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Chapter 15

For the last few weeks Harry felt as if he was walking on clouds. He could not stop smiling and there was a bright shine in his eyes that revealed just how happy he was. He felt rejuvenated, his training was going extremely well, he loved his classes and he was making even more friends among the other students though not as close as the ones he had met from the beginning. For the first time in his life he felt truly happy and free, there were no impossible expectations heaped upon him. No pressure to be someone he was not.

He was also sleeping better than he never had before. He slept with his giant teddy bear that smelled faintly of Logan after he had forced him to carry it for him. Since their date at the amusement park Logan had been very attentive to him, always making sure Harry was happy and had what he wanted. He would do little things for Harry designed to make him smile.

"Harry! Harry!" the voice seemed to come from far away to the boy who sat hugging his little kitten plushie in the living room of the X mansion, his bigger teddy bear was reserved for his bedroom but this one was small enough he could carry in his backpack. At first he felt very childish for wanting to carry it around but after Logan's many reassurances he had taken to bringing it with him whenever he could, it made him feel safe and loved.

Finally looking at the speaker Harry gave a small smile. "Yes? Something the matter?"

Bobby shook his head with a smile, he would never admit it but Harry looked adorable with that stuffed kitten in his arms. "We are having a birthday party for Marie this Saturday, you are coming?"

"Yea, would not miss it for the world" Harry said with a big smile. It was Rogue's eighteen birthday and the guys had planned a dance party for her. They had rented a private room in a club that catered to those under 21, they would not sell them drinks and male them wear bracelets but it was still a fun place to be and not a place they got to go often since it was a long drive and mutants were not exactly accepted in the area. This was the first time those that had physical mutations could actually go and party without worries since the glamour bracelets had come out for sell. They were now available in all WWW stores and through the x men thanks to Gambit who worked as a direct link to the twins. The power suppressor bracelets where still not available to the public but would be soon.

It had taken the twins quite some time to finalized them because they had wanted to make it impossible for their inventions to be used to hurt others, after all suppressing someone's powers could leave them powerless to defend themselves. At the end they made them so they could only be used by someone that agreed to wear them and in a way they could access their abilities if they needed with just a mental command. The first finished suppressor bracelet was commissioned by Harry as a present for Rogue, not that she knew this yet.

"Good, I can't believe the twins are paying for the whole thing." He said shaking his head. While the original plan had been only to go party it was thanks to the twins that they had a private room at the club, they were getting the VIP treatment.

"The twin's just love to party plus they consider you all their friends, even if they haven't spent that much time here. And Marie deserves it." Harry said with a soft smile.

"Yea, she does." That was said with a wistful smile in Bobby's face.

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The last couple of months had been filled with revelations, revelations she had not wanted to face. It all started with that horrible article about the Weasley's and her calling them all sort of awful things for supposedly betraying Harry Potter. She could not understand what all the fuss was about since they had just done was expected, Dumbledore himself had made comments to Mrs. Weasley about how a beautiful couple Harry and Ginny would make. Now it seemed like everything had gone wrong.

After graduation she had expected to get the job of her dreams and marry Ron to finally be part of a wizarding family she had always wanted. But that did not happen. They had no money for a wedding and neither she nor Ron had a job. It had come as a rather shocking discovery that being a muggleborn made her prospects in Britain rather limited and no longer being Harry's friend made them worse. Not only was that but higher education impossible unless you wanted to be a healer or an auror. Plus as she had discovered the minimum requirement to be an unspeakable was to have a Mastery in your field of study and relevant papers and even books published in your name. There was no way she was getting that here.

That's how she found herself looking for education elsewhere and she was even less happy with her discoveries. Apparently Newts where only accepted in England and to get on any program of study elsewhere you had to qualify in the international testing which included all sort of classes she had never taken and in some case heard about. With that in mind she had looked into different universities and discovered there were four that accepted British students with just their Newts if they passed specialized entrance exams and an interview. But even then they had to pass a one year intensive program designed to bring them up to international standards and enter into their regular programs. Each intensive program was tailored to the needs to the specific student and meant to help them the most, included a lot of self-study and individualized teaching.

The problem was that while most countries offered financial aid to their graduates Britain's Ministry of magic did not. Both the Healer and Auror programs where free on the condition graduates signed a contract that stated that upon graduation they would work a number of year for either San Mungos or the Ministry's aurors. And since she was not a citizen in any other country, nor had she graduated there she could not receive government help. Her only hope was a merit scholarship or finding a sponsor which was not an easy task. Magicae University in Rome seemed to be the perfect place for her but after her interview she was left frustrated and unsure of herself something she was not used to.

Apparently her text book answers showed a lack of an ability to think for herself, to reason, to be creative which would be detrimental in the field she wanted to study. She wanted a double mayor to study magical theory and spell creation. So they had told her if she was accepted she would need to take courses that would help her develop creative thinking and reasoning. If she was accepted she would be starting immediately with the personalized studies and would be given the opportunity of work-study in the university since special scholarships would only take her so far.

She had a lot to think about, if she did this she would have to live in their dorms and even take summers classes to meet with the demands of their intensive program. It would mean only seeing Ron on holidays if even then and probably entering into a contract to work there in order to finish her Mastery.

"Hermione?"

Raising her head Hermione gave her mom a weak smile. "Yes mom?"

"Sweetheart, how are you?" since the obliviate incident her parents had been mad at her and somewhat on edge, they had been extremely unhappy with her. They had forgiven her since she was their only daughter but sometimes she could see their disappointment in her actions at the time. Now things seemed to be getting better between them but things weren't exactly the same.

For one they had decided to stay in Australia working in their own flower shop. They liked the quiet life and had made friends for themselves. They had compromised by reclaiming their original identity instead of Wendell and Monica Wilkins, telling their friends they had been relocated for protective reasons but now that the terrorist were dead they could live normal lives. The only reason they did this was to explain why they had a grown daughter no one knew about.

"I am fine mom, I think I am going to go to the university in Rome if they accept me. I really want a good future for myself and that won't happen in Britain or even here. It's just what if they don't accept me, what would I do? And what about Ron and you guys? I am not sure what do with it all."

"Don't worry about it sweetheart whatever you do we will support you. As for the answer from the university a letter just arrived." Most magical countries used the normal post (sort of) to prevent drawing too much attention.

Hermione took the letter from her mother's hands hesitantly. After reading it a slow smile made the way to her face. "I was accepted." She said almost breathlessly. "I got in!" she hugged her mom in her happiness and relief.

"Like there was any doubt." Her mom said with a smile.

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"Marie!" Harry called out to the birthday girl. It was still early and it would be hours yet before they left for the club and the party but he wanted to give her his gift beforehand.

"Hey Harry, what's up?"

"Happy Birthday!" he said trusting a two gifts in her direction.

"Aw you didn't have to" she said with a big smile and a hug

"Open the small one first so I can explain." Harry said with a happy smile seeing the excitement in her eyes.

She quickly opened the box and found a beautiful and intricate silver bracelet inside. "It's beautiful!" she said and put it on. The moment she did the clasp became seamless and disappeared form view which surprised her. She looked at Harry with a question in her eyes.

"This bracelet is especial. It's called a power suppressor bracelet. As the name subjects it can suppress powers, specifically mutant powers. As long as you have it on you get to choose when to lift the suppression or when to take it off, no one can do it for you. With it you will be able to touch other people without fear. You will be able…" before he could finish he found himself with an armful as Rogue almost tackled him to the ground crying and thanking him repeatedly. He just hugged her and let her.

As she let him go with an apology on her lips for mussing him up he just shook his head with a smile. "It's ok. So you like it?"

Her laugh was watery "If I like it? I love it! Harry this means so much, but does it really work?" there was a hint of apprehension on her voice as if she was afraid to hope.

"Yes, take off your gloves and touch me. Don't be afraid and trust me." She was hesitant at first but did as she was told. When her hand touch his face and nothing happened more tears made their way into her cheeks. She touched his face and his hands in wonder, she could not believe this was real.

"Thank you. This is the best present anyone has given me."

"You are welcomed, now open the second present." Harry said with a smile.

Marie looked at him and then hurriedly opened the second, bigger present. Inside was a beautiful short black dress. It was the kind of dress she had looked at in the stores but would not dare to wear since it exposed too much skin. The dress itself was simple strapless with a crisscrossed back that would come almost to her knees but to her it was the most amazing dress ever, especially since it was the first time she could expose her skin without fear, no gloves needed. The box also included a pair of moderated high heels she could feel comfortable wearing and look good in them and the proper accessories that matched the bracelet she was currently wearing.

"Since the party is tonight and you will have no time to buy yourself something different I thought I could give you something to celebrate your new found freedom in your birthday." Harry said to the speechless girl.

"Thank you." With that she gave him a strong hug and a brief kiss on his cheek.

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Hey! thanks for all the amazing reviews. I hope you all like this chapter =) I was originally planing for something longer but I am going on a cruise tomorrow so no internet or computers for me and I did not want to keep you all waiting any longer. Hopefully when I come back I can make a longer chapter.