Ch. 30
Saturday 19 September 1998 The Madhouse
The next morning, Harry laid in his bed at home with his beautiful fiancée by his side. He turned towards her and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Mmmm" She hummed as she pushed her face into his hand unconsciously.
He reached down and brushed her lips with his. She kissed him back as she came awake. "There's my handsome prince." She muttered as he laughed.
"Talk about flights of fancy love." He murmured as he laid her on her back and braced himself over her. She reached up and grabbed his neck to bring him in for a proper kiss.
They stayed in bed exploring each other for a while. When they got up and went to the entrance hall, Sirius snickered. "You need to learn silencing spells Harry."
"Thanks, Padfoot." Harry responded through his embarrassment.
"No problem. James had the same issue with Lily." He laughed at the expression on his godson's face.
"I don't need to hear that." Harry mumbled as they went to the entrance room. "Meet at All Day?" he asked about their usual breakfast place in Crawley.
"Yeah." Everyone agreed.
HP
After breakfast, which included both Hermione and Jaime telling the story of Hampton Court, they took a portkey there.
"So, this is where Henry VIII lived?" Harry asked as he looked up at the Palace.
"Yes, but it wasn't originally his-or the royal family's for that matter." Jaime answered.
"I'm going to find our guide." Sirius said as he wandered off, laughing because he'd already gotten this speech from Jaime last night.
They spent the next several hours going through the chapels, kitchens, Great Hall, and other such things. It was surprising to Hermione to see Harry enjoying himself.
At one point, she commented while they were in the Great Hall, "I thought I'd have to drag you here someday. I never thought you'd come here willingly and enjoy it."
"Why not? It's nice to see where things that I've read about happened." He took her hand. "Besides, seeing the way your eyes light up when you go into each room is fun." He reached over Teddy's head to kiss his fiancée.
"What amazes me is that Shakespeare performed A Midsummer Night's Dream right here for James I." Jaime sighed. "Imagine seeing Shakespeare in the flesh."
Hermione spent a lot of time behind her camera during this trip. Harry was a little confused by this because she didn't do that with any other site they'd been to that summer. When he asked about it, she responded, "I'm going to be teaching about Henry VIII later this year. It's good to have some pictures."
Sirius just barked out in laughter. "Spoken like a true teacher!"
"I wonder if we could take some of our classes to see some of these places. I mean we're so close, we could take the first years to actually see the Tower when we get to that time in history. We'd have to pay for tickets and lunch but we could floo down from Hogsmeade. . . " she petered out as she began thinking.
"If you floo down, we could hire a bus to get there from the Cauldron." Dan suggested.
At that Jaime and Hermione's eyes lit up.
"That would work Daddy. Would you guys be chaperones?" she asked in the voice that she knew would get her anything.
"Of course."
"It'd have to be a weekend. . . "Jaime bit her lip as she began running ideas through her head.
HP
By the time The Extended Family got back to the Madhouse, Hermione, Emma and Jaime had a lot of the logistics figured out. At dinner Sirius stood and said, "Harry and I have decided to put together a trust for the History Department of Hogwarts specifically to go on these outings. We will figure out the logistics later but both Harry and I are putting in one million galleons each."
"The Longbottoms will also donate the same amount." Nev grinned.
"Oh my." Jaime whispered. "Can you even afford that?" There was the American bluntness Sirius loved.
He just laughed. "You're looking at the last heirs of the wealthiest three families in Britain, Jaime. Yes, my love, we can."
"Where's all the flash that wealthy people usually show?" She was blown away that these people whom she'd gotten to know as just ordinary friends were so wealthy. "None of you act like you're wealthy. I mean, you all wear nice clothes but not excessively nice. You don't act wealthy. Holy shit!" as though realising what she was saying and how it might be taken, she shut her mouth and made a zipping motion her brother and she used as children to show they were shutting down.
Nev, Harry and Sirius just laughed. Hermione, fortunately, took pity on the woman. "I know it's hard to deal with because they're not your typical wealthy people but this summer Sirius gave Luna and me a card and said 'build a library' and he doesn't ask for receipts."
"Why would I do that?" He asked as they moved to the game room.
"Because that way you know how much she's spending!" Jaime exclaimed.
"I don't need to know. It's making Hermione and Luna happy; I don't care about price."
Jaime got up and started pacing the game room. After a few circuits of the floor, Sirius stood, a little concerned. It had been fun watching Jaime process their wealth, that was one of the perks of being wealthy-watching people figure out how to deal with it-but this reaction worried him. Would she think differently about him now?
He stopped her in her tracks and put his hands on her shoulders and said in a very somber, husky voice "What is it Jaime? What's wrong?"
She looked up into his eyes and he saw fear in those beautiful blue orbs. "You know I don't care about you because of your money, right?" she asked.
"Of course, my love." He pulled her to him and smiled into her hair. "It's one of the reasons I didn't bring up money. I wanted you to get to know me not Lord Black." He looked down and kissed her gently on the lips. They stood there snuggling each other for a few minutes.
That is until Dan cleared his throat and said "You two can stop any time now."
They sat back in their seats. "So, he just gave you a card and said build a library, huh?" she looked at Hermione, trying not to blush at everyone's amused looks.
"Yup. That simple."
"Geez I wish I had that. It's a historian's dream." She grinned, thinking of all the books she could buy. At that, Sirius got up and trotted down the stairs. "Where'd he go?"
"To get you a card, most likely." Luna grinned. "Be very careful what you ask for because you will get it."
She looked at Hermione. "She's right." Hermione laughed. "I know it's weird but these three don't care as long as people are happy. I can tell you Professor McGonagall is going to have a fit, she'll say something about what she could do with a budget like that for Transfiguration and Sirius will donate it."
Sirius came bounding up the stairs and handed Jaime a card. "Don't say no Jaime." Hermione grinned at Luna. "Then you get puppy-eyes and you take it anyway." Both girls were giggling. "Is that what we looked like when we got our cards?" Hermione whispered to Luna.
"I think so. I remember feeling like she looks."
"Hermione, take her to Waterstones or wherever and make her spend money." Sirius implored her.
HP
The next afternoon when they floo'd back to their flat, Jaime had a bag filled with shrunken bags loaded with books. Of course, Hermione's load was much bigger because she'd gotten used to having no limits on books.
They all separated to their own flats for the time before dinner. Harry opened their front door to let students know they were in. Hermione started fluttering around her flat trying to get things ready for teaching the next day. "Oh no. I forgot to get the roster from Jaime." She twirled around and ran right into Harry. She absentmindedly kissed him on the cheek as she turned away from him. "Hermione." He said in his calmest voice. She turned around to look at him. "Calm down. Let's go to Jaime's flat and get it from her. There's no reason to rush, love. Everything will be fine."
"How do you know that?" she worried her lip.
"I know you. You never do anything halfway." He grinned at her. She could feel herself relax at that grin. As they left the flat, Hermione put her head on his shoulder and she kissed his neck. "Mmm. Don't do that unless you want me to forget about Jaime and go back to our room." He groaned and she laughed.
When they arrived at Jaime's quarters, they knocked. Sirius answered the door, his hair mussed and his shirt unbuttoned. "Padfoot. Can't you keep your hands to yourself for ten minutes?" Harry grinned at his godfather.
"What do you want?" He asked irritated as he let them in.
"I forgot to get the roster from Jaime for tomorrow." Hermione worried.
"It's on the kitchen table." Jaime yelled from her bedroom. Hermione started hunting for it.
"Are you actually dating her now?" Harry wanted to know, nodding to Jaime.
"Yes. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'll make an honest woman out of her if it's the last thing I do." He grinned at Harry. "I haven't felt this young in forever."
"I found it!" Hermione held up the roster. "Let's go. I've got to finish my plans for Friday."
"And she says she's not ready to teach." Harry harrumphed as he was pulled out the door by his fiancée.
Jaime had stayed in the bedroom because she was monitoring the bath. When she heard the younger couple leave, she finished getting undressed and slipped into the hot tub-like bath.
"Come on Sirius. Hurry up." She muttered as he came into the bathroom in his swim clothes. "Why are you wearing those?" She stood up and Sirius saw what he had been fanticising about for weeks now-that beautiful woman, naked. He threw off his trunks as he stepped down into the tub. Jaime put out her hand, he took it and she pulled him against her.
She kissed him fervently as he pushed her down and they lowered themselves under the water. He looked down at her. "You are the most beautiful, sexy, funny, loving woman I have ever known." He said as he punctuated each word with a kiss from her lips down towards her breast. "And I have wanted you so much, I thought I was 15 again for a while. Please let me have you, beautiful. Please." He muttered as he took one nipple in his mouth and began suckling.
"Oh yes Sirius. Yes."
HP
Eventually, they lay spent in each other's arms as the water cooled. "Oh my beautiful Jaime. I love you so much."
"As I love you." She whispered as he got up. He pulled her with him and they moved out of the water. He got a towel and let his hands and towel roam her body. "Gods I want you inside me again."
"Your wish is my command." He muttered as he laid her on the bed. They spent the rest of the afternoon making passionate love to one another.
When they finally came up for air Jaime looked at the time. "Oh my! We need to get to dinner."
HP
While Harry and Hermione had been getting the roster from Jaime, Nev had left a note saying a fourth year Puff had come to them with another complaint about Ron. This time however they decided to get backup from McGonagall while talking to Ron. That's why they weren't in the flat.
Harry went to their bookcase; got the books he'd need to stay ahead in classes for the next week and started working on his potions essay. Hermione came over to look at what he was working on and grinned. Harry looked up and smiled at her, not knowing why she was grinning so widely. "Why are you grinning?"
"Because you're working ahead." She kissed him as she went to look over her lesson plans.
Monday 21 Sept 1998
The next morning, for the first time in quite a while, Harry woke up to Hermione not in bed with him. He figured that she didn't sleep well because she was starting her first years' class today.
He went in to get Teddy, like usual, and got him dressed. It was when they went to the kitchen that he saw his stunning fiancée sitting at her desk looking over her plans. He put Ted in the saucer and wrapped his arms around Mione from behind. "Hey love. Put that stuff down please." He asked as she looked up at him with that brilliant smile she has.
She put her plans down and turned towards him. "What can I do for you?"
"You can come back to earth please." He smiled at her. "Sit with me as I cook?"
"Of course. I'm just really nervous about today."
"I know but I wanted to ask you something."
"Yes?" She responded as they went to the kitchen.
"Is there anyplace special that you'd like to get married?"
"Sure. The Tower but I don't think that's possible." She laughed.
"We need to settle on a date too." He was trying to take her mind off her teaching. She got up and got her calendar.
"What about 10 July? That leaves us three weeks for a honeymoon before your birthday?" She asked.
"That's brilliant. Then we can be home all of August." He smiled widely.
"Hey everyone." Jaime greeted as she walked into the room. "Why do you both look so happy?"
"We decided on a date for the wedding." Hermione grinned.
"And I'm going to try and get the Tower for it." Harry laughed at the stunned look on Jaime's face.
"Do they do that?" Jaime asked.
"I don't know but I'll ask. So, have you and Pads moved in together yet?" Harry grinned at the stunned look on her face. "Jaime, we came yesterday and Pads had his shirt untucked and buttons undone. I know what we interrupted."
"Are you okay with it?" she asked in a very un-Jaime-like meek voice.
"Of course! Anything to keep him from going off and doing something crazy."
"I don't do anything crazy." Padfoot came through the door.
"Uh huh." Dora huffed as she came in. Soon everyone was sitting down to breakfast and Harry was extremely grateful to see that everyone was keeping the talk off of teaching. He could tell Mione was still worrying about her first class this afternoon but she was also participating in the conversation.
At ten to eight, everybody began getting ready for their day. "Better hurry along kids." Sirius grinned. "Don't want to be late for McGonagall."
The "kids" just gave him dirty looks as they left.
HP
By lunch Hermione was again a ball of nerves. They went to the Great Hall to eat but Hermione wouldn't actually eat. She sat there looking terrified. About halfway through, Harry suggested they go set up in her room for her first class.
She just nodded as she and Harry went to her classroom. It had been set up by Hermione over the last week, with Jaime's help. Luckily for her, Jaime had also shared some teaching strategies she'd learned over the years.
Harry sat in her chair and pulled her to sit on his lap. "Come here love." He smiled up at her. "I have full confidence that you will do wonderfully in teaching this class. Look at how much you've taught me over the years. If you can get it through my thick skull, you can teach these kids." He grinned the lopsided grin she liked so much.
She laughed. "I know. I'm just scared."
"That's normal. I'd be scared if you weren't."
She got up and started to make sure everything was set for her first-year class. Harry eventually looked at his watch and left for his own classroom.
HP
When everyone congregated back in the game room after classes that day, everyone was extremely tired.
"I forgot how much energy first-years had." Luna groaned as she sat down and summoned a Coke. "I need to keep some of this stuff in my room. I can't keep up!"
"How did it go Mione?" Jaime asked. Of all the teachers in the room, she was the most alive.
"It went great. We're going to start research projects on magical Chinese History. I gave them some resources to look up in the library to start with. We'll see how they do by Wednesday."
"How'd the second-years do?"
"We need to talk about that. I understand you started talking about the druids, is that correct?"
"Yeah. We didn't get too far. I was doing a brief overview of that magical time and we were about to start talking about the roman invasion."
"Okay. Did you talk about Stonehenge?"
"No. Not much."
Hermione sat there with her 'thinking face' on as everyone talked around her. Eventually, she joined the family again by saying "I think a trip to Stonehenge is a good idea for the second-years. Can we arrange it for maybe the Saturday after this?"
"Sure. I think that'd be great. Have you been there before?" Jaime grinned.
"Yup. Several times." Hermione grinned. "I'll call daddy to hire the bus. We'll need money for lunch for everyone but we could get an early breakfast that day and be in London by eight o'clock."
"We'll need to run it by Minnie." Sirius offered.