I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Side Dishes
25th Course – Making a Home
Takes place before the 16th course of Side Dishes, after the Hearth had been opened for some time but before the events of the chapter.
"Hello there," Harry said, coming out of the kitchen and walking onto the floor with a smile.
"Hello Chef," Lissa Belmont, the mayor of Hogsmeade and head of the council, smiled back warmly. "How's business?"
"Good," Harry said. "We got a good crowd tonight." He laughed as the people sitting in the dining room, comprised of people who lived in Hogsmeade and good friends, cheered and laughed with him. It was the night where they the restaurant did not take outside reservations, a locals and good friends night. Those nights always had a good showing with the citizens of the village coming out and enjoying themselves at the Hearth. The atmosphere was a touch cozier than on normal business nights, a pervading sense of warmth and goodwill filling the air.
"Good! I don't want some cheapskates here force you to close by eating you out of hearth and home and not keeping you in business." She waggled her finger at a few tables who jeered back at her.
"The Hearth will never not have food to serve and share," Harry said confidently to a warm cheer. "We might run out of a certain thing here and there but never no food at all."
"Love to hear it," Lissa said. "Oh and I have a bit of good news for you. The land you were looking at for building your home? Inspected and cleared! Some of the old foundation of the previous building is there, I'm not sure what you wanted to do there, but otherwise everything is set." She handed him a rolled piece of heavy parchment.
"Thank you so much!" Harry said, taking it from her eagerly.
"You're so welcome," she replied, smiling broadly. "And I am so happy that you're making your home in the village."
"Wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Harry said. "The Hearth is here, friends and family are here, so I'm here." He returned her fond embrace.
"And this should be no surprise but the open plots around your home have already been bought up and reserved by your friends," Lissa laughed. "With names put down for the others as they become open."
"Thank you for that too," Harry said.
"No problem at all. Did you want the contact details for the building groups we have used before?"
"I think Tracey said she wanted her family's construction firm to help us, so I'll check with her first. And Dee said something too so not right now. Thank you, though."
"Of course. Then you are free to begin construction at any time."
"Sounds amazing. Thank you!"
Lissa beamed at him. "Thank you for all you've done for Hogsmeade. You take care of us, now we take care of you."
-0-
Lavender hugged Harry with all her might, looking out at their plot. It was a nice space for them. As Lissa said, the previous building was still there, an old store that had been empty and unused for some time. In the years since, they moved things about in the village where it became more of a residential area. The plot was a good size and was exactly in the middle between the Needy Thread and Hedwig's Hearth. A very short walk would take you to either business. It was also at the end of the street so it had some privacy with the adjoining plots. It was also some distance away from the main mercantile streets so there was not a lot of foot traffic normally.
"It's perfect," Lavender gushed, looking at the land.
"I think so too," Harry said happily. "We can have a nice sized cottage with a nice garden all around. Some trees, plenty of flowers growing, some spices, all that."
"A place for an outdoor grill so you and Daddy can do that together," Lavender smiled. "And Sirius and Remus of course."
"I actually want to build a firepit and have a permanent grill beside it," Harry confessed.
"Perfect," she smiled. They watched as Hedwig flapped around the land, inspecting all with a critical eye before she swooped back to them, landing daintily on Harry's head. "What do you think?"
Hedwig nodded, barking with approval.
"Good!" Lavender sighed. "I'm going to miss the little place we had on top of the Thread, but it'll be nice to move out. It is a bit small." She smiled again. "And Parv is going to be living next door to us so she won't be far at all. Her and Pads."
"Nev and Millie already live on the other side of the village, closer to the school. Pansy is taking the place on the other side of us here," Harry said. "And I'm sure the others are coming when they want to and can."
"More perfection," Lavender smiled. She waved merrily as two people rounded the corner and came walking to them. "Hi there!"
"Hi!" Hermione smiled and hugged her then Harry with Tracey right behind her.
"Nice looking plot," Tracey said, looking at the land with a professional eye. "Plenty of space for a good-sized home."
"We thought so too," Harry said.
"Let me start some measurements." Tracey waved her wand, incanting softly. She then tapped a wax tablet she held and numbers wrote themselves out onto the surface. She then compared them to the details on Harry's deed and land measurements that were recorded. "Looks good and yup, we've definitely had to do more with a lot less."
"Thanks for doing this for us by the way," Lavender said.
"Of course! You two are close friends," Tracey smiled. "That and Mum loves your place and she won't risk not being able to eat there ever again. She and Auntie Tina come over at least once a week and order out even more."
"As if I'd hold that against them or you," Harry snorted.
"I tell her that but we're used to dealing with arseholes that carry grudges over everything and will ruin you financially if they can," Tracey said, shrugging.
"Didn't you say one of the other Society families try to start a feud with yours recently over repairing one of their buildings?" Hermione asked.
"Yup, the McClaggans which, they're barely considered Society so we don't care due to many reasons," Tracey snorted.
"Oh Cormac was so gross," Lavender said with Hermione and Harry nodding. "What did Aunt Tiffany do?"
Tracey smiled. "Told them she'd send their signed contract to every business that the McClaggans work with to show them that they lack the moral fiber and character to conduct any kind of business and it's a surprise that they have any spines to speak of to appear upright."
"She's great," Harry grinned while Hermione and Lavender laughed. He noticed more movement down the path and waved when he recognized the ones approaching. "Hey there!"
"Hello my boy!" Dee hugged him with rib-crushing fondness and did the same to the other girls. She let Hermione go last and looked around the plot. "This looks like a good place for a home. As far as above ground goes anyways." She stomped on the ground a few times. "The earth is good though, and that's what matters."
Gates stabbed the ground with a tool and then examined the material stuck within the hollow slit when he pulled it up. "Yup, fine earth," he agreed. He walked over to the building and kicked the side of it experimentally. "Shoddy building but it's built on a decent foundation, so we can make the foundation better. Right. Crew! Get to work. Diagram it out."
Harry blinked as the team of goblins fanned out, talking to each other with professional jargon as Gates wrote everything down on slate of metal and paper. "Wait, why is a whole warding crew doing a full examination?"
"Why do you think?" Dee asked, giving him a look.
"When you said you were helping, I didn't think it'd be this official!" Harry gasped.
"Harry, you and Lavender are going to raise a family here," Dee said. "Are you telling me that you are going to raise my grandbabies in a place that isn't the best? Hmm?"
"I'm not saying anything," Lavender smiled when Dee looked at her.
"I should hope not," Dee sniffed. "Oh and before you say anything else, Raggy said that you're a Gringotts employee and you will be billed appropriately as it is befitting a valued employee of the bank therefore, shut your yap."
"The Director did not say 'shut your yap'," Harry protested while Lavender and Hermione giggled and Tracey shook her head in wonder.
"I'm paraphrasing," Dee said dismissively. "And we will be working with you and your family's firm, Miss Tracey. Of course we have our own secrets of the trade but we might be open to some idea exchange as long as it is equal and the like."
"That would be great," Tracey said eagerly.
"Good! I'm sure we'll work together perfectly well." Dee frowned mightily. "Slate! You use that sounding tool properly or I'll tan your hide and tell your mother!" She stomped over to harangue a member of the team.
"I love her," Lavender smiled.
"Are you going to say something about you feel bad they're going through all the effort?" Hermione teased.
Harry grinned sheepishly. "Not out loud," he said as the women laughed. "But I'll accept it in the spirit that it's given and spoil them back another way. See? I'm getting used to the idea people being nice and not questioning it. I call that character growth."
"You did question it a moment ago," Tracey smiled. "When you asked why there was a whole team."
"Or maybe I just wanted some clarification," Harry sniffed.
"Good recovery," Lavender said in a loud whisper, kissing him on the cheek.
"Are you going to have designs for an owlery for Hedwig?" Hermione asked as Hedwig climbed onto her head from Harry's, plumping down in her bushy hair.
"We could," Harry said. "But she sleeps in pretty much every room as it is so we'll see."
Hermione smiled as Hedwig cheeped smugly. "And as soon as the house is finished being built, Mistress Andromeda and Mistress Perenelle and Fleur and I will be here to do all the enchanting things. Auntie Andi and Perenelle have already compiled a list of necessary enchantments."
"We're so lucky," Harry said, hugging Hermione and Tracey.
"Yeah we are!" Lavender said with a smile as bright as the sun.
-0-
Harry looked at the house with wide eyes. It had only been a few days but the framework was already up and well underway. Piles of materials were arranged neatly around the grounds and the construction crew from both Tracey's family firm and Gringotts worked industriously. A large board was set up at the front of the property with diagrams pinned and stuck to it and two foremen conversed with one another while looking at it and the construction site as others came up and reported to them.
"It's only been a few days," he said faintly, awed.
"It somehow turned into a competition," Tracey said, standing beside him. "My crew said they would get started after the goblins finished redoing the foundations and putting in what they wanted and we underestimated how fast the Gringotts crew would do it in. They were really smug about it and my crew got offended and decided to throw themselves into it. It basically became a game of see who can suck less compared to the other crew. But don't worry, no one is doing shoddy work."
Tracey smiled. "I'm actually really thankful that we're working with the Gringotts group. We've managed to pick up a few tips and things here and there that we can implement and we've shared some of our secrets with them too. And they've been getting along. Mostly."
"That sounds fraught with something," Harry remarked.
She shrugged. "One of the guys on my crew didn't want to work with goblins and said something really rude. Gates retaliated by sending him to one side of the basement foundation and he fell into a part where the cement was still curing and drying. After we dug him out, I swapped him for someone on a different crew but he's someone I've always hated so no harm done. It was really funny actually."
"Well as long as it wasn't too serious," Harry said, relieved. He patted the basket that he had brought with him. "You guys ready for lunch?"
"Always!" Tracey said eagerly. She whistled loudly and when the crews turned, they cheered and hurriedly finished the tasks they were currently doing. A couple others set up a long table by putting long pieces of wood on stacks of stone and cleaned them with spells and spray.
Harry set the basket on the table and drew plates and containers and boxes from the basket and the crews gathered around, chatting happily.
"Best construction gig I've ever done," one of the people on Tracey's crew said as he took a plate eagerly.
"Please let us know whenever you need more stuff done," a goblin said to Harry. "Anything at all if it means we get your food with it."
"Might even pay you for the food too," another laughed.
"Just my way of thanking you all for doing such great work," Harry smiled.
"You're going to have the best place in the village," Gates said with utter confidence and it was echoed by the others. "On our skills and word, Lad, and deserve nothing less."
-0-
"Wow, it's all done," Lavender breathed, looking up at the cottage.
It was a beautiful building. The outside gleamed with fresh paint, the light making it glow. It was a two story building that with large open windows and a tall chimney out of the roof. The grounds were cleaned of all construction materials, the fence newly raised to mark the boundaries. As Harry wanted, the outside garden area in the back had a communal area made with stone and brick. A large fire pit sat in the center with an outdoor brick oven and grill built into the ground as well. A long awning covered the sitting area near the grill and oven, connected as a back patio to the home. The home itself was complete with expansive attic and basement as well as having many rooms on all the floors. The kitchen within looked out onto the grounds as well, connected to the outdoor one through open doors and windows.
"Wait, maybe it isn't," Lavender said, looking inside. "Looks like they're still working inside?"
"I didn't see any of the crews," Harry said. "I thought they finished everything." He and Lavender walked to the back door and opened it. "Kreacher? What are you doing here?!"
"Cleaning, Master Harry, what else would Kreacher be doing?" Kreacher replied, giving Harry a look. The aged house elf shook his head at Harry. "Home must be clean before you and Mistress Lavender move into it."
He scowled as more house elves appeared, scrubbing industriously as the walls and floors. "Please inform the interlopers that you need only Kreacher and perhaps Winky!"
Inky snorted richly. "Inky remembers when Harry moved into Grimmauld," she said with professional disdain. She rubbed thumb and forefinger together in a meaningful way.
Winky appeared with a pop. "Not fair! Grimmauld is perfect now!" she exclaimed. "Winky had only just arrived and Kreacher let it go to pot for years and years!" She ground her teeth as Inky passed her, shaking her head and rolling her eyes while the other Hogwarts house elves shared her incredulity, snickering and waggling their fingers.
"Let's let them work it out," Harry said, backing out of the home as a fight brewed within.
"I'm guessing Kreacher picked up that language from Sirius," Lavender giggled mightily as she listened to the elves squabble.
"Sirius said he learned his language from Kreacher when he was growing up," Harry laughed.
-0-
"Meal delivery!" Lavender walked into the home with a large basket on her arm. "Harry says you have to eat or else you have to stop working."
"Do not have to tell me twice," Andromeda smiled. She, Hermione, Fleur, and Perenelle finished what they were doing and joined Lavender at the table they had set up. They pushed books and materials to one side to make room for the food Lavender brought.
"At one time, I would find it insulting that an Englishman would be able to cook French food so well," Fleur said as she ate hungrily. "Now, I just appreciate how good Harry makes it and am pleased that he does French food with such sincerity and respect."
"It really does taste just like what I've had in Paris when I visited with my family," Hermione said as she munched on the jamon-beurre sandwich accompanied by a salad nicoise. "He's gotten even better after doing his stagiaire there!"
The Floo in the side room came to life, flaring and crackling. "The international Floo works," Nicolas said, walking to join them with Sophie beside him.
"Oh good," Perenelle said. "And you have arrived at the perfect time." She pushed food towards them and they joined happily.
"Oh wow," Lavender said as she looked at the wall beside them. She held her hand out, not touching the wall but holding it close. "I can feel the magic here. I've gotten a bit more sensitive to it from using so many magically treated materials at the Thread."
"Good!" Perenelle praised. "The fact that you can feel it shows your growth. We have weaved the layers fairly closely to not disrupt the usual magic one would use at home from day to day. We have finished the usual protections and are now adding the ones we enjoy such as lighting and cleaning and other useful little ones."
She smiled as Blinky slithered onto the table, climbing up one of the legs. "Blinky has put in rune stones in the hard-to-reach places for us as well. She is also leaving a scale here and there to deter pests and other things that would try to invade."
"Thank you Blinky," Lavender said warmly. She opened a small box and put a plate in front of the jubilant basilisk. "Harry made this especially for you." She smiled as Blinky nuzzled her happily and began to eat. "You know, at one point, I'd be so scared of snakes of any kinds, much less a basilisk. But you're such a sweetie and you love Harry a lot too. Thank you for all your help too."
"We all have a vested interest in your safety and comfort," Nicolas said. "Though I suspect Blinky has ulterior motives for aiding. She will want to make things comfortable for herself while she is here." He scowled as she whipped him irritably with her tail, meeting her gaze boldly. "Tell me I am wrong. Go on."
"Friends and family will always be welcome," Lavender smiled.
-0-
Moving day was barely a day, at least the moving part.
The Thread and the Hearth were closed for the day. Harry and Lavender had thought it would take the entire day to move everything and were woken up to knocking early in the morning. Their befuddlement increased when they were faced with an eager crowd of friends who took charge. Luckily they had mostly packed things up before then and as they finished waking up, the majority of the already packed things were on the way to their new home. The other joined them in finishing the last of it and soon all of their belongings were at the new home.
The ensuing pleasant chaos soon had everything unpacked and put in their rightful place. Lavender supervised this part and the others helpfully arranged things under her direction and Sirius brought over other bits of furniture and things for them. Leena and Andromeda went out and got the last of the odd and ends and everything was done.
Harry started the outdoor grill and firepit for the first time and the rest of the moving day was a housewarming party with plenty of food constantly cooking and being eaten while the movers brought their gifts and things to help turn the house into a home.
Finally, well into the night, after everyone else had left, Harry and Lavender stood in the living room together, looking around.
"It already feels like home," Lavender said happily, wrapping her arms around Harry and squeezing him tight.
"It really does," Harry said, leaning into her. "Made just for us."
The wireless crackled into life and Harry and Lavender laughed at Hedwig adjusting the knobs expertly until a sweet song was played. The happy couple began to dance and Hedwig flapped over to sit on Harry's head, dancing with them as they spun around the living room. Making their home, together.
-0-0-0-
Arnie1701 - That would be fun, if rather hard to justify how it turns out that way. Would be a good family though.
Wentley - it was fun to write.
HoneyBear84 - I was thinking it was just an ornate way to pass on a message of thanks.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Honor in different forms. She will, she's good at that sort of thing. Thanks for reading.
odonnellzoo99 - I'm surprised at how in depth I ended up going with goblin culture but don't regret it. It's well worth the effort to see them as their own. She was more happy he didn't need saving, and just upset at him being there and in danger.
61394 - He's good at things like that.
l4w - As if she needs to right? She just is.
alix33 - Probably a scent that can be washed off with hard work and effort.
TheSphynx - Not a bad day of work at all for them all. All got to shine.
poka - Harry has learned how to treat goblins by now and was in reasonable control of the situation.