Chapter 31:
"You seem very peaceful today, Harry," Hermione said as she floated by on the pool raft she was using. The two had spent the better part of the afternoon in and around the pool Sirius had installed a few weeks ago.
"I am. Dad is happy, Amy is happy, Remus gave us a few weeks off from lessons, except for my sword fighting lessons, and Neville is calmer than I've ever seen him. I think not going to Hogwarts this fall has made him…content. And you, you are all smiles lately. Everyone I care about is in a good place, and that makes me feel like I'm on top of the world."
"I have nothing to do with that feeling, other than smiling at you?" Hermione asked coyly and Harry swam over to her.
"You have everything to do with my good mood," he said lovingly as he stroked her face. "Kissing you is the best part of my life." He did just what he was talking about. Unfortunately, as Hermione moved closer to Harry, her raft was no longer in balance and it dumped the girl into the pool, breaking their kiss.
"Shoot," Hermione said when she surfaced. "I was trying to keep my hair dry. It's such a pain to tame down."
"Even with your hair going everywhere, I still think you're beautiful."
"Good answer," Hermione said, as she kissed him again. The kiss began to get more heated when the back door slammed closed, breaking the teens apart.
"Wonderful, another afternoon of playing chaperone to you two," Neville said as he strolled out to join them.
"We'll be good now that you're here," Harry said. "I thought you'd be over sooner today?"
"Hannah invited me over to go to the beach with her and Susan and Terry Boot," he explained.
"Ah, so things are going well with Hannah?" Hermione asked their friend.
"We're friends, Hermione," he rebutted as he slipped into the water.
"But, you want it to be more?" When the question was asked, Neville turned a bright red and it was answer enough. "Good luck, I think you'd be a good pairing."
"Everyone is pairing off," Harry said. "Remus even went out with a woman he met from a local public school. Told you, everyone I care about is happy."
"I can tell you one person who isn't happy," Neville said.
"Who?" Harry asked.
"Susan. She's unhappy that her aunt married Sirius. She's unhappy that she needs to change homes. She's unhappy that Amelia is changing her name to Bones-Black. It's part of the reason I left Hannah's when I did; I couldn't take her bad-talking Sirius any longer."
"I thought that she was making progress," Harry said. "She told me she'd give Sirius a chance to prove he wasn't taking her aunt away. As for moving, that's still her home, Amy just wants to have the Christmas holiday here because Sirius has been renovating this house. As for Amy's name change, it was going to happen at some point, because any baby she has needs to have both parents with the last name Black for the baby to be considered an heir."
"Why?" Hermione asked. "You're the heir and you weren't born with the last name Black."
"If another member of the main Black family line, like if Regulus had a widow and a kid out there somewhere, the kid could challenge me for the heirship because he was born a Black where I was only blood adopted. Sirius doesn't think it's likely, but I'm going to give it up when he has his own child. As for the marriage and Black last name thing, apparently the Black patriarchs had a hard time keeping it in their pants and there were illegitimate kids running around. It kept any of those children from inheriting."
"What a rotten family," Neville said. "I'm proud to be a Longbottom, especially now that I'm learning more about my family."
"I'm proud to be Sirius' son, but I wouldn't have chosen to be a Black. My Potter ancestors are far less deranged and only out for themselves," Harry said.
"My family history isn't anywhere near as interesting as yours are, guys; but I am proud to be the daughter of my parents," Hermione answered. "The most interesting thing I can say about the Foster family, that's my mum's family, is her great-great uncle was a guard for the royal family. Did all that changing of the guard thing."
"Interesting," Harry said. "I saw that when we took a field trip into London once. I think it would be hard not to smile."
"That's because you're always smiling now, Harry," Neville said before he bumped into him, causing him to fall over into the water. Harry stood up, soaking wet with his hair matted to his face and tackled Neville. Hermione wisely moved herself away from the two friends, making her way to the side where Remus had brought out Lemonade and sugar biscuits for them.
"He seems far more at ease than I've ever remembered him being," Remus noted.
"Neville and Harry don't argue with each other. Sure, sometimes when we're in lessons they disagree with each other, especially about how to use spells in unusual ways but they aren't at each other. Harry also knows he's safe and has a home. Those are things he never had before."
"This is the first place I think Sirius considers his home. Even when he lived with James, it was always the Potter home. This is Sirius's home that he shares with his son and soon, his wife too. I think it's grand for them both."
"I agree. Now, I wonder how long it will take them to realize you've brough us a treat before we start our training?" Hermione asked before lifting one of the biscuits up and 'clinking' it with Remus's.
1 September 1994
Amelia was helping Susan pack up her final items before they were to head off to the train station. Ultimately Susan had decided she'd rather be at Hogwarts than around the "nauseating happiness" her aunt and her new husband had. While she'd not been hostile for the last two weeks, it hadn't been pleasant for anyone living on the property. Harry had taken to escaping to Hermione's house in the afternoons when Terry Boot was over and letting Susan gripe by the pool. Neville and Harry had decided that all rational thought left him when Susan put on her two-piece swimming costume. Sirius often needed to be in his office or at the Wizengamot offices in the afternoons while Harry, Neville and Hermione had their lessons with Augusta or Remus.
Harry, Neville and Hermione were in the solarium, as it was cool and rainy that morning. Sirius came in to find the three of them silently reading. "Are any of you upset you're not going back today?" He couldn't hide the smile from his lips.
"Nope," Hermione said. "While academics are important, being at Hogwarts was always difficult for me. There were pranks played on me, people who said nasty things about my looks and danger. When I'm here, I am getting a superior education, especially since I can keep up my Muggle lessons as well, and my parents can finally see what I'm doing. As long as you are keeping Harry here, I'll be here too." She never looked up from what appeared to be a French Runes translations guide.
"Me too," Neville said. "I'm awkward and hadn't really made friends at school. Harry and I should have always had each other as our closest friend. Like Hermione said, if Harry's here so am I." Sirius knew it was how the two felt, but it was nice to hear them say it out loud. Harry needed to hear good things.
"What about you, son?"
"I'll miss Quidditch, but that's it. Teachers trying to kill me, beasts around the castle, angry junior death munchers making my life hell – no thanks. I need to learn control, and that isn't going to happen if I'm afraid I'll hurt someone. Anyway, I went through most of my life without a dad, I think I'm allowed to spend more time with mine now that I have you." Sirius went and put his hand on his son's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Anyway, I don't have any crazy stalker girls here, and there's a chance Ginny could be going back to Hogwarts. I know Ron is and it'll be a shock for him that I'm not there."
"Arthur certainly has his hands full there," Sirius said quietly. "So," he said to change the subject, "Amy is taking Susie to the train and then going to the Ministry. I don't need to visit my office today, what are we going to work on?
"You mean other than working on my tan?" Harry quipped. Hermione was coming over after Susan had left. The two girls had little in common and if Hannah wasn't there to act as a buffer, they sat and in uncomfortable silence.
"Yes, Harry," Sirius said. "You pick your subject."
"Law. There is a whole lot I feel like I should know, and I don't. Lady Longbottom has done a great job with the etiquette and such, but the laws of the wizarding world are lacking."
"Good choice. Do you want to include Neville and Hermione?"
"Can it just be us for a little while?" Harry asked, worried he was being selfish. Sirius pulled the boy into a hug.
"It can always be just us. You don't need to have a lesson so we can be together. Would you rather do something else? Your clothes are not fitting you as well as they did at the beginning of the summer, and I need things for the cooler weather. Shopping spree?"
"Yeah, let's see if I can put a dent into your gold, shall we?" Harry teased.
"Teenagers," Sirius muttered. The two let Remus know they were leaving and then Disapparated to the local Muggle mall.