24. Political affairs
Harry leaned against the wall opposite the door into Astoria's study. They were having a meeting and he wanted to talk to Astoria when they were done, so he waited with Nagini beside him. As soon as the door opened and people came streaming out, Harry ducked inside between some of the people going out. Just inside he stopped face to face with Malfoy senior, for the first time in weeks. Harry took a half step to the side to prevent a collision and got a hard shove with a pointy elbow, for his trouble.
"The little bride should stay out of the way when grown-ups are doing business," Malfoy sneered.
And Astoria made it clear that I can't fight, such a tragedy, Harry thought before opening his mouth to ask Nagini to trip the other man. Only to smirk when he realised that she already was about to do so.
Malfoy literally sprawled out the door and hit his face hard on the marble in the hallway.
"Thank you, Nagini, I appreciate it," Harry said and petted her head when she came up to him and headbutted his hand.
"If I'm anything, it's a groom, Lucius, there were two of us. Kind of the whole point when two men marry," he said aloud.
Harry turned around and saw not only Astoria and Draco frowning at Malfoy on the floor, but Snape, Bandini and the Carrow siblings also stood there, scowling.
"Harry!" Astoria snapped out of her thoughts. "How can I help you?"
He and Nagini went further into the study and the other people filed out, stepping around or even over Malfoy while he slowly got to his feet. Harry held up the book Magical Politics.
"Voldemort told me this was yours, and that you would have more of the same kind. I have read it and I would like something more in-depth, if you have anything like that?" He stopped for a moment, eyes on the book he held. "Actually …"
"Yes?" Astoria said when he didn't continue.
He looked up at her. "Would it be possible to read anything about what kind of politics you are setting up in Wizarding Britain now? I was curious before, and now that I know how different Britain's politics was to other countries, I wonder what will change and why you would choose to do it that way. I mean … I gather Voldemort will have the last word in everything, but will it be like a kind of king with active ruling, or more like a dual leadership with the Ministry, with more power on one side, or like a Master behind the scenes, or what?"
He stopped. He still wasn't sure how wise it was to ask, but he was really curious about the future of Wizarding Britain. The future he had bought with his freedom and his sanity. What sanity he had had left, anyway. But it was Voldemort that had recommended the book on politics to him. Would he really have done that if Harry wasn't supposed to know or care about the current political climate?
Astoria smiled. "I have both books and notes with our political plans and new laws and all of it, only … If you want to read the notes, you have to stay here with me. If they aren't in my sight, they have to be locked in."
"So, I may read them? You are sure?" He handed her the book he had read.
"Absolutely. I'm working on part of them now, but you can read other parts. What are you most interested in?"
"Because of the talk the other day about what's Dark magic and what's not, and the book with rituals and rites that I have also read … Laws about that would be good, if you have gotten to that part. Other than that, any laws at all, really. Oh, and the plans for Muggleborn children, and education for children in general, and the new set up of the Ministry. I know we went through it the day we were there, but that day are somewhat hazy in my mind now, so … yeah. Are you going to make Britain more like other European countries?"
Astoria smiled at him. "Actually, we are getting a lot of inspiration from the laws of both France and North America. I think it will be really good and much more sensible and reasonable than the old laws. We will have a rule of reason and not fear, either of something that's presumably Dark, or fear of stepping on toes. It will take some time to get all the kinks out, naturally, as well as getting used to it, for everyone, but I honestly believe that it will be for the better."
Harry regarded her. "You are afraid I won't agree," he stated after a moment.
"You are powerful, Harry, both in magic and in the eye of the public. If you should object, others will too. So yes, I hope you agree, or that you at the very least agree to try before making a public outcry."
"Do you know that I get letters every day that call me a traitor and tell me Voldemort should have killed me before I joined the enemy?"
Astoria paled.
"Some might listen to me, some always do, but I highly doubt I could lead a public outcry. I have no power. I'm just curious."
"Harry, I am so, so sorry," she whispered. "That shouldn't be happening!"
"Don't be, it's nothing new." He shrugged.
"And again, that does not make it better! Do they really tell you that they wish you were dead?"
"They do, there has been at least a couple every day since I began opening my post. I will probably let the elves screen my post soon, for verbal threats as well as physical, I don't need that kind of shit."
"You really, really don't!" Astoria said vehemently.
Astoria gave him notes to read on laws, on diplomatic plans between Britain and other countries, on spells and rituals that would be deemed too Dark to let the public use and on how Voldemort planned to rule with the Ministry. Harry took all of them and put them on a table before he transfigured a chair into a big couch so that Nagini could join him while he read. After accepting a cup of tea from Astoria, he put up a silencing bubble around his couch and thus could read in peace, even when Astoria had another meeting an hour later.
Astoria had to use a powerful Lumos to get his attention when they were expected to take tea with their spouses. Harry had just begun to read about the plans for the Muggleborn children and hurriedly asked to come back the next day to read more. Astoria told him he was always welcome and gave him a couple of books about politics that he could read in the meantime, if he wanted.
The next day he was back as soon as he was awake enough to be around people, and had eaten a full breakfast, as per Healers orders. With it he had taken the usual nutrient potion, a new batch from Voldemort. He had a feeling that he really shouldn't trust Voldemort's creations anymore than Snape's. But as he had told Voldemort; if Voldemort decided to poison Harry, Harry really wanted to know the reason why, as that would lead to trouble for Voldemort too. And maybe that was the reason he trusted Voldemort not to poison him. The possibility of mutual destruction made Voldemort the safer choice, despite all rationality.
Harry sat on the sofa, feet on the floor, with the notes spread on the table in front of him and Nagini curled around him with her head in his lap. He could feel the calm she forced on him through the connection they had, but it wasn't painful or even irritating. Right here and now there was no reason for him to be agitated and it felt good not to be worried or afraid. Even if the feeling didn't originate with him.
That was a thought he had been turning around and around in his head for days.
Harry was looking through the notes, reading the orderly summaries and trying to decide what he would read next. There would be another meeting soon. Astoria had a lot of them each day, it seemed like, and Harry would like to have his reading plans ready when the meeting started, so as not to disturb the other people with moving around, even if he did it in a silencing bubble.
"Astoria, I adore the way you make these summaries," Harry said down towards the table before looking up at her where she stood by her desk. "Even Hermi wouldn't have found anything to complain about. I know I saw something about how you plan to rearrange the Auror Office and Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, the Obliviators and their tasks specifically? Where are those notes now, do you know?"
"I'm sorry, part of this meeting is about that, so I have those notes. I'm hoping the Head of DMLE Bones will like the plans, or maybe even have some constructive feedback. She has been very helpful so far. Could I possibly tempt you with a rough sketch of what we plan to do about Hogwarts?" She held out a scroll of parchment enticingly. "Or, you are of course welcome to join the meeting, or just listen in, if you want to."
"Gimme!" Harry used Accio on the scroll Astoria held and she grinned at him.
"The little wife should keep to the kitchen, not bother her head with complicated plans." Lucius stopped by them on the way to the meeting table.
Astoria looked at Harry, Harry looked at Astoria, and then in the same moment they pointed at themselves and looked at Lucius, before looking at each other again.
"He cannot possible mean you, he wouldn't be that stupid," Harry told her.
"But I'm the only one of us that's a wife," Astoria pointed out.
"No one would be stupid enough to tell you that you belong in the kitchen," Harry interjected. "The Dark Lord's favourite and all that rot."
"Hey! I worked hard for my reputation; I will have you know! And really, telling the Dark Lord's husband the same is not better or smarter in any way, shape or form."
"That might be. But telling a woman that she belongs in the kitchen is something a Muggle Neanderthal would do. Not a highbrow pureblood. He might be under the Imperius." Harry looked at the now silently fuming man. "Unless, he got the genders confused, yet again, and he is trying to tell me that I belong in the kitchen? Is that it, Lucius? I can inform you that I'm an excellent cook, and also that I utterly despise cooking."
"All proper, pureblood wives are obliged to give her husband and guests of his choice a full dinner before the marriage, to prove that she is worthy and can prepare …" Malfoy senior began.
The storm clouds in Astoria's ice blue eyes made Harry wary.
"Again, I'm not a wife. I am a husband to my husband. And really, Lucius, both of us are half-bloods, why should we care overmuch about ancient, stuffy pureblood customs, unless we want to, that is?"
"How dare you talk about the Dark Lord like that!"
"What? How dare I call my husband a husband? How dare I call him a half-blood, which he is as much as me. What the hell is your problem? Get out of my face!"
"How dare you talk …"
"Nagini, could you please herd him towards the meeting table? He needs to leave me alone before I break one of Astoria's rules and begin a fight."
Nagini didn't hesitate and launched herself directly at Malfoy. While watching Nagini herd Malfoy to his chair, Harry held an eye on Astoria and didn't relax before he saw her smile at Nagini's antics. The big serpent used her coils to fasten Malfoy to his chair, as if to force her point across.
Astoria and Harry exchanged a look before Astoria went to open the meeting and Nagini came back to Harry for more pets and cuddles. Harry leaned back on the couch and began to read about Hogwarts' future.
For some strange reason, even with the many warnings so far given to him, things came to a head between Harry and Lucius the next day.
Harry stood with Astoria and Alecto Carrow by Astoria's desk and went through the suggestions from Susan Bones and some of the Auror's that had attended the meeting the day before. Alecto was the one who worked directly with Susan, and while Harry couldn't like her, he had to admit that she did keep things professional. Not once did she sneer at him, call him names, remind him that they had been on different sides and fought for different outcomes or threaten him in any way. For that matter, only Malfoy senior had so far disparaged or threatened Harry to his face.
"I really like Susan's suggestion to go through the ranks of new and old Auror's," Harry said and put the parchment with the suggestion on top of the others, "test their abilities and give them positions and authority as a result of those tests. That way we, you, will not inherit the corruption and bias from the old Ministry, and, personally, I wholeheartedly believe that to be a good thing."
"I would agree with you, Mr. Potter," Carrow said dispassionately, "if not for the fact that if we do it this way, power among the Auror's would swing hard towards the Light side as only they have trained Auror's, and that is a balance I don't like to disturb. I feel that giving too much power to either side is … unwise … at this point. We are going to become one force, but we are far from there yet."
"And I would agree with you too, if not for the fact that I can name three Death Eaters that might do well as leaders of Auror teams. They have enough magical power and finesse, as well as potion and spell expertise, and charisma enough to lead. Two of them are also brilliant at tactical reasoning, the third is so-so, but far from bad. They will need to learn the laws, rules and regulations that are relevant for the Auror's, but Susan might very well put any or all of them as team leaders. If they should wish for such a job and if they have the right kind of disposition and … self-control. None of them is known for the last one, I think. If they want to try for the job, someone should give them a very, very stern talking to. My husband could probably manage it."
"That is … interesting, Mr. Potter. Could you by any chance give me the names of those you think could do such a job?"
"Sure." Harry used one of Astoria's quills to scribble down the three names on a piece of parchment before giving it to Carrow. "When I say they need a stern talking to, I mean it. With power those three will wreak havoc within weeks, and have the public crying out for blood within months. With the right kind of motivation, I firmly believe they could do quite a bit of good."
Alecto Carrow looked at the three names and blinked. "You seem to know more about some people than I do. If I might ask, Mr. Potter, how come you know them this well?"
"Temporary truce through a three-day long storm five years ago. Hermi and I shared a cave with them. I saw all three of them at the wedding, so I know they survived."
"I see. Thank you for your input, Mr. Potter. I will most decidedly look into it."
She was careful when talking to him, and there was a distinct chance that she simply said what she thought he wanted to hear, but he gave it a try anyway. At least she wasn't antagonistic.
"So, if you look into those three," Astoria said, "I will search my brain for other alternatives, from both sides. People that might be interested in an Auror job if they think they have a fair chance at a good job, honest treatment and promotion within the ranks. We need Auror's almost as much as we need Healers, Obliviators and Potion Masters."
"Maybe this is a stupid question, but when it comes to Potion Masters …" Harry began, and Astoria nodded at him. "Do you need them for potions that actually require a Mastery to brew? I mean, I can brew plenty of potions perfectly, as can many other people, without a Mastery. Maybe you just need a Master to confirm the quality of the potion, at least until those who apprentice for a Mastery get qualified for it."
Astoria stared at him and then she frowned while scribbling down something on a note sheet. "Circe, why didn't I think of that," she grumbled. "At least some of the potions we need a lot of, I can make myself, so I know other people can too. We can pay for the materials as well as people's time, that should make someone at least a bit interested."
"Your side was lucky enough not to have to make do with a lot of things in a lot of situations," Harry said in a low voice. "My side was not nearly as lucky. It made for quite a few unusual, if not straight out eccentric, solutions. Needs must, and all that. The war is over, but it will be months and years before we will get to any kind of normalcy."
"Now, now, Mrs. Malfoy, don't let the blushing bride strain her little head with grown-up talk, when she needs to concentrate on her dinner-party." Malfoy senior chuckled while he passed in front of Astoria's desk.
"Enough, Lucius," Harry said harshly and straightened.
"What, does the little bride …" Malfoy began to turn towards Harry again and Harry let his power out from behind the shields, from one moment to the next. After he had done it that first time at Voldemort's request, he had done it now and again on his own. Because it felt different to have it free, it felt like he stretched a part of himself that he never had stretched before. And he liked the feeling. It was safe to do now, in the Manor, among his former enemies. It didn't matter if he had his power shielded or not, the war was over and if they wanted to kill him, they knew where he was anyway.
Malfoy was driven to his knees with a groan, as was Alecto and several other people in the room that had come for the meeting. Astoria gasped and leaned heavily on her desk to steady herself. The power continued to well out of Harry and sweep across the rest of the Manor and out over the grounds. Harry walked up to Malfoy and looked down at him.
"I will try to explain this in a way you might be able to understand, Lucius. When I married Voldemort, we were two men that married. Two wizards. Two grooms. We became two husbands. We are two males. There are no women in our marriage. No witches. No brides. No wives. No females of any kind. I do understand that this can be a bit hard to comprehend for some, but that is the whole fucking point of gay marriage. There are two of the same kind. Whatever traditions and rules you think apply, isn't worth shit to me and my marriage. Actually, they aren't worth shit to anyone who doesn't want them! In the future, do remember that."
Harry turned towards Astoria. She had straightened and except for being wide eyed with blown pupils, she was calm and composed.
"Astoria, do remind me; your list, does it say anything about me not killing anyone?" His voice was a biting croon and at Malfoy's soft whimper he felt his mouth curl into a smile, a very much not nice smile.
Astoria came in front of her desk and leaned a bit against it with a small frown. "No, no, you may kill people, if you do not get into a fight and only use magic to do it. Yes, that should be safe. But no fighting, Harry, I mean it." She raised an eyebrow at him.
"I do not have to fight to kill vermin. Vermin are always easy kills, at least when they are within reach." He looked down at Malfoy again.
"True, but killing is boring. It's over and done so fast. Also, no one truly learns anything from being killed. That's why I prefer torture. Then they might learn something, or at least live with their mistakes."
Harry looked at her consideringly when the door to the hallway went up and Voldemort came in with Draco right behind him. Harry spared them a glance, not surprised that they had shown up. He usually was a lot more careful when he released his power.
"That's true. But I don't really believe Lucius is capable of learning anyway," Harry said, as neither of the new arrivals said anything. "Also, torture is messy."
"It doesn't have to be." Astoria smiled beatifically, twisted her hand, and had her wand in hand a moment later. "That's why I like the Cruciatus so much."
"Crucio demands more emotional involvement than I have, at least at the moment. If I really have to, I have other curses I can use, but again; messy. So very messy. And unpredictable too. If they move, then they are suddenly dead. Then it's better to simply kill them to begin with, you know?"
Astoria nodded wisely. "That's another reason why I like the Cruciatus. I know exactly what I get with it and only I have any influence on it. I can do it for you, if you wish, Harry. It's no trouble." She looked down at Malfoy that still was on his knees, unable to get up because of the power pushing him down hard. Harry hadn't known he could use pure power to make things happen, but apparently, he could.
"No trouble at all." Astoria smiled.
"My Lord, I believe that my Father might have enraged our spouses," Draco said in a low voice.
"So it seems, Draco."
"He appears to have some trouble understanding the whole two-men-getting-married thing," Harry said and turned to Voldemort.
"Oh, how so?" Voldemort raised a brow. More and more often he used the glamour with hair, and as that made him look even less like himself from the graveyard, Harry appreciated it.
Also, he looks fucking edible like that. The bizarre thought suddenly shot through Harry's mind before he could stop it. He shook it off. That's absolutely beside the point!
"He tries to insist that I'm a bride," Harry said with a sigh, "a wife and a little woman that have certain responsibilities in my marriage, and to you, that you yourself have never mentioned. Therefore, I find it a tad impertinent, if not outright rude, of him to go on this way. Moreover, his view of women and witches seems to be positively antique and desperately in need of a modernisation. I believe Astoria has volunteered to begin his re-education, but to be honest, I worry for Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy if he actually sees women like that and acts accordingly."
Someone on the other side of the room, by the big meeting table, moved, and Narcissa Malfoy took a few steps closer to him. He hadn't known she was there, but then he hadn't paid much attention to the people in the room while he was talking to Astoria and Alecto. If they stayed away from him, he could ignore them, and they mostly did.
"I thank you for your consideration, Mr. Potter, truly," her voice shook slightly, as did her hands, "but as I was raised in a home with costumes and traditions similar to my husband, I have never had any trouble in that regard. Lucius also seems to have forgotten that as brides have certain traditions to follow, so do grooms. And if he has taken it upon himself to remind you of one part of the tradition, he has completely ignored to remind the Dark Lord of the other part of the same traditions."
"And that's terribly remiss of him," Harry said with a nasty grin.
As if Malfoy would ever try to tell Voldemort what to do.
"It truly is," Astoria agreed with a nod.
Harry looked at Voldemort. "What do you think? Should we both ignore the traditions that Lucius has been bothering me about, or should we both follow them? As grooms, I might add. You married a man, so now you are stuck with the consequences; all of the consequences."
"I am well aware that I married a man, Harry, and no, I do not believe I need to adhere to any of the traditions that I have not already gone through with at the wedding. I am content with that. What do you think?"
"I'm content too, thanks." Harry nodded at him, and Voldemort gave him a nod back. Then Harry looked down at Malfoy, still on his knees. "And you will stay the fuck out of my marriage!" he snarled into his face.
"The meeting will be postponed by an hour, please come back then," Astoria said in an unemotional voice. "Lucius; get out now!"
Harry let up his power on the man, but didn't call it back behind the shields, and Malfoy scrambled past his son and his Lord out the door. Others followed more dispassionately, the last one was Narcissa Malfoy who curtsied both towards Harry and Voldemort before leaving.
"You could have let me torture him a little," Astoria complained when they were only four in the room and the door was closed. She tucked her wand back into what Harry assumed was a sheath on her right wrist, under the sleeve of her robe.
Harry snorted. "You are in a better position than me to make those kinds of decisions, as I don't hold any power. Why didn't you?"
She waved it away, but he noticed the look she sent between him and Voldemort. He didn't turn to see what kind of look Voldemort gave her back.
"By the way, you are kind of good at bantering in strained situations," he continued.
"Phu-lease, I'm the best!" Astoria buffed her long, manicured nails on her robe lapel and looked at them with a satisfied smirk, before meeting his eyes. "Honestly though, I recalled how it seemed like the banter with Susan Bones, after the attack in the Atrium, seemed to ground you a bit, or at least distract you, so I thought I should try that. To stop you from getting any more riled up. Even if it had been very understandable if you had lost it on him, the way Lucius kept pushing at you. I did talk to him yesterday, but maybe I wasn't … clear … enough."
Harry thought about what she had said and about the situation they both had been in just a few moments ago.
"Yes, it might have helped a bit. Thanks."
"For the record; the smile you get when you get incensed is truly terrifying, and your voice …" She shuddered. "Remind me to never piss you off, at least not enough to deserve that kind of treatment."
"You, on the other hand, just get scarily cute in a I-will-rip-your-eyes-out-and-eat-your-face kind of way."
Astoria giggled.
"Yes, that's it, exactly. Like a beautiful, smiling doll drenched in blood, ready to drag your innards out through your mouth."
"I have never done that! That's slander!"
"There's a curse for that, you know."
Astoria froze, and then she grinned. "Really? Do you know it? It would be fun threatening with that if people know I actually know the curse."
"Sure. Curse for a curse?"
"With pleasure."
"My Lord, I'm not entirely certain it would be safe to leave those two alone for any amount of time, if you don't mind me saying," Draco almost whispered.
"You married her, do not complain now, Draco," Voldemort said good-naturedly.
"I married her, but that was before you married him. Together they are clearly hazardous for one's health."
"Let them have their fun."
"As you say, my Lord. I need a drink, though, would you care to join me, my Lord?"
"I would. Astoria, Harry, do not start another war today, that is all I ask," Voldemort said before turning around.
"What about tomorrow? Would it be alright if we start a war tomorrow?" Harry asked, because he just couldn't stop himself. The opening was simply too good to pass up on.
"We will see. Maybe if you both are really good." Voldemort waved a dismissive hand and the door closed behind him.
Harry stared at Astoria, and she stared back.
"Did he just … try for banter?" Harry whispered, a bit stunned.
Astoria nodded. "He almost never does that and it's kind of … new. I think I heard him do it for the first time earlier this year."
In other words, with Voldemort's healed soul followed not only Voldemort's recovered mind, but also his wit.
They spent the hour before the meeting with Harry teaching Astoria the gut dragging curse and counter-curse, and discussing what kind of curse Astoria could teach him. In the end they decided on a water boiling curse, that could boil the water in a human's body, as well as water in a pot. Both curses were undoubtedly Dark, and would be classified as such under the new laws, but Astoria shrugged it off.
"We both know so many ways of killing and torturing somebody, one more method won't make any difference. Just don't teach it to anyone else. Husbands are of course exempt from that rule, if they should wish to learn."
That was all there was to say about that.
A/N:
Thank you for the comments, the favs and the follows! They are much appreciated! I love to hear what you think about the story and the characters! It makes writing this story even more fun!
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