Ch 39 A Vacation on Resort Cleo
Sunday April second the family met, as usual, at the New Burrow. Rose and Scorpius were there as usual, as well as Narcissa and Arthur Baker. Albus and Cleo were there too, the children just home for Easter vacation. Ginny looked at Cleo and told Harry, "I'm worried about Cleo. She looks like she could use a vacation."
"We have not had our normal winter vacation either," Harry reflected. "Maybe a group of us could go to Resort Cleo next week. I will get in touch with Orwant and Ann and see if they could arrange it so that Albus and Cleo, plus the rest, can use the visit as mostly a vacation and not work.
"I understand that they are not going to bring the Crystal Ball back until after Easter."
Harry conferred with the family, and several of them were available for a short vacation the following week, although Albus, Cleo, Rose and Scorpius wanted to be back Friday night.
Harry called Orwant Sunday night, and that Monday he and Ginny visited the island.
"We have had a few guests," Ann told the couple, "but Orwant and I want to host a few more before we promote the island as a vacation spot. We have a couple of dwellings we have merged, with six bedrooms with their own baths for Magi, and another four slightly smaller rooms with two baths for Elves. There were a number of other dwellings also available, for Aurors or other guards, or just for additional guests.
Sandy the Elf insisted, "The bedrooms for Elves are very nice, better than they have most places. Is very good, changing even, having such nice, separate quarters for Elves."
"So we could take six couples, then," Ginny thought.
"Plus Albus and Cleo," Orwant insisted. "They have to stay in the big house at the top. We can make sure the visit is mostly a vacation, but they need to stay there!"
Ginny started with Albus and Cleo, reflecting what Cleo's parents had told her.
"I would like to get back to the island," Cleo told Ginny and Albus. "We should take Annabella and Richard with us, and make sure they don't work all the time but relax."
"We need plenty of security to travel," Albus reflected, "but we can arrange it."
Percy and Audrey were thrilled. They really had not traveled much, and this was going to be the most exotic vacation they had ever been on.
Bill and Fleur looked over their schedule, and decided they could go. None of the rest of Ginny's family could go, however, although Molly would help take care of Minerva.
Ginny went over to Malfoy Manor to talk to Rose and Scorpius. She met Delores Hanley at the outside office and asked, "Are Scorpius or Rose available?"
Ginny had not been at Malfoy Manor before. It looked like, she thought, halfway between the Malfoy family and Rose. The desk where Delores Hanley sat was very traditional in style. It was not an inexpensive desk, but it did not have the ostentatious touches you would expect from Malfoy furniture. Her office chair was obviously modern and comfortable.
Delores picked up a mobile that was sitting on the desk and called Scorpius and Rose. She then put it down gingerly. "I'm still getting used to this modern technology," she told Ginny, pointing to a computer sitting on a table next to the desk. "Filing papers with magic is easy. Learning to type and all the rest is hard."
"I destroyed a very expensive laptop computer when I was learning to type," Ginny admitted, giggling but a little embarrassed. "I cursed the blasted thing, I was so mad at that quirky keyboard. I was told it was a QWERTY keyboard, after these letters here on the …"
Ginny arose and pointed out the letter on the upper left of the keyboard. "I still think it is quirky, and no one can tell me why they are called keys."
A short time later both Scorpius and Rose appeared, and Ginny explained about taking a short vacation at Resort Cleo, and asked if they wanted to go.
"It would be good to get away before the baby is born," Rose reflected. "Once Elanor is born I'm going to be tied up nursing her for months."
"Having Delores Hanley help me has really allowed me to stay on top of things," Scorpius added. "I'm comfortable letting her hold down the office for the rest of the week."
They called Narcissa in to tell her what they wanted to do.
"That sounds like fun," Narcissa replied. "Do you have room for one more couple?"
"You need to ask Arthur Baker to come with you?" Rose smirked. Her face took on a more serious tone. "You ought to have Cleo examine him. I am not sure his wife had been any more of a wife to him than Astoria was to Draco."
"Maybe," Narcissa replied. She had a faraway look in her eyes. "He was lonely, was all his married life, really. So many of the wives of the farm owners have been abused because of mean and nasty wizards, but some of those marriages, as contentious as they sometimes are, have been better than the cold and unloving Mrs. Baker.
"We have set up a family business office in the lower level of Malfoy Manor. That is where Arthur Baker and I have our offices. There is a conference room as well, so we can meet with all the farm and business managers. Scorpius has to maintain his office upstairs, because that is where the special Floo is that leads to the farms, and because of some of the special magic related to some of the more unusual properties the family owns.
"I've let Rose use what was my office, as Lady of the house, but she has included me in every major decision, as has Scorpius. In some way I feel more a partner in running the home and businesses than I ever did before when Lucius and then Draco were Lord of the Manor. It is good."
Tuesday afternoon April fourth the group that was going to go to Resort Cleo finally left together. Cleo and Albus were proceeded by guards. Both Frerin and Dis, the Elf guards, and Ben and Karen Ngyuen, their Swiss guards, accompanied them. Richard and Annabella also went with them.
They were followed by Harry and Ginny, Ginny leaving Mitzi behind so she could have a vacation. Harry was going to stay close to Ginny, helping her with her balance, the entire vacation, something he didn't mind in the least. Minerva was going to be staying at the New Burrow with her grandparents and the Lupins. Dobedo and another Elf were going along as guards, but they were going to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Also coming were Bill and Fleur, Percy and Audrey, Rose and Scorpius, and Narcissa Malfoy and Arthur Baker.
The group took first the Floo and then the North American Closet networks to Miami, Florida in the USA, and then took a Closet to first one island, and then another one. Harry knew that this second island was owned by Orwant's family. From there they took still another Closet, this one new and highly secure, to a Closet on Resort Cleo. They were greeted by Aurors and other North American Department of Law Enforcement officers who examine their documents and wands to verify that they were who they said they were.
Cleo and Albus accompanied the rest to the quarters where they would be staying. It was a one story tropical looking building, made mostly of concrete blocks. There were storm shutters open but obviously functional and not just for looks, at most of the windows. You entered through an entry way where, by magic, you could pause and any sand on your feet or person could be removed.
Once inside all the floors were tile. There seemed to be a wide variety of pictures on the walls, more non-magical than magical. The colors varied, but were uniformly light pastel in tropical shades. The wooden walls and other woodwork varied in color. You could tell that some of the wood was from salvaged boats, both because of the color and species, but also because of leftover design elements on some of it.
There was a large central hall with a dining room table more than large enough for all of them, and comfortable chairs and tables in various groupings scattered around. One wall was mostly glass, with a furnished patio outside. All the doors were open although screened. Harry did notice a small building with someone in it, obviously a guard, looking over the area. Harry was reassured that they were taking security very seriously.
Harry also noticed that above all the patio doors were what he could tell were metal shutters that could be lowered in case of a tropical storm.
All the bedrooms were down a short hall, and all had windows to the outside that were open, although screened. You could not escape the smell of tropical flowers, not that you would want to. They surrounded the building and patio, a riot of color and odor that was totally unlike anything you would find in England or in any temperate climate.
Everyone took their luggage to their rooms, and then came back to the central hall.
"We are eating with Ann and Orwant," Albus announced. "This is mostly a vacation even for us, but we do need to tend to some matters."
With their escorts Cleo and Albus left for their quarters on the very top of the island.
The group ate a light meal. Ginny told a couple of mildly raunchy jokes, making it clear that at least for this vacation she planned to spend plenty of time in bed with Harry. Bill and Fleur didn't say much, but Fleur was in full Veela mode, and everyone there expected that Bill and Fleur would enjoy themselves as only a Veela and her mate could. Rose and Scorpius were somewhat embarrassed by the older couples' frank talk, but they were grinning at each other as well.
Percy and Audrey didn't say much either, although they often held hands and gazed lovingly at each other. Narcissa Malfoy was grinning like a Cheshire Cat, and Arthur was obviously embarrassed, but was grinning as well.
Shortly after dinner the couples went to bed, promising to have breakfast with everybody at nine the next morning.
Cleo and Albus did their usual spells to make sure that no one would be charmed by their lovemaking who was not already a committed couple, and then engaged in a brief period of lovemaking before falling asleep.
The rest of the couples also made love before falling asleep, this being a vacation that they all expected would be a chance to relish in being a couple.
Albus was awake and through with his morning rituals before seven. Cleo followed him, and when they were finished they sat on the edge of the bed. "It is hard to wear anything in bed on the island right now," Cleo observed.
"I think this may be a time that we allow the love goddess to cast her spell, of course only on the already committed couples," Albus suggested.
"I've worked very hard to control that part of me," Cleo pondered. "It is not that it's bad, just bad at the wrong time or with the wrong people. I think that right now is the right time and the right people."
Al said, "Like the difference between the robe you wore at the wedding, which was too much for several of the couples, or what happened at Hogwarts, which was too much for most or all of the couples, and what you did for the professors' Ollivander and Zauberstabhersteller. It was the right scents and the right dress for that couple at that time."
"Let's do the spells to confine the charms of the love goddess to just the committed couples, but encourage the couples to make love, not just sex but overwhelming love," Cleo suggested. "If it is too much I'm sure that they will tell me, and the only couple that is not pregnant is Mrs. Malfoy and Mr. Baker, and she is too old to become pregnant."
"Aunt Hermione is not pregnant," Albus reminded Cleo, "although she's not with us. She did something after Hugo so she could not get pregnant." Cleo gave Albus a look that indicated that she found it hard to comprehend wanting to be unable to become pregnant.
"Not everyone's you, luv," he said kissing her temple.
Al and Cleo put the wand of Circe and the Elder Wand together, took their other wands, and did the spells to confine the charm and influence of the love goddess to only committed couples.
Fleur woke up in full Veela mode. She remembered how at certain weddings of non-Veela the Veela would bless or charm the couple. She wasn't a mind healer, but being part Veela she did have some power to rejoice in and as a consequence encourage sexual enjoyment. She thought that just by being on the island she was probably going to contribute to the enjoyments of the other couples, and felt that if she could encourage that it would be very good.
Of course the only reason she could reach that peek of Veela sexual enjoyment was because of Bill, and as she thought of Bill her enjoyment grew. It was only seven, and they did not have to appear at breakfast until nine. It was time to let Bill make her glad she was a woman and a Veela.
"I hope all the couples enjoyed themselves," Cleo told Albus. "I need to talk to Fleur. I just felt some Veela magic."
"I did too, but just through you," Albus replied. He dressed in a short sleeved batik print shirt that was very thin, and open in the front with no buttons, over shorts. He wore brown sandals.
Cleo put on conservative knickers and lightweight skirt, long enough to hold her two wands. The blouse she wore was form fitting, and reasonably modest, although very lightweight as well.
Bill put on shorts and a top similar to the one Albus wore, and gazed at his beautiful wife. Her fingernails and toenails were subtly painted, and she wore tiny earrings and two rings in addition to her engagement and wedding rings. She wore an anklet on one ankle in addition to twobracelets on one wrist. Her skirt just covered her knickers, and on top she wore a blouse that was just as form fitting and just as lightweight.
Bill and Fleur both knew that her beauty could be intimidating. She was too beautiful, too self-confident in her beauty, except that you could tell when she and Bill were together that this unearthly beauty was reserved for Bill, was eagerly shared with Bill.
Ginny dressed in a sun dress she had worn in the Caribbean before.
Richard and Annabella Fagan wore garments they had acquired when they were last on the island.
Rose looked at her handsome husband. You could still see the scars on his stomach, although they were not as ugly as Uncle Bill's scars. She had purchased several outfits before they left for the island. It was nice not having to worry about money, and over the last few weeks she had been staggered to realize just how much money the Malfoy family possessed.
Rose had not waited to get to the island to purchase garments for herself and Scorpius, and as usual the two of them looked like they could have been dressed for a photo shoot for a catalog.
"You are beautiful, Rose," Scorpius. "I'm proud of you, and grateful that you are as loving and beautiful as you are."
"You are good looking yourself," Rose replied. The scars on Scorpius's stomach, although still visible, were more like fine lines than the rough red looking lines from when he was first injured, and the lightweight summer clothes showed off, she though, his young fit figure. Unlike her rather large and beginning to be awkward pregnant figure.
Narcissa put on a sun dress. She looked at Arthur, who was looking at the shirt and shorts she had put out for him to wear.
Arthur had grown up wearing nothing but robes that covered almost all of you. He was used to working with people who wore Muggle clothes, but there were seldom men with anything but long trousers. The short sleeve shirt and shorts left him feeling rather exposed. There had been a little talk at the dinner table at Malfoy Manor about how little most people wore on this Island; he was not sure he was prepared for it.
He knew that he should not be embarrassed to go without a shirt, but he had never been swimming, never owned a bathing costume or been to a place where people were not a great deal more covered up. Hand in hand he and Narcissa walked out to the common area of the housing.
"Hello, Mum, Dad Baker," Rose greeted her grandmother-in-law and, she wasn't quite sure what relation Arthur Baker was, but he was close to being a grandfather-in-law.
"Hello, Rose," Narcissa replied, grinning at Rose.
The dwelling of the couples was close to the water, and to get to the top of the island they were going to take a leisurely walk past all the other dwellings up to the home of Cleo and Albus. As they walked outside everyone spotted what was apparently a fishing boat. Two men and two women were unloading the fish, and all of them wore work shorts but were naked above the waist.
It looked natural, and no one was paying any attention to them.
The walk took them to a small building a story below the main room of the house that Cleo and Albus stayed in. There were two Magi and two Elves watching, and this was either the main or the only way to get into the house. Once cleared they went up to the main house.
Cleo and Al greeted everybody. They sat down for a breakfast that was served by Elves and Magi. At breakfast Cleo asked Fleur, "Did you add your Veela charms to my charms?"
"Yes, I did," Fleur replied. "Could you feel it?"
"Yes, I could," Cleo confirmed.
Fleur added. "I felt like your Fertility Goddess persona was pretty much under control."
"I am trying," Cleo replied. "I'm not sure this was much of a test. All the couples except for Narcissa and Arthur are pregnant, and I doubt if even my Fertility Goddess charms could cause Narcissa to become pregnant."
Everyone looked at Narcissa, who grinned but didn't answer.
"We are not going to be able to spend much time on the island," Cleo told the group. "I would like the island to be a place where couples could reconnect, but also where families could play. We do have people on the island who could furnish child care so a couple could bring their family, but have a little private time for romance."
"Could you use a couple of full Veela who could help charm the couples?" Fleur wondered. "I know of a resort on the Mediterranean that is a honeymoon destination, and also is a place that couples go for couple time. It is run by a family of full Veela. They have more family members than the resort can support."
Cleo looked at Albus, who nodded. "We would like to talk to them," Cleo then replied.
"You are on your own until about two," Albus told the assembled Magi. "We are going to be swimming in the bay between two and four, and you are all invited. At four we are going to retire to our bedroom. I have it on good authority that with the charms in the book and the charms of Fleur, us, and the island, that three times a day is not out of the question."
Every couple grinned at each other, holding hands and touching.
Narcissa took Arthur over to the clothing store on the island to purchase a bathing costume for him. She also made sure they purchased sandals for him to wear, a couple of shirts and another pair of shorts. She purchased a two-piece bathing costume, telling Arthur, "I need to wear the top in England."
Percy and Audrey were also purchasing clothing suitable for wearing on the island.
Suddenly they heard, "Take cover. Island under attack. Take cover."
Everyone in the store was directed to an inside room, and several other people ran into the story and hid there as well.
About fifteen minutes later they heard, "All clear."
"Who attacks the island?" Percy asked.
"Jezebel's allies, I think," one of the Magi who worked at the store replied. "It is mostly a nuisance, but the Aurors have had a couple of people hurt defending the island."
"How often?" Percy persisted.
"Less often the more time since she was killed," the same Magi replied. "We have not had an attack for over a month, and it must not have been much if it was over this quickly."
At two the couples gathered at the beach in the bay
Narcissa had Arthur come into the water, and she went into the bay until she was halfway up to her chest.
Arthur was taller, but he was in deep as well. Narcissa grabbed onto Arthur, and they hugged in the water, which Arthur had to admit was delightful.
"I do not really know how to swim," Arthur told Narcissa.
"I don't really know how to swim either," Narcissa admitted. "All the Weasley family swims; they have that pond. We need to learn this summer."
Arthur thought it was going to be a very good summer, the most enjoyable ever.
Arthur looked around at the other couples. Harry and Ginny were sitting in the water, Ginny leaning back against Harry relaxing. Arthur didn't think he had ever seen Harry relax unless he was in Grimmauld Place or the New Burrow. He was always on guard, and he was today. Looking around Arthur saw four Aurors guarding the small harbor and beach, taking turns sending a Patronus around the perimeter of the small enclosed body of water. Harry was observing the guards, very much the Auror himself.
Ginny was very unsteady on her feet. Arthur looked back to where Ginny had taken something out from behind and in her ear and placed it and her mobile in a pocket on a blanket, before grabbing onto Harry and going into the water.
Albus, Cleo and her parents, along with a couple additional Magi and Elves, were close to the entrance of the harbor talking to a small group of merpeople. Cleo and Ann both projected that maternal sexiness that made Arthur glad he was going to be a grandfather and great-grandfather again.
He turned to look at Fleur and Bill. And Fleur. Fleur was not maternally sexy, she was just sexy.
"She is beautiful," Narcissa noted as he saw Arthur looking at Fleur.
"Look at how she looks at Bill," Arthur replied. "She looks like she is inviting Bill to wallow in her beauty. No one here is ugly. Well, Bill's face is pretty rough, but otherwise no one is. But Fleur has that beauty that makes every male stare."
"She is a beautiful person too," Narcissa added. "Grateful for her beauty, not proud. The perfect body would not be as beautiful as it is without her personality."
A little after three Harry and Ginny left the water and went to sunbathe on a blanket. Shortly after this Albus and Cleo came out of the water. Ginny motioned to the couple and charmed another blanket so Albus and Cleo could sit down, Cleo next to Ginny with the wizards on the outside.
"Is dad Potter asleep?" Cleo whispered.
"I think so," Ginny whispered back. "It is very hard to get Harry to relax, and I'm glad he can just take a short nap.
"Are you getting any vacation?"
Cleo thought for a minute or two, and then responded, "We are. We sat outside and read part of the morning, not business reading but just, we had a couple of books of fiction that we have been reading. Just light reading, and doing it outside, and not having a deadline, it was nice. We will have more down time this afternoon and evening. Thank you for suggesting it."
"Harry was so very busy the year after The Battle of Hogwarts, and was told that he needed a vacation. The busier you are the more you need to take a vacation. We try to take a winter vacation every year. We both need it! Make time to take time for yourself, and for you and Al as a couple." Ginny emphasized.
Cleo looked over. Al was resting, probably not asleep but just lying there with his eyes closed, relaxing. "I think I will do what Al is doing," Cleo told Ginny, and Ginny nodded back. Both witches joint their husbands in sunbathing.
About four in the afternoon all the couples were on the beach, and Cleo asked Fleur, "Do you want to use your Veela magic in about half-an hour. We all have to go back to our rooms and get naked anyway, and we might as well take advantage of it."
Ginny asked, "Are all the showers two person showers?"
"Absolutely!" Cleo beamed.
"I would enjoy that!" Fleur volunteered. "It was nice when all the children were at school and we could have an adult vacation, and I could let the Veela in me out."
Arthur and Narcissa washed the salt water off each other, dried off with spells, and went over to their bed. Arthur asked Narcissa, "Just how bad is Ginny's balance. She seemed much less steady on her feet than usual."
"Mitzi isn't with her," Narcissa replied. "The Bludger that ended her Quidditch career did more damage to her ear and balance than most people realize. I've talked to Molly about it. Mitzi and Ginny have learned to compensate, but it is bad. Not that Ginny is unhappy; she has just learned to compensate."
"Where is Mitzi?" Arthur wondered.
"I understand that she and her mate Fritz took a little vacation," Narcissa replied. "You know Fritz, the finance Elf."
"Everyone who deals with payroll and personnel issues knows Fritz the Finance Elf," Arthur gasped. "He is Mitzi's mate?"
"I think it is time to pay attention to each other," Narcissa responded, reaching over to put her body next to Arthur's. "It is a tribute to how comfortable we have become to talk about other things when we are sitting here on the bed naked, though."
A very grateful Arthur held Narcissa, relishing in the flesh to flesh contact, as the older couple gently loved each other.
All the couples loved each other that afternoon, and all could feel not only Cleo's magic, but Fleur's.
It was seven in the evening when they gathered for dinner. Clouds were beginning to cover the island, and Albus announced, "There is supposed to be a storm tomorrow. I expect that everyone will stay inside. We will come to your place for breakfast and dinner, and lunch will be brought in."
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Audrey wondered.
"It has been a long time since we've done it more than three times a day," Ginny laughed. "I can think of plenty of things to do."
"There are plenty of other things to do," Richard Fagan volunteered. "There are cards and games, and some books to read."
"I do think Cleo and Fleur need more practice," Ginny smirked. "I could feel the difference when we did it right after lunch."
Harry had the grace to look a little embarrassed. Ginny was almost always ready for a quick shag.
Cleo and Albus, Fleur and Bill, did coordinate their charms Wednesday night, and three times on Thursday.
Thursday morning it was rainy but not stormy. By some magic the windows could still be kept open. The smell of the island was different, but it was still very tropical. Again, almost certainly by magic, the temperature was just right, warm enough to wear very light weight clothes, (or nothing) but not too warm.
Cleo and Al spent most of Thursday morning in the common area with the other couples. They talked to all the other couples, trying to make sure that the magic they were feeling was appropriate. Fleur and Bill did the same that morning and afternoon. Some of the couples played card games, and everyone relaxed. Although it was disappointing not being out in the sun, it was still very much a vacation day.
Thursday afternoon Albus and Cleo spent a little time in Jezebel's office, now Cleo's. Nausicaa Scheria and Sibylla Papadopoulos were both there, and they spent some time with the Crystal Ball.
"Other than a few weeks ago when Albus used it, I don't think this Crystal Ball has been used by a wizard in a very long time," Cleo thought as she examined it. "I'm no expert in Crystal Balls, but there is something about this one that suggests some antagonism toward males, although I don't think that is part of its nature."
"Part of the long struggle between the male and female," Nausicaa suggested.
"The Crystal Ball in Switzerland has been used by both witch and wizard," Sibylla volunteered, "but I understand that the Crystal Ball used by The Lord of the Dementors is as masculine and patriarchal as this one is a dominating type of matriarchy."
"How dangerous is it going to be taking this Crystal Ball to Switzerland?" Albus wondered.
"Very," Nausicaa replied. "Your father, Albus, and others are terrified. It is just that all the prophesies say that it is even more dangerous leaving it here."
Albus and Cleo squeezed each other's hand. It could be exhausting living in danger all the time.
Thursday evening Albus and Cleo welcomed a priest from the Wizarding Christian Church to the island, and they and Rose took part in a church service. It seemed that Easter was not just one church service, but special services Thursday, Friday, and either Saturday night or Sunday. Scorpius went to the service, but not as a full member. The rest watched.
Thursday after dinner Ann and Orwant, Cleo's parents, met in the house on top of the island with Cleo, Al, Fleur and Bill. They talked about the charms on the island first. Ann explained, "The island charms were all about sex and not love, promiscuity and not fidelity. We have done all we could to change the charms on the island, to make the island about love and not sex without love. I think that Cleo and Al, Fleur and Bill, your spells helped."
They also talked about recruiting the Veela family.
Friday morning, after Cleo and Fleur worked their magic one more time, the couples left the island and headed back to England.
2022