“Well that was a real clear explanation” Ginny said, obviously exasperated. “Sort of but not exactly.”
Thanks again to my beta PokePotterfan93 for his work on this chapter. I could not ask for a more faithful helper.
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The First Year, An Almost Happily Ever After Story | ||||||
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Category: Post-DH/AB Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Action/Adventure Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 103 Summary: Fairy tales end “And They Lived Happily Ever After,” but wars end with Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. Someone is taking hostages and wants to kill Harry and everyone close to him. Follow our favorite characters as they rebuild their lives the first year after the war, Harry as he becomes an Auror and finds out that life as a hero has its own challenges, Ginny as she finds out that having all your dreams come true does not solve all your problems, and the rest of the Weasley clan as they start to rebuild their lives. Hitcount: Story Total: 96958; Chapter Total: 2987 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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Friday December 18 Harry Potter was finished with Auror training. He was walking towards the Harry and Ginny Potter offices at about 5:05 PM for what he had been told was a very important financial meeting. He had told Ginny that he might be back late, and was going to have to work Saturday morning when Ginny was on the train, but should be free most of Christmas break. To Harry’s surprise he heard Fleur shouting in his office. “Arry and Ginny cannot work that hard! Look at this schedule. Maybe Arry can work all the time, but Ginny cannot and Ginny needs Arry. Ginny is already seeing a healer. What is Arry going to be like if you break Ginny?” Harry stood outside the door listening. Bill said, “Fleur, we are concerned about the schedule as well. That is why we are trying to make some management changes to keep Harry from having to work so hard. But you are really not supposed to be in this meeting.” Fleur shouted back, “No I will not go! You saw Ginny Sunday when Arry was in Romania. I stay right here.” Harry decided he had better come into the office. Everybody looked at him when Harry came into the room. Bill stood up said, “Glad you could come, Harry. You know Fleur, Michael (Appleleaf), Al (Van Lente), Kingsley. The more we get into the estate and management problems the more complex these problems look. We hired the best Muggle/Magic business consulting firm we could find. I want to introduce you to Goblin Greenshade and John Braun from TTMB out of Germany. They have some overview of where we are and what we should do.” They had Harry sit down at one end of the table. At the other end of the room, sitting with her arms folded, was Fleur. John was on one side of Harry, with Greenshade at his side. Bill was on the other side of Harry, with Michael next to him and Kingsley next to him. John started out, “Harry, your estate is vastly more complex, and potentially more valuable, than we thought. Tom Riddle had been accumulating assets for a long time, and some of them include operating businesses that have gotten more valuable. We also know that you want to become an Auror, not a business executive. You need a business manager and a staff. The best news is that you have someone here, who can take charge of your investments, your brother-in-law Bill. We have looked over all the things he has done over the last few months, and he has your best interests at heart. “We have one problem that you need to solve. Bill and Michael need to be making as much money as some of the other executives they will be hiring, and they are not even close. With as many assets as you have under management Bill should be making at least 30,000 Galleons a year, with a bonus if the assets grow.” He showed Harry some figures on what comparable people made, and Bill’s compensation was still modest compared to some of the others, although with anticipated bonuses Bill was probably going to be making 50,000 to 100,000 Galleons a year. Fleur was going to be making 10,000, with back pay from when she first started. Harry was aware that this was an enormous amount of money, but when the consultants showed him how the money compared with other people managing that amount of money Harry had to agree that the compensation was still modest in comparison. “I don’t have any problem with Bill making that kind of money,” said Harry. “Look at how much money we are talking about!” “Harry,” Bill said. “I could be making ten times as much as my father!” “The consultants say it is fair, and that you need to be making that much money to be able to work with some of the other executives,” said Harry. “I never asked to be rich either.” John from TTMB said, “Bill, the boss has spoken.” Bill got ready to protest, but then relented. John then said, “We need to set Michael’s wages at 25,000 Galleons, and again Harry look at the bonus structure we have set up. Michael and your house elf Kreacher have been responsible for finding a lot of hidden value. I’m not saying everybody is trying to cheat, but there has been a lot of hidden value that they have found, and there are certainly less than honest people out there.” Harry said, “Thank you for your help,” looking at Michael Appleleaf. Michael nodded, and said, “Thank you for the huge raise! I have to agree with John that it is appropriate to the way Muggles are paid, but a lot of wizards are notoriously tight with money, frequently to their disadvantage.” “Shouldn’t Kreacher be paid?” Harry asked. “Let’s not get into that subject right now,” John said. “I’ve done just a little study on what you and Hermione Granger are trying to do, and it’s a lot more complex than you think.” John then said, “The other problem is your schedule. That is why Kingsley and Al are here. Harry Potter Estates is going to need you about one day a week for the next year, although that amount of time should go down the longer we do this, and we do not want you taking the normal Harry Potter way of handling extra work and be working 80 hours weeks. The Auror department is going to make adjustments for you to do the Estate work; after all you are helping pay for them.” Kingsley said, “Being on the Wizengamot is also going to take some time, and that will also be considered part of your duties. We are doing our best to give you a normal life. We are not going to be completely successful, of course, but we will try.” John then said, “Bill, is there anything that cannot be finished up tomorrow morning or wait until the first of the year?” Bill said, “There are some reports that Harry should read before the first of the year, and a couple of hours that he really needs to spend here, but we should be able to free up almost all of Christmas.” Goblin Greenshade asked Harry, “Do you have any idea how many Galleons we are talking about? It seems that when goblins really try to find assets instead of just doing the minimum required they can find all sorts of things. Not including portions of the Rothchild Estate, some of which are impossible to value, but including all the real estate and operating businesses we are looking at something a little under 500,000,000 Galleons. (Over 3 Billion Pounds, 3 Billion dollars, a staggering sum of money) Almost half of that will probably end up being returned to various governments or individuals, and I know you intend to donate a significant portion of the rest trying to right the wrongs that Tom Riddle inflicted on the magical world. Still, you are never going to have to worry about money, especially with good people like Bill and Fleur looking after you.” Harry said, “You’re a Goblin. Is this just people being honest?” Greenshade looked at John and Bill. Bill spoke up. “Harry, there are layers and layers of complexity in what is going on. I have travelled to the Wizard of Omaha in North America to see how he is handling all the money he manages, all the companies his company owns. We, you, own all of a lot of the properties, but just parts of other companies or properties. I think the Goblins are trying to get any property with uncertain ownership in your hands if they can, because you are not only honest but generous with them. “In all honesty it just never occurs to most wizards to treat Goblins with anything but caution, respecting what they do but not liking them. Most wizards seem to feel that the Goblins must be cheating them. And most wizards treat house elves as abject slaves. The way you, and Hermione, have treated both Goblins and house elves makes the Goblins want the best for you, want you to have things instead of others. “In addition, a lot of wizards love magic but have a lot of contempt for anything that would smell of good Muggle business practices, and as a result many of them have been spectacularly bad business people. Look at the estates that we brought in Boris and Natasha to manage. Look at how much this group of companies was supposed to be worth.” Bill showed Harry the initial estimate of the value of the three companies. “Look at all the value in the lumber,” Bill said. “Good Muggle accounting, harvesting at an average of one hundred years although some trees are harvested at thirty or fifty and some at well over three hundred years. The lumber alone is worth over ten times what the entire three companies were supposed to be worth. “Look at how much turnover the companies are doing, and how much profit they are showing,” Bill pointed out. Harry was astounded. “We are investing so much in new equipment that they are taking cash instead of generating it, but in a couple of years this is going to be generating lots of income for the trust.” “The whole culture of that area is of a bunch of crooks,” Al VanLente said. John agreed, as did Kingsley. Bill responded with, “We just can’t turn over any ownership to that bunch of crooks. So you are going to continue to own it all and just pay taxes, giving the local Ministry much more that they would have had if we had shared the ownership with the local Ministry.” “That’s why Bill is worth what you are going to be paying him,” John said. “He has found out ways to better manage much of what you have inherited.” Fleur piped up with, “They wanted you and Ginny to go to Switzerland for two or more days of work this next week! No!” “Thank you Fleur,” said Harry. “What is going on in Switzerland?” Bill said, “We’ve gone through Switzerland quite a few times, you and I, and even went into the valley and went to the Swiss headquarters of Gringotts. There are more magic people in that valley than in all of Great Britain. That valley, you sort of own it.” Kingsley said, “Sort of, you are the Regent for the eventual owner and, who will be sort of like king or head of the entire magical world, if we can believe prophesies. Sort of, it’s real complex and real touchy with the Swiss right now.” Fleur piped in with, “No talk about Swiss. Is too complicat, way too complicat. No need.” “Fleur is right,” Kingsley said. “We’ve put off anything to do with the Swiss until spring at the earliest, I think.” A simple dinner was brought in and there was a lot more discussion on the details of the new management structure, especially as it related to the Ministry and the Auror department. When Harry asked how Gawain Robards was dealing with him and the flexibility he was going to need Al said, “He does not like it or understand. Leave him to me.” At 9:30 the meeting broke up. Harry was going to come back to the office Saturday after putting Ginny on the train. Ginny wanted the experience of riding the train back, and after this trip there was only one more trip there and one more trip back, two if they took the train for the Easter break. Harry got back to the room at Hogwarts about 9:45 PM. Ginny said, “Finally! Where have you been?” Harry said, “It looks like we have had some people working very hard to give us a good Christmas break. I know I really could use some time off.” Ginny looked at Harry and said, “Are you really going to be able to spend the Christmas break with me? I’m not sure I can believe you anymore. There is always something urgent that comes up.” Harry told Ginny, “Fleur was real upset because they wanted us, you and me, to work two or three days in Switzerland next week. She was worried that they would, how did she put it, break me or you. They are working real hard on trying to give me, to give us, a real break.” “Why would they want us in Switzerland?” asked Ginny. “There is a big valley that is all magical, no Muggles. More witches and wizards live there than in all of England,” Harry explained. “I guess I sort of inherited it, or am Regent for the next king, or something like that but not exactly.” “Well that was a real clear explanation,” Ginny said, obviously exasperated. “Sort of but not exactly.” Harry apologetically explained “Well, it is all put off until spring or later, I guess. Switzerland, that is. Fleur says they must not work us so hard, me anyway, and they really are trying! I have to go back tomorrow morning but then should be mostly free until the first of the year.” “Are you sure?” Ginny warily asked. “I think so!” Harry exclaimed again. “They really are trying!” From the look on Ginny’s face you could tell she only partly believe Harry. Harry spotted the book from Molly and said, “I think we have a little homework we are going to have to work hard on,” and showed Ginny the book. “Be sure to pack this book some place we can find it. Who is going back on the train?” Ginny said, “Hanna still has not had her baby, and unless she has started labour she is going to try and go back with us. Hermione is also going on the train. Tammy Lewis (she and her husband Kyle replaced David and Kim Williamson) is going to ride the train for the first time, along with Sue. Most of the students are going back on the train as usual.” Harry said, “I do have to go to the office in the morning, but Bill has promised me a good Christmas vacation, and Fleur was there to make him keep his promise. Ginny, I really am doing my best to free up the next couple of weeks. We’ll have a few things we have to do, but I really am trying to get as much time for us as I can.” Ginny knew that Fleur was the one who had talked Harry into taking Ginny to the hotel after he came back from Romania. She was beginning to like her sister-in-law more all the time. Maybe she was a little hasty in calling her Phlegm when Fleur was first engaged to Bill. Although Ginny could never tell anyone else she also remembered that Fleur had her own tragedy in her background. Ginny and Harry got up a little late, about 6:30 AM, and about 7:30 they were at breakfast. There was no sight of Ron or Hermione. Neville had brought a little food up to the room for Hanna, who had been up and down most of the night. Neville told them that at 5:00 PM they were told that real labour had not yet started, although the baby had dropped and was in position. They were supposed to stay at Hogwarts if her labour pains got regular or real close together, but as of the morning they were still rather irregular, and Hanna was not sure if she was really in labour or not. By 8:15 Harry, Ginny, Neville and a very big, very pregnant Hanna were walking down to the train. The normal 15 minute walk took 30 minutes because Hanna was moving very slowly; the baby had dropped enough that she was having trouble walking. There was still no sign of Hermione or Ron. 8:45 they got into a compartment that Sue had saved at the front of the train just behind the prefects compartment. Ginny, Neville and Hanna plus Sue were there. Tammy was going to be walking the train. Just after 9:00, as the train was pulling out, Hermione walked into the compartment. She looked exhausted, sat down, and closed her eyes. “What happened to you, Hermione?” said Ginny. “Classes were over, and Ron and I had a very vigorous celebration until 4:00 AM,” Hermione said. She got a big smile on her face and promptly fell asleep. About 10:00 AM Neville asked Ginny to help him time Hanna’s contractions. From 9 to 10 there were about 6 contractions. From 10 to 11 there were about 10 contractions 5 to 7 minutes apart. 11:00 to 12:00 the contractions had started to come about 4 minutes apart and Neville and Ginny were beginning to get worried. Hermione was still asleep, but when she woke up at noon and realized how regular Hanna’s contractions she said “Ginny, can you get in touch with Harry? We need a midwife here now!” Ginny remembered her wizard mobile, took it out, and tried to send Harry a text message. She got the alphabetical order keyboard (she still could not understand why anybody would use that quirky keyboard) and typed out h a n n a i n l a b o r n e e d m i d w i f e o n t r a i n . About 20 minutes later a message came back in. Midwife will meet the train about 1:00 PM. Ginny was very grateful for the mobile. She realized that she could have sent a Patronus, but that was a little more dramatic than it needed to be. Ginny looked at Hermione and said, “What do you mean that you and Ron had a vigorous celebration?” Hermione got real red and said “Look on page 68 of the book your mother gave us.” “Six hours of,” and the next word Ginny whispered, “sex?” Hermione did not say anything but got the biggest smile on her face. She made some kind of hugging herself motions that left little doubt that she was remembering couple time. She was only sort of awake, obviously still dreaming of the 6 hours of vigorous celebration. Just a little before 1:00 the train came to a stop at a very small station and a midwife with a moderate size bag came on board. Ginny stood out in the hall and waived the midwife into the compartment. It was getting a little crowded, and Hermione said that she would go to the Prefects compartment and Sue said she could stand outside the compartment. The midwife put something down on the floor for Hanna to lie down on and had all the shades closed. She had Hanna take off what she had on and put on a gown that would allow the midwife access. Hanna lay down and when the midwife checked her she announced, “We’ll probably have a baby before we arrive.” Hanna’s contractions got harder and closer together, and about 2:00 PM her water broke. Neville sat with his back to the outside of the compartment with Hanna’s head between his legs. Hanna was sort of half sitting half lying down, with her back against Neville, and was holding hands with him, squeezing Neville’s hands as hard as she could. The midwife gave Hanna potions for pain and did a fair amount of wand work, announced that the baby was fine and everything was going well. “Having a baby is hard work, Hanna, but we should be able to keep the pain to a minimum. Just push when we tell you to push.” For the next half hour there were several hard contractions and the midwife kept saying, “We are making progress.” Then she said, “I can see the baby’s head. A few more contractions and we should have this baby out.” She showed Ginny what was going on, and told Ginny she was going to put the baby in her hands just after it was born so she could clean out its airways and look it over. The midwife said, “Push again,” and Hanna strained, sweat beading on her forehead. Neville wiped the sweat and kissed Hanna. He had been softly talking to Hanna all day, encouraging her. “A couple more big pushes and we should have it.” Hanna strained again and Ginny could see the baby coming. “One more big push push.” Hanna strained one more time and the midwife was taking hold of a baby boy, putting him in Ginny’s hands, using her wand and suctioning out blood and stuff from his head. Then there was a, “Waa Waa WAAA,” and the baby opened his eyes, calmed down a little, and started making mouth movements like he was hungry. “Does he want to nurse?” asked Ginny. “Put him on Hanna’s breast,” said the midwife and Ginny carefully put the baby on Hanna’s breast. “Nursing will help the uterus shrink, and is really best for the baby and mother,” said the midwife. Hanna said, “Neville, I’m feeding our baby, I’m nursing our baby. I love you.” Neville, with tears in his eyes, said, “I love you, Hanna. You did a good job. That was very hard work and I am so proud of you.” Hanna was exhausted, but said, “It was hard work, but we have a baby, our baby. Still want to name him Frank after your father?” “Yes,” said Neville. “Welcome to the world, Frank Longbottom the Second.” Ginny had thought that if she could not play professional Quidditch she might train as a healer. She was sure that even if she just became a mother after Quidditch she was going to learn as much as possible about healing. Assisting at a birth was astounding. She was so happy for Hanna and Neville. The midwife was saving the afterbirth and cleaning up. When little Frank was done nursing the midwife put nappies on and wrapped him in a blanket. Neville and Hanna had fallen asleep, so the midwife gave baby Frank to Ginny. Tammy looked in the compartment and the midwife said, “You can tell people that Frank Longbottom was born just before 3:00 PM, and that baby and mother and father are all doing fine.” In no time the news had spread up and down the train. Harry left the train and walked back to the room, checked to make sure there was nothing left that they were going to need, and took the floo to Grimmauld Place, and from there to the Potter Estate offices. It was 9:30, and Bill, Fleur, Goblin Greenshade and John Braun were in Harry’s office. Most of the business was routine, but towards noon John brought up house elves. “Harry, in addition to Kreacher you own about 40 house elves. 30 of them are attached to houses or properties that are going to be sold, and sold to wizards, and in cases like this the house elves usually go with the property. But 10 are ‘orphan’ elves. The houses are either going to be sold to Muggles, or have been torn down, or for some other reason the elves are not attached to anyone or anything. Harry asked, “Are any of them single, or are some of them families?” John said, “8 of them are 4 couples, 2 with a child that we did not count, and the last 2 are single. They really are unhappy, and need to be in some place that provides shelter for them and allows them to help.” Harry said, “Well we can place one pair with Arthur and Molly if they agree, another with you two (pointing to Bill and Fleur), another pair with Michael and Rosemary, and I guess we can see if George and Angelina could use a pair. Maybe George and WWW could use a couple to help with the stores. Would that work?” “Better for them than to be idle. Over the weekend we will ask everybody,” said Bill. “Fleur, could we take in a pair and let them help us?” Fleur nodded yes. Goblin Greenshade said, “Kreacher wants the Harry Potter Estate to retain ownership of all the house elves. Is that a problem?” “Why?” asked Harry. “'Not slaves, part of group’ he told me,” Greenshade said. “I think he is taking your wish to do the best for house elves seriously.” “More of his ‘subversives?’” Harry asked. “Goblins are not supposed to be partners with Muggles in a consulting firm either,” Greenshade said. “You’ve thoroughly corrupted that house elf of yours over the months you and he have talked. I have to say I approve.” Harry laughed. “Am I really being that subversive?” he asked no one in particular. Everybody nodded in agreement, and Bill said, “More than you can possibly know, Harry.” Harry said, “We are having a hard time getting the house finished. Does anybody have any ideas?” John said, “Many clients in your position hire an interior designer to help with the interiors. We probably have a couple of people you could interview.” Harry agreed to that. At Noon Harry got the text message from Ginny. Fleur took the floo over to St. Mungo’s and in a few minutes had arranged for a midwife to meet the train. Early afternoon Harry went over to the New Burrow for a late lunch, taking John along with him, and he had a chance to talk to Arthur and Molly about house elves. “Mum, Dad, I have a problem you could help me with. I own ten house elves that are not assigned to anyone. They are either with property that is going to be sold to Muggles or torn down. They need a home. I have a male and female pair that I would like to give to you, to help with the house.” “House elves are expensive!” Molly replied. “We can’t afford to buy and maintain house elves. And after all you have done for us how can we ask for house elves too!” “It’s not like I am buying house elves for you. I own them and they need a place to stay. I understand that it is a male and female house elf plus a child, and I would like to see if they could stay in one of the bedrooms at the house. We are working on getting clothes, uniforms, for the house elves, and you could help me there as well. I understand that house elves are so helpful in the garden that they help grow as much or more food than they eat.” Molly turned to Arthur and said, “The new house really is too big to take care of, even with magic. Andromeda is really no help; some days she has a hard time taking care of herself although some days she really does spend quite a bit of time with Teddy. I hate to put Fiona to work. Yes, I would like to take in a family of house elves.” John Braun, who was with Harry, said, “I’ll have the family of elves over late in the afternoon.” Harry and John then walked over the Appleleaf family and placed another pair of the house elves with them. John said, “Legally they are on loan, still owned by the Potter Estate. Because you are on leased Potter Estate property we can do it this way. For all practical purposes they are your house elves.” The Appleleaf family had no problem with having house elves owned by the Potter Estate. As they were walking back to the New Burrow Harry asked, “How important is this ownership stuff? Kreacher wants all the house elves owned by the Potter estates. Is this normal?” “It’s highly irregular, at least” John responded. “Kreacher will occasionally say ‘is subversive.’ Kreacher is taking your instructions to make things better for all house elves very seriously. He’s an interesting character. In his own way I think he is being very subversive to the established way house elves have been treated, because you ordered him to be that way.” Harry told John, “When he and I were together and free over the last months Kreacher and I had quite a few discussions about what kind of things house elves could or should want to make their lives better, and about the good and bad parts of being bound to other people. House elves are very social beings, and a lone house elf is not a happy one. House elves, even if mostly self-directed like the Hogwarts house elves, need to belong to someone or something.” “It’s the same in other parts of the world,” John said. “In North America there are groups of supposedly free house elves, but they are almost always groups, not single elves, and they are almost always tied in with either an institution or a family.” John looked at Harry. “Really most humans are not all that different. Happy ones have ties to family and some institution or institutions, work, clubs, church, something. Really alone people are usually really unhappy people.” At 4:30 Harry went over to the ministry to get a car that would take Ginny and him over to the New Burrow. Ron and Hermione were going to apparate to Diagon Alley and from there would probably end up back at the apartment over the Hogsmeade Store. Neville and Hanna and baby Frank were going to take the same car and they were going to be dropped off at the Longbottom Mansion first, although when Harry got the car he had no idea that the baby had been born. Harry and his Auror escorts were waiting at the station, along with Ron, when the train pulled in. Students piled out of the cars and ran to meet their parents. There was no sign of Ginny or Hermione for about 15 minutes, and the area was beginning to clear, when Hermione came out of the first car, charmed a wheelchair and turned to the train. A tired Neville came out with an extremely tired Hanna, and led her over to the wheel chair. After Hanna was in the wheelchair Ginny came out of the train and put baby Frank in Hanna’s arms, then ran over to Harry, gave him a big hug and kiss, and said, “Hanna had her baby on the train, and I watched, and held the baby after it was born! It was wonderful!” Everybody congratulated Hanna and Neville, and then everyone went over to the car and the driver went first to the Longbottom home and then to the New Burrow. Harry and Ginny got to the New Burrow about 6:30 PM. Molly was trying to fix dinner and talk to a female house elf at the same time. Both of them seemed a little frustrated, with Molly trying to figure out what to do with a house elf and the poor house elf trying to help but at the same time let Molly do what she wanted to do. John Braun was there, and he pulled Harry and Ginny aside and said, “Give your mother and Berry time to figure out how they are going to work together. This kind of awkwardness is normal for someone who had never had a house elf.” Ginny ran up to her mother said, “Hanna had her baby, a boy they named Frank after Neville’s father. I was there when she delivered the baby! The midwife gave me the baby just after he was born, and after she cleaned up the baby and he cried I put him on Hanna’s breast and he nursed, then Hanna and Neville fell asleep and I held the baby for the rest of the ride in the train. It was such a great experience. Hanna and Neville are home; we brought them home before we came here.” Molly said, “That’s wonderful! I love babies. I hope they can come over here the next couple of weeks, or if they want we could visit them. Dinner is a little late in getting started because, Oh, I forgot to introduce to the house elves Harry got us. Ginny, Harry, meet Berry. Branch, come here and bring Leaf please.” A male house elf holding a very tiny baby appeared, not with a crack as was usual with house elves but after a minute or so, walking into the kitchen. “Berry, Branch, this is my daughter Ginny and her husband Harry Potter.” Berry and Branch both bowed to Harry and Ginny, and Branch said, “Every house elf knows Harry Potter, friend of house elves and Goblins. We are honoured to serve in the house of the family of Harry Potter.” John whispered to Harry “You don’t have any idea how much your burying Dobby has done. Your tears for him have unleashed a flood and we have no idea what it is going to wash away.” Branch and Leaf left, quietly walking upstairs because Molly did not like all the cracks of the house elves appearing and disappearing. “I insisted they take a bedroom with a bath that was not shared,” said Molly. “They are a family and they deserve some nice space for themselves. You have no idea how hard it was to have them accept a whole room for themselves. They came from a farm, and they are going to help me increase the size and variety of the garden next spring!” After a typically delicious Molly Weasley meal Harry and Ginny excused themselves and went up to what had become their room. “The only thing new this morning was the house elves,” Harry said. “Otherwise it was just business, including a lot of things that I guess I need to know about and approve but nothing that I’m all that interested in. Ginny, do you want to work on the house this week?” Ginny answered, “Sort of. I’m not sure where to begin. I think I know what I want, but I don’t want to spend most of the next couple of weeks working on the house either.” Harry said, “John said that you can hire what they call an Interior Designer to help. Would that help?” Ginny replied, “Anything has got to be better than what I went through this summer with my mother.” Harry asked, “Ginny, do you know why Ron and Hermione were so tired this morning? Ron was still sleeping when I left.” Ginny said, “I think so. I need to get the book my mother gave us.” Ginny found the book and looked at page 68 to see what it said. There was a spell that could allow a man to keep up intercourse for up to a couple of hours, and you could use it more than once a night. Ginny and Harry looked at each other. Ginny said “I think Ron and Hermione were going at it for 6 hours, between 10:00 PM and 4:00 AM. Hermione said they had a very vigorous night. I like sex but they’re nuts! Hermione is not all that logical with it comes to my brother. He must really know how to please her!” “Do you want is to try that spell sometime, Ginny?” asked Harry, with kind of a sly grin on his face, not at all sure if he was going to get a vigorous yes or an equally vigorous no. Ginny smiled and said, “Sure, sometime, but not tonight. I don’t want to be up until 4:00 AM this morning!” Ginny looked at the book again. “I don’t want six hours tonight, but it couldn’t hurt to look at, I’ve got a few pages I’ve looked at Harry. Look here, if I say these spells,” and Ginny pointed to a couple of spells, “and you say these spells” turning to another section of the book, “and we do this,” pointing to a couple of very explicit drawings. Harry looked at the book and the drawings, and at Ginny, and back at the book, and back at Ginny, and got a big grin on his face. “Want to try?” asked Ginny. Well of course Harry wanted to try! It was well past eleven before Ginny went to sleep. Harry thought about the book again. Apparently Ginny had looked at the book several times over the last months. Harry had been too busy, but he was very grateful that Ginny had not been too busy to look at the book. Ginny woke up in the middle of the night to go to the loo. She was just about to go back to sleep when she thought ‘We don’t have to get going early tomorrow. If I just touch Harry here’ and she tried to see if she could turn Harry on. Harry woke up the next morning and looked at Ginny. After a fantastic evening she had awakened him in the middle of the night for more! This was turning into a most enjoyable, and certainly erotic, Christmas break. He put on his glasses and looked at the book. There was a spell that could make your wife wake up eager as possible. Harry thought Ginny was usually pretty eager anyway, but decided to give it a try. There were pretty specific instructions. You were supposed to use the loo and shave and get yourself ready, with a couple of the endurance and patience spells, before using the spell on your partner. Ginny awoke in an attack mode, thoroughly pleasing herself and Harry. After she used the loo and brushed her teeth they went back for more. Ginny pointed out a position and spells to take it, something that involved levitation and that only a witch and wizard would be able to attempt. Harry and Ginny went at it! Harry and Gunny loved to fly, and the combination of levitation and, well and whatever, was certainly erotic. The only problem was that the positions were not only enjoyable but, for some reason, funny, at least to Harry and Ginny, and every time they got close to some sort of sexual encounter they broke up in laughter. It was fantastically enjoyable and a little frustrating all at the same time. It took them about forty five minutes to achieve some sort of sexual satisfaction, and when they were done they were still giggly. It was almost nine o’clock. “I’m getting hungry,” Ginny said. “Eventually the Weasley stomach wins out,” Harry teased. “I’m not a Weasley anymore, I’m a Potter,” Ginny teased back. “You still have a Weasley stomach,” Harry retorted. Ginny threw a pillow at Harry and started to get dressed, as Harry just caught the pillow and got dressed himself. The entire Weasley clan showed up for breakfast, and Ginny decided it was time for a little payback for Ron’s “how was the first time” question right after their marriage. She said, “I understand you and Hermione had a very vigorous night Friday night. It might have been really something to keep you up until 4:00 AM.” Ron got real red and embarrassed and kind of stammered, giving Hermione a wary look. Hermione got a real big smile on her face and said, “It’s not enough to read how to make a potion. You need to actually cook up a potion. We were really cooking Friday night, and I’m thrilled that I’m going to be married to the sexiest man in the world. Ginny, tell the family about Hanna having her baby on the Hogwarts express yesterday.” Of course Ginny had to tell the whole family about Hanna giving birth on the Hogwarts Express. And Hermione had ended the conversation about Friday night with everybody knowing that there was a passionate side to her as well as the logical academic side. Hermione apparently approached her sex life with the same over the top attitude she took with everything. Harry eventually announced to the family, “I own a number of house elves, ten of them, that were attached to homes either being sold to Muggles or being torn down. Bill and Fleur are taking a pair, and the Appleleaf family is taking a pair. One pair is staying at the New Burrow. I still have four house elves, a couple and two singles, to place. George, Angelina, could you use a pair?” Angelina said, “We could use a pair for general housekeeping, both at the apartments and some general cleaning at the store. Two is all we can take.” “I don’t need any house elves helping in the store, Harry,” George said. “House elves don’t buy anything, and too many witches and wizards would not want to buy anything from a house elf.” Sunday just before Ron and Hermione left for the Hogsmeade store Harry got Ron alone and asked, “Are you and Hermione always at it like you were the other night. Six hours?!” “Between Hermione needing to get the best grades anyone has ever gotten, and me in Auror training and running the store, we hardly had time to do it at all,” said Ron. “After getting formally engaged McGonagall relented and I was allowed to spend the night, but only if we did it quietly. Not like we could do it that often. So sex was infrequent and kind of rushed. But of course Hermione has to be the best in everything, so when we both had time she wanted to get the book out and go through everything, not just reading about it but doing it. I said the spell for endurance and we did more things the first two hours than I believed were possible. I was getting a little sore but Hermione, well, it was in the book and we needed to try it, and if it seemed we did not have it right do it again. Then she had me do the two hour endurance spell again, and finally at 2:00 AM she was like mostly through the book but there were a lot of things we had not tried, Harry, you wouldn’t believe all the ways you can do it. So even though I was sore inside and out at 2:00 we did the spells again. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired. Harry, I was exhausted. Bloody fantastic, it was. Wonderful! We’ve got a lot more practice to get good at some of those positions. Bloody fantastic!” After everybody had left Harry called, “Kreacher.” Kreacher appeared with a crack. “We’ve found homes for all the house elf couples, but not for the two single house elves,” Harry said. “They could stay at Grimmauld Place,” Kreacher replied. “That sounds like a good idea,” Harry said. Harry thought there was more to the story, but Kreacher did not volunteer any more. Sunday evening at about eight Harry and Ginny were sitting in the living room with Arthur and Molly, next to each other leaning against each other. Harry looked at Ginny and motioned with his eyes and face ‘upstairs.’ Ginny whispered, “And what would you have in mind, Mr. Potter.” “Oh, we’re woefully short of practice in certain areas,” Harry teased. “Maybe if the youngsters would leave we could make out in the living room,” Molly said loud enough for Harry and Ginny to hear. They were sitting next to each other on a large overstuffed piece of furniture, and Molly put her arm around Arthur and kissed him. “Or we could retire to our bedroom,” Arthur said, a lusty smirk on his face, before returning Molly’s kiss with a lingering one of his own. “I’m not sure we could stay at it for as long as Ronald and Hermione,” Molly said with a twinkle in her eye, after she finally came up for air. “It would be fun to try, though.” Ginny was looking at her parents, somehow shocked. “It’s funny, Arthur,” said Molly, looking at Arthur with a look that was half lust and half Ginny smirk. “Older children know they are not products of a virgin birth, but most children are a little shocked to find out that their parents still enjoy it too.” Then looking at Ginny and Harry, “Enjoy the little book I gave you? I know you were not sleeping all the time you were in your room last night and this morning!” Ginny blushed almost as red as her hair. Harry didn’t know whether to laugh or be terribly embarrassed himself. Molly got up and went over and gave Ginny a big Molly Weasley hug. “Enjoy yourselves, young lovers,” she said, turning to Harry and hugging him too. “And never stop enjoying each other!” Harry and Ginny went to their room, and did enjoy themselves, as did Molly and Arthur. Harry and Ginny ended up getting going quite late Monday, having put Molly’s book to good use. As they were leaving their room Ginny said, “This would be a good day to go Christmas shopping. I suppose we have to make sure the Aurors are with us.” “Yes, it’s getting kind of old,” Harry replied. “Al wants to make sure we are shadowed all the time, but it’s a real pain. No one has tried to attack us since the Battle of Hogwarts.” Harry conveniently forgot the attack in Romania, never having really told Ginny how serious it was. “Better humour Mr. VanLente,” Ginny acknowledge. “He’s sort of your boss, isn’t he?” “Sort of,” Harry replied. “I’d better humour him.” Well after eight o’clock they finally walked into the kitchen. “Enjoy yourselves?” Molly asked with a gleam in her eye. “There were a lot of things about being married I didn’t know when I was a little girl,” Ginny enthusiastically responded. “Really fun things!” “I’m glad you are enjoying yourself,” Molly replied. “What are you planning on doing today?” “We’re going to go shopping at Diagon Alley,” Ginny replied. “I have to call the Aurors,” Harry said. Harry got on the wizard mobile, and there was some quiet conversation. Finally Harry said, “The Aurors want all four of them to be with us. They feel that there is a chance we will be mobbed at Diagon Alley. I think it’s kind of stupid, but we’d better humour them.” About ten o’clock Harry and Ginny took the floo to Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes, and walked out of the office. The four Aurors were there to meet them. They were able to step outside without attracting too much attention. Harry and Ginny had not gotten more than a few feet down the road when people started to notice them. “Harry Potter!” someone said. “Harry Potter is here,” said someone else. “Harry and Ginny Potter,” said someone else. An old witch went up to Harry and said, “Thank you for defeating Voldemort! His death eaters killed my grandson.” “You’re welcome” Harry said. “Please call him Tom Riddle. He was just a man, a very bad man and wizard but just a man.” Another and then another and still another person wanted to thank Harry, and soon he was swamped, to the great discomfort of the Aurors. Finally Rita Skeeter appeared, along with what appeared to be a couple of other reporters. Rita shouted out, “Is it true you are the richest wizard in the world?” Harry turned to the Aurors and said, “I won’t talk to her. Get her out of here.” Rita angrily confronted Harry. “What kind of a dictator do you think you are, ordering an honest reporter away, keeping the public from knowing about you?” One of the other reporters said, “I’m from the American Magical Times. We want to hear about you as well. When are you going to talk to reporters?” “We came here to shop, not to talk to reporters,” Harry said. “Get Cindy here,” Ginny whispered to Harry. Harry said, “Expecto Patronus,” and told his stag Patronus. “Get me Cindy Base.” A short time later Cindy and her photographer were there. “Cindy, could you get the name of these reporters. I want them to leave us alone, but you can come along, and give them a story after we are back home” Harry said. “Offer to take their questions, and then we will see if we want to answer them. Be kind to everyone but Rita Skeeter; don’t ever tell her anything!” Cindy went to briefly talk to the other reporters, and then was back to walk through Diagon Alley with Harry and Ginny and the four Aurors. Harry and Ginny went into Flourish and Blotts to see if they could find any books for presents. Ginny found some Quidditch books she was interested in, and Harry wrote down the titles. Ginny noted some books that Harry was interested in, but Harry wanted to see if his parents had any of them before they bought duplicate books. They found a few books for other members of the family. The Aurors did a reasonably good job of keeping other people from bothering Harry and Ginny. The rest of the shopping went in a similar fashion. They stopped and looked in the window of Tabitha’s Terrific Toys. “Teddy’s still too small for any of Tabitha’s toys,” said Ginny. “Did you have any favourite toy from Tabitha’s when you were growing up?” asked Harry. “Actually we didn’t get many purchased presents,” said Ginny. “We were usually really poor. I did get a dollhouse one Christmas, the only person in the family who got a store bought present. I still don’t know how they afforded it, or who paid for it. I know all my brothers were really happy.” “What happened to the dollhouse?’ asked Harry. “It was in my room when the Burrow was destroyed,” said Ginny. “I had kind of hoped I could pass it on to my daughter, if I had a daughter, if I got married.” “I could buy you another one,” Harry said. “Wouldn’t be the same thing,” said Ginny. “Maybe if we have a daughter.” They had lunch at the Leakey Cauldron, eating with Cindy and the photographer, talking to a number of the patrons, before going back to the New Burrow in the early afternoon, with Cindy. Cindy had a list of questions that the other reporters had asked her to ask Harry and Ginny. Not including Rita the day had started out with two other reporters, but before they left Diagon Alley Cindy had nine reporters from, since some of them worked for more than one publication, over a dozen publications that wanted answers. “They are going to publish something, even if only real bad guesses, Harry,” said Cindy. “Better that we try and give honest answers.” “I hate this publicity, like I’m all that special, but I guess we’re going to have to put up with it,” Harry replied. “Are you the richest wizard in the world?” Cindy asked. Harry reluctantly replied, “No, but there is no question that with Tom Riddle’s estate I’m really rich. We are trying to do a lot of good with the money. There are still a lot of things we don’t know about how much money there is, and how much needs to be returned to Ministries or other people.” “People want to know how you are using the money, Harry,” Cindy said. “Who knows what you are doing with it? Any story of your money helping someone else is a good story.” Harry replied, “Fleur Weasley, Bill’s wife, probably knows more than anyone else about the charitable activities of the Harry Potter Estate. She goes over some of that every other week or so. There is a Harry and Ginny Potter Foundation, but we try to be as quiet as we can be about what we do.” “I’d love to talk to her about it,” Cindy said. “Maybe if we have several stories about other people and how the trust is helping them we can have attention diverted from your attention to the good the Estate is doing.” “Excellent idea,” Harry answered. “After we are done I will give you a note so Fleur will feel free to talk to you, or I’ll go over things with you and Fleur.” Cindy looked at her notes. “Is Ginny pregnant?” Ginny said, “No.” “Are you going to have children?” Cindy asked. “How many and when?” “I expect we will, eventually. The rest is no one’s business but ours,” Ginny said. “Where are you living? Do you have a mansion befitting someone as rich as you are?” Cindy asked looking at more notes. “Right now we’re living in a couple of rooms at Hogwarts while Ginny finishes school,” Harry said. “We are staying here with Ginny’s parents when we are not at Hogwarts. I do have a house that I inherited. We have no interest in revealing where it is, but it’s no big mansion.” “Any truth that you are the best dueller that the Romanian Defence against Dark Arts classes have ever seen?” Cindy asked. “How do you answer that kind of question?” Harry retorted. “I was the best student in this class, but I lost one duel. I learned a lot in the class, but I’m certainly not going to say I know more about duelling than anyone else in the world.” “Are you Gawain Robards boss, or is he your boss? Are you planning on taking over the Ministry?” Cindy asked. “Gawain is my boss, and I have no desire to be Minister of Magic,” Harry retorted. “A lot of these questions are very stupid,” Cindy said. “I can answer some of them for you. The only thing I’m really unsure of is Switzerland. There are a lot of questions about your relationship to the Rothchilds and Tom Riddle and what you inherited, prophesies. I didn’t understand some of the questions.” “I don’t have any answers,” Harry said. “It’s all real confusing to me too. I guess we are just going to wait and see what develops.” “There are a lot of questions about the Elder Wand, Harry,” Cindy said. “Tell all those reporters that if they mention anything about the Elder Wand you are never going to give them any more information,” Harry firmly responded. “How is it my position to tell them anything?” a very concerned Cindy asked. “I’m just a reporter for the Daily Prophet. You’ve been very good to me, but I really don’t work for you.” “I want you to work for me, Cindy, full or part time. I don’t need to be talking to all these reporters,” Harry said. “I’m going to call Bill Weasley and see if we can put you on the payroll.” “That will compromise my ability to be an objective reporter,” Cindy said, quite concerned. “Fine, I’ll make sure it’s worth your while,” Harry replied. Harry called Bill, and soon Bill and Fleur were there. Harry described what he wanted, and after maybe forty five minutes of discussion they all agreed on what they were going to try and do. Fleur was going to be in charge of negotiating a contract with the Daily Prophet to allow Cindy to function as sort of a house reporter for the Potters, and the Harry Potter Estate was going to pay part of her wages. Fleur was also going to give Cindy stories about all the good things the Harry Potter Estates were doing. After a few more questions Cindy was finally done. Cindy promised Harry and Fleur that she would try to make sure they saw any articles written on any member of the Potter or Weasley family. Shortly after Cindy left Jim Shook approached Harry and Ginny. “There were a couple of shady characters sort of following you around. I’m glad we had all four of us when you were at Diagon Alley.” “We weren’t in any danger, were we?” Harry asked. “Probably not, but I’m not sure, Harry, Ginny,” Jim responded. “Be careful.” Later that afternoon Harry told Ginny, “I’d like to go to the house at Godric’s Hollow to see what is there. I suppose I ought to see if there are any books or other things there that I ought to bring back. Maybe there are notes in the text books or other things that I really ought to find and bring back. I know I want to find out how they made the Marauder’s Map.” “I’d really like that,” Ginny said. “I don’t feel like I know your parents at all. Maybe by seeing some of your parents school work or other notes and photographs I can get a feeling for them.” “I hardly feel I know them either,” Harry said. |
| Reviews 103 |
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