Rambling and Dribbles: A dribble that I hope some enjoy. All updates are now in chapter 1 of Rambling and Dribbles.
Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter does not belong to me.
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Working Title: Angels of the Black Knight
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Premise:
After Sirius's death, Harry's life had been turned inside out. Deciding to no longer be the victim, he did what he had to to win the war. At seventeen, he went from the Boy-Who-Lived to the Man-Who-Won with some unexpected allies and people that would be as close as family.
Now determined to change their world so that the Blood Wars never happen again, he has one major obstacle to overcome to help him on his way to greatness: he is the most eligible bachelor around. To complicate matters that were hidden by Dumbledore, Harry is the heir to the Blacks and the Potters, and due to ancient laws, he is required to have separate woman to bear children for both lines.
By now, Harry should just expect this.
Fate loves to slap him around.
General Notes:
1.) Dumbledore is alive and Harry loathes him and his croanies.
2.) The Golden Trio is no more.
3.) Harry is a friend of the goblins and a creature rights advocate
4.) Pairing: Harry/Daphne/Gabrielle
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Chapter 1
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December 23, 1998
London, England
Standing in a corner of the cavernous room, Harry was trying to meld into the wall, intentionally adverting his eyes from the new statues and the rebuilt atrium of the Ministry of Magic.
Hundreds of people were milling about, admiring the remodelled atrium which had been severely damaged during the fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort more than three years ago, and then during the battle that almost saw the ministry fall last fall.
His face was rather passive, and he only nodded at people that tried to greet him or cozy up to him.
Why wouldn't they?
He had defeated Voldemort, hadn't he?
No thanks to most of the people here, a seventeen-year-old boy had taken down the most powerful wizard since Grindelwald.
Of course everyone wanted to talk to him, touch him, shake his hand, make inappropriate offers of their daughters, sisters… wives. Or the woman offering to bed him. He made a face as one such young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, walked away looking disgruntled that he ignored her advances.
All they wanted was the Man-that-won, or whatever his title was this week.
He wouldn't be here at all if he didn't need to be.
And unfortunately, those insipid women and the men trying to sell their daughters were a large reason he was here.
Harry had no desire to be on the Wizengamot or part of the ministry, but there were rules, laws and family magics that had him on the hunt.
He kept his sigh in as the twentieth or so young lady came up to him. He had seen her at a few of these receptions, balls and award ceremonies that they kept heaping on him and the few that helped him. In the end, it had been five of them that had taken down Voldemort, and the world knew it thanks to 'friends' he had made over the last few years.
The golden blonde was of an average height with slightly wide hips, shoulder length hair with two longer tails over her shoulder, amber eyes and in a rather eye-catching high collar red dress that highlighted her curves in all the right ways, but didn't show off any extra flesh, unlike many of the woman that had already propositioned him tonight. Though, the way she walked caught his eye more than anyone else.
Unlike most of the others, Harry politely dipped his head in a show of deference. "Evening, Greengrass."
She gave him a curt nod and a small smile. She came to stand a few feet away, her hands before her and a matching red purse in them. He tried not to look at how her modest chest was framed by her arms. "Potter. I thought you would be over with all the other dignitaries?" she said, nodding towards the fountain and the peacocks trying to take credit for anything they could.
Harry snorted. "You know me, I love the spotlight."
Her brow rose and a small smirk played at her mouth. For months now they been doing this weird flirting thing. "I can see. Why wouldn't you enjoy a giant statue of your triumph? They really caught your scar," she dryly commented.
Harry chuckled. "Too bad I don't have that scar anymore," he noted. His telltale lightning bolt scar was gone now the horcrux was gone. The only scars on his head now were the two long marks over his eye from when he had taken down Fenrir Greyback.
She looked up to the statue. "It's rather pompous, if you ask me."
Harry laughed. "Merlin, Greengrass, can you sound anymore condescending?"
She smirked again. "The night's still young. If you get a drink or two into me, I might be more amenable," she told him, turning back to him.
Harry shook his head. "If you wanted a date, all you needed to do was get in line."
She sniffed. "Like the long list of conquests the Daily Prophet keeps reporting on?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "They can say what they want, but if they really go after me again, they won't like my friends."
Looking to the statue again, Harry couldn't stand it. Where once there was only the single water fountain, there were now five statues joining the fountain, with his being the largest. To the left of his statue was Tonks and Remus, while on the other side was Bill and Fleur.
The fountain in the middle of the room had been replaced with a new Statue of Brethren, but this one had two goblins in full battle armour standing side-by-side with a witch and wizard while a house elf stood confidently before them.
"You do have some interesting friends," she commented, looking to the contingent of goblins near the statue.
Harry shrugged. If it wasn't because of his 'friends', he had little doubt that he wouldn't have been declared a Dark Lord and hunted down after how the war had ended a year ago today. "We have an understanding."
She gave a tinkling laugh. "That is one way of putting it."
"Do you still want that drink?" he asked, feeling like this was the first real conversation of the night he wanted.
"Are you paying?"
He rose a brow. "Are you asking to get out of here?"
That rather cute grin that only twerked up the left side of her mouth had something stirring in him that he hadn't felt in a while. "I wouldn't say no, but I rather think we should stay."
"Why?" He was looking for any excuse to leave.
"You are the guest of honour tonight. Rather rude to leave before the minister and all the peacocks get to preen for you," she said.
Harry gave a wry grin. "Are you one of the ones that want to preen for me too?"
The level look she gave him had his grin grow. "You can only wish."
"A man can dream," he snarked back.
"Well, maybe if you take me out another night, I'll let you dream about it," she told him.
He extended his arm, pulling on the lessons that Andromeda had been teaching him. He hated being here. He knew why had to be here. A blonde woman and her fifteen-year-old daughter on the other side of the atrium were the main reason. The jackals looking for power were the other. While the laws and family traditions of succession were why he cared.
She took his arm. He didn't miss the looks they got. He didn't care.
As they made their way towards the centre of the room, they took a fluted wine glass from a house elf in a smart suit that had a tray of them. He ignored Shacklebolt trying to get his attention to walk over to the goblins first.
Dumbledore was with him and Harry wouldn't go within ten miles of the man if he could help it.
Daphne didn't comment.
The goblins were in a group. The five were all of the upper management or echelons of the Gringotts clan. When they turned, Harry bowed to them. "Head Manager Ringknot, I am honoured you accepted my invitation tonight. May your enemies feel the bite of your axe and your rivals bleed their last sickle."
The one he addressed had the most scars, the most earrings and the finest suite with goblin silver woven into the cuffs and lapels. With a toothless grin, the goblin inclined his head while placing his hand on his stomach instead of the hilt of his blade.
"Heir Potter-Black, it as our duty to come when a friend of the goblins calls. Our blades will bleed your enemies and our wits will enrich us both," the goblin said with a grudging respect.
Harry may hate this pomp and circus, but he knew it was important to remind people to leave him alone. Thanks to past treaties, Gringotts was the only wizarding bank allowed on British soil, the only ones allowed to issue new coins and the only ones allowed to facilitate trade with the Muggles after the newest treaty was signed. Being named a goblin friend would make anyone double guess their actions against him.
"Thank you. If I may, I would introduce my companion for the night," he said. Daphne rose an eyebrow at him, but didn't look upset at the declaration. "Miss Daphne Greengrass, the Head Manager of Gringotts Bank, RIngknot of the Grunkle clan."
The goblin dipped his head for her, but it was still a sign of respect. If Harry said someone was with him, the goblins would treat them well. Daphne bowed, as the dress she was in didn't lend itself to curtsying. "Head Manager Ringknot, it is a pleasure. May I never need to greet your axe or earn your ire."
The goblin looked amused. "Well met, Miss Greengrass. I take it that you are the one they trust to keep this cur in line tonight?"
"Hey! I've been good… lately," he said.
Daphne gave him a look. "Lately?"
"Well, Diagon Alley is still standing this year," he commented.
All five goblins grinned. "It is. It has been a profitable year for our construction and loan managers."
Harry grinned. "See, they think I've been good."
Daphne gave her tinkling laugh again. It wasn't really anything to laugh about, but he found if he did, the despair of what happened in the war and those few days that ended it was kept away.
Daphne stated, "That is still to be seen tonight."
The goblin gave a grin. "Well, let us hope he get's up to no good. It is usually profitable."
"I will do my best," he promised, guiding Daphne away.
She sipped at her champaign. "Do I need to keep you from getting up to mischief tonight?"
"I don't think so. I try to avoid mischief now. Getting up to no good, that is a different story."
"Then I look forward to an entertaining evening," she told him.
"You intend to spend your evening with me?"
"I would be a rather poor companion to leave you to all the hussies and fathers looking to sell you their daughters," she said with a wry smirk.
He made a face. "You heard that the other day?"
She laughed. "I think half of Diagon Alley heard that."
"Bugger!"
She looked amused. "Doesn't keep them away though, does it?"
"Yeah. Not really," he said, turning Daphne towards another group to avoid a man with two girls. The man was giving him that look and he was steering his daughters towards him. One looked to be maybe fourteen, while the other a year or two younger than him. Harry didn't recognize, but that wasn't as uncommon since the war had ended. People he had never even seen before had come out of the woodwork since Voldemort had finally been defeated. He wished he knew that he could have gone to another school when he had first gone to Hogwarts because he certainly wouldn't have gone there if he had known. It turns out that not even half of the witches and wizards their age went to Hogwarts.
Finding the group he wanted, he was pleased to see the pink hair of Tonk as she laughed with Remus and Bill. Walking over to them, Bill gave him a look to see Daphne on his arm. Harry reached out his hand. Bill clasped his forearm. "Good to see you, Bill. How's Fleur?"
Bill grinned. "Getting big. Appoline thinks the baby will come soon after New Years. Evening, Miss Greengrass," the redhead said. He took her hand to kiss the back of it when she extended it.
"Mister Delacour. I haven't seen you since you did the wards on my flat," she said.
That had been a surprise when Bill had married Fleur. He had been the Weasley heir, but rejected it to take on the Delacour name. Not that Harry blamed him after how his family had accepted Fleur. They didn't understand the bond a veela could make.
Bill nodded. "That was a fine bit of work, especially since you are on the west end in a Muggle area."
"Really?" he asked surprised.
She sniffed. "I did receive an outstanding on my Muggle Studies and now work in the Muggle Laison office."
Harry had to admit, he did not know that and would never have guess. "That is surprising."
She took her arm out of his and crossed her arms across her chest. "Why? Because I was a Slytherin and a Pureblood?" she demanded.
He held up his hands. "No. Nothing like that. I just," Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I just didn't think you would have liked anything like that, well… ok, you were Slytherin."
She didn't look impressed.
Someone sniggered from behind him. "Foot in mouth," he heard Tonks say.
"Listen, I think that wicked," he said.
She looked a little mollified. "Are you just saying that because of Granger and the others?"
Harry made a face. "I am not saying that because of Granger. I just think we need more that can easily go between our worlds."
Daphne still looked at him rather cooly. "And you think that Purebloods don't know?"
"Well… ah… could you picture Neville or Parkingson walking down a street in London?" he countered.
After a moment, her face softened. "Touche. I'll give you that one."
"He's still in trouble," Tonks said, earning a chuckled from Remus and a grin from Bill.
"Shut it," he said out of the side of his mouth.
"Are you going to introduce us to your lady friend?" Tonks teasingly enquired.
Harry rolled his eyes before turning. Daphne looked a little amused again. "Hey, Tonks. Looking big there," he said, commenting on her barely visible baby bump for their second child.
Her pink hair turned red. Remus looked to be keeping a snigger in. Tonks took a menacing step forward. "You better not be calling me fat," she angrily demanded.
He just grinned at her. "I am just saying you are glowing. I look forward to meeting my next god child." Teddy was only eight months old and she wasn't really showing yet being three months pregnant.
She glared at him before punching his arm. "That's what I thought you were saying. Who's the hot blonde?"
Harry looked to Daphne to see her reaction. She didn't seem to mind. Daphne held her hand out. "Daphne Greengrass."
"Tonks Lupin," Tonks said, taking Daphne's hand. "And this lout is my other half, Remus."
"I remember you, Miss Greengrass. It is nice to see you again," Remus said, taking her hand and kissing it like Bill had.
"Thank you, Mister Lupin. I fondly remember your year of teaching. It was the best we had," Daphne said.
The man gave her a wan smile. "Thank you. It was one of the best jobs I've had."
"You should ask for it back," Tonks told him.
"Things are better, but most parents still wouldn't like a werewolf teaching their children," Remus said.
"It shouldn't matter," Bill stated. "The Prophet said the next reforms should be votes on in the spring."
"Yes, I've heard Pot… Harry had been very involved in those," Daphne commented.
He rose a brow to her. "Thank you, Daphne," he said, seeing if she would mind. When she didn't say a thing, he went on. "But I really haven't done much. I've only been working with the goblins and the other races."
Bill snorted. "Not much, he says. You only let the goblins represent you in the Wizengamot and have spoken for creatures and other races more than anyone else in generations."
"He also has the power to back it," Tonks pointed out. "So, Daphne, what did he promise you to be on his arm tonight?"
"Oi! I don't do anything!" Harry shot back.
"I was asked by the goblins to keep an eye on him. Something about being rather profitable to let him get up to trouble," she said.
"Oi! Her I get," he said, pointing to Tonks.
"I like her," Tonks said to the others. "Maybe Harry will keep this one."
"Merlin's fecking balls!" Harry exclaimed, earning some chuckled and sniggering.
Daphne just smirked.
A series of chimes echoed in the atrium. Everyone turned to a small stage before the central offices. Harry cringed to see Shacklebolt standing on the stage, with Dumbledore just off to the side and a few others he hated to deal with.
"Let the fun begin," he muttered rather darkly.
Daphne moved in to put an arm around his. "I was told to keep you out of trouble."
Harry let out a heavy breath. "Then you have your job cut out for you."
The highlight of the night would be Daphne on his arm while the minister pontificated about the great victory a year ago, the mourning of the lost, the great works of art now adorning the atrium and more awards that Harry would just through into the growing pile in the basket by the door in his flat.
The only other good thing was that Daphne mentioned he still owed her a drink after Christmas.
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December 25, 1998
Tinsworth, England
(Christmas with Bill, Fleur, the Delacours… Fleur tries to play match maker.)
"Dobby, did you pack all the gifts?" Harry asked as he walked out of the hallway to his room into the large sitting area.. After the war and everything, he refused to go back to the few houses he owned since they all had bad memories.
The houses on Privet Drive and Magnolia Crescent were out for obvious reason. Grimmauld Place was too full of ghosts, and not matter what he did, he just couldn't eliminate the dark presence that permeated the house, Godric's Hollow was too raw and the old lands that the old manor had been on in Wales was sitting there fallow without any shelter.
He should probably sell them all off, but the goblins had told him he should hold on to them just a little longer as housing prices were on the rise. They were also still trying to dismantle the old wards on Grimmauld Place so that he could move the library and a few other items he wanted to keep. If it wasn't for that, he would have torched the place after the Dark Wanker had fallen last year. It was almost more painful to go there than back to Godric's Hollow or Little Whinging.
So, instead of using his properties, he had bought a flat and had made a new home.
The centre of Nottingham was lain out a large square with a fountain below his flat. He had managed to by the entire top floor and had been slowly converting it into a place he liked to live in. There was a library with all the books he had been able to retrieve from Godric's Hollow and his Potter vaults with enough room for the Black's library to join it.
His study was next to the library.
A dinning room as large as the sitting room was next to the kitchen. Two hallways connected the two sides of the house, which was a large square building with a courtyard in the centre, with six bedrooms and other small rooms that Dobby and Andromeda insisted he make into receiving rooms and other spaces he didn't understand, but was told they would be important if he wanted to push laws and such the way he envisioned.
Dobby put the paperbag with handles next to the fireplace. "Dobby is packing everything. Does the Great Harry need Dobby to take the goose over?"
"Please. Bill said they were going to do dinner about two, so I think one-thirty would do."
Dobby nodded his head.
"I'm off. I want you and Winky to join us," Harry told him.
Dobby grinned. "I will trys to convince Winky."
Dobby had embraced being a free elf and the changes Harry had been pushing. Winky and others were supportive of the better treatment, but didn't feel like they should be treated as equals. Harry disagreed, but knew it would take generations to probably change that, as it had taken generations to ingrain their current culture.
"See if you can. If not, I don't want her left alone. It is Christmas," Harry said.
Dobby grinned. "We's celebrate yule, the Great Harry."
"I know, but most wizards celebrate most now. Happy Christmas and don't work too hard today," Harry told his friend.
"No's. We's only dust, sweep and mops the floor today," Dobby assured him.
Harry knew that meant they would do most of that without magic, meaning it take them much of the day. They didn't need to work so hard to get the magic they needed from wizards. He didn't think the exchange equivalent. Most Purebloods disagreed, but most everyone else felt like he did as the Wizarding world was educated about house elves and the other races.
Harry put on his nice winter peacoat. It was nice to have fitting clothes that were fashionable enough for him. Picking up the bag, he waved to Dobby then turned on the spot. Like Bill, he refused to have his flat connected to the floo network. There were too many things that had gone wrong with that travel method in the last two wars.
When he appeared among the sea grasses, he shivered and pulled his jacket tight around him. It was a blustery day with dark skies that threatened a storm. The local weather forecast said the storm was supposed to be pulling out, but who knew at times?
Even with the wind and crashing waves, he smiled at the cosy sight of Shell Cottage sitting on the edge of a cliff. Aside from his flat, this house was his second favourite place in the world. His first was the house in Great Easton where Remus, Tonks and little Teddy lived. He would stop by to wish them a Happy Christmas later. Today he had been invited to the Delacour's for supper.
Bill and Fleur had been instrumental in his defeat of Voldemort. Their support of him had caused a rift in the family, especially after Percy had been killed in the Battle of the Ministry, then found to be a Death Eater, then Charlie in Diagon Alley. Bill and the twins were the only ones that he could tolerate, or that tolerated him now.
Walking to the house, he knocked on the door before letting himself in. He had been told he was always welcome here, and the know was to let the rather amorous couple that called this place home know a visitor was coming.
When the door opened, he heard voices and laughter from the end of the hall. It sounded like everyone was in the kitchen.
"I am not naming my daughter after some god of sex!" he heard Fleur.
Harry chuckled.
Another voice, a girl's voice that sounded more mature than the last time he had seen her, came drifting down the hallway. "Aphrodite is not the goddess of sex. But if she is anything like you, she might be."
"You little harpy!" Fleur shot back.
"I am not a harpy, you old hag!"
"If you are going to turn to fireballs, take this outside," an older man sternly warned.
"I am with child, papa! I can't fight, as much as I would like to teach this little harpy a lesson."
"I am not a harpy!"
Harry had a grin he tried to suppress as he shucked off his shoes, hung his coat and put the bag of gifts in the sitting room before making his way to the kitchen. The last time he had seen the sisters go at it like this was at Bill's and Fleur's wedding over a year and a half ago.
Of course, that was the last time he had seen Gabrielle as well.
Walking into the kitchen, Harry was met by a scene that warmed his heart. Appoline was at the small stove. Bill and her were making food for dinner. Her long, silver blonde hair was down her back, contrasting nicely to the off-white jumper dress that heavily hinted at her picturesque form. For a middle-aged woman, she was one of the most attractive people he had ever met.
Her older daughter was just as attractive, even though she was nearly ten months pregnant. For some reason Harry thought her pretty no matter what. The loose blue and silver dress was fashionable enough for the normally fashion conscious woman. Her hair was pulled up into a bun and her feet were on a stool.
Her father was sitting next to her at the table with a steaming cup of tea before him. The man had the look of a muscular body builder that was starting to go to seed but still fit enough to twist Harry into a pretzel. He knew that Sebatian had been an Auror and Hit Wizard, but was now high up in the French DMLE. Harry had the feeling the man was still formidable for his age.
What had him stopping was the girl before him.
She was about as tall as him, in a plaid skirt that hugged a pretty little bum, long legs, bare shoulders over a white knit jumper, with no hint of a bra, and her slightly darker blonde hair in a single large plait down her back with a little red ribbon on it. There was a scent from her that was exotic, enticing, captivating…
He had to catch himself at the thought of pulling on the ribbon to unwrap a present…
The girl stomped her feet. "Papa! Tell her stop calling me a harpy!"
"If it fits, then you are," Fleur snapped.
"That is enough. It is a time that we celebrate family, not destroy it," Appoline said in a heavy French accent.
"But maman!" the seventeen-year-old whinged.
Fleur looked triumphant, then she caught his eye… and his face. A knowing smirk had come across it before he shaken himself from looking at the gorgeous girl before him. She had not looked that good the last time he had seen Gabrielle.
"Happy Christmas, Harry," Fleur said loudly.
Everyone turned. Gabrielle's icy-blue eyes found his. A radiant smile spread across her face. Ever since he had pulled her out of the lake, she had always been pleased to see him. Today wasn't any different as she excitedly exclaimed, "HARRY!" before launching herself at him.
Harry caught the girl, who seemed light for her size, She kissed his cheeks before wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him tight. "Happy Christmas!"
"Happy Christmas," he replied, trying hard to have a reaction to the excited girl jumping up and down against him.
For the second time this week, he felt a pull towards someone he hadn't felt since his fifth year.
He felt rather reluctant to let her go. "Let others say hello," her mother chastised Gabrielle.
"But I haven't seen him since Fleur and Bill's wedding," Gabrielle said, pulling away a little slowly.
"He will be here all day and we are in England until you go back to school," Appoline told her.
"Happy Christmas, Appoline," Harry said. This time they did the more traditional touching cheeks and lightly air kissing each other. Then she hugged him. Looking over her shoulder, his eyes slid to the girl that had just hugged him. His wondering eyes took in how she filled out the knit jumper and her tone legs. Gabrielle didn't seem to mind when his eyes remembered to wander up.
"Happy yule. This Christmas stuff is not what we follow," Appoline told him. "All that is important is family."
"Harry Yule then," he said, not really caring either way. Christmas held so little value to him except that now he spent it with people he cared for.
Jean-Paul had gotten up. Once his wife had let him go, he repeated the process with the older man. The last two years, Jean-Paul and Appoline had been a huge source of support for them. "It is good to see you Harry. You are looking good, non?"
"Thank you, Jean-Paul. I try to keep in shape," he said.
The man pulled back and put a hand to his upper arm. "You are not as scrawny as when we first met. Bonne. You will make a good husband some day," the man said.
Harry felt his face heat up a little. If only the man knew that someday would have to be sooner than Harry might have liked. "Well, I hope to make a lady happy someday," he told the man, not wanting to tell him the truth of the matter.
"And are you just going to ignore me?" Fleur asked.
Harry moved over to her, kissing her cheeks and giving her a hug in the chair. "It is wonderful to see you. Thank you for having me over," he told her.
"Nonsense. You belong here," she told him.
Bill had turned and extended a hand. "Nice to see you, mate."
"You too, Bill. Happy Christmas," he said, knowing that his family celebrated the holiday. They shook hands, then Bill turned back to cutting some vegetables.
"Need a hand?"
"You relax today. There is wine and beers in the ice box, or something harder if you want," Bill offered.
"A beer will be fine," Harry told him.
Bill motioned towards the ice box. "You've been here enough to help yourself."
"Thanks."
Gabrielle came to his side and wrapped an arm into his. "Would you get me some wine?"
"Sure," he told her, patting her hand. That urge to undo her ribbon grew.
"Only one glass," Appoline said.
"Mon Cherie, she is old enough," Jean-Paul said.
"Yes, but last time she drank she ended up the garden dancing nude," Appoline said.
Harry raised a brow at her, the vision of that something that would be in his dreams next to the ones he'd been having of Daphne the last few nights.
Gabrielle looked a little shy about it. "We were celebrating my girl friends eighteenth birthday," she told him.
"Only one then," he cheekily replied, having no intention of sticking to that rule.
She gave him a pout.
When he came back to the table, he had the wine, his beer and a cup of tea that Fleur has asked for, even though she was eyeing the wine like a hungry predator.
"Yes you have to tell me what you have been up too?" Gabreille demanded.
Harry shrugged. "Not much."
"And what about the ceremony the other night? Maman wouldn't let me go," she told him.
"It wasn't anything much. I would forgo them if I could," Harry told her.
"But it would still be nice to go such a formal ball," Gabrielle said wistfully.
"It wasn't a ball. There wasn't even any dancing. Just a few old men and biddy's making beautiful speeches and praising Bill for his Cursebreaking work," Harry said.
Bill waved the knife over his shoulder. "Keep me out of this. You were the one that was awarded with another Order of Merlin because you never told anyone you were the one to take out Greyback."
Harry snorted. "That basket is getting full," Harry told him.
Fleur shook her head. "You are the only one I know that would not display such an honour."
"I survived. You are all here. What else do I need?" he asked her.
"Are you saying that you just through out something like that?" Gabrielle asked with huge eyes.
Harry shrugged again before taking a swig of his beer. "I don't want to be remembered for that."
"Then what do you want to be remembered for?" Jean-Paul asked.
Harry gave a slightly dreamy smile. "Equality."
"What do you mean?" Gabrielle asked, looking uncertainly at him.
"You know all those anti-blood and creature laws?" Bill said.
"Yes, it is making headlines across the continent. The Assemblee is debating of adopting the new treaty with the goblins," Jean-Paul commented. "The use of muggle methods to increase production of key ingredients in the wolfsbane potion is also catching some attention."
Appoline looked towards Harry as thought starting to understand.
"There's been that, but there is also the new classification laws that prohibit any blood or creature heritage, and if the new ones are passed, will recognize goblins, house elves and veela as fully sentient," Bill told them.
"Bill, I'm not taking credit for all that," Harry told him.
"You are too modest. Harry has been supporting the goblins and others. He's pulled together a coalition that is changing things," Fleur pointed out. "Though, I still don't understand why you are not recognizing all the magical races?"
"The centaurs, merfolk and dwarves didn't want to give up their other treaties yet. If they do, then they will fall under the Wizengamot laws for land ownership and other laws they don't agree with and are exempt from for now," Harry told her.
Gabrielle put a hand on his leg. The pleasant thrill through his body was only tempered by how hard she squeezed. "That has been all you? It is the talk of the school! Every one had been wanting the latest Daily Prophet or Quibbler. Harry, you understand that Britain stands to be the first nation to fully recognize people like us as full witches?"
He grinned at her. "I didn't, but I wasn't going to just leave things the way they were. The goblins have already increased the return on account investments because they can invest in the Muggle stock market and businesses, so its been a little easier to convince some that what I want to do is a good thing."
She moved to hug him again. "C'est incroyable! Dire que je connais l'homme qui change le monde! J'ai hâte de le dire à tout le monde."
If this got her to hug him more, then Harry figured he had found his calling. She kissed his cheek again.
"Easy there, Gabi," Bill said. "Harry's not really making a fuss about it."
"What did she say?" Harry asked, not liking she pulled away.
"She wants to tell everyone what you are doing," Fleur said.
Harry made a face. "No thanks. I already get enough attention."
"But you should! You are doing great things!" Gabrielle said. Unlike many that said stuff like that because they wanted to suck up to him, he felt that she really meant it. The look of addoration in her eyes didn't make him uncomfortable.
"Dinner will be ready in an hour. Harry, you said you have the goose?" Appoline questioned.
"Dobby will be bringing it in about a half hour. How was has Beauxbatons been?" Harry asked Gabrielle.
Fleur was smirking at them.
"It was wonderful. I am getting top marks in my history, charms and paiting courses. Because of that, I have been accepted into an apprenticeship for the semester to learn how to enchant paintings. I will be working with Estavar Buneves three days a week in studios in Flourence. If that goes well, he may take me on as a formal apprentice after I graduate. Otherwise, I want to start painting right away," she excitedly said.
"Wicked. I will have to see your work sometime," he said to her.
Her face brightened even more. "I am supposed to do a portrait over the holidays. You will be my model," she informed him.
He rose an eye brow. "Do I get a choice?"
"Non," she said, a gleen to her eye that he would never say no too.
"It is better to give in to her now, otherwise she will be hounding you all day," Fleur told him.
Fleur and Appoline shared a look. Bill just shook his head while Jean-Paul gave an accepting nod to his older daughter. "Harry should come over tomorrow so you can start," Fleur suggested.
"C'est magnifique! I should go make sure I have everything I need," she said, hopping out of her seat and moving towards the door. Harry liked the way her hops moved. She stopped, turned and took his hand. "You will come and I can start to sketch."
He gave Fleur a 'help me' look. The bint just laughed as he was dragged out of the the room. Though, in all truth, he really didn't resist it either.
