Fairborn Adventures

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Welcome to Chapter 92.

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Chapter 92

August 8th, 1978

Bird songs sounded over from the nearby forest that bordered the grounds of Potter Manor. The sweet melody brought something soothing to his mind, lifting his spirits and calming the turmoil of emotions inside him. And still, the faint pounding within his head had not completely subsided just yet, despite trying a few of the hangover charms and potions Lily had taught and prepared for him.

"What a fucking mess..." Harry muttered, kicking a small pebble into the nearby ditch and taking a deep breath.

'Not that I care about witnessing the loss of life, but did it have to be during my bloody stag night? Can I just take a small break from all this Death and misery for once?'

"Harry, my dear!"

The voice of his grandmother startled him from his thoughts.

Dorea and Charlus Potter strolled down the small flight of steps leading to the entrance of Potter Manor, both dressed in immaculate, colorful robes of the finest silk.

"How are you, darling?" Dorea swept him into an affectionate hug, not waiting for his response.

'Bloody great.'

"Good." Harry forced a smile on his face: "Excited."

She loosened her hold for a few seconds and eyed him up and down critically, pursing her lips at his casual jeans and shirt: "I'm assuming you'll still change for the occasion, will you?"

"Of course I will." Harry rolled his eyes and dutifully endured the kiss she planted on his cheek. He stood on his tiptoes to peek over the elegant black bun she had put her hair in: "How's Marlene? Have you seen her?"

"No, no! Don't even think about entering, young man! She's still with Lily, probably for a few more hours," Dorea chided him playfully: "You'll be a fine, patient groom and wait for her until it's your time."

"I suppose I can't even blame some bigoted pureblood traditions for this," Harry groaned: "The muggles do it just the same. As if it wasn't punishment enough that I was forbidden from spending the night before our wedding with her..."

"I've suffered the same fate and so did my father before me, as did his. Trust me, son, the night of the wedding more than makes up for it," Charlus chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder: "Why don't you distract us by showing us around your new home? We've been dying to see it."

"Sure, I'll apparate the two of you," Harry shrugged.

'Besides, I still need their help.'

"Why don't we just floo there?" Charlus frowned: "Surely your connection works already, I've seen you arrive at the Ministry for the Wizengamot session after all..."

Harry cringed: "My wards are rather sensible... I think it might be better if you approach the estate from the outside instead of traveling right inside it by magical means."

'I'm not pushing my luck any further on my wedding day.'

"Wards?" Dorea looked at him in surprise: "I thought that you of all people would be using the Fidelius with how adept you are at it? It has worked perfectly for us."

"Marlene and I chose an... alternative." Harry stifled a small pang of loss at the thought of Aurelius: "But trust me it's just as safe."

'Perhaps even better since it won't fade with my death.' He buried Voldemort's crimson eyes beneath a veil of black mist. 'Marlene will always be protected even if I fall to the last enemy.'

'But I won't fail.' Heat surged through his veins: 'I can't allow it.'

"Harry, are you still with us?"

"Yes, of course, sorry." Harry blinked his eyes and held out both his hands, waiting for them to take them. "Shall we get going?"

His grandparents shared a small glance and a shrug before intertwining their fingers with his, allowing Harry to wrench the world past him.

He staggered through the tall grass at the edge of North Dawn valley, feeling his heart flutter at the distant sight of his home in the bright sunlight of a late August morning.

'Home. The place I'll soon share with my wife.'

"I don't see anything..." Charlus slowly turned around, shielding his eyes from the sun and peeking into the distance, Dorea mirrored his motion. "Where is it?"

'Huh, they can't even see it. Even better I suppose.'

"Follow me." Harry led them to the edge of his plot of land, feeling the tingle on his skin strengthen the closer he got.

"I will take your hands and lead you over the threshold," Harry said: "Fair warning, it might be a bit... uncomfortable at first."

Apprehension shone on Dorea's gray eyes: "How uncomfortable, Harry?"

"We don't really know. Our house-elf Dobby dealt with it rather quickly but you're the first humans we invite into our home so it could be different," Harry shrugged apologetically: "I can promise you that I'll get you back out should it hurt too much."

"Okay." Dorea's fingers found him and squeezed him tightly.

"We trust you, son," Charlus nodded as well and took his other hand, before Harry stepped over the ward line, guiding his grandparents with him.

The effect was immediate.

Black mist poured from the tall blades of grass in faint spirals, creeping up Charlus' and Dorea's legs.

"What magic is this?" His grandfather swallowed thickly, grimacing in discomfort before staring at Harry with a deep frown: "This feels wrong, Harry. This magic, it feels evil!"

Dorea dealt with it even worse. The older witch was sucking in short breaths, clutching her throat and trembling in pain.

"Dory?!" Charlus scooped his wife in his arms, looking at her worryingly. "Dory, are you okay?" His head snapped to Harry: "Damnit, Harry, do something! Help her!"

'I share both their blood, the magic won't hurt them seriously. Charlus is probably faring better because he carries Peverell blood as well.'

"There's nothing I can do," Harry sighed, holding his grandmother's hand and running his thumb over her palm in a soothing manner: "She has to overcome it herself."

"Fi- fine- it's fine!" The woman wheezed as some of the pressure seemed to fade from her chest: "But- but Charlus is right." Her eyes glanced up at him, filled with worry: "This- this just feels dreadful, Harry. I can still sense it lingering inside me, so much darkness, so much hatred..."

"-and so much power. It's my family magic and it will keep those I love safe." Harry gently nudged her in the direction of the manor: "You're able to feel my wards despite me inviting you and considering you my closest family. We even share some blood somewhere down the line. Just think about what these wards will do to anyone who intends to harm me. Think about how safe they make me and my blood."

Charlus shuddered: "You used blood wards. You must know that they're illegal, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes: "I'd like to see them come and try to arrest me for it. Very few people could ever hope to find this place unless invited-"

'Dumbledore definitely could. And so could Voldemort.'

"-but none will be able to leave it once they enter."

Charlus and Dorea shared a small, worried glance but didn't say anything.

"Well then, welcome to North Dawn Manor." Harry stepped aside and presented the valley: "Future home of the Peverells."

"It's beautiful, Harry," Dorea smiled, eyes softening as they took in the entire estate: "You've picked a very lovely spot."

"It's quite a bit smaller than your manor but it still has everything we need. Let me show you the inside." He seized both their hands again and apparated them across the valley up onto the balcony overlooking the lake.

"A nice view." Charlus strolled to the railing: "This must be the place Marlene has mentioned from time to time, the one where she'd like the ceremony to take place."

"Here?" Dorea cried incredulously and turned to Harry. "But there are no decorations, no flowers, no nothing yet. Why haven't you made any preparations?"

"Yeah- you see- wedding decorations aren't quite my forte, neither are they Dobby's," Harry chuckled nervously: "So... I was hoping you could help me a bit with it?"

"Silly boy! We'll have our work cut out for us until everyone else arrives," Dorea sighed good-naturedly before chiding him again: "Good thing we arrived so early. We can still transform this place into a state worthy of housing the first Peverell wedding in a millennium!"

'Just don't make it look like some gigantic pureblood wedding please.'

"I don't need anything too fancy," Harry immediately stepped in: "Just something... nice. Something that will hopefully let me remember this day even in old age."

"No memory charm could make a man who truly loves his wife forget their wedding day, Harry," Charlus said: "Call that elf of yours and let's get to work together."

'This will be fun.'

"Dobby!"

"Master Harry, sir!" The small elf was still trembling in excitement at being allowed to help organize the wedding of his new master and mistress: "Dobby has prepared all the food just as the Mistress had requested."

"Good, I'd like you to help us transform this place and make it suitable for the ceremony," Harry said. "These are Charlus and Dorea, you will follow any of their orders as if they were my own when they call you."

"He's an enthusiastic little fellow," Charlus commented with a chuckle: " Alright then. What's Marlene's favorite color, Harry?"

"Blue," Harry said confidently. "Like a cloudless summer sky."

Charlus touched the tip of his wand to the floor. "Let's see if I can get it right."

A carpet of blue silk rolled from the entrance of the balcony over the polished stone tiles to the railing on the opposite side. With another flick, he conjured a set of thin wooden stakes that held a roof of loosely woven thorn roses.

They moved ever so slightly, shifting in the gentle breeze carried over from the lake, making the bright beams of the sun that penetrated the roof shine like spotlights on the carpet underneath.

"Good, but something's still missing," Dorea smiled and added her own pieces.

With a few flicks of her wand, she conjured some flower wreaths and handed them out for Dobby to hang in regular intervals on the stakes.

"I like it," Harry nodded appreciatively after tweaking the color of blue to perfectly match Marlene's eyes before adding a few bits and pieces of himself. "What about here then?" He pointed to where the carpet ran out at the railing.

"Perhaps something like this." Charlus conjured a few steps leading to a small, elevated podium, covering everything in the very same silky carpet that would lead the bride over to it.

"And for the background," Dorea smiled, charming a few dandelion flowers to the railing, where they let loose some of their seeds every few seconds, letting them drift up and over the lake in the background.

Harry checked out his watch: "I should probably pick up the rest of the guests."

'Not that there's many.'

"Go," Charlus smiled: "Dobby, Dory, and I will finish cleaning up this place. And, Harry, try not to let my brother-in-law ruin your face on this special day."

"Why would he- ahh- " Harry chuckled: "The wards... I'm sure he'll be a big fan of them and show some mercy."

'He'll probably ask me to set up identical ones for him.'

"Be right back." With a last grateful smile at his grandparents, he forced the world past him and apparated to the square of Grimmauld place.

"Peverell-" Arcturus, dressed in formidable dark green robes, glared at him through hard, steel gray eyes, "-you look more like some muggle schoolboy than the scion of a noble house who's about to be wed."

"I'll be changing right after taking you to my home," Harry sighed and smiled at Melania, Matthew, and his recently eloped fiancé, Amelia Bones, all dressed equally as elegant: "We best go two at a time. Lord and Lady Black, if you would?"

He held out his hands waiting for them to grasp them before forcing the world right back.

"This will be a tad uncomfortable, but since neither your sister nor your brother-in-law made a fuss about it, I doubt you will," Harry chuckled, leading them right to the edge.

"Uncomfortable?" Arcturus glared before snorting: "Your generation doesn't even know that word. Bring it on and-"

"Bloody hell!" His face shifted into a grimace of pain as Harry took the final step, pulling both into the wards: "First thing I do tomorrow morning is to kick your arse back to Grimmauld Place so you can set them up for me as well!"

'I knew it.'

"Let's talk about that during dinner, shall we?" Harry waited until their breaths evened out and apparated them to the balcony where Charlus and Dorea were still making small adjustments: "I'll be right back."

A soft snap later he found himself at Grimmauld Place again.

"Congrats to the two of you, by the way." Harry pointed at the bands of gold around Matthew's and Bones' fingers: "Not that I know much about it, but I bet it's a very fine match."

"Thank you, Lord Peverell. I'm also grateful for letting me accompany Matthew today." Amelia smiled sincerely: "I know that you originally intended for it to be a very private ceremony."

"None of that Lord stuff, if you're going to dance at my wedding you may as well call me Harry." He waved her off and held out his hand: "Shall we? I don't think angering the bride by showing up late is suitable. Marlene will probably scorch me."

The couple took his hands and Harry apparated them back.

'One more time.'

"This will be uncomfortable, I apologize in advance." He pulled them over the ward line, letting go of their hands the moment after.

"What-" Matthew wheezed, clutching his chest, fingers digging into his robes. "What- is this? Merlin, this feels awful."

"Foul..." Amelia was panting heavily, the pain brought a blush to her cheeks, rivaling the color of her hair. "This is foul magic... Dark magic even..."

"Nope, just some rather old and obscure magic tightly woven into my wards..." Harry explained and held out his hand: "The lingering feeling will fade soon. I suggest you-"

"Wait!" Matthew's hand seized him in an iron-tight grip, shooting him a long look: "Blood wards have been declared illegal for good reasons, Harry. Amelia and I are Aurors, we can't just-"

"Yes you can, and you will." Harry held his gaze unbothered: "You're not Aurors today, you're my guests at your sister's wedding." He caught a spasm of pain flinching over Matthew's face, making him draw back his hand: "And something you should know about blood wards is that it's very unwise to threaten their caster while bound within them."

Not waiting for their reply, he seized Amelia's hand as well and apparated them to the balcony, where they staggered over to the waiting group of guests. He skimmed the head for one of golden hair, failing to see his bride but spotting Sirius and James instead.

'Is she still at Potter Manor with Lily or are they here already?'

'Doesn't matter, I should probably change,' Harry cringed, watching the colorful assembly of robes in front of him. "If you would excuse me for a second."

Knowing that his bedroom and attached bathroom were off-limits for him, he apparated straight into the very guestroom he had slept in the night before. Harry snatched the dark black set of robes he had bought with Dorea from the hanger and took off his clothes.

A few minutes later he found himself posing in front of a large mirror for a second time this week, placing the length of the Elder Wand within the smooth fabric of his sleeve.

'You've got this.' Harry made a desperate last-minute attempt to arrange his hair, taking deep breaths: 'It's just as Aurelius said, I have nothing to worry about and I couldn't have found anyone better for me to spend my life with.'

Still, his heart was pounding frantically as he dried his hands and left the guest room. Muffled voices rang from behind the door to his bedroom, where undoubtedly Marlene was getting ready with the help of Lily. Harry resisted the urge to linger and listen and instead made his way back to the balcony.

He stepped outside onto the blue carpet, eyes roaming over the few guests. Everyone lingered together, chatting harmoniously while sipping on glasses filled with elven wine served by Dobby, who was running around with a small tray over his head.

Harry spotted his father and godfather next to Charlus and Dorea and made his way over to them.

"Looking sharp, mate," James grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, as he slapped him smartly on the shoulder.

Next to him, Sirius brushed dark curls off his forehead. His gray eyes were much duller than the occasion would see fit, yet he too attempted a grin: "Still can't believe you're about to marry the fittest bird at Hogwarts."

"Neither can I," Harry chuckled weakly, absently rubbing his sweaty palm on his trousers: "No idea how I've gotten so lucky."

"Let's get you up there." James gently steered him up to the raised plateau by the railing: "Lily mentioned that they need perhaps another 15 minutes and that was 10 minutes ago. They'll probably be here soon."

"Have you seen Marlene?" Harry asked nervously. "You must have seen when she took you into the wards, didn't you?"

"No chance, Lily wasn't having it. She even blindfolded us," James chuckled weakly and pulled a small box from within his robes: "I was given this, however."

Harry's breath caught in his chest as he cautiously took it and opened the lid. A band of gold with a tiny granian embedded in its front lay on a velvet piece of cloth.

He stared at it for some time, swallowing the lump in his throat while he took off his own ring and placed it right next to his fiancé's.

'The only occasion she took it off for was for me to put it right back on.'

"I should probably take this back, Harry. No worries, I won't lose it." James's hand gently closed the lid, letting the box slip back into his pocket: "There's something- or better someone- else you should focus on now anyways."

Harry's head immediately snapped up to the entrance of the balcony.

Music had suddenly started playing from somewhere, a faint piano melody that sounded almost like the thrill of a phoenix, smoothing some of the volatile emotions that bubbled inside him.

The small gathering of guests stepped off the blue carpet to either side, with only James remaining up on the platform with him, where they were joined by Charlus.

Harry's eyes were glued to the pair of hinged doors, which opened, making him forget everything around him.

Marlene gracefully stepped out onto the blue carpet on Matthew's arm.

A long, white silk dress flowed from thin straps over exposed shoulders. White roses bloomed through the weave of her golden hair that was held back in a long, elegant braid.

'She was radiant, she was indescribably beautiful, she was just perfect.'

Her blue eyes met his and Harry's heart lurched, hammering against his ribs as she began floating towards him over the blue carpet.

Never before had she been so lovely, and never before had he loved her so much.

He vaguely recognized Lily flanking Marlene along the way, beaming, her green eyes bright with joy as she let the blossoms of red roses rain from a basket on her arm.

The shimmer of gold and white that was Marlene eventually stepped out from underneath the roof of woven roses. She climbed the two steps up to him, where she parted from Matthew's arm and looked up at him with impossibly large blue eyes, sparkling like stars in the night sky.

"There's no need to look so nervous, my love." Her small, soft smile sent his heart flopping about in his chest, though, when she took his hands, Harry could feel hers trembling ever so slightly as well. "We've dreamed of this perfect day for months and nothing's coming to snatch it away from us."

'Our dream.' Harry's throat felt impossible dry, while he intertwined their fingers in between them: 'Our sunset.'

James's hand appeared from somewhere, presenting them with two rings in an open box.

"May Mother Magic be my witness-" Marlene said, giving Harry's fingers a light squeeze while slipping the band of gold on it, "-for I wish to be your wife."

A ribbon of white flame twined around her wrist in small spirals and looped over his own.

"May Mother Magic be my witness-" he echoed, losing himself in the depths of blue that stared up at him lovingly, "-for I wish to be your husband."

The pale blaze leaped up around his forearm, curling into the existing ribbon and sinking away deep into their skin until Harry could feel it burn by his very heart.

Marlene raised their joined hands between them, one delicate eyebrow bent in a silent question. He watched the two bands of gold glow around each of their fingers and nodded.

Her pink lips parted with a small smile, he quickly mirrored her movements.

"I pledge to honor you, love you, and cherish you. For you are mine, and I am yours, today and every day. Until death parts us."

Her words rang in his ears while the sound of his own voice drowned in the endless blue of her eyes, still sparkling with utter devotion.

Charlus stepped forward, tapping their joined hands with his wand. "May Mother Magic judge and bless this union with long-lasting love and luck." He retreated back down along with James and Lily and wrapped an arm around his wife.

"You can relax now, my love," Marlene whispered, her fingers creeping up to his neck and into his hair while her face hovered closer: "You are officially mine."

"And you're mine as well." A rush of warmth flooded Harry's chest and he bent to kiss her.

He brushed his lips over hers and lost himself in her taste until delighted cheers and whistles erupted from within their audience. He was slowly brought back to the balcony, Marlene's soft warm smile still hovering right underneath him.

'Perfect.'

Harry caught Dorea and Melania covering their mouth with their hands, eyes shining with tears, while each of their husbands did a rather poor job at comforting them. From somewhere music had started playing again, an old-fashioned waltz like the one they had danced to at the Bones' manor.

Harry grinned down, his arm scooping around Marlene's waist to the small of her back, feeling her bare skin shiver underneath his touch: "May I have this dance?"

"Of course;" Marlene smiled: "You can have as many dances as you wish, my husband."

He spun her around in slow circles, paying no heed to any of the other couples that soon joined them, simply holding her gaze unable to do anything but smile.

Marlene's eyes eventually deviated and she glanced around: "You've done a good job with the decoration. Or should I thank Dorea for them?"

Harry grinned: "I admit I had some help."

"According to Lily, Sirius and James had been incredibly tight-lipped and vague on what you all did last night." Marlene's smile faltered ever so slightly: "Is there something else you'd like to admit? I don't think it's wise to start off our union with a secret."

"It's not like that." Harry tensed. "I would never-"

Marlene silenced him with a kiss.

"I know;" She whispered against his jaw: "But I can tell something has happened. On any ordinary day, Sirius would've long done something inappropriate like cat-calling me. Besides-" she shot him a long look, "-something troubles you. You're my husband, Harry. Everything we have we share now, including your worries. You should just tell me..."

"You're right." He scooped her closer in his arms, breathing in a whiff of roses before whispering: "Sirius killed Peter last night."

Her fingers tensed in his neck, digging into the fabric of his dress robes while her eyes sparkled: "How?"

"We ran into him and Rosier in Knockturn Alley," Harry sighed and pulled her even closer, their feet carrying them a bit further away from the other dancing couples: "Words were exchanged, things got heated. Peter was provoked until he fired a spell, which Sirius managed to flick back. It was Snape's spell..."

"How are they dealing with it?" Marlene asked.

"Better thanks to my intervention." Harry allowed her to perform a spiral underneath his arms and pulled her back in: "The moment Peter hit the ground Rosier apparated away, leaving us with a bleeding corpse. I acted like I'd attempt to revive him and managed to brand the Dark Mark into his forearm."

"Countless hours of studying it finally paid off," Marlene murmured: "Did they fall for it?"

He nodded: "It's not a perfect replica, there was no way I could get all the spells correctly that quickly. However, with Voldemort being the only other parselmouth in Britain, it's unlikely that anyone will notice the difference."

"You did well," Marlene agreed: "The body?"

"Was left for some unfortunate soul to discover in the early morning," Harry said: "A dead Death Eater won't raise too many questions."

"Good." Her eyes found his: "Do you feel robbed of revenge that was yours to take?"

"No." Harry shook his head: "I would've given it a few more months before the rat had taken up the Mark by himself. He needed to die, and it hardly mattered who pulled the trigger."

"Trigger?" Marlene looked at him questioningly.

"Just a muggle saying," Harry grinned: "But enough of that, I don't wish to spoil our day."

"You're right," Marlene nodded and captured his lips in another kiss: "We should be celebrating the happiest day in our lives, not let the ironic, justified fate of some shallow, little people cloud our perfect sunset."

"I could use a brief escape," Harry sighed. They had stopped dancing and he was simply holding her tight now, arms circled around her waist.

"Then escape with me." Marlene kissed him: "There's no Voldemort here, no Dumbledore, no Death Eater, and neither the Ministry. Just the two of us and the few people we care for. Let's keep it that way, my husband."

'But they are all still out there.'

A flicker of unease sparkled in his gut, while he allowed Marlene to rest her head against his shoulder:

'This perfect bubble will eventually burst and reality will throw its glooming shadow over us again.'

He stared at their intertwined hands and the band of gold on his finger.

'Until death parts us.'

'I'm fighting Voldemort, Dumbledore, the entire world just so they stop tearing things away from me.'

Harry pressed Marlene's warm body more firmly against his chest, resting his head on top of her golden curls and breathing in her scent:

'Why should I let Death take something away from me?'

'Why should I risk letting him take me away from her?'