I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Extended Family

Chapter 29 – A Piece of Paradise

Takes place shortly after the last chapter of Family

"Okay, basically all forms of travel suck when you're pregnant," Angelina grumbled. "I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"Yeah, same," Katie said queasily. She rubbed her belly. "I'm sorry baby. You don't like it either." She took the small vial from Harry and drank it. "Thanks love," she said as she felt the anti-nausea potion kick in.

Angelina wiped her mouth after drinking hers. "Thanks Rabbit. That's a little better." She looked around, "At least this would be the nicest place I've been sick at."

They stood in the middle of a very large natural area. Hills dotted the landscape with woods to the west of them. A small creek ran through and they were the only ones around. The air felt fresh and tasted sweet, the wind blowing coolly about them. It was idyllic in every sense of the word.

"Be careful!" Alicia called as Hadley and Hailey and Dahlia went running off. "Is it safe for them to do that?" she asked, bouncing Melanie on her hip.

"Yep, the entire area has been inspected and only your run of the mill mundane animals around and no large predators," Harry said confidently. "I also did a rudimentary ward line around and there's nothing to worry about right now."

"That's good," Oliver said as he took Melanie from Alicia. "It's really nice out here."

"What are we doing here?" Luna asked brightly, looking about.

"Well, I asked all of you to come with me for a very specific reason," Harry said to his assembled friends and family. "I've been working on a project for years now and Katie's really the only one that knows about it aside from Uncle Ted. It's been ages since I started and I just got a bit of good news last week meaning the initial stage is pretty much done."

He gestured with his arms around. "So this large bit of land used to belong to the Potters a long time ago. They used to have a manor here and own the land around it. I did some reading through my family Vaults and found the original deed. Turns out the manor was broken down shortly before Tom rose and bits and pieces of the land was sold or taken through various ways. My grandparents had a very nice place here before it was destroyed too during everything."

"That really sucks," George said.

"Yeah, but the most important things were put in Gringotts like pictures and books and things so it's okay overall."

Daphne looked around. "This much land is on par with some of the most Ancient families."

"I checked, it's definitely smaller than most of them, actually the smallest, but it's still a good piece of land," Harry said.

"Too bad you lost most of it," Tracy said.

"Well, as of last week, I pretty much have it back together. With investing my earnings and things and negotiations with parties, I've managed to gather everything together."

"So all this is yours?" Fred whistled. "That's awesome. What are you going to do?"

"Don't you say it Oliver," Alicia said severely.

"But," Oliver looked around dreamily, "just imagine the size of the pitch we could have here."

Everyone laughed. "Well I do plan on having a small one but that'll depend," Harry said.

"On what?" Hermione asked.

"On all of you." Harry hugged Katie. "One thing Katie told me forever ago was that part of her talking with Alicia and Angelina way back was they told her to imagine the three of them together on the porch or in the garden together."

Angelina smiled softly. "I remember that."

"We wanted to be neighbors so our children can grow up together and play together and we'd be friends forever," Alicia said with a teary expression.

"And I mean, with apparition and Floo travel, it hasn't been terrible to get together but it's not quite the same." Katie rubbed her stomach. "For a while we kept trying to find like three houses or more close by and the market has been really rough. It's kinda hard to just sit and wait for the opportunity."

"Then I remembered about this piece of land and did some research," Harry continued. "It's actually easy to connect houses to the Floo network and as long as you get the permit to build a new neighborhood and pay a fee to maintain the permit, it's surprisingly doable."

"You can do that? Just build a neighborhood?" Ron asked, surprised.

"It's an old law apparently, back when magicals had way more trouble finding safe places to live and all that. Some of the magical only villages and places were a bunch of magicals banding together and living together," Harry said. "Since I'm not exactly trying to build a village or a town or anything, just a neighborhood. No business or anything. We don't even have to name it or whatever."

"Technically if you do it on private land, the land owner can do what they want. It's a bit nebulous but you can argue just about anything. That's why some magicals have large preserves for animal husbandry or the like. Or scads of fields and greenhouses," Hermione said. "One of the clients at Ted's firm does a lot of land management and ownership. Just like Harry said, if you pay the fee to maintain whatever licensure you need, the Ministry lets you be."

"What exactly are you saying," Alicia said, staring at Harry.

"I did some math and figuring and had a professional come out to divvy up lots and the like and well, there's plenty of room here for ten plus houses of various sizes. From small cottages to five-bedroom houses with accompanying yards or gardens," Harry said to the astonished group. "Each plot has a little extra space to expand too."

"You…you got all this land for us to make houses and live here?" Angelina asked faintly.

"Yup, together. I even sourced out a good construction company for house building."

"That's you?!" Tracy shouted. "My family has been working with someone for ages now. Building plans and stockpiling materials. I was wondering who it was because we're basically doing things at cost for most of it and only big orders and names get that kind of treatment!"

"That's me," Harry smiled. "I also gave the company a very large down payment and retainer fee."

"I'll say. I remember my mum and dad being delirious with joy when they landed the contract." Tracy ran up the nearby hill and waved her wand. She gasped loud enough for everyone to hear and came dashing back down. "I've seen the layout for this place pinned against our project wall for a while now. I never knew!"

"You're serious," Alicia said, awed.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I miss seeing everyone everyday and I know we all are busy and we've done pretty well with keeping in touch and all but," he shrugged awkwardly, "I thought it would be really nice to be neighbors. To be able to see each other a lot easier. Spend as much time as we want together or not but the option would be there."

"People with money are scary and I'm part of the Blacks," Dora said seriously.

"Sirius would have done this if he wanted to, a lot faster and easier even," Harry laughed. "It took me a lot of investment and negotiation. Like I said, years of work. I lived very comfortably but a good chunk of my income and savings went into investments and stuff for this."

"I don't know," George said half-teasingly, "I think Harry is trying to set himself up as a baron and have us move onto his land and use us as indentured servants."

"I'll weed the turnips milord," Fred said in a rough accent and bowed low to Harry. "Please milord, spare the rod and the taxes!" Everyone laughed loudly at that with Harry laughing loudest.

"The thought did cross my mind but I wouldn't ever want to be responsible for you two." The twins nodded agreeably to his words. "Besides, I thought of a way around it. Did everyone bring what I told them to?"

Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out a Galleon. "Yeah."

Harry took it and gave him a piece of rolled parchment. Oliver undid the tie and looked at it, his eyes growing wide. "This…this is the deed for a plot of land."

"That's not a small plot either!" Alicia nearly shrieked, reading beside Oliver. "You sold us prime land for a Galleon?!"

"That's right. It's never been about the money for me. It's about happiness, mine and yours," Harry said firmly.

"Harry, you could sell this for hundreds if not thousands of Galleons!" Oliver said.

"I could. You also own the land and if you wanted to, I can't stop you but I hope you don't. I really want this and I think you guys want this too."

"Are you just going to let him do this?" Alicia asked Katie.

"It's not my land technically," she replied.

"You're his wife!"

"I'm well aware," Katie said, deeply amused. "But I mean, I would love to have you all living beside us. All of us growing together, seeing each other all the time. Watching our kids growing up together. Imagine our families all living here if they wanted to. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

"I know it's a big decision and investment. You'll be leaving where you are, having to spend money on a home and getting it built and set up even with the down payments I made and things at cost. But I wanted to give you all the option and the ability and we'll make things work," Harry said sincerely.

Alicia and Oliver shared looks. A screech of laughter from the three rampaging girls made them look over at them and Oliver softened as he bounced Melanie. "This would be a really good place to raise children," he said.

"And we'd be with the others," Alicia said slowly. "It seems too opportune to give up."

George and Angelina looked at one another. "What do you think?" Angelina asked.

"You know what I think," George said. "Whatever makes you happy and well, this place is really nice. And you've told me about you living besides Alicia and Katie and it would be really nice to let the sprogs run around and be with each other without having to plan much and the like."

Angelina hugged and kissed him and pulled out a Galleon. "Guess we'll be neighbors Rabbit!" She and Katie and Alicia squealed and hugged each other.

Harry turned to the others. "Well? What do you say?"

"Dear Merlin what is that?!" Luna screamed, pointing over their shoulders. While everyone flinched and jumped and turned to look, she dashed in front of everyone to Harry with her Galleon ready.

"What was that?!" Daphne yelled when she turned back and saw what Luna had done.

"A distraction," Luna said primly and she eagerly took the roll of parchment from Harry. She hugged it to her chest, eyes dancing with delight.

"I can't believe that worked," Hermione groused. She looked torn. "Harry, how can we ever repay you for this? Even with us paying this hilariously laughable pittance for the land and the reduced cost for the home, we would still owe you so much."

"You already pay me with your friendship and care," Harry said. "If you think about it, this is terribly self-serving and selfish of me. I want you all to live beside me for my own benefit."

"That is the most selfish thing I have ever heard you say and it is still incredibly sweet," Daphne smiled.

"That's me, sweetly selfish." He smiled while they snorted and laughed. "You can also pay me back in sweets." He grunted when Dahlia, Hadley, and Hailey came tumbling down the hill and tackled his legs bodily, making him stumble. "Help watch the little ones once in a while."

"You barely need to ask that." Hermione blinked. "This is what you meant back then, when you told me to hold onto that thought. When I was sick." She smiled at his nod. "Then how can I say no?" She handed him her coin and hugged him tightly, taking her roll of parchment.

"So Dad knows?" Tonks asked as she flipped her coin at Harry, catching the roll he tossed to her.

"Yeah, he's been helping me a lot with the project. I even have a plot for him and MumAndi set aside eventually. Don't worry, yours is on the other side."

She laughed. "Good! C'mere dumpling!" She lifted a squealing Dahlia into the air. "Auntie Dora is going to be your neighbor and spoil you rotten!"

Harry looked at Daphne and Tracy. "I didn't know if you had other plans eventually. I know you're the heir and all that in your family Daphne."

"Yes but Astoria loves our family home and well, she'd be happier there. Happier than I would be. I can think of few places finer than here and with you all as neighbors." She looked at Tracy who nodded eagerly and she handed her Galleon to Harry. "Thank you, dear friend." Her eyes sparkled. "Besides, it brings me great joy to be living beside my coming godchild."

"I'm honestly pretty happy with living in Diagon," Fred said. "I kind of like city life."

"We'll have a room for you of course," Angelina said.

"Brilliant! I'll weed the turnips when I'm around though," he laughed.

"I'll double check with Hannah," Ron said. "We live in the top part of the Leaky right now as you know but eventually when we have kids and stuff, I think it'll be better if we have a place apart. But for now," he handed a gold coin to Harry and happily took the parchment, "this will be so cool!"

"What's going on?" Hailey asked, looking up at her aunts and uncles and parents.

"We're going to be moving soon," George said to his daughter. "You've always wanted a proper yard to run around in, right?"

"We're moving here?" Hailey asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, and you know the best part?" Angelina asked with a big smile. "You'll be living next door to Dahlia and Hadley!"

"Really?!" Hadley looked up at her parents. "We're moving too?!"

"That's right pumpkin," Oliver chuckled. "We'll all be living here and you'll be next door neighbors with your best friends."

"And your godfather obviously," Alicia smiled.

Hailey and Hadley shrieked happily and they leapt at Harry, knocking him over. Dahlia wriggled until Tonks set her down and she flung herself at her best friends and her father, bowling them all over. They babbled with pure glee.

"How long does it take to build a house?" Angelina asked Tracy.

"Depends on the size and design of course but with magic, a lot faster than the regular way. Some things you do by hand to make sure they last better of course but lots of ways to save time. A lot of time is waiting on materials and sourcing those but we've been stockpiling basics for a while now and keeping a reserve. I always wondered why we were," she replied. "With a dedicated crew and making sure you do everything right, a week or so give or take a few days."

Oliver set Melanie down who was watching her older sister attacking her godfather with envy. Finally released, she toddled over for Harry to sweep her up and run away from the other three girls, laughing as they chased after him squealing.

"I still cannot believe him sometimes," Daphne said softly. "This kind of land could set him and his family up for generations to come. He could build a manor estate to rival the oldest families and to cement a dynasty."

Katie put an arm around her shoulders. "He is setting up his family, all of his family."

Daphne beamed and hugged the older woman. "You are right of course."

Harry eventually returned and he took everyone around, showing them their plots and how he selected them. After a lot of dreamy thinking and planning, they all left for their own homes, eager for things to come.

Katie laid back on their bed with a grateful sigh, rubbing her front. "I'm so happy everyone basically agreed."

"Me too," Harry said as he laid down and pulled her to him, letting her head settle on his chest. "It'll be a dream come true."

"We're building a pitch though, right?"

"Oh definitely."

-0-0-0-

diffident-serpiente - Thank you for your kind words. Writing is an escape during my day so I haven't felt burned out and I have at least a month's worth of chapters set if I post twice a week so we are in good shape and I haven't even done the AUs yet, those will be 2-3 chapters each. I'm still wrestling with my next idea but I'm coming close to start it. Thank you for your care.

alix33 - That was my favorite part, Dahlia being proud of her magical sneezes.

guest - Yes, good friends are a boon in tough times.

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - He always looks out for his family.

Urgwaew - I thought it would fit her very well and its something that others can identify with and see themselves doing. Especially when she is on her own. I'll have to check that fic out. Hope things are a bit calmer for you. My best to you.

Mattyb4678 - You will have to wait and see.