Son of a Marauder

by zArkham

While the Golden trio catch their breath at Grimmauld Place after the attack on the Weasley wedding, Harry stops and really thinks on his life and all the odd questions he previously brushed off. Has he ever been in control of his life? Harry decides to start thinking for himself and become a true son of a Marauder. On Hiatus due to changes in where the story/ship is to go.

5. Shots in the Dark

DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the grace of coffee that thoughts acquire speed, the back acquires strains, the strains become a warning. The warning is that I make no money from this. It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion.

DISCLAIMER THE SECOND: "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son!" – Dean Vernon Wormer

CHAPTER FIVE – SHOTS IN THE DARK

OFFICE, GRIMMAULD PLACE, LONDON – AUGUST 7th 1997 – EARLY MORNING

Harry was drunk.

He hadn't planned on it but it just sort of happened. He sat in a chair in the office and just looked out the window. This was turning into his favorite thinking spot. There wasn't much in the way of traffic since it was getting on past one in the morning but that suited Harry just fine.

Occasionally he saw a taxi pull up to the Phoenix Hotel catty-corner to block of flats Grimmauld Place was in. How ironic was it that a mundane hotel so close to where the Order of the Phoenix had met would have such a name? Of course there were consequences to this. Harry tried to ignore the two men in dark cloaks loitering in the park across from Grimmauld Place.

Harry swirled the drink in his hand, watching how the candle-light played off the amber liquid. Hermione had turned in early and since he did not have Ron's emotional teaspoon range, Harry knew she probably had cried herself to sleep. He also knew this was something he needed to let her do alone. Harry knew how she felt; potions or not, the emotions still had felt real. So Harry was sure Hermione was going through a rough patch but didn't want Harry around to see it.

He understood how the situation did and didn't make sense all at once. She knew her feelings for Ron were fake and shouldn't feel guilty due to her feelings for Harry but she obviously did anyway. That and one didn't cast off a friendship of going on seven years without a lot of emotion. For his part, Harry wasn't thinking about Ginny or Ron but more of the sense of betrayal from the Headmaster and the Weasleys in general.

That Dumbledore had paid the Weasleys money to take care of him didn't bother him in the least. He would have been happy if he had known about it since he had never wanted to be a burden to them. Harry wasn't surprised they never told him about it. Beyond the Weasley pride, he could see Molly thinking it something which didn't needed to be brought up. When Harry thought things through logically, he even felt a bit of his anger at the potions thing ebb slightly. Looking at the world through Molly's eyes, Harry could see her reasoning. He didn't agree with it but he could understand it.

Since Harry was an abused orphan who had gone through so much in his Fifth Year, Harry could easily see Molly thinking he needed a girlfriend. And what better candidate than her own daughter who had 'loved' him all her life? Worse was Harry was sure Dumbledore probably would have approved if he knew about it. He could just hear Dumbledore saying to Molly, "It is important for young Harry to turn away from the darkness in his life and embrace the power of love!" or some silly twaddle like that.

Even worse was how he could see how Molly might think she was doing Hermione a favor! Not only would she get a witch to whip her least ambitious son into shape, Hermione would marry into a Pureblood family which would protect her like Harry's father had done for Lily. It was sickening but it made sense when seen through the warped world of Magical Britain.

Of course Harry was angry about the money to the Dursleys. He wouldn't have minded the money if they had actually spent it on him instead of themselves. As much as he didn't like his relatives, Harry felt some form of compensation for taking care of him was only fair. No, just like with the abuse, what Harry was angry about was that Dumbledore didn't check. He just assumed the famously compassionate Lily Potter would have a sister just like her even if she wasn't magical.

What really got Harry thinking was how after Harry had come to Hogwarts, Dumbledore had done nothing! Had the money given to the Dursleys become more of a bribe to buy their silence? Harry couldn't help but think if he had found out earlier than his view of the Headmaster would have taken a serious hit. A hit Harry wasn't sure his relationship with the Old Man could have recovered from. Harry felt this is probably why he was never told. Couldn't have the image of the great Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore being tarnished! This sort of thought went along well with a lot of things Harry had been thinking about now that his occlumency lessons had ordered his mind. Now he had the clarity of thought to where he was starting to make connections to a lot of weird things in his life he had previously ignored.

Harry took another sip of the brandy Kreacher had brought him. As much as the old elf was still a pain, Harry had to admit he did his job well now that he was properly motivated. With the whole thing with Ron and Hermione leaving him keyed up, Andromeda hadn't helped. She had showed up with things they would need prior to the Tonks' move to France. He had had Kreacher put her in the room next to where Tonks was already staying. Ted was still at home and would remain there for a day or so to finish finalizing things. Thus Andromeda was very worried about her husband. While she covered it well, the tension seemed to bleed off her. This hadn't made Harry feel any better about things.

It had been a trying set of days. First the wedding fiasco followed by the flight to London and the subsequent fight. Then finding out the truth about Remus Lupin. That hadn't helped his overall mood. While he was happy he was helping the Tonks (and Tonks helping him!) they did bring another set of worries with them. The whole thing with Ron earlier had been bitter icing on a very shitty cake.

So when he had asked Kreacher for something to drink, he had expected the elf to come back with some fire-whiskey. Instead he had brought some aged brandy. When asked, Kreacher had sniffed and gave him a small lecture about true spirits versus what 'the common rabble bez drinking' – It was odd being given a lecture about culture from a being who couldn't speak English properly! Yet Kreacher knew his stuff, Harry had to admit. While Harry knew his palate wasn't refined enough to truly appreciate what he was drinking, it was head and shoulders over Ogden's supposed best.

The problem was, cultured or not, Harry was well and truly squiffed now. However instead of numbing him up, Harry had continued to brood; his mind ablaze with thoughts. He had noticed his dour reflection in the window and had quipped to himself how it was probably one of his best talents. Perhaps if he survived fighting Voldemort he could start his own grunge band. Maybe Harry and the Dark Lords or simply Scarhead! Of course the latter sounded like a metal band. Harry thought this might not be a bad thing since he felt he could rage like the best thrash metal band around.

It kept coming back to Dumbledore. For whatever reason, the Old Man had manipulated his life since the beginning. As he sat in the dark room lit only by a single candle and drank, Harry thought about many things. Things he had simply accepted at the time. Now he had time to wonder at the way of things. What had been going on in Dumbledore's mind when he had drawn up his plans in regards to Harry? How did all this relate to what Ron's Aunt Muriel had said about Dumbledore back at the wedding?

Harry had realized, after some reflection that he truly did not know who Albus Dumbledore really was. In fact, he would wager few people in the world did. Albus Dumbledore was more a symbol rather than a real person. Harry knew what that felt like. He had always striven to just be plain old Harry Potter but everyone saw him as the Boy-Who-Lived or the Chosen One. It wasn't him so Harry wondered if the same was true about Dumbledore. Who was Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore? Was he the Defeater of Grindelwald? The Supreme Mugwump of Europe wearing the Chief Warlock hat of the Wizengamot as well? Or was he the twinkly-eyed Headmaster; grandfather to generations of British Magicals? Might he be all of these and none of them at the same time?

Harry took another deep drink. He did not believe the Headmaster had intentionally done evil things. Oh no; what he did was for the Greater Good. Harry wondered how he had spun leaving Sirius in Azkaban to himself. He himself had told Harry how he knew, KNEW DAMNIT, that Harry's life would be hell at the Dursleys. So how the hell had he allowed those payments to go forward? Had he just felt Figg was overstating things? Or had there been a reason Harry had to suffer? What other secrets had Dumbledore taken to his grave? Harry felt this was an important question. One whose answer might be even more important than finding Voldemort's remaining horcruxes.

Harry looked at the words 'I will not tell lies' etched into the back of his left hand. He thought about how many times he had asked the Headmaster questions and thought he had gotten an answer. In retrospect Harry realized how artfully the Headmaster had been at speaking and making one feel like they had been given an answer when in truth it was all just verbal smoke. Again Harry couldn't help but wonder why Dumbledore had drawn out the whole thing with the life and times of Tom Riddle last term. They could have easily knocked it out in a fortnight!

All of this was flotsam on the stormy ocean of Harry's thoughts. The real issue was blood. Specifically his own blood. Over and over, the Old Man had gone on about the blood sacrifice his mother had made. How every year he had to go back to the hell at Privet Drive to charge the wards. Thinking of all the silvery instruments in the Headmaster's office, Harry had to wonder how often Dumbledore actually looked at them. Considering he never checked up on Harry prior to him going to Hogwarts, Harry suspected not very often. He was sure if Dumbledore had he would have noticed how wrong he had been about Petunia Dursley.

Dumbledore had waxed practically lyrical about the power of love. How his mother's love, through Aunt Petunia would charge the wards and protect him. All he had had to do was be where he considered home. However Aunt Petunia had never loved him. Quite the opposite actually. Privet Drive hadn't been home to Harry either. It was simply where he lived. This was even more so after Harry had gone to Hogwarts. Yet the Blood Wards had worked as advertised.

Harry now thought he realized why. Like so many people in the Magical world, Dumbledore simply accepted what magic told him. His instruments said the Blood Wards were up and so never questioned the how even in the face of information which contradicted the why of it. It wasn't Aunt Petunia's love or warm feelings of hearth and home which had powered the wards.

It had been Harry himself.

All this time, the wards had been leaching power from Harry. All his life his magic had been being exercised by constant use. Harry would bet his Firebolt if Dumbledore had been in his office when he had used his Patronus to ward off the Dementors in his Third Year that the Old Man's instruments would have shown the Blood Wards failing. Harry was sure that the second his Patronus faded, the wards snapped back into place. Now that he was an adult, the wards had fallen and now he was dealing with the fact he didn't have this vast drain on his magic anymore.

So beyond the addition of his House magicks from four families, Harry knew he was finally coming into his own magical power for the first time. The problem was his body had synched with the level of magic he previously had when he had hit puberty. Now his magic was growing and the growth seemed to be accelerating every day. It would explain how he had barely managed a grope of Ginny's bum and now he wanted sex all the time. His body was desperately trying to purge him of excess magic his body couldn't handle yet and orgasm was one way to do it. Each time he came, he was safely releasing bursts of magic. Harry wondered if this was why he seemed to have more stamina than Tonks had expected. His body was using the excess magic to help him get rid of even more excess magic.

Harry frowned at this. He remembered how he had thought about Katie the night before in how prior to Tonks; she was the one he'd probably seen the most skin of. Was it because his magic was being siphoned off by the Blood Wards which had kept him so clueless to women? He certainly trained and played hard enough to get The Rush after a game. Yet he had never felt the need to get all 'naked crazy' as Oliver used to call it.

He knew Katie had offered enough yet except for the one time after they had won the Quidditch Cup in his Third Year, he had always turned her down. Even then he had just snogged her and had beaten a hasty retreat when it was obvious she wanted more. Considering how beautiful and buxom Katie was last year, Harry felt that even under the potions, he should have noticed her more after a game. Even as people started to see he was infatuated with Ginny, Katie had always had a look on her face that seem to say she was always available for him yet Harry had barely acknowledged this. Was this drain the reason it hadn't been till he was 15 before he ever kissed a girl on the lips outside the Quidditch locker room?

Harry drank the last bit of brandy in a quick gulp. He knew he should tell Kreacher next time to bring him the 'common rabble drink' the next time he was going on a maudlin drinking binge. The good stuff was just being wasted after he'd gotten as drunk as he was now. Harry got up at bit unsteadily. Harry knew he certainly didn't have his 'sea legs' as Sirius called the art of walking while intoxicated. The old dog had said his father had been aces at it.

A mechanical noise caught his attention. Harry looked out the window to see a garbage lorry working its way down the street. Harry knew it was there to get the large dumpsters instead of the local garbage delivery. Harry had to wonder how the local residents could stand this going on in the middle of the night. Although for all he knew this was normal for London. Watching dumpster being lifted and dumped suddenly gave Harry a brilliant idea.

Harry knew both Hermione and Tonks would kill him if they caught him but in his inebriated state he didn't care. Like so many times in life, Harry just knew he had to do something. He quickly made his way down to the basement and called for Kreacher.

The elf appeared, "Master?"

Harry grabbed a loaded clip for his 9mm and then after a second though took another. He started putting on his shoulder holster before looking at the elf. "Kreacher, if I take out those two Death Eaters, can you bring their bodies inside?"

Kreacher nodded, "Kreacher can bez doing this with ease."

Harry adjusted the holster till fit comfortably. He pulled out his wand and transfigured one of the cleaning towels into a wind blazer. An empty ammo box became a pack of cigarettes with another flourish. "When you bring them inside, I need you to take off their heads and left arms and keep them fresh and stored. Then I need you to put the rest of the bodies in something which won't be noticed if you put it in one of those dumpsters. Can you do all that Kreacher?" Harry asked.

Kreacher eyes lit up with a dark gleam, "Yes Master Black, Kreacher can bez doing it."

Harry beamed, "Great! Wait for my signal till I call for you. We need to move fast once I do." The elf nodded eagerly which made his ears flapped in a way which made Harry think of Dobby. Kreacher certainly responded to mayhem!

Harry put the pack of cigarettes into a pocket inside the left side of the jacket. Harry looked at his pistol for a moment before deciding a spell on the weapon itself wouldn't be any more detectable than the residue of magic on his transfigurations. He cast a silencing charm on the pistol before holstering it. He knew the spell would fade quickly once he started firing but he didn't expect to fire more than six shots at the most. The spell would do for that or so Harry hoped.

Harry went up quietly to the foyer. He looked into the hall mirror and concentrated. He hadn't had much chance to practice his new metamorphmagus powers. He had worked with Tonks for an hour after he and Hermione had sent Ron on his way. They had managed to make Harry's "Evans" face look more masculine along with a male haircut. Harry didn't want to be wearing this face for what he was going to do so he stared into the mirror and willed himself to revert.

It took a minute or two but his face and hair finally returned to normal. Harry grimaced; now would be the hard part. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on his memories of Hermione. He had known her since he was eleven and felt he was close enough to her to make this work. After a few minutes of concentration where his face and scalp felt warm, Harry finally opened his eyes.

Harry's reflection smiled back at him. While his face hadn't changed, he now had Hermione's chocolate colored eyes and bushy hair. Working with Tonks earlier had shown that working with hair was relatively easy. Harry was able to tame the hair and shorten it to a more masculine, if overly scruffy, style. The curly bangs also hid his scar.

Harry frowned at this and transfigured one of the umbrellas in the troll-leg stand into a baseball cap with Dean's favorite footy team logo on it. After putting it on, Harry did another quick spell to alter the look of the frames of glasses. Looking in the mirror, Harry was satisfied he'd be able to pass for someone else since his eyes, hair and scar seemed to be what people noticed about him.

Harry grabbed another umbrella and put on his invisibility cloak. He quietly went out through the front door and looked around. The garbage lorry looked to be almost finished with its rounds and the two Death Eaters hadn't budged from their spot at a park bench.

Harry transfigured the umbrella into a small dog on a leash which looked suspiciously like his godfather. After putting on his invisibility cloak, Harry picked the dog up and then apparated to the same spot he had used when he had portkeyed from Gringotts. It was a fenced in area which had two dumpster in it so it was reasonably secure. Harry looked up and down the alley before carefully taking off the cloak.

Harry waited till the garbage lorry had left the area and then waited a few more minutes. Neither of the Death Eaters seemed to have moved much. From their stance they seemed to be bored as one kept flipping a coin as he paced while the other was sitting on the park bench whittling. Harry grinned as he made sure his transfigured cap covered his scar as he stashed his cloak.

"Come on, Padfoot; it's show time!" Harry said as he put the dog down and took up his leash in his left hand. He felt rather naked without his wand but he couldn't figure out a way to have it out.

The little dog wagged its tail and seemed eager to get to the park. Harry made sure to look like he was just a tired pet owner whose dog wasn't taking no for an answer in regards to potty time. His state of inebriation helped in this regards as he stumbled a bit on uneven parts of the pavement. Even so he was quickly upon the two Death Eaters.

Neither seemed to pay him much heed till Padfoot sniffed the Death Eater who was whittling.

"Watch your cur, mate!" The cloaked figure snarled without even bothering to look up from his work. The voice was familiar but Harry couldn't place it.

Harry looked up quickly pretending surprise, "Bloody Hell! Sorry mate; I didn't see you there. Paddy, heel boy!" Harry fought to keep from smiling. He knew the Death Eaters figured their Notice-Me-Not charms had kept him from seeing them. Of course by speaking they had voided that even if a mundane would just see two normal men instead of two Death Eaters in dark cloaks. Harry didn't recognize either of them but he suspected they were using glamours to hide their identities anyway. Now Harry could act without too much suspicion. A careful look around showed they seemed to be alone.

Harry led the dog away from the men. Once 'Paddy' seemed interested enough in a bush, he walked back muttering to himself as he pretended to be fishing around in his pockets. Finally he reached into his coat and pulled out the pack of cigarettes, "Could either of you spot me a light? I seemed to have forgotten my lighter. I can usually get through one fag before Paddy is finished doing his doggy business." A quick check showed that the fake dog was still busy sniffing the bush.

The seated wizard shook his head but the coin flipping Death Eater said gruffly, "Look, we're on an auror stakeout. You need to clear out." Harry recognized the voice of Marcus Flint. He'd certainly had heard him talking smack to Ollie often enough back in the day. Harry wasn't at all surprised to find the erstwhile Slytherin Quidditch captain had become a Death Eater.

"Police stakeout, we're on a police stakeout," the other Death Eater said quickly.

"Really? Oh well then I'll be off then!" Harry said agreeably as he put the cigarette pack back into his coat. It was apparent that he was up against newly minted Death Eaters. It made sense to Harry. He doubted any of the more experienced Death Eaters wanted to hang out in a mundane park all night.

"See that you do! We're on an important mission!" Flint said in the same angry tone Harry remembered from his time on the Quidditch pitch. Ollie was going to be sad he missed what was coming up.

"That's funny because so am I!" Harry said as he pulled out the pistol in a smooth, fluid motion. Glad he hadn't caught it on the jacket, Harry thumbed off the safety and brought the gun up and shot Flint twice in the chest. With a range of less than a meter and a half, the bullets ripped through the wizard's heart and lungs and he dropped without a sound. The other Death Eater only had enough time to drop his knife in surprise before Harry double-tapped him in the chest. He to fell to the ground before he could even begin to go for his wand. Harry quickly followed up with a single shot to the chest to both fallen wizards just to be sure.

Looking around Harry still didn't see anyone or windows opening up with the neighbors trying to see what had made the noise. Luckily the silencing spell he placed on the gun prior to leaving seemed to have muffled the shots well enough although the last two shots seemed loud to Harry. Hopefully this minor magic and that of his clothes and the dog wouldn't be detected by the next shift of Death Eaters. Harry called for Kreacher.

The elf immediately popped next to him and with a snap of his fingers both bodies were covered in what looked like body bags. With a nod to Harry, the elf disappeared with his grisly packages.

Harry took a deep breath and decided this had been fun but now with the adrenaline coursing though him, he realized what a risk he had taken. That and he had just killed two people. Death Eaters to be sure but still people. Harry bent down and picked up the leash he had dropped. Luckily his transfigured dog hadn't been good enough to act like a real dog would have to the shots. Harry cursed himself. He was lucky. If he had been sober, the dog would have been cast better and been more life-like as a result. That would mean it would have started barking up a storm.

Harry quickly retraced his steps and apparated back to Grimmauld Place. He reversed his earlier transfigurations on the umbrellas and quietly crept back into the house. He noticed in the hall mirror he had quite a bit of blood spatter from the first shots. Another thing Harry realized he needed to take into account. He knew a few charms which would keep the blood from sticking the next time.

Snagging a biscuit from the kitchen, Harry made his way back down to the basement. Kreacher popped next to him as Harry was putting his pistol away and changing his jacket back into a towel. Kreacher smiled at the blood stains on the towel before turning to Harry, "What bez thy biddingz, my Master? Mount the headz so all may see proof of yourz victory?"

Harry's eyes bugged out and he choked a bit on the biscuit he been nibbling on. "No Kreacher! Nothing like that. I need you to put the heads in charmed boxes so they won't go bad. I'm probably going to be sending them to somebody eventually. As for the arms, just keep them safe and hidden where they won't rot. I think they might come in useful later. You can then dump the bodies. Try to see if you can put them into a dumpster which is about to be emptied."

Kreacher bowed, "Does Master wish the bodies to bez harvested for potions ingredients first?"

"What?" Harry asked in a shocked voice.

"Oh yes Master! Bodies can bez cut up for many things!" Kreacher said with the same evil glint in his eye from earlier.

"Uhm, yes…well alright. I guess anything can go into the potions lab then?" Harry said after a moment's reflection. "Kreacher, do you happen to know who the men I killed where?"

Kreacher shook his head, "One moment, my Master!" The elf disappeared only to reappear a few minutes later with two large boxes. Kreacher opened the lids to both boxes and motioned for Harry to look inside.

Stealing himself, Harry looked and was surprised how normal the heads looked. Both appeared to be sleeping. While Harry wasn't shocked to see he had been right about Marcus Flint the other head was that of Stan Shunpike. "Kreacher, did both of these men have the Dark Mark?" At Kreacher's nod Harry muttered, "Well if he wasn't dead I guess I would owe Scrimgeour an apology."

Harry gave a wave of dismissal and Kreacher popped away to complete the grisly task of rendering the corpses into useful ingredients. Harry belated realized that in a sense he had taken out to bad guys and lessened the need to buy items from the apothecary. Not that Hermione or Tonks would probably see it that way, Harry mused.

Thinking of the two witches made Harry realize he was rock hard. He realized he probably was having a slight bout of The Rush. Grimacing, Harry made his way back up to his room. He stripped and dumped his bloodied clothes into the hamper and hid them on the odd chance that someone might come into his room before Kreacher did to clean his clothes. Harry then got the shower going.

As he scrubbed himself to ensure he got all the blood off, he thought about the changes he had undergone in the last six years. Harry knew just last year he probably would have been frantically scrubbing himself like a rape victim who was desperately was trying to cleanse themselves of the terrible event. Now Harry simply felt happy he had rid the world of two Death Eaters, belatedly angry at himself for the risk of doing it while drunk and still intensely horny.

This last was the most vexing since even after he took himself in hand and whacked off to a tremendously satisfying orgasm, Harry found he was almost painfully erect again by the time he had toweled off and was working at getting his 'Evans' face back on. As his face finally morphed back and his hair changed from black to amber, Harry realized that he might not need to have another off the wrist. There was another option available. An option which would be so much nicer than solitary fun.

An almost feral grin lit Harry's face as he slipped on a robe, some slippers and made his way quietly out the door. He realized he was still pretty drunk when he kept brushing up against the walls. Harry had to quietly laugh to himself when he realized that by trying to sneak around, he was probably making more noise. So giving up on stealth, Harry strode purposefully to Tonks' room.

A quiet check of the door showed it was locked. Harry grinned at this. "Open!" Harry quietly commanded. As the head of House Black, there was no room in this house which would refuse him entry!

Harry quietly entered the room and had to be careful not to gasp. The curtains were open which allowed the light from the streetlights to stream into the room like artificial moonlight. On the bed was Tonks naked as the day she was born. She was on her stomach and it looked like she'd kicked off her covers. Harry had noticed the house, while dark and oppressive, had been rather stuffy and humid of late. As he admired the curves of Tonks' arse, Harry made a mental note to ask Kreacher about it.

Harry shook his head as if to clear it. He realized he must be under The Rush if he was thinking about tapping that beautiful ass while worrying about the house cooling system. The fact he was drunk probably didn't help. Harry licked his lips as he let his robe slip off his shoulders as he stepped out of his slippers.

Harry carefully made his way onto the bed. He stared for what could have been hours at Tonk's glorious arse. He must not have been paying attention when they first had sex because it seemed more lush and full. Actually it looked more like Hermione's bum which Harry realized he couldn't wait to tap as well. A wave of lust seemed to well up in him as he thought of fucking his best friend; her arse bouncing against him as he took her.

First things first, however!

Harry carefully slid two fingers between Tonks' legs. Luckily her thighs were already parted slightly. He gently began to stroke her slit. A little bit of wiggling and Harry thought he had found her clit. Tonks had been very adamant he learned all about her 'magic button' and how to take care of it lovingly.

Sure enough after a few minutes, Tonks let out a breathy moan and shifted so her arse lifted off the bed to allow him better access. Harry grinned as he felt how quickly his fingers had become wet with Tonks' juices. As he continued to stroke her slit with gentle, but firm strokes, Harry inserted two fingers from his other hand into her sex and began to fuck her in rhythm with his other hand.

Tonks let out a throatier moan this time. It was deep and almost guttural. Harry could see she was gripping her pillow tightly. After five minutes or so Harry noticed she seemed to be biting the pillow as well. This was confirmed when her sex spasmed against his probing fingers and he felt a gush of wetness. Tonks orgasmic cries were swallowed by the pillow as she thrashed in pleasure at Harry's touch.

Harry pulled back and couldn't help but lick his fingers. He had really enjoyed Tonks teaching him to please her orally. After being told he was worthless most of his life by the Dursleys, Harry found it intoxicating when he was between Tonks' thighs and she had been screaming his name while gripping his head tightly, begging for more.

Harry's face broke into a grin as Tonks let out a husky sigh as she went to her knees so her arse was high in the air even as she kept her face in the pillow. Harry knew what she wanted and he was eager to give it to her. He quickly got up behind her and maneuvered his hard cock to the entrance of her slit. Harry let out a long and happy sigh as he entered Tonks to find her hot and wet. She also seemed tighter than she had been the previous night. Harry smiled at this; he wasn't complaining.

Neither was Tonks if her muffled moans into the pillow were anything to go by.

Harry gripped Tonks' hips tightly and began to fuck with long, hard strokes. He knew he wasn't going to last but he figured better to cum quickly and get ready again. Harry really wanted Tonks to ride him. It had felt so good earlier but this time he wanted to watch her grind against him with those magnificent tits bouncing just for him.

Harry let out a strangled groan at this and began to fuck harder than he had the night before. Soon he was gasping as he almost brutally thrust into Tonks. Far from feeling abused, Tonks seemed to enjoy the harsh strokes as her moans turned to frantic cries as she fucked back hard against him. The room was filled with the sound of their flesh slapping hard against each other. Both of them had quickly become covered with a sheen of sweat which seemed to glisten in the light from the window.

A familiar feeling began to boil up from Harry's scrotum; it was far too soon for his liking. Harry had hoped his earlier orgasms (to say nothing of the three the night before) would have allowed him to last. Yet seeing Tonks body fucking back against him to say nothing of how her sex gripped his cock made Harry realized he never had a chance.

Tonks suddenly screamed into her pillow and Harry felt his cock gripped tightly as she orgasmed. This easily pushed Harry over the edge causing him to give a strangled cry of pleasure of his own. He saw spots and for a moment Harry was sure his aura flared visibly for a moment as he began to shoot a heavy load deep into Tonks. Harry's hips jerked spasmodically as he tried to continue thrusting while Tonks bucked against him as she rode her own orgasm out.

Harry found himself gasping as if the air in the room wasn't enough for him. He felt like his soul and magic were pouring into Tonks through his cock. So much so that when his member finally shot the last hot spurt of fiery seed into her, Harry practically collapsed onto her back. Tonks seemed to be in the same boat as Harry since she too was gasping like a fish out of water.

The pair lay panting as the minutes ticked away. Finally the cooling of the sweat on Harry's back began to chill him enough to make him wearily pull out and roll off Tonks. Harry rubbed his eyes as he let out a long, satisfied sigh. He felt brilliant and knew he wanted more of this. Harry was starting to understand why Tonks had done what she had done for him. He doubted Hermione was up for the intensity Harry seemed to bring to sex. For a moment, Harry worried what Luna was going to make of all this when and if they finally got together.

Tonks stretched while still on her stomach. She too let out a long, satisfied sigh. In a husky voice filled with happiness she said, "Oh Ted, you haven't fucked me like that in ages. If I had known it would make you such a tiger I would have had my sister threaten your life during the War!"

Harry's head snapped around and his previous feeling of fuzzy-headedness evaporated. Everything seemed to leap into laser-like clarity as he looked down at the nude form in front of him. Almost at once certain details leaped out at him, the biggest being the hairstyle. Andromeda's hairstyle.

Harry knew he was so dead.

XxXxX

KITCHEN, GRIMMAULD PLACE, LONDON – AUGUST 7th 1997 – MORNING

"Harry, I'm not going to kill you!" Ted said again in an exasperated tone.

"So you're going to let your wife do it then? Could you at least let Tonks do it? I'm sure with her auror training she can make it quick and painless," Harry said dejectedly.

Ted sighed, "Look Harry I know you're feeling guilty about all this but there are a lot of factors at work here. Many of which I know you are unaware of. Yes I'm not thrilled to find out that not only did you have sex with my wife but my daughter as well. The truth is Harry, to put it quite frankly, I couldn't have stopped you if I had known about it."

Harry's head shot up like a bullet form a gun, "What?"

Ted nodded; his face stoic yet non-threatening, "Harry, the magical world and Britain especially hold on to some really old traditions along with coming up with a lot of odd ones of their own. As head of House Black, you could demand a boon before bringing Andy and Dora back into the family. That boon could easily be paid via sex."

While the sex with both Tonks and Andromeda had been brilliant, Harry blanched at this, "Eww! Why would the head of a house want to have sex with others in their house?"

Ted laughed, "You've been in the magical world now since you were eleven, Harry. I would have thought you would have figured out that the Magical's concept of incest is very different than the mundane one. The more you learn, the more you'll find all sorts of squicky details. I know things about centaurs which will curl your hair to say nothing of what goes on with house elves in many homes."

Harry was sure if there was a mirror around, he could look to see if his face was as green as he felt it might be.

Ted clapped Harry on the shoulder, "The fact you know nothing about this tells me you're a good lad or you've been kept in the dark about all the more unsavory details of magical life. I hope it is a bit of both. Well you and Hermione have already run into the love potion issue. Trust me, as a solicitor I see all sorts of things. When it comes right down to it, sleeping with your married and pregnant cousin is down-right pedestrian compared to some things I've had to take to court or more often seen hushed up."

Harry shook his head, "Ted, I…well I…Merlin I can't believe you are okay with this!"

Ted's face turned serious, "Harry it isn't whether I'm okay with this or not. It happened. As I said, all sorts of these things happen in the magical world. Look at it from a mundane perspective. First you were drunk. Second you have the issue with your magic which is pushing you towards sex and probably working to deaden your inhibitions along the way. Thirdly you made an honest mistake in thinking Andy's room was Dora's. It also isn't your fault Dora looks so much like her mother. Andy has always been a bit of a heavy sleeper so unless you had said something, she wasn't likely to notice you weren't me. These are all things neither you nor I can change. Since I know you didn't do it on purpose, what choice do I have but just accept it and move on? In light of having Andy's sister threaten to feed my entrails to me, this sort of thing is rather low on the importance meter by comparison."

Harry just shook his head again; this time in amazement, "I hope I'm half as mature as you when I'm your age, Mr. Tonks."

Ted grinned an evil grin, "Thanks Harry. Of course this does mean I might try to wheedle permission for a Veela massage when we get to France. After what happened, I think Andy might allow me a 'happy ending' if you knew what I mean.

Harry just stared at Ted who nudged him twice with his elbow while winking a couple of times.

"Just for the record, I'm happy you're not going to kill me but I think you're just a little bat-shit crazy," Harry said carefully.

Ted laughed uproariously at this, "Come on Harry! Beside due to the Prophecy, Andy and I couldn't kill you if we wanted to." The happy look on Ted's face faded, "Of course now I have to live up to your youthful exuberance in bed. It doesn't help my aura is a candle compare to your bonfire."

Harry grimaced, "I know I was drunk last night but I am getting worried. I went from having practically no sex drive to thinking about it all the time. I have Voldemort to fight! I can't let this interfere!"

Ted nodded, "I know, Harry. However the problem is with your magic out of whack like it is, the issue isn't going to go away anytime soon. Plus there is another aspect of all this which you wouldn't know about."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Now what?"

Ted made an airy gesture, "Now don't get all worked up. It's rather simple, really. You are the last of the Potter, Peverell and Pryce families. Now that you've taken up the mantle as head of those houses, the family magic is working to ensure the family continues. So until you get some witches pregnant, I fear this feeling isn't going to go away soon."

Harry's eyes grew large at this, "What? I'm trying to start a guerilla war against an insane Dark Lord and you're telling me my magic wants to put some buns in the oven?"

Ted smirked, "I'm afraid so. You will have to talk to Andy about this. She knows a lot more about family magicks than I do."

"Oh like that's going to be a great conversations! 'Sorry about the shag, Mrs. Tonks. Oh by the way I need to know how to keep from fucking hither and yon and leaving babies in my wake!' Yeah that's really going to go over well!" Harry muttered darkly.

Ted chuckled and then stopped at Harry's filthy look, "I'm sorry Harry; I know I shouldn't find all this amusing but it just seems your life is feast or famine. I'm sure between Andy and Hermione you'll figure something out. Just don't ask Dora. Knowing her she'll just tell you to put out a call for volunteers and be done with it."

Harry snorted at this. He knew Tonks would probably do just that. Bloody hell! If she wasn't already pregnant, Harry wouldn't put it past her to be at the front of the line!

The pair was silent for a moment before Ted spoke up, "I found this morning scene rather illuminating."

Harry looked up from his coffee he was stirring treacle into, "How so?"

Ted tapped a finger against his cheek, "The fact that no auror showed up this morning. I think this shows that Voldemort is still very unsure about who he can trust and who he has to have watched. In many ways, Harry, it's almost a good thing you ended up sleeping with Andy and caused a bit of a ruckus since otherwise we might have found out what you did too late to see their response. I know you were drunk but in the future you need to understand that watching your opponent's reaction to your strike is almost as important as the strike itself."

Harry looked sheepish, "Yeah. I actually thought of that while we were watching the Death Eaters searching the park for clues. My cousin had to do a report on Vietnam for school so I ended up watching this program about it. He actually paid me to take notes for him. After you made that comment about aurors this morning, I thought about how one attack was often used just to bring more people into the ambush area so they could be attacked."

Ted nodded, "Yes but you'll have to be careful with that since we can't be sure who is working for Voldemort willing or not. What I found interesting watching the Death Eaters response to two of their number disappearing was their lack of forensic skill. I mean they cast a few spells and that seemed to satisfy them. It seems very likely to me they didn't realize you killed their comrades with a pistol. Maybe they just didn't think to look but I can't help but wonder if an auror team had been called that they might have found something with the forensic spells I know Dora had to learn. I think this means you have a window of opportunity before they catch on to what you're doing."

Harry thought about this for a moment, "Hopefully the goblins will get me that list of squibs soon. I'm worried Voldemort will enact some sort of magical ID card. I'm hoping that since squibs can get into Diagon Alley without a wand that no one will look twice at them. That way we can get some good recon done before things get really nasty."

Ted nodded, "I agree. I will talk to the French when I get to Paris and see what sort of agreement I can get for them to either do a little covert spying done for us or maybe look at some of whatever they gather. I mean I'm sure their diplomats and embassy staff will see and hear quite a bit."

"Oh before I forget," Ted said as he pulled a photo out of his coat pocket. "This is a piece I'll be able to get from a friend. He thinks I'm borrowing it so I can make a wax mold made to create replicas for reenactors."

Harry took the photo and saw it was a World War Two Sten machine gun. "Weren't these really easy to make, Ted? I remember something about that back in school. Something about with all the shortages at the beginning of the War created the need for really simple guns."

"Yes they were. The simplest, which this is an example of, only had 47 parts and could be made in around five hours. In many ways it will be easier to make than an AK. It also can be silenced rather decently with a simple leather silencer which would make a silence spell last longer. That and it also uses 9mm ammo which will be the easiest for us to get. Of course we still run into the issue of needing the AK's for more stopping power." Ted explained.

"I don't think we should confine ourselves to just firearms, Ted," a voice from the doorway said.

Both wizards turned to see Hermione who was still in her 'granny' sleepwear.

Harry grinned, "How are you Hermione? I didn't want to wake you earlier since I figured you might want a lie-in."

She nodded at this while going over and pouring herself some coffee. "Thank you for that. You look like you could have used one yourself."

Harry glanced at Ted who was looking at him curiously. He knew the older wizard was wondering how Harry was going to handle this. "Well I didn't get much sleep last night. Got a lot of thinking done."

"That's nice Harry," Hermione murmured practically to herself. However after she sat down at the table and looked up from her coffee, Harry saw her eyes were bright and she had that look she had when she was about to tell him how to do something."

"I was thinking myself last night. Given both Ron and Remus' reaction to our plan, I feel we should perhaps work on using mundane items which can utilize magical components. That way it will lessen the impact on public opinion." Hermione said.

"How so, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Well take for example the paint gun. They are simple, legal and readily available. Yet with magic we can extract the paint and replace it with potions. Think about how effective you could be with paint balls filled with the Draught of Living Death. Remember how by using Snape's old book that Slughorn felt your potion was so much more potent? Well I figure using something like that would give us a way to deal with people we do not want to kill."

Ted's face brightened, "You know that is a brilliant idea, Hermione. Even better is while there would be the residue from the exploded ball, detection spells are going to identify the potion and considering what we saw this morning, that'll probably be the end of it."

Harry stifled a groan. He had hoped to put off explaining to Hermione what had gone on the night before. Sure enough Hermione looked at him, "What? What went on this morning?"

Ted had the grace to look a bit guilty, "Uh…uhm…well you see…"

Harry waved him off. Considering he owed Ted for not killing him he didn't want to have him bear the brunt of Hermione's temper, "No Ted, I'll tell her."

Hermione's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Tell me what?" she asked.

Harry sighed, "Remember how you begged me not to get angry the other day? Well I know you will so all I'm asking is just listen for a bit. I'm sure you'll take it out on me later."

Hermione looked surprised at this before her face fell into a look of resignation, "What did you do now?"

Harry shot Ted a dirty look when the older wizard started chortling and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'whipped!' to him. "Well after you went to bed I was thinking up in the office. While I was doing this I'm afraid to say I was also drinking."

"How much did you drink?" Hermione asked primly.

"Considering what happened, way too much," Harry said sheepishly. "Anyway, to cut to the chase, I got an idea watching the garbage lorries taking out the trash. So I put on a disguise, cast a few spells and then went out. I pretended to be a guy taking his dog out for a poop. While my transfigured dog distracted the Death Eaters on watch I was able to…" Harry paused and looked at Hermione with a silent plea for her not to freak out.

"You were able to what?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"He shot them and had Kreacher bring the bodies back here. Kreacher's already rendered the bodies for potions ingredients and dumped the remains in a dumpster which was later emptied," Ted interjected.

"You what?" Hermione wasn't the only one who said this. Both Harry and Ted turned to see Andromeda and Tonks had been listening at the doorway.

"Yes, I shot them. Two double-taps to the chest with a single round a piece to ensure they were dead. Kreacher had the bodies out of the park within less than a minute. As Ted was saying, the next shift of Death Eaters didn't seem to do a very good job of checking the park out so it looks like they missed completely that I killed them with a gun." Harry explained.

Ted looked at his daughter who was looking stunned, "Harry and I watched them and none of them were aurors. Nor did they seem to use any of the forensic spells I know you had to learn." Ted looked back at Hermione, "This is why I feel your idea has a great deal of merit. If most Death Eaters are like this then you might be able to put off when people figure out that you're using mundane methods."

Hermione just stared at Harry as Andromeda and Tonks took a seat. Finally she asked, "Who did you kill?"

Harry was surprised Hermione was taking it so well, "Marcus Flint and Stan Shunpike of all people. Kreacher confirmed they had the Dark Mark on their arm. It occurred to me last night if Scrimgeour wasn't dead that I'd owe him an apology."

"That Marcus Flint was a Death Eater is no surprise to me," Andromeda said. "The Flints have always been avid supporters of the Dark Lord. They also have jockeyed for higher status every time Lucius failed. I know, for example, after you defeated Lucius in the Department of Mysteries that Derrick Flint made no secret of his desire to have House Flint replace House Malfoy as the main supporter of the Dark Lord."

Andromeda gestured at Harry and Hermione, "That Stan Shunpike was marked as well may come as a surprise to the two of you but not to me. You have seen little of Magical Britain. As Hogwarts students you were seeing only those with the money to pay the high tuition cost. I'm betting you didn't know there are five regional schools where one can get one's OWLs."

Harry blinked in surprise, "There are?" He turned to Hermione, "Did you know this?"

Hermione nodded, "I did. If my magical power score was lower or my parents didn't make as much money as they did, I probably would have gone to the St. George's Magical School of England. It's one of the Saint Schools. Of course they only teach up to OWL levels."

"Very good Hermione," Andromeda said. "You see Harry there are a lot more Magicals than you know about. Take the Weasley family. The ones you saw at the wedding were not even half of the overall family. Many of them are so poor they cannot afford to send their children to even a Saint school but must home school them instead. They aren't alone as there are hundreds of families who are like this. Many live as their families have since the time of Merlin. They are parochial, clannish and conservative in the extreme. They also cannot get decent jobs for the most part so they usually end up like young Shunpike working a menial job."

"Let me guess," Harry said. "So you get a guy like Stan who may not be a Pureblood but comes from a family which has been magical for generations. Then someone like Hermione comes in and gets a great job while Stan is working the Knight Bus. I'm betting Voldemort's propaganda sounds pretty good to them."

"Very astute, Harry," Andromeda said warmly.

"Yeah we bust guys like Shunpike all the time," Tonks said. "They have a pint or four and then while in their cups get rowdy and start fights with Muggleborns or just about anyone really. They seem to think their entitled to more simply because they're Magicals."

This attitude reminded Harry of Ron. This in turn made him wonder about something Andromeda had said, "Andromeda, if Hogwarts is so expensive and the Weasleys as a rule are all poor then how did Arthur put five kids through with two more still there? Wouldn't it have been cheaper for them to get their OWLs at one of the Saint schools and then only have to pay for the last two years?"

Andromeda simply smiled enigmatically, "Yes one would think that would be the way for them to go. Tell me, Lord Black; how do you think they managed it considering you saw first-hand their poverty."

Harry looked at Hermione and saw she was reaching the same conclusion he was. Harry bit his lip for a second before replying, "I think they got the money from Dumbledore and I think Dumbledore got that money from my family's vaults. I got from Ron that Dumbledore had been paying his parents some money to help take care of me but this goes far beyond that. If this is true, my question is why?"

Andromeda continued smiling, "I have my suspicions. Let me give you a hint. When did you first meet the Weasleys?"

"Outside the portal to Platform 9¾ my first year. Hagrid forgot to tell me about the portal so I couldn't get through. So when the Weasleys showed up, they told me how to…" Harry's voice trailed off. Harry's voice trailed off. In all the excitement, he had totally forgotten how he had asked Ron this very same question before they sent him back to the Burrow.

"Ah! The light is beginning to dawn," Ted said sadly as Harry closed his eyes and then brought his hand to his lips like he was praying.

Tonks looked confused, "What the hell were they doing outside? The Weasleys always flooed in. A lot of people had a running bet when they'd arrive considering they were always late. They sure as hell didn't floo to the Leaky Cauldron and then lug all their trunks and the like from Tottenham Court Road!"

Hermione reached out and squeezed Harry's arm compassionately. It was obvious what was running through Harry's mind. The implications were clear to her as well.

Finally Harry looked up and took up Hermione's hand and gave a squeeze in return, "They were there because Dumbledore knew I would be there. Considering how Molly read to Ginny all those Boy-Who-Lived stories, I'm betting Ron was similarly primed. So of course he'd come looking for me. So of course I, the abused orphan, will latch onto him. Just like with Hagrid, I would learn about the magical world from a certain viewpoint. The viewpoint the Headmaster wanted me to have."

"Now you are starting to think like a Black, Harry." Andromeda said approvingly. "Now you are seeing how the true power players in our society act. The Weasleys were allies in the last war as were the Prewitts for all the good it did them. So after the events of Halloween of '81, Dumbledore knew you would one day return to the magical world. It is obvious he has had a long range plan in mind for you and a wizard of his caliber would not leave anything to chance."

Hermione snorted. When Harry looked at him quizzically she explained, "I was just imagining that if Harry had ended up sitting with someone like Susan Bones than not only might Harry have been sorted as a 'Puff but he would have certainly learned some things from her that might make Harry question some things about his life."

"Very good Hermione. I'm glad to see you are starting to see how this might have played out," Andromeda said.

Tonks was frowning, "Mum; are you saying that Dumbledore had a plan to have Ron become friends with Harry? That the entire thing with the Weasleys was a sham?"

"It wasn't a sham, Dora," Ted interjected. "That's not the way people like Dumbledore work. No, all it takes is a little maneuvering and set up and then let nature take its course. Like Harry said, I doubt highly that Ron was specifically told to go seek Harry out or that Arthur and Molly were told to befriend Harry. Why give them information which they might accidentally reveal? A mere suggestion from Dumbledore would be enough."

Harry nodded, "I asked Ron about why they were outside the Platform that day and all he knew is his mum said they were there to meet someone. That someone had to have been me."

Hermione frowned, "That implies she was told to meet you or otherwise she wouldn't have gone in right after you."

Andromeda shrugged slightly, "The loss of her family during the War affected Molly Prewitt very deeply. She was still in her Seventh Year when her parents were murdered. She had barely moved out of her grandparent's home after eloping with Arthur when they were murdered as well. That and the Dark Lord personally killed her brothers affected her even more. While the Weasley clan is known for having many children, this usually means three to four. Seven is almost unheard of and many people in the Healer's Guild I work with have often wondered if Molly might have used potions to have more children regardless of the danger."

Andromeda looked at Hermione and then back to Harry, "Given the fact that Dumbledore was the most renowned alchemist since Nicholas Flamel makes one wonder if he perhaps might have helped Molly with this. In return he would have a woman who would be willing to do little tasks for him. She also would keep Arthur from asking any questions. As a Healer, I wonder if some of Arthur's odd behavior is the result of long term potion exposure. His behavior certainly fits the profile for it. For someone who works in the office with direct contact with Muggles, he is famously inept with them even after all these years."

Harry and Hermione traded a look, "Why would she do such a thing?" Harry asked.

"Harry, remember what I said about your family magicks pushing you? Ted asked. After seeing Harry nod, he went on. "Well Molly was the last of the Prewitts so it fell to her to provide potential Prewitt heirs. Of course it hasn't helped that Charlie Weasley refused to take up the House and Percy couldn't get enough votes in the Wizengamot to get awarded it. The point is Molly is obsessed with family as well as protecting that family. So if Arthur gets suspicious of some things she might have done for Dumbledore, then her using a potion on her husband isn't that far-fetched."

"But what did Mrs. Weasley do for the Headmaster? What was the point?" Hermione asked.

Andromeda made a dismissive gesture, "Who can say for certain? It may have simply been to keep quiet about the money being taken from Harry and to provide a pro-Dumbledore environment for Harry to stay in. Why is it that out of all the Order that only the Weasley family had their wards upgraded which meant they had to stay at Grimmauld Place? I imagine that Harry might have learned quite a lot from Sirius if he had been there with him mostly alone."

Tonks made a disgusted noise, "It certainly explains Remus. I often asked him a lot of the same things which Harry threw at him the other day. It all came back to Dumbledore. 'Dumbledore said this' or 'Dumbledore thought it best' that. I can't believe that after all Harry's dad had done for him that Remus would let the Headmaster tell him what to do considering Sirius was in prison."

"Now Nymphadora, Remus is a perfect example of the long range planning of the Headmaster," Andromeda chided. "Certainly Dumbledore felt someone like Remus deserved an education. However it also created someone who owed him a great debt." Andromeda turned to Hermione, "Did you really think you were given a Time-Turner just so you could take more classes? Again you know owed him a debt. One which might simply be called in by you thinking someone as helpful as him would never do wrong."

"But why? Why all of this?" Harry asked. "It's like a damn puzzle! What did he get out of it? Why all the clues and vague gifts when Voldemort is consolidating his power? Why did he wait so long to tell me anything? He never trained me and he took a whole year to tell me information he could have done in a week! Why? What was his plan?"

"I'd wager that Dumbledore's plan was and still is to get you to a certain place at a certain time in a certain frame of mind to do whatever it is he wants," Ted said carefully. Both he and his wife shared a look.

Neither Harry nor Hermione missed this. While Hermione simply frowned, some of Harry's thoughts from the wee hours of the morning came back to him, "He wants me to sacrifice something. He always went on about my parents and their sacrifice. All my life I've been told how much like them I am. 'Oh you're just like your father!' or 'You're so much like your mum, Harry!' – I'm downright sick of it actually."

Hermione paled, "If that is true, does this mean Dumbledore was planning for you to die a martyr's death?"

Andromeda sighed, "I'm sorry to say that is the most obvious answer. Harry was left with his vile relatives where he was dehumanized and conditioned to think everything was his fault. Then Dumbledore plays up that the power that the Dark Lords supposedly knows not is love. What better love than a man who gives his life up to save his friends?"

Tonks hissed in anger, "Merlin! I think you're right. I remember hearing Dumbledore talking to Snape about Harry and Ginny. He said, 'It is good for Harry to know love. Ginevra is a good match for him since it will not be a deep enough of a relationship which will interfere with the fight.' At the time I just thought the Headmaster didn't want Harry all lovesick with puppy-love like he was with Cho."

"Hey! I wasn't that bad!" Harry complained. He quickly shut up at the look both Tonks and Hermione gave him.

Andromeda looked at Hermione, "This puts an interesting spin on the potions used on you, yes? If you and Harry do have deep feelings for each other as I suspect you do, then perhaps Harry might not be so willing to die at the proper time as per Dumbledore's plan. Once again all it would take from him would be a suggestion to Molly how much Ronald would benefit from a relationship with you and likewise with Harry and Ginevra."

Harry ran his hand through his hair, "This is way too deep for me to process right now. It's too much to think that a man I looked up to for so long may have been planning for me to die like a goat led to slaughter. Worse is why did Dumbledore think it had to be so?" Harry grimaced, "My brain hurts; I need a kip."

Andromeda smirked, "Well if you actually slept when you were in a bed for a change you wouldn't be so tired."

Both Tonks and Hermione looked suspicious at Harry's sudden blush and Ted's snort. This wasn't helped by Harry abruptly standing and stammering out, "Well we can all talk more about this after I get some rest."

Hermione watched Harry practically bolt out of the room. She turned back to see Tonks looking at her quizzically. Hermione shrugged and both younger witches turned to Andromeda.

Suddenly Ted was on his feet, "You know I think Harry has the right idea. I think I'll have a kip as well." He too left the room quickly.

Tonks looked at Hermione again before turning to her mother, "Mum what is going on here? What did you mean about Harry not sleeping in enough in bed? I thought we already dealt with this topic in regards to Harry and me." Tonks' eyes widened as she turned to Hermione, "Unless…"

Hermione raised her hands in front of her as if in surrender, "Don't look at me. He certainly didn't end up in my bed last night."

Andromeda laughed a rather throaty, satisfied laugh, "Do not worry, Hermione. I wasn't accusing either of you of entertaining Harry last night. He did, however, plan on sneaking in and asking for some more tutelage from Nymphadora."

Tonks frowned, "Wait…what? Harry didn't come to my room last night. I'm sure I would have remembered it."

Andromeda smirked, "Oh I'm sure you would have."

Tonks looked confused until Hermione let out a squeak. Tonks turned to see the younger witch looking horrified. Still confused Tonks turned back to see her mother smiling like the cat which had eaten the canary. Suddenly it dawned on her, "No!"

"Yes!" Andromeda said coyly. "And rather exuberantly at that! I'm glad to see you taught him well, Nymphadora."

"But…you…Harry…but dad?" Tonks sputtered.

"There, there Nymphadora; your father and I will work this out. Merlin knows he'll probably ask me to allow him that Veela massage he's always wanted. Don't worry about it." Andromeda said soothingly.

Tonks looked back to see Hermione was as gobsmacked as she was.

It could only happen to Harry Potter, the young auror thought.

XxXxX

Chapter Six Preview: I really should stop with these since I can't be certain if they will actually happen. However next chapter, stay tuned for Harry and Luna get together for a chat. Then it's on for some exciting action and perhaps even a European swallow or two.

XxXxX

A/N: Once again I find that I know where Point A will be and where Point Z will be. It is the length between these that end up changing. I really had planned for Harry to see Luna this chapter and then leave you all with a cliffhanger. Oh well…

Phoenix Hotel: Yes there is a Phoenix Hotel close to the where I have placed Grimmauld Place in London. What is funny is my combat tour in Afghanistan was in support of Task Force Phoenix V.

Slave Potion: For those up in arms over Hermione's use of this potion, go back and reread the last chapter. I've updated a bit of what it is and why it wasn't what most people thought it was.

Monty Python References: I find I cannot stop. I think I need to get onto a 12 Step Process or something!

Belated shout-out: Thanks to goku90504 for his "gamma reading" – like texan-muggle, he's been an additional set of error proofing eyes.