Secrets, Wine and Ears
Chapter 7
Secrets, Wine and Ears
Harry opened the door with difficulty and carried his bride into the suite. Setting her down carefully, he lowered his lips to hers, while raising a hand to spell the door closed. The Muggle porter gasped at the action, then shook his head as if to clear it. He immediately saw that his demonstration of amenities was going to be ignored, he cleared his throat.
"Oh, sorry… forgot you were there…" mumbled Harry as he reached into his pocket for a gratuity.
"No need, sir. Gratuities are included in your package," the porter explained.
"I'll make you a deal," stated Harry. "If you leave us to muddle about on our own, we promise to ask if we need anything, I'll double the tip, if you catch my meaning?" Harry gave him a meaningful glare. "Otherwise, I'll continue to ignore you and we'll both end up embarrassed." He held out a few notes toward the porter.
Hermione watched, torn between chiding Harry for his behavior and cheering his urgency. The porter took the proffered money and made a hasty exit. "That wasn't very nice…" she said unenthusiastically.
"I don't care," Harry replied evenly as he wrapped his arms around her again. "I based my decision on the amenities offered; therefore I don't need a tour. What I do need is my wife…in bed…naked…soon."
"We can afford this, can't we?" she asked hesitantly. "I mean this is the 'Sleeping Beauty Suite'; only the most expensive suite in the entire resort…"
He laughed. "I see you did your homework as well. We're fine, Hermione," he reassured her. "I've plenty of money, both galleons and Euros. We'll discuss finances another time. Now, if memory serves, we were about to rumple that ridiculously expensive bed in the next room…"
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Harry and Hermione spent their days either sightseeing in the city or roaming about the park. Harry had purchased the customary Mickey Mouse hats for everyone he knew.
Hermione giggled at Harry's childish enthusiasm. "Why do we need those?" she laughed looking at the huge bag of Mickey Mouse hats.
"I wanted them. They are brilliant! It's just a hat, yet it tells anyone who sees it, 'Hey, I know how to have fun!'" Harry grinned pointing at the hat.
"No," she replied. "It says, 'I wasted money on a stupid tourist gimmick, which was overpriced by at least one hundred fifty percent.'"
"Relax, Hermione. I've plenty of money. A few hats won't break us. Besides, this is the first holiday I've ever had. I'll look at this hat maybe twenty years from now and remember it."
"What do you mean, 'this is your first holiday'?' Surely on summer break…"
"Exactly what I said," he interrupted. "Just because you had a family that enjoyed taking you places, doesn't mean we all did. The Dursley's went on holiday; I stayed either with Mrs. Figg or locked in my cupboard or my room. I did get to go to the zoo once, though. It didn't turn out well."
"But you said you'd been to the sea…"
"Yes, well…that was just to avoid the letters from Hogwarts. My Aunt and Uncle didn't want me to read it, Uncle Vernon tried to escape them, and there were loads of them, by driving us all over the country. Finally, as you know, Hagrid caught up with us and gave me my letter…"
Hermione finally understood. She marveled at the fact that he seemed so undamaged by the abuse he'd grown up with and strived to make this trip soothing to his inner child.
They'd ridden Space Mountain-Mission 2 numerous times, even though Harry stated after each ride, "Eh, I've flown faster on my broom…"
They found the Phantom Manor hilarious, as well as the dragon. Hermione had to shush him several times as he boasted about the Horntail he'd faced being much scarier.
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On their second day, a wizard park employee had recognized Harry and discreetly connected their fireplace to the Floo Network. Every evening Harry talked to his children, who relaxed him further by assuring him they were fine.
"Harry! Aren't you coming?" Hermione asked as she re-entered the suite. She smiled as she saw her new husband in his finest dress robes with his head once again in the fire.
"Be a good girl for Daddy, would you?' he said as he blew kisses to whatever child was on the other end. "Now go and get Emmie for me. I love you and I'll see you in a couple of days."
Harry chatted with Emmie, and then Deirdre for a few minutes more before giving his final farewells. "Sorry," he mumbled to his new bride as he brushed the soot from his robes.
"Don't be…" Hermione said. "Dinner can wait."
"Not anymore it can't! I'm starving!" he said with a mock exasperated tone before taking her hand. On the way out the door, he grabbed his mouse-eared hat.
"You are NOT wearing that ridiculous hat to dinner!" she scolded. He had taken to wearing the hat everywhere since arriving at the resort in Paris.
"Yes, dear…" he grumbled. "But if anyone else is wearing one, I'm summoning it!"
"Since this is our last night, I'll agree to a compromise. If anyone older than seven is wearing one…" she offered. "…you may conjure another one while in the bathroom. We are at a Muggle resort, keep in mind!" Harry made a face at her. She chuckled. "If I knew you were going to regress while here, I wouldn't have suggested it. You are making me feel old!"
"Then let your hair down," he suggested as they reached the lift. "Besides, you suggested Paris. I'm the one that thought of Disneyland…"
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After a night of fine dining and dancing, the newlyweds returned to their spacious suite. Harry filled the Jacuzzi while his wife made drinks. Tonight was the night for 'The Conversation' he'd been both looking forward to and dreading.
"We should bring the kids here someday," Hermione offered. "They'll love it."
"That's a great idea, love! We can book a suite of rooms so each family can come. I bet even Ellen and Anthony would go for that," he said as he slipped into the churning bubbles. "I'd want to wait until Mee Tao is a bit older, though." Hermione nodded her agreement while she disrobed and joined him.
"This is wonderful!" Hermione moaned as the pulsating water relaxed her muscles.
"Yes, I think I need to be adding these jet thingies to my tub at home…" He sipped his drink waiting for her to start the discussion he was not looking forward to.
"How can you drink so much? I've had much less and my head is spinning…"
Harry sighed in resignation. "That's all part of what I've wanted to tell you, yet didn't want you to know. Now, I realize we should have talked about all of this before the wedding, but you gave me an easy way out and I took it. I'll make you the same deal. If what I'm about to tell you makes you afraid or not want to be married to me, then I will understand and grant you a divorce as soon as we get back."
"Don't be stupid," she said.
"I'm not," he answered. "I'm being realistic. Off we go then, I suppose …remember how we found out in second year that Voldemort transferred some of his powers to me?"
"Yes," she answered.
"When I killed him, I ended up with the rest of him or something. I hear his voice in my head, like that evil voice you hear as a child urging you to do something naughty. I feel his power in my veins. I spent the first two years afterward trying to drink my troubles away. I couldn't, not just because I'm a Gryffindor, either. Alcohol has no effect on me, other than keeping him quiet. I can't get pissed; I never have, no matter how much I have to drink. That's where the imbalanced recluse thing came from…that first two years."
"I don't need a wand or words to cast spells. All I need is focus and intent. If I feel extraordinary rage, he attempts to take over. A few times he's been successful for a second or two before I can force him back into submission. I'm told that my eyes will flash red when that happens.".
"…told by whom?" she asked concerned.
"Malfoy and Neville, that's why I hired them. Their main task is to keep me, thereby him, in line. Malfoy calls it my 'Voldy-eyes thing,'" Harry said with a grin that quickly faded. "They have ultimate power over the company. I can hardly do anything without their permission. I know I can control him permanently, but I created these safeguards so that if my secret were known, it wouldn't be possible to harm the company."
"Why Malfoy?" she asked.
"Can you think of anyone better? Malfoy and I have a history. He loves to hold over my head that he can suspend me if I get out of line. Neville is more willing to see my side of things, to give me a reasonable doubt. I wanted someone in that position who would be biased against me. It's a good balance, if I do say so."
"Is…is…is the biting thing part of this?" she asked not really sure if she wanted the answer or not.
"Noticed that did you?" he replied, his face reddening. "Yeah, a bit… Since the final duel with Voldemort, I've noticed I'm a bit harder…rougher, therefore sex follows suit. I don't know if it because I've killed him or that's just the way I am, my upbringing, or even, perish the thought, that's the way he likes it. I meant it when I said it hurts in a good way…."
"I understand…" she whispered.
"D-d-d-does it bother you? I don't need it by any means…" he stuttered.
Hermione smiled at him before taking his hand. She kissed each fingertip before moving to the section between his thumb and index finger. She bit down hard on the fleshy skin. Harry gave a short yip before quickly pulling her into his lap and kissing her. She felt another type of reaction making itself known below the surface of the water. She reached down to stroke him. Before long Harry was carrying her back into the bedroom.
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She knew if she wanted information, she'd have to continue the discussion they had begun earlier. "What about the smoking?" she asked, feeling bold.
"What about it?" he responded.
"Well," she hesitated, since he'd reacted badly to the question before. "Is that linked to this somehow?"
Harry grinned mischievously, "Yeah, a bit," he replied. "He just hates it when I do that…"
"This will take some getting used to…" Hermione admitted. "This is quite a…revelation, Harry."
"I know," Harry mumbled, before sitting up to speak looking directly into her eyes. "Like I said, if you need time or want to…"
"No!" she exclaimed, sitting up as well. "Stop trying to push me away. I won't leave you regardless. I can't say that it is a total surprise to me. I figured something like this had happened. You've certainly given me enough clues along the way…"
"I wasn't trying to…"
"I know you weren't," she said. "I just know you and I know how you handle things. When I figured out that you loved me still after all this time, I knew there was something that kept you away for so long. I just need to wrap my mind around the fact. That's all. I mean, this is certainly better than I had imagined…."
"Dear Merlin, Woman!" Harry exclaimed. "What did you think it was? I thought this would be the one thing that causes you to leave me…I just wanted a little bliss all my own to live on when that happened."
"That will never happen," she reassured him. "I envisioned pretty much the same thing, but you wouldn't be able to suppress him, that he'd be able to take over from time to time."
"I have safeguards against that as well…" he said sadly. "He doesn't possess me, not like in the past or like Ginny's thing. His essence, not his soul, just exists within me. The thing is, Hermione, and I hope I don't sound like a complete prat when I say this, but…I'm really powerful. I have my power from before in addition to his. Power is an addictive element. I know and can perform efficiently every Dark curse known in history, because he could. If the Dark overcomes me, I would rather take action than risk becoming a Dark Lord myself."
"What type of safeguards and actions are you referring to?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Neville and Malfoy are instructed and have taken a blood oath to eliminate me, if necessary. When the Creevey thing started, they thought, at first that it was me. They had good reason because the sabotage was very 'Gryffindor trying to act Slytherin'. I knew it and they knew it. If I had been in their shoes, I would suspect me as well."
"You could never do that, Harry. Your heart won't let you."
"I agree, but I just can't take that chance."
"If I can do something to help, will you let me?" she asked as her eyes gleamed.
"Sure," he said. "I'm not sure what you are planning, but feel free to try…"
Late into the night, despite their early departure the next morning, the couple talked about anything and everything. "I just wish I could give you a child, Harry. I mean, I understand that it's impossible, but it doesn't make the wish go away."
"Will you miss not being able to experience pregnancy?" he asked tenderly.
"I hope not. I've never felt the rumored 'biological clock' ticking, but if it happens, I'll talk to you about it. For now, I just want to enjoy Mee Tao... and spoil her"
"Well, we've already researched the options in the Muggle world. If you want to see what can be done magically, I'm behind you," he said.
"I did read about an experimental charm once. I'll check it out more when I get back to work, but remember Harry; I married you for you, not your ability to father children. If it works out, we'll talk about it when the time comes. If it doesn't, and we want more kids, we can adopt. Since the Ministry learned the truth about you, we should have no trouble adopting. None of these decisions need to be made now, though. When we get back, I want to concentrate on the little family we have and let the future worry about itself."
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The next morning, they left early and caught a portkey to Yangshuo where they were greeted by Mee Tao's grandparents. Mee Tao squealed with glee upon seeing her father after ten days.
Harry had studied protocol relentlessly in the days before the wedding, so he felt prepared when he arrived. Hermione was proud of the way he prepared the gifts with red and gold wrapping. Mr. Inoh wore the Disney hat to dinner, so Harry quickly donned his own, much to Mee Tao's delight. Harry dressed her in a pink fleece outfit with a black hood which sported its own set of mouse ears.
Mrs. Inoh commented that Mee Tao had not been eating very well while she was there, even though they'd attempted to give her foods to which she was accustomed. Now that her Daddy was near, the toddler ate with enthusiasm, so much so that Hermione was worried of stomach upset later.
Harry's family stayed overnight in Yangshuo . The women took Mee Tao shopping, while Harry and Mr. Inoh sampled the wizarding nightlife, although in the afternoon. Harry quickly found the local Rice Wine, although lower in alcoholic content than he was used to, did not have the effect of other drinks. Harry was aware that it was considered rude to become intoxicated and attempted to decline more drinks. Mr. Inoh, contrary to protocol, kept refilling Harry's glass.
When Hermione and Mrs. Inoh arrived to join the other witches and wizards at the bar, having left Mee Tao with their other daughter, they were speechless at the sight of Harry singing karaoke much to the delight of Mr. Inoh. When Harry had finished his deep baritone rendition of 'I Am Woman', he spotted Hermione and went toward her. He truly thought he was walking in a straight line, but found with each step the tables kept moving. Finally, disgusted with the nonproductive journey, Harry sat down in the middle of the aisle and summoned Hermione to him with a wave of his hand.
The bar went silent at the show of power. Oblivious, Harry just attacked Hermione's mouth. Hermione pulled away and noticed that everyone in the establishment was staring at them, with the exception of their hosts who were looking at them with pride.
Mr. Inoh spoke in a rapid Chinese, although everyone seemed to speak at least broken English prior. "I tell them he is Harry Potter. We have heard of him even here," he told Hermione. Harry, still intent on making time with his wife, paid no attention and continued to nibble her neck.
"He's drunk…" Hermione observed.
"Yes, Mrs. Potter, he is," said Mr. Inoh. "We have old story about man who has great power, yet cannot do something very simple. Rice wine very different from other drink. I wanted to see if affect him differently."
Hermione rose, pulling Harry with her, giving Mr. Inoh a glare. "I'm glad you were able to satisfy your curiosity," she stated with a scowl. "As for me, I'm going to take him home."
"Don't go, Hmine…" slurred Harry as he swayed his hips against her. "Dance with me…" Hermione ignored him.
"You misunderstand. Mr. Potter, very proud man. Lack of drunkenness viewed as weakness. Allow him to save face, if only to himself."
At his words, Hermione understood and felt a swelling of admiration toward the older man. She smiled at him, while attempting to pull Harry's hands from beneath her shirt. "I apologize, Mr. Inoh. You seem to know him very well. "
Mr. Inoh shared a look with his wife who smiled encouragingly before stating, "I know pride. I make terrible mistake with Ming. Mr. Potter help her when her family turn her away. I only repay debt."
Harry had tired of the talking and tugged his wife to the dance floor. Rocking gently in place, he laid his head on top of hers. "This is nice…" he sighed.
"You won't feel so nice in the morning…" Hermione cautioned.
"Don't care, really," sighed Harry. He giggled. A sound Hermione found, now that she heard it, very appealing. "Can't say that I care about much of anything…."
"I can tell," she agreed.
"I told'm all 'bout Ming's and my relationship. I never touched her, you know. I don't know why I'm tellin' you, or why I told him about this, but it seems 'mportant that you should know…."
"Ah, so not only are you a cuddly drunk, you are a confessing drunk…" she teased gently.
"M'not drunk. I don't get drunk, remember?" he argued.
"Of course you don't…" she said with a smile. "And it won't be a hangover that you wake up with, either."
"I like waking up with you. D'say I like goin' to bed with you, too, but that sounds crude…."
Hermione laughed before getting an evil gleam in her eye. "Did you really feel up Ginny behind Hagrid's hut the week after we broke up?"
Harry got a repulsed look on his face. "Course not! NO!" he garbled. "She jus' made that up to take the mickey outta Ron."
"What is the worst thing you've ever done to me?" she asked, knowing she may never get another opportunity.
"B'sides lettin' you go?" he asked. At her nod, he responded, "I followed you on your date with Terry Boot to Hogsmeade with my 'nvisa…'nvisa…my cloak thing. No, I jinxed Justin b'fore he could ask you out. No, it was prolly the time I kissed Luna 'cause I knew you'd be coming that way. No, I think…"
"That's enough," Hermione laughed. The next couple of hours were spent dancing. Harry attempted to own up to every misdeed he'd ever committed. When his eyes began to droop, Hermione led him back to the Inoh's home. The older couple had already retired. While she checked on Mee Tao, she left Harry to get ready for bed.
To her extreme annoyance, she found several burn marks on the ceiling. Harry was attempting to light the candles around the room. She saw another flash of fire, before hearing a mumbled, "Whoops, heeheehee" from the floor in the corner. "Honestly, Harry!" she said in an exasperated sigh. She lit the candles with her wand before surveying the damage and repairing it.
"How'm I 'sposed to light 'em if the bloody things keep moving!" Harry complained.
"You said you need focus and intent. You truly have neither at the moment. Let me handle it…" she said approaching him.
She toyed with the idea of a Sobrietus, but decided against it. If he wanted to feel the effects of alcohol, then he'd feel them all, she determined. After getting him into bed, she found another pleasant effect of her drunken husband. The cuddly aspect had returned. He made love to her as tenderly as he had back in school; however the notable difference was the increased stamina of adulthood.
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She awoke to a loud groan. She opened her eyes to see Harry facing away from her, his hands clutching his head. "Got a headache, Sweetheart?" she teased.
"Shush!" he replied.
She sat up and grabbed the vial on her bedside table. The previous evening Mr. Inoh had left the potion with a note on the table. "Drink this and you'll feel better."
Harry downed the potion with a grimace. He blinked a couple of times, and then smiled. "That's loads better. Thanks."
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A leisurely breakfast was followed by more sightseeing. With promises to keep in touch, they took their daughter home. The portkey landed them in the middle of Diagon Alley. Harry was immediately swarmed by well-wishers. Hermione took a cranky Mee Tao into a private dining room of the Leaky Cauldron to avoid the crowd.
Harry finally escaped and joined her there. "I think I liked being the delusional recluse better…" he panted, winded from his escape.
"Mee some!" fussed the toddler.
"I know you're hungry, Princess. Love, can I get you anything?" She nodded never taking her eyes off of the crawling child.
Hermione found a highchair for Mee Tao and entertained her until her father returned. Harry returned with drinks, butterbeer for the adults and apple juice for his daughter. He dragged a spill-proof cup from her bag and prepared it for Mee Tao.
"About time you lot got back from where ever you went?" called Ron as he entered. "Is this like a newlywed moment or can anyone join?"
The couple greeted their friend with many hugs and laughter. Mee Tao squirmed and fussed in her chair wanting a hug from "Unka Won", too. Ron released her and danced her around the room. Harry took the opportunity to kiss his wife.
"Not in front of the K-I-D," chided Ron, who had his hand over Mee Tao's eyes. "She'll be damaged!"
After their stew and crusty bread, Ron assisted them in bringing their things home. Ron left wearing his mouse-eared hat, taking the others to the rest of his family. Harry checked the post and needed to go into work for a bit.
"Promise you won't be late?" Hermione asked as bathed Mee Tao before bed.
"I promise," he replied.
Harry read over the reports and journals that had been completed in his absence. He worked over an hour before calling it a day. He left notes on everyone's desks to request more information on the items he didn't understand and cases he needed to be brought up to speed on.
Once back at the house, he found the sight that he'd dreamed of his entire life. There in the darkened room, the love of his life was rocking and singing to his sleeping child.