Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To minerdude: Yes, the chapter was sad and yes, I promise Ginny is safe (at least from death anyway). To jaccy3: Thank you! I'm glad you're on the edge of your seat. It's nice to know that I have your attention LOL. To ladyinwaiting2005: Not going to happen. To Atea1793: I think my wording was fine as I didn't say that he died "in" the war, I said "during" the war which means something entirely different to me, but I apologize if you found that confusing. To UrmixMoonstone: Aww, I'm sorry. Dumbledore had to go I think. It's important for Harry. Greg is definitely a sweetheart to Pansy and she doesn't quite realize how good she has it yet. I miss the Hinny moments too. As to replying to my reviewers, I appreciate the time people take to write me a review so the least I can do is respond in kind. To Nuno Neves: Thank you. I agree, Theo is hilarious :D We'll see more of his shenanigans soon!
To shivani: Thank you! I know, we're all anxious for Hinny to return. To R: Thank you very much! To Dianne: You're right, the tables have turned and Dumbledore did live longer here than in canon, albeit only a month or so. Theo has recovered very well and he wants to do what's right. Thank you so much! To pottermum: Thank you! To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! To nothatchhavi: It was his own idea. Theo wants to do something to help. Of course Charlie gained three dates, he's a catch! Haha, thanks, I thought making Goldstein the nicer version of Malfoy was entertaining. Greg and Pansy are trusting and understanding each other a bit more, though Greg more than Pansy. To Akshat Govil: Thank you very much! I'm honoured that you think its nearly impossible to wait for weekly updates! Dumbledore's last words will be important, but it will still be a while before we really see what it means. To ITHersey: Thank you! I loved that line about Dumbledore a lot and really wanted to make sure I found a place for it! To Chintan: Thanks, I think. I suppose I did give you a chapter of fluff, smut, and hope before letting Dumbledore die. Aww, you can't hate me for making you cry because you love it (that just makes me feel so honoured) so thank you! And yes, phoenixes are immortal, but I think because of their birth and rebirth abilities, that Fawkes chose to die with Dumbledore and did. As to Belladonna being the real owner… we'll see.
To TNT: Thank you. I'm sorry I broke your heart. And yes, eventually. To Mutt N Feathers: Thank you for thinking it was a powerful chapter. It was a poor choice on Tom's part, but he doesn't know that yet. To alix33: Giggle water is an alcoholic beverage popular in the 1920s, specifically in America, but I felt like Pansy was suave enough to get stock of it for her shop. Thank you! I think Pansy's shop is quite fancy. And Blaise's mother and aunt definitely should creep you out. To wanderinon: I agree, he did die a much nicer death, getting to say his last message. To GodMisha: Thank you! You think something big will happen at the wedding? We'll see. To DeadFish37: Thank you! I do love to build up hope and crush it haha. To Guest: Um, would love to help you but since you responded as an anonymous guest, you gave me no way to contact you, so I cannot. Message me properly or on my tumblr please and we can discuss your instagram. To NixGrey: Thank you! To Slaidback: Haha, thank you! I like the "cue the foreboding classical music."
To Wolf's scream: Nope, Pansy could care less. It's all about her. They didn't summon the knickers because Ron didn't want a chicken to come up as well or for them to be torn. A bit of a win, yes. To Arctoid33: LOL! "Good fucking luck, Harry" gave me a laugh! Well, I do try to make my Hinny fluff good… To Seriously Sam: Yes, Charlie lost his clothes! You know the Weasley boys had heated debates about who had the best arse (PS, it's totally Arthur just because LOL). To Steelcode: Happy to keep you on the edge and yes, Dumbledore is dead! To pix25: He must train harder, but poor Harry has a lot on his mind right now. To GatorLHA2: I do plan to continue. To ValGrey02: Thank you very much for thinking Dumbledore's death was better here and more touching than in the books. To AccioRxses: I agree. It was important the Death Eaters didn't get to see Dumbledore die. The chickens definitely ruined her knickers LOL.
To joss: Poor Tonks, I know! But I think that we all knew Dumbledore wasn't going to survive. To ANewRanger: Thank you! It's never an irritation! Sorry, I couldn't help find what you were looking for. To Jones man: You think this chapter will have Hinny back together? Interesting. Tips on writing Harry Potter characters — keep them in character as much as possible. There's nothing worse than reading a story about characters you love and they are merely characters with the same name and nothing else is similar. To WinkingSkeever: Thank you! To tim2604: Theo is definitely awesome and I think he can be a badass when he wants to be. Poor Greg, he was so confused! As to Hinny… we shall see! To wreneclipse: Hedwig is still very much alive, but yes, Fawkes is dead. As to the potion, be patient my lovelies!
To briana_t: Sorry the chapter was too short for you, but sometimes the chapter has to end where it does lol. Yes, Pansy's shop is definitely high-end, but the quality is worth it. Thank you! To BadWolfKris: Good wow I hope. To AQuickRead91: You think the Minister will die next? Hmm… To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! I don't work in a writing field though one day I will be brave enough to write a real book (I hope). And by write I mean actually finish the one I started. To ResaThee: Thank you! I hope I won't disappoint! To ASC Fan: I am honoured by your name! Thank you so much! To Walter2401: Thank you! It is quite the magnum opus. I'm honoured you read it all so quickly! Thank you very much for your kind words! To AnaGPotter: Thank you very much! I'm happy you've caught up and are enjoying it.
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-FIVE:
The One With Blood, Marriage, and Politics
Harry spent the evening of his birthday in Wrexham having a quiet dinner with Remus. It was exactly what he needed and what he wanted as he listened to his father tell him stories about his own seventeenth and how James and Sirius had reacted to coming of age. It was peaceful and nice and the best part for Harry was the one-on-one time with his father, something that he hadn't realized how much he'd been craving until he had it.
He laughed as Remus told him how when his dad turned seventeen, he'd woken in the morning to find himself trapped in a bubble that his bed had been transfigured into. Every time he attempted to dislodge himself, he was bounced back. Remus told him how he and Sirius had planned it for months. It had taken James thirty minutes to get out while they laughed hysterically. On Sirius' seventeenth, they'd switched his breakfast to dog food and he'd been so hungover from their celebration the night before, he ate two bowls of it at breakfast, completely unaware. It had taken Lily to point it out as he finished up the second bowl and he'd freaked out. Apparently, it hadn't sat well with him either and in potion class an hour later, he'd rather spectacularly vomited it back up along with most of the alcohol he'd drunk the night before. Slughorn had not been impressed. On Remus' seventeenth, they'd followed him around all day to sing to him. He said every time he attempted to do everything, he was serenaded.
"What were they singing?" Harry asked.
Remus rolled his eyes. "Happy Birthday, but about everything. I woke up and stood up, did one of those nice lovely stretches you know, and James and Sirius were both singing, 'Happy Birthday to you, I see you stretch your arms like a monkey, and you look like one too.' I told them they were prats. But then I went to brush my teeth, and they had a birthday song about brushing my teeth, then another about breakfast, then another about my walking. Needless to say, by lunch I was ready to kill them both. And on top of it, they kept sending me howlers that would arrive every thirty minutes like clockwork and loudly scream birthday lyrics by the Beatles. After the fifth one arrived, McGonagall gave them both detention."
Harry laughed. "She knew?"
"She always knew," Remus told him.
"What about my mum? Did you do something crazy for her seventeenth?"
"No," Remus said. "James made us promise not to. Sirius sent her a cake and we sang to her, but nothing outrageous. But that might have had something to do with her making us promise not to and then telling James that if any of us did anything she would stop talking to him. He threatened our lives after that as they had only just started to really become friends. I believe we agreed to it with bribes."
"Bribes?"
"Oh, yes," Remus said. "He had to buy me chocolate every day until my birthday and Sirius agreed to keep quiet only if James admitted that he was Fee's favourite. We had standards, you know."
Harry grinned. "It always sounds like you had the best time in school. It must have been nice to not have some mad wizard out trying to kill you every year. I can't even imagine."
"Yes, I suppose a normal school year is not exactly something you've become accustomed to. This year's your last one, maybe it will be different."
He rolled his eyes. "Doubt it. I'm already starting off with my girlfriend under the influence of a bloodlust potion and Voldemort still wanting to kill me, I'm not holding out for normal. So far, I think my most normal year was first year, back when I thought my biggest problem was Snape."
Remus' lips curved. "Well, you've sure had your adventures."
"Sometimes I wish I could have had a normal school year where I could invent maps and play pranks and then I wonder if I would have been the same person."
"If James and Lily had raised you, you would still be the same person, Harry. You'd be a little different, sure, but I think's what makes you the amazing young man you are, is your heart. And trust me, that's just as open as it's always been since you were a baby."
Harry smiled at that, tapping his fingers on the table. Remus served him a huge slice of chocolate birthday cake with rainbow sprinkles and he thanked him before speaking. "You never asked where Zee and I went today."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "You said that you were spending the day with her. I assumed lunch and probably some conversation. Did something important happen?"
"Kind of," Harry told him.
Remus' whiskey eyes met his. "Like?"
Harry stood up, unbuttoning his shirt as he did. When he spread the blue dress shirt open, his father's eyes widened.
"You got a tattoo?"
Harry nodded. "I've been thinking about it for a while now, almost two years, and I decided that today was the day."
Remus stood up to get a closer look, his eyes trailing over the antlers covered in yellow lilies, the twenty-one years between them, and the black German Shepherd with Sirius' birth and death scrawled underneath. "'Love is all you need'… Harry, it's beautiful. This is a beautiful tribute to your parents and to Sirius, as well as to yourself."
"Love is all I need, right?" Harry said, leaving his shirt unbuttoned as he sat back down. "Isn't that what everyone keeps telling me, that love is my superpower?"
"More or less," Remus said with a smile. "Your ability to love is of course a huge part of what makes Voldemort fear you."
"The Chosen One," Harry mumbled as he dug into his birthday cake.
Remus smiled. "Ah, yes. I did see your photo shoot this morning. Too bad they snagged you shirtless before the tattoo."
Harry grimaced. "Colin did a great job, but they were still rather mortifying."
"But important," Remus told him. "I think it's going to draw him out in ways we don't expect."
"I just hope it doesn't backfire on us."
Remus nodded. "That's a risk Bones was willing to take. There is something that I wanted to tell you. I was going to wait with it being your birthday, but Minerva called me to Hogwarts this morning. It seems that Fawkes has vanished."
Harry lifted a brow. "Is that significant?"
"Well, someone forced him back into a hatchling form at the end of June and he's finally fully grown again. Minerva thinks that means he's gone to find Dumbledore."
"To find… really?"
Remus nodded. "Phoenixes are immensely powerful creatures and if you remember, you merely proclaiming your loyalty to Dumbledore when you were twelve brought him to you in the Chamber of Secrets. That phoenix has been a loyal pet to Dumbledore for decades. If anyone could find him, it would be Fawkes now that he's reached full power."
A wolf Patronus burst through the kitchen at that moment and Tonks' voice rang out.
"Dumbledore's dead. I'm going to be late. I'll explain everything when I get home."
Harry dropped his fork on the table and Remus swore under his breath.
"I guess he found him," Harry whispered, his eyes wide.
"I guess he did," Remus said.
Harry stared across the kitchen at his father. "Dumbledore's… but he's the greatest wizard the world's ever known…"
Remus picked up the whiskey glass and knocked it back. "Yes, he was."
When he didn't say anything more, Harry took a sip of his own drink, fear coursing through him. If Voldemort had killed Dumbledore, the greatest wizard the world had seen in centuries — what was he going to do next? Harry was afraid to find out the answer and by the look in Remus' eyes, he was pretty sure his father felt the same way.
~ ASC ~
The news of Dumbledore appearing dead in the middle of the atrium of the Ministry of Magic spread like wildfire. Pandemonium broke out and panic began to set in.
Where had the wizard come from?
How had he died?
The rumours began to spread that Lord Voldemort was behind it.
And then the fear set in.
Reporters and journalists swarmed the Ministry of Magic as officials did what they could to hold the crowd back, but it was too late. The great Albus Dumbledore was dead and no one had answers.
Tonks wasn't sure what to do next. Kingsley took over the scene and she was taken into interrogation to relay Dumbledore's last words to Kane. She repeated them over and over again, but she still didn't understand what he meant by them.
Kane's brow furrowed when she repeated them for the fifth time. "We know that he had Dragomir at this point and we know what kind of information Professor Dragomir had in his possession in forms of dark magic. The question then becomes if it was possible for Voldemort to steal the magic from Dumbledore and if so, what does that mean?"
"Well, it killed Dumbledore," Tonks said.
Kane shook his head, scratching his chin. "No, no, I don't think that's it. Losing one's magic doesn't result in death, though it does weaken you."
Tonks tapped her fingers on the table. "Dumbledore was clearly tortured. If his magic was taken, he didn't give it up willingly."
Kane looked apprehensive. "Dumbledore would be the last person to give anything up willingly. Power is a shadow… a shadow of what? It lurks within… within what? Within him? Within his own power… there's something here that we're missing."
"We've been missing," Tonks exclaimed. "No matter what we do, Voldemort stays five steps ahead of us! We made plans for peaceful talks with backup and yet he still outsmarted us and kidnapped Dumbledore himself! If he's truly somehow siphoned the power that Dumbledore had and taken it upon himself, it makes him even more powerful and it makes us even more screwed than we were before!"
Kane's hip rested on the table. "Yes and no. The plan to move on the Ministry is underway."
"And you know this how?"
"We have eyes on the inside," Kane told her. "And one of those eyes has been keeping us updated on Severus Snape."
Tonks frowned. "No one has seen or heard from him since he escaped Hogwarts."
"He's alive," Kane told her. "And he's playing a very dangerous game."
Tonks swallowed. She knew that. She knew exactly how dangerous his game was and the part that worried her the most was that he'd dragged her parents into it. They had three teenagers living in their home in Shoreditch, now free of the Dark Mark, and one of them was seven months pregnant.
"What do you know?"
Kane's blue eyes met hers. "I know that many of his followers are his through force which means that they can potentially turn on him. I know that not all of them are as devoted as he thinks. And I know that the ones who are loyal to him are so loyal that they are more dangerous than he is. Nothing is harder to penetrate than someone who believes in something and worships the person who preaches that belief."
"Barty Crouch Jr is possibly the worst of the lot. Between him and Bellatrix Lestrange, I don't know how much more awful his followers could get," Tonks admitted.
"Worse," Kane said. "But someone on the inside helped Kata Novak escape and get back home to her husband in Croatia. Novak is one of the top Aurors in the Croatian Ministry and he's on board with helping us in any way that he can. The MIA has recruited him to join their team and offered him and his wife twenty-four hour protection which he's taken them up on. His wife might have more information for us. She was on the inside for over two years."
"Do we know who helped her escape?"
Kane shook his head. "No. She hasn't given a name and I think she's doing that to protect them."
Tonks nodded. "I'd like to be on the team to talk to her when her and husband arrive."
"Good. I want you and Atwell on it. After everything she's been through, I think she'll respond better to you two then to more wizards getting in her face," Kane agreed. "They'll be arriving in two days. In the meantime, this is what we do know. They plan on making a move on the Ministry by the first week of September. Not a full scale attack, a quiet one, taking out only a few select individuals."
"Like?"
"Security desk for starters," Kane told her. "And yes, there will be an attempt on Bones and Scrimgeour eventually, but I think that they will be starting in on the Wizengamot."
"Voldemort won't make a move there," Tonks told him. "Dumbledore said it himself, he knows that he'll never get past the Sovereign Chalice and he's not stupid enough to destroy it."
Kane shook his head. "He doesn't need to get past it, he just needs a few key people as spies on the inside."
"But we don't know who the potential spies are," Tonks said, feeling frustrated.
Kane's smile was catching as his eyes twinkled. "But we will. Go home and get some sleep. We'll debrief at oh eight hundred hours. I know you have the day off, but I need you for two hours in the morning for a debriefing and then you'll be free to go."
Tonks nodded as she hopped to her feet. Everything Kane had assigned them to do so far had indeed brought about results. They may have only been minor ones, but they were results and she realized that she trusted him fully on this. But she couldn't help but wonder just what it was that he had in mind to take on next.
And she desperately hoped that between her and Atwell, they were able to get more information out of Kata Novak.
~ ASC ~
When Tonks came home that night, Remus opened his arms to hold her close.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
She nodded against his chest and let him lead her to the sofa as she told him how Dumbledore had appeared in the middle of the Ministry of Magic. By the time she was done, Remus kissed the top of her head.
"I think I knew on some level that he wasn't going to make it out alive, but when Minerva told me this morning that Fawkes was missing, a part of me hoped he would be saved."
"I know," Tonks told him. "A part of me hoped he would be as well. He and Dragomir are both dead and I'm going to be talking to the Novaks in the next few days. K is trying to set something up. I have to be at work for eight. Will you be all right to help Harry disguise himself as a Weasley? I won't have time to pop by early now to do it?"
Remus nodded. "I'll take care of it. I'm not too keen on him attending the wedding in the first place. If Ginny realizes he's there it could cause a scene. He's promised to keep his distance from her. Will you still be able to make the wedding?"
"Yes, it's just a debriefing and shouldn't be more than an hour or two. It's only to follow up on today. I know it means a lot to Bill if you attend."
"He's… been full of questions. I've done my best to try to help him come to terms with what being scratched by a werewolf means. Knowing he won't turn is a good thing, but the scars are permanent."
"Has his voice been getting better?"
Remus shook his head. "A little. He's still very scratchy and well, stutters. He's concerned for his vows tomorrow."
"He's a very brave man and Fleur doesn't care how he talks. Men always think they need to be perfect. How come you lot can't just understand that we fall in love with who you are and not only with how you look?"
Remus' lips curved. "Sometimes our vanity takes over. How are you feeling?"
"Me? I'm okay," she told him. "That apple I hate this morning was rotten, that's all."
Remus didn't look convinced.
"It just didn't agree with me," Tonks told him. "I feel fine. I'm just tired. Let's go to bed."
Remus let his lips linger at the base of her ear, kissing her neck. "How tired?"
His hand slid under her shirt, cupping a breast in his hand and she moaned. "Very tired."
"Mmm," he said, unbuttoning her shirt. "I'm sure I can wake you up a little."
Tonks stifled a yawn as his hand slid along her thigh. He stood, holding his hand out to her and they walked to their bedroom. They both undressed and Remus crawled into the bed, kissing her deeply.
"Remus…" she purred. "I want to! I do! I'm just so tired."
He kissed her once more before he pulled her into his arms, snuggling her close. "What if my tongue does all the work for you?"
She laughed, turning her head to kiss his cheek. "Promises, promises."
Remus kissed her neck, his hand cupping her breast, the other resting on her hip as he spooned her. "Sleep, Dora. I'll wake you with my tongue in the morning."
She smiled at the thought, but was unable to close her eyes. His hand continued to knead her hip and after two minutes she turned in his arms.
"You know I can't sleep now."
His slow smile shot lust straight into her belly. "Can't you?"
Tonks slid her fingers into his hair and tugged his mouth to hers for a long kiss. "I think you promised me something."
"Did I?" he teased, letting his lips move down her neck again.
Tonks arched under him. "You did."
Remus rolled onto his back. "Hmm, I can't recall. I'm suddenly quite sleepy."
Tonks slapped his arm and straddled him. "I'll take out the handcuffs if you don't behave."
"Now who's making promises?"
Tonks shimmied up his chest and when his hands landed on her hips and moved her forward, she tossed her head back. "Remus, use your tongue."
Remus' cock hardened and he pulled her forward until she was straddling his face and he did just that. The musky scent of her, of the wolf, of him, of her… it was heady and it made him eager to taste more of her. He used his tongue recklessly as she moaned above him, her head falling back as she cupped her breasts in ecstasy. When she finally came, she rocked against him, panting incoherently and when he slid her over to lie next to him, she had a soft sleepy smile on her face.
"I love you, Remus Lupin."
Remus kissed her lips. "I love you, Nymphadora Lupin."
She was asleep in minutes and he took the opportunity to snuggle his face into her breasts, a hand over her stomach. The faint thump-thump that he'd been hearing the last few days made him smile. He rested his ear over her stomach and just listened to it in absolute awe and wondered how much longer it would be until she realized she had life inside of her.
Her changed scent had grown on him because he now knew what it meant and it gave him a longing that he hadn't realized he'd wanted.
"I love you, Nymphadora," he murmured, kissing her breast before he snuggled close once more and let sleep overcome him.
Tonks' fingers threaded through his hair in her sleep and Remus slept in her arms, content.
~ ASC ~
When Harry returned home that night, he felt surprisingly numb. He didn't say much as Zee put the twins to bed and when she came down to sit next to him, he rested his head on her shoulder. Zee kissed his cheek, wrapping her arms around him.
"I gave up on him."
"No," she whispered. "We didn't give up on him. Voldemort is a very intelligent wizard, Harry, and he made sure that we wouldn't be able to find him."
"Fawkes found him."
"Fawkes is… was a very special magical creature. He loved Dumbledore and by bringing him back to the Ministry, to the Fountain of Life, he gave Dumbledore the chance to die on his own terms."
"On his own terms… Voldemort tortured him!" Harry exclaimed, sitting up.
Zee pulled him back into her arms, her fingers stroking his hair. "He did. But Dumbledore fought and he lived long enough to tell us what he needed to tell us."
"That thing about power," he whispered. "We don't even know what it means."
"We know that Voldemort has the Elder Wand now which means that he has a wand in which he can fight against you with, Harry. It means that this time when you duel, your wands will not connect," Zee told him.
"Do you think he knows?"
"Knows what?"
Harry kept his head on her shoulder as he spoke. "Do you think he knows that he has the Elder Wand? The most powerful wand in the whole world?"
Zee was quiet for a long moment before she kissed his forehead. "I don't know, sweetie. I think he knows it's powerful and I think knowing it belonged to Dumbledore will make him want to use it for that alone, but as to knowing exactly what it is… I don't know."
"He said that Voldemort took his power…"
"Yes," Zee said. "And if he truly did, that means the darkest wizard we've ever known has gained a power boost from the greatest wizard we've ever known. It's not good news, Harry, but Dumbledore returned to us to tell us this and that's important."
"Why?"
Zee's fingers stroked through his hair. "Because he trained you, Harry. Dumbledore took the time to train you and to make sure that you knew what you would be up against. He believed in you and so do I."
When his tears slid down his cheeks, Zee held him closer.
"Go ahead and cry, sweetie."
He did, unable to stop the tears from falling. Dumbledore was dead. One of the greatest wizards, if not the greatest wizard he had ever known was dead and knowing Voldemort was behind the wizard's death only seemed to drive everything that much closer.
And Harry had no idea what to do about it.
~ ASC ~
Ron knocked on the doorjamb of his bedroom the next morning, his eyes on the back of his eldest brother. Bill was standing in front of the full length mirror that Molly had brought up from her bedroom in his black dress robes. His long red hair was pulled back into a plait at his neck and tied with a black silk ribbon and he was tracing the scars along his face.
The scars had faded a great deal over the last few weeks, but they were still darkly pink and clearly visible against his pale skin. Ron knocked again when Bill made no notion of hearing him. This time, he saw his brother turn and lift an eyebrow.
"Hey, just coming to check on the groom. It's about time you wear something suitable. I swear Mum's always going on about that dragon-hide jacket and boots of yours. Not to mention that earring."
Bill's lips curved as he fingered the fang in his ear. "Piss off."
Ron grinned. "I got a glimpse of Fleur and let me tell you, if you thought she was beautiful before, you have no idea."
Bill nodded, turning back to the mirror.
Ron closed the door behind him, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Are you ready?"
Bill's blue eyes met his through the mirror. "To maw-wee her? Yes. I just d-d-don't want to em-em-b-baw-ass her up there." He coughed a little and reached for the glass of water from atop of Ron's wardrobe.
"You won't," Ron said, sternly. "For some strange reason that woman loves you. I mean, I don't get it. You've always been an ugly bugger and you were never that bright, but she does."
"Is this your i-i-dea of adv-v-vice?"
"Well, I learned from the best. How else do you think I finally ended up with Hermione?"
Bill smiled. "True."
"I asked Charlie for a minute, he's downstairs getting Aydin dressed. Mum's fussing as she has some frilly little frock to put her in," Ron said, moving to stand next to his brother.
It still surprised him that he stood side by side the same height as Bill. Bill had always seemed so tall and imposing when he'd been a kid. The hero he'd always aspired to be and now he stood the same height at one hundred and ninety four centimetres and he had the same broad shoulders; pride ripped through him that he could be even remotely close to anything his big brother was.
"I know with everything going on, the wedding is the one good thing we have going. Everyone is going mad over Dumbledore's death. Harry being on the front page of everything isn't helping and Ginny being all mental and possibly homicidal is another concern, but this is your day, Bill," Ron said, squeezing his brother's shoulder. "And I know that as the eldest you always feel the need to bear everything on your shoulders, but today, I want you to let it all go. It's your wedding day. Just worry about Fleur."
Bill's eyebrow rose. "Won…"
"No," Ron said. "Let it all go. Today is about you and Fleur and no one else. Don't worry about Ginny or the shit storm that's happening at the Ministry. Just think about your bride to be and for once, let your brothers handle the rest."
"When did you get so w-w-wise," Bill said, his voice breaking on the last word.
"I've been wise the whole time. I'm just finally tall enough for you lot to listen to me."
Bill smirked and tugged him into his arms. "I'm p-p-proud of you. I know there's a lot at st-stake and I know that getting maw-maw-eed in the midst of it is pw-pwob-ably not the smartest thing to do, but we all n-n-eed a little joy some-t-t-times. And I need… Fleur."
"Plus the sex," Ron said.
Bill chuckled. "You've been hanging aw-awound wiff Fred too m-m-uch."
"That might be true," Ron admitted. "Speaking of, he was flirting quite a lot with Avril. We might have to keep an eye on them."
Bill laughed. "I'm sure they can t-take care of themselves."
Ron nodded. "Good. So, shall we get you married?"
Bill nodded, turning to look at the scars on his face again.
Ron linked his arm through his brother's. "Birds dig scars."
Bill smiled before he turned away from his reflection. "I'm getting maw-weed today."
"You are," Ron said. "Now come on, Charlie says that we have to have a drink first to toast the occasion."
As he led his brother down the stairs, he knew that today was going to be hard. He knew that his brother was worried about his voice. About standing up there, in front of all of those people, and making them listen to the croaks and cracks, to the stutters and mispronounced words. Bill struggled the most with the letter r, the sound, the roll of it, and he knew that he felt incompetent at having to learn how to speak all over again. Ron couldn't imagine how terrifying of a concept that would be on top of being nervous to be getting married. They had Ginny to worry about, wards to increase, and they had to keep an eye on Harry, but in the end it would all be worth it.
Because today his big brother was getting married and Ron thought no one deserved that happiness more.
~ ASC ~
Harry was nervous.
Well, he was more than nervous. If he was honest, he was a wreck. Today would be the first day that he would be seeing Ginny since she'd attacked him in the orchard. True, he was in disguise, but it didn't make him feel much better.
Dumbledore was dead. His body had appeared in the middle of the Ministry of Magic last night, delivered by Fawkes, and he'd died in Tonks' arms after giving a cryptic message. To make matters worse, the battered body of Dante Dragomir had turned up in London the same day. They'd made no effort to hide it and with his death, it told them that Voldemort must have gotten what he'd wanted from the two men, which didn't make Harry feel any better. He'd woken this morning to find his face plastered on even more newspapers and magazines, this time with lingering questions of how The Chosen One was going to avenge Dumbledore and the mounting pressure suddenly made him feel sick.
He'd spent his morning talking to Mina and Leo and telling them that everything was going to be all right, but he'd known that he was really only trying to convince himself. Talking to the twins was oddly cathartic as they just listened to him without judgment or advice (it helped that they couldn't talk, he supposed) and he found it rather soothing. But today, today was Bill and Fleur's wedding and Harry was determined to enjoy himself despite everything that was happening.
Remus had come by that morning to help disguise him since Tonks had to run into work for a meeting. They'd all agreed that the best way for him to blend in was to make him look like one of the many Weasleys who would be in attendance. Which was why he sat in a chair in his dress robes with red hair and freckles. Tonks had given him contacts to wear that made his eyes turn brown instead of green as his glasses were apparently considered 'too obvious.' Harry was already itching to take them out. Wearing glasses was just so much simpler. Zee had to help him put the contacts in and he still wasn't sure he had them in properly. Remus used a glamour to hide his scar and Harry thought he looked very different.
Zee was sitting a few seats over with Remus and Tonks as they agreed that having Harry sit with them would be another obvious sign of who he was. Although Leo and Mina were constantly trying to blow his cover as they kept pointing in his direction and making happy noises. It took Harry everything he had in him not to make a funny face back and hear their laughter. But it obviously wasn't enough as Leo had somehow did magic that made Harry's hair turn black again and Remus had used his wand quickly to return it to the bright red of his disguise. Mina only locked her grey eyes on him, not looking away. It made Harry feel rather special but also concerned that they might blow his cover in more than one way.
But he kept his eyes peeled as he looked around at the familiar faces. It was amazing that the twins still knew him despite the disguise he wore. He took a seat next to Hermione. His friend reached out to hold his hand and he was grateful for her as he felt like he wanted to jump out of his skin. He was so nervous to see Ginny and even though he had promised not to talk to her or go near her, he wasn't sure how well he would be able to hold up that end of the bargain once he actually saw her.
"Stop fidgeting," Hermione hissed at him. "I know you're nervous, but can you stop making it so obvious?"
Harry nodded, his eyes falling on his friend. He knew that she was right and he would try his best. He took a moment to take her in. He had to admit, she looked beautiful. She was wearing a dark grey dress with lace flowers and tulle that left her shoulders bare and stopped just below the knee. Her hair was done up in some fancy up do with a few loose tendrils left on her neck, looking sleek and soft in a way her bushy curls almost never were, and she wore blue jewels in her ears.
"You look beautiful, Hermione."
She blushed. "Oh, um, thank you."
"But I can't help but be nervous. With everything that's happening and tomorrow Borage wants to add Ginny's blood to the potion… how do you expect me to be acting?"
"Less conspicuous," she said sternly.
Ron slid into the seat on the other side of Hermione. "Should be starting soon. Hey, Har-Barney, Charlie has a plan for tomorrow."
Right, Barney, Harry thought, that was his name for the day, he would have to try to remember that.
"What kind of plan?"
Ron shushed him. "I'll tell you later."
That didn't assure him.
Tomorrow they needed to add Ginny's blood to the potion, but they had no idea how they were going to get her blood. According to Ron, she was against the antidote which meant that she wouldn't be giving any blood willingly. If they didn't add her blood tomorrow, Harry didn't know what would happen. Worst case scenario, they would be forced to start the potion over which meant another full month before she could even be given the antidote and from what Ron and Hermione had said, Ginny would be even worse off by then.
Ron and Hermione had both told him about the dark veins on her neck and face. Hermione claimed Fleur and her bridesmaids had worked extra hard to make sure they were all covered for the wedding today.
"How is she?" he whispered.
Ron's expression was grim. "Her left leg has a dark bruise. She said she got it from flying yesterday, but after what Borage said… it's only one bruise, Harry."
He nodded, his stomach in knots. One bruise could easily turn into more. "You're sure she's all right otherwise?"
"Right as rain. She was happy this morning." He turned to look at Hermione. "What does that mean anyway? Right as rain? Why is rain right? Is it sometimes wrong?"
Hermione shushed him just as Angelina took a seat on the other side of Harry. He said hello to her and noticed that she also looked beautiful in a form fitting dress in vibrant blue that left one shoulder bare and had a high slit in the leg. George sat next to her in black dress robes and Audrey sat on the other side of him in a halter-style purple dress that flared at the waist with lots of tulle. Harry noticed Mr Weasley's parents sitting in the row in front of them, Cedrella was holding her great-granddaughter, who was decked out in a pink and black dress with tulle and a big bow on her head. Aydin had her fingers in her mouth as she looked around at all of the people curiously.
Music began to play and Harry turned to watch Mr and Mrs Weasley walk Bill up the aisle as Mrs Weasley dabbed at her eyes. Then Avril came up with one of Bill's friends whose name Harry couldn't recall, Lizette was with another curse breaker named Fisher, but it was the next couple who Harry stared at. Bill had chosen Charlie and Percy to stand up with him and it was Percy who held Ginny's arm as they walked up the aisle.
Harry thought that she'd never looked so breathtaking in all of her life. The gown she wore looked like it was held on by magic. The material was almost translucent and made her look as if she wore nothing but gold flowers made of lace and tulle, outlining her breasts in a provocative way. Her red hair was in big red curls, partially pulled away from her face and pinned back as the beautiful locks tumbled down her back and over her shoulders. He knew that he was staring, but he couldn't look away from the vision before him.
Charlie and Gabrielle came up next and he only tore his eyes away from Ginny when Hermione nudged him as Mr and Mrs Delacour walked their daughter up the aisle. Fleur looked incredible and Harry found himself turning to look at Bill's face. The dumbstruck expression of awe and love he saw there made him smile.
Harry listened with half an ear, his eyes on Ginny and how beautiful she looked. He took in every inch of her in, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms, to kiss those perfect lips, to put his hands in that incredible hair…
The sound of Bill's breaking voice made him focus on the bride and groom.
"Fleur, you are the m-most incred-dible woman I have ever… known. You're kind and ch-ch-arming, beautiful, intelligent… and p-powerful. I knew you w-w-were special the m-m-moment I laid eyes on you. I knew you were someone who… was going to c-c-change my life and it t-t-terrified me. The first time I kissed you, I knew… you were it for me. I knew that no m-m-atter what hap-pened, my life would never be complete… if you w-w-weren't in it. I love you, Fleur."
The minister smiled, his eyes on Fleur.
Fleur held Bill's hands in hers, a big smile on her beautiful face. "Ze first time I saw you, I wanted you. You were zis mysterious curse breaker with a nice smile and kind eyes and it didn't take me long to realize zat you were also ze most stubborn man on earth. I wanted you to kiss me every day and every time I thought maybe you might like me, you made up some excuse about how we were coworkers. You took your time getting zere, but I'm glad you did because you're ze bravest, sexiest, and most incredible man I've ever met. You have such a big 'eart and you're selfless, kind, and caring. I love you more every day and I want nothing more zan to be your wife and for you to be my 'usband."
Bill's smile brightened as he stared into her eyes.
The minster cleared his throat. "Do you Fleur, take William Arthur to be your lawful wedded husband, to love and to cherish, to care for in sickness and in health, forever and for always?"
"I do," she said, her eyes glistening in tears as she stared into his eyes.
"And do you, William, take Fleur Apolline to be your lawful wedded wife, to love and to cherish, to care for in sickness and in health, forever and for always?"
"I do," he said, clearly.
"The rings?"
Charlie and Gabrielle each passed Bill and Fleur the rings with big smiles.
Harry watched as they placed the rings on each other's fingers and then said their vows with their crossed wands. Bill's voice cracked a few times, but Fleur only beamed at him, her eyes full of unshed tears of happiness. When the minister proclaimed them husband and wife, their lips met, and everyone cheered.
The wedding party was called forward for photos and everyone else was invited to go to the tent for drinks and appetizers. Hermione linked her arm through his when he watched Ginny.
"Come on, Barney, you can sit with us."
Harry reluctantly let Hermione lead him away to a table where Luna and Theo were sitting already.
Theo extended his hand. "Hi, Barney, I'm Theo."
"Theo, don't you recognize Harry?" Luna asked, taking Harry's hand in hers as he sat down. "Come sit with us."
Harry nodded glumly as Theo examined him closely. "I'm sitting."
"He's been staring all googly-eyed at Ginny since she walked down the aisle," Ron said.
"She looks amazing," Theo said. "So, we can hardly blame him for that. That dress has a way of making her baps pop without actually revealing anything. Sexy as hell. Everyone looks grand today, but to be fair to Barney there, Ginny's tits have stolen the show."
Harry glowered at him. "Stop looking at my girlfriend's tits."
Theo's lips curved. "I appreciate all beauty. Did you see Bill's arse today? Picturesque!"
Luna squeezed his hand in hers. "I'm sorry I haven't checked up on you, I've been trying to keep close to Ginny. Has it been hard?"
Harry swallowed. "Yeah, it's been… thanks for being there for her, Luna."
Luna patted his hand affectionately. "Of course."
Fred's hand clasped Harry's shoulder from behind. "Hey, you lot, staying out of trouble?"
"Are you?" Hermione asked, skeptically..
"For now, but I'm hoping to get into some later with Avril." When Hermione only rolled her eyes, he wiggled his eyebrows. "Can't a bloke have any fun? Ah, well, Hermione, Mum wants a photo of you and Ron together. You three okay here?"
"We're fine," Theo replied.
Hermione hurried off with Fred and Ron, leaving Harry alone with Luna and Theo. Luna was still holding his hand.
"How's your summer been, Luna?" Theo asked.
"Lovely," Luna answered. "Daddy agreed to let me stay close to home because of Ginny. I've told her that her memories aren't true, Harry. We were sunbathing in the nude the other day and we talked and I think she believed me. She's starting to realize that something's wrong. Is it true that the antidote is almost ready?"
Harry nodded. "We have to add her blood tomorrow."
"How much blood?" Theo asked.
"A few drops," Harry said. "Ron said that Charlie's handling that tomorrow. As soon as we get it, it has to be added to the potion. It's all about timing."
Theo nodded.
Luna looked thoughtful. "Ginny's not going to like that."
"No, she won't," Theo agreed. "But can we backtrack to you two sunbathing in the nude? Like how nude are we talking here?"
"Completely," Luna said. "I didn't want tan lines."
Theo chuckled. "Well, you look fantastic, Luna."
Harry's eyes were on his friend now as well, eyeing the tan she had on her arms and back and the back of his neck flushed as he took in her words. The thought of Ginny lying naked in the sun was something he hadn't expected to hear, but now he was picturing it. Her soft pale skin vibrant in the sun, the way the light would reflect off her hair, the way a cool breeze would make those sweet lovely nipples turn taut. He shifted slightly when he realized he was hard.
He found his eyes wandering, looking for her, and disappointment ran through him when he didn't see her. No, she was getting photos taken. Photos… Ginny had been excited for them to get a formal photo together, he remembered.
"We'll be all dressed up in our fancy frocks and we'll look so grand," Ginny said. "It will be nice to have a formal photo of the two of us together, don't you think?"
He did think and now it wouldn't happen. Ginny couldn't know that he was here and instead he was disguised to look nothing like himself at all. He listened with half an ear as Theo and Luna chatted absently and tried his best not to stare at his girlfriend like a lovesick puppy from across the room.
Harry tried to enjoy himself. He swept Luna and Hermione into a few dances and made sure he danced with both Zee and Tonks. While he was dancing with Tonks, they both watched as Remus danced with Mina in his arms, her eyes wide as she gurgled in delight while they swayed to the music. Harry danced with Mrs Weasley next, who kissed his cheek and told him he was a sweet young man. Charlie was soon on the dance floor with Aydin as well, dancing next to Remus as the two babies seemed delighted by the dancing. Zee attempted to bring Leo out, but he wanted none of it. He merely snuggled his face into his mother's breast, thumb in his mouth.
As the day went on, he watched her dance with each of her brothers. A few of her male cousins swept her up in a dance and she was smiling and laughing. She danced with Theo and Luna, with Fleur and the other bridesmaids, she even danced with her grandfather and Mr Delacour, but Harry couldn't help but notice she also artfully avoided dancing with her father and Harry saw the way Mr Weasley's face fell at her blatant ignoring of him.
"Yeah," Ron said, reaching for one of the desserts on the table. "She's pissed at dad, too."
"Why?" Harry asked, completely bewildered. "What did your dad do?"
"Not so much what he did, but what her false memories think he did. She's really confused a lot of memories of all of us together and twisted them around and the thing with Dad, well, she thinks he's responsible for her ending up with Riddle's diary."
"What?" Harry exclaimed. "How?"
Ron shrugged. "Like I said, there's a lot there that doesn't make sense. She said some pretty awful things to Dad and… he's been giving her space, but it's breaking his heart."
Harry reached for his wine glass. "But you'll get the blood from her tomorrow and we'll be one step closer."
"Charlie's on it," Ron told him. "He said he's going to take care of it and that I'll have it by noon. I don't think he's fully figured out how he's going to get it yet. Ginny's already rather untrustworthy of me because of my friendship with you so, I decided to stay away during that excursion. You just said a few drops, right?"
"Mr Borage says that we need at least three."
Ron nodded. "If everything goes to plan, I'll have it to you by lunch."
"Then what?" Theo asked. "What happens after you get her blood added to the potion?"
"We add mine twenty-four hours later," Harry said. "Then it has to simmer for another seven days before she can drink it."
Theo looked pensive. "How are you going to get her to drink something she doesn't want?"
Ron dragged his fingers through his hair. "Don't even ask, Theo. We're still trying to figure out how to get her blood first."
Harry nervously tapped his fingers on the table. "What if she won't drink it? What if we can't convince her that she's been poisoned and she continues to wander about hating different people for shit they didn't even do and hating me and thinking she doesn't love me and thinking that I don't love her and —"
The silencing charm hit him and his mouth continued to move for a full twenty seconds before he realized no sound was emerging from his lips. Theo only smirked at him from across the table.
"Breathe there, Potter. We all need our Chosen One with a clear head. I know you must be struggling there with no one to handle your cock outside of your own hand, but suffer you must."
Harry held up two fingers in response and Theo removed the silencing charm.
"She'll take the potion, Harry," Ron assured him. "She will. You just have to be patient for eight more days."
"More like nine," he muttered.
"Fine, nine more days," Ron corrected. "And then we'll see where we are from there."
Harry knew his friends were right but as he let his eyes wander to where Ginny had a soft smile on her lips across the room. She was drinking champagne and talking to Fleur and looked more beautiful than ever in her lovely gold dress. His eyes fell to where the material clung to her breasts, making it look like she wore nothing but painted gold flowers and he sighed.
Nine more days…
~ ASC ~
Theo yawned as he stepped into the council room of the Wizengamot the next morning. He'd had a bit more to drink than he'd planned at the wedding the day before and had been forced to drink a Sobering Potion with his breakfast. But overall, it had been worth it.
The wedding had been grand and he'd had a wonderful time, despite the grimness of Harry's poor attitude. Harry had even seemed to cheer up a bit when Luna had dragged him onto the dance floor. Theo had watched him dance with both Zee and Tonks and even once with Mrs Weasley who looked chuffed that he'd asked her. But Theo had also noted just how many times Harry/Barney's heated gaze had landed on Ginny.
He felt for both of them and when he'd made a comment to Ginny about her not having anyone to share the day with, she'd only shrugged it off. At least Luna had seemed to finally convince her that she wasn't actually dating Michael Corner anymore, so Theo figured that counted for something.
He took his seat next to Neville in the council room as he stifled another yawn. "Good morning, Longbottom."
"Hi, Theo," Neville said, his fingers tapping the arms of his chair.
"Where's your grandmother?"
"Well, since I turned seventeen a few days ago, Gran decided it was time. She will still attend as Lady Longbottom, but I will sit in the official seat from now on."
"Good for you," Theo said. "It will be nice to have another young body in here. With you over on the benches just watching, it wasn't the same."
Neville shrugged. "I don't know how helpful I'll be and frankly, it's usually kind of boring, but Gran says that I don't have to attend every session. She recommends every three to five."
Theo nodded. He agreed with that sentiment especially as of late. Of course, he'd only missed one session with his trip to Sicily, but once school picked back up, he would see whether he continued to come every single time or not. The thing was, he enjoyed being here. He had never imagined that he would enjoy sitting in the Wizengamot, but he did. He liked watching the ideas unfold, the debates on new bills and ideas, and most of all, he liked that people respected him here. They allowed him to have a voice and it meant more to him than he could put into words.
"How was the wedding?" Neville asked.
"Beautiful," Theo said. "Bride and groom each teared up, Harry's gaze followed Ginny like a lovesick puppy, and Ginny never knew he was there."
"Poor Harry," Neville muttered.
"Anything new with you and Hannah?"
Neville shook his head. "She still won't talk to me. But Goldstein's having a party and Mandy promised me Hannah will be there."
"Good luck," Theo said.
Neville bit his bottom lip. "I really like her, Theo. Like I really, really like her. I care about her and I… I think I could love her, Theo. I think I could fall head over heels in love with her in a heartbeat."
Theo smiled sympathetically. "Take it from someone who most definitely was swept off his feet before, don't be afraid to tell her how you feel."
Neville let out a slow breath as Madam Bones stepped down into the centre of the room. Theo turned his attention to where she stood in front of the podium.
"My fellow Wizengamot members," Minister Bones declared. "I stand before you, heartbroken, over the news of Albus Dumbledore having passed away. As most of you know, he was rescued from Voldemort's clutches by his phoenix Fawkes two days ago. He was a man unlike any other. A man we all aspired to be. He was loved and respected and he's led this council for many years as our Chief Warlock. I have been filling in for him while he was… missing in action, but now that he's gone, we must officially vote for someone new to lead us and it cannot be me, since I am Minister of Magic. I would like everyone to write a name to be added to the Sovereign Chalice and we will choose our new Chief of the Wizengamot."
Theo turned to look at Neville as chatter erupted around the room. "How do we know who would be a good leader?"
Neville shrugged. "I don't know. Are there requirements?"
Lady Lucretia Dettweiler overheard them and tapped Neville on the shoulder. "There are no real requirements, dear, it's merely that they've served faithfully in the Wizengamot for at least five years."
Neville thanked her and chewed on the back of his quill as he stared down at his parchment.
"Who are you putting?" Theo asked.
Neville shrugged. "I don't know."
Theo let out a slow breath as he gazed around the room. He'd been attending the Wizengamot faithfully for a full year now, but he wasn't sure if he could choose someone to lead the council. He let his eyes move over a few key members… Shacklebolt was the Head Auror which meant that he was pretty smart. Then there was Lord Scrimgeour, but since he was also serving as Deputy Minister Theo was pretty sure that meant he couldn't be Chief Warlock… CWM Kendra Norton held too many prejudices; Lord Andrews from the Department of Magical Transportation always seemed to have good ideas and a fair sense to him; Lord Richard Macmillan was humble and just; Lord Tiberius Ogden held a strong sentiment of change; Lady Dettweiler had been around forever, but her head always seemed up in the clouds; CWM Griselda Marchbanks was both imposing and formidable in way that reminded him of McGonagall; Cornelius Fudge had proven he didn't do well in authority…
He continued to mentally check people on and off his list and when Bones announced it was time to deposit the names in the Sovereign Chalice, he wrote down the first one that came to mind. It took a few minutes for everyone to add their names and when the Chalice glowed white, they all waited with bated breath.
A white flame shot from the chalice with a slip of paper and Bones grabbed it. She carefully unfolded the parchment and smiled.
"I'd like to ask Common Wizengamot Member Griselda Marchbanks to lead us as our new Chief Witch of the Wizengamot."
Applause broke out as Marchbanks stepped up, eyes wide in surprise. She offered a quick thanks and agreed to the position. Then she stepped up to swear in the new members who were coming to take seats, including three new Weasleys. Gabriel Weasley from the Being Department of the Department for the Reconstruction and Cooperation with Magical Creatures, Gaius Weasley from Wizengamot Administrative Services, and Maximus Weasley from the support staff of the Minister's office. Theo noted that Percy's old girlfriend and former Head Girl Penelope Clearwater was sworn in as well along with two more vampires and two Merpeople.
Chief Witch Marchbanks cleared her throat once everyone was seated. "With Dumbledore's death, we all need to be more prepared for things to become more grave. I'd like to stay optimistic and say that it will get better, but I think that we can all agree that things will get worse before that happens. The attack on the Giant's Causeway was unfortunate and what should have been a chance for us to make peace, turned into something much more. We've lost our chance with the giants for now and in return, our Terra Troops were forced to fight an army of the dead. But where were our other troops?"
"A small unit of the Wing Guards was dispatched," Shacklebolt said, raising his wand to speak. "It was led by one of the fae and they helped us contain the fires that spread across the causeway. Our Aurors are working on information gained from the Spook Squad. The Aqua Protectors were not in formation nor were they called in as the Inferi flooded the shores. We did what we could with the surprise."
Marchbanks pursed her lips. "Dumbledore was a wise and intelligent man, but he sometimes believed himself to be more clever than those around him. It was not a smart decision to meet the giants there and it backfired on us. Hogwarts was attacked and the school infiltrated, our children put in jeopardy, and that's not something that I'll stand for in the future."
Neville raised his wand, standing when Marchbanks acknowledged him. "With all due respect, Chief Witch, Hogwarts held its own. A select group of students, including Lord Norfolk and myself, fought the Death Eaters that attacked and helped drive them from the castle. We may have been caught off guard, but we've had superior training in the Defence Club under the guidance of Professor Lupin."
"That may be," Marchbanks said. "But the fact of the matter is that you're still students. Two spies in the castle is something else to worry about. I don't want You Know Who or his supporters to take us by surprise again."
At everyone's general murmur of agreement, she turned to the list of points at the podium.
"Now, onto our first order of business, the legalities concerning what apothecaries can and cannot sell."
Theo leaned back in his seat and let out a slow breath. He had a feeling that today's session was going to be a long one. He wondered how Charlie was doing obtaining Ginny's blood. He couldn't help but wonder what the new Chief Witch would think if she knew that they were brewing an antidote to a bloodlust potion with the sole purpose of dosing an individual without their consent.
She would most certainly not approve, he noted as she listed off the approved potions in the new bill. Theo drummed his fingers on the arm of his seat. Yup, it was definitely going to be a long day.
~ ASC ~
Charlie convinced Percy and Fred to help him with his plan on getting Ginny's blood the next day. He needed to do it in a way that wouldn't make it obvious what he was doing and he thought that he had an idea.
"I don't know why we can't just ask her," Percy said for the umpteenth time.
"Because she won't give it to us, Perce," Charlie replied. "She already said she wants nothing to do with this potion or with this antidote which means she's not going to hand over her blood."
"But it's to us! Of course we aren't going to do anything to upset her," Percy insisted.
Fred gave his brother a look. "Percy, that may be Ginny, but it's not our sister. Not the one we know and love and right now she doesn't trust us as far as you could throw her."
"Arse," he muttered making Fred grin.
"Charlie, did you hear that? Percy swore. The former Head Boy Percy said a bad word!"
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Fred, we don't have time for that right now." When his brothers both gave him their attention, he sighed. "Okay, so I was thinking, Ginny always loved stories as a kid. Hell, she used to beg Percy to read to her until she fell asleep. What if we convince her to help us tell Aydin a story and we need her to help make it more magical and life-like?"
Fred frowned. "Meaning?"
But Percy's eyes lit up. "Yeah, like I used to do when she was little! Remember how I'd pick a story for her and I'd narrate it and Fred and George would help act the parts?"
"Exactly," Charlie said. "I was thinking of using the story of the princess and the dragon and I don't know, I'll scratch her or something."
"Well, that might be pushing it, Charlie," Fred said. "I don't know if she's going to fall for that."
Charlie shrugged. "It's the best I got outside of manhandling her and stabbing her finger with my wand."
George grinned. "That might be worth it."
"Well, this will also be good for Aydin. She can spend some time with you lot and we can share something with her that we used to love to do with Ginny."
Percy stood up straighter and pushed his glasses up his nose. "No, you're right. Let's do this."
"Excellent!" Charlie exclaimed. "I'll go snatch my daughter back from Mum. Percy, you find the story. Fred, you head up the attic and go through Ginny's old story chest. George, you find Ginny."
They all scattered and Charlie made his way downstairs to find his mother kissing Aydin's cheeks as she held her on her hip and cleaned up the breakfast dishes.
"Ever going to return her to me, Mum?" he asked, leaning against the bannister of the stairs.
Molly gave him an amused look as she turned. "She missed her Gamma."
"Oh, she definitely did," Charlie agreed as he moved across the room to Aydin's delighted cries at the sight of him. "Hi, love. Papa's come to take you on an adventure."
Aydin made a happy sound as her father lifted her into his arms and kissed her cheek.
"An adventure?"
"Of a sort. Mum, we need to get some of Ginny's blood for the antidote. We're going to be out by the pond and it would be great if you could stay sparse. I don't want Ginny to catch on to what we're doing."
Molly looked apprehensive. "Charlie… she's so against this antidote. Every time Ron even mentions it, she gets this fire in her eyes."
"Mum, her eyes aren't even brown anymore," he said, softly. "I don't want to force her to do something she doesn't want to do, Merlin knows I'm not that kind of bloke, but if we don't do this…"
Molly sniffled and leaned in to kiss Aydin. "Yes, I know. Go. I have lots to do to clean up after the wedding."
Charlie kissed her cheek. "As soon as we get it, we'll head back to help."
She nodded and sent him off. He pocketed one of Molly's knitting needles before he carried Aydin down through the garden and across to the pond, sitting down under the big tree. He used his wand to make a shield around the little area so that Aydin could crawl around without escaping his sight. Then he conjured a blanket to spread out across the grass and waited for his brothers.
Percy arrived first, the big old storybook in his hands. He sat with his back to the pond and Aydin immediately made a beeline for him. The smile that tugged at his lips made Charlie grin. It was nice to see Percy let loose a little. Fred returned a few minutes later, carrying the story chest, and George and Ginny made up the rear.
"Hey, Jitterbug!" Charlie said, grabbing her hand when she came towards the blanket. He tugged her down next to him and kissed her cheek. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Well, I didn't drink as much as you lot, so I imagine remarkably better."
Fred snickered. "She's got us there."
Ginny pointed to the chest her brother was opening. "Why do you have my old story chest?"
Charlie put his arm around her shoulders. "I thought maybe we could bring it out and share a story with Aydin the way we used to do with you. Want to help? Aydin would love it if she had the help of her favourite auntie."
Ginny smiled as Aydin crawled towards her. "That sounds fun."
"Great," Charlie said. "You get to be the princess."
"I knew there was a catch," Ginny mumbled.
"Well, now Aydin is the audience, Gin, and as much fun as it was to dress Ron up as the princess, I think it's only fair for you take a turn," George said, making her chuckle.
Fred passed her the tiara from the story chest and Ginny placed it on her head. Arthur had made it for her when she was four and painted it gold, with coloured stones to shine like gems. He passed George the little dragon plushie and he draped the old red cloak over his own shoulders. Aydin immediately made a beeline for the dragon plushie, smushing her face into it and making sounds of joy.
Charlie chuckled. "She loves plushies. All right, Perce, you're the master story-teller, let's hear it."
Ginny leaned back on her elbows, face pointed up towards the patches of sun that snuck through the branches of the weeping willow as she listened to her brother narrate the story she hadn't heard in eons.
"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful witch who was a princess. She had long red hair and freckles and wished she had six big brothers," Percy read, making Ginny chuckle.
"That's not the real story."
Percy gave her a sheepish grin. "Seems to be how I remember it." He cleared his throat and continued on as Charlie began to make lights dance with his wand.
Aydin was still playing with the dragon plushie in her Uncle George's lap, but she turned her attention on the lights as they began to play out the story above her head.
Charlie kept his eyes on his daughter for a moment before he a snuck a look over at his sister. She was staring up at the sky, the tiara on her head, and for the first time since he'd come home, he thought that she looked like she was at peace.
"The king and queen were having a grand ball in one month's time as their princess needed to find herself a prince to rule by her side, but the princess wanted none of it. She wished to spend her time doing fun things like flying on her dragon," Percy said.
George lifted Aydin and the dragon plushie as Charlie used his wand to levitate the plushie, making it look like the little dragon was flying. Aydin began to giggle.
"There was nothing the princess loved more than to fly on her dragon whom she called…"
Ginny's lips curved. "Firewings."
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Still the worst at naming things."
Ginny stuck her tongue out at him as Percy continued to read. Aydin rolled onto her back, eyes wide in amazement as she stared up at the dancing lights. The story was familiar, but watching Ginny watch Aydin's amazement, sent pride through him. He wanted his sister to be an important part of Aydin's life and he couldn't explain how much it had hurt him when he came home with his daughter this summer to discover his sister didn't even remember her.
Ginny rolled onto her stomach, a finger gently stroking Aydin's hand as the little girl stared up in wonder. "She's amazing, Charlie. I can't believe that I don't remember meeting her for the first time."
Percy stopped reading and Charlie leaned over to kiss his sister's cheek.
"She remembers you, Jitterbug, that's all that matters. She loves you. Not as much as me of course, but I've known you longer and been forced to put up with you."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Aydin's too little to appreciate this story, Charlie."
"You're right," he agreed, pointing his wand at the plushie and making multiple copies of it. "Dragons, assemble!"
Aydin giggled madly as Charlie, Fred, George, and Percy all attacked her with the plushies making roaring sounds. Ginny laughed and made a beeline for one of the dragons and Charlie dived at her, tickling her ribs as she squealed in laughter. Aydin stared in amazement as Ginny laughed. Fred scooped up Aydin and moved back to stand under the tree as George held Ginny's arms in place while Charlie continued to tickle her ribs. Ginny laughed, shrieking as she tried to stop her brother from attacking her with his fingers when suddenly something sharp struck her finger.
"Ow!"
All at once, the tickling stopped.
Percy grabbed her arm, holding her in place as Charlie pinned her to the blanket with his knee over her legs. Percy held a small vial near her finger as George continued to hold her arms and six drops of blood fell into the glass vial from the sharp end of the knitting needle Charlie had jabbed into her thumb. When her brothers let her go, her eyes were dark in anger.
"How could you?" she whispered.
They all jumped back, but not before her wand was in her hand.
"Jitterburg," Charlie said slowly, his hands up in surrender. "We just needed a few drops. I'm sorry that it had to come to this."
"It's for your own good, Ginny," Percy stated.
George ducked just as Bat Bogeys erupted from Percy's nose. He squealed in pain and Charlie attempted to disarm his sister to no avail. Instead he was rewarded with an elbow to the jaw and a stinging hex to his hands. George held his own wand in front of him as he backed up.
"Nevra, love, you don't want to hurt us. We're trying to help you."
Ginny's eyes darkened. "Petrificus Totalus!"
George's arms and legs went rod straight, clinging to his sides and he toppled over to the ground. Ginny reached for the vial of her blood, but it went flying past her into Fred's outstretched hand. He cradled Aydin to his shoulder as she began to cry, alarmed at the sudden commotion around her.
"You wouldn't attack me when I'm holding our precious niece would you, Gem?"
Ginny glared at him, a fresh blue-black vein forming down her neck and down her arm. "I won't take any potion you lot give me! Keep my blood, I don't care!"
Then she was storming off towards the house, her long red hair fanning out behind her and Fred let out a slow breath, pressing his lips to Aydin's cheek.
"You saved me, love. Uncle Fred is very grateful to you."
"Fuck!" Charlie exclaimed as he climbed to his feet. "How the hell did she get a drop on all of us like that?"
"As Ron so foolishly said the other day, she's one tiny girl."
Charlie waved his wand at Percy to rid him of the bat bogeys. "One tiny girl, my arse. You lot all right?"
Percy had tears in his eyes as he held his nose. "Peachy."
George groaned as he climbed to his feet when Charlie lifted the spell. "Fuck me! Please tell me you still have the vial?"
Fred tossed it at his brother and George caught it. "That better be enough because there's no way in hell she's going to let us get close enough to her to try again."
Charlie took his daughter from Fred and nodded at George. "Get that to Ron. I saw the new black vein appear too. They're coming more frequently now."
Percy paled as he wiped the blood from under his nose. "Does that mean we're running out of time?"
"It means we need to get moving," Charlie told him. "Get that to Ron to get to Harry. The faster this antidote is brewed, the better I'll feel."
Then he left his brothers by the pond and marched back towards the house with his daughter in his arms, desperately hoping they were doing the right thing.