Chapter Nineteen - A Year of Fringe Benefits
Natalie McDonald found herself sitting in Ginny Potter's office on the first Monday of the New Year. She was feeling very nervous. Natalie felt that she and Ginny were becoming friends as well as research partners, but they'd almost always worked in their lab, and this was certainly the first time she'd been asked to come here for a meeting.
Ginny had greeted her with a hug, then they'd both sat down. While she waited for Ginny to begin their meeting, she was thinking that this woman, her boss, was brilliant and beautiful, and just so loving to everyone that you just wanted to do anything for her. Ginny smiled at her and began the meeting.
"We'll get to the reason I wanted you to come to my office in a minute," she told her young researcher and friend, "but first, I have someone who really wants to meet you, and who will be joining our little meeting." Natalie heard the door open and looked around to see Ginny's husband, Harry, walk in the office, a big smile on his face.
'Oh my gosh!' she thought to herself in disbelief. She'd gone to school with him, even been in his House, but she had been a little kid to him then, hardly noticed compared to everything else that had happened to him. She stood up and put her hand out to shake his, but he ignored that, and gave her a warm hug instead.
"Hi Natalie," he said brightly to her. "I'm so glad to see you again - especially after Ginny told me that you were the main Witch behind that absolutely awesome game system she gave me for Christmas." That smile of his was infectious, and she returned it.
"Do you really like it?" she asked, and he nodded enthusiastically.
"I'd say top five coolest gifts ever." He looked over at his beautiful wife. "You told me she was smart, but forgot to mention how attractive," he told Ginny, with a wink. Ginny laughed at him, and motioned for them to both sit down.
"Natalie, I asked you here today because I want to discuss your future with at Marauders Institute," she said, and Natalie smiled nervously, nodded, and waiting for her to continue. Ginny handed her a few pages of parchment.
"I want you to become the Head of Research for the GameWizard division that we're creating. You'll be in charge of all of the researchers that we'll have creating the different games, and also the ones developing the two systems we have now, and any future systems we develop." Natalie was floored. Ginny saw her look, and laughed, happy for her young friend.
"The details of the offer are in your hands," she said, pointing to the pages of parchment that Natalie was holding. "There's a raise, and a significant improvement in your incentive plan, and this position makes you one of my senior managers." Natalie felt like exploding, she was so thrilled. She was pretty sure the grin on her face would be there for weeks.
"I'll take the look on your face as a 'yes'," Ginny said, still smiling.
"That's definitely a yes," Natalie agreed happily. Harry had been watching the exchange with a smile, and now Ginny nodded to him. He'd wanted to give Natalie a gift to thank her, and they'd agree that they'd call it a signing bonus. He leaned forward in his chair.
"If you could read through that contract, and sign it when you're ready, we can continue with the next part of the meeting," he told her. Natalie quickly read everything carefully, more than a little shocked at the numbers involved with her new pay and incentive package. She was also surprised by the more detailed confidentiality agreement compared to her current contract. When she was finished going through everything, she borrowed a quill from Ginny, happily signed at the bottom of the last page, and then handed the parchment and quill back to Ginny. She then looked back at Harry and he smiled at her.
"This part of the meeting is confidential," he began. Natalie nodded, and he continued. "You are, I'm sure, aware that Marauders Institute is part of a larger financial organization." She again nodded. "What only the most senior managers know, however, is that the organization is mine." Harry laughed as her jaw dropped.
"That's pretty close to what my reaction was a few years back. Hermione, Luna, Mandy, Ginny, and now you, are the only people at Marauders Institute who know this. I keep it quiet because I want to have as much privacy as someone in my situation can have."
Natalie smiled. "I'm guessing that's not very much, since everyone in the Wizarding World knows you." She felt an echo of the little girl crush from years gone by as she looked into those adorable emerald eyes of his. He pulled an envelope out of a pocket and handed it to her.
"This is a little something from Ginny and I to thank you for your amazing game system, and to welcome you into our little circle of managers."
Natalie opened the envelope and pulled out the sheet of parchment inside. Her hands started to shake.
'Dear Ms. McDonald,
Gringotts is pleased to inform you that a transfer of one million galleons has been completed to your account. Congratulations on your promotion to senior management at Marauders Institute. We look forward to working with you, and thank-you for your business.
Fleur Weasley
Account Manager - Marauders Institute
She jumped to her feet, hugged Harry, and then hugged Ginny too. Harry was laughing again.
"I really love my job," he told the girls. "Now why don't you get out of here and go call Valerie to tell her all about your promotion?" Natalie was so surprised she just stared at him.
"How did you…"
Harry smiled. "I do my homework. Natalie McDonald, Muggle-born, Gryffindor, Hogwarts, international exchange student, 1994 to 2001, Home - Canada..." he paused for a second. "Toronto?" She nodded, amazed. "Mother, Valerie; Father, Bruce; two sisters." He stopped. "It's your life - guess I don't need to recite it all for you."
Natalie laughed. "That was impressive enough," she assured him. There was a gleam in Harry's eyes now.
"Then I guess I shouldn't suggest that you and Ginny set up a dinner date sometime soon so I can get to know you better, and you can introduce us to Owen Cauldwell? I even promise not to hold it against him that he was in Hufflepuff." She looked over at Ginny and both Witches were smiling.
"I think we could work that out, but if we're done here, I'd really like to call my Mum before I burst - even if it will mean waking her up." Ginny laughed and nodded for Natalie to go ahead. When the door was closed, she went over and hugged her husband.
"That was fun," she told him with a smile. "Now give me back my remembrall, you big fake."
Harry laughed, took it out of his pocket, and handed it to her. "Thanks for not outing me while she was still here."
Ginny smiled at him. "It was more fun to sit there and watch the legend grow."
There was a lot going on in the early months of 2003. Neville's miraculous antidote was released, taking the Wizarding medical world by storm. The Cannons winning streak continued. The GameWizard Portable went into production at Marauders Institute, and Luna launched the advertising blitz for it's impending arrival on the Saturday after school ended for the summer in June. There was also going to be a bubble-gum pink GameWitch Portable (the colour in honour of Nymphadora). Valentine's Day was on a Friday, and Harry and Ginny took their new friends Natalie and Owen to New York for the weekend.
Harry had his usual playtime with Teddy and Victoire. He and Gabrielle tried to play with their GameWizards at least three or four nights a week, depending on how busy she was with her studies. Victoire turned three, and Teddy had his fifth birthday.
The war had ended five years ago on May second. There wasn't going to be any special Memorial service, but like every year since the war ended, the school grounds were again open all day for anyone wanting to come spend some time at the Memorial Stone. Harry and Ginny were standing next to the Memorial Stone a while before dawn that morning like they had been every year. No matter how many times they were here, it was still a bit overwhelming to see the names of so many of their friends and family written on that plaque, and they held hands and quietly talked about them.
"I still miss them all so much," Ginny said quietly. "Even after five years, it's still really hard sometimes." She ran her hand along Fred's name, and a few tears escaped, slid down her cheeks, and fell to the ground. Harry put his arms around Ginny as her tears turned into soft sobs of grief and loss. They heard footsteps behind them, and Harry turned to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley coming toward them.
"I thought we might be the first to get here today," Arthur said as Ginny went over to hug her mother, and Molly wrapped her baby girl in her arms, and they both cried and comforted each other for a few long minutes.
The rest of the family joined them – Bill and Fleur, Percy and Penelope, George and Marietta, Ron and Hermione, and lastly, Charlie and Nathalie. They stayed for maybe a half hour or so, talking mostly about Fred, Remus, and Nymphadora, but also about the rest of the friends they'd lost in the war. Other visitors came and went too, some of them stopping to share hugs and memories with the Weasleys. Dennis, Demelza and his parents were there – they always came at dawn every year too. Professor McGonagall and several other Professors stopped by, and Neville and Luna got there just before Harry, Ginny, and the others were about to leave. When they were all ready, they quietly left the school grounds and went back to the Burrow to have breakfast together before getting on with their respective days. Harry found out later from Andromeda that nearly two thousand people visited the Memorial Stone over the course of the day.
It was Game Day! You might think that meant Quidditch finals, but they were over, and the Cannons were now two time League Champions. No, this was day one of the GameWizard magic that was about to sweep the Wizarding World. There were many stores that were going to carry the new game systems, but Luna, taking her marketing genius into the realm of art, put a deal together with Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, in which they created a whole new store, that they put right beside every one of George's stores that would sell the GameWizard and all of the games. Owen Cauldwell was hired to head the new company, GamePortal, and manage the Diagon Alley, London store.
That's where Harry and Ginny were that morning, along with Natalie and Owen. Hermione and Ron were in New York, and would be opening the new GamePortal there. Ron would be autographing World Cup Quidditch game certificates (the game cards were permanently absorbed by the GameWizard when installed). They'd also make an appearance at the Los Angeles store. Harry, Ginny, and Natalie were to cover London, then Toronto - where Natalie's mom Valerie was the only Muggle store manager in the entire company.
Harry was sitting at the table that had been set up for him - he was also going to be signing autographs when Owen opened the doors. The store quickly filled with Witches and Wizards of all ages, and the GameWizards and GameWitches flew off the shelves. Harry's quill arm felt like it was going to fall off by the time they had to leave for Toronto, but seeing all those young Wizards and Witches smiling made every ache and pain worth it.
This was Harry's first time in Toronto - for that matter, it was his first time in Canada, and he was impressed. There was no record of it, but he was fairly sure that it must have been Wizards and Witches who built that huge tower, since he didn't see how Muggles possibly could have done the job. Harry got to meet Natalie's mother (call me Valerie). She and Ginny hit it off immediately, and Harry was nailed down to the autograph table for almost four hours. He and Ginny took Natalie's family out for dinner after a long day at the store, and then were back home and in bed by about two in the morning, exhausted but both of them thrilled to see something that Natalie and Ginny had created become such a huge success.
Gabrielle greeted them with hugs, kisses, and that dazzling smile of hers when they arrived at the resort island that she'd decided to call Marauders Paradise. She led them on a tour of the hotel, showing them the restaurants, shops, and dance clubs. There was a huge glass atrium in the centre of the complex with gardens, walkways, and open areas where the guests could be entertained on the rare occasion that the weather wasn't perfect - which it usually was. They went through one of the guest suites, each of which had one to four bedrooms, one or two baths, and a sitting room. The first guests would be arriving that afternoon, and it looked to Harry like everything was perfect.
"You and Mum, and everyone working on this project have done an amazing job," he told Gabrielle. She smiled at him happily.
"It's going to be tough, stuck here in paradise," she told him. Looking around, she added - "Not!"
Ginny laughed and hugged her. "Let's get something to eat before you have to get back to work," she suggested.
"I saw there was a pretty large addition to the budget," Harry commented to Gabrielle as they were having lunch. "What was it for?"
"Mrs. Weasley found out that some of the researchers at Marauders Institute were declining their vacations because they're workaholics, so we added a fully operational lab here, and made sure to tell their families, so that there weren't any more excuses not to come here and at least let their families come and enjoy themselves here," she explained.
"That was a great idea," Ginny told her, "but you might need to put a limit on how many hours a day the lab's open - it might force them to at least relax a little while they're here."
Gabrielle nodded. "We can do that if we have to. I'm going to try a few other enticements first, though." She looked at her watch and stood up. "I'd better get going. Why don't you guys wander the village shops, take a walk on the beach, and then meet me back at my bungalow. Then I can take you out and show you the night life here."
There were all sorts of shops in the village, and so much to do. The guests to the island could rent boats and jet-skis. They could play matches of Quidditch on rented Firebolts. There was a giant outdoor Wizard's Chess board that reminded Harry just a little too vividly of the one they had faced back in his first year at Hogwarts. He didn't know what beach volleyball was, but it looked like fun as they watched a game.
Ginny picked them up drinks at a beachside café, and they sat in beach chairs, watching some of the first guests who had arrived already out playing in the water. She knew many of the Marauders Institute people who were there, and they were occasionally stopped to meet family members, and exchange hugs. Harry noticed more than one nervous glance from some of the Witches, but his wife soon dispelled any worries her hugging their spouses had caused by quickly enchanting the rest of each family they met.
The nighttime entertainment had something for everyone. There were dance clubs, live bands, theatre, and a wide variety of dining choices. There were games for kids of all ages (Harry was definitely going to find time to play one that combined a Muggle game called LaserTag with flying brooms).
There was even a small club that catered to what Gabrielle assured him was a growing phenomenon called WizardKaraoke, where Wizards and Witches would sing along with the background music from their favourite songs. They stopped in for a drink there and listened to a couple of songs. Harry had to admit it was entertaining. He surprised both of the girls by going up there to sing a song.
It seemed simple, and he picked on of Ginny's favourite ballads. A charm gave him the ability to know all of the words, and when it was his turn, he was introduced to the stage. He caused quite a stir when everyone there heard his name called out, and there were probably at least a few people there who secretly wished that he would make a fool of himself.
He stepped into the centre of the stage, and the music started. He looked straight at Ginny throughout the entire song, pouring all of his love into the words, his voice so perfect and pure that by the time he was finished, for just a moment the room was absolutely silent. He left the stage to a hushed, respectful applause from an audience that knew they'd just been privileged to hear something special. The girls both gave him a hug.
"Well, I think that pretty much destroyed the competition tonight," Gabrielle said with a smile. "Shall we move on?"
They stayed with Gabrielle for another day, and tried to do as many of the activities as possible before it was time to head back to home and work.
Ginny was sitting at the kitchen table on the morning of their anniversary, having a glass of juice and a light breakfast. They were very busy at the Institute, keeping up with the demand for the GameWizards, and getting ready for the Christmas shopping season launch of the GameWizard HES (Home Entertainment System), which would work with any WWVN receiver. Harry came in, gave her a kiss, and handed her a present.
"Happy Anniversary, Ginny." Her face lit up, and she immediately tore off the paper to find a travel magazine. It was called 'Potter Travel Magazine', and had a picture of the two of them sitting on a beach, watching a sunset. Opening the cover, she scanned the index. There was 'Europe', 'Asia', 'Africa', 'Australia', 'North America', and 'South America'. Each item also had listings of destinations for each region. Ginny started leafing through the 'magazine', looking at all of the different cities and wonders of the world that were displayed there. Finally she looked up from it, and saw him smiling at her.
"I'm hoping, for your anniversary present this year, that you'll let me take you on a one year long vacation, starting at Christmas this year, and ending December first of next year." He was nearly knocked out of his chair as she jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. "Is that a yes?" he teased.
"That's a totally, unconditionally, unequivocal yes," she said, kissing him passionately.
"Then I guess you better finish up your breakfast and get to work so you can start getting Mandy and the other girls ready to run the place without you for a while," he told her with a happy smile.
Summer had seemed to have just started when it was suddenly over, and the kids were doing their back to school shopping. Charlie and Nathalie's baby arrived in the middle of July. Little Arthur Nathaniel Weasley was stocky like his father, but got the good looks and dark hair from his mother. The Weasley clan took turns making the trip to Romania to visit them, and bring gifts for the newest member of the family.
Harry spent a week with Teddy at Marauders Paradise. He went to their island for a few weekends with Ginny. Mrs. Weasley had him go with her to check on the progress of the new public resort. Fleur, Griphook, and the other managers kept a steady stream of new investment proposals coming his way. There was a particularly great weekend with Ginny, Natalie, Owen, and her family in Niagara Falls, where Owen turned all the girls to puddles of goo with his marriage proposal, which Natalie happily accepted.
Mandy and Terry were married at a quiet, private ceremony that was followed by a very noisy reception that was held in a giant tent at Marauders Institute, attended by a small group of family, and about three thousand co-workers and friends. They then left for two weeks in Hawaii.
Quidditch season started, and the Cannons fired the first shot at the competition with a blowout opening day victory that let the other teams know that they planned on staying champions for another year. One of the more creative vendors was even selling toy 'three-peater Cannons' that had three tiny little barrels, and the team's logo on the side. Ginny was working very long hours again, and Harry's routine became draw the bubble bath, pour the wine, feed her dinner, carry the sleeping wife to bed. Repeat nightly as needed.
The GameWizard HES went into stores on November first, and there was a repeat of the frenzy they'd seen in June. There were now over fifty games for the systems, and the sales exceeded even Luna's normally accurate estimates. Harry sent Valerie and Natalie on a spa weekend in Tuscany to celebrate. Marauders Paradise was a huge success, and was the talk of Marauders Institute.
The Witches and Wizards who had been to the island already talked about their amazing adventures, and those that were still going before the end of the year were looking forward with anticipation to the trip. Harry and Ginny were also getting business in order, and finalizing plans for their upcoming long vacation. The Cannons were five and one through November, and Demelza, now looking for a second straight scoring title, was far out ahead of the competition.
One more week, and Harry and Ginny were going to be off on vacation. They would be spending Christmas with the family, and would still have to be available to handle anything really important, but they would almost completely have the next year to just have fun. There could be no better way to start having fun than with getting the annual packages from Gringotts.
Dear Mr. Potter,
The attached financial summary will show you that this was, once again an unprecedented year. Your investment portfolio, lead by the incredible growth of Marauders Institute, has resulted in quite a stunning return for your investment. Please review and authorize the included incentive payout letters. The Owl will await your return package.
Griphook,
Account Manager - Co-Coordinator
Summary of consolidated accounts for Mr. Harry Potter
Beginning Balance: 3,256.25 million galleons
Investment Partnership: 200 million galleons
Total Beginning Balance: 3,456.25 million galleons
Profits:
Marauders Institute 1,230 million galleons
Property Division 230 million galleons
Goblin Ventures 155 million galleons
Other Investments 35 million galleons
Total Profit 1,650 million galleons
Less incentive (Thirty-six Percent) 594 million galleons
*Pending approval of projected incentives
Profit after incentives: 1,056 million galleons
**Investment Partnership receives 5.787% of after-incentive profit.
Ending Balance: 4,250.25 million galleons
Investment Partnership
Ending Balance: 262 million galleons
Total Ending Balance: 4,512.25 million galleons
Seven quick signatures later (Mrs. Weasley would be taking care of the one-half percent that was added to the incentives for Gabrielle), and he had the Owl on its way back to Gringotts to make some account managers very happy. Harry poured himself a coffee, and sat back in his chair.
"My work is done for the day!" he said with a giant sigh, like he'd been working hard or something. Ginny looked up at him and laughed.
"Rub it in why don't you?" He got up and walked around behind her chair, and started rubbing her shoulders.
"Okay," he teased. He heard a purr of pleasure, and leaned over to kiss her neck. "I'd better stop or you'll never get through all those pages of reports."
"Keep rubbing, I'll multi-task," she told him firmly. Ginny was on page three when she suddenly stopped reading, and slapped her forehead. "This is incredibly stupid," she chided herself.
"What is?" he asked.
Ginny laughed. "I'll show you," she answered, and pulled her remembrall out of her pocket. "Are there any errors on the Marauders Institute incentive report for 2003?" she asked it.
"There are no errors in the report," the remembrall replied promptly. Ginny laughed in delight, went to the last page, signed it, and sent it off with the Owl." Standing up, she took Harry's hand. "Come with me, Mr. Potter. I just found two spare hours in my morning, and I plan to share them with you." Harry decided later that he really loved to share.
One last meeting, and he and Ginny would be free! Sitting in the now familiar meeting room at Gringotts, Harry was really only half-listening to Griphook's annual 'year-in-review' report. He was more interested in thinking about beaches and Ginny in a swimsuit. Mentally slapping himself, he brought his attention back to the meeting where it belonged. When Griphook finished the review, he then began to give Harry an update on the Investment Partnership.
Letters had gone out to all of the organization's employees and managers, inviting them to invest in the partnership a few weeks before the incentives were handed out. The Partnership received an incredible response, with a total of three hundred million galleons in new investment. Mrs. Weasley was next, updating them on the public resort, which would be opening in January, and was already booked solid through April. They'd decided to call it 'The Enchanted Isle Resort'. She'd hired an energetic and very likeable young Wizard to manage it, and he would be reporting to Gabrielle.
Marauders Paradise had actually managed to turn a very nice little profit, earned entirely on the entertainment, dining, and retail enterprises, and through some creative management from Gabrielle and her team. The proposals for the coming year were to continue to develop new housing, focusing on North American and Asian growth centres, and to build two more public resorts, one in Indonesia, modelled on the two Caribbean resorts, and a resort near London geared more toward business and group conferences. Harry wasn't concerned at all this time when he was advised of the four hundred million galleon price tag for the project.
Fleur had an eight hundred million galleon investment plan for Marauders Institute, divided among some promising new products, and development of the major lines that were already cash cows for the company. Her plans also got the green light from Harry. The account managers agreed that they could easily put the remaining capital to work without his needing to worry about it.
"I'm sure you'll all take good care of everything. You know how to reach me if it's really important, otherwise, run things like we did that first year when I was in school."
He and Ginny were already packed, and she would be in final meetings with her team for the whole day, so Harry went to London, bought a bottle of champagne and flowers, and then went home to cook dinner and get her bubble bath ready for when she got home. He was smiling as he worked, sure that Ginny was going to love this start to their year-long vacation.