• The site has now migrated to Xenforo 2. If you see any issues with the forum operation, please post them in the feedback thread.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
  • The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.

Stranded (Harry Potter AU) (Complete)

Chapter 31: The Tale
Chapter 31: The Tale

Unknown Island, July 18th, 1996

"...and then we saw the village and the ship. And we realised that we had to cover our tracks," Harry said.

James Potter frowned. "Why did you come to that conclusion?" Harry looked good - slightly tanned, not sunburnt, hair a mess, but that was normal, and healthy. Not hurt, not any more.

"Because they were on the same island as a man-eating wyvern who had killed several people," Miss Granger butted in before Harry could explain. "We weren't certain that they were pirates, but we had to assume the worst, so we hid and then sneaked up on the village to find out what kind of people they were."

"We did that carefully," Harry quickly added. "We went underwater to sneak into the cove because we assumed the village was warded against intruders."

James gritted his teeth. He ignored Fleur whispering to the little girl - probably translating - and said: "And you thought that they wouldn't have wards underwater?"

His son - his brave, smart and oh so foolish son smiled. "Well, we considered it unlikely. Not with the wyvern hunting sea mammals and large fishes. And we were ready to summon each other in case something went wrong."

"Like underwater netting. Disillusioned underwater netting," Miss Granger added.

"But there wasn't any. We did encounter a shark, but it was harmless," Harry said. A shark! James gritted his teeth and forced himself to let his son talk. "So, we swam into the cove and then looked around. Under cover by the ship. And we found out that the settlement wasn't abandoned, so they had been living on the island for a while. And hadn't done anything about the wyvern."

"And we saw the prison," Miss Granger interrupted again. "So, we were either on a pirate island or a former pirate island. We couldn't risk revealing ourselves."

Lily nodded. James agreed. Of course, they couldn't reveal themselves - as they found out, those were actual pirates. Not former pirates. If they had revealed themselves… Damn it!

"Anyway," Harry picked up again. "We made some plans, then went back to spy on them some more. That's how we found Céline."

James narrowed his eyes. Harry was glossing over things. He only ever did that when he was hiding something. Damn it - this was… Why couldn't Harry have trusted them to find him and simply hid for two weeks? Stayed safe instead of risking his life like this? Why couldn't they have found him sooner? They had almost… Damn it! "You sneaked into a pirate village?"

"At night," Miss Granger replied. "The pirates were busy celebrating. We could investigate the prison without risk." The girl frowned. "Or so we thought."

"Yes, we must have left some traces or tracks since the pirates started hunting us afterwards," Harry said.

"Or we triggered a spell," Miss Granger added. "We never found out what mistake we made."

Triggered a spell? What if it had been a lethal one? James clenched his teeth.

"Something easily rectified, now that we can question our prisoners," Dumbledore said.

"They hunted you?" Lily blurted out.

"We already knew that from the prisoners," Sirius pointed out. He was grinning, as if hearing how close Harry had come to dying was funny!

"Well, not right away. We returned to our shelter for a while to plan. Then we moved up and made a hideout near the pirate village, so we didn't have to walk through the jungle every day," Harry went on.

"So, that worked out, and we started spying on the village again," Miss Granger said.

She was talking a little more loudly than before, James noted. Crooks usually did that when they were agitated - or tried to hide something. He reminded himself that this wasn't an interrogation.

Harry nodded several times. "Uh, right. Anyway, we were making plans to free Céline - we didn't know her name back then - but we spotted a fishing boat sailing through the wards. So, we knew how to escape then. But the pirates used dogs to track us to our hideout, and we had to flee on our improvised broom."

"A pole we were levitating," Miss Granger explained. "Not an actual broom."

"And you managed to escape the pirates on that?" Sirius blurted out.

"They couldn't easily find or see us since it was at night, and we managed to lose them the few times they saw us," Harry said. "Blew up half the jungle, but they never caught us, and we went back to our shelter to rest and recover."

"You were hurt?"

"Only scratches. Easily healed," Harry quickly said. Too quickly.

James shook his head. This was… this was madness! Harry wasn't a trained Auror. He hadn't even finished school! And he and Miss Granger had, apparently, treated the whole ordeal as some adventure! Sneaking into a pirate village! Repeatedly! Running from pirates, and then… "What did you do then?"

"Well," Harry said, "then we made new plans to sneak into the village to free Céline and escape with the fishing boat, of course."

"'Of course'!" Lily spat, shaking her head.

"We didn't know that you'd arrive so soon," Miss Granger said with a frown. "If we had known, we would've waited. But… we didn't know!"

"We picked the best course of action we could think of!" Harry blurted out.

"And you proved your ingenuity and courage!" Dumbledore beamed at them.

For a moment, James wanted to hex the old man. Harry shouldn't have been risking his life!

"We were so worried about you!" Lily said, sniffling. "And you… you..."

James nodded.

Harry looked sheepish." Sorry, Mum, but… we really saw no other way."

"And you made it!" Sirius smiled at them. "You took on the pirates and won! Saved the girl, too! You're heroes!"

Heroes who wouldn't get the slightest chance to brave such danger again, James silently vowed. Neither he nor Lily would survive another week or two spent worrying about Harry. Certainly not now that they knew what he would do in such a situation!

"Thank you, Sirius," Harry said, beaming at him.

James frowned. Sirius had no business encouraging Harry - this wasn't some prank or Quidditch stunt. His son had fought murderous pirates! One mistake, one curse, and he could've died!

"So," Miss Granger quickly took up the tale again, "we made a plan to distract the pirates, lure the majority of them away from the village, then break into the prison, free Céline and escape with the fishing boat, to let us pass through the wards."

Harry nodded. "We had captured a broom during the chase, so we could now meet them on even terms."

James blinked. "You had captured a broom? While the pirates were chasing you?"

"Yes. I managed to hit one with a curse, and he crashed," Harry said. "Then I summoned the broom."

James wasn't about to ask Harry whether or not his boy had killed a man. But he knew he had to ask their prisoners if only so he wouldn't wonder and worry.

"Good thinking!" Sirius said. "So, everything went according to your plan?"

"Yes. I attacked the ship to rile them up so they would chase me, lured them away and then returned to pick up Hermione. Worked like a charm."

"Except for you hitting your foot against a tree trunk when the pirates were chasing you through the jungle," Miss Granger replied.

"That was an accident," Harry protested. "And I had to fly fast or I wouldn't have been able to lose the pirates in the jungle. Which I did!"

James had a few horrible visions of Harry crashing head-on into a trunk. He should have never let Lily drag him into that muggle movie.

"You sunk the ship? How?" Sirius asked.

"We turned tree trunks into metal spikes, shrank them, and I dropped them after enlarging them from a great height," Harry explained.

"Though some of the damage was done by spells when they were chasing you around the ship," Miss Granger added.

"Anyway," his son continued - a little too quickly; James saw Miss Granger close her mouth and frown, too - "I returned, and we broke into the prison."

"After we sent conjured and enlarged mice and birds into the village," Miss Granger cut in again. "And the doors and windows of the prison were protected, so we blew through the walls to save Céline."

The little girl perked up when she heard her name and said something in French. Fleur replied in French, which prompted another wave of quick sentences.

"Céline says she was very frightened until you found her," the witch said.

Harry winced, as did Miss Granger. "Well, Hermione calmed her down, and then we hid in the prison."

"You hid in there?" Lily asked.

"Well… we had taken a little longer than planned to get into the prison." Harry's smile told James that his son was about to lie again. "So, we had to adjust our plans a little."

"How did you hide in the prison, with the pirates coming?" James asked. "Did you use a Disillusionment charm?"

"No," Miss Granger replied. "That wouldn't have worked, anyway - they used Disillusionment Charms, so they also had to use Human-presence-revealing Charms." She nodded and glanced at Harry.

Who, James noted, glanced back at her instead of continuing their tale. That was a very bad sign.

Lily must have picked up on that as well. "What did you do?" she asked in a clipped tone.

"We shrunk us and hid under an armoire," Harry blurted out. "So the armoire would hide the markers from the Human presence-revealing Spell."

"We had trained to do that while we were planning this," Miss Granger added quickly. "And it worked very well."

"You shrunk yourselves?" Lily all but yelled. "Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"Yes," Harry replied, frowning. "That's why we trained for it."

"And we had used the shrinking charm a lot even before we specifically started training," Miss Granger said.

"Very impressive," Dumbledore commented with a wide smile. "Not many wizards and witches would have dared take such a risk, but I dare say you had no choice."

"If I had our cloak with us…" Harry trailed off when James and Lily glared at him. "Anyway, it worked out, and we waited until they had left the prison and started looking for us elsewhere. Then we lured one of the pirates into the prison…" He trailed off. "Merlin's Beard, I completely forgot about him!"

Miss Granger gasped. "Me too!"

"What? What did you do?" James blurted out. Had they killed a pirate?

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a doll. No - a shrunken tied up pirate!

James stared, as did the others. No one said anything for a second or two.

"He's OK," Miss Granger announced after waving her wand at the shrunken man.

"Yes," Harry said. "I cast a Bubble-Head Charm on him before I stashed him in my pocket. Well, mainly so the smoke from the fire wouldn't hurt him, but it also helped when we went underwater."

Underwater? James resisted the urge to grab Harry and shake him until he told them everything. In detail. But it was a near thing.

*****​

"Underwater?" Mum asked. She was standing very close now.

"Well," Harry Potter replied, "we had to ride out the storm, and we couldn't risk getting blown back through the wards, so we went underwater."

"You were out in that storm?"

"Of course," Harry replied. Hadn't that been obvious? "We struck at the pirates at night, then fled. And the storm began shortly after sunrise, when we were at sea."

"We were travelling by brooms and only used the boat to pass through the wardline," Hermione added. "And we didn't want to test whether or not the boat had charms to protect it against environmental hazards. So riding out the storm underwater seemed the best course of action."

Well, they hadn't thought of that, but there was no need to tell Mum and Dad that. Harry nodded. "And it worked out well," he said. "We resurfaced, got the boat out and then dried ourselves."

"J'avais tellement froid!" Céline piped up.

"You spent hours in the cold water?" Fleur blurted out. "You could've died!"

"We clung together to share body heat and minimise the loss of heat," Hermione retorted. "It was much safer than riding out the storm in a fishing boat."

"Yes. We didn't know you were coming - and we were committed. We couldn't return to the island, either," Harry said. "The pirates had to be searching for us after we lost them at the wardline." Although if they had managed that... the pirates would've never expected them to return.

"'Lost them at the wardline'?" Uh-oh. Dad had that expression he usually did when he caught Harry at a prank.

"They spotted us when the sun went up, and we had to use the boat to cross the wardline," Harry explained. "So, we had to fight them off while we did that. It was only for a few minutes, and it was only a few pirates."

"We used conjured birds to block their curses and serve as targets for Reductor Curses to allow us to hit them despite them being disillusioned and flying on brooms," Hermione added.

"Oh, good thinking!" Sirius said.

"Quite clever, indeed," Dumbledore agreed.

"Thank you!" Hermione beamed at them.

"Anyway, that's why we forgot about the captured pirate," Harry said. "Sorry."

"But he wasn't hurt," Hermione said with a sneer. "And he was stunned, so he didn't even realise what was going on."

"And then you sent the Patronus after us, and we knew you were coming," Harry finished. "And here we are!"

"So… you killed a wyvern, sunk a pirate ship, burned down a pirate prison, freed a pirates' prisoner, stole a pirate's boat and pirates' brooms, and escaped from the entire pirate crew?" Sirius beamed at Harry. "That's great! You put my training to use!"

"Sirius!" Mum hissed. "They almost died! Multiple times!"

"But they didn't!" Sirius defended himself.

"That doesn't mean it's OK!" Mum insisted. Well, she usually said that about pranks as well. "You can't be lucky forever!"

"We weren't just lucky!" Hermione protested. "We did plan everything carefully!"

"But not everything went according to plan," Dad replied. "And I know you skipped over a few things in your tale."

Harry struggled not to blush. What they had done in the shelter was no one's business but their own. "A few details," he said. "Nothing important."

Hermione frowned for a moment and glanced at him, then nodded. "Yes. We didn't go into details about dealing with diarrhoea caused by a diet of coconuts. Or how we had to bury the rotting carcass of the wyvern before it became a health hazard."

Sirius grimaced. As did Mum and Dad.

"It would've been very embarrassing if the wyvern had managed to kill us after we killed it," Harry joked. Sirius and Bill were the only ones who laughed, though. Well, Dumbledore smiled. "Oh, can we go and dig up the carcass before we leave? The skull would make a great trophy!" He blinked. "Although we would have to hide it from Hagrid, I guess."

"And Luna," Hermione added.

"Yes," Harry agreed. "But we can shrink it. Or keep it in Grimmauld Place. It would make a great conversation piece."

"Oh, yes! My godson's trophy!"

"I confess I am curious about this creature's size," Dumbledore said. "And I think Xenophilus might be interested in the skeleton as well - wyverns are rare, after all." Harry winced, and the Headmaster added: "Don't worry, Xenophilus understands how dangerous wyverns are."

"Unlike Hagrid," Sirius mumbled.

"Let's do it," Dad said. Mum nodded.

Harry had the sudden feeling that this might not have been a good idea.

*****​

Hermione Granger looked around as they flew towards the shore. The prison had suffered greatly - the walls still stood, and the roof hadn't collapsed, but what she could see of the interior was blackened with soot and signs of extreme heat such as bent and warped bars. And in front of it, she saw a long row of stunned and bound pirates lying in the sand.

She nudged her broom to the side until she was flying next to Harry, who, for once, wasn't speeding ahead, and said: "Too bad we can't hold the pirates in their own prison."

He laughed at that. "Oh, right! That would've been ironic. Though if they are smart, they would've prepared some ways to escape their own prison, wouldn't they?"

"I don't think so. That would've been a weakness their captives could've exploited," Hermione pointed out.

Instead of flying ahead to their shelter, the adults leading them landed at the shore. Hermione frowned as she followed suit. She saw Mrs Potter already walking towards the prison, followed by the Headmaster. "What is going to happen to the pirates, anyway?" she asked as she dismounted.

"They'll be tried?" Harry replied.

His father turned and nodded at them. "Yes, they'll be tried. But we're still in the process of detailing who gets to try them," he told them. "Britain, France or Algeria."

"Why France?" Harry asked.

"Fleur counts as French involvement in the capture."

"She's not a French Auror!" Harry protested.

"That would be a French Gendarme Magique," Hermione corrected him. "They don't have Aurors."

He snorted. "You know what I mean. She's no Gendarme either."

"Technically, we're all here as civilians," Mr Potter said. "This isn't an official Auror raid."

Hermione nodded - that had been obvious. Not even Harry's father was wearing the official Auror robes, anyway.

"But everyone else is British," Harry pointed out.

"Or belongs to a ship's crew from Algier. And Céline is a French victim of the pirates," his father replied.

"And we're British." Hermione nodded.

"Yes. Although I'm not quite certain if you count as victims," Mr Black cut in with a wide grin. "Too bad the pirates are stunned - imagine if they knew they were beaten by two students!"

They would find out at their trials at the latest. Oh. "Do we have to attend the trial and give testimony?" Hermione asked. Unless the trial was held very quickly, they would have to leave Hogwarts in the middle of the term for that.

"That depends on where the trial's been held," Mr Potter told her. "I'm not sure how trials are held in Algiers."

"Bet they would let them go," Harry muttered. His godfather laughed, but Mr Potter shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. These pirates are mostly Moroccans. Unless they have a powerful friend in the Bey's court, they will likely be found guilty to show that Algeria doesn't tolerate pirates."

Hermione scoffed. As if anyone believed that.

"And what will happen to them if they're found guilty?" Harry asked.

"They'll be executed," Mr Potter said.

Hermione froze for a moment. "Executed?" she asked.

"The usual punishment for piracy is death," Mr Black told them. "In Britain, France and Algeria."

"Oh." The pirates they had fought against would be killed. Executed. Hermione swallowed. That was… She glanced at the captives laid out in the sand, then looked away. That was… partially her doing.

"Really?" Harry asked. "I thought only the worst dark wizards got the veil."

"That's for using the Dark Arts," his father said. "But convicted pirates are hung. The Ministry continued the muggle practice."

"But…" Harry trailed off. He glanced at Hermione, and she saw him wince. She felt slightly ill herself.

"Oh, Harry, Miss Granger! That's not your fault! You didn't capture those pirates!" Mr Potter said.

"Except for the one we did capture," Harry replied, frowning.

"And without us, you wouldn't have found the island," Hermione added.

"They attacked you, didn't they? And they kidnapped the little girl," Mr Black pointed out.

"Céline," Hermione said.

"Right." The man nodded. "Anyway, they chose to become pirates. And sooner or later, they would've been caught by the French if they kept raiding their shores. It's really not your fault."

But it was. Dozens of people would be executed because of their actions. If Hermione hadn't gone into Knockturn Alley, hadn't picked up the Portkey…

"Céline would still be their captive," Harry whispered.

Hermione nodded. The pirates had captured and enslaved many people. And they had killed many as well. Sometimes by letting the wyvern eat them. They were brutal criminals.

Telling herself that helped. But she still didn't look at the captured pirates. And neither did Harry. To be responsible for the death of someone… She drew a sharp breath. "Did… did any of the pirates we fought die?" she asked, then bit her lower lip. She hadn't meant to sound so… insecure.

"I don't think so," Mr Potter told her with a smile.

"You mean you don't know," Harry said, scowling.

His father frowned at him, then sighed. "I'll ask."

Hermione nodded. She would rather know than wonder and worry about the consequences of her actions.

*****​

Harry Potter wasn't quite holding his breath, but he would be lying if he claimed he wasn't worried - no, concerned - whether or not he had actually killed someone. He took a few deep breaths. He had only defended himself and Hermione and Céline. The pirates had attacked them first, not even counting the wyvern. If they hadn't attacked them, Harry and Hermione wouldn't have done anything to them. Although… He pressed his lips together. They wouldn't have left Céline in prison, so they would have done something.

It wasn't as if Harry had been trying to kill them. But he hadn't exactly played it safe, either. Not that any spell was truly safe in a fight, as Sirius had taught him. Even a stunner could kill someone if they fell down and hit their head or something. Or fell from their broom if hit in the air...

He drew a hissing breath. And he hadn't just used Stunners against the pirates. Again, he hadn't had any choice - they couldn't let themselves get captured. And the pirates had kept coming after them. Still…

"It's not your fault," Hermione whispered next to him.

Harry nodded even though he had trouble convincing himself. He smiled at her anyway. Then he noticed how tense she was. "It wasn't yours, either," he whispered back.

"I should've made a better plan," she replied. "Without leaving so much to chance."

"We did what we could," he told her. Which was true. But she would still blame herself. Sirius was giving them a weird glance, Harry noticed. But his godfather wasn't saying anything. What was he thinking?

"Alright!" Dad arrived before Harry could ask Sirius. "The pirates you hurt all lived through it."

Harry felt relieved. He hadn't killed anyone! Hermione hadn't killed anyone! He smiled.

"But they'll be executed," Hermione said in a low voice.

Harry froze. That was true - they had already been told that. And that was, sort of, their fault.

"No one forced them to become pirates," Dad said, echoing Sirius. "Sooner or later, they would've been caught anyway."

That wasn't true - Harry knew that not every criminal got caught. He nodded anyway. For Hermione's sake. She couldn't blame herself for that. "So… can we lead you to our shelter now?" he asked. They had no reason to stay in the village, looking at the doomed pirates, feeling guilty for something that wasn't really their fault.

"Yes," Dad quickly agreed. "The captain has the village secured."

"And I doubt that any of them dare to turn against us," Sirius added with a grin. "Not after Dumbledore's demonstration."

"What did he do?" Hermione asked.

"Made the ship float over the village," Sirius told them. "They surrendered right after that. Most of them."

"Most of them?" Harry asked.

"Some fled into the jungle," Dad explained.

"Oh." Harry tensed. There were pirates left on the island? Hiding in the jungle? He glanced at Hermione. She had drawn her wand and was scowling.

"We need to fly along the beach then, with some distance to the jungle," she said.

Harry nodded. They couldn't risk getting cursed from hiding.

"They won't dare to attack us," Sirius said with a smile. "Don't worry. We'll have Dumbledore with us, after all."

"And the pirates will be hiding, hoping that we leave before they're found," Dad added. He turned towards the prison. "Lily! Albus! We're ready to go!" he yelled.

Dumbledore and Mum appeared in the doorway of the prison a moment later. And Bill, Fleur and Uncle Remus were walking towards them with Céline - they must have taken her away from the prison and the pirates.

"Where is Peter?" Dad asked.

"Still interrogating the pirates," Sirius told him.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"He's trying to find out what else the pirates have done," Dad explained. "And whether or not there are more of them around."

That made sense. Harry felt dumb for asking - of course Uncle Peter would want to find out as much as possible! "Should we leave without them?" he asked.

"I think they want to see your shelter as well," Dad said.

"I certainly want to see it," Mum added. "The prison was a disgrace. To keep a little girl in those cells…" She shook her head.

"Although the different spells on the building were quite interesting," Dumbledore said. "I do not think that they removed any of the original spells - it does look like they just kept adding new ones whenever they learned a new spell, no matter how the spell might fit into the pattern."

"Really?" Dad asked.

"Yes," Mum confirmed. "In some cases, I think, two spells cancelled each other out. At least that would explain why you managed to breach the walls.

"Really?" Harry asked. Had they been luckier than they had thought?

"We should've gone with the plan to kidnap a pirate and force him to help us," Hermione muttered.

Dad looked aghast, as did Mum. Sirius, though, chuckled. "And how would you have convinced them to help you?"

His godfather sounded amused, Harry noted. He narrowed his eyes. "Probably with a Sandpaper Hex," he said.

"What?"

"Hermione knows it." Harry nodded at her.

"I used it to sandpaper our floating platform and furniture," Hermione explained with a glare at Harry. What had he done? Oh, she probably hadn't wanted to reveal that.

"And how would that have helped you to…? Merlin's beard!" Sirius grimaced.

Harry cleared his throat. "Anyway, let's go. We're wasting daylight!"

"Yes," Hermione agreed.

*****​

Hermione Granger tensed as they left the village. There were pirates hiding on the island - somewhere in the jungle. And Harry, herself and the others were presenting an easy target flying as a group. Even following the shoreline and avoiding the jungle, they were still at risk of being hit by a well-aimed curse.

Which was why she kept her attention on the jungle to her left. Ready to react at the slightest sign of trouble. If a pirate showed their wand, she'd send a curse at them. As would Harry.

But no curses flew at them as they cleared the ridge of the peninsula shielding the cove. The pirates must have fled further away - and must have decided against doubling back. Or they were hiding to be able to curse them from the back.

She glanced over her shoulder, studying the ridge as they flew on.

"Merlin's Beard! Did they burn down the jungle?" Mr Black blurted out.

Hermione turned her head. What was he… Oh.

"Well, they tried to," Harry said. "That was where our hideout was."

"You were there when they did this?" Harry's mother asked.

"We were flying away," he replied. "They couldn't catch us."

"This… This…"

"It was at night, and we lost them pretty quickly. They just kept blowing up the jungle after we already left," Hermione explained.

"'Pretty quickly'?" Harry's father shook his head.

"Well, yes. And we got our first broom here," Harry told them.

"Impressive, I have to admit," the Headmaster commented. "They thought you were part of a larger force."

"They did?" Harry asked.

"They certainly didn't expect two stranded students to spy on them in order to attack them," his mother snapped.

"No, they didn't!" Harry agreed. Hermione didn't need to look at him - and stop watching the jungle - to know he was grinning.

"That's no laughing matter!" his mother protested. "You could've died!"

"But we didn't!"

"Is that your answer to everything?"

"Well… yes? It's true, isn't it?"

They didn't like Harry's answer. And Hermione was certain that they wouldn't like the shelter, either. The pirates had burned down the jungle there as well, after all. At least the hiding pirates didn't ambush them as they flew on.

"That's where we appeared," Harry explained as they reached the beach a little later. "The Portkey dropped us down there."

"They attacked you here as well?" his father asked.

Well, that was obvious, wasn't it? A look at the jungle, or what was left of it, showed that. It wasn't as if she and Harry would've done this.

"We were ready and lost them again," Harry told him.

"They must have found us because of the tracks we left before we realised that we were on a pirate island," Hermione said. "There's the shelter," she quickly added to cut the discussion short and pointed at the torn and blasted remains.

She didn't fly down right away, though - she circled the area first, going as fast as she could, to check for hidden pirates.

"There might be pirates hiding there," Harry said as he drew up next to her - despite her flying evasively; it was really disheartening how good he was on a broom.

"Yes."

"You think pirates might be hiding in the ruins of your shelter?" Mrs Potter asked.

"It's not impossible," Hermione defended herself.

"We wouldn't expect that, would we? Well, you wouldn't," Harry added.

"My spell's not showing anyone inside," Mr Black told them.

"We managed to hide from that spell ourselves," Harry retorted.

"Although we counted on the tree canopies to hide us from view; if they burrowed down a bit more…" Hermione stared at the shelter's remains. "They just blasted it open."

"I'll check," Mr Black said.

"Sirius!" Mrs Potter exclaimed, but the man was already touching down.

And then he was a dog.

Hermione blinked. Self-Transfiguration? But that was… No. The robes had disappeared. That meant he was an animagus.

And he was back in human form. "No one near us - the nose can tell."

Oh. She glanced at Harry. He met her eyes and nodded. It was safe, then.

She guided her broom down, letting Harry take the lead. If anything happened, she could summon him to safety. And his Shield Charm should deal with one curse at least.

Mr Black was peering around. "That looks like it was a bunker."

"It was meant to protect us from the wyvern," Hermione defended her design. "It wasn't meant to look like a bungalow."

"And it worked!" Harry chimed in.

"Looks cosy," the man went on.

Hermione scoffed; she was well aware that they had only made crude furniture and partitions. She clenched her teeth when she reached the remains of the door. If they had been inside when the pirates did this…

"Separate bedrooms! McGonagall would've approved!" Mr Black must have found the remains of the beds and partitions.

"You're not quite as funny as you think you are," Harry said as they walked around their old shelter.

"It looks like the pirates didn't leave anything," Hermione said. Not that there had been anything valuable left. "Not even the remaining coconuts." Or they might've been carried away by animals. Or destroyed in the blast.

"So, that's where we stayed most of the time on the island," Harry said. "Until we noticed the pirates, that is. See? We were safe from the wyvern! The entrance was far too narrow for it, and the stone ceiling too strong."

"Not that we ever had to test either," Hermione quickly added when she saw the frowns on the Potters' faces.

"But how did you know that the entrance was too narrow?" Mr Potter asked. "Because it got stuck in that cave you mentioned?"

"Yes. We can show it to you," Harry said. "But let's check the wyvern's remains!"

"Careful," Hermione cautioned. "It might've attracted scavengers, which might have attracted predators."

"Right."

*****​

Harry Potter kept an eye out for snakes and other dangerous animals as he approached the area where they had buried the wyvern. The earth there hadn't been hit by Blasting Curses - there weren't any craters - but the ground had been torn up anyway, and he could see some bones peeking through the soil. Bare bones - the jungle's animals must have picked them clean already.

"Ugh, the stench!" Sirius complained.

Harry frowned at him. "Why didn't you cast a Bubble-Head Charm?"

"I just did!"

"No, I mean before," Harry replied.

"There was no stench before."

What? "I meant before we flew here," Harry explained. "So you would be protected from gases."

Sirius stared at him, then exchanged a glance with Mum and Dad.

Harry looked at Hermione. She was as bewildered as he was, he could tell. She had her Bubble-Head Charm up, same as Harry.

And as Dumbledore - the Headmaster was approaching the former pit. "I would counsel everyone to ensure they are protected from the smell," he said, raising his wand.

Uncle Peter and Remus had already cast a charm, Harry noticed, but Fleur and Bill did so on Dumbledore's advice.

Then the old wizard waved his wand, and the earth covering the pit vanished, revealing the dead wyvern.

Mum gasped at the sight. "Harry!"

He nodded. "That's it. I guess the pirates didn't find it.

"Look at the size of the teeth!"

"And the wings!"

"Look at the spikes!"

"Merlin's beard! That was your doing?"

Harry turned to frown at Sirius. They had told them that before, hadn't they? "Yes. It was resistant to spells, so we needed a way to kill it that allowed us to get around that."

"Harry! You…." Mum started sniffling, then grabbed him and hugged him, squeezing hard. "You risked your life to trap this monster. Twice!"

"Someone had to," he told her. "And I'm the better duellist than Hermione, so I could dodge better." Everyone was frowning at him. Or glaring at him. Except for Dumbledore, who seemed vaguely amused. And Céline, who was asking Fleur something. Even Hermione frowned at him, and it had been her plan as well!

He looked at her, raised his eyebrows and grimaced.

She pursed her lips before speaking up: "Our plans might have been a little more dangerous than is comfortable, but we didn't see any alternative. We were trapped on an island, magically hidden from detection, and facing a man-eating monster that was hunting us. If we didn't ambush it, forcing a confrontation on our terms, it would do the same to us sooner or later."

"Yes," Harry agreed when Mum released him. "And after the first trap failed, it was clear it wouldn't give up - it tried to ambush us when we left the cave. And it chased us through the jungle when we fled. We had to kill it, and we didn't have any better plan than this." He gestured at the pit in front of them. "And it worked!" he stressed again.

"You were lucky. Damn lucky," Dad told him with a deep frown. "If you hadn't been so lucky, you'd be dead. Thrice over!"

"It wasn't luck," Hermione protested. "We carefully planned. If we had just relied on luck, we would've died. Or worse."

Unfortunately, just as when she had used it before, that perfectly correct statement didn't seem to convince anyone.

Mum shook her head. "I can't take any more of this. Let's leave."

"Not without the wyvern's bones!" Harry protested. That was the reason they had returned, wasn't it?

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed. "It would be a shame to leave such a magnificent specimen behind. With your permission…?" He looked at Harry and Hermione.

"Of course," Harry told him as Hermione nodded.

Dumbledore waved his wand, and the jumbled mass of bones, rotting meat and frayed skin rose into the air, earth dropping from it as it lightly shook. A few smaller bones followed, floating next to it.

Then the whole mass began to shrink until it was the size of a football, which disappeared into Dumbledore's pockets.

"And done." The old wizard beamed at them.

"Good. Let's go," Dad said - he was hugging Mum. "Let's leave now, before we hear about yet another close brush with death by Harry and Miss Granger."

Harry bit his lower lip to keep from asking if they counted the cave escape as one or two brushes. Mum looked like she really couldn't take anything else.

And it was his fault, he realised with growing guilt. Even if it wasn't really his fault.

*****​
 
Chapter 32: The Return
Chapter 32: The Return

Unknown Island, July 18th, 1996

Leaning against the railing of Abdul's ship, watching the captured pirates being loaded into the hold, Sirius Black didn't know whether he should be proud of his godson or angry at him. Or both. Harry - with Miss Granger's help - had fought and killed a man-eating dragon. Well, a wyvern, but it was close enough. And then he had fought a band of pirates, sunk their ship and freed their prisoner. And he had outflown them on a broom and escaped with a stolen boat.

It was like a tale out of one of those muggle adventure books Lily had introduced him to at Hogwarts, just with magic.

But it was real. Harry wasn't lying. He wasn't even exaggerating what he had done - Sirius could tell. In fact, he was sure that his godson was downplaying their adventures, and Miss Granger was doing the same - mostly. The girl had certainly not held back when pointing out how Harry had gotten hurt, but she hadn't really seemed to brag or boast either. In their place, Sirius would've been telling everyone what he had done. Then again, he wouldn't have cared what his parents had thought, unlike Harry or Miss Granger. They were far too quiet.

He glanced at the two of them. After wolfing down a couple of sandwiches each, they were standing close together near the ship's bow, wands in hand, and staring at the prisoners. No, at everyone, Sirius noticed. He shook his head. They were almost as bad as Moody. Then again, they had gone through a lot, and just a few hours ago, they had still been fighting for their lives. And despite Abdul's claims, the crew of his ship were far too close to pirates to relax in their presence, even with Dumbledore aboard. Once they were back in Britain, Harry and Miss Granger would be able to calm down.

Although… Sirius narrowed his eyes. They were standing very close together. Covering each other like… like Sirius and James had used to, during the war. Oh. Merlin's balls! Sirius grimaced. He should've realised this sooner! This wasn't an adventure - this had been like the war for the two. And at their age…

He sighed and looked for James and Lily. James was with Dumbledore talking to Abdul. Probably about the prisoners. Sirius didn't care about that or them. And Lily… was with Fleur and the little Veela.

He pushed off the railing and walked towards his godson. "Hey!" He grinned at them, despite the fact that both turned to face him, and he saw their wands twitch. At least they didn't point them at him. "We'll be back in Britain in no time!" he told them.

"Are we taking a Portkey?" Miss Granger asked.

Sirius blinked. "Ah… I don't know. Those are regulated."

"I know," the witch told him. "But with Mr Potter, the Head Auror, and the Headmaster here…"

Sirius chuckled. "Ah, they're not here in an official capacity. That's actually why we're probably not taking a Portkey. That way, the Ministry can claim to have neither known nor sanctioned this little expedition."

"Why wouldn't they do that?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Politics. Of course, now that you've been rescued and the pirates captured without an international incident, they might change their opinion," Sirius replied with a shrug.

"I can't believe you would've come here without emergency Portkeys," Miss Granger said. Harry nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's not an emergency, is it?" Sirius smiled before growing serious. "Unless it is," he added, looking at them.

"What? No, we're fine," Harry replied at once. "Just fine."

Miss Granger nodded.

But both of them kept looking at the pirates and the crew.

"Does that mean we'll be sailing to Britain?" Harry asked after a moment.

"I think we'll get off at Gibraltar and use the Floo from there," Sirius said.

"They have a connection to the Ministry?" Harry blurted out. "But that's…" He wrinkled his nose. "...a thousand miles! Almost double the distance from Scotland to Cornwall!"

"Entirely possible," Sirius told them. "Though it's not part of the regular network."

"Ah."

"Good," Miss Granger said. "How long will we take to reach Gibraltar?"

"Five to six hours," Sirius told them. "Apparently, it depends on the wind." He shrugged - he wasn't a sailor.

Fortunately, the two kids accepted that.

"So, if you want to sleep, go ahead! Trust me - sailing is rather boring if you don't need to help out the crew." He grinned at them.

Harry and Miss Granger exchanged a glance, then nodded. "You first," Harry said.

"You were hurt."

"I was healed. I'll wake you up after three hours."

Sirius blinked. What were they talking about? They couldn't mean to… "Harry!" He shook his head. "You both can sleep. You're safe."

"Oh." Once more, Harry glanced at Miss Granger. "I guess so."

The girl nodded, though Sirius caught her blushing a little. "We're not used to…" She shrugged.

OK, they were as bad as Moody. Sirius refrained from wincing. That would only make them worry.

"So, where do we sleep?" Harry asked.

"Oh, just…" Sirius trailed off when he realised that Harry hadn't asked him - he had asked Miss Granger.

"Beneath the boat there?" she replied, pointing at the longboat fastened to the deck nearby.

Harry peered at it, then nodded. "Alright. You still got the mattresses?"

"Yes."

Before Sirius could comment, the two trotted off and ducked under the boat. With their wands drawn.

He probably should talk to James and Lily about this.

Then he frowned. Mattresses? The raggedy things they had fashioned out of their robes? He opened his mouth to tell them that there were perfectly fine actual beds to be had but reconsidered. Those beds didn't fit under the boat, and Sirius had a feeling that the two teenagers valued the cover it provided over the comfort of a real mattress.

He snorted - that, at least, was something they had in common with other teenagers, although not for the same reasons. Another young wizard and witch would want privacy for some snogging, not to hide from pirates.

He blinked, his faint smile fading. Could it be possible that….? He frowned again as he considered it. They were very close for two students who had been at each other's throats for five years. Very close indeed - it was obvious that they trusted each other over anyone else. Even over Harry's godfather! And they had been alone for two weeks on a desert island.

On the other hand, they had been fighting a wyvern and pirates. And they had dealt with diarrhoea. Not exactly the most romantic time. He winced at the memory of a date that had gone very badly when Snape had spiked his drink at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. He paid the bastard back, of course, but Mildred had never smiled at him again after that unfortunate accident.

And yet… the two were very close. Obviously, they had overcome their rivalry. He frowned again. Normally, Padfoot's nose would tell him all he needed to know, but this wasn't a normal situation. Both of them had spent two weeks together, and a few hours in the sea. Any hint of certain activities would've been literally swept away by the water.

Well, finding out whether or not Harry had fallen for the girl he had spent years fighting could wait. Informing James and Lily about the two teenagers' Moody-like habits was more important. Sirius could tease his godson once everything was back to normal.

He walked over to the bridge part of the ship. "James! Lily!"

"Sirius?" James turned to look at him.

"Where's Harry?" Lily asked, looking around.

"That's what I need to talk to you about," Sirius started to say. When Lily drew her wand, still looking for Harry, he quickly added: "They're asleep under the boat there."

"What?" James stared at him, then at the boat. "Why would they…?"

"They feel safer there," Sirius explained.

Lily gasped. "Oh, no! They're traumatised!"

"What?" James repeated himself. "You mean…" He blinked, frowning. "Like Moody?"

"Not that bad," Sirius told him with a shake of his head. "But they're… well, Moody would be pleased about their habits."

"Oh, no!" James closed his eyes and sighed. "They need help."

"Therapy," Lily said. "They can't return to Hogwarts if they are ready to curse people at the drop of a hat."

"What? No!" Sirius shook his head. "They haven't even killed any of the pirates, so the other students should be safe. Mostly." Malfoy might be too stupid to be safe, but Sirius wouldn't shed a tear for that bigot. "Besides, Dumbledore is aware of that." The Headmaster couldn't have missed this, after all.

"Dumbledore didn't think there was anything wrong about their feud before," Lily objected with a frown.

"And there wasn't!" Sirius grinned. "Harry's a chip off the old block!" And if he actually had fallen for Miss Granger, then that would be even more true!

But James, instead of agreeing with Sirius, grimaced. "Still, we need to talk about this. If they don't even feel safe with us..."

"We're on a pirate ship," Sirius pointed out. "They don't watch you - they watch the crew."

"And they've been alone, only able to depend on each other, for two weeks," Lily added, though she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself. "Of course they would have trouble adjusting quickly to being safe."

Sirius shrugged. "They'll come around once we're back. I just wanted to let you know that they're a little twitchy." Honestly, keeping Harry from Hogwarts? Perish the thought! The other students would just have to learn not to annoy him or Miss Granger. Though, as far as Sirius knew, most of the students already had learned that. With the notable exception of Narcissa's stupid get, but even little Draco had stopped getting hexed every week, at least according to James.

Not to mention that if Harry and Miss Granger were a couple, they wouldn't be able to keep Harry away from Hogwarts - not if Miss Granger was there. And while Sirius wasn't overly familiar with the witch, he knew enough from Harry's stories to be sure that nothing and no one would keep her from going to school. Certainly not her muggle parents.

Lily was still eyeing the boat and biting her lower lip.

"They didn't kill anyone," James said. "But they fought. Several times. I know rookie Aurors who have trouble with their first fight."

"That's my godson," Sirius said. "Your son. He'll be fine."

He caught James and Lily glancing at each other. Apparently, they weren't as optimistic as he was. Well, they'd see.

*****​

Atlantic Ocean, July 18th, 1996

Hermione Granger sighed as she woke up, suppressing a yawn. She had… She blinked, then gasped, grabbing her wand and pulling away from Harry. What the…? Oh. She remembered. They had been rescued.

"What?" Harry hissed as he looked around, wand already pointing at… the boat above them. "Oh."

She nodded in the dim light beneath the upside-down boat. "I think we were more exhausted than we thought," she said in a low voice.

"Yes," he agreed. He was still tense - she could feel his muscles where he was pressing against her thigh.

Then again, she wasn't exactly relaxed, either. They were on a pirate ship. Sure, they were in the company of the Potters, their friends and Dumbledore, but… That only made it unlikely, not impossible, that anything bad could happen. You'd have to be mad to attack Dumbledore, but not everyone was rational. And pirates certainly weren't very rational, given their dangerous and despicable 'business', especially with the punishments they were now facing. But that was a problem. What if the ship's crew had relatives amongst the captives? Or were bribed to let them escape, or worse? Or…

She shook her head. Those were silly thoughts.

"Looks safe," Harry whispered.

She nodded again, then bent down to peer through the gap between the boat's railing and the deck. "No one's near," she said. No one she could see, at least, but then again, Harry would be aware of that limitation.

"Good." Harry took a deep breath. "We're safe."

"Yes." She almost believed it.

He was looking at her with a weird expression, she noticed. Was something wrong? Was he… was he having second thoughts about… what they had done on the island? She bit her lower lip. Those were silly thoughts, she told herself.

"So, uh…" He licked lips. He was nervous.

"Yes?" She cocked her head.

He took a deep breath. She saw his chest heave. Saw his muscles move. He didn't say anything, but - did he really think that she would break...?

She was leaning over before she realised what she was doing, wrapping her free arm around his neck, and pulled him in. Then she hesitated. What if he didn't want to kiss her? Didn't want her, now that they were rescued?

But his lips were already on hers, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the kiss.

She was breathing heavily when she pulled back, licking her lips. "So…" She wanted to kiss him again. Hold him. Caress him. And… But they were on a ship. With so many people nearby. His parents amongst them. This wasn't the place for that.

He nodded as if he had read her thoughts and sighed. "Let's go check where we are."

"Yes."

A quick Levitation Charm lifted the boat up, enough so they could duck under the upside-down railing instead of having to crawl. The sun was setting outside. Two sailors were looking at them, one of them joking with the other. She couldn't understand the language, but the way they acted and laughed left no doubt. And they were laughing at Harry and her.

She narrowed her eyes at them, wand twitching at her side, then took a deep breath. They didn't matter. They were just the ship's crew, and Harry and she would be off the ship soon enough. And if they tried anything other than laughing, they'd regret it.

"Harry!"

She turned and saw Mrs Potter walking towards them.

"Mum." She saw that Harry was relaxing - a little; he still had his wand out.

"Miss Granger."

"Mrs Potter." Hermione nodded at her.

"You were really tired," Mrs Potter said. "You've slept through almost the whole trip."

"Sirius said it was boring anyway," Harry replied.

"Unless we were following the coastline," Hermione added, "there wouldn't have been anything we hadn't seen plenty of times while we were on the island."

"Ah." Mrs Potter seemed to wince in response. "Well, if you're hungry, we've got dinner ready."

"Did you cook it, Mum?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded. She was hungry - and so thoroughly sick of coconuts, she would pay a fortune for a decently cooked meal with anything but coconuts - but to eat something the crew prepared? While she would like to try out the local food, tampering with a meal was an obvious way to strike at them.

"What? No." Mrs Potter laughed. "I don't think the ship's cook would've let me take over their kitchen. But it's good - we ate already; we weren't sure you'd wake up before we reached Gibraltar."

"Oh." Harry pressed his lips together; Hermione met his eyes when he turned towards her.

She frowned. If everyone amongst the rescue force had eaten already, they were the only ones who might not have been affected if there was anything in the food. And the local food might be a little much for their digestive systems, anyway, after their coconut diet. "Could we have some more sandwiches, instead?" she asked. "I think we should stick to something simple." She rubbed her stomach for emphasis. "I'm not certain that we're up to spicy food yet."

"Oh, I should've thought of that!" Mrs Potter blurted out. "I'll go make some right away."

Hermione hoped she'd use their own stocks. "That should be safe," she whispered.

Harry nodded. "Yes. I doubt there's any wizard alive who would risk angering Dumbeldore."

"Yes." Hermione nodded. Only a fool would dare face the wizard who had vanquished both Grindelwald and Voldemort. She knew that. Everyone knew it.

But she couldn't help feeling nervous on board this ship.

*****​

Wizarding Gibraltar, July 18th, 1996

Harry Potter frowned as he looked at the harbour that had suddenly appeared as soon as the ship had crossed a certain line - a wardline. The port looked impressive, if a little empty, but the way it was kept hidden… That felt too much like the pirate island they had left.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing," Harry quickly replied with a shrug.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him but didn't say anything.

Sirius wasn't as discreet. He snorted. "Really? You just frowned at the last step before we return home for no reason?"

Harry sighed. Sometimes, his godfather was too perceptive - and unwilling to act as if he hadn't noticed anything amiss. "Couldn't they have hidden the harbour like Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron? So only muggles didn't notice it?"

"Ah!" Sirius nodded. "They could've. But the protections were laid down shortly after we conquered it, some three hundred years ago or so. So, it had to be hidden from Spanish wizards and witches, too."

"1703, actually," Hermione cut in. Of course she'd know that! "Wizarding Britain conquered it before the muggles did, which was a first of the time, so shortly after the Statute of Secrecy."

"But wouldn't the Spanish wizards have known where it was?" Harry asked. "It was theirs before, right?"

"Yes, but this way, they can't see what's going on in the harbour," Sirius replied.

Harry felt like an idiot. He should've thought of that! Although… "A spy could easily tell them," he pointed out.

"And probably did," Sirius agreed. "But it still meant they had certain advantages when the Spaniards actually attacked."

"Ah."

"But that's ancient history," Sirius waved his hand. "With ships no longer important, Gibraltar's just the last stop before we're home!"

"Yes," Harry said. He glanced at Hermione.

She nodded in agreement, but she didn't seem to be as… unconcerned as she appeared. And probably not because she might disagree with Sirius's take on ships.

Home. Godric's Hollow. His room. He would be able to sleep in his own bed again instead of on his own robe stuffed with dry grass.

But he would be sleeping alone. Without Hermione.

"Rose will be so happy to have you back," Sirius commented with a smile. "She was really worried about you, you know."

Rose. Harry drew a sharp breath. His little sister would have been frantic! And he hadn't really thought about her. Merlin's beard, he was a jerk!

"As will be your parents, of course, Miss Granger," Sirius added.

"Did… did you tell them that you've found us?" Hermione asked.

"Ah… We didn't want to get their hopes up," Sirius explained. "And it's not as if we could tell them now - can't send a Patronus Messenger to muggles; that would threaten the Statute. Well, we could send them an owl, but we'd beat it to London.

"Ah." Hermione nodded.

Harry suppressed the urge to wince. She was missing her parents, of course. She couldn't wait to return home. Her home. But would she be missing him once they were home? They had talked about this, but that had been on the island, and now...

"Harry!" Mum interrupted his thoughts. She went and hugged him again. "Sorry for leaving you with Sirius, but Albus asked me to check an enchanted item that Abdul had found, and James was busy with the prisoners."

"An enchanted item?" Hermione asked. "Wouldn't that be more suited for a Curse-Breaker?"

"Bill was there as well," Mum told her. "But I was asked to examine the spells used. Amongst other reasons, to determine their age."

"Oh?" Hermione perked up. Of course she would. "What did you find out?"

"That the spell on the knife isn't an unknown curse, but merely a variant of an obsolete Cutting Curse." Lily released Harry.

He cleared his throat and pointed his wand at his clothes to straighten them out and clean them.

"Harry!" Hermione blurted out. "We're now on British soil!"

He froze. "Uh…"

Mum shook her head. "Don't worry about it - we're on a magical ship in a wizarding port. They don't track underage magic here. The Trace would be triggered every time you entered the harbour." She frowned. "It's the same reason the Trace won't be triggered in Diagon Alley or other magical locations."

"Ah." Hermione frowned as well. Deeply. "So, basically, underage magic is only tracked in muggle areas."

"Yes," Mum agreed. "The Ministry can only trace magic being done near an underage student, but not who cast it."

"Yes," Harry said. Sirius had explained that to him before he went to Hogwarts.

"I wonder how many muggleborns get framed by bigots by casting spells near them." Hermione scoffed.

"That isn't a problem any more - people can exonerate themselves by explaining the situation to the Ministry. A priori incantatem usually clears them," Mum explained. "It was bad when I was a student, though. Until the war grew worse and the Ministry couldn't spare any Aurors for such petty incidents any more."

"It's still not good," Hermione complained. "I can't do magic during the summer, unlike everyone from a magical household."

"You can come visit and do magic at our house," Harry told her with a smile. She could also stay the night if he had anything to say about it!

"Ah…" Hermione's initial smile faltered as she glanced at Mum.

Harry quickly turned to beam at her. "Please, Mum! We used magic all the time for weeks - we can't just quit from one day to the other!"

Sirius grinned. "That's a good argument to let you cast spells at home if I ever heard one."

"It'd also be illegal," Mum protested.

"Only if we get caught - and not even Rose would snitch on us!" Harry pointed out. His sister better not snitch on them - not if she wanted her more dangerous potions experiments kept a secret!

"It will be hard to stop using hairstyling charms," Hermione said, biting her lower lip.

Mum sighed, and Harry knew they had won.

*****​

"Speaking of hairstyling Charms," Mrs Potter said. "You look rather stubbly."

Stubbly? Hermione Granger blinked and ran a hand through her hair. Oh. Mrs Potter was talking about Harry.

"I didn't have my razor with me!" Harry protested. "And it's not stubble - it's a beard!"

"A rather stubbly beard," Mr Black chimed in with a chuckle.

"It's not!" Harry glared at him. "And this is your fault!"

"What?" Mr Black looked surprised. "How so?"

"You gave me the razor," Harry explained. "So, it's your fault that I never learned a shaving charm. And I couldn't cut my beard with a Severing Charm, could I?"

Hermione grimaced. That would've been a rather bloody affair. Lily Moon once tried to shave her legs with that charm. Granted, the girl had messed up the casting, but still!

"You're blaming me for not wanting to learn a charm?" Mr Black shook his head, chuckling again. "I'm so proud!"

"Sirius!" Mrs Potter hissed before turning to Harry. "James can cast the charm."

"I don't know…" Harry bit his lower lip and glanced at Hermione.

"Ask him," Hermione replied.

"It's not stubbly, isn't it?"

"No," she assured him, "but it's a little ragged."

"Oh." He looked down, and Hermione fought the urge to hug and console him. Besides, she was correct.

"We might want to freshen up, anyway," she said, looking at her clothes. "So we don't look like…"

"...like we spent two weeks on a deserted island?" Harry chuckled.

"Yes," she agreed, laughing as well.

"Well, the Prophet would love some pictures of you looking like that," Mr Black commented.

Hermione gasped - Lavender would never let her forget it if she appeared in the newspaper as she was now.

"If those vultures dare to take our pictures, I'm going to invent a new curse for them!" Mrs Potter spat. "I'll ask James to ensure no one's waiting for us in the Ministry."

"Can't we go straight home?" Harry asked.

"No. we don't have a direct connection from Gibraltar - it goes through the Ministry," Mrs Potter explained. "But yes, you should be able to freshen up a little," she added.

"Thank you!" Hermione smiled at her. She didn't want to meet her parents looking like she had run through a jungle for days. They would be worried enough already. Even though that came pretty close to what she had done.

"Yes, thanks, Mum," Harry said. "So… where do we do this?"

"We'll wait in the local inn while James and Albus settle things with the Ministry," Mrs Potter explained. "We can rent two rooms there."

"Two rooms?" Harry asked. "Oh."

"I think Miss Granger and Miss de Ciel can share. It won't take long, anyway. We'll probably be done before the prisoners are handed over," Mrs Potter said. "Albus has a way to speed things along."

"Just by being present," Mr Black said, laughing.

Hermione didn't laugh. She was aware of what would happen to the pirates, now that the British Ministry took charge.

"Lily!" Mr Potter approached them as the ship drew up next to a long pier. "I'm off to meet the governor. Can you handle the kids?"

"Yes."

Hermione pressed her lips together. She would be an adult in a little more than two months. But mentioning that would be childish.

Two Hit-Wizards - Hermione spotted the grey robes - were already waiting at the pier. They were standing at attention, so they probably knew that Dumbledore was on the ship. Well, according to what Hermione had heard, Dumbledore had boarded the ship in the same port this morning, so that was to be expected. Then again, the Ministry's competence wasn't beyond all doubt…

Hermione kept her wand ready as Mr Potter and the Headmaster handled the paperwork at the pier, then followed Mrs Potter and the other members of the rescue party to the local inn.

The inn itself was mostly empty, as far as Hermione could tell as they entered, but the service was swift, and she found herself in a room with Céline, Mrs Weasley and Mrs Potter in no time. A room with a real bathroom. A large tub, which Mrs Weasley filled with soaped, scented hot water with a flick of her wand.

She had to learn that spell. It shouldn't be too hard, and it would come in very handy should she ever find herself stranded again. Hermione added it to her mental list of spells she needed to master as she stripped down and slid into the tub, sighing with relief and contentment. "I missed this!" she announced.

"I can imagine," Mrs Weasley replied with a faint smile.

"I've fixed your clothes," Mrs Potter added while Hermione cleaned herself.

Hermione pressed her lips together. Those were her clothes - she was perfectly able to fix them herself! She forced herself to smile - they meant well. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Mrs Potter replied. Hermione caught her smile - friendly but with a hint of pity.

Hermione felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Oh dear Lord! She would have to face this attitude for the foreseeable future, wouldn't she? The poor little girl who was stranded on a pirate isle. Everyone be gentle with her so she doesn't break down crying!

She closed her eyes and tried to relax once more as Mrs Weasley helped Céline bathe. They probably treated both of them the same!

And she had thought dealing with her parents would be bad enough...

*****​

"Hold still!"

Harry Potter didn't want to hold still. He could shave himself perfectly fine - provided someone had brought him a razor, enchanted or not. To have Sirius cast a Shaving Charm on him…

He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he felt a brief breeze wash over his face.

"And done!" Sirius announced. "No more stubble!"

"It was a beard," Harry protested.

"It was stubble." Sirius pointed at his own face. "This is a beard. Well-styled, too. Albus has a beard. You had some stubble."

Harry sighed. Another week and no one would've called it stubble.

"Oh, sorry," Sirius said, suddenly looking worried.

"For what?" Harry snapped.

"I didn't want, well…" He shrugged. "I know you've had a rough time. I only wanted to help. And I didn't think to bring a razor."

Oh. "I'm fine," Harry told him.

"Are you sure?" Uncle Remus asked. "You have gone through an ordeal few people face. And you're still a… student."

Merlin's balls! "I'm fine," he snapped. "We've made it through this OK. It was just two weeks, anyway."

He didn't like the way Sirius and Uncle Remus looked at each other before smiling at him. Damn it!

He glanced at Uncle Peter, but he also seemed to think Harry was fragile and about to break down crying. Harry had done that already when he had hugged Mum and Dad! He wasn't about to repeat it. What would Hermione think?

Hermione… Harry still had no idea how to handle their… their relationship once they were back home. Visit every day? He could do that with the Knight Bus. And she could do the same. If she wanted to. He had invited her for daily visits, but would that be too clingy and drive her away? She would want to meet her friends, wouldn't she? Well, they could go on a double date with Ron and Lavender. Like in Diagon Alley before all this started, but for real.

He drew a sharp breath. Would that remind her of everything bad, though? Or of their feud? Perhaps pick another café? Hogsmeade, maybe? Or would it be better to go to some muggle cafés? That would also be more private - Harry really didn't want a date getting ruined by bumping into Malfoy. Or, much worse, having it plastered over the Prophet.

"It's alright, Harry," Sirius said, interrupting his thoughts. "It'll get better with time."

"What?" Harry shook his head. "No, no, I was… worrying about the Prophet writing a story about everything."

"Well…" Sirius grimaced, as did Uncle Remus. "I don't think that that can be helped. Since the pirates will receive their trial in the Ministry, the story will get out."

Uncle Remus nodded. "And your return will be noticed anyway - your disappearance was a big story as well."

"It was?" Harry winced. "How… How much was in the newspaper?" What did they know about the, uh, incident that started it?

"Well…" Sirius trailed off. "They know that you disappeared in Knockturn Alley, you and Miss Granger. And they know what you were doing beforehand."

"What?" Harry gasped. Did they know about him following Hermione?

"Your meeting with Ron and Miss Brown," Uncle Remus explained.

"Ah." Harry felt a little relieved. In hindsight, he had acted like an idiot, following Hermione. Well, she hadn't been acting like a genius, either.

"Of course, the Prophet being the Prophet, they were very creative with their articles," Sirius said.

Articles? More than one? Of course, Harry berated himself, they would milk this for all it was worth. "Uh… what did they write?" he asked.

"Well, you fought some hag cabal… you were kidnapped by Grindelwald's lost legion, you were possessed by a ghost of a Death Eater, you eloped with Miss Granger…"

Harry felt himself blush at that. "What?" he blurted out. "They think… What were they thinking?"

"Nothing, as usual. It's just the Prophet," Sirius said. "Anyway, once they hear about the pirates, they'll claim you captured them all. Or that they had captured you, and we saved you from being sacrificed to a volcano. Or something worse."

Harry pressed his lips together. If the Prophet claimed that they had been captured by pirates… He knew what they would claim about Hermione. "We have to tell them the truth, then. We can't let them speculate about this," he said. "Not about getting captured by the pirates!"

"You want to talk to the Prophet?" Sirius looked surprised.

"I don't want them to think we were captured," Harry repeated himself.

"Ah." Sirius nodded - he had finally understood the problem.

Good. Harry wasn't looking forward to it, but it was better than having to deal with all the rumours that would be spread about him and Hermione at Hogwarts if he let the Prophet make up a story.

*****​

"...and that's why we'll have to be prepared for reporters," Harry finished explaining as they approached the local administrative building.

Hermione Granger nodded. That made sense. She didn't like it at all, but it made sense. "I never expected that I'd have to deal with tabloids." Then again, maybe she should've - Wizarding Britain's only newspaper was a tabloid. And given the small size of the country, they tended to report even the smallest news if it was a slow day. Though they usually didn't cover Hogwarts.

"Be glad you didn't. It's not fun."

Right. Harry's parents were celebrities. At least in Wizarding Britain.

"It's not too bad, either," Mr Black commented.

"It's actually that bad," Mrs Potter disagreed. "The things they wrote about me when James and I got married…"

"Right. I had forgotten about that," Mr Black conceded. "They stopped, though."

"After I gave an interview about curses," Mrs Potter replied. "Anyway, we'll make sure the Prophet won't go overboard. But Harry is right - you have to talk to them if you don't want them to make up their own story."

"And even if you do, they will still embellish things," Mr Black added.

Hermione frowned. "I would prefer to see my parents first."

"Of course!" Mrs Potter nodded emphatically. "We wouldn't expose you to the press without letting you get… without letting you rest and recover from this, first."

"But wouldn't that defeat the entire purpose?" Hermione pointed out. "If we wait, they'll make up stories, won't they?" Hermione really didn't want to read how she was supposedly saved in extremis from an Ottoman Harem. Or out of one.

"We can give them the bare bones, I think," Mr Black said. "That Harry and Miss Granger were stranded on a Barbary Coast pirate island and daringly escaped the pirates and their pet monster until we arrived to save them."

"Uh…" Harry grimaced. "Do we have to mention the wyvern?"

"You won't be able to keep that a secret," Mrs Potter told him.

Harry sighed. "Hagrid will be sad."

Hermione winced as well. Professor Hagrid wouldn't be happy with them. But she agreed that trying to hide the wyvern's death wouldn't work. "So… we can use the wyvern to distract them? Show them the skull?"

"That's a good idea!" Mr Black smiled at her. "Especially if we make them work for getting pictures of it! If they think we don't want them to, they'll be certain to focus on that!"

"Good idea," Harry told her with a smile that made her feel better about it all. She still felt ill at ease at the thought of facing the press back home.

Home… Mum and Dad must be frantic with worry. She pressed her lips together and followed the others into the building.

Mr Potter and the Headmaster were there, smiling. "The Floo connection is ready," Mr Potter announced.

"You already handled all the paperwork?" Mr Black sounded almost as surprised and impressed as when he had heard about their adventure on the island, Hermione noticed.

"Mr Travers was very happy to facilitate the procedure after I reminded him that we had two children who had spent the last two weeks evading pirates and were anxious to return home," the Headmaster explained with his usual polite smile. "He would be here to greet you, but, unfortunately, he is kept busy handling the prisoners."

That caused some amusement amongst the group, but it was clear - at least Hermione thought so - that none wanted to stay here longer than necessary. They proceeded straight to the fireplace connecting Gibraltar with the Ministry.

"I'll go first, in case someone is waiting for us," Mr Potter said.

Hermione wondered whether he meant to dissuade a journalist, who might have decided to ambush them - or an actual ambush. She exchanged a glance with Harry, who nodded at her, and kept her wand ready.

"The Ministry!" Mr Potter disappeared in green fire, followed by Mr Black, Mr Lupin, and then Dumbledore.

Then it was Harry and her turn. She took a deep breath as she grabbed some Floo powder from the bowl, licked her lips and clearly pronounced "The Ministry!" as she threw it into the fire. As soon as it turned green, she clenched her teeth and stepped through.

The trip didn't feel different compared to any other trip through the Floo network, though she thought it had taken a little longer than usual. Not very much, though - and the brief moment of disorientation was the same as well, so…

Someone pointed their wand at her! She dived to the side, raising her wand…

…and froze, embarrassed. Mr Potter was staring at her. "I was merely about to clean the soot off your robes," he told her. "I'm sorry. I should've waited, but…"

"Ah." She felt her face flush and stood.

"Hermione!"

Harry had arrived - wand in hand.

"I surprised her," Mr Potter said. He glanced at her. She nodded, and he waved his wand, casting a Cleaning Charm on her, then on Harry.

They were in a chamber with a closed door - or gate - she realised. Not the usual Ministry fireplaces in the Atrium. And behind the others, a pair of wizards stood guard. Hit-Wizards. Who, she noted, carefully didn't stare.

"After such an experience, anyone would be a little nervous. Why, I remember almost hexing the face off of my favourite Gobstones partner when he paid me a surprise visit after the war," Dumbledore said with a smile.

Hermione forced herself to return the smile. She wasn't… it was perfectly normal to react to a wand being pointed at your face!

Céline and Mrs Weasley arrived, followed by Mr Weasley - Fleur and Bill, she reminded herself, though it would be some time before she got used to that - and Mrs Potter.

"Where's Peter?" Mr Black asked.

"He said he had to look into a few things," Mrs Potter explained.

Mr Black laughed at that. "Peter… already on the next mission."

"He's probably keeping an eye on the pirates," Mr Potter said. "Anyway, let's get you out of here, and home." He turned to Hermione. "We'll take the Floo Network to our home, and I'll apparate with you to your home from there. Is that alright?"

She nodded. "Of course." After saying goodbye to Céline - Fleur would take her home to her family. And she'd take the wand and the remains of the French witch they had found with her as well.

He smiled. "Good. Now, Hastings told me that there is a journalist in the Atrium, so…"

"Not Skeeter?" Harry blurted out.

"No, not Skeeter," Mr Potter replied. "Thank God."

"We'll have to give a short statement and arrange an interview with them at a later date. That should do it," Mrs Potter said. "And we might distract them with the news about the wyvern."

"I think I shall stress my concern about my students being pounded by over-eager journalists," Dumbledore casually mentioned.

Hermione was certain that that would help a lot to keep the press off them.

But she feared it would frame the narrative as Harry and her being shocked victims. And she wouldn't like that.

But she wasn't about to contradict the Headmaster in this. She had to trust him.

*****​

 
Chapter 33: The Nightmares
Chapter 33: The Nightmares

Kingston upon Thames, London, Britain, July 18th, 1996

"Hello, Ellen!"

"Hi, Martha." Ellen Granger forced herself to smile at her neighbour. Martha Smith was a friendly woman about ten years older than Ellen. Widowed and chatty, but not one to spread malicious gossip.

"So, how are you doing? Did you hear about the Wilkinsons? They got a new car. A French one!" Martha shook her head. "Carl owned a French car in his youth, and it was terrible!"

"Ah." Ellen nodded. "We've been thinking of buying a new car ourselves."

"If not English, then German. That's what Carl always said." Martha nodded sagely.

Oh. Martha's husband had died in the Gulf War, Ellen remembered. A car accident on the way to the base, but Martha liked to imply he had died more heroically. Still, a touchy subject. "Well, we haven't talked about a model, yet," Ellen said. "But we want a model that's more economical." Not some petrol-guzzling monstrosity.

"Oh, yes. Matthew has a new car - a Volkswagen. I can ask him how it's holding up once he's had it for a few weeks." Martha nodded. "How's Hermione doing? Still visiting her friend?"

"Yes." Ellen winced against her will. Officially, Hermione was visiting a friend. That would make it easy to explain her return. But if she didn't… Ellen shook her head. Hermione would return. Safe and sound. She was a witch. She had magic. She would be fine. She had to be fine. Ellen didn't know what she would do if… if...

"Oh, don't worry! Hermione's at that age - they want to be independent. Spend their holidays with friends instead of their parents. It's just a phase. Matthew was the same, and now he visits every week!" Martha beamed at her.

Ellen forced herself to nod. Martha didn't know that Hermione was missing. Couldn't know - Mr Potter had been firm about that. The Ministry's regulations were strict. "Oh, yes. She should be back soon. But I really need to head in - Gabriel is finishing up at the office, so it's my turn to cook."

"Ah. What are you cooking?" Martha looked eager - she liked sharing recipes.

Normally, Ellen liked sharing recipes as well. But not now. All she wanted was to go home, put some frozen tv dinners in the oven and wish Hermione was back. "Nothing fancy," she said. "Perhaps just some roast beef sandwiches."

"Ah. Then I won't hold you up any longer." If Martha was disappointed, it didn't show on her face. She smiled and nodded at Ellen before turning to walk down the road towards the small shop at the corner.

Ellen promised she'd make it up to Martha. Once Hermione was back.

But when she closed the door behind her after entering their home, she leaned against it and closed her eyes. Hermione had been missing for twelve days now. And the Ministry of Magic hadn't found her. Not for want of trying, either - Hermione had vanished with the son of the Head Auror. The Potters would be doing anything they could to find them. And Mr Dumbledore, as everyone had told Ellen, the greatest wizard alive, was personally involved in the search.

And yet - they hadn't found Hermione. Not with all their magic.

Ellen sniffled. She knew what that meant. Probably. Hermione was… Hermione was…

She wiped tears from her eyes. Breaking down wouldn't help anyone - least of all her little girl. Taking a deep breath, she dropped her handbag on the shelf in the hallway and walked towards the kitchen. She needed a cup of tea right now. Something to calm her down and keep her busy. So she wouldn't think of… so she wouldn't think.

Crookshanks meowed, begging for food. She ignored him - his bowl had been full this morning. She needed tea. But she had barely set the pot on the stove when the doorbell rang. Followed by the sound of someone unlocking the door.

She blinked. Who would ring the doorbell if they had a key? She took a step into the hallway before she found an answer.

"Sorry, Mr Potter, I forgot I had a key… Mum!"

Ellen gasped. Hermione! Her daughter was back. And rushing towards her. "Hermione!"

"Mum!"

Hermione all but tackled her - Ellen stumbled two steps back from the impact. And she was hugging her so strongly, it actually hurt a little.

But Ellen didn't mind. "Hermione!" Her little girl was back. Alive! Safe! "Oh, Hermione!"

"Mum!" Hermione sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

"You're back!" Ellen held her, taking deep, shivering breaths. "Thank God!"

"I'm so sorry."

What was she sorry for? She was back. And that was all that mattered! Blinking and sniffling, Ellen pulled back, gripping Hermione's shoulders to take a closer look at her. She looked fine. Perfectly fine. Her hair was even styled, and her robes impeccable. And she'd gotten a slight tan.

"Mrs Granger?"

Oh. Ellen blushed - she had missed entirely that Hermione hadn't been alone. "Mr Potter! You found her! You saved her!"

"Technically, we found her," the man told her. "But whether or not we saved her is a matter of debate." He smiled.

What? Ellen blinked, then shook her head. "Oh, I'm so sorry - is Harry safe as well?" He had said 'them', hadn't he?

"Oh, yes. He's home already with Lily - we took a detour to avoid the journalists," Mr Potter told her.

"Journalists?" Ellen stared at him, then at Hermione. "Oh. The wizarding journalists."

"Yes, Mum." Hermione took a deep breath and grimaced. "I'm so sorry about that."

This didn't sound good. "What… what happened?" Ellen asked.

*****

"Uh… That's a long story," Hermione Granger said, biting her lower lip.

"Hermione…" Her Mum still looked so worried.

"I'm fine, Mum!" she quickly said. "I'm not hurt - I wasn't hurt. Just a few scrapes. Easily healed."

That didn't seem to calm down Mum either. "Hermione…"

She took a deep breath. "Harry and I accidentally were transported to a magically hidden island off Northwest Africa," she said.

But Mum gasped, putting a hand in front of her mouth. "A Barbary Coast Island?"

Hermione clenched her teeth. She should've remembered that she had told Mum about the differences between muggle and wizarding countries - and the danger those pirates still represented for the wizarding countries in the Mediterranean! "Yes, Mum, but we only found that out later - we didn't meet anyone after we arrived."

Mr Potter cleared his throat behind them. "Perhaps we should sit down for this?"

Mum straightened. "Oh, of course! I'm sorry, I just…"

Mr Potter shook his head. "It's entirely understandable - I reacted the same when we recovered Harry."

Hermione didn't remember the wizard losing his composure, but he had had some forewarning thanks to the Patronus Charms. Mum had had Hermione's return sprung on her out of the blue. That must have been a shock for her, and… "Crookshanks!" Her cat pawed at her legs, meowing pitifully. She knelt down to hug and pet him. "You must have been so worried!"

After about half a minute, she stood with him in her arms, blushing. "Sorry." That had been rude, ignoring the others. But she hadn't seen Crookshanks for nearly two weeks, and he must have been so worried about her, not knowing what had happened.

Mum smiled, then led them to the living room. "Please have a seat."

Mr Potter sat down in the armchair - Dad's armchair. Hermione joined Mum on the couch, wrapping her arm around her waist.

But Mum jumped up. "Oh, my God! I need to call Gabriel!" She rushed to the phone.

Hermione pressed her lips together. Should she ask Mr Potter to go and fetch Dad so he didn't rush through traffic? Or was that presumptuous? Did Mr Potter even know where her parents worked? Well, it wasn't as if Dad was driving, so it should be fine… "I can make us some tea," she said instead.

"Ah…" Mr Potter looked embarrassed.

Hermione heard Mum in the hallway. "Gabriel? Gabriel? Come home! Hermione's back!" And then Mum started to sob again.

Hermione stood, setting Crookshanks down on the floor. "I'll be right back with tea, Mr Potter." She stepped out of the room and into the kitchen, where she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't lose it. She wouldn't lose it. She had survived for almost two weeks on a pirate island. She could do this!

Her hands still trembled a little when she filled the kettle. And Crookshanks bowl - he must be starving, too.

"Hermione?"

Drat. "I'm in the kitchen, Mum! Making tea!" she yelled.

Mum appeared at the door a moment later. "Hermione!"

"I missed tea," Hermione said, forcing herself to smile. "We only had coconut milk and water."

"Oh, Hermione!" Mum hugged her again.

"I can't stand coconut any more," Hermione said. "At least for a while. But it kept us alive, and it wasn't long enough to suffer malnutrition, and we had some fish, for a while, and I had a spell for the diarrhoea the coconut diet caused, and…" She trailed off and sobbed herself. "Sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Mum told her.

"But it was," she said. "If I hadn't gone into Knockturn Alley, this wouldn't have happened!"

If she hadn't wanted to find some grimoires to get the upper hand against Harry, her parents wouldn't have spent two weeks worrying themselves to death over her disappearance. If she hadn't fought with Harry, hadn't grabbed the stupid rope, they wouldn't have triggered the Portkey.

"There was no way you could've known about the Portkey," Mr Potter said, startling her.

When had he left the living room? She hadn't noticed him arriving in the kitchen! She had to be more on her guard!

"I shouldn't have been in that store in the first place," Hermione retorted.

"They shouldn't have left a Portkey on the shelves," Mr Potter said. "It was just a question of time until it would have transported someone else away by accident. Rest assured, they won't be doing it again."

"Good," Hermione said before pressing her lips together.

The kettle's signal went off before anyone could say anything else, and despite Hermione's attempts, Mum insisted on preparing tea herself, sending her and Mr Potter back to the living room.

Mum probably needed some time to recover her composure.

Hermione sighed as she sat down on the couch again - without Crookshanks, who was still eating.

"It's normal that you need some time to readjust," Mr Potter told her.

She bit her lower lip to avoid telling him that she was fine. He wouldn't believe her, anyway. Instead, she nodded.

"I felt the same after the war. Suddenly, things were different. We no longer had to fear for our lives and the lives of our friends every day." Mr Potter smiled, though he wasn't looking at her. "It's hard to go back to a normal life from one day to the other, after fighting for so long. But you can do it, trust me."

Hermione was about to nod when she heard her mum gasp. "Fighting?"

Oh, no! That wasn't how she had wanted this to go. Not at all.

Hermione turned and forced herself to smile at Mum. "About the fighting…" She sighed. "Can we wait for Dad? I would rather not go through this twice."

"Oh, of course, Hermione! I'm sorry!"

And Mum was hugging her again.

*****

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 18th, 1996

Harry Potter had his wand trained on the fireplace in the living room as soon as the flames turned green.

"Harry!"

Oh, Mum was frowning at him.

He lowered his wand. Right. Not just anyone could use their Floo connection. And Mum had sent a Patronus Messenger to inform Rose that they were back, so this would be...

A figure stepped out of the fireplace. "Harry!" Rose yelled, then rushed towards him.

Harry managed not to raise his wand out of reflex before she tackled him in a hug.

"Harry! You're back! I thought… I feared…" And she started sobbing.

Rose must have been very worried, Harry realised - she was hugging him for all that she was worth. Of course, she would've been worried - anyone would've been worried, so it wasn't a surprise. And it was all his fault. If he hadn't followed Hermione into Knockturn Alley, if he hadn't tried to make her leave...

"I'm back," he told her, patting her on the back.

Then flames turned green again, and Harry twisted, putting himself between the fireplace and Rose and raising his wand once more.

Ron stepped into the living room. "Mate!"

"Ron!" Right. The Weasleys had been babysitting Rose while Mum and Dad had come for Harry. Of course, Ron would've heard. He lowered his wand again.

Rose released him, sniffling a little and wiping her eyes. "Sorry for running off," she said to Ron.

"We understand," Ron told her. "Mum's not angry. And neither is Ginny. Oh, hi!" he greeted Mum as she entered the room carrying a tray of scones and tea.

"Hi, Ron," Mum replied, putting the tray down. "James is with the Grangers. We'll eat when he returns."

"So... what happened? Is Granger alright?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Harry said at once. "We're both fine. We got stranded on a pirate island off the African Coast."

Rose gasped. "The Barbary Coast?"

"Well… a bit more to the south," Harry said. "Geographically, it wasn't part of the Barbary Coast." That was what Hermione had said, at least. "But the pirates were from the Barbary Coast."

"Pirates?" Ron stared at him. "Actual pirates? I heard about the Portkey, but… I didn't think they were still pirates around."

"There were," Mum said. "We fought them."

"After Hermione and I had already left the island," Harry was quick to point out. "And we saved the girl they had kidnapped."

"What?" "What?"

Rose turned to look at Mum. Ron did the same.

Mum nodded. "We found them in the middle of the ocean."

"Near the island," Harry corrected her. "We were on our way to Africa."

"Were you swimming?" Rose asked.

"No," Harry told her. It was a stupid question, but Rose hadn't been there and didn't know it. "We had brooms and a boat. Taken from the pirates."

"You what?" Ron was staring at him. Like Rose.

"They were hunting us, and we needed them to escape - the whole island was warded," Harry explained.

"You and Granger fought pirates? And stole their brooms and boat?" Ron still didn't sound as if he believed it.

"How?" Rose asked.

"It's a long story," Harry said.

"And a rather unnerving one," Mum added.

Harry frowned at her. "Hermione and I are fine," he said. "We weren't really hurt."

"You almost died. Several times," Mum spat.

Rose and Ron gasped again. Harry's sister even started sniffling once more.

"And we had to fix his foot when we found them," Mum went on. She pressed her lips together, Harry noticed, before she smiled. "But they're fine."

"Yes," he said.

"But…" Rose shook her head. "What did you do? How did you survive?"

"Yeah, Mate - how did you survive?"

"We ate coconuts and fish. And we hid from the pirates and the wyvern," Harry replied.

"The wyvern?" "What wyvern?"

He sighed. Best tell the whole story, then. "Alright! We were dropped by the Portkey on a beach, and we had no idea where we were. So, we gathered coconuts and prepared a shelter. But soon, we noticed that there was a large wyvern on the island…"

*****

Kingston upon Thames, London, Britain, July 18th, 1996

Dad arrived breathlessly - he must have run the whole distance from the tube, Hermione Granger knew.

"Hermione!"

"Dad!"

More hugging followed.

"You're back! You're safe!"

"Yes," she assured him. "Harry and I are both back - and we're not hurt." Not any more.

"Yes. They were treated and healed," Mr Potter said.

Hermione pressed her lips together. Arguing that she healed them before wouldn't help with calming down her parents. "It wasn't much," she said. "Mostly scrapes. And Harry's broken foot."

"But you were fighting," Mum retorted.

"Fighting?" Dad asked, releasing her and gaping at her.

"Yes. We were stranded on a pirate island and we had to fight their pet wyvern and the pirates themselves. And we escaped after killing their wyvern and sinking their ship. And after freeing the little girl they had kidnapped," Hermione said. And she was fine.

Her parents exchanged a glance. Then Mum spoke: "I think I need to hear the whole story."

Dad nodded.

Hermione bit her lower lip. There was no way out of this. "Alright." She looked at Mr Potter. "You've already heard the story, and I'm sure that you want to return home to Harry."

But Mr Potter shook his head. "I'm sure your parents have more questions, and as the Head Auror and involved in the rescue mission from the start, I am perfectly placed to answer them."

Hermione didn't frown. She really didn't want to keep Mr Potter from Harry. And she could answer any questions her parents had perfectly fine. But he was the Head Auror. "Alright. But… could we eat something first? Sandwiches? Anything but coconut?"

"Oh, of course!" Mum all but jumped up. "I'll fix us some sandwiches."

"Or we could order out," Dad said. "How does pizza sound? Or Chinese?"

Both sounded wonderful. Hermione smiled. "Pizza, please." Their usual pizza place was a little faster than their favourite Chinese restaurant. And she would probably be able to handle pizza more easily than Chinese after her coconut diet.

"I'll call!"

*****

"...and then we were found by the Patronus Messenger, a spell which led the rescue party towards us. They led us back to the island, which they had secured already from the pirates, and we travelled by ship to Gibraltar, where we used the special Floo Network to return to London," Hermione Granger finished her story, absentmindedly petting Crookshanks, who had returned to her lap.

Once more, her parents glanced at each other. They had sat through her tale mostly in silence, and not just because they had been eating pizza for half the time, though their expressions…

"That was a rather… clinical description," Dad remarked.

"Yes." Mum nodded. "Almost detached."

Hermione bit her lower lip. She had aimed for succinct and factual, focused on the relevant points. There was no need to go into irrelevant details. And this wasn't the time to discuss the… changes in her and Harry's relationship. Certainly not with Mr Potter present!

"Hermione," Mum went on. "What you lived through… This was a traumatising experience."

"It was harrowing," Hermione agreed. "But it's over. We're safe. And we weren't really hurt."

"You were very lucky," Mr Potter said. "And even if you come through a fight unscathed, and without having killed someone, it's still an experience you can't just… shrug off."

"I'm not shrugging it off," Hermione protested. "But I'm not going to break down and cry myself to sleep, either."

"Of course not," Mum said. But she was looking at Dad.

"I'm really not," Hermione insisted.

"We know," Dad told her. He looked at Mr Potter. "So, the people responsible for this have been arrested?"

"Yes. The pirates didn't resist after they realised Dumbledore was with us," Mr Potter replied. "And they will be tried. Both the pirates and those responsible for the Portkey having been left on a shelf so irresponsibly."

Hermione winced. And the pirates would be executed.

"Good." Dad nodded. As did Mum.

"And Miss de Ciel has been returned to her family," Mr Potter went on.

"The poor girl!" Mum exclaimed.

The poor girl we saved, Hermione added to herself. "Yes. Things worked out quite well," she said out loud to remind her parents of that fact.

She was getting really tired of the way her parents glanced at each other.

"Can we talk to you later? When we've had time to, ah, think about this for a little while?" her parents asked Mr Potter.

When she wasn't present, in other words. Hermione frowned.

"Of course. I should return now," Mr Potter said, standing up.

"Oh, of course. We're sorry we've kept you from your son for so long," Mum apologised.

"Oh, no." Mr Potter shook his head. "It's fine - we've already talked on the ship."

Briefly, Hermione knew - Harry had slept for most of the trip - as had she. But pointing that out wouldn't help anyone. So Hermione nodded. "Thank you again, Mr Potter. I'll probably come to visit tomorrow." Why was everyone staring at her again? "Harry invited me, and Mrs Potter agreed," she explained.

"Right." Mr Potter nodded once more. "Lily mentioned that."

It would be good to see Harry again. Hermione was getting tired of being treated like a… like someone about to have a nervous breakdown. She was fine. As was Harry.

Suddenly, she gasped. "Oh! I need to tell Lavender that I'm back!" She blinked. "But I don't have an owl!" She looked at Mr Potter. "Ah, could you…"

He smiled. "Of course. You can give me the letter, and I'll have it delivered."

"Thank you!" She beamed at him, then started for her room. "It'll be just a few minutes!" Just enough to let Lavender know that she was back and fine. She could tell her more once they met.

Her eyes widened as she reached her room. Lavender would expect to visit her tomorrow. When Hermione wanted to visit Harry.

This would be… Hermione bit her lower lip.

This would be a little tricky. Her best friend deserved to hear about this from her. But she really wanted - needed - to talk to Harry.

She frowned while she quickly jotted down a note for Lavender.

Things were much more complicated than they had been on the island.

For a moment, she almost wished they hadn't left.

*****

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 18th, 1996

"...and then, Mum and Dad's Patronuses found us," Harry Potter said as he grabbed another piece of cake. "We - Hermione, Céline and I - flew back to the island with them and took a ship to Gibraltar. The others had already captured the pirates." Mostly thanks to Dumbledore.

"Wow!" Ron shook his head. "That's… incredible!"

"You almost died!" Rose shook her head as well, but apparently, she didn't share Ron's sentiments.

"Yes," Mum said.

"It all turned out well," Harry protested. Why couldn't they see that? "Besides, we had no choice - we didn't know how long it would take for you to find us. And the wyvern was hunting us!" He was getting a little sick of telling his story and defending his and Hermione's choices.

"But you could've died!" Rose repeated herself.

"But we didn't!" Harry looked at Ron. His best friend could support him there.

"That's true," Ron said loyally. "But it was very dangerous, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but that wasn't our fault. We didn't know there was a Portkey! And we didn't attack the pirates or the wyvern - they attacked us first!"

"And you killed the wyvern!" Ron added.

"After it almost ate you!" Rose said, shaking her head again.

"It all worked out," Harry said. "We did the best we could!"

"But you could've died. Both of you!"

"Rose," Mum said. "Please calm down."

"Mum!"

As his little sister hugged Mum, Harry pressed his lips together. He glanced at Ron. His friend shifted in his seat and wasn't looking at Rose and Mum either. "Can we go to my room, Mum?" Harry asked.

Mum looked at him. "Of course, Harry." She hesitated a moment, as if she wanted to say something else, then nodded. "Call if you need something."

"Thanks, Mum!" Harry all but jumped up. "Come on, Ron!"

He really didn't want to see Rose crying.

They went upstairs to Harry's room. He took a deep breath as he closed the door. "You know, I really missed that."

Ron looked at him. "What?"

Harry gestured. "My room. My bed. We slept on our robes stuffed with dried grass. And in shelters we had dug into the ground. Or in a cave." He sat down on his bed, patting the sheets. "I really missed this. Almost as much as I missed the food." And his family.

"Well, you're back now." Ron sat down on Harry's chair, turned so it wasn't facing the desk but the bed. "And you can still enjoy the summer."

Harry nodded. It hadn't even been two weeks. "It felt longer, you know," he said.

"I can imagine," Ron said. "We were all so worried for you."

Harry clenched his teeth. He hadn't known about the Portkey. "Sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Ron told him. "And, well, you're a hero!"

Harry snorted. He didn't feel very heroic. "We did what we had to," he said. "We didn't do it to be heroes. If we had been able to leave the island without fighting anyone, we would have done so. We tried, you know - we spied on the village, trying to find a way to get out. But then we found Céline, and..." He shrugged. "We also knew we couldn't let them catch us."

"Damn pirates," Ron agreed. "Fleur has a lot of stories about them attacking her family."

"Well, those pirates won't attack anyone any more," Harry said, then clenched his teeth. That wasn't his fault - they had kidnapped Céline. And the others.

Ron nodded. "Good."

"Yes." It was a good thing. The sea was safer now. A little bit, at least.

"And, wow - I couldn't have done half the things you did. Hell, I wouldn't have thought of it!" Ron went on.

"You know Hermione - she knows a lot," Harry said. "And she knows a lot of spells."

Ron blinked, then looked at him. "'Hermione'? Not 'Granger'?"

Oh. Harry hadn't told anyone that part of the story yet. It wasn't something you just blurted out in the middle of a group of his parents and their friends. He hesitated a moment. They hadn't said anything about hiding their… relationship, had they? Quite the contrary, actually. And there was no reason to hide it, anyway. Ron was his best mate and was going out with Hermione's best friend. "Yes." Harry nodded, then shrugged. "It just happened."

Ron blinked again. "It just happened? Well, it would've been stupid to feud while you were stranded on the island… Wait. You mean…?" Harry felt himself blush a little, and Ron made a surprised sound. "You and… her?"

Harry narrowed his eyes but nodded. "Yes."

"Wow. I'd never expected that!" Ron chuckled. "Then again, I never thought you two would get stranded on a pirate island."

"Yes," Harry repeated himself again.

"So, you two are dating." Ron shook his head with a smile. "We can double-date now!" He chuckled again.

Harry laughed. It felt good to joke around. "She's visiting tomorrow." He smiled. It would be good to see her again - he was missing her already.

"Oh."

"What?" Harry looked at his friend.

Ron hesitated, then grinned. "Nothing." He reached over to clap Harry on the shoulder. "Welcome back, mate!"

*****

Kingston upon Thames, London, Britain, July 19th, 1996

She was alone. Alone facing a gang of pirates. And they had seen her - the closest was pointing his wand at her, moving it in a familiar pattern. She sent a Stunner at him, but his shield deflected it. And the pirate's spell shattered her own Shield Charm.

Her next spell was stopped by the man's shield as well, and she dropped behind a rock to avoid his next curse. The rock shook with the force of an explosion, and she started running away as more pirates joined in, blowing the rock up and sending more spells at her.

She couldn't fight so many! She was alone! All alone!

She recast her Shield Charm as she slid down the slope, narrowly avoiding a Stunner, heading straight to the jungle's edge. She could lose them in the underbrush!

But before she reached the jungle, the trees started toppling, and a monster emerged - the wyvern! And it was charging straight at her...

*****

Hermione Granger woke up with a gasp, sitting up with her wand in hand. She was sweaty - her pyjamas clung to her as if she had fallen into the sea with them on. And she was panting. As if she had run a mile or two. And Harry was gone!

She looked around, aiming her wand. Where…? Oh. She was home. In her room. In her bed.

She hugged herself as she took deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. She was home. She was safe. The pirates had been arrested. The wyvern was dead.

And Harry was home - at his home. She was alone in her room except for Crookshanks. At… she looked at the clock on her nightstand. At one in the morning.

She closed her eyes. She was safe. Her parents were in the room next to her. Crookshanks was sleeping in her chair. Harry was safe with his family. Everything was fine. She just had a nightmare.

But she was still trembling.

Clenching her teeth, she shoved her wand under her pillow and lay down again.

*****

When Hermione Granger woke up again, it was seven in the morning. And instead of resting her head on her pillow, she was hugging the pillow to her chest. At least she wasn't drenched with sweat any more, but, as a quick sniff proved, she smelt like it anyway.

Grimacing, she slipped out of her bed. A few cleaning charms would… No! She lowered her wand, then dropped it on the bed. She was in London, and underage magic was illegal. Until she returned to Hogwarts.

She picked her wand up and went to the bathroom. Out in the hallway, she heard Mum from below. "Hermione? Are you up already?"

She frowned for a moment. What did Mum think? That Hermione was so exhausted that she needed to spend the day in bed? She wasn't so fragile. "Yes, Mum," she replied. "Going to the bathroom."

"Alright. I'll prepare breakfast."

Oh. Breakfast. A real breakfast. Tea and scones and croissants… damn, she would love black pudding right now, but her parents never made that.

In the bathroom, a glance at the mirror had her wince at the state of her hair. If only she could use a charm to fix it!

But the shower was great. Divine. Hot water. Scented Soap. Shampoo. Soft towels.

Hermione was still smiling when she entered the kitchen wearing a light sundress. "Smells great, Mum!" she said. "Where's Dad?"

"Rescheduling our appointments."

"Oh." Well, that made sense. But… "What excuse are you using?"

"A family emergency."

She pursed her lips and put her cup down. "What kind of family emergency?"

"You were almost in a traffic accident and were shocked."

Hermione clenched her teeth. She was tougher than that.

"It explains why you returned home, and it'll explain any, ah… flashbacks you might have," Mum explained.

"I wasn't in a war, Mum!" Hermione protested.

"It was close enough according to what you and Mr Potter told us," Mum retorted. "And the newspaper…"

"What?" Hermione looked up and saw that Mum was holding the Daily Prophet. And she could read the headline.

Missing Students Battle Wyvern and Pirates!

Mum handed her the newspaper. Hermione quickly read the front page. It was all there - Portkey, pirate island, wyvern, pirates. But the details… "That's pure speculation!" she exclaimed. "We didn't kill the wyvern with ancient curses from the Black library! And Harry didn't duel the pirate captain!" Just because Harry was a talented duellist didn't mean they would've done something stupid like challenging an experienced pirate to a duel! "And certainly not over me!"

Mum actually chuckled at that.

Hermione scowled. "We need to set the record straight before they claim he had to rescue me from an Ottoman Harem!" She would never live that down.

"Oh, Hermione. Gabriel and I had a talk. We think we all should visit the Potters today."

What? Why would her parents want to come along? "We don't need a chaperone!" she protested.

"What? No, we want to discuss how best to handle this affair with them," Mum said. "But… a chaperone? Why would you think of that? And with Harry Potter?"

Oh. Hermione sighed. "Well," she said, "We - Harry and I - had to work together on the island to survive. And, well… we did work well together, once we talked things out, and… one thing led to another, and… we're now in a relationship."

At least she hoped that they still were in a relationship.

*****

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 19th, 1996

He was racing on his broom. Towards the jungle. Just a few hundred yards left. Spells flew past him, above his head, bouncing off his shield, narrowly missing him. Just a few dozen yards now, and he was above the trees. Almost safe.

A pirate appeared in front of him, flying towards him. He rolled and flicked his wand. His Cutting Curse shattered the man's shield and sliced into his neck seconds before they met. Then his foot hit the man's face, and the pirate's head snapped off. He flew past, then dived, breaking through the dense foliage, then pulled up before he hit the ground - a perfect Wronski Feint!

As he weaved through the trees, another pirate came up behind him. He veered to the right, and the pirate crashed into an uprooted tree with a sickening crash. Blood splattered all over the wood.

Then he was on a cratered field, smoke rising from the craters left by Blasting Curses and the remains of the forest set ablaze. He was surrounded by half a dozen corpses. Cut in two. Mangled beneath fallen trees. Missing limbs or heads. Burned to crisp.

And he was covered in blood. Not his. None of it was his. He turned, looking around. As far as he could see, there was only devastation. Broken brooms and dead pirates.

He stared at his hands. They were covered in blood. Sticky, drying blood. He blinked and drew a shuddering breath. Where was Hermione? He couldn't see her. He screamed her name but didn't hear an answer. She was gone. Kidnapped? Killed? Or left in disgust?

Either way, it was his fault.

All his fault.

*****

Harry Potter woke up with a gasp and sat up, blinking. Then he looked at his hands. They weren't covered in blood. His face wasn't covered in blood. It was just sweat. He rubbed his eyes, trying to slow down his breathing. It was just a nightmare, nothing more. He was home. With Mum, Dad and Rose. He hadn't killed anyone.

He closed his eyes, sighing as he slowly put his wand down. He was in his bed. Not standing in a wrecked patch of jungle, surrounded by corpses.

But he was alone. Hermione wasn't here. She was with her family. Safe. In her home.

And as he wrapped his arms around himself, shivering, he wished she was still with him.

Hedwig looked at him, barking in her concerned tone.

"I'm fine," he told her with a smile. "I'll have a letter for you later. For Hermione."

She barked again, and he winced. "Not a pranked letter, I promise."

"Harry? Are you up?"

He twitched, grabbing his wand before he recognised the voice. Rose. "I'm up," he told her.

"Good. Breakfast is ready."

"Coming." He got out of his bed and hesitated. He wasn't on the island any more - he was back in England. And he was underage.

"Fuck it," he mumbled and cast a few cleaning and hairstyling charms. It felt good. "Accio robes!" he whispered, and his house robes flew towards him.

Perfect. Or almost perfect - he ran his hand over his cheek, feeling stubble. His enchanted razor was in the bathroom. It wouldn't take long…

He scoffed. He could do that after breakfast.

Mum, Dad and Rose were already at the table when he entered the kitchen.

"That was fast!" Rose said. "Wait - you didn't shower?" She grimaced.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Cleaning Charms. I didn't shave, though."

He looked at Mum and Dad, but they didn't say anything about him casting spells. Mum smiled at him and moved the basket with the toast towards him.

She'd done a full spread, he realised - eggs, sausages, bacon, even black pudding. "Oh, Mum!" He beamed at her.

"You've been eating coconut for weeks," she said.

"Don't get used to it," Rose commented.

He snorted and started eating. It was wonderful - he ate everything and then had seconds. "It's delicious, Mum!"

"Nothing like a diet to make you appreciate good cooking, right?" Dad grinned at him.

But Mum scowled. "James!"

"Sorry," Dad replied, ducking his head. "I didn't think…"

"It's OK," Harry told him. "Hermione said the same on the island. You can ask her when she's coming by today."

"Ah. When is she coming?" Mum asked.

"I'll send her a letter," Harry replied. "I hope she can eat lunch with us." Hermione should be up by now, and Hedwig was fast. As was the Knight Bus. He perked up. "Or I could take the Knight Bus after breakfast and ask her in person."

Mum and Dad were glancing at each other. And Rose was staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Harry, I don't think you should go to London," Mum said.

"Why not?" Harry asked. "I could go fetch her."

"I don't think she'll want to spend her first day back home here instead of with her family," Mum said.

He frowned. "She said she would visit."

Mum and Dad looked at each other again.

Harry pressed his lips together. "I'll send her a letter, then."

She said she'd visit. Why wouldn't she want to visit?

Then he saw the Daily Prophet on the table.

*****
 
Chapter 34: The Visit
Chapter 34: The Visit

Kingston upon Thames, London, Britain, July 19th, 1996

After getting out of the Knight Bus near the Grangers' home, Lavender Brown took a deep breath. Hermione was back. Safe. And not in St Mungo's getting treated for dark curses or worse. But she had suffered through a terrible ordeal. Lavender shuddered just thinking about how Hermione must have felt. Especially after reading the Daily Prophet.

Of course you couldn't trust everything you read in the Prophet - Lavender knew that very well, ever since that article about her aunt - but not even the Prophet would dare to make up too many things when Dumbledore himself was involved. And the Potters. And Mr Black. So, Hermione had been hunted by a wyvern! And pirates!

Lavender had looked up wyverns before coming to visit her best friend. The beasts were almost as dangerous as dragons! Wizard-killers! And Hermione had been trapped on an island occupied by Barbary Coast pirates! Everyone knew about those pirates! If they had caught Hermione…

Lavender shook her head. She didn't want to think about what could've happened. This wasn't some novel where the heroine would be saved at the last moment by the hero. Or where the pirate turned out to be a handsome exiled prince who fought for his birthright and had fallen in love with the main character. This was the real world, where witches who got kidnapped by pirates ended up enslaved in the Ottoman Empire.

Hermione had been very lucky to escape such a fate. Especially with Potter. Lavender didn't doubt a second that the whole 'duelled for Hermione' was one of the things the Prophet had made up; Potter was a good duellist - for a student. There was no way he could've duelled a pirate captain and won. Although… the Prophet hadn't claimed he had won.

She shook her head again and continued walking towards the Grangers' home. Hermione needed her support now; that was all that counted.

And she would tell Lavender what had happened anyway. Hermione once wrote her a two-foot letter about a trip to a muggle library, after all.

"Excuse me? Are you a friend of the Grangers?"

What? Lavender stopped on the path to the Granger's front door and turned around. A middle-aged man was smiling at her. Even for a muggle, he was oddly dressed - he must be colour-blind to match that shirt with those pants. His hair was styled nicely, though. He could've stepped out of the latest Teen Witch Weekly article.

"I was wondering if you knew their daughter," the man went on.

Wait! Lavender narrowed her eyes. Uncoordinated muggle clothes? Perfectly styled hair? She sniffed the air. And a whiff of 'Eau de Dragon' - Half of Gryfindor loved that horrible cologne; it had taken her two weeks to get Ron to stop using it. "I'm not talking to the press!" she snapped.

His eyes widened. Then he smiled. "Oh, you do know her, then!" He took a step towards her. "I've got a few questions…"

Lavender glared at him. "Go away, or I'll tell Mr Potter you're hounding Hermione! And Dumbledore!"

He paled in response. "I'm not doing anything illegal!"

"You can tell that to the Aurors!"

She whirled and walked to the door. Really! What were they thinking?

Mrs Granger opened the door after five seconds. "Lavender! Come in! Hermione! Lavender's here!"

Lavender glanced over her shoulder and winced - the wizard at the fence was taking notes. With a quill.

"If I'm in the next article…"

"What did you say, Lavender?"

"The man out there is from the Prophet, I think," she said.

"Oh, no. He's from Witch Weekly. He tried to get an interview earlier."

Oh.

Lavender didn't know if that was better or worse.

"Lavender!" Hermione stood on the stairs.

"Hermione!" Lavender rushed up and hugged her friend. "I was so worried!"

"We all were," Mrs Granger told them.

"Come!" Hermione took her hand. "Let's go to my room."

"I'll bring you some tea and scones."

"Thanks, Mum!"

Hermione didn't quite drag her to her room but probably only because Lavender kept up. As soon as they were inside, Hermione sighed and sat down on her bed. "I'm so glad you came."

"Of course I came!" she replied, sitting down next to Hermione. Her friend looked good. A little tanned - less than she expected. Her hair was looking, well - as expected for a day when Hermione couldn't use spells on it. And she was wearing a new sundress. And muggle makeup. "You're looking good:"

"Thank you." Hermione smiled. "Did you read the article in the Prophet?" She held up the newspaper.

"Yes, I did."

Her friend scowled. "It's full of lies and speculation! I can't believe they dared to print this!"

"That's the Prophet for you." Lavender leaned forward.

"Well, they were right about us being trapped on a pirate island. But we didn't kill the wyvern with a dark curse! We trapped it with perfectly legal spells! And it took a lot more than just pointing our wands at it and aiming for the eyes!"

"You killed the wyvern?" Lavender blurted out. Her friend had actually killed a wizard-killer creature?"

"Harry and I did, yes."

"How?" Lavender boggled at Hermione. A wyvern's hide, as the Prophet's article had pointed out in a sidebar, was resistant to magic like a dragon's.

"We lured it into a trap," Hermione told her. And explained. About the pit. The spikes. And the tree trunks. And the execution.

Lavender gaped. That was… "...incredible!" she breathed. Hermione was a heroine for that!

Hermione smiled. "Our solution combined magic and muggle physics to set up a pure muggle attack, bypassing the magical resistance of the wyvern," Hermione said.

Lavender nodded. "And how did you lure it into your trap?"

Hermione frowned. "Harry played bait. I didn't want him to, but he pointed out that I was better at summoning him to safety and that his clothes were more sturdy and less prone to rip instead of dragging him along."

"Weren't you wearing your robes?" Lavender asked. She remembered that both Hermione and Potter had been wearing robes the day they had disappeared.

"We turned those into mattresses and sleeping bags. We used dried grass to make them more comfortable." Hermione blushed a little. "It was too hot for robes, anyway."

"Ah." Lavender nodded. "And you wore your muggle summer clothes." She wouldn't have trusted those clothes not to tear up when used to summon someone, either.

"Yes."

"Wait! Did you want to play bait?"

"Harry had already played bait - he distracted the wyvern - when it attacked us the first time," Hermione told her.

Lavender shook her head. "You're crazy even for a Gryffindor."

"I felt bad for letting him risk his life again. We were supposed to share the dangers," Hermione protested. "Anyway…"

They were interrupted by Hermione's mum bringing them a tray with tea and scones.

While she was buttering up one half of a scone, Hermione went on: "Anyway, once the wyvern was stuck on the spikes, it was pretty much over. We did cast curses at it to speed the process up, but it would've died anyway."

Ew! Watching a beast slowly die, even a wyvern… Lavender shuddered. "And how big was it? The Prophet claimed it was as big as the Horntail from the Tournament." And that had been the biggest dragons of them all. Lavender would have died if she had had to face such a monster.

Hermione wrinkled her nose at that for a moment. "No, I don't think so. It was smaller. The mouth could open this wide." She spread her arms.

Lavender gasped again. "It could've swallowed you whole!"

"Probably not entirely," Hermione replied. "We found the remains of a witch the wyvern had eaten - her arm and wand had been bitten off."

"And you wanted to play bait? And trusted Potter to summon you in time?" Lavender stared at her.

"Harry wouldn't have let me get killed."

Wait… Lavender narrowed her eyes. "What happened between you and… 'Harry'?"

Hermione blushed. "We, ah… We're a couple now."

Lavender stared at her. "You and… Harry Potter?" The two of them had hated each other for years!

Hermione shrugged - but it was forced; Lavender could tell. "We were alone on an island, we only had each other, we killed a wyvern, we talked…" She spread her hands. "It just happened."

"What happened? Did you kiss?" She leaned forward. This was… this was incredible!

"Yes, we did," Hermione said. "We kissed for the first time after we killed the wyvern. But we didn't become a couple then; we needed a few more days." She was still blushing.

"Oh!" Lavender licked her lips. Should she ask? Well, Hermione had asked her the same when Lavender had started going out with Ron. "Did you… sleep together?"

The blush grew stronger. "Yes, we did."

"Ohhh!" Now that was… straight out of a novel! A witch and a wizard, stranded on a desert island, falling in love… "How was it?" Lavender.

"Ah, it wasn't exactly a normal…" Hermione waved her hand. "I mean, we were stranded on an island, we were hunted by the wyvern, then the pirates… We were very stressed."

Lavender cocked her head at her best friend.

"It was great," Hermione said in a whisper, smiling widely.

"Are you going to visit him before Hogwarts?" Lavender asked, then grimaced - what a stupid question! Of course Hermione would visit her boyfriend!

"Later today," Hermione confirmed. "I can also do magic at his place - it was very hard not to style my hair with my wand today."

Lavender nodded in sympathy. To spend the entire summer without being able to cast spells… muggleborns had it hard. "So that's why you're wearing the sundress?" It was light and short but didn't look too muggle. And it showed off Hermione's figure.

Hermione nodded. "Mrs Potter is a muggleborn, so it should be OK. And they have seen me in shorts and a top, anyway."

"Ah. Are you going to cast hairstyling charms on the Knight Bus?" The bus moved so violently that casting any spell was a challenge. You wouldn't want to arrive after a miscast spell ruined your hair.

Hermione snorted. "Of course! Compared to being chased by pirates on brooms, that'll be easy."

"Chased by pirates on brooms?" Lavender blinked again. "You mean that part of the article was true?"

*****​

Hermione Granger frowned at her best friend. "The only kernel of truth in that article was that we did fight pirates. And they were chasing us on brooms more often than not. But there was no duel over me!" she spat. "Really, as if we had been as stupid as to duel the pirates!"

"Of course not!" Lavender said - a little too quickly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Harry's a decent duellist, but this wasn't some match or tournament. We carefully planned our attack on the pirate village and lured the majority of the pirates away."

"You attacked them?" her friend gasped.

"They attacked us first!" Hermione defended herself. "We were just spying on them to determine their intentions when they attacked us in our hideout - and chased us through the jungle!"

Lavender balled both hands into fists and pressed them against her mouth. "Merlin's beard!"

"We escaped them without getting hurt," Hermione reassured her. "And when they found us again, we escaped again, and Harry even managed to take a broom from them."

"How did you escape without brooms? Did you learn how to apparate?"

"No. I levitated a plank, and we rode it while Harry kept the pirates away. And it was at night, so we only had to flee a short distance before they lost us in the jungle," Hermione explained. "They were mostly casting blindly and blowing up the jungle."

Lavender looked pale. "They were blowing up the jungle?"

"Yes. But we escaped them." Hermione pursed her lips. "And then we struck back. We attacked at night. Harry sank their ship and lured most of them away on a broom. Then he returned, and we sent giant rats and birds into the village to distract the remaining pirates while we broke into their prison, rescued Céline, a little girl they had kidnapped, stole one of their fishing boats which could pass through their wards and another broom and escaped the island."

Lavender was gaping at her for a second without saying anything. "That's… that's…" She shook her head. "That's like in an adventure novel! The article is far more… the article makes it look less impressive!"

"From a certain point of view, maybe," Hermione said. "But really, we carefully planned and prepared everything."

"I thought Dumbledore and the Potters rescued you!"

"Technically, they did - we were still on the ocean when they arrived. But we had already escaped the island's wards and weathered the storm and were on our way to the coast of Africa." Hermione shrugged. "The pirates were forced to stop their chase when we passed through the wards, so the odds of them finding us again were low, and we had two brooms to fly eastwards. I think we would've made it just fine." Looking at Lavender's expression, Hermione quickly added: "But we were still very relieved to be finally found, of course - and to finally eat something other than coconuts and fish. I can't even see coconuts any more without wanting to throw up, I'm telling you!" That was a slight exaggeration, of course. But she was thoroughly sick of the taste. Just thinking of eating a Bounty made her shudder. 'The taste of paradise', hah!

"Oh, no! You almost starved!"

"No, no." Hermione shook her head. "We had enough calories. And fish provided protein. But we would've had trouble with malnutrition in the long run." She winced. "And I needed to cast charms against diarrhoea on the both of us."

"Ew." Lavender made a face.

Hermione chuckled. "That's something you never read in a novel about getting stranded on an island."

"No. They always describe how you build a house out of palm trees with all sorts of charms to make it even better than your home," Lavender agreed.

Hermione snorted. "We had to hide from the wyvern, so we built an underground bunker. And we didn't have many useful charms. We mostly used Cutting and Summoning Charms to create furniture. And the Engorgement Charm on food and some of our tools. And, of course, the Water-Making Charm." She smiled. In hindsight, building a home with Harry had been nice.

"And the Contraception Charm!" Lavender grinned at her.

Hermione blushed at that memory. "I didn't have to cast that charm very often," she said, pouting a little. "It wasn't as if we, ah, spent our time shagging."

"No, you spent your time fighting a wyvern and a gang of pirates," Lavender retorted with a smile. Then she gasped. "Oh…"

Hermione shook her head. "It's alright to joke about it." She frowned. "I can't stand how everyone treats me as if I were about to have a nervous breakdown at the slightest provocation." She was fine. Harry was fine. They hadn't been captured, they hadn't been seriously hurt, and they hadn't killed anyone.

Lavender nodded. "They're just so worried about you."

"I know." Hermione pressed her lips together. If she hadn't gone into Knockturn Alley, her parents wouldn't have had to worry about her for weeks. But it had all turned out well. Very well, actually, considering how her relationship with Harry had changed. If given a choice, she probably would do it again if that meant being with Harry… She suppressed the guilt she felt at that selfish thought. "It's just… We were there, not them. And we made it through fine."

"I'd have nightmares for weeks after this!" Lavender said.

Hermione winced.

And her friend gasped once more. "You're having nightmares?"

"Not really bad ones," Hermione said. "I'm sure they'll pass."

Once she could see Harry again.

*****​

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 19th, 1996

Harry Potter looked around, wand in hand, searching for anything he might have missed. Nothing behind the bed - nothing under the bed; he had checked. The desk was clear, as was the armoire. No surprises on the shelves, either - though he'd best double-check.

But otherwise, his room was spotless. Flawless. Wait! There was a stain of sorts on the carpet - a part was a shade darker than the rest. He cast a cleaning charm at it, covering the spot in soapy bubbles, then followed up with a drying charm.

And frowned - the spot was now lighter than the rest. Sighing, he started cleaning the whole carpet, using Levitation Charms to move his furniture around. Just as he was putting down his bed next to his armoire, the door opened.

Harry whirled, dropping the bed in the process, and… Oh. It was Mum. "Hi, Mum!" He beamed at her while he quickly lowered his wand.

"Hi, Harry. What are you doing?"

"Uh… cleaning my room a little."

She raised her eyebrows at that. "'A little'? You are shampooing the carpet!"

"It was dirty," he explained.

Mum looked at him, then at the room. "How much time did you spend 'cleaning up a little'?"

"Uh…" He quickly checked his watch. "An hour?"

She shook her head. "Harry… I doubt Hermione will check for dust under your bed."

"I just don't want her to get a bad... a wrong impression when she visits," he told her, subtly moving his wand to finish cleaning the carpet. Her parents were coming to dinner, too!

Mum frowned some more. She drew her own wand and put the bed back where it belonged, then sat down on it, apparently not caring about the soap buds covering the carpet beneath her. "Harry… You've hexed Hermione how many times? And you are worried about a little dust in the carpet?"

He felt his cheeks flush. "It's not the same! We've talked about that - about the whole hexing thing, I mean. And the potions. And the muggle traps. That's not a problem any more."

Mum tilted her head at him.

"Really, we've talked that out," he repeated himself. "Made our peace with each other."

"And it only took you getting stranded together on a pirate island with a man-eating wyvern hunting you. I'm impressed."

He glared at Mum, then pouted when he didn't have a comeback to that, and she smiled. "Yes," he said after a moment.

Mum nodded. "And now you're worried about her getting a bad impression of your room."

He firmly nodded. "Yes." Who wouldn't be worried in Harry's place?

She sighed. "Harry, she's seen you at your worst - for years, mostly at Hogwarts, and I blame James and Sirius for that - and at your best on the island."

Harry blushed again. "You think I did well on the island?"

"You survived a situation that would've killed many adult wizards and witches," Mum said. Harry beamed. "You also took far more risks than most people would've taken," she added.

He pressed his lips together and hunched over a little, then straightened. "We had to. We couldn't just hide. And we couldn't leave Céline with the pirates."

"I blame James and Sirius for this as well," Mum muttered. "Why couldn't you look to Peter and Remus for role models?"

"What? Dad also thinks we took too many risks," Harry protested.

"Because you're our son. If you were his friend, he would be praising you, I bet."

"Oh."

Mum shook her head. "Anyway, do you really think Hermione would be put off if your carpet isn't spotless?"

He looked away. "It's just… it was simpler when we were on the island. We, I didn't have to worry about cleaning up and… everything else."

"Harry…" He looked up, and she nodded at him. "Are you two a couple?"

He froze for a second, then nodded. "Yes, we are." With a sigh, he added: "At least I hope we are. Now that we're back home…" He shrugged.

"You're afraid that she'll dump you?"

He tensed. "I'm a little worried," he admitted. "I mean, I'm sure it wasn't just a reaction to stress and danger - we talked about that. Hermione agreed, too. But now that we're no longer alone…" He sat down on the bed as well, next to her, then cast a Drying Charm on the carpet. "I just want to make a good impression."

"Harry…" She trailed off again, then wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "What exactly happened on the island? With you two, I mean. Not with the pirates."

Oh. "We used protection!" he blurted out, staring at her. Then he felt his stomach drop.

"I guess that answers my question," Mum replied in a dry tone.

"Sorry," he mumbled. This wasn't going well. Not at all.

"Don't be sorry. I expected this. Well, not with Hermione, and I expected it to happen at Hogwarts, not on a pirate island. But you two are teenagers, and I know how teenagers are - I was one myself, after all. That's why the Contraception Charm is taught at Hogwarts." She squeezed his shoulder.

Harry wasn't about to ask about Mum and Dad and Hogwarts. But he felt a little better.

"And it's natural to feel insecure. You should've seen your father when we started dating." Mum laughed.

Harry really wasn't going to ask about his parents and Hogwarts. He cleared his throat. "So… it's OK?"

"Yes, of course." She smiled at him. "Just… relax, alright? If she loves you, she won't be dumping you because you have dust on your shelves."

"What? I cleaned them!" He jumped up.

Mum laughed again. After a moment, Harry did as well.

*****​

The Potters' house looked perfectly normal from the outside, Hermione Granger found as she stepped out of the Knight Bus. Old and rustic - but it fit the rest of the village. She could tell as she looked around. Godric's Hollow was an old village, lacking more modern buildings as far as she could see. And, unlike, say, Ottery St Catchpole, which only housed three magical families, it was an actual mixed muggle-magical village with a substantial percentage of witches and wizards amongst the residents. Pretty much the only one in Britain, according to the book she'd read in Muggle Studies.

And she was stalling, she realised. She wasn't here to sight-see. She was here to visit Harry. Her boyfriend. And to do some magic. Though that was a secondary concern. And her parents would visit for dinner, which was another concern. But she could handle this.

She took a deep breath and bit her lower lip as she ran a hand through her hair - she hadn't quite risked casting any charms during her ride, having held on to her seat with both hands. Contrary to her boasts to Lavender, it had been worse than getting chased on a broom. She probably looked like a mess with her fraying ponytail. At least her sundress had survived the trip without getting rumpled, though perhaps she should...

She scoffed. She had faced a wyvern, pirates and a tropical storm and survived everything thrown at her. She could do this! She raised her chin and straightened, then stepped up to the gate at the edge of the Potters' yard. It opened easily - well-oiled hinges, she noticed - and it was just a few yards to the door. Not a real drive, as far as she could tell. Didn't the muggle neighbours wonder about the lack of a car?

She was doing it again! She clenched her teeth and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" she heard Harry yell inside. A moment later, the door was pulled open, and he was there, smiling at her. "Hermione! I mean, hi!"

"Hi, Harry," she replied, smiling as well. He was looking good. Robes, of course, but nicely cut - much more elegant than the school robes. And his hair was styled. Clean-shaved, too. "You look nice," she said before she could help herself. How vapid!

"Uh, thanks." He nodded. "You too. You look nice, I mean. Nice dress. It suits you."

She felt herself blush a little. "Thank you." She ran a hand down her dress. "It's just a sundress."

"It looks nice on you," he repeated himself. After a moment, he asked: "Did you have a nice trip?"

"I took the Knight Bus."

He winced. "Ah, I should've known that - I knew it. Sorry. I didn't think."

"Aren't you going to invite your girlfriend inside, idiot?" Hermione heard a girl's voice from inside the house.

Harry scowled as he turned. "Shut up, Rose!"

Right, his sister. Hermione didn't know the girl well - due to Harry and her feud, she had kept her distance from his sibling.

He turned back to her, flushing. "Anyway, ah, please come in!" He stepped to the side and gestured at her.

She nodded as she entered the house and followed Harry to the living room. She had seen it already when she had arrived through the Floo Network yesterday, but she hadn't really taken a good look at the rest of the house.

"Hello, Hermione." Harry's sister nodded at her from where she was sitting at the table in the living room, apparently reading a wizarding magazine. She was smiling widely, too. "So, you're Harry's girlfriend now."

"Yes," Hermione replied with a frown - then blinked when Rose looked surprised.

"What, really?" Rose looked from her to Harry and back. "You're serious?"

She hadn't known? Hermione looked at Harry and raised her eyebrows.

"I told Mum," Harry replied. He shrugged. "Didn't see the need to tell her." He nodded at his sister.

"Ah." Hermione nodded. Harry had told his mother, but not his sister. She didn't have any experience with siblings, so she didn't know if that meant anything.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rose stood.

"Why should I?" Harry shot back.

"I'm your sister!"

"So? It's none of your business who I date!"

"You hypocrite! What about Seamus?" Rose glared at him.

"Seamus?" Hermione asked.

"You didn't hear?" Rose turned to Hermione. "He asked me out last year, and Harry flipped out."

"I didn't flip out about him asking you out!" Harry protested. "I hexed him because he… talked nasty about you!"

"What?" Rose looked confused. "He talked bad about me?"

That made not much sense. Unless… "You mean he talked about Rose in sexist terms?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes!"

Probably like most boys, then, Hermione thought.

"And he was the only one talking like that?" Rose asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"He was the only one talking about you like that," Harry told her.

"Did he actually do that in your presence?" Hermione shook her head. She knew Seamus wasn't the brightest of their year, but this…

"I was, ah… He didn't know I was there," Harry explained.

"Did you use Dad's cloak?" Rose asked.

"No!" Harry shook his head. "Anyway, I hexed him for that. Not because he asked you out."

"You're still the reason he dropped me!"

"You want to go out with him?" Harry scoffed. "Just go and ask him, then!"

"I don't want to go out with him! But whether or not I do is my decision!"

"And whether or not I hex a guy for rude language about my family is my decision!" Harry shot back.

Someone was coming - Hermione heard a door open nearby.

She turned at the same time Harry did, wands in hand.

*****​

"Oh. Mum." Harry Potter lowered his wand. "Hermione arrived!"

"So I see." Mum glanced at him, then at her. "Hello, Miss Granger."

"Hello, Mrs Potter. Thank you for inviting me." Hermione stowed her wand.

Mum smiled. "You're welcome. I'm glad your parents agreed to let you come."

Why wouldn't they agree? Harry wondered privately.

Hermione frowned. "I generally don't require parental permission to visit a friend."

Harry nodded emphatically.

"But your current circumstances aren't exactly normal, are they?" Mum asked.

"Oh, yes!" Rose butted in. "We've never had a visit from Harry's girlfriend before. Of course, he never had a girlfriend before, so..."

Harry glared at her. "I've had a girlfriend before! Katie Bell!"

"A single Hogsmeade weekend doesn't count!" Rose shot back.

"It was two weekends!" Harry corrected her. They'd even kissed. Once. On the mouth.

"She dumped you on the second because you were an idiot!"

What the…

"Harry! Rose!" Mum shook her head. "We have a guest here. Please behave."

And Hermione was giggling! "Sorry, I don't have a sibling," she said. "I'm not used to this."

Harry nodded at her. "Be glad. Little sisters are the worst."

"No, older brothers are the worst."

Mum cleared her throat. "I said: Behave." She turned to Hermione. "Would you like some tea?"

"That would be lovely, thanks."

"Yeah, thanks, Mum," Harry said. "Come!" He turned to Hermione. "I'll show you the house!"

"Don't go into my room!" Rose snapped.

"Of course not!" Harry snapped back. "I don't want to kill Hermione!" He led her back into the hallway.

"Kill me?" Hermoine asked,

"Oh, nothing. Just getting back at Rose. Though she does keep Potions ingredients in her room, so it smells funny at times."

"Ah."

Harry opened the door on the left. "This is Dad's office. He rarely works here, so Mum usually uses it for paperwork for her job, but, technically, it's his."

"Oh? Tax reasons?" Hermione asked.

"What?" Tax reasons? What did she mean? Harry shook his head. "No. It was grandfather's office, and great-grandfather's before him, so it's Dad's now. Even though he doesn't need it, and Mum does."

"Ah." Hermione pursed her lips for a moment.

"It's just tradition," Harry said. "Eldest child inherits the house. So, this will be mine one day." He glanced at her, trying to guess what she thought about that.

"And what about Rose?" Hermione asked.

"I'll have to pay her out, according to Mum." Harry shrugged. "Well, I could also leave it to her and get the money, I guess. We'll both have our own places when that happens, anyway, so who knows?" He usually added '...and our own grandkids', but he wasn't sure how Hermione would react to that joke. Or not joke.

"Yes. My grandparents on my mother's side own a house in Stevenage - Hertfordshire. They joke about me inheriting it since my parents won't leave London," Hermione said.

"Ah." Harry nodded. "Well, you could live there and apparate anywhere."

"I know. But I'm not going to plan for my grandparents' deaths."

Harry suppressed the little bout of jealousy. "All my grandparents died before I was born."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hermione said.

"I never knew them, so…" He shrugged. "It hurt Mum and Dad, of course. And Auntie Petunia."

"Your muggle aunt."

"Yes." She had remembered. "I need to visit Dudley, too. They were told about our return, already, but…" He shrugged again.

"Yes," she agreed.

For a moment, they stood there in the office, Hermione looking at the books on the shelves. "Mum has her library in her laboratory, in the cellar," Harry told her. "Those are just… well, basic stuff and tax and law books or something."

"Ah." Hermione licked her lips. They shone a little in the sunlight. "Can we see that room as well?"

"Of course!" Harry smiled. "It's perfectly safe unless Mum's testing a new spell! Anyway - here's the kitchen." He pointed to the back of the house. "And the dining room or salon, as Sirius calls it, is on the other side." Neither was very interesting, in his opinion. But the stairs leading to the cellar were right next to the kitchen.

"I'm almost done with the tea," Mum told them as they walked past.

"I'm showing Hermione your lab!" Harry called back.

"Don't touch anything!"

"We won't!" He scoffed as he opened the door to the stairs. "Really, as if we didn't know any better."

Hermione nodded again.

Harry touched the thick, runes-covered door below with his wand, and it swung open. "It's keyed to our wands," he explained. "So we can enter in an emergency."

"Smart," Hermione commented - though she was looking at the tall, long shelves packed with books. "Extension Charms." It wasn't a question.

"Of course. The lab is bigger than the house," Harry said. "And it also has better protections."

"Oh." Hermione bit her lower lip. "Did your Mum… ever need them?"

"No." There had been a few sticky situations, but the normal protections on the testing area had held. No need to mention that, though. "Anyway, that's the lab. So, there's only the first floor left. My room is there," he said.

"Ah." She smiled. "I'm curious about your room."

Harry forced himself to smile and tried to remember if he had missed any spot when he had cleaned his room earlier. "I'll show you. After you." He gestured to the stairs.

The dress showed off her legs, he noticed. Perhaps even better than the short shorts she had worn on the island. Maybe it was the sandals she wore? They had short but noticeable heels.

He was still debating this when they reached the stairs to the first floor.

*****​

Standing in the hallway, letting Harry pass her on his way to the kitchen to fetch the tea and snacks his mother had promised, Hermione Granger clenched her teeth, then forced herself to slowly let her breath out. So many books - priceless tomes amongst them; she had recognised several tomes that she had seen in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library - and she couldn't touch any of them!

Well, she could've tried, but if a Spellcrafter told you not to touch anything in their workshop, you didn't touch anything. Not if you didn't want to risk triggering powerful protections. Or half-crafted curses St Mungo's staff had no idea how to reverse. The stories Hermione had heard about such things from Professor McGonagall after her own attempt to modify a spell back in fourth year…

Harry returned with a tray loaded with finger sandwiches, scones and a tea set, and she dropped the thought and followed him up the stairs. He cut a dashing figure in his robes, though Hermione preferred him in muggle clothes. Trousers just emphasised his bum better than robes.

"We're now in my room, Mum!" Harry yelled once they reached the hallway of the first floor. "Which is here," he added in a lower voice and opened the door across the hallway. "Mum and Dad's bedroom is there, Rose's there, and the last door leads to the guest rooms."

'Guest rooms'? Extension Charms again, Hermione assumed.

"So, that's my room," Harry said, smiling at her as he put the tray down on his desk. "What do you think?"

She looked around. Fewer and smaller bookshelves than in her room, but more than in Lavender's. The desk looked antique - it was a secretary desk. The bed looked more modern, though, Not Ikea, but it wasn't a canopy bed. A broom was leaning against the wall in a corner, next to the window. There was a massive old armoire, and a snowy owl was… was the bird glaring at her? Apparently, it was since it flared its wings in a threat display next.

"Hedwig! Hermione's a guest!" Harry snapped. "Behave!" He turned to look at Hermione. "Sorry. I don't know what her problem is."

Neither did Hermione. She hadn't ever hexed the owl, and the only time she remembered the owl getting affected by their feud was when Harry sent her a spelt letter… Hermione frowned. "Is she blaming me for the blue paint?"

"What? No, that was my mistake!" Harry protested. "Hedwig! You know that wasn't her fault."

But the owl kept barking at her.

"Hedwig! Hermione is a guest! My guest!" Harry blinked. "She won't hurt you. Or me. I promise!"

Now the owl glared at him, then turned away.

Hermione snorted. "Is she trying to protect you from me?"

"She would have attacked you in that case," Harry said. "Or tried to. But she probably tried to threaten you. She is protective. Once, Rose tried to sneak into my room and pour some colouring potion on my hair, and Hedwig chased her back into her room. Rose spilt it all over herself!"

Or the owl had a problem with colouring magic. Hermione smiled anyway and checked the books on the shelves, tilting her head to the side to read the titles on the spine.

"Those are just my books," Harry said. "Mostly school books."

She smirked at him and pulled out '101 Hexes to Brighten Your Day'. "That's not in the curriculum."

He actually blushed. "Ah… that was a gift. From Sirius."

Hermione wished she had people gifting her magical books. Well, money worked as well, but the stores in Wizarding Britain didn't accept muggle gift certificates. She pushed the book back. "It's a nice selection. Even some muggle books." Enid Blyton. And Dickens.

"Those are from Mum or Auntie," Harry said. "Rose has the rest. And all the Potions notes."

Ah. Sharing books with your sibling… Well, there were advantages to being an only child.

"So… what do you think?" Harry smiled at her.

"It looks nice." She nodded at the signed Holyhead Harpies poster on the wall. "Fewer Quidditch Posters than I expected."

He blushed again. "Well, that was a gift as well."

"From Sirius?"

"Yes. And please don't ask him how he got it," Harry told her.

She blinked, then nodded. "I won't." She looked around, glancing at the trunk at the foot of the bed. It looked like a normal room. Not as large and lavish as she had expected.

Harry cleared his throat. "So…"

She nodded, then lowered her voice. "How are you doing?"

"Fine!" he replied. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he added: "I had a small nightmare. Nothing serious."

Ah. She nodded. "I had a nightmare as well." She pondered asking him about it but decided against it.

For a moment, they stood in silence. Then Harry turned to his desk. "So, tea?"

"Thank you," Hermione told him.

"Wait a sec." Harry swished his wand, and the tray floated towards them.

Right. They could do magic here without worrying about the Ministry. Hermione smiled and cast a hairstyling charm on herself before picking up a cup of tea.

Then they sat both down on his bed. "So… you told your mother about us?" Hermione asked. "But not your sister?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed. "I, ah, told Ron as well." He licked his lips and glanced at her.

She nodded, which seemed to reassure him. "I told Lavender."

"Ah." He suddenly chuckled. "I bet they'll compare notes."

"Probably, yes." Hermione hadn't gone into details with Lavender. Not much. "I also told Mum."

"Ah." He licked his lips again.

"She's fine with it." Well, she had asked if Hermione had used protection, which she had, and that had been it - they had talked about sex long before this, after all; her parents weren't naive or stupid.

"So's Mum."

"Good." Hermione was relieved. She didn't know what she would've done if Harry's parents would have objected to their relationship. "So…" She wet her lips. How to ask about this? 'Are we still a couple?' sounded incredibly bad. Asking about their future would be presuming too much. Probably.

"So…" Harry looked nervous as well. And damn cute.

Hermione pressed her lips together, silently cursed herself, then leaned towards him until their lips met.

His enthusiastic reaction answered her question.

*****​

 
Chapter 35: The Problem
Chapter 35: The Problem

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 19th, 1996

"Hello, everyone!"

Sirius Black smiled as he stepped into James and Lily's living room. This was a great day! Harry was safe. Miss Granger was safe. The little Veela was safe. And an entire pirate crew was in prison awaiting their trial. And it was all - at least partially - thanks to him! Things couldn't be better!

"Hi, Rose!" he greeted Harry's sister, who was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine. "How's your experiment?"

"How did you know I was working on an experiment?"

"You're always working on one," he told her.

She huffed. "It could be better. I've tried a new recipe, but it didn't work as well as it should."

"You'll get the hang of it," he told her with a smile. Or she'd blow up the house. One or the other.

"Thanks." She returned the smile.

"Where's Harry?" he asked, looking around.

And her smile turned into a scowl. "He's in his room, with his girlfriend," she spat.

"His girlfriend?" Sirius blinked. He hadn't known Harry had… "Miss Granger?"

"Yes." The scowl deepened. "We're dying with worry, and Harry hooks up with his 'mortal enemy' on a tropical island! And now they are snogging in his room!"

Oh. Harry and Miss Granger. Together. Even accounting for their rather extreme situation during the last two weeks, this was… "I wouldn't have expected that," Sirius said.

She scoffed. "Who would have expected it? I thought he would sooner hex her than kiss her. And the same for her!"

"Well, opposites attract, as the saying goes," Sirius said, grinning widely. His godson was a hero! Fought a dragon - close enough, at least - sunk a pirate ship, saved a princess - or a Veela - and got the girl! Like in a novel! Or a muggle movie!

"I don't think this saying applies to Harry and Miss Granger."

Sirius turned around. "Lily! How are you doing? And, of course, it applies! They spent years hexing each other - that's pretty much the perfect example for opposites!"

"It's about characters, not a feud," Lily corrected him.

"Well, I would have said that would fit," Rose cut in. "She's the smartest witch at Hogwarts, and he's an idiot. But if she likes him, she's obviously an idiot as well."

"Rose!"

"What? It's true!"

Sirius laughed. "Don't be jealous, Rose! I'm sure a pretty witch like you will find a boyfriend as well!"

She scoffed again. "I don't want a boyfriend who just wants to get into my robes!"

Lily nodded in agreement. "And don't let anyone pressure you into anything you're not comfortable with, Rose."

"Yes, Mum. You told me so already, remember?" Rose rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of that," Sirius said with a smile. "I think I should have a talk with Harry about dating a witch and all that entails." It wouldn't do to have Harry disappoint his paramour, would it?

"I think you're a little late with regards to that," Lily told him with a wry expression.

Sirius blinked again. Was she saying that…?

"They did it already?" Rose blurted out. "On a pirate island while hiding from a wyvern? Harry is an idiot!"

"Rose!" Lily frowned at her. "It's a perfectly normal thing for boys and girls his age."

"Not when you're stranded on a pirate island!"

"Yes. Especially if you're in a stressful situation," Lily said. "Don't be mad at Harry for this."

Sirius nodded. "Exactly! You don't want him to tease you once you have a boyfriend, do you?"

She snorted. "He'll do that anyway!"

"I don't think so," Lily said with a firm expression. "And if he does, I'll have a talk with him." She turned to Sirius. "And, speaking of this: Don't embarrass Harry or push him into anything, Sirius. This is his first relationship, and he's already insecure about things."

Sirius didn't think that sleeping with your enemy-turned-girlfriend on a tropical island was a sign of insecurity, but he nodded anyway. Teenagers were idiots - Sirius knew that from personal experience. "I won't embarrass him, don't worry!" He smiled at them. "But I think Harry might like talking to his godfather about things." There were some things you didn't want to talk about with your parents, after all.

Lily looked at him for a moment, then slowly nodded. "They're in Harry's room. Knock."

"Of course!" Sirius shook his head. As if he'd burst into a teenager's room - he had been a teenager himself! And Harry and Miss Granger were jumpy enough - Sirius didn't fancy getting cursed by mistake.

Nodding at Rose and Lily, he left the living room and went upstairs. He knocked on Harry's door. "Harry?"

"Sirius?"

"Yes! Can I come in?" he asked.

"Just a moment!"

Sirius grinned. Ah, that brought back memories! Fond memories.

After more than a moment, the door was opened, and Harry smiled at him. He didn't look as if he had been snogging, and neither did the girl sitting on the chair. Both hairstyles and clothes were perfect - nothing out of place. But the bed looked rather rumpled. "Nice styling charms," Sirius commented. Both of the kids blushed, and he grinned widely.

"What do you want?" Harry asked.

"I'm just checking up on my favourite godson." Sirius grew more serious. "You - both of you - have been through a lot, and I thought I could offer some advice. I've been in similar situations, after all. And I'm not a parent of either of you, so my lips are sealed!"

*****​

Harry Potter liked Sirius. He really did. His godfather was the best - he was funny, always willing to help Harry with his problems, generous and much less strict than Mum and Dad.

He was also very much interrupting Harry and Hermione's snogging session. And teasing them about it. If only they had thought of making the bed before opening the door!

But what was done was done. Harry sighed.

"Hello, Mr Black," Hermione said, still blushing.

"Oh, call me Sirius! Any friend of Harry is a friend of mine. And Harry's girlfriend certainly qualifies. As a friend, not a girlfriend, of course." Sirius chuckled at his own joke.

Hermione glanced at Harry.

"Just call him Sirius, or he'll never let up," Harry told him. "You'll get used to it."

"Alright." She nodded, though a bit hesitantly. "Sirius it is, then."

"Great!" Sirius stepped in and closed the door. "Privacy Charms? I don't think your sister will be listening at the door, but it's good to get into the habit."

"We still have to learn the charms," Hermione told him. "We actually discussed it today."

"And we came to the conclusion that we'd rather pick something that Mum hasn't crafted herself and doesn't know," Harry added. Mum might know counterspells that left the charm in place but allowed her to listen in anyway.

Sirius chuckled. "Do you really think Lily would listen in on you?"

Harry frowned. "I don't really think so. But she's been acting… weird. As if she were afraid I'd break down or something." She might think that she had to keep an eye on Harry all the time.

"We weren't captured or hurt. Not seriously," Hermione added, pursing her lips. "And we didn't kill anyone, either."

Sirius sighed and looked around, then waved his wand and conjured an armchair for himself. "I'm not going to say that you will have a breakdown or something, but… You did fight several battles against a man-eating monster and Barbary Coast pirates. Many adult wizards and witches would be shaken after that."

"Well, we're not. Not seriously," Harry said. He was fine.

Sirius didn't look at him but at the window and sighed deeply. "Back in the war, we've had people in the Order who didn't kill anyone or get hurt, but they still… It was too much for them. They couldn't handle the danger and the whole… war. They shifted to treating the wounded and helping in other ways. But others… They seemed fine, but they couldn't handle it afterwards." He snorted. "Merlin's beard, I drank a bottle of Firewhisky per week in the first few months after the war!"

Harry hadn't known that. His parents and their friends didn't like to talk about the war, but they had told him some stories. But never that.

"Oh." Hermione bit her lower lip. "But you fought for years, didn't you?"

"I did. But it wasn't as if we had a battle every other day. Most of the time, we were waiting. Waiting for someone to find an enemy safehouse or base, waiting for the enemy to attack somewhere so we could attack them, waiting for our friends to get better… You've had, what, five pitched fights in a single week?"

"More than a week," Hermione corrected him. "And only if you count the fights with the wyvern as separate."

"Well, as long as you could sleep between them, they count," Sirius told her. "Anyway - it's been a day since you returned. Please don't underestimate this. The shock can hit you any time, anywhere." He leaned forward. "And you're still twitchy."

"'Twitchy'?" Harry tilted his head.

"We're just cautious," Hermione retorted.

"It means you're not yet back from the island, so to speak. You still act as if you get attacked at any moment," Sirius explained. "You act like Mad-Eye Moody."

"Isn't Moody the best Auror in the Ministry?" Harry asked.

"He's the one best for dealing with the worst dark wizards," Sirius replied. "But he's got a lot of trouble just… living peacefully. You don't want to be like him. He's accidentally hexed quite a few people."

"We haven't hexed anyone in England since we returned," Hermione said. With another blush, she added: "And everything else was at Hogwarts." She raised her chin in that cute manner of hers.

Harry nodded. "We've got it under control."

"No nightmares, then?"

Oh. Harry opened his mouth to deny it, then closed it again and glanced at Hermione.

But Sirius was already shaking his head. "That's not a good sign."

"You don't need to be traumatised to have nightmares," Hermione told him.

"And we can handle that - we had nightmares on the island as well," Harry added. Though they had been together, then.

He looked at Hermione again. She was still biting her lower lip before she said: "We can't exactly get therapy. Not without potentially causing a lot of trouble for our parents - and the Ministry - by making it appear that we were the victims of a kidnapping attempt that wasn't reported. And even if we found a muggle therapist who would treat us, we couldn't tell him the truth, so we'd have to make up a story, and that would defeat the therapy's purpose. Unless there are wizarding therapists, but I've never heard of any."

Neither had Harry. "I think Mum and Dad would've mentioned them by now if they existed."

"I don't know of any, in any case," Sirius said. Harry wondered if Sirius knew what a therapist was. "But talking about things helps. And you can talk to me. I won't judge you - Harry knows that."

"Yes." Harry nodded. "Unless he thinks your prank wasn't good enough."

Hermione frowned. "You helped Harry with his 'pranks' against me?"

Harry winced.

*****​

Hermione Granger was livid. Harry's godfather had helped him in his feud with her? "How many of the 'pranks' were your idea?"

Mr Black leaned back a little. "I just gave him some tips, and I helped him learn from his mistakes!"

"Really?" she spat, then glanced at Harry.

Her boyfriend winced again. "More or less. He did suggest some ideas, but I rejected most of them."

"Ah." That explained a few hexes. "And special lessons?"

"Those were for duelling!" Harry protested.

And she had regularly lost her duels with him. Sometimes in embarrassing ways. She clenched her teeth at the memories.

"Of course, some duelling spells also make good pranking spells," Mr Black said. "Well, not so good if people saw you use them in the ring, but it wasn't as if anyone doubted that a prank on you would be Harry's work, was it?"

That… that… She clenched her teeth. An adult, helping a teenager against another teenager!

"Sirius mostly helped me learn from my mistakes," Harry said.

Which was bad enough, in her opinion. Almost cheating!

"And he did! For the entire last year, I didn't help at all. Except for a few paltry tricks." Mr Black smiled. "And it's all moot now, anyway, since you're together, right?"

She glanced at Harry again. He was smiling at her - though rather weakly. "And you got me good as well," he said.

She huffed. That wasn't the point. "I've had to search the library and book shops for spells and ideas! I didn't have anyone to plan my revenge with!"

"Sirius didn't do the planning for me!" Harry protested. "He just pointed out mistakes after the fact."

She huffed again. That was still a substantial help.

"Harry had to learn for himself, after all," Mr Black explained. "You don't get good if others do your work for you."

"And if I had used your ideas, everyone would've known it wasn't my idea," Harry commented.

"That, and Lily warned me." Mr Black grinned. Hermione decided that she had to thank Mrs Potter for that. "Anyway, it's not important any more, is it? You've gotten past that feud and are a couple!" Mr Black went on.

Harry nodded. After a moment, Hermione nodded as well. But it still remained another reminder of how muggleborns were disadvantaged. Like not being able to cast spells over the holidays.

And this whole pranking affair wasn't over. Far from it, she thought with a scowl at Mr Black.

"So… how are you doing?" Mr Black asked. "Honestly."

"Uh…" Harry glanced at her. "I miss sleeping with you." Hermione felt her cheeks heat up. "Just sleeping, I mean," he hastily added. "Though I miss the other sort of sleeping too. I mean…" He took a deep breath. "It's just… I like holding you when I fall asleep. It's… Nice. Very nice. And safe."

She slowly nodded. Yes. Very nice. And being with Harry felt safe. Was safe. "Yes. It would certainly help with the nightmares. It did on the island," she added before she could help herself, then blushed again.

Mr Black chuckled. "Well, that's a good excuse for sharing a bed with your girlfriend if I ever heard any!"

"It's not like that!" Harry protested. "It's not as if we need an excuse for, you know, that."

Hermione nodded in agreement and moved to sit next to Harry. "It's not as if our parents have tried to forbid us from having sex," she said. "Nor would there be any reason to do so - we use protection and we are old enough. And mature enough." And they had already done it, anyway.

"Yes," Harry said, nodding as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Not disturbing you in your room in the afternoon isn't quite the same as letting you sleep in the same bed," Mr Black retorted.

"It's effectively the same," Hermione objected. "I don't know about Harry's parents, but my parents won't see any difference." They better not, she added to herself.

Harry, though, seemed a little unsure. "Well, it should be the same. But it's also, like… I mean, we'd be practically living together." He blushed.

"Well, you make a good argument, though even if your parents agree, I doubt McGonagall will be convinced."

Right. Hogwarts. They would be at Hogwarts in a bit more than five weeks. Confined to dorm rooms. Hermione scowled again. Even though it was perfectly sensible, given their ordeal, she couldn't disagree with Mr Black's assessment. Professor McGonagall was rather overly strict when it came to such things.

"Well, we can get around that, I'm sure," Harry said. He grinned at Mr Black. "Provided you help us out a little."

Hermione frowned. "How so?"

"Sirius and my dad were experts at evading Mr Filch and the teachers and prefects," Harry explained with a grin.

Mr Black cleared his throat. "I don't like to brag…"

"Sure you don't," Harry interrupted him.

Mr Black continued unfazed: "...but in our days, we were the undisputed masters of pranking, spelunking and any other nightly, rule-breaking activities you could think of."

"And how exactly would you solve the practical problems of having to sleep in separate dorms while wishing to sleep together without alerting either the staff or our roommates to our presumably alternate sleeping arrangements?" Hermione asked.

"I have a few ideas!" Mr Black replied with a wide grin.

*****​

"...and if you spell the curtains closed and leave a decoy or something, no one will be the wiser," Sirius said. "If you snore, you can record it and play it back, fooling everyone." He frowned. "But only do it if your roommates can cast a Silencing Charm, or they might do something to your bed to stop you with other means, which will get you discovered."

Sirius was speaking from experience, Harry Potter guessed. He nodded - this sounded workable.

Hermione looked a little sceptical, though. "You think this will work for the whole term? Use an invisibility cloak or Disillusionment Charm to sneak into Harry's bed while leaving a decoy in my bed?"

"Why wouldn't it?" Sirius shrugged.

"I don't snore," Hermione said.

Harry cleared his throat. "You don't snore too, ah, loudly," he told her.

That earned him a glare. But it was the truth.

"It's a good thing," Sirius said. "Also, didn't you tell me that Hermione's bed had so many spells on it, it would be insane to approach, much less disturb it, anyway, Harry?"

"What?" Hermione pulled away a little and glared at him.

Harry winced. "That was a year ago."

"You were planning to enter my dorm?" Hermione frowned.

"I was inside your room," Harry corrected her. "But I didn't have enough time to get through your protections."

Hermione blinked. "But the stairs… and the windows… did you fly up the stairs?"

Harry grinned. "Yes. I used Dad's cloak and my broom."

"I knew I should've protected the door even better, but Lavender said it was getting to be a chore to enter, and the others agreed with her," Hermione grumbled. "Wait! That's how you got that potion into my shampoo!"

Harry winced again. "But you got me back - and you were definitely in my room to hex my clothes!"

"Girls are allowed to enter a boy's rooms," she countered. "Otherwise, the stairs would be enchanted to keep them out."

Harry wasn't quite sure if it worked like that, but he wasn't going to argue against the idea of Hermione visiting his room. Now that she wasn't going to hex him or curse his stuff, at least.

"See? It's even allowed. Sort of," Sirius said.

"It's still quite tricky," Hermione objected. "Even using a Disillusionment Charm, I would need to avoid stumbling into someone for the entire term. And hope no prefect uses a Human-presence-revealing Charm."

"They do that?" Sirius wondered.

Harry and Hemione nodded at the same time. "It's sort of our fault," Harry admitted. "Some of our pranks missed the target, so the prefects started to step up their game."

"Ah." Sirius grinned. "Well done! But we have ways to avoid the prefects - or anyone else - easily!"

"The map?" Harry blurted out. "You're making a map for us?"

Sirius nodded with a smile. "Oh, yes! Lily said we couldn't make another one just to help you with pranks, but this isn't a prank! It's a necessary help for you to cope with your experiences."

"What map are you talking about?" Hermione wanted to know.

"It's the Marauder's Map," Sirius proudly explained. "An enchanted map of Hogwarts and environs that shows everyone in the area."

Hermione blinked. "Updated in real-time?"

Sirius looked confused, so Harry answered: "Yes, exactly. And it was spelt against unauthorised users."

"We lost it in our seventh year." Sirius sighed. "Never got it back from Filch - I think Dumbledore took it to use it - but I can make a new one, with a little help from James, Remus and Peter. If we can drag Peter off from wherever Dumbledore sent him."

"But if Dumbledore has the original map, he'll see us moving around as well!" Hermione pointed out.

"Did he ever attempt to stop your pranks?" Sirius chuckled. "As long as you don't hurt anyone, Dumbledore doesn't really care about what you do."

"His definition of 'hurt' must be quite strict," Hermione muttered.

Harry raised his eyebrows at her - which he had had to regrow once at least due to her hexes - and she had the grace to blush a little.

"Well, he's also a firm believer in letting people work things out," Sirius added. "Something about not wanting to intervene in a fight if he can help it. But as I said - he won't be bothered by you sleeping together."

"If he isn't bothered by couples sleeping with each other, why do our prefects have to check broom closets on their patrol?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, that's mostly a throwback to the time before the Statute of Secrecy, when people - mostly girls - were supposed to marry as virgins," Sirius explained. "The enchantments on the stairs of the girls' dorms also date back to that time. No one really cares about that any more - not even my own parents did, though they didn't have a daughter - but try changing the rules in the Hogwarts charter! Changing the laws in the Wizengamot is easy in comparison! Some people think whatever rules the Founders put down should be sacrosanct, and most of them you'll find amongst the board of governors."

Hermione looked as if she didn't believe him, so Harry nodded. "Mum complains a lot about this when she talks about Hogwarts."

"Yes. Don't worry about Dumbledore," Sirius added.

"And does Professor McGonagall share this stance?" Hermione asked.

Sirius winced.

*****​

"I thought so." Hermione Granger nodded. Professor McGonagall was a great teacher. Firm but just, mostly - she had some biases against justified retribution, as Hermione had found out - and she was a master at her subject. But she was also very strict when it came to enforcing the rules. Especially in her House. Hermione couldn't see the woman ignore two students sleeping together in the dorms. Or breaking curfew.

"What she doesn't know she can't punish!" Mr Black said with a grin.

"Do you expect us to be able to fool Professor McGonagall indefinitely?" Hermione raised her eyebrows. There was a saying about fooling some people all the time, but the professor certainly wasn't amongst them.

"Probably not," Mr Black replied. "She's a sharp one. But long enough so you don't need to sleep together any more to deal with nightmares?" He cocked his head. "I taught Harry well enough for that, and you kept up with him in your feud, didn't you?"

She nodded. She'd kept up despite Harry getting help from Mr Black.

"We should be able to do that," Harry said.

Hermione felt a stab in her heart. While it was logical that their nightmares would get better as time passed - which fit what she had read about such experiences - she liked sleeping with Harry. Waking up with him, feeling his warmth beneath her, seeing his chest rise and fall while he was still sleeping… She bit her lower lip. "Yes, I concur," she said, nodding.

"And I'm curious to find out how long you can fool her," Mr Black added. "She had some uncanny talent to find us, but we managed to get her number in our last year."

Hermione didn't want to treat this as an experiment or a competition. It was too vital for them. For a variety of reasons. She looked at Harry. "We need contingencies, though. Just in case." They would have to ensure their roommates wouldn't spoil things. Hermione trusted Lavender, and her other roommates knew better than to annoy her, but while Ron could be trusted, probably, she didn't know about Harry's other roommates. And even if they didn't mean to betray Harry and her, sometimes, people made mistakes and revealed things they didn't want to. Or trusted the wrong people.

Her eyes widened. "Oh dear lord - the gossip!"

Mr Black frowned. "The gossip?"

"If people learn of our relationship, they'll go crazy," Hermione explained. The usual gossip about couples was bad enough. But Harry and she had achieved some fame, of sorts, at Hogwarts. Or infamy. And the two of them getting together… that would fuel the rumour mill for months. And produce the most exaggerated hearsay.

"Oh, right," Harry muttered. "They'll make things up. Hell, they'll assume we're sleeping together no matter if we actually do!"

Hermione nodded. That fit her own experiences. "If Professor McGonagall listens to gossip…"

"But would she?" Mr Black asked. "She seems to be above such things."

"It'll give her probable cause," Hermione said. "She would be justified to check up on us, for example."

"Probable cause?" Mr Black frowned. "Why would she need an excuse or pretext to check on you? That's what Heads of Houses do."

"It's still unfair that a teacher can use fake rumours like that," Harry protested.

"It's amusing, though," Mr Black retorted. "In any case, it's not an insurmountable problem. You could hide your relationship, for example."

She shook her head. "No. I already told Lavender - and I didn't swear her to silence. And Rose knows."

"And Ron." Harry sighed. "Damn. People will expect us to be sleeping together. That's going to be a problem."

"Are you complaining that people are making up rumours about you two sleeping together while you are planning to do exactly that?" Mr Black asked with a chuckle.

"It's…" Harry trained off.

"It's not the same," Hermione chimed in. She nodded firmly. "Making up lies in lieu of actual knowledge should never be tolerated, much less rewarded!" The Prophet was the best example of what happened if one tolerated such antics.

"Unless it's a Divination Test!" Harry grinned.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. One didn't joke about tests. To suggest that you could just make up visions, while Lavender worked so hard at Divination… She huffed.

And Mr Black snorted. "What did I tell you, Harry? Never mock Divination; the witches love it."

"Can we concentrate on how to keep Professor McGonagall from discovering our planned sleeping arrangements?" Hermione asked with a frown. "She won't be fooled by a decoy or a recording. And she can enter either of our dorms."

Harry looked at Mr Black, who shrugged. "We solved it by having one of us track her whenever we were out after curfew. When she left her quarters, we had ample time to avoid her - or return to our dorms."

"We can't exactly sleep together if one of us has to stand guard at all times," Harry pointed out.

"And we can't exactly expect others to do it for us," Hermione added.

"Oh, but I wouldn't say that!" Sirius grinned. "You've got a few hundred potential employees at Hogwarts."

'A few hundred'? Hermione blinked. He couldn't mean the other students, could he? They needed their sleep, and how many of them could be trusted? So… "The elves!" she blurted out.

"Exactly!"

*****​

Harry Potter blinked. "You want to hire the House-Elves to cover for us?"

"Yes," Sirius confirmed.

"All of them? That'll cost a fortune!" Harry blurted out.

Sirius shook his head. "No, no - not all of them. That would be pointless. Just one or two."

"That'll still be expensive," Harry pointed out. If they weren't expensive, surely Mum and Dad would hire one - neither was fond of doing chores, after all.

"No, no!" Sirius grinned. "House-Elves are actually quite cheap to hire - they love working."

"Really?" Harry narrowed his eyes. His godfather had to be pulling his leg! "Why doesn't Mum and Dad hire one, then?" Harry wasn't fond of doing chores, either.

"Well, it's not the gold - it's the conditions that elves demand." Sirius leaned forward. "You know Kreacher."

"Oh, yes." Harry sighed.

"Kreacher?" Hermione asked.

"Sirius's House-Elf," Harry explained. "He's… a piece of work."

"Not quite correct," Sirius said, wagging his finger. "Kreacher is a piece of work, but he isn't my elf - he's the House-Elf of the Black family."

"And you're the Head of the family, aren't you?" Hermione asked. "You sit on the Blacks' seat in the Wizengamot."

"And I have the gaudy signet ring I need to seal all my official correspondence, and mouldy old robes I have to put on should anyone ever call for a Great Coven again - which no one has since before the Statute of Secrecy." Sirius nodded. "Yes, I am the Head of the family. As small as it is these days. However, Kreacher's contract is about as old as those robes - and the contract grants him the exclusive right to be our House-Elf. I could fire him, but the penalties for breaking his contract without due cause… Well, let's say the price would be too high, and I'm not just talking about gold."

"He calls you names every time he turns his back on you," Harry pointed out.

"Yes. And that's covered by his contract," Sirius said, sighing. "As long as I'm not married, nagging me about my 'duty to the family' falls amongst his duties. And the little bugger really wants a new generation of Blacks. Anyway, that's just one of the clauses in his contract. There are a lot of others. Like he gets to pick most of my meals that he cooks."

Hermione looked puzzled. "Why would your ancestors have agreed to such a deal?"

"Prestige," Sirius said. "Few families have a House-Elf working for them. Most of the elves work at Hogwarts."

"Why?" Hermione shook her head. "If they could exhort such conditions from a family, surely they could find a family who'd take them on for the gain in prestige."

"Well, they love children, or so I was told," Sirius explained. "Kreacher certainly likes to spoil them. And they supposedly love Hogwarts." He shrugged. "When I asked Dumbledore, he merely said that the Founders knew what they were doing when they picked the location for Hogwarts and hired elves. It could be that the elves who work for families are the snobs of them - those too good to work at school. I'm no expert on elves." He shrugged again.

"You grew up with an elf," Hermione pointed out.

"Yes. And I took him for granted." Sirius chuckled. "Anyway, elves like the students, and they like taking side-jobs. If the Headmaster hadn't forbidden them from talking to the students about work unless talked to first, they would be pestering you for jobs and tasks all the time." He grinned. "We found that out in our seventh year when we hired two of them to keep eyes on the teachers. We also had to supply them with muggle drinks every week, and they got to pick the undershirts we wore. And let me tell you: Nothing kills the mood faster than a green woollen undershirt with pink and brown dots. Especially in Summer."

Uh. Harry grimaced.

"Why would they do that?" Hermione shook her head.

"Beats me." Sirius shrugged once again. "Maybe they made those shirts? Or it's their way to prank us. All I know is that once you make a contract with a House-Elf, you don't break it."

Harry nodded.

"Duly noted," Hermione added.

"Anyway, by hiring two of them - I can tell you whom we hired if you don't mind wearing ugly underwear - you should be able to outmanoeuvre McGonagall," Sirius went on.

"Wouldn't they tell her about us if she asked?"

"Oh, no! Unless explicitly ordered to obey a teacher, they only answer to the Headmaster. Dumbledore said that was one of the best tools to keep the teachers in line." Sirius laughed.

Harry chuckled, as did Hermione.

"But that means we'll have to be ready - well, I have to be ready - to return to my dorm at a moment's notice," she said after a moment. "Whenever McGonagall leaves her quarters and heads into the direction of our dorms."

That wouldn't be a peaceful sleep.

"Well, it's not a perfect solution," Sirius said. "But it'll be good enough, I think. McGonagall won't check every night."

Hermione didn't look like she shared Sirius's opinion. Harry wasn't certain, either. "We'll have to work on a better solution," he said.

"That's the spirit!" Sirius beamed at them. "Tell me when you figure something out!"

*****​

A while later, they were back in the Potters' living room, and Hermione Granger, seated on a couch, was still trying to come up with a better solution. She wasn't looking forward to shuttling back and forth between her bed and Harry's whenever a teacher came close to the Gryffindor dorms. That wouldn't be conducive to a decent night's sleep. Even though at least Harry's owl would be in the owlery - it wasn't easy to relax with the bird glaring at her as soon as Harry turned his back,

But she couldn't think of a good way to avoid that. Except for quite improbable possibilities, such as turning their beds into Vanishing Cabinets or using Portkeys. The former would take far too long, even if they had the skills or found someone with the needed experience, to pull it off. The latter… Well, travel by Portkey would interrupt her sleep anyway, even if they managed to find a Portkey.

And after getting stranded by one on a desert island, Hermione was a little suspicious of Portkeys, anyway.

Apparition didn't work at Hogwarts and was a thoroughly uncomfortable experience as well - and wouldn't prevent the need to return to her bed at all. The same went for using the House-Elftunnels. Shrinking yourself was a chancy business at the best of times.

She clenched her teeth. This was a vexing situation.

"Still pondering the problem?" Harry asked in a low voice next to her.

"Yes."

He didn't ask if she had made any progress. Her tone had left no doubt about that. Sighing, she added: "Sorry." It wasn't his fault.

"What are you whispering about?" Rose asked from the dining table, where she was taking notes on Potions. Why Harry's sister wasn't working in her room, Hermione couldn't fathom.

"Nothing!" Harry told her.

"Nothing, sure," his sister snapped back.

"Nothing that would concern you," Hermione told her - quite correctly. "We're just discussing a few private things."

"Ew!" Rose shook her head.

"Not that!" Harry protested. "And if we did, it would be fine and none of your business, either!" he hastily added when Hermione gave him a look. Good.

"I'm not interested in your 'private things' anyway."

"That's why you're down here, huh?"

"Why are you here, and not snogging in your bed?"

Hermione was tempted to tell the girl off, but she was a guest here. "We're here because my parents will soon arrive for dinner," she said instead.

"Unless Dad's working late," Rose told her.

"He'll make time for this," Harry said.

"Of course he will!"

Hermione couldn't tell if Rose took more offence to the suggestion that Harry's father would be late or that he wouldn't be late. And she wasn't sure she wanted to know - she was just glad she didn't have a sibling if this was normal.

But right then, Mr Potter arrived in the middle of the living room with the typical popping sound of Apparition, together with Hermione's parents.

"Hi, Mum, Dad!" she greeted them. "Hello, Mr Potter."

Mum blinked, shaking her head. "I'll never get used to this," she said.

Dad nodded in apparent agreement. He also looked a little green.

"Many wizards never get used to it, either," Mr Potter said. "But it remains the most useful mode of magical transportation in most urgent situations."

"I can imagine," Mum said.

"And we'll be learning it next year," Hermione pointed out. She couldn't wait. She was of half a mind to ask Mr Black to teach her - and Harry. He owed her for intervening in her past conflict with Harry, after all. But when she would be learning Apparition anyway in the next few months, it would be a waste of a favour.

Dad mumbled something that sounded like 'I'm not going to train that with you' under his breath.

Mum glared at him, then smiled at Hermione. "I hope you enjoyed your afternoon. Did you cast many spells?"

Hermione felt her cheeks redden. They hadn't really cast many spells. "A few," she said, trying to keep her composure as she lied: "I didn't want to rush things."

Harry nodded without saying anything.

Judging by the glances Mum and Dad exchanged, they hadn't been fooled. And looking at Mr Potter's amused expression, neither had he.

Hermione suppressed a sigh. This probably wouldn't be a good time to mention their plans for dealing with their nightmares. 'Mum, Dad, we can have sex at Hogwarts anyway, even without breaking any rules, it's the sleeping together that's the problem' didn't sound very convincing when your parents assumed - correctly - that you had just spent most of your afternoon in bed with your boyfriend.

"Ah, young love!" Mr Black said into the sudden silence. "I remember how I was at this age! I'd have spent the whole day in bed with my love if I could!"

"Sirius!" Harry hissed.

Hermione drew a sharp breath and glared at the man. What was he thinking? Or not thinking, as she suspected.

"What?" Mr Black shook his head. "Do you really think your parents weren't aware of what you were doing? Heh, what do you think James and Lily were doing during their first holiday as a couple?"

"I hope this is a rhetorical question, Sirius." Mrs Potter stood in the doorway. Her frown made Mr Black obviously uncomfortable, but she turned to greet Hermione's parents without further comment. "Hello, Ellen, Gabriel."

"Hello, Lily."

Hermione frowned. Since when were her parents on a first name basis with Mrs Potter? This wasn't the case with Mr Potter.

She must have missed something. That might complicate the upcoming dinner table conversation.

*****​

 
Chapter 36: The Solution
Chapter 36: The Solution

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 19th, 1996

"It must have been terrifying to not know what had happened to your daughter. I at least had the ability to do something about it, but you were forced to helplessly suffer while waiting." Mr Black shook his head. "I don't know if I would have held up as well as you did, in your place."

"Thank you, Mr Black." Ellen Granger nodded with her best polite smile and took another bite from the roast.

She didn't like the man. Not at all. Mr Black was far too boisterous for her taste and yet had the same kind of attitude some of the aristocrats she had met during her time at the university had: an innate sense of superiority so ingrained, he didn't even notice how patronising he sounded when he tried to be friendly.

Of course, that wasn't exactly a rare attitude amongst wizards and witches, Ellen had found since Hermione had entered Hogwarts. They probably had some poets talking about a 'wizard's burden', too - she had never asked. But the attitude fit. She was half-expecting Mr Black to praise her as a 'credit to her race' like British colonialists tended to praise their faithful servants in those period pieces her mother had loved.

That would certainly set off Hermione. It was a wonder her daughter hadn't blown up at the man already - she had opinions about the British purebloods. Well, she was currently besotted with one particular pureblood. Or half-blood, at least technically, or so Ellen understood it. Though the boy had been raised in an old pureblood family and had all the connections expected from a pureblood, as Hermione had often mentioned in her rants about him. Father working in a high position at the ministry, godfather in the Wizengamot, Head of the Wizengamot a family friend…

Ellen knew an aristocrat if she met one. And so did Hermione. Of course, Ellen's daughter was probably not thinking straight. Or not thinking at all, if Ellen's memories of her own puberty were to be trusted. Hormones at work, as Ellen's mum used to say.

She took another forkful of the excellent potatoes so she wouldn't be expected to say anything, nodded to another slightly too loud comment from Mr Black, and glanced at Hermione.

Her girl was sitting next to Harry - and quite close. If they weren't playing footsie under the table, Ellen would eat her favourite houseplant. And she was well aware of what her daughter had been up to during the afternoon in Harry's room. Not that she could begrudge her that, of course. It was a romance straight out of those cheap novels Ellen hoped no one knew she read at times. A dashing hero facing evil pirates and monsters with the heroine… Any girl would have fallen head over heels for the boy if she had been in Hermione's place. That Hermione hadn't had a boyfriend before Harry hadn't helped matters, of course.

At least it seemed that Harry was as besotted with Hermione as she was with him. Ellen had been afraid that Hermione's first teenage romance would be with an unscrupulous boy exploiting her budding feelings; Ellen was familiar with the type. And while Hermione was the smartest girl Ellen knew, that didn't mean she was well-prepared to deal with that particular danger.

No, this relationship seemed to be a mutual amour fou. And between two people whom, two weeks ago, Ellen would have described as mortal enemies. A definition that Hermione would have likely agreed with.

No, Hermione could handle this sort of relationship. But the whole ordeal she had been through? That wasn't something Hermione could handle. And it wasn't something Ellen and Gabriel could handle, either.

"...and then I said: 'Do you think that'll stop me?'" Mr Black laughed at his own anecdote. To be fair, it had been mildly funny - at least the parts Ellen had followed.

"Anyway, enough about old history," Mr Black went on. "How are things at the Ministry?"

"We're still dealing with the pirates," Mr Potter said. "The trial's set up to start next week."

"What's the holdup?"

"The ICW is sending an observer, which means Fudge is hovering over Bones to ensure that everything will go perfectly."

"Fudge is…" Mr Black started to say.

"The Minister for Magic, we know," Gabriel cut him off with a smile. "Hermione keeps us up to date."

"Ah!" Mr Black didn't lose his smile. Point for him. "I should've known that, of course!"

Why? Ellen wanted to ask but glanced at Hermione instead. Her daughter was nodding. So, she probably had spoken to the man already. But then, why wasn't she on his case some more? Hermione wasn't the kind of girl who would accept being patronised by anyone, Ellen knew.

But her daughter had also become sneakier and more cunning since she started at Hogwarts. More diplomatic, as Gabriel called it. So, what was she planning?

"Anyway, now that we've been fed," Mr Black said as Lily sent the empty plates to the kitchen with a swish of her wand, "let's get serious. We have a number of subjects to discuss."

Ah. Now, they were finally getting to the heart of the matter. "That's true," she said. This was why they were here, after all - to help Hermione.

"What exactly is there to discuss?" Hermione asked with a frown. She held up a hand when Ellen opened her mouth. "I admit we're not perfectly fine, but we've found a solution to deal with our nightmares."

Harry nodded in agreement, Ellen noticed. She opened her mouth to ask what their solution was, but Rose was quicker: "You have nightmares?"

"Yes." Harry frowned at his sister.

"Having nightmares is perfectly normal after what we experienced," Hermione said.

"But what you experienced wasn't normal," Gabriel told her. He leaned forward a little. "So, what's your solution?"

"Sleeping together," Hermione told them. "It…"

"What?" Rose blurted out, interrupting her.

"It's not about sex!" Harry protested. "We already know that. But sleeping together - sleeping, not sex - helps with the nightmares."

"Exactly." Hermione nodded emphatically, though she was blushing a bit, Ellen saw. "It's not about sex." She took a deep breath. "We can sleep in our respective rooms, alternating every day. I think that would be most fair to everyone."

It wasn't as simple, in Ellen's opinion, but it would do. She also had no doubt that sex was part of it. Well, they were teenagers. But she still needed more answers. "How bad are your nightmares?" Just sleeping together wouldn't be enough to deal with severe trauma.

"No worse than on the island," Harry said. He looked at Hermione, who nodded as well.

"Yes."

"And how bad were they on the island?" Lily asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Not too bad," Harry quickly said.

"We managed," Hermione added.

Ellen had her doubts about that. "You were under a lot of stress and in lethal danger," she explained. "Often, the shock hits people when they're safe. That has been observed with soldiers." She didn't want to use the word 'trauma'. Hermione wouldn't react well to that.

Harry shrugged. "Well, we're fine. Mostly."

"We can handle it - with a little bit of help," Hermione amended. "We're not traumatised. We beat the pirates."

"Yes."

Ellen refrained from sighing. If only her daughter wasn't so stubborn and proud. It had seen Hermione through some bad times when she was younger and probably had been what allowed her to survive on that cursed island, but in this situation, it was no help at all.

"It's not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Or to accept help," Gabriel said.

"We do accept help," Harry replied.

"Yes," Mr Black nodded. "Mine, for example."

The looks Lily and her husband sent at their friend in response to this were a bad sign, in Ellen's opinion. "What exactly did you help them with?" Lily asked.

"I told them how they can sleep together at Hogwarts," Mr Black answered.

"And what exactly did you tell them?" Mr Potter asked.

"I told them to hire elves," Mr Black replied with a grin. "Like we did."

"Ew! You slept together?" Rose looked shocked.

"What? No!" Mr Black finally didn't look so insufferably smug any more. "We just sneaked out after curfew for... various activities."

"Like sex," Rose stated with a grimace.

"Not always!" Mr Black shook his head. "We were pranking people!"

"And having midnight 'tête-à-têtes'," Lily added in a flat tone.

"That was mostly your thing," Mr Black shot back.

Ellen cleared her throat. "Could we please focus on the fact that our children have nightmares if they sleep alone?"

"Yes," Gabriel agreed.

"Yes!" Rose nodded as well.

"So?" Hermione frowned. "We have a problem - I'll admit that - but we can deal with it." And did she frown when she admitted a problem! That hadn't changed since she had been in kindergarten.

But codependency wasn't exactly a good answer to a post-traumatic stress disorder, in Ellen's opinion. "I'm not certain that that will be enough," she said. "You might not realise it, but you have changed."

"Yes. You always carry your wand around nowadays," Rose said, "as if you're ready to hex people at the drop of a hat."

"Like Moody," Lily added.

"We haven't hexed anyone!" Harry protested.

"And we always carried our wands with us before - at Hogwarts, at least," Hermione once again chimed in. They were closer than Ellen had expected.

"Not like that," Mr Potter objected. "At least, I hope you weren't acting like that."

Judging by the glances Harry and Hermione exchanged, they weren't too far off, though - Ellen must have underestimated just how bad Hermione's feud had gotten. She looked at Gabriel. He winced as he nodded at her.

What else had they missed?

"Anyway, it's not as if we can go to therapy," Hermione spoke up. "We can't tell muggles about magic - they would assume we're crazy. And a therapist would see through any cover story."

"But you should talk about… your experiences," Lily said. "With someone who has had similar experiences. Talking helps - I know."

Lily had been through war. Civil war against a group of genocidal magical fascists, Ellen reminded herself. Magical death squads roaming the country - and targeting families like hers. Children like Hermione.

Mr Black nodded. "I've already offered to listen."

He had been in the war as well, Ellen knew. But she still didn't like the thought of him serving as a confidant for Hermione. Even though her daughter seemed to be in favour of the idea. "Aren't there any trained… Healers?" she asked. "People who have experience treating traumatised…" Don't say victims, she reminded herself. "...people?"

Hermione frowned at her anyway. "We're not traumatised."

"I'm not sure if going to St Mungo's is a good idea," Lily said. "The Healers tend to deal with traumatic experiences by removing memories."

"Oh." That sounded… "Does that work?" Ellen asked.

"Most people I know don't want to lose their memories," Mr Potter said. "Unless you do it quickly after the trauma, it's going to be a rough job. We've seen cases where a criminal tried to remove memories to remove evidence, but… they never manage to get everything, and that leaves traces. Good for Auror work, but not so good for the victims."

That sounded horrible! Ellen shuddered.

*****​

"We're not victims," Harry Potter hissed. "We won!" The pirates hadn't beaten them - they had beaten the pirates! Why was everyone insisting that they were victims?

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Even the Portkey was an accident, not a kidnapping attempt."

"James didn't mean that you were the victims of the pirates," Mum said, glaring at Dad. "But you did suffer a lot. Trust me - I know this. We won the war, remember? Yet we suffered as well. Especially after the war."

"But…" Harry pressed his lips together. That wasn't how it worked! If you won, things worked out! "We weren't even hurt. Not seriously."

"And we didn't kill anyone," Hermione added. "We have no reason to feel guilty."

Well, Harry did feel a little… conflicted… about the pirates. But it wasn't his fault that they were captured, Or pirates.

"It's not about winning or losing, Harry," Dad told him. "It's about dealing with… everything. That takes… I've seen people break trying to deal with similar experiences."

"We won't break," Hermione said.

Harry nodded. They had survived the island. They would get through this. Together.

"Of course not," Mrs Granger said. "But… you shouldn't try to make it harder for you. Just… just talk to people. Please?"

"There's no shame in accepting help," Mr Granger added. "Whether you need it or not."

That was true, but Harry couldn't help feeling that their parents were convinced that he and Hermione were about to have a nervous breakdown as soon as they smelt coconut or something.

"And leading psychologists agree that experiences such as those which you went through tend to cause trauma of various degrees," Mrs Granger added. "Studies also show such effects on the psyche of both soldiers and other survivors of violence or catastrophes,"

Hermione frowned at her mum. "But none of them posits that every survivor suffers from such effects, do they? It's not as if every soldier who fought in the war suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder."

"No. But it is known that too many refuse to get help even though this would markedly improve their life. Just because you are functional doesn't mean you're fine," Mrs Granger pointed out.

"Indeed. I'm not saying you need help - but can you exclude the possibility that you might have been affected more seriously than you might think?" Mr Granger asked.

"Are you telling me that I'm too biased to be objective?" Hermione was glaring now.

But her parents remained cool. "It's a common danger across many professions," Mr Granger said. "Lawyers shouldn't defend themselves, for example. I would say dentists shouldn't diagnose and treat themselves either, but that's already almost physically impossible." He chuckled, as did his wife.

After a moment, Hermione chuckled as well, though not for long. She pursed her lips, then frowned - and glanced at Harry.

And he was at a loss of what to say. All the muggle talk was a little beyond him. He didn't feel like he needed a shrink or whatever those therapists in the movies he had seen with Dudley were called. But they did have nightmares. And what harm could it do? More importantly, Hermione seemed to have second thoughts, too. "I guess talking to someone can't hurt," he said with a shrug.

Hermione stared at him for another second, then sighed and nodded as well. "Probably not." She turned to her parents, who, Harry saw, were smiling a little too politely - unlike his own, who were openly showing that they were relieved - and said: "Alright. Let's schedule some regular talks with someone who has lived through a similar experience. That doesn't mean that we need it; this is just a precaution."

"Of course." Mrs Granger nodded, but her smile had something… well, if Harry was aware of how much Hermione hated to admit being wrong, her parents would certainly know this as well. And how prickly she was when pressed.

"See? That was easy, wasn't it?"

Sirius, obviously, didn't know that, though. Harry closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. He'd have glared at Sirius if he thought it would be of any use. And if Hermione wasn't glaring at his godfather already.

"What?"

Mum sighed as well. As did Dad. The Grangers, though, just kept smiling. "And this is why you're not a good listener, Sirius," Mum said. She turned to Hermione and Harry. "You can talk to me if you want. I won't judge you."

Talking to Mum? And what did that mean, she wouldn't judge them? She was judging Harry all the time!

"My offer still stands," Sirius spoke up.

"I think we should talk to a few people," Hermione said after a glance at Harry. "Not just one. A wider range of experiences might help."

Harry nodded in agreement. He'd much prefer to talk to Sirius than to his parents.

"Though if we're to keep this up, then we'll have to make arrangements with Dumbledore for visits to Hogwarts," Dad said. "The Hogsmeade weekends are only once per month."

Once a month sounded good to Harry.

"And I think your two lovebirds would prefer to use their Hogsmeade weekends for something else," Sirius said.

That was a good point, in Harry's opinion.

"It shouldn't be too hard to arrange visits," Lily said. "This is a special situation. I'm sure Albus will agree with us."

"And if he baulks, then you can always exaggerate the danger from reflexive hexing." Sirius laughed. "Curse Malfoy a few times 'on accident', and dear Lucius will beg Albus to allow such visits."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Or he'll demand our expulsion."

"Well, yeah, but that won't happen." Sirius shrugged.

*****​

Hermione Granger pressed her lips together. Mr Black was far too cavalier about such a danger. Certainly, Malfoy had caught a hex or jinx before, several, actually, and not always because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but deliberately cursing the git to convince Dumbledore that they needed special privileges? That was different.

Even though if any student deserved to get cursed, it was probably Malfoy. The arrogant rich git was a bigot of the worst sort, after all. Even Harry at his worst had had some redeeming qualities. Like his skill on a broom, at duelling, the way he smiled when he thought she wasn't looking...

She shook her head. "I don't think we should attempt to manipulate the Headmaster like that."

"I agree," Mrs Potter said, frowning at Mr Black.

"Really, Sirius? Trying to put one over Dumbledore?" Mr Potter shook his head.

"It was a joke," Mr Black defended himself.

"I'm not laughing," Mrs Potter retorted.

Mr Black rolled his eyes in a very immature manner. "I'll try to make a better joke next time. Anyway, I don't think this will be a problem. But if it becomes a problem and you can't get official permission, I can easily sneak into Hogwarts for a talk!"

Hermione had no doubt about his claim. Mr Black tended to boast a little, but the stories he had told her this afternoon - which Harry had already known - certainly had shown detailed knowledge of Hogwarts' grounds and defences. Better than her own, actually.

Of course, the wizard had had two more years to explore the school. It still vexed her that Mr Black knew more about such an important subject than herself. Well, she could do something about that. Now that Harry and she weren't feuding any more, they could focus on that instead.

After all, you never knew when you might need such knowledge. And it would help them to keep their skills sharp as well. So… "We can also sneak out of Hogwarts," she pointed out. "And once we learn Apparition, we can quickly travel to any suitable location as well."

Mr Black laughed. "That's the spirit!"

"You'd still have to deal with the trace," Mr Potter retorted.

Only until September, Hermione thought. But pointing out that she'd be an adult according to Wizarding Britain's Law while he'd have to wait for almost another year wouldn't be smart. And Mr Black would make a joke about older women, Hermione was certain.

"Not if we pick our locations with care," Harry told his father. "If we go for a stroll around the lake, we can easily leave and apparate home - or to Grimmauld Place."

"Exactly! I should teach you Apparition right now!" Mr Black smiled widely.

"We'll learn it soon enough at school," Hermione countered. Where Madam Pomfrey was ready to deal with any mishaps.

"Well, I wouldn't mind learning it now," Harry said. "It will make visiting easier."

Now, that was a good point. Hermione nodded. "Right. And it'll also allow us to… flee from any danger."

That seemed to convince her parents. The Potters, though, didn't look like they shared her views.

"Dealing with splinching yourself can be hard," Mrs Potter said.

"I can handle it!" Mr Black waved his hand.

It was obvious that this didn't convince the Potters either.

"What is 'splinching'?" Dad asked.

Hermione frowned - she had explained that to her parents before, back in first year. "It's what happens when you disapparate but fail to focus properly and so leave part of yourself behind."

"Like an eyebrow, or a hand, or a leg. Olev Parkinson once left a buttock behind!" Mr Black laughed.

Hermione's parents didn't. "That sounds dangerous," Mum ventured.

"It's perfectly safe," Hermione quickly told her. "We'd be learning it under supervision."

"Trust me, Mrs Granger, I can handle it!"

"I think I'd prefer it if this were taught by a… specialised instructor," Mum said, obviously trying to be diplomatic.

"We all would," Mrs Potter said. "But we'll have to do with whoever the Ministry will spare for the lessons. But that's not really the issue; the issue is that at Hogwarts, there's a qualified Healer available - and usually present during Apparition lessons."

"And if Harry or Miss Granger arrive at St Mungo's with a splinched body part, it'd be obvious that they were training Apparition without permission," Mr Potter added.

Perhaps they should, as Hermione had originally planned, learn Apparition at Hogwarts. "Once we have our first official lesson, we can train ourselves," she said. After all, studying ahead was completely fine.

Harry grinned. As did Mr Black.

And Mr Potter sighed. "I guess this is the best we can expect." His wife nodded with a similar expression.

Hermione pursed her lips. What did they expect? This was a perfectly sound and quite obvious course of action. They had a problem - although the extent of it was still up to debate - and they found a solution.

"So, you're fine with students sneaking out of Hogwarts?" Harry's sister spoke up.

"Of course we are!" Mr Black said, at the same time Mrs Potter said: "No!"

*****​

Harry Potter glared at his brat of a sister. So typical - she always wanted what he had, no matter the fact that she was younger and had to wait until she was his age! "We don't sneak out just because we can. We will do it because we have to. If we have to," he said.

"Really? You never sneaked out of Hogwarts before?" Rose sneered with a scoff.

Of course he had, but that wasn't important right now. "We're talking about next year," he told her.

"You are. I'm asking if you never sneaked out before."

"That's not relevant," Hermione cut in. "The circumstances are now very different."

So, she must have sneaked out in the past as well. Harry grinned for a moment.

Rose, of course, pouted. "So? It's still sneaking out!"

"The reasons for an action matter," Hermione told her.

"And we're older," Harry added.

"Rose," Mum said, "this isn't about sneaking out, but about dealing with the consequences of their kidnapping. We don't condone sneaking out of Hogwarts, but it might be the best solution or the least bad for them. And it's hypothetical - I trust that Albus will allow us to arrange visits, given the special situation of Harry and Hermione."

It hadn't been a kidnapping. Just an accident! Harry pressed his lips together - pointing this out wouldn't help right now. They might think he would want to sneak out of Hogwarts and visit Knockturn Alley.

"And they'll sneak out anyway!" Rose claimed.

Well, of course they would! But that wasn't the point either.

"Don't worry, Rose. Once you're Harry's age, I'll tell you how to sneak out as well," Sirius said.

"I already know how to sneak out!" Harry's sister retorted.

"Rose!" Dad shook his head. "This isn't the time for a tantrum. We have serious matters to discuss. If you can't act more mature, maybe you should head to your room."

Rose huffed. "Fine, I'll stay quiet while you let Harry do anything he wants!"

"Rose!" Mum shook her head. "It isn't like that, and you know it."

Harry nodded, which earned him a glare from his sister. But she shut up, at least.

Dad sighed. "So… we still have to discuss the press."

Great. Harry had almost forgotten about that. He wasn't looking forward to talking to the Prophet.

Hermione winced as well, and he reached out under the table to squeeze her thigh. She smiled back at him.

"Yes." Mum sighed as well. "The Prophet wants a story, and if we don't give them one, they'll make one up."

"They already made up a story!" Hermione hissed. "The things they wrote…" She shook her head, her ponytail whipping back and forth. "They made it look as if I was captured by pirates and sent to a harem!"

"Not quite," Sirius said. "They merely implied it." He nodded with a sad expression. "As I've been informed by the Ministry on several occasions, that's an important distinction."

Hermione frowned. "Did you try to sue the Prophet and lost?"

"Sue? What for? No. I attempted to revoke their license after they 'speculated' about an affair between myself and Angelica Zabini." Sirius snorted. "Alas, Amelia didn't see things my way, and without her backing, I would never have managed to gather a majority in the Wizengamot."

"You wanted to… force the Daily Prophet out of business, abusing your position as a member of the Wizengamot?" Hermione looked flabbergasted

"What abuse?" Sirius frowned. "It's perfectly legal! The Wizengamot makes the laws, after all. And I had cause, at least. Unlike Madeline Lestrange, who keeps trying to pass legislation against the sale of ice cream in Diagon Alley because Fortescue banned her from his parlour for being a bigotted old biddy."

Harry nodded - he had heard that complaint before. Not that he was worried - even most of the bigots loved Fortescue's.

Hermione, though, shook her head in apparent denial, and her parents looked as if they had never heard of this before either.

"Anyway," Sirius went on, "since James wouldn't let me simply curse the Prophet…"

"There are laws against that, Sirius. Laws I am bound to enforce."

"...we have to play nice with those bottomfeeders." Sirius sighed,

"As we agreed upon on the ship," Hermione reminded them.

"Yes, yes." Sirius grinned. "So, we need to work on your story! If it's juicy enough, the Prophet won't see any need to make up anything."

"'Juicy'?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at Harry's godfather.

"Nothing amorous!" Sirius quickly clarified. "But the story of how you struggled to kill a man-eating wyvern? And battled pirates? Presented correctly, that would be a tale worthy of the Lockhart series!"

"Yeah, right." Harry scoffed. "In those novels, Hermione would've been in a harem. And I'd have tamed the wyvern, which would've been a dragon."

"Oh, you want to be Lockhart?" Rose sniggered. "Harry the Ladykiller!"

"Rose! And Harry!" Mum snapped.

Hermione pinched his thigh. "What do you mean by 'presented correctly'?"

"Told in a way that's not trying to make the audience think it was not really dangerous," Sirius told her.

Harry winced, as did Hermione. They had downplayed the whole affair a little, after all.

*****​

Hermione Granger tried to keep from grimacing. They hadn't exactly lied about their adventures. They had told their parents what had happened. What they had done. From the start to the end.

But… They hadn't gone into some of the more questionable details. How close some fights had been. How terrifying the chases had been. How desperate they had felt at times.

She bit her lower lip. And now she was supposed to tell all that to the Prophet? To see it spread over the front page?

"Hermione," Mum said with a sad smile. "We know you. We know you were… holding back."

Dad nodded. "The difference between how you told your stories from Hogwarts and the way you told us about the island was quite obvious."

Mr Potter was nodding as well. "Yes. We're aware that you skipped over some things."

"We told you everything!" Harry protested. "We just left out some details."

"Important details," Mr Potter said. He smiled gently. "Harry, we've been in the war. We know how it is. And we met the pirates, remember? Their aim wasn't as bad as you made it out to be, for example."

Hermione pressed her lips together. "We weren't hit," she muttered. "And it's not as if we could tell how close a spell had come to hit us."

"Really?" Mr Black shook his head. "Harry at least should've known - I trained him myself for duelling!"

"It was a little confusing most of the time," Harry defended himself. "Not like in a duelling ring. And it was dark most of the time."

"Which doesn't really make things safer, does it?" Mrs Potter asked.

Harry let out a breath through clenched teeth.

Hermione shook her head. "It wasn't that bad."

Mr Black snorted. "I wonder what you would consider bad, then."

"Sirius!" Mrs Potter shook her head. "Telling the truth will help," she told them.

"To the Prophet?" Harry scoffed. "They'll put it on the front page! Everyone will know!"

"Know what? That you survived and won?" Mr Black grinned.

Hermione glared at the man. Turning their own words back at them like this? How dare he!

"You know how people will react," Harry tried to reason with them. "They'll ask for details, want to hear more, claim we were lying…" He shook his head.

"They'll do that anyway," Mr Black countered. "The difference is that if you tell the Prophet the truth, you won't have to correct your friends' assumptions all the time."

Hermione had to nod at that. "I really don't want anyone to think I was captured and placed into a harem," she muttered. "Even though it might be too late for that."

"Technically, the Prophet didn't claim that," Mr Potter pointed out.

Hermione scoffed. She knew her classmates. She knew how the rumour mill worked. "A few days from now, people will think Harry broke into the Sultan's harem in Constantinople to save me."

"Well, then telling them the truth won't make things any worse, at least?" Mr Black tilted his head.

"But it would also let them know what we can do," Harry protested. "You taught me that you shouldn't show your cards to the press!"

"I don't think knowing how you killed a wyvern and fought pirates on your broom will help any future opponent in the duelling ring," Mr Black said with a shrug.

"It's not about duelling," Hermione snapped. "Not really," she added with a glance at Harry. "But if people know what we can do, we'll be more vulnerable. Anyone planning to attack us will know what to guard against."

Her parents and the Potters exchanged glances as if she hadn't made a perfectly reasonable observation.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about another attack by pirates," Mrs Potter said after a moment.

"There haven't been any pirate attacks on British shores in decades," Mr Potter said. "I looked it up," he added when Mr Black stared at him. "And the last time a wyvern was spotted in England… Well, that dates back centuries."

"What we're trying to say is that you don't need to worry about such attacks. Certainly not at Hogwarts," Mrs Potter said.

"But there could be attacks by people trying to avenge the pirates," Harry objected. "They were caught because of us and will be hung."

Hermione winced. She didn't want to think about that. It was the pirates' own fault for being pirates, but… And her parents looked a little pale.

Mr Black laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find new tricks before anything like that could happen."

That was a good point. Hermione nodded in agreement.

As did Harry. "Yes. You can teach us!" he told Mr Black.

Or give them access to his family's library, Hermione thought.

"I'm actually more concerned about a possible overreaction that sends Malfoy's brat to St Mungo's," Mr Potter said.

"Oh, I wouldn't teach them dark curses," Mr Black said, waving his hand. "And Poppy can handle everything else."

"That's not really any better," Mrs Potter said.

"Yes," Mum agreed. "I would like one year without having to talk to Professor McGonagall about 'hexing in the halls'."

"Or in the dorm," Dad added. "Or on the school grounds."

Hermione felt her cheeks flush. "That won't happen any more!" she protested.

"Yes," Harry added, wrapping an arm around her waist. "We're not going to fight any more."

"At least not each other," Mr Black said, chuckling.

Mrs Potter said something under her breath about 'Moody' that Hermione didn't quite catch.

"More training will allow us to judge situations better," Harry argued. "And it'll allow us to have more options than just sending Stunners at someone."

"Stunners are perfectly fine spells to use to defend yourself, Harry." Mr Potter narrowed his eyes.

"That wasn't what you said last year!" Harry shook his head. "You were mad at me for stunning Hermione."

Hermione frowned. She remembered that.

"That was before I found out what you can do when you really try," Mr Potter told them with a glance at Mr Black. "So, stick to Stunners."

Well, that was a sensible policy, in Hermione's opinion. Though there were threats for which a Stunning Spell was not a good counter. They would have to be prepared for that as well.

"We'll have to send Poppy a bigger gift this Christmas," Mr Potter added with a wry grin.

"And McGonagall." Mr Black's grin was not wry at all. He obviously thought this was amusing.

*****​

Harry Potter sighed as they entered his room. That had been a tiring discussion. "I'm sorry about this," he told Hermione.

"It's not your fault," she replied as she closed the door.

In a way, it was. He still felt responsible.

She sat down on the bed and sighed as well. "At least they listened. Our parents, I mean," she added.

"Somewhat," Harry said.

"They think they know best," Hermione agreed. "Even when they don't." She leaned back and looked at the ceiling. "Of course, everyone thinks that."

"Well, are we wrong?" Harry asked.

"I don't think so." She frowned at him. "Do you?"

He shrugged. "I don't feel like I'm about to have a breakdown. But… I feel better being with you. And we weren't in a war." They hadn't killed anyone.

"No, we weren't. And yet… it's true that such violent experiences can be traumatising." Hermione pursed her lips, as she usually did when she absolutely had to admit a mistake or a gap in her knowledge. "I don't think we're suffering from trauma. Not severe trauma, at least."

"But talking to Sirius helped." Even though this afternoon, Harry's godfather had mainly told them stories about his time at Hogwarts. Stories Harry already knew.

"Yes."

"I'm not looking forward to talking to Mum, though," Harry went on. Some things you didn't want to share with your parents.

"If only there were wizarding therapists!" Hermione scoffed. "It would still be a bother, but our parents wouldn't worry as much if they knew we were in professional hands. So to speak. They worry so much."

Harry nodded in agreement. "They treat us like we're about to have a crying fit."

"Or we're about to send curses at everyone nearby."

"Yes," Harry agreed. "As if we'd do that." Well, they wouldn't.

"No, we won't. But we need to train more. We need to be prepared to handle any situation," Hermione said. "So we can avoid mistakes. Potentially… harmful mistakes."

"Yes."

"I've got a few thoughts about a training regime, but I need to go over them with you - you've got more training in duelling." Hermione pulled a sheet of parchment out of her bag. Her notes from the discussion with Sirius, Harry realised.

"Let me see," he said, holding his hand out.

She handed the sheet over, and he quickly skimmed it. "That's a lot of spells."

"Yes. We have a lot of gaps in our repertoire," she told him.

That was true. "But we need a lot of time to train, too," he pointed out. "Spells we can't cast reliably in combat aren't very useful."

"Yes." She pursed her lips. "Arranging for a schedule that will allow us enough time for studying for school, and, well, other things, will be tricky," she added, biting her lower lip.

Other things… Harry felt himself blush a little. He cleared his throat. "Yes. But it's entirely possible. We did it before, didn't we? Training next to schoolwork, I mean." And during the O.W.L.s year.

"Yes. But we didn't have a relationship in addition to the other demands on our time," Hermione said. "We can't just, say, stop socialising with our friends."

"Of course not. But we can double-date with Ron and Lavender," Harry pointed out. "And hang out with them."

Hermione tilted her head and gave him a slightly exasperated look. "I do assume that we'll want to spend time in private, though." She blushed. "Outside the bed, I mean."

"Yes, of course," Harry quickly agreed.

"So, we'll have to budget our time. She frowned. "'Talking' will also cut into our budget."

As would Quidditch, but Harry thought it best not to mention that. "Well, we'll manage," he said. He peered at the list again. "I think we can cover the most important spells quickly."

"Some of them are said to be very difficult to master," Hermione retorted. "Such as the Patronus Charm. And others we will have to master enough to cast them under stress."

She was correct. Harry sighed. "It looks like sixth year won't be a time to relax before the N.E.W.T.s."

Judging by Hermione's unamused look, she hadn't planned to relax much even before getting stranded on the pirate island.

"Well, at least we can train together," Harry pointed out.

"Right." Hermione nodded with a smile. "I hadn't considered that. I should have, of course - it's quite obvious."

Harry suppressed a chuckle - he also kept getting surprised by how their trip, and the results of it, would change their lives.

He sat down next to her instead and hugged her. "So, it's manageable."

"Yes."

"And I think our friends will have to struggle to adjust to us as much as we did," he added with a grin.

"Definitely. Lavender's reaction was very…"

"...Lavender?" Harry cocked his head.

"Enthusiastic," Hermione corrected him with a glare before she sighed. "I guess we'll have to go on a double date soon. If only to, well, settle things with our respective best friends before we go to Hogwarts."

"Yes."

They remained sitting for a moment.

"So… should we..." Harry trailed off. It still felt awkward to ask, but just assuming would be worse.

She tilted her head, her lips twisting into a more coy smile. Then she blinked. "Did you secure the door?"

He gasped. "Merlin's beard! I forgot!"

Both jumped up and quickly cast a few spells each at the door - the last thing Harry wanted to see was his parents, or, worse, Rose, barging in on them.

"Whew!" he said, lowering his wand.

"That could've been embarrassing," Hermione agreed. She was licking her lips as she looked at him, Harry noticed. And she looked a little flushed.

He took a deep breath and leaned in, tilting his head to the side. She met him halfway.

Their clothes ended up on the floor before they reached the bed.

*****​
 
Chapter 37: The Interview
Chapter 37: The Interview

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 20th, 1996

Desmonda Bartlemout checked her robes one more time before approaching the Potters' residence. It wouldn't do to arrive with, say, some stain on her chest from the stew in the Leaky Cauldron or some wrinkles that weren't fashionable. This was her big break, after all - her chance to finally surpass Rita Skeeter as the most famous, and best paid, reporter of the Daily Prophet, Britain's leading newspaper.

The scoop of the year - or the decade, depending on what she would hear in a little while: The dirt on what exactly had happened to Harry Potter, the Child of Prophecy, on that pirate island! Everyone in Britain was talking about this. It had made international news. And she was the reporter who would interview the boy and find out the truth!

As long as she could keep it together. She found no speck of dust on her robes - fresh from Madam Malkin's - took a deep breath and approached the gate. Be professional, she reminded herself. She could do this. She would do this.

Be polite, she reminded herself as she entered the yard. The Potters had a reputation. They had fought the Dark Lord himself four times and lived. They had lured him into an ambush in this very house and helped Dumbledore destroy him utterly. And they had a temper. Desmonda hadn't gone to Hogwarts with them - she had entered the school a year after the Potters had finished - but she had heard the stories about Lily Potter née Evans and the current Head Auror. And their feud with Rita.

Desmonda had no intention to enter a feud with the Potters. Or Dumbledore. Be polite. Be professional. She nodded at her own thoughts and knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, it opened, and Lily Potter nodded at her. "Mrs Bartlemout."

"Yes." The witch was holding her wand, Desmonda noticed. And moving it. She licked her lips. "I'm a little early, I fear."

"That's OK," Mrs Potter replied. "Come in."

Desmonda took another deep breath and entered the house. She could almost hear her first lines. 'A cosy house with that aura of old magic you could almost touch, not as pretentious as some manors, but still, without a doubt, the home of an old pureblood family…' Better scratch the 'pretentious'; too many not quite so old families might feel slighted. And the pureblood remark might anger Mrs Potter if some rumours were correct. So, old wizarding family, then.

"Harry! Hermione! The reporter's here!" Mrs Potter's voice carried through the house without shouting.

It wasn't an Amplifying Charm, either, Desmonda knew how those sounded. She cocked her head. Perhaps some enchantment covering the house?

"A spell of my own invention," Mrs Potter told her unasked. "The yelling started to hurt my ears."

"Oh." That was nifty. And a subtle reminder that Mrs Potter was an accomplished spellcrafter of some renown. Desmonda made a mental note to mention that in her article - it never hurt to flatter your sources. "That seems quite handy."

"It is."

"Did you publish the spell?"

"No. It's just a little charm for convenience, hardly worth the effort."

Desmonda kept smiling despite the fake modesty the witch displayed. There were few enough spellcrafters as things were, and any new spell was an accomplishment. For a muggleborn, the witch certainly had adapted to the tendency of Old Families to hoard spells.

"Please have a seat. Can I offer you some tea?"

"Thank you."

Mrs Potter flicked her wand, and a tray with tea and sandwiches floated into the room. No house-elf, Desmonda made another mental note. That was to be expected - the Potters weren't an Old Family, after all.

She cocked her head when she heard steps on the stairs before her cup was full. A moment later, Harry Potter, followed by a girl who had to be Miss Granger entered the room.

"Harry, Hermione - Mrs Bartlemout. Mrs Bartlemout - my son Harry and Hermione Granger."

Desmonda beamed at them. "Not that either of you need an introduction. Everyone in Britain knows your names."

"And our faces, I suppose," Harry replied with a grin. A cheeky lad, just like she had been told.

"It was to be expected - we were the indirect cause of an international incident, after all," Granger added. Also as expected.

They looked better than on the pictures Desmonda had seen, she noted while they took cups of their own. Both showed a slight tan and looked healthy. She couldn't spot any sign of starvation. Her sources at St Mungo's confirmed that they hadn't been treated.

"Thank you, Miss Potter," Granger said when the witch filled her cup.

"Call me Lily, Hermione."

"Lily, sorry."

Desmonda hid her interest. A recent development, then. Or a sign of something else? The two teenagers had been together upstairs, presumably in Harry's room. And both looked quite comfortable with each other - which was very unlike the stories she had been told about how they acted towards each other at Hogwarts.

She smiled as kindly as she could. Yes, this was already shaping up to be an extraordinary interview. Frontpage for sure.

*****​

"...and I kept its attention while Hermione swam to the cave we had discovered," Harry said.

"And as soon as I was inside the cave, I summoned Harry to me."

Desmonda stopped her notes and looked up. "You summoned him?" That was impossible. The Summoning Charm didn't work on people! The first sign of a lie! Oh, the story she could weave around that!

"Technically, I summoned his clothes," Granger explained. "But it works out the same."

"Ah." Really. It probably could work. But to summon another person? That was far beyond the charm as well. Desmonda remembered very well how hard it had been to master the charm until she could summon her luggage.

"So, I was yanked out of the wyvern's way and dragged into the cave, just before it took another dive at me," Harry went on.

"He crashed into me, which was a good thing since we were driven back to the end of the cave," Granger, once again, cut in. "A moment later, the wyvern crashed into the cave, trying to get at us, but it got stuck in the entrance and couldn't reach us at the back."

Desmonda suppressed a frown. Couldn't the girl get a hint and let Harry tell the tale? No one needed her long-winded drivel.

"It almost got Hermione's leg," Harry added. "We could smell its breath - and that was nasty, I'll tell you."

"No more than any other predator of that size would smell," Granger spoke up. "Some muggle animals even use the bacteria growing in their mouths to weaken prey."

Who cared about muggle animals? But the whole thing sounded too fantastical. "So, you managed to summon Harry across the pond?" Desmonda asked. If Granger doubled down on that, she would have a more solid cause to point out the fabrications.

"Yes." Granger frowned. "We actually summoned each other a couple of times."

"Well, mostly me." Harry laughed. "My clothes were a little more durable."

"Your robes were more durable?" Desmonda blinked. Granger's robes must have been ratty indeed. Was she a poor muggleborn, trying to net herself a rich pureblood? It was quite obvious from the way the two were seated and talking that they were a couple, after all. Granger would have had ample opportunities to seduce the boy while they were stranded.

"My muggle clothes." Granger blushed slightly. "I was dressed for the summer."

Oh. Desmonda's eyes widened. She knew all about muggle clothes! Of course the boy had fallen for the girl. But still… "And you feared they would be ripped off instead of, ah, carrying you with them?"

"It didn't seem too unlikely, given the forces involved. That was why Harry got to play bait again."

"Yes." Harry nodded with a grin. "And I knew she could summon me quickly enough to avoid a diving wyvern."

"Really." As if anyone but a trained Auror could do that!

"Are you doubting us?" Granger was frowning at her. "Do you need a demonstration?"

"You're still underage," Mrs Potter spoke up.

Was Granger about to break the law in front of her? 'Delinquent seduces Pureblood Boy…' No, that was too much like what Rita would write.

"But Hermione's right - you do sound as if you doubt this."

"The Summoning Charm is quite a complex spell which needs years of practice to master," Desmonda replied with a polite smile.

"We've been casting the spell for years," Granger retorted.

"It's not on the syllabus until your fifth year," Desmonda told her. You didn't forget a spell you barely cast at your O.W.L.s, after all.

"Who cares? It's not a restricted spell and too useful to wait until fifth year to learn it," Harry said, shrugging. "Once I saw Hermione do it, I had to learn it as well.

Both chuckled as if that was some sort of a joke. Well, perhaps it was if the rumours about their feud were true. Which, frankly, made the sudden reversal look very suspicious. Surely, Mr Potter would have his son tested for love potions…

"Anyway, yes, I did summon Harry, and I would be happy to demonstrate this to you, should you doubt me. We can travel outside Britain's jurisdiction if you require a demonstration." Granger glared at her.

Desmonda wanted to dismiss the girl, but…

"Or we can ask Dumbledore to show you the memories in his Pensieve," Harry suggested. "If he isn't too bothered by it."

Right. A reminder that Dumbledore was a family friend. The kid was more subtle than Desmonda had given a Gryffindor credit for. She was tempted to call Granger's bluff… but what if it wasn't a bluff? Would the girl really expect her to be too cowed to check? And what if it was true, and Desmonda cast doubts on them, and they got another reporter to check their memories? What if they offered that scoop to Rita? Rita wouldn't hesitate to rip Desmonda's reputation into shreds.

If this was true, of course. But then… the kids didn't look as if they were lying. Gryffindors, both of them. And Mrs Potter didn't look as if she thought the kids were lying, either.

Desmonda felt her stomach sink. If this was true… Mr Potter wouldn't hesitate to bring the law down on her. And he would hesitate if the kids were lying - his rivals at the Ministry would jump on the chance to prove he was abusing his office.

No, odds were the kids were telling the truth.

Merlin's beard!

She smiled. Time to fix this. "No, no, I was merely surprised. This is an extraordinary feat, after all. Our readers will be astonished. How did you escape from the cave?"

"Well, we stayed there for the night - we didn't want to risk leaving and having the monster pounce on us," Harry continued. "However…"

*****​

"...and then we saw the Patronus Messengers arrive. They led Mum, Dad and the others to us."

"They were too fast, of course, to be directly followed," Hermione Granger explained, "but you could see the direction they took when they sped away and navigate like that."

"I see," the reporter said.

Hermione had her doubts - the witch hadn't struck her as very smart or talented. At least not where magic was concerned. The Summoning Charm being a difficult spell? She refrained from scoffing.

Of course, she was a little biased, and not merely because the reporter had doubted her. It was more the way the witch focused on Harry when taking notes. The reporter paid far less attention to Hermione's detailed explanations, which, in her opinion, wasn't a good sign for the veracity of the article.

"In any case," she went on, "we still had the two brooms we took from the pirates and flew back to the island with the others. Now that the pirates were no longer a concern, it didn't matter that we were slower, with one broom carrying two people."

"Do you want to see the brooms? We've got them with us," Harry said.

"Pirate brooms? I would love that!" the reporter gushed.

"Oh, they are not unique brooms, actually," Harry told her as he pulled his own shrunken broom out.

Hermione quickly followed his example.

"You carry them with you? Shrunken?"

Wasn't it obvious? Hermione refrained from sneering as she showed the reporter her broom. "Yes."

"Wouldn't an extended pocket or bag be more convenient?"

"Shrinking an item isn't really a bother," Hermione said. Although an enchanted pocket would be easier since she wouldn't have to cast a spell to store the broom or to unshrink it. Which she wasn't allowed to, she remembered. "Well, it wasn't a problem on the island." Under her breath, she muttered: "I can't wait to be seventeen." Here she was, in a pureblood home where the trace wouldn't work, and she couldn't even cast the most simple spells to prove her claims to the reporter!

"We shrunk ourselves as well, after all," Harry added. "Though only because we didn't have any choice any more."

"Oh, yes. To save the little Veela," the reporter added after a glance at her notes.

"Céline de Ciel," Hermione corrected her. Really, didn't the reporter care about having all the facts?

"Yes, yes. A desperate measure - a gamble - which paid off. I must say, this is far more riveting than I had assumed. Almost straight out of a Lockhart novel."

"The offer to ask the Headmaster to use his Pensieve still stands," Hermione reminded the woman. Compare their adventure to a piece of fiction?

"Of course, of course." The woman waved her hand rather dismissively. "Anyway, you fought and killed a wyvern - after three clashes, during which you barely escaped with your lives, often at the literal skin of your teeth - or the wyvern's, in this case!" The woman laughed at her own joke.

Hermione forced herself to smile. She wasn't looking forward to Luna Lovegood and Professor Hagrid reading that part of their adventures. But they couldn't really lie about that. Not with the skull they had taken.

"Well, we always had a plan, and we could improvise when needed," Harry said.

"And you were lucky," Mrs Potter - Lily, Hermione reminded herself - said. She had been rather quiet, Hermione had noticed, during the interview. But, as her expression showed, she must not be happy about the details they had revealed.

Harry, either not reading the mood or trusting that his mum wouldn't make a scene with a reporter present, shrugged. "We had both good and bad luck - it evens out."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. It was true, at least statistically. "Personally, I found the pirates more dangerous. The wyvern, for all its might, was merely an animal. And a single animal, at that - we could plan for its actions. However, the pirates were an entire crew, dozens of them, and each of them was unpredictable. Of course, as a mob, they were supposed to be a bit more predictable, but that rule only goes so far. Even if most people would act the same in a given stressful situation, it only takes a single one to take charge to change the entire situation for good or ill."

The reporter blinked as if she had never heard about psychology. At least Mrs Potter nodded. And Harry was grinning for some reason.

Hermione shook her head. "Of course, the biggest challenge was overcoming our complete lack of supplies." And their lack of spells that would've come in very handy. But only a fool would advertise such a weakness in public. "We had to improvise a lot."

"But you proved the old adage that all a wizard or witch truly needs is a wand!" The reporter gushed. "That will impress so many people!"

"We can but hope it'll inspire them to learn more spells as well," Hermione said.

"In case they, too, end up stranded on a pirate island?" the reporter asked.

The woman sounded condescending again. Hermione frowned, but before she could say anything, Harry spoke up: "Or any other emergency. We don't carry our shrunken brooms around as a souvenir, but in case we need them."

The reporter blinked as if that had never occurred to her.

Really, if the witch ever found herself stranded somewhere, Hermione doubted that she would survive on her own.

*****​

Harry Potter grinned. That had gone better than he had expected after his and his family's experience with Skeeter. Well, Bartlemout could still stab them in the back by writing lies in the article, but at least she seemed to genuinely believe them now. And without them having to break the law and demonstrate their spells.

And she was impressed by Hermione. Harry could tell. Which was good - without Hermione's knowledge, they wouldn't have made it off the island. It was only just that she'd get recognition for that.

Though some of Hermione's explanations might get cut, Harry expected. Especially if the reporter missed some details in her notes. At least she wasn't using the kind of self-writing quill Skeeter used. Still, he was fairly content - the witch's reaction to their story had been better than he had hoped. There would be no need to embellish things.

He glanced at Mum, and his smile slipped. Her reaction to the unedited tale of their adventures wasn't… She was smiling politely, but he saw how tense she was. No, this wouldn't be good.

"You think you'll need your brooms in another emergency?" Bartlemout asked.

"You never know what might happen," Hermione told her. "You have to be prepared for anything."

"Yes," Harry agreed. "I honestly doubt that we'll end up on another deserted island, but what if some relatives of the pirates want to take revenge? Or someone thinks we found some pirate treasure." He winced when he saw how the reporter's eyes lit up. That had been a mistake.

"There was no treasure," Hermione said, glaring at him. "And if there were, the crew of the ship that Dumbledore hired would've taken it - they were the ones to take the village, after all."

"After you sank the pirate ship," Bartlemout replied. "And you found the wyvern's cave."

"Which was filled with bones, not coins," Harry retorted.

"There was no treasure," Mum spoke up. "And there will be no speculation that might attract treasure hunters and worse people." She glared at Bartlemout. "Imagine if someone attacked students because of some rumour created by the Daily Prophet. Albus would be so… disappointed."

Bartlemout actually paled. Skeeter would have smiled and nodded, in Harry's opinion, and written what she wanted anyway. The more 'controversial', the better. It wasn't as if Dumbledore would actually abuse his power - otherwise, Skeeter would probably have been cursed long ago to only say and write the truth or something.

"Just stick to the truth," Hermione said.

Harry nodded. "And as I said - if you doubt us, we can ask the Headmaster to show you the memories."

"Of course. Although some of our readers might doubt the story's veracity," the reporter said.

Harry shrugged. Some people were just stupid. On the other hand, it was the Prophet.

"There are always sceptics," Mum said. "As long as your article sticks to the facts, they shouldn't be a concern."

Bartlemout nodded again. "Of course. So, in order to cover this incident extensively, would you mind shedding some light on how you found the island?"

Mum's smile didn't change. "I am not privy to how Dumbledore acquired this information, but I can tell you how we sailed from Gibraltar."

"That would be lovely!"

Lovely? Harry shook his head but leaned forward. He wanted to hear Mum's side of their story. In detail.

"Dumbledore informed us that he knew the island's location, and we travelled together to Gibraltar, where we boarded a ship hired for the trip."

"According to some, ah, rumours, it was a pirate ship?"

"Reformed pirates whose captain had abandoned his filthy trade to win the love of a Veela, or so I heard," Mum said.

The reporter's eyes widened. Harry could almost see how she added another article. Or at least a sidebar. He only hoped that the captain wouldn't take it personally. On the other hand, Abdul had seemed to love attention, as far as Harry could tell.

"So, we boarded the ship and sailed on, down the African coast. It took us a few hours, and when we arrived, Harry and Hermione had already left the island, which we didn't know. But we saw the capsized ship and the burning houses and knew that there must have been a battle, so…"

*****​

"Goodbye, Miss Bartlemout."

"Goodbye, Mrs Potter."

Hermione Granger sighed when the door closed behind the witch. "That could've gone better," she said.

"I thought it went fairly well," Harry said.

"We should consider ourselves lucky if she doesn't speculate about pirate treasure we might or might not have taken. Or a wyvern's hoard, even though there has been no report of wyverns showing hoarding behaviour." She knew; she had read up on them after their return.

"Well, it's better if they speculate about treasure than harems, right?" Harry asked.

Hermione pursed her lips. "Marginally, at most," she admitted. "And someone might think we know the location of buried treasure."

"If anyone is so stupid as to believe that, they shouldn't be a threat," Harry retorted.

"Or they are too stupid to refrain from obviously suicidal plans," Hermione pointed out. "We can't dismiss this risk."

"Speaking of suicidal plans…"

Hermione turned and winced. Mrs Potter - definitely Mrs Potter, not Lily right now - was glaring at them.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of the reporter," the witch went on. "But, really! What were you thinking?"

"We already told you!" Harry blurted out. "We did what we had to!"

"We made our decisions to the best of our knowledge," Hermione added. Which was true. Who would knowingly make decisions they knew were bad, anyway?

"And you almost died multiple times!" Mrs Potter retorted.

"We didn't die, though," Harry objected.

"And that makes it all better?"

"Yes!"

But the witch shook her head. "Do you even realise how close you came to dying?"

"We're aware," Hermione told her. "But it wasn't as if we had a choice." They had explained that already, hadn't they? Why didn't the adults listen?

"We couldn't just hide and hope for rescue," Harry said. "Not when we realised you couldn't find us with magic."

"Yes." Hermione nodded. "And we couldn't just hide from the wyvern, either. Sooner or later, the pirates would have realised we were on the island."

"You didn't know there were pirates."

"We did suspect after we found the destroyed hut of Amélie Besson. And her wand," Harry said. "Really, Mum - we did what we had to. And it wasn't nearly as dangerous as fighting a war against Voldemort!"

Mrs Potter drew a sharp breath in response to that, and, for a moment, mother and son stared at each other.

"Sorry," Harry whispered. "But it's true."

Hermione made a mental note not to ask about that until she was alone with him.

Mrs Potter shook her head, then sighed. "You shouldn't have gone through this. James and I didn't join the war until we had finished Hogwarts."

"Well, we didn't exactly have a choice," Harry replied.

"I know. But why didn't you tell us the truth from the start? Why did you make us think things had been… less dangerous?"

Ah. Hermione chewed her lower lip. That was probably the heart of the matter. "You were already overreacting," she said.

"Overreacting? We..." Mrs Potter took a deep breath. "And that's a reason for lying to us?"

"No!" Harry protested. "We just didn't go into details. We didn't lie!"

Hermione nodded. "It was bad enough to be treated like we were helpless and about to collapse."

Mrs Potter shook her head. "We're your parents."

"Yes. And?" Harry frowned.

"That means we worry about you, and we care about you. And…" She shook her head again. "I'll have to discuss this with James. And your parents."

Hermione winced. That wouldn't be a nice discussion, either.

"And why are you carrying around those stolen brooms?"

"Looted," Harry corrected her. "We didn't steal them - they attacked us, and we took them from them."

"Whatever. You have a much better broom," Mrs Potter pointed out. "Much more expensive as well."

"Well… the brooms made for a good prop for the interview," Hermione said. "And I at least don't have a better broom." She didn't have a broom at all before this - it was hard to justify the expense when she couldn't fly regularly. Or wanted to. Something that would have to change, of course - you couldn't outfly an aggressor if you were not used to flying.

"Something we'll fix soon," Harry cut in. "And now that the readers of the Prophet will expect us to carry those old brooms, we can replace them!"

Mrs Potter was still frowning. "Do you honestly think that someone will read the Prophet and then attack you based upon the article?"

"We can't dismiss the possibility that someone will use the information in the article against us," Hermione told her.

"And why would they do that?" Mrs Potter asked with a strangely pleading tone.

"Revenge," Harry replied. "We did cause an entire pirate village to get razed. And the pirates will likely be executed."

"Or someone thinks we acquired pirate treasure," Hermione added. "It's not too far-fetched, after all."

"And some might just feel that by taking us down, they'll gain some reputation," Harry took over again. "If Malfoy attempts something, I want to have a few aces up my sleeve."

Hermione nodded. "If they think that the spells and brooms in the article are all we have access to, then we have better chances of surprising and defeating them." That's why they would be studying hard to learn more spells, after all. And look into how to acquire a few choice potions as backup. They wouldn't be caught empty-handed and unprepared again.

"But…" Mrs Potter rubbed the bridge of her nose. "You can't treat a spat at Hogwarts the same as an attack by pirates."

"We won't," Harry said. "But if we're prepared for pirates, we can handle Malfoy easily."

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"That's not… You can't act like Moody! You don't have to expect an attack at any moment!"

Harry frowned and glanced at her, shrugging. Hermione nodded and cleared her throat. "But we did," she explained. "Only, before the island, we had to keep an eye out for an attack by the other. And now..." How to word it?

"...now we watch out for each other," Harry finished.

Mrs Potter gaped for a moment. "This is worse than I thought."

"It's fine," Harry told her. "We won't kill anyone."

Once more, Hermione agreed. Not if they could help it, anyway.

*****​

Harry Potter was quite happy to retreat to his room to wait until they would head to the Grangers'. Mum was so irrational! "Why can't she understand that we only did what we had to? We didn't just decide to risk our lives!" he vented after closing the door behind him. And casting a few privacy charms.

"I don't know," Hermione replied. "I understand that our parents were very worried about us and that hearing the details of our… battles was stressful, but that's over. We made it through." She shook her head. "Yes, things could have gone wrong, but they didn't. They act as if we'd do the same thing again..." She turned to look at him. "Oh my God! They think we'd do it again!"

Harry's eyes widened. "That's it! Oh, that's bad." If Mum and Dad thought they wanted another such adventure… They were Gryffindors, but they weren't stupid.

"No! They can't think we would get lost again. Or travel to a pirate island willingly. Or do anything similar," Hermione objected to her own idea. "They know better."

"They should know better, but you saw how Mum acted when we told her about the brooms."

"We're in Britain!" Hermione shook her head. "We're not going to meet any pirates. Or dark wizards." She frowned. "We won't, will we?"

"Not at Hogwarts," Harry told her. "And there haven't been any really dangerous dark wizards since… the war." At least according to Dad.

"That's reassuring." Hermione nodded. "Well, it depends on your father's definition of a 'really dangerous dark wizard', but seeing how they worry so much about us, it's probably not too strict."

"They haven't lost an Auror since the last Death Eaters were arrested," Harry told her. Dad was proud of that.

"Good." Hermione nodded again. "But that also means they aren't used to such threats. After fifteen years, people will have grown complacent to at least some degree."

"They train hard," Harry objected. "And Dad's not gotten any slower, just meaner." Sirius had told him so. And Sirius was the one who was training privately with Dad and an active duellist - if not as active any more as he had been - so he'd know. "And they easily defeated the pirates."

"They had Dumbledore and a crew of pirates with them," Hermione pointed out.

That was true, but… "That didn't mean they were bad. Anyway, I don't think they fear that we'll be attacked by dark wizards."

"Or pirates." Hermione shook her head. "They are more concerned about us overreacting."

"Yes." Harry sighed and looked around. "I wish we could take the bus."

"The bus? Oh, you mean the Knight Bus. Yes." Hermione sighed. "But we would risk getting bothered by reporters. Or just busybodies. Oh. I just had an idea. If we are in a bad situation, we could summon the bus."

"The Knight Bus isn't exactly staffed by Aurors," Harry objected.

"But it would be a decent diversion - and a means to escape," Hermione countered. Then she pursed her lips. "Although since that would expose the staff and any passengers to a magical battle, it should probably remain a last resort."

Harry nodded. "Oh, yes. I would prefer not to get banned from using it for life or so. Or sent to prison for endangering people."

"True," Hermione agreed, pursing her lips. "But if we have no other choice…"

Harry nodded and sat down on the bed. Hermione joined him. "I think they mostly fear that we'll overreact and misread a situation," he said.

Hermione scoffed. "As if we'd cast spells recklessly! Unless we're clearly under attack, of course."

"Of course." If someone was trying to kill them, all bets were off. Or if someone was trying to kidnap them.

"Although, in theory, someone could try to fake an attack on us," Hermione went on.

"Why would they do that?" Harry frowned. "Wait. Malfoy." The git.

"He might attempt to prove us wrong or something," Hermione said.

That would be like the idiot. "He never really accepted that he wasn't my 'main rival' or something."

Hermione snorted. But she quickly grew serious again. "That means we'll have to be extra-careful at Hogwarts."

"Yes." If Malfoy actually tried to fake an attack on their homes… Well, the war might have been over for almost fifteen years, but anyone attacking a wizard or witch at home couldn't expect the Aurors to care much if they got cursed or worse.

"What a bother."

Harry sighed in agreement. "Better than accidentally killing or cursing anyone."

"We'll stick to Stunners," Hermione said. "At least until the first incident."

"Yes." Harry leaned to the side and slipped an arm around her waist. Someone would try something, he was certain. They always did. "So, how do we convince our parents that we aren't a danger for everyone else?"

"By demonstrating that we're prepared for anything," Hermione replied. "If they know we can handle both actual attacks and some idiot trying to hex us from behind to sabotage our Quidditch team, they won't need to worry about us any more."

"Right." Harry snorted. "I almost forgot about Quidditch."

"You'll be exposed during a match," Hermione said.

"Can you keep watch over me?" He grinned, turning it into a joke if she took offence.

"Of course." She smiled.

They spent the rest of the time until Mum came to take them to the Grangers without talking much.

*****​

Kingston upon Thames, London, Britain, July 20th, 1996

"...and then we were found by the others," Hermione Granger, sitting on the couch in the living room, finished recounting their, well, 'adventure' didn't quite cover it. Their experience? Ordeal? Certainly not 'trip'. Mum and Dad were staring at her, she noticed, and she couldn't help flinching in return.

"It didn't sound as bad the first time," Mum said.

"We didn't want to go into details," Harry cut in. Dad glared at him, and he winced.

"And now we see why." Dad shook his head and turned to look at Hermione. "I wish you would've been open with us."

"We…" Hermione licked her lips. "Everyone was asking questions. We were just back and still trying to adjust. We didn't want to go over our experiences in detail." She felt a little guilty when her parents looked struck. It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the whole truth, either.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hermione!" Mum said. "And Harry. We didn't want to… we should have realised. But…"

"Sorry, Mum," Hermione replied, looking down at the table. "We should've told you."

"No, no!" Dad shook his head again. "We shouldn't expect you to rip open such a wound…"

But there weren't really any wounds to be ripped open. Just some nightmares to deal with. Hermione glanced at Harry. He was still wincing. Well, the whole situation was awkward. Not as awkward as with the Potters, though. At least in her opinion. Her parents were much more understanding. "We know," she said. "But we should've told you. We just… You were worrying already so much." Even though they were fine, and it was over.

"Yes," Harry chimed in. "And it won't happen again."

Her parents didn't ask what he meant. Another deception of sorts. They wouldn't be caught unprepared again. Which would avoid another situation where they would have to make do with inadequate resources, which would reduce the risks they would have to take… Hermione bit her lower lip. Her parents wouldn't have to worry about them again. She would make certain of that.

But it still felt as if she was betraying them.

"Well, it's good that this was settled," Dad said. "I guess we'll read the article tomorrow?"

"Probably," Hermione said. "The reporter didn't say anything about delays, and I think they will hold the deadline for that."

"It's not as if they take too much care with their articles, anyway," Harry grumbled.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

Her parents looked worried again. "Will that cause more issues?"

"We hope it won't," Hermione replied. "Mr Potter and the Headmaster have some influence, but…" She shrugged. "...sometimes, the newspaper is more like a tabloid."

"And Dad's sure that Skeeter has something on the Ministry; she gets away with far too much," Harry added.

"But we didn't talk to Skeeter," Hermione was quick to point out. "Unless she used Polyjuice Potion, of course."

"It's possible - Dad said that would explain some of the scoops of her," Harry confirmed, "but we talked for longer than an hour, and she didn't drink any potion to renew the effect."

"Right." Hermione pursed her lips - she should've considered that herself. "Anyway, there shouldn't be much trouble from the article itself. Though it'll inform a lot of people about what happened to us. In detail."

"And that might cause some problems," Harry took over.

"What sort of problems?" Dad wanted to know.

"Malfoy might try to prove he's not a useless idiot riding the coattails of his father," Hermione replied.

"Don't kill him," Mum told her.

"We won't. Stunner's only," Hermione assured her.

"Unless someone attacks us with dark curses and Stunners don't cut it," Harry added.

Hermione nodded. "Exactly. But it shouldn't be a problem at Hogwarts."

"Now that we have each neutralised the greatest threat to us at school," Harry joked.

Hermione giggled. Mum and Dad looked confused, so she explained: "Since we won't go after each other any more."

"Ah." Mum smiled, although it looked a little forced, but Dad managed a chuckle.

"If that's the main worry..." Dad smiled.

"Well, next to the possibility that some relatives of the pirates who were captured would come after us for revenge, or that some idiots might think we found a pirate's treasure," Hermione pointed out.

"Mum and Dad don't think so, but better safe than sorry."

At least Mum and Dad agreed with that, judging by the glances they exchanged and how they nodded. "We'll talk to them."

"Good. We need to go over our schedule, anyway," Hermione said. "We need to plan training sessions for duelling, flying and homework. And more spells. I've drawn up a preliminary schedule." The second, actually - Harry's owl had wrecked the first. Harry claimed she wanted more letters to carry. Hermione wasn't quite certain she agreed, but she never had to take care of an owl herself, so she deferred to him.

"Ah. But… I think you shouldn't overdo it, dear," Mum said. "You just got back. You need to rest and relax."

They were doing plenty of resting and relaxing! Not that Hermione would go into any details regarding the exact method, of course.

She was about to tell her parents that they knew what they were doing when Harry spoke up: "We won't overdo it. What's on the telly tonight? Or do you have a movie to watch on VHS?"

Seeing her parents' surprise, Hermione rolled her eyes. She had told them already that Harry had a muggle cousin he regularly visited! It was as if they weren't listening.

*****​
 
Chapter 38: The Article
Chapter 38: The Article

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 20th, 1996

"It's worse than we thought! It was worse than we thought - they almost died several times!"

Lily was… well, she wasn't furious. Sirius Black knew how she looked when she was angry. A little too well. And she wasn't desperate. He knew that expression too, even though he had only seen it once on her face. The day she had been informed that Voldemort was after Harry.

But she was certainly worked up as she paced through the living room, even throwing her hands up a few times.

"Lily… we already knew they had been in lethal danger." James was still wearing his Auror robes - Sirius doubted that Lily had literally dragged him out of his office, but it probably had come close.

"We didn't know how close it was!" Lily snarled. "James! More than once, they raced through the jungle at night while pirates blew up the trees around them! And they barely escaped the wyvern on their floating plank - it chased them into the jungle as well until it crashed into trees!"

"I thought they were a little too cavalier when they said that the pirates were basically casting blindly," Remus commented.

"It's technically true," Sirius added, then suppressed a wince when Lily glared at him.

"Don't mince words! This is also your fault!"

"My fault?" How could it be his fault?

"You taught Harry duelling!"

"That saved his life!" Sirius protested.

"It also taught him that a miss by inches is as good as a miss by yards," Lily retorted.

"Except for Blasting Curses!" Sirius retorted. He had taught that to Harry as well, even if he hadn't been allowed to teach Harry the curse itself.

"And you taught him to lie by omission!"

Well, that was a crucial skill for any wizard, in Sirius's opinion. And it was true. Still… "That wasn't me!" he said. "I blame James for that!"

"Sirius!" James glared at him.

"What? You never told us details about your cases so we wouldn't worry too much, remember?" Sirius bared his teeth. "Harry must have noticed that."

"James!"

"That's… can we focus on how to help our child instead of trying to pass the blame around?" James replied. "As Lily found out, we missed that Harry already was acting like Moody at Hogwarts."

"What?" Sirius blinked.

"Yes!" Lily once more threw her hands. "Harry - they both - said that they already were on their guard all the time at Hogwarts because they had to expect an attack from the other at any moment!"

"Really?" Sirius blinked again. "Wow, they must have been worse than we were with Snape." But how was that possible? Snape had been a Slytherin, hanging out with Death Eater recruits. Harry and Miss Granger both were Gryffindors, and… Oh. "I see."

"Do you?" Lily rounded on him. "You kept giving Harry ideas, which perpetuated this stupid feud! How did we miss this?"

Well, we don't exactly watch over them at Hogwarts, Sirius thought. And Harry had been fine at home.

"To be fair, Lily," James cut in, "that feud wasn't really one-sided."

Sirius nodded. Just as their feud with Snape hadn't been one-sided. The nasty little bigot had given as good as he had gotten. And some of his 'pranks' had been… more than questionable. "You don't really stop such a feud by stopping…" He trailed off. That sounded stupid, now that he had said it.

"You don't stop by stopping? Really, Sirius?" Remus grinned.

"You know what I mean! You don't just stop and say you're done. Not after so much has happened. You need a resolution," Sirius replied. Or Dumbledore putting his foot down. Or a war that saw both sides on the same side. Or - and he couldn't help grinning at the thought - a passionate love affair on a desert island.

James winced, Sirius noticed. And Remus blinked. And Lily was… staring at him.

"Any resolution," Sirius quickly clarified. "You need to ensure that both sides stop." Sirius certainly wouldn't have stopped going after Snivellous. Not while a war was going on and he was doing who knew what with his Slytherin friends when no one was watching. Wait. That had been an unintended wordplay! "Anyway, they stopped, so that's good."

"Good? They are used to watching out for an attack or trap! They think it's normal!" Lily scoffed.

"That probably saved their lives on the island," Sirius retorted.

"They aren't on the island any more! They're safe now!"

"Mostly," Remus said.

Sirius stared at his friend. As did James and Lily. "Mostly?" Lily asked.

"Dumbledore asked me to keep an eye on… certain circles."

"Werewolves?" Sirius didn't know what werewolves would have to do with this.

"Bounty hunters and their informants," Remus clarified. "Some smugglers."

Ah. Part of what the work Remus did for Dumbledore when he wasn't teaching. Sirius really needed to get his friend to settle down. He couldn't spy on that kind of riff-raff forever. Sooner or later, he'd slip up - or one of the scum would get lucky.

"Does Dumbledore think that there'll be a price on Harry and Miss Granger's heads?" James asked.

"Not exactly - that would quickly spread. But they generally know if suspicious people arrive in England." Remus shrugged. "He thinks, and I concur, that the risk is minimal, but as long as there's nothing more urgent…"

Lily shook her head. "There's something more urgent: Keeping Harry and his friend from cursing their fellow students by accident. We can't let them stay like this!"

Sirius frowned. "Now… let's not be hasty. It's not as if they are casting dark curses." He certainly hadn't taught Harry any dark curse.

"Not yet," Lily spat.

"And a Cutting Curse isn't exactly harmless, either," James chimed in. "In fact, we get more cases with that curse than with dark curses."

"I don't think Harry will be casting a Cutting Curse at anyone, either," Sirius retorted. "He didn't kill any of the pirates, did he?"

"He could have - some were severely hurt," Lily shot back. "He didn't even know if he had killed anyone!"

"Well, he didn't want to kill them." Sirius shrugged. "So, I doubt that they'll be any more dangerous at Hogwarts this year than they were last year." The two hadn't seriously hurt each other, anyway.

"They didn't have to fight for their lives last year." Lily shook her head. "They aren't the same."

"That doesn't mean they are like Moody," Sirius pointed out. "And even Moody hasn't killed anyone by accident. And he knows lots of dark curses. And how to hit people."

"Harry's a talented duellist. And Miss Granger didn't strike me as inept at Defence, either," James said.

"So they'll stun some idiots who should've known better." Sirius shrugged. "I don't see the harm."

"And what if those 'idiots' cast Shield Charms, and Harry casts another curse in response?" Lily asked. "We missed how paranoid they already were. We can't underestimate them again."

That was… sort of true. They had missed how Harry felt at school. Although… it wasn't too different from Sirius's time at Hogwarts. Snape had been quite sneaky, as befitting a Slytherin, and you had to be on guard anyway. Well, Sirius also had had to worry about the rest of his family after the falling-out with his parents. Regulus, the little… He sighed. "Anyway, I'll talk to them when I'm training them, and I'll stress making sure you know your target."

LIly rubbed the bridge of her nose. "It's not just about ensuring they aren't a danger to the other students, Sirius."

"It isn't? I thought that was what bothered you."

"It's also about making sure my son and his girlfriend aren't spending the rest of their lives like Moody: Always expecting an attack, always feeling in danger… How could anyone live like that and be happy?"

"Well, Curse-Breakers are in constant danger," Sirius pointed out before he could help himself. "And Bill and Fleur looked happy."

Lily glared at him again. "Curse-Breakers also have one of the shortest life-expectancy amongst wizards!"

"A bit worse than Spellcrafters, yes." Sirius nodded.

And Lily's expression shifted into an angry snarl. Well, if she didn't like him pointing out when she was a hypocrite, then that was her problem. Although it could also become his problem, he reminded himself.

"I only take calculated risks and with the strictest security precautions. But more importantly, I don't worry about being attacked at any moment. And neither do Curse-Breakers!" she spat.

"Harry and Miss Granger aren't that bad," Sirius retorted.

"But they could be," Remus spoke up again. "They don't want to acknowledge that they need help. They think expecting an attack is normal."

"And we completely missed that!" Lily shook her head.

"To be fair, Harry didn't act like that at home," James said.

"We still should've known," Lily said. "I'll have to ask Rose if she noticed anything."

"Don't blame her!" James quickly said.

"Of course not! We're the parents; this is our responsibility. And our mistake."

And he was the godfather. Still… "I don't think it's that bad."

"You already said that," James pointed out.

"It bears repeating. Look, let's not assume the worst." He gave Lily his best smile. "Let's see how things work out for the next few weeks. It's only been a few days; they still need to adjust." After the war, Sirius had spent a few months drinking his way through a not too small part of Grimmauld Place's wine cellar. Although it seemed Harry had found another way to forget whatever he wanted to forget and get over his nightmares.

"Great. So they can curse the guests at his birthday party?" Lily arched her eyebrows.

"Well, those will be his friends, so they won't try anything stupid," James said. "Although we might want to talk to the twins and explain things."

Right. Sirius nodded. Fred and George were very talented wizards, but not the most cautious ones. Molly should be glad that they had chosen to open a joke shop instead of picking a more dangerous career, actually. Although… "I think the twins stopped bothering Harry and Miss Granger at least two years ago."

"That doesn't mean that they won't attempt anything now," Lily said.

Sirius didn't make a comment about how that was paranoid. "Anyway, let's just wait and see and talk to them with some restraint."

Lily grumbled, but James nodded. And Remus didn't object, which was as good as agreement.

Good. "So, I'll start working on what spells to teach them," he said, getting up. "Tomorrow will be their first lesson."

"I'm sure Miss Granger already has the syllabus ready," James commented in a dry voice.

Everyone laughed, though Sirius wouldn't put it past the girl. On the other hand, she didn't know all the spells Sirius could teach them, so that should make it easier to get them to listen, in case she wanted to learn curses.

Or if her selection was missing some key curses. After all, while having Harry accidentally curse someone wouldn't be a good thing - unless it was Narcissa's spawn - having Harry be killed because he lacked the spells to defend himself would be far worse.

*****​

Kingston upon Thames, London, Britain, July 20th, 1996

Hermione's room was just like Harry Potter had expected: Stuffed with shelves that were stuffed in turn with books. There was almost no room for any pictures on the walls; he could only see a few family photos in frames. Oh! He leaned closer. There was Hermione as a toddler. She already had her mane.

"Oh, really!"

He turned and saw that she was blushing.

"Those are just some old pictures," she said.

"You look cute in them." And she did. There were some of her time at Hogwarts, too - or, rather, showing her in her robes with her parents in the house. One for every year, it seemed. "Family tradition?" he asked as he pointed at them.

"Yes. We take a picture every September First."

"Wish we had thought of that," Harry told her. "It's a nice tradition. On the other hand, I'd be in pictures with Rose, and we'd probably be squabbling." They did in some, at least. All Rose's fault, of course.

Hermione sat down on her bed, causing her monster of a cat to shift and protest a little. "Probably. I think our old pictures would be squabbling as well. Unless pictures can learn."

"I doubt that," Harry replied. "They're not like portraits. More like… small movies."

"Yet they do react to stimuli, like portraits," Hermione pointed out. "Ever set a Daily Prophet on fire? The people in the pictures try to escape." She grimaced. "It's not a nice sight."

Harry grimaced himself. "I can imagine. When did you set a Daily Prophet on fire?"

"After the Quidditch World Cup," she told him.

"Why?" She didn't hate Quidditch.

"The article made fun of the muggle owner of the field where the cup was held. Someone had kept obliviating the poor man." She frowned. "It wasn't his fault, he was the victim of stupid procedures and inept handling of the situation, and they made fun of him stumbling around. I was so mad…" She shrugged.

Harry nodded. That made sense. He didn't remember reading about that part. But, he realised with some shame, he probably would've found it funny himself. Like some of the clips of people falling down that you could see on the telly. Which, in hindsight, probably weren't that funny, either. Just painful for the people involved.

He sat down on the bed as well, triggering another growl from the cat. "So, we survived your parents."

Hermione snorted, but she didn't look amused. "They weren't as bad as your mother."

"Lily," he corrected her.

"Lily," she repeated. "It'll probably take me some time to get used to that."

"Probably." He sighed. "But your parents aren't experts in spells or have combat experience. Mum knows more than they do."

"They still think - they feel - that we've lied to them all the same."

Which was true. Both that their parents thought it, and that they had lied, if only through omission. Harry nodded. "Nothing we can do about that, though. We'll have to wait it out."

"And hope it doesn't harm our efforts to learn more spells and get more training," Hermione added, hunching her shoulders a little.

"It won't." Harry grinned at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Sirius wouldn't agree with that."

"He's just your godfather," she pointed out.

"And he's been helping me break the rules he thinks are stupid all my life," Harry retorted. "He'll do what he thinks is right."

"Even against the wishes of your - our - parents?"

"Yes." Harry firmly nodded. He knew his godfather. "Besides, Mum and Dad will see reason. As long as we don't curse Malfoy too badly or something." Even if the git probably deserved it.

"Then we better don't curse him at all," Hermione said. "Nothing that would be seen as an attempt to seriously hurt him."

"I guess so." Harry pressed his lips together. Malfoy had behaved himself for months now, but Harry doubted that the idiot could last much longer. Not after the article appeared in the Prophet. "Maybe he'll stick to talking about us behind our backs."

"Do you think so?" Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"I hope so."

"Better prepare for some half-brained attack, then." Hermione slipped out of his arm. "We should have a response prepared. Something that won't break too many school rules and can't be seen as a serious attack against him, but will ensure that he won't dare to bother us again." She grinned. "I think we should be able to come up with something suitable."

Harry matched her grin. "Of course." This was, after all, what they had been doing for years to each other. "But something new - we can't repeat ourselves."

"That's true." Hermione nodded and reached into the drawer of her desk, retrieving a small notebook.

"You keep your notes in your desk?" Harry blinked. That was far too… "Ah. You must have cast a few protections on it."

"False bottom in the drawer and the book itself is protected." Hermione looked proud. "A combination of muggle and magical means."

"Ah." Harry nodded. It still seemed a bit reckless - his own notes were always in his enchanted pocket - but he could see how this would deter her parents from finding it. "We have to work on getting you an enchanted pocket or something."

"I've got a few ideas about that. But first, let's plan how to humiliate Malfoy if he bothers us."

"Right!"

*****​

Kingston upon Thames, London, Britain, July 21st, 1996

Hermione Granger was woken up by the sound of someone pecking against her window. Groaning, she rolled on her side - away from the warm arms of Harry, who was still asleep - and took a look. It was an owl. And not Lavender's owl, but Harry's psychotic snowy owl. Great.

"Harry! Your pet's here."

"What?"

"Hedwig's at the window," Hermione explained.

"Let her inside."

"So she can attack me?" The owl had some grudge against her. She wasn't like Crookshanks, who was perfectly fine with Harry and even slept on his legs! And gave him a massage with his claws.

Harry groaned again. "Hedwig won't attack you."

"Tell that to her." The owl hadn't attacked her so far, but she did look quite angry. And here, in her room, Hermione couldn't simply use a spell to teach the animal not to mess with her, should she attack Hermione. Not that this was likely when Harry was around.

"Come on, Hedwig! I'm up. Do you have a letter for me?" Harry walked over to the window and opened it. He was only wearing shorts, so it was a nice sight.

Hermione grabbed Crookshanks, who was sleeping at the foot of her bed. In a fight, she'd bet on her cat, of course, but she didn't want to see her pet hurt either way.

"Oh! It's from Sirius!" Harry beamed. "You went and got his letter for us, right? Good girl!"

The owl preened.

"Now, let's see if we have a treat for you…" Harry started going through her desk.

"Those are cat treats," Hermione told him when he pulled a small bag out of the drawer.

"Good enough for owls; both eat mice."

"That's not how it works," Hermione started to explain. When she saw his grin, she sighed.

And released Crookshanks, who was already struggling in her arms. Her cat pounced on Harry's leg, making it clear that he wanted his treats.

"Ow! Watch your claws, furball!"

"Don't be a baby," Hermione retorted. "He just wants to defend his own treats."

"Well, sharing is caring!"

Crookshanks's protests showed he didn't care. Harry still fed some treats to his owl, but at least he also fed Crookshanks.

Then, as Hedwig settled on the backrest of Hermione's chair, Harry opened the letter he had received. Or they - Hermione spotted her own name on the envelope as well. "So, what does it say?"

"It's a reminder that we have our first session with him today."

"He sent a letter for that? Did he fear we'd forget?" Hermione shook her head. As if she'd forget such an important thing!

Harry handed her the letter. "He also sent a reminder to buy duelling robes and a few other things, like an enchanted wand holster. It's like a Hogwarts letter, except it's for Duelling training."

It wasn't quite the same, in her opinion, but as she skimmed the letter, she had to admit that it came close enough. It seemed Mr Black took his lessons seriously. "But that means we'll have to go to Diagon Alley," she said. "And on the day the Daily Prophet will contain our interview." She frowned. "Shouldn't your godfather have the latest issue already?" Why hadn't Mr Black sent a copy with Hedwig? She had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"You're right." Harry frowned as well. "Hedwig? Care to return to Sirius and ask if he's got the Daily Prophet yet?"

The owl barked in response, startling poor Crookshanks.

"I'll write a short note," Harry said.

"Stationery is in the drawer," she told him.

"I saw it, thanks." He was already grabbing a sheet and a pen.

Hermione stretched. "I'll head to the bathroom, then."

With a bit of luck, Harry's owl would be back by the time she was finished. The owl might be psychotic, but she was very fast.

*****​

Harry Potter glanced to the side and watched as Hermione dropped the nightshirt she had been wearing and put on her short bathrobe before leaving the room. He had seen it all - and more last night - but still...

He shook his head and focused on finishing his letter. Well, technically, it was a letter, but it was more of a short note. A text message on paper, carried by an owl.

Hedwig barked again, and he frowned at her. "Patience, Hedwig. I'm almost done."

Another bark.

"And please don't attack Hermione. I've already told you that we made up and that we're now a couple," he added.

Hedwig turned her head away in response. Drat. She really carried grudges.

The feeling of needles pricking the skin on his leg told him that another pet also carried grudges. Or wanted more treats. "No, Crookshanks, you've already got your treats."

This time, the cat voiced his complaints with a meow. Harry ignored him and finished the letter. "Alright, here you go, Hedwig!"

She barked once again, let him tie the envelope to her leg, and took off. Now they just had to wait for a bit, and they'd know what the Prophet had done with their interview. It couldn't be too bad, could it? They had stuck to the truth, and the journalist hadn't been Skeeter.

He stood and stretched, then looked around in the room. "Let's see what books she has…" he mumbled, walking over to the closest shelf.

There were a lot of books. Fiction and nonfiction. Nonfiction on this shelf. Mostly about magic, Harry saw - lots of older, slightly ragged tomes. Used books - Hermione had been looking for those in Knockturn Alley when this whole thing had started, he remembered. A few books on curses, but he didn't see anything really questionable. Sirius's library had worse. And Harry was quite sure Mum had books hidden from him and possibly even Dad.

But it was quite the collection, especially for a muggleborn. Hermione must have spent a lot of money on this. Or time to find them for cheap.

And compared to the Black Library, or even the Potters', it was nothing.

He frowned. The Hogwarts library dwarfed the Black library, but you only could use it as a student. Once Hermione was finished with Hogwarts, she wouldn't be able to use it any more.

"I guess this explains her attitude," he mumbled. Muggleborns really were disadvantaged. If Mum hadn't married Dad, could she have worked as a Spellcrafter? Harry didn't know for sure, but he suspected the answer was 'no'.

Mum loved Dad, Harry knew that as well. But would she stay with him even if she didn't love him, just to have access to the library? She had expanded it some, but replacing all the books belonging to Dad would still cost a fortune.

Hermione wasn't with him for his books, he knew. She hadn't even known about the library when they had gotten together. But now she knew.

He shook his head. He didn't want to dwell on that. He had to trust her. And Hermione wasn't the sort of girl to live a lie, so to speak. She was the sort of girl to hex you in the face if she was fed up with you - he knew from experience.

Chuckling, he took a look at the next self. Mostly muggle books. Physics, Chemistry, History. Lots of History books. Well, he had expected that.

He hadn't expected the books next to that shelf, though. Fiction. Some of them were the classics he had read himself or that Mum had read to him. Her old books. Enid Blyton. Dickens. Austen of course. And others. But those in the lower row? He inclined his head. Those he didn't know. He pulled one out - 'The Dragon Wizard'. There was a man on the cover wielding an oversized wand with his robes so ragged, you could see his entire chest, facing a dragon, while a witch in even more ragged robes stood at his side, wand held tightly. Both were moving - this was a wizarding novel.

He blinked. That was… He quickly opened the book to a random page and then started skimming.

...and Hephaestus drew his wand, easily dwarfing his enemy's feeble counterpart, before waving it in a complex yet enticing manner while his rich voice filled the clearing with his melodic chanting. Before the ruffian could react, his clothes transformed into a steel snake, binding him in place before swallowing his wand.

Hortensia felt her heart skip a beat at the display and had to swallow. Such skill! Such grace! Such rugged handsomeness! So different from the suitors at her father's manor, which were mostly Ministry employees who had never faced anything more dangerous than a Flobberworm. The young witch realised at that point that she could never be satisfied with the life her parents had planned for her. And she realised something else, something primal...

Harry blinked again and closed the book. This was a… Rose had called them robes rippers when she had wanted to visit the bookstore on their last trip together to Diagon Alley.

Hermione read robes rippers!

He shook his head. Who would have thought that? Well, her best friend was Lavender, but still…

The door behind him opened, and Hermione entered, clad in her bathrobe and her hair only partially dried. "The bathroom's…" she trailed off, staring at the book he was holding.

"Oh. Uh, I was curious, and…" Harry told her.

She blushed a little. "It was a gift from Lavender."

Harry looked at the two packed rows with similar books before he could help it.

"I don't like owning only one book of a series," Hermione went on. She was blushing a little more now.

Harry nodded and slid the book back into place - though he had to press the rest of the books to the side; the shelf was tightly packed. He didn't comment on the fact that the books looked well-read; she might have bought them used, after all.

He straightened and turned back to her, though what comment he had on his lips went forgotten when he saw that she had dropped her robe on the bed and he was looking at a pair of lacy, racy pants.

"That was a gift from my aunt," she told him with a smirk. "Though I'm not sure whether I should wear them if we're going to buy duelling robes and have a training session today."

"We can easily mend them!" he blurted out.

She frowned a little in return. "I wasn't afraid of them getting damaged. But I don't want to make the wrong impression."

She had worn rather plain underwear for the sleepover at his home, Harry remembered. "I, uh, don't think Sirius will see your underwear," he said. His godfather better not!

"That means the Stripping Hex is banned?"

That wasn't the correct name - it was called the Disrobing Hex - but Harry nodded anyway.

Things had changed, after all, compared to last year. Changed a lot.

*****​

Hermione Granger felt as if her face would burst into flames. Teasing Harry by dressing provocatively in front of him - and picking lingerie - had sounded far easier in her head than actually doing it. At least it was working - he was staring at her with rapt attention. And he wasn't saying anything about the embarrassing books he had found.

Of course, she had a feeling that he'd still tease her about them, albeit at a later date. Not that anything was wrong with reading those books. They offered important insight into the culture of Wizarding Britain. And they allowed her to connect with her fellow teenage witches. Like Lavender. That was what she had told her parents when they had wondered about this part of her library. Mum and Dad had liked that. Enough not to tease her about it.

And, Hermione admitted, if only to herself as she put on her bra, the books might be written with prose so purple, you could dye a king's entire wardrobe with it, and more holes in their plots than there were in a fisherman's net, but they were fun to read. Although the ones dealing with pirates, harems and deserted islands she would skip for the foreseeable future.

She stood. "Can you close it up for me?" she asked, turning her back to Harry.

"Uh… sure," he replied.

She smiled when she felt his hands on her back. Her cheeks might be burning, but this was fun. She felt sexy like this. She knew she wasn't as pretty as other witches, much less a model, but just now? She felt as if she was the most attractive girl in the world.

"Thank you." She turned. "So, you like the set?" She placed a hand on her chest. "The lingerie," she added with a smile.

"Uh, yes." Harry nodded several times. "They're very…"

He was interrupted by more pecking on her window. Hedwig had returned. Once again, Hermione reminded herself that Post Owls were magical creatures - they flew much faster than their non-magical cousins.

"Hedwig!" And Harry turned away, opening the window. "Good girl!"

Hermione suppressed the small bout of jealousy.

"Oh! Here's Sirius's letter - and the Prophet!" Harry handed her the newspaper before opening the letter. "He says sorry, he was planning to frame his copy, so he had to go and buy another one…"

But Hermione wasn't listening any more. She was staring at the front page of the Daily Prophet.

Young Couple Conquers Pirate Island! The True Story of the Potter Kidnapping!

There was a sketch of Harry and her, battling a wyvern. A drawing that could've graced the cover of one of the novels from which she had just distracted Harry. Both of them were wearing 'artfully ripped' robes, hers much more revealing than Harry's. The amount of fabric left was larger than what her actual clothes would have covered, but most of it was flaring in the wind. And Harry apparently had taken a Vanishing Charm to the chest that had reduced his own robes to what was effectively a ragged loincloth. Facing them was a wyvern which was… actually the correct size. But the angle of the sketch made it appear even larger at first glance. Especially moving as it was - it dived at them, Harry sending a curse at it, before Hermione summoned him to her and the wyvern crashed into a pit full of spikes. All in all about ten seconds of a dramatic and tantalising performance that would have made any tabloid proud.

"What the…?" Harry trailed off.

Hermione didn't care. She was skimming the article. She couldn't spot anything clearly wrong, nor any blatant hyperbole, but the whole text was worded to make their experiences much more dramatic and hair-raising than they had actually been. And, she noticed with a growing blush, much more romantic as well. Again, there was nothing particularly explicit in the article, but it was certainly highly suggestive.

"The average reader will think that all we did was fight and have sex on the beach," she muttered.

"Well… there are two lines about eating coconuts and fish," Harry pointed out. "And one about constructing a shelter."

"It reads as if we drank coconut cocktails in a love shack on a tropical island," Hermione corrected him. "There's nothing about malnutrition, or tropical storms, or infections."

"Probably not dramatic enough," Harry said. "Oh. Look at that!" He pointed at the next page.

A dozen pirates chased the young couple through the jungle, turning a large part of the island into a cratered field devoid of life before they finally stopped and returned to their port.

Which was technically correct, though, once again, the wording made it seem as if the chase had taken much longer than it had. Any of the chases. "Great," Hermione hissed. "We're the protagonists of a robes ripper novel. At least we're not getting married by the dashing former pirate captain at the end." She blinked, then checked. "They really called him a 'dashing former pirate captain'." She shook her head. "No one will believe this. Not written like this."

Harry, though, seemed to disagree with her assumption.

*****​

Harry Potter grimaced. No one would believe this? Hermione was wrong. But how to explain… "People will believe it."

"But it sounds like it was written for a novel!" she retorted, pursing her lips.

"It's printed in the Daily Prophet," he pointed out. "People believe what they read in the newspaper."

"That's…" Hermione shook her head.

"I know it's stupid. And a lot of people won't believe it. But many will." He sighed. "And some of them who won't believe it will believe it was worse."

"'Worse'?" She cocked her head to the side.

"That we…" He couldn't say 'married'; that would send the wrong message. He couldn't have her think that he was afraid of commitment. Girls didn't like that. "...that you're pregnant. That we took over the pirates and raided France. That this was all a hoax. That we were working for another pirate crew." He shrugged. "Take your pick."

"You sound like The Quibbler!" Hermione protested.

"People believe The Quibbler."

"What?"

"Not everyone. And not everything. But…" He sighed. "They've been right before, after all. Like the Prophet."

She sat down on her bed. "This is... " She shook her head.

"...still better than the harem story?" He forced himself to smile.

She snorted without humour. But she smiled a little as well, after a moment. "Marginally better. Instead of the helpless harem girl, I'm now the shameless seductress. And you're the cocky Casanova."

Harry grimaced. "Me?"

She pointed at the moving sketch. "Wanna bet they're wondering how many girlfriends you had at Hogwarts? And how many you'll have?"

Ew. Harry winced. That was… "Everyone knows I didn't have a girlfriend." Not really, at least.

"Really? And how many will now think you had one or more in secret?" Her eyes widened. "How many will think we were a couple at Hogwarts?"

Ugh. That was… exactly what some people would think. And what some people wouldn't think, but cheerfully spread as a rumour. "Damn," He muttered under his breath. The interview had been supposed to help them control the rumours. Not make them worse!

Her cat, which had been taking a nap on the desk, chose that moment to stretch and yawn - and jump off to occupy the bed. Which, apparently, included Harry's lap.

"Oh, Crookshanks likes you!" Hermione gushed while the little monster buried its claws in Harry's thighs.

"Nice," Harry lied. "But I need to head to the bathroom, now."

"Ah, right. Come on, Crookshanks! Let Harry go take a shower!" Hermione reached over and grabbed her cat, then lifted it up. Or tried to - Harry hissed when it felt as if the cat tried to rip off his skin. "Let go, Crookshanks! Oh, did you get your claws entangled again? Silly cat!"

By the time Harry reached the bathroom, he needed some disinfectant. Hermione's pet, unlike Hedwig, who was perfectly fine with their relationship, obviously still carried a grudge.

Fifteen minutes later, he was back in her room. The cat was gone - Harry didn't see it around - and Hermione was wearing another sundress now, which showed off her legs and hid her lingerie. And she was watching while he dressed.

He smiled at that. Harry knew he wasn't the most muscular boy in their year, nor the tallest - Ron had him beat on both counts, and Neville was getting there as well. But Hermione liked his looks and enjoyed watching him.

"So…" he asked when he finished buttoning his shirt, "what's the plan for today, then? Do we brave Diagon Alley?"

Hermione grimaced. "We might want to disguise ourselves a bit for that. But I would like some high-end duelling robes. I didn't manage to get Mum and Dad to buy me a set, but after all that we went through, I think they'll agree that I need them."

Harry blinked. Professional duelling robes weren't cheap, but they weren't too expensive, either. Certainly less expensive than Auror robes. And the Grangers didn't look poor - they certainly had more money than the Weasleys, and Ron had been able to afford a set.

She must have noticed his reaction since she added: "My parents don't like spending money on frivolous things - and duelling robes meant for professional duellists…" She shrugged. "Mum said I would get them if I needed them, not for some school tournament."

"Ah." Harry nodded. That made sense. And explained her attitude in the duelling ring. Although it wasn't as if wearing regular robes was like flying a school broom in Quidditch. Of course, even a marginal advantage like the superior cut of tailored robes' could decide a close match. And this was about staying alive in a real fight, not winning a match. "Maybe we should ask Sirius for a set of Auror robes instead," he suggested.

"Is that legal?"

"As long as they don't look like official robes, yes," he replied. "Mum got a set left over from the war. Sirius as well." And probably every other Order member left.

"How expensive are those?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Sirius can afford it."

She pressed her lips together and scowled in response but didn't actually object. "Let's head down and see whether Mum and Dad already made breakfast or we have to do it."

"Sounds good." He smiled. "I think I heard them in the kitchen when I was out in the hallway."

When they entered the kitchen, they did indeed find the Grangers at the table there. Reading the Daily Prophet.

"Hail the conquering heroes?" Mr Granger commented with a grin.

"Dad!" Hermione protested. "And where did you get a copy? We had to send an owl to Harry's godfather!"

"The Potters sent us a copy. Each," Mrs Granger replied.

Oh. It seemed Mum and Dad had lost some trust in them, Harry thought.

That wasn't a good thing. Not at all.

*****​

 
Chapter 39: The Training
Chapter 39: The Training

Diagon Alley, Britain, July 21st, 1996

"That wasn't what I expected when you asked me to help you shopping for clothes," Lavender Brown muttered when she opened the door to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed behind her. "We're in disguise!"

Lavender rolled her eyes. The stupid wig she wore itched. And she wasn't entirely comfortable in the muggle clothes Hermione had loaned her. They didn't fit quite right and lacked the comforts of properly enchanted robes. She should have resized her old muggle clothes. "No one is paying attention to us. They're all reading the Prophet or talking about it," she pointed out.

"Which is why we're in disguise," Hermione, currently blonde, replied.

"Four people will attract less attention than a couple," Potter added. He wasn't wearing his glasses and was wearing a wig as well, though at least Hermione hadn't managed to get him 'coloured contacts'. Lavender felt more than a little queasy about putting lenses directly into your eyes.

She looked at Ron, who was bringing up the rear. This wasn't what she had expected their first double-date to look like, either.

He grimaced - his ugly black wig probably itched too. But there was nothing to it. When Hermione dug in her heels about something, it was best to give in. Especially if Potter supported her - the two… Lavender blinked. They weren't feuding any more, so the old rule of thumb that if they agreed on something, it was probably the right thing to do might have become outdated, she realised.

And as Lavender had told them, no one was paying attention to them. Though what she heard when they crossed the room to the back wasn't exactly encouraging, either.

"...like an adventure straight out of Lockhart's books!"

"Those are fiction!"

"Exactly! You don't honestly…"

"... have been so romantic!"

"Oh, yes! To be saved by your hero from pirates!"

"And to save him from a wyvern! If I had been there, I would've…"

Lavender blushed at the last suggestion. She had thought the same when she had heard the story.

Hermione huffed when they entered the backyard. "Honestly!"

"Shhh!" Ron hissed. "We're in disguise!"

Lavender suppressed a giggle when she saw Hermione's glare. And she refrained from suggesting that they should talk about the Prophet's article as well, to improve their disguise. That wouldn't go over well. Not at all.

"Alright, we can take a shortcut to Denzel's Duelling Diorama," Potter said. "We don't need to go through the main alley."

"That might look suspicious," Hermione objected.

"Yes. But we would limit our exposure," Potter retorted.

"Is it worth it? If we catch the attention of Aurors, they might stop us," Hermione pointed out.

Lavender looked at Ron and rolled her eyes again. "Let's just go like four normal friends on a shopping trip," she said. "We'll window shop until we reach the duelling shop."

"Yes," Ron agreed. "Just act normal. Or, in your case, abnormal. Or the new normal." He grinned.

Both Potter and Hermione glared at him, but Ron remained unfazed. Lavender hooked her arm into his, and they started strolling down the alley.

After some huffing, Hermione and Potter followed.

Perhaps this would end up in a proper double-date, even though Lavender would still be wearing an itchy wig.

"But we won't enter Fortescue's," Hermione said in a low voice as if she had read Lavender's thoughts. "He would likely recognise us."

"He's like Ollivander, only for ice cream instead of wands," Potter agreed. "Never forgets a favourite flavour."

Well, Fortescue was the best for a reason. Many reasons, actually.

"We should get spare wands. Just in case," Hermione whispered as they passed the parlour.

"Good idea, but we might have to look for those elsewhere," Potter said, sounding as if that was normal.

"Spare wands?" Ron obviously shared Lavender's reaction.

"In case we get disarmed. Outside the duelling ring, I mean," Potter explained. "It's illegal to carry another wand in the ring, after all."

"Do you honestly expect an attack?" Ron asked, once more echoing Lavender's thoughts. "Here?"

"Not really," Potter said. "But better safe than sorry."

"And even if an attack is unlikely, it's better to be prepared. If you don't need what you have, you aren't any worse off, but if you don't have what you need…" Hermione trailed off while Potter nodded in agreement.

Lavender winced and looked at Ron again. She saw he was glancing around. Looking for an attacker? In Diagon Alley? But he had voiced his doubts, hadn't he? So why…?

Oh. He must be keeping an eye out for anyone who might be mistaken for an attacker.

But who would be as stupid as to do anything that could get mistaken for an attack? Most students had learned their lesson years ago and wouldn't get between Hermione and Potter. Even Malfoy, though he had taken a little longer.

They weren't at Hogwarts, though. If someone recognised them and wanted to talk to them, and got a little too enthusiastic… She winced and started looking around. So far, it seemed no one suspected anything.

"Lavender!" Hermione whispered as they passed Madam Malkin's. "Act normal! We're not Aurors on patrol!"

What? Lavender blinked and stared at her.

Hermione nodded. "Don't draw attention to us by acting as if you expect an attack."

That was… Lavender couldn't believe it. Hermione was lecturing her for acting as if she were paranoid?

"Just act natural," Potter chimed in.

"Well…" Ron started to comment.

But Potter cut him off. "Let's just go on. The shop's just around the corner."

Lavender exchanged another glance with her boyfriend, who was shaking his head. "You're impossible!" she muttered at Hermione and started walking a little faster to the duelling shop.

"What?"

Hermione didn't seem to realise what she was doing. Lavender clenched her teeth. She needed to explain things, but she couldn't do that here. This was… turning into the worst shopping trip since Binky's death.

She still kept an eye out for suspicious passers-by, but they reached the shop without anyone making a scene.

"Welcome to Denzel's Duelling Diorama!"

Lavender looked around while Potter and Hermione made a beeline to the counter, Potter in the lead. It looked… well, like a mixture of a bookshop, wand supplies shop and a tailor's. Robes in all sizes and colours were on display to her right, shelves lined the left wall, and on tables in the middle, all sorts of accessoires could be found. Mostly wand holsters, though.

"We need a set of duelling robes," Potter announced.

"For me," Hermione added.

"The best you have!"

"And in black."

Black? Lavender turned to stare at the pair. Who would want to buy black duelling robes? Those stood out and made you look like some wanna-be dark wizard, or… "You aren't planning to try and wear them to school, are you?" she blurted out.

Hermione frowned at her. "The school rules only state that the robes must be black. I checked."

"But everyone will know you're wearing duelling robes instead of school robes!" Lavender objected. The cuts of each were totally different - duelling robes were more like coats; you had to be able to run and jump and dodge in them. They had slits on the sides longer than the most daring ballroom robes.

"It's just in case," Hermione retorted. "Besides, I can recolour the robes."

"Ah… the robes are enchanted, so you won't be able to dye them," the clerk pointed out.

Hermione sniffed. "We'll see about that."

"It's not as if they stop curses," Potter added. "But we just need the best set."

"In my size."

"Alright. Let me show you the latest robes from One Ring," the clerk said - though his smile looked a little strained.

"That's a new American line," Potter explained.

"I guess they never heard of Tolkien," Hermione commented.

Potter laughed. It must be a muggle joke, then.

"I didn't get it either," Ron told her in a low voice while their friends started sifting through robes.

Lavender nodded. "The poor sales clerk," she whispered. At least, their friends weren't bickering. Not at all, actually. "They really get along."

"Did you think they were lying?" Ron asked.

"No. But… I didn't think they were like that," Lavender admitted. "I expected Hermione to try and get her way, as usual." But her friend was listening to both the clerk and Potter.

"Well, Harry's the expert amongst us," Ron said,

"You've got as much experience," she pointed out.

"But I didn't take special lessons with Sirius," Ron replied. "And I don't have as many books on duelling as Harry does."

"You wouldn't have room for them next to your Quidditch books," she told him.

He laughed in response.

Lavender shook her head. "I thought he would be focusing on Quidditch." Potter was the youngest Seeker at Hogwarts in a century. Apparently, the league scouts had noticed him in second year.

"He might try for both Quidditch and Duelling. But he'll pick Quidditch."

For the money, at least. Duelling wasn't as big as Quidditch.

She looked at the holsters on the table next to her. "Why do you need a special holster? You start a match with your wand in hand."

"It's for prestige - and the French still have some quick-drawing competitions going," Ron explained. "Never took hold in sensible countries."

"Well, I'm sure Hermione will get one." Or two - if she managed to get a second wand.

"Yes. Bill said the Curse-Breakers like the holsters as well. Sometimes, they need to draw their wands in a damn hurry."

In a tomb? Lavender would keep her wand in hand at all times. She shuddered and looked at Hermione and Potter again. And blinked again. Those were good looking robes. But they did show off your legs all the way to the hip. Like the cheongsam Su Li had shown them once. On the other hand, if those robes were allowed at Hogwarts, as Hermione claimed, then that had possibilities. Not for the lessons, of course - who would want to expose their legs like that in Potions, or Care for Magical Creatures? - but they would look very nice if you wanted to meet your boyfriend.

She glanced at Ron and grinned.

*****​

Hermione Granger looked at herself in the mirror. The robes fit, no doubt about it, and allowed her to move around freely. They reminded her of a Chinese dress. They also were a little drafty, though matching trousers would protect her legs. But Lavender had been correct - they wouldn't pass as school robes. Not even as some of the slightly altered school robes the upper years generally wore. "Well, technically, they are allowed by the rules," she reminded herself. She doubted that Professor McGonagall would agree, however.

"But everyone will be aware we're wearing duelling robes," Harry pointed out.

"It seems that that cannot be helped." Though anyone planning to attack them would be unlikely to be fooled by such a ploy, anyway. And it wasn't as if the duelling robes provided too much protection against spells - that would turn the matches into tailor competitions, and no one wanted that. Except, perhaps, for some tailors - Lavender had told her stories about the rivalries found between the best British and French tailors. She nodded at Harry. "I like those best."

"We'll take them," Harry told the clerk.

"Very well. The alterations will be ready in a day. The charms and the materials used prevent us from using Resizing Charms, alas. To whom might I send them?" the clerk asked.

Oh. Hermione sighed. They hadn't considered that.

"To Sirius Black," Harry told the man.

"Very well." The clerk didn't show any reaction. Either he had recognised them already - Harry had visited before, though not too frequently - or he hadn't made the connection. Or he might not care.

Either way, Hermione felt relieved. The last thing she wanted was a scene.

"Now we need a holster," Harry went on. "Quickdraw, with the usual protections."

Hermione nodded. She didn't want to become disarmed by a simple Sticking Charm or Summoning Charm.

"Of course. We have a design matching the robes here." The clerk held up a holster. "The latest Parisian style. It can go into your sleeve or on your hip, using extension charms to make it almost invisible."

Hermione frowned. As long as the holster did what it was supposed to do, did it matter how it looked? It would be hidden anyway.

"French? Good!" Harry said. "That means the holster was made to be used in an actual fight! In France, duels in the street might be nominally illegal, but that law's not being enforced."

"Really?" Hermione looked at him. Had Fleur told him that?

"Oh, yes," the clerk nodded. "I saw a duel happen myself when I visited an exhibition match in Paris. The Gendarmes stood and watched the fight."

That was disturbing! And Hermione didn't doubt that various thugs would abuse this 'custom' to assault someone and claim a duel. But it meant the holsters would be proven designs. "We'll take it," she said.

"Very good. Might I suggest some dragonhide boots to round out the outfit?" The clerk gestured to the shelves containing rows of boots in all sizes and shapes.

"Oh, boots!" Lavender joined them. "Let's see… you need boots that are both fashionable and functional! And in a decent colour."

Her friend was hamming it up, Hermione knew. She just didn't know why Lavender was acting like that - it wasn't as if Hermione had done anything to her!

*****​

"Now that was fun!" Lavender grinned when they finally left the shop.

Hermione Granger rolled her eyes at her. "I didn't have to try on every pair of boots."

"Of course you had! That's dragonhide - it won't easily resize. You have to find the perfect fit. It's a little like buying a wand - you don't settle for the first vaguely compatible one; you want the perfect fit.

"Wands aren't shoes," Hermione objected.

"Well, Sirius likes to say that footwork is almost as important as wandwork," Harry commented.

She glared at him; there was no need to undercut her position.

"See?" Lavender beamed. "It's important."

Her boyfriend, of course, agreed as well.

Hermione pursed her lips and slowly nodded. "So… let's leave Diagon Alley before someone recognises us."

"I'm sure that the clerk recognised us," Harry said. "But he's discreet. Bound to be - you can't run a shop like that if your customers think you'll tell their competition what kind of supplies they bought."

Hemione nodded again. That made sense.

"Are you going to visit Grimmauld Place?" Weasley asked.

"What? But you've got the whole morning you said!" Lavender protested before Hermione could answer. "Let's hang out a little more. But in muggle London!"

Wizards and witches were unlikely to spot or find them there, Hermione knew. "We'll have to change clothes, though," she pointed out. And they wouldn't be able to use magic without bringing the Ministry down on their heads. Still, it would be nice to relax a little.

"That's the idea. I want to get rid of this itchy wig!" Lavender announced.

"Yes," Weasley added. "Use the Floo and gather at Lavender's place in, say… twenty minutes?"

That was cutting it a little close - Hermione had to take the Knight Bus, after all. But it was far from impossible.

"Alright," she said.

*****​

London, Britain, July 21st, 1996

There were so many people around them. Harry Potter couldn't keep track of all of them. If there was an assassin or something following them, they could easily sneak up on them. They wouldn't have to disguise themselves. Or use a Disillusionment Charm - even if Harry had been able to cast spells without alerting the Ministry, the sheer number of muggles around them would hide anyone.

But the odds of anyone following them were very low. Almost impossibly low. Mum had taken them to London with Side-Along Apparition, and they had taken the tube from there. And anyone trying to track them with a spell would have to deal with the crowds as well.

Still… Harry looked around as they crossed the street. Better safe than sorry.

"Relax," Ron told him. "We're in muggle London."

"I know," Harry shot back.

Ron looked at him. "Do you honestly expect an attack here?"

"No. But…" Harry shrugged.

"You're safe here, mate." Ron chuckled. "Well, unless you ruin Granger's book shopping."

Harry glared at him. He wouldn't do that, and Hermione wasn't like that!

"I'm joking."

He huffed. It wasn't really funny.

"Come on, mate. Let's not let the girls pull away."

Right. They should stay together.

He walked a little faster until they caught up to Hermione and Lavender. "Too bad it's Sunday," he heard Hermione say.

"I wouldn't let you spend hours in the bookstore," Lavender shot back. "You know the rule: half an hour at most!"

Harry expected Hermione to be annoyed, but she laughed instead.

He glanced around - no one seemed to be paying attention to them. Well, two boys were looking at the girls. Probably because both Hermione and Lavender were wearing short miniskirts and matching tops. Harry still kept an eye on the two until the group had turned around a corner and started towards the café Hermione and Lavender apparently liked to visit.

Now it seemed that they were safe. Safe-ish. "So, half an hour?" he asked, cocking his head slightly to the side when Hermione turned to look at him.

She blushed a little. "It's a bit of a tradition."

"I insisted on it," Lavender explained. "Otherwise, Hermione will spend the whole day in the store."

"I never stayed longer than an hour, an hour and a half at most," Hermione retorted.

"Two hours!"

"That was an exception - there was a signing!" Hermione pouted.

"Excuses, excuses!"

"You've spent longer in Harrods," Hermione pointed out.

"That's not the same - I was sightseeing. Exploring muggle culture." Lavender grinned

"That's acceptable for the first visit. But the third?"

"Muggle customs and fashion change every year. Didn't you complain about muggle studies being outdated?" Lavender asked, then looked around.

"Muggle culture includes novels. And movies," Hermione replied. "And the café's that way."

"I knew that."

Harry doubted it.

"Get used to it, mate," Ron said in a low voice as they followed the girls.

"They weren't like that before," Harry told him.

"That's because you and Granger were waiting to hex each other."

Oh. Well, Harry couldn't deny that.

"Things changed," he said.

"Obviously."

They had reached the café. Harry checked for suspicious people before entering.

"I know the staff," Hermione said as they sat down on the terrace. "Unless someone used Polymorph to impersonate a waiter."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Really? What's next, poison in the water?"

Harry glanced at the bar. The bartender - or was that the barista? - didn't look nervous or shady.

"I was joking, mate."

"Besides, if anyone wanted to poison you, they could easily use a Switching Charm," Lavender pointed out. Harry stared at her, and she huffed. "Really, that was a plot in Wizard of the Storm."

"I should've taken some bezoars," Harry mumbled. There was one in his potion kit. Unless Rose had taken it in an emergency, of course, without telling him. Again.

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "We should also look into using poisons ourselves."

Ron and Lavender stared at her. "You want to assassinate people?"

"No," Hermione retorted. "But if we could find a way to aerosolize, say, a Sleeping Draught…"

"Or a Draught of Living Death," Harry suggested. "Though people will likely be casting Bubble-Head Charms before a battle."

Hermione nodded. "So we need to find a way so it gets absorbed through the skin."

"And consider bystanders," Lavender remarked.

Right.

"Perhaps as a last resort," Hermione amended. "It's not a priority, anyway - we have more important things to do."

"And in a pinch, we can just ask Rose to brew Felix Felicis or something," Harry suggested with a grin. That would probably result in a weapon of mass destruction.

Ron chuckled, though Hermione shook her head. "That's not very nice."

"But funny," Lavender admitted. "But enough of talking about fighting. Or poisoning."

"Or duelling," Ron added.

"Or the Daily Prophet," Hermione said.

"Quidditch then," Harry decided.

Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't protest.

"Have you seen the lineup of the Cannons for this season? They've got a shot at the top!" Ron was, as usual, utterly delusional when it came to the League.

"The Harpies will take the championship this time," Lavender objected.

"They couldn't even beat Puddlemere last season."

"That was last season, and Puddlemere got lucky with the referee and the Snitch. They won't be lucky forever."

"Was that when the Aurors were called in to investigate claims that the Seeker had been dosing himself with Felix Felicis?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. And it was all swept under the carpet," Lavender replied.

"Well, someone should test the Cannons if someone's been cursing them," Harry said.

"They get tested every season," Ron replied with a glare.

"Really?" Hermione leaned forward. "Always by the same person?"

"No. They checked that, too," Ron told her.

"I heard that the Department of Mysteries is investigating the Cannons for their consistent streak of losses. It's a mystery," Harry said.

Ron rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.

Coming to this café had been a good idea, Harry had to admit.

*****​

Grimmauld Place, London, Britain, July 21st, 1996

"And here's the training room!" Mr Black announced as he opened the door with the kind of flourish Hermione Granger usually only saw in old Errol Flynn movies. She resisted the sudden and silly urge to curtsy as she stepped past the wizard, followed by Harry.

The room was obviously enchanted with Extension Charms - it was far too large to fit on the floor. A duelling ring took up most of it, with training dummies and shelves lining the walls. A few seats and a couch were taking up space as well, looking oddly out of place.

"Take a seat!" Mr Black told them, closing the door. "Kreacher!"

"Yes, Master Black?" An old elf peered around the curtain in the corner. There must be a house-elf tunnel behind it, Hermione realised. She hadn't seen them outside Hogwarts so far. If she hadn't already known that the Blacks were an Old Family, this would've told her.

"Serve the refreshments."

"As you wish, Master Black." The elf inclined his head and disappeared.

Harry frowned. "He's acting differently than usual. He hasn't insulted you."

Mr Black smiled in a rather wiry way. "I doubt it'll last."

Hermione glanced at Harry, but her boyfriend didn't seem to be inclined to pry further, even though it was clear as day that there was something more to this.

"So, let's sit down!" Mr Black went on. We've got a few things to discuss before we start with the practical lessons."

Hermione picked the couch, Harry joining her. "Is this conjured?" she asked.

"Yes." Mr Black smiled. "First lesson: Never put anything valuable in a duelling room - or salle, as we call it if we're pompous. Stray spells will wreck things."

Hermione didn't think she'd have to worry about that for a long time, seeing as her home had no duelling room, but she nodded. It was a sensible piece of advice, after all. And Harry flushed - there was a story there.

"And second lesson: Conjuring is your friend. It lets you shape the battlefield. It's currently not en vogue in the duelling scene, after the new rules limiting Blasting Curses, but in a real fight? A conjured wall will even block an unforgivable. Or hide you from a jealous boyfriend or girlfriend." Mr Black chuckled at his own joke.

Hermione smiled politely. If every lesson was accompanied by such jokes, this would be a long afternoon.

"Are we training duelling here or defence?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Both," Mr Black replied. "But most importantly, we'll teach you when to fight."

"That's not going to be another 'don't hex Malfoy, call the prefects' lesson, is it?" Harry asked with a pout.

"I would never tell you not to hex Malfoy!" Mr Black said, putting a hand over his heart in obviously fake shock. "Getting hexed grows character, and Narcissa's brat needs all the character growth he can get."

Hermione caught herself smiling at that. This description of Malfoy was on point.

"But," Mr Black went on, "you can't curse him." He looked at her, then at Harry.

"Unless he tries to curse us," Harry objected.

"Well…" Mr Black tilted his head. "Even then, refrain from lethal or dark curses."

Hermione pressed her lips together to refrain from starting a discussion about the lethality of spells that rendered you helpless. "As long as it's enough to stop him," she said. She wouldn't budge on that. Anyone who attacked her or Harry would be stopped, no matter what.

Mr Black looked as if he were about to object, but the elf returned at that moment, carrying a tray full of sandwiches and various beverages. "I didn't know if you had eaten already," Mr Black explained. "So I had Kreacher prepare this."

"We went to a Chinese restaurant," Harry told him.

"Was the food good?"

"Yes. They deliver if you want to try it for yourself," Harry replied.

Hermione noticed the elf sneered at that. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, we can handle Malfoy. Or any other student. We need more training to handle actual threats."

"Even Malfoy could be a threat if he learned dark curses," Harry pointed out. "Shield Charms won't help against the Unforgivables."

"That's why we're learning how to conjure walls!" Mr Black repeated himself. "The more obstacles you can put into your opponent's way, the easier it is to escape." He narrowed his eyes, Hermione noticed. "And if someone actually attacks you, escaping should be your priority. This isn't a duel, where you are prepared for a fight - if someone attacks you, they are ready for a fight, and you are generally not ready. Trying to counterattack works in duels and novels, but in actual fights, you're at a disadvantage as you are reacting and the enemy has the initiative. Escaping means you'll be able to attack later on your terms."

Hermione slowly nodded, starting to take notes. This was good advice! And Mr Black hadn't added some stupid jokes, either - he was obviously taking this seriously.

And the sandwiches were excellent.

*****​

"...and that's how you conjure a wall that won't fall on you and crush you," Sirius explained. "The trick is to add support. Or just conjure a wall with a corner."

Harry Potter rubbed his shoulder as he nodded. It didn't hurt any more, but having a wall fall on you had been a rather memorable first lesson about conjuring obstacles. Hermione's reaction had been memorable as well - she had been spitting mad at Sirius for letting Harry be hurt.

Harry smiled at the memory. She cared so much for him. As he cared for her.

Of course, Sirius might have to adjust his usual teaching style. Actually, he'd better adjust - Harry wasn't going to let him hurt Hermione, either.

"A quarter sphere would be useful, I think," Hermione pointed out. "Or a wall supported by existing walls."

"It can work," Sirius told her. "But best not to rely on that. If you're used to conjuring walls that won't fall over by themselves, you'll be safer."

"I see." Hermione nodded. "There's still the problem of blocking your own line of sight."

"Unless you find a wall that is transparent for you but not for your enemy and as hard as stone or metal, you'll have to live with it," Sirius replied.

"Maybe a composite wall, alternating layers of metal and stone, with slits for visibility? No, you'd need to be too close for that to provide any line of sight." Hermione pursed her lips. "Armoured glass?"

"That would allow the enemy to see you as well," Harry reminded her.

She sighed. "And adding a polarised layer on the side facing us might make the spell too complex to cast easily in the middle of a battle."

"Speed is essential," Sirius cut in. "All other things being equal, the faster caster wins the match."

They knew that already - that was obvious, after all.

"But all things are rarely equal. For example, casting faster might hamper your precision or aim," Hermione objected.

"Exactly. No matter how hard you train, you still have to make compromises. And judging when to cast as quickly as possible and when to take careful aim is what makes a successful duellist!"

Harry had heard that before. Several times. "Yes," he said anyway. "And we'll be training that as well."

"But we need the basics first. There's no point to focus on casting quickly if we cannot train with the spells we will cast in a fight," Hermione said. "I've made a list of the spells we need to learn, but I might have missed a few." She handed a sheet of parchment to Sirius.

Harry's godfather looked it over and blinked. "Merlin's beard! That's enough for a year!"

"We don't need all of them - the ones who take priority are at the top," Hermione defended her list.

"That's still a dozen spells."

"Fourteen, actually," she corrected him. "We should be able to finish that before we return to Hogwarts."

Harry nodded.

Sirius stared at them. "You also need to be able to relax and enjoy your holiday!" he told them. "It's not healthy to… to work like this."

"It also isn't healthy to be captured or worse because you couldn't defend yourself," Harry said.

"And it's not as if this schedule is particularly demanding," Hermione added. "I left enough time for, ah, rest and recreation."

She blushed slightly, Harry noticed. "And we spent the morning with Ron and Lavender," he pointed out.

"Also, learning new spells is fun."

Sirius narrowed his eyes slightly and looked from Harry to Hermione and back.

"It's like preparing a prank," Harry explained. "You told me that you spent hours on some pranks, learning spells and brewing potions. Only, we won't actually do what we're planning, unlike you." Unless, of course, someone attacked them. Or planned to attack them. Someone dangerous.

Sirius snorted, slightly shaking his head. "I also taught you how to act as if you're innocent."

"I'm not acting innocent!" Harry protested. And he never managed to fool Mum, anyway.

"If you taught Harry to lie, shouldn't you be able to tell if he's lying?" Hermione asked.

Sirius laughed at that. "Well, as long as you're having fun and won't hurt anyone, it'll be fine."

Harry wasn't sure if Mum and Dad would agree, but it was a sensible view, in his opinion. "Good."

"Now, I think we should learn the Disillusionment Charm first," Hermione spoke up. "It's a defensive spell, and while there are ways to defeat it, mainly the Human-presence-revealing Spell, it will allow us to escape more easily, especially if we use a broom."

Sirius laughed again. "That's a good argument. But we all know that the Disillusionment Charm can also be used to attack someone by surprise."

"Only if they aren't prepared," Hermione objected.

"And forget to take the range of the Human-presence-revealing Spell into account," Harry added.

Sirius frowned again. "Are you planning to keep casting that spell? At Hogwarts?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "We did it before. Of course, I wasn't aware that Harry didn't know the Disillusionment Charm."

"Why would he, when he can use the cloak?" Sirius shrugged and ignored Harry's wince.

"Precisely. But we didn't have an invisibility cloak with us when we were on the island." Hermione scoffed. "There's a lesson there."

A lesson Harry had already learned. He cleared his throat. "So, can we start learning the spell?"

"Alright," Sirius said.

*****​

Being disillusioned was a weird experience, Hermione Granger found. She couldn't see her own body, which was more disorienting than she had expected. She hadn't thought she relied so much on visual cues when it came to moving her limbs. Then again, she was in an unfamiliar environment. And she didn't have much experience with this. Unlike, say, Harry, who apparently had been using invisibility cloaks since he was little, once causing a frantic search of the entire village when he had stolen his father's cloak and fallen asleep under it. Mr Black might not be the best teacher, but he had a flair for telling stories.

And, seeing as they had managed to learn the spell during the afternoon - albeit not to a level Hermione would call sufficient to use in a fight; she still tended to be slightly opaque on occasion, and Harry tended to flicker a little when he cast the spell too hastily - Harry's godfather clearly was able enough as an instructor.

She cancelled the spell - something that had taken some attempts as well until she managed to do it smoothly and without having to focus on it - and walked over to the small box with the remaining drinks. There was a bottle of mineral water - French - left. Overpriced, but it wasn't her money.

Harry's marker floated over, and she saw a coke bottle suddenly float out of the box. As she watched, Harry opened the bottle and took a large swallow while still being disillusioned. The pop drink didn't vanish upon entering his mouth, she noted - for a moment, she could see it outlined by brown liquid - but upon getting swallowed.

She made a mental note to investigate the possibility of using coloured gas or liquid to detect and mark disillusioned people. It didn't seem to be practical, but there might be potential.

"So… I think we should call it a day," Mr Black said as Harry faded into view and finished the bottle. "James, Lily and the others should be arriving for dinner soon."

Hermione nodded, forcing herself to keep smiling. 'The others' included her parents, and she wasn't happy to hear them referred to like that. Then again, Mr Black didn't know them as well as he did know Harry's parents. Still…

"And Rose," Harry muttered. "Bet she wants to get into the library again."

"She won't," Mr Black said.

"Oh?" Hermione cocked her head.

"Rose thinks our potions recipes will help her," Mr Black explained. "But… apart from the standard books, and some old editions of advanced Potions, it's mostly books on exotic poisons. Great-Aunt Hyades was a poison aficionado, so to speak, and collected them on her travels." He snorted. "People kept accusing her of poisoning her enemies, but she was cleared every single time."

Hermione frowned. The wording sounded like… "Was she actually poisoning people?"

"Of course she was! She was responsible for ending our feud with the main branch of the Parkinsons - by removing them entirely. But since she was using unique and exotic poisons, nothing could be proven. On the other hand, when she accidentally poisoned herself, nothing could be proven, either." Mr Black shrugged. "Apparently, Great-Uncle Taurus didn't appreciate her attempt to take control of the family vault. Or the sudden death of his favourite mistress."

Hermione made a mental note to look into the Blacks a little more. What Mr Black had told them so far made it sound as if the rumours about the family had been understating things. Unless Mr Black was exaggerating a lot, though she didn't think that this was the case. Harry seemed to take him at face value with regards to family history. "Charming witch," she commented.

"She was actually one of the nicer Blacks back in her day. She didn't dabble in slavery, didn't cast dark curses - no more so than the average Slytherin of her generation, at least - and she minded, ah… collateral damage, as the muggles call it. Now, old Orion Black - back in the seventeenth century, mind you, not my father - dealt with a rival family by sealing their home with a variety of curses and then used Fiendfyre to set the entire building aflame. The spells kept the poor sods from escaping, but didn't contain the Fiendfyre."

Hermione winced at that. "I hope it wasn't in a city."

"Oh, no. That was Thaddeus Black." Mr Black must have noticed her reaction. "There's a reason the Black family was feared - still is, in some circles."

Ah. She pursed her lips. "And did that serve as a deterrent to attacks?" she asked.

Mr Black frowned at her. "Actually, no. The only ones who were deterred were no threat to begin with. But those who were up to challenging us actually escalated from the start, thinking they had nothing to lose. You didn't think the Blacks supported the ban on legal feuding in Wizarding Britain out of the goodness of their black hearts, did you? No, they realised that things had become too costly."

That was a good point. They would have to consider this effect as well - trying to scare off potential enemies might cause more trouble than it was worth. It certainly hadn't worked when Harry and herself had been feuding.

Although she might want to rethink calling their rivalry a feud, after what she had heard today about the feuds of the Blacks. On the other hand… She smiled. "You said the Black Family was still feared in certain circles. Is it known that you are training us?"

Mr Black narrowed his eyes at her, but Harry was smiling as well.

*****​
 
Chapter 40: The Slavery Dilemma Part 1
Chapter 40: The Slavery Dilemma Part 1

Grimmauld Place, London, Britain, July 21st, 1996

"Thank you for having us over, Mr Black."

"Call me Sirius!"

"Sorry, Sirius."

"Bye, Sirius!"

Sirius Black wanted to shake his head as Harry and his girlfriend vanished in the fireplace. Miss Granger was a tough nut to crack, but he'd get her to call him Sirius and mean it.

"Good evening, Sirius." Lily nodded at him. "Don't be too late, James," she added, then stepped through the flames herself.

Sirius refrained from sighing when the flames died down. James didn't like it if he joked about Lily's attitude. Instead, he turned, smiling at his best friend. "So, let's retire to the study."

"Alright, Sirius."

"Kreacher!"

"Yes, yes. Firewhisky," the elf grumbled from behind the curtain.

Sirius ignored the 'drunkard' he heard before the door to the elf passages closed. He wasn't a drunkard. Not any more.

James didn't comment, either, as they walked to the study. With Peter and Remus gone on new assignments, it was just the two of them. As had been the norm since Hogwarts.

Sirius sighed as he sat down in his favourite armchair - in this room. He had a favourite armchair in every room that contained armchairs. And he had a favourite armchair to conjure if a room lacked one.

"So, how's Harry doing?" James asked. "And Miss Granger?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows slightly at the slip. "Well, I'm already thinking about what I'll gift them for the wedding."

James, who had been about to pour some whisky into his glass - Kreacher had beaten them here, as expected - almost spilt it on the carpet. "What?"

"I'm joking," Sirius told him with a chuckle. He was - mostly.

"You better be!" James retorted. "We raised Harry better than that!"

"Don't worry - I taught him all the necessary spells," Sirius told him. "But they do remind me of you and Lily in sixth year."

"What?" James leaned forward.

"Didn't you realise how they talk? One of them says one thing, the other adds something, then the first one goes on…" Sirius spread his hands. "Happens often enough, and I don't think they do it deliberately."

"That doesn't mean anything." James shook his head. "They're teenagers. She's Harry's first girlfriend."

"First love," Sirius said. "You should know the difference."

"It's not the same. They were - they are - under a lot of stress. Much more than Lily and I were."

Sirius snorted. "We were in the middle of a war. Even as a student, Lily knew she was a target. For years." Best student and a muggleborn? The Death Eaters hated her.

"It's…" James sighed. "I had girlfriends before her."

"You were going out with witches. You didn't have girlfriends," Sirius told him. "Trust me, I know the difference." Too well, actually. Then again - Sirius was still young. He would find someone, one of those days. Once he started actually looking seriously. Probably abroad, though, where people didn't know him or his wealth.

James sighed. "Fine. They're in love. Happy?" He filled his glass and took a swallow.

"Harry is happy," Sirius pointed out as he summoned the bottle to him.

"Good. And I want him to stay happy."

"Well, I think they'll stay happy, as far as I can tell." Sirius filled his own glass and raised it. "Santé!" Ah! That burned nicely going down.

"From one lesson?"

"From watching them interact with each other," Sirius replied. "They form a good team."

"He also is part of a good Quidditch team. That doesn't mean that he'll marry the keeper."

Sirius chuckled and refilled his glass before handing the bottle back to James. "What's your problem, actually? Do you think Miss Granger is wrong for Harry?"

"No," James replied - a little too quickly. With another sigh, he added: "They spent years fighting each other. And now they're a couple?"

"Think positive: They already saw each other at their worst. And they're basically living together now."

"Yes. Right after living together on the pirate island." James took another swallow. "It's all going so fast, Sirius. It took me months of dating Lily before we were even thinking of living together. They started living together before they got together."

"And it seems to be working. They aren't you and Lily. Miss Granger isn't 'the most beautiful witch at Hogwarts', for one," Sirius quoted sixteen-year-old James with a laugh.

James wasn't laughing. "There are more beautiful witches at Hogwarts. I mean, Miss Granger isn't ugly - she's pretty - but..." He shrugged.

Sirius blinked. "Do you think Harry will dump her for someone prettier?"

James sighed once more. "They're teenagers. Appearances count a lot."

"They're not normal teenagers. I think you underestimate Harry." Harry certainly seemed to think the world of her. Like James with Lily.

"I hope you're right," James said. "If they have a nasty breakup… I already told Lily I would send Aurors to Hogwarts in that case, and I wasn't entirely joking."

Sirius shook his head. "James… it's not just Harry who was under a lot of stress. We all were."

"We were trained for this. Used to this," his friend retorted.

"Used to worry about Harry's life?" Sirius shook his head. "No, we weren't. Not any more. Also, would you have dumped Lily for, say, Mathilda Browtuckle?"

"Of course not! But Lily's much prettier than Mathilda."

Sirius shook his head. "James, Mathilda was the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts. Hell, Peter was convinced she was a Veela in disguise. But you loved Lily." He made a mental note to look up how Mathilda was doing these days. Last he heard, she had moved to France after school.

James grumbled and refilled his glass.

"So, stop worrying so much about what might happen." Sirius nodded at him, then summoned the bottle and vanished it. James had had enough, in his opinion - and Sirius knew too much about drinking to trust himself.

"I can't help worrying. Both of them, they're so… tense. Paranoid." James scoffed and put the empty glass down on the side table with a slight crack. "And I can't do anything to help them."

"Well, I think they're going to be OK," Sirius said. "I'm teaching them how to react to surprises."

James, surprisingly, didn't seem to feel reassured by that. "And what exactly did you teach them today?"

"We've started on the Disillusionment Charm. And I've stressed how escaping should be their priority if they're under attack," Sirius told him. "And yes, I think they understood the lesson."

"Remains to be seen if they actually heed your advice. They bloody attacked a pirate ship and port!" James blurted out.

"And they succeeded," Sirius replied. He shrugged. "And they only stayed long enough to save the little Veela and get the hell out of the village."

"Harry sunk the ship."

"All part of their plan to lure them away."

"Which almost got Harry killed!" James hit the armrest of his chair with his fist.

There was that. "I think he's learned his lesson about that," Sirius said.

"And you think next time he won't risk himself like that?" James scoffed.

"I don't think there'll be a next time," Sirius said. "This was a once-a-lifetime accident. Do you honestly think that he'll end up stranded on an island again? On our watch?"

"No, of course not," his friend admitted.

"And even if it happened again, they'll be much better prepared for it. Once I'm through with them, they'll be able to escape any pirate crew."

"But what if someone goes after him? And Miss Granger?" James looked around, presumably for the bottle. "Someone could read the stupid article and think that is a way to earn a reputation."

"Against one or even two students?" Sirius shook her head. "And do you think they would risk Dumbledore's ire for this?"

"Some criminals are that dumb," James retorted.

"Well, if they are, then I think Harry and Miss Granger can handle them." Sirius shrugged again and leaned back. Idiots just weren't too dangerous.

"Unless they get lucky. Or do something so mindlessly stupid, Harry wouldn't expect it."

"Never underestimate the Slytherins! Or, in this case, overestimate them!" Sirius joked.

James gave him a decidedly unamused look. "It's not funny."

Sirius disagreed - Slytherins being dumb was always funny - but he shrugged once more. "All I'm saying is that you should trust Harry and Miss Granger a bit more. They did survive - and succeed - where grown wizards would have died." Had died, actually, as the wand they had found proved, but this wasn't the time to remind James of that little tidbit. "They'll be able to handle Hogwarts, dumb Slytherins and any idiot trying to get a name for themselves. Without killing anyone."

James clenched his teeth and took a deep breath. "It's not that easy."

Of course it wasn't. Sirius worried himself. Sometimes, you had all the skill in the world, and your enemy got lucky - Duelling proved that every season. But you couldn't plan for that. "Trust Harry. He's your son. You raised him. You and Lily."

"We didn't raise him to spend years feuding with a classmate."

"Well… we did the same thing."

"That's not a good thing, Sirius."

He spread his hand. "If you say so." Snivellous certainly had deserved it. Bloody Death Eater. "Anyway," he continued before James could elaborate on this, "Harry stopped that, didn't he?"

James gave him the unamused look again. "He didn't exactly stop because he realised that what he was doing was wrong."

"Does it matter as long as he eventually realised that it was wrong?"

James sighed. "So, you think everything's fine?"

"What?" Sirius cocked his head at James. "No, of course not. But Harry and Miss Granger should be fine." Narcissa's spawn, on the other hand… Sirius smiled.

"I wish I could share the sentiment."

"It's easy. Just trust your son. And his girlfriend. And don't try to hold them back from learning new spells." Sirius had the other points covered, anyway. A few Galleons for a new premium broom and other supplies wouldn't even dent his money. And those could be used for Quidditch, so it was a sensible expense.

James sighed again - that was, what, the fifth time now? Something like it - and stood. "Well, I'll have to head home before Lily comes looking for me."

Sirius flashed him a wide grin as he got up as well. "You decided to get married, James."

"You would've done the same if you had found a witch like her."

"Maybe." Sirius hadn't been ready to marry anyone after Hogwarts. And he hadn't been ready for anything after the war. Not that it mattered. He was still young. Not even forty. Even for a Black, that was not old.

"Ah…" James hesitated, then took a step closer and put his hand on Sirius's shoulder. "Thank you. For, you know…" He trailed off.

Sirius nodded. "Anytime. Have a safe trip home. And send Harry and Miss Granger my regards."

"You just saw them."

"So?" Sirius grinned. And kept grinning until James had vanished in the fireplace.

*****​

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 22nd, 1996

Harry Potter grinned when he approached his target. She was unaware of his presence, focused on her breakfast and the Daily Prophet. Not that it would've changed anything if she had been paying attention - he was invisible. And he was walking carefully - she wouldn't hear his steps. He knew where the creaking floorboards were and avoided them until he was standing right behind her.

Then he struck. "Surprise!" His fingers dug into her sides as he tickled her.

Rose shrieked and jumped up, scattering cereal across the table. "Harry! You prat!"

He laughed. "Oh, your reaction!"

"Mum! Harry's using Dad's cloak again!" the nark yelled.

"I'm not!" Harry protested. "This is a Disillusionment Charm!"

"Mum! Harry's breaking the underage magic law!"

"That's the 'Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery'," he corrected her.

Rose rolled her eyes. "You sound like your girlfriend."

He did not! But just as he was about to correct his sister, Mum entered the kitchen. "What did you do, Harry?"

He shrugged. "Just having a laugh. I snuck up on Rose and tickled her." Harmless fun.

"He made me spill my breakfast!" Rose protested.

"You spilt it when you overreacted."

"I didn't overreact! And you're one to complain - if I had sneaked up on you, you'd have blown up the kitchen!" Rose shook her head.

Mum vanished the mess before summoning another bowl and the cereal box.

"I wouldn't have blown up the kitchen!" Harry told her.

"You would! Mum told me so!"

"Mum!" He turned to his mother.

"You were - and still are - jumpy, Harry," she told him. "You yourself said that you are afraid of an attack."

"I'm not afraid of an attack!" Harry clenched his teeth. "I'm just cautious."

"You're paranoid," Rose muttered.

"I'm not paranoid!" He glared at her. "I was attacked by pirates."

"Not in England," she shot back. "Do you really think there'll be a pirate ship sailing up the creek? Or a Viking raid?"

"Rose!" Mum snapped. "Don't make light of your brother's… views."

Harry narrowed his eyes at her. 'Views'? What had been her first choice? Fears? Delusions? He was just being cautious. Besides, Sirius was teaching him how not to overreact to pranks. "I wouldn't blow up anything or anyone. Maybe stun an idiot who attacked me…" He bared his teeth at Rose.

"You won't stun your sister, Harry!" Mum snapped. "Or anyone else!"

"Unless they attack me," he insisted.

Mum stared at him, then sighed.

Harry grinned as Rose pouted. Point Harry!

"Good morning."

"Hermione!" He turned and beamed at her.

"Don't act like you haven't spent the night together," Rose mumbled.

"Rose!" Mum put her hands on her hips and glared at the brat.

Harry frowned, then smiled and wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist. "And?" His sister was just jealous. Or should that be envious? It wasn't as if she wanted Hermione - she just wanted a boyfriend. At least he thought so.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Rose spilt her cereal when I tickled her," Harry explained.

"You pranked me!"

"I only tickled you." Harry snorted.

"From behind! While disillusioned!"

"Oh! You could sneak up on her? That's great!"

"What?" Rose gaped at them.

"We've just started learning the charm," Hermione explained. "And we haven't mastered it yet." A moment later, she raised her wand and cast the spell herself.

"Mum!" Rose protested again while Hermione faded from view.

And his mother sighed again. "Please, don't train casting spells at the table."

"Sorry, Mrs Potter," Hermione said, cancelling the spell.

"Call me Lily."

"Lily." Hermione nodded.

Harry smiled. She wasn't too comfortable with using Mum's first name, but he was sure she would get there.

"Now, let's eat breakfast," Mum said. "And no more spells."

Harry pulled Hermione's chair out before sitting down himself. Rose rolled her eyes, of course, but everyone ignored her. He was tempted to kick her under the table - that wouldn't break Mum's no spells rule. But it would cause more trouble.

Mum put the basket with toast on the table, and Harry grabbed one. While he spread butter and jam over it, he peered at the Prophet.

"You're not on the front page," Rose told him as she pulled the newspaper back and out of his reach.

"Good," Hermione said. "The first article was bad enough."

"You're on pages two and three," Rose added with a slight smirk.

Harry groaned, and Hermione pursed her lips.

"You're mentioned in the article, but it's mostly an in-depth report about piracy," Mum told her. "They just used your names to draw attention."

That was… well, acceptable, in Harry's opinion. "As long as they don't have me storm a harem," he muttered.

Hermione nodded emphatically.

"It's mostly aimed at Dumbledore," Rose told them without looking up from the article in question. "They're questioning why he hasn't done anything about the pirates."

"That might start a war with the Ottoman Empire," Mum commented. "Attacking a hidden island nominally under no one's control is one thing. Starting to attack all the pirates in the Barbary Coast? That would start a war."

"Dumbledore would win the war," Rose objected.

"At what cost? He can't be everywhere, and while he is scouring the Barbary Coast, they'll strike at our shores," Mum countered.

Harry frowned. This sounded… "But we should do something."

"Yes. But through diplomacy," Mum retorted.

"I bet the French disagree," Hermione commented.

Mum frowned at her.

*****​

Hermione Granger met Mrs Potter's gaze - Lily's, she reminded herself - without flinching. Much. "In a war, it wouldn't be just Dumbledore. At least France, as well as Spain and Portugal, would join us. And some of the Italian enclaves. Probably the Balkans, too."

"The war would spread to half of Europe - the entire Mediterranean," Mrs Potter replied.

"If the Ottomans want to risk such a war," Hermione pointed out. The threat of such a war, after all, had made the Ottomans back down and outlaw slave raids and piracy in the fifties. Nominally, at least - it wasn't as if they had really gone after slavers and pirates.

"If the Ottomans back down, the Sultan would lose face and possibly be replaced," Mrs Potter retorted. "He might prefer a war to that. And how many would die in such a war?"

Hermione pressed her lips together. You couldn't just weigh lives against each other like that. Slavery was evil. And as long as no one did anything, it would continue. "And how many people will be kidnapped and enslaved every year if nothing is done?" She raised her chin.

"That's why Dumbledore is using diplomacy," Mrs Potter said. "He doesn't want to risk a war."

Though diplomacy wouldn't stop the pirates. Not for a long while, Hermione was certain. But she was a guest here, and arguing too much would be rude.

"That won't help the pirates' victims, Mum." Harry, obviously, had no such qualms.

"As it is, the Ottomans have at least to act as if they want to suppress piracy and slavers. If war breaks out, they will not only stop even pretending to care - they will set the pirates loose and support them," Mrs Potter retorted. "And in war, we'd have to fight the Sultan's Janissaries."

Hermione pressed her lips together. The Janissaries, like their defunct muggle counterparts, were slaves raised to be loyal soldiers of the Sultan. Fighting them… Well, it would be like fighting the victims of the Imperius Curse.

Harry, judging by his scowl, was aware of that as well.

"Harry…" Mrs Potter sighed and sat down at the table. "And Hermione. I, we are aware of the situation. And none of us likes it. But a war isn't the solution. No matter what the French think."

"Not the best solution, maybe. But it would be a solution," Harry said.

"A bad one," Mrs Potter said.

Rose didn't weigh in, Hermione noticed. Which was a little weird - the girl hadn't struck her as holding back with her opinion on pretty much anything. "But everyone knows that the Ottomans not only tolerate but protect slavers," she said.

"Some 'know' that Britain protects dark wizards," Mrs Potter said with a frown. "They point at the many 'victims of the Imperius Curse' that were let go after the war. Some claim that the fact that a war happened in the first place is proof that Britain's riddled with dark wizards."

Well, Hermione wouldn't completely disagree with that. "There are a lot of people who think that the Death Eaters were too radical, but not really wrong."

"Like Malfoy," Harry added.

Mrs Potter shook her head. "Things have improved a lot since I started at Hogwarts."

"That was in the middle of the war," Harry protested.

"And we won the war," she replied. "At great cost. Which is why I don't condone starting another war if we can avoid it."

Hermione pressed her lips together before she could mention Chamberlain. Which would've been unfair, anyway - the man had started Britain's rearmament and must have been aware that war was nigh inevitable. But everyone knew what he stood for now. Still… "You can always avoid a war by surrendering," she said. And struggled not to flinch at the glare she received in return.

"I didn't mean that. Of course you can't just surrender. Or give in to the most atrocious demands. But to start a war over an issue you can solve with more peaceful means? That is wrong."

Hermione bit her lower lip, feeling her cheeks heat up. She had bungled that.

"Mum!" Harry leaned forward and glared at her.

Mrs Potter glared back.

"Mum," Rose piped up, "Would you go to war if they had taken Harry to Constantinople? Or me?"

"I would've gone in with our friends and gotten you out," Mrs Potter said after a moment.

"And if that would've started a war?" Hermione asked before she could control herself.

"We would've tried to minimise the danger of that. Peter knows how to be subtle. As long as the Sultan doesn't lose too much face, things wouldn't have escalated."

That sounded, well, not wrong, but a little… selective.

"And we can't do that for the other victims?" Harry asked, scowling still.

"There are too many for that," Mrs Potter replied. "I don't like it, but that's the reality of it. Unless you want to go to war. And trust me, you don't want to go to war."

Well, Hermione didn't want to go to war. But she didn't want to leave anyone in slavery, either. "Then, perhaps, we should do something about this. Diplomatically," she added.

"What?" Harry asked.

"We're currently the focus of the press," she explained. Harry more so than herself, but still. "We could give another interview. About piracy and slavery."

Harry nodded with a smile. "Oh, yes. Use this whole thing for a good purpose!"

"I would suggest you ask Dumbledore for advice first." Mrs Potter's tone clearly told Hermione that this wasn't a suggestion but an order.

Well, it was a sensible order, at least.

*****​

"Sorry about Mum." Harry Potter smiled at Hermione as they walked over to the shed in the backyard. "She's… well, you saw." He shrugged.

"Yes. Understandable, actually, since she fought in the Blood War." Hermione nodded.

He clenched his teeth for a moment. He didn't quite agree. "Well, it's a little hypocritical, isn't it? She'd be willing to go to war for Rose and me, but not for Céline."

Hermione bit her lower lip. "She said that she would've freed you without starting a war."

"She would come save us even if it would start a war." Harry had no doubt about that. He sighed. "It just… doesn't feel right."

Hermione bit her lower lip again. Was she holding back to not criticise Mum? "She had several convincing arguments against waging war."

"They're only convincing if Dumbledore actually can stop the pirates. They haven't been stopped yet, and it's been decades," Harry pointed out. "And how many people have been kidnapped since then? Not everyone can call on Dumbledore or Mum and Dad's other friends to save someone."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "But how many would die in a war?"

Well, that was an unfair question. "It's still not fair."

"No, it isn't. But leaving you in captivity or slavery just to be fair wouldn't be right, either. Just because you can't or won't save everyone doesn't mean you can't save anyone."

"Yes. But let's stop talking about Rose or I being enslaved, alright?" And Harry wasn't even touching the question of whether or not Mum - or Dumbledore - would risk a war for Hermione. Though he was sure that Hermione was thinking about it. "Let's fly!" he said with a smile that was almost genuine.

"Yes." Hermione sounded a little less enthusiastic than Harry had expected, but she nodded anyway. Well, she had selected flying as something they needed to train.

"Come, we've got a few brooms in the shed." Not as many as the Weasleys had, of course, but the Potters didn't have a Quidditch pitch. "I learned how to fly on those brooms," he told Hermione.

"And how far can we fly here?" Hermione asked. "Half the village are muggles, as far as I know."

"Well… the backyard is covered with charms," Harry said. "And the field beyond that." Which was a little larger than a Quidditch pitch, but not by much. Then again, what more did you need?

"So we'll focus on manoeuvring instead of on speed, I guess."

"A bit of both," Harry said. "Like Quidditch."

"Without Bludgers, I hope."

"Not until we've gotten the basics down." Well, until she got the basics down. "But you already flew great on the island."

"I levitated a plank," she corrected him.

"And then you flew the broom. This will be easy." He opened the door to the shed. "Ignore the garden tools. Now… this is a Cleansweep Six. Good broom, agile and decently fast. Good for Beaters."

"I've read up on them." Hermione took it.

Of course she had. "Sirius should buy you a Nimbus 2001, at the least," he said.

She pressed her lips together and didn't comment on that. "Let's fly."

Harry grabbed a Cleansweep Five - but one in good condition; Dad's first broom - and followed her outside. A moment later, they were in the air.

And he loved it. Out of habit, he pulled straight up, climbing a hundred yards in a few seconds, then levelled out.

Hermione was following him, though a little more slowly. "Look at that!" Harry said, gesturing towards the village spread in front of them.

"And they can't see us?" Hermione asked.

"No. I do this every time I fly," he told her. "Just looking." At the village, at the land around it.

"It's… impressive."

"It's great!" He smiled. "Just you and your broom. And the sky." Almost as great as playing Quidditch.

Hermione laughed. "And no wyvern to hunt us."

"Right." He glanced at her. She was sitting on her broom and looked more relaxed now. Her ponytail was unravelling, but the slight breeze kept the strands of hair that had already escaped from her face. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Sensible muggle clothes for broom riding. Not quite as good as Quidditch robes, but… they looked better on her than robes. Much better.

He wet his lips, then grinned and guided his broom next to her.

"I'll have to train how to fly backwards with a broom - and sideways," she said. "This could be…"

He interrupted her by leaning over and kissing her.

This was perfect. Just perfect. Just him, her, and the sky. And a gentle breeze. And…

...claws on his shoulder, and something slapping the back of his head. Hedwig.

He pulled back, wincing when the sudden movement made his own grip his shoulder more tightly, her claws pricking his skin. She barked into his ear, too.

"Great," he heard Hermione mutter. "The owl is back."

And she had a letter.

He gently took it from her leg, fed her a treat from his pocket, then opened the envelope.

"It's from Ron, asking if we're busy this afternoon. Or if we want to hang out."

"We've got duelling practice," Hermione reminded him.

That was true. They could go over to Ron to fly on the pitch. On the other hand… He smiled at Hermione. "We're good here."

She nodded.

They could go hang with Ron and Lavender tomorrow.

Today, it was just the two of them. Almost like back on the island.

*****​

Kingston upon Thames, London, Britain, July 22nd, 1996

"Mum! Dad! We're back!" Hermione Granger announced as they entered the house. Both her parents should be around at this time of the evening - it was time for dinner, almost a little late, actually.

"Hermione! Harry! Did you have a nice day?" Mum appeared in the doorway to the living room.

"Yes, Mum," Hermione replied. "We stayed a little longer than planned at Grimmauld Place, sorry."

"Welcome back!" Dad hollered from the kitchen.

"Sirius made us run late," Harry said as they followed Mum back into the living room.

Hermione frowned at him. "It was our fault for not watching the time," she told him.

"He should've kept the time in mind," Harry retorted with a grin. "Besides, he told me himself that part of a godfather's duty was taking the blame for my mistakes."

She snorted at that. It certainly fit the man. And if he had actually said it, then blaming him would be alright.

"Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes!" Dad yelled.

Which probably meant twenty to thirty. Dad wasn't the most experienced cook. "OK, Dad," she yelled back.

Mum frowned at that - she didn't like yelling in the house. "So, what did you do today?" she asked as she sat down on the couch, putting away the magazine she must have been reading.

"We went flying in the morning," Harry said, smiling widely.

Hermione smiled as well. After the slightly daunting start, it had been a wonderful experience. Even when they had been training to weave around obstacles. Flying, on a proper broom, and without people casting curses at you, was incredible. The freedom in the sky… She understood Harry's enthusiasm now.

Quidditch was still a little overhyped, though. Not that she'd tell him that, of course. "It was great, Mum. Much better than the lessons at school."

"And it'll be even better once Sirius gets you a top-of-the-line broom," Harry added. "We only had a Cleansweep Five and Six. With a Nimbus 2001 or a Sturmwind Blitz, it'll be incredible!"

Hermione winced. That was a little delicate. Perhaps...

"Sturmwind Blitz?" Mum asked, frowning a little.

"The main racing model from Sturmwind," Harry explained. "With it and the Tornado II, they're the main competitor for the Firebolt in the Quidditch leagues. They're Prussians, so they're usually focusing on the European markets, but the Firebolt outclassed everything when it came out three years ago, and they have rushed to upgrade their Tornado Model and then released the Blitz and are now pushing into Britain as well."

"Well, I can think of more tasteful names than 'Blitz'," Mum said.

Hermione nodded. It seemed Mum hadn't caught the insinuation about Harry's godfather.

But then her mother went on: "But why would Mr Black buy Hermione a broom? Especially a very expensive one, as this sounds like." Mum narrowed her eyes slightly at Hermione. "I remember the prices in the broom shop window last year."

She suppressed the urge to cringe and sat straighter. "Mr Black wants me to be as safe as possible, so Harry won't 'do anything stupid' to save me."

"If you need anything, we can certainly supply you with it," Mum said.

"That's just an excuse Sirius uses," Harry told her. "He likes giving people gifts. You should've seen the portable Potions lab Rose got for her eleventh birthday. It was meant for Potioneers on expeditions for new material and recipes - it had everything in it."

"For an eleven-year-old girl?" Mum asked.

"Yes. She had a lot of fun until she managed to blow it up." Harry chuckled. "Mum was furious about the clean-up. And forbid Sirius to give her anything like that until she gets her N.E.W.T.s."

"I see."

"No, you don't," Hermione blurted out. "Brooms are different. The faster and more manoeuvrable a broom is, the better we can escape from attackers. But they're not any more dangerous just for being faster." Mum looked doubtful, so Hermione added: "And we're training flying evasively."

Mum was still frowning. "Just how expensive is such a broom?"

"We haven't yet decided on a specific model," Hermione said.

"How expensive is a Nimbus 2001 or a Blitz?"

Hermione clenched her teeth and glanced at Harry. Lying wouldn't help. She told her mother.

Mum didn't quite gasp, but drawing a surprised breath through clenched teeth wasn't much better. "You could buy a car for that sum. A nice car."

"Well, it's like a car for wizards and witches," Harry said. "And brooms last. We were riding Dad's first broom today and also his second broom. They're still working like a charm."

Hermione rolled her eyes at the weak joke.

He chuckled in return. "Anyway, Sirius can afford it, trust me."

"I have no doubt that Mr Black can afford it. But I don't like anyone buying Hermione such an expensive gift," Mum replied. "If you need such a broom, we can cover that."

They could afford it, Hermione knew, but… it would eat into their funds. They wouldn't have to cut back on anything, but… it was quite the sum. Almost like buying her a Ferrari as her first car. Not that she needed a car.

"But you don't have to. Sirius will probably consider it a birthday gift. If you pay for the broom, he'll find something else," Harry said.

Hermione pressed her lips together when she had a brief vision of a portable library stocked with the rarest books available. No, she wouldn't sink as low as trying to milk Harry's godfather. On the other hand, he still owed her for helping Harry in their feud…

"I'll have to discuss this with Gabriel," Mum said.

"And us," Hermione reminded her.

Mum pursed her lips. Drat.

*****​

Well, I messed up, Harry Potter thought. He hadn't realised Sirius being, well, Sirius would be a problem. On the other hand, Hermione hadn't mentioned it either. Still, it seemed odd. Once Mrs Granger had left the living room, he leaned over to Hermione and whispered: "Why doesn't she like it if Sirius gives you a broom?"

"Mum and Dad don't like feeling as if they need charity," Hermione replied in a low voice. "Or as if they owe someone. They would rather take a loan than let uncle Alfred pay the mortgage for them."

"Oh." Harry swallowed his first retort. He could kind of understand the attitude, but… "This is about your safety. And you shouldn't have to feel as if you're robbing your parents."

"I know," she hissed back. "But they don't see it like that."

Before Harry could reply, Mrs Granger returned. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"OK!" He forced himself to smile again. "Anyway, as I said, Sirius will give Hermione an expensive gift for her birthday. So, if it's not a broom, it'll be something else. You can't really stop him - trust me, my parents tried." Not for too long, of course - they'd known Sirius for a long time by then.

Mrs Granger didn't seem to be any happier about this than she had been a minute or two ago.

"And don't try to tell me I should refuse a gift," Hermione said. "I don't want to insult Mr Black."

Harry opened his mouth to explain that Sirius wouldn't feel insulted, but she stepped on his foot before he could say anything. Ah!

Her mother had narrowed her eyes. "That seems rather convenient."

Hermione met her eyes without flinching. "Old pureblood families have some customs that would seem strange to us."

"Oh, yes. Usually small stuff," Harry said. "But you can easily make a faux-pas if you don't know about them." Mostly by being friendly with the wrong person - feuds ran deep and long amongst the Old Families - but that was neither here nor there.

"Ah." Mrs Granger sighed. "I don't like it."

"I don't like it either, Mum," Hermione said. "But Harry's right. And I would be safer with a better broom."

Harry nodded.

"Dinner's ready! À table!" Mr Granger called out.

Dinner, as it turned out, was parmesan chicken with pasta. Apparently a speciality of Mr Granger. It was good, though, of course, it didn't compare to Molly's cooking. Not that Harry said so - as a little kid, he had learned from his mum's reaction that this was rude and stupid.

But while they ate, the conversation was limited to lighter topics. Or what passed as lighter topics at the Granger's. Mostly the news, it seemed, and books of all kinds. He had a little trouble following some of the stuff, not having read nearly as many books, but he could easily keep up with the politics thanks to his visits to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. Although their stances were quite different from the Grangers'.

"So," Mr Granger said while they were clearing the table - Harry had to remind himself that they couldn't just charm the silverware and pots to clean themselves, "I've heard there's some issue about a racing broom that Hermione wants."

"Needs," Harry corrected him. The man frowned a little at him, but Harry wouldn't budge on that.

"It will make escaping enemies safer and easier," Hermione said. "And it'll also keep for years."

"Unless you crash it."

"Brooms are made to last," Harry said. "I've crashed half a dozen times during Quidditch, and my Firebolt is still fine!"

"You've crashed half a dozen times?" Mrs Granger's eyebrows rose. As did Mr Granger's. And they glanced at Hermione.

"I had nothing to do with that!" she protested. "Besides, you'd have to be suicidal to mess with Quidditch!"

"That wasn't what we were thinking," her mum said. "But if Harry crashed six times, and he's one of the best Quidditch players in England…"

Harry smiled, straightening a little. He was the youngest Seeker in a very long time, after all. And he had played a crucial role in securing the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor every year since he started playing.

"He is. He is also absolutely reckless when he's playing," Hermione told her parents. "Once he sees the Snitch, he won't stop until he catches it."

"'Catch the Snitch or die trying', as my first captain told me," Harry said with his best cocky grin - almost like Bill's.

The Grangers, though, didn't seem to be impressed. Not at all.

He smiled at them. "How about we take you flying, so you can see it for yourself?"

"Ah…" Mrs Granger started to say.

"That's an excellent idea!" Hermione positively gushed. "Just as you always say: Don't knock it if you haven't tried it!"

"We were talking about vegetables, dear," Mr Granger told her.

"The principle remains the same," she retorted with her chin slightly raised.

Harry nodded. This should be good!

*****​
 
Chapter 41: The Slavery Dilemma Part 2
Chapter 41: The Slavery Dilemma Part 2

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 23rd, 1996

"And this is a Cleansweep Five. Old, but reliable. It has been working perfectly for decades by now!"

Ellen Granger had to struggle to keep smiling. Harry was obviously convinced that telling her that the broom had been in operation for over twenty years was a good sign. But she couldn't help feeling that this just meant that it was about to break down.

"I hope it was regularly maintained," Gabriel commented. He chuckled as if he were joking, but he wasn't joking at all - Ellen could easily tell.

Unfortunately, so could Hermione. "Dad! It's perfectly safe! Spells don't run out like that."

"But what about them 'getting quirky', as you called it?" Gabriel asked. So, he also remembered that tidbit about magic their daughter had shared.

"And the school brooms were, according to you, for the most part in a deplorable state," she reminded Hermione.

"Those are bad because they were cheap and used hard in Quidditch," Harry said. "Dad only used this broom for a few years and only one season in Quidditch. And we polish and check the bristles and spells every year."

Hermione nodded. "I've flown both - they're in excellent shape."

"Compared to the flying deathtraps at school?" Gabriel asked.

Hermione actually blushed a little. "They're not that bad," she protested. "And I didn't know too much about brooms when I said that."

"Hermione, admitting ignorance?" Gabriel chuckled again. "You must be honest, then."

"Yes, I am honest." Hermione glared at him.

Harry was hiding a grin himself, Ellen noticed. So, he wasn't blind to her daughter's faults. Good. Teenage relationships were fragile enough without that.

"Now step up! It's time for you to fly!" Hermione put both hands on her hips. Like Ellen's mother when she was stubborn.

Ellen sighed and walked next to the Cleansweep Six on the ground. "That's the newer one, right?"

"Yes. But it was used more often in Quidditch, so it's a little… well, it's still faster and more agile," Harry explained.

"They're basically the same," Hermione chimed in.

Gabriel gave Ellen a look, then stepped to the older one.

Ellen refrained from grimacing in return and sighed.

"No, hold your hand above the broom, as if you're about to catch it when it jumps up since that's what you're about to do, and say 'Up!' in a firm voice," Harry instructed her.

"You have to mean it," Hermione added.

Ellen took a deep breath and held out her hand. She didn't really want to fly, but… she wanted to appear as a hypocrite to Hermione even less. Even if Hermione knew that and was exploiting it rather ruthlessly. But witch or not, her daughter was still a teenager, and Ellen wouldn't cave so easily. And, a small part of her whispered, she would like to fly. She just didn't want to crash. So… "Up!"

The broom jumped up, and she gasped, barely managing to catch it - it actually hurt her a little as it smacked into her palm. But she held it. Felt it… pulling and pushing against her grip. This was magic. A flying broom.

She was smiling, she realised. And so was Gabriel.

"Great!" Harry said. "Now straddle it. Like this." He demonstrated it on his own broom. As did Hermione.

"And don't worry - we'll levitate your clothes, should you fall. I'm covering you, Mum. And Harry's covering Dad."

That was… actually reassuring. And Ellen, sitting on a magic broom, could use the assurance.

"Now, gently, slowly guide the broom up and ahead. At a low angle." Harry didn't tell her how, though.

"Just nudge it - and keep control of the angle of ascent or descent by moving the shaft." Hermione, at least, gave more practical advice. Probably from her own experience.

Ellen held her breath and pulled the shaft's tip up a little. Then she gasped as the broom started to move and her feet left the ground.

She was flying. She was flying. On a broom. This was… this was… Incredible!

"Steady, Mum! Watch the tree!"

Tree? She gasped and pulled on the shaft to avoid the tree in front of her. The broom veered to the left, and she started… rolling?

"Clench your legs!"

"Watch out!"

Too late - she slipped off the broom, dangling from her hands for a moment - checked the height: about two yards - and let go.

She landed in the grass of the Potters' backyard, crouching, while her broom went flying into the woods.

"Accio broom!"

Or not - there it returned to Hermione's hand. "You need to have a firmer grip on the shaft," she told her.

"And you need to use a softer touch," Harry added.

That sounded a little contradictory. She glanced at Gabriel, who was barely a yard high - and floating sideways.

Well, it looked as if this would take a bit more time than they had thought. Still, that moment when she had first flown…

Yes, Ellen knew she wanted to experience that feeling again.

Hermione probably had been counting on that - her daughter could be quite manipulative if she deemed it necessary. But Ellen didn't really mind. Not now, when she was about to fly.

"Up!"

Once more, the broom leapt into her hand. This time, though, she was prepared and caught it easily. And then she was straddling it and pushing off again. And she was flying. Soaring high in the sky… No. Not too high. Gently rising. Gently. Gently…

She clenched her teeth and held on to the shaft, pushing it down. The broom stopped ascending - and started diving.

Fast.

"Watch out, Mum!"

She pulled on the shaft as the ground grew closer and closer, and the broom finally followed suit - but she ended up pulling to the side, and she rolled again.

This time, she didn't manage to stick the landing. But she didn't break or hurt anything other than her pride as she rolled through the grass.

Gabriel was still floating about a foot from the ground, flying backwards now.

Hermione sighed. "Well, Dad needs to be more… forceful. And you need to be less."

"I noticed," Ellen retorted in the driest tone she could manage while brushing grass clumps off her clothes.

"Let me!" Hermione said. A moment later, all the grass and dirt fell off. "There!" She moved her wand, and the broom flew towards them.

Ellen got up again.

*****​

"This is…" Ellen Granger shook her head, almost gaping at the sight.

"Great, isn't it?" Hermione asked next to her.

"Yes." And it was. She must be about five hundred feet high - and the view was spectacular. The village below her, the small patches of forests, the rolling hills in the distance… "And the people below won't see us?"

"Not above this area," Hermione told her. "It's covered with spells, like Hogwarts."

"Ah." That was slightly disturbing. "So, if I leave the airspace above the house and the yard, I can't find it any more?"

"Ah…"

Ellen turned her head - and only her head; she kept the broom steady. "You don't know?"

"We didn't test that. I should've considered it." Hermione pursed her lips. "Sorry, Mum."

Well, Ellen knew Wizarding Britain wasn't very accommodating to muggles. But to think how they messed with your mind… She hated that. But it wasn't Hermione's fault. So she smiled. "Well, I'd rather not test it up in the air."

"Yes." Hermione grimaced.

"But it's still incredible," Ellen admitted. "The freedom…"

"And Dad got the hang of it as well," her daughter commented, pointing down.

Gabriel was flying about two hundred feet below them, doing lazy eights was the name of the figures, Ellen thought.

"Harry's teaching him a Quidditch search pattern."

"Ah?"

"Yes. The Seeker uses that while looking for the Snitch."

Ellen nodded. She didn't get the rules - they were, Hermione had agreed, asinine. But she could see the appeal of the game, now that she was flying a broom herself. Still… "I hope you aren't planning to make us play the game."

Hermione laughed. "Oh, no! That would be… I'm not going to dodge Bludgers myself, after all."

"Good."

"Although it would be good training for evasive flying..."

She knew that tone. "Hermione, there are safer ways to train that."

"Yes, Mum. Although there'll be a Quidditch game on Harry's birthday."

"Here?" Ellen looked down. Perhaps a temporary field or something?

"No, they'll be playing at the Weasleys'. They have a pitch."

So it was called a pitch. Good to know. "That's generous of the Weasleys," Ellen commented. She realised that she and Gabriel would have to buy a birthday gift for Harry as well. And not a cheap one - not after his godfather's planned gift to Hermione.

"It's been Ron's birthday gift for Harry for years," Hermione explained. "The Weasleys are not rich, but they're an old pureblood family, and they have a private Quidditch pitch."

"Ah." They sounded like impoverished gentry. Probably a touchy subject.

"So, what do you think of brooms now?" Hermione asked. She was smiling innocently, but Ellen knew her daughter.

"It's great. Though I also remember you telling us that wizards and witches would be flying much faster on the same brooms." And they wanted to buy even faster brooms.

"Yes, but we also have more training and experience - flying is a subject at school," Hermione replied.

Ellen looked at her until she squirmed a little. Then Ellen nodded. "Yes, I can understand the appeal. We might even look into buying some used brooms for ourselves," she said with a smile.

Hermione blinked, apparently not sure whether or not Ellen was joking.

To be fair, Ellen wasn't sure either. "Would that even be legal?"

"Ah… I'm not sure." Hermine would be berating herself for not knowing this, Ellen knew. "I don't remember a law against it, but… the Statute of Secrecy might be threatened - or so the wizarding authorities might presume - if muggles fly around on brooms. They're very concerned about keeping magic a secret."

"We're aware of that." Every time they travelled to Wizarding Britain, in fact. But Ellen was also aware just how great this world that her daughter had entered years ago was - if you were a witch or wizard. She and Gabriel would have to adapt if they didn't want to lose their daughter.

Because whether with Harry or someone else, Hermione would be living in this world.

*****​

Hogwarts, July 23rd, 1996

"It feels weird, entering Hogwarts in the summer," Hermione Granger commented as they walked up to the gate. She looked around - there were no disillusioned people hiding nearby, but they could easily stay outside the range of her spell.

"Yes," Harry agreed. He was looking around as well.

They should be safe - no one should know they would visit the school, after all. But if someone had spotted them in Hogsmeade and deduced that they were heading to Hogwarts...

"It's Hogwarts." Mrs Potter tapped the gate with her wand. "Whether it's summer or not."

"Mum! You're not a student any more. It's not the same," Harry told her. "You should be used to this. But for us? An empty school?"

Hermione nodded. Hogwarts without students milling around wasn't really Hogwarts.

"Lily! Harry! Miss Granger!"

And there came Professor Hagrid.

"Hagrid!" Mrs Potter smiled at the huge man.

"Here ta see Dumbledore, right?"

"He's expecting us, yes."

"Come in!" He pulled the massive gate open as easily as Hermione would open a door. "And the heroes of the hour!"

She felt herself blush. Heroes?

"We just did what we had to," Harry told the man.

"Yes," Mrs Potter sounded slightly annoyed.

"Nonsense! You are heroes!" Professor Hagrid insisted. "I don't know anyone who coulda done the same at your age." Then he frowned. "But did you have to kill the poor Wyvern? They didn't know any better!"

Ugh. Hermione grimaced. Of course the professor would focus on that.

"We had no choice," Harry told him. "It was trying to eat us. Several times. It just didn't let go."

"That's a wyvern fer ya. Stubborn to a fault - like dragons, but worse. But that's not their fault!"

That would be a poor comfort for anyone eaten by the monster. But Hermione held her tongue as they walked to the castle proper. She didn't want to start an argument. They were here to see Dumbledore, after all. To talk about another interview. Or an article.

Fortunately, Hagrid was more interested in talking to Mrs Potter than to them as they walked through empty hallways. Although that might be because he might resent them at least a little for killing the Wyvern.

"I hope Luna won't hold this against us," Harry whispered next to her, echoing her thoughts.

She nodded. It was creepy how different the school looked - and sounded - with no one around. In broad daylight, at least - she had sneaked around the school past curfew often enough to know, but it still felt different.

And then the gargoyle let them through - the password was 'Milky Way' - and Mrs Potter led them up to the Headmaster's office while Professor Hagrid returned to his hut or office - presumably to care for his animals.

"Ah, Lily, Harry, Miss Granger. Please have a seat." Dumbledore waved his wand as soon as they stepped into his office, and three chairs appeared.

Hermione eyed them. They looked different as well. More comfortable, for once. So…

"You are not here because you broke a rule," the Headmaster explained with a smile. "So, you can enjoy more comfortable chairs."

"Ah, right." Harry nodded, then blushed when Mrs Potter glared at him.

Hermione fought a blush of her own. "That shouldn't happen any more."

"Once Mr Malfoy accepts that you have changed, you mean," Dumbledore said,

"Yes." The blush won the struggle.

Mrs Potter sighed. "You don't have to hex Malfoy and break school rules."

"Defending ourselves isn't breaking any rules," Hermione told her. "I looked it up." Years ago, actually.

"Provided you are defending yourself," the Headmaster said, his smile not wavering, "and not retaliating. Or launching a preemptive strike. It is only self-defence if an attack is ongoing or imminent."

"I won't let Malfoy hex me to make a point," Harry blurted out. "He points his wand at me, he gets a hex to the face."

Or to another part of his body. Hermione firmly nodded.

"Harry! Hermione!" Mrs Potter all but hissed.

"Oh, I doubt we can ask more of you," the Headmaster said. "Actions have consequences, and Mr Malfoy's actions over the years have resulted in him acquiring a slightly unfortunate reputation."

Hermione didn't smile in satisfaction at the comment, but she certainly felt like it. The git should've stopped bothering them long ago.

"As did your actions." Mrs Potter's comment made Hermione frown.

"That's different!" Harry protested, turning to frown at his mother.

"How is it different?"

"Malfoy kept bothering us even though he never got us. Almost never, at least," Harry explained. "That's just stupid."

Hermione was forced to agree again, even though Mrs Potter certainly disagreed.

The Headmaster, though, chuckled. "Lily, I am sure you remember another band of, shall we say, rambunctious students who often visited my office."

"Yes."

Oh. Mr Potter and his friends. Hermione wasn't certain if she should feel flattered by the comparison or not.

"However, I think we have a different topic to discuss than the next school year. A more serious topic," the Headmaster went on.

"Yes." Hermione nodded. "We'd like to use our fifteen minutes of fame to oppose piracy and slavery. Effectively oppose them."

"Well, I would say you already opposed them quite effectively by dealing with a band of pirates, but I know what you mean." The Headmaster leaned back. "And you've already prepared the ground, so to speak, with your interview."

*****​

"We hope so. We want to help you gather public support," Hermione told the Headmaster.

Harry Potter nodded. "Against pirates and slavers." Which were one and the same most often.

"To increase the pressure on the Ottomans, I suppose." Dumbledore nodded. "A noble goal. However, when trying to influence the public, there is always the risk of succeeding a little too well."

Harry frowned. What was he… Oh. "You mean starting a war?"

The Headmaster smiled at him. "Precisely! I would award you points if we were in class."

"But would Wizarding Britain actually go to war over this?" Hermione leaned forward. "Everyone we talked to was adamant in wanting to avoid a war."

Well, they hadn't talked to too many other people, but that didn't mean Hermione was wrong.

"It is not very likely - people remember the last war, and some remember Grindelwald's War - but neither should we dismiss the possibility," Dumbledore said. "It has been almost fifteen years since the Blood War ended; almost an entire generation has grown up with only faint memories of it - and no personal experience. Further, the Blood War pitched British wizards and witches against each other. A war against the Ottomans would lack that particular horror. Not to mention that I am quite certain that many of our compatriots might not be entirely objective when comparing themselves to the Ottomans."

"You mean they overestimate themselves and underestimate the Ottomans," Hermione blurted out.

"Indeed. Hearing how two students fought and defeated an entire band of pirates will not have helped matters, I'm afraid."

Oh. Harry winced.

"Yes. I'm sure some of James's Aurors would jump at the chance, thinking they can walk all over Janissaries and experienced pirates," Mum said with a scowl.

"That matches what I have heard myself," Dumbledore said, "when I visited the Ministry yesterday. Even a few members of the Wizengamot, who really should know better, proclaimed their opinion that a war with the Barbary Coast, or even the entire Ottoman Empire, would be a walk in the park." He smiled. "I am afraid that you might have given our fellow British wizards and witches a somewhat misleading impression of the Barbary Coast pirates' competency."

"But…" Hermione shook her head. "It was you who conquered the pirate port - and with the help of another crew of Barbary Coast sailors!"

"And your friends," Harry added. This was stupid. Or insane.

"That is the truth - but then, it is also true that you successfully sank their ship, killed their wyvern - and I can guarantee that almost everyone in the Ministry has, by now, seen the trophy you brought back - and broke a captive out of their prison before escaping the island." Dumbledore spread his hands. "And, unfortunately and rather unfairly, some prominent members of the Wizengamot prefer to assume that your outstanding deeds are not an indication of your skill and bravery, but rather proof of the lack of either amongst the pirates."

Harry winced. He hadn't expected that. Not at all.

"So, does that mean that we don't need to give another interview to drum up support for a more forceful stance against piracy and slavery?" Hermione asked.

"I would not say that, my dear," Dumbledore replied with a slight sigh. "While many examples of prominent British wizards and witches are currently comparing themselves in rather flattering and sometimes almost delusional ways to you two, that does not mean they are overly concerned about the pirates since they have not been a threat to British shores in decades."

"And if we do show just how vile the pirates and their trade are, all the fools will push straight for war." Mum looked grim.

"I do think cooler heads would prevail since most members of the Wizengamot recall the Blood War's horrors, but I've been wrong before. And I fear that Cornelius, while certainly not a warmonger, is a little too concerned with what he thinks the people want. I can very well see him trying to set his mark in history, so to speak, with a short victorious war. Especially if urged on by some of his more foolish friends as well as the French and Spaniards."

Hermione grimaced at that. As did Mum.

"Then what can we do?" Harry asked. "We can't just do nothing and wait until everyone has forgotten about this." That would mean more victims like Céline.

"That is a good question. How much are we willing to risk? Should war break out, I am reasonably sure that we will ultimately prevail, but we will suffer losses in war, even in victory. And it will not be a short war. Not when the Ottomans' control over the Barbary Coast is tenuous at best, and anything that can be seen as a surrender would lose them the province for sure - which might cost the Sultan his position and life. And the pirates will move to prey upon our shores, and all the other shores within reach, once they think that they have nothing left to lose and that the main part of our forces are attacking their homes."

The Headmaster was looking at them, his eyebrows slightly raised. He couldn't expect them to actually make that decision, could he? They were students, not politicians. They couldn't just risk the entire country like that! No, this was just a hypothetical question.

Harry shook his head. "We can't… we can't start a war. Not like this." Not when the people who would be fighting in it had no idea what they were doing.

*****​

"But we can't let fear of a war keep us from doing something about piracy and slavery," Hermione Granger protested. They couldn't just let this go on. More poor children captured, like Céline, while they stayed safe in Britain? They had to do something. "You can talk to the Minister, can't you?"

Dumbledore inclined his head. "I can and do so. But Cornelius is… not the most stubborn man. He can somewhat easily be swayed by those who know him and his weaknesses."

"'Weaknesses'?" Hermione cocked her head.

"Bribes and flattery," Mrs Potter replied with a scowl.

"Oh."

"Cornelius is no Amelia Bones, but he is hardly the worst Minister I've known. However, as I said before, he almost certainly would overestimate our power and underestimate the enemy." Dumbledore sighed.

"But you can rectify it, can't you?" Hermione insisted.

"I shall most certainly try my best."

That should be enough then - he was Dumbledore, after all. Hermione nodded. "So, the risk of a war breaking out wouldn't be too great."

"That depends on your view of what would be too great. Is it certain? No. Likely? I think not. But it cannot be dismissed as impossible." The Headmaster leaned back, folding his hands on his belly. "I do think that this will require a most careful approach. And even so, things might get out of hand through no fault of our own."

"Skeeter," Harry hissed.

"Correct. Or people like her riling up the population for their own goals." The Headmaster sighed. "And France would certainly do what they could to fan the flames - the French have dreamt of finishing the Barbary Coast once and for all for decades. Unlike our compatriots, they are, however, quite aware of the price they would have to pay in a war, and that knowledge has stayed their wand. However, if Britain would join them, or lead the charge…" He tilted his head.

Hermione clenched her teeth. They had to do something! "What do you suggest?" she asked.

"What we need is a way to impress upon our fellow British wizards and witches how serious the situation is. They need less riling up, so to speak, than information."

"But…" She bit her lower lip. "The truth about piracy and slavery could rile them up." It should, at least - how could any decent man or woman tolerate such a crime against humanity?

"Which is why it needs to be tempered with the truth about war." The Headmaster nodded. "The horror of it, the pain and suffering, lasting years and decades past the war's end…" he shook his head. "I would not wish this upon anyone."

"It's still not certain that there would be a war," Hermione protested. "How great would the risk be, anyway?"

"I must confess that I lack the talent at Divination to calculate the exact odds - if that's even possible. However, the threat of war certainly isn't negligible. And there's the danger that the Barbary Coast leaders, such as the Bey of Algiers, and even the Ottomans might call us out - calling out our bluff, so to speak."

But is it a bluff? Hermione wondered. "And if war is the only way to end the pirate raids?" Hermione asked. "What if we either have to fight a bloody war or accept that every year, pirates will raid the coasts? How many people end up kidnapped, traumatised, every year? How many won't be ransomed because they're too poor - or are muggleborns no one would miss? How many will we sacrifice?"

"Too many by far," Harry chimed in.

"But is it worth a war?" The Headmaster spread his hands again. "The French would say yes. But then, their coasts are the ones getting raided while ours remain secure."

"That's not a fair comparison," Mrs Potter objected. "The only reason that our shores are safe is that they fear you, Albus."

Shouldn't that be enough to make the Ottomans cave in? If they feared Dumbledore and knew that France and Britain, and likely Spain, would back him in a war…

"And yet, while fear is holding them back from our shores, desperation would drive them to attack us if only to spite me. It is a fine line that we have to walk."

And a single misstep might result in a war. "But we can't just do nothing and let this go on." She bit her lower lip in frustration.

"And we will not," the Headmaster replied. "But we need to be aware of the risk we will take."

He meant them - Harry and her - of course. Dumbledore was certainly aware of the risks. Of course, as the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, he had decades of experience in these matters.

"So, this will require a delicate touch - and fine control. Which is, since we are talking about the press as well as public opinion, quite the challenge." He smiled. "It is fortunate that it happened during the summer; I would dread having to do this in the autumn."

When the school year would have started.

Mrs Potter sighed. "You'll be handling this, then."

"I shall try my best."

Hermione was both relieved and disappointed. But mostly relieved.

*****​

Grimmauld Place, London, Britain, July 23rd, 1996

"...and that was it, basically." Harry Potter shrugged as he finished telling Sirius about their visit to Hogwarts.

"The Headmaster made a very compelling argument about the risks inherent in any attempt to push for a more forceful stance against the Barbary Coast," Hermione added from her part of the couch in the 'salon' of Sirius's home.

"So… we won't be leading a charge up the beaches of Algiers any time soon?" Sirius asked with a grin. "And I was so looking forward to it after hearing about your infiltration of the pirate port."

Harry glared at him. This wasn't a joking matter. Not that that would stop Sirius.

"We're not going to give up. We're just… proceeding with more caution. And under the Headmaster's direction," Hermione said with a frown.

"And you're only giving interviews," Sirius told her. "You're not going to head off to fight pirates."

"Of course not!" Harry said. Sirius couldn't be thinking that they would be so foolish, could he? Then again, Sirius had grown up during the Blood War and joined the Order of the Phoenix at the first opportunity.

"Why does everyone think we want to fight pirates again?" Hermione asked.

"We don't," Sirius told her. "But it doesn't hurt checking, does it? You're not the kind of idiots who will do something just because they are told not to do it."

"Of course not!" Hermione firmly nodded.

Harry nodded as well, though he remembered a few embarrassing incidents that might fit Sirius's comment. But those had been years ago. He had learned his lesson.

"You were told not to attack each other several times," Sirius said.

"That's different!" Harry protested. "We didn't attack each other because we were told not to - we did it for revenge."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "A perfectly understandable reason."

Sirius laughed, even though it wasn't funny.

"That's over, anyway," Harry said. "We just want to be safe when we return to Hogwarts. And afterwards."

"And for that, we need training and some supplies." Hermione pulled out a sheet - her list. "Defensive supplies."

"Some say the best defence is a strong offence," Sirius commented.

"Well, few devices or spells are completely defensive in nature," Hermione admitted.

"Some are also plain fun," Sirius cut in with a grin.

Hermione frowned. "We've convinced my parents that brooms aren't a frivolity. They like flying."

They liked it eventually, in Harry's opinion. Mrs Granger had taken to it quite quickly and stubbornly, very much like Hermione herself, but Mr Granger had flown so close to the ground most of the time, he could have stood on the grass just by putting his feet down. Well, he had been flying higher at the end, at least.

"Ah! So, we should shop for three brooms!" Sirius beamed.

"They'll buy their own brooms," Hermione said and pursed her lips. "They don't need a high-performance broom. In fact, I doubt they could handle it."

"Why? They're muggles. The brooms will fly slower and more sluggish anyway for them."

"They aren't used to flying at all," Hermione replied. "Best to start them with a decent, ah, family broom. And they can buy one at a later date."

Sirius frowned in return. "Might as well buy a used broom at that."

"That is the plan, yes."

"Well, if you insist…" Sirius shrugged. "Anyway, so, we'll only get you a decent broom, then."

"A good broom," Harry said. "Not just a decent one."

"That's what I mean." Sirius grinned again. "But with that settled, and your plans to lead a crusade against the Barbary Coast temporarily on hold, that leaves us with nothing to do than training!"

Harry rolled his eyes at the weak joke - Sirius really didn't know when to let it go - but stood up at once. "Yes."

"To the duelling salle!"

*****​

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 23rd, 1996

"So, we've mastered the Disillusionment Charm," Harry said, looking at the ceiling above his bed. They should be sleeping - it was late, and they would be meeting their friends tomorrow - but he still felt a little...keyed up. Or something.

"Yes. And worked on dodging." Hermione replied next to him as she shifted a little, her mane of hair brushing over his side as she turned to look at him.

He turned his head to face her - the light from the sky outside was just bright enough to make out her face. "Which needs more work."

She snorted, and he saw she was frowning.

"And you're doing well," he told her.

"I didn't get duelling lessons for years."

"Yes." There wasn't anything to add there. Hermione knew the theory, and she had practised hard at Hogwarts - she had held her own during the fights with the pirates - but she hadn't had Harry's training, and he knew that it was a sore spot for her. "But things are going well."

"According to plan, mostly," she agreed. "But…" She sighed. "I understand the Headmaster's arguments."

"But you don't like it." Harry didn't like it, either.

"No, I don't. I wish we could do more."

"Me too." But they couldn't. The stories notwithstanding, they were two students who had just taken their O.W.L.s. They had been quite lucky on that island.

But they hadn't been just lucky. Harry knew that, as did Hermione.

And they could do more than just repeating what the Headmaster wanted them to say when asked by a reporter. They just needed to find out what exactly they could do. Eventually.

But not right now.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his side.

And he watched her fall asleep.

*****​

The Burrow, Ottery St Catchpole, Devon, Britain, July 24th, 1996

"Hail the conquering hero!"

"The conquering heroes, brother! We wouldn't want anyone feeling left out!"

"Indeed, brother! We wouldn't want to anger people who crushed entire pirate ships under their heels!"

Hermione Granger rolled her eyes. After five years in the same House as Fred and George Weasley, she was familiar with their antics. That didn't mean she liked them, of course. They were annoying even if she discounted the fact that they had interfered in her and Harry's… rivalry until they had learned better.

"Very funny," Harry told them in a tone dripping with sarcasm.

"It seems they are annoyed," probably-Fred said.

"You're correct about that," she told them.

"Oh, no! We have failed!"

"Please do not crush us!"

She pressed her lips together as Harry sighed. Where were the rest of the Weasleys? And Lavender? Ron had sent them a letter, asking to meet at his home. Had the twins done that? For some prank? If they had, they would regret it. Hermione wasn't in any mood to tolerate their antics. People could get killed through such stupidity.

"Fred! George! Don't bother our guests!"

Ah, here came Mrs Weasley. Hermione smiled at the witch entering the living room from the garden.

"We weren't, Mum!"

"Just being friendly!"

"Please excuse them; it's my fault," Mrs Weasley told them. "I should have known they wouldn't visit on a whim. Not after they barely visited for weeks since they moved out."

"Mum! We're working hard to start our business!"

"Your joke shop. Which you stocked with products you developed and made while you were at Hogwarts." Mrs Weasley scoffed. "You should've ample time to visit your family."

"Harry! Hermione!"

"Hermione! Harry!"

Ron and Lavender waved from the door. Harry and Hermione joined them, and they stepped outside.

"Sorry, we didn't realise it was already so late," Ron said. "We've been dealing with particularly stubborn gnomes who kept returning to the garden." He pointed at the patch of vegetables in the corner.

"Possibly a new species of gnomes. Or a new species masquerading as gnomes. Or the result of a curse on the yard. Oh. Hi, Harry. Hi, Hermione."

Luna. Hermione winced. She should've expected that the girl would be present - Luna had a gift to surprise people with her presence. And she also shared Hagrid's view of dangerous animals. Namely, that there weren't any dangerous animals, only misunderstood ones. "Hi, Luna."

"Hi." Harry looked a little apprehensive as well. "How have you been doing?"

"Well…" Luna cocked her head sideways. "I haven't been whisked away to a dragon sanctuary masquerading as a pirate island, which is kind of a bother for an aspiring reporter such as myself, but otherwise, I am doing well."

"'A dragon sanctuary'?" Harry asked.

"Yes, of course. You realised this, right? The way the 'pirates' only stuck to a small part of the island and left the rest to the wyvern is a dead giveaway. Or was a dead giveaway. Now it's only dead. The wyvern, that is. Or was."

Hermione grimaced. Yes, Luna wasn't happy about the dead wyvern. Not at all.

"How so?" Harry obviously hadn't realised that yet.

"If they had been actual pirates, they would have forced the wyvern into a cave protecting their treasure. They certainly wouldn't have let it freely roam the island - pirates aren't like that, as you should know."

"They acted like pirates," Hermione pointed out. "We saved one of their prisoners and found the remains of another:"

"The villagers probably depended on actual pirates to receive supplies since no one else knew about the sanctuary. Which also explains why there was only one wyvern and not more dragons. Or they were in the process of setting up the sanctuary, and the wyvern was the first creature to arrive."

"It was there for a long time - for decades, at least," Harry objected.

"Such delays are normal for a government project." Luna leaned in and lowered her voice. "It's because of all the corruption, you know. It's far easier to skim gold off the budget while a project is still in the process of being built, so the longer it takes to finish a project, the more money can be ferreted away - not that actual ferrets would steal money; that's pure propaganda, possibly started by foxes.

"'Foxes'?" Hermione asked before she could help herself.

"Shapeshifting foxes. The Japanese call them kitsune and think they are spirits, but that's just another ruse. Foxes are very cunning, you know. Slytherin earned their eternal enmity for not picking them as his House's animal."

"Ah." Hermione nodded.

"Very interesting," Harry said.

"Not as interesting as your adventures, of course." Luna smiled at them. "And that you finally realised all your aggression was just suppressed desire! I should have made that bet with Marietta, after all."

"What?" Hermione blinked. A bet? Suppressed desire?

"I told Marietta two years ago that you didn't actually hate each other but that you were just too immature to express your feelings in any other way when you were younger and then got stuck in a rut." Once more, Luna leaned in. "That happens when you focus too much on something, to the exclusion of everything else. Some people never manage getting out of that, and they end up Ministry bureaucrats."

Immature? Stuck in a rut? Hermione frowned. That was absolutely wrong! She opened her mouth to tell Luna just how wrong she was but noticed how Ron and Lavender were nodding in agreement with the girl.

"We weren't immature," Harry protested.

"Mate," Ron told him. "We were first years. Everyone's immature in their first year."

She couldn't exactly object to that without sounding immature now. But she so wanted to.

"It's good that you finally grew up," Luna told them with a beaming smile. "We were getting worried."

Hermione couldn't, for the life of her, tell if this was Luna's revenge on them for killing a wyvern or if the girl was genuinely concerned. Of course, with Luna, it could easily be both.

Great.

*****​
 
Last edited:
Chapter 42: The Day Out
Chapter 42: The Day Out

The Burrow, Ottery St Catchpole, Devon, Britain, July 24th, 1996

Ron Weasley struggled not to grin widely at Harry and Granger. He didn't know if Luna was pulling their legs for killing that wyvern or just being honest as usual, but she was certainly right to call those two out on their feud.

Harry blinked, opened his mouth, hesitated for a deep breath, and finally said: "We weren't immature. We were just… we didn't do anything Dad and his friends hadn't done at Hogwarts in their time."

Ron could resist. "Really? I thought you didn't want to repeat their pranks."

Harry frowned at him. "I didn't mean literally the same."

"And we didn't grow up only two weeks ago," Granger cut in. "That's…"

"Well, pranking is sort of childish," Lavender said with the sort of smile that told Ron she was teasing. And the way Granger glared at her, she was probably quoting something Granger had once said.

"Yes!" Luna nodded. "It's generally accepted that you don't prank people as an adult, with certain exceptions depending on your culture, such as the Muggle Fool's Day."

"You mean April Fool's Day," Granger corrected her.

"Not just Aprils - lots of muggles honour the day."

"That's not…" Granger shook her head. "Anyway, we weren't immature. We just had different… interests and priorities than, say, you."

"And those interests and priorities were what allowed us to survive on that island," Harry added. "Part of the reason, at least." He crossed his arms and nodded - together with Granger.

"And your love for each other, so long suppressed by pride and prejudice, was finally allowed to bloom once you were no longer forced to keep up appearances." Lavender nodded as well.

Granger glared at her again. "I introduced you to Jane Austen."

"And it was a good thing you did, or I would lack the context for this situation." Lavender had to be quoting Granger verbatim here - she never talked like that.

But it was fun. Ron chuckled. "She got you there, mate."

"You never said anything about that!" Harry protested. "And you would have, had you thought so."

"Well, I lacked the context," Ron told him. "But in hindsight, it makes sense."

"Exactly! It's a great example of unresolved sexual tension that finally was resolved," Luna said. "At least I think that's what the muggles call it - I need to do more research if I want to properly cover this in an article."

"You can't cover that in an article!" Granger protested.

"Why not?" Luna cocked her head, apparently surprised.

"Because..." Granger closed her mouth. "It's a private matter. You shouldn't write articles about relationships," she added after a moment.

Harry nodded. "Yes. That's like… gossip."

"Tabloids do a lot of harm by speculating about relationships," Granger went on.

"Oh." Luna pouted. "I thought it was a beautiful love story. Except for killing the poor wyvern and wrecking a nascent dragon sanctuary."

She looked so sad, Ron felt terrible, and he hadn't been the one to tell her that she couldn't write the article.

Harry and Granger? They grimaced. "Well, it's not that you can't write the article," Harry started. "It's just… it's a delicate matter."

"And people will try to use it to harm us," Granger added. "You know how bad gossip can be."

Luna slowly nodded. "I guess so. So, if I change the names, it's alright? An article about unresolved sexual tension might help others avoid getting stuck in the same rut you were. We can't expect every other feuding couple to have the chance to stumble onto a Portkey to solve their issues."

"Well, that's…"

"...an excellent idea," Granger cut Harry off. "It might help Malfoy realise that his infatuation is entirely one-sided."

Ron blinked. Had she just claimed that…?

"Oh, yes! How did miss it? Malfoy's constant attempts to attack and belittle you are also the result of unresolved sexual tension!" Luna beamed at them. "And with both of you as well! Which is a little surprising, but he is a Malfoy, after all. I guess letting him down gently won't work?"

"It might work once he has the context for it - which your article would provide, I think," Harry said. Ron's mate could barely hide his amusement, Ron could tell.

Lavender was already giggling into her fist. "Oh, yes. You can let him down gently once the article is out."

"Great! I'll get to it after this trip. I'll fetch Ginny."

Ron blinked as she turned towards the pond, where Ginny was trying to threaten the gnomes with drowning to make them leave. Had Luna just invited herself and his little sister to their trip to London?

"The more, the merrier, right?" Harry must have thought the same.

"Yes." Granger nodded.

"I hoped for a double-date," Lavender said with a slight frown. "An outing of six isn't the same."

Two in the group would feel out, at last, if they flirted too much. But Ron wasn't about to tell Luna they didn't want them with her. Ginny, on the other hand, wouldn't be a problem - he'd tell her to get lost in a heartbeat.

"Well," Harry said, "it's not as we have planned a trip to a love hotel."

"A love hotel?" Lavender asked.

"A hotel where couples go to, to, ah…" Harry coughed. "To spend the night. It's a thing in Japan. At least according to my cousin."

"Your cousin has been to Japan?" Granger asked.

"No. But one of his friends, Piers, likes Japanese cartoons," Harry replied. He shrugged. "Don't ask me why this came up, but Dudley mentioned it at dinner time once. Uncle Vernon wasn't amused," he added with a grin.

"Whatever," Ron said. "Let's just enjoy the day."

*****​

Diagon Alley, London, Britain, July 24th, 1996

"It started here, you know."

Ron Weasley winced a little at Harry's words. His friend was correct - the whole thing had started here, in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. It felt so long ago, but it hadn't even been a month since that day.

"Your first double date," Ginny said with a grin.

Ron rolled his eyes. His little sister wasn't half as funny as she thought. Even though Lavender giggled.

Luna nodded. "Oh, yes. This could've been a sign of sorts."

Lavender frowned. "I didn't think of that."

"Can't you check?" Ginny asked.

"No," Granger cut in. "Hindsight is the enemy of the inner sight. Your own biases blind you to the truth."

Lavender frowned at her. "I was about to explain that!"

"And now we're even for you using Jane Austen against me." Granger flashed a toothy smile at her. So, she hadn't changed too much, Ron realised. She still wanted to get even with everyone, except, probably, Harry.

Lavender pouted for a moment, then smiled. "In any case, yes - it was probably a sign that we all met up."

"Really?" Luna asked.

"I just explained that you cannot verify that," Granger protested at the same as Lavender nodded.

Harry chuckled. "Anyway, let's order. My treat!"

Ginny and Luna shamelessly ordered a huge bowl each. Ron wanted to restrict himself - he had his pride - but Lavender ordered the 'Lover's Surprise'. Twice.

Which turned out to be a chocolate-vanilla-stracciatella mix covered in whipped cream and then topped with hot… caramel sauce? Nutty caramel, Ron found out with the first spoonful.

A loud moan made him blink. Had that been…? Yes, Granger was blushing. And the other girls were giggling.

"It is excellent," Harry said, earning him a smile from his girlfriend.

Whipped, Ron thought.

"We should ask for a parlour to be opened in Hogsmeade," Luna said. She had finished half her bowl already, Ron realised. Which he should've expected - he knew how fast she went through pudding at the Weasley's.

"I heard that Fortescue makes all his ice cream himself, so I don't know if he can supply two parlours," Lavender said as she held a spoon full of chocolate and caramel in front of Ron's face. "Open wide!"

Ron did and let her feed him, then returned the favour. That was what 'Lover's Surprise' was about, after all.

"He could move this parlour, then. More business with all the Hogsmeade weekends," Luna said.

"I think he makes more money here than in Hogsmeade," Granger said before licking a speck of cream from her lips. "This is the main shopping mile of Wizarding Britain, after all, and his customers aren't restricted to students."

"It's not actually a mile," Luna said.

"It's an expression."

"Ah." Luna nodded and leaned back. "That was nice." Then she eyed Ginny's bowl.

And Ginny smiled and pushed her own bowl into the middle of the table, between her and Luna.

Ron shook his head. He had no idea where Luna was putting all that. Well, he knew where the sugar was going. This would be an interesting day.

"So… what now?" Lavender asked a little later after they had finished their own bowl.

"Do we need anything from Wizarding Wheezes?" Harry asked Granger.

She shook her head. "Nothing I can think of."

"Who are you planning to prank?" Lavender asked. "Malfoy?"

"No. Well, yes, but we don't plan to use any items on him," Harry said.

"Or on anyone else," Granger added. "But some items might have useful applications for self-defence."

Oh. Ron managed not to grimace, but Lavender winced. They were still preparing for a pirate attack in England. Great. Better change the topic. "Well, what about a movie?"

"Hm. It's too nice to be stuck inside for hours," Luna said. "What about the muggle zoo?" She beamed at them.

Ginny nodded. "That sounds nice. It's been a while since we were there."

Ron couldn't actually remember their last visit.

"It's educational," Luna added, smiling at Granger. "We can learn about animals and muggles!"

Ginny nodded again. "And we'll be safer there than in Diagon Alley."

Ron blinked. Were Ginny and Luna taking over their outing? Had they planned that? His little sister was cunning, he knew that, but…

Yet, Harry and Granger were nodding. "That's a good point," Granger said. "And we can get something to eat on the way. And the British Museum is close, so we can visit that as well."

"Relatively close," Harry said. But he was smiling.

Ah, well - it was still a day with their friends, Ron thought as he exchanged a glance with Lavender. And Harry and Granger really needed to relax, which meant they would have to go to muggle London anyway. "Sounds good," he said. "Do we take the tube?"

"The tube? Oh, the underground train," Luna said. "Did you know that it was planned by Dumbledore? He laid down the lines according to the scar on his knee!"

Ron blinked. How did Luna come up with these things? A scar on the Headmaster's knee? Who except for Luna's father would believe that?

*****​

London Zoo, London, Britain, July 24th, 1996

"Oh! Look at the monkeys!"

"Cute!"

Well, Luna and Ginny certainly were enjoying the trip, Harry Potter thought as the two watched the monkey eat. To be honest, he enjoyed the trip as well, though he wasn't as enthusiastic as those two.

Then again, he doubted that many could be as enthusiastic - Luna had actually squealed more than once so far.

"I still don't understand why we can't feed them. They're probably bored of always eating muggle fruits," Luna said. "They might like some wizarding produce. Or some of Fred and George's sweets - I think they would love being able to fly for a bit."

Harry winced. That was a potential break of the Statute of Secrecy right there.

"If people were allowed to feed the monkeys, they would feed them things that make them sick," Hermione told Luna with a slightly forced smile. "Not everyone knows what kind of food animals need and what they can't eat. Or shouldn't eat," she added before Luna could comment on that.

Luna pouted, but Ginny nodded.

"Cheer up," Ron said. "They're happy enough."

"And if they suddenly grew wings, they would probably be scared," Lavender added. "Remember that first year trying out one of those Canary Creams?"

Right. Harry doubted anyone would ever forget that. A panicked boy-sized bird had quite the lungs, and the Great Hall had great acoustics.

"Oh, right. The poor dears probably wouldn't like that. But if we could get them used to it slowly?" Luna wrinkled her nose and tilted her head to the side. "Perhaps start with a demonstration using a human? Make them curious? They are quite smart, so if they see what certain sweets do, they might try them themselves as an informed decision?"

"And what if they escape?" Hermione pointed out. "Or what if they are flying when the effect ends, and they end up falling from a great altitude?"

"And what about the Statute of secrecy?" Harry asked.

"We could claim those are spontaneous mutations. Muggles know about those." Luna smiled.

Harry clenched his teeth. He should have never shown Luna those movies.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Ron said. "The Aurors won't like it."

"Harry's dad can tell them to ignore it."

That was technically true, but… "Dad would never do that," Harry pointed out. "That would be breaking or bending the law."

"But if the law's not just, breaking it becomes everyone's duty!"

"I don't think that this was meant to cover flying monkeys," Hermione said.

"But what about judging the law by how it treats the weakest? You can't get much weaker than monkeys - they can't even wield wands!"

Luna had to be pulling their legs, Harry was now certain. Mostly - she did look earnest, nodding with wide eyes. But Ginny was doing a lousy job of hiding her snickering.

"Also, we don't know if Canary Creams are safe for monkeys," Ron said. "They were tested on humans, not on monkeys. And you know that chocolate hurts some animals."

Luna frowned at him but nodded.

"So, let's check out the big cats," Lavender said.

"Oh, yes!" Hermione enthusiastically agreed. Well, she had to be very fond of cats to like her monster of a half-Kneazle.

Everyone agreed though Ginny had to grab Luna's hand to pull her away from the monkeys, and they went towards the cat habitats.

On the way, Hermione hooked her arm through his, and they fell back a little - Luna had quickly taken the lead again, apparently not willing to 'waste time walking' instead of watching.

"I admit, this was a good idea," Hermione said. "I haven't been to the zoo in years; I forgot how much fun it was."

"I've been here once with Dudley," Harry said. And the less said about that visit, the better. Accidental magic and reptile habitats didn't mix. Auntie Petunia hadn't been happy. Dad hadn't been happy. The two alligators probably hadn't been happy to find half their pond drained, either. "But it's nice, yes," he said.

Hermione snorted. "And after the Wyvern, even the big animals here don't really look dangerous any more."

Harry chuckled. "Hagrid's lessons did that for me."

"Right." She leaned against him - he could feel her hair brushing against his cheek when she briefly laid her head on his shoulder. "Still, it puts things into perspective. Not that we have much to fear from muggle animals."

"Right." They were safe here. He blinked and quickly looked around. Hermione made a surprised noise when she was half-dislodged by the quick movement.

"What's the matter?"

"Just… I didn't keep an eye out." He hadn't even paid attention to their surroundings.

"Oh." She was biting her lower lip. "Neither did I. But the odds of anyone attacking us here are almost zero. Someone would have had to overhear us in Diagon Alley."

"Right." Harry sighed. That wasn't too likely, but still… Better safe than sorry.

On the other hand, they hadn't been attacked. And it had been an hour since they had arrived at the zoo. They were safe.

He wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist, and they continued walking, following their friends to the big cat habitats.

*****​

They wouldn't have time for the British Museum, Hermione Granger knew. It was already late in the afternoon. Well, she should have expected that. Luna and animals… "We'll probably have to drag Luna out when we need to leave," she said in a low voice.

"We could try luring her out with sweets," Harry suggested.

Hermione giggled at that. "That might work," she agreed, leaning a little more on Harry. Into him. "You know, this is nice," she said as they slowly walked towards the next habitat, where Luna was already all but climbing over the railing to watch the penguins.

"The zoo?"

"Just… relaxing," she said. She liked animals, but she wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Luna. And she already knew pretty much everything the zoo could teach them about their animals. That meant she didn't need to read all the placards or listen to the explanations.

"Ah." Harry nodded - she felt him move without looking at him. "I guess it is. Relaxing, that is."

They were safe here. Mostly. "Nothing suspicious."

"No." Harry sighed. "As far as we can tell, at least."

She nodded, looking around as they reached the enclosure. No one seemed to be paying them any attention.

"Look at them swimming!" Luna cheered, leaning forward so much, Ginny put her hand on her shoulder. "But aren't they hot? They're used to a colder climate! We could add some cooling spells."

And break the Statute of Secrecy. "They're fine," Hermione said.

"But they could be happier, I think."

Luna was probably right about that.

"But that doesn't mean you should just cast spells," Ron pointed out.

"Not without a proper plan, at least," Ginny said.

"Oh, right!"

"Muggles can add cooling as well," Hermione pointed out. "You don't need magic for that." It was usually just not worth the expense and too inefficient for such a habitat, of course.

"They can?"

"Yes. The penguins are fine," Hermione assured her. That was the third time Luna had wanted to 'help' the animals with magic. The girl was a little too enthusiastic about animals. If she ever met PETA…

"Well, they should add some ice floats, then. That would be a more appropriate environment. And it should be bigger."

Hermione bit her lower lip before mentioning that muggles couldn't use Extension Charms, and space was at a premium in London.

"Did your daddy ever visit Antarctica, Luna?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think so. He visited Chile, looking for Huallepen, but never Antarctica. At least not knowingly - he might have mistakenly visited once, when he had to apparate while drunk to escape angry caiman men, and ended up either on a mountain peak in the Andes or a hill in Antarctica. He didn't have time to look around since it was so cold, he had to disapparate right away, and his foggy breath hindered his sight."

Hermione winced at the thought of misapparating - was that a word? - like that. If Harry and she had appeared in the Arctic instead of a tropical island… Harry looked a little queasy too.

"That must have been an adventure," Ginny said.

"Oh, yes. Daddy still plans to go back one day to explain that he didn't know that the stone table he had sat down at to eat his breakfast was actually their holy shrine to the river goddess." Luna nodded sagely. "But between investigating the Rotfang Conspiracy and the search for the elusive Black-Furred Bigfoot, he hasn't found the time."

Hermione knew better than to ask after the Rotfang conspiracy. Luna was still convinced that her parents were secret agents fighting the conspiracy.

"So, polar bears now?" Ginny asked.

"Yes! We need to check if they have mistakenly placed an albino Kodiak bear in the habitat. I've heard it happened in a zoo, but not which zoo."

And they were off again.

"Do albino Kodiak bears exist?" Harry asked.

"It's a subspecies of the brown bear," Hermione explained. "Albinos probably exist or are possible, but I've never heard of one." Not that she had been searching for one, anyway.

"Well, let's go before Luna climbs into the habitat," Lavender said.

"Ginny would prevent it," Ron replied. "But yes, let's go."

They started towards the polar bear habitat. Hermione looked around. Families were milling around. Mostly children and mothers. Or grandparents - it was Tuesday, after all. Many parents would be working. And a wizard would probably not be aware of that.

"Nothing suspicious," Harry said, echoing her thoughts.

"Yes." She sighed. "We should do this more often."

"OK."

"As long as we can fit it in between training," she added.

"Of course."

She started thinking of possible dates for such… dates. "But next time, just the two of us," she whispered with a grin.

Harry nodded. "The museum then?"

"Maybe. Let's decide when we see what the weather's like." A stroll through a park sounded very appealing.

She leaned into his side again as they approached the polar bear habitat. And stopped to kiss before joining the others.

Which delayed them a little longer than expected, but Hermione wasn't complaining.

*****​

Kingston upon Thames, London, Britain, July 24th, 1996

"And here's yours!"

"Thank you!" Harry Potter smiled at the waitress as she put his order down in front of him. Lamb Curry, Malaysian style - according to Hermione, this was one of the best dishes in the restaurant and one of her favourites, though that had been obvious by the way the staff had greeted her.

"Oh, that's hot!" Ginny commented, leaving her mouth open and breathing heavily.

"I told you so," Hermione said, pursing her lips before taking a bite out of her own curry.

"Should've listened, Gin," Ron added.

"I made the same mistake when Hermione took me here for the first time," Lavender added. "It's spicier than we're used to but great. Once you're used to it."

"But that can take a while," Hermione said.

"It's worse than an acid pop," Ginny complained, swallowing half her water.

"It's actually quite mild," Luna said. "Compared to Peking Fire Duck. Daddy brought home a sample once. Did you know it's served afire? To simulate how it looked alive. But they have a really spicy sauce for it that makes your mouth feel as if it's burning."

"My mouth already feels as if it's burning," Ginny said, almost panting now.

"Eat some yoghurt then. Water won't help."

"Now you say that!" Ginny probably would have glared at Hermione if she hadn't focused on shovelling yoghurt onto her plate.

"You shouldn't have picked the spiciest dish," Ron said. He looked at Harry. "You don't seem to have any trouble, though."

Harry chuckled. "A few years ago, Dudley and his friends liked to challenge each other to eat the spiciest food they could find. Compared to Piers's 'Tabasco Surprise', this is mild."

Hermione groaned. "No wonder you were unfazed when I used a switching spell to dump a load of chilli powder into your food."

He laughed in return. "I remember that." It had been quite hard not to show any reaction at all, but the expression on her face had been worth it.

"Oh! Do you think that would be something Fred and George would be interested in?" Luna asked.

"No!" Ron and Ginny said in one voice. Then Ginny blinked. "On second thought, they're not living with us any more. So, they won't test that on us."

"They're still visiting," Ron pointed out.

"Not very often. And Mum would hex them if they messed with her meals." Ginny grinned. "Besides, they usually test their inventions on you, not me."

"They should've tested them on Harry," Luna said. "He'd have blamed Hermione."

"They actually tried that," Harry said. "But they didn't realise that we never hid what we had done to each other."

"At least not when no professor or snitch was present," Hermione added. "So, when he came to promise me swift and brutal vengeance for putting boiling paste into his socks, I told him that I wouldn't do such a stupid prank, and he believed me."

"And then we struck back at the twins," Harry said. "Using the plans I had made for my vengeance."

"Oh! The first time you united against a common enemy!" Luna beamed at them, then pouted. "So, if the twins hadn't surrendered but kept it up, you would've become a couple in your second year?"

Harry laughed. "I don't think so."

"We wouldn't have become a couple," Hermione said.

"Of course not - you were too immature back then." Luna nodded with an overly honest expression.

He blinked. Had Luna… taken another dig at them? He glanced at Hermione, who was all but pouting at their friend. So, probably yes.

But you never knew with Luna.

He watched her for a moment as she and Ginny swapped food around - Ron's sister apparently hadn't learned her lesson since she needed more yoghurt afterwards - but still couldn't tell.

But they had the right idea. He grinned and used his fork to steal a bite from Hermione's dish.

She looked both annoyed and surprised. "We've got the same dish!"

"It's the principle of the thing," he replied, chuckling.

She frowned some more, then narrowed her eyes. "Alright!"

And her chopsticks darted towards his own plate. He blocked them with his fork and retaliated. Which prompted another attack.

"They've gone mad," Ron commented.

"It was just a question of time," Lavender agreed.

"And they were doing so well," Luna said with a sigh.

Harry froze for a moment, then looked at Hermione. She nodded with a toothy grin.

And Harry stuck his fork into Ron's bowl while Hermione snapped up a shrimp from Lavender's plate.

"Hey!"

"Mate!"

"Ron, didn't you learn your lesson?" Ginny shook her head with a fake sigh. "You never get between those two."

While Ron glared at his sister, Harry stole another piece of beef from his rice bowl. Teach his friend not to mock him.

Dessert they took in Hermione's favourite gelateria, which, unfortunately, wasn't nearly as good as Fortescue's, to Luna's great disappointment. Though her mood brightened when Hermione agreed that the gelateria logically could only be her second-most-favourite gelateria.

All in all, it had been a great day.

*****​

Harrod's, Knightsbridge, London, Britain, July 25th, 1996

Hermione Granger scowled at the rack in front of her. "This was a mistake."

"Why?" Mum asked. "You said you had Harry's measurements. And that he needs a suit."

"I do." Hermione pointed at the suits. "But that's not a suitable birthday present. If Harry needs a suit for a muggle occasion, Sirius will hire a tailor to make him one." Probably the best tailor he could get. Or the most expensive. If he heard about haute couture… Well, it would be fun to see Harry in some of the more extravagant creations of Parisian fashion designers. But that didn't solve the problem of what to buy him for his birthday.

"I see." Mum shook her head with a frown. "So, we're back to square one."

"Yes," Hermione said. "Clothes are out. Unless we hire a tailor."

"A coupon for a paid visit to a tailor?" Mum suggested. "You did choose a paid trip to a spa for Lavender last year."

She had done that. But… "I need something a little more meaningful," she said with a sigh. "I don't want to just spend money."

"Not like Mr Black."

"He doesn't just spend money," Hermione protested. "It's just… He's rich, so he doesn't really care about money." But Harry's godfather was thoughtful and even insightful. Not too often, though.

"We're aware of that." Mum pursed her lips.

Hermione bit her lower lip for a moment. Her parents still disliked that Mr Black would be buying Hermione an expensive broom. But it couldn't be helped. And that was why Mum was with her, shopping in London, instead of working.

"What about a book?" Mum suggested.

"I've already picked out a few books for him," Hermione replied. "But they're not… expensive enough." And Harry wasn't so fond of books that buying an antique edition would be a good gift.

Mum shook her head again in apparent disapproval.

"Both his parents and Sirius have great libraries," Hermione defended her boyfriend. "Lots of old books."

"Magic books."

"Yes." She nodded. So many interesting books…

"Maybe we should buy him something magical."

Hermione frowned. It was a logical choice, but… "I would prefer something muggle. Most of his friends will give him magical presents." And between his parents and his godfather, she doubted that there were many things that he might want and didn't have which still fit their budget.

"Well, as long as it's thoughtful…" Mum smiled.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. Was that a slight dig at her relationship? Her parents hadn't said anything about her boyfriend, or their sleeping arrangements, but if this was a hint that they thought Harry and she were just together because of circumstances and didn't really know each other… "I don't doubt that I'll find something suitably priced and insightful." At least she hoped so.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Mum said.

But it was. Harry loved Quidditch, but everyone knew that. Odds were, all his friends would give him something Quidditch related. Or broom related. Duelling was the next obvious interest. And his godfather had the expensive parts covered while their classmates would likely buy duelling books or wand cleaning kits or something.

And she was his girlfriend, so she needed something more… personal. Insightful. If she went for the obvious, she might as well buy him a tie and cuff buttons. This was worse than shopping for your parents and grandparents, once you were past the age when you could craft something as a gift… She blinked. "Oh, yes!"

"Oh?"

"I know the perfect gift! Well, almost." She smiled. "And it'll be expensive enough for your pride, Mum." She smiled at her mother. And a little more when she saw that Mum was frowning for a moment at her own little dig.

"And what will it be?" Mum asked.

"I'm working on the details," Hermione told her. "But I know what we need to buy."

She had done this before, after all. But this time, it would be to help Harry.

Mum looked a little doubtful still. But Hermione ignored that as she started making a list. Once she had everything, she'd need to work on it, probably in Grimmauld Place. And without Harry being aware of it, or it would ruin the surprise.

Well, that shouldn't be a problem. His godfather would probably help her if she explained things.

"We'll need a number of high-quality ingredients. And tools," she told Mum. "Both muggle and magical." And it was already a little late, so they had to hurry a little to get everything before dinner at the Potters.

"Are you planning to do this at home?" Mum asked.

"No, no. That would trigger the Trace. I'll do the magical part at Grimmauld Place. Probably. Alternatively, I can ask Lavender." Hermione nodded. "But I'll have to use the tools at home." She smiled at Mum. "And I will need your help for the sewing. And Dad's."

Mum smiled at that, and Hermione felt a little guilty. She had been spending less time than usual with her parents this holiday. But that couldn't be helped.

She needed to be with Harry.

*****​

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 25th, 1996

"Wow, you actually remembered that you have a family?"

Harry Potter rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Rose!" His little sister was so immature! "I've been here every day."

"For a few hours at most. With your girlfriend."

Harry put the Daily Prophet - with another article about the Barbary Coast pirates and their attacks on France in the past - down on the table. "Jealous?"

"Of course not!"

"You sure sound like it."

"You wish! I'm just remarking that you spend more time at the Grangers' than here."

"That's not true," Harry retorted. They were as often at Sirius's, after all, for training. "Besides, why do you care? You always complain when I'm here."

"Only when you're bothering me. Which you're always doing. But Mum and Dad miss you, and it's not fun seeing them sigh and be all concerned about you!"

Ah, there it was. "Really?" He scoffed. "We're here every second day."

"In your room, doing… whatever."

"So you are jealous." Harry shook his head.

"I'm not jealous."

"Jealous that I'm in a relationship and jealous that Mum and Dad care enough about me to worry," Harry said.

"We care about both of you!"

Harry winced. He hadn't noticed that Mum had left her lab in the basement. "Morning Mum."

Their mother rolled her eyes. "It's almost noon."

"Technically, that's still morning," he replied.

"And we were all together for breakfast," Rose piped up. "Did you forget that already?"

Harry scoffed at her. "Of course I didn't forget! I was just witty."

"Half-witty, you mean."

Oh, you…!

"Enough!" Mum snapped. "You're behaving like little children."

Harry swallowed his protest. It would make him look childish. Even though he was only defending himself against Rose's jealous barbs.

"Mum!" Rose pouted. "Harry started it!"

Harry grinned. His little sister just made a mistake.

"And I'm ending it!" Mum glared at Rose. "Harry went through a traumatic experience, Rose. It's natural that we're worried about him."

Harry nodded, then caught himself. They didn't have to worry about him!

Rose snorted. "He looks so traumatised when he's off to spend the day with his girlfriend!"

"Leave Hermione out of this!" Harry snapped. "And I'm not traumatised!" He'd just learned a lesson about being cautious and prepared.

Mum sighed and sat down at the table. "Enough, both of you. Rose, don't rile up Harry. He did suffer through a traumatic experience and is still coping with it."

"Mum!"

"Yes, you are, Harry. Denial doesn't suit you. And don't lord the fact that you're in a relationship over Rose."

"I'm not jealous!"

Harry narrowed his eyes. Why wasn't Mum telling Rose that she was jealous?

"Really, you two. If you don't stop this stupid quarrel right now, I'll have words with Sirius about your birthday presents. And your Christmas presents."

That was unfair! Harry glared at Rose, who was scowling at him as if this wasn't her fault.

Mum sighed once more. "Now, we'll have lunch soon. James is coming at noon unless there's an emergency at the Ministry. Since you don't have anything better to do than quarrelling, you can help me prepare the meal."

Damn. This was all Rose's fault.

*****​

Grimmauld Place, London, Britain, July 25th, 1996

"What's Hermione doing?" Harry Potter asked Sirius as soon as they were alone in the salon.

"It's a surprise," his godfather replied with a grin. "She told you that, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did," Harry admitted. After she had talked in private to Sirius.

"So, you don't expect me to betray her confidence, do you?"

Harry sighed. Sirius was his godfather, but that might be going a little too far. And Hermione wouldn't be happy if Sirius spilt her secret. "It's for my birthday, isn't it?"

Sirius's grin widened. "I'm not telling you anything."

"She's using your library and your lab," Harry pointed out. "And if it were for anything other than my birthday gift, she would have me help."

Sirius made a humming noise.

Harry sighed and leaned back in his armchair. "I'll find out in a few days."

"Yes, you will."

"So… what are we doing while Hermione is working on her surprise?" Harry asked after a few seconds.

"Well, we could go and 'work' on her birthday gift," Sirius suggested. "But I shouldn't leave her alone in the house."

Harry nodded. Kreacher had gotten better, or so Mum and Dad claimed, but he still didn't like muggleborns. Harry didn't think the elf would try to hurt Hermione, but he also didn't think he wouldn't try. "Probably not," he said.

"So, I thought we just had a nice relaxing afternoon." Sirius smiled widely at him. Too widely.

Harry closed his eyes. "Mum complained, didn't she?"

"Well, James told me, but I think Lily asked him to." Sirius shrugged. "A quarrel between siblings is nothing to be worried about unless curses are cast, but I think relaxing will do you good."

"I'm relaxed," Harry pointed out. Sirius should know that.

His godfather grinned and pulled out a set of Omnioculars. "So, you don't want to watch my new collection of the best scenes from last season?"

"They already arrived?" Harry leaned forward. "Usually, they arrive in August."

"That's because Leopold Travers had an accident early in the season and missed most of it. He always held out for more galleons before donating his memories, so that delayed the whole project."

"Great!" Harry reached to grab one of the Omnioculars. Being at Hogwarts, he missed most of the season, and this was the best way to watch the matches. "Oh! The guests will love that, too!"

"You want to spend your birthday party rewatching the season?" Sirius raised his eyebrows.

Harry blinked. "Right. Forget that. I can loan it to Ron and Neville. But let's start now!"

*****​

Bethnal Green, London, Britain, July 26th, 1996

Hermione Granger wasn't quite certain whether the fact that Miss Vance lived in an obviously muggle apartment building was a promising sign or not. On the one hand, anyone so at ease with muggles as to live in such a building would likely be familiar with modern psychology, which would make talking to her easier. On the other hand, living in such a building precluded the use of wards - they would block all electronics in the house - so the witch, despite her experience in the Blood War, wasn't properly cautious. Without Anti-Apparition Jinxes, anyone could instantly enter her apartment.

"Is something wrong?" Mum asked.

"No, no," Hermione quickly told her. "I just didn't expect such an… apartment."

"Yes," Harry chimed in. "I thought it would be like Grimmauld Place - a free-standing building with wards."

"The Vances aren't an old pureblood family," Mrs Potter said. "And Emmeline lived as a muggle during the war as well. She said it kept her safer than living in Wizarding Britain would have been."

"Because she kept her address secret, right?" Harry looked at his mother.

Hermione agreed. Anonymity would have been a powerful defence. "But now people know where she lives."

"Only her friends are privy to that. And now you. And the war's over," Mrs Potter said. "Now, let's go in. We don't want to be late."

"No, we don't," Mum agreed, and they entered the building.

Hermione put her hand close to her holster - just in case - and glanced at Harry. He nodded back, then covered the right side while she kept an eye on the left side. Good.

They took the stairs, not the lift - Miss Vance lived on the first floor. And the lift would have been a perfect location for an ambush - or a trap.

But nothing happened.

"Ah, you've arrived! Come in!" Miss Vance was a statuesque woman with a friendly smile. Short, fashionable muggle hairstyle, Hermione noticed. Not quite in fashion in Wizarding Britain. On the other hand, she was wearing robes - but robes that could pass as a muggle dress.

And she had a television and a computer in her flat. Well, she'd be a fool if she didn't take advantage of the lack of wards.

Hermione looked around while Mrs Potter, her Mum and Miss Vance made some chitchat. The windows looked normal, not reinforced. No bars on them either - possible escape routes. And… Ah. There was a perch with a sleeping owl in the kitchen, near an open window.

Not the safest setup - if someone followed the owl to the apartment…

"So, we'll come back in an hour?" Mrs Potter asked.

Hermione berated herself for missing that they finished talking. She couldn't afford to be so sloppy.

"So… let's sit down in the living room," Miss Vance said once Mum and Mrs Potter had left. "It's more comfortable than my office."

Hermione nodded. That made sense. Miss Vance wasn't an actual psychiatrist, so she wouldn't need an office for their talk.

The couch was very comfortable, at least. And Harry sat down next to her - close enough for their legs to touch.

Miss Vance didn't comment. She leaned forward in her armchair and smiled. "So, you've had a rough time over summer, and now everyone's walking on eggshells around you, or so I hear. And you don't like it."

Hermione blinked. That pretty much summed up the problem. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as they had feared.

"Yes, exactly!" Harry nodded.

"And you think they're overprotective and don't understand that you're fine."

"Mum told you that," Harry said with a pout.

"Of course she did." Miss Vance kept smiling. "That's her view. Now, what's your view of things?"

Hermione glanced at Harry again. "We're fine," he said.

"And that's why you cased my apartment for possible ambushes and escape routes while I talked to Lily and Mrs Granger?" Miss Vance raised her eyebrows, but her smile didn't budge.

Hermione frowned. It looked like this would be worse than what they had feared.

*****​
 
Chapter 43: The Birthday Party
Chapter 43: The Birthday Party

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 31st, 1996

If Rose Potter had to pick a day as the worst of any year, it would probably be the 31st of July. She'd suffered worse days in her life - the day she wrecked her first potions lab came to mind - but counting all the years she could remember, the 31st of July was most consistently a bad day.

Harry's birthday. And Neville's. Which would be celebrated here. Where Rose lived. An entire day, dedicated to her stupid brother. His friends - and some of Neville's, though mostly Harry's - hanging around, being stupid. Mostly boys, too. Except for Ginny, and since two years ago, Luna. And Ginny was only present because they always moved to the Weasleys later in the afternoon to use their pitch for Quidditch (and eat Mrs Weasley's delicious cake - which was also unfair. Harry got two birthday cakes here and a third at the Weasleys'!), and Luna was only around since she was Ginny's best friend. At least that was how she had met Harry and become his friend.

And why would anyone want to be Harry's friend? He was annoying, brash, and obsessed with Granger. Now more than ever. If he weren't good at Quidditch, no one would really care about him. Luna was smart - she was a Ravenclaw - she should know better. Or have better taste. At least neither of the girls had a crush on Harry - talking to his stupid fangirls was the worst. It was all 'oh, your brother is so great!' 'oh, he's the best Seeker ever!' 'you're so lucky to have him!'.

She retched. They wouldn't be talking like that if Harry were their brother.

"Rose? Did you move your books from the couch?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mum!" As if she would leave her best books out shortly before the guests started arriving.

As if the fireplace had read her mind, it flared up, and a figure stepped through it. Two figures. Granger and Brown.

"Hello, Rose." Granger nodded at her.

"Hello!" Brown flashed her an overly sweet smile.

"You're early," Rose told them.

"We wanted to check if we could lend a hand," Granger said.

Brown coughed.

Rose shook her head. "Harry is where you left him this morning - in his room." Mum had everything in hand, anyway. At least Dad hadn't taken the day off but had gone to work as usual. Though he'd be back for lunch.

"Thank you!" Granger turned and headed to the stairs as if this was her home.

"I'll wait here," Brown said, sitting down in an armchair. "If that's OK," she added rather belatedly.

Rose shrugged. "Make yourself at home." Granger had already done so.

"Don't mind her," Brown said. "She's in love."

Rose snorted. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

Brown giggled at that. "They're a bit much, yes."

And coming from the girl who had probably spent more time on Weasley's lap since they had become a couple than in her own chair, that was saying something. "Yes," Rose said, frowning.

"It's the honeymoon," Brown said. "After a while, they'll be back to normal. Well, not like they were before, of course. But Harry will spend more time with you again, don't worry!"

Rose tilted her head. "You don't have a brother, do you?"

"Ah… no?"

"Right. You wouldn't say that if you had a brother like Harry." Rose scoffed.

"Ah." Brown nodded. "Ginny said something similar."

"She would know." The poor girl had six older brothers.

Brown couldn't take a hint, though. She leaned towards Rose and smiled. "You'll get a boyfriend of your own, don't worry!"

"I know," Rose said. Seamus had asked her out, hadn't he? And while the boy was a pig - and, apparently, had talked badly about her according to Harry - she was quite confident that she'd get a boyfriend if she wanted one. Pretty confident, at least. Not that she wanted one. She didn't. "Not that I'm looking for one."

"Ah."

Rose didn't like the smile on Brown's face. It was like Romilda's when she told the witch last year that she wasn't sad about Seamus dumping her. "Not everyone thinks having a boyfriend is the best thing ever," she said. "Just look at Granger."

"What's with Hermione?"

"She went from a witch who stood up to Harry and could match him hex for hex to his girlfriend," Rose explained.

"Well, and he became her boyfriend. I think that's a good thing," Brown retorted.

Not when now there was no one left to take down her brother's ego. Rose shrugged. "Too lovey-dovey for me."

"'Lovey-dovey'?"

"They spend every minute together. Might as well have a Sticking Charm on their hips."

Brown giggled again. She was… well, not as bad as Romilda, but it came close. And she was two years older than Rose! At least Granger didn't giggle like that. "That's also normal."

"And sleeping together every night?" Rose asked. And with Mum and Dad's blessings, even!

"Well… there are special circumstances," Brown replied, probably quoting Granger. "But…" She grinned. "...it's certainly nice for them, isn't it?"

Rose rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." It was unfair that Harry got all the special permissions and favours. Hell, if he asked for a Phoenix, Mum and Dad would probably at least try to get him one. Though it would be funny if he did - Hedwig would peck his head all day! She grinned at the thought.

"So, what can we do to help?" Brown asked.

Rose stared at her. She actually wanted to help? If someone expected Rose to help prepare Harry's party...

"Hermione wanted to see Harry, but I didn't come along to just wait until the party starts," Brown said.

"Best ask Mum," Rose said, pointing towards the garden. "She's setting up the table and stuff." Since the weather was nice, they'd eat in the garden - in the back. There were spells to hide the magic, but it was still better to have a wizarding party in the back. And they had more room there.

"Ah, good." Brown stood up and walked towards the door to the garden.

Rose shook her head. Working voluntarily for Harry? Feh! She sighed and grabbed the Daily Prophet from the side table. There had been something about a new potion in the back, or so she thought. But before she could find the page, she heard steps on the stairs. Harry. And his girlfriend.

She leaned back, craning her neck to look through the open door at the stairs. It was upside down, but she saw them come down. "Brown's in the garden," she told them, "helping Mum set up the party."

"Ah, good!" Granger smiled at her and headed towards the door herself, Harry trailing behind her with a slight frown. Trouble in paradise? Or… "Are you going to help as well?" Rose asked as she sat up and turned to face them with a smile.

"Exactly!" Granger nodded again. "We can't just let Mrs Potter do everything, can we?"

That was how it usually went, Rose thought. Granger probably wanted to make a good impression on Mum. On the other hand, she was muggleborn, and muggle parents couldn't just use spells to prepare a party. Auntie Petunia had to do everything by hand, Rose knew. Though she wouldn't let a guest help her, of course.

She grinned and stood, following the two. This should be fun.

"Mrs Potter? What can we do to help?" she heard Granger ask when she reached the door.

"Ah… as I told Lavender, I've got things in hand," Mum replied.

Rose saw Harry straighten a little behind Granger.

But then, Mum went on: "But you can start moving the food to the buffet here."

Hah! Rose stepped inside, her grin widening.

"Thank you, Mrs Potter."

"Call me Lily, Hermione."

"Sorry, Lily."

Rose smiled at Harry when the two passed her. Harry glared back, and she saw his wand twitch, but he knew better than to hex her - Mum would know it was him.

"Oh, Rose! Could you fetch the pops from the cellar?"

"What?"

"They're in the corner."

Rose heard Harry snicker behind her and clenched her teeth as she stomped towards the stairs.

This was all Granger's fault! Now she had to help prepare Harry's stupid birthday party.

She went down into the cellar and grabbed the basket with the shrunken bottles in it. At least she didn't have to lug around too many drinks.

When she entered the garden again, Neville had arrived with his gran. He was standing around looking uncomfortable while Mum and Mrs Longbottom talked.

Rose shook her head. "Neville! Can you help me with this?"

He turned. "Oh, sure, Rose!" He flashed her a smile, and she ignored the frown from his gran.

"Thanks," he told her as he took the basket and placed it on the table for the buffet.

"You could've just walked away, you know," she told him.

"That would've been rude."

She rolled her eyes. "We're not in the Wizengamot."

"Tell that to Gran."

"Maybe I will," she shot back.

"You won't," he said with a grin.

She scoffed. Of course she wouldn't. That would be rude, and Mum would be mad at her. And Mrs Longbottom would be angry as well, though that wasn't much of a concern for Rose.

But the conversation about that was over. Which meant they needed something else to talk about. "So, how's Trevor doing?" Rose asked. Neville winced, and she shook her head. "He ran away again?"

"He always shows up before we head to Hogwarts…"

"And then he runs away on the train. And at Hogwarts."

"He's a lively toad?" Neville grinned and tilted his head.

"Probably cursed," she said.

"No, we had that checked." Neville shrugged. "It was a little weird that he just wouldn't settle down."

"Ah." Rose didn't know what else to say - she couldn't ask him about Potions - and busied herself with rearranging the bottles in the basket. "We'll have to unshrink the bottles."

"Do you mean us?" Neville asked, looking over his shoulder at his grandmother.

"Afraid you'll get a notice from the Ministry?"

"No. But Gran doesn't like it if I 'flout the law'."

"Everyone's doing it."

"Just because everyone is doing something doesn't mean the Longbottoms are doing it." He grinned again, a little ruefully.

Rose rolled her eyes again. "I bet you hear that every day."

He grimaced, and she suppressed a wince. Neville was a little sensitive about his gran, even though she was an old bat, as Auntie Petunia would say. Then again, she had raised him. She shrugged. "I can unshrink them, then." Probably. It couldn't be too hard, could it? Harry had done it all the time on the island.

"I'll help," he said. "They'd have to punish both of us then."

She smiled again.

And then Harry and Granger appeared from wherever they had been, and Neville smiled at them.

Typical.

*****​

"Hello, Neville. Happy birthday." Hermione Granger smiled at the other birthday boy.

"Hermione. Harry. Happy birthday, Harry!"

"Happy birthday, Neville," Harry said with a chuckle.

Neville looked a little nervous, or so Hermione thought. And Rose looked a little annoyed. Had they had a spat? Rose had seemed to be annoyed all morning. Then again, that seemed to be her normal mood, as far as Hermione could tell. Which, from what Lavender had told her about the Weasleys, was par for the course for siblings.

"We were just about to unshrink the bottles," Neville said.

"Oh, let us!" Hermione smiled at him, then waved her wand at the basket full of shrunken pops. This was a good way to test silent casting. And the Levitation Charm, she added as she had to catch several bottles spilling out of the suddenly too small basket before they crashed to the ground. She floated them to the back of the table - if anyone opened them right now, there would be a mess.

"Oops," Harry said, stashing his own wand. "Guess we overdid it a little."

"Idiot," Rose mumbled. Yes, still annoyed.

"No harm done," Hermione said. Neville was looking weirdly at them, she noticed. "Did we break a bottle?"

"What? No, no." He shook his head. "It's just… I didn't really believe the Prophet, you know."

"The Prophet?" Harry asked.

"Well, they printed a lot of things that you shouldn't believe," Hermione pointed out.

"About you two, ah…" Neville smiled, flushing a little.

Oh. Hermione felt as if she was blushing a little herself. "Yes, we are together," she told him. "And yes, it happened on the island."

"Oh, boy, are they together!" Rose muttered. "All the time."

"Shut up!" Harry snapped.

"Make me!"

"Oh, I will!"

"Harry." Hermione laid her hand on his arm. This was his party. His and Neville's. Hexing his sister wasn't a good idea. Even though Rose seemed to be asking for it.

"Sorry," he said, smiling at her.

She smiled back.

"That will take some time getting used to," Neville said, shaking his head in a rather bemused manner.

Hermione frowned at him. "It's really nothing extraordinary," she pointed out. They worked out their differences and realised they were attracted to each other. Simple. Relatively simple - the exact circumstances were quite extraordinary, of course.

"Of course," Neville said, nodding quickly. He didn't sound very sincere, though.

And Rose was rolling her eyes again. "Really? You spent years hexing and jinxing and cursing each other…"

"We never used curses," Hermione said automatically.

Harry nodded in agreement. "At least not according to the accepted definition by the law."

"Exactly." And that was all that counted, at least legally.

Rose scoffed again. "...and suddenly, you're in love! Totally in love. You make Brown and Weasley look as if they were shy!"

Hermione frowned. That wasn't true! Lavender and her boyfriend were very affectionate.

"Really?" Neville boggled. Actually boggled. "That's…"

"...not true," Hermione told him, showing her teeth.

"You shag like rabbits!" Rose said.

"Rose!" Harry snapped.

"What? It's true!" she protested.

"Ah…" Neville looked more shocked than the time Slughorn had made him demonstrate the boiling potion in front of the class.

"They spend every night together!" Rose told him. "Can you imagine that? And they're going to do the same at Hogwarts!"

Well, that was true, but they had good reasons for either. Extenuating circumstances - not that there was anything wrong with spending time with your partner. Or having sex.

"Really?" Neville stared at them with his mouth half-open. No, fully open. Wide enough for Trevor to jump through.

"Mum! Rose is spreading rumours!" Harry yelled.

"It's not a rumour; it's the truth!" Rose yelled.

"It's private!" Harry added.

And there came Mrs Potter - Lily, Hermione reminded herself. The woman looked annoyed - the resemblance to Rose was obvious now. "What's going on? Are you quarrelling again?"

"Rose was telling Neville that we 'shag like rabbits'," Harry said.

"It's the truth!"

"It's none of anyone else's business than our own," Harry pointed out.

Hermione nodded. She refused to blush - there was nothing of which she should be ashamed.

"Rose!" Lily glared at her daughter. "That was out of line! Would you like it if Harry talked about your private life?"

"He does! He told everyone about my potions accident!"

"That was a necessary warning so they wouldn't be near you when you were brewing!"

"You arse!"

"Harry! Rose! Behave yourself! I taught you better than that!"

"Sorry, Mum."

"Sorry."

"Now apologise to each other. And I don't want to hear anything like that, or you can watch from your room while everyone else has fun at your party."

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

They weren't - Hermione could tell. She had received too many of Harry's fake apologies in Professor McGonagall's or the Headmaster's office to be deceived. She doubted that either Rose or Lily was fooled either.

But appearances had been upheld.

Lily nodded, then left again.

And Neville was still staring. Honestly, their relationship really was nothing special.

Fortunately, Lavender came out into the garden, with her boyfriend in tow.

It seemed the guests had started to arrive.

*****​

"Ron!" Harry Potter smiled at his best friend. "Glad you could make it."

"As if you could keep me away," Ron replied, one arm slung around Lavender's waist. The rest of us are not here yet. Ginny went to fetch Luna, but I didn't want to wait. Hi, Neville. Happy birthday to both of you."

"Ah, thank you." Neville nodded automatically.

"Is something wrong?" Ron asked.

"Neville has trouble adjusting to Harry and my relationship," Hermione told him. She wasn't rolling her eyes, but Harry knew she wanted to.

"To the details of their relationship," Rose muttered. Harry shot her a glare. It was her fault that such details had even come up.

Ron's eyes widened. "Oh. You told him already?"

"Already?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"Well, it's not as if you can keep it a secret, can you?"

Harry didn't know if Ron was talking about their relationship or the fact they were sleeping together every night, and he wasn't about to ask. "We're not about to blurt it out, either."

"No, you only told the Prophet," Rose commented.

For some reason, Ron and Lavender found that funny. It wasn't. Not really.

"I'm just… surprised. Very surprised," Neville said, nodding several times.

"It takes a bit to get used to it," Ron told him. "Trust me, we know."

Harry glanced at Hermione. She was pressing her lips together. Probably to keep from making a few pointed remarks.

He cleared his throat. "Anyway! We're here for a double birthday party. Not to gossip."

"But that's what we do at parties," Lavender objected with a grin.

"Then let's gossip about someone else for a change," Hermione cut in. "If we absolutely have to."

For a moment, no one said anything. Then Ron coughed. "So, how about the new Quidditch season?"

It wasn't the most original topic, but it would do. At least until the rest of the guests arrived.

*****​

"...and that's why I think the Cannons have a shot at the cup this season."

Harry Potter wondered, not for the first time, if Ron actually believed that or if his apparent faith in the Chudley Cannons' eventual triumph was just the longest-running prank in Hogwart's history. He doubted that Ron could keep up such a convincing act, but then - he was Fred and George's brother.

Hermione sighed. "So, you think that a team that has been constantly losing their games - once even against a team that was absent…"

"That was only because they got disqualified after the manager misremembered the rules governing forfeit matches and didn't line them up for the match!" Ron interjected.

Hermione continued on without blinking. "...and with a management that is clearly as inept as the players, will suddenly become successful just because they replaced their brooms?"

"Those are great brooms. Puddlemere United won the cup with them," Ron protested.

"In 1973," Harry cut in. He knew his favourite team's history, after all. And Ron had told him all about that already. "And the Cannons got the same brooms that were flown in that season."

"See? Those are winning brooms!" Ron retorted. "It's all about morale, anyway. If the Cannons believe they'll win, they will win!"

"They haven't won the league in a hundred years," Rose said.

"That means they are due a victory."

"That's not how it works," Hermione said.

"That's exactly how it works." Ron nodded. "One day, the Cannons will return to their winning streak."

"But that day is not today," Rose told him. "Or this season."

"That will be decided on the field. And we'll see that… Oh, hi, Luna."

"See what?" Luna asked, cocking her head to the side as she joined them with Ginny.

"That this season, the Cannons will surprise everyone and win the league," Ron said. "I know it."

"I'm afraid that you're wrong," Luna told him, shaking her head with a sad expression.

"We'll see about that," Ron repeated himself.

"We don't have to wait. You are demonstrably wrong. Since you know that the Cannons will win, you won't be surprised, so they cannot surprise everyone. So, your claim cannot be true." She nodded. "That's simple logic."

Ron blinked at her while everyone else chuckled. "That's not…" He sighed. "Whatever."

"Now that Ron's delusions have been revealed…Happy Birthday, Harry. Happy Birthday, Neville," Ginny said, smiling at them and handing a present over to Neville. "It's from Luna and me."

"And here's yours," Luna said, holding out a small box for Harry.

"Thank you!" Harry smiled at them. The box didn't weigh much, but that didn't mean anything.

"Uh… this isn't something alive?" Neville asked. "So, it won't, ah, wander off? Or need air?"

"What? No!" Luna shook her head, sending her long air flying. "As if we'd abuse animals like that. A pet has to choose you; it can't be gifted!"

Well, she wasn't entirely wrong, in Harry's experience. Though...

"Trevor was a gift," Neville told them.

"And if he didn't choose you, he'd never return to you." Luna nodded. "Again, simple logic."

Well, you couldn't argue with that. Harry cleared his throat. "So, how's your summer been so far?"

*****​

"I can't believe it! You two, a couple!"

Hermione Granger couldn't believe that Harry had invited Dean and Seamus. Well, they were his dorm mates, but still!

"I know, right? We read it in the Prophet, but, well, it's the Prophet!" Seamus nodded.

Hermione pursed her lips. "I fail to see what's so unbelievable. We simply worked out our differences."

The two boys exchanged glances with raised eyebrows. Hermione looked at Lavender, but her best friend was shaking her head as well. At her!

"You have to admit that it was rather unlikely, given your past," she said.

"Unlikely? More like impossible!" Seamus exclaimed.

"I'd ask if you were tested for love potions, but I'm sure you were," Bell added.

What? Hermione glared at the girl. "Don't joke about that!" she spat.

"I'm not joking," the girl replied. "If I were suddenly going out with, say, Malfoy, I would hope someone checks for love potions."

Going out with that bigot? Hermione shuddered.

"See?" Bell nodded with a satisfied smirk.

"You can't compare either of us to Malfoy!" Harry protested

"True," Bell admitted. "You two fought with each other much more than you ever fought with him."

That was because Malfoy wasn't a challenge. Hermione frowned. "It's not the same."

"I sure hope it isn't," Seamus said, looking at Harry. "If you were suddenly in love with Malfoy…"

"Well, I have the theory that their aggression was unresolved sexual tension," Luna piped up. "Since as soon as they ended their feud, they fell in love. And this could be the same with Malfoy."

"Malfoy and Granger?" Dean blinked.

Well, the opportunity was just perfect. "He was more obsessed with Harry," Hermione pointed out.

Harry's groan sounded a little forced to her, but she doubted most of the others not already aware of Luna's theory - and their plans based on it - noticed as they chuckled.

"He is obsessed with both of you," Lavender said, right on cue. "But if this is 'unresolved sexual tension', can you imagine how he has to be feeling right now, with you two a couple."

"Oh!" Seamus laughed. "You think he's jealous of both of you?"

Malfoy certainly was envious of Hermione's grades; she knew that. And of Harry's popularity and talent for Quidditch and duelling. Which was understandable, of course - he really was great at both.

"Well, if he is, he'll be tearing his hair out," Ron said. "Or telling himself that it isn't true."

Hermione nodded. "He certainly has shown a tendency for delusions in the past." Such as being a wizard skilled enough to challenge either her or Harry. "But, to be fair, I wouldn't really trust the Prophet, either, not without verifying the claims independently."

"Like Witch Weekly?" Bell asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes at that even as everyone else snickered. That magazine didn't know what investigative journalism was. Except for its columns about fashion and cosmetics, of course, those were usually on the nose. She had used a hairstyling charm from the latest issue today, putting her hair into a fishtail braid that went - in her and Harry's - opinion well with her duelling robes.

"Well, let's not talk about Malfoy and his potential lust for Hermione or me," Harry said. "We don't want to lose our appetite."

"Speak for yourself," Bell said, laughing. It wasn't really funny, though.

*****​

"So... how did this happen? You and Harry?" Bell leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper at the buffet. "You were worse than cats and dogs a month ago."

Hermione Granger forced herself to smile. Bell was a friend of Harry's - a fellow member of the Quidditch team, which was why she was invited to his and Neville's birthday party in the first place. And unlike Angelina, Alicia and the Weasley twins, who had finished Hogwarts and were now working, she had accepted the invitation. So, even though Bell certainly wasn't a friend of hers, she couldn't exactly tell the girl that this was none of her business. "As we told the Prophet, faced with a Wyvern and pirates, we got over our feud pretty quickly and then discovered that there was a mutual attraction."

Bell groaned. "You make it sound like it wasn't anything special - and about as romantic as a Potions quiz."

"Oh, Potions quizzes can be very romantic," Luna chimed in. "Although only for Nargles, since the confusion a difficult quiz causes amongst many students puts the Nargles in the mood to mate. At least that's our theory on why so many Nargles gather in school."

The last thing Hermione wanted to discuss was the mating habits of cryptids. "You don't expect purple prose about our passionate lovemaking in the surf, do you?"

Judging by the way Bell's eyes lit up, she expected exactly that.

Lavender giggled. "Oh, yes! Tell us how the handsome duelist ravished you!"

Rose made retching noises.

"I think Hermione was the one doing the ravishing," Ginny said.

"No, no," Luna chimed in. "She wouldn't ravish Harry - she would have a cunning plan that would make him think he was the one doing the ravishing:"

"Can we stop using the word 'ravish'?" Hermione asked with a frown. "It sounds like it was taken straight out of a robes ripper."

"Shagging, then?" Rose asked with an innocent expression.

"We enjoy a healthy intimate relationship," Hermione corrected the little brat. "But I'm not going to share any details, so I'll have to disappoint you."

"I don't want to hear anything about that, anyway!" Rose protested. "And certainly not when it involves Harry!"

"You were interested enough to comment," Hemione pointed out.

"Yes, you did," Lavender agreed with a laugh. "But we don't want those details. When did you realise you loved him?"

Hermione looked over her shoulder. Harry was talking with Neville and the others, still seated at the table. They had already gotten their second servings and would probably pick thirds soon. Quite the coincidence, really. On the other hand, telling others about this had a certain appeal - none of the witches, except, possibly, for Rose, seemed to mean her ill with their questions. "Well, if you insist," she said. "I had some notion before, but we kissed the first time after we killed the Wyvern. We were caught up in the moment, so to speak, and..."

*****​

"And now... presents!" Luna announced with a wide smile. She looked as enthusiastic as if she were the one to receive the presents, in Harry Potter's opinion.

Then again, she had eaten a big part of the two cakes by herself. More than anyone else, as far as Harry could tell. Where she put it, he didn't know.

But she was right - it was time to open the presents before they would move to the Weasleys for the traditional Birthday Quidditch match. Harry stood and looked at Neville. "Let's do it."

His friend nodded, and they walked over to the pile of presents on a smaller table. It was almost like Christmas, just missing the tree. Luna was already there, looking at the gifts. "Ours first!" She grabbed two boxes and handed them over to Neville and Harry.

Neville's present was a muggle toad habitat. "We've had it shrunk so it would fit the box and you couldn't tell from the size what it was. And we enchanted it so Trevor can open the door whenever he wants to - muggles lock their toads up in those, can you imagine that?" Luna explained.

"Ah, thanks." Neville smiled. "He'll love it."

Harry wondered where Neville would put the habitat while he opened his own box. It was a… what was it? It looked like a toy for babies to hang over their cribs.

"It's a Dream-Catcher," Luna told him. "To help you sleep without nightmares. Daddy got it from a tribe in the New World, as thanks for dealing with a Skin-Changer."

Oh. That was… as thoughtful as Harry should have expected. "Thank you," he said, smiling.

"And since you currently sleep together, it's also a gift for Hermione," Ginny added with a smirk. "It can handle two."

"Thank you." Hermione's smile looked a little too wide, but Luna either didn't notice or ignored it since she beamed at her. Ginny, though, smirked.

Seamus wolf-whistled but stopped when Harry and Hermione glared at him. That didn't stop the snickering, though.

Well, they had expected that - they knew their friends, after all. But Harry had still hoped for… well, less teasing.

"Now ours!" Lavender said. A Quidditch calendar, no surprise there… Wait!

Harry stared. "You used pictures of us?"

Lavender nodded. "Hermione told us that muggles do that often - use family pictures for a calendar. So, we thought a calendar with pictures of our Quidditch team would be nice."

Proper wizarding pictures - Harry could see himself pulling off a Wronski Feint and how Malfoy, falling for it, crashed into the ground before the picture reset. "Thank you!"

Neville got a similar calendar but with pictures of various magical plants that Luna's dad had taken on his expeditions, and short descriptions.

Then Hermione handed him a small box. Harry grinned - finally, he'd find out what she'd been working on for the past few days. He unwrapped a small box and opened it. "A mokeskin pouch?" A very small one.

"With a few additional enchantments," Hermione said. "I wrote a manual. It's inside."

"You wrote a manual?" Dean boggled. Seamus snickered again.

Harry ignored them - if Hermione referred him to a manual instead of explaining everything in person then she probably wanted to keep what the pouch did a secret. He stuck his hand into it and pulled a folded piece of parchment out.

A quick glance had his eyes widen. Colour-changing, sticking charm, always flat - it could stick to his calf and would be hard to spot even with a pat-down. And protections that would keep it safe from most environmental hazards, as Hermione's manual described them. The perfect way to store an emergency kit that would let them survive another trip to a desert island. Anywhere, actually, as the inventory list showed.

"Thank you!" He smiled at her, then kissed her. And ignored the snickers and cheering.

But they couldn't really enjoy it - Neville was waiting for his gift. Which was a book about muggle plants, no surprise there - half of Neville's gifts were related to herbology or plants. But he seemed happy enough.

The rest of the presents were similar - small stuff related to Quidditch or duelling for Harry and Herbology for Neville. Other than Seamus's gift 'for both of you', which consisted of a vial full of a potion 'to enhance your relationship'.

Harry didn't quite glare, but he was more baring his teeth than smiling. "Thank you."

"Yes, thank you." Hermione glared, but Seamus didn't seem impressed. Well, thanks to Rose, he was aware since last year that Harry wasn't allowed to hex his guests. Although, technically, that wouldn't cover Hermione since she was a guest as well…

No, better not risk making Mum mad. Rose would tell her at once. And he'd get blamed.

Besides, compared to getting chased by a Wyvern and Barbary Coast pirates, a little teasing from a friend was nothing to be bothered by.

He checked his watch. It was almost three in the afternoon. "Alright, let's stash the loot, then get ready to go - Quidditch is waiting!"

Katie cheered, and Luna rushed back to the dessert buffet to "save the last pudding".

"Mum will have a cake ready," Ron told her.

"I know!" Luna replied before she started scarfing down some ice cream.

Well, as long as she was happy…

Harry smiled and wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist as they walked towards the fireplace.

*****​

The Burrow, Ottery St Catchpole, Devon, Britain, July 31st, 1996

"Pass! Pass! Pass it!" Lavender was all but screeching.

Hermione Granger clenched her teeth and guided her broom downwards. She couldn't pass! Not with Bell covering her. And she wasn't allowed to ram the other witch.

Snarling, she flew along the ground, the tips of her shoes touching the grass on the pitch, then pulled up.

"Pass!"

Hermione scoffed and threw the Quaffle.

Bell intercepted it, deflecting it to the side. Hermione turned, but Ginny was already on it - what had she been doing out there? Waiting for this? - and snatched it before it fell to the ground.

And then she was off, shooting past Hermione while she was still turning around. Lavender headed towards her, but Ginny passed to Bell, who passed to Rose, who was in the perfect position to score, with Harry blocking Bell.

Ron parried her shot, though, and Harry picked up the Quaffle. And suddenly, Hermione wasn't lagging behind the rest any more but was in the best position to catch the Quaffle!

And here it came. Hermione reached out with her free hand, about to grasp the ball…

...and was knocked off course and almost off her broom by a damned bludger. What was Neville doing? He was their Beater! She snarled at him while she rubbed her side, but Neville didn't seem to notice as he was already moving to fly next to Ginny.

She snarled again, diving for the Quaffle, but once more, Bell was there and grabbed it.

This time, she took the shot after a quick pass to Rose and back while Harry was busy blocking Ginny. Ron twisted, almost throwing himself off his broom, but the Quaffle went through the hoop.

Damn.

"And the Avengers take the lead!" Luna cheered. "Thirty to twenty! Will the Lovebirds recover from that?"

Luna really shouldn't do double-duty as referee and commentator, in Hermione's opinion. But before she could find the words to tactfully express her opinion, the Quaffle was flying towards her again. She caught it and darted towards the other set of hoops. Bell went after her again, though this time, Hermione was ready.

Or, rather, Harry was ready and already in place above her. Hermione hurled the Quaffle up while Bell was still rushing towards her, and Harry grabbed it with a roll that took him past Bell before she noticed him.

Hermione grinned as she continued flying towards the hoops, moving into a shooting position on the side. Dean ignored her, though, focusing on Harry. At least he was ignoring Lavender as well.

Ginny and Rose both went for Harry, and he passed to Lavender. Who passed to Hermione instead of taking the shot as Bell flew straight at her.

That left Hermione with a clear shot at the hoop while Dean turned around. She took it - but the Quaffle hit the edge and bounced off.

Harry tried to recover it, but Rose all but rammed him, and Ginny got the Quaffle.

Bell was already tearing off towards Ron.

A pass and a shot later, it was forty to twenty.

"I told you we should have been playing with Snitches," Harry complained.

"Just because you suck as a Chaser and can't lose," Rose retorted.

"I'm still better than you!"

Hermione pressed her lips together. While she had agreed that having Seekers would cut the game short - and all but ensure that Harry's team would win, with no one else coming close to his talent and experience for hunting down the Snitch - it still was vexing to lose. The teams weren't as even as the others had claimed. The score proved that.

But there was no changing the rules in the middle of the game. She had just grit her teeth and bear it.

And there came the next push as Harry made a mad dash straight towards Dean.

Hermione scoffed through clenched teeth and flew to the right side again, narrowly avoiding the bludger this time.

What was Neville doing?

*****​

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 31st, 1996

"Can you pass me the bruise remover?" Hermione Granger asked on Harry's bed. "I don't know what position Neville has been playing, but it wasn't Beater."

"Well, he's not used to playing Beater. He usually plays Keeper. But Ron's the best Keeper we have, so…" Harry shrugged as he handed her the small can.

Hermione snorted. "Well, I blame him for our defeat." She rubbed a dab of the ointment onto her thigh and sighed with relief.

"The reason we lost was that we were facing two experienced Chasers," Harry objected. "Ron's great, but he can't stop them by himself."

And neither Lavender nor Hermione was good enough to make the team at Hogwarts while Harry was a Seeker, not a Chaser. She sighed. "It was rigged from the start."

"Yes. I blame Rose."

"Rose wanted witches versus wizards," Hermione pointed out.

"Exactly. And when we didn't agree, she ensured that her team would win by refusing to play with a Snitch." Harry nodded.

Hermione snorted. "The game would've been over in a minute or two."

"Only if I would have been lucky," Harry said. "It could have taken me longer."

"Well, playing for a set amount of time is fairer."

"Not when we lose."

She chuckled at that. "Next time, we pick a better team."

"Or we invite enough for a full lineup."

"Or that. But only if I can play with two competent Beaters." She tried to reach the bruise on her back and winced - her muscles also ached from exertion; they had played for two hours.

"Let me!" Harry grabbed the can and sat down next to her. "Turn around."

She did and felt his hands rub the ointment into the bruise on her shoulder. Once more, she sighed with relief. "There's another in the small of my back."

"I noticed." His hands wandered down her back. "Thank you for your gift."

"It's nothing. I wanted more and better enchantments, but I didn't have the time," she said. Or the experience. This had been her first attempt at this, after all.

"It's great," he insisted as he reached the second bruise on her back.

"It was a nice party," she replied as he got more ointment. "I had a lot of fun."

"Well, we've been holding those parties for years," Harry said.

She shivered as the last pain left her back. "Thank you." After another deep breath - her ribs didn't hurt any more! - she added: "It was nice to relax amongst friends."

"Yes." He froze for a moment, his fingers trailing over her back. "And we didn't have to hex anyone."

She snorted, then closed her eyes as she felt his hands on her shoulders, gently squeezing. "I just hope Hogwarts will be as nice."

"Only if Malfoy decides that he's too embarrassed to return and transfers to Durmstrang."

"Well, we can handle him." She turned to face him, then slid into his lap.

"Yes."

She started to undo his shirt, then simply pulled it over his head. No need to discuss Hogwarts now.

They had about an hour until dinner, after all. And a month until Hogwarts.

*****​
 
Chapter 44: The Normal Life
Chapter 44: The Normal Life

King's Cross Station, London, Britain, September 1st, 1996

Ron Weasley smiled. Finally, an empty compartment! "Found one!" he announced to his friends.

"Great!" Lavender beamed at him as she followed him inside.

"Well, we were bound to find one as long as we continued down the train," Hermione said.

"Just hurry inside!" Harry muttered. "And then we can lock the door!"

Ron pressed his lips together so he wouldn't chuckle. Even though it was funny.

"I told you we should hex some of them," Hermione said as she stepped inside. "Pour encourager les autres." She turned and cast a spell at the door. Not a locking charm, so… ah, a privacy charm. Ron had seen her cast it before.

"Shouldn't that be 'discourage' in this case?" Lavender asked. "And no hexing! As prefect, Ron would have to deduct points from our house for that."

"Right." Ron nodded.

"Encourage fits - we want to encourage people to keep their distance," Hermione replied with a scowl. "What's wrong with them? They barely cared about either of us before, but now, suddenly, we're supposed to be their best friends?"

"Well, you're famous," Lavender said with a shrug, waving her wand to stash her trunk above them. "Your latest interview didn't help, of course."

"Asking for the worldwide abolition of slavery tends to make waves," Ron agreed. "Percy told me that there have been inquiries from a dozen other countries about it."

"They should simply ask Dumbledore," Harry said. "He's the Supreme Mugwump."

"He didn't give the interview; you two did," Lavender pointed out before leaning into Ron's side with a smile.

"On his orders," Hermione said.

"And with clear instructions - we even rehearsed our lines," Harry added.

"Twice." Hermione scoffed. "And the whole thing was about as harmless as it could be. Asking for the abolition of slavery was the only controversial line in it. We didn't even ask for any concrete action."

"Well, many countries remember Dumbledore's 'grand tour' after Grindelwald's War," Ron pointed out. The Headmaster hadn't actually toppled any government, at least as far as Ron knew, but he had certainly intervened in more than one country.

"And he knew that," Harry admitted. "That's why he was so adamant about our lines."

"That's the price of being famous," Ron told him with a grin.

Both Harry and Hermione glared at him. "There are just too many countries where slavery is legal," Hermione spat as she took her seat. Not even Harry wrapping his arm around her and planting a kiss on her cheek made her smile.

"And that will change," Harry said.

"Well, Fleur said that the French are all fired up for a war," Ron told them.

"What?"

"I didn't read about that in the newspapers!" Hermione protested.

"It's all over the Tribune Magique," he explained. "I've seen the headlines myself."

"And the Prophet didn't even mention it! Typical!"

"The Ministry's stance is 'don't rock the boat', as usual," Harry said. "And the Prophet does what the Ministry wants."

"And the Ministry does what the Headmaster wants," Ron added. "Not that he usually asks anything of them."

"Maybe he should," Hermione muttered with a scowl. Then she sighed and leaned back, closing her eyes. "I'm just glad we're back at Hogwarts and won't have to watch our backs as much any more."

"Careful - Malfoy is bound to try something," Lavender said. "I've heard from Parvati that everyone thinks that he's been fancying both of you for years."

"They can't be serious!" Hermione objected with a grimace.

"I'm sure many know it's not true - but it's such a fine rumour." Lavender grinned widely. "And with you two being a couple, many say that anything is possible!"

"Except for the Cannons winning the cup." Harry smirked.

Ron frowned at his friend. The Cannons had a chance! Not the best odds, but anything was possible in Quidditch, with a bit - or a lot - of luck. "We'll see about that," he said. "But back to our two celebrities. Did anyone ask you for an autograph?"

"No," Hermione spat.

"One of the Creevey brothers seemed like he wanted to ask something, but we blew past them," Harry said. He looked around. "Where's Ginny?"

"She said she's taking a compartment with Luna. I told her we have room for her, but…" Ron shrugged. "They probably don't want to deal with your fans," he added with a grin.

Hermione snorted. "I bet they will get more questions wherever they are than with us."

Ron nodded. "Probably." On the other hand, Ginny wasn't shy to hex anyone who annoyed her. "We'll know when we see bat-boogers flying through the train."

Lavender giggled at that. "Will Neville join us?"

Harry shrugged. "Probably. Or he's sitting with Seamus and Dean. But I haven't seen him around so far."

"As long as we have some peace and quiet, I'm happy with whatever," Hermione said.

As if someone had heard them despite their privacy charm, they heard a knock on the door. A moment later, it was opened, and Fay Dunbar stuck her head inside. "There you are!" She beamed at Ron, and he felt Lavender tighten her grip on his arm. "I just wanted to remind you that we've got the prefect's meeting as soon as we leave the station. Oh, hi, Lavender. Hi, Harry. Hi, Hermione! How are you doing?"

Ron narrowed his eyes. His fellow prefect hadn't done that last year. Granted, that had been their first trip as prefects, but…

"We're fine," Hermione said. "Just a little stressed by all those hangers-on."

"Oh? Well, if you get bothered, just tell me. Or Ron. We're going to deal with it." Fay nodded. "So, any other trouble?"

Ron had seen more subtle fishing for information from Malfoy. He shook his head. "No, we're fine."

Fay pouted for a moment, then nodded. "Until later, then!"

Ron suppressed a sigh when the door closed behind his fellow prefect. Lavender was scowling - no surprise there; she didn't like Fay. Or rather, she didn't like that Fay and Ron had to patrol together. Even though Fay hadn't actually… well, she was always friendly, never grumpy, but that was it. She hadn't tried to kiss Ron or anything.

"Bet she's trying to pump you for information as soon as you're on the way," Lavender muttered.

"I'm not taking that bet," Hermione replied. "Of course she's going to do that."

Right. Hermione was in the same dorm, after all. "Well, I'm not going to tell her anything," Ron declared.

"Maybe you should," Hermione told him. "Otherwise, they'll make up worse rumours."

"Good point," Harry said, nodding. "Just stick to what's in the articles. In the Prophet," he added.

"I'm not going to talk about The Quibbler," Ron assured him. No matter what Luna might say.

"You shouldn't even talk to Fay at all," Lavender grumbled.

He pulled her closer to him and placed a kiss on her head. She shifted in response and pulled his head down for a proper snog.

Harry coughed.

Ron rolled his eyes as he pulled back. "Oh, as if you never snogged in front of us!"

That made them blush, at least. And Lavender giggle.

*****​

"So… what's up with Harry and Hermione?" Fay asked as soon as the door to the compartment had closed and they were walking to the front of the train, where the meeting with the Head Boy and Head Girl would be held. "I've read the Prophet, but…" She shrugged. "It's the Prophet."

Exactly how Lavender had suspected. Ron shrugged. "Shouldn't you ask Hermione that?"

Fay chuckled. "Really? Would you ask her about her love life?"

Of course Ron wouldn't! Well, probably not - he had spent a lot of time with Harry and her since their ordeal, after all, and while he wouldn't say that they were best friends, they weren't exactly strangers. Certainly more than mere acquaintances. Still, someone's love life wasn't exactly a subject you just picked for casual conversation.

So he shrugged. "I would ask Harry if I thought it was my business. Which I don't."

"Really?" she repeated herself, shaking her head with a smile. "Of course he told you already, right?"

"If he did, I'm not going to betray his confidence," Ron told her with a frown as they entered the next car.

"Of course not!" She fell silent for a moment, and they passed two second years from Hufflepuff waiting in front of the loo. "But you've read the articles as well, right?"

"Yes."

"So… is it true?"

Ron took a deep breath. "They did kill a wyvern. And they did fight the pirates. Got chased by them, sank the pirates' ship, freed a young witch and escaped the island."

"Oh! And they are a couple?"

Was that what she wanted to know? Ron glanced at her. She looked quite eager. Great. He nodded. "Yes, they became a couple on the island."

"Oh! How romantic!"

Well, that was one word for it. "They're a pretty normal couple," Ron said with another shrug. Except for them sleeping together every night, but that wasn't something he'd tell anyone.

"Really? Normal? Those two? You don't think they tried to hex each other, and they miscast a curse and fell in love instead?"

Where had she heard that? That was… "Dumbledore examined both of them for any curses," Ron told her. It probably hadn't been the Headmaster himself, but that should shut her up. Maybe Lavender had had the right idea...

They stepped into the next car - the last car before the engine. And there was the prefects' compartment.

"Finally. Always late, are you, Weasley? You didn't get stranded on a pirate island, did you?"

And Malfoy and Parkinson. As expected.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Wow, Malfoy, what a stupid question! I'd ask if you had been too long out in the sun over the summer, but you're as pale as always. So, that's probably just you being stupid as usual."

"Why you…!"

"Simmer down!" the new Head Girl, Brockleturn from Hufflepuff, snapped. "Merlin's beard! Don't start trouble on the first day! We're not going to tolerate that!"

"I'm not starting anything," Ron said.

"Potter and Granger are the ones who always start trouble!" Parkinson claimed.

"Not any more!" Fay said as she sat down. "They're a couple!"

"Really?"

"Wow!"

"I don't believe it!"

"Did you see that yourself?"

"Did they snog?"

"But it's the Prophet!"

"The Quibbler said the same!"

"But that's The Quibbler!"

Ron almost took a step back out of the compartment at the ruckus Fay's announcement had created. Had they all gone mad?

"Quiet!" The Head Girl brandished her wand. "We're not here to gossip about the Prophet or The Quibbler!"

Ron smiled as he took his seat. At least the Head Girl - the Head Boy, a Ravenclaw Ron didn't know, had been remarkably silent - had her head screwed on straight.

Until the girl leaned forward and faced him. "But they're right - Potter and Granger are the worst troublemakers. So, what's up with them? I need to know if we need to keep them under observation."

Ron refrained from groaning. Great. Just great.

*****​

Hogwarts, September 1st, 1996

Harry Potter was getting tired of all the glances and looks and stares. No, he was already past 'tired' and quickly reaching 'annoyed' as he stepped into the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast.

"It's as if they hadn't seen a couple before," he muttered. That Malfoy was glaring at him was expected, especially after what Ron had told them about the git's reaction. But everyone else?

Hermione, at his side, whispered back: "Yes. I feel a little like a celebrity hounded by the press."

"If anyone is taking pictures, I'll hex him," Harry promised. Their 'therapist' - even though Miss Vance insisted that she wasn't a therapist, 'just someone who knows what you went through and won't tell your parents' - would understand that.

"We just have to ride out our fifteen minutes of fame."

"Huh?"

"A comment by Andy Warhol about fleeting fame," Hermione explained.

"Ah." Harry remembered hearing something like that at Auntie Petunia's.

They took their… well, not their customary seats at the Gryffindor table. Usually, they sat as far apart as possible. No longer, of course.

Though that triggered more whispers. Harry glared at their fellow Gryffindors. They really should know better! Hell, Dean, Seamus and Katie had been at his birthday party but were still gossiping… He blinked. "Is Seamus trying to impress Fay with gossip about us?"

Hermione frowned as she looked down the table. "It's possible."

Fay was looking back and forth between Seamus and them, in any case. "I'll have a talk with him," Harry growled.

"Just let it go," Hermione told him as Ron and Lavender joined them, followed by Neville.

"Let what go?" Ron asked.

"Seamus is trying to use us to chat up Fay," Harry explained.

"Oh." Lavender turned her head. "He is!"

She seemed strangely happy about that, Harry noted.

"Well, the whole thing should quickly die down now that we're back at Hogwarts," Hermione said. "Without further interviews, and everyone able to see for themselves that we aren't some… exotic, famous couple."

She sounded as if she was trying to convince herself, in Harry's opinion. He hoped that she was correct. Harry almost wanted to cast a Disillusionment Charm… No. He wouldn't be hiding like that. He had faced a wyvern and a band of pirates. A little staring and whispering was nothing.

He still was relieved when McGonagall led the new first years into the Great Hall, and the sorting drew the attention of everyone away from Harry and Hermione.

*****​

"You want a lookout?" The elf - Jabby - smiled widely. "For tête-à-têtes? Ohh!"

Harry Potter couldn't help glancing around, even though he had checked with Sirius's new map that they were alone and Hermione had cast another privacy spell.

"We want to be able to spend every night together," Hermione said.

Jabby nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! Jabby can do that. But that's a huge task! Have to fool the Headmaster, great Dumbledore, and all the professors!"

"The Headmaster is informed," Harry told him. "He's tacitly approving." At least that was what Mum had told them. And unlike Sirius, Mum wouldn't stretch the truth.

"'Tacitly approving'?" The elf tilted his head to the side, past his shoulder - it wasn't as impressive as Hedwig managed, but it was still disturbing.

"He knows what we are planning and hasn't done anything to stop us," Hermione explained.

"Shady!" the elf exclaimed with glee.

"Yes, shady," Harry agreed. "So, what do you want in exchange for serving as a lookout?" He really hoped that this elf didn't want to dress them up in woollen underwear.

"Oh!" The elf studied them, tapping a long index finger against his lips. "Hm."

Harry suppressed the urge to sigh. Never let them see how eager you are, Sirius had told them.

"Oh! Your Hogsmeade Weekends!"

Harry blinked. "What?"

"Jabby can make plans! Great plans! Visits to Honeydukes, pubs and tea rooms! Itinerary! Dress codes!"

Harry exchanged a glance with Hermione. That sounded… excessive. On the other hand, having to wear woollen underwear - or worse - for the rest of their time at Hogwarts wasn't appealing either.

"Not every weekend!" Hermione said. "Every second. And only half the weekend!"

"Every weekend, but one hour free!"

After twenty minutes, they had managed to bargain Jabby down to every Hogsmeade weekend, but only six hours on a Saturday.

And everyone would think that they had spent the time snogging.

*****​

An hour later, Harry was in his bed. Which felt empty without Hermione next to him. Cold, lonely… He snorted. He was at Hogwarts, in his dorm. Hermione was just a few stairs away. And she would soon join him. Or so he hoped. She might get held up by the others in her dorm, asking her questions about them.

Since all his dormmates had been at his birthday party, that wasn't a problem for Harry. Seamus had made a few comments and had asked a few stupid questions, but that had been it. Dean hadn't really cared, Ron already knew everything - almost everything - and Neville hadn't asked any stupid questions either.

He pulled the map Sirius had given him out and checked it. Hermione was still in her dorm. And Lavender and the others were gathered around her. Damn, as he had suspected.

Sighing, he leaned back. They had to wait until the others were asleep before Hermione could join him. This could be a long night.

*****​

Hogwarts, September 2nd, 1996

"So, Potter. I heard you had an eventful summer."

Hermione Granger rolled her eyes. What a way to start the term! They hadn't even entered the Great Hall yet for breakfast, and Malfoy was already bothering them.

"Wow, Malfoy! You read the Prophet?" Harry smiled at the git. "I'm impressed - I didn't think you could read that well. Wait! You said 'heard', not 'read'. Did your mummy read it to you, or did you have an elf read it for you?"

"Very funny." Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, as usual, glared at them.

At least Parkinson wasn't present. The snobby, vain witch was probably still busy trying to make herself look 'presentable'.

"Thank you!" Harry beamed at the git and sketched a bow. "I'll be here all week!"

"What?" Malfoy blinked.

"Muggle expression, don't worry about it," Harry said, waving his hand.

"Typical! I should have known you'd…" Malfoy trailed off.

"Known what?" Hermione asked, tilting her head slightly. "Were you about to make another bigoted remark? Or did you just forget what you were about to say and are now desperately but futilely trying to remember?"

He scoffed in return, but she saw him clench his teeth. "I've read the news. What a load of dragon dung! How much did you pay the Prophet to print it?"

"We didn't pay them anything. They asked for an interview," Harry told him.

"To hear your fantasy?" And here came the sneer. "As if anyone would believe such a tale!"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Harry asked.

Malfoy straightened, pressing his lips together for a moment. "Are you claiming that the Prophet's article is factual?"

That was actually a decent bit of evasion - everyone knew that the Prophet and facts didn't often agree. But this time, they did. Hermione narrowed her eyes. "We ensured that they didn't lie or embellish things in the interview."

Malfoy scoffed in response. "A likely story. So, you claim to have slain a wyvern and sunk a pirate ship. And yet, according to the Ministry's files, Dumbledore defeated the pirates."

"You didn't read the article, I see," Harry replied. "Yes, Dumbledore defeated the pirates - with the help of my parents and their friends - but the ship was sunk by us."

By Harry, actually - Hermione hadn't been involved in that part of their plan. But she nodded. "And yes, we killed the wyvern. I'm sure your father has told you about the skull currently held at the Ministry."

"Anyone can stumble upon a skull and claim they killed a dangerous beast!" Malfoy retorted.

Hermione scoffed. The git was getting really annoying - and he was holding them up when she wanted to have breakfast. She really needed some strong tea - it had been a rather short night, all things considered. And they were attracting a small crowd which was quickly growing into a not-so-small crowd. "The Headmaster confirmed our story. Do you want to call him a liar?"

"It's obvious that you two are his favourites!" Malfoy shot back. "Otherwise, you'd have been expelled long ago!"

"As if!" Harry snorted.

"Honestly," Hermione continued. "You're claiming that the Headmaster would lie, that the Ministry would lie, that Britain would cause international tensions based on a lie…" She shook her head. "And why? Because you can't accept that we managed things you only dream of?"

"Yes, Malfoy - what's your problem? Except for the obvious, I mean." Harry leaned closer to her and wrapped his right arm around her waist.

That was nice but it also meant that he'd be slow to draw his wand, Hermione noted. And they were surrounded by students, now. If anyone wanted to harm them, they'd have the perfect opportunity to strike, and she didn't like that.

"I don't have any problem with your delusional claims. I'm merely pointing out inconsistencies," Malfoy shot back, raising his chin in an attempt to look less like a snivelling weasel.

"Oh, so it's true - I hadn't really believed it when I heard it, but this confirms it!" Harry exclaimed.

"What?" Malfoy stared, blinking, with a stupid expression on his face.

Hermione tensed. She knew what was coming.

"You are jealous that we're a couple and refuse to accept that!" Harry grinned. "It all makes sense now: your constant begging for attention, your absolutely hopeless attempts to hex either of us and your refusal to accept that neither Hermione nor I return your feelings!"

"What? That's… that's… How dare you!" Malfoy sputtered, flushed with anger. At least Hermione hoped it was anger. Most of the students nearby were laughing and giggling, though.

Harry snorted in return and turned to Hermione. "Let's not give him any more attention," he said - and kissed her before she could answer.

Hermione suppressed a moan - they were surrounded by dozens of students, after all, and she had her dignity. She didn't close her eyes, though - not in this situation. Instead, she looked at Malfoy in the corner of her eye.

So when the git raised his wand, still trembling with anger and embarrassment, she flicked her own and sent him to the ground with a Jelly Legs Jinx. Harry finished him off with a Silencing Charm cast left-handed.

Unfortunately, by the time they broke their kiss, their audience included Professor McGonagall, who was decidedly not amused.

Well, it wasn't the first time that they were sent to the professor's office the second day of the term.

*****​

"You haven't been at Hogwarts for a day yet, and you already hexed a fellow student in the halls!"

McGonagall sighed as she sat down behind her desk, Harry Potter noted. Well, that was nothing new. "It wasn't a fellow student," he objected. "It was Malfoy."

And there was the glare he had been expecting. "Do not test my patience with such remarks, Mr Potter!"

"He was trying to hex us," Hermione said. "We only defended ourselves."

"And you didn't provoke him at all, I presume?" Eyebrows rose.

Harry had to struggle not to smile - this felt so familiar! Except for the fact that he and Hermione were sitting next to each other, not as far apart as possible. "We didn't!" he said. "He accosted us. Called us - and the Headmaster - a liar!"

"He insinuated that, at least," Hermione added. "He professed doubt about our claims, which the Headmaster had confirmed."

"And you politely explained the facts to him?" McGonagall's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Yes!" Harry nodded, trying not to smile.

"I pointed out the logical fallacies his statements implied," Hermione said, nodding with an earnest expression.

"So you didn't spread this rumour that he is infatuated with either or both of you?" McGonagall's eyes narrowed.

"I mentioned it," Harry said.

"It's possible that it's true, after all," Hermione went on. "His behaviour is suspect."

McGonagall snorted, but it lacked any humour. "Then you admit that you provoked him."

"Are you saying that it's an insult to imply that someone might be attracted to either of us?" Hermione asked with a frown.

Oh, nice! Harry nodded, trying to sound serious. "That sounds like an insult to us, Professor! We were just speculating."

But the witch scoffed in return. "Even if I would believe you, you'd still have provoked him by insinuating that his hypothetical attraction was entirely one-sided and hopeless. That is not how you politely and gracefully let someone down."

"I called his attempts to hex either of us hopeless," Harry protested. "Not his attraction itself!"

"And history proves us right in that regard," Hermione added. "His past attempts to attack either of us were as easily defeated as today's."

"And he did try to hex us - we didn't hex him first!" Harry nodded. "It was self-defence."

"Exactly!"

McGonagall looked from Harry to Hermione and back, shaking her head. "It feels like talking to the Weasley twins."

Huh? Harry glanced at Hermione; she looked puzzled as well.

"Nevertheless, you expected him to attempt to hex you. The moment he raised his wand, you struck, Miss Granger."

At least McGonagall wasn't disputing that Malfoy had started the actual fight, Harry noted.

"Of course, Professor. We knew that he was violent from our experiences with him and that we would be vulnerable - or appear to be - when we were kissing," Hermione said. "Not to mention that anyone could've been using the throng of people around us as a cover for an attack."

Once more, the professor stared at them, though this time, she looked more surprised than annoyed. At least for a moment. "The Headmaster informed me about your… special circumstances."

Harry clenched his teeth so he wouldn't blurt out that they were fine. But that wouldn't help their argument right now. Even though it was true. They had had several talks with Miss Vance already, after all.

"We have the right to defend ourselves," Hermione said with narrowed eyes. "And Malfoy raised his wand first in a clear attempt to curse us."

"An attempt you anticipated."

"Of course we did!" Harry said. "We know him."

"And you wouldn't have been able to stop him without hexing him?" McGonagall slightly tilted her head to look at them over her glasses. "Would he have gone through with his attempt if you had him at wand point?"

"We shouldn't be required to take a risk and potentially stop an attack when we can definitely stop an attack," Hermione replied. "That's the law."

"That's the law for the Ministry. This is about breaking Hogwarts rules."

"Are you honestly trying to tell us that we can't defend ourselves?" Harry shook his head. "Hogwarts isn't exempt from the rule of law!"

The way the professor snorted probably meant that he had overdone it a little. "Even under Ministry law, you provoked Mr Malfoy. That doesn't mean he was correct to attempt to hex you, of course," she said. Hermione, who had been about to protest, Harry knew her, closed her mouth with a pout. "He will be punished for that. But so will you." She glared at them. "You'll have detention today and tomorrow."

Harry suppressed a snort. This wasn't the first time he was getting punished. Not by far. Two days detention? Easy. After all, the professor was punishing herself as well since she would have to supervise it. "Yes, professor:"

"Yes, professor," Hermione echoed him. "And what will be Malfoy's punishment?"

"The same as yours."

Harry blinked. "Does that mean he'll get two detentions as well, or that he'll get two detentions with us?"

"The latter. I am not going to spend any more hours than I have to to deal with this."

Damn. Detention with Malfoy. That wasn't any fun at all. He'd whine the whole time. Harry exchanged a glance with Hermione. She didn't look happy about the news either.

They should've hexed the guy some more, so Madam Pomfrey wouldn't release him from the Infirmary until their detentions were over.

Though they probably would've gotten longer detentions in that case.

This was all Malfoy's fault!

*****​

Hogwarts, September 4th, 1996

"See anyone?" Harry whispered.

Hermione Granger looked around. She had cast a Privacy Charm, but that would only prevent anyone from overhearing them. Anyone could still spot them with a Human-presence-revealing Charm. On the other hand, if they could spot them, she would spot them as well. "No."

"Good." He opened the door to the duelling salle, and both of them slipped inside. Hermione quickly closed the door behind them.

"Merlin's beard! I thought they would've stopped hounding us by now!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, our confrontation with Malfoy fanned the flames, so to speak," Hermione said, looking around. The salle was empty, as the map had indicated. It should be empty, anyway, so close to curfew. Students weren't supposed to use the room without a professor to supervise. Many still did, anyway. Like them. She cast an advanced locking charm on the door, just in case. "That should convince anyone wanting to 'settle a score' that the teachers improved security," she explained.

"Good idea!" Harry smiled at her. "I wouldn't mind settling a few scores myself!"

"We can't hex people for watching us," Hermione said. Even though she really wanted to, at times. It got really annoying if everyone watched you like the telly.

"It would make people leave us alone, though," Harry said.

"Yes." Hermione nodded. "We'd only have to hit a few choice targets to get the message across." And she had a few people in mind already. "But everyone would know it was us."

"A couple detentions wouldn't be too bad," Harry said.

That was true. Although… "What if they don't stick to detentions?" Professor McGonagall had even said that she didn't want to run another detention this term - albeit that was likely due to Malfoy's constant whining.

Harry snorted. "What else can they do? Filch isn't allowed to torture students any more."

"But the Headmaster could take steps to crack down on our 'arrangement'," she pointed out. "If he talks to the elves…"

"And he would suspect that - or check it anyway." Harry sighed through clenched teeth. "We can't risk that."

No, they couldn't. Hermione needed Harry. To fall asleep without him felt… not safe. And she didn't want to have nightmares again. "So, I guess we have to grin and bear it."

"Unless they cross a line," Harry said. "Like Malfoy."

Right. That was always an option. "But we need to be more subtle," Hermione pointed out. "So Professor McGonagall can't blame us for any incident."

"Yes," he agreed. "But we can at least hex anyone who tries to 'surprise' us."

"Of course."

Harry looked around. "So, with that settled, let's do some training!"

Hermione was already drawing her wand. They couldn't let their skills slip, after all. Not after all they had gone through.

*****​

Hermione Granger wasn't limping when she returned to her dorm an hour later, but only because she had learned the charm to treat a sprained ankle in the last week of August. She'd have to train some more to be able to do that running roll to the side without risking an injury.

Sighing, she entered her room.

"Hi, Hermione!"

"Did you have a nice 'study session'?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at Lily and Parvati's comments. What did they think she had been doing? Well, she knew what they thought. And they weren't entirely incorrect - there had been some snogging - but they had spent most of the time training duelling. Or, rather, defence. A lot of what they had trained would be illegal in the ring. "We had a productive session," she told them, which sent both giggling.

Lavender was on her bed, reading the latest Teen Witch Weekly. Fay wasn't present - the prefects of their year were doing the curfew patrol today. Which meant Lavender was in a bad mood.

Hermione sat down on her friend's bed and stretched. "Ron won't give Fay the time of day," she said as she rubbed her legs. The modified duelling robes were enchanted to provide her with better protection, but no defence was perfect. Harry had landed a few Stinging Hexes that hadn't felt as if they had been weakened at all.

"I know," Lavender replied.

But she was still worried, Hermione knew.

Her friend sighed. "But… she's so obvious, and he doesn't see it!" She sneered. "'She's just being friendly'," she imitated Ron.

"Well, as long as he doesn't even realise that she's interested in him, she has no chance at all," Hermione pointed out.

"I should hex her into the Infirmary," Lavender said with a growl. "Follow your example. No one dares to flirt with Harry."

Hermione blinked. "I haven't hexed anyone for flirting with him," she pointed out. Had anyone been flirting with him, anyway? She didn't think so.

"You don't have to - everyone knows you'd do it," Lavender grumbled. "But I haven't killed a wyvern and fought pirates."

"That didn't stop Malfoy."

"Malfoy doesn't count. He's too stupid to understand. And he wouldn't be a rival anyway."

That was true. Although… "My reputation didn't stop anyone from hounding us like paparazzi," Hermione complained.

"Well… Perhaps you should hex a few to send a message? We can team up and hex Fay together! You for trying to gossip, me for trying to seduce Ron!" Lavender grinned.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Don't you start!"

Lavender giggled. After a moment, Hermione laughed as well.

Compared to having to fight for your life and freedom, dealing with school gossip wasn't really anything to worry about. It was an annoyance, nothing more.

Although if anyone tried to seduce Harry...

*****​

Hogsmeade, October 5th, 1996

"Well, this doesn't look too bad," Harry Potter said.

"You've said that before," Hermione replied.

He had. And it was true. Sort of. Mostly. He glanced at the itinerary Jabby had written for them. "We can cross off 'carriage ride' already."

"Great," Hermione said. "That just leaves…" She cocked her head and glanced at the sheet in Harry's hand, though he was certain she knew the schedule by heart. "...a romantic stroll through Hogsmeade for at least twenty minutes, a visit to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop for an hour enjoying the 'lover's delight' special menu, shopping for gifts, a romantic dinner at the Three Broomsticks Inn and another romantic stroll back to Hogwarts along the shores of the Black Lake." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"At least we didn't get a list for the shops we have to visit?" Harry forced himself to smile.

Hermione scoffed. "I feel like a character in a romance novel. Or a movie."

"Perhaps Jabby is just trying to be nice?" Harry shrugged.

Hermione snorted in return. "I think he just likes certain novels. At least he hasn't scripted our dialogue for us. Or any other interaction."

"Right. Still…" Harry looked around. Most of the students who had gone to Hogsmeade with them had already left for the village proper. Ron and Lavender had split off right away, something about not wanting to follow a house-elf's orders on their date. Ginny and Luna were off to... somewhere. Either exploring the Shrieking Shack or trying to eat Honeydukes out of stock. Harry hadn't quite understood Luna's explanation as Ginny dragged her away.

Indeed, the novelty of their relationship seemed to have finally faded some over the last month. And they didn't have to hex more than one person stalking them. And they hadn't had to talk to Miss Vance about nightmares more than once.

But there were still a dozen students left watching them. Most pretended to wait for someone, some were reading the newspaper, but a few just stared at them. And Creevey had his damn camera ready. Harry glared at the boy, and he paled and stepped back behind the corner.

"Really! One would think they've never seen dress robes before," Hermione commented.

"I doubt that too many have seen French dress robes," Harry pointed out.

"Please!" Hermione snorted again. "This ensemble was featured prominently in a recent issue of Witch Weekly." She ran her hand down the front of her robes. Which was a little distracting - her robes weren't really cut for the weather and temperature. If not for the charms on it, Hermione would be freezing, Harry was sure. Even though she was also very hot.

They certainly looked better than his own dress robes, which were as far from his preferred style as you could be and still vaguely qualify as robes. For a supposed 'Duelling Style', they didn't really protect much of him either - his chest was exposed down to the navel, and the pants were so tight, he almost had to cast a shrinking charm on his legs to pull them up. At least Hermione liked them.

"Well, I doubt that they saw the dress robes for real," he said.

"Probably not," Hermione agreed. "Well, let's get it over with!"

"One elven date, coming up!" Harry said, holding his arm out to her.

That made her laugh, at least, and she hooked her arm into the crook of his own and leaned her head on his shoulders as they entered the village. Truth to be told, Harry didn't mind it too much. He wouldn't have picked the exact itinerary, but a date was a date. And Hogsmeade was...

...apparently not used to their relationship yet. Or their fame had still to fade in the village - a witch peering out of her shop was openly staring at them.

Great.

*****​

Kingston Upon Tames, London, Britain, November 3rd, 1996

Hermione Granger tried not to wince when she appeared inside her room. Even after weeks of practising - clandestinely, of course, since one couldn't apparate at Hogwarts, they had to train outside - apparating still felt horrible. No wonder most people preferred to use the Floo network or even the Knight Bus.

Not that that was an option for her and Harry, of course - they were supposed to be in Hogsmeade. Not in London. And they couldn't afford to run into anyone who might recognise them. Such as anyone who had read the Prophet over the summer.

A popping sound announced Harry's arrival next to her. He grimaced and quickly ran his hands over his body.

"I don't see any signs of splinching," Hermione told him.

"Thanks." He straightened, then pulled out a small mirror from his enchanted pocket. "Ron? We've arrived safely," he whispered.

"Yes, mate." Ron did sound a little annoyed. "I'll call you when anyone asks for you. As we agreed."

"Thanks!" Harry smiled and put the mirror away. "So, everything's set."

"Yes." As they had planned for their first real free weekend. "Let's check on my parents."

She opened the door and called out: "Mum? Dad?"

"Hermione?" Mum answered. A moment later, Hermione saw her step into the hallway and peer up the stairs. "What are you doing here?"

"We've got a Hogsmeade weekend," Harry replied with a wave, "and we didn't like going to Hogsmeade."

"We didn't like staying in Hogsmeade," Hermione corrected him. "And since we now can apparate, we decided to visit you before spending the afternoon in London." She grinned. And at seventeen years, she was finally legally an adult, so she could use magic whenever and wherever she wanted without violating that stupid decree.

Mum smiled, then pursed her lips. "Oh, you should have told us in advance, so we could have prepared a sunday meal."

"We don't need a fancy meal," Hermione told them. "Just sandwiches will do. Or a salad."

"Yes. I'm still feeling the Halloween feast in my stomach," Harry added.

Hermione snorted. "You didn't want to listen when I told you another slice of treacle tart would be too much."

"I managed to keep it down," he replied with a pout.

"And complained the whole time afterwards." She shook her head as they went down the stairs to join Mum.

"It was worth it," Harry said.

Mum laughed. "So, what's happening at Hogwarts? Did the other students finally stop hounding you?"

Hermione sighed. "Most stopped acting like paparazzi. But a few didn't."

"Damn Creevey!" Harry cursed.

"And are you still bound to follow that elf's script?" Mum sounded a little too casual, in Hermione's opinion.

"Yes. But on Sundays, we're free," she replied.

"And it's not too bad. We just have to act like we were in a romance novel," Harry added. "Or so I've been told."

Mum smiled at that. Hermione didn't know if she should smile at Harry's attitude towards romance novels - there was nothing wrong with them - or frown at her mother's obvious amusement at their, well, it wasn't a real plight. Though having her whole room except for Lavender assume she was into such overdone dates… Parvati was now swapping tips with her. Or trying to. And Lavender was oh so eager to help them keep up the charade that they were doing out of their own free will by making the most outrageous suggestions. If she ever talked to Jabby...

"Well, today we won't be gorging on sweets and having a candlelight dinner," Hermione announced. "We're going to see a movie and visit the museum. And then we'll have a normal dinner in an Italian restaurant." Just as planned.

"So, you're going to follow your script for a romantic date instead?"

"Mum!" Hermione narrowed her eyes at her mother while Harry laughed.

It wasn't funny!

*****​

Hogwarts, November 3rd, 1996

"Today was a nice day," Harry Potter commented as he shifted a little on his bed. It was a little small for two people and - as they had found out - charmed against Extension Charms. Not against Privacy Charms, though. And all in all, it was large enough for them, but barely so. And he loved holding her while they fell asleep.

"Yes," Hermione agreed with a sigh that tickled the skin on his chest. "Just a normal day without anyone staring at us."

He nodded. "Yes." Peaceful. "We should do that more often."

"You said that already. Several times. And I've agreed every time." She chuckled.

"Well, it bears repeating," he said. "It's just… I wish we could do that in Wizarding Britain as well." Muggle Britain was great, but it wasn't home.

"Yes." Hermione agreed.

Although for her, muggle Britain was home. Or had been home. "If you had to choose…" He trailed off.

"Choose between what?" she asked after a moment.

"Between living in muggle or Wizarding Britain." He clenched his teeth, waiting for her answer.

"That's a silly question."

"Huh?"

"We don't have to choose. We're free to live wherever we want," Hermione said.

"We just have to tolerate the paparazzi."

"Technically, they aren't paparazzi," she replied as if she hadn't used the term first. "Just nosy, rude people."

"Paparazzi sounds better," he said.

She grumbled something that might have been an agreement.

"But they are annoying," he said. It was hard to have a romantic date with everyone staring at you.

"Yes." He felt her tense. "But they won't be doing that forever," she went on. "Sooner or later, they'll focus on someone else. And we'll have our peace."

He smiled at that. "You're right." And it wasn't as if they had too much trouble while they were at Hogwarts.

"Of course I am," she mumbled, then shifted and placed her head on his chest, sliding one leg over.

He pulled her a little closer - gently - and sighed with a smile.

All in all, things were going great. Much better than he had expected at the start of summer.

*****​
 
Last edited:
Epilogue: Three Years Later
Epilogue: Three Years Later

Godric's Hollow, Devon, Britain, July 6th, 1999

"Ron! There you are!"

That was Harry's voice. Ron Weasley turned and smiled at his best friend. "Yes?"

"I was looking for you!" Harry exclaimed as he joined Ron on the grass. "I checked every room in the house and in the tent!"

"I told you I was going to check the lawn," Ron said, shaking his head.

"That was fifteen minutes ago! Why would you still be here?"

Because the Potter's home, as well as the wizarding tent they had erected next to it, was a madhouse. Ron didn't say that, though. "Who used to say that you couldn't be too thorough when you were checking out a location?" he asked instead with a grin.

Harry rolled his eyes. "That was years ago! And we're behind the strongest wards I've ever seen, outside Hogwarts! The odds of anyone being able to break through Bill's wards, and Mum's, and whatever spell Dumbledore cast on the house…" He shook his head.

Ron chuckled. "I wasn't worried about anyone attacking us." Who would be crazy enough to attack a wedding that Dumbledore and half the Ministry were attending?

"You weren't?" Harry blinked.

Ron suppressed a sigh. His best friend wasn't paranoid any more, but he still was more 'cautious' than most. "I was just checking the preparations here," he explained. And getting some fresh air and quiet. That out here, the odds of getting dragged into helping with something he had no clue about were low was a welcome bonus.

"Ah." Harry nodded. "So, is everything ready here? We've got an hour left to fix anything if it isn't ready."

"Everything looks fine," Ron said. "Well, it looks like it is supposed to look."

"The flower decorations weren't my idea," Harry said.

"I know." Ron grinned.

"Laugh it up. I'm pretty sure Lavender took notes."

Ron winced at the thought. The flowers were… exotic. And, as Lavender had explained to him, twice, the latest fad in Paris. But he still thought they looked ridiculous. What was wrong with faeries, anyway?

"Anyway," Harry said, "I need you inside. The tent, that is. I can't get into Hermione's room - some odd rule for a wedding, or so I've been told - so I need you to get in and check if Crookshanks snuck inside."

Ron blinked. "You lost Crookshanks?"

"I didn't lose him," Harry replied through clenched teeth. "He just… wandered off for a bit. And I can't find him in the house."

"He might have been gone mousing," Ron suggested. The Potters' backyard bordered a nice piece of woods, after all.

"I already checked that," Harry said and raised his wand. "Accio Crookshanks!"

No cat came flying towards them. "Why's the cat present, anyway?" Ron asked.

"Because Hedwig will be raining rose petals down on us, and he got jealous. At least Hermione claimed that. So, he gets to carry a basket of rose petals as well and go in front of her."

"I thought Céline would serve as the flower girl?" Ron said.

"So did I," Harry replied with a shrug. "But I'm not the one organising the wedding."

That was true. And neither was Ron organising the wedding - that was, as far as he knew, handled by Lily and Mrs Granger. And Mum. He sighed. "So, you need Crookshanks."

"Yes. Well, I just need to know if he's in Hermione's room. If he is, everything is fine."

"And if he isn't?"

Harry grimaced. "He has to be in there. It's the only place left."

"Alright, I'll ask."

"No!" Harry shook his head. "Just check, don't ask. I don't want the others to know that I've... that I don't know where Crookshanks is."

"You want me to 'covertly' check if Crookshanks is in Hermione's room?"

Harry nodded with a smile.

Ron sighed again. "Alright, but you owe me for this, mate."

"I'll do the same for you at your wedding!"

Which wasn't scheduled yet - hell, Ron had just proposed a month ago!

But Harry was, obviously, not in a state to handle this, so Ron nodded and walked over to the wizarding Tent in the Potter's yard.

A scarred man was standing in front of it, and Ron sighed again. Moody might be the best Auror in the Ministry, but he was also so paranoid, he made Harry and Hermione at their worst, shortly after they had returned from the pirate island, look laid-back and relaxed.

And as expected, the artificial eye turned to face him before he had even gotten any closer than ten yards. "Weasley."

"Yes."

The man's natural eye narrowed. "Or someone looking like him."

"Yes." Ron sighed. "Who would have had to pass through the wards on the place."

The man scoffed. "I've got my eye on you."

"Yes." Ron nodded and stepped past him into the tent.

The entrance hall was big - not quite as big as the lobby of the hotel in which Ron and Lavender had stayed during their visit to France last year, but bigger than any tent he had seen before. The Potters hadn't skimped on their guest quarters. Everyone had a suite, and there were a lot of guests. Not counting Hermione's family members and friends who didn't know about magic - they had to stay at the inn in the village, of course. But between Céline's family and Fleur's, and all the Potters' relatives and friends who wouldn't take the Floo Network back to their homes in Britain at the end of the day, they needed the space.

And Harry had checked every room here? Ron shook his head. Well, he had a task, and he would do his best to accomplish it.

*****​

"Can I come in?"

That was Ron's voice! Lavender Brown jumped up from her seat and dropped the Witch Weekly Wedding Special - she knew the issue by heart anyway.

Everyone was dressed, so… "Is Harry with you?"

"He doesn't even dare to enter the tent."

Good! "Come in, then!" Hermione yelled.

The door was opened, and Ron stepped inside with a shy smile.

"What's wrong?" Hermione demanded, turning to stare at him, which caused her train to drag over the floor and almost snag on a side table.

"Uh… nothing," Ron said. He was lying, though - Lavender, of course, could tell. "Harry just wanted a status update?" And he was looking around.

"You didn't lose the rings, did you?" Hermione asked with narrowed eyes.

"What? No!" Ron pulled a small box out of his dress robes' pocket. "They're here!" He opened it to check, and Lavender saw that he was a little relieved. But if he wasn't looking for the rings, what was he doing here?

"Oh, Crookshanks!" Ron beamed at the cat, which was lounging in a corner, still digesting the salmon fillet Hermione had fed him today - 'to celebrate the occasion'. "I didn't know you're here."

"Of course he's here!" Hermione said at once. "We have to show him how to carry the basket."

"Ah." Ron nodded. "So, everything's on schedule?"

Lavender winced as Hermione huffed. "No! The florist is still stuck at the checkpoint. Why they didn't come an hour ahead of the time, I don't know - we clearly told them that there'd be delays due to security! But did they listen? No! We should've gone with a muggle florist."

"I thought the flowers were already mounted," Ron replied.

"Yes, but those were the decoration. We're talking about the bouquet and the rose petals!"

"You didn't order them from the same florist?" Ron blinked.

Then he winced when Hermione glared at him. "No, we didn't!" she spat. "And we still haven't heard from the limousine your father is preparing."

"Oh, yes. Dad might have lost track of time… I'll go call him to check!" Ron started to make an exit.

Lavender waved at him and got a quick smile in return, but her boyfriend - her fiancé! - quickly disappeared out the door.

"Honestly!" Hermione huffed. "It'll be a miracle if this doesn't end in disaster!"

"I'll be fine," Lavender told her. "Sit down before you ruffle the robes."

Grumbling, her best friend sat down again. "Nothing a spell won't fix."

"It's the principle of the thing," Lavender quoted her friend. "That's what you said when the first florist had suggestions about the bouquet."

"Yes!" Hermione glared at her for a moment, but Lavender kept smiling. Brides always were nervous before the wedding. She had no doubt that she would need a Calming Draught before her own. Of course, Hermione had refused the draught - she didn't want to be 'under the influence' on her special day.

The door started to open, and Hermione jumped up again, wand pointed at the door. Lavender gasped - but Luna, who entered, only smiled. "We're back!" she announced, ignoring the wand aimed at her.

Ginny, who followed Luna inside and closed the door, shook her head, though. "Really, Hermione! As if anyone would dare to attack the wedding of the year in Britain!"

"You can't assume that. Humans do the stupidest things," Hermione retorted as she stashed her wand in her dress robes again. "I half-expect Malfoy to try to crash the wedding."

Everyone giggled at that. "Is he back in Britain, anyway?" Ginny asked as she sat down and pulled out the box of chocolates they had brought from Honeydukes.

"Not according to James," Hermione said. "He's still in New Orleans on his 'grand tour'."

"Perhaps he's using the fact that he has no brains to get close to the local zombie population?" Luna speculated as she picked up two pieces from the box before handing it over to Hermione.

Hermione picked one, then another, and ate both with almost savage speed.

Lavender grabbed one for herself and watched Luna sit on Ginny's lap and feed her with another one. She wanted to ask what a lack of brains had to do with zombies - nothing she remembered from Defence had mentioned a preference for brains - but decided against it. That was probably just Luna being Luna.

"Ah!" Hermione sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

"See? I told you, chocolate makes everything better!" Luna beamed at her for a moment before feeding the next piece to Ginny.

"So… still no rose petals. I might have to conjure some to show Crookshanks what to do," Hermione said.

"Are you sure he'll understand?" Ginny asked.

"Of course! He's the smartest cat there is!" Luna replied at once. "Right, Crookshanks? See how he doesn't even glance at the chocolate? He knows it's bad for him!"

And he also had stuffed himself on a pound of salmon - which Luna was aware of. Then again, she thought that no matter how full you were, there was always room in your stomach for sweets. And thinking of Sweets… "Leave some for Céline!"

Luna pouted but put the piece she had grabbed back into the box. "She isn't even here yet!"

"But she will join us soon," Lavender told her. "And she was already complaining that she couldn't join us at the hen night, so we certainly can't let her miss Honeyduke's!"

Luna frowned again, then nodded. "That's right. That would leave her with the worst impression of Britain, which could impact the Franco-British relationship. For the good of the Alliance, we have to sacrifice our chocolate!"

"I don't think that the Alliance Against Slavery will suffer if we deprive Céline of chocolate," Hermione remarked, "but it would be rude."

"Don't ignore the danger - wars have been started for the tiniest reasons. Why, once a war broke out over a fairy!" Luna retorted.

Lavender blinked. She shouldn't ask, but she had to know. "When was that?"

"That was the second war between Magical Massachusetts and the Hamptons Hegemony, as it was known at the time," Luna explained. "A thief stole the favourite fairy - and the Christmas tree it was decorating and the gifts - from the Master of Magical Massachusetts and then sought sanctuary in the Hegemony. They refused to extradite him which caused a war."

Well, that wasn't exactly like a war over a fairy. But it served to distract Hermione from the fact that the bouquet and petals still hadn't been delivered. Lavender checked the time. If they didn't arrive in another five minutes, she would check with the checkpoint.

And see if she could find Ron.

*****​

Everything was fine. Crookshanks was shaking the basket in his mouth a bit too much, but that wasn't a problem. He was the smartest cat she knew; he would do fine. And show up that evil owl. At least the bouquet and petals had finally arrived - and in the quantities and style that she had ordered them.

Hermione Granger took a deep breath. She was ready for this. Everyone was ready for this. They had been planning this for months. Lily and Mum knew what they were doing. As did Molly. This wasn't their first wedding. A few minor problems were normal, and no reason to despair. She could trust them to handle it.

Even though Hermione really preferred to handle things herself. Or let Harry do it. But this was their wedding, and they couldn't deal with everything. Not even with most things.

"Relax, Hermione," Luna said. "Everything will be fine."

Hermione snorted and recast her hairstyling charm. She knew that one perfectly - she had crafted it herself, after all. Just for this wedding. Though Witch Weekly had already asked to publish it afterwards. It was Hermione's most significant sale since she started working as a spellcrafter. That her fame - and Harry's - played a significant part in her getting this deal irked some, but a sale was a sale, as Lily had taught her.

That she was starting to become known more for being Harry the star Seeker's girlfriend, soon to be wife, instead of for her own merits - despite the work she had done for the Alliance - was a little more vexing. But she was confident that this would change once she crafted more complex spells. She certainly had enough ideas! Things would work out. She and Harry had gone through much worse than that, after all.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Was that Lavender returning? "Yes?"

"'Ermione?"

Oh, "Come in, Céline!"

And Céline entered. The girl had grown in the three years since her ordeal, but she was still a little girl. Barely into Beauxbatons. Although she had a wand of her own now that she proudly carried. She had bounced back very well from her kidnapping. Of course, knowing that the Barbary Coast pirates had been decimated by the Alliance last year would have helped with that. It certainly had helped Hermione.

"'Ermione!" Céline moved to hug Hermione but stopped after a few steps. "Oh, pardon! The clothes…"

"It's OK," Hermione replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"Oui - yes!" Céline nodded twice, her head bobbing up and down and sending waves through her own quite elaborate hairstyle. Then she pouted. "But I get annoyed still for missing the party!"

Her English was much better than Hermione had expected, but there was still room left for improvement. And, as Hermione had thought, Céline was still mad about missing the hen night. "Would you like some chocolates?" Hermione asked, pointing at the box - and ignoring Luna's sad sniffling. She was pretty sure that her friend was faking it.

Céline's eyes lit up, and she all but rushed to the side table, grabbing some chocolates. A small bite later, she closed her eyes and made appreciative noises that could've come from Luna. "Délicieux!" She grabbed a few more pieces, then took a seat next to Hermione.

Meanwhile, Luna grabbed the box and upended it, but only two pieces of dark chocolate fell out, prompting another sad moan.

"Qu'est-ce qui ce passe?" Céline asked, looking at the witch. "Est-ce qu'elle a mal?"

"No," Hermione told her. "She's just greedy."

"I'm not greedy! We just don't have enough chocolate for everyone!"

"And who went to buy a box?" Ginny asked with a faint smirk.

Luna pouted at her. "I miscalculated."

"Well, if you had bought muggle chocolate, you could've duplicated the pieces," Hermione pointed out. They weren't charmed against that, after all.

Luna froze for a moment. "But they aren't as good as Honeydukes!"

"I wonder how you're planning to survive in the Amazon," Ginny told her. "They won't sell Honeydukes there."

"I know! But chocolate was discovered in the New World - they are bound to have the best chocolate there! We'll boldly go and discover new magical delights!" Luna raised her chin and looked at the ceiling. Presumably.

"I thought you'd be looking for the Lost Golden Jaguar," Hermione said.

"Yes," Ginny replied. "This is just… logistics."

"It's a second objective! In case we don't find the Lost Golden Jaguar."

"Lost Gol-den Jaguar?" Céline asked.

"Ginny and Luna are planning an expedition to the Amazon basin to look for a legendary animal." Last seen during the time of the Conquistadores, who had hunted the animals to extinction for their fur. At least that was the opinion of most Magizoologists. Luna and her father disagreed, of course. And Ginny was going along because it would be an adventure.

"Oh. C'est dangereux?"

"Not really," Luna said with a smile.

"Yes," Ginny said with a grin.

"Yes." Hermione nodded.

Céline nodded as well in obvious approval. Well, she was French. More Gryffindor than most Gryffindors. Hermione still was convinced the only reason that the French delegation for the Triwizard Tournament had been paired with the Ravenclaws had been Dumbledore's fear that they would pair up with the Gryffindors instead, if left to their own devices, and edge each other on to even worse antics than usual.

Another knock at the door. "Yes?"

"It's me!" Lavender opened the door a moment later. She was freshly styled, both makeup and hairdo - yes, Hermione thought, definitely snogged Ron.

"The limousine has arrived at the inn," her friend announced.

Hermione gasped and checked the clock on the wall. It was almost time to go and join her parents!

*****​

"Hermione and the others have gone to the inn," Ron told Harry Potter. "The limousine has arrived."

Right. Half an hour to the ceremony. Harry looked around. The first guests were starting to arrive. The first guests who weren't involved with helping out at the wedding, that was. Half an hour left. Everything looked fine. But looks could be deceiving. "What about the bouquet and the petals?"

"They were delivered already. Everything's fine."

Harry narrowed his eyes at Ron. Everything wasn't fine. It couldn't be.

"Wow, Harry, you're shaking like a Patagonian Twitching Bush."

Harry frowned and turned around. Rose was smirking at him. "Finally managed to get into your new robes?" he asked.

"No, I'm wearing transfigured pyjamas… Of course! And it wasn't any trouble!" his little sister shot back. "It's a wonder you managed to dress yourself. You look like you couldn't hold a glass of water without spilling half of it."

That wasn't true! Harry glared at her. Not that she was impressed, of course.

"Being nervous is normal for the groom or the bride," Ron said. "It's their big day, after all."

Rose huffed. "It's just a wedding. And Mum and Dad are making sure everything works out."

She had no idea! "Just wait until yours!" Harry snapped.

Rose scoffed in return. "I'm not planning to marry anyone any time soon!"

"Who would want to marry you, anyway?" She and Neville were currently on the outs again, Harry knew.

"Harry!"

He winced. That was Mum. He hadn't noticed her sneaking up on them. Damn! Sirius would never let him forget that. And Moody…

"Apologise!"

"Sorry, Mum."

"To Rose!"

"Sorry, Rose."

"No, you aren't!"

"Rose!"

Ron shook his head, snorting. Harry frowned at him. This wasn't funny!

He looked at Mum. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied with a smile. "I'm just checking up on you. Also, a little warning: There are some fans gathered in the street."

Harry groaned. "Can't Dad send them away? Or curse them?"

"They're wearing muggle clothes, and the wedding isn't a secret," Mum replied. "Unless they are carrying signs about Quidditch or otherwise threatening the Statute of Secrecy, there's nothing we can do."

Not legally, at least, and Harry didn't really want to risk legal trouble on his wedding day. "I'm not famous amongst muggles," he objected. "That should be enough to threaten the Statute! At least enough for Dad to arrest them all."

"The muggles will think it's just a joke," Ron said. "Especially after we used that excuse for stag night."

Harry winced while Mum shook her head, and Rose snickered. He didn't want to be reminded of anything related to stag night.

"See, if you hadn't signed up with Puddlemere but had taken a boring job at the Ministry, like Dad, you wouldn't have to deal with fans," Rose said. "Although if they knew how their star Seeker acted when he's not flying, they wouldn't be your fans any more."

"Rose!"

"Sorry, Mum! It was just a joke."

"Haha," Harry said. She was such a brat! Wouldn't she ever grow up?

"And it's not true. Catching the Snitch seven times in a row in the league would have made you famous no matter what you did outside the pitch," Ron said. "Puddlemere mainly won the cup because of you."

Harry sighed. His friend was correct, of course. He was about to contradict it anyway, but then he spotted Neville coming towards him, followed by Mrs Longbottom.

"Hey, Harry! Ron. Lily." Neville smiled at them while his gran exchanged greetings with Mum. "Hello, Rose." His smile faltered a little.

"Hi, Neville!" Harry beamed at him. "Glad you could make it."

"As if I would miss this!" Neville laughed.

Rose snorted. "Yeah, the wedding of the year."

"Well, it is," Neville said. "Have you seen the crowd outside?"

"A shameful display", Mrs Longbottom commented with a deep frown.

"They're just fans," Ron said.

"Stupid fans," Rose added.

Neville frowned. "Well, they're just excited about the most successful Seeker in his first season in fifty-seven years." He looked around.

"The others are with Hermione and will arrive with her, muggle style," Rose snapped. "I'm going to check on Dad." She scowled as she left.

Neville frowned for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. "I wasn't aware that Rose didn't like muggle style weddings."

Harry suppressed a sigh. They would get together again, as usual, but to be on the outs on his wedding day… It was as if Rose had planned this. Or was their most recent spat because of the wedding? Harry wanted to ask, but… Rose would hex him, wedding or not, if she found out.

"Ginny and Luna will be off to their first expedition soon," Ron said, trying to change the subject.

Neville, predictably, only sighed in response as he looked towards the house while trying not to hide it.

And Harry had to press his lips together not to comment on how stupid Neville and Rose were being. Well, it wasn't really his business - it was just annoying.

As annoying as the wizard approaching them.

"Mr Potter! Smile, please!"

Harry forced himself to smile. "Hello, Mr Smith." He didn't like the Prophet's photographer - the man worked for Skeeter as well - but playing nice was the best way to avoid a negative article. Although the Prophet might think twice these days about slandering Harry or Hermione; even Skeeter wasn't keen on drawing the ire of Quidditch fans. If Harry did well at the World Cup, he might even become untouchable. On the other hand, Skeeter would likely go after Hermione then, trying to stir up trouble.

Smith finished. "Have you seen Desmonda? Mrs Bartlemout?" he added with a look at Ron and Neville.

"Last I saw her, she was talking to my husband," Mum told him.

"Right! I need a picture of the Head Auror as well! Thank you!"

And Smith was off.

"Does he know where your dad is?" Ron asked with a snort.

"Do I care?" Harry replied with a grin and a shrug.

He checked his watch. Fifteen minutes left. The Weasleys - those not already involved in the wedding preparations - would arrive any minute now.

And then… then… He sighed again. Everything would be fine. It had to be.

*****​

She appeared in the room at the inn her parents had rented. Ginny was already there - she had insisted on going first - but Hermione Granger had followed her at once. She also had her wand out, just in case she had to obliviate a member of the inn's staff, but they were alone with her parents. "Mum! Dad!"

"Hermione! You look so beautiful!" Mum gushed as if she hadn't helped pick the dress Hermione was wearing. "The limousine arrived," Mum went on. Then she flinched when Luna appeared over the bed with Céline. Both of them squealed with glee when they bounced on the mattress.

Hermione ignored their antics. "I know, Mum," she told her mother. "That's why we're here."

"We're a bit early, though," Luna chimed in as she slid off the bed. "But we can fly around the village while we wait, can we?"

"It's a muggle limousine," Hermione told her - even though her friend would be aware of that. "It can't fly. But we can drive around, I guess."

"Yes!" Luna cheered. "Is it the same car we used for hen night?"

"No." That one needed a bit of cleaning and repairing, after all. Even after several cleaning charms and one Mending Charm. Luna loved cars - like many purebloods, as weird as it seemed - but she shouldn't be allowed to drive. And chauffeurs should know better than to let her drive. Too bad the man wouldn't be able to learn from the incident since he had forgotten all about it.

"Aw." Luna pouted.

"I bet it's even better!" Ginny said. "Right?"

"We rented the top of the line model for this," Dad said. "Can't let our relatives show us up, can we?" He grinned.

"Gabriel!" Mum shook her head. "It's not a competition."

"That's not what your dear cousin Michael thinks," Dad replied. "I had to listen to him bragging for hours at his son's wedding, remember?"

"Yes, I do. You complained for hours afterwards, remember?" Mum smiled sweetly at Dad.

Hermione chuckled as her dad pouted.

Céline looked a little lost - she probably hadn't understood everything. Hermione bent down to explain to her. "My father wants to impress my family."

"Ah!" The little girl nodded eagerly. "Without magic?"

"Yes, without magic." Hermione nodded. Céline had taken the absence of magic - most magic - at the wedding better than some of Harry's extended family. Some of the complaints, really! As if you couldn't have a wedding without a centaur's blessing! Most wizarding weddings didn't have that - the custom had gone out of style two hundred years ago, after a drunk wizard had insulted the centaur and had been shot with an arrow. At least the sources Hermione had found when she had been researching wedding customs claimed so.

"Alas!" Dad sighed theatrically. "A few curses would be just the thing for dear old uncle Albert."

"Gabriel!"

"I'm just joking."

"It's not funny."

Well, neither was great-uncle Albert. But you couldn't choose your family. The worst was that her relatives would only see an old cottage, not the well-kept wizarding home. And while the Potters had been living here for centuries, which would usually impress Hermione's relatives, Harry's family had a rather… eccentric reputation amongst the muggles. And she knew that Albert wasn't the only one who thought that Hermione was marrying someone unsuitable for her, just the most vocal one. It was almost ironic, considering how many wizards thought the same of Harry marrying her. An attitude that hadn't improved with Harry's growing fame as the best Seeker in Britain.

"So, car ride now?" Luna beamed at them.

"Yes," Hermione said. "Let's get… Crookshanks?" She looked around. "Crookshanks! Where did you go?"

Luna pointed to the bathroom. Hermione quickly - relatively quickly; her dress wasn't really made for moving fast through a cramped hotel room - went to check. Crookshanks was in the bathroom - in the sink, actually. Drinking water. Oh, the poor thing - he must have been very thirsty! And hungry, too! "You should've told me!" she exclaimed, reaching into her hidden pocket to pull out a small can of tuna from her emergency supplies. It wasn't quite cat food, but it would do. A quick Duplication Charm and a Cutting Charm later, Crookshanks was enthusiastically eating the tuna straight out of the can.

"You know he'll expect more of the same now whenever he wants," Mum told her. "You spoil him."

"I don't!" Hermione protested. Crookshanks deserved a treat for being so good. And another once he finished spreading petals on the ground.

Mum sighed and shook her head. Ginny was grinning, Dad was also sighing for some reason, Céline wanted to pet Crookshanks and was trying to squeeze past Hermione, and Luna was… staring out of the window. Presumably at the limousine.

Hermione went back to the centre of the room, where she had put down the basket with the rose petals. "Alright. Once Crookshanks has finished eating, we can take the limousine and drive around in the village until it's time for the ceremony."

"Yay!" Luna was at the door in a flash.

"Luna! Wait!"

"What?"

"We can't just leave the room since the staff never saw us entering it," Ginny explained.

"Ah." Luna nodded. "So… we'll have to modify their memories to make them remember us arriving by car and going up to the room here."

"No," Hermione objected. "We'll apparate to the nearby corner and walk to the inn."

"In your dress?" Luna frowned. "That'd look suspicious."

"In my dress," Hermione replied. "People won't be suspicious - they'll simply assume something went wrong with our schedule."

"Are you sure?" Luna didn't look as if she believed her.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "It's a big wedding; people will readily believe that we mixed up the cars or something and had to walk." Especially her nosy cousin Melissa.

Well, Hermione smirked as she redid her hair and her dress with a flick of her wand, Melissa could think what she wanted. Hermione knew better, after all.

And she was marrying Harry today! Nothing could ruin this day for her!

*****​

Where was Hermione? It was… well, it wasn't yet time, but still! Harry Potter clenched his teeth as he tried not to fidget.

"Relax, mate," Ron whispered next to him. "Hermione will arrive on time, not early."

"I know," Harry snapped back through clenched teeth. But he couldn't help worrying. What if some deranged fan attacked her? Or pirates? Harry and Hermione were sort of symbols for the Alliance Against Slavery, after all. Of course, anyone attacking them would provoke a harsh reaction from the Alliance, so it would be counterproductive, but not everyone was rational. And what if some radical activists wanted to fake an attack to raise more support? There were countries in the New World where slavery was still legal, after all.

"Harry! Already at the altar? Can't wait to finally tie the knot, huh?"

Harry turned. "Sirius!" His godfather had finally arrived! And with the likely reason for his late arrival. "Hello, Miss Browtuckle," he added.

"Hello, Harry! Call me Mathilda." The witch at Sirius's side smiled widely at him.

Harry suppressed a grimace. As if he'd do that! Mum was watching, and she didn't like Sirius's girlfriend. Apparently, they had been at odds at Hogwarts. Some sort of rivals. Sirius claimed it was nothing, but Harry knew better - Mum wouldn't be holding a grudge over nothing. It couldn't be jealousy, he knew. Mathilda was a very attractive witch, especially in those French dress robes, but so was Fleur, and Mum didn't have any problem with Fleur. Or Céline's mother and sister.

Something must have happened at Hogwarts, but no one was talking about it, at least not to him. Not Mum, not Dad, Sirius claimed he didn't know, Uncle Peter didn't say anything at all, and Remus always changed the subject.

Well, it didn't matter today. Today was his wedding day!

"And look who we dragged in!" Sirius went on. "Remus and Peter!"

Harry beamed at the two wizards approaching them. "You made it!"

"We wouldn't miss it for anything," Remus said.

"The Ottomans tried their worst but couldn't stop them!" Sirius boasted, which earned him a sigh from Uncle Peter.

"I take responsibility for their late arrival," Dumbledore - when had he arrived? - chimed in. "They were on an errand for me."

So, they probably had been on a mission against the Ottomans. Harry nodded. He'd try to pry more details out from Remus later - Peter never let anything slip; not even to fellow members of the Alliance. Or Harry would do that if he weren't marrying Hermione today. He smiled at the thought.

"Harry?"

"Oh, sorry." Harry felt himself blush. "I was distracted."

Dumbledore smiled. "Completely understandable, Harry. I haven't known any man who wouldn't be distracted in your place. Why, I remember your parents' wedding as if it were yesterday…"

"Sirius! You finally made it?" And Dad was coming towards them. "We were expecting you much earlier!"

"James! I had to wait to make sure Remus and Peter would be on time!"

Harry snorted at the transparent lie. As did Dad.

Sirius frowned at them. "Well, we were just talking about your wedding, James."

"What?" Dad glared at him.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I was just about to tell Harry how nervous you were at your wedding."

"I don't think that's a good idea. We should focus on Harry and Hermione's wedding," Dad said.

"I missed your wedding," Mathilda pointed out. "I'd be happy to hear about it."

Dumbledore beamed at her. "Why, Miss Browtuckle, dear James was so nervous, he accidentally vanished the rings when Sirius showed them to him to reassure him that he hadn't lost them."

"Nothing would have happened if you had actually trusted me to keep the rings safe," Sirius cut in.

"You had lost them twice before!" Dad retorted.

"And I got them back!"

"Accidental magic? At your age?" Mathilda asked.

"Oh, it wasn't accidental magic - James merely miscast a Vanishing Charm meant to clean a little dirt off the rings," Dumbledore explained. "Instead, he vanished the rings and left the dirt. I transfigured the dirt into rings as a temporary replacement for the ceremony."

Dad had closed his eyes, sighing. Remus and Uncle Peter were shaking their heads. Harry felt with them. His parents had exchanged rings that were transfigured dirt? This was… He shook his head.

"See? If you had used a proper cleaning charm, this wouldn't have happened," Sirius said, nodding to his own words.

"I tried one! But you managed to have them fall into Lily's experimental potion!" Dad protested.

"Which shouldn't have been at the wedding in the first place."

"It wasn't - you brought the wrong bowl!"

"They weren't labelled."

"They didn't look at all alike. Did you think we were serving tar to the guests?"

"Well… I didn't really know anything about muggle weddings…"

Harry snorted, as did Ron. And Dumbledore smiled and winked at them.

Then Hedwig landed on his shoulder, carrying a basket of petals in her beak, and the music changed from some hymn or other to 'Here comes the bride'.

Everyone hurried to their seats, and Harry perked up.

Hermione had arrived!

*****​

Hermione Granger could hear the music as the limousine took the last turn before the road leading to the Potters' cottage. The musician was probably using an Amplification Charm. Not that the muggles would notice anything - they'd just wonder at the 'discreet sound system'.

They drove past the small crowd of Quidditch fans waiting nearby. Hermione waved and smiled; most smiled and waved back. Those who disapproved of her relationship wouldn't have shown up at her wedding, anyway. Trying to disturb a wedding? No one in the DMLE would prosecute anyone for hexing such gits. Especially if the Head Auror did it.

The limousine stopped in front of the Potter's cottage. Taking a deep breath, she quickly moved her wand, casting a quick spell on her hair and another on her dress. Perfect. Dad had gotten out already. He walked around the car to open the door for her, then helped her climb out of the car without messing up her dress.

Hermione took a moment to marvel at the sight in front of her. The entire cottage was decorated with flowers and ribbons. The gate was topped with a big banner spelling 'Wedding of Harry and Hermione', and flowers - muggle flowers, in this case - formed an arch. Dad and Hermione entered, passing the wardline, then waited while Mum went ahead to take her seat, and Lavender, Ginny and Luna took up spots behind them. And Céline moved next to her.

She took another deep breath. This was it. Her wedding. To Harry.

"Relax," Dad whispered.

She snorted. She had the right to be nervous. Then she felt something brush against her legs - Crookshanks! Carrying the basket. She smiled at her cat. He always knew what to do to calm her down!

Unlike the owl she spotted on the roof, looking down at her. Well, Hedwig would behave on this day. Harry had made that clear. Or Hermione would hex the bird.

The music changed again. 'Here Comes the Bride'. Not a traditional wizarding song, but this wasn't a traditional wizarding wedding. Hemione snorted again at the thought - she would've actually preferred a wizarding wedding since it treated both bride and groom equally, unlike a muggle wedding where her father was supposed to give her away. But her relatives would have asked questions about it. Not to forget that it would've also been seen as a slight against her parents by the wizarding public. And Hermione wouldn't let anyone think that she didn't respect her own heritage. Even if she disagreed with parts of it.

But she pushed those thoughts away. It was time. She let Dad lead her past the house to the backyard, where the ceremony would be held. Hedwig flew overhead and started dropping petals. Crookshanks took the lead, followed by Céline, both dropping petals as well.

She spotted Melissa staring at Crookshanks and suppressed a smirk. Her annoying cousin was obviously planning to use animals in her own wedding - should she ever find someone willing to marry her. Good luck with using muggle animals for that!

She kept from sneering at her cousin and simply smiled as they walked down the aisle. Harry looked great in his suit - cut like duelling robes, or close to it. If anyone from her family asked, this was the latest style in France. Or some new designer's work. Next to him stood Ron, Neville and Dean, all dressed in a similar fashion.

And behind the altar stood the priest. He knew about magic, having been raised in the village and having officiated James and Lily's wedding. Though theirs had been an even more muggle affair, as far as Hermione knew.

She forced herself to focus. This wasn't the time to let her mind wander. Melissa and the rest of her extended family would never let her forget it if she had a blackout in front of the altar.

She beamed at Harry as she reached the altar. He smiled back, and, for a moment, no one and nothing else mattered.

Then the music changed again, fading a little into a background melody, and the priest cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered here to celebrate the union of Harry James Potter and Hermione Jean Granger. A couple who has…"

Hermione tuned the man out when he started to recite a heavily edited retelling of her and Harry's history together, starting at King's Cross Station, and looked into Harry's eyes as she remembered what had really happened. What they had lived through. Knockturn Alley. The Island. The wyvern. The pirates. And them falling in love. They had survived so much, done so much, and it had all started three years ago to this day.

How much had they changed from the two teenagers who had quarrelled in the shop in Knockturn Alley! Sometimes, Hermione still couldn't believe it. But it was real. This was their wedding.

"...and so they have decided to spend their lives together as one family and have God bless their union," the priest finished with a smile.

He wasn't going to ask if anyone had any objection, of course. Having to curse a fool and then needing to obliviate half the guests would be a terrible way to start their marriage. Unless it involved hexing Malfoy.

"And so I ask you, Harry James Potter: Will you take Hermione Jean Granger to your wife, to love and protect no matter the danger, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

Harry swallowed - Hermione saw his throat move - before he nodded twice. "I will."

"And I ask you, Hermione Jean Granger, Will you take Harry James Potter to your husband, to love and protect no matter the danger, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

Hermione ignored the butterflies in her stomach and firmly nodded. "I will."

Ron took a step forward, presenting the rings. Simple, classic rings. Not yet enchanted - that would be a bad omen for the marriage. For some reason, Harry narrowed his eyes at the rings for a moment, but then he smiled, took hers and slipped it on her finger.

Hermione swallowed, then picked up his ring, slipping it on his finger.

The priest smiled at them. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Harry was leaning forward, tilting his head to the side. Hermione mirrored him.

And they kissed as husband and wife.

*****​

The End.

*****​
 
Back
Top