Chapter 28 – The Elven Council tries to interfere

Everyone who had remained at the Manor was surprised when Harry and Hermione arrived at the same time, but even Hermione was surprised at the look of bloodlust that was evident in Harry's eyes.

When Harry left the room, Hermione quickly warned the small family to stay away from the dark-haired teen until after the confrontation. Narcissa was the one to ask why and Hermione stared her down.

"Someone has threatened one of his patients," Hermione explained, "A family under his protection who have young. Submissives are most dangerous when protecting young. Harry was infamous at Mama Figgs for threatening all of the prospective parents with bodily harm if they dared to think of harming one of his young ones before they were even allowed to see the youngsters. If they found who they wanted, Harry made plans with them to visit them at random times and he gave the child a way to contact him in an emergency."

"So what does that mean?" Willa asked wincing as one of her boys kicked her. "For us, I mean."

"It means the Council will need new members if they move against me," Harry stated as he walked into the room. "And thanks to my Mistress, I will be able to do it legally. Did you find the book?"

Blaise and Nicholas shook their heads in the negative, flinching back when a dark smile stretched over his lips.

"Perfect," he purred as he returned to normal. "You can all relax now. There is nothing they can do to any of you."

"What do you mean?" Blaise asked.

Harry smirked as both Willa and Nicholas tensed as someone arrived in the Manor.

"Let the games begin," he purred once again before taking charge of the situation and the house elves that had popped in. To everyone's surprise; the House elves obeyed him without question.

Once all the funny little creatures had vanished, Harry turned and smiled at the small family.

"Shall we?" he asked with an innocent look on his face that none of them could bring themselves to disbelieve. "Lunch will be served first and then the meeting will commence. Remember this is YOUR house; No one can destabilize you in your territory if you don't allow them to. Lucius and Draco will be joining us after the midday meal as well."

Harry raised a hand to silence any protests that would come.

"It is their right to be here. As vassals of the Malfoy family any attack on your family is an attack on theirs. They are honour and duty bound to come to your defence. While Narcissa and I are here, the case will be stronger with the two men here – not because they are men, but because they are Malfoy's by BLOOD, and magic is strongest when bound to blood."

He gave a blood chilling grin to the adults as he organised the order they would enter the room in.

"There is also the fact your family does not have a book of Elven law. Only the Elven Council can destroy one and they are only destroyed when a family is expelled from the Elven Community. Mistress and I did some looking before I came back and we found records that the Zabini family was expelled from the Elven Community twenty years before Willa's grandfather swore fealty to the Malfoy family due to one spoilt brat who wanted to mate a submissive female of the Zabini Clan who already had a dominant courting her. When he tried forcing himself on her, her older brother and her soon-to-be-bonded attacked and killed him, causing them to be banished."

Willa and Blaise looked at him with wide eyes before shark-like grins stretched across their faces and they relaxed into a more confident stance.

"They can't do anything to us," Willa whispered with happy tears, "they really can't do anything to us."

"No, no they can't," Harry stated. "Now, let's go and prove that to them."

~~~IswearMotherNatureisPMSing~~~

The three Council members scowled when the door to the dining room they had been taken to opened. They glared when the oldest boy walked in, escorting a female; both of whom ignored them. The next person to walk through the door were the two female children and who they believed to be their nurse. The three of them eyed the slender teen predatorily, noticing that he was a submissive. None of them noticed the look of disgust that the youngster aimed at them, nor the soft growl that was coming from the couple that first entered.

Next through the door was Willa, Nicholas and Narcissa: the former being supported by the latter two. The family all remained standing until Willa had been seated and Nicholas sat, indicating for those around them to sit.

"We are …" The Councilman was cut off by the arrival of several house elves with platters of drinks. If the tiny creatures made just enough noise so conversation was unable to be held unless it was to the person or people beside you, no one mentioned it. Once their drinks had been distributed and the elves vanished, the Councilman tried once again.

"We are here to …"

Once again he was interrupted by the arrival of the house elves, this time with platters of food that were distributed between the people who were at the table. When everyone's plate was put before them and the elves vanished, the Zabini family didn't give the man a chance to talk as they took it in turns to fill their plates; with Harry filling a plate for himself, Willa and the two girls.

Nicholas frowned slightly at the three invaders as the rest of his family and guests waited for him to say they could begin eating.

"Is the food not to your liking?" he asked them, seeing their empty plates.

"We are not here to eat," the male in the middle answered stiffly, "We are here in relation to the letter you received earlier today."

"It is a discourtesy to make an appointment at lunch time and refuse to eat," a deep, smooth voice stated from the door. Everyone turned to look at the speaker to see two blonde men standing just inside the doorway.

"Our apologies for arriving earlier than we said," the older of the two said with a shallow bow towards Nicholas and Willa, "Our business was completed sooner than we estimated."

"That is alright my Lord," Nicholas said with a deeper bow to Lucius. "As our Liege Lord you are welcome here at any time."

Draco hid his smirk as the three Council members paled but didn't bother hiding his anger when one looked at his mate with lust-filled eyes.

"It is also a sign of bad breeding and upbringing to lust after someone who isn't your mate," he said coldly, making the three outsiders flinch and Harry to give him a thankful smile.

"As is talking business at the table," Willa stated firmly, eyes glittering coldly. "The three of you should know this already and if you didn't then the Council has fallen farther than I thought."

The Elven trio went silent and, after exchanging looks, put a small sample of the available food on their plates. The meal was begun and was completed in complete silence. The smugness that came from Harry only amused those in the know.

~~~Theworstthingaboutslidingoncarpetisfindinghooksandneedlesthatwerelost~~~

The three Elven Council representatives were astounded when, instead of being lead to a study by the Zabini couple, they were led into a large sitting room. They were even more shocked that it wasn't one of them who started the meeting.

"Who do you want to take over the care of Mrs Willa Zabini?" the black haired submissive asked firmly as he placed himself between the Councilmen and the woman in question. "I don't want just a name either; I want rank, number, the name of their Master or Mistress, their personality, a written copy of their declaration and a memory of them saying it before I allow them to step foot in the same building as her."

"Who do you think you are?" the oldest elf roared, cheeks red in anger. "How dare you order around your superiors!"

"There are only four people who are my superior," Harry stated coldly, his eyes going a frosted green, "and not one of them is you. Not even my contracted dominant is my superior. As for who I think I am: I am Master Healer Harry, Number MH0074017, Apprenticed by Lady Evangeline and current Healer to the Zabini family due to YOUR incompetence."

"What do you mean by 'incompetence'?" Lucius asked with narrowed eyes.

"In researching a way to make sure this event didn't harm Willa at all, Mistress and I came across several individuals who have been apprehended by the Healer's Guild for various acts of negligence, abuse and malpractice who were allowed their license due to the Elven Council."

Harry grinned at the now very pale males.

"Mistress is also not at all happy with what she has been hearing from her attendants and wanted me to tell you all to be at the next meeting or she will boot your arses off the Council and reinstate a royal family."

"As for this so-called law," Hermione stated as she moved to stand beside her brother when she noticed the tiny tremors he had in his back muscles. "The Zabini family has not been members of the Elven Community since the time of Willa's Grandfather. Add that to the fact that every member swears fealty to the Malfoy family," she shrugged, "You could have started a war that we would have finished."

Unnoticed by the three before them, Hermione was running a hand down Harry's back in a bid to calm him.

"You think…"

"No!" Harry snapped, eyes flashing. "You haven't been thinking. You allocated a Healer to the Zabini family without proper authorisation from the Healer's Guild – A healer, I might add, that tried to kill two of his patients and damage two children."

Ignoring Hermione's effort to pull him back and calm him down, Harry stalked towards the three frozen elves. "A Healer that had over half of the Elven Council's signatures on his papers to become a Healer saying they witnessed his pledge to – and I quote – 'Do no harm to my clients."

He crossed his arms and scowled at them.

"You don't want me to look after the growth of the babes? Fine by me, I'll do it with or without your blessing, but you make sure to tell the Council that to get rid of me they will need to destroy me."

"And to do that, they will have to go through us," an age-heavy alto came from the door.

Harry moved to where he could see the intruders and bowed deeply. "Mistress."

Lady Evangeline sighed and shook her head in amusement.

"We have been over this once already today Young One. I am no longer your Mistress," she stated as she helped him up from his bow, using her magic as a guide. "You have greatly surpassed me in all areas and I am proud to call you my equal and, eventually, my superior."

Everyone gaped at the woman as she chuckled at the feelings that were floating around the room at her words.

"Yes Young One, you will one day be my superior, so please stop calling me 'Mistress'."

"I will try my best My Lady," he said with a small blush, his temper disappearing like it wasn't there due to his shock at her words.

She smiled and pat his cheek like a proud Grandmother before placing him into Draco's arms. "You just focus on your growing family and leave dealing with these idiots to me."

"Okay my Lady," he whispered as he snuggled into Draco's chest with a yawn.

Everyone smiled when, as soon as Draco sat on the chair with his mate, Carla and Laynee joined the couple before all four of they joined Harry in sleep.

"They are really attached to him, aren't they?" Narcissa asked softly as she watched her son lower his head in defeat at not being able to move.

"They do," Willa replied just as softly. "Sometimes I wonder if I should be jealous or not."

"It's his nature," Hermione said as she joined them, noticing how Lady Evangeline dragged two of the Councilmen by the chain she had joined them with while leading the third out by his ear from the corner of her eye.

"The kids at Mama Figg's reacted the same way to him," she continued.

"As true as that may be, I want to look over him," one of the men said, looking at the couple in worry. "It isn't normal for him to be this tired this early."

"Thank you Master Healer Emelaine," Hermione said. "If the problem hadn't sorted itself out by tomorrow, I would have dragged him to you myself."

The three at the door just chuckled and moved further into the room. One of them quickly moved to where Harry, Draco and the Zabini girls lay, murmuring to himself as he prepared to check his patient.

"Please forgive us for just barging in without an invite," the only woman of the small group said with a bow to the Zabini adults. "We promised the Kit that we would help where legally possible, but forgot to ensure a way to contact him. I am Emma Trendan, Top Healer in Europe and her neighbours. Beside me is Mind Healer Jacob Yanize and with the Kit is Master Healer Blake Emelaine. The three of us are the Heads of the Healer's Academy – though Harry insists on calling us the Healer's Guild for some reason."

"Because being called 'Healer's Academy' gives the illusion that you teach the Healing Arts and are therefore nothing but glorified teachers," Draco responded from his spot at the bottom of the dog pile. He shuffled slightly at the looks he was getting. "What? It was one of the things he and I talked about when we had our first date."

Hermione and Blaise exchanged looks and chuckled softly.

"One day you will have to tell us just what you two did on that date," Blaise said as he put an arm around Hermione's waist.

"We ate dinner, we played a getting-to-know-you game harry told me about – one we still play every chance we get. What did you do?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Blaise blushed and looked away while Hermione hit her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"I should have known that harry would insist on that!" she cried, "AS for us … well … we talked about books."

Willa snorted in amusement as her son and his mate both flushed in embarrassment.

"Why am I not surprised," she said with a smile, "You always did love your books more than anyone else in the family. I certainly named you correctly."

"Mother!" Blaise yelped.

"Oh?" Hermione asked, a glint in her eye.

"I named him after my seven times great Grandfather. Everyone who knew him remembered him for his love of literature and how he loathed to destroy the written word."

"He sounds like a man I would have liked to have met," Hermione stated. Her eyes flicked to Blaise and back to Willa, having gained a mischievous glint. "I guess I'll just have to settle for his namesake though."

"HEY!" Blaise yelled, making the women laugh and Draco to snarl.

"BE SILENT Blaise," he ordered, "try to remember someone is having a medical examination and that your sisters are asleep."

Blaise looked away in shame, murmuring an apology with Hermione not too far behind him.

"How is he?" Lucius asked the man as he stood with a soft frown.

"He needs to go on a potion once a month until the month before his bonding," Blake said. "It isn't anything bad, but more of an aid."

"What is wrong?" Hermione asked, only to flinch back at the sharp look all three medical personal shot her.

"I believe the first to be told that is Harry and, if he wishes it, Draco," Emma chided her gently. "Please remember you are no longer in the position of running his life."

Hermione flinched once again and nodded, allowing Blaise to pull her into a comforting hug.

"Why is Blaise hugging the pretty lady?" Carla asked sleepily.

"That pretty lady is being courted by Blaise," Draco answered.

"Ithn't the Harry'th thithter?" Layne asked with a yawn.

"Yes she is," Blaise replied, hiding his nervousness. He loved his little sisters and it would be hard on him if they didn't like his mate.

Carla and Laynee exchanged looks then looked at Blaise

"You owe us ice-cream," they chorused.

"Harry and Draco are taking us out for afternoon tea, but you can take us for dinner and dessert," Carla stated.

"Bring the pwetty lady ath well," Laynee ordered as she snuggled back into harry. "We haff to embawath you in fwont of her."

"We wouldn't be little sisters' fi we didn't," Carla finished with a yawn, most of the way asleep again. "Ask Harry what we can …"

Hermione, Narcissa and Willa burst out laughing as Blaise looked at his two sisters with a look of relieved horror on his face.

"Congratulations," Draco drawled, "You've passed the chibi test."

"I'm honoured, really I am," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes, "But I'm sure I only passed due to my relationship to your snuggle-monster."

Lucius snorted in amusement from where he was helping his wife stand.

"Your relationship with Harry just gave them the assurance that you were worth giving a chance to," Nicholas told her with complete seriousness. "The last time Blaise bought someone home the girls ran her out of the house within ten minutes with her in tears."

"I almost failed that assignment as well since I had to work with her on it," Blaise scowled. "It was only me explaining that my partner refused to come near me due to her fear and hatred of my younger siblings that I passed."

"I remember that," Narcissa said with a shake of her head, "didn't you take the girls into the school and the girl in question ran out of the room screaming?"

"No, that happened a month later," Willa said with pursed lips. "She visited a week after Laynee was born and Carla was only three so don't ask me what they did to her."

"She was an airhead," Draco said with a roll of his eyes. "She fainted when I walked out of the floo even though she had been told I was babysitting for you that evening. As for what the girls did, I really couldn't tell you."

"Laynee drooled on her and when she shrieked, Carla turned her hair grey and white since she had been shocked out of a deep sleep. She then decided she would only have children if there was a house elf to raise it."

"She sounds like a monster," Harry yawned, giggling when the people around him jumped.

"She is," Draco replied softly, "Just be glad that you haven't been forced to interact with her yet."

"Okay," Harry smiled then blinked, "Why are the heads of the Healer's Guild here?"

Three groans came from the Healers and they all covered their eyes.

"Academy child! We are the Heads of the Healer's Academy!" Emma said.

"And how many classes are taught there?" Harry asked with faux innocence. "How many students attend?"

Harry dropped the innocent act and frowned lightly, "By definition an academy is a school for specialized training."

"It is also a society of scholars, writers, scientists and the like," Emma responded with a twitch of her lips. "What makes you think Healers are not included?"

"I never said we couldn't have an Academy or three, " Harry scowled. "I'm just stating that it is inappropriate to call the building where we gather for important meetings and celebrations an Academy. Calling it a Guild is more appropriate since a guild, by definition, is a club, society or an association of people with common interests formed for protection and mutual aid. It is commonly used for craftsman and what are Healers but craftsmen who are skilled in treating discrepancies in the humanoid body?"

Everyone blinked in shock at the teen who had realised who was in the room with him and had hidden his bright red face in Draco's chest.

"He's got a point," Jacob sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "We are more of a Guild than an Academy."

"But is it worth the hassle of changing the name?" Blake asked. "All that paperwork, just to change one word."

"If I may?" Hermione started hesitantly, biting her lip.

Emma and Jacob nodded their permission.

"It will be worth the trouble for the rest of us, if not for you. Harry and I are lucky since we don't have to wait for an appointment with the three of you, even if we do make one, if it isn't an emergency, but for our co-workers without that privilege, it takes nearly an hour on normal days to get to the front desk just to make an appointment, then there is almost a weeks' wait for emergencies and nearly a month for non-emergencies."

"And most of those there are to ask after joining the Academy for learning," Harry added softly. "And when they discover we don't actually teach anyone, they make trouble for everyone in the waiting area."

"It isn't as noticeable to those in higher positions, but a change has to be made," Hermione stated just as soft.

The three older Healers exchanged looks and nodded.

"We will bring it up at the next meeting," Blake said, "but now, I would like to speak to young Harry and Draco in private if you don't mind."

The two teens managed to separate themselves from the napping limpets without waking them and followed the older man into the Hallway. Hermione watched them go while biting her lip in worry. Blaise squeezed her hand gently and smiled soothingly when she looked at him.

"Don't worry Mione," he said softly, "Draco won't let anything bad happen to him and you know that Harry won't keep anything bad from you."

Hermione nodded and stopped chewing on her lip but couldn't help but look at the door once more.