Will It Ever be Normal by MyCreation
Summary: Four years after the War, Harry and Ginny are enjoying their first summer after marriage in a vacation. Their lives are slowly evened out after war with the help of friends and family. But the enemy is always lurking in shadows and Will it ever be normal for the Potters.
Rating: R
Categories: Post-DH/AB
Characters: None
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 2017.10.14
Updated: 2018.02.08
Will It Ever be Normal by MyCreation
Chapter 1: The Enemy strikes when least expected
Author's Notes: The Enemy strikes when least expected
Harry and Ginny Potter are sleeping peacefully in their hotel room after one of the best weeks in their lives. A week passed in their fortnight South African Safari tour. Ginny had a successful season with Holyhead Harpies and Harry’s progress as an Auror was good over the past year. Though Harpies narrowly missed the championship, she cemented her position in their starting team and nominated for Emerging Chaser of the year.
They choose muggle tour in Africa to relax and enjoy some alone time with each other escaping the annoying Wizarding press which made prying into their personal lives their job. They left England a week after the Quidditch season as she was shortlisted to attend the national training camp for Quidditch world cup starting 15th of June.
Ginny wanted to have Teddy with them but their Family and Andromeda insisted only two of them. She was only convinced after Harry mentioning about second and proper honeymoon but had some nagging feeling.
End of autumn and start of winter weather with warm sunny days and balmy nights made their tour even more delightful. The Luxury Suite made their stay even more gratifying. It had a bedroom with king sized bed, a living room, a dining room, an equipped cooking area and two luxurious bathrooms. The best feature to them is a lavish balcony on the east side with large comfy lounges where they spent their late evenings and early mornings over the past week.
After two days of nothing but staying indoors making love, they spent next couple of days exploring local wonders and evenings in the beach. Their first Safari trip was a magnificent experience where they caught sight of three of big five.
Ginny was very excited when they came across African Lions and both decided to spend most of next week in Safari. They went to shopping and dinner yesterday and slept early morning after mind-blowing sex.
Harry is lying on his back while Ginny snuggled into his chest with her head rested on his shoulder at the crook of his neck. She is secured protectively with his arm around her waist and her arm around his chest and their legs intertwined.
Ginny awoke from her sleep with some unpleasant sensation, the same she felt yesterday night at the end of dinner. Harry and she were having a great time when they both felt an odd feeling.
They returned to their hotel immediately and it took some time to calm and go back to joyful mod which led to wonderful lovemaking late into the night. They slept only a couple of hours ago and she is tired and should sleep till afternoon but her gut feeling is something’s not good.
She shifted her eyes towards Harry and looking him sleep peacefully without any concern made her happy. Slowly freeing herself from him, she got up and kissed his forehead. Putting on a robe, she moved to the balcony and sat in comfy lounger looking at the orange sky before sunrise.
With the pleasant morning weather and sounds of birds around, she sat lost in memories of past few years starting from few weeks in her fifth year where Harry and she dated.
Her sixth year was a nightmare where Voldemort took over England and death eaters taught at school. Harry and she broke up publicly. Deep down both of them knew they loved each other but waited for him to fulfill his destiny.
She learned very less from professors and some friendships formed that year, not due to chance but by choice are true and strong. Harry and she went through hell after the final battle. They matured as persons and became normal again with their love and trust in each other.
Harry’s world crumbled the night after the memorial at Hogwarts when he sat and recounted the events of the final battle. When the majority of the wizarding world celebrated their victory on evil, their hero couldn’t digest the truth that his life was a lie till then.
He is the noble and most honorable man there, forgave them all but she will never forgive those who used her Harry as a means to win the war and those who never treated him the same as every other child. She is selfish about Harry and she is happy about it because that was what pulled them out of hell after the war.
After four years, their lives are slowly approaching normal. Harry became powerful, rather he harnessed his full potential after that foul piece of Voldemort left him. They experienced some odd but pleasant things after they expressed their love and promised each other that ‘they had enough and their lives are their own, they will live for each other and for family and friends not for the whole world’.
They came to know about that after their wedding and their feelings are strengthening with time. They can feel each other emotions and speech is not required every time if they are in touch. It’s as if they had some part of the other in them.
Their Godson played a big part in evening their lives along with their family and friends. A familiar presence felt and a hand came and rested around her shoulders, she felt secure and home and leaned into that presence without breaking her thoughts.
HGHGHGHGHHGHG
Harry awoke feeling comfort leaving him to find Ginny missing beside him. He looked around the room to find her but she was not there. He got out of bed, put a robe on and moved to the balcony and found her sitting in the lounge looking at the sky deeply lost in thought. He moved beside her and placed a hand around her shoulders and she leaned towards him as if asking him to hold her.
He sat beside her and pulled her into his lap. She happily moved into his lap and leaned into him with her back pressed against his chest and head rested under his chin. He securely moved his hands around her waist and circled her and she placed her hands over his.
He understood what happened and why she awoke from her sleep. He slowly moved his head to one side and said ‘We will contact our family first thing in the morning. It’s not even six, let’s stay for some time. Love you Gin, I always will’.
Even though speech is not required to convey their feelings, they like to hear when the other says ‘I Love you’.
Hearing this she turned her head and looked into his eyes replying the same and asking to hold her close for some time mentally. He conveyed he will do as she likes. She gave a small peck on his lips turned resting her head on his shoulders and closed her eyes.
He kissed her on top of her head and moved her hair over one shoulder and started running his fingers slowly through her hair calming her. He liked running his fingers through the length of her long silky hair. He still liked it though she cut it to mid back for Quidditch. He kissed her cheek laid his head back and closed his eyes.
The sound of ringing doorbell woke them. Looking at the morning light, she understood it’s sometime after sunrise. Ginny got up and moved to the bedroom to change while Harry went to check on the door.
He opened the door to find the receptionist with another stout middle-aged man who looked in some sort of a hurry. Looking at Harry he addressed ‘Are you, Mr. Harry Potter’.
Harry had a bad feeling about this thinking the local Ministry found them and replied ‘Yes’ somewhat dejectedly. Ginny moved beside him and linked her hand with his.
The new man replied ‘Mr. Potter, I am Abraham Smith and it is best if we talk somewhere private’.
Harry understood this, thanked the receptionist and allowed the man inside and closed the door.
Leading him to the living room and motioning to a chair Harry asked ‘Mr. Smith, we can talk here, what do you wish to speak about’.
The man looked at the couple and answered ‘I am from Dept of International Co-operation of South African Ministry. My boss and the Minister requested your presence immediately’.
Harry sensed Ginny’s frustration and he had to admit he felt the same but he needed to stay focused. He asked ‘Mr. Smith, can you please tell us why? You can see we are not interfering with any of your activities and we are touring as muggles here’.
Mr. Smith politely answered ‘I am not supposed to give any details sir. If it helps you there was a call from English Minister an hour ago asking us to find you and my boss immediately sent me’.
Harry looked at Ginny and they both knew something bad happened. Kingsley will not involve the Ministry unless it’s about their family or them. An unspoken agreement was passed and she went to the bedroom to pack their belongings while Harry spoke ‘Mr. Smith, please give us ten minutes, we will change and come with you’.
Mr. Smith was shocked by this and asked ‘Mr. Potter if you don’t mind my question How are you so sure that I am who I am and not an imposter, which I am not by the way’.
Harry smiled and said ‘I sensed you are a Wizard and know you are telling the truth. That’s why we agreed immediately to come with you’.
Mr. Smith looked questioningly at Harry who immediately added ‘I don’t pry into others minds as you are suspecting. I felt you are not lying’. The ministry official knew about the savior Harry Potter and assumed him to ask all sorts of questions even before listening to what he has to say. He was surprised to find the savior as a normal man much younger than him.
‘We heard how you defeated the dark lord in a duel and how you are reforming your world. To say the truth, I never expected you will tour our country anonymously’ Mr. Smith told trying to make a conversation.
Harry replied ‘Well I don’t know what you heard and that was not how it happened, My friends and me, we had help from a lot of people in the fight against Voldemort and now I am just doing my job’.
Mr. Smith kept his eyes on Harry studying him during this brief conversation and to say that he is impressed is an understatement, there is strange feel around Harry and it’s even stronger when Mrs. Potter is around him.
He felt like this young man is more powerful than he looks. His thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Mrs. Potter from bedroom ‘Harry, I need you here to finish packing’ and Mr. Potter went inside excusing himself.
After ten minutes both the potters came to Living room dressed in formal muggle clothes and Ginny adjusting her handbag said ‘Mr. Smith, we are ready to leave now’.
Looking at their lack of luggage, Mr. Smith thought they are coming to Ministry for a visit and said ‘Mrs. Potter, I would suggest you bring your belongings as well’.
Ginny said ‘Oh, We are fully packed and our belongings are in here’ and pointed at her handbag. After a brief discussion, they decided to go down settle the hotel bills and take a portkey to ministry.
They landed in a small room and Mr. Smith led them to another wing and pointed to Dept of International Co-operation Head’s room. The room is spacious and well decorated with many portraits and pictures.
Behind the Heads desk sat another middle-aged man who rose upon seeing them and greeted ‘Mr. and Mrs. Potter it’s an honor to have you here even though the circumstances are not agreeable’.
Harry replied ‘the pleasure is ours Mr. Fourie, I will not lie to you it’s never an agreeable circumstance when you intrude the vacation of newly married couple’. Mr. Fourie laughed heartily and said ‘that’s a good one Mr. Potter, why don’t we discuss more over tea’ and started pouring tea gesturing the three of them to sit.
He started ‘we received a call from English Ministry an hour ago requesting our help to contact you and pass a message that you are to return immediately from your vacation. Your Minister himself spoke with ours to take this on priority. We shall go to our minister and discuss your travel if you want to go back’.
Harry and Ginny sat holding their hands looked at each other and assured each other that all will be fine.
Ginny turned towards Mr. Fourie and said ‘We understand that it is serious if Kingsley himself called here. We are ready to head back home’.
Mr. Fourie smiled and said ‘Good Mrs. Potter, let’s go meet our Minister and decide further after tea’.
He led them out and they walked to another wing and reached the Minister's office. Minister’s secretary led them inside. The room is large and resembled head master’s office at Hogwarts. Behind a large desk sat an aged man who looked up from his paper and called ‘Harry Potter, come in have a seat’.
Looking at the Potters he added ‘It’s always nice to meet Potters but I am afraid we don’t have much time to make acquaintance. Kingsley and Arthur asked me to find and send you back immediately’.
Harry is slightly taken aback by the strange greeting. He composed himself and sat in a sofa pulling Ginny to sit by him and said ‘Minister Peterson, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Can you please tell something about this emergency? Is it related to our family?’ worriedly.
Minister looked between them and replied ‘Kingsley informed me it’s a family emergency and you both are needed there. I am sorry I couldn’t inquire further, he was in hurry’.
Ginny stiffened beside him and looked worried. Harry put an arm around her pulling her close and rubbed her palm with another calming her. Turning towards the Minister he said ‘Thank you, sir, we appreciate what you and your Ministry are doing for us even when you are not informed about our tour. No offense sir, it’s personal and we are doing it muggle way’.
Minister Peterson eyed the couple for a minute and replied ‘English ministry is an ally. Kingsley is an old friend. Monty and I studied together Harry’.
He then told Mr. Fourie and Mr. Smith to contact their magical transportation team and inquire about Portkey.
After the ministry employees left Minister said to Potter’s that it’s difficult to arrange ‘cross-continental Portkeys’ in short time and they are arranging Portkeys to a Gringotts secure location in Egypt and they will make further travel arrangements.
Telling them about Goblin involvement he asked ‘Harry, I believe your relationship with Gringotts and Goblins is good considering you are the heir of noble and wealthy family’.
Harry replied ‘I won’t say it’s great but it certainly improved in past couple years especially after I was sworn as heir and my marriage recently’.
Minister slightly relaxed and said ‘I presume you are crediting Mrs. Potter for this’ turning to Ginny he continued ‘I must appreciate you for maintaining good relation with Goblins. They are not only helpful in managing gold but many other family deeds. I hope you continue good work, Mrs. Potter’.
‘I try to do my best sir. I had the opportunity to visit them many times with Harry after the war and having two Gringotts employees in the family made things easier. Oh, Its Ginny sir, Mrs. Potter makes me feel older’.
‘That’s good to know Ginny. I advise you to be strict in matters of gold when dealing with Goblins. They respect those who respect and save gold’ advised the Minister.
‘You said Monty and I, are you referring to granddad Fleamont Potter Minister? Ginny asked excitedly.
Harry and She did some research on Potter family ancestry to find any surviving members or friends but they didn’t come across this Man and granddad’s portrait never mentioned him.
‘Monty and I were contemporaries in school. We were Gryffindor and good friends. He became a potions master while I joined English Ministry after school. My parents moved here when I was in the sixth year and five years later I followed them after realizing family is important than many things’. The old man started explaining them about his relation with Potters.
‘I attended Monty and Euphemia’s wedding and they even sent me a picture of the baby many years later when he was born. All of our friends passed away during the first war and later, my relations with England remained to a personal level. My children and their children are settled happily here and the war in recent years further limited our contact.’ he finished his small tale with mixed emotions.
‘Now with the war is over and lives are returning to normal, you can come on a vacation with your family and when you come, you must visit our home. I am pretty sure your friend will be very happy to meet you even though he is a portrait’ invited Ginny.
‘Thank you, Ginny. You are welcome here again and there are many locations which are good to tour with a guide. I assure you, your tour will be a secret as you desire and some of my family members will be most happy to accompany you’ the Minister also offered sincerely.
‘Thank you, sir, we loved Safari and planned to do it next week but had to drop it now. We consider the offer next time’ replied Harry.
‘You were brought here very early in the morning, how about a nice English breakfast’ asked the Minister.
‘We just had Tea in Mr. Fourier’s office but some solid food is always better any time’ said Ginny who is really hungry. Harry didn’t show it but she knew he is as well.
Three of them finished breakfast and chatted about some things and half an hour later Mr. Fourier came with few other Ministry officials who brought three Portkeys and handed them to the Potters. A ministry official from transport department explained them their function and gave the details about their destination and a letter to show the contact person from Gringotts in Egypt. A healer gave them basic potions to carry along with them and asked them to have little rest after every Portkey.
The Potters thanked all the officials again and Ginny reminded Minister of her invite to England. They were led to secure location where Harry held Ginny protectively to his side while she hugged him around his middle and activated their first Portkey and vanished.
HGHGHGHGHHGHG
The Night before — Ministry of Magic England
An emergency meeting is underway in the DMLE meeting room to tackle the latest kidnapping. Minister Shacklebolt, his secretary Percy Weasley, heads of DMLE and Auror Dept are present with some senior and important members. Arthur Weasley now a member of Minister’s advisory council is also in attendance.
‘What exactly happened and how sure are you about this? There isn’t any time or I would have gone to the location’ Kingsley asked Mr. Robards.
‘The auror in duty escorted them to a nearby park after lunch and left them around 3.00 pm. The exact time of the attack is unknown but it happened after that. We were reported at 6 when another auror went to check on them as a routine. She was cursed and left behind and kid’s missing. Their intentions are unknown. No one claimed the attack or sent any demands’ finished Mr. Robards explaining the situation.
‘I sent Dawlish’s team and they are saying there was some struggle. They ambushed her, she traded some spells with them but they had the advantage of numbers. No Portkeys were used. They must have Apparated. No clues were found and we cannot detect or track them’ Mr. Wallace sighed helplessly.
‘They must have been following and tracking the family from quite some time. This looks like an orchestrated kidnapping with the motto to demand money or discredit Potter and Weasley families as revenge’ reasoned Dawlish.
‘We found no leads to track them, sir. Even our best ‘Clues and Tracking’ teams found nothing. Those who did this had a chance to kill her but they left her after cursing badly. They used border dark spells but not unforgivable. They didn’t touch their picnic basket or took anything from her. They must have taken the kid and moved to other location before Apparating’ explained Mr. Williamson a senior official of DMLE.
‘There must be something to start our search. Even the best of criminals will have some weakness. No one’s perfect’ Kingsley replied sternly to Mr. Williamson. ‘How do we move forward now? I want this case categorized as Code ‘Z’. Stop all other routine activities in both DMLE and Aurors Dept and prioritize this. The kid must be found ALIVE’ finished Kingsley emphasizing ALIVE to all the attendants.
‘I sent for all the Aurors who went as escorts to their house in past two months. They will be interrogated for any clue. I already assigned out best in this case. Proudfoot will lead a team of six. They are all assembled here’ Mr. Robards gestured to a small group seated at the end of the table.
‘I suggest we divide into small groups and enquire all the old death eaters, neighboring families and any other people she contacted in past week. This would have been easier if she gained consciousness but the healers are saying it will take at least two to three days before she wakes up’ finished Mr. Wallace.
‘Add their house and Gringotts bank as places to be searched for clues. Ronald, are you sure you want to be a part of this? You know as an auror you cannot disclose the details even to family’ Kingsley asked Ron who is seated in a small group of Aurors.
Ron looked thoughtful for only a minute and said ‘Course I want to be a part of it Minister, He is family. We haven’t fought the war and won to live in fear. I will do anything to find him’.
‘Very well, we meet again at midnight. We are not resting until the kid is found. I suspect they took the kid as a hostage for bargaining or else they would have killed him there itself. This case is most sensitive and should not be disclosed to any outsider. I don’t want panic among the public, it will only make matters worse. I expect all of you to maintain tight lip over this and maintain confidentiality.’ finished Kingsley ordering them to start their work.
They were divided into four groups with the larger group assigned to investigate all the death eater families. Ron along with other two is to look at their house and question neighbors. Dawlish and Proudfoot are investigating the Auror escorts and Ernie and one other two are to look at Gringotts, Diagon Alley and Knock turn alley. Once all the officials left the room only Kingsley, Arthur, Percy, Mr. Robards, and Mr. Wallace remained behind.
‘Where are the other kids in your dept Robards, some of them are bright and experienced in these situations’ enquired Kingsley.
‘Ten from my team are attending training in Italy and most of them are junior Aurors, Potter and three others are on leave. The best among others were here’ answered Mr. Robards defensively.
‘I don’t see any reason to kidnap the kid. There was no death eater activity in past two years and most of them were either dead or under watch. I suspect this is for other reasons. Our family lost more than enough to war and barely escaped with everyone alive. We are slowly reaching normal and the kid is bright light and hope for happy lives ahead. I don’t know what else we should lose’ Arthur Weasley hung his shoulders dejectedly and sank down in his chair. He seemed older than his fifty years.
‘You have faced worse situations than this Arthur. We will track them and get the kid alive. Your son’s right, we haven’t fought and won to live in fear or beneath some dark lords. We will provide even more security to your family till the situation improves’ encouraged Mr. Wallace.
‘What about the rest of your family Arthur. I suggest we alert of them to stay on guard. How is Molly holding up? Asked Kingsley
‘Molly went to St Mungos after receiving the news. Percy, why don’t you inform the others about this after going out? Also, ask them to come and stay at Burrow tonight. It’s best if the family stays together’ He told his son and continued ‘I am going to St Mungos after this meeting Kingsley. Are you coming?’
‘I am Arthur. Gawain and Nicholas please try to solve this quickly. Our priority is the kid and his life. We will give them any ransom. Contact me if you have any progress, I will be at St Mungos or the Burrow tonight if not in my office’ ordered Kingsley but it sounded more like a plea or a request.
‘What about Ginny and Harry dad, how should we contact them? I don’t know where they are, all I know is they are out of Europe’ Percy asked Arthur.
‘Hermione may know something. Why don’t you ask her to join the others at the Burrow?’ Arthur replied and added looking at the others ‘I suggest we bring her into this case if we don’t make any progress by midnight’.
She is not officially a Weasley but Arthur is certain that it will happen once she and Ron mature in understanding their relationship. He always considered her and Harry members of his family and they are even close after the war. Also, she is the brightest witch and has the unique ability dealing complex situations.
‘She may be pain arse but considering this situation I agree with Arthur. We will decide after midnight. Robards and I will also leave and come back by 11.00’ concluded Mr. Wallace.
With that, they dispersed from the room and went to their jobs. Percy moved to his office and floo called all family members and Hermione to come to the Burrow immediately. He went home to pick Audrey and baby Molly.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
This story archived at http://www.siye.co.uk/siye/viewstory.php?sid=130221