Updated 5/22/08 - spelling error corrected
A/N: Yes, I suppose last chapter was a bit of a shock/bombshell and I'm sorry if some of you found it disruptive. Still, I wanted to have, well, more than just a Veela fic I suppose, and had to start somewhere. Last chapter is where much of the information wound up. Don't despair, though, this story will NOT be war centered. There will be more about it, but it will always be "off screen" so to speak.
The Master Plan. The story is planned to go through Harry's mating, the birth of his first children (don't worry - I'll warn for it for those of you who have a bit of a squick on mpreg), and the revelation of his heritage. The war and the King and etcetera are in the last chapter – it's meant to be more of an epilogue than a whole other story by itself.
Voldemort. Dreadfully important, but not a big part of the narration. I'll talk a bit about him later.
Remus. Well, he's another character I'm not enamored with. You'll see why he's "missing" in chapter 30.
Ron. You'll see the last of him in chapter 30, also.
The Wolf – You'll have to wait until almost the very end of the last chapter for the Wolf's identity to be confirmed. I think everyone will figure it out less than halfway through, though.
Chapter 20 – April
The Quibbler, Special Addition to April Edition, Monday, April 14, 1997
Current Count of Suitors: 176
Excerpt from An Introduction to Veela, Chapter 12 - The Language – Not Just French
--April 8--
"Next time I think I'll just fry him. To hell with propriety," Harry mumbled into his grandfather's shoulder, thinking about that morning's incident at Hogwarts.
"That would be acceptable," Robert said as he held his grandson close as they sat cuddled on the couch in the common room of their suite at The Rose Inn.
"I mean, just how many warnings does the little brat need," Harry said in aggravation as he soaked up the comfort being provided.
"One was more than sufficient," Robert said soothingly. "He's a very lucky little brat. I'm certain I would have killed him the first time he insulted me. Or at least maimed him just a little bit."
Harry snorted in amusement and sat up. He smirked at his grandfather and asked, "And how do you maim somebody just a little bit?"
"Hmmm, well," Robert said slowly. "Maybe just a little fireball?"
Harry giggled then said with a grin, "I'll see if I can keep that in mind should the little brat shoot off his mouth a third time. "But, Headmaster, it was just a little fireball!" I can just see the old man's face."
"He's not giving you problems, is he?" Robert asked seriously.
"No, no," Harry replied, shaking his head. "You know I'd tell you right away. He still watches me every morning, though. Sometime I wonder what he thinks about when he sees me."
"The prophecy you told me about, perhaps," Robert suggested as he rose then pulled his grandson to his feet.
"Maybe," Harry said with a shrug.
Robert smiled slightly then said, "It matters not. He has no say in your life. If we weren't keeping your Veela heritage secret for now, I would simply take you away from there."
"Do you think I made the right choice in that?" Harry asked suddenly. He glanced to the side uncomfortably then looked back at his grandfather with a worried look. "Sometimes I think it was a mistake to hide my heritage. Sometimes I think that I would find a better mate among the circles you frequent, especially given that I'll be frequenting those circles myself once our relationship comes out. Sometimes I think that I eliminated all my best possibilities long before I even started."
Robert clasped his grandson's shoulders and asked softly, "How long have you worried about this? Why have you never said anything?"
Harry looked down a moment before once again meeting his grandfather's eyes. "Ever since about the middle of November," he admitted. "I met so many different types of people from so many walks of life and social classes and I really started to see how differently they could act. I started wondering if I would find a mate that could possibly fit in."
"And why have you not said anything?" Robert asked gently, squeezing Harry's shoulders briefly.
Harry shrugged, or tried to, and looked away in embarrassment. "I thought maybe you would be disappointed. It was me, after all, who was so adamant about keeping it a secret. I thought maybe…"
"Hush," Robert said firmly, giving Harry a small shake. "Hush. I am not disappointed. I wish you had come to me with these fears when they first formed. I would have alleviated them immediately."
Harry looked at his grandfather both in inquiry and hope.
Robert leaned in and waggled his eyebrows comically. "Shall I tell you a secret?"
Harry blinked in surprise but then gave a little smile and nodded eagerly.
"You promise not to get angry with me?" Robert asked lightly.
Harry smiled a little wider and nodded again.
"Hmm, well I'm afraid I must admit to being quite the socialite during September," Robert admitted conspiratorially. "I went to every tea, every business opening, every artistic event, and every party and ball I could squeeze into my schedule."
Harry nodded in understanding but was confused as to the hidden meaning behind his grandfather's words.
Robert smirked and said, "I will have to also admit that I made every effort to ensure that my opinion about your startling announcement was quite clear to all in attendance. How you were a lost child and deserved to know our ways. How your power would bring status to any family that managed to woo you successfully. How very pleased I would be if Harry Potter was mated into the Veela nation."
Harry's eyed widened. "You didn't!"
"Ah, but I did," Robert said, not losing his smirk. "So, you see, quite a number of your Veela and half-Veela suitors have been from the circles you're so worried about." Robert laughed in amusement then before saying, "Not that such efforts made any difference in the end. You have eliminated every single one of the young men you were probably worried about including."
"I have?" Harry questioned in disbelief.
Robert laughed again and gave his grandson a quick hug. "Yes, indeed. I find it quite amusing."
"Well, as long as you're happy," Harry said with a relieved smile.
"No," Robert admonished sternly. "As long as you are happy. This is your mate."
Harry hugged his grandfather, unable to verbalize how much it meant to him that the man was more concerned about Harry's happiness than something, anything, else. It still made him want to cry in gratitude when it was made clear to him that it was he who mattered and not some prophecy, some vague goal, some ideal public image, or even some personal expectation.
Harry was still in his grandfather's arms when one of the guards knocked on the door and entered.
"Mr. Hathaway has passed inspection," the guard said respectfully.
"Thank you, Julien," Harry said politely. "We'll be out in a minute."
The guard nodded and left.
Harry sighed and leaned into his grandfather. He wasn't looking forward to this morning. Michael Hathaway had a lot of negative tick marks in his file for boring gifts and he didn't have high hopes for the man being much better in person.
"Do you feel well enough to venture out today?" Robert asked worriedly as he pulled back and put a hand on his grandson's cheek.
Harry sighed again and leaned his head into his grandfather's hand. "Yes."
"Désespoir…?" Robert started to question then stopped when Harry shook his head.
"It's getting worse," Harry admitted. "But some days are better than others. Today is just…"
"The brat has set you on edge?" Robert asked.
"Yes," Harry said. "Plus, you know, him," Harry waved vaguely towards the sitting room. "He's not very promising."
"Then let us go eliminate him, yes?" Robert said with a small smile.
Harry returned the smile and they both moved towards the door to start the day's courting.
--April 17--
"How did it go, Charlie?" Molly asked eagerly.
"I…don't think so well," Charlie said hesitantly.
"Why not?" Kingsley asked in annoyance. His lack of success in investigating all things Potter was not conducive to a happy attitude at these meetings.
Charlie shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't too happy, either. The thought of having everyone disappointed in him, even though he wasn't to blame, was not reassuring in the slightest. "It seemed to go fine for the most part, but, well, I didn't leave grinning like a lovesick fool, or however Moody put it."
"Probably been eliminated, then," Moody said matter-of-factly.
"Let us not be pessimistic," Albus admonished. "Have you received a dismissal, Charlie?"
"Well, no," Charlie admitted. Reluctantly, he added, "But I think Moody is right."
"What gives you that impression?" Albus asked, hoping that the young redhead was wrong. The less Harry's attachment to the Order and to Britain, the less likely the young man would be willing to shoulder his duties in the coming war. A foreign mate, or even a British mate not devoted to fighting Voldemort would lure Harry away, and that just could not be allowed to happen.
"A few things," Charlie said as he stared at the table trying to figure out what he could say around the secrecy wards. "We went to the preserve to see the dragons. We had several good conversations. He thanked me for a wonderful time. I got the impression I'm going to be eliminated."
"But why do you think that?" Molly Weasley asked in agitated dismay. She had really hoped one of her sons would win Harry's hand. She just knew that they were the best family for the boy to join! She already thought of the boy as her own son!
Charlie shifted uncomfortably. What to say? What could he say? "We had several good conversations," he said again. "In the course of those conversations I discovered some of Harry's opinions on several topics. We disagreed on a few and I think those disagreements will get me eliminated."
"What topics?" Hestia asked curiously.
Charlie looked up with a flash of annoyance. Just how many times had it come up in these meetings, not to mention in every other Prophet article, that the suitors were being spelled silent about the specifics of their dates? "I can't say," he said.
"Did you talk about him helping defeat You-Know-Who?" Hestia persisted.
"I can't say," Charlie said with a shake of his head.
"So you did!" Hestia crowed triumphantly. "Will he finally stop being so rebellious and start helping win this war?"
"I can't say," Charlie said yet again, this time rolling his eyes in exasperation.
"So does that mean yes or no?" Hestia mused thoughtfully.
"It means he can't say, idiotic woman!" Severus snapped. He turned to Charlie and asked sarcastically. "Did you talk about what pets you want?"
"I can't say," Charlie said with a smirk, glad that someone understood the situation he was in, even if it was the most unpleasant of the Order's members.
"Did you talk about your favorite foods?" Severus asked with sarcasm still strong in his tone.
"I can't say," Charlie answered, his smirk growing wider.
"Did you talk about whether or not the moon will fall to earth and provide cheese for everyone for the next millennium?" Severus asked snidely.
Charlie snorted a laugh and said, "I…"
"…can't say," Hestia finished angrily. "All right, I get it!"
"What can you say?" Albus asked loudly, overriding the angry murmurs of the Order members.
Charlie grimaced and said, "I think I've said everything I can say, really. We met, we went to see the dragons, we talked, we came back. I'm sure I'm going to be eliminated."
"Can you say how many topics of conversation there were on which you disagreed?" Alastor asked curiously. "Not the topics specifically or how you disagreed, just the total number of disagreements you had."
Charlie thought for a moment, counting, and said, "One minor, one medium, and two major disagreements." He seemed surprised that he was able to answer.
"Was the lad polite or angry during the disagreements?" Moody asked intently.
Charlie opened his mouth then closed it with grimace. "I can't say."
The next two hours were filled with Order members asking questions in an attempt to circumvent as much as possible the secrecy ward affecting Charlie Weasley. It was very quickly discovered that the secrecy ward affected non-verbal communication as well in regards to the forbidden topics. Charlie could not nod or shake his head, could not smile or frown, could not raise his eyebrows, grimace, or make any facial expressions, nor could he make hand gestures, wave his arms, or tap his feet in an attempt to answer any question that ventured into forbidden territory.
Not much additional information was gleaned from what Charlie considered an interrogation, but a few nuggets did come to light.
For instance, it was discovered that Charlie's magic still seemed compatible with Harry's – a positive sign as far as many were concerned. Combined with the quick dismissal of some other suitors they knew to be dark wizards, they surmised that at least the boy wasn't going dark.
Charlie was also able to freely discuss the guards and the chaperone – not that that shed any light on anything. Other than the initial inspection – which Charlie could also speak about – the guards were stony-faced and silent. Charlie had detected a French accent during the inspection, which, while a nice confirmation, didn't tell them anything they hadn't already presumed about the guards' nationality. And while the chaperone had been completely silent, not to mention still cloaked and hidden, Charlie had noted this time the high quality of the man's cloak and boots, implying that he was a man of some wealth. Perhaps they might make some progress in identifying the man… Moody had snorted at that idea.
Any place visited or any one or thing seen could be listed. However, Charlie could say only "We saw the Hungarian Horntail that he flew against in the Tri-Wizard Tournament." or "I showed him the small park that we have for the children of the workers." or "We met the head dragon-tamer." Once the questions ventured into what was said or how Harry reacted, however, Charlie could say nothing.
But from what Charlie could and couldn't say, the Order was able to presume certain things. The visit to the residential section of the preserve was thought by Elphias Doge to be Harry looking into the living conditions that his suitor could/would provide. And Severus didn't think that Harry, given his own wealth and the wealth of some of the known suitors, would have been terribly impressed with the accommodations at the preserve. Actually, what he'd said was that the brat would be too snobbish to live in a hut, but everybody knew what he meant.
Alastor Moody, despite having to nominally agree with Severus, felt that the security measures taken supported the position that Harry was looking for a mate that either could provide, or was amenable to, a high-security home environment - which the dragon preserve couldn't support. Thus did Charlie earn a black mark in his courtship of Harry.
It was while the Order was discussing any possible meanings behind the visit to the small flying snake enclosure that the preserve also housed that an owl arrived for Charlie. Charlie displayed the Potter seal on the letter to the Order before breaking the seal and reading the letter.
It was a polite letter, Charlie had to admit, but he was unsurprised to find that it quite firmly stated that he had been eliminated as a suitor. What he was surprised to read was the several paragraphs as to why. His magic compatibility and his views about the rights of magical beings had passed muster. His attitude towards Harry's parseltongue ability had been acceptable. However, there were three major points that had eliminated him.
Harry had indeed been disapproving of Charlie's need to live on the preserve and the lack of a "sufficient and secure" environment in which to live and raise a family. Charlie's unavailability to travel more that a few weeks a year was also unacceptable. Charlie was rather surprised at that, as he, along with the rest of the Order, had presumed Harry's "interest" in travel and foreign cultures had merely been a ruse to attract a foreign mate. And the last reason elaborated upon was their differences in opinion about the coming war.
Unlike Dumbledore and his supporters, Harry felt that the coming war was simply a British civil squabble and was not of international concern. Harry wanted to raise a family in peace and had no interest in helping out a wizarding nation that had done him no favors. Harry also wanted a mate that had a decent life expectancy to provide companionship and a second parent to future children, not one that would be risking their life on a regular basis.
Charlie understood from the letter that even if he had been able to provide the most secure of homes, and been able to travel every day of the year, that their disagreement about the war would have eliminated him. Harry was obviously against any participation in the war. Charlie, however, was very much dedicated to the war effort. He was helping to train the dragons to help wizards guard people and buildings and to possibly provide fighting power. And, should it be necessary, Charlie himself would join in the fighting.
Charlie looked up when he had finished reading the letter and glanced around at the Order members present. Some looked grave and a few amused, but most looked hopeful. He shook his head and the hopeful expressions turned resigned or angry. He tried to speak about the letter and found he couldn't so passed the letter to his father sitting beside him. But Arthur was unable to read the contents. Others tried, including Dumbledore, with the same results.
It was a dejected Order that left their meeting that night.
--HPDM--
"So what does he say about the new book?" Pansy asked curiously from her usual place on Draco's bed once her friend finished reading his weekly thank-you note from Harry Potter.
Draco refolded the note and replaced it in its envelope. "He likes it," Draco said as he rose from his usual place at the small table in his dorm room and stepped over to his bed.
Pansy rolled her eyes and said, "A less pithy answer, if you please."
Draco chuckled as he pulled a small box from his nightstand. He opened the box and placed the new thank-you note alongside its past brothers as he answered. "He likes it very much," he said. "It had never occurred to him that ancient Egyptian jewelry was so stylized and elaborate for any other reason than the aesthetics of the time. He thinks it's amazing that each bead holds importance depending on its shape, size, and placement, not to mention that the types of stones, and how many of each type are in the piece as well as the overall total also hold significance. In short, the complexity of the art fascinates him."
Draco closed the box he'd been holding and replaced it in his nightstand. "Is that a more satisfactory answer, my dear?" he asked as he turned back to his friend.
"Yes, thank you," Pansy said with a smirk. "He's halfway through it, by the way."
"Already?" Draco asked in surprise. "He said he only started it on Saturday."
Pansy nodded. "He's been reading it the last two nights instead of practicing writing hieroglyphs. Maybe you should send him some beads to play with," she suggested facetiously.
Draco heard the joking tone of his friend's words but actually thought about her words seriously. "That might be a good idea," he said slowly as he took a seat on his bed and leaned against the headboard.
"I was joking, dear," Pansy said with a little shake of her head. "I hardly think sending him a jewelry making kit is a good idea." Draco silently stared at here for so long that she started to fidget. "What?"
"I think he might like it," Draco said with a frown. Should he change his schedule of gifts a bit? He'd been sending Harry a book once a week since Christmas, starting with a primer on Egyptian hieroglyphs. He was working to fill out Harry's library on ancient Egyptian magic so that the other boy had decent reading material and reference works for the summer holidays. His plan was for Harry to have everything he needed, and then some, to attend the summer program on Egyptian magic that was offered as a month-long intensive course by the Mediterranean Academy of Ancient Magics on the Greek island of Mycenae. He'd already enrolled Harry actually, under the greatest of secrecy, though he'd leave it up to the other boy whether or not to actually attend.
"No, Draco," Pansy said firmly. "Absolutely not. Jewelry-making is a girl thing. And Potter is a boy. He might be a submissive but he's still a boy. You can't send him girly things."
"I sent him clothes," Draco responded mildly, still thinking over how he might adjust his gifts. Perhaps he should just add to them?
"Clothes do not count," Pansy said stubbornly. "They are perfectly suitable as gifts for either gender."
"I've sent jewelry, too, and bath scents," Draco murmured. "You didn't argue about girly then." He hadn't wanted to overwhelm Harry, which was why he generally sent only one book per week along with the standard box of chocolates. Speaking of which…
"Do you know if he's completed the card collection for the chocolate frogs?" Draco asked curiously, interrupting what Pansy had been saying about appropriate manliness quotients in male jewelry.
Pansy quieted and narrowed her eyes. "You're going to ignore me, aren't you?" she asked in annoyance.
"I've heard everything you've said," Draco replied innocently. "So, do you?"
"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Pansy exclaimed in frustration. "You're going to send him some girly jewelry-making kit, aren't you?"
"I'd like to think that if I could not find something appropriate that I could at least put together a jewelry-making kit myself that had an appropriate manliness quotient," Draco said as solemnly as possible. He wanted to laugh, though, at Pansy's indignation on behalf of a boy she still wasn't sure she liked.
Pansy scowled at her friend. She could tell he wanted to laugh about her protests and was doing his best to not. She released a frustrated and resigned sigh. Well, this wouldn't be the first time that Draco had held in his immediate reaction to something she had said and likely it wouldn't be the last. A wave of gratitude suddenly filled her at that thought. Draco had long been conscientious about how he treated her and this was just the most recent example of his devotion to her. She smiled slightly at her friend, letting him see her gratitude and affection.
Draco raised an inquiring eyebrow at Pansy's sudden shift in mood but smiled back with equal affection.
"He's missing Frau Blücher," Pansy said, answering Draco's original question. "Otherwise, yes, his collection is complete. How could it not be? You've sent him seven hundred chocolate frogs so far. Fifty a week adds up quickly, you know, and the set only has a hundred cards in it. In fact, he's making a second set, but it's missing over twenty cards."
"What's he doing with the others?" Draco asked curiously. Two complete sets still left 500 duplicate cards, after all.
"He's trading them for British sets," Pansy said easily. "He's made a complete frog set, in fact. The cat set is about half complete, the bird set is missing thirty or so cards, the fish set is missing about twenty and the rabbit set is missing only six."
Draco shook his head in amused disbelief. "I'll never understand how you learn all the stuff you know."
Pansy smirked and said, "The Patil twins are closet card collectors."
Draco chuckled. "Of course they are. And I know they're your biggest spies."
"Yes, indeed," Pansy agreed cheerfully.
Draco nodded thoughtfully. "I'll have to switch to chocolate birds then," he said, already composing in his head the letter to his great-grandmother requesting the change.
"Not yet," Pansy cautioned. "I'll let you know when, all right?"
"Sure," Draco said with a small smile.
"Now tell me why you think Potter is going to like a girly present," Pansy demanded. She'd been wrong a couple times before about Potters reactions to Draco's presents. This time she wanted to understand her friend's reasoning before she made too many objections.
Draco chuckled at his friend's persistence. "I think he might like the practical aspect of it," he said as he stretched out his legs, careful not to disturb Pansy's books and papers. "He might think it a novel idea, taking up some sort of craft hobby."
Pansy gave her friend a dubious look. "I think you should just stick with the books. He has been reading them fairly diligently, after all. He won't have time to take up a hobby."
"Maybe so," Draco said then frowned. "You don't think that I'm getting too boring by giving him the same thing every week?"
"No," Pansy said firmly. "In fact, I think he likes the predictability. Isn't that what you told me at Christmas? That your intention was to give him some stability in his destabilizing world?"
Draco's eyes widened slightly. "I can't believe I forgot about that," he said with a grimace. That had indeed been his intention.
"That's why you have me around," Pansy said smugly.
"Thank you," Draco said with only slight roll of his eyes at his friend's attitude.
"So no girly gifts," Pansy declared.
"No new gifts," Draco conceded obligingly.
Pansy nodded then turned serious and asked, "If you do win his hand, what will happen to me?"
"You'll be married the way you keep going on about Longbottom," Draco said with a half-amused, half-exasperated huff.
"I'm serious, Draco," Pansy said, her worry turning her voice sharp. "Potter doesn't like me much. And on top of that, I don't think he would want me around when he's trying to start a family with you."
"I think you're wrong about that," Draco said mildly. "Harry prizes family greatly and he would accept you. It may be by magic instead of blood, but you are still my…"
"But he doesn't like me!" Pansy exclaimed angrily. She was worried about her future with Draco should he succeed in his suit. He was the most important person in her life and she didn't want to lose him.
"He doesn't know you," Draco said firmly. "When I win his hand, I'm sure he'll be willing to give you the same chance he gave me."
"Well, aren't you just full of confidence," Pansy said sarcastically.
"It's the only way to be," Draco said piously. "Now finish your homework."
Pansy rolled her eyes but did drop the subject. "Yes, Dad."
--end chapter--
A/N: I have to take my DH's word on this as I've never been a card collector, but… I'm assured that having only one nearly complete set of collector cards after having received/purchased seven hundred of them is quite realistic. In fact, still having several of the rarer cards missing after having received/purchased a thousand was actually quite likely. Such assurance was then followed by a less than polite epithet against the makers of said cards…