Harry was sitting in the evening parlour of Travers Manor, trying not to fidget. He was excited about the Crouch visit they were waiting for, chiefly because he knew the guests would bring their son Edmund with them. Edmund wasn't eight yet, so really just a kid, but still, it would be interesting to meet someone else who wasn't an adult
The family arrived exactly on time, and as they greeted the hosts, Harry waited to be introduced and watched them. Mr. Jonathan Crouch was quiet and precise, his dark hair cut shorter than any wizard Harry had met before. His wife, on the other hand, seemed open and lively, smiling widely where her husband stayed serious.
Edmund, from what Harry could see, took more after his father.
He approached the boy after the introduction was over, while Alduin and Miss Burke talked to his parents. "So," he said, choosing a topic his limited experience suggested should work, "how many years do you have left until Hogwarts?"
"Three and half," Edmund replied. "And you?"
"I should be going this autumn – provided that the letter arrives!" Harry said, laughing a little, masking his very real nervousness about it.
"Don't you think it will?" Edmund asked him seriously. "Haven't you done accidental magic?"
"Oh no, I have – quite a lot of it actually," Harry confessed, thinking of all all his escapades in the Muggle world. There had been no accidental magic since Alduin had taken him in, he realized.
"Then I thought there was no reason to worry?" Edmund said, now seeming a little worried himself. Apparently, his own accidental magic had been a great source of comfort to him.
"You're probably right, there isn't, it's just..." Harry trailed off, knowing he shouldn't talk about how it was all still so new to him and so he was sometimes expecting to wake up and realize he was in a dream.
"Just what? Edmund asked, quietly but insistently.
"Oh, I don't know – nerves, I suppose," Harry said with an awkward smile.
The younger boy frowned. "But if you've done lots of accidental magic, why are you nervous about it? The only people I know being nervous are the ones who haven't done much..."
"And do you know many people who will go to Hogwarts next year?" Harry asked, wishing to change the subject.
Edmund seemed to consider. "There's Milicent Bulstrode and Theodore Nott – those two I know for sure. Maybe Zacharias Smith and Hannah Abbott as well? Probably some others that I don't remember. And Kiara Shacklebolt only went last year, so I remember what she said about it, too."
"Oh, you know Kiara?" Harry asked, excited to hear a name he could put in proper context in his mind, but then he paused. "I'm sorry, of course you do, you're cousins, aren't you?"
"Third cousins, yes."
"Right. Anyway, I've met her parents, but I don't really know her...what is she like?"
Edmund appeared taken aback by the question. "She's...well, okay, I guess. Fun? She's always running around. I don't know her too well, though – I mean, she isn't my best friend or anything," he hastened to add.
"Who is your best friend, then?" Harry asked curiously, privately thinking that Edmund appeared to be the kind of boy to whom everyone would seem to be 'always running around.'
The younger boy considered this question carefully. "Charles Bulstrode, probably. I like Abdulaziz Shafiq a lot too, but I see Charles more often, I think, and I'll be in the same year with him at Hogwarts, at least."
Harry was not too confident about this part of the family tree. "Is he a brother of the Milicent you've just mentioned?"
The younger boy shook his head vehemently. "No, cousin. He's cleverer than Milicent, too, even though she's older."
"Well, I guess that's why you're friends with him, isn't it?" Harry asked jokingly.
"Yes," Edmund replied, completely serious.
Harry was at a loss about what to say next, but fortunately he was saved by the dinner being announced.
Once they were all seated at the table, Harry listened to the adults discussing their mutual acquaintances for a while as he ate. There was a lull in the conversation, and then he heard Alduin ask Jonathan Crouch: "And how is...your sister?"
His eyes flew to his cousin. This was the first time since he met Alduin that he heard anything but perfect politeness or dry amusement in his tone while in company. He couldn't tell what that strange note in his voice had been, but he was sure it had been there.
"She is well," Jonathan Crouch replied in those calm, measured tones of his. "As is Augustus. He has recently displayed his first signs of accidental magic, and Eliza says they are about to throw a celebratory party. Perhaps you would consider coming?"
"I will think about it, of course, but we are rather busy at the moment," Alduin replied, not looking at his guest. This was all very strange indeed, Harry thought. He had wondered about whether the Princes would be asked, being curious about the family that disinherited Professor Snape. He'd bet his broom this was somehow connected to the invitation not having happened yet, but he couldn't think how. "And your uncle? As busy as ever?" Alduin continued.
"Oh yes. I don't think Uncle Bartemius knows how not to be busy. I haven't seen him for at least two months, he claims he has too much work to visit. Father went to see him at the Ministry about two weeks ago, I think – the only way to have a chance to talk to him, as he says."
Harry swallowed his mouthful of potatoes. "Your uncle works at the Ministry of Magic?" He asked, curious. "In what department? I have met only Mr. Kingsley Shacklebolt, he is an Auror..."
"Oh, yes, I am aware." Mr. Jonathan somehow managed to make Harry feel very stupid for adding that piece of information. "My uncle is the head of International Magical Cooperation."
"That sounds very interesting!"
"You wouldn't know it to talk to him," Mrs. Jonathan muttered, and her husband gave her a reproachful look.
She seemed chastised, and turned to Harry, saying: "Talking about family, I'm sure many people tell you that, but you look very much like your father – with your mother's eyes. I was in the same year at Hogwarts with them, you know."
"Oh, yes, Professor Snape told me you were the best in their year."
She smiled. "He wasn't far behind, at least in some subjects. Then again, neither were your parents."
Harry put down his fork, curiosity overwhelming hunger for the moment. "Did you know them? More than by sight, I mean."
"Well, yes, I would say so – your mother was excellent at Charms, my own field of choice, and we've worked on a project or two together. As for your father, well, he was a boy from an Ancient family my own age, so of course I knew him some. We weren't truly friends or anything, but we talked to each other often enough."
Harry considered asking for more information, but then changed his mind. He didn't think Ravenclaw students, in general, had too good an opinion of those who attacked Slytherins because of prejudice, and she might not have considered Black's influence enough of an excuse. Better not tempt fate, he decided and returned to his potatoes.
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The weather improved at the beginning of March, and Alduin took the opportunity to take Harry out for a field trip. "I have promised you," he said, "a Muggle village, and to a Muggle village we shall go. It seems a bit of a waste, however, and so we will take in Warwick Castle as well – I assume you have never been?"
"No," Harry said, excited, and went to dress in Muggle clothes like his cousin had told him to.
It was strange wearing trousers again after such a long time, and Harry understood why wizards preferred robes. He had never realized before, but trousers really did chafe in so many places, especially the fancy ones that Alduin had ordered for him at his tailor's.
The village was nice - all old-fashioned stone houses and a church that came back from Middle-Ages. Alduin used it to explain some important points from history, and they had lunch in the local pub. They didn't talk much, Harry observing everything and enjoying himself immensely. When they finally got to the castle, he was astonished.
"It's so huge!" He said, looking around. They were standing in the central courtyard, the high walls and even higher towers looming above them. Harry spotted some people in medieval costumes, and his excitement grew. He wished he could have his broom here, to fly around the castle and see it from above, but of course that was hardly possible, with Muggles everywhere. The courtyard seemed made for running, too, but Harry controlled himself and stayed by his cousin's side.
"Yes," Alduin nodded. "One of the biggest castles in Britain. Don't worry about not having enough time, we can come back in a few days if you want. It might be worth it for the park, anyway – I believe there is a sequoia tree growing here somewhere. Will you want to see the Royal Weekend Party exposition? That's new since I was last here..."
"I want to see everything," Harry replied decidedly. He couldn't wait to tell about it all to Neville and his Gran, who were scheduled to come for another dinner a few days later, and wondered whether Neville had ever been here.
Alduin did his best to oblige.
Even if it meant some uncomfortable explanations.
"So the ladies were all, like, cheating on their husbands and they didn't mind?" Harry asked in a simultaneously astonished and disgusted tone, staring at the plaque under one of the wax figurines.
"Not all," Alduin corrected. "But yes, it wasn't entirely exceptional among the aristocracy in the Victorian times."
"You sound like it's normal. Does it work the same way in the wizarding world? I mean, do witches..." Harry trailed off, blushing.
Alduin laughed. "Harry, are you actually asking me whether Alexandra is going to cheat on me?"
"Forget I said anything," Harry muttered.
"The answer to your questions," Alduin replied nevertheless, glad for this opportunity to explain some things, "is, of course, that it differs marriage from marriage. Some marry purely as a political alliance – though that is less frequent nowadays – and in such cases, it's quite common that the partners agree to give each other freedom in their sexual relations, with the understanding that no children can be born from such encounters."
A lady with two small children was passing by them at this moment, and she gave Alduin a dirty look. He ignored her and continued: "The more romantic feeling there is in the marriage, the less likely such agreement is. It can change over time as well, when people get tired of each other's intimate company."
"But isn't it...I mean, isn't it wrong?" Harry insisted, even though he was bright red by now.
"Why?" Alduin asked.
"Well...I don't know. Don't people promise to be faithful to each other at the wedding?"
"Well, that rather depends on your vows. Certainly those who marry in church or have vows based on the Christian ones do, and so most Gryffindor and a good number of Slytherin families would tell you that yes, sexual faithfulness is expected. But many of my ancestors had marriages built around a different concept. My grandparents, for example, were mostly good friends, and tended to find diversion elsewhere."
Now Harry seemed horrified. "Your grandparents? But..."
"What is it, Harry?" Alduin was still amused.
Harry seemed reluctant to speak, but when Alduin kept looking at him, he said: "Even when you were already alive?"
"...yes?"
"But they must have been old!"
"Thy were a little over seventy when they died, so not so very old."
Harry's horror grew, and Alduin decided not to torture him any more and leave the matter be for now. Clearly, the boy had some prejudices that should be worked on, but he was still young and at an age when sex in general probably horrified him. It was better to do this in stages.
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AN: The story told in the Royal Weekend Party exposition always made me wonder what do the parents tell their children about it...