The Unbreakable Vow

by Ash Darklighter

Strange lights are seen across a deserted country lane. The wizarding world is calling him home.

31. Chapter 31

The Unbreakable Vow 31

by

Ash Darklighter

It all belongs to JK Rowling and I thank her for her inspiration – There are no galleons to be made from me or by me. This little story is my first Harry Potter fic. It is AU and of course comments are welcome. I am also grateful for all the people who have read and reviewed this story. I am quite stunned by all the positive comments.

As always my thanks to Tad and Mona for their help.

"Yes," Remus said slowly, twisting the card between his fingers. "I will know what to do." The motion of his fingers suddenly stilled as something occurred to him. He held the innocuous piece of paper up to the light and frowned. "I will know what to do?" His mouth dropped open. "Lupin," he muttered. "You've the brains of a pygmy puff. I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he said carefully, and watched with baited breath as a series of dark spirals wove themselves over the tiny square.

Hello Remus.

Harry Potter lives at Shielhill Cottage.

"Where the hell is that?" Remus stared at the writing, not noticing that on the back of the card another message was being inscribed.

This portkey will activate in less than ten seconds....

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Fu..." Remus Lupin swore as he was inexplicably sucked into the spinning vortex of sudden unexpected apparition from his comfortable chair in front of a warm fire to the middle of a dark, tree-lined lane. "...ck!" He shivered and pulled at his shabby tweed jacket, hoping for more warmth. His robe was hanging in the hall in Grimmauld Place. "Where have you brought me?" he wondered, giving the piece of card in his hands a final look before stowing it in a pocket.

Ahead, a set of imposing metal gates gleamed in the light of the waning moon, the letters spelling 'Sheilhill' etched out as part of the gates. An icy wind suddenly blew from nowhere finding the thinnest portion of his shabby coat and passing straight through into his very bones. Thoughts of what had happened to Harry during the third task at the Tri-Wizard tournament and then more recently to Severus Snape flew through his mind before he took hold of his racing nerves with a deep calming breath, gripped his wand with shaking fingers and stepped towards the gate. Harry wouldn't harm him – would he?

Harry Potter lives at Shielhill Cottage

The gate silently opened at his approach. "So, I'm expected," he murmured. But the long dark drive that he faced didn't instil him with confidence. What would be the mood of his host at the other end of this road? Remus wasn't sure. This didn't equate with the spontaneous, emotional teenager he'd known five years ago. This spoke of careful Slytherin planning. This was a Harry Potter he didn't know at all.

With a muttered "Lumos" and a swiftly applied warming charm, he began walking. About a hundred yards along the drive, he saw the wavering light of a torch coming towards him. "Hello, Remus?" called a voice.

"Harry!"

The bobbing light stopped and Remus could see the tall thin figure that belonged to the son of his long dead friend behind the glow of a huge yellow muggle torch.

"Good to see you again so soon, Moony." Harry's voice was cheerful. "Did you expect this mode of transport to my hideaway?"

Warmth filled his veins at the old nickname but with it came his ire at the boy's actions in disappearing for five bloody long years. He stopped in his tracks. "Harry James Potter..."

Harry calmly waved the torch. "I know, you want to shout at me but could you wait until we get inside into the warm? My wife is expecting you and we deserve a chance to present a united front. She's bound to blame me for something that's not my fault."

Remus gave a rueful chuckle, his anger draining swiftly away. "Strangely enough, I'm not really angry, Harry. Not at the moment – not yet."

"But you probably will be at some point later on." Harry slid a glance at the older man. "You didn't blow a gasket at the mention of my wife."

"You came into Anderson's shop waving your hands about with your wedding ring fully visible. Don't tell me that you're surprised I noticed or that I informed the Order? Is it a real marriage, Harry, or is that gold ring just a prop?"

Harry chuckled. "It's real. This ring is made from goblin crafted gold at its finest. The wedding was performed by a recognised minister of the church – it's legal. We checked the paperwork ourselves. I'd wager that you haven't informed the entire Order yet but you did tell the old man. Dumbledore will be sitting on the information wondering what leverage he can get out of it and then he'll inform the Order and possibly the Ministry if it gets him what he wants. I wouldn't be surprised if he instructs Hermione to search for the information in the muggle world."

"Dumbledore just wants the best for you, Harry," Remus remonstrated gently, knowing that the headmaster had suggested Hermione do exactly that.

"Dumbledore wants his weapon able to do his job," Harry returned angrily. "A pity then that he allowed my condition to go untreated. I was never going to acquire the fifty plus years of magical experience that snake-face possessed. Instead, why not let me lose all my magic and become truly defenceless? There was still the chance that I might beat him. Perhaps, he thought that once I defeated Voldemort my usefulness would be at an end. Perhaps, he thought I would then turn into a dark wizard..."

"You could never go dark, Harry."

"Dumbledore wouldn't be the first wizard to think such a thing but he would be one of the most powerful and influential ones and because of that, the most dangerous. His problem is that sometimes he thinks and plots too much. Not everyone sees it the way that he does – some people react to what is happening around them. How I was going to destroy Voldie without my magic just defeats me. Perhaps Dumbledore never thought that I had a chance – maybe I was never supposed to have a chance."

"Harry!" The werewolf's face showed his horror at the thought.

"It's not the first time I've thought it." He stopped and waved his hand towards the property that could just be seen between the trees. "Here's our little charmed haven. Another few steps and you'll see it properly."

Remus blinked and shook his head in disbelief at the sight of the cottage. "Harry, it's lovely," he whispered. "But is it safe?"

Harry nodded as he strode towards the front door. "Oh yes. I've had a crack security team comprised of both wizards and muggles helping us with the wards. It is under the Fidelius charm, is unplottable and surrounded by powerful blood wards. I'm safer here than I ever was at Privet Drive, Hogwarts or Grimmauld Place." Harry conveniently left out the part about the goblins being the ones to aid them at Sirius' instigation as it wasn't something Remus needed to know yet.

The door opened and Remus could see the slender figure that could only be Ginny Weasley standing waiting for them. "Miss Weasley," he murmured formally.

"I think you already know that it's Mrs. Potter," she corrected, her face impassive. "Please come in."

"Mrs. Potter." Of course, she was Mrs. Potter. He automatically glanced down at Ginny's ring finger to see the Potter family engagement ring on her finger. Harry said that the marriage was a real one. Remus gave a polite bow and was about to follow the young witch into the house when a brightly coloured ball shot out into the night air. Remus made a grab and found his hands filled with a sphere containing sections of the primary colours. What was it - another portkey, a cursed object or a prank? He gave it a shake – nothing happened. It was an ordinary child's toy.

"Don't panic, Remus. It's just a ball – a simple child's toy," Harry said lightly but there was a strange watchfulness about him.

Oh, no! Remus froze, his mouth opening and closing without any sound emerging. Child! There was a child here! Was the child Harry's? The werewolf's mind reeled. Of course the child was a Potter – who else would have a child in the middle of a war? James and Lily had done the exact same thing. They'd said that there was no time like the present and why wait? It was becoming apparent that Harry not only had a wife, he was also the father of a child. Dumbledore, the Weasleys and the Ministry in no particular order were going to go ballistic. This wasn't part of anyone's plans

Remus could only stare at the small figure peering from behind Ginny's slim figure. This was going to complicate matters in ways that Dumbledore could never have foreseen. "Does this belong to you?" he finally managed to ask, his voice and hands shaking.

"Are you talking to me or to Jamie?" asked Ginny mockingly.

"Jamie?" He sought Harry's still brown eyes.

"This is James Arthur Potter," Harry said proudly. "My son. Hey, trouble!"

"Ball!" shouted the child reaching up for his toy. "Mine."

Dumbly Remus handed it over. The child beamed at him, green eyes gleaming underneath a thatch of unkempt black hair before returning to his spot behind his mother's legs. "Ginny...Harry... He's..."

"He belongs to us." Ginny's voice was hard...defensive.

Remus shook his head. "That's obvious," he muttered dryly as he catalogued the child's appearance. "Potter genes..."

"And if you think..."

"Ginny, sweetheart," Harry said warningly. "Let's get inside. It's cold and..." There was a rumble followed by a crash and a distressed yelp from inside the house.

"Shit!" swore Harry and disappeared inside. "Dora."

"Dora?" Remus wondered if he'd been hit by a spell that only allowed him to articulate one word at a time. He looked at the clearly uncomfortable witch. "I was going to say, Ginny, that he looks like a complete Potter and is a beautiful child."

Ginny's face softened and she gave Remus a small smile. "Thank you."

"Harry said 'Dora' and there was a crash...oh! Dora!" Enlightenment and something else crossed the werewolf's face.

"You're not normally so slow on the uptake, Remus," murmured Ginny carefully. "Tonks found me."

He followed the Potters into the house, taking in a vague impression of stylish warmth and comfort before he was faced with the woman he was far too fond of for his own good and hers sitting amidst a pile of broken crockery.

Harry laughed. "You okay, Tonks?"

"R...Remus?" Her heart-shaped face flushed at the appearance of the older wizard. "I didn't expect to see you." She cursed under her breath at showing her clumsiness to the world and for the umpteenth time to Remus Lupin, the man she loved. They'd moved in to Grimmauld Place together twelve months ago and had begun a slightly uneasy relationship but even after a year of sleeping together Tonks was still unsure of exactly how Remus felt about her. He kept part of himself from her and, by Merlin, it hurt.

"What are you doing here, Dora?" Remus asked gravely. "How long have you known where Harry was?" He levelled a steely glare at the witch. "Why didn't you inform me?" he asked, pain and anger evident in his voice. "Didn't you trust me? Harry's the son of my oldest friend – my cub. You knew how I felt about his disappearance and you've known where he was all along?"

"Remus," Tonks began anxiously, "I didn't..."

He interrupted her. "Where have you been? You were supposed to be off duty hours ago – I was getting worried. Last thing I heard was that you were involved with the cleanup in...Oh!" he closed his mouth over the swearword he wanted to say, looking embarrassed.

"You were worried?" asked Tonks quietly.

"I expected you back for the evening meeting and you didn't arrive," answered Remus. "You're an auror and it's a dangerous profession. What was I supposed to think? And instead, I find you here with Harry and Ginny."

"I just discovered all this today. I was following a hunch," she said stiffly, hurt at his apparent lack of trust. He should know by now that she would never keep anything from him if it concerned his precious godson. "And it's turned out to be far more than that as you can see. My report for the Ministry hasn't been handed in yet. I haven't told anyone."

"I wouldn't let you tell 'anyone'," said Harry mockingly. "Memory charm or a well-placed Obliviate." He twirled his wand in between his fingers. "I've been taking a leaf out of Hermione's book," he added softly. "I've been studying my textbooks. There's too much at stake for me and my family."

Remus closed his eyes. He'd hurt Dora - he knew he had. He always seemed to say or do the wrong thing where she was concerned. He couldn't believe that this lovely witch still wanted to be with him despite the things he did to make her leave. He'd admitted to Bill Weasley once, when severely affected by an excess of fire whisky, that he would like to marry her but there were far too many problems.

Harry gently helped Tonks to her feet, brushing off the detritus from her tumble. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she murmured wearily, with a swift hostile glance towards Remus. She loved him, she did but sometimes he made things so difficult. "Harry, Ginny, I must ask you this..." She held out a now glass-free frame containing a still, muggle photograph, the images frozen in time. "Why do you have a picture with Jamie and Molly together?"

Harry shrugged, darting a glance towards Ginny. "Molly is Jamie's grandmother," he replied calmly. "Why shouldn't he have his photograph taken with her?" He flicked his wand and the photo frame repaired itself.

The look on the metamorphmagus's face was a picture. "Jamie is a baby, he can't be more than..."

"He's nineteen months old," said Ginny. "I told you that."

"Molly shouldn't know that he exists let alone be photographed with him," declared Tonks. "Because of that picture's existence it's obvious that she does. If it's too much of a risk for us to know, why are they together?" Her eyes widened. "When was the picture taken?"

"A couple of weeks ago," said Harry. "It's a great photo."

Remus looked rather bewildered about everything. "Are you saying that Molly has known what's been happening all along?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, she only found out recently."

"How recently?" asked Tonks pointedly. This was worse than trying to interview a member of the Malfoy family. The Potters weren't giving away information readily. On the other hand, that could also be a good thing.

"About a month ago," admitted Ginny reluctantly. "We needed some help."

Remus cleared his throat. "Molly didn't tell Albus or the Order?"

Harry just tilted his head to one side, green eyes gleaming. "What do you think? Did Molly run back to Hogwarts and tell the old man everything like she used to? Should I be prepared to be hauled back to Grimmauld Place in a body bind?"

"Harry! Behave!" snapped his wife.

Tonks frowned ignoring Harry's provocation. "No, I don't think she could have. Not the Order and certainly not Dumbledore because we would have been immediately sent to fetch Harry." Tonks looked worried. "You know how desperate Albus is to have him back under his control." She looked horrified at what she'd said. "I didn't mean for that to come out the way that it did. Dumbledore doesn't want to control you, Harry; he wants to keep you safe."

"He wants to keep me safe by controlling me. Never again." Harry smirked darkly at the couple. "It's not going to happen if I have anything to do with it. Of course, Dumbledore with his 'God' complex wants to control me. There's no doubt in my mind about that. However, I'm through playing his games. Molly didn't tell the Order."

"My mother agreed to keep our secret," said Ginny. "And I trust her to do so. I must admit that she wasn't completely happy about it. She is proud of her grandson and wants the wizarding world to know about him but she also knows that widespread knowledge would prevent her access to him. We can't risk this becoming public knowledge yet. Jamie's life is at stake."

Remus turned to Ginny and Harry. "Who else knows about this? You can't have done this all on your own. I know you are resourceful but you must have had outside help. Molly was in St. Mungos when you left the wizarding world. She wasn't the one to help you."

Harry and Ginny looked at one another but said nothing.

"Molly isn't the only one that knows," stated Remus suddenly. "Is she?" He thought back to the last couple of meetings. Who would these two trust? Obviously not Albus by the way Harry talked about him. Who had the sense to keep quiet? "Bill and Fleur," he mumbled

Harry inclined his head, his sharp ears picking up the werewolf's words. "Well done – you have part of the puzzle solved. Bill helped us with the Fidelius charm."

"But..." Remus closed his mouth and began using his head. Bill Weasley was a good curse breaker but he was exactly that – a curse breaker. The Fidelius Charm and top level blood warding were not what the eldest Weasley was skilled in but he did work for a nation that was.

Tonks sat up gasping. "You've got goblin protection, haven't you? The last time someone was awarded that honour was during the first war against Grindelwald!"

"Goblins!" Remus exclaimed. "The goblins only help if..."

"It's been in place since before Sirius died," Harry admitted. "Bill only found out when I asked the goblins to involve him with our wards. Before he died, Sirius did some deal with the goblins. I don't know what it was and I never asked but they've helped us hide. He was concerned about my general treatment by the wizarding world and arranged for me to have a safe place to run to. If he'd been alive I expect he would have come with us. Fred and George also know about us. They asked me to help Ginny because no one else seemed to be capable of doing so."

"That explains a lot," said Remus.

"Perhaps," murmured Harry slowly. "I never actually said that I would help Ginny. Fred and George assumed correctly that I did so. We didn't want to say anything aloud. They found out just after Bill helped us with the wards."

"Now that I think about it, those four have been acting a little differently at meetings lately and Molly..." He paused and looked at Ginny carefully. "Molly hasn't been around to attend. I take it that was deliberate?"

Ginny and Harry caught each other's gaze and some sort of message passed between them.

"Molly cannot perform Occlumency with any real success," said Harry. "She would not be able to guard her mind for long against intrusion by the likes of Snape and Dumbledore. It's better for us that she's not around accomplished Legilimens quite yet."

"Believe me when I tell you that I wanted mum with me many times during the last five years. I didn't have my mother with me, helping me when I gave birth to my son. I did have help from my midwife and I could not have done it without my husband's aid but I wanted my mum." Ginny gave Harry an apologetic smile. "I'd better get Jamie to bed. Excuse me." She returned a few moments later carrying a wriggling toddler.

"No!" he shouted, green eyes flashing. "Not bed!"

"Yes," said Ginny in a voice that even Jamie understood meant what it said. "Bed. Give Daddy a kiss."

Jamie pursed his lips obediently and placed a wet salute on his father's cheek. He was really too tired to give more than a token protest but he had Potter and Weasley blood in his veins and protest he did – if briefly. "Not sleepy."

"Yes, sleepy," returned Harry firmly. "Very sleepy."

"Now a kiss for Auntie Nymphadora." Ginny slanted a wicked grin at the metamorphmagus.

"Ginny!" warned Tonks, but she lifted her cheek readily for the sloppy kiss. There was something about the presence of a child that lifted all their spirits. Tonks glanced across at Remus. Perhaps seeing Harry and Ginny with Jamie might make him lower his barriers. She knew he loved her but getting him to admit it was impossible. Tonks smiled and pointed to the werewolf. "And one for Uncle Moony?"

Jamie looked at the strange, tired-looking man. The green eyes stared into the warm amber of the werewolf. The child giggled and stretched out his hands, patting Remus gently on the face. "Moony," he said.

Remus smiled, his eyes looking suspiciously bright as if there were tears in them. "That's right, Jamie. Moony."

"Right, my little wizard," Ginny said. "It's time for a quick bath and then bed. We've had a long and tiring day." She bore him away and they heard her feet mounting the stairs.

"Harry Potter, a husband and father," said Tonks with a smirk.

"Yup," Harry said looking , the grin brightening his face

"Something I thought I could never be." His eyes moved to the kitchen door. "And what about you two? he asked, raising his eyes suggestively. "Any chance of hearing the patter of little paws? I think that you would make great parents."

"I think so, too," said Tonks.

Remus looked at Tonks and gave her a small strained smile. "I've tried to warn her away from me but she keeps hanging around. I'm too old, turn into a slobbering creature every full moon, can't hold down a steady job..." He shrugged. "How could I become a father? The list goes on."

"But I don't care about any of that," muttered Tonks fiercely. "I never have. If I didn't have Remus I would choose to be alone. I would be proud to be the mother of his child."

"Life is too short for regrets and half-lived lives," declared Harry. "You would make great parents and I've never been anyone's best man..."

Remus sighed and regretfully shook his head. He didn't want to be the wizard to burst the happy bubble but someone had to inject a dose of reality into the proceedings. "The marriage contract will not allow the status quo to continue. Harry, you know that you and Ginny..."

"Will be fine," Harry said fiercely, cutting off the older wizard before he could continue. "No, Remus, we'll be fine. The goblins did help us but it's only recently we've begun contacting family and friends. Let me tell you something that may ease your concerns." He told Remus and Tonks about the bond he and Ginny had somehow created and the tiny matching white scars on the palms of their hands. By the time Ginny returned from the bedtime ritual, Tonks and Remus knew as much as Harry was prepared to divulge.

"So you don't think that the contract Percy and the Malfoys instigated was ever legal." Remus couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I never touched it," said Ginny calmly.

"What!" exclaimed Remus.

"I didn't want to," she said. "If there were any compulsion charms involved they had no effect. Harry had heard of magical contracts that were designed to take effect as soon as they were touched and had warned me about them."

"I'd been doing a lot of trawling through the books in the Black Library," said Harry, with a shudder. "They had several rather gruesome books on that very subject."

Remus took a steadying breath. Could everything be this simple? Merlin, he hoped so. "It's bordering on illegal to use these contracts but the old families – like the Blacks and the Malfoys - still cling to such customs and the Wizengamot is still entrenched in the past and the power of the Purebloods. I said it was 'bordering on illegal' but it isn't actually against the law."

"Bill's undertaken a little fact-finding mission for us. We're just making sure." Harry's eyes gleamed with determination.

"Luckily for us, Dumbledore is still in charge of the Wizengamot and will uphold the law. I know my brother Percy is an arse but he's an arse that sticks to the rules. If the contract is void, Percy will reluctantly accept it. He might not like it but he will accept it – if Dumbledore supports us."

"Five years ago I hadn't the power to openly help Ginny," said Harry bitterly. "Voldemort was on the rise and the Ministry was rife with corruption. 'Boy-who-lived' and all the crap that went with it weren't doing me any favours. They would have locked me up for the smallest infraction and trotted my controlled wizarding self out to promote their good deeds towards the populace. Then there was the state of my magic. I had no power in more ways than one."

"I am the pureblood daughter of a minor house. My blood status and my family's fecundity are what makes me a valuable commodity." Ginny held up her hands staying the protests. "No, you have to be realistic. One thing that made me attractive to the Malfoy's was that I was one of seven children. Do you know how rare a wizarding family with that many magical children is? The Weasleys have nothing in material or political terms and everything in love and commitment. I'm not talking about Percy here, you understand?" She gave a small shrug. "What we have, in my opinion – our ability to love - is far greater."

"But not to people like Lucius Malfoy," inserted Tonks. "They only care about their power, prestige and stupid pureblood ideals. My mother was burned off the family tapestry because she married a muggle-born. She doesn't regret marrying my father but always laments the loss of her identity. The Blacks were once a proud and noble family. In many circles, sadly, the opinion that counts is that the purer the blood, the better the wizard."

"My magic dwindled away until I couldn't even perform a Lumos. It completely died - I had nothing." Harry looked hard at Remus, willing him to understand. "I could not defend myself against the simplest hex. The only way I could fight for Ginny was to take her away with me. Sirius planned this place for me. He knew that I might need a safe hiding place. He was unhappy with the way that Dumbledore and the rest of the wizarding world treated me. If the old man isn't willing to help us – even with right on our side – Ginny and I will never return willingly to the world we once knew."

"But You-know-who," moaned Tonks.

"Will wreak havoc on the wizarding world," said Harry.

Remus shook his head. "Voldemort will never leave you alone, Harry. You are connected through your scar. He will search until he finds you."

"Then let him search, Remus. I've felt nothing since the night he was resurrected again. I had a mild headache when it happened and again when I found Snape, nothing more. He's weaker than he was before, I'm sure of it. Last time my headaches were debilitating – I couldn't move."

"The Magisiphonoux curse," said Tonks, shrugging when Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes, Dumbledore told us. He had to as Fleur was aware of what was cast on you. You-know-who and possibly Dumbledore are the only wizards alive who have the power to cast it but using such dark magic exacts a price."

"Drinking the blood of a unicorn also exacts a price – a half-life I was once told. Anything that weakens Voldemort is a plus but it will not keep him down for long, even without the skills of the premier Potions Master in Europe."

"There are other Potions Masters," said Remus quietly. "During the last five years Snape was training Draco and has admitted that the Malfoy heir is talented."

"Your fiancé, my love," Harry murmured to Ginny as she passed him heading towards the kettle.

"I broke it off," she shot back smartly making a rude gesture towards him.

"Did you inform the bounder that you no longer wished his hand in marriage?" persisted Harry, flashing her an impudent grin.

"He'll get the message eventually," she retorted. "Would you believe that on the rebound I foolishly married someone else? I cannot be yours."

Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his knee. "Name the scoundrel," he threatened dramatically. "I shall challenge him to a duel for you are mine and mine alone."

Remus and Tonks could only watch as Ginny pressed her forehead against Harry's, their eyes fixed on one another, the love between them almost palpable. "You've been reading my mother's old romance novels again, haven't you? Prat! Of course, I'm yours, love. We were always meant to be."

"Always," Harry returned, his lips finding the sweetness of his wife's. "Forget him. Just say the word and I'll make an honest woman of you."

"I thought that you did," she whispered, her lips partly sweetly over her husband's.

Remus swallowed and gave Dora a shaky nod. Love like this was too precious to waste and if he had a chance with the witch next to him then he'd take it. He'd been a fool to squander such a gift. He knew that she loved him but like a fool, he thought that her feelings would fade once she really considered his...affliction. Would Tonks agree to marry him if he asked her? Would Harry agree to be his best man?

Ginny withdrew her lips from Harry's and directed serious brown eyes at Remus. "Voldemort will never give up looking for Harry but we're not going to make it easy for him. Dumbledore had Harry locked up inside Grimmauld Place – that's no way to live."

"He did the same to Sirius," muttered Harry. "You would have thought that the manipulative old goat would have learned by now..."

"Harry," chided Ginny gently. "I'm almost as angry with the headmaster as you are but you cannot deny that he's a powerful wizard and we will need his help."

Harry's shoulders slumped a little. "I know, love, but I'm finding it harder to forgive than I thought. At least here, I can go out into the grounds – go to work. I have my family and something resembling a normal life. I know it's not going to last forever but I'm going to enjoy it while I can. The prophecy states that I'm the only one able to destroy Voldemort. More importantly the Dark Plonker believes it and that means that I'll have to face him sooner or later. However, I want to do it on my own terms. You can tell Dumbledore where I am, if you like, but he'll want me back in that gloomy mausoleum of a house that Sirius hated so much. I'd rather stay here and I'd rather him not knowing where I am for a little longer. It's far safer than anywhere else he might suggest I imprison myself in."

"I would rather let Albus know," said Remus quietly. "I know you have issues with him but he's only trying to do what is right for the wizarding world. All he wanted to do was keep you safe."

"He didn't always manage to do that – Quirrell, basilisk...Tri-Wizard tournament..." Harry ticked them off on his fingers. "Need I say more?"

"Okay, okay," said Remus.

"Some of it was my fault, I have to admit," said Harry. "I've always been the quintessential curious Gryffindor. But there's a difference between 'safe' and 'incarcerated'. But the real issue is that Dumbledore knew that my magic was disappearing. He knew why and he didn't tell me."

"I think he regrets that action, Harry," said Remus.

"Maybe, but I don't have time for his regrets. I think he wanted to keep me weaker than I was. I'm not going to go dark and start my own campaign against the wizarding world."

"No one ever said that you were, Harry." Ginny slipped from his knee and moved to the counter, collecting the kettle which she filled with water and switched on to boil.

Harry's eyes automatically tracked her movements before continuing softly, "it's lucky that I knew what was happening and was able to do a little to halt the worst case scenario, which would have been the permanent loss of my magic. I suppose I was just as bad as he was, in a way. I knew what was happening and didn't tell Dumbledore that I knew." Harry stood up and walked to the window, his eyes focused on the darkness outside. "I'm not going to go dark. I have a family to protect. Voldemort will not spare them in his aim to get to me. I do not want history to repeat itself. Ginny and I do not want our children orphaned."

Ginny give a little shake of her head and held up her hand at Remus as he opened his mouth to argue. "Let us tell everyone in our own time. It will have to be soon. Neither Harry nor I disagree about that. As soon as Voldemort returned for the third time we knew that our lives would change once more." She joined Harry at the window, slipping her arm through his. "The wizarding world is calling us home. I can feel my magic racing through me."

"That could also be hormones," Harry whispered cheekily.

"Git," said Ginny, poking him in the ribs.

"So you've told Molly, Bill and Fleur and now us," said Remus with a nod towards Tonks.

Harry nodded. "As I said before - we've also told the twins. They're far too inventive to be left out of the loop. Hermione and Ron are too close to Dumbledore and that's why we haven't told them yet. Ron was never very hot at Occlumency or keeping his mouth shut either."

Tonks frowned. "They were your best friends, Harry. Is that fair?"

Harry shrugged, his gaze still fixed out of the window. "Is disregarding my basic right to live my life the way that I want to, fair? I wasn't very happy with the way they behaved towards me when I left. Hermione ordered me around, telling me how to do my job and scolding me when I didn't do what she wanted me to as if she were my mother. Ron couldn't wait to accuse me of hiding Ginny or doing something else I shouldn't."

"But you did hide Ginny," chipped in Tonks.

"Yes, but it was the manner of his accusations. I did it to help her. Ron just lost the plot as usual and erupted without thinking. Hermione gave up on us. She couldn't believe that if Dumbledore couldn't do something then somebody else could. He's a great wizard but I know only too well that he can make mistakes. Somehow they lost me in the middle of it all. I was doing everything they asked of me but somehow it never was enough. I will tell them but only when I want to. I'm in control of my own life now and it's going to stay that way." Harry turned to face them, his mood changing. "Come on, I want to show you something."

Ginny chuckled. She loved to see Harry so enthusiastic about things. It reminded her of her father's love for anything muggle.

He led them through the house until they came to a stout wooden door. "This is where the original part of the cottage ends. Attached to the house was a barn or possibly a large animal shed. It's huge - almost as big as the original part of the house - and I have big plans." Opening the door, he flicked his wand into the darkness. "Lumos." He grinned at them. "Come on."

Remus and Tonks followed Harry into the large empty space and stopped in awe as the young man's Lumos illuminated a large empty space. The light coming from the wand caught the rustic stone walls and high above, the aged wooden beams.

"Merlin!" exclaimed Tonks. "It must be two stories high."

"The idea is to turn this into the wizarding part of the house," Ginny explained. "We could have got this done when the house was bought for us but Harry, the prat, wanted to do some of it himself."

"I wasn't sure what I was going to be able to do when we left the magical world and I thought it would keep me occupied," he said. "I used to do a lot of maintenance work for my Uncle Vernon during the summers I spent at Privet Drive." He left out the fact that he'd been forced to do the work. "I've spent many a weekend clearing this place out muggle-fashion," the young man admitted, with a wry grin. "I couldn't do anything magically. I'd been advised by my medical adviser not to - even if I could. Any use of my magic could have disabled it permanently. For once I did as I was told and left it to recover. As I was not using my wand it would be almost impossible for the Ministry to trace my movements."

"Who told you not to use your magic?" asked Tonks, instantly zeroing in on what had been omitted from Harry's explanation. By the sound of things, Harry had needed a healer and there was only one witch he would trust.

"We don't want to say," said Ginny softly. "And I suppose if you thought long and hard about it you would guess who it was. They risked a lot for us." She cleared her throat with a brisk cough and changed the subject. "There's enough room in here for a potions lab and a library and perhaps even a duelling space."

Remus looked at Tonks and raised an eyebrow enquiringly. Tonks gave a sigh and nodded reluctantly. They would keep Harry and Ginny's secret for a little longer.

"We won't tell Dumbledore," said Remus quietly.

"I sense a 'but' coming along," Harry muttered sardonically.

Remus almost smiled. "We won't tell Dumbledore yet but if the need arises we will."

Harry shrugged. "Fair enough. Perhaps when the need arises I'll be ready to show myself anyway. I'm the secret keeper for this place and therefore no one can get past the wards without Ginny's or my say–so."

Tonks turned her head sharply to look at Ginny who shrugged. "We agree on most things."

"Harry..." Remus said.

"I remember my history, Moony," Harry said fiercely. "There's no way my wife and children are suffering my fate."

"Children?" Tonks said sharply. That was the second time that Harry had mentioned children. He hadn't hidden another one upstairs, had he?

Ginny grinned smugly. "What can I say; I'm a Weasley and he can't keep his hands off me."

Harry smiled and then blushed. "True. She gets this look in her eye and I..."

Remus's eyes widened. "That's perhaps more information that I care to know." He rubbed his forehead tiredly, massaging the place where the ache was threatening to build at his temple. Ginny was pregnant! He had to make the cub see sense and accept all the help he could get – even if that meant Dumbledore. It was clear that Dumbledore had handled Harry the wrong way but they needed one another and Harry needed to see sense. "Harry, you've already moved past what your parents did."

"No, I haven't," he said quietly. "Voldemort is still alive. I want to see my son go to Hogwarts, I want to teach him to fly and play Quidditch with him. I want to know my second child – boy, girl or garden gnome." He ignored his wife's snort of derision. "Dumbledore would have denied me that right if I'd let him. He wants me to throw away my life for the cause. I find these days that I'm a little more selfish."

Tonks surveyed the unrestored space of the old barn, a solemn expression on her heart-shaped face. "Then we will have to make sure that it happens – that you see your family grow up the way you want to. But eventually you will have to come to some sort of peace with Dumbledore. You need him as much as the wizarding world needs you."

Harry swallowed. "I know. But I don't trust him to think about me." He shrugged lightly. "I know that sounds selfish but there's more to being me than some Voldemort fighting-machine."

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Gringotts

The goblin frowned as he searched the room for the human employee he was required to fetch. It was not a task he enjoyed – fetching humans - but he was, as yet, not a senior in the Gringotts ranks. When he reached the status of such a goblin of power he would send others to do his bidding and enjoy it.

"Mistress Weasley?"

Fleur looked up from the parchment she was studying, her silvery hair swinging around her face. "Oui?"

"Silverbreath has finished examining that parchment you gave him. It is necessary you speak with him immediately."

Fleur gave the goblin a respectful nod as she placed her work in her desk and set a small security ward. "Thank you, Logram. May your coffers greatly increase."

The goblin's frosty manner thawed a little. For a witch, Mistress Weasley appreciated the way of the goblins more than most but then, she had Veela blood in her veins and had made a good marriage. Her husband was almost considered to be an honorary goblin himself as he'd enabled the goblin nation to add much wealth to their vaults in his profession as a curse breaker.

"I will bring my husband. He will want to be present for this," she said. A flick of her wand and a small mirror floated in front of her face. Fleur checked to see if there were any imperfections but finding none, blew herself a kiss and the mirror vanished.

Slipping from her cubicle, she made her way along a utilitarian marble-floored corridor - the best quality floors were at least two levels above them - until she reached the room where the human curse-breaking team were based.

"Bill," she murmured softly.

"Cherie?"

"Silverbreath would like to see us. He has finished examining the contract."

"He has?" Bill leapt to his feet. "Let's go." He was half out of the office before he stopped and said to his wife, "Hold on, Harry gave me something he thought might help." He pulled out his wand, muttered a couple of words and a small bottle floated across the room. "Pensieve memory," he said quietly. "Of when Harry and Ginny bonded to one another. I used some of those old Egyptian wards to keep it safe."

"The goblins are on our side but extra evidence will not go amiss," agreed Fleur. She held out her hand. "Come on."

"I don't know what Sirius did to give Harry the goblins' protection but it's certainly been worth it." Bill's large freckled hand enclosed Fleur's. "He's in his office?"

The French witch daintily dropped a kiss on his scarred cheek. "Oui. Silverbreath is in his office" She led the way through the crowded human employee stations until they reached the lift to the upper floor.

Bill gave a soft whistle at the gleaming chandeliers and smooth polished marble flooring. "It's been a while since I made it up to this level of the building. I forget how grand it is. Dad said that this is what Malfoy Manor is like."

"Grand it may be," stated Fleur, her hand giving Bill's a quick squeeze. "But it's not exactly comfortable. It's cold... without soul. I prefer the delights of Shell Cottage...and the warmth of you."

Bill's heart melted at her words and was sure that the look on his face was one of pure adoration for his wife.

"That's one of the reasons I love you, too, Cherie."

Fleur smiled at him once more, then lifted her hand and knocked smartly on an imposing carved oak door.

"Come!" a gravelly voice intoned.

Bill murmured a soft phrase in Gobbledygook as his eyes met those of Silverbreath. "Thank you for agreeing to see us, honoured elder."

"Young Weasley!" growled the goblin pleasantly, before turning to Fleur and gesturing to a chair. "Your bondmate has informed us of your fertility. May you continue to prosper financially."

Fleur resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Goblins! "Thank you, honoured elder," she replied demurely.

"You have examined the parchment thoroughly?" asked Bill eagerly.

The goblin peered at him over glinting sliver-framed spectacles. "Yes."

"And is it what we thought it was?" Bill pressed. He handed the small vial containing Harry's memories to the goblin. "The Potters thought that this might clarify matters further."

"Good." Silverbreath conjured a curved stone dish and poured the memories into it. "Three memories?"

"Three," agreed Bill. "Our client thought that these would be the most important."

Silverbreath already knew what the parchment did or did not contain but was eager to see the true evidence of the Potters' apparent joining. He would know then what they were up against.

"We will deal with any problems together. I'm not allowing you to push me away this time. I'm not allowing life to separate us. We have to go on living it." She reached up and gently kissed him on the lips as if sealing a vow and it was as if a ripple of glowing gold magic shimmered through the air, catching them unaware in its elusive mist. "Being without you isn't making me happy, Harry. To be honest, it's not making me any safer, either. I'm fighting for you. I'm not going away, nor am I giving up. This time I will win."

Silverbreath emerged from the memory muttering, "...interesting, interesting. If the second one is as illuminating then I think we should have no problem with the legality of the situation."

Harry dug into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small silver knife. Slicing it across his palm he motioned to Ginny to do the same. She didn't know what he was trying to do with this, but held out her hand, palm up and let him make a small cut to match his. "Whatever happens," he vowed. "I'll not let you go through this alone. Whatever happens, I'll be with you."

Pressing their palms together, they couldn't fail to notice the soft golden shimmer of magic which covered them both.

"Well," Ginny stated in surprise. "Something happened there,"

Harry's brow creased in concern. "Yeah, I'm just not exactly sure what did happen. But it was some form of blood magic."

Silverbreath lifted his head and stared severely at Bill and Fleur. "Why didn't you bring me these memories long ago? We could have saved time and many galleons over this." He lowered his head once more towards the shallow stone dish.

"We made a blood oath," said Ginny simply.

"We didn't use words," said Harry. "We didn't need to. Ginny and I belonged together. We'd only split up to protect her."

The goblin emerged from viewing the final strand memory and pushed the document across the desk to Bill. "This piece of vellum is almost empty of magic. The enchantments never took hold and as their relationship grew, the magic held within faded away. Your sister and her husband had the stronger prior claim from the very beginning. They are husband and wife because magic wills it to be so.

Fleur squeezed Bill's hand. "Yes," she crowed. "Then their marriage is allowed by the law? They married in a muggle ceremony but were not certain it would be allowed."

"If it was not allowed, Madame," the goblin said gruffly, "then it would not have happened – wizarding, muggle or even goblin magic would have been as useless as a boggart in a joke shop. Young Potter and his bond mate are fated to be together and nothing should prevent their union. Magic is our law. Magic protects them and so does the goblin race.

"What is our next move?" asked Fleur. "If we take this to the Ministry, then we alert our enemies."

"It has to be done at some point," muttered Bill. "We're going to have to go to the official source and that's the Ministry. Nothing else is acceptable."

The goblin looked thoughtful. "Mr. Potter isn't still wanted for questioning?"

Bill frowned. "I'm not sure – they never proved that Harry had anything to do with Ginny's disappearance. We could get Tonks or Kingsley to investigate but then they might want to know why and that would alert Albus. The Malfoys still think she's contracted to Draco. They will do anything to cause trouble for Harry and our family. Then there's the Minister and his desire to have Harry as a publicity icon."

"It seems to me, Mr. Weasley, that we will have little choice in alerting your enemies over this. He has broken no law. Miss Weasley went with him willingly."

"Actually," Bill muttered. "She went first."

"But it was Harry's plan, n'est ce pas?" Fleur asked, arching a beautifully shaped eyebrow.

"It will soon be time for Harry Potter and his family to return home and then we shall see."

"But they are home..." Fleur said. "They have la belle maison and it is protected by the Fidelius Charm."

"That is not what Silverbreath means," said Bill. His blue eyes caught the dark ones of the goblin who nodded. "Harry and Ginny have been in exile for five years away from their friends and family. They've been living as muggles, denying themselves their magic. They need to become part of our world once more – the wizarding world."

Fleur frowned. "It is not so easy, Môn Cher. They are hunted by all - He-who-can-not-be-named and his minions, Percy and the Ministry, even Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix want a piece of Harry and Ginny."

Bill straightened up. "Then we have to make sure that it doesn't happen because I can bet every galleon in our vault that Harry doesn't want that."

Silverbreath's toothy grin was feral. "Harry and Ginevra Potter have been declared 'Friends of the goblin nation'. Mr. Weasley, what would you suggest we do?"

"You have given them some measure of protection but they need more than that. Training," said the wizard eagerly. "The goblins have in times past created weapons of deadly beauty. They need to be able to wield such weapons. They will need to fight like warriors."

Fleur nodded. "They are safe under the Fidelius you helped them cast. They need more than that. Cinq années without their magique is...is deplorable. They need a..." She turned to her husband, her excellent command of English vanishing in her excitement. "What do you call it? Crashing their course?"

Bill chuckled. "A crash course."

Fleur clapped her hands together delightedly. "Oui! You can start with the weapons and fitness training. Bill and I will arrange for advanced magic lessons."

Silverbreath stood up. "I will see what can be arranged on behalf of the goblins. You will help us greatly by tutoring them in Defence, Transfiguration and Charms. Only by practising their magic will they allow their strength to grow to what it should be."

The Weasleys quickly agreed.

"Perhaps some healing skills would also be beneficial," said Bill thoughtfully. "I'm planning on taking a refresher course myself."

"A good idea," said the goblin sagely. "However, you have something else that you must do which you've already mentioned. You must start proceedings in the Ministry to have the marriage formally legalised."

"But it is legal," protested Bill. "You said so."

"Yes, it is legal. And I am sorry but you will still have to do it for the magical world," said Silverbreath. "You know that it's legal and I know that it is but it needs to be done formally for the Ministry." He said the last word with a pronounced sneer of disgust. "Especially with Mr. and Mrs. Potter being who they are. You are head of the Weasley family so it is well within your rights." He opened a file lying on the desk and removed a creamy piece of parchment. "This is a copy of the Potter's marriage license. You will need this."

"Can it be done quietly?" asked Bill. "It will be difficult as we are all watched. The Ministry is no less corrupt than it was five years ago."

Silverbreath frowned. "I would go and do it immediately." He summoned another piece of parchment and scribbled something on it. "This will let your supervisor know that you are undertaking an important task on my behalf. You can say that you are on goblin business when you arrive. No one will disbelieve it." He tapped a long gnarled fingernail against his nose. "Top secret."

"Go," urged Fleur. "I'll have dinner ready. I know it's your turn to cook ce soir but I will do it this once."

Bill kissed his wife on the cheek and bowed his head respectfully to Silverbreath. He moved to leave the office and then paused. "It can't be done quietly, can it?" Bill answered his own question. "The information will only be top secret until I mention Harry's name and then all sorts of red sparks will go off in the depths of the Ministry alerting all the people we'd rather not know anything about it."

Silverbreath's smile was feral. "Then you'd better be prepared to deal with it." He reached for a piece of parchment and a quill. "Give this to your department head before you leave for the Ministry. It will give you a week's special leave due to family circumstances." His eyes were fierce as he gazed across his desk at Bill. "This was always going to happen sooner rather than later."

Fleur gazed at her husband with concern. "Perhaps it would be better if we were not at home once the news has broken. Harry and Ginny should have some warning of this. I did not realise that things would be so...immediate."

Bill pursed his lips and shook his head. "There's nothing else to do but get on with it." He accepted the piece of parchment. "I'll give this to Durin."

Fleur looked at Bill for confirmation. "I'll go home and pack us some clothes. Ginny's already invited us to stay any time we wanted to."

"Good idea." Bill bowed to Silverbreath and escorted Fleur from the office. "Could you send an owl to the twins and to mum? They should also be told. Dumbledore won't stay clueless for long and the last thing we need right now is for Percy or the Malfoys bothering Mum. Perhaps George and Fred could tell Ginny and Harry that we're all coming to stay."

"She's going to love that."

"That's what family is for," Bill retorted. "Plus, so far, they've got off lightly in their marriage. They've not had the full complement of Weasleys round for Sunday lunch. It's time they started. We'll break them in gently."

Fleur pressed a soft kiss on Bill's lips. "Good luck," she murmured. "Behave and try not to get into trouble. In and out, remember? I will be waiting for you."

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