Ch. 52

11 January 1999

That Sunday was a very typical day for the family. They did the interviews with Jaime for the book, worked on homework and tutored students that came in. Monday was also quite routine.

Tuesday morning things started getting a little different. First, Emma called at half six and woke Hermione up. "Hey Mum. Are you and Dad okay?" She asked a little worried. Usually her mum called in the evening after work, so Hermione had a valid reason to worry, at least in her pregnancy worried state.

"Yes love. We're fine. It's the wedding I'm calling about. Your father and I were at a bookstore yesterday and picked up a wedding planner. I know you've got the venue but do you have the officiant?" She asked.

"No. We were going to ask Minerva. Or at least I think so." Hermione thought out loud. "I think Harry and I talked about it but I don't remember coming to a decision."

"Well, you need to get on that. We're going to need to take a few weekends and come up with some guidelines for what you want, so I want you to think about that this week, alright?"

"Yes Mum." she groaned. "I've got to go Mum. Classes start soon."

"Have fun today dealing with the project for your class love." She laughed.

"Thanks Mum. Bye." she smiled as she started downstairs, having gotten dressed while they talked. As she made her way into the kitchen, she gave Harry a kiss. "Hey love. Got a call from Mum about the wedding."

"This morning?" He asked sceptically as he started levitating dishes to the table since everyone was there.

"Yes. I just got off the phone with her."

"Merlin, she's busy." Jaime laughed. At Hermione's look of confusion, she added, "She and I talked a bit before we came back to school about how to handle planning your wedding. She told me how the only thing you'd specified so far was that you wanted it at the Tower but that you wanted it low-key otherwise."

She sighed. "I gave her my wedding book, I'd hoped she'd just take care of it. "Then she looked at Harry. "She wants us to talk to Minerva about the ceremony."

"Okay. We can do that after class today. We have her right before lunch." he grabbed her hand and squeezed.

"So, are you ready for the group projects you've prepared?" Mark asked.

"Yeah." She smiled. "I just hope they all have computers. They were told to bring them today."Then she looked at Sirius. "I may be running to some bookstores this week because the kids may need more reference books."

Sirius just laughed. "Of course Mione."

"Nev, would your Gran let us download her library to add to the Omni-readers?"

"I don't know. I can ask though." He smiled. "She might be able to get other old families to donate as well."

"That would be great."

"Want me to talk to Silas?" Sirius asked.

"Sounds good." She smiled as they all split up for the day.

At the end of Transfiguration, Harry and Hermione stayed back to talk to Minerva.

"Yes?" She asked as she looked up at them.

"Well, Minerva," Harry began hemming and hawing as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Would you? We would like you."

Hermione interrupted smiling. "What Harry is trying to ask is if you would conduct the ceremony for our wedding? It's important that we find someone we respect and like to do the ceremony and your name floated to the top."

Minerva looked uncharacteristically shocked as she smiled at her favourite students. "I'd be delighted." She came around her desk and took their hands. "And honoured."

HP

That afternoon in her British History class, she started on the history of the Tower. Jaime and she had decided to give them a brief overview of the history of the tower and some of its more famous inhabitants, both magical and muggle. Then they would choose someone to research.

"By the time you start researching your person, we will have provided you with an Omni-reader. That is an electronic device that has all of the books collected in our private library plus the Hogwarts library and maybe the Longbottom library available for your research." She concluded her instructions.

"How does it work?" Someone asked.

"We buy books, scan them into the computer at home and then download them to a hand-held device where you can look up any category you want and read the book you see. Professor Black is going to donate one to each student currently at the school." Mione smiled at the sighs from the girls in the room. Sirius definitely had a fanclub.

HP

That evening they had an appointment with the mind healer they had chosen. They had hired the healer with the proviso that she would treat all of them both together and separately.

She had been unwilling at first because one healer seeing the whole family this way was unheard of. In most practices the healers only saw one of the family members because of conflict-of-interest issues but she understood that the more people were let in on this, the more likely it was to leak to the media and it would be fifth year all over again.

15 January 1999

It was Friday evening after dinner, Sirius and Jaime had taken to strolling around the campus and grounds after dinner. This had become "their" time, where they weren't politicians, teachers, mentors, older confidants to younger cousins, or just all-around giver of wisdom (that title had snuck up on Sirius so easily that he really didn't consider it). Moreover, this was their time to be a couple.

It was in these times that they talked about their past and future. Sirius told Jaime of his relationship with James and how he loved the elder Potter like a brother. He also told her how close he and Mark were getting.

Tonight though, he was asking something a little different. "Can you tell me about Rob?" He asked.

Jaime got a little paler than usual, which was saying something because she was a typical pale redhead, as she said, "Well, it's a long story."

"I can deal with that. We have time." He squeezed her hand. He knew this was going to be tough.

"I met Rob at Winchester as a student. He was two years above started dating when I was in my fifth year, his final year. After he graduated, he began working at his parents' clothing store on Orchard Grove, the magical district of San Jose.

After I graduated, we moved in together. I went to Berkeley and then onto Stanford and everything was great. But while at Stanford, he changed. He got possessive and started isolating me from the family. At first, I barely noticed because I was so busy but by the time I went back to Winchester and was able to see my family and spend time with them-well, it was like I came out of a fog.

I started spending more time with my mom and dad. When I'd come home and challenge him on why I wasn't able to see our old school friends or why we stayed home so much, he started to hit me." She looked up at Sirius and saw the rage beginning to build. "Please let me finish telling this, hon. I need to tell it all at once." He nodded shortly as he bit his lip. "It's funny now that I look back on it, I can see when things started to go wrong. Not only was I getting my education and he was 'stuck' working with his parents but my family was back in my daily life.

I remember when I came to school one day without glamouring my recent bruise, Mark had a fucking temper tantrum-told me in detail how he was going to kill Rob. I convinced him it was the first time." Sirius snorted. "He knew?" Jaime asked.

"Yup. Told me he kept his mouth closed cause Sarah would tell his parents some secret if he didn't." He laughed.

Jaime smiled. "Good Sarah." She sighed. "Anyways, the night I graduated with my Mastery, he got drunk. I'm not just talking regular drunk, he got mean. Beat the shit out of me. Kept telling me that even with all the degrees, I was a worthless piece of shit, 'only good for fucking' he said. He threw me against a wall, broke both my legs and right arm. He beat me with a frying pan." She paused as she took a breath. They had sat down on a rock near the lake when they started talking about that day. Now her head was cushioned on his chest as she shook, remembering that day. She didn't cry, there were no more tears to spill, but she was nervous talking about this again.

"Don't worry, love. You don't need to tell me any more." Sirius rubbed her back

"No. I have to; no secrets, remember." She reminded him of the promise they'd made over Yule to each other. He nodded. "That hit with the frying pan is the last thing I remember until I woke up in the hospital. The Aurors were called and he was arrested. I moved back with mom and dad as I started teaching. That was three years ago. I came here to get away from the memories, as you know."

He leaned down and kissed her softly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that love. But I'm glad it brought you here."

"I am too. I love it here and I love you." She reached up and kissed him. He kissed her more deeply, when they parted, he sighed. "I love you too."