Chapter 44
A garden party. Harry tied the tie he had, then frowned in the mirror and re-tied it. Then frowned again and removed it completely and shuffled off the jacket Daphne had suggested and found another in his cupboard.
It had bullet holes in the back, but aside from that it was a nice jacket, he'd had it tailored and everything.
It was just a pity that during that particular investigation they'd been shot at.
Ioan had pointed out that technically they weren't bullet holes as they'd been fired from a musket.
Held by magically animated Yetis.
Harry frowned at the figure in the mirror.
A garden party.
Nothing brings together the wizarding folk than surviving the end of the world.
Earlier that week…
"A garden party?" Harry stared at Daphne.
Daphne looked back at Harry amused at his exclaim.
They were meeting in London, again. It had been almost a week and a half and Torchwood One had barely had its surface scratched or secrets uncovered.
Most of the said secrets were being taken by the Ministry of Defence, they'd hold onto them. He'd spent five days out of that time in discussion with bits of the Ministry of Defence and the upper echelons of the security services to make certain that information and equipment would go where it needed to go.
It seemed Torchwood had been keeping secrets, technology and a gigantic truckload of "other" in their tower. More so than the other Torchwoods he'd been to.
Even earlier in the week…
"It cannot be a coincidence that 'Cohort Dow' is an anagram of Torchwood," Ioan said. He was with Harry and Judith as they inspected the items that had been marked as 'other' by those from Porton Down and other Ministry of Defence facilities.
Anything that they classified as requiring their special attention would be sent off to a different storage facility that LPI had jurisdiction over.
It was still a gigantic task and Ioan was glad that they were all on the same side.
UNIT had still tried to swarm in at least twice since the 'restoration of normality' or since London stopped burning with fires and debris of alien attacks.
"No," Harry said as he tapped his wand against a thing that was humming. "I feel like I should have seen it, should have seen that," he moved on. "Especially now, seeing what Torchwood One has been getting up to."
"A lot different to sex up everything excluding Weevils Captain Jack Harkness and his wacky band of mates." Judith tapped Harry on the shoulder and pulled Ioan by the hand down through a row of odd shaped things.
Ioan looked to Harry who shrugged as they followed Judith. "Another Felix candidate." Judith said gesturing to some small squat.
Felix was a code word for their magic bags, named after the eponymous cat.
Ioan felt the same as Harry on this matter, even though Harry had worked closely with the MOD there were still some things he felt more comfortable handling themselves, without passing it through the MOD's hands first.
Just in case of course.
As Judith and Harry had said the government was still in some disarray. Still functioning, but less capable they were now rushing headlong towards an election.
Before Christmas it was suggested in the papers that the election date would be set. Not that, Ioan had mentioned to his wife, many wizards would actually care who was being elected in the muggle elections. Vikings or Saxons could be invading the country and taking over government and a lot of wizards wouldn't notice the difference.
Even after all of this, 'Doomsday – When the Army of Ghosts Attacked' was what one of the papers had said, but it was on the fringes. Both wizarding and muggle media had begun to cover the events of the previous week up.
Ioan was still somewhat amazed at how they'd managed it. A hand or two from the security services; the men and women he'd witnessed at the meetings himself and Harry attended. Some of the most calm, yet passionate people he'd seen witness to.
"Very British," Judith commented in a light tone.
Ioan was sure she was replying to his internal musings, she had an uncanny ability to do that, or she just read the micro-expressions and murmurs that they all made.
It was something he'd learned to do himself, when he'd been out to expose the great alien cover up within wizarding culture. The one that had been exposed, yet again to the world and was covered up once more. It still amused him; that wizards could still ignore what had been literally in their faces ready to convert and exterminate them. Yet they were willing to push it under the carpet, shove it in the floo and think of it as a magically related incident.
Together he and Harry pulled the large bottomless bag over the crate Judith had indicated. Now that he was closer to it he could see it meant business, an uncertain something that made him uneasy.
The bags, of which he and Harry had several were something they'd arrived at through long experimentation; being able to contain alien technology and magical items without losing structural integrity and maintaining a level area within.
He knew of Quidditch teams that had messed around with larger and more stable tents which in general were a similar enchantment to the bottomless bags. But these were far more durable and stable. It was something he and Harry had worked at for some time and there were areas around Harry's house that had shown the results of their failed experiments.
Now though they were almost problem free.
Problem free enough to steal away anything that they didn't want the MOD getting their hands on.
They would still need to store it securely. That was one of the many things they'd had to sacrifice for the stability of the bottomless bags.
They were stable, however entropy of the bag and the enchantment itself was greatly increased so they would never be a useful archiving tool. They were at the moment good for around five days, a week at the most before they lost structural integrity and in the best case just spewed their contents out.
Harry had shown him where he intended to store the items from Torchwood. In his village that he'd come across, the one he'd discovered with Iris Wildthyme.
Since then he'd been to Ashfordly with Harry and without, to check in. It was somehow still remaining secluded. Hidden off the radar so to speak.
The large estate that was there would serve as a good location to store all the items they were retrieving from Torchwood One, until they could work out where to put it next.
"Come on day dreamer," Judith said to Harry who seemed be like him caught musing.
"Maybe Torchwood has those clones of the Beatles somewhere around here."
Ioan snorted. "Only if they could weaponise them." He muttered.
"Maybe they've got that Auton boy band that went rogue a year or two ago," Harry mused.
They never did find out where they turned up. They hadn't even intended to be there for aliens, it had been a seemingly simple magic-manipulation case at a reality TV show where one of the judges had been using some alien technology to level judging. It had all turned very nasty, the Auton boy band hadn't helped matters.
"They weren't that bad either, compared to some." Judith fixed him with a look. He was sure those breasts had been hypnotic.
"…" Ioan opened his mouth to say something and then thought better of it. Judith just laughed.
Present…
Harry was starting to think he needed a new car.
Needed probably wasn't the right word.
Wanted was the more correct word.
His Lotus was currently being rebuilt, the Cybermens' weapons fire had seriously damaged several components of it. The cooling and oil systems were only the start of the problems.
But he was determined to keep it, it had survived one invasion and it would continue to service him on any future ones. The engine block had survived unscathed and only slightly scarred.
He was in two minds about the weapon systems though, a little too Bond-like.
LPI however would be taking a business trip before in the months leading up to Christmas to go to a weapons trade show.
He'd gotten the idea to do so rather than working through his contacts to get weapons after seeing a repeat of Sarah Jane's documentary about the Covert and Operational Procurement Exhibition or 'COPEX' that she'd filmed, produced and everything else a few years ago. Watching it now he realised the metal mutt K9 must have shot a lot of the covert footage based on the angle and quality.
He was determined not to go down Jack's Torchwood Three path of riding around in a big Range Rover. That was far too 'special ops' conspicuous.
Judith and Ioan also had budgets allocated to them for vehicles, all part of the 'LPI employment package'. Not that they'd taken up on the offer. Ioan was happy to apparate to meet him and then go with him or to take the Defender.
Judith was…Judith.
"I'm glad you forced me to go to this garden party." Harry looked to Daphne. While he still derided the idea of a garden party, it was somewhere to go to disengage his mind for a little while. From Cohort Dow, Torchwood and the security services.
"Even if you'd prefer to be wandering yards searching for new conveyances?" Daphne teased.
Harry chuckled. "No, of course not," Harry paused. "What I really I want to be doing is hanging out with a bunch of other wizards revelling in the fact we're alive, but not mentioning why," his tone slipped to slightly cynical.
Daphne looked over at him. "There will be some individuals who do not think like that Harry. Draco will be there."
Harry nodded appreciatively. "At least there'll be someone to talk to."
"Are you still surprised at your association?" Daphne asked, it was something he'd often remarked on.
"I'm more close to George than I am to Ron I think some of the time," Harry said as he slowed down to look at the little wooden signs that indicated the roads in this part of the countryside. He didn't have a GPS in the Jag and unless he re-kitted it out it wouldn't be any use where they were going.
But Daphne had said their destination wasn't heavily fortified with magic either.
He'd checked maps before they'd departed nonetheless, however there were more T-junctions that he'd first thought.
"We develop Harry, relationships, associations. They develop and grow."
Harry frowned at the sign and continued on, annoyed that the signs seemed to be telling the truth. "And my relationship with Ron has remained the same, stagnated even."
Daphne remained silent for a moment. "You know I do not like to make judgments on personal relationships Harry," she finally replied.
Harry exhaled as they came to another crossroads. "Honestly." He shook his head. "How many of these cross roads are…" He looked up at the sign. "There?" He raised an eyebrow and looked at Daphne and then grinned and put his foot down, changing gear swiftly as they sped along the road.
"Harry are you sure your conveyance can handle these conditions?" Daphne didn't seem worried though was looking around concerned.
"Fractal projection," he said. "I was worrying too much about where we were going." He nodded up at the rear view mirror. "Not where we've been."
Daphne craned around. It looked like the road they had been on. It seemed to stretch into the distance.
"It's like a camera obscura," Harry rattled off. "Do you know any spells that can create darkness?" Harry asked with a grin.
Daphne leant out the window and aimed at the next signpost and cast the spell as Harry flicked the headlights of the Jag on; revealing a driveway.
Slowing down and changing gear as he did so he could make the corner into the drive way he grinned at Daphne who was removing the bubble head charm she'd used to protect her hair and eyes as she leant out of the Jag.
"I'm impressed by who ever is holding this party Daphne," Harry laughed happily as he looked along the driveway.
There was a sign that indicated 'Conveyance Parking' with an arrow. What he saw in the parking area made him laugh out loud. Though Daphne didn't seem to realise what it was that they parked close to.
The vehicle dwarfed his sports car. It was a steam wagon.
Harry shook his head grinning. "Alright. I'm glad you got me to come along."
Harry walked with Daphne up around the house to the rear where the large manicured garden was filled with people.
She'd said it wasn't that sort of event where he should take her arm and have her guide him in.
"I take it that there'll be plenty of people here I've not encountered before," he asked.
Daphne smiled. "Are you basing your assessment on the interesting conveyance Harry?" She asked as they stood at a point on the path. Harry couldn't see any indications as to why this point was significant.
"Yes," he conceded. "And that I can see many people that I've not run into before, or who've attempted to kill me or be obstructive in the Ministry."
Daphne chuckled lightly. "Not all wizards fit into those narrow categories Harry."
"There's probably some people who just dislike me," Harry commented.
"I am not one of those people Mr Potter, Ms Greengrass," said a man who stepped into their field of view. He was old, though not wizarding so, mature Harry mused as he shook the man's hand.
Harry looked to Daphne for some guidance and found she'd already shook the man's hand and wandered off, a mischievous grin on her face as she left him with the mature man whose name he didn't know.
"Ward Lock Mr Potter," the man, Ward Lock, said as he turned back to look at the party.
"An odd way to celebrate a near miss invasion attempt Mr Lock," Harry said. "Though everyone seems very casual about everything."
"I'm not about to throw you to the cellar Mr Potter. That's where I keep the wine!" He laughed heartily.
Harry didn't bother being surprised, secrets in the wizarding world weren't that for long. What was annoying him though, was Ward Lock's name.
He was sure he'd heard it before, though any more detailed information was buried in the depths of memory.
"You are trying to recall where you have heard my name Mr Potter?"
"Hmm?" Harry asked distracted and found the Ward Lock had started a slow walk towards the main bulk party. "Yes."
"My name is on books and imprints. You may be more familiar with M.L. Books perhaps?"
"History of Magic. Of course!" Harry could have sworn, but didn't. Not loudly.
The man chuckled again. "It is a reaction I am familiar with Mr Potter, some thing I am just a name on a book."
"Better to be on the book than in a book," Harry grumbled, once more unintentionally forced to think of Ron and Hermione.
"A publisher always wants be that way, I am the name on the book and within, not the subject of it," he mused and seemed to be about the speak further when a piece of paper materialised in front of him. He plucked it out of the air with more speed than Harry would have thought and then scrunched it into a ball and dropped it. Between then and before it reached the ground it had turned to dust.
"Good grit for the path," he said by way of explanation. "More guests for this soiree of mine," he said and turned away from him.
-/
"Right." Harry said to himself looking over at the group. Now he had to go and socialise.
As he wandered around the groups of witches and wizards he began to wish of another alien invasion, assassination attempt or maniacal madman trying to blow something up.
Calm garden parties held by book publishers were unsettling.
"You look unsettled," haid a voice who seemed to enjoy that he was unsettled, there was a small pause and the voice said his name. "Harry."
Harry grinned and turned. "Hello Draco, we're on first name terms now?" Harry asked grin.
Draco just raised an eyebrow. "Your information was most useful Harry," he said this time not pausing on his name.
Harry shrugged.
Draco appraised him. "Now, are you waiting for an attack to occur, some unbeknownst attacker to jump out wand waving?" Draco asked in a tone of almost amusement, edged with a mild tone of caution.
"Garden parties are so…" Harry shook his head.
Draco snorted. "You will find some of our Hogwarts fellows over by the rosemary." He nodded over to a far corner of the gardens. "Granger is there speaking with Longbottom."
"No sign of Ron?" Harry asked.
"Your tone suggests you don't really care." The other man observed.
Harry turned and looked across the garden. "Maybe I don't," he admitted.
Harry was startled when Draco patted him on the shoulder. "We're not going to hug are we?" Harry asked worried.
"Of course not Potter," Draco commented mildly shocked.
Harry sighed as two wizards approached them. "I guess I'll go and chat to our former Hogwarts chums."
Draco laughed. "One would think you'd prefer to be in a ghastly gaol."
Harry just smirked. "That would depend entirely on whether I had the keys," Harry paused. "Or who was locking me up. Draco." Harry nodded slightly to him and the wizards who had approached to talk with him.
Harry briefly glanced back as he walked away from Draco, the two wizards seemed to be speaking animatedly with Draco.
-/
Hermione smiled at him as he approached and pulled him into a hug. "Hello Harry," she said as they broke apart.
"Hello," he said and shook Neville's hand. Between him walking over from where he'd been with Draco the rest of the group that had been around them had wandered off.
"The others saw you chatting to Malfoy. Lee couldn't believe it," Neville commented.
"Times change," Harry said simply as he ran his hand through the tall rosemary shrub.
"People change," Hermione added in a softer voice.
Neville looked between them. "I'll let you talk," he said pausing beside Hermione placing his hand on her shoulder gently before walking off.
Harry and Hermione stood in silence for several moments.
"Ron?" Harry asked after a few moments.
Hermione glared at him. "Yes," she said after a moment.
Then as they remained in silence a tray floated past. Harry had noticed them; going about the party as though they were completely normal. They were, at least at this party.
"Champagne?" Harry asked.
"Juice," Hermione said as Harry plucked two glasses of something that wasn't champagne from the tray. "You're driving I trust?" As they each took a sip of their drinks.
"Yes," Harry said with a small nod and then said in a mock whisper "and I want to keep a sober head."
"No one's out to kill you here. We're all likeminded individuals here it seems," Hermione said sipping her glass.
"Happy we didn't die?" Harry asked.
"And accepting that it wasn't wizards involved," Hermione added and sniffed. "More or less."
"Ah I see," Harry said. He remained silence again, unsure how to bring up his friend, or whatever Ron was.
"He seemed such a good, silly boy," Hermione started. She shook her head and made a gesture with her hand. A tray floated over a second or two later and she replaced the juice and took some champagne.
Harry didn't take anything. He'd barely begun to sip his own drink.
"A silly, sometimes jealous boy," Hermione repeated running her hands through the rosemary shrub which was more like a tree beside them.
Harry still didn't know what to say, or even do, it wasn't as though his Hogwarts relationship went anywhere.
He'd ended up trying to kill the mad cow, he didn't think Hermione would like that sort of advice. It hadn't improved his and Ginny's relationship.
"Molly thinks that we should have started having children by now," Hermione broke the silence.
"Oh?" Harry asked. It wasn't something he and Daphne had even raised. She had spoken of some people from Hogwarts who had begun popping out children. Though she didn't say 'popping out'.
"But I'm not sure if I want children," she paused and looked at him. "Not with Ron."
"Oh," Harry said, still not sure what to say. "You know I'm much better at dealing with being shot at than relationship talk Hermione," he said with a half laugh.
This seemed to break the mood as Hermione stared at him for a moment and punched him lightly on the arm. "You're Harry Potter."
"No Auton duplicates here," Harry paused. "Hopefully," he added.
"What?" She looked at him oddly.
"Nothing." Harry took a sip of his drink.
"It's over. I think," Hermione announced after a moment and downed the glass of champagne. The trays seemed to sense this and floated over to take her glass. She didn't take another though, Harry downed his and placed it on the tray before it could leave.
"You think?" Harry asked trying to remain neutral.
"Unless I suddenly encounter an alternate Ron from a parallel universe, I don't think it's likely," she said with a half laugh.
"He'd probably be a fascist or wear an eye patch or something," Harry commented.
"Or be like he is in your books," Hermione said with a sly grin.
"Something I should never have shown you," Harry muttered. "And you're still not borrowing them."
"I could just take your footrest." Hermione noted, referring to the footrest he'd made by sticking several of the Harry Potter and the… books together.
"You could," Harry said and offered her his arm. "Now shall we return to the party?"
Hermione looked at his arm and nodded though didn't take his arm.
They began to walk slowly back to where it was more busy. "Draco doesn't currently have a partner I think." Harry mentioned in an amused tone causing Hermione to snort.
"Just because you're chummy with Malfoy doesn't mean I'm going to be Harry," she paused. "And you're on first name terms with him?"
"It seems yes. It's taken him long enough," Harry murmured.
"Mmm, I heard. Ron ranted about it before all of this, when we were trying to have a calm sit down," Hermione idly commented.
"I hope my association with Draco didn't-" Harry began.
Hermione waved her hand. "Ron gets obsessed over the smallest things Harry" she paused sighing "and angry over them too. Your association with Draco Malfoy is your own business."
"I bet-" Harry began and stopped himself.
"You bet what?" Hermione asked him.
Harry shook his head. "I was about to mention Ron again." He shook his head.
"He's not dead Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, we can still talk about him. He's just," she paused and shook her head. "Perhaps you're right."
"There's plenty of people here to chat to let's leave the red headed weasel alone." Harry smirked as Hermione looked at him with a look of mock shock on her face.
"Harry! You have been spending too much time with Draco Malfoy!" They both laughed as they continued to walk along.
"Your friend Draco does seem busy though," Hermione said looking over where Draco was talking with a witch. "Different people talking to him."
"Been keeping an eye on him?" Harry asked raising an eyebrow.
"I've been watching everyone Harry," she countered neutrally. "Hannah's been doing the rounds chatting to everyone, probably drumming up interest for her new business venture." She gestured over to one corner of the garden. "Rolf and Luna arrived just after you. They've been chatting away with Ward Lock for some time."
"Did you also?" Harry asked.
Hermione shifted slightly. "I admit," she paused as Harry looked at her. "That I chatted with him for some time, till his message system alerted him of more arrivals," she exhaled. "It was nice to talk to someone, like you."
"Always being shot at?" Harry asked.
"No, Harry, I can talk to plenty of people who are constantly being attacked. I work for the Ministry."
Harry grinned.
"People who aren't involved in the machinations of said Ministry," she continued. Ron's name was unsaid though the implication that in amongst his obsessions and whatever not he'd not left his work at work. Or maybe his work was boring.
Maybe it involved lots of meetings and only a little bit of going out and being incompetent.
Harry was caught in thought for a little too long and only just managed an "Okay." When Hermione said she was going off to speak with some people who did…something. He caught 'farming' and 'weather'.
-/
Harry sat, leaning against the building still warm from the day's sunlight, the garden party was slowly winding down, though many seemed content with waiting until their host called an end to the proceedings, or whatever it was that people did when they wanted to end a garden party. Take out a starting pistol and fire it into the air maybe, he didn't know. He'd never attended a garden party before, something that had shocked many of the people here.
He's also had a moderately interesting time, there'd been some reminiscing about time at Hogwarts, chatting about the 'recent events'. Even some talk of aliens, though the 'A' word wasn't said very often it was just alluded to casually.
It had been quite a relaxing casual day all said; there had been no threats of death or madness, just casual conversation that for the most part he followed. Some people from Daphne's line of work he was lost somewhat, all about logistics and other things.
His musings were broken by Daphne stepping into his field of view. "Harry?" She asked softly.
"Hmm?" Harry asked looking at her and frowning. "Why're talking softly?"
She smiled. "You looked content I did not wish to break you out of your reverie."
"It was a good idea to come here Daphne," he said standing up. "Is it our turn to leave?"
Daphne nodded but paused. "I…" She trailed slightly looking back towards the party. "I offered Hermione to accompany us, she seemed somewhat distressed concerning Ron."
Harry nodded. "Good idea."
-/
The steam wagon had departed and Harry hadn't been able to find the owner of the vehicle at the party. Or no one who was able to tell him who it was or if anyone knew whose it was. Many had apparated or arrived by horse drawn carriage and neither had noticed it when they'd arrived.
Hermione complained as they drove out of the driveway that she could have appartated home, but soon settled into chatting about various topics as they drove away from the party.
As they were driving Harry felt his phone vibrate, he was still in the process of re-kitting the Jag out for his phone services after an investigation with Judith had killed some of the post-1970s electronics. He decided to let it go, they would leave a message if it was really important. Only a certain few had his number.
It was only the following day when he arose that he remembered to look at the phone again and then quickly dialled Judith's number.
"Never heard of Wester Drumlins. Is it important?"
-/
A/N:
I know this chapter is lacking action, it's more of an expanded end, and epilogue of sorts to the previous chapter.
So there's not much that goes on in this chapter that's very notable.
Except for me breaking up Hermione and Ron.
This is a relationship that, like Harry and Ginny's I intended to keep together, but as the story has progressed I can't make an argument to myself for keeping them together.
I've mentioned in the past that I've found I'm not good at writing Ron, his character is just hard for me to age up / make more mature.
Going along I've not exactly found myself hating Ron but I just can't make his and Hermione's relationship work in an adult context.
I was determined to find some way to make it work and have them together. My intention in the past was to have them in a rocky place with a separation or two but then have them end up back together.
But I've just found that I can't put them together in a mature relationship, not without altering Hermione's character a lot.
Harry and Ron will probably continue to have a somewhat awkward friendship, but I don't see myself reuniting Hermione and Ron without something drastic happening.
