Author's Note:
Thank you to all of those who realized it was ASC's two year anniversary last week! I can't believe that I'm been writing this story for two years (over two years if you think that I started it in February of 2018 but didn't start publishing it until May)! It's unbelievable to me and I am so grateful to each and every one of you!
This chapter has some much needed Hinny smut, but first there's some darkness that needs to come first. WARNING — graphic scenes below!
I want to start off by saying I have dedicated over two years of my life to writing ASC - a story that I love and that which I hold near and dear to my heart. I don't expect everyone to like it - and those who do like it, I don't expect them to like every single thing I've done with it.
I can't please everyone.
I'm not perfect.
And I don't expect to be.
As I've said from the beginning, I write this story for me and me first, the fact that other people have grown to love it is amazing and incredible and I appreciate that more than I can say. Negative reviews are never nice, but sometimes there's critiques there or things you didn't realize you did and you can learn from them - which is why I appreciate all reviews, but people who go in and just say you're wrong, this chapter was pointless, blah blah — that's not a review. Everything I write has purpose, has a build up for something to come. Chapter 228 may have seemed pointless, may have seemed like a waste of time or that it didn't move the plot along in any way, but it was important to me. It was important for Ron and Neville's character. The new couple wasn't vital, sure, but it's been something that I've been wanting to do since I first introduced Deamus and this felt like the opportunity to do so for many reasons. It was something new for me as well, something I've never written before, and something new that I wanted to try to write — a personal writing challenge, we'll call it.
I thought it was a good time to put it in because I wanted to show that the other characters need to have fun and have a good time. A war may be going on, but for most of the school, they're teenagers looking for a good time, looking to party, and to do teenage stuff and are not forced to the front lines like Harry, Theo, Draco, and some of the others are. To me it was important for the story to show that.
The Neville part particularly was important and near and dear to me, but the chapter didn't move the story forward so a lot of you claimed it sucked. I'm sorry you felt that way, but I would hope that after 228 chapters, my readers would trust me a little bit more, and I was a little hurt by that. That's all I'm going to say.
Reviews and Comments — To LifeOnEarth: I like the idea of Neville being a white knight, if anyone deserves it, he does! To Uberdonut: Thank you and Happy Birthday! I like to think that I'm inspired by all of the authors I've read and the way DG does her storytelling to me is inspiring so I guess maybe I've picked up on it. To Atea1793: it's my story so I can change characters who aren't given a lot of personality in canon to be any way that I want them to be. And I chose to make Bones and Li mean girls because in my experience, the four people I have ever met with the name Sue or Susan are terrible gossips. They are people who are super nice to your face, but then talk smack about you or cause problems for you behind your back, which is why I chose them to be my gossipy bitches. Also, I don't like the idea that every house has 5 of each. If the Sorting Hat does its just job correctly, the houses are divided by personality not to even the numbers in the dormitories, therefore I did not miss one, I simply felt that there were more Ravenclaw girls than Hufflepuffs. As to Smith, he's in Ginny's year, not Harry's.
To speedsONEandONLY: Hannah will figure things out, she just needs some time and Neville is too unsure of himself at the moment. "Caring best friend fuckboi Zabini" — loved that, haha! To wheezing-reader: I like to set things up or build them as time goes by, to me it makes you more attached to the characters. To Cranberry Bandit: Thank you for making an account on my behalf! To HGRHfan35: Aww, Neville is exactly that! To Wolf's scream: No, Mandy thought the lake was lovely and refreshing as the giant squid didn't bother them LOL. To Chhavi: I like that, that my story is so big and adventurous it needs good supporting characters — thank you! To Steel: Misread, no one knows about Lavender and Padma. To supersandman86: Kevin aka smeghead LOL.
To Jmcglynn522: You really have no faith in me "expected it to be a trap" lol. To therosylane: Thanks for chiming in on that. It comes off as stupid to people who can't comprehend it, but to Hannah, it's just normal and she doesn't realize that she's been treated wrong. To PurpleLotus: Again with the party being a trap… maybe I did bring this upon myself? LOL! To StacieJ72: I always thought everyone mostly got along, minus the jerks in every house of course, but to me it makes sense that they would all party together like a school would.
My posting schedule: Once a week.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE:
She knew that it was a dream, but that didn't stop the fear in the pit of her stomach when she found herself standing there. The Chamber of Secrets loomed over her, dank and dreary. But when she looked at her reflection in the water, it wasn't of a child she saw standing there, but of a slim young woman with full breasts and a petite build. It unnerved her to not see the child there, but the young woman she had become. She was in a bit of a daze, unsure as to how she'd come down here, and why the room didn't look like the obstacle course that Lupin had turned it into if she wasn't a child, after all… and then when she turned, the handsome young man stepped from the pages of her diary.
And she understood.
Before she could stop it, the dream played out like her memory…
Ginny dropped the diary to the ground, the splash making her flinch as it echoed throughout the chamber. She spoke the words all over again, unable to stop them. "W-w-who are you?"
"Ginny, don't you recognize me? It's me, Tom."
"T-T-Tom?" she stammered. "But… but… you're not real!"
He chuckled and ran a hand over the side of his face, down his chest, cupping himself between his legs before moving his hand lower to touch his thighs, his knees. "Oh, thanks to you, I'm very real."
"I—I don't understand," she whispered.
Tom took a step towards her and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. He didn't seem as tall to her now that she wasn't eleven, but he was still an imposing figure. His form was shifting, fading in and out like a flickering ghost. But his grip on her chin was firm, his fingers like steel.
"You freed me from the diary. It was kind of you. I will be forever grateful to you for letting me out of that book, and you will be rewarded."
She stared at him, her brown eyes wide. "I… you were trapped in there? You never told me that."
"Part of my curse, I'm afraid. I had to keep it a secret until a beautiful woman was kind enough to free me."
"You were cursed?"
"And you broke it, like a princess in a story, freeing her prince."
Ginny hesitated before she spoke. "Like… like the prince in La Belle et la Bête?"
Tom chuckled. "Oh, definitely. If you think a beast describes me, that is. It wounds me that you would think that. I'm your enchanted prince, Ginny. Your heroic prince."
His hand slid down her chin, bolding cupping her breasts. When she reached for her wand, only to find it missing, the panic rose up within her.
"What happened to the Bête in the tale, sweet innocent Ginny?"
"Where's my wand, Tom?"
Tom roughly gripped her breasts tighter as he spoke. "The wand I told you to give me when you came down to me? The wand I promised you wouldn't need when you wrote my message in blood on the wall before you came down to free me, my sweet innocent Ginny." His voice was like steel as he pulled her wand from his pocket. "Answer my question: What happened to la Bête?"
Ginny swallowed, her eyes on his dark ones. The sharpness to his tone made her tremble in a fear she couldn't quite explain. She kept her eyes on her wand. "He… turned into a prince when he found love. La Belle saved him."
Tom's smile widened. "Just like you saved me, but unlike la Belle, you are not the beauty worthy of a prince. Just a pathetic little girl who believes in fairy tales."
His hand, still holding her breast, shifted quickly, ripping the buttons on her blouse and pulling it open. The soft plopping sounds of the buttons landing in the puddles around them made her stomach plummet. In her dream, she knew what came next. She tried to force herself to wake, but the dream continued, delving deeper into her memory.
Then Tom's hands were tearing her bra off. His eyes hungrily roaming over her.
"Stop!" she cried out, struggling in his grip.
Tom ignored her, his voice rising above her struggles, his hands pushing and kneading so hard that she could feel it all over again. She could feel his touch on her skin and she tried to force herself to wake, tried to force herself from the dream, but his voice drew her back in. Her skin crawled at his touch and she wanted to scream herself awake, but no sound emerged from her lips.
"Virgins are the sweetest, aren't they, Ginny? Sweet, innocent, pathetic, little Ginny. Always following her brothers around like an obedient little puppy dog. Believing her family loves her; believing her family actually wants her around. The world would be a better place without you in it. Do you really think that Harry Potter cares about you and your pathetic little problems? He has new friends and he doesn't need you anymore."
"Stop," she whimpered, trying to fight against his hands, but he held her in place, his hand sliding over her stomach in slow strokes. "Please, don't!"
"Don't what," Tom whispered. "Don't give you what you deserve?"
The back of his hand struck her so hard that she saw stars as she bit her own lip, her own wand in his hand poking her in the face. The taste of copper flooded her mouth, and when she looked at him, she saw that he was becoming more solid. The more he spoke, the more his body came into focus. The coldness of his touch became heated as if he truly was becoming flesh and blood. His grip on her tightened for a moment and then he shoved her and she hit the stone ground hard enough to bruise her tailbone, the dampness of the puddles soaking through her open robes and skirt. She made to scramble to her feet, but his foot landed on her stomach and pressed down, holding her in place.
"Do you think your hero, the Boy Who Lived, will come and save you? Do you think he'll risk everything for a pathetic little lion cub such as yourself?"
Ginny's eyes darkened and she glared at him. "He won't come for me. He's only twelve, what could he do? Professor Dumbledore will come. He'll know…"
Tom laughed. "That bumbling Mudblood-loving fool? If he hasn't realized what you've been up to all year, sweet innocent Ginny, he's not going to know how to find you now. I think you're wrong, I think your hero will come for you. He'll come to try to save you, but the thing is… he's going to be much too late."
His foot moved from her stomach, only to come down hard on her as she cried out, and then he kicked her again in the side. She whimpered and he laughed, kneeling down next to her.
"When the Boy Who Lived comes down here, you know what he's going to find, sweet innocent Ginny?"
"Stop!" she begged, trying to get away from him as she held her stomach in pain. "Please, you said that I freed you! Please, let me go!"
Tom stroked his hand between her breasts. "Sweet girl, you have freed me, and now, you're giving your life to me so that I can live."
His hand bunched up her skirt and lifted it, ripping her knickers off. She screamed as his hand rubbed over her, and then he removed it with a smile.
"Virgins have always been my favourite, you know." He waved her wand and a large bone came soaring from the mini lake under the statue; he held it gleefully, his eyes twinkling in delight. "Let's see how much we can make you bleed."
He trailed the bone between her breasts, over her stomach; then he spread her legs, pinning her in place, and shoved the bone into her.
Pain exploded inside of her so intensely that she screamed. It felt like she was being torn apart from the inside. Tears rolled down her cheeks as he pulled the bone out and then shoved it back inside, deeper than before.
"Please! Please stop," she begged. "Please, it hurts!"
He laughed now, pushing the bone in deeper. "Breaking in a bitch always hurts."
She screamed again and he began to laugh. Something about the laugh made her slam her mouth shut. She needed to shut out the pain. It was too much. The pain was too much, and she couldn't… and she turned her head away to stare at the statue. If this was how she was going to die, she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her react. She would take it and then she would die here alone in the Chamber of Secrets, food for a basilisk, never to be found. She sucked back her tears, trying to imagine a better place… trying to do anything to stop this pain, this intrusion.
It was her fault. She'd poured her soul into the diary. She'd given him permission to come out without knowing it and now she was being punished for it. She deserved to die down here where no one would ever find her. It was her fate for being reckless, for not showing someone the diary when she became suspicious of it.
"What, no more screams?" Tom's voice taunted through her daze. "Have I broken you already, my sweet no longer innocent Ginny?"
When she didn't answer him, he shook her hard enough that her head slammed against the ground.
"Answer me, bitch!" When she didn't respond, he shook her again. "It's so much better when you cry."
Ginny bit her lip, tears leaking out the sides of her eyes, but she refused to make a sound.
The back of his hand struck her again and then the bone followed, smearing her own blood across her cheek. She saw him bring the bone to his own lips, licking the blood away and then he straddled her and undid his trousers. She let out a whimper as he grinned, revealing his cock.
"You want the real thing, don't you, sweet Ginny?"
Then, holding her wand in one hand, he gripped himself with his other and began to grunt and pant with every stroke. He reached between her legs, dipping his finger in the blood and rubbing it across himself before he began to touch himself again. She turned her head away, refusing to watch as the room began to dim around her. His grunts became louder and then he groaned as a hot sticky substance splashed her cheeks, her neck, and her breasts.
"Good, bitch," he grunted, doing his trousers back up as he stood.
He kicked her again, rolling her into a puddle before he picked the bone back up. She pulled her robes closed, tears silently pouring down her cheeks. This time, when he twirled the bone in his hands along with her wand, he wasn't the young handsome teen, but the skeletal figure with red gleaming eyes and a wide sneer.
"I wonder if I have time to touch that sweet little arse of yours… maybe Potter will show up in time and we'll give him a show… Crucio!"
The spell drove a scream from her throat as her already abused body bended and stretched, burning at every contortion, and the last thing she heard was his laugh before her world went dark around her.
Then she felt Harry's hands on her, his cracking voice begging her to be okay. Tom threw her wand into the water beneath the statue of Slytherin and picked up Harry's wand. He'd just pointed it at Harry when everything shifted.
At first she thought she'd finally woke, but the darkness flickered and she found herself in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic as giants and Dementors swept in. She saw Zee holding Harry in her lap, tears on her cheeks. The tall skeletal man with red gleaming eyes, the one who had once been a young, handsome boy who had done such terrible things… his eyes met hers across the atrium, his thin lips twisting into a cruel smile that chilled her to the bone.
"Sweet, Ginny… I remember you."
And the scream tore from her throat as she woke, gasping for breath.
"Shhh, it's okay, sweetie," the voice soothed. A warm hand was running up and down her back in a comforting motion as she attempted to catch her breath. She turned towards the hand and wide eyes met Zee's.
"Just a bad dream, I'm okay."
"I'm sure you are, but I happen to be an expert at soothing away nightmares and bad dreams."
Ginny smiled at that, comforted by Zee's hand still gently kneading her shoulders. She shook her head and let the woman engulf her in her arms. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Zee soothed. "We're all prone to bad dreams. Do you want to talk about it?"
Ginny shook her head. "Just a memory and… sometimes I wonder about what happened at the Ministry and if…"
"If what, sweetie?"
Ginny swallowed and when she spoke, her voice came out in a whisper. "If Voldemort remembers me."
Zee's eyes widened as she ran her hand down Ginny's back. "Do you think he will?"
"I don't know. It was a Horcrux, not the real him, I know that but… what if he does?"
Zee kissed her forehead. "Then we'll deal with it. Have you told Harry this fear?"
She shook her head. "I don't want to worry him."
"You should tell him your fears," Zee told her. "Merlin knows that I'm terrified of how much Harry will be swept up into this war already, but he should know." When Ginny didn't answer, she sighed, rolling over to glance at the clock. "It's only half past three. Just this once, you can go see Harry."
Ginny smiled. "Really?"
Zee nodded. "He'd want to know about your dream and you two will be getting up soon to tend to the horses anyway."
Ginny hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Zee." Ginny crawled out of bed and found her robe, tugging it over her shoulders. "And Zee?"
Zee brought the covers up to her chin as she looked at Ginny's form in the moonlight. "Yes?"
"You really are an expert at nightmares, thanks."
She left Zee smiling as she snuck out of the room and across the hall to Harry's. She let herself inside, smiling at his sleeping form. He had the blankets pulled up to his forehead with only his black messy hair exposed as he lay on his stomach, one arm hanging out of the blankets over the side of the bed. One leg was also sticking out, on top of the covers. She sat on the side of his bed and gently rubbed his back.
"Harry?"
His soft sleepy groan sent an odd thrill through her before his face slid out from under the blankets. "Gin?"
Ginny took her robe off and climbed under the blankets, wrapping her arms around him.
Harry only shifted to give her more room, arms coming around her. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she snuggled her face over his heart. "You okay?"
"Bad dream," she told him. "Hold me?"
Harry snuggled her closer, wrapping them both up as she settled herself more firmly against him. He kissed the top of her head again, his hands gently running up and down her back until they slipped beneath the vest she wore to run along her bare skin. His touch was warm and familiar and when the wet tears soaked his tee shirt, she surprised herself.
"Hey, it's okay," he soothed, his hands stills stroking her skin. "I'm here. It was just a dream."
Ginny wiped her tears on his shirt. "I dreamed about the Chamber."
His hands paused for a second, but then he kept stroking her back in soothing ministrations.
"It was… the things he did to me… then I… I was in the Ministry and he was staring at me and he… he remembered me."
Harry's grip tightened on her. "You saw him in the Ministry of Magic?"
"No," she murmured. "Just in my dream. But he… do you think he remembers me, Harry? Do you think he knows what he did to… me - down there?"
Harry lifted her chin up, kissing her lips softly. "It was a Horcrux."
"But it was part of him," Ginny whispered, her tear-filled eyes looking into his. "One of the first he ever made and what if because it was a memory, it was different? Would he remember what he did to me? What he said to me? Would he know me?"
Harry stroked her hair, framing her face in his hands. "I won't let him hurt you, Ginny, you know that, right? Not ever again." Harry kissed her softly. "Ginny… I don't think that he would know you. He's not aware of the Horcruxes that we've destroyed, so that tells me that he doesn't feel them once he's removed them from his body. Maybe if he saw you, there would be a flicker of recognition, but I don't think that he would remember you, not like you fear."
She nodded, snuggling back up against his heart. "Good."
Harry kissed the top of her head again. "Do you want to lie here for a bit or do you want to get an early start outside?"
Ginny lifted her head, her eyes meeting his green ones. "Let's get an early start. I think the fresh air would do me some good."
Harry kissed her again. "An early morning ride will have to substitute for a fly."
She smiled. He understood her so well, knew her habits and knew that flying was one of the ways she often coped with a nightmare. It warmed her and she leaned in to kiss him once more.
"Last one to the stables has to deal with the poop."
Then she was running out of his bed and back across the hall to change, a small grin on her face. Zee might be the nightmare expert, but letting her go to Harry was the part that helped her the most. When she saw that Zee was sleeping soundly in the bed, she smiled as she grabbed her clothes to change. Harry was lucky to have found such an amazing mum. She glanced at the clock and blanched.
There was no way that Harry was beating her out there.
~ ASC ~
Tonks knocked on the door of Vita Flint, her eyes on Higgins, who as usual, had a little bounce in his step. They waited a beat and then knocked again before the door flew open.
"Hold your hippogriffs! I'm old!"
Tonks put on her politest smile as she spoke. "Hi, Mrs Flint. I'm Auror Lupin and this is my partner Auror Higgins. We sent you an owl that we would be returning to speak with you. May we come in?"
"I already told you that I don't know nothing about that good for nothing snot of a nephew! I thought that he died in Azkaban!"
Tonks nodded. "As you told us, Mrs Flint, but we're looking for information on what he was like when you did know him. May we please come in to speak with you about it?"
Flint looked like she wanted to protest before she threw up her arms and gestured for them to come inside. "I don't know what I can tell you!"
"It's not so much what you can tell us, Mrs Flint, but maybe impressions about him that could help us now," Higgins explained. "He's been hiding very well and we'd like to learn more about him."
Flint ordered her house elf to bring tea as she took a seat in the living room, urging them to do the same. Flint folded her hands in her lap, beady eyes staring at them. "What do you want to know?"
Higgins smiled kindly at her. "Did you spend a great deal of time with him as a boy? He's your only nephew, right?"
"Yes, he's my only nephew," she said, letting out a slow sigh. "Barty and I, that's my brother I mean, we were never close. He was fifteen years younger than me and our parents had never expected to have another child. We were always friendly I suppose, but never close. When he married Kathleen, I tried to get to know her and she was the sweetest little thing — Barty never deserved her."
"How so?" Tonks asked.
Flint shrugged. "It was an arranged marriage to keep the blood pure, you understand, and Barty... he was always so focused on his work. He would lose himself in it for days, sometimes weeks, and he was never there for her. When he'd come up for air, she told me that he would be randy and sometimes violent. After she gave him a son, he stopped touching her for the most part and moved onto others. He had multiple mistresses over the years and from what Kathleen told me, he made no secret of them."
"You said that he was sometimes violent?"
Flint nodded. "Kathleen told me that he'd beat her if she refused to do what he wanted - sexually. One day I came over for tea and she had a fat lip and I pushed her into telling me what had happened. She told me that he'd tried to shove his cock down her throat and when she refused, he'd struck her. The Crouch family ring had cut her lip."
Tonks glanced at Higgins as he wrote down the notes. "What about his relationship with Bart Junior?"
She scoffed. "What relationship? When he wasn't throwing everything he had into the DMLE, he was shagging his whores. Kathleen told me that when little Barty was six or seven he walked in on his father during one of his little excursions. He had a lot of questions and she didn't know what to tell him."
"Questions about sex?"
"Yes, and no," Flint said carefully. "Questions like: Why did Father have the woman tied up? Why was he spanking her? I didn't care to learn anything else specific."
Tonks nodded. "Was it routine for Bart Senior to do those kinds of things in an environment where his son could see it?"
Flint shrugged. "He brought them back to their house. He had a private room just next to his study. Little Bart liked to explore and either he didn't lock the door properly or didn't bother, but Bart found his way in. My brother never bothered with little Bart. He ordered him to learn and questioned him on his studies, but I doubt that he knew anything about the boy."
"What about Mrs Crouch?"
"Oh, she adored the boy! Coddled him too much, in my opinion. He could do no wrong."
"She let him get away with things?"
"She let him get away with everything," Flint said bitterly. "He was spoiled rotten and wanted for naught. When his mother on rare occasion told him no, he often acted out."
"Acted out how?" Higgins asked.
"He killed Kathleen's cat," she declared, her beady eyes meeting Tonks' when she paused, as if for dramatic effect. "She claimed that it wasn't him, that he found it like that. But I just knew it. That greedy little look in his eyes when he carried it into the house; when he presented it to her while we were having tea, his hands covered in blood. He tortured that poor animal."
"Tortured how?" Higgins asked, his hand pausing over his notes.
Flint glared at him. "You want to know all of the dirty details, do you? How the cat's ears and tail had been removed? It's tongue had been —"
"— We get the picture," Tonks interrupted, her stomach getting queasy at the thought. "What did he say when he presented the cat to Mrs Crouch?"
"Claimed that he found it outside in the yard like that. My brother was nothing if not diligent about security for his home and his property. There's no way that someone did that to their cat and then snuck it back onto the property with no wards going off. But Kathleen refused to believe it and she cried for her cat."
"How did your nephew deal with her grief?"
"He hugged her and apologized and then told her if they had ice cream it would be better. She took him out and ended up buying him the toy broomstick he'd wanted; the one she'd refused him before the cat had appeared. He got what he wanted in the end."
Higgins nodded as he made more notes. "Anything else strange like that ever happen?"
"One of the house elves told Kathleen that he'd snuck into her sleeping quarters and tried to cut her. Apparently that afternoon she had told him that he couldn't ride the broomstick in the house, but had to go outside to do so, and he had thrown a tantrum. Later that night, he'd taken a knife from the kitchen and snuck into her quarters. Kathleen claimed that she was a liar and presented her with clothes. Only Winky was loyal and she gave little Barty whatever he wanted. He always listened to Winky because she gave in to him."
"What about when he started at Hogwarts?" Tonks asked. "Did his behaviour change?"
Flint shrugged. "He wrote home, kept his head down, and did his studies, but he never quite achieved well enough for Barty. He was constantly needling him and claiming he could do better. By this point, my brother practically lived at the office. Barty was all about justice and keeping everything in order. He lived and breathed his job and made sure everyone and their mother knew exactly how good he was at it. But at home? He had a lot of secrets. Kathleen told me that she'd heard a rumour he was boinking his secretary, but she didn't know for sure. When it came to his son, he wanted him to be the perfect little image of himself, the doting intelligent child to show off. When young Barty was neither, my brother merely spent even less time with him. Then during young Barty's owl year, Kathleen noted that he had became very withdrawn."
"Withdrawn?"
Flint nodded. "The boy started sprouting pureblood mantra and claimed that his real father would take care of him. Kathleen said that he'd made some new friends over the last year and was doing well, but she was blind to him."
"Do you know who his new friends were?"
"My son told me," Flint admitted. "Said that he'd seen young Barty around Knockturn Alley instead of in Hogsmeade and he was with Rabastan Lestrange. They were close, despite Rabastan being two years older than him. He spent Christmas of his fourth year with the Lestrange family and I know that he spent a lot of time at Madame Sweetlings, though I don't know how he afforded it. And then the same day that my son Magnus saw him in Knockturn Alley, there was a young girl who was kidnapped from Diagon Alley. She had been brutally raped and assaulted, left for dead. She died of her injuries a few hours after they found her. I have no evidence that my nephew had anything to do with it, but it was just a feeling, you know?"
Tonks nodded. "I do, Mrs Flint. Thank you for your time."
Flint nodded and had the house elf show them out.
Higgins looked down at his notes and shook his head. "Do you believe all of that about Crouch Senior?"
Tonks shrugged. "Sometimes, Rex, those who were seen as streamlined in the public eye are the ones that we should worry about the most. Let's go through the employment records in the DMLE and see if we can get a list of who worked personally with and for Crouch Senior. If we can find out who some of his mistresses were, we might get a better idea of who he was and who his son saw him as."
"What about her gut feeling?"
Tonks shook her head. "If even half of what Vita Flint said was true, I think her gut feeling might have been more than a feeling. I'm going to look for the case file on this girl's attack and see what we know about it."
"And his 'real father' claim?"
Tonks only stared at him. "What do you think?"
Higgins swallowed. "I think he meant You Know Who."
"So do I," Tonks admitted. "That would mean Crouch Junior was on his way to becoming or already was a Death Eater by his fifth year at Hogwarts. He was nineteen when he was arrested and that's a lot of years to be under Voldemort's influence if it's true. Let's see if we can figure out when he met him and how far back his attachment to the Death Eaters might have been. You start with the employment records for Crouch Senior and like I said, I'll check old case files and we'll go from there. It might not be a bad idea to check in at Hogwarts and look up Junior's old school records as well. His Head of House might have more to say on the subject."
Higgins nodded. "Okay, so back to the Ministry?"
"Back to the Ministry," Tonks agreed.
But as they Apparated to the employee entrance, she couldn't help but wonder what other kind of dirty little secrets she was going to uncover about Bartemius Crouch Senior and how those secrets affected the child his father had largely ignored.
~ ASC ~
Ginny rested a moment, her eyes looking out across the beautiful space. The ranch that the Jacksons owned was truly beautiful: Green grass, the large wood in the back, the sweet farmhouse, not to mention the stables full of beautiful horses. She enjoyed caring for the horses more than she had expected to. She loved coming out in the early morning with Harry and mucking out their stalls; it wasn't fun, but it was oddly comforting. They'd been here over two weeks now and it really did feel almost like home.
They'd spent their mornings with the horses, riding late into the afternoon. They went for long walks to sneak kisses by the wood and they trained with Misha in the evening. They worked on the stuff they'd learned in Defence Club, practiced erecting more powerful shields, and Misha set up dummies for them to practice on. They cooked and baked with Flo and Zee; Sorcha had them help her in the garden. It was fun and laid-back and she was enjoying the simplicity of it. Zee spoke about going to the beach over the next few days (as despite their plans, they hadn't made it there yet) and suggested spending a day in the city to play tourist as well. Harry promised to take Ginny to a movie, and the idea thrilled her. It was only a little over a week until Harry's birthday and then the week after they would be heading back. She wanted to have the best time that she could.
The afternoon sun had come in while she was daydreaming as she and Harry were adding more hay into the stalls. It was hot and humid and her shorts and vest were sticking to her. Colt had said it was close to ninety degrees and she could feel the heat of the sun, so thankful for the sun protection charm that she'd used on herself. Ginny snuck a look over at Harry. They were behind the stables, working with the hay bales, the forest at their back and for the first time in what seemed like all summer — she was completely alone with him.
It was rare for them to find a moment alone. Someone was always around between Colt, the ranch hands Calvin and Tucker, Flo, Sorcha, Misha, Zee… it was nice and confining at the same time. She and Harry were never alone enough and she missed him, missed touching him. Merlin, she wanted her hands on him, she thought.
He had pulled his shirt off in the heat of the afternoon sun and she couldn't help but take a moment to just look at him. His broad shoulders and lean muscles made him look more man than boy. The glimmer of sweat on his skin looked oddly appealing and she had a sudden desire to run her hands over him, to taste the salt of his skin. The small white scars on his back from the horntail glimmered in the sunlight. His black hair, as messy as ever, stood on end in a careless fashion that suited him so well that one would think he'd styled it that way. He wasn't traditionally handsome, she supposed, but there was something distinctive about him.
The sharp jawline, the black stubble that peppered his chin and neck showed that he hadn't shaved in probably about a week; his adorable ears (and who knew ears were adorable, but his were)… His skin tanned a lovely gold from the summer sun (he didn't need to worry about a sun protection charm), the pale white lines of skin where his jeans dipped low, made her lick her lips, eager to look and see just how pale he was beneath the denim. As he turned, she let her eyes wander down to the dark happy trail that disappeared beneath the waistline of his jeans. Her brown eyes hungrily eyed the soft v-lines on either side of him. When he stretched those arms out, bending to pick up the fresh bale of hay, she tilted her head to look at his arse. He definitely had a bum made for those jeans, she thought with a smile. Then those green eyes met hers and just like always, they punched through her like a bolt of lightning. They were impossibly green, like almond-shaped emeralds, and so incredibly beautiful behind his round glasses.
It had always been his eyes that drew her in first. The long, gorgeous lashes that any woman would kill for, outlining those perfect almond-shaped orbs. The bright vivid green that changed from dark to almost hazel-green, depending on his mood. And when those lips curved into a knowing smile, she only grinned back at him.
"See something you like, Ginny?"
Ginny, knowing that she had been caught, only shrugged. "I was just thinking that we should get more apples for the horses."
Harry dropped the bale of hay to the ground and took a step towards her so quickly that she took an automatic step back. "Oh, really? That's what you were thinking about?" She swallowed when he stood in front of her, his hands resting on her waist. "Apples?"
Ginny's breath hitched when his head bent to kiss her and she let out a whimper when he stopped a breath away from her lips. "Apples, yes."
His grin was quick, those emeralds twinkling in amusement, and he pulled away. "Sure, let's go get some apples."
He made to go; Ginny linked two fingers through the belt loops of his jeans and tugged him back towards her. "Get back here and snog me, Harry Potter!"
Harry chuckled. "Why? I thought that you weren't checking me out?"
Ginny only stood on her toes and tugged his face to hers for a long deep kiss that made her moan against him. "Prat. You bloody well know I was checking you out."
"I know no such thing," he teased, kissing the tip of her nose. "I'm a bit of a mess really, can't imagine why you would be."
Ginny ran her hands up his sweaty torso. "A sexy mess."
He chuckled and kissed her again. Ginny melted into him, basking in the feel of his warm body pressed against hers. Her fingers looped through his belt loops tighter, pulling him closer and his hands slid around her waist to grip her bum. She stood on her toes and he lifted her, grinning against her mouth when she wrapped her legs around his waist.
"How is it that I have you all to myself this summer yet I can barely find a moment alone with you?" he murmured, trailing his mouth over her jaw.
Ginny made an mmm sound as she pulled his lips back to hers. She kissed him deeply before she kissed his cheeks, his nose, his chin. "I love your grandparents. They're so much fun and so interesting and I love spending time with them — but — the lack of privacy around her is starting to feel the Burrow."
Harry chuckled and kissed her again. "You can say that again. I want some time alone with you. I miss our tower room."
Ginny's fingers let go of his belt loops as she slid down his body, back to her feet. She trailed her fingers up his chest and then back down through his happy trail, across the brass button on his jeans, and then danced them down the zipper. "Me too."
His face flushed when she cupped him. "Merlin, I can't take your teasing right now or I'll make a right embarrassment of myself right here."
Ginny kissed him again, her hand still cupping him through his jeans. "How long do you reckon we'll be alone out here?"
Harry's eyes darkened when she unzipped him. "Oh, fuck, I hope long enough."
Ginny smiled, biting her lip as she unbuttoned him and slid her small hand into the opening. He was hot against her hand and already so hard through the cotton. She kept her eyes on him as she slowly and torturously slipped him free from his jeans and boxers, watching as he sprung up. She stared at him for a moment, admiring his hard penis. She ran two fingers along the length of it, tracing each vein slowly. When her fingers slid over the head of him, over the smooth tip, he only stood more erect and straighter into the air. Ginny smiled at the sight of it and then she pushed him back against the wall of the stables. She reached out to fondle his balls, rolling the sack between her fingers; his breath hitched.
Ginny let her fingers linger and tease before she finally wrapped her hand around him. She squeezed a little and he let out a soft grunt that made her smile. "Do you like it when I put my hand around you?"
"Fuck, Ginny…" he said, his green eyes dark in desire. "We… someone could see…"
Ginny's brown eyes darkened and twinkled up at him mischievously. "Not if we don't get caught."
He swallowed, his head falling back against the stable wall as he nodded.
For a moment, Ginny only stared at him in her fist, admiring the way the pale skin of his penis differed from the gold of his tanned chest and how the thick length looked inside her freckled hand. The afternoon sun was at her back and a warm breeze ruffled her hair as her fingertips teased his balls again. Then she wrapped her other hand around him, taking a moment to admire the way the tip glistened above her hands. She traced her finger over it, spreading the wetness that had emerged down his long shaft as she began to slowly pump. Her hands worked in tandem, pumping and stroking as his balls pulled and shifted with every movement. She moved her hands faster, tugging a little harder and he grunted her name, his eyes on hers. She moved one hand up his abdomen, stroking upward to lightly flick a nipple and he groaned. She flicked the other one, circling and pulling until they were both taut before her hand slowly stroked down his centre to meet the freckled hand still pumping his cock.
Her hand slid back up his sweaty chest, back to his nipples and back down through the thin trail of dark hair to brush the tip of him and he elicited a moan that made her stomach muscles and below tremble deliciously. Ginny let him go, watching in fascination as his erection stood up, quivering. Her fingertips teased and tickled his sack, kneading until his own hand came down to grip his cock. She watched as his fingertips rubbed his tip before he slid his cock between his fist faster and faster. When Ginny place her hand over his, he reluctantly let go, his erection bouncing in the air.
"I want to be the one to touch you," she said softly.
Harry's eyes darkened in desire as they met hers. Ginny wrapped her hand around him again, and he groaned when her hand started sliding up and down in quick, successive movements. The feel of him, hot and smooth like velvet in her hand, encouraged her to move faster. His sack bounced against her fist, pulling and shifting with every pump and it fascinated her, the beauty of it. His breath came out quicker now, his hand was gripping her hair, and she smiled as her eyes met his.
"Fuck… Ginny…"
Ginny only smiled wider, moving her hand faster and faster until his breath came out in a whooshing grunt as he finished. Ginny slowed her hands, milking him as he moaned incoherently. When he was soft again, she stood up, cleaned her hands on the towel by the door, and kissed him.
Harry's lips hungrily met hers for the longest time before he rested his forehead against hers. "That was incredible. How can you possibly be getting better at that?"
Ginny grinned cheekily up at him. "Theo gave me some pointers."
Harry flushed. "He — fuck, I can't even be annoyed with that. That was bloody brilliant."
Ginny kissed him softly. "I've been wanting to try out some of his advice for a while now, but well…"
"Yeah, we haven't had any time alone," he agreed, kissing her cheek. "I want to touch you." His hands slid up her sides and around to cup her breasts. "I've been dreaming about kissing these perfect tits again."
Ginny smiled. "Well, I'm sure that we'll have to find some time to sneak off again to be alone."
Harry kissed her again as his hands slipped beneath her shirt to cup her through her bra. "Maybe we could find some time right now. I mean, we have been alone now for well over ten minutes."
His thumbs stroked over her nipples through the cotton and they heard voices in the distance. Harry reluctantly pulled his hands away, reaching down to zip himself back up.
"I guess later it is," he said, sounding disappointed.
Ginny let out a slow breath to try to calm her hormones. She had no idea that pleasuring Harry would turn her on so much, but the more she did it, the more she wanted his hands all over her. "I guess so."
"We should get some more apples for the horses though. They like them," Harry said.
He moved back to the door, bending to reach for his discarded tee shirt on the ground inside as a beautiful blonde stepped into the stables. She had legs up to her ears and her blonde hair was shoulder length and framed her face in careless layers. Ginny watched her eyes land on Harry's arse, slowing moving up the length of his body, and all she could think was: Mine. She made to step closer just as the blonde spoke.
"Should have known you'd get hotter."
Harry grinned in surprise. "Harley!"
The blonde laughed and launched herself into his arms, and the little squirm of jealousy in Ginny's gut surprised her. She took another step closer again, eyes on how the blonde had plastered herself against Harry's naked chest, and wondered if it would be going too far for her to grab her by the hair and pull her away from him.
"God, you got tall, too! Cal and Tuck told me that you were back here and I just had to say hi!"
Harry grinned, his hands on her arms. "You racing yet?"
"Next year," she said with a grin. "I have my own horse now. His name is Davidson. Get it? Harley riding Davidson?"
Harry chuckled. "That's great!" His eyes sought Ginny's and he smiled at her. "Harley, this is my girlfriend, Ginny. Ginny, this is Harley Mills."
Ginny stepped over to them, trying not to show that she was jealous. The young woman before her was gorgeous: Long legs made for the denim she was in, slim build. She could be a model.
"Hi," she said, hoping her smile looked friendly. She had a sudden desire to claim Harry as hers.
His arm came around her shoulders and she immediately put her hand on his flat stomach, her brown eyes on the blonde.
"Hi," Harley said. "It's lovely to meet you. Harry's a great guy. You're lucky."
"I know," Ginny told her.
Harry linked his fingers with hers and warmth spread through her. "It's me that's lucky."
Harley smiled. "Well, Tuck and I are actually dating now. Been almost two months. He's a sweetie. Maybe we can all go to Flo's for a milkshake, catch up."
"Yeah, that'd be great."
Harley nodded, smiling at Harry again. "Awesome. Tomorrow at four?"
"Uh, sure," Harry told her.
She grinned widely and then kissed Harry's cheek before she waved goodbye, heading out of the stables.
Ginny looked up at Harry to try to see the expression on his face, but his lips dipped to hers, softly and tenderly, and she melted into him. Her lashes fluttered open as she looked up at him. "What was that for?"
"Just being here. Do you mind grabbing a milkshake with Harley and Tucker tomorrow? We can always cancel."
"Do you want to go?" Ginny asked, not entirely sure if she wanted to know the answer.
He shrugged. "It would be nice to see her again and I think that I'd like to know more about what she's been up to."
Ginny stared at him a moment, unsure how she felt about his words. "Well, a Weasley never turns down food. Even if it involves eating with her boyfriend's ex."
Harry bent his head and kissed her softly. "Are you jealous?"
"Of that model gorgeous woman out there?" Ginny asked, lips twitching. "No, never!"
"You're so much more beautiful than her."
"Flatterer."
He shook his head, his green eyes on hers. "Fact. I love you."
Ginny stood on her toes to kiss him. "I love you, too. But you still owe me a chocolate milkshake."
"Strawberry," he said.
Ginny blanched, pulling away. "Do I even know you?"
Harry chuckled. "For me."
Ginny shook her head. "Who in their right mind chooses strawberry over chocolate?"
Harry grinned and tugged her up against him. "Someone who knows how good chocolate and strawberry taste together."
Ginny's eyes widened. "Oh — oh!"
He kissed her again before he finally pulled his tee shirt over his head and she tried not to sigh in disappointment now that his chest was covered. "Come on; let's go inside and change. We're supposed to be going out to some night market with Papa and Grandmama."
Ginny linked her hand with his, smiling as he led her from the stables. Yeah, he was sexy as hell, and the best part? He was all hers.
~ ASC ~
Theo stood in the doorway of his newly remodelled living space, just taking it all in. He had spent the last two weeks with the decorator re-doing all of the major rooms in the manor. Other than his bedroom suite, he considered the living room the most important.
He'd always loved that room, the balcony loft that stood over it, the decorative ceiling, the smooth hardwood… but the beige had to go. He'd decided to paint the wall across from the big window a deep green. The others he did in off-white, almost silver, reminding him of his Slytherin colours. The trim was all in white to match the white decorative ceiling and he'd chosen black furniture to litter the room. Comfortable sofas and armchairs that one could simply sink into all in black with white and green throw pillows. He bought a large rug for the centre of the room, in green and silver stripes. He had oak end tables and an old heavy oak chest that he'd found in the attic to be used as a coffee table.
Blaise had bought him a bunch of wooden picture frames all in the same oak and together they'd chosen photos to litter the walls: Young Theo; Theo and the Malfoys; Theo, Blaise, and Draco; Theo and Ginny; Theo in Switzerland; Theo in Anguilla; Theo in Thailand; and his favourite one, a picture of he and Finn in the garden of Norfolk Manor that Blaise had taken. He'd also found some beautiful paintings of forests that seemed to be made for the room. Blaise had also purchased a large arched mirror that looked like an old-fashioned window, covering the entire wall above the fireplace.
It was cozy and it finally felt like home.
Theo was particularly proud of how warm and homey he'd made the study. He'd chosen a golden yellow to brighten the room, keeping the wooden bookshelves littering the walls and he'd removed his father's desk, giving it away to a thrift store, and instead, having Kiki help him transport his grandfather's old desk down from the attic. It was mahogany and carved with the Nott family crest on the front. Theo had always loved it as a child, but his father claimed that it was too old and frumpy. Now, seeing it sitting in the study, it looked right. The wide arched doorway left the study open to the library, with the two teak wood doors carved with vines on them that he'd fallen in love with. He had placed his Wizengamot robes on the robe stand in the corner of his study. The library was the same honey colour and he'd found warm brown leather sofas to put in the room with light blue and light grey throw pillows. It looked inviting.
His bedroom suite was the one place that he wanted to work on the most. The master bedroom suite was almost its own little flat and he liked that concept of it. He wanted it to be his, for nothing of it to remind him of his father. He had pulled out the design plans his mother had originally wanted for it and used that as a starting point before he got to work.
When one entered the double oak doors, they entered into a large sitting room with hardwood floors. It was open concept and there were five large carved mahogany wooden columns arched across the centre of the room with three steps leading up into the bedroom. He'd kept the layout and changed everything else. The room was now painted a soft pewter; the back wall where his bed was situated, painted a deep wrought iron. There was a forest green suede sofa with two matching armchairs that were more comfortable than anything he had ever sat in before.
The bed was made from solid oak, a king-sized canopy bed with feathers and vines carved into the wood. He'd weaved a soft green sheer material through the wood overhead and with a wave of his wand, lights twinkled from it. His bedding was all a deep forest green with grey throw pillows on a green and white duvet. He'd always loved the colour green and now it reminded him not only of Slytherin but the colour of Finn's eyes and he wanted to surround himself with it. With Finn's help, he'd chosen plants and flowers to litter the room, hanging from the ceiling, draping over his dresser and sitting in vases. He'd chosen all of the flowers that Finn had ever sent him and it made the room smell heavenly. He had two large dressers against the walls, two nightstands, and two beautiful French doors that led into the master bathroom. The bathroom sported a small pool-sized bathtub and jacuzzi with a large shower in the corner. A large vanity ran the length of one side of the room with mirrors above it. The toilet was tucked into the corner near a wall to ceiling cupboard full of fluffy towels in deep greys and greens.
He'd left the decorator to work with Kiki on expanding and renovating the kitchen and they'd brightened the dining room and entrance hall, getting rid of the black drapes and tapestries. Blaise helped him hang some of the old art from the attic that he actually liked and find new art to litter the walls. Norfolk Manor finally felt like his place and he was proud of the work he'd done.
Outside of the large amount of work he'd been spending on the estate, he spent his time outside with Blaise and Finn for their usual morning training routine. Blaise had joined them in practicing with the swordplay, though he felt more comfortable with his wand. When Finn left, he and Blaise would often walk the grounds, play catch the Quaffle, or spend the day by the in-ground salt-water pool that Theo had built. July was coming to a close and Theo was enjoying the rhythm that his life was taking.
He and Blaise had just finished duelling under Finn's instructions before he kissed his boyfriend goodbye for the day. They were both a sweaty mess as they headed inside.
"You two make me want to vomit, you know that, right?"
Theo shot Blaise an amused look. "You're just jealous."
Blaise shrugged. "Of Finn? No. Of the fact that you're having regular sex? Merlin, yes."
"You and Parvati seemed to be hitting it off pretty well at Anthony's party last week."
"We did. She's gorgeous, but I don't think that I'm going to see her again until September."
"Why don't you send her an owl and see if she wants to meet?"
Blaise gave him a look. "And bring her back here to shag her senseless? Theo, we both know that it's safer if we try not to go out too much. It's part of the reason I'm so grateful that you decided to build that pool."
The pool had been a good plan and it had only been installed a week ago and Theo was already loving it. Finn had used his powers over nature to help expand the gardens around the pool and it looked incredible — like a little piece of paradise that had always been there.
"Have you heard from your mother?" Theo asked him, tugging his shirt over his head as Blaise followed him upstairs to the master bedroom.
Blaise shook his head, plopping down into one of the armchairs in Theo's private sitting room. "Not a word. And I've still not heard anything from Draco either. You have the Wizengamot meeting this afternoon?"
Theo nodded. "Yes. We're supposed to be talking more about the new Defence Department."
"You like it?"
He snuck a look at his friend and smiled. "More than I expected."
"Good," Blaise told him. "Is Finn coming back tonight?"
"I hope so," Theo said. "He tries to come back every night, but it depends on what's happening in Tara."
Blaise nodded. "Well, I'm going to enjoy that pool while you're gone. Let me know how the meeting goes."
Theo headed into the bathroom to shower, smiling when he heard Blaise turn up the wireless. He was enjoying the Wizengamot more than he expected. His summer was turning out to be one of the best ones he'd ever had. He spent his time training and decorating, snogging his boyfriend, and hanging out with Blaise. It was more than he could have asked for. Most of the manor was done now, though he wanted to do a general remodel of every room, the important ones were done. He had given Blaise the freedom to decorate the suite he was staying in to make it more his and he thought that was a wise decision.
But as he stood under the spray of the hot shower he couldn't help but wonder about the one person who was missing this summer. What was happening with the Malfoys and most importantly, how was Draco? The pit in his stomach made him worry more and more for his friend with each passing day.
Darkness was coming and he was afraid that his brother was going to be caught right in the middle of it.
~ ASC ~
Andromeda reached for her husband's hand, squeezing it tightly as she looked up at the large manor of the Norfolk Estate. The tall, blond warrior standing next to them with his gorgeous green eyes and pointed ears only made her pause for a moment.
The letter had surprised her.
The first one had been so brief. A quick word about Nott's fear for his friend with a promise to get back to her. She'd had no luck in contacting her sister or her nephew in the month since. But then Theo's second letter arrived, asking if his fae prince could come to bring her and her husband to Norfolk so that they could talk, and she'd immediately responded with yes.
Ted brought her hand to his lips. "Breathe, Dromeda."
She nodded and they followed Finn up the drive and into the front entrance. A small house elf immediately brought them into the living room and Theo turned from where he'd been staring out the window.
"Mr and Mrs Tonks, thank you for coming," Theo said gratefully.
Another tall, dashingly handsome young man stood up from the left and nodded in their direction. "Sir, Mistress."
Andromeda only nodded at him before turning back to Theo. "Your letter said that you were concerned about the Malfoys?"
Theo nodded and urged them to take a seat. "I am. This is Blaise Zabini, he's another friend. We learned that when school ended and Draco went home, that Wiltshire Manor is playing host to the Dark Lord."
Andromeda gasped. "No!"
Ted reached out to squeeze his wife's hand. "Dromeda, we don't know what that means. Right, Theo?"
"Right," Theo said slowly. "But it does leave Blaise and I worried."
Blaise nodded, his dark gaze turning to Andromeda. "We don't know much. Draco showed up here about a week after school ended, looking to talk to Theo in the middle of the night, but when he came down to see him — he'd left. We think that he took the Dark Mark."
Andromeda let out another gasp and Ted wrapped an arm around her.
"What makes you think he took the mark?" Ted asked them. "He's sixteen. That seems a little young to be moving forward with that, even for Voldemort."
Theo let out a slow breath before he spoke. "I learned that Lucius Malfoy killed my father in the Department of Mysteries in June. We think that since Thaddeus Nott was one of the Dark Lord's oldest friends, he wouldn't have taken that well. Between that and Abraxas Malfoy, who has been wanting Draco to bend the knee for his master, that he might not have been given much of a choice."
"We know that you don't know Draco very well, Mrs Tonks," Blaise began. "But family is important to him and we're worried that he was sucked in to save them."
Andromeda nodded. "So, it's too late for him?"
Blaise shook his head. "No! We refuse to believe that. He's trapped right now and we know it, but come September - once we have him back at school - we can knock some sense into him."
"Do you really think that he took the Mark?"
Blaise nodded. "I really think if he hasn't, he's on the verge of it. It may or may not be his choice either which is part of what worries us. Look, we know at this point there's nothing that we can do. He's at Wiltshire and it's not like we can get him out unless he comes willingly. I know him, he won't risk us getting exposed because our families wanted us there and we managed to get free. But Theo and I know you care about him, Mrs Tonks. We just wanted you to know what we know and to know that when we get back to school, he's going to need us. All of us."
Andromeda nodded.
Ted's hand gripped his wife's knee as he spoke. "You'll keep us informed if you hear anything else on him?"
"We will," Theo promised.
Ted nodded, his eyes moving around the living room. "I assume that since you had your friend over there bring us here, that this place is sufficiently protected?"
"Yes," Theo told him. "Only a few select people know of its location. You can't enter without someone who knows how to find it."
"Good. If you boys decide you need some family or if you need anything at all. Our home is always open, even if you just want a home cooked meal."
Theo stared at Ted in surprise and nodded. "Thank you, Sir."
Andromeda stood up then. "Thank you for letting us know."
"I'll bring them home," Finn said, kissing Theo's hand when he stood.
Theo and Blaise nodded as they said goodbye. Finn wished them well when he left the Tonkses outside of their home in Shoreditch.
Ted led the way inside and then he simply grabbed his wife's arm and wrapped her in his warm embrace. "I know, love. I'm worried too."
"I didn't want to say anything when Draco didn't show up at the will reading, but when they claimed that it wasn't necessary for him to be there since Sirius had already given him his inheritance... do you think those boys are right, Edward? Could he have taken the Mark?"
Ted was quiet for a long moment and when he spoke, his voice was quiet. "If I was trapped in my home with Death Eaters and Voldemort where my family was threatened... I'd take it in a heartbeat if I thought it would protect you or Dora. He has Black blood in his veins, which tells me that he's probably at least half as stubborn as you are and if his mother told him to go, to leave her there..."
Andromeda burrowed closer into his strong arms. "He would have stayed to protect her. Salazar, I hate that you're right!"
Ted kissed the top of her head. "Theo is a marquess now and from what Bill and Percy have said, he's doing well. He took his seat in the Wizengamot."
"He's still only a boy!"
"Dromeda, he'll be seventeen in a few months. I was seventeen when I married you. He's not a boy."
Andromeda shook her head. "That's different!"
Ted lifted her chin to kiss her softly. "How so? I love you. Theo has many people who love him and it looks like he's doing his best to protect Zabini."
"Bellarosa Zabini is a very dangerous woman."
"And clearly not around her son. At this point, I don't think anything else matters."
Andromeda let out a slow sigh. "I'm going to invite Molly over for tea. I want to make sure those boys are well protected." She stood on her toes to kiss him. "We have room here if necessary."
Ted smiled at her. "Norfolk is safe, Dromeda; safer than here."
Andromeda squeezed his hand. "But we could give them family."
Ted kissed her. "I love your big heart. If they want to come here, they're welcome. We've opened our home, but I think we both know that they are safer there."
She only nodded at him before she hurried off to Floo Molly and as he watched her walk away, he realized how true his words were. He would do anything to save his family, no matter the cost to himself.
~ ASC ~
Ginny stood inside the massive shopping centre kind of amazed at its sheer size. She'd been surprised and honoured when Zee, Flo, and Sorcha had told her they were all going shopping and that she was invited. They'd made a day of it, leaving early in the morning and taking a Muggle bus to the shopping centre and now they were each ladened with shopping bags - except her. She only had so much money to spend and she didn't want to spend it on just anything.
Not to mention that she still needed to find Harry a birthday present. Harry always found her the perfect gifts and this time she was determined to show him up. His birthday was only a few days away and she still hadn't come up with anything to give him. She smiled when Flo held up a large black and white flowered dress.
"You have to start thinking about it, Zahira."
Zee shushed her. "I don't want to think about it. Merlin, with two in here, I'm going to be so fat! And I'm short so it will seem worse. I'll be a square!"
"Nonsense," Flo insisted. "You usually don't gain much in the butt, so more like a triangle."
Sorcha laughed as Zee rolled her eyes. "I can use charms."
"Only for so long, Zee," Sorcha told her. "Eventually you'll have to admit you need maternity clothes. You're already getting a sizeable bump there."
Flo nodded. "And twins means you'll be getting bigger faster. It's the shirts you'll really have to worry about."
"Well, not yet," Zee insisted stubbornly, her hands on her belly. "I'm only fifteen weeks. But I will permit looking at baby clothes."
Her grandmother squealed in delight and was soon dragging them across the centre. It wasn't long before they were awash in matching onesies and footie pyjamas. They had multiple bags full in no time. Flo bought herself a lovely sundress and a matching handbag and Zee bought three new pairs of shoes. Sorcha found two summer blouses and a handbag and Ginny still had nothing.
She was idly listening to the women chatter, but she found herself staring at a deep forest green sleeveless button down v-neck vest. The green was one of her favourite shades, not quite the same as Harry's eyes, but a close second.
"That's a lovely colour," Sorcha said from behind her, startling her.
Ginny smiled. "Yes, it is."
"Try it on."
"Oh, I couldn't," Ginny said. "I need to find something for Harry."
"And you will," Sorcha told her, taking the top from the hanger and passing it over to her. "Go, try it on."
Ginny hesitated before she took it and headed into the fitting room. She pulled her own blouse off and carefully slid the vest on, buttoning it up her front. The v-neck showed a modest amount of cleavage and made her breasts look lovely above the green. The top came to a point like a tuxedo vest and left a few centimetres of skin between her top and her jeans. She turned to look at herself in the mirror and smiled. It fit her well.
Sorcha peeked her head around the curtain. "Well, aren't you a vision!"
Ginny smiled. "It's just a shirt."
"One that makes you light up. Anything that makes you smile is more than just an anything."
"I never get new clothes."
"Well, you must buy that then, I insist."
Ginny shook her head. "It's twenty-five Muggle coins, I couldn't!"
Sorcha smiled. "Dollars, dear. And, well, I can."
Ginny made to protest but Sorcha ignored her. "I want to buy it for you, Ginny. It's just a shirt and it makes you smile. You deserve something lovely for yourself every once in a while, don't you agree?"
Ginny hesitated before she smiled. "That's very kind, thank you."
Sorcha put her hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Anyone who can make my grandson smile like you can, deserves the world, Ginny." She kissed Ginny's cheek, making her grin before she hurried off.
Sorcha was the kindest woman she had ever met and Ginny had immediately taken a liking to her. She loved that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind and that she wrote about whatever struck her as important. She was inspiring and the fact that she thought she was good for Harry made her feel warm inside. Ginny knew that she was good for Harry, that they were good for each other, but when people who loved them saw the same thing, it made her feel good.
Ginny turned to look at herself in the mirror again with a smile. The vest was lovely and she loved the colour. Not to mention how much Harry would like the way it made her tits look was a nice bonus. She grinned to herself as she changed back into her own clothes. Now she has just had to find a birthday gift for Harry and something she could wear to the diner this afternoon.
After all, if she was going to have lunch with Harry's ex-girlfriend, she was determined to look her best. No, better than her best. She wanted Harry to take a look at her and his jaw to hit the floor. She wanted him to not even notice Harley had entered the room. With that thought in mind, she headed out of the change room to tell Zee exactly what she was looking for. The glint of delight that appeared in the eyes of Zee and Sorcha only had her biting her lip in concern.
"Don't you worry, honeybun," Flo said with a grin. "We're going to make you look even more fabulous than normal!"
"Harry won't know what hit him," Zee said and Ginny grinned back at her.
Good. That was exactly what she wanted.
~ ASC ~
Ginny was nervous. She knew that she had no reason to be. She knew in her heart that being jealous was stupid, but the thought of seeing Harley again was making her anxious.
Sorcha, Flo, and Zee had helped her find the perfect outfit. She was casual, but she looked good and she felt really sexy. She'd bought herself a knee length light spaghetti strap blue sundress with purple, blue, and white butterflies on it. She kept her long red hair down and straight, with a black velvet rimmed cap, black lace-up boot converses, and a black ribbon choker with a dangling silver owl around her neck. She added the dangling blue and gold broomstick earrings that Harry had given her from the Russian market. She wore a short denim jean vest, left unbuttoned over top to complete the look. She'd spent most of her spending money, but the look on Harry's face when she'd come down the stairs at the ranch had been worth it.
Harry took her hand in his when they slid into the booth at Flo's and kissed her fingers.
"Your grandmother owns this?"
"Yup. Well, she owns shares in it now. We were supposed to come for dinner here the first week, but Grandpa took us to that steakhouse instead, remember?"
"Harry!" A blonde woman in her late forties interrupted as she smiled warmly at their booth. "You're Flo's boy, aren't you?"
Ginny watched the nape of his neck redden as he nodded. "Yes, miss."
The blonde grinned hugely. "I'm Doris. We're happy to have you. And who's this?"
"Ginny, my girlfriend," he said with a grin at her. "I've been telling her about your milkshakes."
Doris beamed. "Name the flavour. It's on the house."
"Oh no, we can't —"
"— It's on the house. Flo's family is our family. Now, what flavour would you like?"
Ginny smiled at her. "Chocolate for me please and Harry wants strawberry."
"Coming right up!"
Ginny's eyes met Harry's as Doris walked away. "I love this place. Harley and Tucker are still coming?"
He nodded. "As far as I know."
The bell on the door dinged and the couple in question walked into the diner. Ginny saw Harry's head turn to watch Harley come in and she hated the feeling of jealousy that pitted in her stomach. Harley wore a black spaghetti strap vest with black jeans that fit her like a second skin and, if possible, made her legs look even longer. Her blonde hair brushed her shoulders, perfectly styled, and her pale skin was perfectly done up in makeup so flawless it looked almost professionally done. Considering Ginny rarely did more than a natural makeup look, she suddenly felt like a wallflower.
"Harry!"
Harry turned and a bright smile erupted on his face. "Harley, hey! Hi, Tucker."
"Harry," Tucker said, sliding into the booth across from them as Harley bent over to hug Harry.
Ginny tried to keep her expression neutral as Harley's low cut vest gave Harry an eyeful when she leaned in. She felt a little smug when she realized that her breasts were larger than Harley's were. Harley left a lingering kiss on Harry's cheek before she stood and slid into the booth next to Tucker.
"I'm so glad that we're doing this. I've missed you. It's been what, two years?"
"Yeah, about," Harry told her. "It was the summer before my fourth year. I'm heading into sixth come September."
Harley laughed. "I never understand those terms. I'm a senior this year and then will graduating and hopefully off to the derby to race. Right, Tuck?"
Tucker smiled as Doris came back with their milkshakes. "Right."
Harley and Tucker ordered as well and they decided to order burgers and fries to go with their shakes. Harry and Ginny ordered the same. Once Doris left, Harley turned her bright smile on Ginny.
"So, Jenny, how did you and Harry meet?"
"Ginny actually," Ginny corrected, feeling calmer when Harry's hand found hers under the table. "We've actually known each other for years."
"She kissed me at the park when I was six," Harry said, his eyes on Ginny.
She turned to smile at him and his lips met hers softly, making her feel warm and more relaxed. "Then it took him nine years to realize he wanted to kiss me again."
Harry chuckled. "I was a bit thick, what can I say?"
Tucker looked amused as he stared at them. "How long have you been together then?"
"Eight months," Harry said, his fingers linking through hers. "Nine on the fourth of August."
The fact that he knew the exact date sent a rush through her that she couldn't describe. "He kissed me after the big game in front of the whole school."
"Worth it," Harry said, kissing their joined hands. "How did you two end up dating?"
Tucker shrugged. "Ended up at a party together. I've known her for a few years as she's always hanging around the ranch."
Harley smiled at him. "We have. Harry, you and I sure got into trouble the last time you were here, didn't we?"
"I remember a school dance where we had some fun," Harry admitted.
Harley's eyes twinkled. "I remember you kissing my boobs and Miss Zacarias catching us."
Harry blushed. "Well, that was a long time ago."
Ginny felt him jolt and shift next to her. "You were only together a few weeks, weren't you?"
"Two," Harry admitted. "Then we came back home and I figured I'd never see her again."
Harry shifted next to her again and Ginny leaned in to kiss his cheek. She knew the girl was trying to get under her skin and she was determined not to let it bother her. She just needed a moment to compose herself. "Can I sneak out to use the loo?"
He nodded and stood up. When he did, Ginny noticed that Harley's long leg was spread under the table close to where Harry's had been.
"I'll come with you," Harley exclaimed brightly, standing up as well. "To the loo, how fun! I love all of your British words!"
Ginny tried not to roll her eyes as she moved towards the sign that said "washroom." She did her business, taking slow deep breaths in the stall before she went to the sink to wash her hands. She found Harley reapplying bright red lipstick.
"So, woman to woman," Harley began, smacking her red lips together. "You know he still likes me, right?"
Ginny applied her own chapstick, the one that left a soft glossy shimmer on her lips, but added no colour. "Aren't you with Tucker?"
Harley laughed. "Tuck and I are only friends, I just dragged him along so that the two of you would come out with us. Colt and Flo talk about Harry all the time and I've learned he's grown to be more than just incredibly hot."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
Harley scoffed. "I think you know my meaning."
Ginny brushed her lips together to even out the gloss. "You were important to Harry once. He told me all about you. We've been friends for years, best friends. You're incredibly beautiful and I can see why he would be attracted to you."
"But?" Harley said, her eyes on Ginny. "You think he'd prefer you, really?"
Ginny's eyes met Harley's in the mirror. "Funnily enough, I don't hear him saying your name when he comes."
Harley's mouth dropped open, her eyes wide in shock. Ginny simply dropped her lip gloss into her pocket and left the blonde in the washroom staring after her. Harry raised an eyebrow at her as he stood and she moved to the tips of her toes to kiss him.
"Hi," he said, grinning at her when she moved her mouth away.
"Hi," Ginny said back before she slid into the booth and let him slide in next to her. "Tucker, I'm sorry that you were dragged here today. I'm sure that you have something better you'd rather be doing."
Tucker shrugged. "Not much really, but the food here is always great so that's a plus."
"Your lunch is on us, okay?" Ginny told him.
Tucker's smile widened. "Thanks."
Harry draped his arm across Ginny's shoulders. "What do you know, mischief maker?"
"Mischief managed."
Harry's slow puzzled smile made butterflies flutter in her stomach and then he bent his head and kissed her softly as Harley spoke behind them.
"Tucker, I think it's time for us to go."
Harry raised an eyebrow, but Ginny only squeezed his hand. Tucker nodded and said goodbye, moving to get their food to go. Once they were alone, Harry stared at her.
"What did I miss?"
Ginny kissed him. "I was jealous."
"I know, I noticed," he said with a sly grin. "And you had reason to be. She was sliding her toes up my jeans."
"And that's why you were shifting so nervously," she realized with a smile. "You must have made quite the impression on her, Mr Potter, for her to still want you two years later."
"Guess my snogging skills were good even from the beginning," he teased. "You know that she's in my past, right? She's history. You're the only one I want, Ginny."
Ginny nodded. "I know. Besides, I may have um, said something to put her in her place."
Harry's eyebrow rose again. "What's that?"
Ginny bit her lip, thanking Doris when she brought them full plates of burgers and chips. Once Doris left, she picked up one of the chips as she spoke. "I may have said that it wasn't her name you called out when you came."
Harry's face flushed. "Ginny!"
She looked into his green eyes for a long moment. "I want you all to myself, Harry. I know you're not interested in her anymore just like you know that I'm not interested in Michael or anyone else anymore. I know that you're all mine and I rather like it."
Harry tilted his forehead down to hers, a soft smirk on his face. "I rather like being yours as well, Miss Weasley. And for the record, I never once called out her name when I came, even when I was alone with my hand."
She felt the slow satisfied smile spread across her face as warmth spread through her. Yeah, he was hers, and she knew that she had nothing to worry about. She dipped her chip into her chocolate milkshake and took a bite, making him grimace in distaste, and then his lips were on hers again and the world felt right.
End Author's Notes:
Thanks to Dusk for her assistance with my jealous Ginny — her line was perfect!
Thank you for reading and please review!