Chapter 11 – Family Meetings
With spring well established on the island and her rune business beginning to flourish, Hermione decided to approach her best friend about formalizing the commune, at least as far as her contributions were concerned. It had now been a very monumental first year since she and Harry had arrived back in England and opened the island back up. The commune had gradually developed over that year and she knew everybody was comfortable with its direction, but she felt that it would perhaps be more fair to Harry if something more definitely communal was established for the finances. So far Harry had covered all the expenses and she knew that he didn't care, but she felt that it would be best for the overall outlook if that changed for the future. She knocked on Harry's office door and found him happy to see her as he set aside some paperwork and welcomed her in.
"Hermione, come in! You don't visit the office often. What can I help with?"
Hermione found a seat and smiled at Harry. Why was she nervous? This was just Harry. She supposed that she didn't want to upset any of the balance that the commune had found.
"Hi Harry. I came to talk to you about finances. Granger Runes is turning a steady profit now. A lot of it thankfully doesn't even involve me. The mass manufacture and sales through WWW happens with just a bit of general oversight. As for my personal installations, I only handle one or two of those a month. Still, I'm seeing a nice salary now and I don't have many expenses since I live in the commune. I've been thinking and I want to contribute 25% of profits to the commune. I think it's only fair."
"Wow, alright, I mean if you want. I'm not sure how that will work though. The commune doesn't have its own account."
"That's something else I wanted to discuss and then I think we need to bring to the rest of the commune Harry. I think we need to formalize a bit. Create a legal entity that can at least have an account. Make each person an equal member on the 'board'. I know Ginny and Ron have been giving you a bit of money as rent, but I think something more formal than just a few odd galleons here and there. And you need to outline specific numbers of what the room and board for Neville and Susie is valued at. You're a businessman now, I'm sure you understand this."
Harry sighed and nodded.
"That makes sense. I like the idea of formalizing in a way. I'm not sure what the others will think. It will tie them down here in a more definite way. Is everyone ready for that kind of commitment?"
"I think it's worth discussing. We need to have a family meeting tonight, maybe after dinner as long as everyone has time."
"Thanks for bringing this to me Hermione. I know I can always rely on you to point me in the right direction."
Hermione smiled, stood up and leaned over the desk. She gave Harry a quick kiss and then left him to his work, happy with the progress of the discussion.
That night at dinner Hermione brought up the subject of a family meeting and everyone agreed that they had time after the meal. Once the pudding was finished, the family all moved upstairs to the large central game room and sprawled around on the leather sofas. Hermione was trying to signal Harry to begin, but instead he waved her on to go ahead and lead.
"Alright everyone, I had a talk with Harry earlier because Granger Runes is turning a regular profit now and I want to make a regular contribution to the commune. This first year Harry has funded everything, but I think it is only fair if the commune becomes more equalized. To do that though the commune will need its own account. That will mean making us a company of sorts, with each of us technically members on the 'board'. We'd all have an equal say, but I'd suggest that Harry administers the accounting since he has the most business experience. I think now that we are established on the island for a year that it's a good time to make us official, although I know this is a commitment and some of you haven't been here as long. I wanted to get everyone's thoughts."
"That's interesting Hermione. I'd never thought of us as a company, but I do like the idea of making us fair. Truthfully, when Teddy and I moved here, I thought it would be temporary, but I really don't think I could take Teddy away now. Not that I'd want to leave either. I tried talking to Harry about paying him something and he ignored me, but if there was an account, I could contribute. I would feel better that way."
"Same with me. I give Harry some cash from my Wheezes part time work, but something more official would probably be good. As for commitment, I'm in. I don't want to go anywhere."
"How would it work for those of us working for Potter Companies, like Susie and I?"
"Well, we haven't worked out the details, but we'd probably figure an average per person room and board cost that you are receiving with your salary and that would be calculated as your contribution to the commune. If you wanted to add anything additional, that is your choice. The same would go for Luna for her work with Potter Industries."
"So should we take a vote before the humdingers start nesting?"
Hermione suppressed a smirk at Luna and looked around the room. Not a single hand was down. The vote was unanimous.
"Alright, so we are all for creating a company for the commune. Now we need a name. Suggestions?"
"Well, we're on Potter Island. Harry fronted all the startup costs. Why not the Potter Commune?"
Harry blanched and shook his head.
"Really Ginny, um something else?"
"The Magic Commune? We must be the first."
"A bit simple. Maybe another word for magic."
Hermione pondered and then her eyes lit up.
"How about the Drycræft Commune?" It's the Old English for magic."
Harry looked around the room and saw other eyes also roaming, looking for reactions. A few nods seemed to be answering and he decided to take a vote.
"Alright a vote, the Drycræft Commune?"
Again, all hands were in the air and Harry let out a small cheer.
"Great, welcome all to the Drycræft Commune! If everyone agrees, I'll file paperwork to start the company tomorrow."
Everyone agreed and then Ginny spoke up before the group could call an end to the meeting.
"I have one other point I'd like to discuss."
"Sure Gin, go ahead."
"Well, I know our membership is fairly set and I don't want to add a bunch more people, but maybe on occasion we might have a special person that we may want to consider adding. How would our group go about considering a person, if we would?"
Ginny looked quite unsure of what she was asking, so Neville put an arm around her while Harry asked the question that was foremost in everyone's minds.
"Well, I guess that would depend on who?"
"Dean. I've been spending some more time with him, but I've been keeping him at a bit of a distance because he's not part of the commune. You know though that we have history and I think he might be a good fit for us. He's an artist, mostly wood carving, although he has started to work with clay as well. He's very relaxed. And of course he knows about animals from helping his uncle."
Neville and Hermione both scanned the group, this was something that was new. It was Harry though who voiced his thoughts.
"Alright, I guess this is a good test for moving forward as a commune family. How do we want to approach this? I definitely don't want to grow too large, but an occasional addition might be okay. That's just my feeling. Before we discuss the specific individual, what does everyone else feel about the general idea of adding individuals?"
Tonks was the next to speak.
"I think we need to define a number of people and a time period."
Susan went next with a similar thought.
"I was just going to say, maybe no more than one person every 6 months?"
Hannah was in slight disagreement with her girlfriend.
"I think we need more adjustment time, I think one person a year. If they come with a child, anyone under five doesn't count."
Harry looked around the room and saw different nods to the different points. He decided to go ahead with a vote.
"Okay, everyone for one person every six months, raise your hands."
Two hands raised and Harry acknowledged them before then continuing.
"Alright, now everyone for the idea of one person every year, not counting children under five, raise your hands."
The rest of the hands in the room went up and it was obvious what the majority was.
"Well, that answers that, but that still means Dean can join in about another four months since Susan and Hannah have been here for eight months, if everyone agrees on Dean."
Hannah spoke up again at this point.
"Perhaps we can set the rule in place from the founding of the commune? I'm fine with Dean, although maybe a trial period? Maybe that would be good for anyone? Maybe bring him in for a month to see how he works with everyone? Even if it's a couple of months shy then he could join. If everyone else agrees."
"That works for me. I like the idea of a trial period. I also like Dean. At least I think everyone here has at least met him since he's been out for parties and to help with the animals. I think we should take two votes. First, everyone for a one month trial period?"
Once again, all hands were raised.
"Finally, does everyone agree to extend an offer to Dean Thomas to join the commune on an initial trial basis?"
A couple of hands were a bit slow, but once again all hands raised and Ginny smiled.
"Thanks everyone. I'll tell Dean this weekend. Then maybe he can move in the following weekend. Which wing do you think would be best for him?"
Harry spoke up again, appearing as if he had just remembered something.
"That brings up one other thing to discuss Ginny. I think the east wing may be best. I've been meaning to talk to everyone about making some changes to the wings. With Luna expecting, I want to take two of the en-suites and make an apartment for her and the baby. My idea is that the room she has now has a bedroom, office/sitting room, dressing room, and bathroom. The room next door has a large bedroom and bathroom. All the rooms are oversize. My goal is to redesign them into a nice size flat for her including two slightly smaller bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, and kitchenette. I want someplace that she can be compartmentalized if she wants her own space. I think we need to look to the future and think about a similar arrangement if any other witches have children. With our unique family, the wizards can be nearby, but the witches will that way each have their own flat for themselves and their children. Also, I want to renovate the two rooms you're using right now Tonks for yourself and Teddy into something similar. How does this sound to everyone?"
Harry's first response to his proposal was a blond, pregnant witch that arrived in his lap and proceeded to start to snog him, with little regard to their audience, which was all soon laughing at his predicament. It was Neville who found his voice first.
"It sounds great to me Harry. I think we see Luna's response."
"Yes Harry, that sounds like it would work for Teddy and I."
The rest of the group was in equal agreement and Luna separated herself from Harry's lips long enough that he was able to mentally make plans to start arranging for a contractor. Luna didn't move from his lap, but he didn't mind.
"Well then, I think that was the last of the family business. Anything else anyone?"
No one else had anything to discuss and the group separated.
The next day Harry made a trip to Gringotts and officially established the Drycræft Commune as a business entity, with a board that included all the current members of the commune. It was a bit surreal in a way, but also felt amazingly promising. While he was at the bank, Harry also had Silverclaw contact some magical contractors who could start the retrofitting of the manor.
A bit over a week after the monumental family meeting, Dean accepted the offer that Ginny extended on behalf of the commune and moved to the island for his one month trial period. He moved into the east wing and also claimed an unused shed that he began to retrofit to use as a studio. No one minded since it was an old storage building with just a bunch of junk that needed to be binned anyway. He also soon discovered that the island had a wealth of driftwood that he began to collect to use in his sculpture work.
As for fitting in with communal life, Dean was an easy going fit with the group. He and Ginny were the first to pair up in his first days on the island, but later it was noticed that Luna spent a few nights with him as well. As for his contributions to commune life, his artwork sold in both magical and non-magical galleries and he began to make payments into the commune account. He also helped the elves with the animals and brought forth his animal expertise one evening during a post-dinner family meeting.
"Everyone, I was out helping the elves with the cows and the milking is going well. The elves make butter daily and have even started making cheese every few days. They appreciate the help with the milking because it gives them more time for the craft of cheese making. Anyway, I was thinking about animals and maybe goats would be the next investment the commune should make. Goat milk is good for children and makes a unique, different kind of cheese. Just three or four of them would give enough for now. The elves could fence in another field of dune grass and they'd be happy."
"Really? Goats? There's an idea. What does everyone think?"
"Sure. Maybe after the renovations to the manor. We all agreed that we are going to try to let the commune pay for itself now."
"I agree, let's not have Harry pay out of pocket anymore if we can avoid it."
"Vote, buy goats when the money is available after the manor renovations?"
A unanimous show of hands agreed with Dean's proposal. It would be a couple of months yet, but everyone was starting to contribute some to the commune account now and it was growing at a good rate.
The following week saw Dean enjoying his fourth week at the commune and also brought a team of magical contractors to the manor to renovate the east wing first and then the west wing. It had been decided that Tonks would get her flat renovation first since she needed it immediately with Teddy, versus Luna needing it in three months when she was due.
The contractors worked quickly and were especially intrigued by the runestone installations, which they had heard about, but hadn't worked with yet. Hermione was on hand to assist with removing and helping to reinstall them after walls and plumbing were moved. With the aid of magic, within two weeks Tonks had a new 185 square meter flat for herself and Teddy. The following week the contractors moved across the manor to renovate Luna's space. It meant that Ron had to move rooms, but there was plenty of space across the hall, although he lost a bit of his view. Again, within a couple of weeks Luna had a flat that was a mirror image to the one that Tonks had across the manor. As she approached the end of her seventh month of pregnancy, her nesting instincts were starting and it felt good to finally be able to put some preparations in place for the baby.
While the renovations were ongoing for the two mothers, another witch was thinking about starting a family of her own. Hannah had been caring for Teddy on a more regular basis and did not have a full time job. She did a multitude of odd tasks to help wherever she was needed, but mostly she loved being a surrogate 'aunt' to the youngest member of the commune. As the months went by she began to contemplate being a mum herself and started to discuss the possibility with her girlfriend. She and Susie were as bonded as any couple could be and Susie realized how much it meant to Hannah, so she encouraged Hannah to approach their long term boyfriend. While Susie occasionally slept with other wizards, Neville was the only wizard who Hannah would even think about sleeping with, and usually only with Susie involved as well. So, one day in late June, Hannah finally got the courage to broach her deepest desire with Neville one afternoon when the threesome took the horses out for a ride and a picnic to the far point of the island. They were lounging while the horses grazed when Susie gave Hannah's hand an encouraging squeeze and Hannah plowed forward.
"Nev, I've got something to ask you…"
"Alright, sure."
"It's really serious, but I've been thinking on it for months. You know how much I love Teddy. Well…um…I want a baby. A baby of my own."
"Wow, um…okay. I assume then you would want me to father the baby?"
"Of course. Susie is more open than I am, but you're the only wizard I can really be with Nev. You don't have to answer right away…"
"No, I'd love to give you a baby. I was a bit shocked, but I've thought about this a bit. I mean when Luna got pregnant and didn't know between Harry and Ron, I kind of had to think about what if it had been me in that position. It could have been with slightly different timing. I thought about it then and decided that if I'd gotten a woman pregnant, I'd be okay with it. So, yes, I'd be okay with it now."
Hannah grinned, let go of Susie and propelled herself at Neville, kissing him long and hard. Susie laughed and shook her head.
"Wow you two, going to try now huh?"
Hannah laughed and pulled away from Neville. Now wasn't the right time, but it wouldn't be long before she was ready.
By the beginning of July, Dean's one month trial period with the commune had passed and the entire commune met after dinner one night for a usual family meeting. This time it was Ginny who led since she was sponsoring Dean.
"Alright everyone, so Dean's been here a month. He's been contributing to the commune account and helping around the island. I think he has been an ideal fit to the family. I'd like to vote for full membership. Any objections? We agree this needs to be unanimous."
Ginny waited for a minute and looked around the group. Everyone was smiling, but no objections were raised. It was Harry who broke the silence.
"Well mate, welcome officially and permanently to the Drycræft Commune!"
