Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of JK Rowling's fabulous characters. I do however own this story, I wrote it and I do NOTgive permission for anyone to post it anywhere else. If you want to share it post a link.

Harry looked around in awe as the knight bus let him off at the gates of Longbottom Hall.

"Wow I had no idea that you lived in a place like this," Harry said as Neville came down to let him through the wards. "How did you not grow up as arrogant and entitled as Malfoy. I could picture them having a house like this."

Neville laughed.

"The Potters are just as ancient and noble, and just as wealthy as the Longbottoms and the Malfoys. There is, or at least there was, a family seat just as formal and grand as this somewhere among your family properties," Neville said to him.

"I hope not!" Harry said without thinking.

"You don't like it?" Neville asked feeling insecure and a little annoyed. He wasn't arrogant about his family history or wealth like Malfoy and most of the other Slytherins but he felt justifiably proud of the home he grew up in.

"Oh I'm sorry Neville, I didn't mean to be rude about your home. The house is very grand and the gardens are amazing even for a herbologist of your talent, it's just it's not what I'm used to. I'd be happier in a little three or four bedroom cottage within walking distance of the shops, with a garden I could look after myself in my spare time. I could never look after a house this size," Harry said apologetically.

Neville laughed. "Have you told Susan this. Because 'The Ossuary' has to be at least three-quarters this size and just as old."

"I've seen parts of it in Susan's memories, but that's her Auntie's house isn't it? Or are you telling me that having grown up in a house this size, she isn't going to be happy in a cottage?" Harry asked.

"I doubt she would be, but she'd make do if that's the best you could do and she didn't have a house of her own. Amelia is a Bones by marriage and it was Susan's dad that was head of house Bones, his brother died before him. It belongs to the Bone's family so it's Susan's house. Her aunt lives there with Susan so she could be brought up in the family seat. Just like this will all be mine once I turn seventeen. It would've been different if Dad was well. It would've been his and I think Gran would've moved into the dower house when Grandad died to let Mum run the house," Neville explained.

"Do you think Susan will want to live at her house with her aunt after we're married?" Harry asked anxiously. He felt that the older woman didn't exactly approve of their betrothal so it would be awkward to live with her.

"Well that depends whether Potter Manor or one of your other houses are still liveable, You'll need to ask your account manager after your birthday. But I very much doubt that she'll go for a three bedroom cottage," Neville replied. "Of course, Amelia Bones might choose to move into the dower house if you do end up living at 'The Ossuary'."

"I hope so, but I guess it would be bad manners to ask her?" Harry said.

"Very bad manners," Neville agreed dryly. "Do you not get along?" He could understand Harry feeling let down or even betrayed by the head of the DMLE over the way she backed down when Dumbledore wouldn't let her arrest Draco Malfoy for using the cruciatus against Harry, and the way the attacks against the Slytherins were taken so seriously when the attack against him was all but ignored.

"She's always polite but I feel like she disapproves of me dating Susan let alone being betrothed," Harry admitted.

"Do you think that Susan told her about breaking your magical blocks together?" Neville asked.

"Oh Merlin! She probably did," Harry groaned.

"Having that block on Susan's magic broken before they were attacked the other day saved both their lives Harry and probably the lives of dozens or more other families who won't be attacked now the Dark Loser is dead. Even if she had disapproved of the two of you doing it before she probably will forgive you now," Neville reminded his friend.

"More than you know, but I can't exactly point that out to her, can I?" Harry said.

"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

"Susan used the connection between us to use my magic as well as her own. That's why her spells were too strong to shield against, I gave her almost all my magic," Harry said.

"I didn't know you could do that with your connection," Neville said surprised.

"Neither did we but I was desperate to help her and she was fighting for her life," Harry admitted.

"You were there?" Neville asked.

"No, not physically, it wouldn't have worked if I was there and fighting as well. I was in bed at the Dursleys when I felt her anxiety and checked to see what was going on with her. I was looking through her eyes when the Death Eaters entered the room. I gave her my magic and she cut them down with that Sectumsempra curse we found in Snape's potion book. Voldemort looked shocked and angry and Susan and Amelia were able to get the jump on him. He ducked Amelia's blasting curse right into Susan's next Sectumsempra and she practically diced his shoulder into one inch cubes and cut open the artery in his neck," Harry explained what had happened.

"Wow, So did you influence her choice of curse as well. I'm really surprised that she chose that curse," Neville said.

"Yeah me too, I don't know which of us was in control or if it was somehow a joint effort. It all happened so fast, we weren't discussing spell choices we just did it. Susan doesn't know which of us was in control during the battle. She didn't feel like she was being controlled but I think that would be my go-to spell for Death Eaters, not hers," Harry replied. "Bellatrix appeared and I just lost my temper. I wanted to cut her head off and that's exactly what happened, I don't know whether Susan heard my thoughts and consciously or subconsciously agreed or my will directed her hand, I don't think that we'll ever know for certain."

"Have you tried to cast magic like that together since then?" Neville asked.

"No, for one thing it magically exhausted both of us and we've only just recovered and for another I'm not sure it would work except in extreme situations. It also seems to have strengthened the connection between us again. I'm having trouble blocking out the sensations, smells and tastes and, I don't have to concentrate half as much as before to hear or see what she's hearing and seeing. If she's upset, instead of having to concentrate to make a connection I have to concentrate on not automatically connecting to give her some privacy unless she calls for me. We can talk silently too now, instead of having to cast silencing charms so we can talk out loud and listen through each other's ears. Thank Merlin we can't hear what the other is thinking unless we're trying to talk to each other though. We're both a bit afraid of what would happen if we started using the connection to cast like that more often," Harry admitted.

"I would be too. I love Luna to bits but her conversation is scary enough sometimes. I wouldn't want to be in her head," Neville admitted.

"Has she met your gran yet?" Harry asked.

"Only very briefly on the platform when we came home for the summer. She's gone to Denmark looking for Snorkacks or something with her father," Neville replied.

"How did they hit it off?" Harry asked.

"They didn't really interact. Gran was using her public manners and Luna seemed to be trying too hard to be normal. I think that someone must have told her how to greet a suitor's guardian because she wasn't herself at all. I didn't like it," Neville said.

"Have you spoken to her about it?" Harry asked.

"Gran, no I have no idea what to say. I think she approved of Luna though it doesn't matter much seeing that the Luna she met isn't real," Neville replied.

"I meant Luna," Harry said softly.

"I haven't had the chance. They left that day and it isn't the sort of thing I want to bring up in a letter. I just wish I knew who convinced her that she needed to act like that," Neville said sadly.

"Whoever did it must have given her quite a lecture or list of dos and don'ts to change her behaviour, even through a single conversation. She wouldn't listen to many people like that, Hermione, Ginny and Susan, I don't know who else," Harry said. "Susan said she didn't say anything to her about meeting your Gran or social behaviour and Ginny tends to ignore the whole pureblood customs and manners stuff, but Hermione's been reading about it recently. It seems she's finally accepted that one of the reasons a lot of purebloods who aren't blood purists look down on muggleborns is their lack of knowledge about wizarding culture, manners and what they consider proper wizarding behaviour. I doubt she meant to hurt you and Luna with what she said."

Neville groaned. "She's probably read the worst book on pureblood manners and customs she could find. There's some truly horrific stuff out there, written by some bigots that would make the death eaters seem almost egalitarian by comparision."

"We should explain it to Hermione and send her some better books," Harry suggested.

"I'm not exactly feeling like rewarding her stupidity and arrogance," Neville retorted, angry that Hermione had said anything to Luna about her behaviour and worried about what she'd said to make his girlfriend take her seriously enough to change the way she related to people. If Hermione had made Luna think that he was ashamed by her behaviour the his overly bookish former fried was going to have some serious apologising to do.

Harry sighed. "I understand that but do you really want her basing her behaviour on the worst book she could find and lecturing us all about failing to meet those standards. She's going to get herself cursed in the back. Not to mention that I was encouraging her to speak to the first year muggleborns about the differences in wizarding culture and the unspoken social rules. Who knows how much damage she could inadvertently cause if she doesn't have the true facts."

Neville groaned again. "I'll give you some recommendations for appropriate books but she needs to apologise to Luna."

"I'm sure once she's read all the books she will," Harry said preparing to send his friend a sternly worded letter explaining the damage she'd done to her friends through her thoughtless recitation of facts she hadn't checked were current or correct.

"Tell me, based on the type of books you're thinking of that we don't want her to have read, what sort of response am I going to get after telling her about my betrothal?" Harry asked apprehensively.

"Based on the books, I'm most concerned about she either won't write to you about it at all, it would be inappropriate for a unattached witch to comment on a wizards choice of betrothed, or she will write a formal congratulations that won't tell you anything about how she actually feels about your betrothal, but she will probably also send Susan's guardian her congratulations, hopefully she knows enough about your relatives not to congratulate them as well," Neville said.

"It won't matter if she writes to the Dursleys since I plan on never seeing them again but how will Amelia Bones react to that?" Harry asked apprehensively.

"Given that the letter will probably make it seem Hermione assumes Susan's aunt arranged the betrothal and is basically congratulating her on successfully bartering her niece into an advantageous marriage, probably not too well. But I'd be more worried about Susan's reaction," Neville replied.

"Do you think it would help to warn them?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I think you'd better warn Susan so she can explain to her aunt so Amelia doesn't think you share Hermione's foolish beliefs," Neville said seriously. "Hermione's important to you, it will cause problems between you and Susan if she takes a dislike to her."

"That's all I need, Madam Bones doesn't approve of our betrothal already," Harry said groaning. He closed his eyes and thought of Susan.

'Hi Harry, I thought you were with Neville,' Susan said. She'd been trying to give the two friends some privacy.

'I am. Neville has just realised that from something she said to Luna, he thinks Hermione has probably been reading Cecily Cuthbert's book on Wizarding customs and manners. She's likely to send your aunt some ridiculous congratulations letter about our betrothal. Can you try to intercept it or at least explain to your aunt that someone has given her the wrong book on customs and she doesn't mean to be insulting?'

Susan chuckled. 'Auntie has a mail ward that prevents anyone tampering with her mail but I can try to explain. Do you think somebody gave her that book on purpose?'

'Merlin! I don't know. I hadn't really thought about that. I assumed she found it in the Hogwarts library, or the bookshop in Hogsmeade. Any ideas who she would take advice off who would do that?'

'I don't know Harry, it possibly was in the library but someone must have recommended that she go looking for it, for her to have found that book and no other. Probably someone she believed had knowledge in the subject but wasn't a known supporter of You-Know-Who, I'm sure none of the professors would have recommended that book, perhaps one of the seventh year prefects,' Susan replied.

"I recommended that she start paying attention that the way the purebloods think about interaction with boys and casual sex was very different than the muggle world and that as a prefect she should be warning the first and second year muggleborns, not to talk about it if their parents weren't married and to be a little more old fashioned about their interactions when they started dating. She accused me of becoming a hypocrite and hanging around with pureblood bigots, but that was months ago and I was pretty sure she ignored me," Harry admitted.

"That doesn't mean she didn't take notice of it when someone else pointed out the cultural differences to her as well, but it would have to be someone she respects," Susan replied. "It doesn't make it your fault though, I think you were right in what you did tell her."

"The bitches who bully Luna, one of them is a prefect, Hermione would listen to them," Harry said out loud.

"Harry, what are you talking about?" Neville asked.

"Sorry, I was talking to Susan in my head, she suggested that perhaps Hermione didn't come by the wrong book on wizarding manners by accident and we were speculating who might have given it to her that she'd trust enough to believe them but would do this. Susan suggested it would have to be an authority figure, one of the professors or prefects," Harry caught Neville up on the conversation.

"Yes, she wouldn't have taken book recommendations from me or any of our classmates, since she's always nagging most of us about table manners, and I can't imagine McGonagall or Flitwick recommending that book," Neville agreed.

"I'd better get to Flourish and Blotts and then get the book to Hermione before she insults anyone else," Harry said.

"I'll come to Diagon Alley with you, but you're on your own at Hermione's," Neville offered.

"Shit. I don't even know where she is. Her parents were taking her on holiday in Europe," Harry groaned.

"Will Hedwig find her or did she put up a mail diversion ward?" Neville asked.

"I don't know, I assumed she used a ward when she didn't write me back when I told her about Voldemort being dead and my betrothal but then you said she probably wouldn't write to me about it," Harry replied.

Neville frowned. "I would have thought that she would write back about Voldemort being killed and the end of the war even if she thought she shouldn't write directly to you about your betrothal."

"You're right, unless that bloody book told her it was inappropriate to write to me at all, or she thought it was too awkward to write to me and ignore the betrothal. I told her both things in the same letter. I don't want to support this author but I think I better read it to know what other misconceptions she has," Harry said frowning.

"Don't buy it. I'm sure there's a copy in the back room of the library with all of the other dark or obsolete and out of fashion books," Neville replied.

"You have a room to store unwanted books? Why not get rid of them?" Harry asked.

"Well just because my father didn't want them doesn't mean someone in a future generation won't have need of them for whatever reason," Neville said calmly.

"So you're storing books for in case you're however many greats grandson wants to become a dark wizard or an offensive pureblood supremacist?" Harry teased.

"When you put it like that it sounds ludicrous. I should probably go through them all and see what is there and clear it out," Neville replied chuckling.

"That sounds like something Hermione would be delighted to help with but of course she would never consent to you throwing away or destroying any book no matter how terrible its content," Harry said.

"I wouldn't give Hermione free access to the main library let alone the room of restricted or obsolete books," Neville replied.

Harry knew Hermione would be highly offended by that but he understood. There were old family journals and papers published by Neville's ancestors that if it were him, or if he was lucky enough to find books in his family vault, he wouldn't want Hermione reading them and telling him about them, before he had the chance to read their actual words without Hermione's commentary about them, and he knew that with unsupervised access to the library it wouldn't occur to her that she shouldn't read them.

-o0o-

Hermione's house was empty, but an elderly neighbour happily told Harry that they were staying at their favourite hotel in the south of France and with a little more gossiping the name of the town and hotel. It may not have been enough for a pureblood Death Eater to find them even if one had managed to be polite enough to a muggle to get the information from her, but the muggle raised boy soon managed to find the address and contact details on the internet with a little help from the local librarian and was able to telephone the hotel and ask to speak to Hermione.

"Harry! What's wrong? Are you okay? Where are you? How did you know where I am?" Hermione fires questions at him without pausing for breath.

"Hello, Calm down Hermione, I'm fine. I'm in Crawley and I looked up the hotel phone number on the library computer after your neighbour Mrs Elliot told me what hotel you were staying at," Harry said laughing.

"Okay then, why were you looking for me? Do you need my help?" Hermione asked.

"Did you tell Luna how she should behave when she met Lady Augusta Longbottom?" Harry asked.

"Yes I did, I'd be happy to help you talk to Madam Bones properly, you need to..." Hermione began.

"Hermione stop a minute. Did you get the information from Cecily Cuthbert's book 'Wizarding Customs and Manners a muggleborn's guide'?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I wonder why it isn't included in the first year booklist for muggleborn students. I think I'll write to Professor McGonagall and recommend it be added for next year," Hermione said.

"No Hermione, don't write to McGonagall, whoever recommended that book to you can't be trusted. There are a lot better books of current wizarding customs out there and I've brought you a couple. I'll send them to you unless you're going to be home in the next day or so then I'll leave them with Mrs Elliot," Harry said.

"We'll be here another ten days or so. What's wrong with the book, it seemed to explain things quite clearly," Hermione said.

"Except the manners it explains are all wrong! The book was written centuries ago with the intention of teaching muggleborn how to treat purebloods as their superiors. It was written by a pureblood who hated muggles and muggleborns, and specifically designed to teach muggleborns the most offensive manners so even if they tried to fit in, they would be admitting to all those around them that they were inferior to everyone else. Who recommended the book?" Harry asked.

"Cho Chang," Hermione said quietly.

Harry sighed. "And you trusted her since she's a prefect and was in the DA but from what Susan told me she was still really pissed at you because I left my date with her to meet up with you and Rita Skeeter when I took her to Hogsmeade, and for what happened to her best friend Marietta with the jinx on the DA sign up sheet."

"I don't see why. It was important that you get to meet Skeeter and give that interview. It was your fault that you didn't explain it to Cho properly," Hermione said annoyed.

"I'm sorry Hermione but she still blamed you and that's why she gave you that horrible book with all the wrong information," Harry said.

"So you're contacting me and sending me new books because I told Luna all the wrong things to do? Oh no what if I ruined things? She and Neville were so happy together," Hermione panicked.

"It's okay, once Neville realised that she wasn't acting that way of her own volition then he worked out what must've happened and he's going explain everything to his Gran and smooth things over. Unfortunately, Luna is away somewhere with her father looking for new creatures for 'The Quibbler' so they can't sort things out but Neville doesn't blame her and he's happy for her to be exactly who she wants to be, no matter how crazy the rest of the world thinks she is," Harry reassured his friend.

"Oh! I hope I haven't hurt Luna's feelings," Hermione said.

"Hermione, even giving her the right advice would have hurt her feelings by giving her the message that you didn't think that she could behave appropriately without help. I know you only wanted to help but that attitude is a bit insulting. Luna and her father might be a bit unconventional but she is a pureblood witch, and I've never seen her behave inappropriately with anyone," Harry scolded his friend.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said in a small voice, realising that she'd probably insulted Harry with her automatic assumption that he was calling for her help with the correct way to talk with his betrothed's guardian as well.

Then Neville warned me that if you have read all of the book which knowing you isn't in doubt then you'd probably write to Madam Bones about my betrothal to Susan and that would cause me problems so I tried to find you before you did any damage. Amelia Bones already thinks that I'm not good enough for her niece, without my best friend insulting her about it," Harry replied.

"What do you mean she thinks you're not good enough? You're the most famous wizard on the planet one of the strongest wizards at Hogwarts and cute and smart when you want to be and a really nice guy. What more could she want?" Hermione demanded.

"She's worried that we're together because of the bond that formed when we unblocked our magic. That if it wasn't for that Susan would've chosen someone else who would be better suited to her," Harry said quietly.

"So there really is a bond? Do you think that's why you like her so much?" Hermione asked.

"No, or maybe partly, but only because the bond let me know that I could trust her so much better than I would've without it. But I know the bond influenced her decision to date me. It would be really difficult to get into it with someone if you knew there was someone else who was feeling everything you were feeling," Harry replied.

"Feeling Physically or emotionally?" Hermione asked

"Both, a lot of the time," Harry said. "We taste each other's food most of the time so we need to be careful to eat the same thing if we're eating at the same time and Susan said she needs to lie down with her eyes shut not to get sick during Quidditch practice and games. If I concentrate hard enough I can see what she's seeing and hear what she's hearing. We used to use silencing charms to be able to speak to each other across the castle so we didn't get caught meeting up. I won't say the bond had no effect on my feelings because I never would've gotten to know her or trust her well enough to fall in love without it. But I still think that even if it had faded within a few weeks, she'd be the girl I wanted to ask out now that it's safe to date."

"There's absolutely nothing written about bonds like yours," Hermione said sceptically.

"No, McGonagall told me that. She said that if she'd known we were considering it, she would've recommended we didn't break our blocks together because there wasn't anything to say how a shared release of magic would affect us," Harry replied.

"She had a block on her magic too. Is that why you asked her to do the unblocking?" Hermione asked, beginning to understand. Harry hadn't chosen Susan because she was better that Hermione in his eyes but because she also needed the help to unblock her own magic and he felt he could ask her without being selfish. It was just like him to want to help someone in the same situation as he was.

"Yeah, it saved both of us the embarrassment of having to ask someone else, and we knew we could trust each other to keep it quiet," Harry admitted.

"You're in love with Susan?" Hermione asks. "Does she love you?"

She could hear the happiness in his voice as he replied. "Utterly and completely."

"Then I'm happy for you," Hermione said honestly. "But an irrevocable betrothal is so permanent. Aren't you scared you'll change your mind or fall out of love?"

"I've known for months that if I have a future at all it is with Susan. The only thing I've been worried about is losing her or leaving her with half a bond if I died," Harry replied calmly.

"Do you think that there would be an effect that lasted after one of you dies?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I was worried about that but after what happened the night Voldemort attacked Susan, I think we'd both die together," Harry said quietly.

"Does Susan agree? How do you feel about that?" Hermione asked now more concerned about her friend than investigating the bond.

"We haven't spoken about it. I feel guilty that I might be shortening her life, but also a bit relieved that I won't have to feel the pain of losing her," Harry admitted.

"Wow then you're definitely ready to be betrothed, I can't imagine feeling like that about someone," Hermione admitted, hoping that Susan felt the same way Harry did and her best friend wasn't about to have his heart broken. But with what he could feel through the bond she realised he had to know exactly how Susan felt about him as well. If she didn't love him back he wouldn't be as happy as he clearly was, she knew him too well to be fooled by false cheer even over an international phone call.

"This must be costing you a fortune, send me the books and I'll send Luna and Neville an apology," Hermione said.

"Wait Hermione, you never told me whether you'd written to Madam Bones," Harry said quickly.

Hermione looked over at her desk. "I haven't sent the letter yet. I'll wait and read the books to know what sort of letter I should send," she promised.

"You shouldn't write to Madam Bones at all, she didn't arrange our betrothal, Susan's parents arranged it with my parents before the four of them were killed. Write and congratulate Susan if you want to, but it would be better not to write at all than to send insincere congratulations," Harry said bluntly.

"Okay Harry I'll do that. Thanks for looking out for me," Hermione said.

"Bye Hermione, see you when you get back," Harry said.

"Bye Harry, see you then," Hermione replied, disconnecting.

A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed followed or favourited this story for your support.