What I Always Wanted
Chapter 12: Family Ties
Harry and Hermione arrived in the foyer of number twelve Grimmauld Place with a booming pop. This was mostly because Harry had dropped the luggage he'd been carrying when they arrived. He shrugged out of his traveling cloak and automatically turned to Hermione to assist her out of hers. He hung them both on the rack standing by the door. Harry heaved a disconsolate sigh. Hermione slipped her hand into his and entwined their fingers. She then raised herself onto the tips of her toes and kissing his cheek said reassuringly.
"It's only for a few days, until things calm down a bit."
Harry nodded his head and gave her what he hoped was a cheery smile. In actuality, it looked rather pained and forced. Harry had not set foot in number twelve Grimmauld Place since Sirius' death eleven years prior. In the years immediately following Sirius' death Harry had been so preoccupied with other things that he honestly had forgotten that he owned the house. It was only after the war was over and he was going into auror's training that he recalled his owner ship of the Black estate when he was told he had to designate someone to look after his affairs and saw the title listed among the holdings he had to sign over to his designee. When he voiced his reservations about maintaining the property Ron suggested selling it seeing as how he couldn't bring himself to set foot in the place and Sirius had despised it. Harry had considered the option and even though all that Ron has said was true; Grimmauld was all he had left of Sirius so selling it off to Merlin knew who seemed far worse than simply letting it sit idle and rot. In the end, Harry had simply named Hermione as his designee and allowed the thought of the house to fade from his consciousness.
He'd given no further thought to number twelve until two years ago when he'd been contacted by Gringott's and told of a mandatory inspection of the property that was necessary to assess its value. As Harry was on assignment at the time, he'd had the goblins to contact Hermione who supervised the inspection. The house failed spectacularly. This episode prompted Hermione to suggest that Harry remodel the place. Initially he had balked at the idea. Seeing as no one was living there and no one would be what did it matter if the whole bloody thing collapsed in on itself? However, in typical fashion, Hermione had given him a laundry list of reasons to improve the estate, which included among other things improving its net worth in terms of his assets and the possibility however undesirable and unlikely that he or someone else should need to stay there. Harry had gone along with the idea on the conditions that she handle everything and that he never have to see or enter the place. Now that he and Hermione had to be here, he was immensely glad he'd listened to her.
Following receiving Luna's note about Fleur going into labor Harry and Hermione had made plans to leave Greece first thing the following morning. In all their excitement over Colin's picture and getting back to London to investigate the matter further the two had forgotten all about Kazimir loudly announcing the news of their pregnancy in the hotel dining room. Thus, they were quite shocked by the crush of press people awaiting them in the hotel's lobby the following morning. The hotel's concierge had ushered them into a side room where he showed them the morning's paper and explained what was going on. He had seemed immensely relieved when Harry stated that they were actually coming down to check out as they had urgent family business back home. The concierge had hurriedly checked them out and set up a portkey to Harry's flat. Upon arriving home the young couple had once again been besieged by reporters. Knowing that St. Mungo's, the Burrow and Hermione's flat would be equally overrun Harry had taken them to the one place where he knew they could not be harassed.
Hermione stared at her husband and wondered if their coming to Grimmauld Place had been a good idea. Harry had taken Sirius' death much harder than even he was aware. He hadn't been inside his godfather's home since Christmas of their fifth year and though he had consented to having the place remodeled she knew full well that he had never intended to see the changes she'd wrought. Were it not for his trying to keep her out of the glaring eye of the media he wouldn't have been there at all. Chancing another glance at his face, Hermione saw that he was steeling himself to endure their stay. Her voice sounded oddly loud when it broke through the silence of the foyer.
"You know we really don't have to stay here…we can go back to the flat. I mean honestly those reporters will have to clear off sometime and if they don't then I suppose I'll just have to hex them…I can always blame it on pregnancy hormones or some other rubbish of the sort…besides it'd serve them right for camping out in people's doorways…"
Harry smiled at the fact that Hermione was willing to risk the Ministry of Magic's Employee Misuse of Magic Review Board just to keep him from having to spend a few nights in grim old Grimmauld Place. He squeezed her hand and drew her close in a quick hug. When they parted he smiled and said.
"I'm fine…"
Hermione hastily interrupted.
"But you haven't so much as been down the street from this place in eleven years that doesn't sound like someone who's fine with something to me…"
Harry cut off her words with a quick peck on the lips and added.
"And as I haven't seen the place in eleven years I reckon I should have a look around, considering that you've redecorated."
With more bravado than he felt Harry strode out of the foyer and into the downstairs lounge. As he glanced around and took in the room he was shocked by the sight that met his eyes. The room before him looked nothing like what he remembered…the drab and dank grimness he remembered was no more. The dark paneled walls and drapes, the hulking ostentatious furniture with the serpent themed accessories were all gone as was the stiflingly oppressive feeling that had clung to every room of the place the last time Harry had been there. In their place was a remarkably inviting atmosphere. Everything, including the paint on the walls was done in matching albeit varying shades of cream, beige, mocha and chocolate brown giving the room a warm comfortable feeling. The drapes that covered the windows were a beige sort of tone that blended well with the mocha brown furniture set about the room. The large roomy sofa, loveseat, and matching overstuffed recliners covered the area immediately around the fireplace in the living room, a coffee table, end tables and lamps nicely filled the remaining space, new carpet covered the floor. A few pictures of Ron, Hermione, himself and the other members of their families adorned the walls and the mantel above the fireplace.
Hermione had used the same color scheme throughout the more formal lounge room and dining room that sat towards the back of the house. Here the furniture was richer in tone and more proper but no less comfortable. Even though the area was for more serious entertaining you still felt as though you could sit down and relax with displeasing anyone. Harry ran his hand across the back of one of the chocolate colored leather chairs and shook his head in mild surprise. It was hard to believe that this warm inviting home had once been an old dark and dank manor house filled to bursting with all kinds of wizarding vermin. As he made his way down the hall to the kitchen he noted the nicely stripped and polished walls and the beautiful hardwood floors that shone beneath his feet. New shiny chandeliers and gas lamps hung from the ceilings and mounted the walls giving off a soft welcoming glow.
Harry noticed a door set off down a shallow corridor to his right, realizing that he didn't recall having ever seen the door before he walked over and taking hold of the knob twisted it and stepped inside. Behind the door he found what he supposed was a study, paneled in a gorgeous hardwood that held deep red undertones. The room was decorated and furnished in colors that were reminiscent of the Gryffindor common room, albeit more mature and with much less worn couches and chairs. Along the right wall was a bank of four large bay windows that opened onto the back garden that held an elaborate stone hewn fountain and a very well tended garden that boasted an array of stunning plants growing there. The left wall held a large fireplace that was surrounded by two armchairs, a small couch and table. A bookshelf sat at the front of the room, with a mishmash of books crowding its shelves. A high-backed settee adorned with a scarlet throw and pillows was situated in front of bookshelf. At the very back of the room was a large desk and chair sitting before another bookshelf that was adorned with various knick-knacks and photographs.
The shelf of whatnots and photographs caught Harry's attention. As he drew nearer he was able to make out what some of the knick-knacks were. Two snitches buzzed about in glass cases, little gold plates attached to the cases told him that one was from the first Quidditch match he'd ever won at Hogwarts, the other from the final game his father had played in during his final year at Hogwarts. The model of the Horntail from the Triwizard Tournament sat on a shelf next to the Marauders map. Still another shelf housed his mother's Head Girl badge from seventh year. Stunned as he was by the collected artifacts ornamenting the shelves; it was the pictures that riveted him. Mixed in among the various items were pictures of his parents, Sirius and Remus from Hogwarts and after. There were pictures of Harry, Ron and Hermione during their Hogwarts years as well.
Harry's eyes drifted to the desk where three pictures were arranged. The first was of his parents; they were sitting beneath an apple tree staring lovingly into each other's eyes. The second was of his parents holding him as they smiled and waved happily at the camera. The third picture was his favorite photo of Hermione; a shot of her sitting beneath a large oak in her parents back garden reading a book. He'd dreaded coming back to Grimmauld more than he cared to admit but in that maddening way she had of always knowing just the thing to do Hermione had made this, his most unbearable of situations something akin to a homecoming. A smile turned the corners of his mouth as he thought how much he loved the woman standing across the room from him. Coming from around the desk Harry covered the distance separating him from Hermione in a few strides before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her quite thoroughly.
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Ron and Harry were holed up in the ground floor study of Grimmauld Place. Harry was pouring over his files and the journal from the case. Ron sat across from Harry staring at the picture of the blond haired witch, shaking his head he inquired.
"Still no idea who she is?"
Harry shook his head.
"None. No known Death Eaters fit the description and all their children have been accounted for. Kazimir and Aleksandra have exhausted all their contacts and come up with squat. She's not listed anywhere in any Magical Law Enforcement files as either a victim or perpetrator."
Ron chimed in.
"Which means she's fairly new to all this Dark Arts business…"
Ron paused for a beat and frown as he added.
"That or she's bloody damn good at it to have avoided capture after all this time."
"Instinct tells me it's a bit of both."
Harry rose from his seat behind his desk and began to pace. Ron watched him carefully and waited for him to verbalize whatever it was that had been so obviously nagging him about the situation. No sooner than Ron had completed his thoughts, Harry said.
"Thing is I've been staring at this picture for two days now and I know I've seen this witch somewhere before, but where."
Harry quit speaking briefly and resumed his pacing for several long silent moments before he burst out.
"I know I've seen her…"
Harry suddenly went rigid as he remembered something.
"It was at headquarters…that's where I've seen her before!"
Harry rushed over to the desk and plucked the picture of the blond witch from atop his stack of files, staring at the haunted visage staring back at him he said.
"I'm certain it was at headquarters now I just need to remember what case file I saw it in, get the file and we're in with a start."
Ron shook his head.
"You're forgetting Melbourne mate. If you saw this bird's picture at headquarters then you can be certain that that git's gotten rid of any information on her contained anywhere in headquarters."
Harry drummed his fingers on the desk.
"Your right with whatever he's hiding I'm sure he's gotten rid of the file by now. Maybe I could show the photo around a bit, see if some of the blokes who might've worked the case remember the face."
Again, Ron shook his head.
"Another no go mate, it'd be a dead giveaway what you're up to if you tried passing that photo around the office, Melbourne'd be all over you in a second!"
Realizing that Ron was right yet again Harry groaned in frustration and banged his fist on the desk just as the door swung open. Luna and Hermione ambled into the room. Luna called out to Harry.
"If you're trying to swat a Skebble Flembble I'd advise against using your hand, they give quite nasty bites."
Hermione turned to Luna and inquired.
"Skebble Flembble?"
Luna replied absentmindedly as she wondered about the room admiring the books shelved throughout the study.
"Papyrus Sprites. Root cause of paper cuts you know."
Hermione smile and nodded as she said.
"Papyrus Sprites…yes I might have guessed."
Ron threw Hermione a look that clearly begged her not to get his wife wound up about the collection of fanciful creatures she insisted inhabited the wizarding world. Acquiescing to Ron`s unspoken request Hermione said.
"Molly sent us to collect you two, dinner's ready."
"Dinner, why didn't you say so."
Ron didn't wait around for the others he strode across the room and disappeared through the door Luna and Hermione had left open when they'd come in. Luna looked over at Harry and Hermione and said.
"We'd better hurry otherwise they'll be nothing left."
The three shared a chuckle as they exited the room.
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Anyone looking around the dining room table would have sworn that it was the Burrow and not Grimmauld Place what with all the Weasleys and their offspring sitting around the table. The only notable difference was the fact that Arthur and Molly were sitting on the left hand side of the table and not at its head as they usually did. The head of the table was reserved for Harry and the seat to his immediate right was set aside for Hermione, as it was their table in their house. Molly and Arthur showed up not long after lunch after having received Hermione's owl explaining that they had come back to London as soon as they'd heard about Fleur but didn't dare risk turning up at hospital seeing as how the press had gotten wind of Hermione's pregnancy. Molly had arrived with news of Bill, Fleur, William, Christian and little Esmée Simone Weasley. She had been positively gushing as she happily filled them in on the particulars of the birth, the naming and the sheer beauty of the newest addition to the Weasley family.
Ron and Luna arrived shortly after his parents had. They'd intended to ask about the sideline of investigating the newlyweds were presently involved in. Upon seeing his mother Ron had attempted to employ the secret code they'd developed years ago and underhandedly asked how the honeymoon had been. Although both Harry and Hermione sussed out Ron's true meaning immediately Molly having no idea what was truly going on had taken over the conversation inquiring about their trip and remarking on how marriage obviously suited the two quite well as they both looked happier than she'd ever seen them. Not long after that Charlie and Paige had arrived and gradually all of the Weasley clan turned up having gotten word that Harry and Hermione were back in town and that the family was congregating at Grimmauld.
This impromptu gathering convinced Molly that a family dinner was in order and she'd set off for the kitchen quite happy to be the first to break in the state-of-the-art-never-before-used-cooker. As usual she'd done a bang up job making a roast joint of beef with carrots, peas, potatoes, cauliflower and cabbage. There was also herb and onions stuffing, gravy, and bread sauce with Yorkshire pudding and rhubarb crumple for afters. Freshly fed and watered off of Molly's excellent food the entire lot retired to the lounge room where Fred and George produced a copy of the Daily Prophet and took it in turns reading the headlines about Harry and Hermione in the voices of their old Hogwarts professors (the voices of Snape, Lockhart and Umbridge had been the most popular) as entertainment for a nearly an hour before conversation picked up again.
"This is a lovely house Harry, I suppose that you and Hermione will be getting rid of your flats and moving in here now the baby is coming?"
Before Harry had a chance to answer Paige's query Luna added in one of her own.
"This house…was it Sirius'? Is that why you've never lived here?"
Luna and Paige's questions drew the attention of the rest of the family. Harry felt their eyes as they watched him from various points about the room. Scratching his chin thoughtfully for a moment Harry considered his answer and then responded to Luna first.
"Yes Luna, 12 Grimmauld Place is Sirius' family home and as it was the last place I ever saw him alive I've avoided coming here at all in the last eleven years."
A horrified expression crossed Paige's face; she'd heard the story of how Harry found and eventually lost his godfather Sirius Black from Charlie. She was mortified at what she had just asked. Just as she opened, her mouth to apologize Harry spoke.
"And to be honest Paige I've been thinking along the same lines as you."
Hermione, Ron, the twins, Molly and Arthur all turned shocked eyes in Harry's direction. With a puzzled shake of her head, Hermione asked.
"You want to live here…here at Grimmauld Place?"
Harry nodded and smiled.
"Well when you think about it, it's really quite sensible actually. Grimmauld is large enough to accommodate all our accumulated things and as it's so close to the Ministry I won't have to worry about you apparating or flooing as the pregnancy goes on. And getting to St. Mungos will be a lark once our little seeker makes his debut…"
Hermione interjected.
"You have no idea whether this baby is a boy or girl or that he or she will like Quidditch let alone want to be a seeker."
Grinning Harry replied.
"Sprog's mine, loving Quidditch and playing seeker are a given love…and trust me when I say it's a him."
Harry's cheeky reply earned a hearty laugh from the twins. Ron broke the lightness of the moment by saying.
"Little Harry's seeking exploits aside how in the bloody name of Merlin do you expect to live here when you hate this place! I mean true it looks loads better since Hermione fixed up the place but its still Grimmauld Place…still Sirius'…"
Harry cut in.
"Still Sirius' home…"
Ron stared uncertainly at Harry. Harry elaborated.
"Back when I found out the truth about Sirius he asked me to come and live with him and while I doubt he'd have picked Grimmauld Place as the site of our happy home. But I like to think that if we had of ended up here we'd have made it work…turned it into something other than the tribute to pureblood mania that he remembered it as. Sirius wanted me to have a home and a family…a home and a family like what I've got now with Hermione…"
Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's and squeezed it affectionately. Harry's eyes connected with hers and a tender smile covered his face as he continued speaking.
"I'd very much like to make Grimmauld a part of that life…for Sirius…"
Harry stopped without saying the rest of what he'd intended as he suddenly became aware of the stifling emotionally charged silence his words had brought on. He felt Hermione's hands framing his face as she drew his lips towards her own. Kissing him delicately, she whispered.
"I absolutely adore you Mr. Potter."
Harry answered back with an equally tender kiss as he muttered.
"The feeling is mutual Mrs. Potter, the feeling is mutual."
Fred and George plucked Harry from his warm moment with his wife.
"You Gred I reckon they be shagging if we weren't here right now."
At George's words, Fred nodded sagely and added.
"Yup I do believe you are right Forge, if it wasn't that he'd already knocked her up I'd bet on tonight being the night."
Fred waggled his eyebrows suggestively and the room erupted in gales of laughter.
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The next four days of what was left of the week and a half of Harry and Hermione's honeymoon was spent packing up the combined contents of their flats and moving into Grimmauld Place. Harry refused to allow Hermione to lift anything heavier than her wand and depending on the spell she was attempting sometimes even that was off limits. Yet, despite his refusing Hermione's help, Harry was far from alone with the task it went without saying that he had plenty of help from the Weasley men who turned up to help with all the heavy lifting.
By the time Harry and Hermione were all moved in Fleur and Esmée were back at home. To celebrate the Potters hosted a housewarming/welcome home party at Grimmauld. They invite all their family, friends and even a few acquaintances from work. Fleur's sister Gabrielle and her parents were in attendance as they'd just arrived from France to meet their granddaughter. It was a grand do; food, drink and conversation flowed easily and a smashing time was had by all.
Harry was somewhat put out by the fact that Hermione's superior Dalton Moore, who'd made a brief appearance at the festivities, had asked her back to work the following day to help out with some case that had the other unspeakables stumped. Hermione hadn't agreed right off as she wasn't sure how Harry would react. They technically still had six days of "honeymooning" left and with Ron getting ready to take off to Belgium to hammer out the details of potentially opening a branch of the joke shop there Harry would be left sitting home for another six days with no one to bounce ideas off of about the case. Harry however had, however grudgingly, told Hermione it wasn't necessary to stay home on his account. He knew the idea of sitting round without something to occupy her mind would drive Hermione nutters much as it was doing him. Harry loathed inactivity and despite the fact that he was itching to get out and do something, anything, he assured Hermione that her returning to work was fine and that he would survive quite well on his own.
The first two days he managed quite well as there were still a few minor details to handle in regards to he and Hermione settling into their new home. There was the settling of the leases on their flats, the transferring and combining of their muggle and Gringotts accounts, and a bit of redecorating to Grimmauld. Harry converted the upstairs library to include a study for Hermione to work in. As the library was directly above his private study Harry had a portion of the floor ripped out and a set of stairs added so that he and Hermione would have their own private workspace but not be completely separate. Normally a project of that magnitude would have taken several weeks but in the wizarding world it had only taken one day.
Harry's third day alone found him in the company of Molly Weasley who'd asked if he'd be a dear and come over to help her and Fleur get Esmée's room situated as Bill had to be back at work. A seemingly innocuous proposition at the outset Harry had thought nothing of the request. However, once he arrived back at Grimmauld Place where Hermione was kept his supper hot with a warming charm, he vowed that Bill would be repaying this particular wizard's debt in kind once their baby was born. It was on the morning of the fourth day that Harry cracked. He'd been sitting at the table attempting to have breakfast and thumb through the Daily Prophet, when suddenly the tediousness of the relatively commonplace morning activity closed in on him. Without sparing a thought for what he was doing he rushed upstairs and pulled on his aurors robes and disapparated to the ministry.
As he strode through the corridors of the Ministry of Magic's Magical Law Enforcement division Harry encountered more than a few shocked looks. It was common knowledge that he was on holiday and was not expected back for another three days yet. Knowing that Melbourne would be upset over his sudden return Harry had decided that he'd be best served by employing a bit of strategy to get what he wanted. Seeing that he and Melbourne were so often at odds over Harry's alleged disregard for authority, Harry planned on going to his superior first and asking to be placed back on duty as opposed to just showing up and assigning himself a case. Harry arrived outside Melbourne's office and seeing that his secretary was away from her desk stepped towards the open door to Melbourne's office.
Harry stepped inside the office and quickly ascertained that Melbourne was out. Deciding it was best that he not be found inside Melbourne's office when he wasn't there he turned to leave when a picture sitting on the edge of the desk caught his attention. In the picture were three people, two witches and a wizard. The wizard in the picture was tall and handsome, with broad shoulders, deep brown eyes and an easy smile that made his face appear warm and friendly. Each of his arms was draped around the shoulders of a witch. The witch on his right was considerably older than the wizard. Her long blond hair was beginning to gray and her face was beginning to line and crease with wrinkles. And though eyes were hazel, her face held the same warm smile as the young wizard's and Harry surmised they were mother and son. The witch to his left was younger, Harry guessed her to be around the age of the wizard himself, and utterly breathtaking. Though she was a bit pale there was no mistaking how beautiful this woman was. Her long blond hair fell in deep waves about her shoulders; her smile seemed to light up the room and her hazel eyes twinkled like stars.
Harry's eyes narrowed as he focused in on those eyes…he'd seen them before. Suddenly it came to him…the photo of the witch he'd come across in Greece…the witch he knew he'd seen before but couldn't remember where…this was her he was certain of it! Just as the realization took hold of him a voice pulled him back from his musings.
"May I help you with something?"
Harry turned and found himself face to face with Esmeralda Satterfield, Melbourne's secretary. Upon seeing Harry her stern expression softened.
"Oh, Auror Potter, its you...didn't know who could possibly be sniffing about Minister Melbourne's office…did you have an appointment?"
Harry shook his head and replied hastily.
"Morning Mrs. Satterfield…no I don't have an appointment but I was hoping to have a word with Minister Melbourne if I could no one was in and I was just on my way out when you came."
Mrs. Satterfield nodded.
"Yes the Minister was called away on urgent business, won't be back in until tomorrow. Would you like to leave a message for him?"
Harry shook his head.
"No…no need…I'll try again tomorrow."
Mrs. Satterfield nodded and stepped aside to allow Harry to pass. He took a step towards the door then glancing back at the desk. Mrs Satterfield caught the look and said.
"Lovely family they were…Agamennous, Hecuba, Priam and Isolde…and it was such a tragedy losing them all the way he did. Why I can't imagine how awful it must be to lose your wife and your children so terrible. I can't imagine what he must go through."
Mrs Satterfield cast a sad look back at the photo as Harry stepped out into the corridor; his newfound revelation ringing in his ears…the witch in the picture was Isolde Melbourne, Agamennous Melbourne's daughter.
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