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The Brewmaster's Mystery | ||||||
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Category: Post-Hogwarts Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Drama Warnings: Sexual Situations Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 150 Summary: MMB is growing, Charlie and Seph are about to be parents and Harry and Ginny will be wed in mere months; life appears to be perfect. But when unexplained failures begin occurring around the brewery, Harry can't help but wonder if something is afoot. Hitcount: Story Total: 88269; Chapter Total: 2314 Author's Notes: Hi, drama over and only the aftermath left to deal with. The title comes from the Christina Perri song and deep thanks to my team: Arnel, Peter and Stephanie. Enjoy, MNF |
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Chapter 34: Jar of Hearts 6 July 2000 Law Offices of Houghton and Sekwaf London, England Ginny POV “None of them? No one else in your family is willing to help?” Harry asked Seph. She made a disgusted noise then shook her head. “I honestly didn’t expect them to,” Seph answered him. “Everyone else has children who are grown. Their grandchildren are the ages of the little ones. I’ve stopped expecting anything from my sisters; therefore I can’t be disappointed by their lack of involvement.” “We talked it over, Harry,” my brother added. “This will work out well for all six of the Quirke kids and for our family as well.” He reached over and took Seph’s hand and kissed the palm. He was frustrated at how slow his recovery had been. None of the healers had truly understood what the venom from Tymestl’s talons would do to the wound, as most trainers who were attacked in this way died. “It was why we bought the house we did.” “Uh-uh, Charlie,” I rebuked my brother. “Any ‘house’,” I made quotations around the word, “that comes with a name isn’t a house. You two bought an estate. The grounds have a main house, a guest house, stables, a summer kitchen, a greenhouse and a chapel on the grounds. That is not a ‘house’ by anyone’s definition. Bill gave the Burrow its nickname when he was three; your place was named like two centuries ago.” Charlie and Seph had started laughing when I brought up the name bit. Harry joined in just after them and Orla finally allowed herself to embrace the fun and laughed at the end. “So, what’s the name?” Orla asked tentatively. “Hilcote,” Seph answered. There was something about her perfect pronunciation, the clipped timbre, that made her sound so snooty. “Well, aren’t you all highbrow,” Harry teased. He must have been thinking the same thing I did. “Hilcote, the home of the MacPhearson-Weasley family.” He imitated Seph perfectly. “Pick on my speech all you want, but I’ll have you know it was your grandmother who made sure I sounded like the pure-blood I was. Her lessons kept me out of trouble,” she countered. “How did your speech get you out of trouble?” I asked and Seph got this look on her face; it reminded me of when Harry had gotten away with something at school. “Ah, well, I had a rather bad habit of making sly and sardonic remarks,” she started her story. “You made sly remarks? No,” Harry said, feinting surprise. “I can’t believe it!” The rest of us continued laughing. I wasn’t sure we’d stopped, instead it just ebbed and swelled. “Anyway, I got teased when I was small for my stutter. MummyP helped me correct it, Jamie and Sirius learned right along. When the pure-blood families gathered, I discovered I was much smarter than many of the other girls, my sisters included. They were so gullible, I could make them sound even less intelligent if I phrased my questions in this inflection. By the time I got to Hogwarts, I had perfected the skill,” she finished. I could totally see a young Seph, hair in large ringlets, dressed in fine silk robes, her face a perfection of innocence, completely snowing the other girls. “Look here, little sister,” Charlie called for my attention. “We sold my house in Wales, we’re going to put the new house up for lease when it’s cleaned out. It’s not like we’re hanging onto all these places and shuttling between them.” “Sure, sure, no Weasley progress over the summer?” Harry joked back. “Don’t laugh, our new house was on the King’s summer progress a couple of centuries ago,” Seph added and we all did laugh. “A Weasley progress wouldn’t work, Harry. Charlie would need to be on a horse, and his bum wouldn’t make it to the lane before he’d want off.” After his injury, the sores to his backside and bum were quite comical when observing Charlie attempting to get the charms right on chairs when he first sat down. “I wish you didn’t go through so much trouble for us,” Orla said. “I could have taken care of them.” “Orla, you’re eighteen,” Seph said gently, taking her hand. “You have plans for your future. I can’t wait to see what you do with your interest in medicinal and magical plants. I want you to go on and study Herbology and old magic and have the life you’ve dreamed of. You can work at the breweries while you finish your studies, and then we can be the team which resurrects Engelsley Apothecaries.” “Really? Thank you,” the girl said as Seph hugged her. “You want to give me a job, you don’t have to give us the farm --” “Yes, I do,” Seph interrupted. “The house has never sat unoccupied; I don’t want it to be empty now. I will feel better knowing you and Patrick are keeping the family home up. She’s a grand old lady, she needs someone to stroke the home fires to keep her that way.” “You do realise our Mum and Dad did all those horrible things because they wanted to live there, and now, we’re going to have what they coveted,” Orla commented. “Believe me, the irony of the situation is not lost on me,” Seph said in her haughty tone, and I could completely see how it worked for her. The door opened and Mr. Houghton walked in. He was at the Wizarding Prison this morning, getting Angus and Phila Quirke to sign off on the papers which would transfer legal responsibility for Eva, Braden, Tingus and Audra Quirke over to Seph and Charlie. Poor Mr. Houghton looked worse for the morning’s activities. "Chris, are you okay?" Seph asked and he nodded, although he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "They had a lot to say about the inheritance," he explained in a quiet voice. "They were livid. Phila's portion of the farm profits, and all her jewellery and other family holdings were being divided among her children. They had to restrain her when she found out Patrick and Orla were being given the house to live in." Seph looked so sad when she heard this. I genuinely wondered how they shared blood and an upbringing; they were so different. The barrister’s aide came in and laid several sets of parchment on the table. Patrick finally came in as well; he looked as if he had been crying. Seph reached over and took his hand and held it tight. Harry was sitting on his other side, and gave him a manly pat on the back. Mr. Houghton looked at Patrick and Orla with sad eyes before beginning. "Mr and Mrs Quirke have severed all legal and financial ties to their four underage children. Once the Weasleys have signed the papers, they will all be one happy family." "Maybe you can give them what Mum and Dad never did," Orla said with a wistfulness none of us missed. "We aren't just adopting Eva, Braden, Tingus and Audra," Charlie told her. "You and Patrick are ours too. I plan to interrogate the wizards who come calling for you. I even have the perfect room now, all wood panelled with mounted heads on the wall. The mount of the Ironbelly head and tail is particularly intimidating." "You're not going to arrange a marriage, like Dad was, are you?" "There are no arranged marriages in our house," Seph declared. Orla looked at my brother and he nodded in agreement. She laid her head on his shoulder, and it appeared another daughter had him wrapped around her finger. Seph reached for a quill with a happy grin. "Is there anything we need to know before we sign these parchments?" "Not these, Seph." Mr Houghton, and the rest of the room watched as all six Quirke children became McPhearson-Weasleys. Even Patrick and Orla didn't want to keep their parents names. Rounds of congratulations went about the room. A celebration party was going to be held at the farm later. "As I said, those were the easy ones. There was a fair bit of baulking about the distribution of their financial holdings. Obviously each of the children is receiving the funds, but Mrs. Quirke made quite a fuss regarding her future profits if the farm were to expand or the apothecaries were reopened. The original agreement stated she wouldn’t derive a Knut from any future financial ventures which involved MacPhearson properties or names. She was concerned about what she would do after she was released.” “What is the earliest she could be considered for parole?” Seph asked. “Twenty to twenty-five,” Mr. Houghton responded. “Not that I really care, but what concessions were given?” Seph inquired. “If there are dividends generated by the apothecaries or farm at the time of her release, she will be granted a one-seventh share or less, depending on whether grandchildren or great-grandchildren of Robert and Elizabeth MacPhearson are included in such proceeds,” Mr Houghton explained. “Fine, whatever,” Seph nearly spat out. “I just want her out of my hair and out of the lives of my children.” Orla and Patrick smiled at her inclusion of them and their sisters and brothers in her declaration. Neither could recall their biological parents ever proudly claiming them. The parchment with the financial agreement was slid across to Seph, then to Charlie and then back to Mr Houghton. “I assume there was a request for communications with the children? Regular photographs or Pensieve memories?” Charlie asked. Chris looked at my brother and then Seph, a strange mix of revulsion and compassion. I saw immediately that my brother understood what the solicitor wasn’t saying. Seph’s lips went into a straight line, but her eyes were fierce. We were all surprised by who spoke next. “My Mum and Dad don’t even want to hear about us,” Orla remarked, angry tears in her eyes. “Did they ever love us, Patrick?” He got up and walked to where his sister was seated next to Charlie and turned her around to face him as he knelt. “Don’t give them your emotions or your anger, Sis. They never earned it and they certainly do not deserve it now. We’ve got family who will love us, give us anything we need and will support us. Just...Da...Angus and Phila have done so much wrong; hurt so many people, I don’t want to let them hurt me or you any more.” “You’re right,” she said with resolution. “I think we should keep this from the younger three. Eva will ask questions, and we should be honest with her, but the others don’t need to know our parents don’t want us, if they ever really did.” Orla then stood and hugged her brother tightly. I liked her, as did Hermione. She’d fit in well with the whole massive, and quickly growing Weasley clan. Mum was going to be over the moon with six more grandkids to fuss over. “It’s not only us that Phila didn’t want,” Patrick said when he released his sister. “She’s divorcing Angus. Maybe they will both find happiness...somehow,” he sighed. “The one thing I’m sure of is their happiness or unhappiness is not any of our responsibility. Mr Houghton, are we done here?” Brother and sister were standing arm-in-arm, looking as if a load had been lifted from them. “We are indeed finished,” the attorney responded with a smile. “If I recall correctly, we have a party to be at. Is there going to be beer, Seph?” “As if you have to ask,” Seph said back, mockingly aghast. “I even have your favourite Carmel Calm chilled and ready to be served.” “Seph, you’re a blessing. I’m going to get Eliza and I’ll meet you and the rest of my family at the farm shortly,” he said before kissing Seph’s cheek and leaving the room. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m ready to not be sitting on this hard chair anymore,” Charlie commented and the happy laughter which had erupted swelled again. TBM TBM TBM TBM TBM The party was quite the spectacle. Harry and Patrick were flying with some of the kids, others in the pool with Bill, Fleur and George. Dad was running around the garden with Braden, Tingus and Connor playing tag. Mum and Seph were ensuring the guests had food and drink, Beaghy summoning things as needed. The Weasleys’ new, second nanny, Naomi, had all three baby girls in the shade of a huge oak tree. The girls were all sleepy, which made life easier. I even think I saw Hermione, Audrey and Seph’s first nanny, Elizabeth, discussing weddings. While I had enjoyed mine, I didn’t have any desire to talk about planning anyone else’s. Instead, I was sitting with Charlie in the shade, just happily watching everyone. “So, did you ever think you’d be the father of nine a year and a half ago when you asked Seph to go to the New Year’s ball with you?” I asked him. Charlie had been oddly quiet since we came back. I suspected it had something to do with the healer appointment yesterday. I wasn’t going to ask him about it, if he wanted to tell he would. Instead, I just wanted to give him some company, which I guessed he needed more. “In my wildest dreams I never imagined I’d be the father of nine. I have more kids than Mum and Dad,” he said, almost sounding surprised. “Yeah, but they’re a good bunch,” I reminded him. Just then little Audra wandered over, a plastic Muggle ring with a duck head was around her waist and she had on a strange looking rubber cap, nose plugs and Muggle goggles over her eyes. She looked rather hilarious and was soaking wet. This fact did not stop her from climbing right up into Charlie’s lap, doing a better job keeping away from his hurt arm than Connor does. That year between them, and her being a girl, seemed to play into her grace and his clumsiness. “May I ask you a question?” Audra inquired. “Well, sweetie pie, you already did,” Charlie answered, tapping her nose as punctuation. All of Charlie’s daughters had him wrapped on their little fingers. He relished every second he was with all five. “I think you might want to ask another one.” “Uh-huh,” she responded after thinking for a moment. “What do I call you?” “Whatever you want. Why do you ask?” Charlie was an excellent dad, looking at her, making eye contact and treating her as if whatever was on her mind was terribly important. “Well, I called my old Daddy, Daddy. I don’t want to call you Daddy, ‘cause you good, not bad. If I don’t call you Daddy, what are you then?” “Hmmm, I see your dilemma.” He tapped his finger on his cheek for a moment, then tapped hers the same way. Audra giggled. “Well, Connor calls me Daddy-Charlie, how’s that sound?” Audra tapped her finger on her cheek, and then his, mimicking Charlie to a tee. “Too long.” “Okay, what about just Charlie?” She quickly shook her head. “I can’t call you Charlie. I not a grown up.” Her thinking was sound, for a four-year-old. “Hmm, that you are not,” Charlie agreed. “How about something different from Daddy then?” Audra tipped her head looking very interested. “You could call me Dada.” “That’s what babies say.” “True, that’s what the twins will call me soon. How about Dad?” “That’s what Patrick and Orla call you. It’s a name for big kids.” “Well, my little pie, it would seem we’re at an impasse.” Audra looked confused. “A place where there isn’t a good way to move, or in our case, find a name.” Audra nodded. I had the feeling she’d be a smart little thing as she grew up. “I have a suggestion,” I spoke. “Did you know Charlie works with dragons in Wales?” Audra’s eyes were wide as she shook here head. “Hmm, well he does. If you lived in Wales, like his dragons, you would call your father a ‘tad’, in Welsh. How about you call him Taddy? It sounds like Daddy, but you and he know you’re calling him a special name. What do you think?” “Auntie Ginny, it’s perfect!” she cheered. “You are my Taddy, okay?” She put her little hands on his shoulders and looked at his face with determination. “I love being your Taddy.” Charlie answered. Happy she had this issue dealt with, she stuck her thumb in her mouth and laid her head on his chest. It wasn’t three minutes before her soft snore was heard. “Thanks, Gin,” he told me. “I love the name.” “Just an odd bit I picked up somewhere. Glad I could help. You want anything? I’m getting a beer.” “Bring me anything,” he replied. I didn’t miss the tear in his eye, or that Seph was headed toward him. I said a quick prayer that I’d be as good a parent someday. |
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