Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To CorbanD17: I like knowing I'm giving people some hope (so I can crush them!) Haha, just kidding… (mostly). Thank you! To AQuickRead91: A Molly hug is definitely something everyone wants. Thank you! To neumann: Sirius was eavesdropping and of course he missed that part lol. As for Hermione, we will see! Thank you! To Poppy_Wild: Ron and Hermione have some things to discuss. Thank you! To PhoenixorFlame: You certainly did! Yes, Rose will not be making an appearance for Ron and Hermione just yet. As for Ron and Hermione taking a break, we will see what happens, but yes, they both have a lot on their minds and a lot going on. Thank you! I was so excited for Remus to FINALLY put the "I'm fine!" on Harry's forehead! It wears off when he wakes up, but worth it lol. Thank you! I do think Theo and Bas are cute. As to Sirius, worry is good. I hope I have some surprises still to come! Thank you very much! To shuweet: I love Theo having a real family with Bas' family too, so thank you! I'm so happy so many people love them as much as I do! Bas contacting Draco and Theo in the previous chapter is so sweet, isn't it? Thank you! To Mackie919: Thank you! Hinny definitely needed to spend some time together and Harry needed the family time as well so he knows he's not really fine. We will have to see for Ron and Hermione. Theo and Bas are always adorable in my mind. Thank you!
To SiriusLover93: Ha, I approve of the songs. I do like some plot twists so I'm glad you think I'm keeping them up. Thank you! To c_thru_the_looking_glass: Sirius does need to remember his life and save Zee. We will have to see what happens. Thank you! To guest111: Aw, I love that it was your favourite chapter until the end. Sorry to make you scream, but also thank you so much! To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To TatiRena: Thank you! Welcome back yourself. I'm happy to know I already have you so excited. Happy to keep you on your toes! Thank you! To katelyn453: Thank you! Yes, Ron and Hermione definitely need to chat. Thank you! To Mrs_Norway: Yes, those three do need to go to jail ASAP. As to Ron and Hermione, we shall see. Thank you for enjoying their Christmas. Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr: Things are heating up! Thank you so much for loving the found family in this fic. Thank you! To reginaphalange: Thank you for saying that I have "a great knack for adding levity into tense situations." I do try. Thank you! To Marauder0716: They definitely did get sloppy (but also, they didn't plan things very well lol). Thank you! To mike3308: Hermione is definitely not dealing with things the way she should. Thank you! To Rozmeen: Glad to keep things interesting! Thank you! To alix33: So glad you loved Theo's gift to Bas. Happy to make you laugh. Thank you!
To scrappy8: Thank you! To KingRajesh: It's true, Ron and Hermione never really got a break from going to Australia to starting their new jobs and Auror training, it's a lot for them to process. Harry's stress definitely isn't helping. Sirius does more than he's letting on, yes, but also, not everything is clear. Thank you! To Sunny JS: Sneaky Sirius has caught them in their lies. You want a Moomy, Dadfoot, and Prongslet reunion scene? That would be sweet. Yes, Harry does have a lot of Sirius in him (including teaching the young ones to swear lol). Thank you! To Read and Fly: Yes, things are getting tense for Sirius. You think he needs to go to Remus to find answers? Interesting. As to whether I will let both Sirius and Zee die or save one of them, you will have to wait and see. Who knows what will happen? (Well, I do obviously as I'm working on chapter 23, but still LOL). Ron does still have some insecurities to work through but so does Hermione. Thank you! To minerdude: Thank you for enjoying my "mostly off stage Sirius" and no, I didn't list them as dead yet. Thank you! To akshutalankar: Sorry to have torn your heart out by having Ron cry. They could use a swift kick in the arse by the people they love. As to Sirius getting his memories back and then being killed after the three months, no promises. Thank you! To Emma Janet: Ron and Hermione are going through a lot and you're absolutely right; Harry may have "saving people thing, but the two of them have a fixing thing." You think their break will last a month tops? Nope, decided Victoire would be born in 1999. Thank you! To Nightwing2013: Thank you! It was one of those pranks I kept teasing and never found the right moment to use. It was fun to finally write it out. Thank you for loving Bas being dominant. I love writing him and Theo together. Ron and Hermione definitely need to work on communication. Thank you!
To The cat with blue eyes: Well, Sirius heard mostly everything lol. Thank you! To darkhk: I was beginning to think you forgot about me lol. Yes, Sirius does deserve a shake. Thank you! To charmshield7: Thank you for just coming into my world of ASC/Kismet. Three weeks to read ASC is pretty impressive. Thanks for loving my portrayal of the characters and how they've developed over the years. I'm sorry to have made you cry several times, but thank you! As to Sirius and Zee, losing hope is definitely something Harry is refusing to do. Thanks for loving all of the Hinny smut — I'm glad they're your favourite parts. Thank you! To anon: Sorry you feel there are too many sex scenes. This will not change and there are more to come. Thank you for reading. To CrazyWithABook: Thank you! To ellyann13: Yes, Ron and Hermione do need to talk. Theo just loves to spoil people in his life. LOL, I love that! FINE "Feeling Inside Not Expressed!" Well said. Harry and Ginny are definitely focused on the intimacy of what they're doing, being part of every moment with each other. Thank you for loving their moments. Theo does have Bas' family, they love him. Thank you! To ITHersey: Yes, stress in any relationship can be hard and Ron and Hermione will have to figure things out. As to Sirius getting answers, we will see. Thank you! To Nan001: Sorry to shatter your heart with Romione tears. Thanks for loving the prank! Harry definitely had it coming to him for years. Thank you for loving my Theobas. Thank you very much!
To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you very much! I'm happy to know you're enjoying the plot to this tale. Thank you! To HardierGnome: Thank you enjoying the story. As to the sex scenes, I'm afraid that I will not be toning them down and there are more of them. I'm sorry if you feel it's repetitive. I'm happy to know you're excited about Sirius' memories and his reaction to the three bitches when he learns the truth. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Yes, a pregnancy scare. I do love writing Tonks and Harry sibling banter. As to the prank, I don't know if it will help Harry, but he needs to learn not to say fine so much lol. Yes, the Kanes adore Theo (as they should!). We will see more of the Grangers soon. Yes, Harry is a grandchild to Sorcha and Misha for sure! Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Yes, it was a sad chapter for Romione. They definitely need to talk things out. As to Ron crying on his mother's shoulder, I loved that moment. Harry and Ginny as well as Theo and Bas are finally settling and definitely so very much in love. Thanks for loving the prank. Yes, the prank when Harry turned Sirius' hair silver was a great one! Thank you! To BgIta: Hello, Italy! Thank you so much for calling ASC "a masterpiece." I'm so happy you're enjoying the new story just as much! Thank you very much!
To Bellmel: Thank you for saying it's refreshing to see real relationship struggles take place, even if they do make us sad. Yes, Theobas' first Christmas together! I'm glad you loved their time together and of course Sebastian was going to give him something to show his warrior side. No, Theo was with the Weasleys and everyone on Christmas Eve at Clevedon Court, so Christmas Day was spent with the Kanes and he loved it. I love having Sadira call him her ray of sunshine. He definitely deserves that! Ha, presents are hard I agree. Harry and Tonks deserve happy moments together, even if it's sibling banter lol. Yes, the book by Eden Saxon (how could I resist?). Thank you! To Sets: Wow! Thanks for giving me three reviews! Sorry, no reaction from Auden about the prank. He and Harry have other things to talk about lol. Yes, poor Romione. It was kind of fun to show the family tree and yes, everyone is more or less related to the Blacks in some fashion. Thank you! To ThomasJAvery: Thank you! I'm sorry to hear you're under so much stress. I hope everything calms down for you soon! Thanks for finding the Ron and Hermione "super emotional and amazingly written." They do have some things to work through. Theobas deserved some amazing cute times. I love writing the whole family dynamic and I'm glad you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks for loving the prank Remus FINALLY put on Harry. Theo definitely has a family that loves the real him and he's not going to take that for granted. Sirius is starting to remember stuff a bit more, yes. Thank you very much! To MissKnowItAll: Thank you! Yes, I have no problem with people wanting to use my OC's in their own fan fictions, I just please ask that you write an author's note saying they are my characters from my world of ASC and that you're just borrowing them. Thank you very much!
To Ellieoryan7447: Thank you for saying the Hinny smut was very well written and very hot. Confident Harry being a bit dominant is very sexy. He can only be like that with Ginny and I think it says a lot about their relationship that they're both so comfortable with each other. Theo having nightmares was important to point out because I think despite the fact that he is healing with his sessions, it is dredging up a lot of horrible things from his past. Sebastian knows exactly how to comfort him and when he called Draco and Blaise to do it because he had to leave, I just love the sweetness of that. As to the teasing about cock sizes and Theo calling Draco's a squished quill, happy to make you chuckle. Blaise's shower being turned to cold was definitely more than deserved LOL. I love showing Harry and Ginny teasing each other, especially when it kind of goes over Harry's head lol. Yes, Ginny giving Harry fruit and him loving every second of it was so them. He loves her silliness and sarcasm. Sorry to have the Sirius moments break your heart. I can see why you think the Romione issues came out of nowhere, but also they didn't. These two have been nonstop since they finally got their act together and yes, they've never addressed any of those underlying issues. All realistic for sure and we'll see more of that coming. I'm glad Theo didn't wake up alone on Christmas either. For the first time in his life, he has someone to spend it with and Ginny wasn't worried about him being alone on the holiday. He deserves that. Ha, I love that Harry dutifully building the Quidditch pitch toy might have made your ovaries explode. Yes, Harry and Tonks totally act like children when they're together. Nope, no sympathy for Harry over the prank from anyone lol. Soraya definitely loves Theo and already sees him as her brother-in-law. Of course Molly referred to Harry as Fred and George's brother, making your heart grow three size was a bonus. Yes, everyone can feel the tension between Ron and Hermione. I agree, their break has been coming for a while and they do need it. Thank you very much!
To Gigi87: Thank you! I hope your weekend was full of the same! I completely agree, Ron and Hermione are great for each other, but they definitely are the type of couple who has to work things out. Harry and Ginny just fit so perfectly, but Ron and Hermione are different. It makes sense that they're having struggles. Yes, Ron does usually initiate fights for make-up sex lol. I agree, they all do need to talk to mind healers, especially Hermione, but sometimes people are stubborn and yes, sometimes the smartest people are the ones that need the most convincing. I love writing Theo so happy and carefree so it makes me smile so big when people love them as much as I do. Nope, the pink underwear was definitely not an accident. Theo loves when Sebastian gets all growly at him. Bas isn't used to being treated with so much love and care from a partner either so it was so wonderful to write them together. Thank you for loving my Harry and Ginny. I don't plan on them taking another break — they've had that and they know what they want. Yes, Teddy, Mina, and Leo all adore Harry, without question. Yup, Harry and Ginny are already working on Quidditch with the twins, just giving them a little pitch to play with lol. I do think the sibling banter with him and Tonks was something he needed. It's nice to know Remus and Tonks can give him that and yes, the prank was fun. Oh, yes the swearwords are definitely something they need to watch out for lol. Ha, yes, Sebastian did take a sex class, on tantric sex, and he's too embarrassed and loved up to deny it properly. Theo definitely won't be keeping that to himself lol. Theo has lost so many people and Sadira calling him her ray of sunshine and son-in-law is exactly what he needs. You think Soraya is dating someone we know? Interesting. Selene is more reserved than Soraya, but she does accept and adore Theo. It's just that they haven't spent a lot of time together like Theo and Soraya have. Yes, The and Bas love reading smutty novels together. Of course Fred and George helped with the lipstick prank and yes, I love Molly just adding Harry to her kids and telling the twins not to prank their brothers. Ron isn't seeing a mind healer anymore, no. He used to talk to Na'eemah after everything happened with the brains, but he's not seeing anyone now. Yes, Ron and Hermione need this break as neither of them know how to react around the other night now. Sirius definitely has bad timing. I love all of your hope for both Sirius and Zee to come back. Things are starting to get exciting. Thank you very much!
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Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TEN:
The One Where Everyone Wants to Slay Dean
Harry snuggled closer to Ginny when the charm went off, signalling it was time for him to get out of bed. He waved his hand automatically and it stopped before he snuggled his face closer into her breasts. They were so soft and warm and pillowy, he didn't want to move.
"Harry, you have to get up," Ginny said, threading her fingers through his hair.
"One more minute," he said, turning to rub his nose between her tits.
She chuckled. "If you want to get a run in before work, move your arse."
He yelped in surprise when her hand thwacked him on his bottom and he lifted his head to arch an eyebrow at her. "All right, forget the run. I have a better idea for cardio."
Ginny laughed when his fingers began to tickle her, but they soon turned to moans as they rolled across the big bed, tickling and groping each other until they were both restless. When she finally managed to gain the upper hand, she rose up above him and sank herself onto him achingly slow. Harry bit his lip to stop the low whine that threatened to erupt at how bloody good it felt. He gripped her hips and held on tight. When her eyes met his, he knew that she was ready and he began to move his hips to meet hers.
They came only moments apart, tongues clashing as they held onto each other, rocking desperately to wring out every last bit before they collapsed against the damp sheets, breathless. Ginny kissed the centre of his chest, pushing her sweaty hair out of her eyes.
"That's the best cardio plan."
He grinned. "Agreed."
Ginny sat up, stretching her arms up over her head. "We should shower. I have practice this morning, well, hot yoga first, but I don't think I should show up smelling like sex."
He sat up as well, leaning in to nuzzle her breasts. "I wish I didn't have to go to work. I wish I could just stay here in this bed with you forever and not have to think about anything or deal with all this bloody shit that's unraveling and making my head spin."
Ginny ran her fingers through his hair, holding his head against her breasts. "I know. I wish I could say if you stayed here, it would all go away, but we both know it wouldn't and we both know that it wouldn't stop your mind from unraveling. You need to go in and work on this. Maybe Borage and Slughorn have news. Maybe there's something new to add."
"I hate that you're right."
"Nah, you love that I'm always right," she teased.
He lifted his head to quirk an eyebrow and she laughed.
"Come on. Let's go shower and then we'll get dressed and go down to find some breakfast."
"I was with you until you said you were putting on clothes."
"Well, unfortunately your two best friends, one of whom is my brother, will probably be at breakfast so yes, we have to put on clothes."
He sighed dramatically before stealing a kiss. Ginny dragged him out of bed and they made love in the shower before finally getting dressed. He was pleased to wake up and find the words on his forehead had finally disappeared, but Ginny teased him that he better be careful or they might come back if he overused the phrase 'I'm fine' in any capacity. Harry certainly hoped that wouldn't be the case. He took a moment to admire her in her Holyhead workout gear as he put on his socks and then took her hand to head downstairs. They were surprised to find the kitchen empty, but there was a note from Hermione saying that she had to go into work early and that Ron would meet Harry at the Ministry. He frowned as he read it.
"Do you think that Ron caught something with the case?"
"He wouldn't take off without telling you first," Ginny said. "It must be about something else he's working on."
Harry nodded, thanking Basil when the elf served them a plate of bacon and eggs. "Maybe. They were weird last night, weren't they?"
"A little," Ginny admitted. "Maybe Mum was right and being with the Grangers was more difficult than either of them expected."
Harry shook his head. "No, it's something else. I don't know, I'll talk to Ron at work."
Ginny told him that she was going to her mum's after practice to have tea, but would be here later tonight so he kissed her goodbye, lingering over her lips before he reluctantly pulled away and headed to the front door to find his boots. He snapped them up his calves, his fingers lingering on the buttons, and Ginny tugged him close by his red robe and stole another kiss.
"Have I mentioned how bloody good you look in that uniform?"
Harry grinned and let his hands slide down to cup her bottom. "Not as good as you do in yours, I assure you."
They kissed again and Harry swore under his breath.
"Bloody hell, I have to go. I love you."
"Love you," Ginny said as he hurried out the door.
Harry adjusted himself as he marched down the drive to Disapparate and let his mind wander to imagine how great his life would be when they could start every day like this. He arrived at the Ministry five minutes later and made his way towards the lifts. He'd just stepped into the bullpen when he heard Robards bark out his name so he headed down the hall towards his office.
"Good morning, Sir."
"Good morning, Potter," Robards said, gesturing to the seat across from his desk. Half a second later, Higgins came in and plopped down in the seat next to Harry. "Higgins." Then he folded his arms in front of his desk. "Where are we with the Fletcher Fleming investigation?"
Higgins cleared his throat. "Not as far along as we'd like, but we're making headway."
He went on to explain how the last find that resulted in an arrest of a low level dealer of illegal potions had helped them discover three more wizards who were working for Fleming's enterprise.
"Potter's been finding new evidence linking it all over the place and showing us that Fleming has his fingers in a lot more pies than we originally thought," Higgins explained. "The stuff from Gringott's is actually a paper trail detailing Mundungus' work with Fleming. It was a really great find and helps us pin Fleming to a lot of things he's weaselled out of in the past."
"We're hoping this leads us to Leland," Harry said. "From everything we've gathered, it seems that this Leland Hauser is his second in command. Nothing gets past him without going through Leland first, we just haven't figured out where Leland is yet."
Robards nodded. "You've both done excellent work on this. Fleming has been a thorn in our side for years and this is the closest we've come to actually pinning things on him. I have every confidence that the two of you can finally get him behind bars where he belongs. Higgins, keep letting Potter take point on this. I agree, it's great work."
"Thank you, Sir," Higgins said.
Robards tapped his fingers on his desk, his jaw twitching. "And on the Black investigation?"
Harry swallowed. "We're waiting to hear back from Borage and Slughorn who are working on the potion element. It's a new lead that might change everything if it works out to be true."
"Explain."
Higgins cleared his throat. "This potion that Zacarias took before they cut out her heart, it might mean she's still alive, Sir."
Robards' expression gave nothing away as he leaned back in his chair. "I know that this entire investigation is personal to you, Potter. I can't even begin to imagine how personal or how painful it is to investigate this, but I agreed to allow you to stay on this case as long as you're continuously reporting to me, but this… her heart was removed from her chest, Potter."
"I know it sounds impossible, Sir," Higgins said, shooting Harry a look to stay quiet. "It sounds bloody impossible — we know that, but we don't know everything yet and what we do know just leads to more questions. But Slughorn and Borage are both positive that this potion froze her in a state of time which means technically even though she's missing her heart, she's still alive."
"That doesn't make a lick of sense, Higgins."
"That's the part that we're still working on, Sir," Higgins admitted.
Robards stared at them both.
"Sir, Borage and Slughorn are brilliant Potioneers," Harry began.
"They are," Robards agreed. "But that doesn't make this sound any less insane. I want their final reports by the end of the week. In the meantime, I've reached out to the other European ministries to keep their eyes peeled for Lestrange, Crouch, Brambilla, and Black. The lack of sightings tells me they've gone underground, but I doubt it will be for much longer."
"Yes, Sir," Harry said.
Robards stared at them a moment longer before he nodded. "All right, get to work. Then send Baxter and Weasley in here."
Harry and Higgins left Robards' office and headed into the bullpen, finding their respective cubicles. Higgins picked up the large folder off of his chair and tossed it to Harry.
"That came in two minutes before Robards summoned us. I think that we have a lead on Leland Hauser."
Harry opened the folder, staring down at the striking brunette in the photo. She had chin length straight hair and dark brown eyes. "Who's this?"
"Her name is Yanna Krakowski. She was born in Poland and emigrated to the UK when she was twelve years old. Raised in London. Her mother died when she was fifteen and her father a year later. She's spent a decade travelling all over the globe and guess who's bankrolled her travel?"
"Fletcher Fleming."
"That's right, mate. Seems he sees her as a daughter, but that's not what I find suspicious. It's this," he said, pointing down to the parchment on the folder Harry had opened.
Harry read the line three times before it clicked. "You think that she's Leland Hauser?"
Higgins grinned. "It would be a pretty great cover. No one is looking for a woman after all. I think our little Yanna knows a lot more about her daddy's business than she wants anyone to know. Every reported sighting of Hauser has turned up empty except Yanna is always where Hauser is supposed to be."
Harry closed the folder. "Where is she now?"
"Staying at a Muggle hotel in London. Shall we pay her a visit?"
"I reckon she won't want to chat with us," Harry said.
Higgins shrugged. "Let's not give her a choice."
Harry followed his partner towards the lifts and wondered just what it was Yanna Krakowski was going to tell them.
~ TTTC ~
Ron was trying to keep his game face on, but he'd slept like shit. He'd tossed and turned in his old bed, constantly reliving the conversation with Hermione until it drove him mad. He tried to stop by the house that morning to see Hermione, but she'd already been gone. He avoided going to her department, but it took everything he had to do so. He was relieved when Baxter told him they had a lead and would be in the field.
After filling Robards in on their caseload and confirming what Atwell had presented to Robards, Ron and Baxter headed back to their cubicle to discuss the plan for the day and it helped Ron take his mind off of Hermione.
The last thing that he wanted was to be in the same building as his girlfriend and try to stop himself from going over to find her. After crying on his mother's shoulder last night, he told her that he and Hermione had a fight. Molly had given him a sympathetic ear before she'd kissed his cheek and urged him to go on up to bed.
She'd made him a big breakfast this morning when he'd returned after trying to catch Hermione. Molly urged him to sit down and told him that sometimes falling in love at a young age meant that there were unforeseen obstacles they would need to get through. He frowned into his tea and rubbed his hand over his face.
"You and Dad never had obstacles."
Molly gave him a bewildered look. "Ronald, are you honestly telling me that you think your father and I had a perfect marriage?"
Ron shrugged. "You seemed happy."
"Of course we were happy!" Molly exclaimed. "Your father is the love of my life and I will always love him with every part of me, but that doesn't mean that we had a perfect marriage! Far from it. No marriage and no relationship is perfect or without its faults and flaws and imperfections."
Ron frowned.
Molly sighed as she filled his plate with eggs, bacon, toast, kippers, and potatoes. "Ron, dear, you know that I was pregnant with Bill when Arthur and I left Hogwarts. We were careful of course, but… well, let's just say that the Weasleys and the Prewitts have always been very… fertile."
"Mum!"
"Well, it's true, dear," Molly said. "The pregnancy wasn't planned, but our two lines together made me extra fertile. We were young and while we knew that we wanted to get married, we didn't expect to start a family right away. Your father took the first job he could find at the Ministry, which was in maintenance. He worked nights and we almost never saw each other. We rented this tiny little one room flat and we argued all the time about everything. There was barely room for us in this place let alone a baby, but my parents didn't have room for us as Gideon and Fabian were still living at home and in school and we both agreed moving in with your father's parents wasn't a good plan either. I wanted to do something worthwhile, help people, maybe be a healer."
"Blimey, Mum, I never knew that."
Molly gave him a fond look before she squeezed his hand. "That was a long time ago, dear."
"How come you never tried?"
"Oh, well, it was a silly pipe dream," Molly said, shrugging it off. "Arthur and I talked about it after Bill was born, how maybe we could afford the first semester after Bill turned one. We saved up almost enough, but then I was pregnant with Charlie and… well, we needed the money. We ended up using it to put a down payment on the Burrow. We talked about it again after Percy came along, but then the twins came and… it just wasn't in the cards."
Ron stared at his mother for a long moment. "What's stopping you now?"
Molly laughed. "Oh, goodness! I'm much too old for that now!"
"No, you're not," Ron said, his eyes meeting hers. "You're only forty-seven."
"And I don't have the desire to be a healer anymore," Molly said. "I love you for even thinking it, but I'm very content. Do I wish I made it as a healer? Sometimes, yes, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world. I have seven amazing children and I had twenty-eight amazing years married to the man I loved. I loved getting the opportunity to stay home with all of you and watch you grow. Now I have granddaughters to spoil and… I'm happy with my life."
"But…"
Molly smiled. "But that doesn't mean that I had a perfect relationship, dear. When Arthur decided to take the job in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office it meant a pay-cut. However, it also meant that he would be home most nights and weekends to help with you children. We struggled financially and I did what I could, making jumpers, scarves, toques, and gloves to sell at flea markets to help out. We sold eggs from the chickens and some of the vegetables from the garden. This old farmhouse always had something breaking and it seemed whenever we got ahead, something else went wrong. We used to shout at each other until we were hoarse."
"How did you… how did you keep it going?"
Molly's eyes met his. "Because we loved each other. Because we both agreed that it was okay to get angry. It was okay to be cross with each other, to yell and shout and say how we felt. Communication is so important, Ron, if you can't talk to each other, if you can't explain how you feel, how is the other person to know? It doesn't matter how you communicate, whether it's at the top of your lungs or sitting quietly together for a chat; what's important is that you do. That old saying, never go to bed angry isn't to be taken literally. Go to bed angry. Go to bed yelling at each other. Go to bed downright cross and seething in rage. But then you let it simmer and you look back and you see the mistakes made. Then you talk it out after you've both had a night to think about it."
Ron picked at his eggs. "She wants to take a break, Mum. I left to come here and she didn't even stop me. She just let me walk out."
Molly stared at him for a moment. "I don't know if you remember, you were only about five at the time, but… I walked out on your father."
"What?" Ron exclaimed, his eyes widening. "You left Dad?"
Molly nodded. "I did. We had been arguing for weeks. About money mostly. He'd only been with the office for two years, but the pay cut had taken a toll on us and the house seemed to be falling apart around us. We needed more than basic charms on the chicken coop and the pipes kept leaking enough that the ceiling over the living room needed to be replaced. I had taken a part-time job in town selling kitchenware. It meant that he had to take on some more responsibilities with the house and you kids. It was a big change and it was hard on us. Anyway, the job was short term and only for the holiday so when my contract was up, I told him that I wanted to find something else. We had a big row about it. I don't even remember everything we fought about now, but I remember standing out in the orchard with the two of us just screaming at each other until finally I told him that I'd had enough. I told him that I loved him, but I couldn't deal with him right now. Then I grabbed my wand and I left."
"Where did you go?"
"Nowhere," Molly admitted. "I didn't really have any place to go. I walked around for hours until I finally ended up with Auntie Muriel. She lectured me on being an unfit mother until I told her to piss off. The look on her face… I don't think she's ever forgiven me for it. I'd been there three days before Arthur came knocking. Auntie Muriel let him in and decided to go for a walk. We stared at each other in the living room for almost five minutes, neither of us saying a thing. Then, I remember he simply stepped towards me and fell to his knees, clasping my hands in his and told me he loved me. He told me how much he loved me and how much he missed me and how he didn't care what he had to do or how many jobs he had to take, he would take care of our family. He told me if I wanted to work, he would support me in any job I chose and that if I wanted to be a healer still, we would take out a loan. We would make it happen and… I just felt silly."
"Why? Being a healer isn't silly, Mum."
"No, not the healer bit. I didn't think that was silly, it was just when he said it, I realized, I didn't really want to be a healer anymore. I was a healer with my family. All I wanted was to go home and take care of my family. I knelt down to his level and I remember we just stayed there on our knees for hours, holding hands and talking everything out. He told me he'd left Bill and Charlie in charge and how we would work it out, get you kids to take on some tasks so that I wasn't doing everything, and you know what, we did," Molly said. "It wasn't easy, but we did it. We never needed a lot, Ron. We sometimes wished we had more money to help with you kids, to give you more, but we did what we could and we did our best. I took odd jobs from time to time, but being home with you is what made me truly happy. It's what worked for us. Arthur spoke to the department head and he ended up getting a raise and it was what we needed. It helped and we made it work. I even applied to be a healer and when I got in, just the satisfaction of knowing I could do it… that was enough for me. I don't regret any of it."
Ron stared at her for a long moment before he turned back to his breakfast. "Hermione and I aren't the same as you and Dad."
"No," Molly agreed. "You aren't, but that doesn't mean that it won't work out in the end. You two danced around each other for years. I know it took you seeing her with Viktor to truly realize your feelings, but you were both so young. You are still so young. You've been through more together than I could ever imagine. This will be just a small blip one day."
"What if it's not?" he whispered. "What if… this is the end?"
Molly raised an eyebrow. "I certainly did not raise any of my children to be quitters, Ron Weasley. Now, take this break. The two of you need time to process your thoughts and emotions and all of it. Take the time, but then you talk to her."
"How much time?"
Molly reached across the table to take his hand. "As much time as you both need."
He kissed his mum's cheek and thanked her for breakfast before he hurried off to the Ministry. He wasn't sure if talking to his mum had helped much, but he did know she was right. Maybe a break was what they both needed, it didn't mean it was the end.
But he couldn't help but remember how she'd turned her back on him in the bedroom and the worry returned to his gut. Baxter called his name, pulling him from his thoughts as he grabbed his cloak to follow his partner.
He'd never been so thankful as to have a job that kept him so busy. Thinking about Hermione wasn't what we needed right now.
~ TTTC ~
Sebastian and Durant D'Estienne d'Orves stood inside of the entrance to the Azkaban Crypt, checking their watches. Ian MacGregor, their unit knight, had ordered them to meet Joseph Rossi at eleven and it was already ten after. Durant stretched his arms up over his head and moved his head from side to side in a stretch.
"How long until we're concerned?" he asked.
Sebastian shook his head, glancing at his watch again. "We'll give him another ten and then we'll contact Auror M."
The doors opened half a second later and Rossi stepped through them, brushing a hand through his windswept dark and silver hair. He handed his wand and badge over to the security wizards before he came towards them.
"I apologize. I got caught up in interrogation and lost track of time."
"New case?" Durant asked.
Rossi shook his head. "Not really. The wizard who's been stealing from pawnshops all over Europe? My partner caught him in Brussels last night. Complete fluke and he's been crying like a baby since we brought him in for questioning. He might be a superior thief, but he's definitely not exactly a hardened criminal."
Sebastian chuckled. "Good to know. So, you ready for this?"
Rossi let out a slow breath and licked his lips. "As ready as I can be, I guess."
"Have you seen her?" Sebastian asked.
Rossi shook his head. "No. Not since the trial. She writes me beautiful letters though."
"She's sexy as hell, I can't say I blame you for not wanting to let her go," Durant said.
"I've been writing back," Rossi admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I know I shouldn't. I know I should have cut all ties after I arrested her, but there's just something about her that's hard to forget."
Sebastian could understand that. Even knowing that she was dangerous before he grew close to her, it wasn't Rossi's fault he'd fallen in love. He knew how easily someone could get inside your heart without you planning it. Theo had crept into his heart so fast it still surprised him.
"Does Auror M know?" Sebastian asked.
Rossi nodded. "Yeah. I've been honest with Ian from the start. I don't want to put my job in jeopardy."
Sebastian knew Rossi wouldn't want to jeopardize his job. The man was one of the best Aurors in the MIA. He'd learned a lot from him and he knew Durant had as well. Seeing him struggle over someone he'd arrested was definitely hard to do. Rossi always seemed too smart to make a mistake like this. But when push had come to shove, he'd turned the woman he loved over to the MIA.
"And?"
Rossi let out a slow breath, his eyes meeting Sebastian's. "And… I've been thinking about early retirement."
"Fuck, seriously?" Durant said, his eyes widening. "Joe, mate, she's going to be locked up for a while!"
"I doubt she'll serve the full two years," Rossi said, running a shaky hand through his hair. "And when she's free, if she'll have me… I want to marry her for real."
Sebastian shook his head. He wasn't sure what to say to that. He couldn't imagine giving up his job over something like this. But then he thought about Theo. If Theo had made a bad choice and ended up in prison… what would he do? When he realized the answer was the same as Rossi, it surprised him.
"I get that," he said.
Durant rolled his eyes. "Fuck that! I hope she's worth it, mate."
Rossi's smile was bright as he spoke. "What scares me the most is that I think she is."
They didn't speak another word as they moved through the crypt. Bellarosa Zabini was housed in the fourth level of the crypt known as Anarchy. It held criminals accused of theft, extortion, and fraud along with other minor offences. Zabini had been accused of being a follower of Voldemort and despite the many deaths that followed her under the guise of the Black Widow, all of those murders had been committed by her sister Belladonna and Zabini was cleared of all charges. Despite her background, she had never murdered anyone in cold blood and outside of being a follower of Voldemort, was surprisingly innocent in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of Joseph Rossi. The fact that she'd been cooperative from the moment of her arrest had also helped in her favour.
The three of them moved into the visitor's room and waited. It only took five minutes for three guards to bring Bellarosa Zabini into the room. Her legs and arms where shackled by chains and her hands were cuffed. Her long dark brown hair was braided and hung over her right shoulder. The dark grey cotton trousers and matching cotton tunic did nothing to hide her beauty. The guards walked her to the chair, sitting her in place and then cuffed her to the table. It was only then that they were left alone; the heavy door closing and locking behind them with a definitive bang.
"My oh my," she whispered, licking her lips. "I had no idea that I would be treated to three such handsome men today. My luck must be turning."
Sebastian leaned forward, his eyes on her dark brown ones. "Luck doesn't have anything to do with it. We need to talk with you about your sister.'
Bellarosa frowned. "I don't have any contact with her."
"We know that, Bellarosa," Rossi said, making her turn to look at him. "We're not accusing you of anything, we're just hoping that you can help us."
"How?" she asked.
Durant cleared his throat. "Your sister is still out there along with two other Death Eaters. Their last known location was at the house of Druella Black, but since then they've vanished and we have every reason to believe that they're no longer in England. Out of the three of them, it seems that Belladonna would have the most access to something outside of the country."
Bellarosa's fingers twitched in the handcuffs. "What do I get if I tell you? I'll still be locked up in here with no one to talk to."
Rossi slowly reached his hand out, his thumb brushing across her palm and Sebastian was only a little surprised when she turned her hand to accept his touch. "Any help you give us that results in us finding her will only help your case, Bellarosa. We might be able to shave off a few months from your sentence."
Bellarosa held her head up high as she let out a slow breath and Sebastian had to admit, she was a beautiful woman. He could see how she was so good at bringing men to their knees. It wasn't just about her looks, though she was gorgeous, it was something about the way she held herself; the way she held your gaze and looked into your eyes like you were the only man on earth worth speaking to. If he held any sort of attraction to women, he could see the appeal.
"Tuscany."
"Where?"
"Pienza. I don't know if she still has it, but when she was married to Ricardo, his mother came from old money. She left her son a five bedroom stone manor just outside of Pienza. Donna loved the quiet of it. It was a few centuries old and she planted a garden all around the manor of poisonous flowers and plants to deter unwanted visitors. Up until at least five years ago, she used to bring men there just to shag them," Bellarosa said. "It's private and just outside of a Muggle village so no one bothers her."
"Wards?" Sebastian asked.
"No more than the usual," Bellarosa said. "It's held under the name of her mother-in-law so no one would ever trace it to her."
Rossi continued to rub massage his thumb over her hand. "The name, amore?"
Bellarosa stared at their joined hands before she spoke. "Teresa Giana Bartolini Ricci."
"Thank you, mia amore."
Bellarosa squeezed his hand when he started to remove it. "There's a small cottage in the village of Rye. Donna's lived there for years under the name Giana Bartolini. She… often disguises herself as a brunette and often uses Polyjuice to look like me while she lives there. The townspeople know her as Gia, the eccentric widower who breezes into town every few months and stays alone in her cottage. That's the only other place I can think of… the others, you know of them."
Sebastian nodded. "This is a great help, Bellarosa. We thank you for your time."
Bellarosa refused to let go of Rossi's hand, her dark gaze on his. "You came to see me, Emilio."
His smile softened. "For business, Bellarosa. You know why I can't come here."
She didn't look away from him, instead she bent her head and kissed his palm. "Will you wait for me, Joseph Emilio Rossi?"
Rossi squeezed her hand and let out a slow breath. "I don't think I can do anything else."
Her smile lit up her face. "Please tell my son that I was cooperative. He'll want to know."
Rossi nodded as Durant called for the guards. They unchained her from the table and then escorted her out of the room and Rossi let out a long breath.
"Well, what do you think?"
"I think that she was telling the truth," Durant said.
"Me too," Sebastian added. "Joe?"
"She's an excellent liar," Rossi said, "but yeah, I think that was the truth. She has no reason to lie about this."
Sebastian put his hand on the man's shoulder. "I know this was hard, mate. Having D and I here with you was strictly for you. Auror M doesn't think that you should see her alone."
"I know," Rossi said, lowering his head. "I know. I know that I'm not entirely trusted on this.'
"No," Durant interrupted. "We trust you. We just don't think that you trust yourself when you're with her."
Rossi nodded. "It's hard to think when I'm around her if I'm honest."
"The sex was that great, eh?" Durant asked, mischief in his eyes.
Rossi chuckled. "D, you have no idea."
Sebastian followed them out of the crypt and once they stepped outside in the gloomy winter grey of London, he turned back to Rossi. "Do you want me to update Blaise Zabini or did you want to talk to him yourself?"
Rossi hesitated. "I should probably do it. I've been meaning to set up a meeting with him and I keep putting it off. I've only met him a handful of times and almost all were during the trial."
"Ready to be a loving step daddy?" Durant teased.
Rossi shook his head. "I don't know what the hell I want to be honest, but I do want to be honest with him. He's a good bloke and despite everything Bellarosa has done and found herself in, she raised a good son. He has a good head on his shoulders and I think that needs to be taken into consideration with whatever I do decide."
Sebastian shoved his hands in his pockets to bite back the cold chill of the air. "My boyfriend is close friends with him. Why don't we go to dinner one day this week and we'll invite Blaise? Make it a bit more… comfortable for you with Theo and I there as buffers."
Rossi's eyebrow lifted in surprise. "Really? You'd do that?"
"Like you said, he's a good bloke. You two should really talk and get to know each other."
Durant slapped his hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "K, we really have to find you some sexy female friends so you can set me up. This whole hanging out with mostly blokes thing isn't working for me."
Sebastian grinned, shoving his friend. "I'm not here to find you dates, D."
Durant wiggled his eyebrows. "Hey, is Soraya still in town?"
"Touch my sister and I will end you."
Rossi laughed. "Better watch yourself, Durant. As to Blaise, that sounds great, K. I look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, I'll go let Auror M know what we learned if you two want to head to the Ministry and let Robards know about the place in Rye."
"Will do," Durant said. "And tell M we'll snag J up on our way back and head to Pienza. We have a trip to Tuscany to plan."
Rossi nodded and headed off as Durant fell into step next to Sebastian.
"That went better than I expected, but that poor bloke is clearly head over heels for Zabini."
"Yeah," Sebastian agreed. "He is. Do you really think that he's going take early retirement?"
Durant shrugged. "I think he's leaning towards it and to be honest, when she gets out, he can't exactly date her and keep his job. How unprofessional and suspicious does that look?"
"True," he said.
Durant gestured to the café on the corner and they snuck inside for some lunch, taking their sandwiches to go. They Apparated just outside of the Ministry and finished their sandwiches before heading inside. They ran into Robards in the lifts.
"Just the man we were coming to see," Durant said, flashing a bright smile. He dwarfed Robards in the lift and with his arms crossed in front of his huge muscular frame, Robards had to tilt his head back to look up at him.
"What can I do for you Auror D, Auror K?"
"We might have a location for your missing Death Eaters," Sebastian said.
Robards lifted an eyebrow. "Excellent. Lupin is in the conference room, you can pass it onto her. I'm afraid I'm late for a meeting with the Minister of Magic."
They wished him luck and headed to the conference room in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Lupin and Atwell standing together, staring at the board in front of them. Sebastian noted they both had large cups of coffee in their hands.
"Ladies," Durant said, flashing a wide smile. "We come bearing news."
"Good news, I hope," Atwell said, turning to look at them.
"Well that depends, love. Are you single yet?"
Atwell rolled her eyes at Durant. "No. I'm still deliriously happy with Sully, thanks."
Tonks chuckled and met Sebastian's gaze. "What do you have for us, Bas?"
"We just came back from speaking with Bellarosa Zabini and she told us of two possible locations where her sister might be holed up," Sebastian said. "One of them is in Tuscany so we're going to get a team together to go search the area, but the other is here in England; a small town called Rye."
"Where the hell is that?" Atwell asked.
Tonks blew a huge pink bubble, popping it loudly. "Must be small, I've never heard of it either."
"It's in East Sussex," Sebastian said. "It's the town known for the haunted Mermaid Inn."
Durant snorted. "You're such a swot, Bas. Who knows about haunted buildings for fun?"
"It's an old building," Sebastian said, giving his friend a menacing look. "Built centuries ago. I've never been there, but even the Muggles have deemed it haunted. That's all I know about the town."
Tonks nodded and watched Sebastian write the alias that Belladonna Brambilla was using in Rye on the board. "Any proof she's there?"
"None."
Atwell blew out a frustrated breath. "Whatever, it's more than we've got. When are you two heading to Tuscany?"
"Within the hour," Durant said. "We just have to pick up our partner and organize a portkey."
"Oh, you mean the brains and brawn to your… whatever."
Durant pulled a rude hand gesture from his pocket and Atwell laughed.
Sebastian crossed his arms in front of his chest. "We know J's awesome, that's why we keep her around. As soon as we know anything, we'll touch base. Let us know if you find anything in Rye."
Tonks and Atwell agreed before turning back to the board and Sebastian led Durant out of the conference room and back to the lifts.
"Too bad Atwell's still dating that Muggle. She's peng."
"Why are you so randy? Been a while or something?"
Durant shrugged. "Yes. Plus you're all cozied up with Theo now and yeah… I need a bloody shag. Are you sure Soraya isn't still in town?"
Sebastian glared at his friend. "I'm not kidding, Durant. Stay away from Soraya."
Durant grinned. "But isn't the brother's best friend like one of those tropes you like to read about in all of those romance novels? Come on, it'd be fun."
Sebastian's cheeks heated. Ever since Durant had discovered that the romance novels sitting on their coffee table didn't belong to Theo, he'd been teasing him incessantly about them ever since. "Do you want me to kill you?"
Durant laughed, the sound echoing in the lift. "I'm not judging, mate, I read one of those and wow, steamy! It might be better than porn. I had to rub one out halfway through."
"Just stop talking," Sebastian begged.
Durant elbowed him lightly as they headed out into the cold. "So, brother's best friend trope: Yay or nay?"
Sebastian only growled in response and Durant was still laughing as they headed to Londonderry to find Jin.
~ TTTC ~
The place in Tuscany turned out to be a bust. There was evidence that someone had definitely been there and after talking to some of the people in the town, Sebastian, Durant, and Jin had concluded the house had been occupied with the four undesirables they were hunting. They also found two dead men in the basement who had been visibly tortured and killed in what was undoubtably Crouch's handiwork.
Harry was annoyed when he learned that they'd missed them again, but he and Higgins headed to the village of Rye to see if they could find them there. The owner of the Mermaid Inn told them immediately that the lovely Gia hadn't been there in months and assured them that the town was small enough that if she had been, someone would have seen her.
They were directed to the cottage and by the dust they found, it was clear that the owner hadn't lied. No one was living there and it put them back at square one. Sebastian had spoken to the Italian Ministry who agreed to have plain clothes officers keep a look out at the house in Pienza in case there was any sign of movement. Harry and Higgins decided to do the same for the place in Rye. In the meantime, they scoped out the town to get a better look and see if there was any chance they might be close by. After a few hours, they found nothing and headed out.
However, on the Fleming case, they had finally struck gold. Higgins' suspicions had been correct and after finding Yanna, they learned that she was indeed the alias known as Leland Hauser. They were able to get a warrant and arrested her that day. Two days later, they brought Fletcher Fleming in for questioning. With the evidence Mundungus had accumulated in his safety box and the arrest of Yanna, the warrant for Fleming's arrest had been easy to get.
His arrest had put a rare smile on Robards' face.
Harry and Higgins connected Fleming to illegal potions, smuggling rings, and a handful of missing persons. When they added in the Hauser connection with Yanna, it seemed that everything began to fall into place. Baxter and Ron's case connected to it as well and Fleming gave up two names of known collectors who he worked with on the regular in agreement to have his sentence reduced. His lawyer agreed to the terms with Robards and despite his cooperation, he was still going to be in the crypt for at least a decade if not more.
"You did brilliant, Harry," Higgins said when they left the interrogation room. "How does it feel to officially have your first big investigation solved and under wraps?"
"Weird," Harry admitted. "But brilliant."
Higgins slapped him on the back. "Now the fun part — paperwork."
Harry wrinkled his nose. "And you're going to leave it all for me, aren't you?"
Higgins wide smile was hard to resist. "Potter, that's the best part about having an A1 as a partner."
He winked and left Harry alone to deal with the mountain of paperwork, but Harry didn't mind because as Higgins said, he had one huge official solved case under his belt. All of the little ones that had led up to the arrest of Fletcher Fleming only added to his portfolio. Tonks came in to congratulate him and told him if he kept this up, he would have no problem writing the A2 exam in April.
Harry couldn't stop smiling.
He managed to get out of work on time to make Ginny's match and even managed to get the last minute plans set aside for Mina and Leo's birthday. Their party was fun. The individual fairy cakes that Hannah baked for them were perfect and like at Christmas, they tended to love the boxes more than the actual gifts, but everyone else had fun, taking photos and eating the delicious desserts that Hannah had provided.
"Thanks for inviting us, Harry," Neville said. "Hannah and I have been working so much lately, it's nice to get a break."
"Of course," Harry said. "How's the catering business going?"
"Amazing," Hannah admitted, her cheeks heating. "The orders just keep coming in, I almost can't keep up! I think I'm going to have to hire someone to help me sooner rather than later."
"She's been putting it off," Neville admitted.
Hannah sighed. "It's not that I don't want the help, it's just that it's such a bother to have to interview people and try to find the right person who understands my vision and well… we would have to get along."
"Do you need another baker?" Harry asked.
"Not a baker exactly," Hannah said. "Just someone to help me keep organized, get the orders delivered, and get all of the ingredients. Just leave me in the kitchen and I'm fine."
"I would love to do something like that," Molly said, passing Hannah a cup of tea. "I know I'm probably not at all what you're looking for, but… I'm no slouch in the kitchen either."
Hannah's eyes widened in surprise. "You'd want to come work for me, Mrs Weasley?"
"I would love it if I'm honest," Molly said. "All of my kids are grown and… outside of babysitting my granddaughters, with Arthur gone… I'd love to have something to do. Your baking is brilliant dear, absolutely delicious and I would love to be part of it. Oh dear, that's not a very good interview, is it?"
Hannah chuckled. "Actually it sounds perfect. When can you start?"
Molly's eyes widened to saucers. "Oh, my, really? I can start now!"
Hannah smiled. "How about next week?"
Molly nodded. "That would be wonderful, dear. We'll do two weeks and if you think it won't suit, I'll happily help find you someone who will."
"Deal," Hannah agreed as Neville leaned over and pecked her cheek. "Neville, I think I found someone."
He grinned. "I think you did, too. Plus, we might have found a place."
"For the bakery/flower shop?" Harry asked.
Neville nodded. "Potentially. We weren't expecting to stumble across a place so soon, but Pansy Park-Goyle, I mean, her shop is only taking up half the building and she's looking to rent out the other side."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Neville said. "We went to see it the other day and it's… it might be perfect. It used to be an old bank so it's spacious, but it has the space we would need to have a big kitchen, plus the shop out front, and there's enough room in the back for me to have a greenhouse."
"Price?"
"A bit higher than we'd like and I don't think she's too keen on renting it to us. She was mumbling something about Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, but we're going back next week to take another look," Neville explained.
"Theo has a great rapport with Pansy," Ginny said, helping herself to another biscuit. "I bet if you asked him to tag along he could help you convince her."
Neville looked thoughtful at that. "That's not a bad idea. Maybe we could even get her to lower the price."
Ginny chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far."
Seamus and Dean had come by as well, bringing arts and crafts as gifts for the twins. Harry could see that they seemed to be doing well, their loud laughs echoing in the room as they spoke about the portraits that Dean had been doing.
"You should see these things, Harry," Seamus said. "One witch wanted to be completely spread out on a bed, showing everything. Her fanny on full display."
Dean shrugged. "Hey, I just paint what the clients want."
"Who wants a naked portrait painted of themselves?" Seamus demanded, shaking his head.
Dean winked. "That's not what you said when I hung yours up in the bedroom."
Seamus flushed red. "Shut up, that's different! I didn't bloody pose for it and I'm not spread out like some tart."
Harry snorted. "You have a naked portrait of yourself in your bedroom, Seam? Wow."
Seamus stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend before he turned to Harry. "I'll have you know, it's absolutely tasteful! I didn't pose for the bloody thing, but Dean captured me perfectly. I'm standing at the window looking out at the sunrise, my hand tastefully covering my fat cock, and my gorgeous arse is on display."
"Um, children are in the room," Harry said as Dean cuffed his boyfriend's ear.
Seamus leaned closer to Harry and Neville, a gleam in his eye. "That's why I didn't say aloud the one Dean did of him on his knees sucking me off."
Harry blanched as Dean cuffed his boyfriend's ear again.
"Ow! I'm just telling them how talented you are, babe!"
Dean rolled his eyes. "You're a bloody menace." He turned to Ron, elbowing him lightly. "You're awfully quiet, Ron. No comments on my portraits?"
Ron gave a half smile, his eyes landing on Hermione who was sitting across the room talking to Bill and Fleur. "I'm sure they're lovely."
Dean gave Harry a look and he shook his head.
He didn't know what to do or say when it came to Ron. The last week had been… hard. He'd come home the day after Christmas and found Ginny lying on her stomach on the rug in the living room, books spread around her as she worked on her schoolwork. She told him that Hermione had said something about staying at her parents' place and that Ron was staying at the Burrow.
"Why?"
Ginny shook her head. "I don't know. Mum didn't say. Do you think that they had a row?"
"They always have a row," Harry muttered. "I knew something was off yesterday. I barely spoke to Ron today."
But every time he tried to talk to his friend that week, Ron only shook his head and said that they were dealing with it. Harry knew better than to pry, but when he took lunch with Hermione a few days later, she didn't have anything to add.
"We're just taking a break, Harry. I don't want to talk about Ron. How are you doing?" Hermione insisted.
Harry had attempted to bring it up twice more before Hermione had scowled at him and told him she had things to do. He'd left the topic alone. Now it was New Year's Eve and as far as he knew this was the first time the two of them had even been in the same room together since Christmas Day.
When the party ended and the twins were finally tucked away in their beds, Theo and Sebastian invited them all over to Norfolk to ring in the new year. Hermione tried to decline, but Ginny insisted that she had to come so that she and Hannah wouldn't be outnumbered by blokes.
Harry kissed Sorcha's cheek as she urged them out and he and Ginny met his friends at Norfolk Manor to continue the celebration. They drank wine in Theo's living room and caught up with each other. Harry and Ron spoke more about their jobs as Aurors and Hermione filled Theo in about her work at the Ministry, specifically the new happenings with the house elves. Harry moved to the table spread out at the back of the room that Theo's house elves had filled with snacks to help himself to some antipasto and caught sight of Seamus pushing his arse up against Dean's front. He rolled his eyes and Seamus winked at him.
"You don't know what you're missing, Harry."
Dean held his boyfriend's hip and sighed. "He knows that you've had too much to drink. He gets ridiculously randy when he's tipsy."
Harry snorted and Seamus pouted.
"Can't help it if you make me hard!"
Dean rolled his eyes. "Sorry."
Harry shook his head in amusement. "It's all right. Can't say I'm not used to it at this point."
"Oooh, let's play that game!" Seamus exclaimed, clapping his hands together.
"No, we're not playing 'Would You Rather?'" Dean insisted.
Seamus waved his boyfriend off. "No, not that one! You know the one where we all have to choose someone in the room to Slay, Shag, or Snog/Get Hitched!" Seamus exclaimed.
"I love that game!" Theo bellowed from across the room, plopping himself down into Sebastian's lap. "I'm easy. I'd shag Harry because obviously! I'd snog and hitch myself to Bas, and I'd slay… Dean. Sorry, mate, I just don't know you as well."
Dean snorted. "Thanks."
Harry rolled his eyes, taking a seat in the chair as Ginny made herself comfortable on his lap. "The point of this game is…?"
"Fun!" Seamus exclaimed. "I'll go next! I would snog and hitch myself to Dean, shag… Harry for sure. I'd slay… Neville."
"Ouch," Neville said with a laugh. "I'd snog and hitch Hannah, I'd shag Hannah —"
"—No!" Seamus shouted. "You can't! You have to pick three different people, it's only fair."
Neville wrinkled his nose. "Bollocks to that."
"I agree," Harry said. "I only want Ginny for all of those choices."
Theo rolled his eyes. "It's just a game, lover! Besides whomever you choose to shag, you can only shag them once ever, then never again. So obviously you'd want to snog and hitch yourself to Ginny so that you can shag her forever."
Neville sighed as he and Harry exchanged a look. "Fine. I'd snog and hitch Hannah. I'd shag… Hermione," he said, his cheeks heating in embarrassment, "and I'd slay… Seamus."
"What? I'm way too awesome to die!"
"Yeah, but you're also the most annoying," Neville said as everyone laughed. "Dean, you're up."
Dean wrinkled his nose. "All right, I'd snog and hitch myself to Seamus. I would shag Ginny and I would slay… Ron."
"Oi!" Ron bellowed.
Dean shrugged. "I'm still haunted by your obnoxious snoring."
Ron held up two fingers and Harry chuckled into his drink.
"Bas, you go," Theo said, kissing his boyfriend's chin.
Sebastian took a drink of his wine. "I would snog and hitch myself to Theo. I would shag… Neville because I have a feeling he would blush a lot," he said, making Neville turn a lovely shade of pink. "Exactly my point and… I would slay… Dean. Only because I don't really know you, mate."
Dean shrugged. "I think I should be worried here."
Seamus laughed and elbowed him. "Hannah!"
"I would shag… Harry," she whispered, her cheeks heating. "I would snog and hitch myself to Neville and I would slay… Bas because he tried to take my boyfriend."
Sebastian laughed and held up his wine glass in acknowledgement. "Touché. Harry?"
Harry sighed. "Um, well, I'd snog and hitch myself to Ginny. I'd slay… Dean," he said, making everyone laugh.
"How did I end up on so many of your slay lists? I'm offended!"
Harry chuckled. "Nothing personal."
Dean glowered. "Says everyone. I'm starting to get a complex."
Theo sat up higher on his boyfriend's lap. "And what's the last one, Harry? Who would you shag? It's me, isn't it? Tell me, it's me!"
Harry looked flummoxed for a moment before he gave a helpless shrug. "Um… Hannah?"
Theo rolled his eyes. "Pul-lease! It would totally be me! I promise to be gentle, lover, but I expect you to treat my arse with a good rogering all the same. Don't worry, after Bas, I don't need to be prepped much." He winked and blew him a kiss and Sebastian caught the kiss in his hand, turning Theo's head to look at him. "Aww, jealous, Bas?"
Sebastian kissed him softly. "Yes."
Theo snuggled into his boyfriend's chest. "Liar. You know I'd never stray… though I have heard some fantastic rumours about Harry's tongue."
Harry blushed an even darker shade of red and Sebastian sent him an apologetic look.
"I'd say that I have control over him, but I absolutely do not," Sebastian said, turning back to Theo. "Now, shush, you're embarrassing him."
"That's the best part," Theo said, deliberately fluttering his eyelashes at his boyfriend.
Sebastian shook his head in amusement and kissed him again as Seamus insisted that Ginny had to take a turn.
"All right, well, I would snog and hitch myself to Harry. I would slay… Dean." Dean groaned as everyone laughed. "And I guess I would shag… Sebastian."
"Yay for Bas!" Theo shouted, pumping his fist up into the air. "Is it because I told you he took a magic sex class and that his cock is delicious?"
"Hush, you," Sebastian said, poking his boyfriend in the ribs.
"No, it's because you said that you want to shag my boyfriend," Ginny told him.
Theo grinned sheepishly. "I'm strictly a one man kind of bloke, but if Harry wanted to join me and Bas… Merlin, I think I came just thinking about it."
Sebastian snorted and put his hand over Theo's mouth.
"Wait! What's a magic sex class?" Seamus asked. "Where do we sign up? I love cock and definitely want to learn about magic sex class."
Theo attempted to answer, but Sebastian's hand clamped tighter over his mouth.
"Shush," he said.
Dean rolled his eyes as he covered his own boyfriend's mouth with his hand. "No cocks for you." At Seamus' pout, he smiled. "Except mine, obviously."
"It says a lot when both of your boyfriends have to cover your mouths on a regular basis," Neville said, shaking his head.
Theo finally broke free of Sebastian and sent a stern look his way. "Bas, we've talked about this. If you want me to stop talking, I need your cock in my mouth. It's the only way to properly shut me up."
Sebastian pulled him close, cradling him closer on his lap before he covered his mouth with his. "My mouth works too."
"But I'd rather blow you," Theo whined. "Let's go upstairs."
"Hermione, you're up," Harry said, trying to drown out Seamus and Theo. "It's only you and Ron left. Theo, you're staying down here until we leave."
Theo pouted. "But I wanna suck —"
Sebastian's hand covered his mouth again and Harry snorted.
"Hermione?"
Hermione took a sip of her wine. She'd been fairly quiet through all of the shenanigans. She took a second sip of her wine before she spoke. "I would shag… Sebastian," she said, her cheeks heating. "I would slay… Dean and I would snog and hitch myself to…" Her eyes roamed the room before they connected with Ron's stare and she swallowed. "Ron."
Then she jumped up from her seat and hurried out of the living room. Ron scrambled to his feet to follow her, calling out her name.
Theo let out a low whistle. "Well, I think things just got awkward. What's going on with them?"
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "Neither one of them is saying."
Sebastian turned up the music a bit and asked if anyone else wanted new drinks. It was only a few moments before Ron came back into the room, his face pale. Harry lifted Ginny off of him so that he could stand.
"Mate?"
Ron shook his head, taking the bottle of scotch from Sebastian's hand and taking a long drink right from the bottle that made him cough. "I think Hermione and I just broke up."
Harry reached out an arm and Ron's face crashed into Harry's shoulder. Harry wrapped his arms around his friend, his eyes meeting his girlfriend and simply held on tight.