Hey guys! Wow, I'm so glad you guys like it so far! I'm really looking forward to writing it. Also, I'm finding myself writing more lately since it's easy to cart around my new laptop. I've been taking it with me at work and write during my breaks so that's helped. (Don't' get use to it, you know I have my long dry spells every once in awhile) Anyway, here's the next segment. A lot longer than the first, and kind of a filler chapter, but you'll get a better idea of what I have in mind. Thanks again for all the reviews! Much love!
~HM
Chapter One
One Year Later
Ava sat on her sister's childhood bed as she watched Nora unpack all her belongings and clothes. "I can't believe you are moving back home," Ava said then grinned when Nora winced. "Oh don't worry about it, Nora...plenty of people still live with their parents...even older ones."
She sighed as she folded a pair of jeans and put it the bottom drawer of her chest of drawers. "Not a lot." She had been living with one of her friends from school, but had to be kicked out when she went off and got married suddenly over the weekend. Needless to say, she moved out and the new hubby moved in. "It doesn't matter though," she said waving it off. "This is only temporary. I'm only here till I can find a decent flat with someone to live with."
"You and I could live together."
Nora laughed. "I love you A.J., but you and I would drive each other crazy. I'm a neat freak and well...you're not. Plus...you know how I feel about snakes and I couldn't possibly live with one."
Ava's eyes lit with amusement at the mention of her pet boa constrictor her Dad had given her the summer before her seventh year. Like her father, she was also a Parselmouth and was able to talk to snakes. She had been fascinated with them for so long and always had asked for a snake, but never got one since her Mum didn't care much for them. So it had been a pleasant surprise when her Dad had snuck up behind her and draped the snake over her neck while she had been reading outside by the pool. She had gasped in delight spinning around to her father, who was grinning brightly down at her.
"Oh Daddy, he's beautiful!" she said and rubbed her cheek over the top of the snake's head as if it were a soft puppy.
"He's all yours," he said walking up to her and tucked a stray of hand behind her ear. "An early birthday give from your Mum and I."
Ava gave him a look of disbelief. "Mum? How did you ever convince her?" she asked as she took the snake off her neck so she could admire him.
"I have my ways." He cleared his throat. "But there are some rules. No letting it slither around the house, I've already talked to him about it. Carrying him around if you want, but don't leave him alone. I don't want your Mum to have a heart attack."
Ava laughed gleefully. "Don't worry, he'll be good." She lifted him up and looked into his eyes. "You'll be good, won't you?" The snake nodded his tiny head then slithered his tongue out to tickle her lips, causing her to giggle. "Oh he's perfect." She shifted him aside, then reached up and gave her father a kiss and a hug. "Thanks, Daddy." She grinned when she saw her Mum linger at the patio door and handed the snake to his father so she could go over and hug her mum. "Thank you, thank you!"
Hermione sighed as she shook her head hopelessly. "Why you couldn't want a kitten, I'll never understand, but..." She leaned back and framed her daughter's face with her hands. "You have too much of your father in you."
"You say that like that's a bad thing," Harry said as he walked over.
"Hey, keep him away from me," Hermione said with a yelp as she jumped back. "I mean it...I have nothing against him but I don't want to have anything to do with him."
Ava just chuckled and took the snake from him and wrapped it around her neck. "C'mon let's go upstairs," she said talking to him. "We'll have to figure out a name for you. Thanks again guys! Love you!"
Ava smiled at the memory then shook her head at Nora. "Baxter would never hurt you...I've told him not to."
Nora shuddered. "Still...and hearing you or Dad talk to him creeps me out." She turned to her sister. "You're not going to take him on the trip are you?
She grinned. "Of course I am."
"Great," she muttered. "Just keep him away from me." She threw her a handful of sweaters. "Help me fold those, will you?"
"You have too much clothes," Ava muttered as he pulled a bright green one off her head. "It's ridiculous."
"A girl can never have too many clothes," Nora said as she pulled out one of her favorite pair of boots and sighed as she rubbed the soft leather. "Or shoes."
"How can you even walk in those things without falling?" Ava asked as she folded another sweater. "I wouldn't be able to walk in a straight line in those puppies."
Nora laughed. "A.J. sometimes you have trouble walking in a straight line barefooted."
"Isn't that the truth," she mumbled but then smiled as she held up a pink sweater. "I remember this one. Didn't Michael give this to you?"
Nora looked up and then sighed. "Yes, bless his heart. Pink just doesn't suite me." She took it from her and held it up to her and looked into her full length mirror. "It clashes too much with my hair," she said with a grimace. "Red doesn't go well with pink."
"You're hair isn't bright red like Rosie's, but more deep red." She got up and looked at the mirror at her sister and grimaced as well. "But you're right...it's not you."
"It's a good thing Michael and I didn't work out," Nora said as she folded up the sweater. "He didn't really get me. Here." She shoved the pink fuzzy sweater in her hands. "You have it."
Ava blinked. "Me?"
"Sure." She took it back from her and held it up to her little sister. "Pink looks good on you."
Ava frowned as she studied herself in the mirror. "But I never wear pink."
"Doesn't mean you don't look good in it. Keep it, bring it on the trip. It gets cold in the mountains at night."
"I guess," she said as she continued to study herself as Nora finished her packing. Someone knocked on the door and Nora said a quick, "Come in," while Ava folded the sweater back up and tossed it on the bed.
"Hey girls," Harry said as he stepped inside and took in the mess of clothes thrown everywhere. "Woah...wait, is this Ava's room?"
Nora snickered while Ava threw a shirt at him. "Hah, hah," she said dryly but went up and hugged him anyway. "How was work?"
Harry lingered as long as he could, before pulling away. He couldn't believe his baby girl was all grown up. "It was okay. James just got back from a mission."
"Oh good," Nora said with a sigh of relief. "Everything went okay?"
"Very smoothly," he assured both of them and stepped further into the room. "Nora, just exactly how many clothes do you need?"
"Let's not have this discussion again, Dad," she said as she stepped over a pile of her blouses and kissed him on the cheek. "But thanks for letting me stay here."
Harry lifted her chin up with a finger. "Nora...this is your home. You're always welcome here."
"I know," she said with a smile. "But I also know you and Mum like your quiet time."
"Not all the time," he assured her and sat on the bed. "Sometimes it's so quiet we get lonely. I'm thinking about getting Mione another kitten or something."
"Oh, she'd love that," Ava said as she sat down next to him, leaning into him when he casually put his arm around her. "She was so sad when Boo passed away. We all were."
"Yeah," Harry said thinking of the little black kitten he had rescued all those years ago. "He was a great cat. Your mum always loved having cats...I know she misses snuggling with one."
"If you do get one, make sure Baxter doesn't eat it," Nora said grimly.
"Baxter would never do that," A.J. said in defense. "He has manners."
"A snake with manners," Nora said with a laugh. "Yeah right."
"Careful or I'll tell him to sneak in your bed," Ava smirked.
Nora pointed a warning finger at her. "You do? And I'll turn him into a nice pair of snakeskin boots."
Harry muffled a laugh. "Now there's a threat." He kissed Ava on the top of her head before getting up. "After your done here come on down so we can discuss the trip." They both nodded as he walked back out of the room. "Behave ladies," he said before closing the door then made his way back downstairs to where he left Hermione.
She was at the stove when he walked back into the kitchen, stirring something in a steaming pot. He smiled as he walked up behind her, slinking his arms around her waist as he plopped his chin on his shoulders. "What's cooking, Sparky?"
Hermione smiled softly. "Pot roast in the oven and I'm cooking up some peas to go with it." Her eyes fluttered close when he started nipping softly at her neck. "Are you trying to distract the cook?"
"Wouldn't want to do that," he murmured playfully before tilting her head around so he could meet his lips with hers. "I guess I'll just have to wait till later to…" He scrapped his teeth along her bottom lip. "To distract you."
Hermione's heart escalated in a matter of seconds, just like it always did when Harry kissed or touched her. At sixty, Hermione hadn't lost one bit of her sex drive. Thanks to her husband. "I'll be looking forward to it," she said with as she pressed her curved lips to his. "For now…why don't you get out some wine for everyone."
"You got it," he said and gave her one last kiss before reluctantly pulling away and went to get out some wine glasses. "I talked to the girls, they'll be right down. Nora's unpacking her stuff."
"It's going to be fun having her back home," Hermione said as she gave the peas one last stir before setting the spoon down and turned her attention to Harry. "I've missed her around here."
Harry grinned as he opened the bottle of Chardonnay. "I've missed the munchkin, too. Hopefully she won't feel the need to rush out of here…at least not until after the trip."
"We're all set on the dates and everything?" she asked as she accepted the glass of wine.
"Everything is taken care of," he assured her as he set Ava and Nora's glass aside and poured his own. "I'll get into the details when they come down."
"How do you thing Ava is going to take the news about the Malfoys joining?" she asked with a worried look.
"Who knows?" he said with a roll of his eyes. "She adores Scorpius and really likes Draco and Natasha….it's just Dameon she can't stand. I still don't know why they clash so badly."
"One of life's mysteries," Hermione said as she touched her glass to Harry's, before taking a sip. "Never got along as babies, never got along as kids or throughout their times at Hogwarts."
"Well…they haven't seen each other in over a year since the Malfoys spent Christmas in Ukraine last year. Maybe things have cooled down between them."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't bet on it."
"Yeah, I…oh, here they come," Harry said when he heard their mindless chatter coming down the stairs. "We'll talk about the trip after dinner."
XXXX
"Great dinner, Mum," Nora said as they retired to the den after tidying up the kitchen. "I've missed your cooking."
Hermione smiled as she slid an arm around her. "I've missed cooking for you."
"It's one of the things I'm going to miss when I eventually move out," Ava said as she plopped on the loveseat next to her dad.
Harry put an arm around her. "Just don't move out too soon, pumpkin. I kind of like you around here."
She chuckled as she as she snuggled close. "I kind of like being around here, too." She sighed as she looked around the room as so many memories flooded back to her. "Sometimes it just plain sucks growing up." She sighed and took a sip of her wine. "So let's talk about the trip to keep my mind of it. All Nora and I know so far is that we're staying at a resort in Montana called Magic Mountain and that we're spending it during the month of August."
"Magic Mountain," Nora chuckled with a snort. "Kind of a cheesy name if you ask me."
"Cheesy, yes," Harry said with a grin. "But it's one of the most popular resorts in our world. It sometimes takes people years to get reservations."
"But not for you, right Daddy?" Ava teased as you poked him.
Harry flinched. "Cut it out," he laughed as he batted her hand away.
"Your father managed to get us a lodge suite," Hermione stated as she curled her legs under her to get comfortable. "You tell the resort how many people will be staying there and then they magically change the inside to accommodate us best. It's pretty cool."
"Does that mean we get our own room?" Nora asked hopefully.
"At the beginning and end of the vacation, yes," Harry said. "But when the rest of the family comes for the second week, you two have to share a room."
Nora narrowed her eyes at her grinning sister. "Snakeskin boots," she said in a warning tone. "That's all I'm saying."
"Relax," Ava said with a roll of her eyes. "Bax sleeps in his cage at night. He won't touch you."
"He better not or…"
"Okay, okay, don't' start you two," Hermione interrupted with a hint of impatience. "There are still a few things to discuss. Ava…are you still planning on bringing Liam along?"
Ava blushed at the mention of her boyfriend of six months. She had told him on the train ride back from Hogwarts that their family was going on a trip and he had asked if he could come.
"I'd miss you too much, babe," he had said as he kissed her hand. "Can't you ask your parents if I can come? We'd have some fun together."
She in return had been all flustered, but had agreed to ask her parents. They had seemed hesitant at first, but eventually agreed. "Yes," she finally said to her mum. "He's coming. He's very excited about it."
Harry didn't say anything, which he figured was smart since he couldn't find anything nice to say about Liam. He had only met him twice and he wasn't rude or disrespectful to either him or Hermione and seemed to treat Ava with respect. Yet there was something about him that rubbed him the right way. He only spoke to Hermione about it and was relieved when she agreed, yet they both agreed not to mention it to Ava as long as she was happy with him. After all, there was a chance they were wrong about him and he hoped that they were…for their little girl's sake.
"Another thing," Harry said hoping to change the topic away from Liam. "It won't just be us that's going for the whole time." He sighed and turned to Ava. "The Malfoys are coming with us."
Ava blinked. "Well, of course Rosie and Scorpius or coming, Dad…why wouldn't they…" She trailed off when she finally realized what he was saying. "I see. You mean the other Malfoys. As in Uncle Draco, Aunt Tash and…Dameon."
"Yes," Harry admitted. "Those Malfoys."
Ava sighed in frustration. Dameon was the last person she wanted around during her vacation before she went off to Healing school. "And they'll be staying the whole three weeks?" When Harry simply nodded she sighed again. "Well…I do like hanging out with Aunt Tash and Uncle Draco…and unfortunately Dameon comes with them." She shrugged it off. "Whatever, I won't let it bug me. If I can survive six years at Hogwarts with him I can survive three weeks."
"Way to be positive, sis," Nora encouraged with two thumbs up. "I still don't know why you don't get a long. I for one, adore Dameon…plus…he's not too shabby in the looks department if you know what I mean."
Ava snorted when her sister wiggled her eyebrows. "Please…he's too young for you."
"True…doesn't mean I don't appreciate the way he looks."
"Whatever," she muttered, refusing to admit she actually agreed with her. "Appreciate him all you want…I've got Liam."
"All right you two," Harry said with a roll of her eyes. "As much as I love hearing the sisterly banter…let's get back on topic. Do any of you have any questions about the trip?"
As Ava and Nora fired away with questions like, "What is there to do there?" "Will there be a pool?" or "What's the weather going to be like?", Draco and Natasha were having their own family meeting about the trip with Dameon at their kitchen table.
"Three weeks?" Dameon repeated after hearing all the details. "I don't think I could handle A.J. for that long of a time without strangling her."
Draco casted his gaze to the ceiling. "Dameon…you spent six years with the girl at Hogwarts, plus you haven't seen or spoken to her in over a year. Surely it won't be that bad."
"First of all," Dameon said holding up a finger. "Hogwarts is a big place…and I had friends and girlfriends to keep me from strangling her." He added another finger. "Secondly? It doesn't matter how long we're apart…it doesn't matter how old we are…we clash. We can't be in the same room for very long without fighting. And lastly," he said adding another finger. "It will be that bad."
"Dameon," Natasha said softly as she placed a hand on her arm. "We're not going to make you come…you're a grown man now and we can't force you."
"No, of course I'll come," he assured her. "Just…maybe it'll be better if I come down for the second week like the rest. A.J. and I don't' fight nearly as much when the whole family is around. A lot of people are around to keep us apart."
"If that's what you want," Natasha said with a smile. "Of course you can come down."
"Nat," Draco protested. "That's…"
"No…it's okay," Natasha assured him and looked up at Dameon reassuringly. "You come and leave when you'd like."
Dameon sighed when he saw the flicker of disappointment in his mum's eyes. Of course she tried to hide it and put on a happy face, but she always did suck at hiding her feelings. "I'll come up for the whole three weeks," he told her and smiled when pleasure lit up on her eyes. "I'll just steer clear of A.J. as much as I can."
"Oh Dameon!" She exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. "Thank you! I've missed you so much this past year…it's been so long since we've been able to spend time with you."
He hugged her tight. "I know…I'm sorry. I just have another week of practice before our three month break, so I'll be all yours."
"Don't apologize," she said as she leaned back and framed her face. "We're awfully proud of you…playing for the Chudley Cannons. And even more proud that you'll start this year."
"He would have started last year if the original Seeker decided to stay around one more year before retiring," Draco boasted proudly as he gave his son a wink.
"It was for the best." Dameon shrugged. "I learned a lot from Hewitt. He was a good Seeker. Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting out of here for awhile…Merlin knows it's going to be a lot of work once I get back to training camp."
"You were always a good worker," Draco said as he casually put his arm around Natasha when she sat back down next to him. "Definitely got that from your Mum."
Dameon laughed. "Definitely. Well," he sighed as he got up. "I have an early day tomorrow so I better head back to my flat."
"We'll walk you out," Natasha said as she got up.
Dameon expected no less, since it was something they did every since he moved out. They would walk him out, give him a hug and a kiss and wave him off before he Disapparated. "I'll be in touch," he said as he exchanged his goodbyes to both parents. "First Sunday of Augsust?" he repeated with an arched brow.
"Right," Natasha confirmed. "We'll discuss it more when it gets closer, but you could come here and we'll use the Portkey from the resort to take us there."
"Sounds good," he said genuinely. "Night, Mum. Night, Dad."
They both waved goodbye and once he was gone, Draco shook his head. "I have a feeling this trip is going to be very interesting."
"We've been dealing with those two for almost two decades," Natasha pointed out as Draco closed the door behind him and made their way back to the kitchen. "We should be able to handle what comes our way in Montana."
"I can't believe we're going to the States," Draco muttered as he plopped down in his chair. "This place better be as good as the price I'm paying."
"Oh, poor baby," Natasha cooed playfully as she stood behind him, massaging his shoulders.
Draco groaned under his hands. "That feels good…I'll be your slave forever if you keep that up."
Natasha chuckled as she leaned down and nipped his ear. "Technically, you're already my slave."
"Lucky me," he whispered then shivered when she stroked a hand down the center of his chest. "Are you seducing me, Mrs. Malfoy?"
"You bet," she murmured and then pulled away then tugged him out of the chair. "Why don't we go on upstairs…and I'll do wonderful and amazing wifely things to you."
Draco grinned as he staggered along. "Sounds ideal to me." He scooped her up and carried her up the stairs. "I happened to love it when you do wifely things to me."
XXXXXX
Back over at the Potters, Hermione had just finished doing her own wifely things to Harry and they were both lying flat on their backs in recovery. "So," Harry breathed as he tried to catch his breath. "That was really great."
Hermione's lips curved. "It's nice to know that even though my right breast is starting to sag and more gray hairs are starting to form…I've still got it."
Harry rolled over onto his side to loom over her and cupped her right breast and then cupped her left breast in comparison, causing Hermione to laugh and slap his arm. "They both feel pretty fantastic to me," Harry assured her with a grin. "As for your hair? You're talking crazy…you don't have one strand of gray hair on your head."
"I put a little color charm on my hair…so they're hiding."
"Really?" He patted a hand to his hair. "Maybe I should do that."
"Don't," she said as she lovingly stroked her hair. "The salt and pepper look is very sexy on you."
"You think so?" he asked amused. "Well, in that case I won't touch it." He leaned down and kissed her sweetly before flipping back over on his back and brought her up against him. "I'm excited about that trip."
"It's going to be fun….chaotic…but fun." She sighed as she rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the sound of his beating heart. The sound always comforted her. "What should really be interesting is the overnight camping trip on horseback…how exactly are they going to pull that off? There's quite a bit of us"
"I've Owled with the guy who is in charge of the horses…Dallas Cosgrove is his name and he claims that we're definitely bigger than their average camping trip, but with some extra help it would be no problem. They'll have the tents already set up in advance, but we'd leave after lunch on that Friday when everyone is in town. The ride is about…three hours I think? They'll provide all the food…he also said something about a bonfire. It should be a lot of fun for everyone."
"What about the younger kids? Will they be safe on a horse?"
"Kids younger than six have to be led by another horse," Harry commented. "So…that means someone…bless their hearts…will have to be in charge of the terrible three."
Hermione let out a giggle at the mention of Scorpius and Rosie's identical triplet sons who had just celebrated their fourth birthday. "Oh, dear."
Harry chuckled. "I love those boys, but…they do like to get in trouble, don't they?"
"Too much Malfoy in them," Hermione agreed. "In the looks department mostly."
"I know…it's a little crazy."
She laughed then shifted up so she could look down at him. "So…what's the final tally on the camping trip?"
"Not including the staff?" He did a quick calculation of all their kids, spouses and their kids, plus themselves and the Malfoys, then at the last minute remembered "kiss ass" Liam and added him in. "Thirty-two."
Hermione let out a long whistle. "That's going to be one hell of a camping trip."
-->