Preface
Harry Potter and the Simplest Solution part IV
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at /works/26494183.
Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: F/M Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Relationship: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter Characters: Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Hermione Granger Additional Tags: Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Misguided Albus Dumbledore, Eventual Romance Language: English Series: Part 4 of Harry Potter and the Simplest Solution Stats: Published: 2020-09-16 Words: 8,426 Chapters: 2/2 Harry Potter and the Simplest Solution part IV
by evenmoreimprobable
Summary
While his former friends are preparing for their final year at Hogwarts, Harry is celebrating his 17th birthday (sort of) in a bar in the Bahamas...
This is part 4 of the story. If you haven't read parts 1-3 you should read those first (starting here).
Some genuine reader comments about this series:
"In ten years of reading HP fanfics I don't think I've read such an original and moving story."
"This has got to be one of the most beautiful, organic and satisfying Harmony fics on AO3."
"I'm just gonna call this series, 'How [the Harry Potter Books] Should Have Ended'."
"You've turned me into a crying mess! Thank you for such a beautiful story!"
"I've reread this series over ten times but I still can't stop the feels."
"Gave me chills! Even now I still have goosebumps!"
"Heart-wrenchingly beautiful."
Notes
To those of you who might be worried that this story is heading towards a love triangle... it isn't. Stick with it!
Harry's New English Rose
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Dumbledore paced up and down his office, pondering on the issue he'd been wrestling with for the last several years – where had Harry Potter gone? Despite a year-long manhunt, there hadn't been a single sighting. The resources of the entire Ministry, and Dumbledore's not-inconsiderable network of contacts, have come up with absolutely nothing.
If he was honest with himself, Dumbledore had severely underestimated Harry's capabilities. In retrospect, that was rather foolish. Harry's parents were both very talented magically, so it made sense that he would be too. On top of that, despite his appearance, Harry was an adult wizard. He would know a lot more than a Hogwarts student. Dumbledore's biggest mistake, however, was to give no thought to what profession Harry might have followed as an adult. It was obvious, once he did – Harry would have become an Auror.
Dumbledore could have kicked himself. He wasn't dealing with an ordinary escaped convict he was dealing with a trained Auror! Quite possibly Harry had risen to be Head of the Auror Office, or even the DMLE itself. It was even possible that Harry had become Minister for Magic, after defeating Voldemort. Once Dumbledore factored that into his thinking, he realised he'd made a very grave error. Harry would know exactly how to evade capture. Also, his knowledge of the past, and Dumbledore in particular, would give him a huge advantage in anticipating Dumbledore's moves.
Despite all of that, Dumbledore had been confident that he would be able to locate Harry. Several of the curious devices in his office could be turned to the task of finding someone or something that wanted to remain hidden. And yet, they hadn't worked. Dumbledore had even resorted to modifying the location finding properties of the Deluminator to look for Harry, to no avail. His next idea had been to place a tracking charm on the white owl that delivered Miss Granger's birthday presents every year. That didn't work either. The owl flew to Grimmauld Place in central London, and then vanished. Nothing Dumbledore did could uncover any trace of the owl after that.
The most likely explanation was that one of the houses in the square had been placed under a Fidelius Charm. Sure enough, a brief inspection of the square revealed that number 12 was missing. This did not help Dumbledore very much though. He asked Mundungus Fletcher and a few of the other former Order members to keep an eye on the spot where number 12 should be, but it was hard to do that twenty-four hours a day, and they couldn't watch the front and the back at the same time without doubling the necessary resources. Several months of observation produced not a single sighting.
Dumbledore wasn't surprised. His hopes that Harry would remain in the UK had been dashed when he received the letter stating that Harry was 'done with him'. Most likely, Harry just used the property at Grimmauld Place to portkey into the UK, send the owl, then portkey back to wherever he came from. No doubt that location would also be concealed under a Fidelius, which would explain why Dumbledore's devices could never find him.
Dumbledore's only realistic chance of finding Harry would be to follow someone who had Harry's trust. As far as Dumbledore could tell, there was only one such person – Hermione Granger. Dumbledore had therefore begun planning, in great detail, how he would track Miss Granger when she graduated from Hogwarts at the end of her forthcoming final year. That gave him nine months to make sure his plan was completely water-tight.
Miss Granger had of course been named Head Girl. There was no question, really. She was the most accomplished witch the school had seen for centuries. Her academic record was beyond exemplary, her disciplinary record didn't have a single entry, she had published more academic papers than most of the professors, and she was well-liked by everyone in the school (except the Slytherins of course, and a few disgruntled Ravenclaws). Miss Granger had chosen to take seven NEWTS instead of the usual three, and Dumbledore was confident that she would obtain an 'Outstanding' in all of them with dismissive ease.
The Headmaster returned to his seat and began making notes. It was just before midnight on the 31st July; school would resume in a month. That gave him plenty of time to adjust his devices, and when Miss Granger attended her first meeting in his office they would re-calibrate to track her instead of Harry. Dumbledore was actually quite excited at the prospect of pitching his intellect against a worthy opponent once again. Harry Potter had eluded him thus far, but nine months from now he was confident that Miss Granger would lead him straight to Harry. The fact that today would have been Harry's 17th birthday hadn't entirely escaped his notice, but it was of no importance. The blood protection on Privet Drive had long since collapsed, and the Improper Use of Magic Office hadn't detected a single instance of Harry performing underage magic.
- § -
At that exact moment four thousand miles and four time-zones away, a tall man weaved his way through a crowded tiki bar, a tray of drinks balanced expertly on one hand. Despite the warm evening, he was dressed in an old-fashioned but very stylish three-piece suit complete with pocket-watch and chain. He sported shoulder-length curly brown hair and a well-groomed goatee. His age was rather hard to judge, but most would probably guess early thirties. Despite being somewhat older than the heaving mass of dancing and chatting twenty-somethings, the man drew appraising looks from every woman he passed, and a good number of the men.
"Here we go," he said as he put the tray down in front of two other men – one around his age wearing a tatty beige suit and the other much younger wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
They were seated at a table in the corner. A colourful banner hung over their heads with "Happy 17th Birthday James" written across it. The older of the two eyed the pale yellow drinks with disapproval.
"Padfoot, you do know that the legal drinking age is eighteen in the Bahamas?"
Sirius gave him a withering look, "Need some help pulling that stick out of your butt, Moony? Nobody cares about the legal drinking age here, and according to our traditions young... 'James' here is now an adult."
Harry leaned forwards and whispered urgently, "Thanks Padfoot... I mean Dad... but Moony is right. We don't want to get into any trouble or draw attention to ourselves."
Sirius glanced from Harry to Remus and back to Harry, "Seriously? How many years have we been coming to this bar? Everyone here knows it's your seventeenth birthday you prat. Even if they didn't, there is literally a sign above your head." He turned to face the crowd and began shouting, "Hey everyone look! Look! He's an underage drinker! He's only seventeen! Someone call the cops!"
The music died and silence fell rapidly over the entire bar. A hundred faces turned to stare disapprovingly at Harry. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Harry hunched his shoulders and shrank down into his chair.
Abruptly, Lucas the barman guffawed loudly. The crowd immediately followed, laughing raucously at Harry's expense. The music restarted and everyone turned away to resume their conversations. The bar was soon deafening once again.
Remus glared at Sirius, "Did you pay them to do that?"
Sirius's face was a picture of innocence, "How could I possibly have known that you two would be total girls' blouses about him drinking in public? Anyway, today is your 'seventeenth' birthday 'James' and we are going to celebrate that properly."
Remus sighed, "Could you stop making air quotes whenever you say 'James' or 'seventeen'! It's a bit of a giveaway."
Sirius made a W shape with his fingers, "Whatever, Grandma."
Harry groaned and rolled his eyes, "I hate you two; you know that? Where are you picking this stuff up, Dad?"
"I've been learning to speak muggle," Sirius replied with a grin.
Remus and Harry both groaned.
"What?" replied Sirius, looking baffled.
"Stop using the word muggle!" whispered Harry. "What are these drinks anyway?"
Sirius beamed, "It's a local specialty called a Painkiller; try it."
Harry picked one up and examined it suspiciously, "What's in it?"
Sirius shrugged, "Rum, pineapple juice, coconut juice and orange juice."
Harry took a swig and immediately choked, coughing violently.
Sirius slapped him roughly on the back, "Okay, it's almost entirely rum."
"You know," said Harry ten minutes later, "this drink isn't so bad once your mouth has gone numb."
Sirius grinned, "That's the spirit. So H... I mean James, is there any chance of you actually talking to any of these lovely ladies tonight?"
Harry glanced at the room full of gorgeous young women and shook his head, "I don't have very much in common with twenty-somethings."
"Because you're only seventeen, you mean?" Sirius replied with a cheeky smile.
"Ha ha, you're hilarious."
"Well I have no problem talking to them," Sirius objected, "and I'm almost as old as you. Even Moony had a go and he's practically a monk."
Remus scowled at Sirius but didn't deny it.
"What about Maxine," Sirius suggested, "she's a lovely girl!"
"Maxine?" Harry replied in horror, "the same Maxine that you dated three months ago? That Maxine?"
Sirius cocked his head to one side, "Did I? Oh, wait, you're right I did! Okay, maybe not her then. How about..." He craned his neck and began casting his gaze around the room.
Remus leaned forward and whispered in Harry's ear, "A galleon says he can't find a single woman he hasn't slept with."
"I heard that!" Sirius complained indignantly. "How about... erm... how about... Morgana's saggy left pap, there must be someone... Yes! There! Her – that girl who just walked in. How about her? She looks erm... quite nice."
Harry and Remus both looked over towards the door. Sure enough, a woman had just walked in. She looked about twenty one, with long black hair down to the small of her back, a plain but kind face, and a mischievous smile that seemed to light up the room. She stopped by the door and took in the scene before her. Harry watched in fascination as her eyes flicked from one thing to the next, seeming to take in every detail. Her gaze passed over Harry and his companions, lingering briefly at their odd clothing, before moving on. Apparently she found nothing of any particular interest at their table. Once her inspection was complete, she seemed to deliberate for half a second before proceeding to the bar.
Harry watched her closely. She was dressed like a tourist on a night out – her white summer dress was complemented by a pale pink handbag with matching heels and a shawl over her shoulders. She wasn't the most beautiful girl in the room, but she carried herself with confidence and poise, conveying a level of maturity and sophistication far beyond her years. Harry was out of his chair and half way across the room before he realised what he was doing. By the time he arrived at the bar, she was already perusing the cocktail menu.
"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.
Her eyes rose from the menu to look into his. They were a beautiful deep brown, like mahogany. He suddenly felt like he was being judged – every detail catalogued, analysed and appraised. For some reason he felt profoundly self-conscious. Her gaze flicked from him to the banner above the table he'd come from and back again. Harry cringed.
The woman smiled wryly, "How can I refuse on your birthday?"
She hadn't mentioned the 17 bit, but Harry had the distinct impression he was being humoured. He flushed in embarrassment, certain that Sirius and Remus were falling over themselves behind him, laughing at his expense. There was absolutely no way he was going to turn round to find out though. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
"What would you recommend?" the woman asked sweetly. Harry got a whiff of her perfume. She smelled like spring flowers.
"Well," Harry answered without thinking, "that depends on whether you want to be able to feel your face afterwards."
The woman raised an elegant eyebrow, "Let's assume that I do."
Harry could have kicked himself. Damn it, what was wrong with him? He was behaving like a clumsy teenager!
"Er, right. Yes, of course." Harry turned to find the waiting barman, "One Bahama Mama please Lucas."
"You got it," the man replied with a smirk, eying the two of them. Harry brought out his wallet but the barman waved it away. "Your Dad's running a tab."
Harry cringed again. Damn it! He may as well give up now. There was no way this woman would be interested in a seventeen year old kid out with his Dad. Lucas placed a tall sunset-coloured drink in front of the woman and strolled away laughing. Harry had to restrain himself from casting a bat bogey hex on the git.
"Thank you James," the woman said, taking the drink in two hands and sipping through the straw delicately.
"How did you know my name?" he asked.
She pointed at the banner. Harry closed his eyes in mortification. Of course! It said 'Happy 17th Birthday James'. He felt like such an idiot. The woman smiled indulgently and took another sip of her drink.
"This is delicious," she told him. "I'm Rose. It's nice to meet you James."
Harry was convinced that he'd ruined his chances, and was all set to retreat in humiliated defeat, but her tone was so genuinely friendly that he was encouraged to keep going. Her accent was clearly American, but quite soft.
"Nice to meet you too, Rose. So what brings you to our little corner of paradise?"
"I'm on a gap year, travelling the world."
"On your own?" Harry asked, before realising how that would sound.
Rose looked at him coyly through her eyelashes, "Are you asking if I have a boyfriend, James?"
"What? No!" Harry protested.
"Oh, so you don't care if I have a boyfriend?" she replied. "That seems rather immoral..."
"No, that's not what I... I wasn't... I just meant that it's quite dangerous to be travelling on your own."
Rose laughed prettily, "I can look after myself, James, but thank you for your concern."
Harry was floundering quite badly here, which was ridiculous. Rose was half his real age! Somehow it didn't feel that way though. If anything, Harry felt like the young and inexperienced one. She was clearly mocking him. Maybe he'd been in this child's body for so long it was rubbing off on him? Still, if Rose thought she was safe travelling the Bahamas on her own she was completely deluded. The Caribbean was not a safe place for a solo female traveller.
"Aren't you drinking?" she queried.
"Oh yes, my drink's over there."
Harry pointed vaguely towards his table and immediately regretted it.
Sirius was waving and shouting, "James, over here. Introduce us to your friend!"
"Oh crap," Harry muttered.
"I think your friends would like us to join them," Rose noted, apparently finding Harry's discomfort quite amusing.
"They're not my friends," Harry muttered, turning his back on them, "they're just a couple of stray mutts I can't seem to shake."
Rose was quite a lot shorter than Harry. He guessed she was around five foot five. In his previous life he'd been about that height himself thanks to the malnutrition he'd suffered at the hands of the Dursleys, and the lack of decent healthcare provided by Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey was great at fixing bones and reversing hexes, but she had never made any effort to address health issues that arose outside of school. Harry wasn't sure why. She was a nice enough woman so he assumed it must be something cultural – maybe it just never occurred to her, or she thought it was none of her business?
Once Harry had escaped from Azkaban and left the UK, he'd sought out the treatment he needed. He was now close to five foot ten, which he felt was a much more respectable height, not least because he was now taller than most girls. It wasn't doing him any favours right now though. In this crowded bar Rose had to stand quite close, which meant that she had to look up at him through her eyelashes. He was finding it tremendously distracting. Also, the confused look she was giving him right now was making something do back-flips inside his chest.
An arm landed heavily across his shoulders, just as Sirius' face appeared between him and Rose.
"Who's your friend, James?" Sirius asked, eyeing Rose up and down.
"Get lost, Padfoot," Harry replied in irritation.
Sirius grinned at him, "Is that any way to talk to your dear old Dad?" He held out his hand to Rose. "Hello, I'm James's father. My friends call me Padfoot."
Rose was momentarily at a loss, but then smiled and took the offered hand. Sirius surprised her by bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of it. Harry gagged loudly.
"Pleasure," Rose said with an amused glint in her eye.
"You must join us," Sirius told her. Without waiting for an answer he put his other arm around Rose's shoulder and steered the pair of them towards the table. Remus was watching the whole thing with a resigned look on his face.
Sirius pulled out a chair for Rose, who lowered herself gracefully into it. Remus was to her right and Sirius grabbed the chair to her left. Harry scowled and took the remaining seat opposite, furthest away from Rose.
"Would you do the introductions, James?" Sirius requested.
Harry huffed in annoyance, but complied, "Sure. Rose, please allow me to introduce my Uncle Moony and the sad reprobate who calls himself my father. Moony, Padfoot, this is Rose."
"Rose! What a lovely name," Sirius remarked. "James's mother's family had a tradition of naming the girls after flowers, didn't they James?"
"Apparently," Harry answered grudgingly.
"Your wife, you mean?" Rose asked Sirius.
Remus choked on his drink, spilling it down his front. Sirius glanced at Harry, who was boring holes into him with his eyes.
With an intensely uncomfortable expression, Sirius replied, "Well she's no longer with us, unfortunately, but um... yes, James's mother would of course be my um... wife."
Harry kicked Sirius under the table; hard. Sirius emitted a strained squeak and his smile faltered briefly, but he managed to cover it reasonably well. Remus stifled a laugh by pretending to cough.
Rose didn't seem to notice. "I'm so sorry," she replied in sympathy. "I didn't realise."
"It's not your fault my dear," Sirius waved away her concern. "It was a long time ago."
"Is that an East Coast accent?" Remus asked, in a transparent attempt to change the subject. "One of the New England states, perhaps?"
"Yes, I grew up in Vermont."
Remus sat forward a little, "That's a lovely State. Where did you go to high school, if I might ask?"
"Oh it was a very small girls' school in Massachusetts. I'm sure you won't have heard of it."
Remus gave her a pointed look, clearly inviting Rose to say more. Rose simply smiled at him and took another sip of her drink.
Harry glared a warning at Remus. Why was he being so weird? "Where have you been so far on your world tour?" Harry asked in a bid to head off any further interrogation from Remus.
"This is my first stop. My plan is to see the Caribbean, then South America, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Asia, and Europe. I've never left the States before so it's rather exciting. You're all Australian, aren't you?"
"No we're not Australian!" Sirius roared in outrage. "Why do Americans always think we're bloody Australian? We sound nothing like Australians!"
Rose had covered her mouth with her hand but her shaking shoulders betrayed her.
Remus grinned, "I think Rose is winding us up, Padfoot. Most Americans can't tell the difference between English and Australian accents, just like we can't tell the difference between Americans and Canadians, but those from the East Coast can."
Rose removed her hand from her mouth. Her eyes twinkled, "Sorry, I couldn't resist."
Sirius's eyes narrowed and then he smirked, "Good one. You got me there! Of course you know this means war?"
"Goodness how terrifying," Rose responded flatly. "I'm all aquiver."
Sirius boomed with laughter, "Oh I like her. I like her a lot."
Rose smiled sweetly, "Do you live here?" she wondered.
"Yes," replied Sirius, just as Remus said "No" and Harry said "Sort of." They all winced.
"Er, Padfoot lives here," Harry explained hastily. "Moony is visiting, and I er... come and go."
"Good save," Rose chuckled, "very convincing. You don't need to hide it from me though. I know what's going on."
"You do?" Harry asked, while Sirius and Remus shared an alarmed look.
"Of course," Rose laughed. "It's obvious. But it's almost the twenty-first century. Gay couples can be quite open these days."
"Gay couples?" Harry repeated in confusion.
Rose nodded and pointed a finger back and forth between Padfoot and Moony.
There was a brief moment of shocked silence, and then Harry erupted with laughter.
"You think we're gay?!?" Sirius demanded. "We're not gay!" He hesitated for a second, "Well the jury is still out on Moony, but I'm not gay! Ask any woman here!"
Harry was still rolling about chortling. Moony rolled his eyes and sighed in a long-suffering sort of way.
Rose raised a disapproving eyebrow at Sirius, "Ask any woman here? Any woman?"
Sirius suddenly realised what he'd implied, "Well... that is to say... I erm..."
Harry laughed even harder. Sirius scowled.
"I think you might have blown your chances there Padfoot," Remus remarked dryly.
"Bugger," Sirius swore. "I'm going to the bar." He stood and vanished quickly into the crowd.
Remus smiled at Harry and Rose, "Well, I think I'll leave you kids alone. Have fun!" He too ventured into the crowd, making a beeline for a lost-looking girl standing off to one side.
"That was awesome!" Harry declared, clutching at his aching sides, "Absolutely brilliant!"
Rose sucked on her straw in wide-eyed innocence. A little too wide-eyed and too innocent, it seemed to Harry. His brow furrowed in suspicion.
"Wait! Did you do that on purpose?" Harry asked in disbelief. "You didn't really think they were gay?"
"Well they do dress in a rather... flamboyant style," Rose responded, "and those goatee beards don't do them any favours... but no. I didn't think they were gay. This bar is full of scantily clad women gyrating provocatively, and they were both checking them out. Padfoot's clearly like a dog in heat – he can't help chatting up every woman he meets. Moony is more like a wolf – he hunts his prey from the shadows and then pounces when he sees one separated from the pack. Either way, their prey seems to be exclusively female."
It had never occurred to Harry how much their animal forms were reflected in Sirius' and Remus' behaviour. In his previous life neither of them had been around for long enough for Harry to pick up on it, but Rose was right. Harry glanced over at Moony, who was deep in conversation with the lost-looking girl. She was laughing at something he'd said. Harry was glad for him. Remus didn't sleep around like Sirius – he seemed to be looking for that special someone. It was rather unnerving that Rose had nailed them so accurately.
Rose smiled at Harry, her eyes twinkling, "I was impressed that you weren't checking out the gyrating women, and I thought it would be nice for us to chat without the parentals cramping our style. Unless of course it's you that's gay?"
Harry grinned at her stupidly. She was an amazing woman.
"No," he told her with a chuckle, "I'm not gay. This is a gay bar though. We've been coming here for years and Padfoot still hasn't realised that. Women come here so they can have a good time without being harassed by men. Padfoot thinks his cheesy chat-up lines are the root of his success, but at the end of the night when the women are a bit tipsy, he's one of the only straight men in here. It's like shooting fish in a barrel."
They talked for the rest of the evening, and didn't even notice that the bar was empty until Lucas threw them out. Harry walked Rose back to her hotel, and went home with a spring in his step. They'd arranged to meet for lunch the next day, after which Harry was going to show her the sights. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy.
Over the next few days Harry and Rose spent an increasing amount of time together. The more he got to know her, the more he was drawn to her. She was considerate and kind, with a wry sense of humour and a light-hearted outlook on life. They talked for hours, and spent most of it laughing. Harry avoided asking anything about her past, for fear of her doing the same. If she noticed, she never mentioned it. She was incredibly easy-going and seemed happy to talk about whatever he wanted to talk about.
At the end of their third day together (or third date, as Harry considered it) Harry suggested they walk back to her hotel along the moonlit beach. It had been a hot day but the clear skies made for a cool evening. Rose was cold despite her shawl and huddled into Harry's side, gripping his arm for support and warmth. Harry made no comment, but something in his chest was exploding in joy.
It was a perfect evening, he realised. Tiny waves were lapping peacefully against the shore, while palm trees rustled quietly in the breeze. They had the beach entirely to themselves. Harry looked down at the girl clinging to his arm. She sensed his gaze and looked up at him through her eyelashes. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. She squeezed his arm even tighter and rested her forehead against his shoulder, sighing in contentment.
There was no conscious thought or plan to his actions. He was simply overcome. His heart took control of his body and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. His arm swung behind her back and he pulled her close, bringing them both to sudden stop, their bodies pressed together. Rose looked up at him, her lips parting in surprise. Harry's other arm encircled her, raising her up on her tip-toes, the curves of her body meshing perfectly with his.
Harry looked down at her. Their faces were inches apart and her arms were pinned between their chests. If she didn't want this she would turn her face and push him away. But she didn't. She lifted her chin so their lips were almost touching and her eyes drifted closed. Harry lowered his lips gently to hers. Rose moaned and went limp in his arms. Harry crushed her body against his and lost himself in the kiss.
He had no idea how long they stood there kissing. At some point her arms had wriggled free and wrapped themselves around his neck. Her feet were no longer touching the ground. She was above him now, kissing him with unbridled and raw passion. Harry became acutely aware of the softness of her breasts against his chest, and the curve of her bum just below where his hand lay in the small of her back. He desperately wanted to slide his hand lower but he resisted. He didn't want to spoil a perfect moment by going too fast.
Some indeterminate amount of time later, Rose finally pulled her lips away from his. She looked down at him with a huge grin on her face.
"Now that was worth waiting for," she said, with a tone of deep satisfaction.
"Waiting for?" Harry queried. Had she been waiting for him to kiss her? Since when?
"Yes," she replied, her eyes twinkling. "I wanted my first kiss to be special, and it was."
Her first kiss, Harry repeated in his head. Not our first kiss, but her first kiss? His eyes widened.
"You mean... that was your first kiss... ever?"
Rose smiled even wider, "Yes, and you did a fine job. I chose well."
Harry was speechless. He lowered her slowly back to the ground.
As always, Rose was thoroughly unfazed. She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward to resume their stroll.
"Now don't go getting a big head. Just because I let you kiss me once doesn't mean I'll do it again. You did good on the first one though, so you're in with a good chance."
"A good chance?" Harry repeated, somewhat in a daze.
"Maybe," she said coyly. "Of course you'd have to catch me first."
Rose took off up the beach at a run. Harry stood open-mouthed for a second, and then took off after her. Rose squealed and picked up the pace, laughing and whooping
She didn't make it easy for him – it took him a good five minutes to catch her. They lay on the sand panting. Harry was draped across her body pinning her hands above her head. She looked into his eyes, her expression full of mischief and challenge.
"Okay you got me," she conceded breathlessly. "Now what are you going to do with me?"
Harry's lips met hers hungrily and she moaned again. Her wrists slipped from his grip, but she circled her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her. They kissed on the sand for hours, and then lay in each others' arms until Rose began to shiver in the chilly air.
Harry walked her back to her hotel and kissed her farewell at the door. He wanted to go further of course; much further. But he didn't want to ruin a perfect night. If tonight was her first ever kiss, then he would need to let her dictate the pace. He was more than happy to do so, because he'd never felt the way he'd felt tonight. Kissing Rose was like nothing he'd ever experienced. It went deeper than his head and his heart. He felt it in his soul.
Chapter End Notes
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Security Breach
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Harry! HARRY! Wake up! Harry!"
Harry squinted through gritty eyes to find Sirius leaning over him shaking his shoulder.
"Sorry", Harry groaned, lifting himself up on his elbows. His voice was hoarse. "Was I doing it again?"
"Yes," Sirius replied, settling onto the edge of Harry's bed. "You were screaming."
Harry sighed and let his head fall back onto his pillow. His bedroom was dimly lit by the light streaming in from the hallway outside his half-open door. He stared up at the ceiling morosely.
"You're going to have to tell her, Harry. You can't keep on like this."
"I can't! She's a muggle. It would violate the Statute of Secrecy! What if she started telling people? Not only would we be exposed, but the entire ICW might come after us."
Sirius gave Harry a disappointed look, "Come on Harry, it's me you're talking to. Everyone who dates a muggle has to violate the Statute of Secrecy at some point. If the muggle blabs they get obliviated, and that's that. Now what's the real reason you don't want to tell her?"
"Because I've never met anyone like her, Padfoot! Never! Not in either of my lives. She's perfect!"
"She's not perfect Harry," Sirius replied quietly.
"I know she's not perfect!" Harry stormed. "But even her imperfections are perfect imperfections! She's perfect for me! There's not a single thing about her that I'd change. When I'm with her... I'm not just happy, I'm as happy as I can imagine being. You understand? I didn't know it was possible to be this happy."
"Ah," Sirius replied, finally getting it. "And you're worried that telling her about magic will change things."
"Of course I'm worried," Harry replied through gritted teeth. "I'm as happy as it's possible to be. There's only one way to go from there – down!"
Sirius regarded Harry for a few moments, before shaking his head. "Nice try kiddo, but that's not it either. Tell me the real reason."
"I'm not a kid!"
Sirius chuckled, "Sorry. I keep forgetting that you're not really seventeen."
"I noticed. Memory is the first thing to go, you know."
"And now you're trying to change the subject. Why does telling Rose about magic give you screaming nightmares?"
Harry huffed in irritation. He really didn't want to talk about this, but he could tell that Sirius wasn't going to let it go this time. He closed his eyes and exhaled in defeat.
"Because..." he growled, "what if she reacts like them?"
"Them?"
"Them! The Dursleys!" Harry yelled. He threw back the covers and leapt out of bed, pacing the room in his boxers like a caged animal. "What if she's repulsed by magic? What if she thinks I'm a freak? I couldn't bear it! Not from her. Not from my Rose! She means everything to me, Padfoot! Everything! I can't take that risk."
"So you're just going to hide it from her for the rest of your life?"
"Yes! I'll do whatever it takes!"
Sirius' expression was full of pity and understanding, "You know that's not possible Harry."
"Argh!" Harry screamed in frustration. "Of course I know, you git!"
"It might not be that bad, Harry." Remus offered from the open doorway, "Rose is a remarkable woman. She might surprise you."
Harry scowled. It was easy for Sirius and Remus to be cavalier about this. They weren't the ones who were in love with her. They had much less to lose. They were right though – he had no choice. He had to tell Rose about magic. Remus suggested that Harry invite Rose to dinner at their house. If she took it badly they would just obliviate her and that would be that, but if not...
Harry didn't dare think about it. The stakes were too high.
It took him another few days to work up the courage to actually invite her, but the nightmares were getting worse, so he really didn't have any choice. Rose had been delighted to accept his invitation for that evening. Harry was almost shaking with trepidation when he met Rose at her hotel.
She was wearing a pretty red summer dress with matching shoes and purse. She looked amazing. Her hair was styled differently every time he met up with her. This time she'd created a braid above each temple, which were clipped back prettily behind her ears. It left her graceful slender neck exposed and framed her face perfectly. Most people probably wouldn't consider Rose beautiful, but Harry did. To him, she looked prettier every time he saw her.
They took a muggle taxi to the yacht club, where Harry helped Rose into a large speedboat. She looked at him curiously.
"We live on another island," he explained.
He started up the engine and set off. The sea was reasonably calm but the ride was still quite lively. Conversation would have been difficult, but Rose seemed content to just hold on and enjoy the ride. From the broad grin on her face, Harry guessed she'd never been on a speedboat before. He opened up the throttle and the boat leapt forward, bouncing off the waves. Rose screamed in surprise and delight.
Forty minutes later, Harry pulled the boat up to a rickety-looking dock on a tiny island. A large rusty sign read:
ROYAL BAHAMAS DEFENCE FORCE TRAINING GROUND
ENTRY STRICTLY PROHIBITED
KEEP OUT – DANGER OF DEATH
LIVE FIRING, MINE FIELDS, RAZOR WIRE AND UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE
The jetty led to a small secluded beach, beyond which an impenetrable-looking tropical forest stretched away in both directions. Daylight was fading fast, but not a single building or light could be seen anywhere on the island. For the first time since he'd met her, Rose looked unsettled.
"I'm not really dressed for a jungle hike through razor wire and minefields, James."
"Oh, don't worry about the sign," he told her as he leapt to the jetty and tied the boat up. "We bought the island off the RBDF and never got around to removing it. Anyway, it helps to keep the tourists away."
"So you removed the razor wire and the land mines?"
"Actually no, but we'll avoid those areas."
Harry held out his hand to help her from the boat. She hesitated for a second, then took it and climbed onto the jetty. Her gaze passed over the island once more. It was utterly devoid of habitation. "Do you live in a cave?"
"No, there's a house; it's just... well hidden," Harry replied self-consciously.
His stomach was in knots and it felt like his heart was trying to fight its way out of his chest. This was it – the moment of truth; the moment he'd been having nightmares about for weeks. Feeling more scared than he'd ever felt about anything, he handed her a piece of parchment.
She looked at him curiously then read the parchment out loud, "Padfoot and the Son of Prongs live at the Beach House, South Beach, Forbidden Cay, Black Point, Bahamas."
No sooner had she said it than something remarkable started to happen on the beach at the end of the jetty. The forest parted and the trees began moving sideways as if something was being inflated in between them. A large white beach house began to appear in the expanding gap. It was built in an art-deco style with curved walls, tall windows, large balconies and what looked like an enormous roof terrace. Glittering chandeliers could be seen inside, illuminating every room in a warm glow.
For several long seconds, she stared at the house that had just appeared in front of her, with her mouth hanging open. In the whole time he'd known her, Rose had never been surprised by anything. She was always composed and unruffled, no matter what. Harry cringed. She was going to react badly, he could just sense it.
"Well," she said finally, "there's something you don't see every day."
She turned to look at him, her expression seeking an explanation.
"I have something to confess," Harry said miserably. "Rose... I'm a wizard. We're all wizards – Padfoot, Moony and me."
"Well obviously," Rose replied. "But who cast the Fidelius? That's a terribly tricky charm."
Harry's brain completely short-circuited. He stared at her blankly. What did she just say?
"Shall we go inside?" Rose suggested, grabbing his arm. She made off towards the house, dragging a numb Harry along with her. "The house looks fabulous, James. I love art deco. I'd have worn a flapper dress if I'd known! Honestly, you never tell me anything. Now I'm going to clash with the architecture!"
They reached the door just as it opened to reveal Sirius and Remus waiting in the grand entrance hall.
"Welcome to our humble abode," Sirius declared with a grin. He suddenly noticed Harry's blank expression and frowned. "Is everything okay?"
Before Harry could respond, Rose reached into her purse and pulled something out that was far too long to fit inside such a tiny bag. Harry's brain blew another fuse. It was a wand. With a quick flick, she transfigured her red summer dress into an ivory coloured flapper dress. With another flick her shoes and purse changed to match. She nodded in satisfaction and slipped the wand back into her purse.
"It is now," Rose declared, with a cheery smile.
Sirius' mouth dropped open.
"I knew it!" Remus shouted in triumph, pushing past. "You're a witch! I sensed it the first time we met. You went to the Salem Witches' Institute, I presume?"
Harry was having trouble making sense of what was happening. "You're a witch?" he asked, stupidly.
Rose looked up at him innocently, a finger on her chin as if in deep thought. "Did I not mention that?"
There was a moment's silence, and then Sirius burst into roars of laughter. Remus grinned in an annoyingly smug way.
Harry tried to be angry, but he just couldn't do it. He felt such profound relief that there was no room for any other emotion. He didn't care if she was magical, he was just glad she didn't hate magic. In retrospect, she'd never done or said anything to suggest that she was a muggle; he'd just assumed that she was. They met in a muggle bar, after all. Perhaps he should be annoyed that she'd concealed something so important from him... but how could he? He'd done the exact same thing!
Harry felt like a total fool, but when it came to Rose he was used to it – he always felt like a fool around her. In fact the more he got to know her the more convinced he became that she was out of his league. He had no idea why someone so amazing would want to spent time with him.
"Come on in," Remus suggested. "I think James is going to need a minute to catch up."
"Why thank you Moony," Rose replied sweetly, "that would be lovely."
She stepped into the house, craning her neck to take in the room. It was a very impressive entrance hall – a circular room two stories high with a domed ceiling, enormous crystal chandelier, and two sweeping marble staircases leading up to a set of impressive gold doors on the first floor. Other gold doors led off to the left and right, while a second set of double doors lay immediately ahead. Apart from the gold doors, the entire room was bright white.
"Padfoot grew up in a house that was rather dark," Remus remarked, "so when he built this place..."
"I think it's perfect," Rose replied immediately. "You can't have art deco in any other colour, really."
"You have remarkably good taste, my dear," Sirius told her, "apart from liking James of course. I have no idea what that's about."
Harry was about to give a snarky response but the idea fled his mind when Rose took his arm and gave him a warm smile.
"Shall we go through to the sitting room?" Remus suggested. "We have champagne on ice, in celebration of Rose's first visit to the house."
"The first person James has ever brought to the house, in fact," Sirius added helpfully.
Harry scowled in irritation, but Rose beamed, "Then I'm honoured; thank you James."
Remus led the way, followed by Harry and Rose. Harry punched Sirius in the stomach as they passed him.
"Oof," Sirius gasped as he doubled over.
Rose glanced back at him, "Is Padfoot okay?"
"He's fine," Harry replied. "He has stomach cramps from a bad clam."
They took the stairs up to the first floor. Remus opened the double doors wide to reveal the room beyond.
Rose gasped, "Oh my goodness!"
Harry grinned. The room really was breathtaking. The walls were decorated with tall moulded panels in gold and white, perfectly complementing the huge crystal chandelier that hung from the middle of the ornate moulded ceiling twenty feet above. A deep black and white sofa stood in front of a magnificent moulded fireplace, with two matching armchairs on each side. A ceiling-high five-panel starburst mirror stood atop the fireplace, illuminating the entire room with reflected light from the chandelier. The otherwise austere decor was softened by the massive furry white rug in front of the fire.
Despite the grandeur of the room, a visitor's eyes were drawn inevitably to the far wall, which was constructed entirely of glass. Each tall thin pane was inlaid with black lead in an elaborate art deco pattern, while the two huge doors at the centre were decorated with the same five-panel starburst as the fireplace mirror. A black iron railing outside advertised the edge of a large terrace, beyond which the crimson rays of the setting sun lit up the dark ocean like a sea of lava.
"It's beautiful," Rose whispered.
"Yes well, this is Padfoot's idea of modern," Harry scoffed.
"Hey, this is modern!" Sirius objected. Harry rolled his eyes.
Remus interrupted the burgeoning row by handing out glasses of champagne.
"A toast," he offered, raising his glass, "To Rose – welcome to our home."
"Welcome," Harry and Sirius agreed. They all clinked glasses and took a sip.
"Oh," Rose exclaimed. "This is wonderful! Which champagne is it?"
Sirius and Harry both shrugged.
Remus sighed, "It's from a small champagne house near Epernay. Padfoot and James bought it last year."
"We did?" Sirius and Harry replied at the same time.
"Yes you did," Remus replied in consternation. "Do you two read any of the reports I give you?"
"Not really," Sirius replied.
Harry decided to go for a more diplomatic, "Of course!" It wasn't entirely a lie. He did read some of them. Well, one or two – the less boring-looking ones.
Sirius defused the situation by suggesting they adjourn to the terrace. It was a lovely warm evening so they chatted while listening to the soft rhythmic sound of the sea lapping on the shore. Remus kept them all topped up on champagne, so Harry was soon feeling quite lightheaded.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when a deafening screech echoed through the house. Rose screamed and dropped her glass. It smashed on the marble floor of the terrace as she slapped her hands over her ears. A loud crack punctuated the screeching as a house elf appeared. He was wizened and ancient-looking, with a bulbous snout-like nose, bloodshot eyes, many folds of skin, and white hair growing out of his bat-like ears. In his hands he held a silver tray upon which sat three potion bottles and an old boot. A second crack, and then a third, announced the arrival of two more house elves. They were laden down by heavy-looking piles of folded hide clothing. The first elf snapped his fingers and the screeching stopped.
Harry, Sirius and Remus each grabbed a potion off the tray and downed it in one. The alcohol-induced buzzing in Harry's head cleared immediately.
"What have we got?" Sirius yelled as he grabbed something that looked like a thick waistcoat from the second elf. Harry and Remus were doing the same.
"Class Four breach of the exclusion zone, Master," replied the first elf.
"Class Four?" Sirius asked in surprise.
"Yes Master."
"How far from Voldemort?" Harry demanded, throwing a thick cloak over himself.
"Five miles and closing fast, sir."
"Shit," Harry swore. The second elf held out a sword. Harry took it and strapped it diagonally across his back. "Look after our guest, please." He turned to face Rose, "I'm sorry. We have to go. I'll explain when we get back. The elves will get you anything you need."
Harry, Sirius and Remus all grabbed the boot and disappeared.
- § -
It was three hours before they arrived back at the house, reappearing abruptly into the sitting room.
"I still don't see why we had to bring that thing back here," Sirius complained sulkily.
Harry looked down at the enormous snake he had draped limply across his hands.
"Because the snake had nothing to do with the breach," Harry replied. "It was the Graphorns that caused the breach. This snake has probably been living peacefully in the area for years."
"How on earth can you know that?" Sirius demanded.
"Trust me," Harry replied, dropping the unconscious reptile to the floor. "I know this snake. It's called Nagini and I would like to ask it a few questions."
Sirius coughed loudly. Harry and Remus both looked at him. He nodded towards the fireplace.
Harry and Remus turned to see Rose sitting in one of the armchairs looking at them with an arched eyebrow. She had a book open in her lap and an empty cup of tea lay on the table beside her.
"Welcome back," she said warmly, rising from her seat. Harry searched her face for the anger he was certain would be there, but he found none. She seemed genuinely untroubled at being abandoned in a strange house for three hours. She never ceased to amaze him. Her gaze fell upon the snake, "Ah a Maledictus. How fascinating!"
"A what?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.
"A Maledictus. It's a woman who carries a blood curse that enables her to turn into a beast, but the transformation eventually becomes permanent. The curse is passed from mother to daughter, afflicting all female descendants."
"You mean Nagini is a woman?" Harry replied in horror.
"Not anymore," Rose replied, "but originally yes."
Harry stared at the snake, struggling to process what he'd just heard. Nagini was a human, or had been anyway. Was there any of her humanity left? He was confident that there wasn't by the time Voldemort got his hands on her. But in this timeline he never had.
"Is there a cure?" he wondered out loud.
"Not yet," Rose replied.
Sirius coughed again, "Aren't we getting a little off-topic?"
Harry sighed, "Yes we are. Rose, I owe you an apology and an explanation. But... well... it's rather a long story."
Rose smiled, "That's okay James. We have plenty of time. But I might be able to simplify things a bit." She checked her watch. "I've been carefully controlling my dosage. If my calculations are correct then the potion should start to wear off... right... about... now..."
Before their eyes, Rose's skin began to bubble. Her entire body, or at least the parts they could see, was boiling madly. Her long black hair shortened to shoulder length and turned chestnut brown. It fell in shiny waves which she tucked self-consciously behind one ear. Her cheek bones lifted, her lips filled out and her face became more symmetric. Her eyes stayed the same rich coffee colour, and her height was unchanged, but everything else was different.
When the transformation was complete, Harry stared at her for several long seconds before he found his voice. He would know that face anywhere.
"Hermione?" he whispered in disbelief.
Hermione smiled exactly the way that Rose smiled – as if she knew all the secrets of the world.
"Hello Harry."
Chapter End Notes
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Afterword
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