Chapter 32

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Harry and Hermione didn't know quite what to expect from Seamus and Parvati's wedding reception. Hermione was hoping that they'd have a traditional Indian ceremony because she was curious to see what it would be like, Harry was also curious, but they both knew that Parvati herself would probably like a reception like Lavender's and Harry knew Seamus was hoping to avoid all the official stuff and just have a huge party.

When Harry received an invitation to Seamus and Dean's Buck's party, he figured they had at least part of their answer. They expected that Parvati, Padma and their parents had got their way with the wedding itself and the Buck's party was Seamus' attempt to have the party he wanted as well. Hermione smiled before rushing to the local library to research Indian wedding customs and starting to worry which of the dresses she'd bought would be appropriate, while Harry left the researching and choosing of his clothes for the wedding to his wife. He figured that they'd have lots of non-Indian guests and Padma at least would have made sure the invitations would tell him anything he needed to know, not to offend her family.

Dean and Leanne also sent them a wedding invitation to a civil ceremony followed by a small reception. That made sense that the two sets of muggle parents would want their children's marriage to be legal in their world as well as the wizarding world before they had a baby. Dean also let Harry know that instead of separate Buck's and Hen's parties they wanted to do something together, so Harry and Hermione would be invited to go clubbing with the couple and their friends a week or so after the wedding.

Harry and Neville were looking forward to attending Seamus's Bucks party in Ireland. It would be good to catch up with the guys and have a night without marital responsibilities or family obligations. As well as the time spent tutoring Elsie, Harry had been busy trying to get Grimmauld place renovated and furnished so they had a place to go that wasn't dependent on Hermione's family, though truthfully the situation with the Granger's was going better than Harry had expected it would. Neville desperately needed a night away from everything, he and Elsie had started to make progress in learning to talk to each other but he still found being with her was stressful except when Harry and Hermione were there to buffer the conversation.

They met up with Ron at the Leaky Cauldron and floo'd through to the Flying Leprechaun, Irish pub near Seamus' hometown and were greeted with hugs and cheers. Ron as the only man actually still single at the party was treated to plenty of pints of Guinness and some wedding day horror stories.

"You know mate, you and Hermione had the right idea, not having another wedding," Seamus said.

"Hermione hasn't actually ruled it out, but her parents would rather we wait another couple of years. We will probably have a small muggle wedding early next summer unless the law changes to let us wait another year or two before having children or we decide to adopt," Harry replied.

"Don't do it mate," Dean said seriously.

"I don't think it's going to be up to me, Hermione's father wants to walk her down the aisle and her mother wants to have a wedding, her parents are quite conservative. Hermione isn't opposed to the idea, though she's never sounded too excited by it all either. Mind you he'd rather we wait until Hermione's in her twenties at least but unless the law changes it will have to be next summer if we want to do it before having a baby, I wouldn't mind waiting but I think the Grangers will want us married in the eyes of their family and friends before we have kids," Harry said.

Dean groaned at the word baby and Harry remembered that his wife completed her NEWTs last June, he only had another two and a half months to get her pregnant before he returned to Hogwarts if they were to comply with the law. "Things not going well?" he asked Dean quietly.

"Trying to have a baby sucks the fun right out of sex," Dean complained.

"I can't believe that," Seamus said winking. "You get to go at it like rabbits all summer."

"I wish, it's all temperature charts and waiting until the most advantageous time and not wanking and eating all the right things to boost my sperm count, not that there's anything wrong with it to begin with. But it's bloody awkward trying to find time when we're home alone or not making any noise so her parents don't hear us," Dean whined. "She's bloody terrified that we won't make it work in time and I won't be able to start school in September. Everything we do is about maximizing our chances for conception. I had to sneak out to buy a hangover potion and sobering potion because she told me I wasn't allowed to drink this weekend in case it ruins our chances this month."

"You have all bloody year," Ron said.

"No they don't Ron, the law says that they have to have a baby by the end of June next year, not just be pregnant by then, though Hermione says being pregnant should probably be enough. They couldn't put a pregnant witch in Azkaban without harming the baby, and it would be cruel to separate a couple with a baby on the way but we all know the ministry isn't known for kindness or common sense, particularly in Dean's case as he's muggleborn," Harry explained.

"At least half the seventh year girls were already pregnant by the end of the year, and Leanne is regretting that we decided to wait. Especially as it now means trying to do it in her parent's house where it seems like there is always someone else home," Dean said.

"I have a solution to that. I own a house in London. It's mostly unfurnished and a bit of a wreck but we're living with Hermione's parents while we fix it up, I'm prepared to add you to the wards and you'd be alone, except for Dobby, most of the time unless Neville and Elsie decide they need some time away from Elsie's father's disapproval as well, since I've already offered them a room. The rooms aren't furnished but I think all of the old furniture was put up in the attics. If you decide to stay there I could owl you before we come to work on it, or send you our schedule so you know when the house would be empty for you to visit," Harry offered.

"That would be amazing Harry. I doubt Leanne would want to live there but even to have a place to be alone where we know we can't be overheard or walked in on would be a huge help," Dean said gratefully.

"What about me?" Seamus asked.

"Well, I have to say that Dean's need for privacy is more pressing but if he and Leanne, and Neville and Elsie are happy to have you and Parvati there, I wouldn't mind the two of you using the house for some time alone, but Dean and Leanne and Neville and Elsie need alone time, not parties and the way the wards are I have to personally invite everyone who enters, Hermione also wants to show the house to her parents sometime soon but we'd send you enough warning to clear out," Harry replied.

"Thanks Harry, I'll talk to Leanne," Dean replied.

"Have you heard what happens with the two of you when you go back to school this year? Is Leanne allowed to stay in married accommodation with you, or are you allowed to be a day student and go home to her at night?" Harry asked.

"We haven't heard a bloody thing, if she's not pregnant before term starts and they don't let her stay or me go home at night then I won't be able to come back," Dean said disgruntled.

"What's Leanne going to do next year, does she have a job or an apprenticeship lined up?" Neville asked.

"She's been offered an apprenticeship with a charms master but she can't start until after the baby is born and weaned," Dean replied.

"The baby hasn't even been conceived yet," Ron said astonished.

"No but the law says we have to have one as soon as possible and they don't want to risk her straining her magic in the early stages of pregnancy before she finds out. Usually women are prevented from falling pregnant during an apprenticeship, which is another reason she's regretting not falling pregnant before leaving Hogwarts, the witched that were will be allowed to start their apprenticeships earlier," Dean replied. "It's really unfair. She's looked for a job in one of the shops in Hogsmeade or the Alley but there's too many other witches in the same boat looking for jobs like that too. She's got a job at the local supermarket near her Mum and Dad's but that's no good if she's living at Hogwarts or in Hogsmeade."

"Who's going to look after the baby if Leanne goes out to work?" Ron asked frowning.

"Her mother has offered to have it during the day," Dean replied.

Dean caught up with Seamus' cousins. "I said no strippers," he said fiercely.

"What's the harm, what the missus doesn't know isn't going to hurt her," Paddy asked grinning. He and his cousins were all ware of magic though most of them didn't have enough of their own to attend Hogwarts or be caught by the new marriage law for witches and wizards.

"Seamus and I and a few of our other Hogwarts friends are bonded not married. The bond calls for absolute fidelity. The only woman I'm capable of enjoying watching take her clothes off is my wife, even the idea of looking at a stripper makes me uncomfortable, actually looking might make me ill. Reminding them all of that isn't going to make them happy. In fact even the thought if it makes me feel a little nauseas," Dean replied.

"Oh! Bloody Hell! What you do a stupid thing like that for?" Paddy exclaimed. Paddy was a squib so he wasn't subject to the marriage law and as the only child over the age of ten, of two only children he didn't have any family who were yet either. He had only vaguely heard about and ignored the whole debate about it not realising that it would change the lives of some of his friends.

"It was the only way we could get married without leaving the school and in a way that the ministry couldn't just void the marriage and force us to marry the people they chose anyway," Dean said bluntly.

Seamus was pissed off about it when Dean told him and he definitely didn't want to have to sit there and pretend to be turned on by the stripper so they ended up dividing up, Seamus took Dean, Harry and Padma's husband Terry Boot, upstairs to a private room so the rest of the men could enjoy the stripper, while the three of them caught up and bitched a bit about the effects of the bond they hadn't thought about until after they were bound.

"I can barely watch my favourite TV shows with my mates. Even the ones that Mum doesn't complain are overtly sexist have way too many pretty girls in sexy outfits, and the comments the other guys make just make me feel uncomfortable. I just can't see them as sexy anymore," Dean complained.

"It's terrible, and I look at stars and girls I used to think were hot and all I can see now is how vapid and superficial it all seems," Terry agreed, though he thought Seamus had only invited him to make Padma and therefore Parvati happy and he felt like a bit of an intruder among the Gryffindor boys.

"I can't even flirt! I used to enjoy flirting with a pretty girl or even the plain ones, put a smile on their faces and they might give me a kiss. I want to be a publican, how am I going to be a barman if I can't flirt with the customers?" Seamus complained.

"I'm sure Parvati would be glad you're not walking around flirting with all your old girlfriends, but I reckon that if it's for business and not for real you might be able to get around it, I mean it's not like a publican has to be attracted to all the women he flirts with," Harry said amused.

"What about you Harry?" Dean said.

"Well, I never watched TV before staying with Hermione at Christmas though she does complain about noticing more of the mistakes and bad acting now that she can't focus on admiring the good looking actors, and I don't think that I've ever flirted successfully in my life so not being able to try stops me making an idiot of myself. I have no problem with thinking Hermione is the hottest and most desirable girl in the world. It helped us move from being just friends to something more. I do kind of envy Ron and Neville being able to be down there enjoying the strippers but I think that the three of us are happier than either of them are most of the time," Harry said.

"Are Neville and Elsie still being all stiff and awkward together?" Dean asked.

Harry groaned. "Yes, I feel urged to try to help them but I've no idea how, without making it worse. Hermione says I should encourage them to talk to each other more openly about their thoughts and feelings and leave them alone to work it out."

"I still say we should have got them both drunk," Seamus said.

"Tipsy maybe so they'd talk, but I think passing out drunk, or being drunk enough that they don't remember everything that happened, or did something they regrated the next morning might actually make things worse," Harry said. "Besides they seemed to be having fun drinking champagne and dancing at Lavender's wedding and it hasn't made much difference."

"Have they found anything they both enjoy doing together yet?" Dean asked.

"No, I don't think so. They don't seem to spend much time together unless Hermione and I are with them. Elsie spends most of her time studying to take a couple more OWLs and her History NEWT in August, and Neville says he doesn't want to distract her. I understand why she's so stressed about it. It can't be easy coming to school for the first time at her age even without being in so many classes with the younger students, and her weird timetable will mean she isn't always with her house," Harry said.

"No that would suck, and she'll have to get to know three whole classes," Dean agreed.

-o0o-

"Did you enjoy watching the stripper dance?" Harry asked Ron.

"Yeah, almost makes me wish I could have a Buck's party of my own but Dad would pitch a fit about a stripper and I don't even want to think about what Mum would do if she heard about it, and no witch would do that, it would have to be a muggle," Ron replied.

"I'm sure they're some witches who do, but I think it would be better to have muggle strippers. At least then you know that they're not someone you know hiding beneath the glamour charms. Besides, I could find a muggle strip club more easily than a magical one, I could just look it up in the phone book," Harry replied.

"I didn't know that women could move like that. She looked really good, but you know not like Hermione looked when we tried the ritual. Different, less real, somehow?" Ron said.

"She isn't all real, from what I saw she's had breast implants and a fake tan. She takes her clothes off and dances for a living so she probably spends a lot of time trying to look as good without them as possible. Like Lavender uses all those cosmetics and charms on her face and doesn't really look like that all the time," Harry replied.

"Lavender doesn't make herself look like that!" Ron said.

Harry grinned, "I'm sure she would know how to manipulate the charms she uses to do that. Can you imagine the fit McGonagall would have if she did?"

"You think that she uses the charms to look like that for her husband?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. It's none of our business how the two of them interact in private, you wouldn't want people speculating about you and Eloise like that," Harry reminded him.

"Eloise uses a lot of cosmetic charms too, but she doesn't look like Lavender," Ron said confused.

"Hermione uses some too, or muggle cosmetics in the summer, but she tries to look just a little bit different than normal. Lavender wants to change everything," Harry said.

"I don't even know what Eloise looks like without the charms, even over the summer her mum's been doing them for her," Ron said frowning.

"You'll find out when you're living together after the wedding. Probably not all that different to what she looks like at school, she doesn't seem like the type to make herself look all that different all the time," Harry suggested.

"Yeah," Ron nodded doubtfully.

"If it's that important to you, you could ask her not to wear them one day," Harry suggested.

"I couldn't do that, she'd be insulted," Ron said.

Harry nodded, glad that Ron was thinking things through from Eloise's point of view as well as his own. "How are things between you and Eloise, do you get much time alone now you're home? Do your mum and dad like her? How does she get along with your brothers?" He asked.

"Dad seems to like her and I can see Mum is trying to be on her best behaviour but she's a bit hesitant because she didn't know the Midgens at all and Mrs Midgen hasn't let Mum have much say in organising the wedding," Ron said. "Fred and George tried pranking her so she's hesitant to be around them. Ginny's okay with her when she's not busy moping for Mum's benefit, and the others haven't been home to meet her."

"Isn't that pretty normal? It's usually the bride and her family that organise the wedding in the muggle world," Harry asked.

"Mum did a lot of the stuff for Bill and Fleur's wedding," Ron said.

"Yeah because Bill and Fleur wanted to get married in England and Fleur's family all live in France," Harry replied. "Other than the wedding arrangements how are you and Eloise getting along. Do you like her family?"

"They're okay, I guess. They aren't rude to me or anything and Mrs Midgen is always happy to make us a snack," Ron replied.

"So you and Eloise are getting along, are you looking forward to the wedding?" Seamus asked.

"I don't know, Eloise's mum can't cook as great as my mum and she and her sisters are making most of the food. Mum's proper pissed off about it," Ron said making his friends all laugh.

"Seriously, you don't seem to be looking forward to the wedding. Is there anything in particular you're worried about? Anything I can help with?" Harry asked once they were alone.

Ron sighed. "I wish we hadn't decided to wait. Eloise wanted to and I thought it was best to make her happy but it's built it up into a huge thing. But now we can't get any time alone to even snog much without Mum or her mum checking up on us."

"It's probably too late to do anything about it before the wedding but there's no reason that your first time together has to happen on your wedding night, sex won't be required for the marriage ceremony you've chosen," Harry advised.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Well, you'll both be tired after the wedding and feeling awkward, it might be better to spend a couple of days getting used to sharing a bed and living together before you have sex, since it's not needed to get married. Talk it over with Eloise and see what she thinks. I wouldn't leave it too long but a week or two wouldn't hurt if Eloise is okay with waiting," Harry said.

"My brothers would tease me 'til the end of time if I couldn't get it up and do the deed on my wedding night," Ron said anxiously.

"I'm not talking about not being able to get it up, or trying and failing. I'm talking about talking to Eloise before the wedding and making a plan to take some of the pressure off. I'm sure she's nervous about the ceremony and the reception afterwards as well. Having one less thing to worry about might help her relax and enjoy the day more. No one but the two of you would ever have to know," Harry reassured him. "I won't tell anyone about this conversation and I'd never ask you about that. It's nobody's business except yours and Eloise's."

Ron nodded and changed the subject.

"Neville seemed ready to have a heart attack watching the strippers," he said more cheerfully.

"Well he is as pureblood as you, and so is Elsie. I'm sure he'd never seen anything like it either," Harry said.

"You and Hermione spend a fair bit of time with them?" Ron asked.

"Yeah we've been helping tutor Elsie, she's going to sit another couple of OWLs in August in case the ministry make her leave to have a baby as soon as Neville finishes his NEWTs," Harry said.

"It feels like you're replacing me as your best friend," Ron commented.

"No we're not replacing you, but you're not comfortable in the muggle world where we live and we're not welcome at the Burrow, so it makes it difficult to meet up," Harry replied honestly.

"You've barely even written to me all summer," Ron said.

"We've been busy, besides are you telling me that your Mum and Ginny don't both pitch a fit when you get mail from me or Hermione? It's not like you've been writing to us either, we've answered every letter that you sent," Harry replied.

"You're my friends, it's bad enough that you can't be my best man for fear of Mum throwing a hissy fit and ruining the wedding. I'll not let her drive you away," Ron protested.

"Where are the two of you going to live after the wedding?" Harry asked.

Ron looked struck, as if he hadn't thought of not living at the Burrow or having Eloise move in with them.

Harry laughed. "Don't fuss mate, I'm sure Eloise and your mums have got it all sorted. They'll tell you where you need to be."

Ron groaned, "I'm not sure which would be worse, staying with Eloise's family or trying to do things with Mum and Ginny just downstairs."

"Your seventeen you can put up silencing charms," Harry said unsympathetically. If he invited all his mates to use Grimmauld Place then it wouldn't be the private haven that Neville and Elsie or Dean and Leanne desperately needed.

-o0o-

"How'd you sleep?" Neville asked when Harry joined them still yawning.

"I missed Hermione," Harry admitted.

Seamus and Dean laughed at him. "We know, you tried to go home last night. Dad didn't think that you were sober enough to get there safely. You'll have to wait for him to get here with your wand, he didn't trust any of us not to give it back to you," Seamus said, smirking. It had been quite amusing to listen to Harry moon about his wife, he was usually the most circumspect of all of them.

"Thanks for that. I doubt that turning up lovesick and plastered is the sort of impression I want to make with the Grangers," Harry said blushing.

"Things still not going well?" Neville said frowning. Harry had been so helpful to him and he hadn't even realised his friend was having problems as well. Emma and Daniel had always seemed friendly and welcoming when he and Elsie had visited.

"It's nothing to worry about, they've accepted that our marriage is real and permanent and things are getting better as we get to know each other, I just don't want to give them a new reason to disapprove of me. It was all a bit of a shock to them, most muggles in the Grangers social circle don't marry until their late twenties," Harry said dismissively.

Seamus and Dean both nodded understandingly. It wasn't easy trying to fit yourself into someone else's family no matter how welcoming they tried to be, and it was probably harder for Harry who hadn't experiences a loving family since he was a baby.

A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed followed or favourited this story for your support.