Ch 35 Confirming Pregnancies
The first Sunday in February the family was again gathered at the New Burrow for the normal Sunday morning family meeting. By this time all the wives that were pregnant knew it.
Ginny asked, her hand over her belly in the familiar pose of most pregnant women, "How come all the witches were fertile at the same time? That's not natural."
Hermione replied, "Sometimes magic seems to work back in time, so the magic of Cleo's wedding gown worked back into the months before her wedding. I'm not sure how, but it is just like a time turner, or prophecy. Magic is not quite bound by the same time rules that most of life is.
"I know that although I made sure I could not become pregnant, it was that time of month for me too. Really strange."
Fleur then said, "If you take a monthly birth control potion you always are saying 'maybe another child' instead of 'no more children.' I guess you cannot complain if you have a child." Fleur had lost much of the heavy French accent, although there was still some accent. "So one more, only," Fleur added.
Angelina told the others, "I was fertile a week later, but I didn't take the birth control potions. We had been thinking about another one or two. We were so busy with the first two. Maybe I will find out I am too old, and maybe this one will be easy and I will have another pair."
George added, "Two pair is a full house!"
Angelina asked, "So you mind having a full house?"
George preened, "Not at all. Just proves that I'm still young and virile."
Angelina folded her arms and glared at George. "YOUR body's contribution is minuscule. I'M the one who is going to be doing all the hard work!"
"Yes, dear," George meekly replied.
Angelina turned back to the girls, hiding her smile. Angelina was a forceful woman with a bit of a temper, and she and George were well matched.
"It is not like we don't have babies and little children around the family," Angelina observed. "I just didn't expect three more babies."
Miriam shyly waved, indicating that she and Fred were expecting another one. Fred grinned and lovingly looked at his wife, patting her hand.
Everyone looked at Roxanne and Frank Longbottom II. Frank admitted, "Not only are we expecting, but so is my mum. Mum says she has good staff at the Leaky, and she can take more time off to be a mother than she could with my sisters and me. Dad jokes that they may need another house at Hogwarts just for the descendants of Grandmother and Grandfather Weasley."
Arthur and Molly looked at each other and laughed.
Ginny observed, "That is one scary outfit Cleo wore! I had better do something to keep from having more children or Cleo will have me pregnant until I'm sixty. I still cannot believe that wanting three children has turned into, I've just seen the midwife again, and it looks like there are two babies. Twins!
"It's not that I mind, really," Ginny reflected, looking at Harry, who smiled at his wife. "I love Harry and all the children. I just didn't expect to have babies after having grandchildren."
Harry smiled an 'I am enjoying my life' smile and said, "Every so often I look back at my life, at how close I came to losing it, to losing Ginny, and how our love has turned into all the other love, and I just don't believe how lucky I've been, we've been."
Everybody turned to look at Audrey. "Cleo obviously enjoys everything sexual and sensual. No, enjoy is too weak a word. She revelsin everything sexual and sensual. She seems to live her life on the edge of ecstasy."
Ginny admitted, "She really is over the top. I said something about spacing children, and she looked at me like I was crazy. When I said she could have forty children if she was pregnant every year she said 'wouldn't that be fantastic!' I think we have talked her out of a child every year. I hope. No woman's body can handle that kind of stress, magical or not. She is more and more aware that too much is too much. She is somewhat crazy, the nicest most loving exasperating … I never wanted a modest little life, but it's getting crazy even for me."
Audrey responded, "Percy and I have lived such a narrow life. Ginny, we had the modest little life you never wanted, at least I did. I never even read the Witches and Wizards Graphic Guide to Married Sex book." Audrey turned to Percy and kissed him and sighed, "It's almost like we are having our second honeymoon, except we were so shy, so prudish, the first time that maybe this is almost sort of our first honeymoon. I was so scared of my mother and being a mother the first time. It was better for Lucy, but I am going to nurse this baby while I am teaching school, and even if the little boys want to know what I am doing I will show them that this is what mothers do. I'll buy one of those little French swim suits with no top and not have to worry about hiding anything when I nurse the baby because on the beach in France it will all be out there anyway. And instead of being ashamed of how we made a baby, I am going to enjoy it, maybe enjoy making another one."
Percy had the biggest smile on his face. Audrey's father Arthur was with them, and he was also smiling. "I think it is fantastic these two young people are so much in love," he said.
"I feel younger than I think I felt the day I was married," Audrey grinned.
Victoire insisted, "I love being a mother. Cleo isn't going to change me. I'm always wanted a lot of children."
Teddy added, "I remember when I was six and Victoire was four she told me she was going to have LOTS of babies with me, and nurse them with those big breasts of hers. Of course when she was four she was pretty flat on top, but I was warned.
"Torie's never changed her mind; I can't say I wasn't warned. I enjoy being a father. Making the babies is fun too!"
"I'm sure not flat on top anymore," Victoire observed, putting her arms under her substantial bosom.
"There is just more of you to love," Teddy said, patting Victoire's side. Victoire was about the same height as her mother, but there was a lot more of her.
"You are not pregnant too?" Molly asked, quite concerned.
"Merlin no!" Victoire exclaimed. "I'm still on the lactation and birth control potions. Once Venus is weaned Teddy and I will probably work on having another, but not until then."
Victoire looked at Josefina and the brood of little ones they were taking care of. "So far taking care of all the children is working out, but it would be good to give it a few more months before adding still another one to the mix.
"It would be nice to not have to worry about Teddy being gone. He is still spending two to four days a week away from home at night trying to help deal with all the Magi captured because of the battles. He knows many of them, and Annatole and Orwant need the help."
"I should be able to be a full time domestic Auror here in Britain just about the time the next class of Aurors graduate and Harry doesn't urgently need me," Teddy admitted, shrugging his shoulders at Harry.
"The scheduling is the least of my problems," Harry admitted. "Almost every Auror was good friends with one or more of the Aurors who were killed at Malfoy Manor. Emotions are still rather raw around the Auror department. I cannot say I'm handling the emotions any better than the others. I talk to Gray Blackburn and my pastor Fr. Lewis every week, and I still feel guilty for all the deaths.
"Teddy keeps telling me how many lives we have saved, but knowing it in your mind and feeling it are not the same thing.
"Meanwhile, just how many babies are we going to have next year?"
"Dominique is pregnant," Fleur announced. "I know they were talking about when, not if, and after the wedding it seems like when became now. It is a little like having an accident when you were not really planning on being or for sure not being pregnant. I think they are happy."
Molly Weasley Hudson was there with her family. "I'm like Victoire, nursing and on lactation and birth control potions. I'm not eager to have a large family, but at some time another one might be acceptable. I don't know. I do know that I am not near as eager to have another one as I was at Cleo and Albus's wedding."
Audrey volunteered, "Lucy is also pregnant, which is why they married before they went back to Switzerland. Bob wants to be a foreign correspondent, and Lucy is not eager to be alone in Switzerland, so I'm not sure where they are going to make their home. There is a reason why they didn't marry before, and I hope everything works out."
"I've started back with healing classes, part time," Victoire volunteered. "I think I may want to work part time, maybe half days. Merlin knows I have enough help, with the Elves and Josefina, to work part time. My specialty is pediatrics, babies and children, and the healers may need the help in a few months. How many other babies were conceived after that wedding?"
"I've just heard from Luna Lovegood Scamander, and she is pregnant with triplets," Ginny volunteered. "She never could do anything the normal way.
"Daniel Tiger and Nancy Weasley are formally betrothed, and I think they are seeing if they can marry before they graduate. My guess is that she is pregnant as well."
Harry volunteered, "Jim Shook said he and Sue were close to starting another one, but decided to wait a month or more, and I think the desire has passed. Sheryl and Merlin Middy are expecting one, and they are a little worried about Christy and Colin Creevey. Christy isn't pregnant, but I guess she has indicated that she would like to be married her seventh year. The Shooks like Colin, but like so many of the couples too many seem to be pairing up and having children too soon."
"Astoria Malfoy is pregnant too," Molly Weasley let the crowd know. "It appears that some spells a witch and wizard from the island did just before the battle at Malfoy Manor, plus the spells at the wedding, caused her to be with Draco one time, right after the wedding, and one time is all it takes. Astoria is very not happy, and the family has an Elf watching her."
"Rose is going to raise Astoria's baby," Hermione added when everyone looked concerned. "No one wants to trust her with a baby, and she apparently doesn't want it. Rose says the Granger-Malfoy family is functioning well, and is becoming a happier place, except for Astoria."
"Where are Rose and Scorpius, Narcissa," asked Ginny, looking at Narcissa, who was at the Sunday gathering and was sitting next to Arthur Baker.
"They are at Hogwarts, meeting with their school friends," Narcissa replied. "They did not anticipate leaving school early. They are quite upset about it, really, but there is not much of a choice in the matter. I'm doing all I can to help, but Scorpius really does need to take the lead in managing the farms and dealing with much of the legal and even magical issues.
"I can help with the managing of the farms, and am. I don't think I've ever been busier. But there are plenty of things that Scorpius and Rose have to do as a couple, where I cannot take Rose's place.
"Arthur has taken a leave from his Ministry job to help with the finances, and we are talking about hiring him. The six farms and the other things connected to them are a big business. We are still trying to understand where the money comes from and where it goes."
The family continued to talk the rest of the afternoon about what was going on in their worlds.
"How are our new mothers doing?" Minerva asked Cinnamon Appleleaf. The two were having a private meeting in the headmistress's office Monday, February thirteenth.
"Medically everything is going well. It helps that witches mature earlier than Muggles, and that the potions our witches are taking help insure healthy pregnancies. Mothers and babies are healthy," Cinnamon replied. "We have taken care of getting maternity clothes for all the witches who came back to Hogwarts without any. They are all beginning to show. For a couple we had to alter their existing clothes. Money isn't a concern for the Potter and Weasley wives, but some of the witches don't have a budget for a new wardrobe.
"Not all of the mothers and mother-in-laws are being very cooperative. The one thing most of them seem to have in common is not wanting to be kept away from their grandchild. I would like to get as many of them together, mothers, mothers-in-law, and daughters, without the fathers and husbands. Too many of the fathers of the witches are angry at their daughter's husband, or mad at their daughter."
"Who and where?" Minerva wondered.
"Several people are blaming Harry Potter, so I don't think one of the Potter properties would be good," Cinnamon suggested. "Not at Hogwarts either. I'm thinking of asking Rose Granger-Malfoy. She has indicated to me that she wanted to make Malfoy Manor a place that would be comfortable for people to gather. I would like to meet with as many of the woman as possible. It may take more than one gathering."
"You may get a couple of the women just eager to visit Malfoy Manor," Minerva suggested.
Cinnamon thought that Rose still had the mobile she used as a prefect, so she used the mobile all professors carried and tried to contact Rose. The mobile rang, and Rose looked up from the paperwork in her office, and answered, "Rose Granger-Malfoy."
"Rose, this is Cinnamon Appleleaf."
"Good morning, Professor Appleleaf."
"I would like to get together with some of the pregnant students, their mothers and mothers-in-law, but not at Hogwarts."
"Would you like to have them meet at Malfoy Manor, Professor?"
"If you think you can host them, Rose."
"I want to check with Narcissa just to make sure, because we are trying to run the household as a partnership. Hold on just a second."
Rose put the mobile on hold and called Narcissa, who was at one of the farms, asking her, "Narcissa, Professor Appleleaf would like to have the pregnant witches and their mothers and mothers-in-law over here for a meeting or two in the evening. Is that acceptable to you?"
Narcissa grinned to herself. "I will let you arrange it. Am I invited?"
"Please come," Rose replied. "I don't intend to invite Astoria, though."
"I agree," Narcissa confirmed.
Rose terminated the call to Narcissa and went back to her mother. "Professor, we would love to host a gathering or gatherings. We are free most evenings."
"I will try and put somethings together, Rose. It may be a couple of meetings."
"Thank you for hosting these meetings, Rose," Cinnamon Appleleaf said as she came through the Floo in the large formal living room of Malfoy Manor. Rose wasn't sure why, but the trouser suit she was wearing, with the Hogwarts logo on it, made Cinnamon look very much like a Hogwarts professor.
"You are welcome, Professor Appleleaf. I want to introduce my grandmother-in-law Narcissa Malfoy."
"I am very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy," Cinnamon said, shaking Narcissa's hand. Turning to Rose she said, "Please call me Cinnamon instead of Professor Appleleaf, seeing as I am a guest in your home."
"We are treating it as our home, Rose and mine," Narcissa explained. "Please call me Narcissa."
"I wondered, Narcissa," Cinnamon remarked. "The dynamics of multi-generational homes can be interesting."
Rose and Narcissa both nodded their agreement with that remark.
Hermione was next through the Floo, wearing her trademark trouser suit. She noticed Narcissa also wore a trouser suit, very businesslike with enough jewelry to emphasize her wealth. The suit made a statement of power and wealth.
Rose greeted her mother with a kiss on her cheek, "Welcome, Mum. I've lightened the colors in the downstairs and replaced the drapes. It is still Malfoy Manor, though."
"I think you are doing a good job of making the Manor more welcoming, Rose. Greetings Narcissa, Cinnamon."
They were interrupted by numerous females coming through the Floo.
Rose and Narcissa showed everyone where to sit, as Elves served coffee or tea along with biscuits. When everyone was seated Cinnamon arose and said, "Welcome. We are gathering you together in hopes you can be somewhat of a support group, and know you are not alone after the unfortunate and awkward situation that took place at Hogwarts this past October.
"I would like each of the pregnant witches to introduce yourself, the witches with you, and if you want to, say a little about yourself."
By previous arrangement Rose stood up first, her silky sheath dress showing off her thin figure and her baby bump. She proclaimed, "I am Rose Granger-Malfoy." Pointing to each in turn, "My mother Hermione Granger-Weasley and my grandmother-in-law and co-host of our home Narcissa Malfoy."
"Where is your mother-in-law?" 'Flower' (Sprout) Firewalker wondered.
"That is a story for another time," Rose smoothly parried. "As I think most of you know, I am married to Narcissa's grandson Scorpius Malfoy. I am not going to go into why, but because of pressing business and personal matters we have had to withdraw from school and spend the next month's here at the Manor. Scorpius and I married December twenty-third, along with my Potter cousins. There were three weddings at three different times, but at the same place, with a joint reception."
Rose looked at Erica, who arose. "I am Erica Lionheart Potter. This is my mother Donna Lionheart, and my mother-in-law Ginny Potter. James Potter and I were the first married at the New Burrow properties of the Weasley and Potter families.
"I just want to say that I was looking forward to playing professional Quidditch like my mum and Mum Potter, and this being pregnant is a raw deal. Being married is good, and I guess James and I would have a family someday, but after Quidditch not before."
Erica flopped down on her chair, her face and bearing confirming how she felt about having her Quidditch career taken away from her.
Cleo bounced up. "I am Cleopatra Potter, married to Albus Potter the same day. This is my mother Ann Smith, and most of you probably recognize my mother-in-law Ginny Potter.
"I am probably responsible in some way for all these pregnancies. My great-grandmother was the one who was responsible for the spell that was responsible for me becoming pregnant, and as far as she was concerned, I think, she was a very wicked woman, all of the rest of the witches were just collateral damage as far as she was concerned.
Patricia Wang shouted, "Collateral damage! This was the rape of all these girls who became pregnant! Forced to marry to early, and to the wrong people." She looked horrified, angry and hurt.
"If it was rape, and I agree it was," Ginny countered, "it was the spell or potion or whatever it was raping both the witches and wizards. To their credit, in most cases including all the witches here, both the witch and wizard have accepted the responsibility of raising the new life they did not intend to start."
"I'm really sorry about causing so many problems," Cleo told the witches with a big sigh, concern and sorrow on her face and bearing.
"Well, Albus and I are going to have move to Switzerland this spring, and meanwhile we are dealing with all sorts of legal and historical things that I am having a hard time doing."
Cinnamon looked around at who would speak next, and spotted Elizabeth Reynolds (no, Elizabeth Prewett.) At a nod from Cinnamon Elizabeth stood up.
"I'm Elizabeth Reynolds ... Prewett. My mother is Katherin Reynolds. My mother-in-law is Mary Sue Prewett. She was a Harpie along with Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Lionheart.
"Gideon and I were more or less engaged to be engaged the beginning of the school year. We had both spent enough time during the holidays at each other's house, and the two families had even met a couple of times. We are both good students, like potions and healing, and had talked about taking a couple of extra years of study in potions and then maybe becoming healers specializing in healing potions. We really hadn't talked about a family much, just that we didn't want to start one until our careers were established.
"We both told our parents what happened as soon as we knew, and we married December Nineteenth, at the start of the Christmas holidays, so that was nice, but we are still trying to figure out what we are going to do. Maybe the same thing, but with a child to raise as well. I mean being married is nice, but I feel like our adolescence was more or less stolen."
Elizabeth sat down, and looked sheepishly at her mother and mother-in-law. The two older witches smiled sympathetic smiles squeezing her hands.
Cinnamon pointed to Sheryl Shook Middy, who looked at a beaming Laura and a pensive Sue before standing. "I'm Sheryl Shook Middy. My mother is Sue Shook, and my mother-in-law is Laura Middy."
Sheryl promptly sat down.
There were a few knowing smiles and quiet giggles. It was common knowledge that Sheryl became pregnant after the October first spell. Sue Shook was very professional in her Auror uniform, and Laura' dress was as floozy feminine as one could imagine. Sheryl wore a Hogwarts uniform that had been altered to grow as she grew. It was an interesting contrast in dress.
"Flower" Sprout Firewalker promptly stood up. "I'm Chrysanthemum Sprout Firewalker. Mum gave me a ridiculously long first name, and I marry someone with a long last name. Everyone calls me Flower, not Chrysanthemum. Mum is Professor Pomona Sprout, and my mother-in-law is Rosalyn Firewalker. That's Native American. We also married December nineteenth, and spent the first part of the holidays in the United States, which was very interesting. We have another year of school left, at Hogwarts, at least, and other than living together and raising a child I have no idea what more we are going to be doing. I'm not worried, though."
'Flower' sat down. Cinnamon looked next at Emily Sinistra.
"I am Emily Susan Macmillian Sinistra. My mother is Susan Bones Macmillian, and my mother-in-law is Autumn Sinistra.
"We told our parents as soon as we found out. They were not happy, well, we were not either, but we decided to make the best of the situation. It wasn't like we had anything to be ashamed of, because it was a spell, a curse I guess, that caused the pregnancies. You have obligations to your family to do the right thing, and now to the baby, so we decided that even though we had not talked about marriage and the future, well... All the fairy tales have you falling in love first, but we decided, when we found out I was pregnant, that we should marry, and I think our first real lovers kiss was when Zeus told me we should marry and we cried and kissed and held each other. And before everything was very tentative but I know for me a lot of my inhibitions fell away once it was decided, because, you know, after you are married ..."
Emily gave a big sigh, looked around the room, put on a shy smile. "It wasn't easy to arrange a nice formal wedding, but our parents decided to allow us to sign the formal betrothal contract Saturday December eighteenth. We moved into my bedroom as an all but married couple, I mean, what could happen, I was already pregnant. And I think we fell more in love with each other those two weeks, being together.
"We finally had a nice formal wedding December thirty-first."
"Thank you, mum. You too Mum Autumn. You have both been great."
Emily shyly grinned at the crowd, and then looked at Ginny Wang Rios, the last of the students.
Ginny stood up, glared at her mother, then quickly turned away, "I'm Ginny Wang Rios," she declared, emphasizing the 'Rios.' "Jesus and I have been best friends since our first year at Hogwarts."
Ginny looked back at the two witches next to her. "This is my mother Patricia Wang, she is the one who looks Chinese because she is as she never stops reminding me, and this is my mother-in-law, finally, Juanita Rios, who doesn't look Chinese because she isn't.
"Jesus and I both have September birthdays, so we are in fifth year even though we are not that much younger than the other students. So I became pregnant just after turning sixteen, which is really way too early, but I'm not about to abort a magical child! Jesus and I knew we were going to be together, so aborting our child just wasn't an option. Our parents didn't want us to spend the Christmas vacation together, but we just didn't leave each other. So we went to Jesus's home in California and tried to talk our parents into letting us marry, but there was nothing but fighting. We did go to church Christmas, which was nice, because we were praying and praying. And we stayed in different bedrooms, which was frustrating, and they kept watching us like something would happen, like I'd become pregnant or something.
"After Christmas we went to my home in China, and insisted on staying in the same room, but they put in two beds not together, and finally, the end of December, my in-laws came to China and we married, but they still kept the two beds in my room and didn't tell us anything. We consummated the marriage, but it was awkward, because it was our first time, except for the spell, and I'm not sure how long it will take them to treat us as married, because Jesus is not Chinese.
"Jesus and I will be going to Switzerland with Albus and Cleo, and I hope sometime soon we will be welcomed as a couple like some of these other witches are."
A visibly agitated Ginny plopped down on her chair.
Cinnamon stood up. "We had fourteen of our younger students become pregnant last fall, plus four older students, eighth year and beyond, although it is not uncommon to have pregnancies in the older students. We gathered eight of you here, all of which are lucky to come from intact families. We wanted all of you students and parents to feel you are not alone in what you are going through.
"Do any of you have any questions?"
Katherin Reynolds asked, "Why does Cleo have two wands?"
Everyone looked at Cleo, who took her original wand out of the one wand pocket in her skirt, and looked at it. "This is my wand," she observed. "It gives me insights into people's character, and helps in making scents. It helps see what Albus says is the magic behind the magic."
Cleo put the one wand back, and withdrew the other one. "This is the first wand of the Magi, the first wand made for humans by the original High Elves. It is mine because I won it from my great grandmother, and because the prophets say it is, and because I am married to Albus," and she smiled, wiggled in a sexy way, and somehow expressed her overwhelming love for Albus. "I love the castle and Switzerland, but I'm not all that fond of all this governing stuff, and I'd gladly give this wand to someone else, but we have to do what we have to do."
Cleo gave a big sigh and looked around, somehow looking extremely pregnant and maternal. "I love being pregnant, but all this governing stuff, that I have to do, I'm very glad that Annabella, she's Annabella Fagan now and that's good, she and Ginny, Ginny Wang Rios, that's good too, they are helping me with all this legal and governing stuff, because that's just work, that's hard."
Cleo looked over to Ginny Rios for some help, and everyone looked back and forth between the two. Ginny was a small thin Chinese girl, her pregnancy showing through her Hogwarts uniform. Cleo was as large and overly curvy as Ginny was small and thin.
"There are laws and agreements that go back over two thousand years that were waiting for the next rulers to agree to or change," Ginny tried to explain.
"Is Cleo, Cleo, actually going to be the next queen of the Magi?" Katherin wondered.
"Crown princess and prince, from what I understand," Ginny answered. Cleo looked embarrassed.
"Why do you have to go to Switzerland?" Patricia Wang demanded, glaring at her daughter. "I've never received a good explanation for why you have to leave school."
"I think they are going to be the next Regents, and help us govern," Cleo volunteered. "We think, we are reasonably sure. So if something happens to Albus and me, or I hope if we need a break, because they are all interested in governing, and we are not leaving our offices to our children, because, us or them, but maybe Ginny can explain all about governing and all the changes and how complicated it is getting."
"We are working on it," Ginny said, shaking her head. "I would rather we not say too much yet."
"Are there any more questions regarding your pregnancies and the support group," Cinnamon looked around, emphasizing the reason they were there. There did not seem to be any more questions, so she had the assembly break up into small groups.
"I think that went over reasonably well," Cinnamon told Rose, Narcissa and Hermione after the rest of the women had left. "It was good for parents to talk to parents."
"Who do you have left to try and meet with?" Hermione wondered.
Cinnamon started, "Patricia Lee Koizumi's parents want nothing to do with magic, or with Patricia transitioning to being female. Cho died in the raid. It is a tough situation. Charles sister is being great, but she is a younger sister, and I do not see her meeting with mothers and mothers-in-law. I just do not see any relative of Patricia at a meeting with the other girls and mothers or mothers-in-law right now.
"There is tension between the Dearborn and Rosier families, but I think I can get the wives and Helena to come. The Fagan parents have not been favorable to magic, but with a grandchild on the way Jackie Fagan is open to meeting, although wary. You have talked to Karen Bulstrode, Narcissa, because of the farms. Would she meet?"
"Her husband is angry at everyone and everything right now, because of the farms, but I've talked to Karen, and she would come," Narcissa replied.
"I have two couples who became pregnant in October, and who are married, but neither them nor their families want anything to do with even being acknowledged as part of this group of witches that became pregnant because of the curse," Cinnamon added. "The students know who they are, but I've promised not to talk about them. That just leaves Mafalda Weasley, who will not reveal the name of the father, who doesn't want to marry, and who doesn't even want to raise her child although she didn't make any move to abort it."
"I will try to schedule a meeting with Helena Rosier Dearborn and Annabella Bulstrode Fagan, the mothers and mothers-in-law," Cinnamon told the others. "We should also have Cleo, Ann and Ginny, plus us, but I don't think any additional people."
Everyone nodded their agreement.
Two days later a Ministry Range Rover in the hard to remember Auror gray color pulled up to the Fagan house, and Hermione stepped out. She was dressed in a Muggle trouser suit, looking very much a middle aged and prosperous business woman. She rang the doorbell, and a middle aged woman in a very middle class dress, three-quarters long, a flowered print, high neck and long sleeves, answered.
"I am Hermione Granger-Weasley," Hermione announced herself. "I've been talking to Jackie Fagan on the mobile."
"I'm Jackie," the woman answered. "How are we getting to the meeting?"
"In that Range Rover," Hermione pointed out. The two women went to the automobile, and Hermione opened a back door. Jackie entered. Hermione went to the other side and entered, and fastened her seat belt, so Jackie followed. "Malfoy Manor, please," Hermione told the driver.
The driver replied, "Yes, Vice-Minister. I have approval to fly with the invisibility booster on."
The automobile smoothly rose into the air and flew to Malfoy Manor.
"Does everybody in your world travel like this?" an obviously nervous Jackie squeaked.
"No, but this seemed the best way to pick you up," Hermione replied. "It will not take us too long to get to Malfoy Manor, and it is not as strange as some of the ways Magi travel.
"Most of the women will step out of a big fireplace, traveling almost instantly from one fireplace to another. It is called traveling by Floo, and it really is magical. It can also be uncomfortable, especially for someone who is not magical."
Jackie glanced outside as the vehicle smoothly glided over the English countryside, but mostly kept her eyes focused on the seat in front of her, clutching her purse, obviously nervous. They set down on a country lane and drove up to a pair of gates, which opened for them The Range Rover drove up a new concrete driveway and parked behind another vehicle. Hermione exited, went around, and opened the door for Jackie. The two women approached the large front doors of Malfoy Manor, which opened for them. Hermione led them into a large entrance hall, and then through some doors into an even larger living room.
"We need some more intimate living spaces, mum," a thin, well dressed, obviously pregnant young girl told Hermione. "I've added the movable walls between the entrance hall and the living room. The living room architecture just doesn't lend itself to be further subdivided.
"Welcome. I'm Rose Granger-Malfoy, and you must be Jackie Fagan."
A thoroughly intimated Jackie answered, "Yes, mam," with a small curtsy.
Just then Karen and Annabella came through the Floo, brushing themselves off as they did. Annabella looked at Jackie and asked, "Mrs. Fagan? I'm Annabella."
"I'm her mother, Karen," Karen Bulstrode added.
"Welcome to our home," Rose said. "Narcissa should be here shortly."
Just then Narcissa Malfoy strode in. "Welcome Karen. Rose is trying to make the place less stuffy. You must be Jackie Fagan, and of course Annabella Bulstrode Fagan. Welcome."
Helena Rosier Dearborn came through the Floo next, accompanied by her mother Diane. Narcissa greeted them, "Welcome Diane. You must be Helena. Welcome."
"Thank you," Helena replied, looking warily around.
After a couple of awkward moments Barbara Dearborn came through the Floo, in traditional robes, looking very old fashion and somewhat out of place. The lights in the room flickered.
"You are leaking too much magic, Barbara," Narcissa jumped in with. "I rather prefer the LED lights to candles. Put your wand away."
A sour looking Barbara, the only one to have her wand out, put it away, and the LED lights stopped flickering.
Rose looked at her phone. It wasn't like her aunt Ginny to be late. Just then the Floo flared again and first Ann, then Cleo, and finally Ginny with Mitzi holding her hand, came through the Floo.
Ginny wobbled back and forth, Mitzi supporting her, as Ginny did something on her phone. "None of the hearing aid settings are helping," she finally bitched. "It is a bad balance day. Being pregnant with twins isn't helping."
"Our last guests are Cleo Potter, her mother Ann Smith, and her mother-in-law Ginny Potter," Rose announced. "The last time we did this professor Appleleaf asked us to introduce ourselves and the parents, and say something about ourselves.
"I am Rose Granger-Malfoy." Pointing to each in turn, "My mother Hermione Granger-Weasley and my grandmother-in-law and co-host of our home Narcissa Malfoy. I married Scorpius Malfoy December twenty-third."
Rose sat down and Cleo stood. "I am Cleopatra Potter, married to Albus Potter the same day. This is my mother Ann Smith, and most of you probably recognize my mother-in-law Ginny Potter.
"I am probably responsible in some way for all these pregnancies. My great-grandmother was the one who was responsible for the spell that was responsible for me becoming pregnant, and as far as she was concerned, I think, she was a very wicked woman, all of the rest of the witches were just collateral damage as far as she was concerned."
Ginny suggested, "It was as if the spell or potion or whatever it was, was raping both the witches and wizards. To their credit, in most cases including the witches here, both the witch and wizard have accepted the responsibility of raising the new life they did not intend to start."
"I'm really sorry about causing so many problems," Cleo told the witches with a big sigh, concern and sorrow on her face and bearing.
"Albus and I are going to have move to Switzerland this spring, and meanwhile we are dealing with all sorts of legal and historical things that I am having a hard time doing."
Annabella then stood up. "I'm helping Cleo with things she is having a hard time with, and helping her put in words answers to some questions. I'm also helping her put into words some of the magic behind the magic that she sees better than any of us, the reasons we can do what we can do. Richard and I are going to travel to Switzerland with them to become personal assistants. We are getting paid enough. That is why I could buy these professional clothes." Annabelle twirled around, showing a very professional new skirt, a blouse that was at the same time a maternity blouse and, with the fabric and cut of the garment and decoration, obviously a reasonably expensive and professional blouse. She wore low heels that were color coordinated with the rest of her outfit.
"Your mother and mother-in-law, Annabella," Rose reminded her.
"Oh, this is my mother, Karen Bulstrode. Mum, how much trouble is dad in?"
"We will talk about that privately," Karen replied. "He should be more willing to listen to you and Richard than before."
Rose nodded towards Jackie Fagan.
"I don't really know Mrs. Jackie Fagan. We've met, privately, once, but it was a very short meeting, and tense. I'd like to get to know her better. We have mobiles." Anabella withdrew a mobile from a hidden pocket in her skirt. "Albus and his father are all about Magi joining the twenty-first century."
Jackie looked at Hermione. "You said that some of these people are Christian?"
Cleo volunteered, "Oh, I'm Christian, because Albus is, because it should help us be good, and because, he believes and I believe in him and that's not why you should become Christian but I was baptized as an infant so I can get away with it!"
"I'm Christian too," Rose said, "and my husband is joining the church this Easter!"
"Even though you are witches?" Jackie persisted.
"We are trying to use the word Magi, like the Magi who visited the Christ Child," Hermione explained. "It doesn't have the negative connotations of witch, like evil witch."
"Don't you have to call on a spiritual power from beyond to get magic to work?" Jackie pressed.
"It is more physics than some spiritual stuff," Annabella scoffed. "It is tied to language and in some mysterious way how what we say influences the world, but there are not any demons or angels involved."
"Annabella, why don't you and Karen talk to Jackie. I will help if you want me to, since my parents were not magical," Hermione suggested. "Helena, Barbara, Diane, you three talk. The rest of you make yourselves available to whoever wants to talk to you."
"They didn't talk much about magic, just relationships," Jackie remarked to Hermione in the Range Rover as they headed back to Jackie's house.
"How much do you talk about having electricity, or the telly, or a mobile?" Hermione countered. "Magic is part of the background of our lives, but it is not all of our lives or all that we do. Right now all the students are concerned with their futures, and with the relationships between themselves, their partner, and both of their families.
"I was lucky. I married into a fabulous family. There are lots of them, and it can get confusing, but they are good people. When my father died and my non magical mother moved in with me they accepted her as well."
"I'm going to continue to meet with Annabella," Jackie volunteered. "I'm not sure how I can get my husband to agree. Maybe if he knows some of these people are Christians and not devil worshipers."
2022