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Harry gauged Sarah for a few seconds after her question, the seriousness of it catching him off-guard, but then he shrugged. His life had never been normal regardless of the time he was in. It didn't matter whether he was Harry Potter, the boy who lived or Harry Peverell, the last of a line feared by some, respected by others but known by all. Thus, he wouldn't consider anything to be going too far from the natural way of things, least of all their recent adventures.
If anything, it was when something was too simple that he'd often feel strange. Harry much preferred to be faced head-on by whatever was coming at him.
"I've been well enough, I'd say — I missed your company, Vee's and Marcus' too. It'd be good to finally spend some time with the three of you again, and outside of Hogwarts to boot," Harry didn't dislike Hogwarts, far from it, but the place was rather limiting in what they could do. 'And you? How've you been? I haven't really seen you since Hogwarts."
"We returned home when violence came to Hogwarts, and we've been fine since. Boredom is nothing compared to what many others felt, and we've been trying to help wherever we could," Sarah's face seemed sad for a few moments, and then as quickly as that look had arrived, it vanished with the girl looking at him, typical smile in place.
I was thinking about bringing up that old friend of theirs, Giannis… maybe I'll wait or speak with her mum about him. Katie too, maybe. She'd seemed the closest to him.
"Oh," he exclaimed when her words finally settled down in his mind. He looked her up and down, and then he snorted. "I suppose it should have been obvious considering the stuff that was sent."
Sarah snorted and poked him in the side. "Olives, Greek loaves of bread—" she tutted and wagged her finger at him, those big dimples finally showcasing themselves again after so long a time had passed. "You're the reason Mama says wizards need witches."
"I've heard that before." His mind went to Elaine, and he wasn't afraid to admit, she'd taught him a lot and not just in regards to magic. Harry didn't much care for politics, but he'd be an idiot not to use his wealth, name, and the power that came with each.
"Now come, to the garden," Sarah said as she grabbed his hand and pulled, practically yanking him down the hall and away from whence they'd previously been standing idly. "You have a lot of time to make up for — I know your life can't have been boring, especially with you being the Deputy Minister, sir."
Harry wrinkled his nose. He learned just then he didn't much care for having friends call him 'sir', much less 'Deputy Minister' or anything like that. Harry worked perfectly fine for him with them, and their private Aurors alike.
"Say, Sarah, have you ever thou—"
Sarah held up a hand as they pushed through the doors, the floral scents mixing with the Mediterranean waters to make for a wondrous scent. It was with that backdrop assaulting his senses that she cut him off.
"I'm not working in the Ministry of Magic, it's way too cutthroat. Boring too," Sarah paused and hummed to herself, her infectious smile causing one to form on his face despite the negative answer he'd been given in response to his question. "If you ever get a position that requires mandatory fun, or if you need help organising an event that isn't boring, come and get me."
Fair enough. Harry nodded once, the smile now overriding the little bit of reservation he'd had left. "I can do that."
Harry yawned and allowed his eyes to drift to the view of the water beyond. It was nearly endless, with little islands dotting the horizon with buildings scattered across them. Each seemed a villa that was still worth more than most could afford, and he imagined like the one he found himself on, the majority were occupied with Magical families.
If they weren't, he wasn't quite sure how the statute would be maintained… maybe he'd inquire sometime on official business. He didn't think he'd mind making friends with the Greek Ministry, especially under current circumstances.
"Nature's beautiful, isn't it?"
With a last lingering glance at the sinking sun shining upon the water, he turned to look back at Sarah. She looked just as full as he did, and equally as content to sit in the garden and watch the world go round.
"It is," he readily agreed. "And catching up's been nice. I couldn't imagine having this view every day. How you don't lose all your time on one of those balconies or in the garden is a wonder to me."
Sarah laughed. "You can probably imagine all the time I've lost in here. It'd have to be days. Vee and Marcus don't really enjoy it very much. They consider sitting here boring, but I'm glad you're able to enjoy it," she looked back at the water, the sun still only just visible. "You'll have to be visiting more often now that everything's calmed down a bit, you hear me? I need somebody to enjoy this view with — you'll have to tell me some stories too, naturally. Sitting here until Mama says we can return is a tad boring."
He laughed at that. Sitting in a garden, eating homemade food and watching the water splash so serenely was something he could do daily. Even if he could manage just a week or thereabout, he'd be happy; time with a friend, a valuable friend, and time he could take away from the Ministry.
"I promise I'll bring some fun news for you, and I'll visit you more often too. I really hadn't meant for this to take as long as it has. I guess with everything that happened, there was just so much to take care o—"
"Aww, you're making me feel guilty for trying to make you feel guilty," Sarah pouted out her bottom lip. "I didn't mean it," she sniffled for extra effect, and Harry simply shook his head.
When she laughed, her dimples large and her laughter without reservation, he felt his shoulders sag if only slightly.
Merlin, he thought to himself. I've got to get away from the Ministry and Grindelwald for a few hours every week. Reckon I could convince Elaine to go on a vacation somewhere. Greece, or Egypt, maybe.
He could hope.
When Harry returned home, finally, it was in the evening, a few hours past when he'd usually have his dinner. Elaine wasn't home, unsurprisingly. It was entirely usual of her to work late into the evening, only to return home to sleep, wash and return to the Ministry the following day as early as ever. He wasn't sure how she managed it, but her reasons for doing so made sense and had, by and large, been achieved; corruption was almost entirely rooted out and the Ministry had finally begun to regain its foothold throughout all of its dominion.
Well done her.
"Laddey," Harry called out.
As always, the little house elf appeared with a resounding snap and those wide eyes of his settled on Harry. "How can Laddey help, sir?" the house elf asked.
"Could you go and find me a map?"
Laddey cocked his head at Harry. "What map, sir? Laddey only has access to what Laddey was given access to."
"A map of the grounds, if you could. I know you said there are certain items you aren't able to interact with, much less speak all that much about, but I'd like something that'll show me everything on our grounds — anything else you think might be helpful would be great too. Momsey can aid you, if necessary. One day, this research might benefit her most of all," Harry finished with an image already in his mind. One that was far away, and yet, felt more possible in recent times than it'd ever felt before.
He could see himself in the future, old and grey, with a myriad of people his age around him. Children, Grandchildren, maybe even his Great Grandchildren, and he wouldn't mind building a half-dozen homes all around the enormous property. It'd make everything safer… but in the meantime, while that remained a dream, he'd be sure to see what else was hidden in forests and decayed.
Maybe he could find secrets at a cemetery, or granary; he'd take just about anything to give him a hint. The Goblins would be of no help aside from managing his finances. Not unless there was more property that he wasn't aware of, but he didn't think that'd be the case. No, Harry imagined whatever the Peverells had tucked away, was here, with him. Maybe he'd walked over a hidden stash a few dozen times, maybe there was a book he needed to sign his name into like the study he'd found.
Magic was just like regular old mundane life. You couldn't really know what to expect. Even those who favoured Divination all too often couldn't stop something from happening, much less always interpret the signs they saw correctly.
When Harry refocused his attention on the room in which he stood, he came to realise he was alone again. Laddey had popped off to see to his new orders, and that left Harry with free time until the elf appeared back by his side with what he'd requested. In that free time, he imagined he could do a great many things, but there was one that'd always come naturally to him.
Defence. If he learned the various counter-curses across nations and mastered those of his own, he could handle just about any person on his lonesome, for most couldn't hope to match his inherent power. Come to think of it, aside from powerhouses the likes of which the world seldom saw, such as Elaine, Grindelwald or Dumbledore, he didn't imagine there were very many people who would stand a good and proper chance against him in a fight.
Harry did as Laddey did, closing his eyes and focusing on the room in his mind, and with a snap not unlike that which was normal when next he opened his eyes, he was in the room which he'd pictured. There were even the tomes he'd last been studying laid out upon his desk exactly where he'd left them; Elaine hadn't stacked dozens more atop them as she usually did in the time between his check-ups.
He shrugged off his jacket and with a huff, sank into the lush chair of his desk. It was comfortable as ever, and with the torches along the walls lit and the fireplace crackling, he felt nearly as at peace as he had when he'd visited Sarah. All that was missing was the rain of the outside world, for that mixed with a fire and the warmth therefrom, was near bliss to him.
Harry took in a deep breath, exhaled, and leaned forward as his hands sought the book that he'd left off reading. It was translated into English for instructional purposes, but the incantation was still that of the language in which it was written; Portuguese. The book itself wasn't European, however, for it was a collection of popular spells from Brazil, with much influence from the native peoples that had once been so prevalent.
Many of the spells he sought were nature-affecting, unsurprisingly, but there were a few curses he imagined could catch somebody off-guard so long as he mixed them in a chain of spells properly.
'... spell will result in the bursting of one's lungs, and if done in tandem with an earlier spell which…"
Harry paused for a second to have one thought before he continued his studies unhindered.
Magic, was brutal.
As he'd suspected the previous night, Elaine had returned home late from the Ministry. They'd washed, shared a meal — fun — and finally, discussed the most recent hints they had in regards to the whereabouts of Grindelwald's final Horcruxe. It proved to be the most challenging to find thus far, and so the pair each figured it was in the greatest location.
One, they imagined, which had no survivors left to betray it. The best hints they had came from interviews with the few low-level loyalists of Grindelwald that remained, and from the occasional tip provided by dozens of people across the countries he attacked. There was one such person, he'd learned recently, that had sent four anonymous letters without so much as a hint as to their true personage. They were a friend, that much was clear, but one that'd probably gotten up to no good themselves at one point.
Merlin. So long as they didn't do anything too horrible, he wouldn't mind pardoning them for assistance if it led to the destruction, completely and utterly, of Grindelwald. Almost any price was worth paying.
Harry felt the weight on his shoulders and the pressure bearing down on him as his mind wandered in the direction of Grindelwald. The man had wanted him for some nefarious purpose or another, but beyond that, the man wasn't truly dead yet. Not if there was a chance, however small it might be, that he could one day return.
Anyway, there wasn't much point in dwelling on their mysterious allies as far as he could tell. If they wanted to reveal themselves, he imagined they'd do so in their own time, and if not, better not to waste a proven, helpful source. What was one criminal going free compared to a man who had made hundreds more?
Harry finished his morning tea and muffin he'd had, and after summoning his jacket, he set out to the Ministry. Elaine would handle the vast majority of necessary work therein, but there were instances in which she needed his assistance or requested his oversight were the matter especially sensitive. Aside from that, it was good of him to get out and make sure he was seen proactively; he was already liked more than Elaine on account of traditionalist sentiments, and though that wasn't a goal, it made him feel as if he had a layer of security were one ever needed.
Elaine couldn't be relied on for everything.
Maybe I'll go and see Maxus, and after him, the Foreign Affairs office. It'd be nice to reach out to a few countries to try and bolster relations… maybe I could have us work with the French Ministry and the Bulgarian, and pay a bit of homage to Fleur and Krum.
He quite liked that idea. Thus, upon his arrival at the Ministry, he sought out Maxus first as he'd thought with the latter idea still on his mind.
"Peverell," Urban greeted upon Harry opening the door to the man's office. "Good to see you — everything alright?"
Harry smiled and, upon seeing a gesture from Urban, sat down opposite the man at his desk. "Everything's good and getting better," he answered. "I wanted to drop by and ask the same of you."
Urban snorted and gestured around. "Everything's getting better here too, thanks to you and the Minister. In all of my time here, I've never seen this amount of funding poured in, so good on you, Peverell. You're a good lad."
"I'm just happy to hear it's helping. The Aurors will always have a special place in my heart even if I had to move on from them," Harry answered before he gestured to the largest stack of parchment on Maxus' desk. They were different than when he'd been in the other man's position. "Crime's down more than I'm told, it'd appear."
"Oh, that?" Urban asked with a nod at the assorted stacks of parchment. "Tenfold, if you can believe it. We've finally got the number of Aurors required to patrol more than just our core territories, and with the market returning, there have been a lot fewer thieves."
One of the many dozens of weights that had been on Harry's shoulders, suddenly vanished as the words came free of Urban's mouth. He'd accomplished something alongside his old department. A feat that was incredible, and one that few could ever claim.
"I'll have something for you and the Aurors in the next week or so. The Minister and I are proud of each and every one of them. I'm sure you've already told them as much, but convey that from us too, will you?" Harry stood up, and in doing so, took notice of McMacson's old wine. "Keepsakes?"
Urban nodded, and as Harry was leaving, spoke again. "I'll make sure your message is heard, and in the future, I'll make sure copies of the happenings herein are sent your way so you can stay up to date with us."
The two men shook hands, and like that, Harry was off, this time, headed to the foreign affairs section. He imagined it'd be like just about any other section of the Ministry sans the Law Enforcement section or his personal office; underutilised and recently purged of a good number of employees.
To be fair to Elaine, corruption had been especially prevalent even when compared to the time he'd come from. Aside from doing what they had thus far, there wasn't much else to be done to clear up the many issues present.
Ah well, that was his job now.
When Harry returned home late in the evening, it was by way of a Floo connection made from his office directly to his home office, whereupon doing so, he was greeted with a great many more things on his desk than he'd previously left behind. They weren't from Elaine, those items, for she'd still been at work, toiling away on one of the many dozens of projects she'd begun to organise.
That made him think immediately, of Laddey. When he'd left, the elf had yet to return with the items Harry had requested, but that seemed to have changed based on the items he saw now. There were a dozen or so parchments placed on his desk now, and each looked older than the next. He wasn't sure from which section of the library they'd been taken from, or if they'd been elsewhere in the home entirely, but it certainly gave him something to do now that he'd returned.
He would share it with Elaine too, if she liked. From what he'd seen on the grounds, there was nothing that'd be too grand, likely nought but ruins remained. That could be fixed with the passing of time and the spending of gold; the latter especially would be quite easy for the power couple. Galleons were less than nothing to them, especially with how 'kind' Elaine's followers could be.
Harry sat down and looked at the map of his property. The forest was a massive expanse of land protected by no small amount of charms to keep Muggles and other happenings, out. There was still plenty of wildlife all around the property, especially in the form of squirrels and birds, but that wasn't all that he knew was present. At the least, there seemed to be giant rats, glow bugs and horned slugs. He imagined there was much more present too, and probably potions ingredients he could eventually make use of.
"The Peverell Cemetery," he read aloud, finding the location he'd stumbled upon some time ago. "Looks like it used to be thrice as large."
He had most definitely walked across some graves, but that hadn't been his intention. He couldn't tell where the cemetery started, nor where it ended. Harry would fix that in the next hour or so, the spells to do so with were trivial. At present, he had other spots on the map to check, starting with the next one that was nearest to the graveyard; a shrine.
Based on the size of the shrine in comparison to the cemetery, it was small, exceedingly so. He hadn't even seen a hint of it when he'd been at the peak of the cemetery, so he reckoned whatever remained was on the ground, broken and scattered. As for who the shrine was made for, he imagined the old gods that people used to keep to rather than anything modern; the latter option wouldn't make a lick of sense considering how old the family was.
Harry reached for a piece of parchment and noted down the two locations thus far. He'd see everything restored, but he'd do so in order of importance in the event that there was truly anything that was actually worth fixing up after he'd read the whole map. Speaking of reading the entire map, that was what Harry did, and in doing so, he discovered the location — roughly on account of the map's quality and keeping — of two other ruinous buildings. Unlike the shrine and cemetery, which were southward and in the swamp-like area, the other two buildings were further north beyond the meadow that led into the woods.
The map claimed there was a second meadow, but he imagined that was back then on account of him never having seen one whilst he'd been flying above his land. Even the mound of dirt where the cemetery was located looked completely normal and sans the intervention of people from above… maybe he needed glasses again, or maybe, everything was simply in that poor of condition.
A second, smaller home, a shrine, a cemetery, and a greenhouse that's meant to be larger than the one adjoining the main manor, he thought as he sat back in the chair, the quill in his hand after he'd finished writing the four locations. I suppose I've kept it waiting this long, haven't I? The Cemetery. If there's anything secret, that'll be a good place to start, and I can pay my respects if there's any Peverell watching me pretend.
Harry stood up, fixed his shirt, and apparated. It was immediate, and an action made with ease, and with a blink, he found himself looking out at the cemetery once more. Swamp, he supposed, was a harsh term for the terrain. It wasn't truly that abhorrent. There were a myriad of puddles and some trees that looked rotten, but nothing a few spells couldn't fix; the old fence and stone pillars would be a smidge harder, but again, quite simple for one such as him.
He took one last glance around, especially in the direction the ruins of the shrine were meant to be in, and then he whipped around his wand. It took him perhaps a minute longer than he had thought it would, but in no more than five, much of the surrounding area was cleaned; by and large. There was a bit he'd left around, but, it needn't be perfect.
Doesn't look as good as I thought it would.
That was the first thought he had upon looking at the cleaned and renovated cemetery. One could tell it was archaic on account of everything being made from stone and this old-looking metal, iron maybe, that'd long rusted. Regardless, Harry had done his best to restore it, the many weeds and vines banished forth and the path, restored so that one could walk unimpeded to the gravemound ahead.
And so he did. Harry walked until he was at the highest peak, and upon reaching said peak, he did as he previously had; he restored the area. To and from he wand whipped around, and as magic oft worked, the result was wondrous; the stones were cleaned with those that'd been broken, were put back together once more. The various plots were restored and separated, and whilst some writing still remained unintelligible, it was a far cry from what it'd previously been.
"Not bad," he said aloud as he surveyed the place. "Now I've just got to find… that can't be right."
Harry took a few steps backwards so that he could see around a tree that threatened his vision, and upon doing so, his brows furrowed together. There was a skeleton. Not only was it a skeleton, but it looked to be one of a deformed nature, with a wand of an equally mangled state by its side.
Naturally ripe with curiosity, Harry moved closer still. He knew the corpse couldn't be dangerous or trapped considering he'd searched the area previously for magic, so that meant one thing; there was a corpse of a non-magical variety before him, but why?
He used his wand to slowly rotate the corpse, his eyes seeking out any obvious signs as to what killed the person. So far as he could tell, there was nothing that stood out. Whatever had killed the person couldn't have been devastatingly physical. Magic or natural causes, it had to be.
But why would the person just be out here in the cemetery? Why wouldn't Laddey or the others have kept this part of the property up? He supposed that was his fault. Maybe they hadn't the orders to do so, or maybe there was something that stopped them from doing just that; Merlin, it could be the house elves simply didn't know where this place was. That was a distinct possibility, he reckoned.
Harry nodded to himself and slowly put the corpse back in the position it'd been in. He would come back and have a gander at that later, but in the meantime, he'd make a note of every grave that was legible, and afterwards, seek out the shrine that shouldn't be too much farther to his southwest. He'd restore that and have it right as rain, and then, he'd go and take a look up North, where the old meadow had once been.
And where it'd be once again once I'm finished.
"Laddey."
He waited… and he waited… and no house elf came. Harry's brows, furrowed as they already were, grew even more tightly packed. What could be keeping Laddey from answering when the house-elf had nearly free roam of everything? It was only Hogwarts and most homes that prevented the creatures' appearance. Not little plots of overgrown land in the woods.
"Interesting."
Harry had made up his mind. He'd take a little gander at the shrine, restore it — probably — and after taking notes of the restored version, he would leave. There wasn't any reason he should stay, and he didn't like that there were wards stopping the appearance of house elves much either. No, he'd go North, take a little gander, and return to his office to plan what next he might do.
Mortus, the being; he'd curse it until the end of his days with how vague and non-helpful it'd been thus far, and all the years earlier.
Maybe one day, when it's my time to go, we'll have a chat. When I'm finished, I don't imagine there are any secrets worth keeping.
He emerged from betwixt two trees, tall and with dozens of branches, to see a small stone circle with grass growing all over it. One could barely see the refined material, and the stone walls that formed a half-moon around the circle were equally as hidden by vines and shrubbery.
The shrine, like the cemetery, was but a shadow of its former self. No wonder he'd missed it. He could only imagine how poor a shape the secondary home was in, or the greenhouse. Especially the greenhouse, really, considering the things were most often built of glass so far as he could remember. It'd be a wonder if it was even usable, though he imagined the real gift would be its presence.
Harry huffed, shook his head, and as was second nature to him, he moved his wand all about so as to clear away the weeds, dirt and other debris that inhibited the shrine. It took a good bit longer, this task, for Harry wanted to be especially cautious on account of what it was; the graves were easy to clean, but a shrine to an unknown deity with who-knows-what having happened on it was something he'd rather not mess with.
Elaine had told him about the power of ancient magic and how a curse might fester the longer it's left untouched. That was, in part, why the Egyptian Tombs scattered throughout the desert were so dangerous… and so valuable. In each, there would be ornate trinkets worth thousands, if not more, but the real value was in ancient knowledge.
Spells were shared a vast majority of the time and for reasons of wealth or prestige amongst others, but some families would keep secret their spells, at least a few of them. The Egyptians, like most others, would leave them behind in vaults meant to be unbeatable by one that wasn't family.
Harry took a few steps back from the shrine and nodded to himself. He'd respect the thing, read up a bit as to what its symbolism meant, and then he'd come back. If there were items that belonged to the Peverells still stashed away someplace on the property, he'd find the lot of them.
Now, to the greenhouse and home, he thought to himself as he turned on his heels and sought out the exit, one that'd lead him straight through the recently restored cemetery — there were still a dozen or so plots in it too. Maybe he'd… yeah, he reckoned he would.
Before Harry left, he had a grave hastily made wherein the body he'd discovered was put. He didn't know the person's name or lineage, and so he hoped a grave with the name 'Unknown Soul' would suffice. It was better than being left out to the animals and time to pick apart, at the very least.
And with that, Harry made his way back to whence he'd arrived, and as he'd previously done, he popped away.
Harry slapped at his neck, his hand making contact with a resounding slap-like noise. He'd have a red mark, he was certain. It was worth it to kill the mosquito or other insect that'd landed on him — the woods he'd gone off to, the woods he'd seen for years, since the time he'd lived here, were especially thick. Thicker and more insect-ridden than he'd expected. He'd have to search out a ward scheme that could help that out were he to replace those old buildings sometime down the road.
Elaine, he was certain, would know something. From rituals to wards, spells invented yesterday or centuries ago, he reckoned she'd have some level of knowledge about it.
Harry pushed through further, and with an expanded version of the bubblehead charm now around him to prevent the insects from landing on him. Once he set about doing that, it made the travel through the woods all the easier. There were scrapes on trees and by the foot of them, bark on the ground, tracks aplenty… the land was filled to the brim with wildlife and there seemed to be no shortage of birdsong.
As he smiled at the thought of various woodland creatures running around, he emerged into a field that was filled with tall, tall grass. It was great enough that it partially obscured his vision, and in truth, he didn't quite like that; it didn't help the field any when he recognised this was where the meadow had once been. A fact that was made all the more certain when he noticed a distinct lack of any old trees; the few present were incredibly small.
He did as he'd done when he came across the overgrown cemetery or ruinous shrine. Harry waved his wand about, a myriad of spells flashing through his mind as his wand put them to work, and in ten minutes with no small amount of fauna fleeing in his presence, the area was clear once more. When he was finished, and the leaves, the trees, the rocks, everything that had filled the area was gone, he looked at the scale of the work he'd just completed.
It went on for nearly three and a hundred yards. Had he not studied as hard as he had in the time he'd spent at Hogwarts, it would have been far more problematic a task for him to complete. Now? Now it was trivial but tedious, and with the field gone, he continued on, following where once a path would have been.
One wide enough for carriage use. Harry again smiled at the future and what it could bring. One day, with Elaine by his side, he reckoned he'd quite like to go on little carriage rides through their lands to visit the various homes of their children and grandchildren. That'd make for a wonderful end to any life, but especially one such as his or hers.
Harry had so fond a thought in his mind as he reached the end of where the path would be, and sure enough, there existed something, that shouldn't be there. It was obvious as soon as he set eyes on the location, and made clear when with a wave of his wand, its presence and the magic thereof, was revealed.
There was an illusion up that would make the area before him be as if it were normal. Through all of his time here, he'd been so focused on Elaine, so focused on the problem she presented, that he'd not thought so much as to walk the property. He'd simply surveyed it from the air, but in his mind, especially at the time and with the far smaller repertoire of spells he'd had, it made sense.
He'd had far bigger fish to fry, as the saying went, and this… he hadn't even known of it. That wasn't to mention the rituals, the Slughorns, the Goldhorns, Grindelwald, and Dumbledore's strange behaviour; too much troubled his mind. He could say that'd been present since he'd arrived, and it wouldn't be a lie.
Harry made certain the path ahead was clear, and with a breath, he stepped through the barrier and into the bubble it presented. There was a building, sturdy and defiant, but overgrown and crumbling. It seemed to be made of stone, with great columns and greater steps leading to the entrance.
Secondary as it might have been, the home could have passed for the mansion of many. He imagined at its peak, it could have housed twenty, or thirty people. But now it housed none, and the home he shared with Elaine was still a shadow of its former self; the halls were empty and cold, and whole wings were left untouched, only sustained by house elves.
I could fix this up right quick… but I guess there'd be no point in doing so. We wouldn't have anybody living here for quite some time, Harry's thought ended with a lingering gaze on the building. He could imagine the history of the place, the memories that it possessed, like all places. One day, maybe he'd come to find out how the Peverell line had ended. Harry shook his head and, making a path, began to move past the mammoth of a building, to where the greenhouse would be standing.
Well. Perhaps not standing. The ruins of the greenhouse that he expected to see wouldn't be too far from the area he was headed, and so, he figured now was the time to end the prancing around.
Harry continued into the woods, the path reforged thanks to him, and in mere minutes with no small amount of referencing the map, he found himself looking at an area near a hill that seemed to fit the bill. There were remnants of stone pillars that stood proudly up from the ground, they were carved and surprisingly sturdy, but that was all that seemed to remain. Were it not for them, there'd be no sign of the building as it once stood.
He looked it over to make sure he was in the right place, and with a nod to himself, he turned on his heels and started back whence he'd come. Harry could apparate, of course — aside from the area near where the cemetery was — but he'd rather take more time to look over the land. His land.
It was high time he started looking after the Peverell accounts and lands more than he had since first he arrived. He'd been rather apolitical, and definitely a bit negligent towards 'his' private life. Maybe the time was nearing in which he'd tell Elaine the whole truth. Had she not earned it?
But in that same regard, what if the main truth was too great for her to handle? Mayhaps she'd see the side of herself that he'd stopped from festering come forth stronger than ever, or, maybe she was more logical. Maybe love, his love, had halted her insanity and lust for power. He supposed there was a chance. Dumbledore had always said, that magic worked in strange ways.
Who knew? Maybe Harry was always meant to be whisked away back in time for this happening. He supposed the day he died, the truth would be out. When that day came, Merlin, he'd be peppered with answers.
I'd like to know what happened… and why my need for glasses was taken away.
That latter bit had always bugged him since he'd gotten back.
Harry was sitting in the bedroom, reading from a tome that Elaine had put on his desk some time ago when the Floo below sounded and he was made aware of her arrival. He knew he could hide everything away from her, but what would that accomplish? There was little she'd never come to learn, and besides, they'd been honest and open with one another in recent times, when the deal they'd made was finally kept to by both.
It'd be better to go at it together too. She'd given him the ring some time ago even if she'd kept the band of it, her odd fascination still in that item in times of distress; the ring and Harry himself would oft be kept close to her. It was almost like the little thing had as much a connection to her as he did.
He snickered at the thought before he sobered up again. Harry would tell her the truth. He'd tell her about Peverell properties, and based on what she said and did in the days that followed, he'd give her the ultimate truth. One in which he gave her his whole backstory and not the limited bit he'd already given over to her.
Steps sounded in the hallway that led to their bedroom, and in an instant, Elaine's head poked through the door; she was smiling wide, her eyes full of infatuation and love.
"Lover~" she sang to him, the door blasting open as she strolled inward. Elaine's hips moved in a fashion that was exaggerated, her eyes, dark as ever, were almost enthralling. "Were you waiting for me in bed?"
Harry set aside the tome as soon as the latter sentence left her mouth. Elaine was in one of those moods, and lest he lose his place, he'd have to set the thing aside at speed… not that he'd complain for a moment.
"I thought you'd like a bit of a rubdown before we eat dinner and wash. Figured today was a bit of a tough one considering you're later than usual," he offered as he leaned forward and pushed aside the covers. "Come on, lay down," he patted the space beside him and shot her a look of expectancy.
Elaine wouldn't typically be fond of being ordered about, even if it was him. That was just her nature. But in that same breath, she was never one to refuse any form of affection, and so if he put the two against one another, he knew what she'd take.
And she proved him right. After seconds of silence, she banished her outermost layer and all but slithered from the foot of the bed on up, until she was beside him and in the spot he'd patted; it was of no surprise that she made contact as much possible whilst moving in her underwear.
It was again, of no surprise, that the garments she wore under her clothing were lacey, intricate, and green. She was, if anything, a creature of habit. A wonderful, strong, enthralling creature of habit. Her paleness enhanced the green of her garments just as her naturally black hair and dark ey—
"Are you going to continue staring at me, lover? I thought I was promised a massage, and I'd be remiss if you weren't a man of your word," Elaine spoke whilst looking over her shoulder, those eyes of hers ensnaring before they lowered when next she spoke. "I'd even planned a reward for you."
And people think Veela have the heaviest tones of all. They've never heard Elaine try to seduce somebody.
He swallowed as his eyes, naturally, drifted downward as she shifted around on the bed to look at him. Elaine is a temptress and one who always knows how best to capture his attention and hold it hostage. Harry let his eyes linger for a few seconds longer, and then, he looked up, at her.
"Lotion?"
"Just your hands," Elaine replied. "I want to feel you, not a terribly cold substance that doesn't do half of what a potion might."
Maybe this talk of the Peverell property can wait a few minutes… hours, probably. I think she'd be fine with that too.
Harry threw aside the covers and whisked away her brasier. Elaine snickered the moment he did the latter action and simply kept her curtain of dark hair mostly obscuring her visage, save for the occasional eye contact they'd make when she looked back at him.
Once he started the massage, and once she twisted it to one that he'd receive too, all the worries of the world melted away until there was nothing but them.