Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you and the wedding might be before the potion is ready… To shuweet: Yes, a month. These things require patience you know? To briana_t: Thank you! Is it safe to say that Remus has fucked himself? LOL. Well, I guess if she "technically" made it herself by ordering the same er, measurements, haha, but no, Tonks was definitely in control there and they both rather liked it;) You think when Ginny receives the antidote it will result in her and Harry finally having sex? Interesting. To AQuickRead91: They did get spicy! Interesting that you think Kingsley helped Hermione get her parents to Australia in canon, I can definitely see that! I have my own ideas for that as you will soon see. To TheOgholycookies: Thank you! I love the idea of Fleamont and Borage love/hate each other. You feel bad for Percy? Why do you feel bad for him about the things he did? To SeriouslySam: Two bottles of wine each is like 5 glasses lol. Yes, Dumbles is cool and collected even in the face of impending death. Ron would definitely tell them to call him again in the daylight haha. To Bosmia18: Happy you caught up again! To Steelcode: They are on the right track to saving Ginny, this is true. And yes, Euphemia definitely knows how to rein in the two Potion masters lol.
To LilyBlack18: If you were Harry, would you immediately trust Snape's potion? LOL. And thank you, I love the relationship of my Slytherin boys as well. To ladyinwaiting2005: Ha, there will be no red wedding lol. To Wolf's scream: A hard thing to learn, but Theo is seeing that his friends have to make their own choices. Omg, a Grumpy Old Wizards sideshow, I'd watch it haha. To Dianne: In real time I suppose it's going to be about the same time, which I didn't really consider to be honest LOL. We will see more of how Ginny is coping in this chapter as well. Ginny is not a virgin, but she's never technically had sex and Harry considers her as innocent as he is because she is. I'm glad you found the Remadora smut hot and the toy wasn't unique to the magical world, just a large butt plug to help prepare Tonks and then a strap on for her to shag Remus with LOL. To Mackie919: Thank you for saying the Remadora is chefs kiss! Glad the banter helped make it a little better on waiting for Hinny.
To ITHersey: Thank you for saying that Blaise's decision makes sense for his character. I agree with that. What is Voldemort's plan with Dumbledore? He definitely wants him dead but I don't think he's quite done with him yet either. To notthatchhavi: Thank you! Yes, his cock is definitely a broadsword and yes, it was a double treat both anal and a strap-on, haha! I love that Remus and Tonks are both so open with each other that they are comfortable enough to do that. And yes, I like to think James got his troublemaking skills from somewhere so, why not a little from Fleamont? To alix33: Borage is indeed very stubborn LOL. To Mutt N Feathers: Thank you and I don't think Tom knows much about what he's truly doing either — he's in it for the power. To scrappy8: Thank you! To Tiegdalewills15: Ghost is a great film! Thanks! We will see more of Ginny's reactions to the potions in this chapter. To Nuno Neves: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the Remadora naughtiness. I like the idea of the Weasleys being this big family and in my opinion it isn't just Arthur who has a big family. I think they are a big clan.
To WinkingSkeever: Thanks and I will update in my regular manner. To Nightwing2013: Was it jaw-dropping? I think they rather enjoyed themselves haha. And you're right, getting her blood is going to be quite the chore. Voldemort and the burning through of magic… we're still working on it. To ValGrey02: I know, I was ready for some good Remadora smut. To Chintan: He did, but not all of it. And yes, the antidote is finally happening! Happy to have made up on the lack of smut in this one. To xXMizz Alev VolturiXx: Thank you! And why are you suspicious of Max Weasley? To Laura Lassen: Thank you! You've cried over ten times while reading it? I will take that as a compliment! Thank you so much for reading! To ANewRanger: Thank you! To Arctoid32: A few time skips, but probably not as much as you'd like lol. To LykeTuck: Thank you! And thanks, typo on my part. To Guest: I felt that Narcissa needed to be killed off and since the Horcrux is already destroyed in Harry, her role changed.
To pix25: It could be worse, yes, and thanks! I had fun writing their banter! To LegendDairy: So happy you caught up! And happy the smut was as hot as promised! To Guest: Yes, we will see more Neville/Hannah, more Padma/Lavender, and more Dean/Seamus. To tim2604: Yes, Dumbledore finally drank the potion, but what does it mean? Yes, it does mean no Hinny for a bit, but there's other stuff, good stuff, I promise. Happy you loved my Remadora smut and I mean, when he sees the toy in her butt, you just know he fell more in love with her. Thanks for the review! To PurpleLotus: Thanks. To neumann: Yes to both actionable plans and pegging! Thanks!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
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 EIGHTY-ONE:
The One With Australia
Charlie was lying in the grass in the garden behind his house. The blue sky was bright and the sun was high and a lovely cool breeze ruffled through his hair. He was holding Aydin over his head, flying her through the sky as he sang, and she was giggling madly.
"Five little dragons went out one day. High into the sky and far away! Mother dragon said, 'Roar, roar, roar,' but only four little dragons soared home," he sang. "One! Two! Three! Four!"
At each number he would lift her up high over his head and she cackled in delight, her little arms wiggling.
"Four little dragons went out one day. High into the sky and far away! Mother dragon said, 'Roar, roar, roar,' but only three little dragons soared home. One! Two! Three!"
Charlie kissed Aydin's cheek when he brought her back down. Each time he said roar, he would pretend to eat her belly and she would reward him with a deep belly laugh that made his heart sing.
"Three little dragons went out one day. High into the sky and far away! Mother dragon said, 'Roar, roar, roar,' but only two little dragons soared home. One! Two! Two little dragons went out one day. High into the sky and far away! Mother dragon said, 'Roar, roar, roar,' but only one little dragon soared home. One!"
He tossed her up into the air and kissed her cheeks again when he caught her. Her big smile was huge for him, making him grin back. It was impossible for him not to smile at his daughter when she looked as happy as she did.
"Sad mother dragon went out one day. High into the sky and far away. Mother dragon said, 'Roar, roar, roar,' and all five little dragons soared home. Roar, roar, roar!" he roared, pretending to eat her stomach once more.
Aydin gave a big belly laugh over and over until a shadow fell over them. Charlie looked up, cuddling his daughter to his chest as he sat up.
"Trotsky."
The dark-haired dragon handler who he had helped train over the years, nodded at him. "You have an international Floo call from a witch in England. She's waiting in the fire in the Reserve Office."
Charlie climbed to his feet, Aydin in his arms. "Did she give a name?"
Trotsky shrugged. "Something Russian. I was only half-listening before I was flagged down to come find you."
"Zacarias?"
"Yes, that sounds right," Trotsky said.
Charlie thanked the wizard and made his way down the narrow street. It was a ten minute walk to the Reserve Office, but Charlie didn't like to Apparate with Aydin if he could avoid it. She didn't like it and besides, he could use the walk.
When he stepped inside, he found Hadiza Furaha talking to Zee's floating head in the fire. He made his way over and knelt down, Aydin still in his arms.
"Hey, Zee, I see you've met Hadiza."
Zee smiled. "I have. She's brilliant. You weren't lying."
Charlie shrugged. "I never lie when it comes to dragonologists."
Zee chuckled. "It's actually Hadiza I was hoping to get you to talk to, so this is rather serendipitous. We figured out the antidote potion and one of the ingredients is the venom from a Peruvian Vipertooth."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "How much?"
"Two tablespoons," Zee told him. "I remembered you mentioning Hadiza having an incredible ability to communicate with Vipertooths and I was hoping that meant we could easily get some venom without hurting the dragons. It's vital to the potion."
Charlie looked over at Hadiza. "What do you think?"
"I think I can get that without a problem. How soon do you need it?" Hadiza asked.
"As soon as possible," Zee admitted. "If you could have Charlie bring it back with him when he comes back to England in a few days, that would be wonderful."
Hadiza nodded and bid her goodbye, leaving Charlie and Aydin alone with Zee's floating head.
"What aren't you saying now that we're alone? Did something happen?"
Zee shook her head. "No, the potion is good news. It's just that it's going to take a month to brew which means Ginny won't get to take it until close to her birthday if not just after. Harry's beating himself up and I know that your brothers are getting frustrated with her."
"They haven't said much. But the fact that her memory has been altered worries me."
Zee nodded. "It's part of the problem. She sees people that she's always trusted as an enemy. I don't know how she will feel about you yet, but I wanted to let you know the good news and ask about the venom."
Charlie kissed Aydin's cheek when her fingers tangled in his beard making her giggle at the scratchiness of it. "I'll be back in England in four days. I'll try to figure things out then and hopefully we can keep her calm and well, less angry at everyone. Ron said that she's gotten colder with him day by day and with Percy and Dad, but so far everyone else seems to be okay. She's busy with wedding plans."
"It keeps her occupied which is important," Zee agreed. "I'll see you at the wedding, unless I see you beforehand. Let me know how obtaining the venom goes."
Charlie bid her goodbye and watched her disappear from the fire. He turned to look at his gurgling daughter with a smile. "Are you excited to go to your Uncle Bill's wedding? Gamma bought you the prettiest little dress to wear. Come on. Let's go visit Irving on the way home. Papa wants to check on her wing."
Aydin snuggled into his shoulder and Charlie began to sing again.
"Five little dragons went out one day. High into the sky and far away…"
~ ASC ~
Remus didn't make it back home until almost ten that morning. He ran his hands over his tired face, moving sluggishly as he stepped out of his shoes and headed into the bedroom. The sight of his wife still sprawled out on her stomach on their bed made him smile. It looked like she hadn't moved a muscle since he'd left. He knew that she needed the sleep. If it was possible to catch up on a few weeks worth of a lack of sleep, he hoped she could do it.
He decided he wanted a shower more than sleep and made his way to the bathroom. He showered and then slipped naked beneath the covers of their bed, nudging his wife over so that he could spoon her. Tonks let out a snort, but stayed asleep. He woke an hour later to the feel of his wife's lips on his chest.
"Mmm, morning," he murmured.
Tonks lips continued to kiss his chest, moving lower and lower to continue her journey. Her lips moved over him, tongue slipping out to stroke and he was soon hardening under her ministrations.
"Didn't we tire each other out enough last night?" he asked, gripping a fistful of her bright pink hair.
Tonks flattened her tongue over the tip of him and licked. "Did we?"
Remus tugged her up to his mouth, pinning her beneath him in their bed as he kissed her. Her hands slid over his back, but he kept his mouth on hers, kissing her until they were both breathless and then he moved to her throat. Soft kisses, teasing bites until that warm mouth of his covered a nipple and she sighed happily.
By the time he finally slid into her, she was more than ready for him. He stayed overtop of her, one hand holding her hip as he made slow love to her. He ignored her begs for him to go faster and intentionally slowed his thrusts, watching the pleasure slowly wash over her. Those grey eyes darkened, her pupils dilated, and when her hair began to flash, he pressed his thumb over her and pushed in deeper.
She cried out, nails digging into his arms and he crushed his lips to hers. They rode out their orgasm together and then he locked her legs around his waist and turned them to lie on their side.
"Mmm," Tonks said, snuggling into his chest. "You're still inside of me."
"Want me to move?"
"Never," she whispered.
He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Dora."
Tonks' grey eyes met his. "Even after I buggered you last night?"
His smile was slow. "Especially after that."
She gently danced her nails along his arm. "Did you really like it?"
"I did," he admitted, slipping out of her as he snuggled her close. "I always like it when you play with my arse. I rather liked the first part, too."
She blushed. "It was… very different."
"Are you sore?"
"Yes," she admitted. "But then I think about why and it's worth it."
Remus kissed her forehead again. "You'll have to take that little contraption of yours out again one day."
"In Barbados?"
"Yes, definitely there," he said with a smile. "Harry said that we can go whenever we want. It would be nice to take some time before September if we could."
Tonks nodded. "There's just so much going on. I want to run off and spend time with only you, but then I think of all of the responsibilities we have here and I feel guilty."
"We can't feel guilty for taking the time for us, Nymphadora. We deserve these moments. You're the one who showed me that I deserve these moments, with you."
She traced his bottom lip before she kissed him. "You do. We both do. But Harry needs us here, I know that. King needs me. And Zee needs us both, too. Between the twins and her worry for Harry, she must be going spare."
"Well, after this morning, we're all feeling a little better in terms of Harry."
Tonks raised an eyebrow. "What happened this morning?"
Remus quickly explained how Harry had called him just after three that morning and how he'd ended up at Clevedon Court where Harry and Hermione had started the antidote.
"So, this Borage is helping to brew it?"
Remus nodded. "He's a brilliant Potioneer and despite he and Monty's rather entertaining squabbles, they both respect each other's work. Borage will be staying in Clevedon Court to oversee the antidote, but it takes almost a month to brew. in the excitement of finally finding out the correct antidote, Harry took it hard when he realized how long it would actually take to get to Ginny."
"I can't imagine what he's going through," she whispered, her nails still gently running up and down his arm. "He loves her so much and I know that she loves him and to not be able to… it's more than just getting to kiss her. Being in the same room as Ginny keeps Harry calmer. He's less likely to go running off and get himself into trouble when she's around."
"Well, less likely to go off alone," Remus corrected.
Tonks' lips curved. "Fair point."
Her stomach let out a loud grumble that made him chuckle. "I guess I did promise to make you breakfast this morning, didn't I?"
"You did," she told him. "But I also expected you to get some more sleep last night."
Remus kissed her. "How about we make some breakfast and then come back to bed?"
Her response was to lower her lips to tease his nipple. She smiled when she felt him stirring against her thigh. She flattened her tongue over his nipple and licked while her fingers twisted his left one. She slid her other hand down between their legs, teasing the base of him with a knowing smile.
Tonks pushed him down onto his back and straddled him. "I think we better first deal with this problem you have, Mr Lupin."
"Problem?"
Tonks smiled. "It seems part of you is growing at quite an alarming rate."
He smirked. "Is it now?"
She pushed her hips down onto him and he made a happy noise that made her grin. Then she slowly pulled herself up. Remus groaned at the loss of her warmth and then he smiled when she simply turned around and took him back into her, giving him a lovely view of her firm arse and slender back. He held her hips in his hands as she began to ride him and not for the first time thought that he was the happiest man in the world.
~ ASC ~
Ginny felt like her summer needed to be over already.
They were barely three weeks into it and she was annoyed with almost everyone. Her whole family seemed to be walking on eggshells around her, giving her strange looks, whispering when she left a room. It was driving her mad.
And the worst part of it was that every time she attempted to talk to one of them about it, they clammed up. They claimed that she was mistaken and that everything was just fine. It was most certainly not fine, but Ginny couldn't figure out what it was that seemed to be wrong.
She felt like everything she did lately was making her angry. The lies her brothers were feeding her, the sympathetic looks her mother kept giving her… none of it made sense.
Her mother spent all of her time baking and creating new soaps, shampoos, and scents. The kitchen and garden were full of her hard work and Ginny worked alongside of her, assisting her in her tasks until her mother's looks annoyed her too much. Her father was almost ignoring her entirely which Ginny counted as a blessing. She didn't know how he expected her to treat him after he'd been the one to give her the diary that possessed her in the first place all those years ago. When she'd told him as such after he attempted to hug her, he'd looked shocked and appalled. Ginny didn't know why it was a surprise to him. Now every once in a while she could feel him watching her and when she glowered at him, he looked unbearably sad, but Ginny didn't care. What kind of father gave their daughter a diary that would possess them? That would make her do… that would do the things it had to her… it still infuriated her. Not to mention the fact that he'd tried to pass the blame off onto someone else like a coward.
The sight of him sickened her.
Her brothers weren't much better. Ron kept telling her that he needed to help Potter and Hermione with something. As per usual, he and his friends had locked her out of everything. She knew that was Potter's doing. He'd always been a selfish prick and had taken Ron from her. Then Fred was so busy at the shop that he never found time to talk to her. When she offered to help him at the shop, he'd pat her on the top of her head like a child and told her they were covered and to hurry along. George was too busy settling into his new home with Angelina to give her the time of day, even though Ginny had spent three days helping the two of them paint and settle in.
Angelina was too busy with Quidditch training for more than a quick hi and goodbye. Percy was short with everyone and whenever he looked at her, he got this look in his eye like he was looking at a stranger. It made her feel very uncomfortable and like the brother looking at her in return was also a stranger. The only person who seemed to be treating her remotely normally was Bill.
But then even Bill was different.
Ever since the attack on the causeway, he seemed withdrawn. He was busy with wedding plans, giving one or two word answers when asked a direct question, but Ginny couldn't count the number of times she'd caught him staring at himself in the mirror, tracing the scars over his throat as he tried to spit out more than six or seven words before his voice broke. It broke her heart when he spoke.
Bill had always had such a beautiful voice. Smooth and deep. She'd once heard one of his ex-girlfriends call it pure seduction. Ginny always thought that was an over exaggeration, but she loved the rich baritone, the way it deepened when he laughed or how low he could make it when he told stories. The sound of his voice had always given her such joy and now the deep croak of broken words that flowed almost made her want to cry.
To Fleur's credit, Ginny was incredibly impressed with how his fiancée was handling it. Every time he'd spoken too long or pushed himself too much, Fleur was the first one there to urge him to rest, to have some tea. Ginny had almost felt like an intruder as she watched her soon-to-be-sister-in-law stroke her fingertip over his throat, touching the scars as she whispered something to him in French that made him smile.
Fleur was helping keep Ginny busy as much as she could as well with the wedding plans. For the most part, everything was done, but it was a lot of last minute preparations and dress-fittings that were keeping her busy. Fleur's wedding gown was immaculate and Ginny told Fleur she looked like a princess. Her own bridesmaid dress was gold. At first, she'd been hesitant on the colour, but once she'd put it on, she had to admit, it looked fantastic on her.
The material was the colour of golden champagne in sheer tulle with intricate gold embroidered vines all over it. It had a high neck and cut off at the shoulders so that from a distance, it looked as if one was wearing nothing at all outside of the gold vines that lingered down to a tulle skirt. It was breathtaking and Ginny felt like a princess when she put it on. Fleur had helped her pick out nude coloured lace knickers and a matching strapless bra to give her more lift under the gown and making her breasts look great. Fleur had also insisted that all of her bridesmaids wear high black lace stiletto sandals which Ginny felt needed a lot of practice when it came to walking well in them.
There were four bridesmaids all together. Gabrielle had the same beautiful silvery blonde hair as her elder sister and had just turned thirteen on the first of July. She was tall for her age with the same lovely grace as her sister and Ginny thought that the bridesmaid dress made her look much more grown up and brought out the beauty that her Veela charms gave her, even in one so young.
Other than herself and Gabrielle, there were two other bridesmaids, two girlfriends from Beauxbatons with whom Fleur was close. The two of them had arrived on the sixteenth of July to help out and were staying at Shell Cottage to work on wedding details. Lizette, a beautiful brunette, worked in the French Ministry as a trainee in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, which in France was known as the Calamité et Mésaventure Division. Avril was a beautiful willowy girl with long hair in a mix of blues, purples, and pinks making it look like the scale from a rainbow fish. Ginny was fascinated with the colours. Avril was a cosmeti-witch who did hair, nails, and makeup and according to Fleur always had some amazing hairstyle or new makeup to show off. Avril was fascinated by Ginny's hair and so far had come up with six new up-dos she wanted to try. She'd told Ginny at least twelve times how beautiful her hair colour was and how she could never let anyone convince her to dye it because her shade of red was impossible to replace, no matter how many charms one did.
Ginny was surprised to have liked both of them immediately. They spoke in rapid French, but Ginny was pleased with how quickly she caught on. Fleur had been teaching her the language over the last year through her letters and now being able to speak with her on a more regular basis and now with her friends was rather fun. They laughed at her pronunciations and helped her make her sentences more clear. Ginny found them to be a fun surprise she hadn't expected that summer, especially considering her friends had seemingly abandoned her.
She wished Theo was here, but when she called him on the mirror he told her he wouldn't be back in England for at least another week. Colin had been busy with some photography project that he said he couldn't tell her about. And Luna… Luna's cryptic words as of late only exacerbated her anger.
Then there was Michael.
He hadn't bothered to write her back once since the summer had begun. He'd ignored her invites to the Burrow and she still hadn't heard back from him about what he was wearing to the wedding. Whenever she complained about this, her brothers would exchange a look that made her angry. Why was it so hard for her boyfriend to be here when she wanted him to be?
To make matters worse, her mother seemed hellbent on keeping her away from her dear great-auntie Muriel. The woman was a saint and yet Molly insisted that Ginny was better off not going to spend time there. Ginny didn't understand why her mother seemed to not want her going there. Last summer, during one of the brief visits they had, Ginny and Aunt Muriel giggled over tea while they planned her dream wedding to Michael. Aunt Muriel gushed how beautiful the goblin-made tiara would sparkle in her hair. Then her mother had ruined their outing, yelling at Ginny for wearing too short of a skirt and a low-cut shirt. Aunt Muriel had defended her, saying that Ginny was only young once. Her mother had banned Aunt Muriel after that.
The only good person in her family she could actually stand to be around and of course, Molly denied her this. It only infuriated her more.
Then there was Potter.
She still couldn't believe that her brothers had held her down and let him kiss her! Kiss her! She felt attacked. She felt like she'd been used in a way that made her skin crawl and yet when his lips had touched hers it had felt… right. But it was the taste of his blood that really felt right. Ever since that day in the orchard, her dreams had been getting more and more bloodthirsty.
And they scared her.
She woke in the night, sweating through her sheets, craving the taste of Potter's blood. She dreamed of killing him in more ways than she thought was even possible. She wanted to watch the life drain out of his beautiful green eyes because she knew that until she did, she would never be able to have the life she wanted. He was stopping her in some way. Ginny just didn't understand how.
Logically, it didn't make sense. Other than that strange moment in the orchard when he'd kissed her, Potter didn't really have much to do with her. He was mean to her, sure, but why did that mean he needed to die? And why was she so sure that she had to be the one to do it?
She tried to put her thoughts into words, but no one seemed to listen. Everyone just kept telling her that it would all be all right; that things would work out. That made even less sense to her. What things?
So instead, she wrote them out. She filled her journal with details of her dreams, trying to make sense of why Potter made her so angry. But the more she wrote, the angrier she became. The angrier she became, the more she could feel it bubbling up inside of her, and when she looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes were dark with rage that she couldn't comprehend, her cheeks flushed, and her heart racing inside of her chest.
When she told her mother, Molly had simply pulled her close and stroked her hair.
"You mustn't let the anger gain control of you, Ginny. Please, try not to let it come out," Molly murmured.
"I shan't," Ginny told her. "But… it's getting harder to control, Mum. Why am I so angry?"
Molly kissed her forehead and told her all would be well.
Ginny wished someone would give her a straight answer.
George kept muttering something about the potion upsetting her which made her more confused. She didn't know how many times she needed to tell her stupid brother that no one had given her a bloody potion. Snape had taken the potion on top of the Astronomy Tower, she'd only been there as a witness. She hadn't taken any potion of any kind outside of a calming draught which frankly, had done shit all for calming her of her anger.
She spent an hour outside in her panda Animagus, something that she had to accomplish by herself because Potter excluded her from the process with the rest of them. It took her twice as long as the others because she was provided zero help or support in learning how to achieve it. She ran like mad, forcing herself to be exhausted in hopes that her exhaustion would outweigh her anger. When she changed back, she made laps around the orchard, running at full speed and doing cartwheels across the grass. It was where Luna found her that afternoon.
"That looks fun," Luna called out.
Ginny looked over in time to see Luna join her in cartwheels. She watched as Luna performed three perfect ones in a row before she sat in the grass, tossing her long blonde hair behind her back and basking up at the sun. Ginny caught her breath and moved to sit next to her friend.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to visit," Luna said. "I stopped by to give your mum some new supplies from Dad's garden and she told me that you were out here."
Ginny nodded. "I was hoping it would make me… less angry."
Luna's blue eyes locked on hers. "The anger will pass, you know. You just have to wait and try not to let it control you."
Ginny didn't look away from her friend. "I wish I knew what that meant."
"It means that Harry is working on an antidote to help you. You just have to be patient."
"I don't need an antidote," Ginny said, bitterly. "How many times must I tell everyone that I didn't drink some bloody potion!"
Luna closed her eyes up to the sun again. "Oh, once or twice more I'm sure."
Ginny scowled.
Luna pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it onto the grass before she leaned back in just her bra. "I do love the warmth of the sun on my skin. Perhaps I'll get a nice tan. Would your brothers be terribly horrified if I were to sunbathe in the nude?"
"No, but Mum would be," Ginny said, trying not to chuckle at the image of her mother's face if she caught Luna lying naked in the orchard.
Luna nodded. "Well, that's all right. I'll go up to the roof when I get home and get some lovely rays. I always feel lovely when I bask in the warmth of the sun. You of course, would burn to a crisp if you don't take proper precautions, though Harry does love your freckles so, maybe a few more would be worth it."
Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Why does everyone keep saying things like that? Potter hates me and I hate him."
"Well, that's absolutely not true, but I'll forgive your mishap considering the circumstances."
Ginny frowned. "What mishap? Luna, Potter and I have never been friends and you talk as if he's some great love affair that I've forgotten about!"
Luna shimmied out of her skirt, leaving her on the grass in nothing but blue cotton knickers and a purple bra as she basked in the sunlight.
"Well, you wouldn't be too far off with that statement, but considering the number of times you've had his cock in your mouth, I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt."
"His — Luna! I would NEVER!"
Luna smirked. "Oh, you would, and you enjoy it immensely. From what you've told me, he's rather well endowed."
"Potter — and me — no!" Ginny insisted, stubbornly, her anger rising all over again. "Those are terrible lies!"
Luna kept her eyes closed as she spoke. "Truth. Lies. Sometimes the real answer lies between them, doesn't it?"
Ginny glowered at her, lying back down next to her friend. "I just wish that someone would tell me the truth instead of telling me to not worry about it. Luna… something is wrong with me. I don't understand why I'm so angry all of the time."
"They've told you, Ginny, you've just not been ready to hear it," Luna said.
Ginny let out a slow breath. "Bill's wedding is coming up and Ron's finally going for his Apparition license… Charlie will be home soon."
"Oh, it will be lovely for you to see Aydin again. I bet she's grown so much since Easter."
Ginny frowned. "Who's Aydin?"
Luna sat up, her blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders. "Oh dear, this memory thing has gone deeper than I've feared."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I don't have a memory loss thing."
"Aydin is your niece, Ginny, Charlie's daughter."
"Charlie doesn't have a daughter," Ginny said, laughing. "I think that I would remember something like that."
"Hmm, yes, you think you would," Luna said. She put her skirt back on and tugged her shirt over her head before she stood up and offered Ginny her hand. "Come on; let's go back to my house. We'll sunbathe on my rooftop garden, put some of those lovely face masks on, and open some of Daddy's Pinot Grigio."
Ginny hesitated a moment before she accepted her friend's hand. "Luna, does Charlie really have a daughter that I forgot about?"
Luna smiled. "Yes, but don't worry. I promise you'll remember it all soon enough."
Ginny wasn't sure how reassuring she found that, but she followed her friend out of the orchard and told her mother that she was going to the Lovegoods. They took the Floo to Luna's house where she grabbed the clay face masks that Molly had made, the sun potion, a bottle of wine and two glasses, along with a platter of fruit. Luna left a note on the table for her father telling him that she and Ginny were on the roof and wished not to be disturbed, then she led the way.
Ginny stepped out onto the rooftop garden Luna had created a few years ago with a smile. It was lovely with the flowers surrounding the edge, the sun lights, and the little hummingbird homes and baths. It was Luna's inner sanctuary and Ginny knew how much her friend treasured the peace and quiet of her little rooftop garden.
Luna immediately stripped out of her clothes, grabbing the blankets from the chest in the corner and spreading them on the floor. She pulled her hair back into a high bun before she stretched out onto her back with a contented sigh in the afternoon sun.
"Use the sun potion before you lie down, I'll do your back."
Ginny hesitated only a moment before she slowly undressed, but unlike her friend, she left her bra and knickers on. Her hair was already up in a high ponytail, but she twisted it into a bun to keep it off of her neck before she carefully massaged the sun potion into her skin, the cooling salve felt good against the warmth of her skin. She passed it to Luna who immediately covered her back and the back of her neck.
"Luna!" Ginny exclaimed when the girl undid her bra.
Luna merely raised an eyebrow. "No one wants tan lines, Ginny. Besides, you have lovely voluptuous breasts. There's no reason to hide them."
Ginny sighed and pulled her bra off before she lay next to her friend, tugging her knickers down as well before she rolled onto her stomach, the warmth of the sun on her back and bum feeling rather nice. She turned her head to look at her friend with her eyes closed as she basked in the sunlight.
"I don't feel better. I feel exposed."
Luna only lifted an eyebrow. "There's no one up here but me and you and it's hardly the first time we've lain in the sun naked."
Ginny wasn't sure that was true, but since her memory seemed to be playing tricks on her, she couldn't be sure it wasn't either. She was quiet for a moment as she stared at her friend. "Luna… what you said before about Potter and… you were joking, right?"
"I'm not much for jokes, Ginny."
"Yes, but… to say that I like having his… cock in my mouth, I mean… that's…"
"Delicious?" Luna said, her eyes still closed. "I imagine it is. Harry is quite dashing, you know. It's too bad that we're such good friends. I bet he's a lovely snogger. Of course, Neville and I were friends, but Harry is very different. He's rather like a brother. I don't think I'd want to snog him in that capacity."
Ginny frowned. "Luna… are you saying that Potter and I… dated?"
"Are dating," Luna corrected. "Over a year now. The two of you can sometimes be rather sickeningly in love actually. But we all tolerate it because you two are so clearly happy. You walking into a room makes him light up like the sun and when he looks at you, you always have this look in your eye like you know that you're the only one he sees. It makes me rather jealous sometimes. Not of you and Harry, of course, but of the idea that the two of you have found your soulmates at such a young age. I often wonder who mine will be."
"But… I'm with Michael, Luna."
"Goodness no!" Luna exclaimed. "You and Michael broke up ages ago! After you Bat Bogey hexed him right in the bollocks!"
"Why would I do that?"
"Well," Luna said, slowly. "It seems that he was pushing you to be more intimate and when you told him that you weren't ready and explained what happened to you in the Chamber of Secrets, Michael more or less said something about you already having done it, so he didn't see what the big deal was. You broke up with him."
Ginny continued to frown as the warm sun beat down on her back.
"Turn," Luna instructed.
Ginny rolled over onto her back as Luna rolled onto her stomach. "Luna… why don't I remember any of this?"
"That would be because of the potion that you said you didn't take."
"But I didn't…"
"Or you just don't remember," Luna corrected.
Ginny sat up, pouring herself a glass of white wine before she handed one to her friend. "It makes my head hurt just thinking about it."
"Try to relax a bit. I think being calm and trying not to think about it will help. Lie back down and we'll do our faces."
Ginny accepted the facial mix from her friend and she rubbed the cool clay mask into her skin. Maybe Luna was right. Maybe she just needed to relax up here with her friend and try not to think about everything. But when she settled back onto the blanket with her face mask and her glass of wine, she couldn't help but wonder just what else she was misinterpreting; who exactly amongst her family was lying and who was telling her the truth.
~ ASC ~
Ron thanked Fred for Apparating him to Heathgate when they arrived in the back garden of Hermione's home. He was taking his Apparition test with Harry and Neville on Harry's birthday since he had failed the first time. He still couldn't believe that they failed him for one bloody eyebrow, but apparently it was a technicality that they weren't willing to work with.
It had been two days since Harry and Hermione had gotten the antidote for Ginny underway and Ron was grateful to them. It seemed that Ginny was getting more and more untrustworthy of him the more time went on and he found he actually missed the bickering he and his sister normally got up to. He shook the thoughts from his head and said goodbye to Fred before he headed up to knock on the back door.
Hermione hugged him tightly when she saw him and as he kept his arms around her, he realized how much he had missed her. Other than speaking on the mirror, he hadn't seen her since the train ride home. He kissed her forehead and let her pull him inside, closing the door behind him.
"Well?"
She hugged him again, burying her face against his chest. "They're at work."
Ron nodded, holding her close. She'd called him yesterday, tears in her eyes as she explained the conversation that she'd had with her father about them leaving. He had tried not to say anything, but he was terrified that she was going to move to Australia with her parents.
"Are you going to go?" he whispered.
Hermione pulled away from, tilting her head back to look into his eyes. "Am I going to go?"
"To Australia," Ron said. "You told me that it's the only way they'll go, Hermione. We have to keep your parents safe, I get that."
Hermione shook her head, wringing her hands together nervously. "It's not the only way."
Ron stared at her a moment. He knew what she was saying. They had talked about it during the school year, what she would do if there was no other way. But he hadn't realized how serious she was about it. "You're serious?"
"Ron, someone's been watching them! Have you not seen the papers? The attacks? They know that I'm friends with Harry and my parents, they can't… they can't protect themselves against magic!"
"We can put them in a safe house," Ron began.
"They won't ruddy go!" Hermione exclaimed, her hands in her bushy hair. "I've tried to talk to them about every possible option I can think of and as long as I'm staying, so are they!"
Ron nodded, closing his eyes. "Hermione, whatever you decide to do, I trust in you. You can do this."
Her eyes were full of tears when she looked up at him. "They'll hate me."
"But they'll be alive," he whispered. "And one day, they'll forgive you for that."
Hermione threw herself into his arms again, hugging him tightly. And she told him the plan. It wasn't the first time they had discussed it, but this time, it seemed more final as Ron listened to her outline the details. He saw why the plan was so important when her parents arrived home from work that night. Ron jumped up to his feet when he saw that the Grangers had torn clothes and that Mr Granger's arm was bleeding.
"Mum! Dad!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing towards them. "What happened?"
"We were attacked," Jean said, grabbing her husband's good arm. "We only just made it to our car but your father… he stepped in front of me."
"Who did this?" Hermione demanded.
Her mother's eyes met hers. "A man in a black hooded cloak with a gold mask that was skull-like… he had a wand."
Hermione swallowed. "Mum… I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."
"It is not your fault," Greg said through clenched teeth as Ron helped him take off his shirt. "You are our daughter and we will do everything we can to protect you."
"You can't protect me from this," she whispered. "Dad, they have magic. You don't. The fact that they still got to you despite the protection we… Dad, please listen to me."
He ignored her. "Use that magic of yours and heal me."
Hermione summoned dittany down from her trunk and quickly applied it to his arm where the gash was. It healed quickly and he thanked her.
"So, takeaway then?"
"Dad —"
"I said no, Hermione," he said sternly. "We're not going anywhere without you. This conversation is over."
Hermione shut her mouth, squeezing Ron's hand tightly in hers as her mother helped her father upstairs to change. Ron turned her to look at him as he framed her face with his hands and she turned into it, comforted by his touch.
"You can still change your mind."
Hermione shook her head. "No, I can't."
Ron held her hand as she stood up and he kissed her fingers. They ate takeaway from Hermione's favourite Indian restaurant and they spent the evening watching a film and playing a board game until Greg and Jean kissed their daughter's cheek and told her Ron could only stay until midnight. She agreed and bid them goodnight, telling them that she loved them.
Then she got to work.
By two in the morning, she had everything organized. Ron squeezed her hand in assurance and watched as Hermione took a deep breath before she crept up the stairs to her parents' room.
Hermione pushed open the door softly, the light creak making her hesitate only a moment. Then she stepped inside. A soft dim light from a nearby street lamp drifted through the window. Her parents were lying on their sides, her father spooning her mother, both asleep. She walked quietly into the room and then before she could change her mind, she pointed her wand at both of them and focused on what she needed to do as she said, "Obliviate."
The picture on the nightstand changed and she watched as she disappeared from the frame. She did a few more quick charms to set things in order and when she stepped into the hall, Ron took her hand and pulled her into her bedroom, closing the door. She used a charm to shield her room so that her parents wouldn't know it existed in the house and then she let Ron pull her into his arms, but she didn't speak. Neither of them did.
They sat there for almost two hours in silence as Ron rubbed his knuckles over her back and she snuggled against his chest before they finally heard movement.
"Come on, Wendall. We're going to miss our flight!" Jean shouted.
"I'm moving, Monica, I'm moving. Get your things," Greg exclaimed.
Neither of them moved as they listened to the shuffle around the house. One hour later, they were both gone.
"'Mione?"
Hermione shook her head. "We have to pack up the house."
Ron looked like he wanted to say something, but he bit his lip and instead helped her box everything up with a few flicks of his wand. The Magical Moving Company arrived at exactly nine and Hermione ordered them to a storage unit that she had rented. Three hours later, the entire house was packed up and moved into the unit. Hermione locked the door before she waved her wand to keep the house invisible and protected. She held Ron's hand as she Apparated the two of them to her parents dental office where she dropped off the papers that claimed Greg and Jean Granger were taking a one to two year sabbatical where they would be completely incommunicado, legally leaving their business to be run by Dr Yîn and Dr Hajjar until they returned.
Ron stayed with her as she finished tidying up the last of her parents' affairs, making sure their assets were protected for when they returned and when she finally finished and took a breath, she Apparated them to the Burrow where they had sent her things. Ron tugged her out towards the pond, wanting to give her some time. He sat down near the big willow tree and pulled her down into his lap.
The moment his arms slipped around her, she began to cry. He cradled her against his heart as she let out huge loud sobs, kissing her hair as he murmured useless words of comfort.
"I erased my parents' memories," she whispered. "What's wrong with me? They'll never forgive me!"
"Shh," he soothed, kissing her forehead. "They will. They'll be safe now, Hermione. No one will know. Just you and me, yeah?"
When his lips met hers, she melted into him, desperate to feel something. When he cradled her back against his heart, she sat there, wrapped in his warm arms in the afternoon sun and wondered what she was going to do now.
~ ASC ~
Harry stood inside the Ministry of Magic still wondering what exactly he was doing here. No, he knew why he was here, he just wasn't sure how he had been convinced to go along with the plan. He shook hands with Danny Evangeline, the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Prophet as he sat down in the conference room with Madam Minister Bones, Deputy Minister Scrimgeour, Remus, Zee, snd Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Lord Somerset, thank you for coming in today," Minister Bones said with a smile. "We really appreciate you doing this."
Harry tried not to roll his eyes at the title and instead nodded. "To be honest, I still don't know what this is exactly."
"Well, it's quite new to us as well, so please bear with us," she assured him.
Harry only nodded again, trying not to fidget.
"We're going to get some nice photos. Of course, your friend Mr Creevey sent us some fantastic shots we can use," Evangeline said. "A few sentences from you and we'll slap your face on the front page of every paper in the country!"
Harry grimaced. This was definitely the part that he hated. "I'm not about to be a poster boy for you."
"You won't be," Zee said. "Not like you think."
Harry's eyes met hers and he remembered why he was doing this. He turned his attention to the Minister of Magic. "You want me to say that I'm the Chosen One? Can't I have a say in what a stupid name it is?"
Bones chuckled. "It is rather bold, isn't it? Did you have another in mind?"
"Harry," he said.
Bones gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid that Harry doesn't have the same exciting thrill as the sound of The Chosen One. That's just a rather common name. It doesn't really inspire much confidence."
"Gee, thanks," he muttered.
"Of course, Harry Potter is not a common name at all," Bones said, quickly. "I just meant in terms of a title like The Boy Who Lived or The Chosen One, Harry is more mundane."
Harry knew what she meant. But he still thought that willingly throwing himself into the idea of being The Chosen One was a name that he didn't really appreciate. Not to mention what people would expect of him with a title like it. But, beggars couldn't be choosers in these kinds of circumstances.
"No, wait," Evangeline said, interrupting his thoughts. "Harry Potter, The One the Darkest Wizard Fears! Or Harry Potter, Our Common Hero! Or Harry Potter, Prince of Heroics!"
Harry's face flushed red. "Er, no."
"I think we'll stick with The Chosen One," Remus interrupted, his eyes on Harry. "It seems to have been working over the last year and people are starting to connect the name with Harry already."
Evangeline nodded, clearing his throat. "All right then, let's get started. More journalists will be coming in soon. You'll be in more than just the Daily Prophet. As the leader on this front, this article is going to discuss the heroics that you've done in your time at Hogwarts, starting obviously with the mystery surrounding your infamous lightning shaped scar. We want the people to know that you're brave."
"But mostly, we want to piss him off," Bones said, making Harry grin. "I want to make Voldemort raving in anger; make him feel emasculated like the coward he is, hiding behind his minions. I think putting you out there as someone better than him will do just that."
Harry nodded. That was the main reason that he'd agreed to this in the first place. "I can do that. Do you really think that it will help bring him out of the shadows?"
Bones stared at him a moment before she spoke. "Yes, I think it will and until he comes out of the shadows and declares himself, this war is going to keep being in the background. I want to take him down, Lord Somerset, and I think that this will help a great deal."
Harry tended to agree with her. It was why he'd agreed to do it in the first place. The idea of dangling himself like bait, taunting the darkest wizard that ever had lived about the fact that Harry had once defeated him and outsmarted him on multiple occasions was bound to do exactly that.
Zee squeezed his arm in reassurance and they began. By the time he finished, he felt surprisingly good about it and only a little embarrassed. Evangeline assured him that the article would be posted the day of his seventeenth birthday.
Harry thought it was going to be one hell of a present and he wasn't yet sure how to take that.
~ ASC ~
Neville had made it a habit to stop in at least twice a week at the Leaky Cauldron just to see Hannah. Her smile always lit up when she saw him and twice he'd taken her out after her shift. Nowhere special. They'd just gone for a walk in Muggle London, holding hands and getting ice cream. He loved spending time with her.
He couldn't believe that July was almost over and yet he still missed her terribly, as if he hadn't spent any proper time with her in months. He spent his free time working in his greenhouse or having debates with his grandmother on the Wizengamot sessions. His seventeenth birthday was only a few days away and that meant that he would officially be taking on the mantle of the Earl of Cumbria. Augusta Longbottom told him that she would merely be a figurehead, but all decisions would be up to him from now on.
Neville found it incredibly daunting.
He just wanted to spend his time with his plants and with Hannah. Especially with Hannah. But she'd been working so much lately that the only time he really did get a chance to see her was when he stopped by the Leaky for lunch. She was always happy to see him and the other day, when he'd brought her flowers, her eyes had positively lit up. Neville still couldn't believe that someone like her wanted to be with him.
He'd spent the last two days making sure that he had more Mandrakes ready in case Harry needed them, despite his friend assuring him that he'd given Zee more than enough for the potion. He only wished that he could do something more for his friend to help him during this struggle with Ginny. He couldn't imagine what it was like to be madly in love with someone, only for them to out of the blue hate you with every fibre of their being. If he was honest, he thought Harry was taking it much better than he expected.
Neville shook the thoughts from his head as he stepped into the pub, eyes peeled for his girlfriend. There was something bothering him about Hannah that he needed to see through as well, and he needed to do it before he talked himself out of it. The thing was, he'd yet to meet Mrs Abbott, but he was pretty sure that he'd seen her briefly that first day in Diagon Alley. It wasn't that he needed to meet her mother in any way, it was more the way that she firmly closed the door on it every single time. It wasn't even about meeting her, but simply talking about her. Hannah and the word 'mother' were two things that clearly couldn't be said in the same conversation.
He didn't want to pester her about it, but he wanted to better understand what he'd overheard a few weeks ago with her mother asking her to ask Tom for an advance. Three times he'd brought it up in conversation and Hannah had seamlessly changed the conversation so naturally that he hadn't even noticed until he'd returned home and realized that she'd never answered his question.
It was the one thing that he found the most frustrating about her. He wasn't sure what it was about Hannah, but he felt the need to protect her in a way that he couldn't explain. So when he stepped into the pub and saw her fidgeting nervously by the backdoor, he rushed over immediately.
"Hannah?"
Hannah hastily wiped the tears from her eyes. "Neville, hi!"
He opened his arms and she let him draw her close, kissing the top of her head. "Did something happen? Are you all right?"
She stayed in his embrace. "Everything's fine. I just have to speak with Tom and I'm a bit nervous."
Neville frowned but before he could question her further, Tom appeared.
"Hannah, come into my office and we'll talk."
She nodded and kissed Neville's cheek, urging him to take a seat. He did, wondering what it was that her boss wished to discuss with her. He looked up when Mandy and Anthony sat at his table.
"Hi."
"Hi, Neville," Mandy said. "Tony and I saw you sitting alone and we thought we'd join you. Where's Hannah?"
"Tom wanted to speak to her," Neville told them. "What are you two doing here?"
"Came for lunch," Anthony said. "And to see if Hannah would speak to Tom."
Neville raised an eyebrow. "You know what she's talking to him about?"
Mandy looked at her boyfriend in annoyance before she turned back to Neville. "She's just working something out with her paycheques."
"Her paycheques?"
Anthony nodded. "Nothing to worry about."
Neville stared at them both for a moment before he leaned across the table. "Would this have anything to do with her mother asking for money a few weeks ago?"
Mandy's eyes widened. "You know about that?"
A bit of guilt ran through him. Strictly speaking he had merely overheard it, but Mandy didn't need to know that if she was going to give him some answers.
"Yes."
Mandy nodded. "It was Tony's idea. He thought that if Hannah could convince Tom to pay her in two separate paycheques, one that her mum sees, and one that Hannah can keep for herself, it would help her save some money."
Neville frowned. "Does Mrs Abbott not work?"
Mandy scoffed. "Barely. She's a horribly selfish woman."
"Come now, Mandy, she is her mother," Anthony began.
"Doesn't make her less of a horrible woman! I keep telling Hannah that she's of age now and she doesn't have to put up with it, but Hannah's heart is too big and when her mother holds her hand out and tells her that she needs money, Hannah gives it to her. She blew through all of Hannah's savings before Christmas of this year and Hannah is trying to start over now! But it's not easy when her mother keeps hounding her."
Neville tapped his fingers on his thigh. "Why does her mother need money?"
"Clothes, mostly," Mandy said. "She likes to spend money on the theatre, on the opera; anything that keeps her in the spotlight. It doesn't matter that they can't afford it."
"I convinced her to open her own account at Gringotts now that she's seventeen," Anthony said. "It will help her save."
The three of them looked up when Hannah came out of Tom's office with a smile. She immediately got back to work and served their orders. Neville watched her joke with her friends and smile at him, but he couldn't help but wonder why Hannah hadn't told him about her mother herself?
It was still bothering him when he left and headed home. He putzed around in his greenhouse for two hours before he decided that it was bothering him too much. He told his gran that he was going out and he used the Floo to head back to London. He made his way into Diagon Alley and towards Hannah's flat near the bank. He headed up the stairs and knocked briskly on the door.
The woman who opened the door was very pretty, but everything about her told Neville that she tried too hard to be that way. She wore a little too much makeup and her top was a little too low cut revealing much more of her cleavage than Neville felt was necessary.
"Mistress," he said politely. "I'm looking for Hannah."
The woman's eyebrow rose in question as she looked him over. "Come on in."
Neville followed her inside and found himself in a tiny, cramped flat. The living room was decorated with bright colours, making it look much more open and inviting than the small space was. It reminded him of Hannah immediately, making him smile. He took a seat in the living room when Mrs Abbott urged him to and tried not to look surprised when she sat directly next to him.
"Hannah just went to the market, but she won't be long. I'm Caroline Abbott, her mother. Would you like some tea?"
"Er, sure," he said, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.
He hadn't really planned past the idea of seeing Hannah and now that she wasn't here, he wasn't sure if he should stay and wait for her or go home and try again later.
Mrs Abbott jumped to her feet to put the kettle on in the kitchen behind them as she spoke.
"So, you're friends with my daughter?"
"Yes," he said. "I'm Neville."
Mrs Abbott nodded. "I don't recall her mentioning you, but Hannah does have so many friends. It's hard to keep track. What's your surname, dear?"
"Longbottom," he told her.
Mrs Abbott looked thoughtful for a moment before her eyes widened. "Are you Augusta's grandson?"
"Yes, she's my gran."
"Oh, how marvellous!" Mrs Abbott exclaimed. "I always admired dear Gussie, the sweetest lady one ever did meet"
Neville cleared his throat. Never once in his life had he ever heard anyone call his grandmother Gussie. Or sweet. He was pretty sure that if anyone did either she would hex them. Clearly, this woman had never met his grandmother in her life.
"Right. Um, look, I just wanted to talk to Hannah, but I can come back another time," he said, standing up from the sofa.
Mrs Abbott waved him off. "Nonsense! Sit! She'll be back soon. You must tell me all about Cumbria! Is it as magnificent as its rumoured to be? You know, I always wanted to attend one of your grandmother's elaborate balls, but well, after she lost her son, she never quite opened her house again. I always thought that was a damn shame. Such a waste to stop entertaining like that."
"Right," Neville said, frowning again. "The lack of parties given the circumstances."
Mrs Abbott made a sound of agreement, disregarding his sarcasm completely, before she went to make tea. She brought the tray in and offered him sugar, lemon, and milk before she sat back down. "So, dear, how does my Hannah get herself friends with someone like the Earl of Cumbria?"
The door opened at that moment saving Neville from answering and Hannah came in ladled with bags. Neville immediately jumped to his feet to help her.
"Neville!" she exclaimed in surprise, almost dropping two of the bags. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to surprise you," he said, taking the bags from her. "I thought maybe we could spend the evening together."
"Oh, she'd be delighted!" Mrs Abbott exclaimed from the sofa.
Hannah looked between her mother and Neville with wide eyes before she nodded. "Yes. Can you just give me a moment to change? Mum, a word?"
Mrs Abbott beamed at him before she let Hannah lead her into the room on the left, the door closing behind them.
Neville placed the bags of groceries on the table in the kitchen before he shoved his hands into his pockets. He shouldn't have just shown up here, he knew Hannah was close-mouthed about her home. Her mother was... interesting. But he hadn't meant to make her angry by showing up uninvited. The sound of muffled voices coming through the closed room made him frown.
"Mum! How dare you even think of such a thing?"
"Hannah, I am only looking out for your future! An earl! You don't know how lucky you'd be! He seems like a nice young man and you're quite pretty. Wear this, it will show off your tits."
"Mum!" Hannah exclaimed. "I'm not going to strut around with most of my tits hanging out!l
"Do you not want to be an earl's wife, Hannah? Merlin, I tried to tell you how to keep Kevin and you didn't listen! Look how well that went! Listen to me now, if you sleep with that boy and you get yourself pregnant, you'll be set. For life, Hannah! I'm only looking out for you, darling."
Neville frowned. There were some more muffled voices that he couldn't make out before Mrs Abbott came out, smiling brightly. "Hannah will be but a moment!"
Neville nodded, his eyes on her. He had to have missed something in that conversation because he was positive her mother hadn't just told her to prostitute herself to him. He was definitely wrong about that. Instead, he merely tapped his fingers on the table and looked out the window into Diagon Alley.
Hannah came out a moment later dressed in a light blue sundress that was cut lower than she normally wore. She had a white button-up cardigan in her hand.
"Leave the cardigan, Hannah, it's warm outside!" Mrs Abbott declared.
Hannah tightened the grip on the cardigan and at her mother's look, she put it down.
Neville picked it up. "It is London, it might rain or cool down. Let's take it with us."
Hannah gave him a grateful look as he handed her the cardigan before she took Neville's arm and led him from the flat. The moment the door closed behind them, she put the cardigan on and buttoned it over her breasts.
"Hannah, I'm sorry," Neville said, quickly. "I didn't mean to cause trouble between you and your mum."
"You didn't," Hannah told him, seemingly flustered and upset. "You just shouldn't show up to people's houses unannounced! It's rude."
"I-I'm sorry, Hannah," he said, surprised at her outburst. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but this wasn't it.
"I wasn't even home!" she exclaimed "The house wasn't even clean! People like to have some kind of notice when someone is going to pop in! You have an owl, you should have used it!"
Neville frowned. He knew she was right, but he rather felt like she was blowing it a bit out of proportion. "Is this about your mum?"
"No!" Hannah squeaked, making an effort to check the buttons on her cardigan. "It's... she... she means well, Neville."
He nodded, taking her hand in his and leading her into the little alcove next to Gringotts. "I think you're beautiful. No matter what you wear. I liked the jean overalls you had on before you changed."
Her smile was slow before her eyes grew serious. "Can we go somewhere quiet and talk?"
He squeezed her hand in his. "Sure."
He led her to Florean Fortescue's and they took a small table outside in the corner to give them some privacy over their ice cream. Hannah was quiet as she ate and when she finally spoke, she pushed her unfinished ice cream across the table.
"Neville, I... you're the sweetest bloke that I've ever met. You're kind and nice and when you kiss me..."
"When I kiss you, what?" he asked as she trailed off. He moved his chair a little closer to her and he took her hands in his. "What is it, Hannah?"
Her eyes were full of tears when her gaze met his. "I can't be with you anymore."
Neville's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"
"I'm sorry. I—I have to go. Goodbye."
Neville watched her hurry off, walking quickly back to her flat at the end of Diagon Alley. The urge to chase her was strong, but instead he just sat there, not really understanding what had just happened.
~ ASC ~
Before Theo left Italy, he hugged his friends tight. He told them that he would write and they promised to do the same, but Theo still felt like something was missing as he said goodbye. He knew that leaving Blaise and Draco behind was the right thing for all of them, but he still wasn't sure that them not returning to England was a good idea either.
He Apparated to the nearest train station to take him to France before he found the portkey office to get him home. He had decided against taking a portkey from Italy given the circumstances. Theo didn't think anyone was following him, but better safe than sorry.
Kiki greeted him with a big smile and offered to send food up to his room which he graciously accepted. He enjoyed a long, hot shower to get the smell of travel off of him before he left the house elves to unpack and told them that he was heading to the Burrow to see Ginny.
When he arrived, he found the house in a flurry of activity with the wedding less than a week away. It seemed that Granger was staying there now and rooming with Ginny as everyone was very busy. He'd offered to help, but Mrs Weasley had waved him off, commented on his tan, and kissed his cheek. He went outside and found Ron flicking his wand over different swatches of fabric, organizing them by colour.
"Well, that looks fun."
Ron scowled at him. "Not remotely. Thankfully, I'm almost done. Each colour needs to be separated for the seat covers as white, gold, and silver must all be lined up in the right order, whatever that means."
Theo grinned. "Weddings are a very serious business."
"Where have you been?"
"Italy," Theo said. "I enjoyed a nice tan."
"Ginny could have used a friend," Ron said.
Theo nodded. "I know and I'm sorry for that, but it was something that I needed to do. Where is Ginny?"
"She and Hermione are helping Fleur with some last minute dress fittings. Then they were invited back to Shell Cottage for a Hen Night. You picked a bad time to show up."
"Just wanted to check in," Theo told him.
Ron nodded as he finished organizing the last bit of fabric. "I'm going to Harry's tonight to try to cheer him up, why don't you join us?"
Theo raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really?"
Ron shrugged. "Yeah, really. Harry could use some cheering up and Neville and I could use the help. We found an antidote for Ginny, but it won't be ready for a few weeks yet. He's been… taking it hard."
"I'd like that," Theo said, realizing how much he meant it.
Ron and Harry had both gone out of their way to be nice to him when he'd been in a pit of despair over Finn and he'd never really repaid them for that. To be honest, he never really hung out with them before. He was always more comfortable with Ginny, Luna, and Colin. This would be a nice change.
"What's the plan?"
"Drinking."
Theo grinned. "I can definitely get behind that, then."
Ron nodded as he put the fabric in their designated box. "Good. You can supply the booze."
"Always a catch, Weasley," Theo muttered.
Ron grinned. "Meet me back here in an hour and we'll go over together."
Theo thought it sounded like it was going to be a surprisingly good night.
End Author's Notes:
Thanks to Sam for her help with the horribleness that is Caroline Abbott.
Thank you as always for reading and please review!