A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews. I hope you all will enjoy this story. We learn a little about Harry in this chapter, more in the next one. Happy reading!
Chapter Three: The Dinner Invitation
Harry sat upon his horse and nervously looked up at the looming manor before him. It was spectacular, boasting nine bedrooms, a large dining room, a parlor, a drawing room, another room large enough to host a ball, several lavatories, the list went on and on. And it was his. All his along with the massive fortune in his vault.
And he was terrified of this.
Terrified of his new responsibilities as the Lord of Godric's Hollow, the villagers that he had passed along the way were now depending on him for their livelihoods. The staff had already been picked and were waiting inside for him.
His friends stood with him, Ron his best friend, Neville Longbottom and the Weasley twins. They too seemed to be in awe.
It had been years since he had last been here. He left at the age of eleven for school at Hogwarts, then immediately after, he signed up for the war. He followed his mentor, his Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, in his war against Lord Voldemort. Against the man who had murdered his parents. A man who was now gone. By his own hand.
He had wanted to stay in the army but Dumbledore wouldn't hear of it. He had told him that he had already given him the last eleven years of his life and it was time that he had start living the rest of it for himself.
"Well," Ron's voice brought him out of his thoughts, "I am a bit hungry. Do you suppose they have dinner ready?"
"If they don't, I'm sure there are a stack of invitations waiting for Harry. We could each pick one and pretend we are him," Fred shrugged.
Harry dismounted and bravely walked into his new home. The others followed suit.
Dobby, his head of the house-elf staff, greeted him.
"Oh, Master Potter! I am so glad you have returned. You are much older now," Dobby frowned and Harry felt a twinge of guilt for abandoning his home for so long. "Oh but you must be so hungry! This way! This way!"
Ron muttered to Harry's ear. "Your elf is a bit odd."
Dobby led them to a large dining room where the fragrant aroma of roast ham filled the room. The meal filled the men to satisfaction and afterward they retired to the parlor for cigars and brandy by a warm fire. It was pointless to have his friends leave after dark so he invited them to stay until tomorrow. After all, he had the room for it.
~*~
Miss Parvati Patil joined the group of young ladies that were gathered outside enjoying a picnic at the Burrow. Luna, Ginny and Lavender made up the rest of the group as they sat on a large blanket. It was a peaceful morning until Mrs. Weasley burst out of the Burrow and ran frantically to the young women.
"Oh Ginny! Ginny, have you heard!" she panted.
Ginny was taken aback at the state her mother was in. What could've happened?
"He's here!" her mother shrieked. "Well, not here but back at Godric's Hollow!"
"Mother," Ginny shook her head trying to comprehend what her mother was telling her. "Who's here, mother?"
"Mr. Potter!" her mother said shrilly and the young ladies gasped and sprang to their feet. "He's just returned to Godric's Hollow and he's here to stay! He has already set up a household staff! Oh, Ginny!"
The young ladies sprang into action. "Oh dear! How much time have I lost?" "Ginny please accept my apologies!" They saw to their horses and carriages to take them home post haste so they could get their invitations sent right away.
Ron Weasley was nearly trampled over as he rode back to the Burrow. He dismounted from his horse, handed him off and stepped inside his home.
"RONALD WEASLEY! YOU MISERABLE LITTLE CAD!!" His mother shrieked at him.
"What? What did I do?" he asked a little frightened by his mother who was red in the face.
"Mr. Potter has been back for days and you haven't said a word of it to me or to your father! How careless of you?! Do you not think of anyone else other than yourself? What about your sister?" she accused.
"Mother, please calm yourself!" Ginny said as she sat her mother down in a chair. Mrs. Weasley pulled out her fan and began to fan herself.
"Ginny? What does this have to do with Ginny?" Ron asked bewildered.
"Oh you are an impossible young man," Mrs. Weasley said, thoroughly irritated with her youngest son. "Invitations have probably already gone from all the other families," she muttered angrily. "We'll be lucky to receive him before the Season's end. Oh, what am I to do?" she said miserably.
Ron grinned mischievously. "Mother, you must be confused," he said, feigning concern. "He's to arrive here tomorrow night." Mrs. Weasley's eyes grew as large as saucers. "Hmm," Ron said thoughtfully, "I could've sworn I told you two days ago." He walked out of the room quickly before laughter could erupt from him.
Mrs. Weasley and her daughter stood up abruptly. "TWO DAYS?!!"
"Mother! That's hardly any time for me to find a new dress!" Ginny gasped.
"We'll just have to make do with what you had for last season," Mrs. Weasley replied hurriedly and Ginny tore off up the stairs. "Oh, barely enough time to prepare a decent dinner!" Mrs. Weasley complained as she hurried off to the kitchens. "Oh, that miserable little boy," she muttered of her youngest son.
~*~
Hermione was reading in the library when her footman entered to announce a visitor.
"Mr. Lupin," Hermione said smiling as she stood to greet him.
He was a kind man that she liked very much with brown hair that was graying at the temples. She frowned slightly at the new scratch that had appeared on his face. Mr. Remus Lupin was a werewolf, the scratch was evidence of his transformation when the moon was full last week.
"The lovely Miss Granger," he replied taking her hand and kissing the back of it.
"You have been a stranger for far too long," she said teasingly to him as she led him out of the room and toward the cellars.
"Well, I have been a bit busy," he replied. "I've been helping to set up house for an old friend of mine."
"Really?" she asked curiously. "Lumos," she said, lighting her wand to light the dark passageway.
Remus grinned. "Yes, a young man just returned from the war."
Hermione stopped and turned slowly toward him. "Harry Potter?" she asked.
"Very good, yes him. He arrived a few days ago," he said.
"And has he called upon Sirius?" Hermione said in a tone that had a hint of anger to it. If there was one thing about Hermione, she was loyal to her friends.
"Eh…it's complicated," Remus replied.
"Hmpf," Hermione sniffed and continued on her way.
"How did you know about his arrival? The gossip mills have already been churning with stories about him?" Remus asked wryly.
"Actually, I received a dinner invitation from a good friend of mine. Her family is throwing a dinner in his honor."
"You should go. I think you would get along nicely with him," Remus said cheerfully.
Hermione stopped and turned to look at him. "Any man who can cut ties with someone like Sirius is NOT a man I wish to get along nicely with." Her tone clearly spoke that this was the end of this topic.
~*~
Nervously, Harry walked into the foyer of the Burrow. He had never been to an occasion like this, it was a sort of unofficial start to the Season. The Marriage Hunt. He had to do this, he had to be brave. A wife wasn't going to fall into his lap anytime soon and a wife and family is what he wanted. A peaceful life. A quiet life. Something he had been denied his whole life up until now. He could endure a little chaos to get what he wanted.
"Harry!" Ron called out and stepped out of the parlor where Harry could hear the music of a pianoforte playing. "So glad you could make it!" he said, shaking his friend's hand earnestly.
The Weasley's doorman announced his arrival to his guests and Harry swallowed nervously. Courage man, courage!
"Quite a few lovelies in there," Ron murmured to him. "The twins and I haven't had any luck yet. We think they're holding out for you."
This did nothing to appease he apprehension, it made it worse. Now people had expectations. But he bravely stepped into the parlor.
"Mr. Potter!" A round woman with a lovely warm smile stood to greet him. "I'm Mrs. Weasley, Ronald's mother. I'm so very happy to finally meet you! Ron's told us all about you!"
"Most of it was good, I hope?" Harry asked, smiling easily.
Mrs. Weasley fanned herself briskly and smiled. "But of course, Mr. Potter!"
Harry had a quick reunion with the rest of the Weasley men which made him feel more relaxed. Neville was the only other gentleman he knew, the other two men, Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas, were introduced and Harry liked them instantly.
Ron steered him from the others and to a pretty red haired girl. "Harry," he said, "This is my sister, Ginny."
"Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Miss Weasley," Harry said politely.
"And you as well," Ginny smiled. A new song began and the young men chose their partners. Harry stayed with Ginny. The dance was an easy one that he and Ginny could still hold a conversation together.
"We have all been waiting to meet you," she said pleasantly. "Ron's told us so much about you in his letters."
"He did write a lot," Harry said. "I believed he missed his family."
"But didn't he see his brothers?"
"I actually separated them. Put them in different regiments in case…so they could each bring their assets to different groups." The real reason was that Harry liked Ron and his brothers. The fact that they all had gone to war spoke of their loyalty to Dumbledore. He couldn't bear it if they were all killed in one attack, their mother would be inconsolable.
Harry noticed that the lady's attentions weren't completely on him and he was grateful for that. Ginny kept glancing at the young man in the couple that was dancing next to them.
"Would you like an introduction?" he asked, smiling.
Ginny blushed. "Oh! No…I…"
It was a perfect opportunity, the dance had ended and another one had begun to play.
"Neville," Harry said, "may I introduce the lovely Miss Ginny Weasley."
Neville looked at Ginny and smiled. They traded partners and as Neville moved out of his line of vision, Harry was pleasantly surprised to see the young lady Neville had been dancing with.
"And you might be?" he asked the lovely young woman.
"Lavender," she answered shyly. "Miss Lavender Brown."
Harry was very taken with the lovely young woman. She had a creamy complexion, her golden hair was piled neatly on top of her head emphasizing her lovely facial structure. Her figure was slim and pleasing and she wore a lovely gown of silver blue. He finished his dance with her then danced with Miss Lovegood. After that, he danced with Miss Brown again then the one after that. And when dinner was announced he seated himself next to her.
He knew he was making his affections obvious but as Harry got to know her through the evening the more sure he was that she could possibly be the one who would be his wife.
"Well, my dear ladies," Mr. Weasley rose to his feet to announce the end of dinner, "we have enjoyed the pleasure of your company." The men rose to their feet to follow the patron of the home into the parlor for cigars and firewhiskey while the ladies retired to the drawing room.
Harry sank into a cushioned chair and held a decanter in one hand, taking a sip to relax him from the evening.
"A fine dinner," Seamus Finnegan said in a satisfying voice.
"And quite the choice of ladies," Ron added and the men agreed.
"You seemed very taken with Miss Brown, Harry," Fred said with a Cheshire grin.
"Yes…she is lovely isn't she?" Harry said proudly.
"This will be a fine Marriage Mart," George said. "I wouldn't mind being captured by any one of those lovely ladies."
"It is a shame that Miss Granger couldn't be here," Seamus said wistfully.
Dean groaned. "Oh no, not again."
"What?" Seamus said defensively.
"Who's Miss Granger?" Neville asked.
"Wasn't she the one that mother and Ginny got in a row over?" Ron asked his father who nodded his head in thought. "Yes, I thought so. Apparently, mother doesn't agree with Ginny being friends with this Miss Granger. She supposedly has what mother calls `a scandalous reputation'." Fred and George leaned in closer, their curiosity piqued.
"Well, that explains where you met her," Dean nudged his friend.
Fred, George and Ron all turned their heads to Seamus who had blushed crimson. "Well, I…we met…"
"He lost forty galleons to her in a game of cards," Dean took him out of his misery.
They guys' jaws dropped.
"Well, I was distracted!" Seamus said defensively.
"You were hustled," Dean pointed out. "I lost only five galleons."
"Gambling. That doesn't seem to be a very ladylike pastime," Harry said.
"Oh but she is a lady," Dean admitted. "Very much a lady.
"Ginny says she's the daughter of Edward Granger," Ron added and the men let out a low whistle. Everyone knew who Mr. Granger was, that he was one of he richest men in the wizarding world.
"Yes, well you wouldn't believe who she was sitting with," Seamus said eagerly and the men leaned forward. "Madame Rosemerta." The men's eyes widened and Mr. Weasley laughed.
"A very rich, very beautiful young woman who gambles and pals around with a Madame of a brothel," Mr. Weasley chuckled. "That, gentlemen, is trouble in a neat little package and it is best if you steered clear of that."
"Mr. Weasley is right," Harry chimed in. "That kind of lady is not proper material to make a suitable wife."
"Proper and safe is your course of action Harry and by all means you have deserved it," Fred said, grinning. "I for one am going to make damn sure that Miss Granger permits me at least one dance at Falbrooke."
"After me of course, dear brother," George added and they clinked their decanters together.
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