HP Life after Hogwarts
Chapter 27
Professor Hermione
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Hermione's first day of teaching
--
Hermione awoke the following morning with a severe case of the nervous jitters. "Why did I ever agree to this?" She paced in front of the walk in closet.
"You said yes because you wanted to and have no reason to be nervous because you're going to do great today." Harry set a breakfast tray down on a counter.
"Then I must have been out of my mind to agree to this! I'm nineteen and haven't the experience to teach classes!" Hermione sat down on the patted bench in front of the vanity and burst into tears.
"Come on now we'll have none of that. You are more than qualified to teach. Shall I point out that you have revamped two complex potions into even more complex healing potions and that was only out of sheer boredom and out of love for me? So, teaching the first and second years this morning will be a snap for you." Harry pulled her up into his arms.
"I'm just so terrified that I'm going to be an utter failure at teaching!" She sobbed against his shoulder. "Please call Lexi or Draco to do it!"
"If I can teach DADA for nearly a full term then you can more than manage to teach potions this week." Harry cradled her face between his hands and kissed away her tears. "Now get dressed your breakfast is getting cold."
She was already dressed in a sapphire blue cashmere sweater and matching slacks, but had yet to choose her Wizarding robes. "I'm much too nervous to eat." She chose robes in rich dark sapphire crushed velvet.
"What is bothering you so much?" Harry arched a brow at her. "Is it because you'll be teaching the twins and their friends?"
"That's part of it." Hermione twisted braided hair up into a bun on top of her head and pinned it with jeweled hairpins. "What if they decide to be monsters today?"
"The boys are all on their best behavior as are the girls, so try to relax enough so you can eat something." Harry growled into her ear and then grazed his mouth against her cheek.
"I'll try." She picked up a piece of bacon off the plate and obediently munched on it.
"Dani's up." Harry sensed that one of the girls was awake. "You eat all of that up while I go get her."
Hermione wrinkled her nose at her image in the mirror. She was as white as sheet and that just wouldn't do at all, so she used a glamour spell to add just the right amount of color to her face.
"I made Polly juice potion second year, so this is nothing." She lectured herself as she ate her breakfast. "First and Second years are easy enough to teach, as will the third years this afternoon."
Harry walked in with Dani in his arms contently drinking her bottle. "This little one wanted her bottle, but the other two are still in dreamland."
:Mama pretty.: She saw that her mother was all dressed up for some reason and didn't know if she was happy about it or not. :Why that be? You be leaving us again?:
"Your Mummy is teaching today, so that means the three of you get me all to yourselves for most of the day." Harry answered her question. "She isn't leaving the castle and you'll see her at lunch time."
:Good you no both leave again. We's missed you.: Dani gave him a look that reminded him so much of her mother when she was peeved at him. :Dani wish to try food like Mikey, Bell, and Nate.:
"Oh, munchkin we missed you too, but there are times when both or either of us have to leave you for a little while. Say a morning or maybe an afternoon." Hermione now finished with her breakfast took Dani from Harry, so she could cuddle her for a few minutes.
"You just need to understand that no matter what we will always be back and that you will always be under the loving watch of those who we trust and who love you. Now as for the other, well, you three do have teeth and Lucy said that we could start weaning them from the bottle to baby food any time now." Harry arched a brow at Hermione.
"If she thinks that she's ready then what can it hurt." Hermione kissed her daughter on the nose.
"I'll make them some homemade baby food from one of the recipe books that Mum, both Grams, and Aunt Molly gave me." Harry took a look at her study plan for the morning. "Boil Cure Potion that's an easy enough one for the first years and a walk in the park for you to teach. Then it's Swelling Solution for the second years? I can see your point it's good that the boys are on their best behavior till end of next term. Good you've only one class with the third year class this afternoon. I was thinking that afterwards we could take the girls to Hamley's for a toy or something. I mean that's if you feel up to it after your last class."
"That's a brilliant idea. I wanted to show you some of the new toys that would be perfect for the girls and all the little ones of the family. I also think that it will give Fred and George even more ideas on Wizarding versions of Muggle baby toys." Hermione was feeling jazzed now about teaching, because Harry had complete confidence in her.
"I'll give the house a ring and see when Nanda wants to come up to the castle. If anything we can collect her on our way back to the castle this evening." Harry glanced down at his watch it was going on half past eight. He then looked up to see Dani trying her best to mess up her mummy's hair. "Come to Daddy angel. Mummy has to go teach the big kids for a few hours." He plucked her out of Hermione's arms.
"Love you baby girl you be good for your Daddy." Hermione kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you at lunch." She kissed Harry good-bye then looked down into Dani's eyes. "I mean it young lady or we'll stay home tonight and there will be no toys for any of you."
"Dani be good." She cooed up at her Mum. "Love Mama."
"She's just amazing isn't she?" Hermione kissed her on the nose.
"That she is my love, now you have a nice time teaching this morning." Harry walked her to the stairs and then she was off.
--
Hermione had been amazed at how bright and intuitive her class of first years had been. They had managed to make the Boil Cure Potion without any undo incidents. She had rewarded them by giving them no homework and they had left with happy smiles on their faces.
She was writing the steps to making the Swelling Solution on the board for her second years, which were just now beginning to file into the classroom. "Good morning please take your seats and prepare for class." She smiled at the surprised faces of her second years.
This bites! This blows! My sister is teaching us! Bastion set his stuff beside his cauldron before stalking up to confront his sister. "You mean to tell me that all the rumors milling about the castle are true?!"
"Is what true Mr. Granger?" Hermione asked coolly as she stared eye to eye with her brother.Bastion is as tall as I am now and not the least bit happy to see me either. No matter he will just have to live with it.
"Hey, Sean look at that. Hermione is teaching Potions this week." Alan grinned.
"Yeah, I can see that Alan and it appears as though Bastion's cheesed off about it too." He went about setting out the tools that he would need for class.
"She's a lot nicer on the eyes than Snape that's for sure." Donnie Clearwater grinned.
I can't believe the nerve! Bree, who was sitting right bellow him, turned around and glared daggers at him. "That happens to be my very married big sister and the wife of Harry Potter-Pendragon so cool it!" She hissed.
"Sorry about that Bree. I didn't mean any harm by it." Donnie had never seen her cheesed off at him and it was terrifying. "My sis says that she's the new up-and-coming star in potions and healing. I think that she'll make an excellent teacher for us while Snape is away." He hated the look that she was giving him, so he poured on the charm.
"Just pay more attention to the lesson and don't drool at my sister and we'll be fine." Bree growled.
"Right got it." Donnie gulped. "Paying attention to class…"
"Good." She turned back around and got ready for class.
"I don't get why Bastion is so upset." Moria frowned.
"He does have a right, since she did spring this on him." Ami pointed out that little detail.
"I see nothing wrong with Hermione teaching us. She's more than qualified." Binky got ready for class.
"She's his sister." Sean explained.
"So what difference does that make?" Binky frowned.
"It's a guy thing." Sean sighed.
"Oh." Binky rolled her eyes at him. "Well it's a dumb thing."
"Why you?" Bastion growled. "Why couldn't it have been Draco teaching class this week?"
"Because I was asked," Hermione matched his tone then pointed at his desk. "We are about to start class so please find your seat."
Bastion stalked over to take his place beside Bree.
"Professor Snape is taking time off to spend with his family. He has asked me to teach in his stead. I know that all of you are looking forward to Saturday and catching the train home for the holidays, but please try to focus on class, or some of you might find yourself in the Hospital wing with enormous appendages."
Most of the class chuckled at that comment.
"Now for those of you who don't know me I am Professor Hermione Pendragon." She smiled at the class. "I am also Bastion and Bree Grangers older sister, which explains the reason for the scowl on my baby brother's face.
(Behave yourself.)Bree hissed at him.
(Like hell I will, this beyond bites.) Bastion hissed back.
"Today we are going to be making what is known as the Swelling Solution. It's not a complex potion, but it takes precise timing. The steps to create this potion are written on the board; now please begin your potions." She gave them their assignment and then let them get to work. There was a cauldron of Deflating Draught brewing next to her desk in case any of their potions went astray.
She went into the office to check on the potion that she was preparing as a surprise for her sixth and seventh years and left them to their work. It was Felix Felicis and she was well on her way to successfully brewing the potion that with just a tiny drink of it rewarded the drinker with twelve hours of good luck. "Hermione you've outdone yourself this time." She patted herself on the back before heading back into the classroom.
She set about checking her student's progress and was keen to show a student or two where their potion was going awry. She stopped in front of her brother's potion. He was taking a little too much time before adding the puffer-fish eyes to his potion. "Any day now Mr. Granger that ingredient is crucial to this potion."
Bastion scowled at his sister. "I was getting to that."
"Timing is critical in potions making, surely you've grasped that by now." Hermione chided him then praised her sister's progress. "You are doing a smashing job Miss Granger. I see that you are well schooled in timing a potion."
"Thank you Professor. The talent runs in my family." Bree smirked at her twin, who was even more cheesed off than he was before. (She's right you're goofing around and the last thing that you want is to do dreadfully in front of Sissy.)
"All of you are doing a marvelous job today. It's only natural for second years to have the occasional minor mistake or two, so don't let it bother you." She praised the class.
(You're just being a kiss ass!)Bastion wasn't paying attention to what he was doing, so he sliced open his finger with his knife instead of the ginger root in front of him. "I'm fine!" He gritted his teeth in pain and aggravation when she came back over to check on him. "Come off it Hermione will you let me do this in peace!"
"You are not fine. Now let me see what you did to your finger." Hermione ignored the fact that her brother was beyond furious with her and focused on the blood that was streaming down his hand.
"It's nothing more than a flesh wound. Now beat it!" He snarled.
Hermione reached out and grabbed hold of his hand, so she could see the injury. He had cut his finger down to the bone. "Stand still and I will heal it."
"Oh yeah, like you can just focus on my finger and it's gonna be as good as new." Bastion narrowed his eyes at his sister his voice just oozed with sarcasm.
"Yes, Sebastian Alexander, I can." She focused on his injury and within a few seconds it was fine again. "Now I have had enough with the attitude." She let go of his hand. "Finish your potion or believe me you won't like the homework assignment that I give you at the end of class."
"Yeah whatever," A red faced Bastion grumbled.
"That was wicked cool." The students were awed by what she had just done.
"No not really you see Queen Mab, her daughter Celestra, and Lord Raden taught me the ancient art of healing. Now please focus on completing your potions." She went back to check on the potion brewing in the potions office.
"Dude she isn't that bad. In fact she's a wicked cool teacher now chill!" Alan growled.
"Aye, Sebastian you're being an arse over nothin!" Sean snarled.
"I've no problem with her she's way nicer than Snape." Donnie pointed that out. "She shows us where we go wrong before we end up botching our entire potion."
"Bastion you wouldn't have hurt yourself if you weren't being such an idiot over nothing." Moria wasn't at all pleased with the way he was acting and called him on it.
"Bastion she isn't the enemy. She's a teacher." Binky frowned.
"He's just sore because she didn't tell him about this ahead of time." Ami surmised.
"He's just brooding." Bree rolled her eyes at her brother.
Bastion ignored them and focused on his potion.
Hermione came back out a while later and was pleased to see that all of them seemed to have successfully completed their potions. "I want all of you to hand in a sample of your potion." She sat down set down a rack on the desk. "Then after you clean up your workstations all of you are free to go."
"No homework?" Everyone stared at her in utter disbelief.
"No not today." She smiled at them. "Bastion, Alan, and Sean you will be spending your detention this evening with Professor Weasley. He's going to put you to work while he tends to the dragon colony tonight." Hermione knew that they would be more than happy to do anything that involved seeing the dragons again. "Girls feel free to come to the family wing the triplets would love to see you. You won't believe it, but the three of them are crawling and talking now."
"We'll come see them this evening." The girls all turned in their vials.
"They'll love that." Hermione smiled at them. "We should be back from London around seven or thereabouts."
"London?" Bastion handed in his own potion sample. "Are you going Christmas shopping?"
"That's between Harry and me." Hermione didn't say yes or no to that question. "I spoke with Uncle Albus and the rest of your detentions will be under Charlie's watchful eye."
"Thanks a lot Professor." Alan and Sean were ecstatic.
"Yes, well, what are big sisters for if not to mediate or negotiate for lower punishments. You three have been on your best behavior since the incident in question and the only reason you let Pendragon in the castle was because you wished to keep him safe and warm, so that wasn't counted against you." Hermione walked around the desk to hug her younger brother and sister. "I'll bring you a treat back from London."
"Thanks Sis. Sorry about my copping an attitude about this whole teaching gig." Bastion hugged her back.
"Think nothing of it little brother. I should have come and told you about it yesterday, but Harry and I were out on a date." Hermione walked with them out of the classroom.
"The least that you could have done was come and told us that everything was on track between the two of you." Bree frowned. "Those articles about you were brutal."
"The reporters, if you wish to call them that, weren't exactly fans of ours and because of their sneaky underhanded actions are going to be spending time in Azkaban prison." Hermione had all but forgotten how fast gossip got around the castle.
"Azkaban prison are you serious?" The eight of them gaped openmouthed at her.
"Oh, I am deadly serious. Rita and Lita Skeeter are both out after spending a year in prison and on parole for not registering that they were Animagi. They are also banned from using their animagus forms for life. What they did to get details and photos for their article clearly shows that they were both using their Animagi forms and are therefore going back to prison for breaching their parole agreement." Hermione paused to for a moment as she reined her temper at the thought of Marietta Edgecombe.
"Marietta Edgecombe violated the restraining order against her and is also going to be spending time in a cell next to Rita's or better yet the three of them can all wallow away in the same cell. As it is she is currently enduring a relapse of that horrid case of ugly purple pustules all over her body and face, but instead of the word Sneak spelled out across her forehead she has the word shrew. Rita and her twin have the identical condition, but their foreheads spell out the word bitch!" Hermione was livid about the tripe that they had written in the paper and that magazine. "It is true that Harry and I did have a row on Saturday evening, but nothing is ever going to split the two of us up. We spent most of Sunday on a lovely date while Harry's Mum and Dad watched the girls."
"Oh, we know all about that. After all, it's front page news in The Quibbler. Plus the other two establishments openly apologized for printing the two lead stories of your tragic breakup. Katie let them have what for about their string of lies and then there was a feature pull out section depicting your day." Binky gave her the heads up on the morning news.
"I was so nervous this morning, so I skipped reading the morning paper." Hermione bit down on her lower lip. "They did a pull out section of our whole date?"
Binky pulled out The Quibbler from her school satchel and handed it to her. "You can keep it I always get two copies."
"In spades, with snaps, Harry's undying speech of loyalty and love, and the works." Bree smirked.
"I was more interested in the article about Chase Landry and his new girlfriend. Oh, I can't forget Casey Landry and Alicia Spinnet announced their official engagement as well." Moria sighed because she, Bree, Ami, and Binky all had a secret crush on the famous twin Beaters for the Puddlemere United team.
"Casey and Alicia engaged?" Hermione's eyes brows rose in surprise. "Now that is news. So, did they happen to mention whom Chase was seen with yesterday?" Hermione walked with them to the Grand Staircase.
"Oh yes, I believe you know her well her name is Parvati Patil." Ami smiled.
"Well, well, well, looks like they beat us to it." Hermione had a pleased smile on her face as they entered the seventh floor corridor.
"We've got to go. We'll see you later." The eight of them headed off towards the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Have a good day." Hermione called after them before she entered the family wing.
--
Harry had the triplets in their new high chairs and was feeding them their first taste of baby food. "Hello there beautiful." He turned to smile warmly at her. "So how was class?"
"Uneventful which was very good on my nerves, but Bastion was cross with me for not telling him that I was subbing for Uncle Severus this week." Hermione walked over to the table where he had lunch waiting for her. "So how goes the girl's first taste of food?"
"They have really taken to it at least that's the way it appears so far anyway." Harry handed her a small bowl of baby food and a baby spoon. "I'm just getting started feeding Dani, so please feel free to join in."
"Mmm good. Dani like." Dani eagerly opened her mouth for another bite. :Mama's back!:
"Mama!" Ally and Mia happily squirmed in their seats.
"Hello my loves," Hermione cooed at them. "Here you go Ally try some of this." She fed her a bite of the food that their daddy made special just for them. "Oh, Harry this smells divine. What's in it?"
"I fixed them puréed carrots with a little melted butter for taste." Harry continued feeding Dani her lunch. "So what exactly did Bastion do when he saw you?"
"Nothing ghastly he mostly grumbled under his breath, and then was so miffed at me that he nearly muddled up a step to his potion, but no harm was done because I corrected him on his mistake."
"Sweetie, you should have let him bungle it up…" He whistled low under his breath. He knew all to well that poor Bastion had to have been mortified to have his sister correct him in class in front of his peers.
"That's utter and complete nonsense and you know it. I was teaching class and he was my student. I had already subtly corrected a half dozen other students, so it wasn't like I was singling him out or anything like that." She rolled her eyes at him.
"Look at it this way, sweetheart. You're his sister, so to him that situation is completely different, what happened after that?"
"He got careless and ended up slicing into his finger instead of the ginger root in front of him. It was fortunate that I have my healing abilities, because he cut his finger all the way to the bone."
"Talk about your complete and total humiliation…"
"Was I supposed to just stand there and let him bleed all over the place?"
"No…No…of course not."
"I made it up to him by assigning the class no homework and I also got their detention changed so he can see the dragons again." Hermione pouted. She had hoped that he would have seen things her way and not sided with her brother.
"How did you manage that miracle?" Harry set a bottle filled with apple juice in front of Dani. "Here ya go baby try some juice it's good for you."
"Yummy." Dani eagerly drank from her bottle. "Dani like."
"I was greeted this morning by Uncle Albus and Charlie was also there inquiring about the boy's detention while Uncle Severus was off, so I proposed to them a new plan of reform which they had no problem agreeing to." Hermione was pleased that both Ally and Dani were enjoying their first tastes of baby food and juice. "That's it Ally try some yummy juice."
"Good." Ally also liked her juice. "Ally like."
"That's right baby girl its good for your tummy." Harry went about feeding Mia, but remained focused on Hermione. "Did you threaten to let the waterworks commence?" He shot her a knowing look.
"Well the point is that it worked. Charlie is watching over them and they're going to be his eager apprentices during their detentions. Bastion and the boys were happy with me."
"Yummy." Mia happily slapped her hands down onto the tray of her high chair. "Mia likes Dada. Me want more." She eagerly opened her mouth for another bite.
"Mummy is so proud of her girls." Hermione cooed at them.
"I bow to the mistress of manipulation." Harry winked at her and then did an exaggerated little bow. "I made us marauder sandwiches, crisps, a Caesar salad, a trifle for dessert, and some of Master teacher's latest blend of tea."
Hermione sat down and focused on eating lunch. "What would you think if I told you that I was brewing a small cauldron of Felix Felicis?"
"Exactly why did you want to brew the fourth most complex potion in the world?" Harry gave Mia her bottle of Apple juice, before turning to give her a searching look.
"The seventh years are making Veritaserum and this would be a reward for successfully brewing the potion. My sixth years are brewing the antidote which is nearly as complex. This boon will give them all incentive to do well." Hermione explained her reasoning to him.
"Twelve hours of nonstop luck in the hands of sixteen and seventeen-year-olds? Are you sure that you're willing to take the risk?" Harry sat down beside her.
"Oh no just what are the two of you plotting this time?" James stepped out of the media room.
"Dad I haven't the slightest idea what you're getting at. Hermione and I are parents now, so our plotting days are over." Harry rolled his eyes at him. "But if you must know we were chatting about Hermione's idea of class incentives."
"Felix Felicis?" James brows shot up in surprise.
"Yes as a matter of fact it is." Hermione growled.
"You'll have them jumping through hoops to get some of that." James chuckled.
"Dennis is O level as is Evangelina, so my plan is to give the top of each year's class the prize." Hermione was tickled that James was all for her plan.
"Those two will use it wisely, so now that I know whose getting it then way to go angel excellent plan." Harry polished off his sandwich and then sliced himself a piece of trifle.
"I always come up with excellent plans." Hermione stated coolly.
Harry wisely said nothing and drank his tea.
"It amazes me how fascinated the twins are with this DVD." Lily came out to see them. "So how was your first morning teaching class?"
"The first years were a joy to teach and the second years were just as bright and happy." Hermione finished her tea.
"Bastion?" James frowned.
"Was not happy to see me, but Bree was fine with me teaching class."
"She goes around the class correcting minor mistakes and let's just say that Bastion wasn't on his game this morning." Harry filled in the rest of the blanks that she was forgetting to add about the situation.
"She's teaching class, so that's how it should be." Lily arched a brow at Harry. "You did your share of it to your fellow seventh years last year when you were teaching DADA."
"Well after that Bastion ended up cutting into his finger and not the ginger root in front of him. That caused him to want to crawl somewhere and brood for a while."
"He needed to be healed!" Hermione growled.
"Of course he did sweetie."
"A guy would rather bleed everywhere or ruin an assignment than be critiqued and then have their owies healed by their big sister." Harry pointed out what Bastion had been feeling during her class.
"Well in that case men and boys are complete morons." Hermione grumbled.
"Yes, but we can't help it. We have this flaw about being shown up by all females in general." James grinned sheepishly.
"That's because deep down you know who the real power is and who isn't." Lily goosed him.
"Yes and they hate to admit it." Hermione blew Harry a kiss.
"No argument there." Harry grinned.
Hermione got up from the table and kissed each of her girl's good-bye for another hour or two. "Now you three be good for Daddy while I'm teaching."
"We be good." They chimed in unison. "Love Mama."
Harry got up to pull her into his arms for a long kiss before he finally let her go. "Go get em lioness the girls and I will be fine."
"I'll, um, see you in a little while." Hermione was light-headed and giddy from his kiss. "Love you my lion." She left for her next class with a silly smile on her face.
--
"So ladies it's nice enough outside for us to go see the dragons. What say we go visit them while Mummy is teaching her class?" Harry went about washing their hands and faces with a warm washcloth.
"Dagons." They liked that idea.
"Are you sure about that Junior?" James stared at him in disbelief.
"You can't mean just you and the girls." Lily also wanted to make sure that she understood him correctly.
"Is there a problem with that?" Harry scowled at his parents.
"Well no apart from it's snowing again, there's a foot or more of the stuff already on the ground, and even you can't juggle all three at once." James stated the obvious.
"I've got a new baby carrier that I can easily use to carry the three of them around with me. Don't worry about me I can handle my girls fine on my own." He pointed to the item in question on the couch.
"This isn't some test you know. What you're thinking is only gonna irritate you and the triplets." James knew that one of his son's worst flaws was not being able to know when to ask for help and it was showing with his determination to handle his girls all by his lonesome.
Harry didn't get a chance to reply to that remark because Ron appeared beside him and was clearly not pleased about something.
"Listen Harry you and I need to have a chat!" Ron snarled.
"Not now Ron, perhaps later." Harry was trying to figure out a tactics on how he could carry all three and not have to ask for help. "As you can clearly see I'm busy at the moment."
"Your afternoon promenade with the triplets will have to wait until we achieve an understanding about something." Ron reined in his temper enough, so he was able to pick Dani up for a cuddle in his arms. "Your Daddy is in trouble."
"Just because Luna banished you instead of craving you night and day like Hermione did with me is no excuse to take it out on me." Harry narrowed his eyes at him clearly not happy that Ron was giving him lip about something and he hadn't done anything as far as he knew to deserve it.
"You can't clear your schedule like this and not fill me in about it! It's the holiday season and you both have duties to the crown!" Ron ignored Harry's comment because it happened to be true, but that wasn't the reason he was there for.
"Hang the blasted Duties to the crown! I've got the girls and Hermione to look after, so whatever it is can bloody well wait a week!"
"You have to make some of your schedule or it looks like you don't care about anyone, but yourself. It makes you look just like the Malfoy's did!" Ron snarled back at him.
"Take that back Ron! It's not nor will it ever be true!!" Harry felt as if his best mate had just stabbed him straight through the heart.
"I will not take it back cuz it's the truth! You're the Crowned Prince of the Wizarding World! So like it or not it's a part of what you are! You can't just blow off meetings with your Grandfather or the Council like you did this morning! They were discussing the new primary school, not to mention the problem they're having keeping those curious Muggle scientists from trying to reveal our world, and that's only some of what was on this morning's agenda. This is stuff that you need to hear or sound off your own opinion on, but keep blowing it off because of your attitude towards everything lately!" Ron was merely stating the truth. "Draco, Logan, Uncle James, Uncle Sirius, Uncle Albus, Wills, Henry, and Dad know more about what's up than you do! Your Dad, Uncle Albus, Draco, Logan, Wills, and Henry were all there this morning as scheduled!"
"I'm taking family leave a fact that they are all very much aware of!"
"Son what you are referring to is leave from being an Auror, this on the other hand is an entirely different matter." James set Ally in the playpen.
"You were raised for the position of HBP, but I wasn't!" Harry snarled. "All of you keep forgetting that!"
"That's a bunch of…!"
"Ronald don't you dare! The girls are in here and the twins are in the other room watching a DVD!" Lily snapped at him.
"Tripe and you bloody well know it!! You were given all the knowledge or are you conveniently forgetting that fact! Mab gave you everything that you needed to know about the Avalon, Muggle, and Wizarding Worlds, so don't use that sorry excuse with me because it bloody well won't wash anymore!" Ron was sick of his excuses and called him on it.
"I didn't want this job in the first place! My destiny was always one thing defeating Voldemort which I did! I saved our world! Hell everyone in all three realms were saved by me! Is it too much for me to ask for a little time off!? I've endured Morgana, defeated countless Dark wizards and witches, and helped tackle the werewolf infestation with Dad and the others! Is it so horrible of me to want to enjoy my girls and wife for a while?! I've done everything that has been asked of me so far! The Royal wedding and coronation, christened our girls as scheduled, and threw a successful Charity event! I gave the muggles a chance to read the truth and came up with Operation St. Nick which has been bigger than I could ever have imagined! I think that I've more than proven that I give a damn about everyone!!" Harry had more than heard enough out of Ron. "As it is I can't go anywhere without camera's going off in my face! Hermione and I did our duty by showing everyone that everything was right between us many, many, times in view of the public. So that should more than appease the lot of them for at least a week!"
"Once or twice a week won't hurt you. All you have to do is sit there, listen to what they have to say, and then make the occasional comment or even throw in an idea of your own." Lily set Mia in the playpen before speaking her mind.
"You three are forgetting one major detail about this week. Hermione's teaching potions, so I have the girls all-day. If they can't understand that then they can take it up with me here at the castle. The girls come first and that's the bottom line! There isn't anything that anyone could ever say or do to change that!" Harry took Dani from Ron. "It's not like you showed up here for breakfast this morning to growl at me that I was neglecting my duties. I did send you and Luna an e-mail yesterday afternoon about Hermione teaching all week. In fact I sent the lot of you the message. It's not my problem that none of you checked any of your messages." He set Dani with her sisters.
"See dagons Dada." Dani pouted.
"We'll have to visit them another time. You see Uncle Ron ruined our outing by making Daddy mad, so it's snowing too hard to go see them now." Harry, knowing how his baby was going to react, told her the not so happy news.
Dani narrowed her eyes at Ron. :Leave Dada alone! He be ours! You go away! You makes him mad and ruined our day!:
Ron's skin broke out into an angry nettle rash with three inch hives. "You should check your own messages! I couldn't remind you because Luna had her appointment with Lucy and I was gonna meet you there!" Ron started scratching at his arms. "Danielle, I didn't do anything to your Daddy apart from reminding him of his responsibilities, so jinxing me was not called for."
"Now Ron don't you go assigning blame. She's wearing the bracelet, so maybe you're having a bad reaction to something you ate." Harry acted as if he was mistaken knowing that Ron was correct in his assumption that Dani had jinxed him. Either that or all three had managed to jinx him, and that was just something that he didn't wish to think about right now.
"Help Ron over to the couch while I go get him something to counter whatever seems to be ailing him." Lily left for the Hospital wing.
"It could be that you're allergic to something that you came across today." James helped Ron over to the couch.
"Blimey this is way worse than throwing up slugs second year." Ron's face was fire engine red with hives spreading all over his face and skin at an alarming rate. "It's like Fred and George's itching power gone severely wrong!" He was barely reining in the urge to claw at his arms.
"You're in luck I just might be able to heal you." Harry sat down next to him and placed his hand around Ron's wrist. "By the gods man I wouldn't wish this on anyone!"
He was linked with Ron and could feel what he was going through, as if he were suffering from the same ailment. He forced himself to push past that sensation, so he could focus on the problem. He however found that it wasn't as easy of a task as he had thought it was going to be. "Uh, Dad you'd best tell Mione or Mum to brew up some calamine salve. I can't even begin to heal this, because I can't make sense of what's causing it. If it is my girls then the three of them are exactly like their Mum."
Harry tried again only this time he found that his attempt had backfired so much so that he also had a case of the hives. "Wasn't counting on me getting them as well…I'm not as practiced at healing as Mione is." He focused on ridding himself of the rash, but only managed to tone it down so it was at least bearable.
"It had to be all three of them." James had rarely seen a jinx spread this fast, but then again he had never seen Hermione at her worst, so for him this was an eye-opening experience. "Dani tried this on me in October. It was after I lectured Junior about his actions at the photo shoot before their wedding. My rash wasn't nearly that severe nor did Harry fail to heal it…" James scratched his head puzzled by this current change of events. "Let alone have it backfire on him."
(Dada no pose to itch.) Dani had a perplexed look on her face, because her plan had backfired, and she had no idea why.
(We be new at this stuff.) Ally had the same look on her face.
(Dada itchy. We be in trouble now.)Mia was more upset at what they had done than annoyed about their magic going awry.
Harry may not have been one hundred percent at healing, but he was that when it came to matters of the mind or Legilemency. "Ladies jinxing is not the way to get ones point across nor is it to be used on anyone in the family." Harry got up to lecture to his girls.
(Dada can hear us?) Ally and Dani now looked very guilty.
(He's Dada yes he hears us!) Mia glared at her sisters.
"Oh yes, you three naughty little girls. I can hear you just fine twin link or not." Harry scowled at them. "Say sorry to your Uncle Ron. He didn't do anything wrong and was just reminding me that I need to focus on other things as well as my family."
"Sorry." The three whimpered in unison.
"That's okay. You were only thinking that you were defending your Dad. He really did have that lecture coming to him about neglecting his duties. It's just even worse hearing it from his Best Mate." Ron glanced over at his beyond guilty looking nieces.
"I was serious about what I said. If they wish me there this week then they'll have to come here to me." Harry had managed to heal Ron enough so both he and Ron had similar looking rashes. They both looked like they had taken a roll in some poison ivy. "Dad watch the girls for a bit. I've got an idea for a cure, but need to go fetch the ingredients from Uncle Severus' office."
"Exactly, what are you gonna tell Hermione when she asks what's caused your current state of appearance?" James frowned.
"Who says she's gonna know I'm there. I'll borrow what I need from Uncle Severus' private stores. The only thing that she has brewing in there is Felix Felicis." Harry forced himself to ignore the instinct to scratch at his skin until it was raw and was going to use brewing the cure as a means to do that.
"Oh yeah, right Harry," Ron rolled his eyes at him. "She'll sense you at twenty paces…Hold on a sec...Did you say Felix Felicis? Why's she brewing that for? It's not a good idea to pass that stuff around. Though, Fred and George would kill for some of it. Because they have never been able to successfully brew a batch." Ron kept talking that way he wasn't thinking about how uncomfortable he was getting.
"Ron you are to take this then, I want you to go upstairs and pour this into a tub of hot water, and soak in it for at least an hour. It should lessen your symptoms at least for a few hours until I can come up with something to cure it." Lily appeared beside James with several bottles of potions on a tray. "Oh no, Harry. You didn't try to heal him did you?" She saw that Harry was now as uncomfortable as Ron.
"Learn from experience has always been my motto. I think he's learned that being a Healer has its ups and downs…This condition being one of them." James smirked.
"You knew and said nothing?!" Harry narrowed his eyes at his father.
"Now kid, don't be like that, besides you never asked." James knew that look all too well.
"NEVER ASKED! I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU HEAL ANYONE! YOU NEVER TRIED TO HEAL ME ALL THOSE TIMES WHEN YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY! SO WHY WOULD I ASK YOU INSTEAD OF MUM!" Harry vented all of his fury at his father and had no qualm jinxing the tar out of him with the same jinx that his daughters had used on Ron.
"Your Mum is the Healer of the family, while I'm just commonplace at it!" He started to scratch. "I know from watching your Mum the do's and don'ts of healing. I know that unless you're calm and focused any healing that you try can backfire on your own person. Particularly, when dealing with something like reversing a jinx or a rash!" He was now just as miserable as the two of them.
"WRONG ANSWER FATHER! JUST ONCE I WISH THAT YOU WOULD STOP TRYING TO TEACH ME LESSONS AND WARN ME AHEAD OF TIME!" Harry vanished before he gave into the urge to AK his own father.
--
Regulus and Bill walked into the family wing. "Now this is more like it. Who needs dorms when you can have a spread like this?"
"Yeah, my kid brothers and sisters had the good life during their final year of class." Bill grinned.
"Is there something that we can help you with or are you just here to admire the wing?" James growled.
"We earned it! Now piss off, so I can scratch in peace!" Ron snarled.
"Ron!" Lily glared at him.
"Sorry about that it's just not my day."
"Well now Ronnie what in Merlin's name happened to you?" Bill took in his baby brother's current state and tried to keep a straight face. "Did Luna jinx you out of house and home?"
"No comment!" There was no way in hell that Ron was gonna admit that three babies jinxed the tar out of him.
"No Bill that can't be it, cuz Jamie's all splotchy too." Regulus smirked.
"They had an unpleasant reaction to some of the new tea that Chen sent us this morning. Now would one of you check on the twins in the other room?" She pointed to the open doorway of the Media room. "While the other watches over the triplets."
"Where's Harry?" Bill looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Look you half-wit! He's gathering ingredients for something to rid us of this bloomin rash!!" James snarled.
"Hold on a minute…Master Chen never misses with his medicinal brews." Regulus eyed Ron and James' conditions. "That's an O level quality jinx if ever I saw one." He glanced over at the triplets, who were guiltily sucking on their thumbs. "Well I'll be damned like mother like girls." He chuckled.
"I confronted Harry about neglecting his duties and they didn't like my tone." Ron grudgingly admitted that he was right.
"No way did those three little dolls jinx you like that at nearly four months." Bill stared at them and then over at the girls in utter disbelief.
"We's sorry." They stopped sucking on their thumbs to voice their sincere apology again.
"Dani be good." She sniffled. "Dani sorry."
"Well, because it's a first offense we'll let you off with a warning." Regulus walked over to the playpen and picked her up for a cuddle.
:You no be Uncle Sirius.: Dani gave him a look. "Who be?"
"This one is a live one just like her parents." Regulus chuckled. "I'm your Uncle Regulus. Sirius is my brother."
:Dada was mad at you.: Dani had heard her father growling about him to her mother. :You be good.:
"I'll be better I promise." He kissed her nose then turned her upside down in his arms.
Dani squealed in delight, she loved it when her Daddy or Uncles did this to her.
"You have Danielle in your arms. Our other two munchkins are Amelia in the lavender jumper and Allysia in the pink." Lily told him who was who.
"Dani, Ally, and Mia smashing names for three perfect little angels," Regulus set Dani down, so he could give her sisters equal time.
"I'm gonna go upstairs to my floor and soak in peace." Ron took the potions and then vanished.
"Go pamper Jamie. We've go this covered." Regulus grinned.
"Very well, I'll get James settled and then be right back down to tend to my babies." Lily and James also vanished.
"Don't even say it, Reg."
"What? I wasn't gonna say anything about the fact that everyone that I've seen at least so far of the younger set have managed to master apparating without a wand and you haven't."
"Listen you ingrate. I can so apparate without a wand. I just don't flaunt my abilities everywhere because my wife can't." Bill grumbled and went to go check on the twins.
"If you say so mate…"
--
Severus' Office
Harry appeared exactly where he had planned inside his Uncle's private stores; unfortunately for him Hermione was getting the final two ingredients for her Felix Felicis potion. "Don't mind me angel. I'm just gonna gather what I need and be off." He was careful to keep himself facing away from her.
Hermione walked over to him and immediately noticed that he had a rash of some kind all over his face and neck. "What is Mab's name happened to you?"
"It's just a rash nothing serious, so go back to your class." Harry continued to gather the items that he would need for his cure.
"My class is fine and obviously you are not." Hermione planted her hands on her hips and scowled at him. "What happened?"
"I was a no show for breakfast with Gramps and the council meeting this morning and Ron was sent to chew me out about it." Harry gave in and told her the truth. This was far better than facing her wrath by lying to her.
"Did the girls do something rash? After all they are protective of their Daddy." Hermione recognized a jinx at ten paces and this was not your run-of-the-mill rash.
"Ron did end up rather itchy afterwards." Harry nodded. "I tried to heal him, but as you can very well see it didn't go so hot and backfired on me."
"Of course it backfired on you." Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation at him. "You have to be calm and in complete control when trying to heal anyone. Particularly a person with a jinxed condition or you'll end up sporting the same aliment yourself."
"Don't look at me like that." Harry grumbled. "First-Gramps and Master Chen never covered that with me. Dad knew that little factor, but decided that it was best to let me learn the lesson the hard way."
"Well, that's no reason to raid the private stores." Hermione began taking the items that he had been gathering and placed them back on the shelves.
"Hey, what gives? I need that to make a cure for this bloody rash!"
"I prepared more than just Felix Felicis this morning and now I know why." Hermione pointed to a tray setting on a table beside the cauldron of Felix Felicis. "I've done the work for you, so all of this isn't necessary anymore."
"It's not only Ron and I, but Dad as well." Harry was pleased to see there was more than enough salve and potion for the three of them.
"If you're here and Aunt Lily is busy tending to Ron and Dad, then who is left to watch the babies?" She walked over to him and scooped some of the salve onto her fingers.
"Bill and Uncle Regulus arrived just as I left, so it's a safe bet that those two are watching the babies." Harry let her apply the salve to his face sighing with relief as it worked its magic. The itching subsided. "Aah yeah, that's loads better thanks."
"Stay put while I go check on the third years." Hermione ordered him.
"But…"
"Stay put or worse you will be!" She narrowed her eyes at him.
Harry grudgingly sat down as ordered. "I'm not a child you know nor was any of this my fault." He grumbled under his breath as she left to look in on her class. "The hell with this. There is no way that I'm gonna to sit here like a scolded child and wait for her to return to ream my arse even more. I'm out of here." He got up took the tray and then vanished.
--
Hermione walked back into the classroom. The third years were well into successfully making their Shrinking Potions. Not one of their potions was turning orange instead of bright acid green. Proof that they were going to be successful and that no aging potion would be needed when she tested their potions samples.
"Well done everyone." She walked around the class checking their progress. "You are all doing so brilliantly that I feel that your reward for a job well done shall be no homework for all of you."
There were smiles all around for no homework in potions class was a rarity indeed.
"You have twenty minutes left to finish and by the looks of it you only need ten of those. I'll be back to check on you in ten minutes." She went back into the potions office not surprised to see that Harry or the tray was gone. "That's just as well because he needs to soak for at least two hours for the potion to work its magic."
"So kitten how are we enjoying our first day teaching class?" Stephen stepped out of the shadows and smiled at her.
"My day has gone brilliantly Grandpa, unlike Harry who seems to be having one of those not so nice days today." Hermione arched a brow at him as she added another ingredient to her Felix Felicis potion. "So I take it that Harry is in beyond hot water with you and the council?"
"Let's just say that his day isn't even close to being over yet. He's going to sit between Uncle Albus and me at the Council meeting this evening and then he and I are going to get him caught up with Ministry business. Nothing short of being in a coma is going to get him out of this tonight." Stephen walked over to see what she was up to. "Felix Felicis? So who are the lucky recipients?"
"Dennis Creevey and Evangelina Flamel the two top advanced potions students of their years." Hermione added yet another ingredient which turned the brew the color of molten gold and large drops of the liquid gold potion leaped like fish out of a pond above the surface of the potion without losing their shapes. "Harry has a rash as does Dad and Ronald…"
"Ronald should have let me deal with him." Stephen was not pleased to hear this news.
"Harry didn't jinx Ronald my girls did. Now as for Dad he deserved what he got for letting Harry think that he was going to be able to successfully heal Ron." Hermione glanced back into the classroom. The third years were cleaning up their workstations. "Finish your clean up, turn in your potion samples, and then you are all free to go."
"James is like me. It's best for him to learn from experience. Though, I imagine that Harry was a might cross when Lily ratted his father out."
Hermione scowled at him in annoyance and then went over to the desk at the front of the classroom to collect the rack of potion samples. "Harry trusts his father to tell him these things and all that this will have accomplished is damage to a delicate line of trust between the two of them."
"James doesn't brag about anything unless he is N.E.W.T or above in that particular area of magic. Healing is not nor has ever been my son's specialty."
"Like father like son." Hermione sighed then changed the subject to the potion brewing in the office. "I made more than enough Felix Felicis maybe I'll bottle it up and give it out as stocking stuffers this year. It would be a shame to just chuck it out."
"Oh those two are very much alike, but Harry just doesn't wish to admit that fact." Stephen thought about her idea of giving out Felix Felicis as gifts and sounded off about her latest brainstorm. "It would make a unique stocking stuffer, but you would have to write out precise uses and non-uses for the potion. It is frowned on to even brew the stuff, but I trust you to use good judgment, so you have my go ahead to do so."
"Grandpa, you needn't have bothered with the lecture on proper potions etiquette. I am always through about everything that I do." Hermione carried the rack of potion samples into the office. "The next generations are all extremely bright, as far as I can tell there isn't a failure in the lot of these potion samples."
"That's pleasing news to hear and I will be sure to tell the Council of your findings and Uncle Albus as well." Stephen smiled.
"Harry and I were planning on taking the girls with us to London. Do some shopping at Hamley's and because the girls are growing out of everything may be even pop by and see Franc." Hermione started testing the third year potions and then grading them accordingly. "Enchanting Imaginations has its grand opening this weekend, but Franc would be hurt if I didn't get the things that he's already picked out for them."
"That sounds like a lovely family outing; however you will have to settle with catching up on things with Ms. Lewis." Stephen was going to force Harry to get his feet wet in Ministry affairs, even if it meant using a royal summons to get him there. "As it is Harry will be lucky if I allow him to be home by dawn."
"Now Grandpa dragging him there by force will only make him brood the whole time. He won't even be mentally there unless you count him silently plotting what to do with the lot of you and not getting caught after the fact." Hermione moved on to grading the second year's potions.
"Our monarchy is hands-on not just for show and it's about time he's shown that." Stephen paced in front of the desk. "Who knows he might even find it fascinating."
"I find that highly unlikely. You see Percy bored us to tears with rudimentary ministry issues, but then on the other hand Uncle Arthur told us fascinating stories about his job. So who knows you very well may be right." She moved on to grading the first years potion samples and decided that if Stephen was going to ruin her evening with Harry and her girls then he was going to have to do something for her in return. "Grandpa, would you mind terribly if I tested these samples on your hand?"
"I'll only be your test subject if you agree that Harry is mine for the evening and then twice a week after that." Stephen held out his hands. "Or more if I feel the need calls for it."
"Fine. I will give you that much at least, but only twice a week and not a day more. Let's not push him anymore than we have to, as it is the UK is going to have a guaranteed white Christmas this year and more so if his temper flares up." Hermione cast Furnunculus on his hands and boils broke out across the tops of them.
"You my dear have a deal." Stephen was relieved to find the first year's all seemed to know their stuff, because with each test of the samples his hands were perfectly cured of boils. "I say those young ones are doing a smashingly good job."
"Hermione are you still in here?" Nanda called from the adjoining classroom. "I've got two furry little friends here that say you are."
Crooks and Pepper made a dash for the open doorway.
"Well hello there sweeties. Did you miss Mummy?" Hermione found herself with Crooks and Pepper in her lap. "I'm in here Nanda."
"Unreal this classroom is enormous." Nanda explored the room.
"Yes, it's nothing like the movie or the book depicts. One needs room to brew a proper potion and there are twenty four double desks enough to easily hold up to forty-eight students." Hermione got up to go greet her.
"I can see that, as it is this castle is twice the size of what's depicted in the movies." Nanda looked into the office and saw that Stephen was with her. "I didn't know the Minister was with you…I'm sorry if I interrupted anything, but Charlie Weasley told me that you were still down here and the cats showed me the way."
"No harm done, Ms. Lewis." He smiled at her. "My granddaughter and I were just having a nice chat. I hope the two of you enjoy your evening catching up with each other. I've got to go see my great-grandchildren somehow knowing that Regulus Black and Bill Weasley are watching over them makes me a bit wary." Stephen vanished.
--
"So how do you feel about going shopping tonight?" Hermione smiled at her.
"Are you kidding I live to shop." Nanda stopped in front of the cauldron of bubbling golden potion. "Is this what I think it is?"
Hermione conjured a decorative bottle and bottled her some of the brew. "Felix Felicis with my personal touches added to it. The original formula neglected to add the no harm no foul incantation to it. This can only be used sparingly and cannot be used to cheat on anything like sports, tests, and so forth. Now any try at doing this or any illegal task will result in ones face breaking out in colorful pustules for twelve hours or for the time remaining of the potions effectiveness."
"That should keep certain individuals honest." Nanda smirked.
"That's the idea. It's just a nice potion to use if you're having a cruddy day and need a little boost or even to get that prizewinning story that one is after."
"I'll keep that in mind." Nanda stowed the bottle away in her robe pocket. "So is it going to be just us or is Harry coming with?"
"Harry is going to be occupied by Ministry affairs this evening and I don't know when Grandpa is thinking of letting him return to me. He seems to think that Harry is neglecting his duties as of late and wishes to catch him up on the goings-on." Hermione cleared the board of the third years potion and went about writing Tuesday's lesson on the board for the fourth year's who were going to be discussing antidotes. Then it was to be the Draught of Peace for the fifth years, while the sixth years were finishing the Draught of Clarity the antidote for Veritaserum. Lastly, the seventh years would be finishing their Veritaserum potions. "I know that you must be dying for a tour of the castle, so where do you wish to start?"
"The family wing, I know that you want to check on Harry and the girls."
"Because of a backfired try at healing Ronald, Harry is soaking in a tub at the moment." Hermione sighed in frustration not wanting to go into why. "Grandpa, Uncle Regulus, and Bill are watching the girls, so please allow me to show you my home away from home."
"What happened to Ron?"
"The girls jinxed him for upsetting their Daddy and by doing so ruining their outing to see the Dragon colony. Healing isn't Harry's area of expertise nor was that particular area covered in-depth with him during his sessions with Master Chen and First-Grandfather Merlin. He tried to heal Ronald while still in an agitative state of mind, so his try not only didn't work as thought, but backfired on him as well." Hermione led her back up to the Entrance Hall. "We'll skip the dungeons considering that you just saw most of it already and there's no Slytherin House anymore and to me it's still a dreary place. So, I think I'll start your tour by showing you the Great Hall first."
"I take it by your tone that you aren't that happy with Harry right now." Nanda followed her into the Great Hall. "This room is eye-popping."
"Not really no... I'm just trying to come to terms with reality. I should be overjoyed that they allowed us our seventh year and nearly four months with our daughters before playing their trump cards, but you know what... I'm very put out about the whole thing." Hermione led her to the wall of stained-glass windows.
"This here is just a stepping-stone to them…." She pointed out the scenes that depicted their lives for seven long years.
"Nothing more and nothing less than a dress rehearsal to all of those pathetic council members that hid in terror while we fought their war for them." She stood in front of the newest windows depicting key moments in the lives of the Four Hearts of the Wizarding World. "Seven long hard-fought years and still it seems that we haven't even begun to pay our dues…at least in their eyes we haven't."
"Hermione our world is far more complex, you of all people should have known better than that." Nanda stared at her in disbelief. "You were born into aristocracy. It surprises me that you would even think that our world's working monarchy would be any different other than the fact that King Stephen, who is both monarch and MOM, plays a key role in how the government is run. Where as, in the Muggle World in most countries, it's not quite the same, most monarchies are just window dressing for their countries, and merely used as diplomatic hosts."
"I know and you're absolutely right." Hermione went to sit down at her old spot at the Gryffindor table. "It's just that to be honest I never once believed in the lore about the HBP, even when I was researching the origins of the ring that Harry received for his sixteenth birthday. I guess that's mostly because I didn't want it to be true. All of my life, since I was little, I have sworn to all of my family members that I would never marry a prince or any blue blood. Because in my eyes to do so would be utter insanity on my part."
"That's astonishing since your parents are Lord and Lady Granger or that your father is cousin to the Queen and your mother was cousin to Diana." Nanda sat down next to her. It was clear to her that she was being allowed to see a side of Hermione that few if any had rarely been allowed to see.
"My parents aren't your normal high society couple. They barely tolerated most of that side of the family tree. Aunt Diana, the boys, Uncle Andrew, Aunt Sarah, and their girls were the only ones welcome at Lazy Meadows. You see Daddy was well aware of what had been agreed on by the higher monarchy about Aunt Diana and he loathed that side of the family because of it. Since, before I was born Lazy Meadows has been a safe haven for Wills, Henry, and their Mum. None of them even dared send in the Men in Gray for fear that those other people would retaliate. It was well-known to certain individuals that Mum and Dad were very close with them. More so I would think because of their close connection with the Wizarding Worlds own royal family."
"They must have taken the loss hard."
"Oh yes, it hit them hard, so much so they broke off any contact with the Wizarding World to focus on their careers and became two of the most prominent dental surgeons of their field." Hermione nodded.
"They must have disowned everyone except for a chosen few after Diana was killed."
"Oh that's putting it mildly." Hermione wanted to kick herself for steering the conversation towards her family versus the royals. "I was nearly eleven when she was killed. Mummy and Daddy were both devastated by the loss. I was more angry than sad, because I more than understood what had happened and that it wasn't an accident as had been reported by the press. I was taking University level courses, so there was little that I didn't understand. Wills and Henry worshipped their Mum and I adored her. Eleven days later I got my letter from Aunt Minerva that to my surprise and delight brought smiles to my parents faces again. I was bewildered that they were taking the news of me being a witch with so much enthusiasm. I thought they were going around the bend. I mean the twins were four-year-old monsters, Aunt Di was gone, and the boys were a devastated mess and stuck with IT for a parent. All of this was going on around us and my parents were throwing this big bash in honor of me getting my letter. Then we went to Diagon Alley where they proceeded to buy everything in sight with a currency that was foreign to me but familiar to them."
"They were close friends of Harry's parents, so it wouldn't have been new to them." Nanda sat there and listened as Hermione sounded off about her feelings.
"Oh, but that's not the real reason they had extensive knowledge." Hermione's brow furrowed at the thought of just how much her parents had kept secret from her for nearly her whole life. "My parents are both squibs and were overjoyed that magic had finally returned to the family tree." She scowled. "They told me nothing for years, but then again the Wizarding World was at war and there were eyes and ears everywhere during that time. I guess the fact that they were Harry's godparents and never told me or that we'd known each other since he and I were in diapers. I could go on and on about them keeping me in the dark, but it would only upset me so I'll stop there."
"No wonder your power is unmatched the magic had skipped a generation."
"So it would seem." Hermione got up and headed for the doors. "Now let's get on with your tour."
"I don't see the reason you're so upset about this since even Harry's mother was Muggle born." Nanda followed her.
"That isn't accurate information either it just makes good story for Jo's book. Petunia was a stuck up, snotty, superficial bitch, and an embarrassment to the family name. Grandfather Harrison is also Aunt Minerva's brother, so no he isn't a squib nor is Grandmother Violet. Grandfather took drastic measures and changed his surname from McGonagall to Evans, so he could hide from everyone who knew them. Petunia not only was a disgrace, but she was also a squib. They were overjoyed when nearly ten years later Violet gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who they named Lily. The two of them had more than embraced the muggle way of life and had no intention of subjecting their friends or family with the spawn known as Petunia. Uncle Albus respected their need to stay out of our world, so that is the only reason that it was thought that Lily was Muggle born. Just like he respected my parent's wishes making me appear as if I were also Muggle born." Hermione led them down the staircase towards the kitchens and Hufflepuff Common Room.
"This is the portrait that leads to the Hufflepuff Common Room, but we're going to go visit the kitchens for a quick snack." She continued down the corridor until she came upon the portrait depicting a giant bowl of fruit. Hermione reached out to tickle the pear it giggled and a doorknob appeared.
"It looks like she got an equal part right and an equal part wrong." Nanda followed Hermione into the kitchens.
"Try nothing right in the book that she released last July." Hermione growled.
Winky raced over and hugged Hermione's leg. "How may we be of service Mistress Hermione?"
"Yes, Mistress Hermione would you like a sweet?" Dobby smiled adoringly up at her with his big green eyes.
Kreacher was already fixing them a snack. "Don't be daft of course she is wantin' a snack teachin' is hard work." He growled.
"Yes, please a snack sounds lovely." Hermione smiled.
"This place is beyond the imagination." Nanda was munching on an apple tart. "The food is five stars all the way."
"We's take pride in our work." Winky and Dobby smiled.
"Here you go Mistress Hermione and Miss Nanda." Kreacher set two ice-cream sundaes with the works on a small table in the corner and then set two bowls of cream down for the two cats.
"Oh thank you Kreacher you three spoil me." Hermione eagerly sat down to enjoy her snack.
"You deserve to be spoiled." Kreacher added even more hot fudge sauce to the treat.
"I'm in heaven this is soooo good." Nanda savored her first bite of sundae.
"Will you be needin us to watch over the girls this evening?" Winky asked.
"Thank you for offering, but I'm going shopping and the girls are coming with me tonight. I might just take you up on that offer later in the week, but you three are free to enjoy the evening tonight." Hermione adored the three of them.
"We adore lookin after the wee ones and would love to do so whenever you need us." Dobby beamed at her.
"Family looks after family." Kreacher nodded agreeing.
"And that's how it always should be." Hermione smiled.
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Chapter 28
Ministry Affairs
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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