Settling In

Before anyone quite knew what was going on, it was February again. It had been just over a year since Harry passed through the Trial and became an adult in the eyes of the Goblins. He was standing in one of the great halls within the bank, as the full extent of the goblin enclave of warding was wandering around studying his creation.

"It is fascinating how he has incorporated the old wards into the weave of the new ones like this. His creation is clearly visible yet without more knowledge I wouldn't even know where to attack this. The runes are hidden, though we have the clusters used. But the weave. Are the knots weaker? It does not seem that way, but the strings are strong too, and the self mending feature is quite astounding."

"Not to mention the security overlay and the fact that the wards are sectioned yet intact. It is beautiful."

Ragnok was standing proudly, listening to the other Masters. Some of them had questioned his decision to take Harry on. No one was doing that now.

"Kneel Harry."

Harry walked forward and knelt before the Elder of the Enclave. He was wearing goblin robes, so his left shoulder was exposed.

"Harry James Potter. You have walked through the Underbelly. You have been imprisoned for crimes that did not occur. You were taken in by Master Ragnok and you have proven his belief in your abilities correct. On your path to adulthood, you faced the Depths and emerged a Shadowcrow. Then you passed through the Trials and reached adulthood. It makes the Enclave proud to have one such as you in our midst."

The Elder accepted the iron from Ragnok and heated it before pressing it onto Harry's shoulder.

Harry didn't move. He drew a deep breath and smiled past the pain because he knew that he was a Master now. His life was entirely his own once more. The iron left his shoulder and he rose slowly. "Thank you for your guidance along the way, Master Ragnok," he said before turning around. "I accept my place in the Enclave and will honour our edicts."

"The Enclave is happy to have you, Master Harry."

Harry bowed. He followed Ragnok out of the hall and smiled as Glint met them. She was holding something in her arms, and he knelt before her. She slowly uncovered a shield for him. A physical replica of the mark on his shoulder, made with inlays of sodalite in his own stary sky. He reached out and took the shield. "Thank you," he said.

"You should keep your iron by the shield. In your home," Ragnok said as Glint walked around Harry to heal his shoulder.

"Then I need to speak with Dumac," Harry said. "I have a Lordship to claim, and I do believe he holds the key for me."

Ragnok chuckled. "Of course, son," he said. "Know that any name spoken today is irrelevant, what matters is the mark upon your shoulder. Everything else will adapt."

"Thank you, Master," Harry said.

"Now go get things set up," Glint said. "I'm sure Dumac is waiting for you."

Harry strapped the shield to his back and took the iron, setting it to his belt.

"Come to see us once you are done with Dumac," Glint said.

Harry smiled. "I will," he said. He hurried down the corridor and turned as he reached the accountants' hall. He walked until he reached Dumac's door and knocked before entering.

Several old scrolls lay scattered before Dumac. He was reading through them slowly as Harry entered. "You will need to bleed upon this stone," he said. "The rites of the Black family are old. They handed us the possibility to aid in the rites in case a break of this kind ever appeared. You might need your heir as well."

"Then we shall call for him when needed," Harry said.

Dumac watched as Harry placed his bloodied hand upon the stone. Magic gripped at him, and he let his own power flow around him. The soul of the Black family was cold to the touch, and it battled against the light aspects of Harry's essence. He reached within himself and brought out power driven forward by the Crows to meet it instead, and the stone glowed beneath his hand as it accepted the darker aspects of his soul.

"Speak your name," Dumac said.

"Hydrus Wezen Iacomus Black," Harry said. He had looked for versions of James and other stars in Canis Major to build his name. He didn't want to use the exact names of his father and godfather. He wanted this name to be different enough to separate himself slightly from what he had been. Lord Hydrus Black and Harry Potter were not the same person.

A box was brought out and a ring presented to him. He put the ring on and felt the magic take hold. That was it. He was the Lord of the House of Black.

"Well, that went better than expected," Dumac said.

"The family recognises power," Harry said. "Is there anything else you want me to take care of now. I know I need to bring Teddy in to name him my heir."

"You need to unlock the vaults and manage your estate," Dumac said with a grin on his lips.

Harry sighed. "Well then, I guess we better get started," he said. He sat down so they could deal with the holdings of his house.

By the time Harry made it back home to Ferngale, it was late. He had finished his business with Dumac, and he had celebrated with Ragnok and Glint. Both Andromeda and Teddy were asleep. He smiled as he checked on his son. They still needed to decide on his name, but they had narrowed it down to a few choices for him. The rules of the Black family were strange.

Harry placed the shield Ragnok had commissioned for him on a shelf for now, together with his branding iron, before he slowly removed his robes. He fell into bed and stared up at the ceiling. He needed a new project.

Time to get Blackbird up and help Neville. It wasn't like he was in dire need of money right now, and he had set Teddy up with a vault already. The Black family had declined a lot though, and they hadn't been investing for a long time so much of what had been there he had bound up in investments, still his work with Gringotts wards had earned him his fair share. He wouldn't be hard on money anytime soon.

…

Teddy was bouncing as he settled down by Dumac's desk. He watched the goblin bring out a stone and a box.

"You need to bleed on the stone, young one," Dumac said. "A little is plenty." He watched as Harry nicked Teddy's finger and waited until his son placed his hand on the stone. Harry reached out slowly, and placed his hand over Teddy's. This was his heir and he would be accepted.

"Speak the name of your Heir, Lord Black," Dumac said.

"Therion Edward Remus Black, is my heir and my legacy. He shall lead after me," Harry said calmly. The stone glowed and Dumac handed Harry the ring for his heir. Harry put it on Teddy finger and hid it from muggle eyes. They didn't need questions from school about it.

If they could have skipped all the formalities, Harry would have. He didn't really care that much for the pomp. He would be Lord Black because the magic needed to be preserved, not because he had any political aspirations. It used to be that the Lords were bastions of power, mostly untouched by the waves of politics. That had changed over the years, but he was quite happy to go back to that time for his house.

"Would you like to see Blackbird now?" Harry asked his son, who nodded happily. He thanked Dumac for his time and took the key to the grounds before meeting up with Andromeda.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

"As ready as I'll get," Andromeda said. She placed her hand in his and the three of them headed over to the grounds. Harry sighed as he felt the wards. He looked around. This was abysmal. He would have to fix this before helping Neville.

"The house is still standing," Andromeda said.

"As long as the foundation is strong, I have something to work with," Harry said. "The rest we can fix by gutting Grimmauld if we have to." He looked around. "Stay close," he told Teddy as he let go of him.

"Is it just me or is this place relatively small considering the size of the Black family once upon a time?" Harry said.

"I would assume there are spells that deal with size that aren't feeling great," Andromeda said. "As we clean things up and take care of this place, I assume things might change. This could be what Arcturus chose to live in towards the end of his life."

Harry nodded. "We will see, I guess," he said. "It will take a lot of work, though."

"You have the time," Andromeda said.

"I do. I will focus on the outer wards first," Harry said. "I can move in after that."

Teddy walked back to them. "This place is cool. It would be a lot of fun to play here… David couldn't come though, could he?"

Harry looked around. "I need to figure out where we are. It is possible we could bring him, but I need to make it liveable first." He ruffled Teddy's hair. "We will figure it out," he said.

"But you want to live here, Dad?" Teddy asked.

Harry smiled down at him. "I want to make it possible for us to live here at least," he said.

Teddy nodded slowly. "Okay," he said. He liked the grounds, so he wasn't against it. It would feel a little strange to not live with Andromeda, though. "Will Grandma have a room here too?" he asked.

"Of course she will," Harry said. He knew Andromeda would never leave the home she had shared with Ted, but that didn't mean she couldn't live with them part-time. He knew the dynamic between them was slowly changing as Andromeda reached out to old friends and started living outside their family again. She would never leave them, but the way they lived would change.

Andromeda smiled at him. She knew what his plans were, and she was grateful for them. It gave her the chance to do more of the things she wanted to do without feeling like she was abandoning them.

Wandering around the grounds, Andromeda quickly came to realise that even though Arcturus had survived his son, he had not cared for his home. It was wild in a way that made her sad.

They could fix it, of course, but it would take a lot of Harry's time. Not that it was noticeable at first, since he only worked when Teddy was at school. Once the wards were up, he started bringing Teddy with him, and Andromeda found the house strangely empty. She didn't hate it, it was just different. As she thought about it, she realised that once Harry was done with the house, the choice would be hers. She could either go to Blackbird or she could go home. That thought in itself held a freedom she hadn't felt since Ted died.

Teddy's seventh birthday came and went with a party so full of children that both Harry and Andromeda swore to never hold another one like it.

…

Neville walked around the grounds at Blackbird slowly. Everything was overgrown. There was a lot of work that needed doing. He looked over at the house. It was surprising how much difference, some care and a lot of magic and effort did. He knew Harry had been working on this for months now.

The house was ready. It had everything Harry's little family needed and then some. Andromeda had a potion's lab and there were several guest rooms, meaning he could bring Hannah, and they could live here while he worked.

"What do you think?" Harry asked.

"I think it is a mess," Neville said. "But I think it is a mess we can fix. Especially if you aid me." He walked up to Harry and held his hands out to him. "Join me, and I'll clear the worst of this away."

Harry walked up to Neville and took his hands before letting his magic flow. He allowed Neville to direct them. It was good to know they could do this, since Harry would like to have Neville's wards made with his own magic.

"Work like this is only possible between two mages who trust each other completely," Neville said. He turned his gaze to Harry. "Have you heard the rumours? They say Death Eaters are gathering for some kind of ritual."

Harry sighed. "Do we know if they really are Death Eaters or if they are just purists using the name?" he asked.

Neville shook his head. "I have no clue?" he said. "Were you going to attend the next function?"

"I should, shouldn't I?" Harry said. "Lord Black's first attendance."

"You need to show up so you can establish your policies," Neville said. "I'd like for us to officially ally, too. That way they will be less likely to try anything with you."

Harry smiled. "That would be nice. I don't care much for their ideas most of the time, but I still want to make sure they understand that I won't stand for oppression," he said. He looked around at the garden as Neville tamed the bushes and trimmed the trees down. The grass was cut, and old flowerbeds came into view.

"Do I have free hands?" Neville asked.

"Go ahead," Harry said. He didn't care what it looked like as long as it looked nice. Though… "We should probably keep to cooler colours," he said.

"I'll arrange something and show you," Neville said. He had a few ideas already. "Do you want the rest of the grounds managed?"

"Yes, but I don't mind the forest," Harry said.

"Not a problem. I'll take care of it," Neville said.

"We'll test the wards you want here so they don't mess things up for you," Harry said. He let go of Neville and looked around. It looked so much better already.

"When are you guys moving in officially?" Neville asked.

"I think I've done it already. Teddy keeps bringing things back and forth. We'll see if he settles. It isn't like it really matters," Harry said. "Neither Andromeda nor I mind that he wants to live in both houses."

Neville followed Harry into the house. The shield and branding iron hung opposite the door. He studied the colours and nodded slowly. He could make something with that. "But I can bring Hannah over for a couple of days while I work the garden?" he asked.

"Absolutely. I don't mind at all," Harry said. He showed Neville down a hallway and into a beautiful bedroom with oak furniture and soft green linen. "Good enough for you?" he asked.

"Of course," Neville said. "Thank you."

"Just let me know when you are showing up so I know how much food to make," Harry said. They headed back to the hallway, so Harry could show off the rest of the house. It was darker than the Longbottom Townhouse, but it wasn't dark due to lack of light. Most of the house was made of walnut and acacia. It was beautiful with the lighter details that Harry had added. The walls were bare, and the living room held an entire wall that was just white.

It was clear that the house was a work in progress, but the things that still needed doing were cosmetic.

"What will you do with the wall?" Neville asked.

"Movable panorama of the night sky," Harry said. "I'm in contact with a goblin who will come by and make it happen."

Neville chuckled. "Certainly keeping to tradition," he said.

"I will mark and name all constellations and stars into a ward so you can search for them," Harry said. "I'm prepping the wall right now."

Neville shook his head. "Well, I wish you luck with that," he said. "I'll let you know before we show up. I should get back home now. See you either later this week or next week."

Harry walked Neville to the door before he said goodbye. He was glad to be finishing the house, though he wondered what to do about the empty walls.

Maybe something would come to him.

…

Dean rocked back and forth slowly as he carried little Iris around. She had been upset and Lily just needed some rest, so he had taken their daughter.

There was a knock in the door, and Dean smiled at Harry and Neville as he opened the door and let them in.

"Someone not too happy, huh?" Harry asked warmly as he looked at little Iris.

"Screaming, Lily's ears off," Dean said. "It was probably just some air, because she is fine now."

Neville shook his head and smiled. It wasn't like it mattered much, and he could see why Dean didn't want to cancel when it wasn't anything serious.

"Looks like we will be playing with paint today," Harry said.

"You are correct," Dean said. "Each station has paints and brushes. I want you to play with it. Feel the paint. Have fun."

"Should we wait for the other two?" Harry asked.

Dean shook his head. "No, go ahead," he said. "I can fill them in later." He smiled as Neville and Harry sat down. He walked over to the kitchen and got them something to drink. A smile touched his lips as he saw the soft greens on Neville canvas, while Harry was adding blues and blacks seemingly at random.

Seamus and Ron showed up a customary twenty minutes late, meaning Lily had come down, said hello to Harry and Neville and left again with Iris. They sat down at their own stations and Dean turned the music up. "Don't worry so much about a motive," he said as he sat down with his own canvas. "Just let the pain spread as it wants too."

"So, anyone else worried about these Resurrection guys?" Ron asked as he spilled red paint on the floor. He sighed and drew his wand to vanish it, missing the pained expression on Dean's face.

"I am apprehensive," Harry said. "Until we know more about them, they are just fanatics." He picked up a brush and moved it in long strokes, blending the paints on the canvas. "For now, there's nothing anyone can do except stop them from passing laws that aren't looking out for all our citizens. Neville and I can poke at that."

"Right, forgot the two of you are big-wigs," Ron said. "Seems like a lot of bootlicking to me."

"Except we aren't going to lick any boots," Neville said. "We are presenting a united front and a statement. We want equal rights for all, no matter their background."

"Neville and I are powerful enough magically to put our foot down and not give a flying fuck what anyone else has to say," Harry said. He leaned back. "I laid the wards at Gringotts good luck getting through the ones I protect my home with." He grabbed some white and added the stars in Hydrus.

"Shit that's some bragging rights isn't it," Seamus said. "Can you say that?"

Harry nodded. "Of course I can. The wards were confirmed by the Enclave. I can claim the work," he said.

"You aren't worried people will distrust your work?" Seamus asked.

"Not really," Harry said. "Not with the front I was planning on presenting." He grinned over at Neville. They had been planning for this. They were not going in blind. He moved back. "I'm done," he said. He wasn't super happy with it, but he was buying supplies so he could try again at home.

"Asking your place for a studio?" Neville asked.

"Yep," Harry said.

"What do you mean by that?" Seamus asked.

"My estate house changes depending on what I need. I can ask for as many or as few rooms as I want. Right now there are three family rooms, two guest rooms, a lab, a living room, and the kitchen. I'll just ask for another room to use as a studio."

Dean was smiling brightly, while Ron and Seamus looked like Harry was slightly insane. He walked around so he could see what Harry had made. He could see it. "You have potential," he said.

"I was feeling that too," Harry said. He would be buying the things he needed to keep going.

Later that evening, after Ron and Seamus had left, Harry and Neville were helping Dean clean his supplies away.

"Thank you guys," Dean said.

"No problem," Neville said. "We don't want to leave you with all of this when you have Iris to take care of. It isn't that much work to just help out a bit."

Dean smiled. "Still, we don't do this for you guys when you take care of our meet ups," he said.

Neville shrugged. "That doesn't matter to us, Dean," he said.

"I would like to commission you," Harry said.

"Harry, you made our wards for free. I can't…"

"Yes, you can," Harry said. "Pull the price down if you want to, but don't make what I'm asking for free. The wards were a gift. I am asking for a paid commission."

Dean sighed. "Okay," he said. "I get it. I'll set you up for a time so we can talk about what you want."

Harry smiled. "Sure," he said. He accepted a slip from Dean with a time before heading out.

…

"Are we heading over to Neville's place?" Teddy asked.

"We are," Harry said. "He helped with our garden, so I am going to help out with some wards for his plants. Do you have your camera?"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, I do," he said, happily clutching the camera he had been given for his seventh birthday.

Harry wrapped an arm around him and teleported them over to Neville's Townhouse. He waved at Hannah as they walked around the house. Teddy looked up at his father. "Can I go?" he asked.

Harry looked around. "Yeah, just don't go too close to the plants Neville and Hannah tells you to stay away from," he said. "Check with one of them before approaching a flowerbed."

"Okay," Teddy said as he bounced off.

Harry watched him for a bit before he walked around the wards, slowly placing his runes as he went. He had to give Neville's home a base net to add his wards into. Once he had walked the length of the wards, he headed to the centre and activated his magesight. His magic flowed out around him and crept further slowly. He was safe here. He didn't need to worry, so he could focus entirely on the wards.

The base ward took Harry four days to lay before he could start placing the smaller wards for each garden. He was working the magic especially for each flowerbed, as Neville needed each ward to react differently depending on what was planted there.

Hannah smiled as she saw Harry work. It was Tuesday morning and Teddy was at school. She sat down and watched him as she drank her tea. The wards notified her of the arrival of her best friend. She smiled brightly as Susan reached her. "Hey, Sue. It has been a while. What have you been up to?"

"I've been working on a project in Lucena. We were trying to set in a spell that would aid in the production of cauldrons. They have had some issues with bad charm work over there, and they needed the help," Susan said. She looked around as she sat down. "So, what is happening around here?"

"Harry is helping Neville with the wards," Hannah said.

Susan tilted her head as she watched him. "He seems focused," she said. She hadn't seen Harry since his reappearance, even though they had been invited to the same get-togethers in the past. Either she hadn't been able to make it or he hadn't.

"He is," Hannah said. "He has an alarm that pulls him out." She turned to face Susan and raised an eyebrow. "Susan?" she said. "Hey, girl, where is that mind of yours going?"

"Is he single?" Susan asked.

"As far as I know," Hannah said. She wasn't sure if she should mention his history. It wasn't really something she should be talking about. Susan would find out if she decided to go for him.

"I can hear the but," Susan said. "I have known you for way too long. You can't use that tone with me. I know something is up."

"I don't know if he has ever dated a woman," Hannah said. She shrugged. That was the truth, after all.

"Well, that is easily dealt with," Susan said. "I'll just ask him."

Hannah laughed and shook her head. Of course, Susan would just ask him. She shouldn't be surprised; that was the way Susan was. "So I can leave you here to watch him for a bit then?" she asked.

"Oh, no problem," Susan said.

Two hours later, Harry's alarm went, and he anchored the ward he was working on before he turned his magesight off. He stretched slowly and sighed. That had taken a lot out of him. It was well worth it, though. The wards looked good and moved the way they had hoped they would.

"Done for today?" Neville asked as he came walking outside.

"Yes," Harry said.

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" Neville asked. He looked around. He could feel Harry's magic hanging around and sense the new wards added. He loved it. It was perfect.

"That would be appreciated," Harry said. He was hungry, so it would be good to eat something before heading out.

"I should warn you. Susan is over, and the giggling is worrying," Neville said as they walked inside.

Harry laughed. "You mean that isn't normal?" he asked. He wasn't worried. If Hannah and Susan wanted to gossip and have fun, they could go ahead and do that. He sat down by the kitchen table

"Susan was sitting out here watching you when I got back home," Neville said. "I think you might be the reason they are giggling. I'm just saying. As your friend, I figured I should give you a heads-up." He was thinking this was quite funny to be honest. Harry was so suave and he loved it. He hoped Hannah and Susan knew what they were getting themselves into.

"She is entitled to watch," Harry said. "As long as she doesn't do anything else without consent."

"Oh, I would never do that," Susan said as she walked in and sat down by the table. "Willing to grab a coffee with me after this?" she asked. She was intrigued, and she wanted to get to know him better. Sure she had hung out around him at Hogwarts sometimes, by that was ages ago. He had clearly been up to interesting things since then.

"Sorry, I don't have the time today. I need to pick my son up from school," Harry said. "I can go out and grab a bite to eat on Friday though. Meet outside Leaky at five thirty. I know some good places in the nomag world."

Susan smiled. "Sure, that sounds good," she said. She gave Hannah a look that screamed, 'I told you so.'

Hannah just rolled her eyes as she helped Neville serve the Chicken Lorraine. She brought out lemon water and glasses and poured water for them. "So, Harry, you were going to see if you could work on the wards at Hogwarts?" she said.

"I was yes," Harry said. "I don't quite know who I need to speak to. Is there someone at the Ministry?"

"Possibly," Neville said. "I would assume speaking with Headmistress McGonagall would be enough. She would know who you need to talk to otherwise."

"Were you going to do it pro bono?" Susan asked before taking a bite.

Harry shrugged. "Possibly," he said. "It depends on if money is a problem or not. I won't ask for my full rate either way. That isn't what I'm after. I want the school safe and I want to make sure no one can get in to threaten the students again. The rest is a discussion I need to have with the Headmistress and the Heads of Houses, because I have some ideas."

"I would love to hear more about it, but I assume you want to check with Minerva before saying anything," Susan said.

Hannah looked at her fiancé. She knew Susan was a very determined person, and she was obviously interested in Harry. She hoped this wouldn't backfire on them. These were some of their best friends, and she didn't want it to get messy.

Harry checked his watch and pushed away from the table. "Damn, need to go," he said. "See you tomorrow, Neville and Hannah. Susan, see you Friday." He was gone a moment later. He was smiling as he made it to Teddy's school. He caught his son in a hug and held him close.

"You are happy, dad," Teddy said. "What happened? You were at Neville's right?"

"I was. An old schoolmate of ours showed up," Harry said. "She and I will be going out on Friday evening. I figure it was fine since you and Andy were going to see Robots."

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, that is fine," he said.

…

Teddy watched his father as he walked out of his room while fixing his shirt under the vest he had put on. "Could I dress like that too?" he asked.

"Of course," Harry said. "You want me to find things for you?"

Teddy thought about it for a moment. "Nah, I'm fine for this," he said. "We're going to be sitting in a dark cinema either way."

Andromeda chuckled. "You look very dashing, Harry," she said.

"This is the first time they know so much up front," Harry said. "She knows about Teddy and she's already felt my magic released, so that is a bonus."

"Just remember, women don't necessarily go as far on a first date as a man might," Andromeda said.

Harry snorted. "Different people do things differently regardless of gender," he said. He kissed Teddy's hair. "See you tomorrow, cub," he said. "Have fun now." He teleported over to the Leaky Cauldron and slipped through the pub quickly as he adjusted his coat. He leaned against the wall outside and watched as people walked by.

It was interesting to see the kind of people who moved about. It wasn't late enough for the nightlife yet some people who were absolutely out for a fun time were moving around already. He smiled as Susan walked out from the Cauldron. "Would such a lovely lady care to spend the eve with me?" he asked as he walked up to her.

"Oh, she would," Susan said as she looked him up and down. She took his arm. "You know, Hannah made a point of telling me you seem to enjoy male company."

Harry chuckled. "Well, she isn't lying to you," he said. "Considering she is one of the people I have spoken to directly after a break-up." He moved them away from a group of rowdy teenagers. "That doesn't mean I won't enjoy the company of a confident woman. People put so much emphasis on gender. I just don't care about that."

"But you have never been with a woman before," Susan asked.

"Correction, I haven't had anything longer term with a woman," Harry said. "I don't speak about every person I date with my friends. They know about the two guys who did me dirty. One by cheating and one by telling me my magic was too much for him."

Susan snorted. "Well, that is just bad luck on your part, I'd say," she said.

"Italian?" Harry asked.

"Sounds good," Susan said. They walked into the restaurant and Harry smiled confidently at the host. He had them by a table in less than five minutes, and Susan honestly couldn't tell if he had used magic to get them there. Of course if she couldn't then chances were no one else could either.

"So, Susan, what have you been up to since Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

Susan laughed. "Oh, no, you don't get away that easily. Year by year. You tell me what you can," she said.

Harry smiled. "Deal," he said. He took the menu from the server and ordered a bottle of wine for them.

"You are a lot more confident," Susan said.

Harry gave her a look. "Now, now, that is part of the story, Susan," he said. He smiled as she started telling him about how she had stumbled into spell creation, and she loved it. What she really wanted to do was development, but there weren't any sanctioned projects right now, and she felt a bit lost. She could adapt spells and find alternatives, which was what she was doing while she waited for a real opportunity to come along.

In turn, Harry told Susan about his family and what he could say about his road to becoming a Master Warder. The server returned and they ordered food.

Susan chuckled as she listened to him. With Harry, it was hard to tell if he was exaggerating or if his life was as insane as he was telling. They were laughing as they left the restaurant. They walked down the road slowly until they passed by a place that seemed to be playing more classical music.

"Do you dance, Lord Black?" Susan asked.

Harry smiled. "I may have been forced to learn, only to find that I enjoy it," he said. He guided them over and handed their coats over as Harry paid before they headed down to the floor. Harry placed his hands and Susan rubbed his shoulder as she took his hand. They danced through several songs in relative silence, just enjoying the movement of their bodies together.

"So, how does nights like this usually end for you?" Susan asked.

"That depends on my partner," Harry said. "I have no problems giving them space. Nor do I have an issue if they want to get to know me better. I make the offer if I feel like it is appropriate."

Susan nodded slowly. "You prefer to communicate with your partner," she said softly.

"I do," Harry said. "There are fewer misunderstandings that way. If you ask me a question, I will answer as long as the answer doesn't reveal Nation secrets."

"But…"

"I'm allowed to speak of things like that with someone I intend to spend the rest of my life with," Harry said.

Susan smiled at him.

"I would like to kiss you," Harry said. He had pulled them off the dance floor and pulled her closer to him.

Susan pressed her lips to his, and he returned the kiss, deepening it at an untold question and holding her close. The moved apart slowly, and bright green eyes held a gentle expression as Susan looked into them. "If I'd like to spend the night with you, where do we go?" she asked.

"We can go to Blackbird if you feel comfortable with that," Harry said.

Susan smiled at him. "Let's go," she said.

Harry smiled as he led her out again. They didn't even bother with their coats as he moved them down an alley and teleported them home. Susan looked around slowly as they landed. It was visible that Neville had a hand in the garden. They walked into the house and hung their coats up. "This is a beautiful house," Susan said. She saw the shield on the wall. "This is your shield?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "This is a replica my Master made for me. It is an honour to receive one. It means he will continue to consider me his son even in the future," he said. He ran his hands down her sides slowly and leaned in to kiss her neck.

Susan turned around slowly and pressed herself against him as she kissed him hungrily. He moved them over to his bedroom and opened his vest up before tossing it over a chair. His hands roamed over her body as he moved to undo the clasp of her dress.

Susan gasped as he trailed kisses down her neck. Her dress hit the floor, and she reached for his buttons. He undid them with a swirl of his magic, and she pushed the shirt back over his shoulder. Her fingers roamed over his chest as he stepped out of his pants. He laid her down on the bed gently, moving lower as he pulled her panties off while worshipping her body with his mouth. Susan moaned as he pressed against her. His magic flowed around them, and she felt like she was held safe in a cocoon. She had lost her voice along the way, but it didn't matter because she wanted this so badly.

"Susan. You are beautiful, and your laughter makes my heart flutter," Harry whispered softly. "I want to make love to you."

"Then fuck me," Susan said. Her eyes were glowing with want, and she met his eyes as she felt him move into her. She rocked her hips. She wanted this just as much as he did. She gasped as he gripped her tightly. With his magic dancing over her body, every sensation was magnified and she felt amazing.

They moved together until they shared in their bliss. Harry cleaned Susan off gently and helped her up so she could go to the bathroom. He freshened the sheets and reached for her as she returned. They lay down together, drifting off as they spoke softly with each other.