Chapter Forty-Seven: Things they are a-changin

Claudia's presense is beneficial.

(i) The characters and world of Harry Potter are the property of J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this.

(ii) Thank you to all the readers who have stayed with me through the writing of this tale. Your patience has been amazing and your continuing reviews are so appreciated.

The last few days of the year passed in quiet family time. More often than not, the mornings were spent in the library, either at Ryde or Wiltshire, discussing all the things Claudia was explaining to them about Veela culture, legend and lore. Evenings were given over to actual narrations. Claudia would tell them stories, histories. In turn, one of the Malfoys or Severus would impart information about British pureblood tradition. Harry and Hermione loved these informal lectures. It gave them so much more understanding into how their world worked.

Most nights, once the newly bonded pair returned to Lestrange Manor, Hermione would muse aloud about how unsatisfactory what she had learned at Hogwarts was. There was so much that wasn't part of the school's curriculum. Etiquette for example was completely left out. So was social history and culture, art and craft. Claudia had explained that all pureblood Veela were encouraged to practice a craft, be it working with precious metals, crafting delicate, magical mosaics or stone masonry and sculpture.

Severus agreed with his beloved's words but there was little they could do at this juncture. They still have to ensure that the students caught up with the work they had missed in the last year's chaos. Moreover, it was important for the students to feel that things were going back to normal. Instituting curriculum change would be too disruptive. Many of them needed the security of old text-books and following traditions that they knew were part of school life. The changes that Hermione and Severus envisaged would take time.

Hermione sighed in frustration at the rational take of her husband. She wanted change, now. But she understood why Severus was being so careful. These things needed to be handled correctly. But she added more and more texts to her reading lists. She was beyond grateful she'd made the move that warm May afternoon to cross the road to speak to Cissy and Severus. If she had not, her life would not have changed so drastically. She would not have even known how much knowledge she was missing out on. And, she mused, watching a gorgeous, bare-chested Severus as he leaned against the headboard of their massive bed, she would never have known the power of true love.

Severus looked up to meet the gaze of his beloved.

"I love you so much," Hermione said, placing her hairbrush on the dressing table and getting into bed.

Severus' smile was a thing of beauty. She didn't need words to know that he was, as always, moved beyond words at her admission.

She settled down under the covers and cuddled close to his side. "I was thinking how much I would never have known, experienced, felt, if I had not crossed the road that day in London."

Severus placed a bookmark to keep his place and put the book he was reading on top of the bedside table. "Our lives are governed by chance events." Turning, he kissed her forehead before sliding more fully under the covers.

Hermione immediately wrapped herself around him and he settled into kissing his wife until she stopped thinking about what ifs. They were blessed by the Goddess and her Consort and he for one didn't want to think about all the things that could have conspired to keep them apart.

Claudia was now almost completely at home with the Malfoys. Harry's presence there had grown from being a daily occurrence to him now being there for almost every meal.

Lucius made his way down for lunch with a look of thoughtful consideration. He could not forget how things had been this time last year. He felt old and tired when he thought about the decades he had wasted fighting to protect pureblood supremacy. And yet, despite the destruction of all that his family had held to be true he felt elated. Tomorrow he would be attending the Ministry's New Year's Eve ball. That in itself was nothing new, but he would be accompanied not only by his wife and son and heir, but his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, his Muggle-born, adopted daughter and her husband as well as his extended family comprising of Claudia, a pureblood Veela, and Harry, the Chosen One, Potter. It was inconceivable and yet, strangely wonderful. This was what family should be.

He knew his cousin Julius was utterly entranced with his blonde Ravenclaw who had spent last New Year's Eve a prisoner in the Malfoy dungeons. This year, Luna and Xenophilius Lovegood were going to be celebrating the dawning of the new year in Sweden and Julius was going to be with them ringing in the changes with Muggle and magical royalty.

Lucius sighed as he took his place at the head of the dining table. He thought again to the Veela in their midst. Claudia and her connection to his son-in-law meant that soon, Potter, the Boy-Who-Bested-He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was part of him family circle. Lucius could only imagine what the Dark Lord would think if he could see what had become of the last surviving Death Eaters.

Hermione hurried through the Floo and kissed her father's cheek before sitting down at her usual seat at the dining table. "Sorry to be late," she said, "but I found the most interesting reference to blood-binding children in one of the Lestrange books on etiquette. Severus was sure it was because even then it was customary to adopt, as it were, Muggle-borns into pureblood families."

Lucius nodded. It felt odd that his daughter's words would in a way echo what was on his mind.

"Severus is correct," he said. "Its been the custom from as far back as we know. It stopped the children breaking away if they were blood-bound."

Hermione nodded. "It would also mean that once the children grew up that they shared the blood of their parents and adopted families and it would be impossible both practically and magically to tell them apart."

Lucius nodded. "Of course. It stopped old families dying out, especially if there had been illness and war. The property could always have a son, an heir who carried the blood of the father, even if the heir hadn't been born of the parents."

Hermione nodded her head eagerly. "But Lucius, that means that even families like the Lestranges could have had Muggle-borns as their patriarchs. There's no way to know who was born into the family and who was not."

Lucius inclined his head. "The histories would be erased to take away doubt. I'm sure even the Malfoy line had plenty of adopted offspring but we would not know."

"So I'm not the first?" asked Hermione. She knew she wasn't, she knew Lucius had used tradition when he had brought her into the fold and given her the Malfoy name, but the thought that it could be applied to male offspring as well was startling.

Hermione smiled as Harry walked in with Claudia. Harry was suddenly looking like another Malfoy-in-all-but-name. The two of them were glowing with quiet happiness. She wondered what her dark-haired friend had been whispering in the blonde beauty's ear. The Veela was blushing as she slipped in across from Hermione and arranged her napkin on her lap.

Hermione wondered how Ron was handling this sudden shift in behaviour. Up until recently the boys had been spending their time away from Auror training at Grimmauld Place. Now, if Harry wasn't with Claudia, or ensconced in a quiet corner with Lucius and Severus, he could be found with Draco, as the two young men played court to their ladies.

Hermione shook her head in wonder. How things had changed. She kept saying that to herself, but it was true. Never would she have expected life to turn out this way.

She smiled at Narcissa who was the last to take her place at the table.

"Severus was in his lab and won't be joining us," said Hermione, as the efficient Malfoy elves began to serve the soup to those present.

Lucius chuckled. "Yes, I suppose he's got Infirmary stock to replenish before school reopens."

Hermione sighed. "Yes, and he's not letting me help. He shoos me away to read."

Narcissa laughed. "He's got a system. He never has let anyone help. Not at this stage, not unless things were dire." The blonde's countenance darkened as her thoughts obviously, like Hermione's had done, strayed to more difficult and dangerous times.

"And where is my son and Astoria?" asked Lucius imperiously. He hated seeing Narcissa looking sad.

"Having lunch with the Greengrasses," said Narcissa, smiling at her husband. She knew what he was doing, distracting her from thoughts of the past traumatic years. "He has been neglecting them. They both have."

Lucius sighed. "I suppose so."

Hermione hid a smile as she bent her head to sip her soup. Her father, for all his sneering and posturing loved being surrounded by his family.

The soup course was removed to be followed by lightly steamed fish.

Harry dug in. The food at the Manor was like that to be found in the best of restaurants, only nicer and healthier. He loved Molly Weasley's cooking, but it was completely different being simple, wholesome fare. The witch had never had time to make gourmet meals with her boisterous brood to take care off.

But now, with the Malfoys, and especially because of Claudia, life was changing Harry. Not only was he learning how a pureblood lady expected her swain to behave, but it was also giving him the confidence and know-how in the behaviour required to move in high pureblood society. Claudia as a Veela, no matter her supposed lack of status among her kin, had been brought up to fit in with royalty. Her manners, her behaviour was impeccable. More so in fact than others because she had strived harder than her peers to please her teachers and not have another strike against her in the eyes of the Veela elders.

Being with Claudia was also helping Harry deal with his feelings of loneliness and inadequacy. His saving-people thing had found in Claudia a focus. She had had a horrid time with her family.

Harry's time with the Dursleys had prepared him to assume that things could be rough for children, but the Dursleys hadn't really beaten him up or abused him sexually. Their indifference, their dislike and later fear of him had been in the grand scheme of things something that he had leaned to cope with. Now, he realised he'd actually been lucky. He could quietly hate them because they had only been his uncle and aunt, not his parents. Claudia had been treated with indifference by her very own parents and siblings. At least Harry had known since his time at Hogwarts that his parents had loved him, that they had died to protect him. No one from the Veelas had in the days that had passed noticed the young Veela's absence or come looking for her.

Claudia had never felt so wanted. She glowed in the knowledge that she was liked for herself and her radiance rivalled the sun when someone did something that spoke of the simplest kindness. The few days she had now spent in England seemed the best she'd ever experienced. She was wanted. She was valued. Like Severus and Hermione, she had clung to books in her isolation. She hadn't realised it at the time, but she too had a keen mind. Now she shone with joy and contentment as she narrated different aspects of what she named pureblood Veela culture to them.

No one had disputed Harry's place in all these family meetings. When he'd overheard that Severus and Hermione were Flooing over that first afternoon following the Veela's sudden arrival, he'd come, expecting the Snape of old. He'd thought he'd be thrown out as an interfering interloper. But the dark Slytherin had accepted his right to be there, to be a part of what was being revealed. Now that Claudia's place in the family had been accepted, he knew nothing on earth would keep him away. He was only glad that Auror training sessions had been put on hold for the holidays.

The New Year's Eve Ministry Ball was attended by all. Everyone on the Order was present because they needed to ensure that Fudge sympathisers didn't turn it into a campaigning event. If the heroes of the battle were in attendance, Fudge was still only of minor interest.

Harry was by now firmly established as Claudia's strong arm, which meant that they Flooed to the Ministry en mass. Harry was proud to claim the right to dance the first dance with her and from then on, mingle and sit by her side at dinner. He knew everyone was watching him sit, not with Ron Weasley as had been the usual custom but with Draco, Astoria and Claudia. Seeing Theo Nott take his place besides Ginny, Ron and Lavender, who preened at her fortuitous seating arrangements made him glad he'd actually had Draco and Astoria to sit with. He knew Ginny was staring daggers at the blonde Veela and her startlingly beautiful appearance.

Narcissa had dressed Claudia in pale antique gold silk, the simple column shape of the dress embellished with an over-dress of cream-coloured chiffon. The matriarch had also lent the Veela her favourite bright blue sapphires that exactly matched the Veela's eyes. The set was one Narcissa had worn on numerous occasions. No one who knew the Malfoy matriarch would fail to recognise the sapphires, and the message Claudia wearing them sent out to the world, that the young beauty was a Malfoy connection.

Harry had for so long been oblivious to the hidden messages the purebloods seemed to exchange through dress and double-talk. Now at least he was starting to understand a little bit more about the intricate dance that was society. He understood that like with Hermione, the Malfoys were claiming their stake in Claudia. They were extending the protection of their name, their standing over her. Given that the young Veela felt unwanted, unloved by her own kin, this show of love, of acceptance, which she clearly understood and needed, was something that Harry, too, appreciated.

When Hermione had first told Harry that the Malfoys had changed, that they were going to turn over a new leaf, he'd been sceptical. Sure, he had thought, that's what they'll say to escape Azkaban. But time had proved the truth of her words. The Malfoys had with their behaviour tried to be home and kin to the children they had harmed. Luna was one of their own as was Hermione. He knew he was one of them and he knew that the Malfoys had through their wealth been instrumental in ensuring war widows and orphans had enough to live on comfortably.

Harry smiled to see Hermione sitting with her parents and Severus. Dressed in a very Gryffindor dress of claret velvet, Hermione looked beautiful. The rubies she'd worn for the Order of Merlin Award Ceremonies once again graced her ears and throat. They brought out the hidden glints of fire in her rich brown hair that was dressed in an up-do and decorated with garnet and diamond hair-pins.

Ultimately though, he couldn't not turn to look at the table in which Ron sat. Harry tried not to meet Ginny's frowning eyes and avoided Theo, but nodded congenially to Ron when the red-head's eyes met his. However, when the Slytherin eventually joined Draco and Astoria at their table, taking Claudia's vacant seat after the first course, whilst the musicians played, he could not ignore Theo further. Ginny had not walked over thankfully. She was talking to Angelina and Lavender.

Harry grimaced, but shook Theo's hand in greeting. "All okay?" he asked once the pleasantries had been exchanged.

Theo smirked. "Yes. Don't worry. She was a bit volatile when she saw Claudia, but when I said she was Severus' cousin and visiting from Europe she subsided. I think she's coming to accept that being with me means accepting the Malfoys and other Snape connections."

Harry sighed. "Good. I was finding it really hard to not notice the Weasleys when I wanted to go and say Hello. But I wasn't sure how they'd react. I've kind of avoided them all these last days actually."

"Yes, I know," said Theo. "Where do you think I spent most of the holiday season and Boxing Day?"

Draco joined the conversation then, for Astoria had moved away from their table of four to talk Hermione who was sitting with Severus and the two senior Malfoys. "Did Molly like her Yuletide present?" the blond asked curiously.

Theo smirked. "She was ecstatic. No one has ever given her something so completely outrageous. When I quietly mentioned later that I thought it was important for a family as illustrious as their own to have something most pureblood mansions considered de rigueur she was even more determined to take on the task with gusto."

"What did you give Molly?" asked Harry, overcome with curiosity.

"A conservatory and greenhouse combined. I had Longbottom suggest easy to care for house plants and magical herbs used for cooking and healing magic." Theo grinned. "Hermione's research about the benefits of Herbology in dealing with Dark Magic residue and mood control together with the things I've learnt from Lucius and Severus about what the battle did to Ginny and Molly meant I wanted to ensure the women of my future family had all the control they could take."

"Does Ginny know you're following Hermione's advice?" Draco asked sarcastically. "I don't think your Valkyrie would like that."

Theo laughed. "Do I look like a moron?" He smirked at Draco and the blond smirked back.

Harry watched the two friends with interest. "So you are serious about Ginny?" He didn't love Ginny, not in that way, and since meeting Claudia Harry was really glad he'd broken up with the red-head, but he still cared for her like a younger sister and the sister of one of his best friends.

Theo met Harry's emerald eyes. "I want her for my wife and as the mother of my children. I want the Weasleys fecundity, their ability to breed almost all magical children."

The words were cold-blooded but Harry could see the passion in Theo's eyes.

"Love her as well," said Harry softly. "She changed, but she has a tenderness to her that Riddle destroyed."

Theo reached out and touched Harry arm gently. "I do. I might be Slytherin in the way I express myself, but I don't only desire her fertility. I desire her. Her mind, her heart. And I grew up in a home devoid of love. I don't want that for my adult years or for my children."

Harry nodded. He had learned that the Slytherins did have heart. He'd seen their dedication to family via the Malfoys. He could accept that Draco's oldest male friend had similar values.

Eventually, after the main course, Harry excused himself and went to talk to Ron. He'd seen his friend staring at him repeatedly all evening.

"Merlin's soggy bottom, but she'd well fit," said Ron by way of greeting.

Harry grimaced. He didn't like Ron's crudeness. But Ron was right and a secret part of him was glad he'd managed to win the attentions of someone so utterly gorgeous. And Harry remembered Ron's susceptibility to the Veela allure.

A.N:/ What do you think? Love it or hate it, do let me know.