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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: 88270; Chapter Total: 2558 Author's Notes: The title of the chapter is rather tongue-in-cheek; taken from the famous Christmas song by John Lennon. It's a rather stark contrast with the Weasley's Christmas from the last chapter. Big thanks to everyone for their kind reviews and well wishes. I truly appreciate them. My heartfelt thankfulness to my betas, Arnel and Stephanie, who absolutely make the process of writing so much easier. |
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Chapter 8: Happy X-mas December 26, 1999 Charlie POV: “We've got to do something,” Harry whispered as we were refreshing drinks. We noticed Seph's family drinks a lot of wine. “Seph looks like she's going to fall apart in there. Why are they so rude?” “They think Seph betrayed her family, rather than seeing how she saved her own life. I'm not sure any of them are really on her side out there. What am I going to do? I want to throw them out of the house,” I responded. They were hurting my wife. I wanted it over. Seph and her second oldest sister, Dora, had reconciled since the wedding. They’d always communicated to a limited extent; now they were meeting for tea and we’d been to her house for supper, once. Together they decided to throw a dinner party for all the sisters, their children and in some cases, grandchildren, too. We were nearly through with dinner and after pudding I had every intention of making them leave. For being the co-planner of the evening, Dora was leaving her sister out to dry right now. Lord Henry and Lady Paderau Lancaster had brought their three children: Henry III, Jarvis and Emma. Henry, the younger, brought his wife Dianne and their daughters Elizabeth and Catherine. Emma married Arthur and brought their newborn twins: Henry and Stephan. Jarvis remained unmarried, but there were whispers that he had a boyfriend rather than a girlfriend which sent shock-waves through the ultra conservative Lancaster line. We'd been advised not to bring the subject up. Dora, or Pandora as she was born, and Archie had two daughters, Austere, who was marrying in the spring and Constance, who had gone to school with Harry until their sixth year. She then went to Switzerland to finish her education, away from the violence in Britain. Next were Prince Nicholas and Princess Permelia of Wizarding Bavaria. She actually wore a tiara to dinner with her family. I could just see the comments forming in Ginny’s mind when she walked in. They had three children; Ekaterina, who was married to Johannes Birch. Together the Birch’s had three children: Nicholas, Gregor and Paget. Next was Permelia’s son Wilhelm and his wife Bekka, and finally Suzette, who was unmarried. Finally was the sister Seph had been closest to as a child, Philomena. The falling out had been the worst between this pair, as they were only sixteen months apart in age. Phila was incensed by Seph’s betrayal and took it quite personally. While the other sisters came to an understanding when Seph explained everything about her disappearance shortly after our wedding, Phila refused to reconcile. She and her husband Angus Quirke had six children. Patrick, Eva, Braden, Tingus, Audra and Orla, who had been close to Harry and Ginny while in school. She was to complete her schooling in the late spring. Harry and I finished getting drinks ready and we returned to the table. Ginny was trying her best to keep the conversation flowing. Dad was helping, while Mum had her hand patting Seph's leg. Dad's ears were red. That only happened when he was ready to lose his temper. “Of course there are other things I plan to do with my life,” Ginny spoke, answering a question I didn't hear, but could guess at. Her tone was clipped and measured, indicating she too was getting upset. “There's plenty of time, though. I'm only eighteen. I figure I'll play for five or so years, and then Harry and I can start our family.” “Yes, well don't wait as long as Persephone,” her sister Phila said in a sickly sweet voice. She's been acting like this all evening. Her words weren't inherently rude, but the tone she spoke them in absolutely was. “Being pregnant must be difficult. She's not as young as she used to be.” My older brother could have said the same thing, and Seph would have taken it as a joke. Her older sister made it a snide and heartless comment. “I'm doing just fine, Phila. Thank you for your concern,” Seph replied, sounding utterly defeated. “I just worry, you've got so much on your hands. Children, the farm, your breweries, the Wizengamot. Can you truly keep up with it all?” Phila enquired, and all the sisters stopped and looked at Seph. “I'm doing just fine. Charlie helps with Connor, as do my in-laws and nanny. Harry is the co-owner of the breweries and bar. The farm is running quite well; the staff has been stable for years, many of them were hired by Mum. While we've had many hearings to oversee at the Ministry, we only are in session two mornings a week. I've come to an acceptable balance.” I had given back the glasses I'd filled, and returned to my seat next to Seph, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “Things seemed different when we went walking along the paths earlier,” Princess Permelia commented. I couldn't believe it when she insisted her sisters and their families refer to her by her title. At least we didn't have to refer to their children with theirs. Thankfully Paderau and Henry didn't make us call them Lady and Lord Lancaster, too. “I've rotated the crops,” Seph explained, “and replaced a few. Several of the old crops were no longer profitable. When Mother and I reconciled, I persuaded her to put wheat and hops in, promising I would buy them from her. A year later, after much deliberation, she decided to pull back on the traditional crops, and increase items the brewery could purchase from her. I brought in an agricultural engineer in the spring, to help us decide what to grow on the different fields to help keep the nutrients in the soil. The greenhouses are new as well.” My wife was proud of the changes she'd made to the farm in the time she worked with it. Crops were heartier and more profitable under her embracing of modern farming techniques. “Isn't it rather convenient for you,” Phila finally outright snapped at her little sister. “You grow the crops and then sell them to yourself. Do you even pay the farm a competitive rate?” “I have never short changed the farm,” Seph replied, beginning to cry. She opened her mouth to speak, but Harry interjected. “I take care of the purchasing for both breweries,” he explained. “I research what similar products would be if we were buying them from unrelated farms and then, on your sister's insistence, we pay this farm ten percent higher. You're not getting a competitive rate, you're getting a better rate.” “We've only got your word on that,” Phila quickly said. Seph stood and glared at her sister. The older girls looked aghast. “You have absolutely no reason to speak to him in that way, nor do you have justification to distrust him. This is Harry Potter. He defeated Voldemort and saved all of us. I don't understand, Phila, what your problem is. Why are you so angry?” My wife had finally had enough, and I couldn’t blame her. Connor looked frightened as his Mummy yelled, and the rest of the young children or grandchildren were upset as well. I wasn’t sure how to suggest they leave the room. Thankfully, Mum knew exactly what to do. “I know there are some shaped holiday biscuits in the kitchen which need frosting before we can eat them. Why don’t all you young ones come with me? Connor, come along with Pop Pop. Ginny, dear, do you think you could help as well?” My sister looked relieved as she stood and help shuffle the youngest nine out of the room. Emma’s infant twins remained with their mother and father initially, then Emma whispered in the ear of her husband, Arthur, and they excused themselves to feed the babies. “I’ll tell you what my problem is,” Phila started. “You’ve been given the farm with our childhood house to live in. You were given both the MacPhearson and the Engelsley family seats in the Wizengamot. You control what’s grown here and how much it gets sold for. You even decided how much each of us will garner from the profits. You abandoned the family and you were rewarded for it.” “You know why I did what I did. I couldn't marry him. Lestrange was old and evil. He was a Death Eater. He was suspected of killing at least three teenage girls. He may very well have murdered our father. I couldn't do it. I couldn't give up my life to marry that … abomination. I didn't care that this was my long promised 'perfect match'. I wouldn't sacrifice myself that way.” “Sacrifice was always to be our lot in life,” Paderau reminded her sister. “We are proper pureblood witches.” Seph stared at her eldest sister for a moment, stunned by the comment. “Really, Perri,” Permelia spoke up. “You always were so dramatic about things. You should have just married him, given him another child and then you would have been left to your own devices. I'm quite certain you could have carried on with your blood-traitor, Black, on the side anyhow.” I couldn't believe what they were saying, although the way the evening was going, nothing would surprise me about what these people would say. My wife wouldn't have ever behaved that way. “Voldemort's followers were trying to kill Sirius. I couldn't exactly have gone about on the town with him. Anyway, I believe in marriage vows. I swore when I married I would not betray them,” Seph exasperatedly explained. “I suppose you would have hoped to have loved whomever you were matched with?” Phila snapped back. I was flabbergasted she'd say such a thing in front of poor Angus. No wonder she was bitter. “You're a romantic fool. Is that why you keep having blood-traitors’ babies? At least this one won't be a bastard.” “Leave Connor, Charlie, Sirius and the baby out of this,” my wife seethed. “I married a man who stood up for what was right during the war, as did his entire family. I didn't see any of you lifting a wand to defend anyone, or even help with the Death Eaters’ eradication.” “Why should we have?” Phila barked back. “We weren't in any true danger. Our bloodlines are entirely pure. Honestly, Perri, get your mind out of the clouds. You think you didn't have a hand in Petronella and Andre's deaths. They never would have been in that alley if they hadn't gone looking for you. If you'd simply married Lestrange, they'd still be alive.” Seph sat back down, looking as though the wind were knocked out of her. Her middle sister and her husband had been killed by some rogue former Death Eaters in the late eighties. It was always suggested Lucius Malfoy had a hand in it, but it couldn't be proven. They were trying to find Seph and bring her home, now that old man Lestrange was dead and the children were all in Azkaban. “I had nothing to do with Nella's murder. I didn't ask any of you to come find me. I had a perfectly acceptable life and was doing fine,” she quietly spoke. “Mum was dying, we thought you should know,” Phila snapped back. “I already knew. Mum and I had reconciled years before. She had known how to find me. Did any of you bother to ask her if she knew where I was or how to contact me?” Seph asked. “How were we to know that?” Paderau haughtily asked. “By talking to Mum. By not making assumptions. As soon as the imminent danger had passed, I came home and explained things to her. She told me she was happy I hadn't married the bastard and she forgave me for the uproar I created,” Seph implored. “Mum and Dad always forgave you,” Phila snipped. “Not like you had it that hard, Phila,” princess pain added in. “You were Daddy's favourite.” Seph sat back as her sisters, their husbands and even the older children began airing their dirty laundry. I checked the time, wondering if pudding was really necessary this evening. I wanted all of these people out of the house. Orla had moved over into Ginny's seat and was speaking with Harry. I wondered what they were discussing, and wished I could speak with them. Chances were the conversation was not only civilised, but interesting. The bickering continuing, Seph occasionally getting pulled into some ugly discussion or another. I was beginning to see why my wife didn't get together with her family and why she was so hesitant to do this. It also made me thankful for the crowded gatherings in my parents’ kitchen. Nearly thirty minutes later, and one hasty visit by my sister before she turned tail and hid in the kitchen with the children, I noticed Seph beginning to shake. She was too anxious and I was worried about our baby. “Enough,” I said while standing up. “I might be the newest member of this family, but I can't believe how childishly you're all behaving. Surely your relationships with one another are more important than who gets a percentage or two more in their income from the farm. Your own mother set these arrangements.” They were all quiet after my outburst and Seph reached up and took my hand, gently pulling me down to sit next to her. “Mother made the arrangements when I was single, without any plans to ever marry. She wanted to assure I'd have enough. I would be willing to renegotiate the terms of profit sharing and the seats on the Wizengamot, since I'm actually holding two,” Seph meekly said. I'd never seen my spit-fire of a wife so downtrodden. “What about the ownership of the farm?” Phila asked and Seph cocked her head. “You want the farm? Do either of you know anything about farming?” “No, but you didn't either. Actually, we just want the house.” “You want the house? But, you have a lovely house in town, do you not?” Dora interjected. She'd been quiet through most of the bickering, only getting involved when someone appeared to be getting out of line. I thought the whole evening was out of line, but then again, my brothers and I solved our problems in the garden with a tussle or on our brooms. “It doesn't seem fair that she has this place, when I know they own another house as well. Why don't they live there?” “You're still not answering my question,” Dora pressed. “Yes, we have a house, Dora. I just don't understand why she is living here, in the house we grew up in. Why does she get the memories and the house-elves and the staff? Not all of us have lucrative careers.” “Phila, did something happen?” Paderau asked. The two had a staring contest while Angus looked to his eldest children who had remained. “Yes, if you must know,” Phila said as she cried. “The paper wanted me to get an interview with her,” she pointed her finger at Seph, “and her partner about their success.” “Phila, I would have been more than happy to speak to you, I'm sure Harry would have as well,” Seph said slowly, confused why the request had never come. Phila had been the lifestyle columnist for a weekly about life in and around Wizarding Oxford. “Of course you would have. Anything to make more people feel sorry for you and tout how you had overcome adversity. When I refused to even approach you, the paper fired me. Without my income, we aren't going to keep our house.” Phila started sobbing and she quickly hid her face in her husband's shirt. Seph put her hands over her face and the trembling increased. I was prepared to end this disaster now, looking to Harry who must have had the same thought, as he moved to stand next to Seph. “Let me walk you upstairs, we're done here,” he told her in a whisper only loud enough for the three of us to hear. “I won't let them hurt you any more.” “No,” she firmly spoke. “I want to fix this now.” She righted herself in her chair and slowly looked around the room. “First, I want nothing to do with anyone who questions my husband or my children's place in the Wizarding world. I am married to a righteous man, who cares for my son and loves me more than I thought was possible. I am part of a truly wonderful family with him, and I have no need to be part of one which thinks so little of me. Additionally, my name is Seph not Perri. No one ever asked me what I wanted to be called.” I hadn't heard this voice from my wife since she'd spoken on Harry's behalf after the mess with the Ministry. “Second, I will have my barrister draw up documents splitting the profits from the farm in five equal parts, after operating expenses are cleared. Each of us will be given the same amount each month, so there will be no more bickering. Yearly, I will also provide to you statistics with what our goods would go for on the open market to compare to what selling them to what Harry and I garner you. The financial workings of the farm have always been open for any of you to see. You have never availed yourself of the opportunity.” “May I say something?” Paderau asked. “No, you may not,” Seph answered. “Third, I relinquish the MacPhearson family seat on the Wizengamot. None of you see it, but Father only used us as a way to climb the social ladder. He had nothing but a derelict farm and an old family name when he married Mother. She brought the chain of stores, she got the farm working again, she secured his position within the Ministry. I have no desire to continue with the illusion that I am proud to be his daughter, for I am not. I will keep the Engelsley seat, as Mother had always wanted. The rest of you may bicker over the MacPhearson seat on your own time. “Lastly, while I do not intend to relinquish this house for reasons I am not at liberty to disclose to any of you at this time, I will have construction of a second house on the property for Phila, Angus and their children to use. I will pay for this house from my personal funds, derived solely from my business. If anyone else should want a house built on the family property as well, speak with me and I will arrange it. The farm and house, however, will remain in my name and I shall continue to run them. Are there any questions?” Seph's sisters and the others just stared at her. I doubted they'd ever seen her command a room this way, nor would they have expected it. Seph wasn't the mousy teenage girl who they might have remembered. She was a woman who owned and ran two breweries and a farm while still being an attentive and engaged mother and wife. I however, wasn't surprised by her decisiveness at all. “Excellent,” Seph answered their silence. “The papers will be couriered to each of you upon their drafting. Now, I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year and my husband will show you out. Harry, would you mind terribly if you take me upstairs now? I am quite exhausted.” “No problem, Seph,” he replied as he helped her stand and walked her out to the hall and the stairs beyond. “I believe it's time for all of you to be leaving,” I remarked, holding my tongue and keeping the sneer off my face for now. |
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