Chapter 19 - Chapter 19

The doorbell rang.

Evelyn sighed and glared at the door. If it wasn't phonecalls it was letters, and now people at the goddamn door. Why couldn't everyone fuck off and let her rot in peace? it was bad enough Horatio had turned sweet and loving. She'd had to scream their shame in his face before he'd broken down and admitted his own feelings, and after that he'd changed. She didn't know why, or where his current demeanour had been hiding, but it felt long overdue. He was fifteen years too late with it, in any case.

She levered herself out of the overstuffed chair and jerked the door open with a few choice insults on her tongue, but they never left her mouth.

"That's not funny." She glared death at the impostor. "My baby is dead. I don't know what you did to look like her, but you can fuck off."

Hermione frowned. "Alright, fine. I knew this was a mistake, come on Harry."

The tall boy - she recognized him as ghost boy from the funeral, and from Christmas. He put a hand on the impostor's shoulder. "Just a minute, Hermione. I'm not going to leave until she understands. If she wants to keep acting like this after that, then fine." He said.

As though looking like her wasn't bad enough, they dared to use her name. He turned to face her.

"Your daughter single-handedly saved all of Britain two nights ago. We had to fake her death so that she could move in the shadows, and her efforts resulted in the deaths of the worst, most corrupt, most dangerous dark wizards in the last thousand years. Hermione is a genuine, honest-to-Merlin hero. She came here to let you know she wasn't dead so that you would be spared any further heartache. You might have neglected her almost to death, but she still has some small measure of care for you. She has now discharged her familial responsibility, and I bid you good day."

The boy took the girl's hand and turned to go.

Faked her death?

"Wait." The words came out while she wasn't thinking. "Please."

That made them both stop and turn back to her.

"Are you... Is it really?" She fought desperately against the fluttering hope in her chest. Her vision went wavy and she felt hot liquid on her cheeks.

The girl looked stunned, unsure what to do or say. The boy pushed her gently toward the door with a hand on her back.

"I... I've never seen you cry before." the girl said softly. "Are you alright, mum?"

It was Hermione. Nobody could mimic the faintly acidic way she said 'mum'. She reached out and grabbed her daughter before she even realized that she had, and crushed her to herself.

"My baby!" She sobbed unreservedly. "It's you, it's you, I'm so sorry honey, I'm so sorry!" Hermione's hands patted her back briefly, hesitantly, before she slowly wrapped her arms around her and held on. Evelyn felt her turn her head to look at the boy.

"You saw what I went through just imagining you were dead." He said.

Hermione tightened her arms then and actually hugged her. "Sorry mum." She said in a small voice. "I didn't know you cared."

That cut deeper than the sharpest knife. Even after so long wallowing in the guilt she knew she deserved, Hermione's genuine reaction cut her heart in twain.

"That's my fault." She replied through her sobs. "I never showed you that I love you so how could you know? I never even hugged you, and it was so wrong. So wrong. I saw you lying there so very still and everything we'd never said, never done flashed in front of me. We'd never done anythingtogether. You don't even know me. I don't even know you! The most precious thing in the world and I turned you into a stranger! It's unforgivable, Hermione. I'm so sorry. Please don't leave."

Hermione's cheeks had water trails when she pulled back to look at her. Her beautiful girl. She turned to look at the boy again.

"We have time." He smiled back.

"We can stay for a bit, then." Hermione half-smiled, as though unsure whether it was something to smile about.

That was her fault too. She needed to make the most of the moment in case she was dreaming and Hermione was dead again when she woke.

She gestured for them to come inside as she made her way to the kitchen. "Come in then, I'll stick the kettle on. I want to hear all about -" She had to pause as her chest squeezed tears from her eyes again and made her focus just to breathe. "I never even asked you about school." The pain of her guilt threatened to overwhelm her, but she felt Hermione's strong hands as they held her up.

The kettle began to whistle then, and poured itself into the teapot while two teabags jumped in of their own accord. Magic! Hermione's pointed stare at the tea slacked, and she could feel the pressure of her daughter's presence recede as the boy picked up the teapot and retrieved teacups and saucers.

"Come on mum, you need to sit." Hermione guided her back to her chair. "You could use a shower, too. And open a window." She added as a whisper.

Evelyn had to laugh at that. "I suppose it has been a while. I... There didn't seem to be any point." She told her softly as despair cut through her mind again.

"Well." Hermione said with a harsh look, "Bathing regularly will make it much more likely that we'll visit, that's a fact."

Evelyn bit her lip to stop it trembling as fresh tears leaked out. "You will?"

"I won't lie, I'm a bit gobsmacked at the moment. I'm not really sure whether to be furious that you're fifteen years late or happy that you care at all. I have a lot of bad memories to reconcile, but if you finally want to be part of my life then I would be a poor person if I didn't at least give you the chance."

Harry smiled quietly to himself as he poured the tea and handed the women cups.

"Don't think I can't see you smiling, smug prat." Hermione accused.

Harry just raised his eyebrows in mock shock, as if to say "What, me?"

Hermione shot him a soft, loving look then, and gave the lie to her harshness. She was in love. Her baby loved this boy, and with every piece of her heart from the look of it. Evelyn had never looked at a man that way. Part of her was jealous of Hermione for it, but mostly she was ecstatically happy for her. She hoped Hermione always had cause to look at him that way.

"How did the two of you meet?" She asked as she took a sip of tea. "I'm sure I never asked."

The boy grinned at her while Hermione gave a small smile and blushed.

"I'll go take a walk while you two talk." The boy said and stood. He looked back at Hermione as he opened the door, and Hermione gave him a small nod. He smiled in return and left the house.

"It was just this past September, mum. The day school started." Hermione began.

The horntail blew fire into the air and roared at them, truncated roars more like barks. He didn't actually say anything, he was just being irascible and obstinate. He probably thought they would scream and run. Instead, they bowed their heads.

"Greetings. We seek Mother Langelet, do you know her?" Harry asked him.

The horntail froze in the middle of his aggressive display and went white around the muzzle. "Did you just TALK?" He asked incredulously.

"We apologize for entering your territory uninvited, we hoped to ask directions to Mother Langelet." Hermione added.

The horntail's jaw hung open while his tail crept between his legs. He lifted a claw and pointed a talon to their left while he gaped at them.

"Thank you!" Hermione said. They rose off the ground again and flew to their left over the trees. Luckily, Langelet was sunning herself on a rocky outcrop and they were able to see her from the air.

"May we enter your territory Mother Langelet?" Harry shouted down to her.

She swivelled her massive head to look up at them, and gave a warm chuff. "You may."

They landed next to her and bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you once again, Mother Langelet." Hermione said.

"Rise, friends." She replied. "I see Hidden Colours has taught you the forms."

"The day after we met, actually." Hermione grinned. "I have been excited to be able to speak with another properly."

"You make your mothers proud, I am pleased by your respectful conversation." Langelet chuffed at them. "I am curious how the other pinkskins took your display of cunning, Hidden Colours."

Hermione chuckled.

"Not well, Mother Langelet. I was accused of dark magic because I was able to speak with you." Harry replied.

"How ridiculous!" Langelet snorted.

"We were able with the help of our friends to show exactly how ridiculous and childish that was, thankfully." Hermione added, "It was just one more instance of one attempting to manipulate many. He has since been dealt with."

Langelet blew a gout of fire into the sky. "Good! To suffer fools in the drive is to weaken the drive. Too often such leads to-"

"Langelet!" Another voice intruded as a horntail male landed next to Langelet. He was smaller and sleeker than Langelet, with fewer horns and tailspikes. "Kerges flies about spouting madness about two flying, talking pinkskins. Have you ever heard such..." He finally looked at Harry and Hermione as they stood quietly on Langelet's other side. "Obviously false..." he sat on his haunches and looked at Langelet.

"Ramenos, greet my friends properly. Meet Hidden Colours and...?" Langelet turned to look at Harry.

"Many Questions." Harry supplied.

"Hidden Colours and Many Questions of the Svurtr." Langelet turned back to look at the male. Ramenos had gone a little white around the muzzle, like the other male - probably Kerges - had. To his credit, Ramenos recovered quickly and dipped his head at them.

"Welcome." He said.

Harry and Hermione both bowed. "It is our pleasure to meet you, Ramenos Mate of Langelet." Hermione said.

Ramenos chuffed and blew a short flame from his nostrils. "Apologies for my rudeness. If you knew how strange..."

"We do." Hermione replied with a smile. "You offer no offense."

"You are gracious." Ramenos said with a return grin. "I have seen everything now."

Langelet bumped him with her head. "Do not insult our guests in the same breath they forgive your slights." She cautioned.

Ramenos nuzzled her neck. "You are right, of course. Apologies again, Svurtr. No disrespect intended."

Hermione nodded. "We understand how strange it must be." She turned to Langelet. "We were actually hoping you might provide some information if it's not too much to ask?"

"If it is known, it is yours." Langelet looked at Hermione.

"We seek to make a temporary nest while we search for Mother's mate, but we would never nest in another's territory. Where might we find a place unclaimed?"

Langelet brightened. "I am pleased you will stay, that we may speak at leisure. My mate will show you to the unclaimed space as payment for his unintended slights."

Ramenos immediately hung his head at her words, but didn't dispute her.

"Thank you for your generosity." Harry bowed again.

"We hope to be good neighbours, and welcome advice on how we may be better neighbours in the future." Hermione bowed as well.

"You are pleasant company, thrice proven." Langelet said. "May your eggs outshine you."

"May your eggs outshine you." Hermione replied with a smile.

They Resonated and rose into the air, followed after a moment by Ramenos, once he got over his shock at seeing them fly without wings. They let him take the lead as they flew southwest at an easy, relaxed pace.

"I do not mean to pry," Ramenos said after a few minutes, "But how did you come to be? I cannot think any Svurtr would mate with a pinkskin."

"You're right there, that would never happen." Harry agreed. "Mother saved my life with her blood when I was a shardling, then I was challenged during my Declaration and took my challenger's heart. I changed Many Questions when we met, but the reasons why are a long story."

"That's... interesting. I hope to hear the tale eventually then." Ramenos stopped flying and hovered in place then. "This is the edge of claimed land, anything south from here is yours to claim."

"We will be happy to relate the tale over time." Hermione said. "We thank you for your gracious assistance, Ramenos of the Sarkany. We hope to meet you again soon."

Ramenos smiled and shook his head. "Incredible. You are most welcome, neighbours. Good hunting."

"Good hunting." Harry repeated with a smile.

Ramenos turned and flew back toward Langelet.

"At least we know we like the neighbours." Harry smiled at Hermione.

"Many Questions?" Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. "That's my name?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "That's what Mother named you when we visited at Christmas. I thought you knew."

Hermione shook her head and sighed. "I must have missed it. Damn."

"To be fair, you did have a lot on your mind." Harry reached out to hold her hand. She smiled back at him and squeezed his hand.

"It does fit, I suppose." She sighed.

"So does Steadfast Friend, and Brightest Witch, and Smasher of Forests, and Perfect Beauty, and Wicked Snuggles, and Dances Across The Sky, and Vanquishes Evil."

"Hah!" Hermione scoffed. "Flatterer."

"It's all true and you know it." Harry floated behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She wrapped her own arms over his and revelled in the warm fuzzy feelings. "Come on, Flatters Outrageously, we have a spot to find, a home to build, food to find, and Wicked Snuggles to accomplish."

Harry chuckled and kissed her behind her ear. "I love you, Hermione. I'm so happy to finally be here with you."

She spun in his arms and kissed him deeply. "Why do you think I want to hurry up and get home and dinner finished?"

"You make an excellent point." He kissed her again tenderly and looked out over the forest while he thought about what might make a good spot to build.

"I want a spot near a river if we can manage it." She said.

"That narrows down the places to look then. There's a river over there, let's go have a peek." He spun away from her to catch her hand again, and they flew low over the trees to investigate and saw a wide, light blue ribbon of water weave its way through the forest. The banks of the river were all smooth water-rounded stones that formed a slope up to the forest floor.

They landed on the bank of smooth stones. The river was a quarter-kilometer across, but it didn't look very deep. It only went to dark blue in the very middle. Hermione looked around and nodded with a sigh.

"Mine." She said.

Harry chuckled. "I guess we'll build here then. I do like the view of the mountains from here."

"I'll get started on the house if you want to do the Wards?"

Harry nodded. "Deal." He turned and began to concentrate on the formation of the Wards, only to have his concentration broken by the thunder of dozens of trees crashing to the ground at once. He plucked his head out of the space between his shoulders and turned to see Hermione smile sheepishly at him.

"Sorry. That was a bit loud."

He chuckled and blew her a kiss as he went back to the Wards. He erected the muggle-repelling Ward first, in case Hermione wanted to move the river or flatten a mountain or something, and then moved on to the magical protections and privacy screens.

When he finished, there was a cozy two-storey A-frame log cabin in a clearing surrounded by cleanly sheared treestumps a foot high. A separate little shelter at one end of the porch held enough split wood to last the winter. Hermione stood on the second floor balcony that faced the mountains, and with a flourish of her wand created a small breakfast table for two.

"That looks great!" Harry called up to her.

She waved down to him. "Not finished yet, but it's getting there!"

The fireplace held a crackling fire and had a soft sofa in front of it flanked by two chairs. The bathroom held a working shower and an in-floor, river-stone-lined bathing pool in lieu of a tub. The kitchen was the size of their entire apartment at Hogwarts, with an eight-person dining table beyond. There was a back deck as well, with an above-ground version of the tub on the deck, and the water in it steamed in the cool air.

The staircase was polished oak, and he counted three guest bedrooms. He found Hermione in the master bedroom and held her from behind as she put the final touch on an archway formed by two living oak saplings.

"It must be six times the size it is on the outside." He said quietly. "It looks amazing in here."

"Glad you like it." She snuggled backward into him. "I've been thinking about it for months and months."

"It's brilliant. You're brilliant." He kissed her neck and she shivered. "Are you hungry?"

"Hmm peckish. It could wait -"

"Good." He plucked her wand from her hand and tossed it on a chair, then turned her and lifted her hair away from her neck to replace it with his lips and tongue.

"Oohhh Harry..." She moaned as her fingers slid upward though his hair.

They didn't get around to food until the sun had already set.

Colin stopped dead in his tracks.

She was gorgeous.

Her hair had grown out some, and softened the harshness of her jawline, which in turn lent a cuteness to the slightly upturned tip of her nose. It was her eyes though, that reached into his chest and turned him to goo. Their rich, dark hazel depths shone with a light that had never existed there before.

She smiled at him tentatively, as though afraid he wouldn't be glad to see her. He grinned back at her, though he could feel his face heat with it.

"Hi." He said. "You look great!"

She smiled for real at that. "You're full of shit, but thanks."

He laughed, and stepped closer, close enough to touch her, to kiss her. Her face flushed slightly and her lips parted. "Really. You look fantastic. I might be full of shit, but I'd never lie to you."

"Never?" She whispered.

"We're together, you and me. If you still want to be, I mean."

"I do."

"That means you and me against the world if need be. No lies, no secrets. Not between us."

"It's strange to be so vulnerable, so... naked... with another person." Her pupils dilated and her breaths came faster.

"Ahem." Colin's father cleared his throat loudly. "I remember what it was like to be young, but could you at least take it out of the doorway?"

He felt his face go fire engine red. "Sorry dad."

"Sorry." Pansy said as well, and reached out to peck him on the lips quickly before she stepped away.

"I was thrilled to get your letters. Made the rest of the year bearable." He told her quietly as they climbed the stairs toward their room. It still struck him as weird to have stairs in the house, but it was an actual house and not a council flat. He'd known that his dad's new job paid a lot more than being a milkman did, but it was still posh in his mind.

"It felt good to have someone to talk to. Your dad has been teaching me a lot, and he's been patient with me while I was a bit of a... when I was less than pleasant. It's easy to see now where you get it from."

He had to chuckle at that. "it's true. Mum used to say he was too relaxed, thought he could do so much better than being a milkman, but he enjoyed it. Used to make her cross sometimes."

"She wasn't wrong... but then neither was he, if he enjoyed it. I like to cook."

He raised his eyebrows as a grin spread across his face. "You do? That's great!"

She blushed and smiled at the carpet. "I had no idea where food came from, until I was there watching your dad cook dinner every night. It looked like potions for kids, so I tried it. He helped, of course, but less and less. It's easy and fun, and you can eat the things you make. They taste good. It's weirdly satisfying."

"That's number one then." He said.

"Number one?"

"On the list of things you like to do."

She shook her head. "Number two. I don't know if it's because of the baby or what, but I'm so..." She bit her lip and twisted the hem of her jumper. "All the time! It's so frustrating! Would you mind if... could we...?"

Colin locked and sealed the door and silenced the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Pansy ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him softly, as though afraid he might run. He kissed her back and showed her he was where he wanted to be. That made her more comfortable, and she in turn showed him number one on her list.

She made them breakfast the next morning, and admitted to herself that she liked his quiet grin, especially knowing that she'd put it there.

They had finished eating and Colin looked through the newspaper at the jobs section when there was a sharp tap at the front window. A large, regal looking owl perched on the sill that wore a black hood with a gold symbol on it.

"Cool." Colin said as he rose to let the owl in.

"That's a Gringott's owl. What's it doing here?" Pansy's voice was both curious and afraid.

The owl stuck its leg out to Colin when he opened the window.

"For me?" He asked it.

"Krr." It replied. He fetched a bit of sausage from the scraps of breakfast for the owl, and removed the small package from its holder.

"Thanks!" He told it as it flew off again. He sat back down next to Pansy so she could read it as well, only to find it was a large envelope that had been shrunk to fit the owl's carrier. A quick trip to their room later, he tapped it with his wand and the package expanded to normal size. There were about twenty letters inside the package. Most of them were not folded, but there were two that were. Luckily, those two were labelled "Read First" and "Read Second".

"What is all this?" Pansy asked.

Colin shrugged. "Good question." He opened the envelope labelled "Read First.", and began to read its contents.

Dear Lord Creevey,

Congratulations on your ennoblement, we at Gringott's hope you will prosper as the Earl of Westmoreland. Please find enclosed all the associated documentation and requisite forms to fill out, including designation of family members, Coat of Arms declaration, Lord's Ring options, Family Crest, and Living Will.

We hope that you will complete these forms and return them to Gringott's at your earliest convenience, as this will smooth the transition of assets.

We understand this may come as something of a shock, so please read the next letter I'm told will accompany this.

Congratulations,

Spinegrip, Creevey accounts manager.

Pansy finished the letter a second behind him, and pawed through the large, imposing, official-looking documents on the table.

"It's true. Just as it said, these are the right forms." She whispered. "What did you do?"

Colin just looked at her while he wracked his brain for any reason for being granted a title. "I got my astronomy and flying O.W.L.s two years early... that couldn't have anything to do with it?"

Pansy pursed her lips and shook her head. "No."

"Okay, second letter then I guess." He picked up and opened the second letter.

Hi Colin!

First off, let me apologize for springing this on you, we were kind of pressed for time when we were thinking of good people to hand titles to. They sprung it on us at the bank and since we thought just keeping twenty-whatever titles to ourselves would be both greedy and ridiculous, they wanted to know who we were giving them to. Turns out when you kill a dark lord and his maniac followers, the law says you get all their stuff - as if the doing of it wasn't enough of a pain!

The even worse news is that you're a member of the Wizengamot now - but on the bright side you can appoint a proxy to vote in your name, so that's not so bad. You'll be expected to take up your seat yourself when you're twenty-one, but after that you can just appoint a proxy again if you don't want to have to deal with it.

As well, they only meet a few times a year, so you can just go back to what you were doing in Australia if you didn't want to be bothered with it. Or do the proxy thing. There's also lands and monies and responsibilities and such, and we're sorry for saddling you with those, but hey at least you know some people in the same boat!

I expect you'll have loads or questions and some choice words for us, so don't hesitate, we'll help if we can, and you can punch me next time we see each other if you're super angry. 

Sorry again,

Duncan and Hermione.

"Merlin's flabby arse." Pansy breathed as she sat back in her chair heavily. "They killed Voldemort? Did I read that right?"

"And his followers. Can you think of another Dark Lord?"

She shook her head, a look of worry on her face.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She set her lips in a thin line and frowned. "I know I'm disowned and it doesn't mean anything anymore, but I suspect my father was a Death Eater. I just wondered if he was dead now."

"Would you feel better if you knew?"

She sighed. "Maybe? On the one hand if he is dead, then... I guess I'd be happy? I'd feel free, I think, and there wouldn't be any chance of him finding and hurting us or the baby."

"That sounds good to me. On the other hand?"

Her eyes went hard. "I wanted to do it myself."

"Well then I hope he is. I wouldn't want you to have to do that." He put his hand over hers and squeezed it lightly. "I thought about it too when I saw you in the hospital, but I would prefer to see you happy than vengeful. Killing is a terrible thing."

Her eyes softened then. She looked at him as though he were somewhat naive, but wrapped her arms around him anyway.

He smiled at her and ran his hand quickly over her baby bump. "I might know a way we can find out... if he chooses to answer. Wolly?" He called.

There was no reply. He shrugged and was about to say "Oh well", but there was a soft pop to his right instead.

"Hello again, Wizard Creevey." Wolly smiled.

Pansy stood up with a gasp. "What the magic are you?" She looked Wolly over from his crisp white shirt with its shiny gold medal to his navy cargo pants and sleek running shoes. Then she noticed the family crest on his breast. "Potter? You're a Potter elf? How can that be, the Potters are extinct."

"I am a Potter elf, Witch Creevey. Mister Harry says I belong to myself, but I am bonded to him and Missus Hermione, and proud to call myself their friend."

"It's nice to see you again, Wolly. Would you answer a question for me if you have time?" Colin asked.

Wolly smiled at him. "Certainly. I like to help if I can."

"I - we just wanted to know if Pansy's father is alive? I got a letter that says the followers of Vold- of the Dark Lord are dead, and Pansy thinks he might have been one."

"Wizard Parkinson is dead, yes. He was a Death Eater and died with the rest."

"Oh. Well good then, thanks Wolly." He smiled. Now she didn't need to worry about it. More importantly, he didn't have to go kill Pansy's father himself just to be sure his family was safe.

"Did you just say Hermione?" Pansy asked pointedly.

"Yes." Wolly replied. "Hermione Potter, born Hermione Granger. Married to Duncan MacFusty, born Harry Potter."

Pansy sat down again limply.

"Wolly, did Dunc - er, Harry and Hermione kill Voldemort?"

"Yes." Wolly nodded.

"And some Death Eaters?"

Wolly shook his head. "No, not some of them - all of them, all at once. Missus stunned them one by one and Mister Harry burned the bad wizard and the rest with his fire breath."

"Fire breath?" Pansy's eyebrows reached for the ceiling.

Wolly nodded. "Missus Hermione breathes the most beautiful white and green flame."

"Merlin's balls..." Pansy whispered. "I almost... She would have... Merlin's balls."

Wolly looked around then and cocked his head as though listening. "Wizard Creevey has no help? No house elves?"

"Uh, no Wolly, no house elves."

Wolly looked at Pansy again - at her stomach specifically, then back to Colin. "You will need help. I know an elf who wants a good home." He vanished with a soft pop.

"An elf would be great, but..." Pansy started.

"But?" He asked.

"I was just getting to like doing things for myself." Pansy pouted.

"Nothing says you have to stop, you know. I can't wait for you to find more things you like to do. Once I find a job... Actually I think that might not even be possible now. I'm a Lord. Duncan - Harry Potter - made me a bloody Lord. I was worried enough I was gonna be a dad, how am I going to manage all this?" He put his head on the table and covered it with his arms.

"With help, of course." Pansy answered as though it were obvious. "You'll need to visit Gringotts and talk to this Spinegrip, find out what's involved and what they expect from you. After that, one step at a time."

"You're right." Colin sighed, "It just seems so huge, It's frightening."

"Good. That's what you need me for then. I'll stay by your side and remind you that you're more capable than you think. I'll... I'll need you by my side to... to hold me." Pansy's voice quavered and grew soft. "A lot. Being a mother actually scares the shit out of me."

He lifted his head then, his own woes suddenly immaterial. He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "We'll learn. We'll get better. You're going to be a great mum, you'll see."

Another soft pop happened next to them, and Colin wondered what could have happened to the poor elf Wolly brought them to make it so misshapen. It's already huge eyes went even wider as it looked at Pansy.

"Mistress? Mistress is alive! Alis doesn't kill Mistress!!"

"Alis?" Pansy hesitated for a moment, and Colin could see her eyes grow wet.

"Alis suffered greatly under your father, Witch Creevey, I would like to see her treated with kindness and respect and affection. Will you be capable of that or should I find her a new family?" Wolly looked at Pansy sternly.

Pansy looked back at Wolly and nodded. "I am... starting to understand. I would be grateful for your help, Alis. If you want to. I haven't been very nice to you before." Pansy got off his lap and knelt to hug Alis. "Thank you for everything you've already done for me. I'm sorry about how I was before."

Alis hugged her back joyfully. "Young Mistress bes wonderful while Mistress lives. Only nastybad father makes Mistresses hurt. Makes young Mistress hurt others. Alis bes happy to help young Mistress and youngest Master. Alis not bes sad elf nomores."

"Are you sure, Alis?" Wolly asked her.

Alis nodded hard enough to make her ears flap. "Alis bes happy."

Wolly put a hand on Alis's shoulder. "Good, that makes me happy."

Alis smiled at Wolly, then looked at Pansy almost fearfully. "Um... Mistress? It bes okay if Alis visits with Wolly sometimes? Mistress not bes shouty for slackings?"

Pansy laughed. "No, Alis. I'm not my father. You visit with Wolly whenever you want. Wolly is welcome here too." She looked back at Colin. "Is that okay?"

Colin grinned at her. "That's great. Wolly is always welcome here. Heck, any of his family are."

Pansy smiled back at him, then turned back to Alis. "I would also like you to teach me how to do things, is that okay? I want to know how to do things for myself. I found out I like to cook, so I will want to do that too. Maybe we can cook together?"

"Mistress cookings now?!" Alis laughed. "That bes fun! Alis can teachings all kinds of things. Mistress can bondings now?"

Pansy smiled at her and put her hand on Alis's head for a second, then Alis relaxed and sighed warmly.

"Bond feels warm now. Alis likes Mistress's bond." Alis hugged Pansy again.

"That makes me happy." Wolly said as he smiled at the two girls. "It was good to see you again, Lord and Lady Creevey. I should -"

"Could you - " Pansy interrupted him, "Sorry. Would you tell Lady Hermione that..." She cleared her throat. "That I'm sorry for the way I treated her in school?"

Wolly thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Mister Harry says an apology is between two people. I will gladly take you there so that you can give her your apology yourself."

"I..." She looked back at him, and Colin could see the fear in her eyes. He couldn't tell what it was fear of, until he realized it would probably be the first apology she'd ever made.

"Can I come along, Wolly?" He asked.

Wolly nodded, so Colin put his hand on Pansy's shoulder. "I'll be right there with you, it'll be fine."

She let Alis go and stood up then. "Alright, let's go."

Waiatawai's multicoloured eyes formed swirling vortices, and she swung her head to look toward the front of the cabin. "Visitors have you." She sang. It had been a bit of an adjustment to get used to her accent and the way her speech was all back to front, but she had a lovely voice.

"Wonder who could find us out here?" Harry asked.

"Nobody." Hermione answered. "It would have to be one of the family bringing them in."

"Never a dull moment." Ramenos chuckled.

Wolly walked around the side of the cabin with two people in tow, but they both stopped dead in their tracks and stared at the company they already entertained.

"They look about ready to run. It makes me want to chase them." Langelet grinned.

"Be, leave them." Waiatawai sang. "Pinkskins AWWful taste. Offense I hope not to give."

Harry smiled and stepped toward the fire so they could see him, and waved them forward.

"No offense taken, Waiatawai. I'm sort of glad I taste awful." Hermione told her.

"Not to me you don't." Harry grinned.

Hermione blushed and swatted his arm. "We have guests!"

Langelet, Ramenos, and Waiatawai all blew stuttering flames of laughter, and the two pinkskins - close enough to the fire to be recognizable as Colin and Pansy - stopped in their tracks again and gawked at them in fear.

"What is she doing here?!" Hermione hissed. Her brows went flat and her fingers curled.

Harry put his hand on her arm soothingly. "Let's find out before we bring out the torture implements, hm?"

It took a minute, but Colin and Pansy approached the circle of three dragons and two humans around a campfire, and they did so hand in hand. Both of them looked terrified.

"Welcome. Colin, Pansy, meet Waiatawai on your left, of the Tarakona." he said in English, then repeated himself in Dragon. Waiatawai dipped her head slightly and crooned musically at them. "She said it's nice to meet you." He translated for them.

"Uh." Colin said. "Nice to meet. Yeah." His eyes were the size of dinner plates.

Harry turned to Waiatawai. "They apologize for their rudeness, but they are stunned by your beauty."

Hermione gave him a look and he shrugged at her with a smile.

"On her left, Ramenos of the Sarkany, Mate of Langelet of the Sarkany on his left, my right." Harry finished the introductions.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Pansy said, and curtseyed.

Colin bowed almost in half.

Harry translated (with some slight embellishment) for the dragons, and a long moment of silence passed while the dragons smiled at the humans.

"It grows late." Langelet said finally, "We should hunt before sleep. Our thanks for your kind hospitality Many Questions, Hidden Colours."

"You are welcome always, gracious neighbours. Hunt well." Hermione replied with a small bow.

"As well should I fly." Waiatawai warbled. "Pinkskin business it is clear you have. Of thanks receive you many, in the songs will this night go."

"You are always welcome as well, Waiatawai. Thank you for your songs." Hermione bowed again. Harry waved, and Waiatawai waved in return before she too took to the air.

"Merlin's pants I thought I'm going to die." Colin whooshed a breath out and sat on the ground as Waiatawai receded into the night.

"Take a minute, breathe deeply. It helps." Harry smiled at him.

Colin nodded back at Harry and breathed deeply. "Sorry...to interrupt...didn't know...it was night...or you had visitors."

"Ah. You'd be about seven hours ahead where you are. It was early morning?" Harry asked.

Colin nodded.

"What can we do for you?" Harry smiled.

"Actually..." Pansy answered, "We had a visit with Wolly and I asked him to bring us." She looked directly at Hermione, who had flat brows and glared at everything while pointedly not looking at Pansy. "I asked him to tell you I was sorry for how I treated you in school, and he refused, but offered to bring us instead." Pansy took a deep breath and whooshed it out again. "I'm sorry for how I treated you. I toed the party line and was a good little Slytherin, and it turns out Longbottom was right, it was me who had a shitty attitude. I won't lie and say I didn't understand that it was hurtful, but I had to lose everything to understand how what I did to you feels, and I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I was such an utter cunt. Thank you for saving my life. I didn't deserve it. " Pansy's cheeks were reflective in the firelight as she finished her apology.

Hermione turned to look at her as she apologized, and Harry could see her search Pansy's eyes with her own. After a moment, Hermione gave a small nod.

Pansy wiped her cheeks with her sleeve. "Thank you for listening." She turned to Colin. "We can go now."

"I wanted to let you die because I hated you." Hermione admitted. "So I'm sorry for that. It looks like that person actually did die, though. I don't know who you are, so... Hi. I'm Hermione." She held her hand out to Pansy.

Pansy shook her hand as fresh tears streamed down her face. "Pansy. Just Pansy."

"Nice to meet you. Talking to dragons makes my throat dry, fancy a cup of tea?"

"Nice to meet you too, I'd love one, thank you." Pansy sniffed and smiled at her.

"I have to admit I'm curious what it's like to be pregnant as well, do you mind talking about it?" Hermione stole a glance backward at Harry.

"I would love to talk about it. I haven't had a real conversation... ever, I guess."

Hermione and Pansy went into the house, and left Colin and Harry to sit by the fire.

"Thanks for that." Colin said as he stared at the glass doors the girls had closed behind them.

"Hah. I thought you were going to scream at me for dumping lordship on you. It's going to be a massive pain. I'm not looking forward to it." Harry sighed.

Colin paled. "That's real."

"Yeah, that's real. Sorry."

"And you're really Harry Potter."

"Yes and no. Yes I was born Harry Potter. My birth parents were James and Lily Potter. Do I know who Harry Potter is or was supposed to be? Not a clue."

"Did you really kill Voldemort, whichever person you are?"

"Yeah, we really did. Disgusting, vile thing that he was. Not even the people who followed him were people anymore, really. Just people-shaped bags of hatred and entitlement and greed. Still makes me want a shower to think about it."

"Thank you. Whether you meant to or not, you saved me and Pansy and my family."

"Yes and no. The immediate threat might be gone, but it's going to be up to you and me and everyone else to make sure it doesn't happen again. It will be up to our efforts to change things and keep them the way they should be. That's why I gave away all the titles and everything. I would have controlled seventy percent of the Wizengamot seats otherwise. Nobody should have that kind of power, Dumbledore proved that, and he didn't even have half.."

"He did?" Colin frowned.

Harry sighed. "I forgot you don't know. Yes, Dumbledore was the reason my parents are dead. He wanted control of me because he heard a prophecy. He had my godfather put in Azkaban for a dozen years just to keep him away from me. He knew Moody was a disguised Death Eater and let him know I was in the castle so he'd put my name in the goblet of fire. Dumbledore was a monster."

"Was?"

"He's dead too. He bound a phoenix against his will and kept him prisoner for decades. The bird killed him for it."

"Oh." Colin stared at the fire for a moment. "I guess don't piss off a phoenix."

Harry chuckled. "There are smarter things to do, certainly."

"I was worried about managing new things to do when I was already stressing over being a dad and getting a job and finishing school, but... thanks. For choosing me, I mean."

"Hermione and I are going to be studying Wizarding law and the Wizengamot specifically over the next few years. You're welcome to join in."

"Thank you again. That will make things easier."

The doors opened again and Hermione and Pansy rejoined them. Pansy walked up to Colin and put her hand out, and he held hers.

"Come on, we should go." She said. "It's after midnight here."

"Oh." Colin said, and stood beside her. "Sorry, I didn't know. I'd have waited til a decent hour otherwise."

Hermione went to stand beside Harry. "It's fine, we already had guests. Earlier is better next time though." She smiled.

Wolly appeared and waited beside Colin and Pansy.

Colin grinned. "See you next time then. Dunca - er, Harry. Hermione."

"Thank you." Pansy said with a smile.

Wolly popped away with Colin and Pansy.

"That was very nice of you, love." Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist and held her from behind as he swayed gently side to side.

"Hmmmm" She snuggled back into him. "She meant it. She took responsibility for her actions and she feels terrible. If I didn't at least give her a chance then I'd be the arse in that equation."

"I wouldn't blame you if you denied her though."

"If she can get past her upbringing, I can get past my hurt."

"I love you."

"And I love you. Now take me to bed, that visit ate into my snuggle time."

Augusta slammed the gavel onto its block three times.

Accordingly, quiet descended on the Assembly.

"Welcome to the August Session of the Wizengamot in the year Nineteen Ninety-Five. Before we begin, I would like to take a moment to welcome our new Lords and Ladies to the proceedings. This Assembly is more filled with occupied seats than it has been in generations. We look forward to working with you all toward a better, brighter Britain."

There were a few under-breath grumbles at that. Augusta ignored them. They could grumble all they liked, they knew what awaited them if they chose to act.

"Our first item on the docket for today is the authorization for the arrest and incarceration of one Harry James Potter, also known as Duncan MacFusty."

One of the new lords stood immediately.

"Yes, Lord...?"

"Fairgus MacFusty, Chief Warlock. I must recuse mesailf from this item, as it's a clair conflict of aintrest."

Augusta smiled and nodded at him. "Scribe, please note Lord MacFusty has recused himself due to conflict of interest."

"So noted." The scribe replied.

"I am quite interested to know the source of the request for the warrant on Lord Potter?" Sirius asked.

"I think there are probably several of us who would like to know." Amos agreed.

"Hear, hear." Remus agreed.

"The Arrest Order request comes from Minister Fudge." Augusta read from her documents.

"Yes, but who paid you to do so, Fudge?" Frank asked him.

Fudge sputtered.

"That's slander!" Umbridge shouted as she pointed a finger at Frank.

"SILENCE!" Augusta thundered. "You have no voice in this Assembly, Undersecretary! You will be silent or you will be removed!"

Undersecretary Umbridge sat quietly, hands folded in her lap.

"It is immaterial where the Minister's impetus came from, he made the request. You, " Augusta pointed her gavel at her son, "Will refrain from making accusations of illegality. That is what the DMLE is for. You are free to take your accusations there."

Frank blushed and bowed. "Quite correct, Chief Warlock. My apologies, Minister." He sat down again.

Augusta returned her gavel to its place and noticed a hand up in the Assembly. "Yes, Lord...?"

"Ah, Creevey, madam Warlock. My boy's the Lord, I'm just proxy until he's old enough."

Augusta nodded. "You have a question?"

"Yes ma'am. We seem to be deciding if this Potter person should be arrested, but do we know if he's actually done anything yet? Has he had a trial?"

"His guilt is not in question, Lord Creevey." Amelia answered. "He brought evidence to the DMLE of his crime and admitted his own guilt. The fact that he murdered Voldemort and each of your predecess-"

"OBJECTION!" Fudge roared. "There is NO EVIDENCE of His return! He Who Must Not Be Named is long dead!"

Amelia's brows went flat as she stared at Fudge. "No Evidence, hm? Page!" She beckoned one of the pages over with a flick of her finger. The lad trotted over sharply, and she whispered to him. He nodded and trotted off again out of the chamber.

"Will you accept the evidence of your own eyes, Minister? If Voldemo-"

"Stop saying that name!" Fudge shouted.

Amelia looked like she wanted to stand up and slap him. "If Voldemort appeared in front of you, would that be evidence enough for you?"

Fudge glared at Amelia. His face grew red and began to bead with sweat. "There is no such evidence!" He fairly shook with vehemence.

The page Amelia had spoken to returned with a large jar held in front of him, and placed it on the table in front of Fudge, then returned to his position.

Amelia nodded at the page. "Thank you." She said as she rose from her seat and went to stand in front of Fudge. She turned the jar so that it faced Fudge, then tapped it with her wand. The jar became instantly transparent, and Voldemort's severed head stared at Fudge.

Fudge screamed.

Fudge fainted.

"Fuckin' 'ell." Fenton whispered. His face twisted as he looked at Voldemort's remains.

"Pages, please remove the Minister and see that he receives medical attention." Augusta asked them. Two of them dutifully trotted forward, and one flicked his wand at the Minister, who then levitated out of his seat and out of the chambers. Camera flashes accompanied the opening of the main doors as they exited.

Quiet reigned when the doors closed again, and stretched out for a long moment. Some of the Assembly began to look around to see what the delay might be.

Augusta stared directly at Umbridge.

After an entire minute passed, Augusta finally spoke up.

"You are here because Fudge brought you, Undersecretary. You may leave now."

"I will not. The Minister will want to know what -"

"Out!" Augusta commanded.

"I am the Senior Undersecretary to the -"

"Aurors, please remove the Undersecretary." Augusta asked the duty officers.

"I AM THE SENIOR UNDERSECRETARY -" Dolores shouted as she rose from her seat and pulled out her wand. She never finished her sentence. She was slammed by two stunbolts and thrown backward into the table in front of Lord Tonks.

"Jumped up toad." Ted muttered.

"She was hopping mad." Fenton agreed.

The two of them looked at each other and grinned.

One of the Aurors floated Umbridge's unconscious form out of the chambers while the other took up his position again. More camera flashes and half-shouted questions from the hallway.

"Now, if we could get back to business?" Augusta asked. "Scribe, please read the last official?"

"Last was Lady Bones, she said 'He brought evidence to the DMLE of his crime and admitted his own guilt. The fact that he murdered Voldemort and each of your predecess-' The end was cut off by the Minister, Chief Warlock."

"Thank you." Augusta replied. "Amelia, if you would continue your reply please?"

Amelia nodded to Augusta. "As I was saying, the fact that Potter killed Voldemort and many of this Assembly is not in question. The only question is what to do about it. The Wizengamot cannot be seen to ignore mass murder, regardless the disposition of the parties involved."

"Beg pardon for my ignorance everyone, but looking at that -" Fenton nodded to Voldemort's head, "I can't imagine that was a fine, upstanding member of society. Who or what was it? And from what I'm hearing, previous members of this body followed this... person? Looked up to it?"

"Precisely, Lord Creevey." Lady Vance said, "That one promised them dominion, espoused that rule was their right for having been born from a long line of wizards and witches - What they call 'purebloods'. Previous members of this body were attracted to that idea, and did that one's bidding. In return, he led them against the standing order."

"So... they were terrorists?" Fenton's eyebrows climbed his forehead.

"That's a good word for it." Sirius nodded. "They used fear and pain and worse to attempt to take over. They almost succeeded the first time, too."

"Okay, well that makes it clear then doesn't it?" Fenton asked, "If they worked toward taking over the government, that makes it treason. They're traitors. Plus, I met Potter. Called himself MacFusty at the time," He paused to smile and nod at Fergus, "He's just a kid. A BIG kid, mind, but he's all of what? Sixteen?"

"Fifteen." Fergus supplied.

"Fifteen! Mother's mercy... so a bloody child had to do what nobody else could or would and removed an imminent threat to the very government that now wants to put him in prison for it? Where I come from we give medals to exceptional soldiers, we don't put them in jail."

"Well bloody said!" Nexie slapped her hand on the table in front of her. "'E' were such a cute thing too. 'Im an 'is wee ladyfriend 'ad the most adorable loveyfaces fer each other. Can we give 'im a medal instead?"

"Er, Lady...?" Augusta looked through her documents to try to find her name.

"Froad, Chief Warlock. Nexitania Froad."

"I have met the boy and his wife as well, and their cuteness is not relevant to this discussion."

"Married! Aww, Merlin bless 'em!" Nexie smiled.

"Cuteness aside, I fully concur with Lady Froad." Frank said. "I move we strike the arrest authorization and award Lord and Lady Potter Orders of Merlin First Class instead."

"Seconded!" Sirius barked.

"Aye!" Remus added.

"Aye!" Nexie slapped the table again.

"Aye!" Xenophilius agreed with a large smile.

"Alright, alright. Order!" Augusta banged her gavel again. "When I point to you, state your name and your vote yea or nay in the matter of awarding Orders of Merlin First Class to Lord and Lady Potter. We'll start with you, Amelia."

Augusta pointed to each Lord and Lady present, who gave their names and votes.

"I count nineteen for, four against, and one Recusement. Scribe, please confirm?" Augusta did her best to hold back her smile.

Everyone waited while the scribe counted the votes from the transcript. "One Recusement in the case of Lord MacFusty. Members Burke, Doge, Fawley, and Ogden vote nay with a total of four against. Members Abbott, Bell, Bones, Clearwater, Creevey, Diggory, Fortescu, Froad, Greengrass, Johnson, Jones, Lovegood, Lupin, MacMillan, Marchbanks, Ollivander, Roper, Tonks, and Vance vote yea for a total of Nineteen in favor, aye Chief Warlock."

"Motion to award Lord and Lady Potter Orders of Merlin First Class has passed, motion to arrest is defeated." Augusta banged her gavel with finality. "Next on the docket?"

"Next is Amendment forty-seven to Statute Eighty-Three stroke D..."

The scribe described an amendment to a law that on the surface looked like it would set defined punishments for bribery, but in the details actually made it legal to bribe Wizengamot members. It was defeated twenty to four. After that, it became fairly clear to the newest members of the Wizengamot exactly how things had been run and who among them was interested in their own gain.

When the session concluded, two hours later than had been scheduled, it was also clear that those same four used all the tricks in the political book, but their go-to tactic was stalling. They'd talk about everything under the sun and promise that it related to the topic at hand, but after the two hours that the session ran over, the Chief Warlock grew tired of it and began to shut them down when they started.

"So, how was your first day?" Sirius asked Fenton as they left the chambers.

"It was great!" Fenton smiled, "Beats the hell out of being a milkman, I'll tell you that much. Toad jokes, screaming and fainting, severed heads, and taking money away from greedy old coots - Wizard politics is wicked fun."

"I'm worried, Harry." Hermione rested her head against his as they flew with arms wrapped around each other. "We're running out of Territories to look in."

"Me too." He admitted softly, "This was the best choice, the easiest place, but even if he isn't here we won't stop looking. We'll just have to change tacks. Maybe find people who deal in illegal creatures or something. We won't stop looking until we find him or his bones."

She nodded, but the look in her eyes was desperate for it to not come to that.

The Longhorn was long and sleek. Not as sinuous as the Yulong, not as powerful as the Sarkany, but imposing nonetheless. She had minor bonespikes along the ridge of her back, but two long, slightly upwardly-curved horns that glittered like polished gold. The rest of her was gradients of green - light over her belly, dark on her back ridge, and in between everywhere else. She basked sleepily in the mid-morning sun on the bank of a stream that trickled down from the mountaintop. She looked up at them as Harry and Hermione landed on the opposite side of the stream.

"Greetings," Hermione said as they bowed. "We apologize for our intrusion into your territory, we will leave if you wish it. We seek Eagle's Doom, a male Svurtr. Have you seen him?"

The Longhorn smiled at them. "I wondered when you would finally come to see old Sulita. I know who you are and what you seek, pinkskins. It is all anyone speaks of these days. I admit, I had not known his name - He does not speak but twice in the last twenty summers."

"You've seen him?! Is he here?!" Harry blurted excitedly.

Sulita chuckled. "Maybe he is and maybe he isn't. Sulita knows."

Harry's brows fell and he looked at Hermione. She looked at him with the same expression.

"What do you want?" Hermione asked.

"That is not how negotiation is done, little morsel." Sulita raised her head, her sharp golden horns pointed at them.

"We will not negotiate. He is family and we will take him home. Name your price." Hermione countered.

Sulita chuckled again. "Very well, Sulita sees the art of the struggle is lost upon you." She sighed, and a long thin flame like a blowtorch jetted from her nostrils. "Sulita desires a pet. I will keep your male. That is my price."

The air above Hermione warped with invisible flame as her hair unbraided itself to flutter and snap in the sudden wind.

"Sulita takes that as a 'no'?" The dragon chuckled smugly.

"Sulita has offered insult. We have observed the forms and Sulita wishes death instead." Hermione said.

The dragon actually grinned wider then. Harry thought maybe she really did want to die.

"Sulita sees the Balaur grow soft. Sulita sees The Balaur make nice with pinkskins. PINKSKINS. Sulita will show them all they have forgotten how to be." The dragon lifted itself from its slumbering pose and raised her middle as her wings flapped free. Her foreclaws came off the ground and her head went still as she focused on Hermione like a snake about to strike - and just as quickly, her head snapped forward, propelled by her long powerful body at blinding speed.

Unfortunately for her, Sulita chose to strike at Harry.

Maybe Sulita had never fought a human before and didn't know what they were capable of, maybe she was just old and slower than she might have been. Whatever the reason, Harry simply twisted away from the deadly horns. He was unable to get completely out of the way, as she was still quite fast, and her wingjoint connected with his face.

Sulita was much slower to retract her head than she was to extend it, and Hermione saw it. Sulita attacked her Harry. Her mate. With a burst of adrenaline, she jumped onto Sulita's snout and gripped both her horns as she stared into the dragon's eye.

A soundless explosion detonated and lay the grass flat, blew leaves from trees, and changed the course of the stream for a moment as their Wills collided.

"You cannot!" Sulita's voice rose three octaves. "Sulita's mind belongs to Sulita! Filthy pinkskin!"

Hermione's teeth ground with the effort of battle as she sought to overwhelm the dragon's Will. "I. Am. Many Questions. Of The Svurtr. You are Lizard Meat. YOU HURT MY MATE! I WILL TAKE YOUR MIND AND BURN YOUR EMPTY SHELL!"

With each growled word, Hermione's eyes shone a little brighter. Her aura grew bigger and more visible as Sulita tried desperately to shake Hermione off. Sulita reached scrabbling claws at her, and raked Hermione's legs, but Hermione had a deathgrip on both of the dragon's horns. Sulita could not look away.

"No! NO! NO!!!" Sulita screamed. She blew twin jets of fire from her nostrils, but Hermione straddled her snout above them, and the flames could not reach her.

Hermione screamed in rage and triumph as the dragon's Will broke and Hermione drained her mind of every last instant.

Sulita slumped to the ground, limp. Empty.

Hermione rolled when the dragon's head hit the ground, and went immediately to Harry. His face was a bloody mess, but even as she watched she could see bone and cartilage slide back into place as he healed. She took his head into her lap and cleaned the blood from his skin with the hem of her jumper while she waited for him to wake.

"Hermione!" He yelled as he sat up, his arms out before him.

She pulled him back down to her lap and ran her fingers through his hair. "Relax, it's okay. Are you alright?"

Harry pushed his fingers at his face. "A little tender. What happened?" He smelled blood, and turned to see her leg. He Resonated immediately and clamped an invisible wrapping around her leg like a bandage made of force.

"It's alright, it's just a scratch." She said, "It's healing."

"How did you -" He turned his head and saw Sulita's limp, drooling form.

"She knew where Father was, so I took it from her. She hurt you, so I... took everything else too." He was looking into her eyes, or he'd have missed the shadow that passed across them.

"Feeling guilty?" He asked.

She smiled at him and kissed his forehead. "Stop being so observant."

He smiled back. "Where you're concerned, never."

She smiled back at him, then her smile fell. "Sad. Apparently Longhorns can have multiple Mates. She couldn't understand why Father denied her. Why he wouldn't make children with her. She offered herself to him for years and years. I won't say she loved him, I don't think she understood the concept... but she genuinely wanted him."

"That is sad. No wonder she was like that." Harry brushed his fingers over her cheek. "Thanks for being you."

She smiled at him again, and kissed him softly. "Are you alright to move? I want to get Father home to Mother."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I can't wait to see their faces when they're together again." Harry beamed a smile at her. He stood up and took her hand.

"He's in a cave just up the mountain here." She grinned back at him as she Resonated. As he went to take to the air, she pulled him toward Sulita's breathing corpse. "I told her I would burn her empty shell."

She stepped on Sulita's lower lip and pushed her mouth open until she had her arms above her head with elbows locked. Hermione took a deep breath, and Breathed into Sulita's throat.

As Harry watched, it seemed that Sulita's body grew bloated, then began to glow a faint green. Seconds later, her body deflated as her meat and skin turned to ash. Her bones were left, they glowed a bright orange and hissed while they settled onto the ground. The neck could not support the head without the meat, and Sulita's head rolled to the left and burned to the bone after Hermione stepped away.

Hermione shrank Sulita's skull with its long, sharp horns intact to the size of a breadbox, and held it out to Harry. "Would you? It just seems right that we keep it. I'm not really sure why."

"I kept Tom's head. Never hurts to have evidence, regardless." Harry said as he pulled his trunk out and placed the skull inside. "It might be a Svurtr thing as well. We do keep hoards, after all."

"Maybe. Let's get Father home, we can think about it later. We're so close!"

"Lead on then, you know where he is." Harry tucked his trunk back in his pocket and held his hand out as he rose off the ground. She followed him with a smile, and took his hand to lead him to the cave where Father waited.

It was more of a large crack in the mountain than a cave mouth, long and jagged, but wide enough for a full-grown dragon to fit through. Harry and Hermione flew through the opening with no problems. The light disappeared quickly within the cave, so they pushed their magic into their eyes and continued on. They flew for another minute or so before the passage opened into a wide chamber that sloped gradually upward to their right.

He lay on the bare stone, quiet and still. His posture was curled into the semblance of sleep, but with a spike of worried adrenaline, Harry realized he couldn't see Father breathing.

He was beyond emaciated.

They easily counted all Father's ribs. Each and every bone plate along his spine. Even the bones in his hip and flank.

"Oh no..." Hermione breathed. They landed next to him, and Harry reached out with his Resonance to touch something, anything...

"He's still there." He half-cried with relief. "It's very weak, but he's still there."

"He needs food." Hermione realized. "He looks like he hasn't eaten in twenty years."

"I doubt it's been that long, but you're not wrong. I'll go -"

"No, I'll go. You stay with him."

"You just used a massive amount of energy, you need to rest. I'll go. I'll be quick." He kissed her as he walked back toward the cave mouth. Try as she might, she couldn't argue.

She watched him fly out of the cave again, and that was when she saw the nests. Dozens and dozens of nests, each holding three or four unfertilized eggs surrounded Eagle's Doom, and Sulita's memories of building and filling each one flitted through her mind. She shed a tear for the desires of the now-departed Sulita, but refused to regret her actions. Sulita had literally decades to find a different dragon, one who wasn't already Mated, but she hadn't. She hadn't even tried.

Harry returned within ten minutes, trailing a deer in the air behind him.

"I was thinking about how to feed him," She said as Harry landed, "If you hold his mouth open I'll just put it right into his stomach."

Harry kissed her. "Brilliant. Not too much, I wouldn't want him to sick it up again. Start with the liver, see how that sits. Mother always said the liver was the best bit, but I always hated the flavour." Harry opened the deer and held the insides in place while she delicately floated the liver out.

Harry lifted Father's jaw open physically, and she waited until he was in a comfortable position. He nodded when he was, and she floated the liver into Father's shrivelled stomach.

"We... have a choice now." Harry said as he shifted his grip on Father's teeth and gently closed the sleeping dragon's mouth.

"What choice?" She asked with a frown.

"It could take weeks of this for him to get strong enough to wake up. We keep feeding him and nurse him back to health until he's strong enough,"

"Or?"

"Or we leave him asleep and fly him home over the next few days. I doubt there's any way he'd survive being Apparated."

"Hm. Couldn't we push magic into our blood and feed him some? Heal him that way?"

Harry shook his head. "Svurtr blood won't work on Svurtr. I don't know if any other type would, but I know for a fact Svurtr won't. That was why I told you we only had one shot at changing you. If you hadn't been so determined and gotten through it - if you had been grossed out or sicked up or something, you'd have been stuck with however incomplete your change was. Once you were part Svurtr, that was it."

Hermione frowned as the reality of what might have been flashed through her mind. "I'm glad I listened to you. Just thinking about what could have happened is horrifying."

"I'm glad you did too." He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Alright then, I guess we'll fly him home. A few days' worth of higher effort is better than a few weeks' worth of nursing. We can stockpile some food for Mother so she doesn't have to hunt to feed him."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. If you can handle the Notice-me-not and flying yourself, I'll take Father and me to start. I figure we might make it to Austria before we need to rest for the night."

She grinned at him and began to Resonate. "I can't wait to get him home."

They stopped for the night within sight of the Hungarian-Austrian border. Harry wanted to make it over the border, but Hermione forced him to the ground because she could feel his Resonance fading. He only insisted he could have made it twice before he admitted she was right and promptly fell asleep.

They traded Father back and forth between them the next day, and stopped for the night just east of Luxembourg. They were both exhausted and fell asleep in each others' arms almost immediately. Harry Apparated to Potter Glen in the morning and got them some food, and they resumed their trek northwest.

They gained England before noon that day, and decided to push on despite being tired and hungry. The thought of being so close to Mother kept them moving, kept them trading Father's weight, until just before sunset when they realized neither could support Father any longer, so they held hands and slipped into Harmony and held him aloft together.

A lance of bright blue flame tinted with curls of amethyst shot into the sky just ahead of them, and both Harry and Hermione began to cry.

They'd done it. They were home.

They descended and brought Father to a gentle rest in Mother's Nest while Mother stood on the lip of stone and bellowed her flame into the night.

It was joy, it was rage, it was sorrow, it was relief and triumph and love. It was all that and more, all wrapped up and thrust into the sky on flames of magic.

Harry held Hermione close as they witnessed Mother's emotions, their own cheeks wet with them. They fell asleep against Harry's former hoard with their arms wrapped around each other while Mother recovered and quietly nuzzled her Mate.

When they woke still wrapped in each other, Hermione nuzzled her cold nose into Harry's neck.

"Ack!" He complained. "So mean."

Hermione just smiled at him and snuggled closer.

"Good morning, my Young." Mother rumbled. She had put her Mate on her hoard and lay next to him with one of her wings draped over him.

"Good morning, Mother." Hermione grinned. "Sorry we fell asleep so fast last night."

Mother shook her head. "Do not be. I could feel your colours pale. You were very close to rest whether you wanted it or no. I thank you from the depths of magic. I can never repay what you have done. I have my Mate back."

"Father still needs care and a lot of work. He's a little stronger now because we've fed him over the last couple of days, but we think he's been asleep a very long time." Harry said.

Mother raised her head to look at them. "How have you fed him if he cannot eat himself?"

"We'll show you." Hermione stood up and pulled Harry to his feet. "We are going to go bring you a few deer to keep here so that you don't have to leave him for a while. We'll show you how we've done it when we return." She looked at Harry with an eyebrows raised, and he nodded in return. Hermione Resonated and flew out of the nest.

"Many Questions grows strong." Mother said after Hermione had gone.

"She does. It makes me so happy, Mother." Harry smiled back at her. "Look into my thoughts, see her as she was when we met."

She did, and snorted flames at what she saw. "That is truly her?"

"It used to be. It pains me to think what she went through, and what she might have become if we had not found each other. She is so strong now, so bright. I love her with everything that I am." Harry smiled and hugged Mother's neck. "I'm sure you already know that part."

Mother rumbled in her throat. "I do."

"That's why you should spare no thought for repayment, Mother. We both understand and cannot imagine what it has been like without Father. Neither of us wants to imagine it."

"I begin to understand, I think." Mother looked at her sleeping Mate.

Harry smiled at them both, and began to Resonate. "Back in a bit, can't let my Mate do all the work."

Mother chuffed at him as he left the Nest.

They brought three deer and two goats back to the Nest with them, and left them under stasis charms in the colder half of the Nest.

Harry Resonated and performed the levitation charm slowly, then repeated it slowly four times until Mother saw how it was done.

"That's it!" Harry beamed as Mother picked up one of the goats and brought it toward her. "All we've done is lift Father's head so his mouth opens, and float the meat directly into his stomach, like so." He nodded at Hermione, who performed the actions he described. "It's been a few days, so he might be able to take more than a tiny morsel at a time. We tried to not give him very much at once because it would be bad for him to sick it up again."

"I understand." Mother said.

"We'll come back again in a few days to visit and see how you are." Hermione hugged Mother's neck and then stood next to Harry and took his hand.

"I will look forward to it, daughter." Mother thrummed happily.

Harry just smiled at Mother and Apparated them to Potter Glen.

"Oh thank you. I was going to say we should come home for a bit, I'm desperate for a shower." Hermione kissed him quickly and walked briskly toward the house. Then she ran toward the house with squeals and giggles when she saw he chased her.

They soaped and cleaned each other under the hot steamy water, just happy to be together. Harry wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck.

"I had fun in the forest." He said.

"I did as well." She smiled up at him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"We have a month left until school, I think it's time we tried the tropical island."

"I would love that too, but I thought we were going to do that next summer?" She frowned slightly and pulled away to look in his eyes.

Harry smiled sheepishly. "I just want more of your time," He sighed. "I never expected other dragons to be so damn chatty."

Hermione laughed.

There was an... oiliness to Minister Fudge that Neville had never been close enough to the man physically to observe before. It wasn't a tangible thing, either. Neville couldn't point to any sheen over the man's skin or any droplets left behind. It was the way his expressions stuck to his face and then slid off when replaced by the next. Like his face was actually just a series of masks chosen as appropriate for the arse he attempted to kiss. It made Neville slightly nauseous.

Thankfully, Fudge only tried to kiss Neville's arse once half-heartedly, then moved on. He had no idea how Harry put up with the gallons of spit the man lobbed up his backside. Finally, after seeing that Harry and Hermione grew disgusted by his fawning, Fudge moved to the center of the hastily-erected stage and the podium that stood there.

"Good afternoon!" His magically-enhanced voice echoed between the buildings throughout Diagon. "Thank you all for coming to witness this most momentous occasion." He raised his hands and gestured for the crowd to quiet down. "Some of you will have no doubt heard rumors of the return of You-Know-Who. I would like to put those rumors to rest. They were absolutely true. You-Know-Who, with the help of his followers, had resurrected."

The crowd noise surged again as people gasped and spoke to each other in hushed tones.

"HOWEVER!" Fudge bellowed, "However... there is no need to panic. Please, relax. The diligent and heroic efforts of two young students not only discovered his means of returning to life, but destroyed it!" Fudge paused two beats for dramatic effect. "You-Know-Who is now gone! Forever!" He lapped up the roar of applause and shouts from the assembled Witches and Wizards. When it started to peter out, He put his hands up again for quiet. "We are here today to honour those two students who bravely fought and destroyed You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters."

"Minister Fudge! Minister Fudge!" Several people at the front of the crowd put their hands up, others just began to shout questions, and no-one could be heard at all.

"Quiet down, please!" Fudge's magically enhanced voice easily rolled over everyone else. "There will be time for questions afterward. Please save all your questions until then. I turn the proceedings over now to the Chief Warlock, Lady Longbottom." Fudge made a grand show of graciously allowing Augusta to take the spotlight, though he didn't exactly vacate the area.

Augusta stepped up to the podium and turned to gesture Fergus forward. He walked up and stopped behind her, as out of view of the crowd as was possible. He looked both proud and terrified as he held open a shiny black box.

Augusta's magically enhanced voice was even louder than Fudge's. "For service to the Land and People of Magical Britain above and beyond the pale, for Protection of The Realm as a whole, we the Ministry of Magic hereby award the Order of Merlin, First Class to... Harry Potter."

A collective gasp washed through the crowd of onlookers as she said Harry's name. Several of the reporters in the front row immediately ignored Fudge's instruction to save their questions and shouted Harry's name to get his attention. None of them saw who it was who silenced them, but they all fell silent at once.

Harry flashed Hermione a grateful smile as he walked forward to stand beside Augusta. She turned to face him as he faced her, and she took the solid gold medal from its resting place in the box held by Fergus.

"That's two debts Britain owes you that we can never repay, Lord Potter." She said as she pinned the medal to his robes. "From the bottom of our collective hearts, Thank You Harry." Augusta shook his hand with both of hers, then let him go. Harry took a step back to give Hermione room in front of Augusta.

Augusta turned and gestured for Evelyn to step forward, next to Fergus.

"For service to the Land and People of Magical Britain above and beyond the pale, for Protection of The Realm as a whole, we the Ministry of Magic hereby award the Order of Merlin, First Class to Hermione Potter, formerly Granger."

Hermione strode forward and stood next to Harry with a happy smile at her Mum. Harry's fingers surreptitiously interlaced with hers. Augusta took the medal from the box Evelyn held and pinned it to Hermione's robes. "From the bottom of our collective hearts, Thank you Hermione. Your selfless heroism in the face of great personal danger is an inspiration to us all." Augusta smiled at her, but Evelyn's proud smile was wet with tears.

Neville had to agree. Just thinking about what Hermione had done while she'd been "dead" tied his stomach in knots. Neither he nor Daphne nor Luna had believed Harry when he'd told them Hermione had done the Lion's Share of the work until they'd explained the whole thing.

Harry and Hermione bowed to his Gran then, and turned to face the crowd. Neither of them looked happy to be there, but at the same time they didn't look particularly uncomfortable either. Augusta shook both their hands with a huge smile for each.

Fudge stood again in front of the podium while Lady Longbottom congratulated Harry and Hermione and then returned to her seat.

"As promised, we'll answer a few questions now." Fudge grinned smarmily.

Hermione quietly cancelled her silence so the reporters could speak again.

Harry shot Neville a nervous glance as he fingered what was in his pocket, and Neville understood instantly. He nodded back to Harry with a smile and two thumbs-up. Harry smiled softly back at him as he hung his head and then returned his attention to the crowd.

Fudge pointed to one lady in the front row.

"Penelope Clearwater, Daily Prophet." She stated, "Lord Potter, how did you come to be known as Duncan MacFusty? Was it a disguise?"

Harry shook his head. "No, Miss Clearwater. I am more Duncan MacFusty than I am Harry Potter, same as I was when we met on the train. Fergus and Maisie MacFusty took me in and raised me as their own from the time I was ten. Until I met Fergus and Maisie MacFusty I didn't know what clothes were, I didn't speak English and had no idea what my name was."

A surge of hands and questions happened from the front row then, and Fudge pointed to another reporter.

"Sebayshus Furnunkal, Magical Times. If you're really Harry Potter, born Nineteen-Eighty, you'd be fifteen years old. How is it that you're a Lord at fifteen?"

Harry raised his eyebrows slightly, as though to acknowledge it a fair question. "There was a Death Eater who posed as our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher last year. He put my name in the Goblet of Fire so that I would be chosen as a Champion of Triwizard Tournament. The Ministry had declared that only of age students could compete, but I was forced to anyway, so the Ministry had to accept my bid for emancipation since they had already declared me to be of age."

"An oversight which shan't happen again!" Fudge added, as he pointed to a woman in the first row.

"Spleneta Targe, Witch Weekly. My question is for Miss Granger -"

"That's Lady Potter." Hermione corrected.

"Ah, Lady Potter. Of course. Are you married and if so, how and when?"

"We are. We were married September twenty-fourth last year, after our first kiss. Magic decided we were married, and we got a letter of congratulations from Gringotts. It was something of a surprise for both of us." She smiled at Harry, and he smiled back at her. "We have grown closer since then, and I don't mind telling you I fell in love with him. I guess Magic knows what it's about."

There was a general chuckle through the crowd at that. Fudge looked as though he was about to point to someone else, but Harry interrupted him.

"Actually, I have something small to add to that..." He turned and looked at Hermione. "I absolutely fell in love with you too, and even though I trust Magic, I wouldn't want you to feel cheated by the fact that your experience was different from what you might have wanted, so..." He dropped to one knee and pulled the box from his pocket to open it in front of her. "Hermione, would you marry me?"

He looked up into her eyes, and her shocked surprise gave way to unshed tears.

"Yes." She breathed heavily, "Of course yes."

Harry took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger where it resized itself to fit perfectly. He didn't have time to put the box back in his pocket before she pulled him to his feet by his lapels and kissed him thoroughly.

A cheer went up from the crowd as the empty box clattered to the stage floor.

"I think that's all the questions for the Potters..." Fudge chuckled and pointed to someone else in the crowd of reporters while Harry and Hermione wrapped one arm around each other and quietly left the stage.

Daphne couldn't concentrate.

It wasn't bad enough that Head Boy Roger Davies could barely get a sentence out without Head Girl Patricia Stimpson having to correct him - she could have dealt with that, she already knew everything that would be expected of her as Prefect. No, it was that slut Brown. She kept biting her lip and trying to touch her Neville. Like just because they were Gryffindor prefects that meant he was somehow available to her.

Daphne sighed internally and corrected herself. It wasn't just Brown. She knew Neville would never take her up on her obvious offer. Daphne still wanted to slap the shit out of her for offering, but truthfully it was Neville himself. They'd seen each other for dates over the summer, but it was his seriousness as he listened to Davies and Stimpson. It was the fact that he'd grown taller and wider and harder over the summer. It was the badge, too. Just looking at him made her belly heat up something fierce.

She'd watched him when she could during the boarding as well. He was so stern, so commanding, then he'd seen a first-year have some sort of trouble and he was all smiles and kindness and help. It made her desperate to snog his face off. That was the real reason she couldn't be bothered to listen to Davies and Stimpson.

Finally the Heads stopped yapping and let them go accomplish their tasks. Neville smiled at her as he held the door for her and Zabini to pass through. She actually sort of felt sorry for Zabini - he'd never asked to be a prefect and absolutely didn't want to, he was just the only fifth year Slytherin male left alive. He hadn't been given a choice.

She smiled back at Neville as she passed him and shot him a look that told him she couldn't wait for their duties to be concluded. He smiled back at her and gave her a look that made her shudder in anticipation.

She and Zabini accomplished their rounds with no difficulty, and only had to admonish a pair of fourth-years who were a little too amorous in front of the firsties roaming the hall. She did manage to sneak a few moments to have a quick chat with Luna, but it was over before she could really enjoy seeing her friend again.

The train ride was over after an eternity of duty and frustration, but she was thrilled to see Neville and Luna waited with the last carriage for her to finish. Once all the students were accounted for and on their own carriages, she practically flew into Neville's arms and included Luna in a thrashing great hug.

"I missed you both." She smiled as she climbed into the carriage. Neville, ever the gentleman, held the door for them both.

"I missed you too, Club Sister." Luna grinned happily at her, "I'm going to miss Hermione this year too."

"Me too." Daphne admitted, "We'll just have to hug each other extra this year to make up her share. We are still going to see them weekends and holidays?" She looked between Neville and Luna. She hadn't heard anything from either Hermione or Dun - Harry, but she knew she wasn't as close to them as Neville and Luna were.

"I don't know." Neville replied. "That was the plan, but after the awards ceremony they both took off for the tropics and I haven't heard a word in the two weeks since."

"I hope so." Luna said. "I don't want to have to wait a whole term."

"Me either." Neville agreed, "Especially when It'll be up to us to push Study Group ahead as well." Neville added.

"I like Study Group. I'll take over if you don't want to, Neville." Luna smiled.

"You can take over any time you like, Luna." He smiled back at her. "I'll be studying regardless. Gran pulled a massive amount of Wizengamot history and legal precedent for me from the archives at the Ministry, I'll be studying that this term as well as N.E.W.T. material... and reviewing for O.W.L.s. Damn, I forgot O.W.L.s were this year."

That made Daphne pout internally. Neither of them was going to have much free time, that was clear already.

"I have us reviewing for O.W.L.s every Friday on the schedule. I figured it might be nice to go over things that won't be too difficult just before the weekend." Luna said smugly.

"Brilliant." Daphne grinned at Luna, then had to hug her again just for her cute little smug smile.

"I like new cuddlier Daphne too." Luna laughed.

"Good, I blame it entirely on you and Hermione!"

"Aw, no credit for Neville?" Luna replied.

Neville just smiled back. "I don't need credit, I'm thrilled it happened at all. My parents are awake, Harry and Hermione are alive, Voldemort's dead, I have friends and goals, and the most perfect girlfriend I could ever hope for. I never imagined my life could be this good."

Daphne felt her eyes sting along with her heart, and she pulled Neville's lips to her own.

"I'm all for naked things, but could it wait until we get into the castle?" Luna's cheeks turned a slight pink.

Daphne smiled back. "Sorry, couldn't resist." She shifted over to wrap her arms around Neville's right arm and leaned on his shoulder.

They arrived back at the castle faster than she would have liked, and she reluctantly let go of Neville so he could go to his table and she to hers. She didn't know whether to be upset or thrilled that the Slytherin table was less than half as full as the other tables, and ninety percent of the students who sat there were girls. She counted exactly four boys, but this year's Sort hadn't happened yet.

She seated herself near the end of the table where the new first-years would sit. As a prefect she would be expected to help them assimilate and guide them where they needed to go - but at the same time, she didn't feel any desire to sit closer to the rest of her house.

No sooner had she seated herself than she felt a pair of arms around her ribs and a pair of breasts on her back and she smelled coconut and parchment.

"Shh." Nobody whispered in her ear. "We're going to go surprise Neville, but I wanted to say hello first. Don't let on we're here yet."

Hermione! She and Harry were here? They were supposed to be in Naples!

She wrapped her arms around Hermione's and squeezed.

"We'll come talk during dinner, promise." Hermione whispered, then she was gone.

Luna squealed with joy a minute later, and silenced most of her table as she got her hug. Daphne couldn't help but smile at her delight, and realized Luna must have been more upset than she let on earlier. She then got up and moved to the other side of the Ravenclaw table so she could watch Neville, but she flashed Daphne a big grin as she did. Daphne nodded and smiled back.

Neville sat facing the great hall, with his back toward the far wall. He chatted amiably with some of his housemates, but she could see he was less than enthusiastic about it. Harry and Hermione appeared out of thin air on either side of him, and it took him a moment to notice.

"Son of a troll!!" Neville's voice carried across the Great Hall when he noticed Harry's smug grin. Daphne hoped they had one of their friends taking his picture, because his face was absolutely priceless.

There were even more children to Sort that year than the last, but only four of the twenty-six were sorted into Slytherin, and three of those looked ready to cry because of it. The other one, a little blonde girl, wore the same happy smile she had the entire time. Daphne thought she was likely a muggle-born and didn't really understand the houses. She guided all four to have a seat near her.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, and welcome to Slytherin House. I'm Daphne Greengrass, I'm one of your Prefects. If you ever have any questions or problems, you can come and talk to me straight away."

"I'm Tiffany Shirtliff! Can you do magic? Is the ceiling magic or is it just fake like movie magic? How many -"

"One question at a time please, Tiffany." Daphne smiled. The two boys and other girl just sulked. She noticed the Headmistress take her place at the podium and corrected herself. "Actually, you'll have to hold on to your questions for a moment, the Headmistress is about to tell you important things, you should pay attention."

Tiffany bit her lip and turned to face the high table. Thankfully, Headmistress McGonagall's address was short and to the point.

"I would like to take just a moment to thank our new Professors - teaching Potions and filling the role of Slytherin Head of House this year will be Mrs. Charlotte Alexander." She paused for the applause the students heaped upon the new Potions Professor. "Teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, Miss Dora Tonks." Again, the applause seemed enthusiastic. "I expect each of you to treat them with the same respect you show the other Professors. Once again, as every year, the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden. Any student caught there will face one month's detention. That is all, enjoy your dinners."

The table suddenly filled with all manner of food and drink, and the expressions of joy on the faces of her First Year charges made her smile.

"Brilliant!" Tiffany exclaimed as she began to collect food to her plate. The other three clearly enjoyed the display, but weren't quite pulled from their funk - not until Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Luna all sat down next to them.

"Hi!" Luna smiled at them.

"Moira, Tiffany, Graham, Roger, these are my friends Harry, Hermione, Luna, and Neville." Daphne explained.

"No way! You're friends with Gryffindors! I wanted to be in Gryffindor!" Roger pouted.

"There's nothing saying you can't have friends in other houses. You can be friends with anyone. As you can see, all my friends are from other houses." She smiled at the boy, and at that Roger, Graham, and Moira all filled with smiles.

Daphne encouraged them all to eat, and put food on her own plate. "So? Why not Naples?" She asked Hermione.

Hermione flashed her a quick smile. "We were out for a swim when I realized there wasn't any point to leaving anymore. Everything that made the place horrid had been dealt with, and I'd be a fool to abandon friends it took me three years to make. We gave our spots in Naples to a couple of students who couldn't afford it since they don't give tuition refunds, and here we are."

Daphne smiled back at her. "Well I'm glad. It wouldn't have been the same without you. Either of you."

"We would've missed you too."

"Plus, if we'd gone to Naples, then we wouldn't have met our new Slytherin friends, and we wouldn't be able to tell them all your dirty secrets, right guys?" Harry grinned at the First Years.

"Yeah!" Graham grinned.

"I want to know all the dirty secrets!" Moira beamed as well.

Daphne glared at Harry, who had the temerity to simply wink back at her as he continued. "Before that though, you should focus on your studies and learning your way around the castle. There's plenty of time for dirty secrets when you know where you're going and have a handle on your classes."

Hermione reached over and slapped Harry's shoulder. "Behave!"

Harry laughed and caught her hand before she could pull it back. "I'll try, but nobody's trying to kill us this year so I may have to misbehave some to compensate."

Hermione grinned and squeezed his hand. "There's my conscientious outlaw."

Harry smiled back at her and turned back to the First Years. "Seriously though, study hard and make sure you learn everything you're supposed to. Exams will come along before you know it."

"You don't want to know what happens to people who fail their exams." Luna warned gravely.

Harry 's smile fell as he noticed a particular set of blue eyes looking back over a shoulder at them from the Ravenclaw table. Hermione must have noticed his glare because she leaned into him and whispered into his neck.

"You're making that I-want-to-rip-things-apart face again." She whispered, "Did we leave something untended? I'm fairly certain we don't have anything outstanding with the rest of the faculty."

The steel left his eyes as he sighed and turned back to her. "Nothing significant." He smiled, "I'll take care of it."

Hermione looked where his gaze had been, and noted the head of black hair she'd been so stupid over so long ago. It hadn't really been that long, as she thought back on it, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. She smiled and wrapped her arm around her Harry's waist and snuggled into him.

She could see at least three apologies in the near future.