A/N: Ok, I'm back...As usual, I only own the plot, and the insane number of orginal characters...Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for taking the time to glance through this. Parts of this chapter have already been posted as Shooters, and yes, I was grinning as I posted it, as I hadn't admitted that this fic existed yet.
Chapter 6: A Step Back from the Abyss...
*************************Godric's Hollow*****************************
July 31, 2015
Emilia smiled to herself as she watched Sirius and Harriet walking along the lakeshore, talking. Gaheris paced at his mistress' heels, occasionally running in front to receive a rub from Sirius or Harriet, but typically more interested in exploring his new home. Emilia stopped and grinned, looking back over her shoulder just in time to see Xander appear behind her. She grinned as he kissed her nose; then settled in behind her. "So, what's the pool up to?"
Emilia snorted, as she watched Sirius swoop his hands through the air, describing the last game of last year, when Emilia had snatched the Snitch, securing the Quidditch Cup once more for Gryffindor. Last time I heard, it was somewhere in the neighborhood of five hundred Galleons. Emilia looked down at her right hand, at a deep green stone shimmering on there.
What do we have? Xander asked, kissing her hair, and pulling her back to him. She sighed quietly as he lightly drummed his fingers on her stomach just under the hem of her t-shirt. Hipper looked up at them from the ground and sat at her feet, patiently.
Both my folks and us have Christmas...we got the bet in to a different twin at the same time. Xander nodded, and Emilia pulled away slightly and took his hand as she started towards the house. They slipped into the house, through the kitchen and living room and through a door leading to one of the few, new aboveground sections that were added after the last total renovation following the fight with Voldemort here.
Emilia closed the door behind them and pressed a switch on the wall, waiting as a large door ground open to let light into the room. "Where's your dad's motorbike?" Xander asked as he looked around the oddly-normal looking garage, finding Hermione's BMW roadster, Emilia's old, restored '05 jeep and Harry's mustang from the same era, sitting there gathering dust, but no sign of the bike he had so long ago inherited from Sirius.
Emilia shrugged as she walked over to a mostly empty wall that held an eight-place rack partially filled with six brooms. One of them, Sirius', was ready to fall to the floor, she fixed it, setting it back more fully in the rack, before she turned to look at him with a small, knowing smile, "Mum and Dad have been full up since the attack on Diagon Alley...It's Dad's birthday, I'd expect they are off somewhere on the bike."
"Riding?" Xander asked with a small smirk.
Emilia snorted, and walked over to her mostly Muggle transportation, if one ignored the Flying, Invisibility and Waterproof Charms, along with the fact that it never really needed fuel, and started to root around in a storage compartment that served as her trunk, "I suppose that you could call it that," she replied, laughing.
"What are you looking for?"
Emilia turned and looked back over her shoulder at him, before she returned to the infinitely deep compartment, she pulled out a spare sheath for her sword, a pair of empty bottles of butterbeer, which she tossed at a bin set in the corner of the garage, they changed course in mid-flight to land neatly in the bin, a couple of books, a hardback edition of Time Enough for Love and a dog-eared copy of Remote Viewing for Fun and Profit, before she found a small, overnight bag. She set it up on the lip and dug through it. "Yes, it was here."
"What?" Xander asked warily.
Emilia grinned as she set the bag aside, and waved her hand, sending all the rest back to repack itself. "Oh, since Harriet and I are almost exactly the same build-"
"I hadn't noticed, really," Xander said a touch too quickly, and Emilia paced up to him, a single dark eyebrow crooked as she stopped and ran a finger along his jaw.
Her finger trailed upwards, until her fingers tangled in the hair on the back of his head and pulled his lips down to hers. She pulled away with a tiny gasp, I wasn't worried, she kissed his nose and turned back to pick up the bag, "As I was saying, before I was interrupted, an interruption that we will continue this evening..." Xander's slightly cocky grin was matched by her own, "Harriet and I are the same size, so I thought I'd lend her a swimsuit..."
"Which one?" Xander asked almost tentatively.
"That red one I had down at the beach, last month," Emilia replied and Xander took a deep, almost shuddering breath, as he remembered the suit that had almost kicked things off for them a few weeks early. A vision of her standing on the shore of the Atlantic with the wind whipping her hair about as she looked back at him, with a decidedly predatory glint in her eyes flitted across his mind. "Yep, that one," she confirmed as she read the thoughts.
"You are so going to cost us the bet..." Xander complained, "that is if you don't kill your brother."
Emilia made a soft huffing sound, and turned away, "I happen to love my brother, and I know not a damn thing will happen, though I would be glad to forfeit the money, you've seen them together...but he inherited that whole, I'm noble thing from Dad, he won't make a move until she hammers it into his skull...now that's an idea..." she mused and he sighed, following her out of the garage as the door closed behind them.
********************The Feisty Goat, Oxfordshire, England*******************
July 31, 2015
11:20 pm
"Bloody fucking hell," a tall, blonde-haired eighteen-year-old murmured almost reverently as his head snapped to the side, watching as a brunette, his age or maybe just a bare hair older, slipped past, stalking to the bar in this crowded club. He swallowed just slightly and tapped his friends with a hand holding a pint of Guinness, a pair dressed similarly to him, in Oxford campus togs, and gestured towards the young woman as she sat on an unoccupied bar stool and ordered some drink. It came in a tumbler, an amber liquid that she took a long sip from before she set it down on the bar, and crossed her legs, causing the already, near-felonious red and gold tartan pleated mini-skirt hanging low on her hips to ride up, showing her legs almost up to her hip. She leaned forward on the bar, stretching the material of the dark blue, cropped top she had on, across her back, and pulling the top up even further, exposing at least three inches of skin between it and the hem of her skirt.
The young woman spun on the stool and arched back, stretching to grab her drink with her right and drawing not a few eyes, of both genders, to the sight that afforded, of a stomach that was actually defined, not merely flat, and the tight cloth stretched across her chest by the motion. A flicker of light from the dance floor sparkled off a green jewel hung in her navel, and as she looked around and caught the hungry gazes of the trio, a flicker of some green light from the dance floor shimmered in dark eyes.
She gave them a small smile as she saw their attentions on her, and turned back to watching the dance floor. With a gesture to his friends, the youth started forward. His friends fell in at his shoulders as he stopped for a moment, a sly smile growing in his face. She turned her head unhurriedly, a single chestnut eyebrow crooking slowly. "Hello, boys," she breathed, but oddly they had no problem hearing her over the driving beat of song currently playing in the club.
"What's your name?" the original student asked, smirking slightly as he leaned on the bar.
Hermione snorted to herself, keeping the expression carefully off her face, "Hermione," she replied, a small sly smile on her face. "What's yours?"
"Tom," he replied, leaning on the bar next to her. He motioned to the bartender and towards Hermione, a shot slid down the bar to her. She ignored it.
"I knew a Tom, once," she replied, looking at the other two. "Didn't work out so well for him."
"I'm a totally different bloke," he replied, spreading his hands wide and grinning, "What'd say you call your roommate and tell them you won't be home tonight."
Hermione giggled, her left hand came up to cover her mouth, and as a platinum and gold band glinted in the dim lights, a gasp came from one of the students. She glanced around them, "Why don't you tell him yourself?" she asked, as Harry slipped around the trio. Hermione's legs uncrossed and her knees spread automatically as Harry stood between them and leaned down, helped by the fingers of her left hand tangled in his hair, to meet her lips. She groaned; her eyes slipping closed as his tongue slipped past her partially open lips to mate with hers.
Her back arched slightly, pressing into his chest, as her other hand reached behind his waist pulling him in to press against her. She broke the kiss, panting as she looked up at him though heavy, dark lashes, "What took you so long, baby?"
"Bloody loo was broke, had to go take a piss in the alley outside," Harry replied, as both of his hands slipped down behind her back to lightly cup her arse, and pull her forcefully into him. She moaned quietly, letting her head loll to the side, as his lips and teeth lightly played on a throbbing pulse point. Eyes gone almost black scanned around the room.
Her head spun as she heard a familiar voice, the very reason they had traveled here in fact, on Sirius' old Harley that stood propped in the parking lot outside, "OI, LADS AND LASSIES, SHOTS!" Hermione looked back at Seamus Finnegan's ruddy face and signaled him. He laughed and slid a small tray, already bearing a saltshaker, several cut-up lemons, and several poured shots, along with an almost full bottle of Jose Cuervo Black.
Seamus was a born bartender, ever since he first blew off his eyebrows trying to produce rum from water. But it was only after his wife of two years at the time decided to attend the nearby Stonehenge University for Advanced Sorcery, that he had discovered his calling. He had begun working at this pub, an old one that had catered to both Muggles and their Magical brethren at the respective schools near here, while Padma worked on a degree in spell design. After two years, while she received her first degree, he was the manager, and after another two and a half while she got her doctorate, he was the owner, buying out the old owner so he could retire in a wizard commune in the British Virgin Islands.
Seamus had renovated the pub, expanding it, and adding a dance floor and music, with sound systems carefully shielded by his wife, her sister and Hermione. This shielding was to protect them from the occasional unintentional bursts of magic that an inebriated and...aroused wizard or witch was wont to do. Now, it was one of the main hangouts for Stonehenge, not that any of the Muggles would ever know due to a specially tailored Fidelius variant, and a popular destination for the Oxford crowd.
The particular bar had another advantage, amazingly enough, Harry and Hermione could normally not be bothered here, besides the occasional attempt to pick one or the both of them up, as the Muggles thought they were students due to their apparent age. Any witch or wizard who would have bothered them, risked Seamus' displeasure. New patrons were never, told of this rule, they all just seemed to know.
Hermione smirked and waggled her eyebrows at Harry, Come on, Harry, Hermione wheedled. He just nodded and his head darted forward to kiss her. Beyond them, the music changed to an old, to them Weird Sisters hit, Magic Works. The band had, following in the footsteps of the Stones almost sixty years before, crossed to the Muggle side as well. Hermione let out a whoop of surprise as Harry picked her up by the waist and set her on the bar, before standing between her legs to kiss her again. Seamus just rolled his eyes, and gave his wife a kiss as she slipped out from a back room, her dark eyes glittering with mirth at the sight.
"Well, lass are you going to do the shot, or are you just going to shag on the bar?" Seamus hollered as he and Padma came up to stand behind Hermione. Seamus took a shot from the tray and slammed it, shuddering slightly as it burned on the way down. He laughed as one of Harry's hands, which had been running just along the top edge of Hermione's skirt, rose and flipped him the bird.
Hermione smirked slightly as she pulled back, and licked her lips slowly, her eyes sparkling as she laughed at Harry's expression. Her head shot forward, fastening on the side of his neck, sucking slightly for an instant before she reached back to find a saltshaker filling her hand. A moment later, a small, pink tongue ran along the pulse she found hammering there. Hermione sat back, took the shot Seamus handed her and tossed it back, laughing as she found Harry with a lemon slice in his teeth. Her eyes closed as she sucked the lemon to the rind, before kissing his nose and setting back.
A cheer came from several of the nearby patrons as Hermione raised the empty shot glass and slammed it on the counter. She cocked her head challengingly at Harry, and just laughed as he laced the fingers of one hand with her left. His eyes held hers as he pulled her left wrist to his lips and sucked at her pulse. She shuddered, her eyes slipping mostly closed as a faint glow seemed to fill them, and arched towards him. Hermione took a long breath as several of the nearby patrons found it abnormally hot in the bar. Harry grinned and sprinkled a line of salt along the inside of her wrist, before running his tongue from the base of her fingers halfway up her arm.
He held out a hand for the shot, but Hermione shook her head and grabbed one instead. Her bottom lip half-twisted as she held it between her teeth, and leaned back on the bar, half reclining and sucking in her stomach slightly to form a shallow bowl. Her eyes bored into his as she slowly poured the shot into the bowl of her stomach. "Well?" she whispered, and gasped as Harry bent forward, and slowly lapped the fiery liquor up, making sure to gather every single drop. The fingers of her left hand tangled in his hair, as he made sure her belly button was dry, and tugged gently on her ring with his tongue.
Hermione rolled upright, a lemon slice in her teeth and growled quietly as he leaned up and sucked the lemon to the pulp. Hermione spat the rind to the floor as Harry straightened and raised the empty glass to a raucous cheer. Hermione laughed again and darted down, taking his head between her hands and snogging him forcefully.
Behind the bar, Padma sighed and took a drag off a Guinness, gesturing towards the former Head Students, "I'd not believed you, if you told me that fifth year. The being together, I could have believed, even though they were good at hiding it, but the public display?" she shrugged.
Seamus nodded, as he made a Slippery Nipple for a customer and handed it off, making change absently, he glanced over at the pair still making out on his bar, and then at a few other college students that seemed intrigued by their example, "Can you call over to the inn, sweetheart," he lowered his voice as he motioned for his other bartender to take over, he ran two or three on Friday and Saturday nights, "I don't care who they are, they ain't driving, flying or Apparating anywhere tonight."
Padma snorted, before kissing him deeply, "Sure, dear," and pulling away.
"We'll be finishing that later, lass," he called after her as she started towards the back to make the call.
She stopped at the door, and turned, running her eyes slowly down his body and then back up, "You better believe it, your daughter is at the Lupins visiting Abby...we have the whole house to ourselves..."
************************Godric's Hollow***********************
August 1, 2015
3:15 am
Sirius Potter sat in a soft pool of white light, in the midst of his otherwise dim room, a paperback book open in his hands as he sat with his back against his headboard and read of fantastic adventures far away. Adventures, because they were happening to someone else far, far away, a thousand years in the future. He set aside the fifteenth novel in a long, long series by an American science fiction author with a main character with the same name as one of Ginny's year mates and stretched.
He yawned slightly, having unknowingly reached this late hour buried in the pages of a book, which of course he had only started in on, because he could not sleep in the first place, his mind on the room across the hall from his, the former guest room. He sighed softly as he stood from the bed, slipping over to the large window that overlooked the grounds, and reached up, lightly running his fingers over Natasha's feathers. She gave him a small hoot, before shaking her head slightly and launching from her pedestal, heading out for the night's hunt.
The window opened and closed automatically, letting her free into the night. Sirius watched out the window until she vanished from view before slipping back to his bed and falling back on it. He looked over at the book, deciding whether or not to read a touch more or let himself drift off, having reached that point where it was almost as easy to stay awake as to let himself fall asleep, when a muted cry came from outside of his room. His heart hammered somewhere in the vicinity of his Adam's apple as he recognized the voice, even as he rolled off the bed, barely remembering to call his wand to his hand as he moved to the door and out into the hall.
Another moaned shout came from the barely cracked door to the former guest room, a distinct difference from the absolute silence issuing from his sister's no-doubt silenced room. Sirius took a breath and pushed the door open, slipping inside. He took a breath, instantly taking in the room.
The room had been redecorated for its new inhabitant, in blues and reds. A large bookshelf sat next to a doorway leading to a small bathroom, it was already filled with books on every subject Hogwarts had had ever taught, along with more than a few that it never would have thought about. A large moon glowed softly in an enchanted ceiling, it's image slightly distorted by the slow whir of a fan.
A large dog bed sat empty at the foot of a platform bed. The covers were kicked to the floor, as the girl that filled the bed flipped and turned, "Mummy..." she muttered shaking slightly in her sleep. Sirius moved closer and a pair of faintly glowing blue eyes looked at him from near the foot of the bed. Gaheris whined softly as he looked up towards his mistress, then towards Sirius as if begging him to help, somehow. "I don't want to leave, Mummy...I want to be with you..."
Sirius bit his lip, and looked between Harriet and her familiar, not sure what to do, other that he had to do something. Harriet settled down abruptly, and Sirius let out a sigh, letting loose a breath he had not known he was holding. He watched her sleep for a bit, his heart pounding for some reason, before he turned to leave.
"NO..." Harriet cried, and broke into quiet sobs. "Leave him alone...The dark lady, comes " she muttered, "You can't have him...I've just found him..." She started to shake, a soft whimpering sound mixing with the one from her Familiar. She rolled on her side and started to shake, kicking off the last sheet that covered her and nailing Gaheris in the jaw with her foot. He took the blow and did not move as Sirius slipped to the edge of the bed. He reached over and touched her shoulder.
Harriet twisted like a snake, her wand appearing in her hand as if by magic. His own wand flicked, just in time to send a red bolt crashing into the ceiling. Her eyes looked blankly at him for a long moment, the tip of her wand lit red and pointing at a spot between his eyes. She blinked, "Siri..." she whispered disbelievingly, "I...I thought you were dead...The dark lady, she..."
Sirius reached forward and gently plucked her wand from numb fingers. The glow faded slowly away as he closed his eyes and pulled the charge of magic into himself. His breath hitched as he felt the tiny spike of her magic blend with his own. He set her wand on the nightstand nearest him, and looked at her, "I'm fine, Harriet, you just had a nightmare..."
"Are you sure?" she whispered, her voice revealing both her desire to believe him and the doubt that she could, that this was not another dream. He nodded, and she settled down, watching him. Her grey eyes were wide as he started to get up from the bed.
"I'll let you..."
"Can you stay, just until I get to sleep?" Harriet asked, "Please?"
He nodded and walked around the bed, to sit against the headboard on the empty side of the bed. Harriet rolled over to face him, and slowly reached one hand towards his as he slumped down slightly. "Just until you go to sleep," Sirius replied with a miniscule nod, almost as if he were convincing himself. She nodded with a faint grin and closed her eyes. Sirius watched as her breathing evened out almost instantly, falling into the deep patterns of sleep. I'll just stay here for a few minutes, he yawned, scooting down the bed until he was lying on his side facing her. He yawned again, closing his eyes, just for an instant.
7:15 am
An errant beam of sunlight slipped in through the curtains and Sirius opened his eyes slowly, and just for an instant, panicked, as the only color in sight was red. He let out a sharp breath, and watched the color dance in his vision, just as the rest of his body woke enough to inform him of an oddly comfortable weight covering one side of his body. This rather nice...He took a sudden, sharp breath as his brain finally woke fully, and realized that a soft, warm body was the source of the mysterious weight. I don't want to move her; maybe I can pretend that I'm asleep...
Harriet stirred on his shoulder as his eyes flicked closed and stretched, and somehow Sirius knew that he really wanted to see that sight, but kept his eyes closed anyway. He almost groaned as her weight left his side as she moved away from him. He felt a soft pressure on his cheek and then the bed shifted a bit as she rolled out of it, "Thank you, my prince," a quiet voice filled his ear before he heard the door to the closet open and a soft rustling come from within. A moment later, the door to the bathroom opened and closed and the sound of running water could be heard, softly through the closed door.
Sirius rapidly rolled to his feet, and moved to the door, stumbling over at least one non-existent crack in the floor before making it there. He looked back once towards the bed, and took a long breath, not daring to meet the eyes of Harriet's Familiar who, for some reason as he sat on the bed, looked back with a huge canine smile on his face.
********************** Oxfordshire, England*******************
August 1, 2015
9:20 am
A beam of sunlight stabbed its way through mostly pulled shades, driving inexorably towards, an almost totally concealed, of what could be this day at least, charitably called a thicket of chestnut hair. A soft, exasperated groan slipped from parched lips as she blearily pried open a bloodshot, chocolate eye. Bloody hell, Hermione snapped, then moaned softly as she closed her eye as quickly as it had opened, too bright...What the hell...oww...she growled as a sudden spike of fire shot through her head
Very, very slowly, she tunneled under the covers until she found a mop of inky hair. With a small pout, she pushed on his shoulder, shaking him, until a tired groan came from the direction of the pillow. Harrryyyy...Hermione whined, it hurts to think...
Then stop thinking, Harry replied sensibly, if quite slowly.
I can't...oww...Hermione pushed on his shoulders again, setting up a vibration, that caused her entire universe, which currently consisted of Harry, a bed that she did not quite know where it was, and herself, to sway dangerously. She stopped, swallowing heavily, I'm meee...she let herself drop fully on his back and paused, staring cross-eyed at the back of his neck. She watched her breath move the hairs on the back of his head around for a bit, I wonder if....oww...
Told you to stop, Harry snorted into his pillow, shaking them both. Hermione swallowed heavily and Harry, very, very slowly rolled over to hold her still. Hermione, I will still love you if you puke on me, but please, don't...
I can't stop...Hermione moaned, even as another part of her always-busy mind insisted that they should get up, and do something. A fresh spike of pain hammered through her brain, almost as if punishing her, as her mind drifted to what their kids were doing. She dropped her face to his neck. You could help me, she said after several minutes had passed punctuated only by their breathing, she started to nuzzle his neck, and move her hips slightly, it'll...oww...help me to stop, thinking.
I can't move that much, Harry objected, my head will fall off and roll across the floor...
Which one, Hermione quipped, then groaned, I only need the lower one...She pushed herself up on her arms, shakily, the world wobbled...That was a mistake...her scenery suddenly changed, a heartbeat before she let go, her shoulders heaving as she felt most everything she had ate since she was twelve suddenly decide to revisit her. She took a breath, shuddering on the edge of a white ceramic monolith, and proceeded to loose everything else, up to and including her first ice cream cone she had when she was two. She took in a deep breath and looked over at him out of the corner of her eye as he handed her a glass of water. She swished it around her mouth before spitting it in the bowl. I love you, she muttered as she let the cool tile floor of wherever the hell they were sooth her, but this has to be your fault, I would never get this sloshed on my own...
Harry smiled. He sat back against a tile backsplash and pulled her onto his lap, I think the body shots were your idea, Love. You wanted to go to that college pub...you are 35, Mione...
Hermione curled on his lap like a large, rather exhausted kitten, Hush you...she smirked slightly, the nausea and pain, at least most of it, gone along with her lunch and dinner, I'll have you know, that Poppy said I was eighteen--twenty, biologically, just last week... Hermione reached down between them and slowly danced fingers along the lines of his stomach. How many of those girls in that pub could say they share clothes with their daughter, honestly.
None, Harry allowed, he pulled back to look at her slightly, squinting through bloodshot eyes, Are you, alright, Hermione?
Never better, she muttered, not meaning it and knowing that he knew that she did not mean it. Harry...
Umm, he responded eloquently, closing his eyes as she leaned against his shoulder, and made quiet, contented sounds.
We're naked, we stink, and we are sitting on a bathroom floor, Hermione observed, a slight lecturing tone slipping into her voice as she regained sentience. She looked up from his shoulder, using just her eyes, we should take a shower...but it's all the way over there, she added plaintively as she found the pristine white stall mocking them from four or five feet away. Carry me, baby, pleeeaaaseee....
I got us here, Harry objected, I thought this was an equal relationship. He sighed as he forced his way to his feet, and more or less carried her to the shower, setting her somewhat shakily on her feet, before he leaned against the wall of the shower. Hermione made a small gesture, and lukewarm water rained down on them, instantly drenching her hair, to hang heavily along her spine.
Hermione slowly moved backwards under the spray until her back hit the cool stone of the wall, before reaching up to pull his face to hers. Harrryyy, baby...she looked down, smirking slightly as her fingers danced and a certain portion of his anatomy greeted her. She looked back up at his eyes, and reached up with her other hand, to move sodden black strands out of his eyes, Such a good boy...
He just grinned as he took a breath, and slowly let his hands trail down her sides to cup her bum.
She nodded, holding his eyes with hers, as they both lit in tandem, filling with a rush of magic. Hermione gasped as the rush of magic swept the remnants of last night's revelry from her. She sighed contently as she reached forward without moving and tangled her thoughts with his. Please, Harry, she murmured even as she felt the near-orgasmic rush of the Contraception Charm take hold.
If you're sure.
Very, she murmured, and purred softly as she wrapped a long leg around his hip and pulled him against her, rubbing along his body like a cat claiming its territory. Hermione reached down between them and began stroking him, moving her hand until he groaned and dropped his head to her shoulder.
Miiiooonne, he growled, and she pulled his head up to kiss him.
She gasped once more as he slipped into her in one practiced movement; even as he reached down to lift her up under her arse. Wrapping her other leg around his waist instantly, she dropped her head to his shoulder, as he started to rock into her, content to let him hold her up.
A familiar feeling of warmth filled her belly and her mind, possibly even more the latter, as she started to rock back against him only her upper back in contact with the marble of the shower.
F...faster...h...Harry, Hermione squeaked, 'breathlessly', and just hung on as he followed her command. She let one hand fall down between them to touch herself where they were joined. An odd tingling danced along the base of her spine, as Harry's nerves spilled over to hers, and she increased her own ministrations.
Her eyes glowed brighter as she felt the warmth begin to send streamers of fire to her extremities, meeting the ones rushing back at her. She took a breath and cried out his name, as she crashed, convulsing in his arms as her mind collapsed in rush of color.
Harry groaned into her neck as he managed two more thrusts and let go, pulled along by the feeling of her coming undone around her. A shimmering pulse of magic ripped out from them, sending a wave of water into the room. Harry slowly slid to the floor of the shower, still holding Hermione in his lap.
She kissed him even as her vision returned, pulling back to rest her forehead against his. See...a great hangover cure, Hermione giggled softly, and Harry snorted, before lifting his lips to kiss her forehead.
He looked up as the shower started to cool, and muttered a charm, instantly warming it. I don't know, Harry grinned, letting his eyes slowly pan down his wife's body, watching the trails of water as they channeled down her chest, followed the lines of her abs to slip away through her legs. Her eyes followed his as she felt him come back to life, I might need another dose.
Hermione sighed theatrically, before her eyes became serious, You're lucky that I'll do anything for you.
I know, he replied threading his fingers through her hair briefly marveling at the slickness of the wet locks. It's brilliant really. He let his fingers trail down her back, I love you. Hermione just kissed him in response, holding it as they started to dance once more.
**********************Godric's Hollow*******************************
9:20 am
Emilia stretched leisurely, and moved closer to the warm body under the sheets as Hipper woke up and jumped from the foot of the bed, before he paced to the door, waited as a cat door appeared and vanished through it. She kissed Xander's shoulder and snuggled closer, resting her lips against the base of his neck and breathing in his scent, smiling in her half-slumber at feeling of safely he fostered in her heart.
The cat door vanished again as she licked her lips, her eyes still closed. I wonder when Mum and Dad are getting back...I still have to give Dad his present, she thought sleepily. I really need to get up, she added after a moment, prying one eye open to look across at her clock which flashed: "Its 9:20, you should have been up hours ago, you lazy bugger." She sighed quietly and with a thought, sent the clock across the room to shatter against the wall. Xander stirred slightly before settling back down, she smiled tolerantly at him, Poor baby's tired out...I told him he couldn't keep at it a fourth time. Though...I am glad that Sirius and Harriet were outside all day...that little living room incident could have been...uncomfortable.
Unconsciously, her eyes moved to one side, as if she could see to the living room, We did make a mess, I better get around to cleaning up down there...
A quiet, tentative knock came from her door, and her door opened slowly as Harriet's eyes slipped around the sill. She flushed slightly as she saw Emilia in bed with Xander, but continued in anyway. "Hi, Em," Harriet said brightly, at a normal tone. Xander stirred in the bed, grunting something and Emilia frankly held her finger to her lips as she rolled on her back and sat up against the headboard.
"We're naked here, Harriet," Xander muttered, loudly, from under the covers, "do you mind?"
"No, not at all," Harriet replied, with a beatific smile, "I like Sirius, but you are entirely pleasant to look at, go on with what you need to do," she looked at Em as the black-haired girl quickly hid her face behind her hands to fight the giggles that were threatening to erupt.
"What did you need, Harriet?" Em asked, bending down to grab a t-shirt from the floor next to the bed and slipping it on. Xander muttered something under his breath, and she picked up an unused pillow and covered the back of his head with it.
Harriet shrugged, "I was wondering if you and I could go...back to that mall you mentioned, we never got there, the other day."
"You woke us up for shopping?" Xander groaned. Emilia held up a hand, picked up the pillow guarding Xander's head and whacked his back with it. "Ow...what was that for?"
"You know," Emilia replied, then looked back at Harriet. Em looked at her newfound "sister" for a minute, watching as Harriet slowly curled a lock of hair around and around her index finger. Emilia grinned, "We'll pick something out to knock him on his arse..."
"Oi," Xander muttered, "You don't need that, two charms, that's all... Inconceivious and Silencio..." Emilia whacked him with the pillow again, "Now damn it, I'm right...."
"Shut up, Xander," both girls said sharply and he sighed...
"Fine...though you are right, I guess, he is pretty thick," Xander growled and reached back, holding onto the pillow with both hands.
"Oh, Merlin I hope so," Harriet said absently as her eyes glanced towards the bathroom door that Emilia and her brother shared. Emilia went a touch green at the thought as Harriet continued to look in that direction with a soft, almost rapturous look on her face. Xander groaned again, and reached down, pulling the covers over his head as well. Emilia giggled at his discomfiture and crossed over to her closet to slip on a pair of shorts, before taking Harriet's hand and leading her from the room, towards hers, to plan.
************************Somewhere near Inverness***********************
A tall, cloaked figure strode quickly down a dark corridor, the heels of tall, dragonhide boots clacking against the ancient wood floor. A black-haired witch followed at his heels, looking over at him every few instants. Without a pause, he slipped through an open door at the end of the corridor, and around a tall, two-level room. Gas lights flared to life, casting down a soft glow on a library filled with books.
A cold, almost cloying presence seemed to slip from the walls of books, some of which seemed to writhe in place, moving without moving as if they were not quite there. The cloaked man moved to the center of the room, and stopped at a table, holding a pile of books. He moved aside a large tome with the dark title Evisceration Magic and looked at a month-old copy of the Daily Prophet.
Slowly a long finger traced around the circular, animated picture in the center of the issue, the three young women in the picture looked up at him, glaring. His finger slowly traced towards a sixteen-year-old witch, her hair the same color as the flames burning lowly in the corner fireplace, "She is mine," he announced with a dark glee. His long finger slowly caressed the face of the young witch. The tiny image tried to slip away, tried to escape the photograph, but failed as his fingers cut her off. "She will make a fine companion..."
"But I...she is not worthy of you, my..."
"Quiet," he said softly, almost tenderly as he turned to the female companion with him. The tiny witch in the picture vanished as his fingers left the paper, escaping the frame as he reached up and slowly stroked the black-haired woman's cheek, she groaned softly as a faint glow lit his fingers, "No, you may have many charms, but hers are fresh and unspoiled...a pureblood seer...it has been years since one has been so ready for," he laughed softly, a dark almost hiss underneath his voice, "So ready to take her place."
"She is a blood-traitor, the daughter of blood-traitors..."
"In the end, she will be mine, or she will die. She will not have a choice." He let the paper drop back to the table, and crossed to a tall, leather chair set in front of the fireplace and dropped into it. He lowered the hood of his cloak and stared into the flames of the hearth, watching as the unnecessary fire crackled and popped. Dark eyes caught the light of the flames, and just for an instant seemed to turn a sullen, searing red. He looked up at Bellatrix with a crooked, wry smile, his eyes twinkling darkly, under neatly-styled, ink-black hair. "Your jealousy is unbecoming, now leave me."
Bellatrix snarled something under her breath, but turned on her heel and left, slamming the heavy door behind her. The unknown wizard smiled towards the door, before raising his hand to catch a heavy tome that shot from the shelves. He opened it and began to read, laughing softly under his breath.
***************************Hogwarts**************************
August 7, 2015
On the grounds of the ancient school there were many mysteries, even to this day, after a thousand years of continuous occupation. Mysteries ranging from were the founders really entombed somewhere in the vast expanse of the castle, to where the Weasley twins, Fred and George that is, kept their immense treasure of illicit Firewhisky, to exactly how did the House Elves manage to pick up the rooms, without touching clothes.
The guardian of all of that, all of those mysteries, wonders, and a few dangers, was not able to concentrate on those, but was instead walking along the lake, a habit he had regained in the years since his "rebirth". Many of his agemates, had they survived, would not have recognized him, the almost hundred-and-eighty-year-old wizard, moved spryly along the trail, dressed in Muggle jeans and a flowered shirt. He paused as he stopped next to an old birch tree and smiled slightly as he found, carved into the bark, a pair of hearts, set slightly apart from each other. The lower one held an intertwined JP and LE, with the upper, an obviously newer one, displayed a single set of initials, HJP. Dumbledore chuckled, as always, at the slight joke.
"You are a little too old to be pacing around the lake, Albus," a soft, slightly amused burr said from the edge of the trees surrounding the lake. He turned as Minerva McGonagall approached, moving more like a rather spry forty-year-old than her real years, courtesy of the regeneration of her hips and leg bones, along with many of her muscles and nerves after the battle here seventeen years ago.
"You look much more...relaxed with your hair down, Minerva," Dumbledore said, and she gave him a small smile. He looked back over the waters that had seen so much over the years, "As to your point, youth is a state of mind, Minerva, you should know that better than anyone."
"You are still a barmy, old codger," she retorted, snorting softly as she watched him flick his fingers in her direction, and a comfortable chair appeared. She sat and took a cup from the tea service that appeared in the air next to her. Minerva took a dainty sip, watching over her cup as Dumbledore sat in another chair across from her, and held his hand out. A cup floated over, and landed in his hand.
"I have been accused of worse," he admitted and took a drink of his tea, before leaning back and glancing over his shoulder towards the black lake. He looked back at her, and watched as she crooked a single eyebrow. He sighed, "We have known each other for far too long for pretenses, Minerva. I was out here, because my office has become confining of late. That and I seem to have worn a track in the carpet and the elves kicked me out to fix it." A rare smile slipped across her lips. It fell as Dumbledore frowned into his cup, "I have kept too many secrets in my life, three wars worth, and now, I am afraid that I am looking at a fourth. I kept the prophesy from Harry, I kept Sirius from him, and his true parentage for years. I kept so many other things from him...I knew that the Weasleys were alive far longer than he or Hermione did, but I kept the secret, because once again, I was trying to decide for him, to protect him."
"Is it going to be that bad, really, Albus?" McGonagall asked, "Can they really expect to stand against all of us, against you and the Potters? And all of the rest?"
"It very well could be, it could be. I assume that you have the preparations for the upcoming year well in hand, Minerva?" She nodded warily, and he gave her a smile. "Very well, I am to leave those preparations in your capable hands...
"Like you do every year," she muttered and he pretended not to hear. Minerva glanced back up towards the castle, where hundreds of house-elves, many of them paid these days, worked on getting the classrooms, dorms and other facilities ready for another year. "Will you have a staff meeting to address these, concerns before the start of the year?"
Dumbledore shook his head, "No, for now, I think that the knowledge that we have should be held close, make arrangements, yes, but keep them to yourself and Neville."
Minerva frowned and took a sip of her tea. "Not everyone is Severus, Albus. You were wrong once. There are hundreds, thousands of people that you were right about." She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he drank his tea, "How about Miss Weasley, she will be here soon, her existence is still a secret. At least to exactly whom her parents are. She will be the object of attention...Rita has already written at least one article about her. The cover story that she is a cousin or some such will not hold up."
"She is a Weasley, Minerva, and she is already a Gryffindor, she will attend under her own name, anything else would be an insult to her parentage," Dumbledore responded with the utter implacability of a glacier. He set his teacup in the air next to him, and steepled his fingers in front of his face, "There is another issue we need to discuss in regards with a pair of your Gryffindors."
McGonagall sighed, "They couldn't have waited until next year?" She shook her head as she finished her tea and set it on the silver platter that floated over to her, "Unless she gets in a duel with Draco or some other nonsense, she will be Head Girl, and there really would have been no opposition to him, not a real one anyway, but now..."
Dumbledore nodded as if answering a question he had asked of himself, "Perhaps, we can use the situation to our advantage, Minerva." She looked over at him quizzically, "It is known that they are under the most serious threat, being whose children they are, perhaps they should be segregated for their own good."
"It won't work," she replied after a minute's reflection, "because we'd have to move half of the house to special housing to make that excuse to work, not to mention, a few from Filius' house." She stood, and looked down at him, "Though I suppose if I say nothing, nature will take its course...Neville has a remarkably similar outlook on such...affairs, to what Remus had during his brief tenure as Head of Gryffindor House." Dumbledore chuckled as she glanced unconsciously up towards the Tower, "As if I didn't know what they were up to, that year. I knew the first morning one of the elves popped in, panicked when one of my seventh year girls' dorms was empty. They thought that all of them had been kidnapped or some such thing."
A/N: Ok, there you go...exactly what is going on here....hmmmmm.....Next chapter, Harry and Hermione get back
to work, and we might even see Ron and Luna again...