09 – Annabelle Rose
Author's Note: Okay, huge apologies for being so long since the last update but I did warn that this would be a very occasional update thing. Life gets right in your face sometime and my problem was a long slow slide into ill-health ending with a week-long stay in hospital with pneumonia for company. Oh well, just another little speed-hump in the road of life. LOL.
So, please enjoy and review. To everyone who has reviewed, many thanks. It was always a bright spot in the dullness to read what people thought. Anyone who has a suggestion for Harry's adventures, please feel free to tell me. So, on with the chapter.
Disclaimer here, no money, no own, no character, 'sept Adamantia.
oo0oo
The Floo call came at seven o'clock in the morning. Arthur's tired but happy expression took the edge off Severus' ire at being disturbed before his first cup of coffee.
"Hermione had a baby girl at four o'clock this morning," Arthur announced in tired satisfaction. "They want Harry to know, and to be the Godfather, if you would bring him along this afternoon. Hermione will not be allowed visitors until after lunch as she had a hard time of the birthing."
Severus heaved a put-upon sigh. "Very well... I will bring Harry along," he promised just before his fire belched flame and Arthur's head was ejected from the fire with a squark. "Bloody ridiculous time to be calling upon a body, not decent at all!" The grumbling tapered off as the small black Abyssinian cat wandered out of the bedroom and leaped lightly onto the table before flowing down into the cushioned chair he usually used for meals in their quarters. "The bushy haired know-it-all had a brat this morning, and they want you for the cat-father. Doesn't have the same ring as dogfather, does it?" Severus muttered into his paper, ignoring the stiffening of the small body until a frission of magic ran up his spine and the Abyssinian cat grew to the size of a puma before morphing into Harry-Halfway.
"Hermione had her kitten?" Harry asked, his voice still a distorted cross between mewing and speech as his jaw was not entirely human.
"Correct. See, you can listen and comprehend when you want to," Severus sniped as he gulped more coffee and gestured to the laden table. "Do you want kippers or bacon for breakfast?"
"Severus! Hermione had a baby! We have to go and see her! Naow!"
Shaking his head, Severus smirked a little as the cat-man bounced out of the chair and began to dash about to little purpose but using up a lot of energy. Finally, when Harry's prehensile tail almost swiped half the dishes from the table, Severus put out an arm and stopped the mad dashing. "Enough, you silly cat! We will go to St Mungo's later, after luncheon and not before. By what Arthur said, I think Ms Granger-Weasley may not have had an easy time and may be too ill to receive early morning nuisances. We will have breakfast, I will teach my morning classes, and arrange work and a supervisor for this afternoon's classes, then we will have lunch. Then, and only then, will we Floo out to St Mungo's and see this miracle of Weasley fecundity. So, bacon or kippers?"
Harry swore loudly and fortunately, in cat, so he didn't get hit with a mouth-washing charm, Severus' latest quirk of cat training.
oo0oo
Harry sat bolt upright on the end of Hermione's bed, ears flicked forward, tail curled around his neatly aligned toes, the picture of a regal, well bred Abyssinian. He radiated smug satisfaction. Snape sat in a visitor's chair against the far wall and concealed a smile at the sight of the satiny black back so smooth and flat, not like the hissing, spitting ball of fur Harry had been a few minutes ago.
As they had Flooed into St Mungo's, the welcome witch had smiled her professional smile which quickly turned into a grimace of distaste as she spotted the black cat riding on Snape's shoulder. There had been rumours of Snape keeping a cat more carefully than any child and treating it like a human being, of all things. Still, this was a hospital and no cats allowed! She said as much, bravely barring Professor Snape's further progress with her very body. He had stared her down as if he could not believe that such a lowly insect could possibly be trying to forbid Severus Snape from doing anything he felt like; his supercilious expression echoed by the bloody black cat.
"Miss Borjest, I know Hufflepuffs have absolutely no sense of self preservation but must you air your perversions in public so casually?"
Marjit Borjest stared up at him in open-mouthed incomprehension. "Er, no cats allowed," she repeated, and could have kicked herself for sounding so inane!
"What cat?" Snape asked, as if he didn't know there was a cat on his shoulder.
"That cat!" she restated, pointing to Harry with grim determination as she reached for the offending animal, which immediately puffed up to twice its normal size and spat at her with great anger. Hurriedly withdrawing her hand, she still did not give an inch.
"He's not a cat..."
"Yes, he is a bloody cat!" The silly witch screeched, cutting Snape off mid-excuse. "Do you really think I am that stupid? Of course he is a wretched cat; a black cat; a four legged feline; a moggy domesticus; a C. A. T., cat!"
Shaking his head pityingly, Severus turned to glance at Harry. "Are you a cat, Harry?" he blandly asked.
Harry yawned delicately, slithered down Severus' robes and morphed into a fair approximation of his fully human self, dusted down his casual slacks and jumper with well hidden relief that they had rematerialised with his change then shook his head slowly, and smiled. "No, I am a human in disguise. Have you never heard of Animagi?" He smiled condescendingly at Marjit then sprang, making her fall back with a squeak of shock but he only shrank into cat-form and climbed back onto his perch on Severus' shoulder. Ignoring the shaking young woman, Professor Severus Snape and his cat-that-wasn't glided away, congratulating themselves on another foe well routed. Sometimes, it was so much fun to be just plain mean to obstructive idiots; no wonder Severus liked it so much!
Hermione's room in the maternity wing was light and airy, one of the largest rooms available. It had to be large to accommodate the Weasley Clan. Fortunately, there were only a few members of the redheaded gang in situ, Molly and Arthur hovering over the white bassinette that was pulled up close to the side of the high bed. Hermione was propped up on lots of pillows, dressed prettily in a pink nightgown and bedjacket making her look very feminine. Snape gave her a bow and pulled out the bundle of gifts for her the Hogwarts staff had entrusted to his care, piling them on the table by her bed. In smooth leap, Harry hopped up and settled on the counterpane, with a well-satisfied and smug air to happily survey his friend.
"Harry! How are you today? Come here; let me stroke you," she enticed and Harry padded closer, careful not to stand on her as he knew she just had to be sore. Despite her bright smile, he could sense her discomfort and pain. He allowed her to scratch him under the chin and around the ears, purring happily as she found the very best spots to scratch. Hermione was good with cats, having owned Crookshanks for so long and had taken such good care of him. "Ron will be along soon. He wants to ask you something."
Harry morphed into Harry-Halfway and butted Hermione's chin gently. "Haow are you feeling naow? You smell of pain and tiredness," he murmured, stroking her face with his furry cheek.
"Yes, that about sums it up," Hermione chuckled slightly, slumping a little, stroking her hands down the length of her friend's sleekly furred back. "It was bad enough, but I've been in far worse pain, as I'm sure you know."
Harry sighed and nodded. "Is it a boy or girl?"
"She is the most beautiful little girl in the world!" Hermione rhapsodised, glancing toward the bassinette, her lips tightening a little when she realised Molly had picked up her new daughter without permission.
Noticing the tension, Harry touched her bare forearm and regained her attention. "Can I see her?" he asked, giving his friend an excuse to get her daughter back.
"Of course you can! Molly, please pass me Annabelle, he..."
"Annabelle? But we have decided to call her Octavia Grenova," Molly stated firmly.
"'We' who? Not me and not Ron, that's for sure. Her name is to be Annabelle Rose Weasley, and Harry is here to Name her as required by law and magic." There was a dangerous note in Hermione's voice as she spoke in flat, measured tones.
"Now, my dear, don't upset yourself, you just don't remember..." Molly began officiously.
"I remember very well, thank you. I remember you giving out your orders and me telling you to bugger off with your horrible names. I remember Ron being a bit more diplomatic as he was not under the influence of State-Altering draughts and intense pain, but that does not mean either of us have changed our minds! Now Give Me My Daughter, Immediately!"
Harry shrank a little and turned around to Snape who was watching the exchange with a smirk that would have looked good on a saurian. He almost smiled as Molly seemed to swell up with indignation, her face turning brick red as she bridled angrily. Before the Weasley Matriarch could let fly, the door crashed opened as Ron came ploughing in, oblivious to the tension. Grinning like a loon, he swooped down on his daughter, neatly plucked her out of his mother's arms, and cooed as he wandered over to the bed, thrusting the blanket swaddled bundle under Harry's nose.
"Hey, mate, glad you could get here. Look at her! Isn't she just perfect? Have you ever seen anything as gorgeous as my wonderfully, beautiful baby girl... or my very talented wife?"
Harry looked down at the small human thrust into his arms, not entirely sure of what he was seeing. It looked like a coconut with the copra left on, all gingery-red fuzzy hair rising to a point on the top of her head, topping a squashed tomato-red bunch of wrinkles with deep white creases, dotted with white bits. "Beautiful," Harry murmured, quite unable to express his real opinion in the face of Ron's open adoration for the ugly little troll he called his daughter. Glancing over at Severus, Harry noted the man's expression had turned evil, suppressed glee gleaming in his coal black eyes. Oh yes, Snape knew that all children were beautiful in the eyes of their parents, but the rest of the world simply did not have the same perception of the newborn. Most babies were not pretty until a few days after the big event; birth was hard on the child, as well as the mother.
"And what did we decide to name her?" Hermione asked, in the off-handed tones Ron and Harry had learned to dread over the years. They exchanged glances over the top of the coconut before both glanced up to meet Hermione's snapping hazel eyes. "Er, Annabelle Rose, wasn't it?" Ron ventured tentatively, and sighed in relief as Hermione's hard look softened. "That's what Harry has to do, Name her," Ron added more confidently as he turned to grin at his parents, his smile faltering in the gimlet glare his mother gave him.
"And what about your grandmothers, Octavia and Grenova?" Molly asked harshly.
"Well no, not those two names. Even you refused to lumber Ginny with them when she was born. Our Bill said you even sent a couple of curses at Great-Grandma Grenova when she put up a fight. You eventually compromised on Ginevere for our Ginny." Ron's smile was wide, guileless and sincere as he turned away, while giving Harry a very surreptitious wink and a pantomimed 'phew' when Molly harrumphed.
Hermione smiled sweetly at the older woman and motioned to Ron to pass the child to Harry, who immediately grew more fully human as he took the surprisingly light bundle very gingerly in his still furred arms. The baby squirmed slightly and two of the wrinkles parted to show navy blue slits in the red flesh. Magic flooded the room as Harry drew up his power and smiled at the small child. "I Name you Annabelle Rose Weasley by godfather right, let no one forget," he intoned, and let the magic flow over the child as Severus had taught him.
Baby Annabelle squirmed some more, then settled to sucking on her fists as Harry quickly turned and passed her over to Hermione, who quickly dropped a kiss on the baby's head and smiled her thanks at her friend. "Would you like to hold her?" she asked, pinning Severus with a laughing eye.
"Only if she is to become potions ingredients," he told them very seriously, ignoring Molly's gasp of outrage and Hermione's chuckle. Ron looked uncertain for a moment, then shrugged philosophically. "So that would be a never ever, ever, then?" he asked with a rueful smile.
"You are indeed cleverer than you look, Mr Weasley," Severus told the former Gryffindor with a faint bow.
"You will still come to the Naming Ceremony, won't you?" Hermione asked, making Severus pause for a moment.
"As I am escorting the feline menace, then be assured we will be there," he said after a little thought. "Have you decided when the ceremony will be held?"
"Next month."
"Next week." The two voices blended as both Molly and Hermione spoke at once, then glared at each other.
"Three weeks' time on Saturday, the twenty third," Ron said loudly enough to drown out the budding argument. "Enough time for Hermione to recover and the preparations to be made properly. There will be no hole-in-the-wall, second bests for my little girl," he added with a glare at both of the competing females in his life.
"Send us a note and we will be there," Snape rose and bowed, then smirked. "And congratulations on growing a pair," he added quietly to Ron, as Harry jumped onto his shoulder. He swept out, leaving a flabbergasted silence behind him.
oo0oo
The extended alcove was as warm and as inviting as it had always been. Adamantia sat at the desk putting the finishing touches to her Charms Essay whilst absentmindedly stroking the sleek black head in her lap. Earlier, Harry had told her about his new goddaughter and the hostility between Mrs Weasley and Hermione. He didn't understand why it was happening as both women were usually the best of friends. Adamantia was still mulling over the implications with Slytherin subtlety and the intelligence of a Ravenclaw. After sanding and drying her essay, she sucked thoughtfully on the end of her quill for a moment before settling back against the blue cushions of the desk chair.
"Inheritance and a girl's position within a family structure. Perhaps the mother-in-law thinks to gain favour with the great-grandparents by naming the child after one or both of them," she murmured aloud making Harry stiffen and pay attention to her softly spoken words. "I'm afraid girls tend to be a little short-changed in the battle for inheritance, unless they are very lucky and their fathers are not too ambitious."
Harry morphed into Harry-Halfway and sat up, wrapping his tail around his toes and cocking his ears forward attentively. "How do you mean?"
Pulling a sheet of parchment down, Adamantia drew a heavy line across the top of the sheet, then thinner lines going down from the top line. As she spoke, she sketched in details with a swift, sure hand. "The main branch of the Family carries the Name and the responsibility for the Family. Only a son can inherit the Family Name and any property that is entailed to the Name. Girls get their dowry and are often married off to other major families to consolidate alliances and make contracts firm."
"What, even now, in this day and age?" Harry asked scandalised, then pulled his chin in when his young friend gave him a pitying look.
"Even so. Now, the Weasleys are so prolific that the main branch is diluted and no longer a force to be reckoned with. Your goddaughter is so far down the chain of inheritance that she will not have a significant dowry nor will she convey power to anyone she does marry. She could probably marry whoever she likes: anyone who will have her, or someone she loves."
"That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"A very good thing indeed, for her. Some of us are not so lucky." Adamantia sighed deeply and shook her head.
"How so?" Harry asked curiously, curling his front paws up and resting his chin on her leg to get her to pet him.
She snorted in disgust but her fingers were gentle as she absently scratched between his ears, making him purr. "Our Head of Family, Cousin Severus, had said point-blank that he will never marry, which means never having legitimate children to be his Heir. This makes the rest of the family... ambitious... and makes them think things above their station. Like, he might choose to adopt a nephew as his Heir; so why not their child? If there is no Heir, biological or adopted, then the highest cadet branch may have a chance to take over as Main Branch with all the wealth of the entail and power of the position. My grandfather and cousin Severus' father were brothers, my father is his first cousin and directly in line as the Heir Designate but he is older than cousin Severus by a good few years and will probably be outlived. If I was a boy, I would be my father's Heir and thus the next in line for the Family Name. Unfortunately, I am not and Mother cannot have any more children. So, to make up any ground in the Family inheritance stakes, my father needs to marry me to my cousin Ferdi who is now the Heir Designate by default. Ferdi is two years old and by Wizarding Law we cannot be contracted until he is six years old, if his father and my father can come to a proper arrangement."
"You will be forced to marry your baby cousin, whether you like it or not?" Harry questioned appalled.
"Ferdie or someone else with equally good prospects, but Ferdie is the prime contender at the moment, unless cousin Severus falls madly in love and marries in the next few years, sires a son and declares him the Heir. Has he any prospects yet?" The forced hopeful note in her voice made Harry purr loudly. "Ah well, if I am very lucky, I will be able to gain my Potions Mastery before that and do a bolt, leaving the Family politics to the rest of the idiot cousins."
Harry shrank down to kitten size and crawled into her lap to comfort her while Adamantia continued diligently doing her homework.
oo0oo
"Are you going to get married and have babies?" Harry asked idly as Severus scrubbed his scalp and rinsed out the shampoo.
"Where did that come from?" the older man asked, with an amused smile.
"Well, if you have a baby, then Adamantia doesn't have to marry her baby cousin and she'll be able to become a Potions Master, like you." The young man smiled sunnily, then slipped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, he shrank down to cat form, even as he dried himself.
Severus snorted and finished his own ablutions as the small cat leaped up onto the sink and propped his paws on the mirror edge. "So, you would condemn me to matrimony to protect your little friend, would you?" Severus asked teasingly.
"Yes," Harry purred as he morphed into Harry-Halfway and skewered the soap with his claws, cutting bits out of the bar with ease.
"Stop making such a mess and clean your teeth," Severus admonished, tapping Harry's paws with two fingers, making the cat-man yowl a rude word. "Adamantia is a fine girl and shaping up to be a diligent potions student. Even if she is contracted to Ferdinand she will be quite capable of becoming a Potions Mistress in her own right. Besides, I hear Jacques and Augusta, Ferdie's parents, are beginning negotiations with the De Silvra family for their oldest daughter who was born last year. That should put the wind up Japheth, Adamantia's father, seeing he has made a lot of plans that hinge on Adamantia being contracted to my Heir."
There was an odd, smug note in Severus' voice that made Harry-Halfway perk up his ears and cock his head questioningly, but Severus had turned away and was pulling on fine silk under-robes. With an imperious air, the older wizard pointed to the folded pile of velvet and silk awaiting Harry's dressing. "The Naming Ceremony is in two hours so you had better get dressed. And no pouting. This is important to your very best friends. You will make every effort to accommodate them in this 'once-in-a-lifetime' event, yes?"
Harry wrinkled his gums to show his teeth but morphed to a more human form before beginning to dress slowly and carefully in the rich clothing. "Do I have an Heir?" he asked suddenly, pausing mid dressing.
"No, no one designated as yet. As I am listed as your Guardian, you really don't need to worry too much until you reach your twenty-fifth birthday. Then we will review."
"Oh good," Harry sighed and continued to dress, his brow wrinkled as he went deeper in thought.
oo0oo
Ron and Hermione's house was decorated with flowers and streamers, pretty pink bows and pink coloured fairies that flitted around the evergreen wreaths and flower arrangements. A marquee had been set up on the lawn with small tables and chairs in white with pink bows dotting the carpeting underneath its canvas roof.
Severus surveyed the melee from the safety of the apparition point, almost tempted to toss Harry to the lions and make a run for it. Severus was not a social person and really did not like to be thrust into these situations. Fortunately, Arthur spotted him and came across to offer his hand and a glass of very good firewhiskey. Before Severus was entirely sure how it happened, he had been guided to meet the Delacour relatives and was deeply embroiled in a discussion about native French plants, in French. Harry stayed ensconced in Severus' pocket until he was sure his friend was happily occupied before flowing out and making his dainty way across the carpet to the house door. Inside, a few guests were gathered in the sitting room sipping tea, including Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore. Molly Weasley was presiding over the kitchen with a firm hand, giving orders to the house-elves sent by Hogwarts to help with the catering, over-riding any orders their true master, Minerva McGonagall had given them. She had no regard for the propriety of her actions.
Slipping unnoticed past them all, Harry galloped up the stairs and followed his nose into the nursery, the smell of milk and baby drawing him to the pink bassinette set up by the dresser. Leaping lightly onto the cupboard, he propped in surprise, then huffed an amused grunt. The top of the shelf was literally covered in soft toys ranging from teddy-bears to stuffed dragons and pink unicorns. Threading his way between the stuffed menagerie, Harry sat on the lap of a huge teddy-bear and peered into the cot, amazed at the difference a couple of weeks had made to the coconut. No more squashed tomato and copra hair, now the little girl had clear white skin, a touch of pink across her cheeks and bright red lips. Her hair was still red but now a soft auburn red and curly instead of fuzzy. She lay curled on her side, facing Harry, peacefully asleep and sweet, with her hands clasped loosely under her chin. After studying her fondly, he yawned himself and settled down in the curve of the fuzzy teddy-bear's legs to take a nap with the child.
"Ah, here she is! The lady of the hour!"
"No doubt she's a Weasley with that crop of ginger."
The voices made Harry jump awake but he didn't even twitch, his eyes opening slowly. Three beldams stood around Annabelle's bassinette, cooing and exclaiming over the small child. A plump, beringed finger eased the blanket away from the child's face and all three of them exclaimed dotingly.
"At least she doesn't have Molly's freckles," the tallest one snorted.
"Oh, you! She's as fresh as a little daisy," the middle one admonished gently.
"Well, we can only hope she takes after her mother for the brains. The mudblood is bright, if nothing else. What is that peculiar noise?" the plump, jewellery draped elder asked curiously.
Harry stopped hissing.
"You are hearing things, Gladi, old girl. The Granger chit is bright, I'll grant you that, but the Weasley boy is not so stupid himself, now is he? Didn't he secure Harry Potter for the Godfather? Good move, that! I heard that Potter was mentally damaged in the war and will never marry so it's a good chance that this little scrap may be made Heir to both the Potter and Black Fortunes, titles and properties."
"Or at least be dowered respectably, far more than a mere Weasley could manage."
The tall one made a moue before she shook her head. "Much as it would make a nice bit of gossip, I don't think either of the children thought of that when they asked the Potter boy to be Godfather. They were, all three, great friends at Hogwarts and they did defeat You-Know-Who together. And I'd watch that 'mudblood' loose talk too, Gladys, especially in this house, or you may have the Golden Trio breathing down your neck rather smartly. Besides, the war is over and times are changing. We have to change with them, slowly."
"It's a shame so many of the old families were lost during the war, such a shame... Oh, Molly, there you are. We were just taking a quick peep at the lady of the moment."
"Aunt Gladys, Aunt Anastasia, Aunt Gertrude. I'm glad you could all come today. Isn't she beautiful, only the third girl in... well... ten generations?"
"Humm, and what is this I hear about her being called some outlandish Muggle name?" Aunt Gladys asked pointedly, fretfully plucking at her diamond and ruby rings.
"Oh, you know how kids are today, always wanting something new and interesting, can't stick to the tried and true," Molly said breezily, swooping down to pick up the green blanketed bundle.
"I can see that!" Aunt Gertrude grumped. "Whoever heard of putting a baby girl in green, think she was some sort of... Well! I don't have the words to express it."
Molly sighed. Aunt Gertrude was always the one who asked the hard questions. "Hermione said she doesn't suit pink, looks ghastly in it, and alas, I tend to have to agree. This baby doesn't suit pink, it's the red hair, I think."
"At least the mu-muggle-born, has some taste. There may be hope for her yet."
There was a distinct cooling of the atmosphere as the 'muggle-born' in question arrived to prepare her daughter for her Presentation and Naming Ceremony. "Our daughter will not be hemmed in and constrained just because it is the 'accepted' way to do things. And yes, the mudblood has some taste and you are not to contaminate my daughter with your stupid, pureblood prejudice! If you cannot control your tongue, then you can just leave. We fought a war to remove that sort of thinking from this world and I will not have myself, my family nor my friends subjected to it from a mealy-mouthed old harridan like you! Are we all clearly understood on that point?"
"I have never been so insulted in all my born days..."
"You surprise me," Hermione's haughty tone cut her off short. "Now, if you will excuse us, there are far too many people in this room to prepare the child. You three may leave. Molly, if you and Ginny will assist me here." The young woman ordered as she winked at the cat who had caught her eye as soon as he had walked into the room. She was observant he was something out of place.
The door closed with a decided snap and Ginny burst out laughing. She had followed her mother in and watched Hermione tear a strip off her horrible Prewett great-aunts. Even Molly looked torn between horror and amusement. "You shouldn't have antagonised those three. They are quite powerful in our world," the elder Weasley warned as she brought out the family Naming Robes all carefully washed and cleaned for this latest addition to the family.
"Oh, that is so beautiful, Molly," Hermione exclaimed on seeing the robe for the first time. "What do you think, Harry, will she look pretty in all that silk and satin?"
"As long as she doesn't have to walk anywhere. It might be a bit long," Harry said in amusement as he morphed into himself, making Molly yelp and Ginny grin.
"How long were you listening to those three?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Oh, you mean the witches from Macbeth?" Harry chuckled. "Long enough. You will be pleased to know that 'you were very wise to choose me for Godfather' because I 'don't have an heir' and maybe Annabelle will fill the position." He grinned as he made air quotes with his fingers.
"Can you believe that trio of old harridans?" Ginny exclaimed angrily.
"You know we didn't choose you because of that, don't you, Harry?" Hermione asked softly as Molly and Ginny began to strip her daughter and dress her in her finery.
"I know. 'Mione, you and Ron are my best friends, you always were and I hope you always will be. I have made one new friend now, too, who is really nice. I think you will like her, she is very clever like you, but so sad sometimes. Her family is not always nice to her. Not Dursley 'not nice' but... She's a pureblood eldest child and a girl..."
"Ah, an uncomfortable position indeed. You'll have to ask Severus to bring her along one day, or even better, you bring her along and introduce her to us," Hermione told him with a small smile. "In the meantime, we have a lady to prepare for her Presentation."
oo0oo
The Presentation ceremony went off without a hitch, baby being well behaved and sweet while she was held up to public display. Harry endured the stares and the whispers, knowing he was not the real focus of attention on this special occasion. As soon as his part of the ceremony was over, he opted to slink off and hide in the tearoom where Teddy Lupin and Victorie Weasley were sitting on a rug playing with blocks. He had a fine time building forts and houses with the two children, then as the afternoon wore on, Teddy brought out a book for Harry to read to them. Before he knew it, he was animating the story of the Three Billygoats Gruff, complete with a tiny bridge and a very realistic troll living under it. The children loved the story but, as was inevitable with such young children, they finally fell asleep on the cosy rug leaving Harry to wander off and find Severus.
Ginny Weasley saw Harry passing and caught his arm, pulling him onto the dance floor before he could disappear or change back into his cat form. She laughed at his terrified expression and simply forced him to step through the figures with her until he was confident enough to follow the simple steps without looking as if he was facing Voldemort all over again.
"See, it's really easy when you don't think about it, isn't it?" she teased gently as they relaxed into the dance.
"Easy for you to say," Harry huffed, but did not try to get away any more. "How have you been, Ginny?"
"Good, happy with my new husband. I wish you knew Ben, he is a good man and he loves me very much. Are you happy, Harry?"
Harry thought about it for a few moments. "Yes. Yes, Ginny, I am happy now. I like living with Severus and being pampered so outrageously. I like living at Hogwarts and being part of the school while not having to worry about lessons or anything at all. I have made new friends and I really like being, um, 'cat-at-large', rather than having to live up to everyone's expectations, no matter how unrealistic they are. I'm sorry you were hurt by my actions but really, Gin, I don't think we would have been good together if we had married like everyone expected us to."
Sighing, Gin nodded once, decisively. "I agree. We were good friends but there was not enough real love, realistic love between us to make a good marriage. I was 'in lurve' with the idea of being in love and fixated on 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' not Harry James Potter, human being or cat-at-large. I'll admit I was hurt beyond reason when you refused to be a human even for me but then I met Ben and suddenly realised what a silly little girl I had been. How cruel my expectations were to you. I would like to apologise for that, Harry, really I would. So, please accept my apology and please don't think I will ever do such a nasty thing as project myself onto you again."
Harry ducked his head then glanced up through his fringe at her as of old. "I'm not mad and you don't need to apologise. I'm glad you have Ben and everything. I have a new friend who is very nice. She is called Adamantia and we have adventures together, just like Hermione, Ron and I used to except there is no Ron, just Mia and I. I-I don't think I am growing up just now, just... just staying a kid, maybe younger than seventeen even, so it's best you aren't waiting for me anymore."
Ginny laughed as they stepped back and clapped as the song finished before Ginny allowed Harry to lead her from the floor. She laughed when Ron signalled imperiously for Harry to take a seat at his table, waggling a butterbeer bottle in invitation. Harry grinned shyly and settled in the seat when Gin gave him a small push, accepting the beer.
"You won't keep up with Ginny," Ron remarked, pleased to have his friend back in human form. "It all looks to be going swimmingly, doesn't it?"
"Well, no hexes flying or blood flowing, so, yes, probably," Harry teased, offering a toast as another body settled in the spare seat, a glass of pumpkin juice being placed carefully on the mat.
Harry began to shrink down but the young man merely grinned and shook his head. "Don't leave on my account. I'm Ben, by the way, Ginny's husband." He offered his hand with a friendly grin.
"Harry Potter," Harry remarked, taking the hand carefully when a claw peeped out of his fingertip. "Sorry, I haven't got the hang of being entirely human yet."
"Must be interesting being an animagus and staying in form for so long. Does it ever seem like you can't return to human?" Ben asked curiously.
Harry sipped his beer. "I'm not an animagus, I'm just... odd."
"You can say that again," Ron endorsed teasingly. "He just didn't want to grow up, to have to be an adult since he had had to be an adult before he had a chance to be a kid, so he decided to be a cat instead."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that's about right. I like being a cat. My owner looks after me, he grooms and feeds me kippers and scratches my chin and lets me terrorise his potions ingredients. I have my own basket and I can do what I like all day, including sleeping all day if I like. I can live at Hogwarts all year round and roam the corridors without being accosted or stared at or anything. It's good to be a cat."
Ben blinked at this passionate speech, then nodded gravely. "I think you probably deserve it more than ever anyone else. Ginny told me a little of your history and how you were forced to live and I can't say I blame you for escaping when you had the chance. Hermione tells me you aren't aging while you're in cat form and may actually be getting younger. Do you think that's true?"
"I..." Harry had no reply for that one.
"Just ignore him Harry, Ben is as bad as Hermione when he gets going, all brains and hard questions instead of just accepting the way it is."
Both young men laughed and Harry purred as they settled to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
oo0oo
"Here."
Adamantia looked up and nearly banged her nose on the pink box that was being thrust at her. Pulling her head back so she could focus, she blinked at the pretty little box with its white ribbon bow and the hopeful furry face beyond it.
"What's this?"
"Cake! Hermione and Ron gave me two boxes of Naming cake, one for me and one for you. See, they have icing roses on them," Harry pointed out with an encouraging nod.
"Mine has little violets and leaves on it, too. This is beautiful, and almost too pretty to eat," Adamantia said admiringly.
"I thought so too but Hermione said we have to at least eat the cake and make a wish for my god-daughter's good. I am going to wish for lots of good friends for her," Harry told his Ravenclaw friend seriously.
"That's a good wish, Harry. I think I will wish her to be independent and strong, strong enough to please herself when she grows up. Do you think she will like that?"
Harry smiled understandingly. "She is Ron and Hermione's daughter, I think I can guarantee she will be strong enough, intelligent enough, and brave enough to do anything she wants to, no matter what it is."
Adamantia nodded thoughtfully before taking a large bite of the sweet, delicious cake.