Everything is J.K. Rowlings. I only claim the plot. Everything else is hers, all the characters and the magic, all of it. Please let me know what you think though, I encourage feedback of all kinds, just be nice about it!

Thank you, everyone, for being patient for this update. I know it's been a minute. But the good news is I'm back home and so I'm hoping to get back to posting regularly again but I do need to reacquaint myself with friends and family so still be patient.

Also, someone mentioned the alcoholism and yes, that will be addressed, especially since all of their jobs are starting to kick off and we can't have them drunk while mixing potions or being around young children or passing policies. So it will be addressed, I'm just working on the finer details of it. Also, this isn't a super exciting chapter so apologies but I hope you still enjoy it. I've been sporadically working on it while I was over there so it's a bit long.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Scorching hot flames licked at his ankles. Smoke burning his throat and lungs, stinging his eyes. His vision blurred with tears. "VINCENT!" he screamed, one hand gripping a weak cupboard on top of the junk pile while his other stretched downwards, towards the heat and the flames and Vince who was only a few objects below him. "Grab my hand!" The strain on his shoulder and his fingers screamed at him as he tried to stretch farther down. Vince looked up at him, his face covered in soot and blood from the battle that raged outside the room. Greg saw the fear that reflected his own. Vince reached his own hand up but his fingers couldn't reach him. Vince's lack of height had always been a joke between the two of them. It caused Greg's heart to constrict tightly now.

"Just - a bit - farther," he called down through his coughs. The smoke was messing with his mind because he saw brooms flying with shadow riders now. But he had to save Vince. "Vin- NO!" The table that Vincent had been balancing on crumbled under the flames and Vincent, his Vincent, fell into the hot embrace of the inferno below. "NO! VINCENT!"

"NO!" Greg shot up, his limbs entangled and entrapped by the silk comforter. "No, Vince," he whimpered, his head clutched between his shaking hands. The tears that streaked his face were hot and unrelenting as the image of Vince's terrified face, arm still outstretched as he fell, replayed on the back of his eyelids.

It was all he ever saw whenever he closed his eyes.

Furiously, he tossed the mass of sweat dampened sheets off of him onto a pile on the floor. The house elves would clean and freshen them, just like they did every morning. Stumbling into the bathroom, Greg didn't notice any of the luxurious details as he fell over the open toilet and proceeded to lose what little remained in his stomach.

The tears poured from his face as bile dribbled from his mouth, reminding him of the many nights spent last year doing this very thing but with Vince rubbing his back as he did. The screams haunted him just as much as the flames that flickered whenever he shut his eyes. His stomach churned again as he remembered the ease at which those curses shot from his wand. It seemed a sick twist of fate that of all the magic he had practiced and struggled with, it had to be such dark ones, the ones that caused such torment on others, that came the easiest.

Pushing himself away from the seat and leaning against the cold wall, his knees up to his chest and his elbows on his knees. Greg stayed that way for another twenty minutes before he had finally calmed himself down and the tears had stopped. He took a few more calming breaths before starting his morning routine, starting with the shower to erase all traces of his tears.

It was routine by now. He avoided looking in the mirror as he stepped out and hurried out of the bathroom before the steam could lessen. The steam reminded him of the smoke of that night, sometimes he still thought he could feel the stinging burn clinging to his throat, so he could never stay long in the bathroom. Gasping in the cool air of his bedroom, he went about grabbing a robe, not really taking note of the room or the robes.

Luxury and opulence had never really been his thing despite being surrounded by it all his life though he knew that his room was very nice. The only thing he had sought out when he picked his room was that it was green, not just any green. But a soft, springtime green. It was Vince's favorite color and Greg found that it fed his guilt and his repentance in equal measures, he couldn't even find sanctuary in his own room because Vince was gone. He didn't deserve a sanctuary. It also made him feel that Vince was still with him, that he wouldn't be forgotten. Not that Greg ever could.

Quickly he drank down the water that the house elves left out for him, he was pretty sure there was a soothing draught mixed in because it helped his raw throat. It was always raw after the nightmare screams and the wracking sobs. There was a knock at the door but Greg didn't move to answer it as he sank into one of his chairs. It wasn't like he really needed to respond, only one person knocked on his door. And she just let herself in exactly two minutes after the first knock. It was Tracey. She visited him every morning, checking to make sure he was alright.

It was sweet of her, really. But Greg would never be alright again.

"Oh good, you're up," she said after entering. She said the same thing every morning. Tracey claimed the chair she always sat in directly across from him. She had done her hair up for the days traveling. "Are you ready? This could be it! The day we finally get to start doing something. Oh, I hope the house is just what we wanted and there aren't too many repairs needed." The witch began to ramble and Greg listened with half an ear, mind still lost in thought.

Today they were exploring Lestrange Manor to determine the repairs needed before they opened their orphanage. Just the thought sent a jolt through him, clenching his heart. Greg loved children...had always loved children.

Children didn't judge and he had dealt with judgment all his life. There were few he met that didn't judge him. Vince had been the first. Tracey the second. And he'd met them both before Hogwarts. Children had never really seemed possible for him, especially not with the war. Now it was, and it was a dream come true, it was just bittersweet because Vince wouldn't share it with him. Of course, children had always been more of Greg's dream than Vince's but the other had still desired them to the same extent that most desired a future family. Luna Lovegood was the third person to have never judged him but he hadn't really officially met her until last year and now again in the Manor. She was always an enjoyable presence and she never seemed to expect conversation or anything from him. He was sad that she'd be returning back to Hogwarts soon.

"Greg? Earth to Greg." Tracey's voice brought him back and turning because he realized he had been staring at the wall, he saw her smiling softly at him. "You with me again?" Ducking his head, he gave a nod. "Wonderful, now let's head to breakfast alright? I just have to stop by Dudley's room to help him." Greg just gave another nod and followed her out of his room.

Greg was very well aware that Dudley had no need for Tracey to help him down the one flight of stairs. It was true that the muggle had needed help the first day Patil had given him the freedom to leave the confinements of the room three days ago but it wasn't necessary now. But Greg wasn't about to tell Tracey that and from what he had observed Dudley wasn't going to stop her anytime soon. Dudley was the fourth person in Greg's life to have accepted him without judgment and that just marked the muggle higher in Greg's opinion.

"Oh, Dudley, you're up and ready, wonderful. You ready for breakfast?" Tracey asked brightly.

The blonde muscled man gave a nod and smiled at the witch as she grabbed his arm to help guide him out of his door. Dudley glanced over her head and spotted Greg who shot him a look while Dudley just responded with a smirk as he allowed Tracey to 'help' him down the stairs. Since the muggles' arrival, he and Greg had come to a mutual understanding of the other. Neither were much for unnecessary chatter and both were close to Tracey and so would be in each others company often. So they got along.

Dudley had even given suggestions for their orphanage based on what he knew of the way muggles did it. Greg didn't particularly care that the bloke was a muggle, Greg didn't really know much about muggles in the first place. He had never understood the hatred towards them. Greg had just assumed that it was just another thing that he wasn't smart enough to understand. Turns out all of that had been wrong and it was alright to like muggles now.

Greg sat at the large table that was much fuller than it had been when the group had first arrived. Greg liked it though, it made it feel like a family. The family dinners he had growing up were cold and silent and sometimes violent. This one wasn't perfect yet but it was starting to feel warm.

He piled some eggs onto his piece of toast. It didn't feel like as much food when it was all stacked together for one bite. Chewing slowly he glanced up and down the table. The only one fully eating was the muggle and Potter was sorting all of his letters again and called on Draco, Daphne and Theo to help him respond. It was routine by now.

Greg felt guilty at not being able to contribute at all. He wasn't articulate and smart like the others and he wasn't savvy in the political scene so he couldn't contribute in that way and he wasn't fashionable either. No, Greg was good with children and he was a fair Beater and he was very observant but that was it, nothing more he could give in thanks for the second chance Potter was giving them. Greg wasn't even sure if Potter would even listen to any observations Greg made if Greg could bring himself to voice them that is. Vince had been the talker for the two of them. He had always been able to read Greg and knew just what he wanted to say. Vince talked and Greg observed.

"Daphne, Greg and Tracey I'd say be ready in an hour to head out, sound good?" Potter asked after everyone had given up the charade of eating. Though Greg was pleased to notice that more food was missing off of plates than at the beginning of the summer. Even his plate had been three quarters eaten. The three gave nods and then everyone departed.

Greg just went to wait in the lobby. He was already dressed and Tracey had all the papers they needed. So he went to sit and try not to get lost in thought. Luckily he wasn't alone. Lovegood, Longbottom, Abbott, and Patil were all there as well as Pansy and Blaise. The group spent the hour with idle chatter. Or at least, the others chatted and Greg listened and observed. The others didn't seem to expect him to contribute much anyway, so he wasn't letting anyone down. They were discussing the Red Masks and who they could possibly be. Greg just hoped they were caught before they hurt anyone, well anyone else besides Potter and Dudley, but by this point, Potter was probably used to being attacked.

From what Greg had seen, he guessed that Potter probably wanted to be attacked. The Savior needed to fight. Greg remembered the birthday party and how alive Potter had seemed when a fight was starting. Maybe fighting more would stop the drinking? It was a theory but he wasn't sure of its validity. Fighting wouldn't help Tracey's drinking though, Greg sighed inwardly. He really needed to do something about that.

"Oh, let's go," Tracey begged as the leaving group finally arrived, along with the rest of the house residents to see the group off. Greg noticed that was becoming a tradition to see the departing group off and to try to be there when they returned. He wasn't sure why, but he liked the welcoming and farewell party like everyone was happy to see them return and were concerned for the wellbeing as they left. No one probably cared that he himself was part of the leaving group but it still felt nice.

"Yes, let's be off. I'm worried that if we wait any longer Tracey will collapse from excitement," Daphne drawled as she adjusted her own robes.

Tracey huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, we are wasting precious daylight. Who knows how long it will take us to scout out the properties."

"You heard the lady," Potter smirked. "Let's head out." He gave a final nod to the rest of the residents before turning for the front door with the other three following him. "Which place do you want to see first, Lestrange or Mulciber?" Tracey and Daphne glanced at each other and had some silent conversation that only females were capable of in Greg's experience and Daphne gave a nod.

"We'll do Lestranges' first," Tracey announced as the four walked out the front door.

"Sounds good," was all Potter said and the group walked in silence to the apparition point, the shadow of a wolfdog happily trotting at Potters' heels. Tracey and Daphne each carrying a folder for documents and sketches and ideas for the respective businesses.

On top of the hill just past the apparition boundary, Potter stopped and held out his arms for the other three to take as he also gripped the dogs collar. Greg felt a small thrill of nerves. He'd never been a fan of apparition. He'd passed after retaking the test but he never enjoyed it. The tight feeling overwhelmed him as Potter spun and took the Slytherins with him. Greg refused to admit he tightened his grip on the Gryffindors forearm in slight fear as he was transported, but it happened.

The four and the dog landed and Greg wobbly unlatched his hand and tried to settle his stomach by looking around. The Dark Magic that drifted lazily off the property made Greg's skin crawl and he shivered. The dog whimpered and the others had grimaces etched on their faces.

"Well, we will definitely need to get some Curse Breakers out here before we even start renovating," Tracey began, her voice uneasy despite her optimistic tone.

Potter grimaced and nodded. "I'll talk to Nadrig," was all he said before starting to lead the group forward his wand at the ready. Greg thought he looked a bit like a war general leading his troops into the unknown savannah. For some reason, this image heartened Greg slightly and so he found he was able to move his feet to bring up the rear of the group. Potter protected the front and so Greg would protect the back. He owed Potter that much at least, he would be his support and backup whenever the need arose. The dog walked a few feet out of the group as if the dog was a sentry or guard.

The land was overgrown and the grass reached Greg's waist. Any decorative landscaping was gone and there were rose bushes running wild and a couple trees scattered across the front lawn that Greg imagined would make great rope swings and tree house trees. The house itself was three stories and completely square. It was dark and formidable and so something would have to be done to make the house look more open and friendly. It wouldn't do to have orphaned children burst into tears at first glance of their new home. Potter reached the front door and regripped his wand before glancing at the other three. The three gave their nods and Potter pushed gently on the door which fell open easily.

The dog growled slightly at the opened door and Potter began dragging his wand in a lot of complicated, complex motions that Greg couldn't follow but the results seemed to be good enough for Potter to then take the next few steps into the house. Tentatively Tracey and Daphne followed and entered, the two huddled closer together, gripping each other's hands. Greg squared his shoulders and after another glance into the front yard, walked inside just behind the dog.

Inside it was dusty and smelled of mold. The decor was dark and depressing and screamed of demented Pureblood ideals. The family portraits looked haunted. Tracey and Daphne were sending 'Scourgifies' in a continuous motion.

"Greg, can you create some light in this place?" Potter asked. Greg did just that glad that Potter trusted him for the task, despite the smallness of it. While Greg created small balls of light to float about the room Potter began casting more complex spells as he walked the length of the room, spending a lot of time at the grand staircase at the opposite side of the two-story entrance hall that the group stood in. The dog followed Potter dutifully, sniffing and growling occasionally at whatever its nose detected.

After five minutes of spellwork, the room definitely looked cleaner and with a fresh coat of paint and the removal of all the artifacts, Greg could definitely see its potential. He saw Tracey scribbling ideas down on some parchment. He'd add his ideas later.

"Alright, so we shouldn't be met with any unpleasant curses on this floor," Potter said returning to the small group. Greg saw the man wipe his forehead with the back of his hand. The spells must have been exhaustive. "But I'll scan the second and third when we reach them. There seems to be a basement that I don't want anyone to enter until a team of Curse Breakers has dealt with it."

"Were there any concerning spells?" Tracey asked curiously, tilting her head as she gazed at Potter.

Potter looked uneasy, almost sick Greg thought and didn't reply. "The good news is that besides for the rodents there isn't anyone else here. So which direction do you want to go first?"

"That way," Tracey said pointing to the left. Potter nodded and led the way once more.

The room looked to be a sitting room. It turned out to be one of three sitting rooms on the main floor. One of which Potter refused to let the girls enter after he had peaked his head in, the dog had whimpered and backed away with its tail between its legs. Potter even stood firm against Daphne's stubborn insistence, which Greg found impressive.

Potter had let Greg look and Greg wished he hadn't. The sitting room itself seemed harmless but there were five House Elves dead in the middle of the rug, and by the looks of it, it hadn't been a pleasant death. Greg firmly shook his head as well and grabbed Tracey and Daphne to drag them to the next room.

The rest of the main floor held two dining rooms, a large kitchen, and a decent library, not as big as the one at Peverell Manor, but decent. Greg thought that they would need to go through the shelves and get rid of the majority of the books though. Based on the rest of the house, the books wouldn't be suitable for children….or anyone sane. In each room, the girls would cast cleaning charms and Greg would create the lights while Potter would cast some protection spells.

Potter and the dog walked up the stairs first and again Potter started doing some complex spells for about five minutes before letting Greg and the girls join him. Potter did the same on the third floor as well. Both floors held multiple rooms and bathrooms, some bigger than others. Tracey diligently took notes on the conditions of each and the sizes. She was on her fourth piece of parchment now and her hand was smattered with ink stains.

There was an attic but after he started his spells for that Potter looked almost sick after five minutes. Greg caught Potter as the man stumbled after dealing with the attic, the dog let out a bark and licked at Potters hand. "Don't go up there either. Curse Breakers first," he rasped, pushing himself upright again and out of Gregs' sturdy arms. "Thanks," he continued, looking Greg in the eye.

Greg felt himself swelling with importance at the sincerity of the look. It was something that Greg had noticed from the start of their First Year. Potter had that effect on anyone he came in contact with, his attention could make you feel like the most important person in the world. His gaze intense and sincere in its focus on you, Greg was glad that the looks were no longer full of disgust or dislike as they had been at school.

"So what do you think so far? Is this the place?" Potter asked as the group walked back to the main floor to explore the backyard.

"It definitely needs some refurbishing and intense cleaning," Tracey admitted and Greg could only nod, eyes wide in agreement. "But yes, I think we can make this the perfect place for our orphanage. Plenty of rooms. And we can make the sitting rooms into our offices and the meeting rooms for potential families and the kids. What do you think Greg, anything I'm forgetting?"

Greg started. He knew it was his project too and he was fully invested in the project and was eager to start on it, but talking always got him nervous. He licked his lips as Daphne turned her cool gaze on him and Potter turned those green orbs of intensity onto him as well. He desperately wanted to prove that he wasn't the idiot everyone expected him to be. He had ideas, he did. He just felt them fading away at the expectancy of the group.

He swallowed against the lump that was forming in his throat. "Playrooms," he gasped out. "Combine rooms."

Tracey's eyes widened eagerly and she bounced slightly. "Oh yes, some of the smaller rooms can be combined to create larger playrooms. A couple playrooms for the different age groups. Any other ideas?" she asked, scribbling the idea down.

Pleased that she seemed to like his idea, Greg gave a nod. "Infirmary," he added hesitantly.

Tracey tapped her chin with the quill nodding. "Yes, we will need one. Can't just rush to St. Mungo's for every cough. Maybe the smaller dining room for that?" she muttered to herself. He felt his face flush and he ducked his head as Potter gave him an approving nod and Daphne's gaze softened.

"You should talk to Draco about a supplying deal with his apothecary business," Daphne suggested, as she shifted her feet, her eyes flickering over the creepy hallway. Tracey grinned brightly and nodded, scribbling something else down on the parchment.

"Sounds great. Just give me the final list and I'll contact the builders," Potter said with a shrug. "Now, the backyard."

The backyard was just as overgrown as the front but this one had a patio and some sheds. No greenhouses, but the sheds seemed sizeable. Maybe they could convert them, he mused.

"You could make a Quidditch pitch out here," Potter commented, eyeing the large flat expanse of land.

"Yes, that was one of our ideas for this space," Tracey agreed absently, her gaze taking everything in. "Maybe a pool too."

"Fence," Greg blurted out before blushing madly and ducking his head again.

"Yes, of course, we definitely need a fence to mark the property line. I'm surprised the Lestranges didn't have one already," Tracey mused.

"The wards were pretty imposing," Potter commented with a slight shudder. "They probably assumed the wards would be enough."

The group fell silent for a moment as Tracey and Greg began moving around the field. Greg could almost see the young children playing and running around, the sounds of laughter filling the stifling air. His heart yearned for it almost painfully. Helping the children and giving them the childhood they deserved, especially without parents. Greg would make sure every child was happy, no child would be unloved when they were here. Even after they left whether through adoption or aging out, Greg would make sure they knew that this place would always be their home.

"I didn't know you knew so much about wards." Greg heard Daphne say as he drew closer to the two who hadn't explored the fields.

Greg saw Potter shrug and rub the back of his neck. "I started looking into it last year. We used a lot of the protective charms and shielding charms last year and so I started looking into the wards that provide the same things the charms do for my future house. Then all this happened and I gained control of the wards of all of these properties so I started studying the limits of control I had on them and how to take them down or deflect them."

"That's a rather impressive course of study," Daphne said. To anyone else, it would have sounded bored but Greg had been in the same House as the blonde for seven years and had known her beforehand. He could hear the slight notes of how impressed she actually was.

"I'm no Curse Breaker and I'm nowhere near the level of a Wards Mastery or Apprentice, but I can work with the wards I have control with and can deflect the more dangerous ones. I felt it was my duty to learn all I could so no one would be hurt."

Greg felt his respect for the Wizarding Savior grow at hearing those rushed, mumbled words. "Always the hero, aren't you Harry," Daphne huffed almost fondly. "I suppose I shouldn't hold my breath in expecting that to ever change?"

Potter had the flickerings of a smirk on his face that matched Daphnes' as he replied. "No, definitely not, I mean I'm sure you have better things to dwell upon."

Greg was now close enough to see the amusement dancing within both of their eyes and was completely baffled by it. Their banter sounded familiar and well used, Greg had observed the growing friendship between Daphne and Potter. But this exchange almost sounded like flirting. He resolved to observe their interactions closer to determine the extent of this interaction. He would support it if it came to that point though, the two seemed almost happy together and Greg fully supported people finding happiness in one another, no matter the circumstances. He and Vince had been a good example of finding happiness in unlikely and difficult circumstances after all. Plus, there was too little happiness currently.

"So will this be the place of the first Magical Orphanage?" Potter asked when he noticed that Tracey and Greg had returned.

"Yes," Tracey said with a happy grin after a quick confirming nod from Greg. "It'll be great. I'd like it to include all magical orphans too. Greg and I have been talking about it," Tracey continued. And from that statement, she meant that Tracey had talked and rambled with Greg contributing his single word ideas. But the start of this idea had been his and he was quite proud of it. "We want to accept werewolf children and any other magical creature children."

"That's brilliant. It'll be the start in changing perspectives on the magical creatures. Brilliant," Potter said excitedly and Daphne looked intrigued too. "Who's idea was that?"

"Gregs'," Tracey said proudly.

"Merlin, Greg, that's a great idea. You're going to help change a lot of children's lives with that and in time it will help change the perspective of the entire society," Potter praised him, staring at him with those vibrant eyes once again.

Greg blushed at the praise but he stood straighter, proud that his idea would impact so much. He hadn't been thinking so long term though. He just wanted to accept all of the children who needed a home, magical creature or otherwise.

"Yes, wonderful idea, and that will tie in with my plans too," Daphne mused. "I want to give those children an education as well, even if they aren't allowed at Hogwarts. I know Lupin attended as a student and taught but that was under Dumbledore and there was such a riot after Lupin was exposed I doubt the school will accept another werewolf for quite some time. So I planned on teaching the werewolves and the Squib children into adolescence."

"Brilliant," Potter enthused. "And speaking of your school, you ready to see it now or should we grab lunch first?"

It was at the mention of lunch that Greg realized it was already one in the afternoon. Time had flown as they examined the property and he was even feeling hungry.

"How about we call a House Elf to bring us a light lunch and meet us at Mulcibers' property?" Daphne suggested, glancing at her wristwatch. "I don't want to lose any more valuable time. It took us hours here. Who knows how long it will take there."

Tracey seemed happy with this and Greg nodded and so Potter called on Kilky who popped in front of them. Greg noticed all of them flinching at the sound.

"Hello Kilky, sorry to call you so far away," Potter began, he was always incredibly polite to the House Elves.

"It is being no problems, Master Harry," the tiny elf assured them.

"I'm glad. Kilky, could you prepare a light lunch for the four of us, preferably something to eat while we walk, and deliver it to the Mulciber Mansion?"

"Yes, Master Harry, Kilky will be making yous lunches and delivering it." The elf bobbed its head multiple times before popping away again.

"Great, that's taken care of. So, off we go then?" Potter asked leading them to the apparition point.

The group followed and Greg steeled himself for the uncomfortable sensation once again. He groaned as they landed at the new location and desperately hoped that he would get used to the horrid form of transportation as he got older.

The Mulciber Property was possibly more medieval and dingier looking than the Lestrange property the only difference was it looked like this one was still being slightly maintained. The landscape was well trimmed at least. There were also more buildings. The main building was two stories but there were a few outlining houses, probably five or six of them.

"Main building or guest houses first?" Potter asked.

Daphne tilted her head in thought. "Main building first. That will be where most everything happens and will most likely need the most work."

The group set off in the same formation as before, Potter in the front, the girls in the middle and Greg bringing up the rear. The group was tense as they approached the door and Potter began his spells again. "Not as bad as Lestranges," he commented before pushing the door open.

The inside was dark but it was thankfully clean, or at least not dusty. Potter cast his spells again while the other three began casting lights and the dog made its patrol sniffing round. They were only in the room for about a minute before a House Elf popped into view.

"Master," the elf squeaked upon seeing Potter who had jumped at the noise, having been so focused on his spell casting. The dog barked in response to Potter's jump but soon relaxed and just sniffed at the House Elf.

"Er, yeah, that's me. Just call me Harry," Potter began as the elf became extremely happy.

"Oh, a new Master for Tip. Tip and Kip was getting so lonely without Master Mulciber."

"Hello Tip, yes, we are here. Can you retrieve Kip? We'd like to tell you both our plans."

The elf's eyes went wide. "New Master wishes to tell Tip and Kip his plans. Master is a mightily good Master yes." Greg saw Potter blush and smirked.

A second later another elf had joined the first. A male and female if the outfits were anything to go by. Both were also rather old, Greg guessed but still sprightly enough to happily serve for another twenty years or so.

"Hello Kip," Potter greeted. "I'd like you two to meet my associates. This is Daphne, Tracey, and Greg."

"Oh, Tip and Kip be knowing Missus Greengrass. She visited much," the male, Kip exclaimed happily, looking adoringly at Daphne who shifted uncomfortably.

Potter shot the blonde a questioning look to which she gave a jerky shake of her head and a motion of her hand. Greg assumed Potter would be filled in later. How often did the two interact to have silent conversations? Greg wondered with idle curiosity.

"Well, you'll be seeing more of Miss Daphne," Potter continued. "I'm giving her the building to create a school."

"A school," Tip squeaked in excitement. "There be little ones coming?"

"Yes," Daphne began speaking. "I'm hoping quite a few in a few years. For now, I'm not sure how many will attend. The school will be for seven years old and up and will continue teaching the children who aren't allowed to go to Hogwarts for whatever reason. Will that be alright with you two? There will be werewolves, Squibs, and muggleborn children who attend this school. If that will be an issue I need to know now."

The elves shook their heads in the negative. "Tip and Kip is being happy with all the children," Tip assured the group.

"Wonderful," Potter said pleasantly. "I see that you too have been maintaining the building already so could you give us a tour?"

"Yes, Master, yes, Tip and Kip be giving you the bestest tour. Tip and Kip be taking care of everything waiting for Master to arrive."

"Thank you, I appreciate your dedication and your service. Now, lead the way. I'm just going to have to cast some spells when we reach the second floor first before we can tour there."

If the elves found that statement odd they didn't comment as they eagerly began the tour. The group had only reached the first sitting room off to the left side when Kilky arrived with a small basket containing sandwiches and a bone for the dog. A bone that the dog in question set upon with gusto and was done with by the time the group was leaving for the next room.

"Thank you, Kilky. Kilky, I'd like you to meet Tip and Kip they are the elves here and will be helping with the school. Tip and Kip this is my chef elf, Kilky. You guys might work together occasionally in the future."

The three elves gave pleasant greetings before Kilky disappeared again and the group began munching on their sandwiches, or lettuce wrap for Daphne, as the tour continued. The library was about the same size as the one at the Lestrange property and the Kitchen was a decent size too. There was only one dining room though it was quite large already and two sitting rooms. The second floor was just bedrooms. Daphne made an almost constant stream of notes onto her enchanted parchment that continued to length as soon as she reached the bottom. Tracey had to gather up the spilled over parchment when it started to brush the floor. Potter again refused to let the group enter the discovered attic after finishing his spell casting, the dog had barked in obvious agreement and so no one argued.

"Ok, so I'll be combining the bedrooms together. There are ten bedrooms, so I'll create five classrooms. That should be alright to get us started. They will be separated by age. The older students.. hmm...I'll have to find an extra space for. Maybe those guest houses can be converted for them," the blonde mused as the elves led the group out of the main building and towards the first guest house. It was only one story and just contained a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. The second house was the exact same as the first. The third and fourth were two stories and held two bedrooms and a living room. The fifth had a large basement but the main floor was the same as the first and second houses. The sixth house was two stories with a smaller basement. Potter didn't let any of them enter either basement but the House Elves told them the sizes of the lower levels. Upon seeing Potter break into a sweat after dealing with the basement of the fifth house, Greg had no argument against the request.

"What do you plan on doing with these houses?" Tracey asked as the group started walking towards the backyard.

"Well, I'll be getting rid of the bedrooms and the kitchens. No need for them," Daphne began, glancing and sifting through her eight feet of parchment covered in notes. "I'd like to make a potions lab, so the children can start learning the simple basics before Hogwarts and the older students can still brew what they need. Another will become the infirmary. Much like you two, I don't fancy calling on St. Mungo's at every scratch. The other four currently will be renovated to become classrooms for the children who don't go to Hogwarts. It will give them some separation from the younger children too. And I plan on changing one of the sitting rooms into my office space and the other into the teachers' lounge and supply center. I'd also like to construct a Greenhouse or two."

"Nev will happily help with that. What about a Quidditch pitch?" Potter asked with a slight grin.

"Probably not," Daphne admitted, nibbling her lip. "I'll have brooms here but mostly for the older children. Hogwarts teaches flying in the First Year, so I don't want to intrude on that. But the older children will want to fly. The youngers will just have to wait until Hogwarts or fly at a friends house with the parents being responsible. I don't want to be sued because some seven-year-old didn't listen to proper flying instruction."

"Any ideas on staff yet?" Potter asked as the group followed Tip and Kip back to the house.

"Not really," Daphne admitted with a sigh. "I might ask Hermione if she doesn't have another job at the time of opening but I'm not sure who else will want to. It's the one hold up I keep reaching. All the teachers I know are already teaching," she huffed.

"Mums," Greg suggested, before inwardly cursing himself. That hadn't come out like he had planned, but then nothing ever did. He tried to quickly think of how to expand on it but felt his throat tightening up again preventing further words from leaving his lips.

The three stared at him in confusion for a moment before Potter's eyes lit up. "That's great. Yes, ask the mums. I know Molly would love to interact with more children, and Andromeda and Narcissa would be fair hands at teaching too."

"They are already used to raising and teaching magical children before sending them to Hogwarts anyway. And I'm sure all of them would love something to do," Tracey supplied helpfully.

"Oh yes, thank you, Greg," Daphne praised, her eyes alight at the possibilities.

Greg felt himself swelling and the tightness in his throat lessened. That was already a few of his ideas being accepted and put to use just today. Vince would be so proud of him, he thought with a slight bitter twinge wishing he could share this pride with Vince.

"Yes. So that's three possibilities," Daphne continued. "I'll look to meet with them in the next couple of weeks to secure the positions before seeking more people. It might help the recruiting if people know others have already accepted."

"I can mention it to Molly this Sunday at dinner. And see when she is available to meet," Potter offered.

"Great, and Narcissa and Andromeda are over often enough for me to request a time to meet them both for a business venture," Daphne added.

"Headmistress McGonagall might have ideas too," Potter continued after nodding at Daphne's comment. "She may know some retired professors who are getting restless at home."

"Or professor hopefuls that just need more experience," Daphne added eagerly.

Daphne and Potter were lost in each other as they continued to bounce the ideas off of each other, their eyes locked as their ideas continued and their eagerness grew. Greg almost felt like he was intruding despite it being his idea. After another minute or two, Tracey coughed with a smirk on her lips.

"This is wonderful, really but couldn't we also do this back at the Manor? It's almost dinner after all."

Potter flushed and Daphne rolled her eyes but the two both stopped. The group thanked Tip and Kip and promised that they would be returning again soon before apparating away. Thankfully it was the last apparition of the day and the sight of Peverell Manor cheered Greg up considerably.

It was his home, far more than his childhood home had been. At least here, the only fighting that was heard was either from the Dueling Room. Potter and Pansy sniped at each other but it was almost enjoyable to witness. The beginning hadn't even been that bad in comparison to what Greg was used to.

The rest of the house residents were lounging in the lobby entrance hall and they all perked up at the groups' arrival. Greg felt heartened when he saw that some glances even reached him in concern and pleasure. Mainly from Dudley and Luna, but still it made Greg incredibly happy. Dinner occurred almost immediately and Daphne and Tracey updated the group on their findings and made sure to mention the ideas that Greg had. This caused the entire table to turn their attention on him, mostly in surprise. But Dudley and Luna looked proud and even Draco, Blaise, and Theo seemed to have some pride flickering in their eyes.

Greg had just focused on Teddy sitting in his lap to avoid the gazes despite the pride swelling within him at the recognition. It felt good. It felt good to be recognized for something good, for having useful ideas. It felt much better than being known as a hulking brute or a dumb lackey.

"Oh, Narcissa, Andromeda. Would you two mind meeting with me, either together or separate, to discuss a business proposition?" Daphne asked after the explanations had been finished.

"Yes, how about after dinner? We can use the formal sitting room for the occasion. Is that suitable?" Narcissa responded after a glance at her sister. If Daphne seemed surprised at the suddenness of the meeting she gave no indication and merely nodded her head.

"Yes that would work well, thank you."

Dinner fell silent once again and Potter commented on his meeting with Nadrig and Kingsley the next day. Something about having had to reschedule the original meeting from the other day. Potter also mentioned that Sunday would be rather empty since all the non-Slytherins would be at the Weasley's residence and Dudley would be back at his muggle family's house. But since Luna and Astoria would be leaving Tuesday, less than a week away since it was currently Thursday, there would be big feast Monday night and Potter also informed them that the entire group would be seeing them off at Kings Cross on Tuesday.

After dinner, Daphne and the Black sisters retreated to the formal sitting room. And the rest of the group dispersed. Greg went with Tracey and Dudley to Tracey's room. It was a light yellow color and very warm feeling. Tracey had taped some pictures onto the walls of her and Daphne and then her and the other Slytherin girls in different combinations.

"I need to get a new picture of everyone before Astoria and Luna leave for Hogwarts, you need to be in it too Dudley," Tracey said as she stared at her picture collection. Her coffee table already had a few tumbler glasses and a pint of firewhiskey. Tracey drank at least four glasses after every dinner. And Greg knew that she, Draco and Potter met at night to drink even more. It worried Greg but he had no idea how to approach the topic with any of them.

"Me? Why? I've only been here a week," Dudley spluttered from his seat on the couch that he shared with Tracey. Greg occupied the armchair.

"Yes, but you were going to ask Harry about staying here, weren't you? And even if he says no, you'll be visiting a lot, won't you?" Tracey looked surprisingly nervous at this question but busied herself with pouring her first glass of the post-dinner drinks. Dudley typically accepted one glass but Greg never did. He had gotten sick off the stuff once last year and hadn't been able to stomach it again. Vince had never cared for it either and so the two were able to protect and guard their friends together as they indulged.

"Of course I will be," Dudley promised without hesitation. "But still, I wasn't here in the beginning and I'm not magical," he added.

"So? You are one of us now. All of us misfits," Tracey giggled and Dudley smiled softly, Greg did too. He liked being an 'us', he was a member here and he was included and his ideas were appreciated.

"Tell me more about the property. It sounded like there would be a lot of work to be done?" Dudley said changing the topic. The question was for both of them but the muggle was only looking at Tracey and Greg didn't mind. Tracey was better with words.

So Tracey went into extreme detail about the days' events. Greg attempted to contribute with his simple interjections but it was mainly Tracey. By the end of the explanation, Tracey had drank her four glasses and was lying much more relaxed and languidly on the sofa.

"Engineering and construction?" Greg asked Dudley and Dudley looked excited.

"Yeah, I'd love to check the place out after the curses have been broken. I know I can't do the renovations but I wouldn't mind getting some ideas out there for the builders."

"Oh yes," Tracey cried out a little louder than average volume due to the alcohol intake. "Good idea, Greg. Yes, you want to do engineering and construction stuff, this will be perfect. I'd love to see your ideas for combining some of the rooms or for renovating the others."

"I'll talk to Harry about it but it'll be a good excuse to tell the folks as to why I can't stay there any longer. Tell them I've got a job and all that," Dudley said.

Despite the muggle having only been there for less than a week, he had already informed Tracey and Greg how greatly his parents despised magic or anything unnatural or different. He didn't mention the treatment of Potter but Greg could make guesses and decided he didn't want to know the full extent. He'd be happy to have Dudley remaining, the small trio they made was nice and Greg did enjoy the blokes's presence, a like-minded individual. As the sun set, the three continued to discuss the orphanage and the rebuilding that would entail. Tracey guessed that the renovating wouldn't be finished until Christmas time and then they'd have to decorate and hire staff and the like, but she was hopeful to officially open in the springtime.

Greg went to sleep that night with visions of the future orphanage and laughing children before the customary flames consumed the happy thoughts and Vince's terrified face filled his mindseye.