere mate and as for the other it's what I have to read if I ever wish to speak to Harry again and not find myself AK'd." Regulus shrugged.
"Put your foot in it did you. Lucky thing for you that AK only kills Dark wizards and that if he had hit you with it, you only would have slept for a few days." Bill shook his head at his friend.
"That's nice to know now let's get out of here and go get those drinks."
The two of them disapparated form the room.
--
Chapter 27
Professor Hermione
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I do not claim any of JKR's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.
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Cindra 2004-2008