Title: Unusual Inheritance
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: None
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Susan, or Su Li, or Tracey, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: While staying at the Leaky Cauldron after his 'incident' with Marge, Harry finds out that he has an unusual inheritance. One that could change the course of his life forever.
Hannah woke in her new bedroom and grabbed her shower stuff, threw a dressing gown over her pyjamas, and made her way to the bathroom at the end of the hallway. Lavender was singing just loud enough to hear through the closed door and there were sounds coming from Hermione's bedroom that indicated she was awake as well. After showing in the spacious and well appointed bathroom, which was actually nicer that the Hufflepuff Dorm bathrooms, she returned to her bedroom to get dressed for the day. Once dressed, she re-emerged into the hallway to see a perfectly made up Lavender exiting her room. The pair made their way into the living room of the apartments to find that the furniture had been moved to the side and Su was leading Harry through some hand to hand combat drills. Nothing fancy, just few basic strikes, blocks and footwork. Su was dressed in simple pants and a tank top while Harry was just in a pair of pants, with his chest bare.
Hannah and Lavender stood for a few minutes admiring Harry's form. Lean and well-muscled from years of chores at the Dursley's and two years of Quidditch, Harry was a bit of eye candy. Hermione joined the pair of them in the doorway and rolled her eyes at them.
"Try not to stare too much. Harry does not like his fame." Hermione advised.
Both Hannah and Lavender looked away before Hermione said with a slight grin.
"I said not too much." Hermione added. "Any girl with eyes can tell he is a Hottie."
"You really like him, don't you?" Lavender asked.
"What, you though I hung around with Harry and Ron for Ron's table manners?" Hermione replied sarcastically, before raising her voice. "Hey Harry, you two almost done? We should get to breakfast soon."
"Yes, Mione." Harry replied almost by rote, before looking at Su who nodded.
Hermione, Hannah and Lavender sat down on the couch, which Hannah had a Hogwarts Elf move back to its normal position, while Harry went to his en suite and Su went to the bathroom at the end of the hall to shower.
Harry led the four girls into the Great Hall, Hermione just behind him to his left and Su was almost at his shoulder to his right, with her sword at her waist with the hilt sticking out the front of her school robes. At Su's insistence, Harry had his wand in a slimline holster attached to his left forearm and the Dagger in a sheath at his waist hidden under his robes. He was still uncomfortable with the Dagger, more used to using his wand, but he was not going to argue with Su. She was there to keep him alive, so he followed her orders.
Ron was sitting further down the table than their usual spot, sitting with Dean and Seamus and trying to pretend that Harry, Hermione and the others did not exist. Harry and his Retainers sat down in Harry and Hermione's usual spot. They were joined by the Weasley Twins, the three Gryffindor Chasers and Parvati Patil, who had roomed with Hermione and Lavender for their first two years. Parvati was there mostly to talk to Lavender, but the rest simply accepted the Retainers and Harry's new status, and wanted to talk Quidditch.
While Harry, the Twins and Katie Bell were talking about games they had seen over the break, new tactics or plays they had come up with and their training regimes; Angelina Johnson was discussing with Su what requirements the bodyguard had for Harry being able to play Quidditch, while Alicia Spinet listened to her dark skinned fellow Chaser's arguments. Naturally the House Pride argument was not going to work on the Ravenclaw, but Harry, who was half listening as well, thought the physical fitness and the focus in a chaotic environment arguments might work on Su.
Soon enough it was time, by Hermione's schedule, to head to their first class, which was Charms with the Hufflepuffs, so all four of his Retainers would be joining Harry in class. As Harry's group moved towards the exit, they were intercepted by Malfoy and his three cronies, Parkinson; Crabbe and Goyle.
"Potter, I don't know what you did to get private rooms, but I will have them as well. I was told they don't do private rooms here." Malfoy sneered. "When my father hears about this, he'll fix it."
"I have a very simply way of getting you a private room." Harry said with a sly grin. "I would even be happy to do the required work."
"Sir, you shouldn't have to do that." Su said calmly. "It would fall within my purview."
"I am sure that there would be more than a few volunteers." Harry added.
Hermione, Hannah and Lavender were supressing their laughter at the confused expressions of the four Slytherins.
"What the hell are you talking about Potter?" Draco demanded.
"To get a private room, you have to be an Heir Presumptive." Harry explained, pausing momentarily for Draco to understand but the blond boy remained confused. "All you have to do is have your parents and the rest of your immediate family die. Good luck with that."
Before the Slytherins could process that, Harry and his Retainers stepped around them and moved past. They soon arrived at the Charms classroom, with still ten minutes before class started, where three Hufflepuffs waiting. One of the waiting Hufflepuffs was Susan Bones, an old friend of Hannah's, and Hannah, after a quick glace for permission, went over to Susan and began to catch up with her. Harry leaned against the wall with Hermione and Su taking the wall on either side of him and Lavender sat down on the other side of the hallway facing Harry.
Hermione was sitting in her room in the evening, going over the homework for her first day. Ok, she had finished the homework and was reading ahead. After Charms in the morning and then History of Magic, Hermione had gone to Athermancy and then time turned one hour to attend the Muggle Studies class and then Herbology. She had turned another two hours earlier, after doing some study in the Library, turning back to join Harry and the others at dinner before coming into her room to do homework. That was almost three hours ago and now it was early evening, almost time for curfew, though that was less of an issue in the private quarters.
The door to her room opened without a knock and Hermione looked up with a scowl, which faded when she saw Harry standing there.
"Harry, what's up? I am studying." Hermione said.
"Not any longer." Harry said, stepping into the room and shutting the open book. "I'm cutting you off."
Harry grabbed Hermione gently by the arm, drew her to her feet and led her out into the living room, where Hannah, Su and Lavender were waiting, the first two sitting on one the couches while Lavender was sitting on an armchair. Harry led Hermione into the other couch and sat next to her.
"For the next few hours, you will sit here with the rest of us and have fun. Then you will turn back a few hours and get a lot of rest." Harry informed.
"But Professor McGonagall said I was only to turn four hours a day." Hermione protested.
"For school work." Hannah replied. "You are doing four extra hours of work a day, you need to increase the number of hours you have fun and sleep as well."
"But…." Hermione tried again.
"You vowed to serve Sir to the best of your ability." Su pointed out. "You can't do that if you are burnt out. Any impairment of your valuable mind compromises Sir's security, and I can't allow that."
Hermione looked over everyone else's faces then sighed.
"Fine." Hermione conceded. "So, what are we going to do now?"
Lavender's face broke into a grin and she opened her mouth.
TBC….