Ch. 38

Friday 11 December 1998

The next week and a half went pretty smoothly for the family. Because he was taking care of Hermione much more, Harry did not spend as much time with Teddy as he had been. However, he did do morning time with him. That was something Harry was unwilling to give up.

Because of this and the addition of Jordan in the family, Dora and Sarah became much closer. They started taking the kids on walks either around the castle or around the Black Lake, depending on how tired they were after classes and how cold it was.

Hermione, while she was acting like her normal self most days, did have a tendency to quiet down a bit more than usual. She also tended to sleep more than usual as well.

While Dan and Emma went back home on the previous Sunday, Hermione and Emma talked at least once a day, sometimes twice. Everyone in the family thought this a good idea because Emma was the one Hermione would really talk to about how she was feeling. Sure, she talked to Harry but as she explained to Luna, she didn't want him worrying about her so she kept most conversations about the miscarriage to her mum or Luna. The one thing Hermione had not gotten back to was inventing. This especially worried Sirius.

At breakfast that Friday, Sirius suggested, "It's Alliance weekend and I think we should go home."

"Sounds like fun." Sarah grinned at Dora. "I've never been there."

"Well, it's not that different from here hon." Mark explained.

"Anyway, why don't we pack up after classes and go home then. Just remember we have to be here at 4 on Sunday for the staff meeting." Sirius grinned at the Heads. "That means you four as well. Minnie wants to talk about next term."

"Sounds good." Dora smiled.

HP

That evening, they floo'd home around six. While they were making their pizzas that evening, Dora asked, "Sarah, Brianna, Susan and I are going out to lunch tomorrow in London. Wanna come with me?"

"Sure. We leaving the kids here or taking them?"

"I usually bring Teddy." Dora replied laughingly. "Brianna would kill me I think if I didn't bring her Godson."

Saturday 12 December 1998

When Hermione woke up the next morning, she was cuddled into Harry's arm. Her head was laying against his shoulder when she felt his arm wrap around her.

"You feel good, love." He whispered into her hair.

"So do you." Hermione looked up at Harry and grinned seductively. "So, what do you want to do this morning?"

"What do you think? I'm male." He grinned back.

HP

Around 11, Sarah suggested that Dora and she go to Diagon Alley for a walk around before they met the others for lunch. They began walking through the cobblestoned streets when Sarah asked. "How are you doing with this Yule season coming up?"

"What do you mean?" Dora asked.

"I mean, you would have been spending this season as a true nuclear family if Remus hadn't died. Yet you seem to be flying past it like nothing's wrong. I know you loved him, so I'm wondering what's up?"

"I'm trying my best to focus on my teaching and Teddy. The family needs me right now, I can't grow all maudlin when Mione and Harry need me." She shrugged.

Sarah stopped and pulled Dora to a stop in the middle of the street. "Dora, that's not healthy. You need to take care of yourself, not only everyone else."

"What exactly am I supposed to do? I don't know how to grieve without breaking down and blubbering. I've always been a happy person; this is what everyone expects. And I have to be there for Sirius and Teddy." She said a little panic in her voice.

"Well, for one, you don't have to be there for everyone. Sirius has Jaime and I know they talk a lot about Remus. Secondly, yes you have responsibilities to Teddy but he has Brianna, your parents, Harry and Mione and they can pick up the slack if they need to." Sarah put her arm around Dora as she moved them over to the side. As she was saying this Dora's face was getting even more stricken looking than usual. "You've got me. I'll listen any time you want to talk about Remus."

It was then that Dora burst into tears, as though she'd been holding it all in and just simply couldn't anymore. She collapsed into Sarah's arms as Sarah sat them down on a bench, her head going on Sarah's shoulder.

Sara just kept murmuring, "That's okay Dora. Let it out hon." Or similar things, as Dora kept crying.

She heard Dora whispering, "I miss him so much. Why couldn't I go with him? Why'd he die instead of me? I don't deserve this. Teddy doesn't deserve to grow up without his Dad." Eventually, her crying became soft, hiccupped cries rather than the great wracking sobs. She looked up at Sarah. "I don't know what to do anymore." She said.

"You take it a day at a time and let yourself feel, rather than pushing it off like you have been doing," Sarah replied as Dora finally pulled herself into a sitting position.

Dora looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry about that." She waved at Sarah's shoulder.

She chuckled. "That's no problem. Are you feeling better?"

Dora nodded as she tried to smile. "It's amazing how much better I feel after a good cry." She waved her wand over her face to make the puffiness disappear.

"Sometimes, a cry is what you need." Sarah smiled. "Are you sure you want to go to lunch?"

"Want to? No, not really. But if I don't, I'll stay in the house all day." She grimaced.

"Okay, then let's go." Sarah hugged her. "Just remember I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks."

HP

That evening, the Alliance members discussions were about the changes in committees and what committees they were put on.

"Now, as most of you know, Wizengamot and the Ministry have gone through an extensive reorganisation over the past six months." Sirius began, he started handing out packets of papers. "One thing we have not talked a lot about to you heirs is how that is being handled. Here are the old and new departments and what's in each one. You'll see two brand new departments: the Department of Small Business Regulation and the Muggle Relations office. You will also see Magical Creatures has been changed to Office of Diplomacy with Magical Races. There are now Liaison offices for Goblins, Centaurs, House-Elves and Werewolves."

They all laughed when they heard Hermione's comment of "Brilliant!" as he mentioned House Elves. They all remembered SPEW.

Sirius couldn't help grinning. "There is also an Office of Budget that all budget requests will go through before us."

"Also, we have created an oversight committee for each department that we all serve on in Wizengamot." Silas added. "There will be an oversight committee of the Minister's Office in Wizengamot as well."

"I thought we were just being handed assignments to committees, yeah?" Elaine Ogden asked.

"We decided to put forth a revamping of the ministry and the Wizengamot, young lady." Augusta informed.

"We had a meeting and talked about what we should do next and Arthur thought this would be a good surprise for you." Sirius laughed at the kids' dumbfounded expressions. "What? We can't have ideas?"

"They think we're just old fogies who don't want change." Elphias Doge smiled.

"Well, you guys are hard to convince of things." Bill reminded them. The oldsters laughed at that.

"What's going on with our ideas about representation?" Ernie MacMillan asked.

"Nothing right now. The opposition has put it off until after Yule." Augusta apprised them to groans from the heirs. Towards the end of the meeting, Augusta reminded them, "Now remember, we are hosting a Wizengamot Ball on New Years Eve at Longbottom Estates. This is not just for our alliance; you will see members of families we don't necessarily agree with there-be polite." HP

The next day was very quiet for the family. It was also the first time since the miscarriage that Harry felt comfortable enough to focus on Teddy rather than Hermione. Consequently, he spent most of the morning with Teddy on his hip (when he wasn't sleeping that is).

After lunch, they all floo'd back to the Playhouse. Everyone split up to do their own thing. Hermione and Luna were in the kitchen doing their Charms homework. Since Harry had returned to teaching, Mark had been lightening Minerva's teaching load by teaching transfiguration; so he was working on lesson plans as were all the other full time teachers. Harry was keeping his ear on his wand for Teddy to wake up as he worked on lesson plans.

Nev was in his greenhouse planting something no one else could pronounce. Harry had learned not to just go see Nev in there unannounced because he'd been attacked a few weeks ago when he'd done that

HP

At around half three, Sirius went to find everyone so they could go to the staff room for a meeting.

"This is going to be so much fun." Hermione whispered to Harry as they walked.

He looked at her skeptically and raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"We get to talk to other teachers about what we're doing."

"I don't think she wants to talk about that. She mentioned hiring more teachers. I think that's what she's gonna want to talk about." Sirius informed her.

When they got there, it seemed everyone else was already sitting at the large table. "Welcome." Minerva smiled at how eager Hermione looked as everyone got comfortable. "Most of you know we get the names of the next class of students from the Hogwarts Book, yes?" At everyone's nod she continued. "Well, in the next few years each class is about 180 students. Some of us have been here longer than others and we remember the numbers were about this high in between Grindelwald and Riddle. However, our teaching staff has shrunk to fit the lower number of students since the First War. Well, now we need to hire back more teachers."

"Good." Babbling sighed. "I could use the help."

"Me too." Sirius grinned. "I'm having a hard time grading all my students already, I'll need help."

"What Filius and I are proposing is hiring two more teachers for each class except Defence, Charms and Herbology. There we'll only hire one as we have assistants in those classes." She said. "We intend on making all of you Heads of your Department. We'll start advertising now and we'll want your advice on candidates." Then she turned to Mark. "Would you be willing to stay as a full time Transfiguration teacher, so I may be part-time? Sarah, you could stay on as a history professor."

They looked at each other and Harry noticed them "talking" silently. "Let us talk about it, but I think so. I took a leave of absence from Winchester, so I'd have to officially leave." He sighed. "Like I said let us talk about it. I can definitely extend my leave until the end of the year."

To that, Minerva gave a rare smile. "Thank you, Mark."

Everyone laughed when they heard Jaime squeal and jump up. Mark got up quickly, recognising an excited Jaime, so he could catch her. It was a maneuver that they had been doing since her first day of kindergarten. She jumps as fast and excitedly as she can while he tries to catch her without falling and breaking their necks. So far, so good. He thought as he caught his balance.

"I am assuming you four will be here next year, yes?" Minerva asked as they all settled down.

All four Heads nodded. "Yeah, we will. However, we'd like to fill you in on the Yule Dance, if that's okay?" Nev answered. As she nodded, he took a deep breath. "We would like to make it a Valentine's Day Dance."

"We've tried to get a band for this but it seems everyone is committed through December." Luna said softly. "Knights of Avalon will be able to come on 14 February and I was hoping to give the students that Monday off?" She smiled at Flitwick.

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Filius smiled at his favorite student.

"That sounds good to me." Minerva concurred. "I'll make the announcement this evening." She slapped her hands to her thighs. "Now, how are all of you doing with your actual classes and students."

They went around discussing how to help several of the students, which took up most of the time until dinner. HP

On their way back to the Playhouse, Hermione, Jaime and Sarah were having an in-depth discussion on the history department and what they'd like to see done.

Meanwhile, Sirius had pulled Mark back to talk to him. He said in a low voice. "I'm thinking that since you and Sarah are staying here for Yule that we might have your family over for the holiday. It's not fair that your mum and dad don't see their granddaughter for her first Yule. What do you think?"

"I think that'd be a great idea but only if Hermione is okay with it." He grinned. Sirius and he had become close in the past week and he really enjoyed some of the pranks Sirius had pulled in the time he'd been here. He recognised that concentrating on pranks was Sirius' way of dealing with the miscarriage. As Mark had never had something so tragic happen in his life, he didn't know how to help so he was simply trying to get to know Jaime's new family.

That Jaime was going to be a part of this family for a long time was obvious to Mark. He thought some people like Augusta and Dromeda knew this was a foregone conclusion but others, such as Harry, were in the dark.

"Can we keep this a secret from Jaime? I'd like to surprise her." Sirius' eyes gleamed with mischief.

Mark grinned. "Of course."