Chapter 17
While getting prepared for her wedding, Hermione was effortlessly switching between tears and tantrums. This was so unlike her daughter that Emma eventually decided to clear the room. With Tonks, Susan and Winky now gone, it was time for a serious mother daughter talk.
"Hermione, if you have any reservations about this whole wedding and ritual scenario, now is the time to speak about them. I remember becoming a bit nuts on my own wedding day, but I didn't have half the things going on that you have at the moment."
"Mum, there's a part of me that wants this with all my heart, Harry is the one for me without question. Then there is another part that's terrified about tonight. I'm spending my wedding night in the ministry, so bloody romantic. Harry and I will make love for the first time under auror guard with practically the fate of the entire country riding on the result. What if I can't do this mum?"
"Being nervous about your wedding and honeymoon is to be expected for any bride. As seems to be becoming the norm for Hermione Granger, you have far more things to be nervous about than any other bride I can think of. What's Harry's take on all this?"
Hermione's deep blush told Emma what the real problem was here. "We haven't really talked about it, there's been so much else going on."
Emma called for Winky and asked her to tell Harry his future wife needed a chat.
"But Mum, Harry can't see my dress."
"Hermione, with everything else that's happening around here, I think that should be the least of your troubles."
A soft knock at the door signalled Harry's arrival, Emma rose to let him in. "Harry, you're shaking. Calm down, there's nothing wrong. I just think you and Hermione need to have a chat before your wedding. I'll be back shortly."
Hermione could clearly see the worry written all over Harry's face, she held her arms open and he rushed right into them. "Sorry for worrying you Harry, I'm just being silly here and mum thought I should talk with you."
"My Hermione being silly, now you've really got me worried. Let's sit down and see if we can sort whatever's bothering you. You look absolutely beautiful, but then I always think that."
Hermione could feel her doubts fading away the moment Harry held her in his arms, now it was time to talk out the few that remained. "I so want to be Mrs Potter but I think it's tonight that's beginning to prey on my mind. This will be our first time. That in itself is pressure enough without all the additional burdens of a soul bond ritual, defeating Voldemort, Tonks being in there with us and then the possibility of me becoming pregnant. What if I can't do all this Harry?"
"I would be lying to you love if I said the very same worries hadn't been preying on my mind too, Winky just wiped all that away though with one phrase. When she said you wanted to see me, I though you'd finally come to your senses and didn't want to marry me. I shot from being worried straight to terrified out of my mind. You taught me we could cope with anything, as long as we're together. I know tonight will not be how most young couples spend their wedding night, but we're not most young couples. What I do know for certain is that with Mrs Hermione Potter by my side, we can do anything."
Hermione kissed her husband-to-be in a manner that clearly emphasised his fear of rejection was totally groundless. She'd been letting her perfectly natural anxieties run away with her while forgetting the most important thing, Harry would be with her through everything. Harry's use of Mrs Potter had the instant and added effect of destroying all her lingering doubts, Mrs Potter was exactly what she wanted to become. With her future husband sitting here beside her, she was now smiling and looking forward to her wedding. Tonight would take care of itself.
They then talked through what was really bothering them and felt much better for it, both had been worried their spouse would have expectations they couldn't meet. The newlywed Potters would approach tonight one step at a time and face whatever tomorrow brought them.
"I'm really glad I got to see you beforehand. If we'd waited, I probably wouldn't be able to answer Madam Bones when she askes me that all important question later. You are so beautiful, it takes my breath away."
This earned Harry another kiss before Hermione replied. "You're very handsome in that tux too, Lavender and Parvati were almost drooling at that picture of us at the New Year Ball."
"Just wait until they see the wedding pictures, I think your dad has bought about half a dozen cameras. He's passing them out to Sirius, Remus and even Ron got one."
This had Hermione giggling, she couldn't wait to see what type of pictures the marauders and their clueless friend would manage to take with muggle cameras. "How's Ron holding up being best man?"
"Oh Ron's having the time of his life, your dad had to switch the TV off before he would move to get himself ready. MTV might now rival the Cannons in Ron's affections. He's talking about putting a boy band together when he gets back to Hogwarts. I just don't see Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean as Gryffindor's answer to Take That. The snoring in that dorm was bad enough, who knows what racket they could generate trying to sing?"
Emma stuck her head back inside the door to be greeted by the sound of the bride and groom laughing, she signaled to the others that it was safe to return. She thought Harry was surely a great wizard for the magic he had just worked on Hermione. It was with some reluctance that Harry was ushered out the room so they could continue to get ready, Hermione saying she would see him soon settled both their nerves.
Harry was heading back up the corridor when he heard the sound of 'Relight my Fire' blasting out of Ron's room, he wondered if Ginny was going to be drafted in to fill the Lulu role? She certainly had the red hair. He supposed it was a better way for Ron to spend his time before the big event rather than drinking firewhisky with the twins, a lot healthier too. Hermione would literaly kill him if he turned up drunk at their wedding.
-oOoOo-
Lucius Malfoy was rapidly reaching the conclusion that leaving Britain was the best thing he'd ever done. His covert journeys from country to country had all gone incredibly smoothly, proving once more to the aristocratic pureblood that with enough money you could achieve anything. The only blip on his now constant state of contentment was when the gnomes asked for a next of kin. Lucius eventually put Draco's name down. He may not like the useless little shit but the alternative was unthinkable to the pureblood fanatic. Any money that he didn't manage to spend over the coming decades would automatically revert to the gnomes if he didn't have a named next of kin on his account.
Lucius fully intended to sire another heir, he just wanted to spend a few years having some fun until then. His first night in Bangkok confirmed to him that he'd chosen exactly the right place to have that fun. The city was so busy and vibrant, with everything available for the right price. That Lucius had more than enough gold to meet those very reasonable prices for years to come had him thinking he'd set foot in paradise. Then he discovered the ladyboys of Bangkok and knew for certain he'd reached the Promised Land.
-oOoOo-
Dan's shopping trip had been for more than just cameras, Remus had side apperated him to York where he quickly stocked upon some other essentials for his daughter's wedding. While the wonderful elves could handle most things, Dan wanted the proper music for when he walked Hermone to meet her Harry. A powerful stereo system and a bag full of CD's soon solved that problem, he'd already picked the perfect track for the father / daughter dance. They had figured that York, while being far enough away from London and Hogwarts, was still a big enough city for them to blend into without attracting any unwanted attention. Even the ministry couldn't monitor the entire country so they reckoned they would be safe enough.
When it was finally time to enter the ladies dressing area to collect his daughter, Dan had tears in his eyes. Hermione had asked Tonks to be her maid of honour. Considering what the young auror meant to both her and Harry, there really couldn't have been any other choice. Dan deliberatly didn't hear the part where they asked her to be godmother to their first child too, his mind would only go there when it became a fait accompli.
Tonks had responded positivly to both requests and now stood in her Dora Granger guise. Hermione had tried to convince her that, since she was going to be family anyway, she should just go with her natural look. She had responded that, since this would be the first pictures in the Grangers new albums, this was a better look for the occasion. The result left Dan thinking he was looking at three of the most beautiful women in the world. His wife was simply stunning while Hermione took her father's breath away. As Tonks was portraying a mixture of both, Dan's hand reached into his pocket for his new camera to take the first picture of the day.
Emma could hardly believe this was the same room they had been eating their meals in every night, the elves had worked wonders. The dining room was now at least twice its original length, with a rose covered archway leading to an altar at the other end. Remus operated the CD player as the bridal march alerted the small wedding party that Hermione was about to make her entrance.
At the other end of the room, Harry and Ron stood waiting with Madam Bones as Dan began leading a beaming Hermione to her future. Harry eventually had to dunt Ron in the ribs. "That's my wife you're ogling, put your eyeballs back in and remember what your here for."
"Bloody hell Harry, Hermione is gorgeous! you are one lucky..."
Madam Bones deliberately clearing her throat ended whatever Ron was going to say next. Harry didn't take umbrage at Ron's outburst, he happened to agree with every word. After all the shit he'd had dumped on him since he was a toddler, Harry genuinly believed today wiped the slate clean. As he watched Hermione approaching on her father's arm, Ron's words rang true to the young groom. Harry Potter was one lucky bastard.
Harry spent the next fifteen minutes staring into the most wonderful brown eyes and responding whenever Madam Bones required him to. When she eventually said he could kiss the bride, he was never as glad to follow anyone's instructions in his life before. The newly married couple eventually parted to loud cheering, their wedding party might be few in number but they were making enough noise to grace a Hogwarts Quidditch match.
Hermione took the custom of kissing the bride to new heights when she knelt down to kiss Dobby, thanking him and Winky for all their hard work to make today the special occasion it was quickly turning into. Both elves had been stunnned to be told they were expected to be part of the celebrations but this was beyond their wildest dreams. Dobby then earned another kiss when he floated in a beautiful wedding cake that bore a striking resemblance to Hogwarts. It was manufactured to scale and the white icing appeared to sparkle under the festive lights the elves had bedecked the room in. The clearly recognisable couple that stood atop the Astronomy Tower were sculpted to a larger scale than that of the castle, Mr and Mrs Potter looked out over Hogwarts.
Susan, like most teenage girls, had thought a lot about getting married and how she wanted her wedding to be. She had originally felt sorry for her two friends who appeared to have been left without any options other than the path they were pursuing. Now, she wasn't so sure. This may be a small wedding but both bride and groom appeared very happy. They couldn't have all the friends they wanted to attend but their families were here, Susan had already decided she wanted her aunt to perform the ceremony when her turn eventually came.
Hermione's dress was just stunning. A combination of white satin and lace, with pearls lovingly embroidered into the bodice. The dress did come out at the hips but not to the extent where she couldn't fit through doors. One of Hermione's main requirements when designing the dress was that she be able to dance close with Harry while wearing it.
Harry had also promised Susan a dance later so, as she sat between her aunt and Croaker for what she was sure would be a wonderful meal, the Hufflepuff had to concede that this was indeed a lovely wedding. Susan was at an age where she realized it wasn't the actual wedding itself that counted, rather the person who you would be spending the rest of your life with. Using that as a yardstick, Hermione and Harry's wedding just jumped to the top of her list of the best weddings she'd ever attended.
Dan and Sirius had taken the time to chat with Harry and Ron beforehand, neither groom nor best man had expressed any enthusiasm for performing speeches at this point of the proceedings. As the father of the bride, Dan was only too happy to say a few words while Sirius could never be accused of shyness.
Dan stood first to deliver his speech. "I originally heard the name Harry Potter from Hermione's first letter sent from Hogwarts, I can assure everyone here we got used to hearing that name over the next few years. It's extremely disconcerting to a father when his daughter is five hundred miles away at boarding school and her two best friends are named Ron and Harry. At one point Emma and I began to wonder if there were any other witches at Hogwarts."
The guests were now laughing while the bride and groom sat there blushing, Dan could only think it was going well so far. "It was only during the last Christmas Holidays we got to meet the young man who'd so clearly won our daughter's heart, and what a first meeting! Harry standing on the train platform going toe to toe with that fraud Dumbledore. We then went to the bank with a bodyguard and heard about betrayal and a betrothal, just your typical day for these two." This drew more laughter but Dan was now getting serious.
"Sadly we were to discover just how true that 'typical day' statement was as these two finally came clean and told us what was really going on, which leads us directly to where we find ourselves today. Through all these tasks, trials and tribulations there has only been one constant that they could rely on, each other. Their commitment, caring and love for one another sees me standing here today as a proud father, welcoming Harry into our family, and asking everyone here to raise their glasses. Please join me in toasting Mr and Mrs Potter, the bride and groom!"
After everyone had toasted the happy couple, Sirius now stood to say his piece. "I first met the lovely Mrs Potter about a year ago and, as first meetings go, I think I've got Dan's beat. You see the entire country thought I was this half-crazy psycho killer who was hell bent on revenging my master's demise. That this would make Harry my main target should give you some idea of where Hermione would be."
Sirius gazed lovingly at the young married couple as he continued. "If you guessed throwing herself in front of Harry with her wand pointed at me then you got it right. These two then went on to save me from a dementor's kiss not once but twice on the same night. The second time I was locked in Hogwarts castle, trying to meet my end like a Gryffindor, when these two busted me out of there."
This was something Sirius really hadn't spoken about but the emotion of the day was obviously affecting the marauder. "Escaping that fate was like being reborn. I swore to myself that night I would help these two any way I could, and I intend to continue doing everything in my power to do so. You can perhaps understand why I was delighted when I heard they'd gotten together. I personally owe them a debt I can never repay and, by this time tomorrow, the entire country will too. Dan's already toasted the Bride and Groom but I would like you all to raise your glasses once more and toast our family, a family I consider everyone here a part of."
After the toast, Sirius received a round of applause which saw him pretend to continue. "Oh, I forgot to tell my joke about the one-eyed barman and the stuttering witch…" The fake stern stares from Emma, Tonks and Hermione saw Sirius announcing he would save it for later as he wanted a dance with the bride.
Harry had learned to dance with Hermione in his arms and classical music playing in the background. Now that same music was filling the room as he guided and glided his bride along in rhythm to the timeless classics. The repeated camera flashes signalled their family were taking lots of pictures of the moment but the bride and groom only had eyes for each other. "I loved dancing with Hermione Granger but I think waltzing with Hermione Potter beats that experience hands down."
Hermione intended to start her marriage the way it would continue, by not letting Harry off with that jibe. "I have to say that dancing with Harry Potter was nice, but being here in my husband's arms is so much better."
Harry's wide smile almost turned into laughter as he caught sight of his best man trying to dance with their bridesmaid. Ron wasn't sure where to put his hands and had difficulty focusing his eyes where they were supposed to be. Tonks was chuckling at his discomfort, which didn't help Ron's problem.
"Oh, he's got to dance with me next. that should cool him down a bit."
This comment saw Harry shake his head in disbelief. "Hermione, you are the hottest girl here, I hardly think that's going to help Ron's condition." Hermione was about to refute that but her husband got in first. "I had to practically pick his eyeballs off the floor when he saw you walking toward me. I thought for a second we had made a mistake because 'jealous prick' seemed in danger of making an apperance. He eventually settled for calling me a lucky bastard, a sentiment I happen to totally agree with."
As the music ended, the couple kissed before swapping partners to dance with the best man / maid of honour. Harry drew no pleasure from realising that he was right, Ron didn't handle his dance with Hermione any better than the one with Tonks. After his talk with Hermione, she was obviously a lot more aware of this now too. She was trying to talk to Ron while keeping her blushing to an acceptable level. The young auror currently dancing with the groom of course missed nothing.
"That is why you are able to marry Hermione while Ron can't even dance with her, you two are old souls in young bodies. Ron may grow into a decent young man but Harry Potter is already the finest wizard I've ever met. I understand you and Hermione must be worried about later and I can appriciate that. Personally, I think you two are made for each other and old Voldie doesn't stand a chance. You just look after Hermione and remember I've got your backs covered."
Harry could only hold her tighter as he attempted to get his voice working again. "Thanks Tonks, I really don't know what we would do without you."
"You're both family now Harry, so you'll never have to find out. We're stuck with each other for the rest of our lives."
He couldn't help but think his comment from earlier was just being reinforced, Harry Potter's luck had certainly taken an upturn. That his next dance was with the woman who was now his mother just sealed the deal.
Hermione was in her father's arms when she recognised the music playing, it was one of her mother's favourites. 'I hope you dance' was a song about not playng it safe and taking a chance to get what you want. This was her father's way of saying he approved of her choices better than his words ever could. The second verse almost had her in tears.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'...
Dan saw his daughter's reaction and attempted to appologise. "I'm sorry princess, I thought you would like the song..."
"Dad, I love the song, and the message behind it."
"I really do like Harry you know, the fact that he adores you is a big plus in his favour. I just want you both to be happy."
"We are Dad, very happy. Once we get tonight over with, we'll have the rest of our lives to spend happily together. I'm almost sure he and Sirius have cooked up some kind of surprise but both are keeping quiet about it for now."
"Well, I heard the word honeymoon being mentioned but that's all I've got out of them."
Hermione's next dance was acually with Sirius, the marauder though was impervious to her probing questions. All she could get out of him was that the secret would be revealed shortly.
Harry was trying to thank Madam Bones for officiating today as he led her around the dancefloor, she immediately corrected him about a couple of things. "Harry, since we are now dance partners, I think it's time you called me Amelia. I also think the wizarding community of Britain owes you both such a debt of thanks that anything I can do to help redress the balance somewhat will be yours for the asking. It was also my pleasure to do that today. Wedding ceremonies are one of the nicest things about my job yet I get so little chance to practice those skills. Again, it is me who should be thanking you."
He next had a dance with Susan before then sitting down beside Ron to enjoy a much needed butterbeer. "How you doing mate? Glad to see you at least didn't throw up on anyone this time."
"Oh very funny Harry, I'm never going to live that one down. Anyway, Hermione would have killed me if I'd pulled something like that. Your wife is gorgeous, but still bloody scary."
This raised a chuckle from Harry, again he couldn't argue with his mate's reasoning. "Have you had a dance with Susan yet?" Harry knew fine well Ron hadn't so his shake of the head came as no surprise. "You're best man Ron, that means you have responsibilities today. One of them is to keep this function going, that means dancing." It didn't really mean that but Harry was betting Ron didn't know this. He didn't want Ron sitting in a corner all evening like a lemon, especially when there was a beautiful unatached girl waiting to dance.
-oOoOo-
The evening passed quite quickly and it was just after ten when Hermione casually mentioned to Harry that it was time to change. They said their goodnights before heading up to what was now officially their room. Although most of the guests knew what was happening later, Ron was still clueless. As he was now sitting chatting to a beautiful Hufflepuff, it was debatable if he even noticed them leaving.
They reached their bedroom and Harry instantly dispelled any awkwardness by lifting Hermione into his arms and carrying his bride over the threshold. Hermione was doing her best to see Harry's actions as romantic but got an attack of the giggles. Harry's pretend pout took his wife the rest of the way there and both of them soon ended up on the bedroom floor laughing.
Hermione then kissed her husband before making his head spin. "It took three people to get me into this dress, do you think the both of us can manage to get me out of it? I would hate to be shouting for help on our wedding night."
"Oh, I think we should manage."
"Good, I want a shower before we have to get ready to head over to the ministry. I couldn't help noticing your shower should be big enough for both of us, what do you think?"
"I think it's a fantastic idea, but are you sure?"
"You're my husband now Harry, and I don't want our first proper 'looks' at each other to be in the ministry tonight. We can shower together before we go, perhaps get rid of some of the awkwardness we're bound to feel."
Harry recognised Hermione biting her bottom lip meant his wife wasn't nearly as confident as she was trying to portray herself as. "Let's get you out of that dress Mrs Potter and then I will take great delight in washing your back for you."
"Once you're finished with my back, you can move onto my front." Hermione thought for a second she'd broken her husband until his face split into a grin Dobby would be proud of. "We still have to be virgins for the ceremony later but that doesn't mean we can't have some exploration first. I want you to know every inch of me, and I'll be doing the same to you." The poor dress never stood a chance.
Harry gazed in wonder at his wife's naked form. "Hermione, this might be a very long shower?"
"We don't need to be at the ministry until midnight."
Harry's clothes quickly joined his wife's on the floor as they tentativly held each other naked. "I thought you were beautiful in that dress Hermione but my god, I don't have words to say how you look out of it."
The new Mrs Potter was blushing like mad but still wore a very satisfied smile on her face. Seeing her husband's very obvious reaction to her body gave her all the confidence she needed to go through what they had to later. "You don't have to say a word Harry, I get the message."
it was much, much later a pair of very happy, and very clean newlyweds exited the shower.
-oOoOo-
Amelia and Croaker headed back to the ministry to ensure all the preparations were ready for the ritual, leaving the five adults sitting around an open fire and trying not to watch as the clock on the mantlepiece ever so slowly crept its way toward the appropriate time. All five felt as if they could do with a stiff drink but had nothing stronger than fruit juice in their hands. The champagne at the toasts was actually the only alchohol drunk today, everyone wanting a clear head in case they were needed tonight. Remus would be staying behind, Ron and Susan were still in the house, but the other four were all ministry bound with the Potters.
Dan screwed his face up in disgust after drinking the freshly squeezed orange juice, the current situation called for at least a good single malt. He and Sirius had an ancient bottle of the amber nectar put aside for later, after they came back from the ministry. The elves had also secured a bottle of Emma's favourite brandy, they would celebrate only when both Hermione and Harry were safely back in the house. "We think this is bad now, it's going to be a lot worse later waiting outside that door."
The words were out before Tonks even had time to think about it. "Want to trade places with me?"
Dan's shudder of revulsion quickly answered that question as Emma attempted to console the young auror. "I think you got the worst job tonight Tonks but I for one am certainly glad you're going to be in there with them. It's not something Dan or I could do, and I don't think they would want Sirius cracking jokes during their bonding."
Sirius wasn't upset at that quip. "Oh, I'm with Dan on this one, I'd rather be outside the door. I also agree that Tonks is the best person to be in there, both of them trust you with their lives."
Tonks then raised her real fears. "I just hope it won't be awkward between us once we leave that room. I've really got used to having those two in my life, I would hate for anything to spoil the relationship we have."
"Not something you have to worry about Tonks, never going to happen."
The group hadn't noticed the newlyweds enter, Harry's voice making most of them jump. Both of them were dressed in bathrobes with the Potter family crest prominent on each, a pair of slippers finished their ensemble. Hermione's practical mind deciding that there was no point getting dressed, just to take everything back off again.
"I think that now the wedding's over, it's safe to spill the secret of what my godfather and I have been planning. The beautiful Mrs Potter here deserves the best, and that's what she's going to get. The Blacks apparantly own their own unplottable tropical island, and that's where we're all heading tomorrow until everything blows over in Britain. Sorry Remus, but you went and got yourself a job."
"A job a certain little bird told me you had a hand in."
"Oh I don't know if I would chance calling Amelia a bird, but I did mention you were the best defence teacher we ever had."
Emma wanted to make sure she had heard Harry correctly. "Let's go back a bit for a minute, did you say we were leaving for a tropical island tomorrow?"
Sirius was rubbish at keeping secrets and now couldn't wait to tell them all about it. "Oh you'll love it Emma. Imagine little palm-thatched cottages beside a snow-white beach. Our only neigbours are palm trees and parrots, we will of course have Dobby and Winky there too!"
Dan thought this sounded too good to be true. "If this island is everything that you say it is, why the hell were you spending the winter freezing your arse off in a Scottish cave?"
Sirius actually blushed at that though Hermione provided the answer. "He was on that island dad, Harry got a note delivered by a tropical bird. Sirius left that paridise to be nearer to Harry after he found himself in that bloody tournament."
All thoughts of tomorrow vanished as the clock began to chime midnight. it was time to take the portkey to the ministry. The next few hours would decided whether tomorrow brought them to a tropical paradise or a funeral parlour.
Chapter 18
The group portkeyed into the grand atrium and immediately found themselves surrounded by a squad of the most vicious looking goblins ever to make an appearance at the ministry of magic. Rather than being alarmed, the group took great comfort from the close proximity of these warrior beings. The fact that all their razor sharp weapons were pointing away from them might have had something to do with that comfort. Their squad of guards parted to allow Ragnok, Amelia and Croaker to enter their protected bubble.
The goblin leader nodded in recognition to the young couple before greeting them. "On behalf of the goblin nation, I would like to offer our congratulations on your marriage and best wishes for tonight. On a personal note, I would once again like to offer my apologies for not attending your nuptials. Tonight is also an important occasion for my race and I felt, as their leader, I should supervise all the arrangements in person. This is a great thing you do for all magical occupants of our country, your goblin friends certainly appreciate the risks and sacrifices you are making to rid us all of this evil."
Harry bowed to the goblin leader as a mark of respect, and also to show his thanks. "Tonight would not have been possible without the great assistance my wife and I have received from our goblin friends. I shall make a point of ensuring that the rest of the country is made aware of those facts. They may trust you with their gold but tonight you are ensuring the safety of something much more precious to me, for that you have my thanks." Harry's arm possessively around Hermione left no one in any doubt just what he meant as both teens now bowed to the goblin leader.
As Croaker led the party in the direction of the designated room, Sirius could have sworn the goblin guards that surrounded them now held themselves just that little bit taller. Seeing the way their leader had greeted the Potters would account for some of that but Sirius was sure that Harry's answer was the major reason. Calling them goblin friends and bowing in respect to Ragnok had just elevated their status as far as the guards were concerned.
Sirius had been trying not to think of the future in case he jinxed tonight but what he was watching here forced his thoughts down that road. The Potters were currently in the company of three of Magical Britain's most politically powerful figures, and were handling it as if they were out for a stroll down the park. Sirius hadn't wanted to pile any more worries onto Dan and Emma but if, no, when these two pulled this off, the entire country would offer them anything they wanted.
Fudge was finished, only Harry's intervention had saved the man's job at the trial. Handing out ministerial pardons without even reading them just emphasised what a lame duck minister he was. The fact that the entire country listened live as the drama had unfolded meant his goose was already cooked. If he would behave that irresponsibly for a wizard the entire auror department was actively hunting, what else would he sign unread?
Considering Croaker's preference for working behind the scenes, Amelia was a shoo-in for the soon to be vacant minister's job, if she wanted it. With tonight's ritual hopefully draining all Voldemort's marked followers of their magic, she might think the time is right to pass on the directorship of the DMLE to someone else for her shot at sorting the country out. At the very least, Croaker and Amelia would have a major influence in just who got elected to the top post. That both of them had already offered employment to Harry and Hermione was amazing, but Sirius would be willing to bet Ragnok would soon be doing the same.
The marauder was praying their family could all sit down on Black Island and spend the next few weeks discussing what they were going to do next. Apart from arranging the honeymoon, no one had looked any further than tonight. Those were conversations Sirius was looking forward to, the alternative was unthinkable.
The ritual was almost scuppered before it even began, Emma had a death grip on both teens and didn't want to let go. Dan was forced to reluctantly pry his now sobbing wife's fingers loose one at a time before Tonks could shepherd them through the door. As it closed behind the trio, Sirius had to conjure a chair for Emma to be guided into as her legs would no longer support her. All three were now re-evaluating their opinions from earlier, being inside that room couldn't be any worse than waiting out here.
Tonks would certainly disagree with that. She had been checking out the circular room that appeared to have mist for a ceiling, immediately noticing the large goblin rune stones around the wall to prevent outside interference. Her eyes were then quickly drawn to the ritual pentagram, enclosed within in a circle that was etched into the marble floor. It may be surrounded by symbols the auror didn't recognise but there was no mistaking the material used, the entire ensemble was etched into the floor using pure gold. She was drawn out of her observations by virtue of having an irate Harry Potter in her face.
"If they expect me to do this with Hermione on the bloody floor then it ends right now. Who the hell came up with this and why weren't we told beforehand?"
Harry was soothed somewhat by a pair of arms encircling him from behind, Hermione whispering in his ear helped pull his temper down a few more degrees. "It's alright love, I knew this before I stepped through the door. We can't risk anything interfering with the ritual, that's more important than a bit of discomfort."
"You deserve a lot better than shagging on the floor Hermione, this is just so wrong."
"We won't be shagging Harry, I'll be making love with my husband. We'll have years to wear out as many beds as we want, doing it on the floor this first time will give us those years."
Harry turned around and now held his new wife in his arms. "I'll spend the rest of my life doing my best to make sure you never regret tonight Hermione, I love you so much."
"Well, I've had this fantasy about me and you on a deserted beach, naked under the moonlight. We do this right tonight, you can spend the next few weeks making my fantasy become reality. You remember the words?"
Harry leaned down and kissed her. "Of course I do, we practiced this for hour upon hour."
Hermione kissed his scar before slowly uniting and removing Harry's robe. As his only item of clothing landed on a clear part of the floor, Harry began kissing Hermione's neck while her robe soon joined its partner.
Tonks became nothing more than an invisible spectator as the two teens forgot about everything except each other. The mist started its descend from the ceiling while a golden light began to surround the couple as they slowly and sensually waltzed naked into the centre of the prepared ritual area. Tonks was certain the room's own magic was adding to the love the couple shared for each other. This light cast the auror deeper into shadow as she watched them begin the ritual, Harry's first chant saw his scar react violently and begin to weep a treacle-like substance. Tonks thought Harry must be in severe pain but his voice never faltered as he offered the correct response to Hermione's answering chant. Tonks had her wand in her hand and tried to be ready for whatever happened next as the golden etchings on the floor began to pulse with magic in rhythm to their chanting.
-oOoOo-
Tom Riddle knew there was very little left of his once great intellect. His mind had disintegrated to the point where he felt like a child, hiding in the corner of what was once a magnificent room. Madness was slowly snatching all he had studied, strived and suffered to amass away from him a piece at a time. He supposed that using the word slowly could technically be incorrect, currently Tom had no means by which to measure the passing of time.
That fateful Halloween night, when his spirit had been agonisingly ripped from his body, that same spirit still had enough strength to flee the scene before Dumbledore showed up. Tom spent the best part of the next decade possessing small animals, painstakingly and slowly building up his reserves until Quirrell blundered along.
Discovering he couldn't actually touch the Potter brat was another life-changing moment but at least he was able to absorb enough energy by passing through the boy to escape from Hogwarts. His current predicament was at least a hundred times worse than either of those two incidents.
By the time the inferi had ripped apart that feeble body he was residing in, Tom was all out of options. He'd spent every piece of energy he possessed venting his rage against the inferi and that useless servant Wormtail was already in pieces, as was his beloved Nagini. It's impossible to take energy from a creature that's already dead, leaving Tom stuck in a prison of his own making. With the locket now gone from the font, the glow faded within the hour. By this time all the inferi were long gone, back under the surface of their watery trap to await the appearance of their next victim, leaving Tom completely alone in his self-built and heavily warded prison.
As a spirit, Tom had no sense of smell, taste or touch. Possessing an animal for even a little while saw these senses return with a vengeance. The problem here was that not even a mouse could make it into the sealed cavern, denying him that ability and option. By far the worst problem though was as a direct result of the senses he did retain. There was not so much as a glimmer of light for his eyes to adjust to, nor even a heartbeat present for him to hear. Tom Riddle currently floated in what could easily be considered the equivalent of a giant sensory deprivation tank, and it was causing him to lose his mind a piece at a time.
In the beginning, the hallucinations had been company of sorts. Listening to that old muggle caretaker he'd killed, complaining about the injustice of it all, had actually been amusing for a while. Tom now recognised that the appearance of the Potters signalled the beginning of his decent into madness. Every person he'd harmed in his life was now making an appearance in his mind to berate Tom Riddle for his actions, and there was no respite or escape from this torment. Children Tom didn't know he still remembered from those hateful orphanage days would scream at him about how his actions way back then had ruined their lives. The great and powerful Lord Voldemort simply never believed it to be possible, that there could be a fate worse than death. Since Tom Riddle was now being forced to experience that fate, he'd definitely changed his mind.
That Black had found his horcrux offered Tom the faintest of hopes that some day one of the others he'd created might be discovered and activated, either deliberately by one of his followers or a fortunate accident. It needed to be soon though, otherwise the most feared dark lord in history would be resurrected as a drooling imbecile. Should a horcrux be fully activated, his spirit would be summoned to his new body. If he possessed a body when a horcrux was activated, it would stay as a spirit and be drawn directly back to strengthen him. This was the safeguard built into the horcrux anchor system, otherwise there could be multiple versions of him occupying the same time frame. Other than the limit of a few hours while using a time turner, this was not something the laws of magic would ever allow.
When the bit of him that was still Tom felt the first pull on his spirit, he understood at once that he'd lost. While the feral part of his mind fought and cursed this fate with everything it had left, he calmly accepted the outcome. Tom Marvolo Riddle aka Lord Voldemort longed for and now welcomed the release and peace death would bring. Whatever awaited him on the other side, it had to be better than the utter torture this existence had become.
-oOoOo-
When a crying Tonks came out the door, Emma let out a wail of agony while Dan remained focused on the smile the auror was wearing. Sirius quickly spoke for them all. "For Merlin's sake Tonks, we're dying here!"
"Sorry folks, that was the most beautiful and moving thing I've ever seen. They're both fine and I believe this is what you're after Croaker?"
She handed over a small jar of coal-black gunk to the unspeakable. "Harry's scar burst open and this is what came out. It looked an exceedingly painful process but Harry didn't seem to feel any discomfort, I think the room's magic really helped them. With the amount of love in that room, Voldemort never stood a chance."
Croaker confirmed that the residue was indeed from Voldemort and that it was destroyed.
Dan had a mightily relieved but still crying Emma in his arms, he offered what comfort he could to his wife. "At least if Hermione's pregnant, they managed to finish the bastard for good."
Tonks was still smiling though. "I conjured that jar to collect the residue, then I conjured them a bed. I cast the contraceptive charm on Hermione before I left, I really don't need to see them making love. The room's power and the goblin wards had Voldemort out of Harry before they reached the conclusion of the ritual. They will certainly be soul bound when they come out of there but Hermione won't be pregnant."
Sirius let out a wild victory whoop as he leapt into the air in celebration. "Voldemort suffered premature ejaculation and now our kids don't need to have pups for a good few years!"
Dan thought that was probably the worst joke he'd ever heard but still found himself laughing hysterically at it. The father now knew he could cope with the reality that his daughter was married to a wonderful young lad, it was always the thought of her being pregnant so young in life that gave him the most trouble. This was the result he had prayed for as Dan now held his wife tighter and cried tears of his own. That both he and Emma now wore wide smiles as they cried told its own story. The atmosphere outside the room was now almost festive, Sirius for one was ready to party the rest of the night away.
Amelia though had her practical head on. "Ok, we need to see if this event had the effect we thought it should. Would you like to take a walk down to the holding cells Croaker? I had an old friend of yours shipped over from Azkaban to act as a test case. If Rookwood loses his magic, we can assume it will be the same for the rest of the death eaters."
This news certainly brightened up the unspeakable's night. "I haven't seen dear Augustus since we sent the traitorous bastard to spend the rest of his miserable life with the dementors. He cost some very good people their lives, if anyone deserves to lose their magic then it's him."
"It also makes me wonder how many people will be missing from work come Monday. Let's go check our suspicions for ourselves. We shouldn't be too long."
It was Tonks who answered. "Take your time boss, I don't think those two will be coming out of there anytime soon."
For some reason that appeared to tickle the goblin's funny bones, with Ragnok leading the guards in loud laughter.
-oOoOo-
Albus couldn't remember the last time he heard laughter, there wasn't much to laugh about inside Azkaban. No, it wasn't laughter that was disturbing his sleep, rather the screaming of his fellow prisoners. That Albus though he recognised Severus' voice amongst the screams really had him concerned. He repeatedly shouted his friend's name but was being drowned out by all the noise. Albus then began shouting for the guard before realising they had their hands full, the dementors were leaving the wing. It must have been at least an hour later when a guard opened the tiny barred hatch on the door to check on him.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes I'm fine, what happened? Was that Severus I heard screaming?"
"We don't know how it happened but something has removed all the magic from the marked death eaters. You know the effect being close to dementors has on muggles, they were all going crazy until we managed to take the dementors away."
Dumbledore took a few steps away from the door, that was enough to back him into the cell wall. He could only think of one outcome that could generate such a phenomenon, causing him to slide down the wall and sit on the cold stone floor. If they had indeed permanently eradicated Voldemort, and all his marked followers, then he really would be spending the rest of his life in this shithole. With Minerva dead and Severus now a muggle, both his friends had paid a high price for following Albus Dumbledore.
With the dementors withdrawn and the guards busy elsewhere, Albus understood he would never have a better chance than this to follow Minerva into the next great adventure. Whether or not he had the courage to follow it through was another matter.
-oOoOo-
Harry held his naked wife in his arms and uttered the words he really didn't want to say. "I think we need to get up love, our family will be going nuts outside."
This appeared to have the opposite effect than his suggestion implied as Hermione just snuggled in more. "Don't wanna, too comfy. Tonks will have already told them we're okay."
"Tonks left ages ago Hermione, and you know your mother won't believe that until she sees it with her own eyes."
Hermione lifted her head up to gently kiss Harry's lips. "Our mother my love, and I hate that you are right. The book said we would need to be close to each other for a while after the bonding but I just never want to let you go ever again. Your scar appears so much fainter now, how do you feel?"
"Wonderful! I could never feel my scar unless Tom was close or very angry but I can feel you. I can feel that you are happy and contented and it's the most fantastic feeling in the world."
"I can feel you too darling, and it just blows me away the amount of love you have for me. This should certainly help us adjust to our marriage as we'll both be able to sense how the other is feeling."
"Yeah, and you must feel I don't want to get up either, but I really think we need to." Harry then tried to sweeten the deal. "There's a perfectly good bed waiting on us back home in our room, and we could take another shower?"
"I knew I married a smart wizard, time to face the folks."
-oOoOo-
Tonks prediction proved correct as Amelia and Croaker returned before the newlyweds emerged, their confirmation that the death eaters would indeed lose their magic was more good news.
"I think we need to get this story to the Daily Prophet in time for tomorrow's edition, I even had Croaker here take a few pictures at the wedding to run with it. I have no intention of mentioning the fate of all the death eaters, merely that the Potters undertook a soul bound ritual to finish off Voldemort for good."
Amelia could see some doubt coming from concerned guardians and parents so tried to put their minds at rest. "I think it would be safe to say Voldemort created a connection between himself and the baby Harry, and that Harry's soul bond with Hermione severed that connection forever. Let those so-called journalists discover the connection between the number and type of people suddenly losing their magic."
She then addressed Ragnok directly. "I agree totally with the Potters in that this entire venture could have ended so differently without the help of our goblin friends, and I intend to state so in the Prophet. I don't want to use the word 'horcrux' if we can possibly avoid it though."
"I agree totally on the horcrux matter and thank you for the public acknowledgement. If you will now excuse me, I feel it's going to be a busy night at the bank. So many pureblood families have just lost their head of house and other members will need to be notified of that."
The goblin leader had barely left when the newlyweds appeared from the room, to be totally engulfed in hugs by their family. Emma kept hugging and kissing whichever one of her children she managed to get hold of before Amelia brought both teens up to speed.
Hermione had an all-important, non-negotiable demand. "I want to see whatever wedding picture you intend to put in the paper first." No one there felt inclined to argue with her and the choice was quickly made.
The goblin guards stayed with them until the group portkeyed back home. Goodnight kisses were then exchanged as the Potters headed up to their room, leaving the others to spill all the details to Remus. As he filled their glasses, Sirius then gave the Grangers their last bit of good news for the night.
"Winky brews the best hangover potion it has ever been my privilege to taste!"
-oOoOo-
Wizarding Britain woke up to a different world that Sunday morning, the front page of the Prophet left very few lives untouched.
Molly Weasley was dripping tears over the wonderful picture. Harry and Hermione were staring into each other's eyes, with Madam Bones clearly visible in the background between them. She obviously had just completed the ceremony because the two teens leant into one another and began to kiss. Molly didn't take time to appreciate the headline 'Killer Kiss', nor the story of how this spelled the beginning of the end for the dark lord. Molly was more concerned about what her stupidity had done to her family.
"Oh Arthur, Ron, Ginny and the twins will be devastated when they see this. Ron's two best friends get married and he finds out about it from the Prophet, all because his mother couldn't keep her nose out of other people's business. How am I going to make it up to them?"
Arthur nervously cleared his throat, knowing this could go very badly. Keeping secrets from Molly was not a good idea. "Well love, you see I was under a secrecy oath, Amelia demanded it. Now that it's all over the paper I guess it should be safe enough."
He now had his wife's undivided attention and figured the best thing to do would be to tell her the entire story. "Amelia arranged for Ron to get thrown out of Hogwarts on Friday..."
"WHAT!"
"Oh, he wasn't really thrown out, it was all a ruse to get him out the castle without arousing anyone's suspicion. The death eaters had been hunting for Harry, burned Hermione's house to the ground."
"Oh that poor girl, was anyone hurt? Do they have a place to stay?"
"No one was hurt and they are all staying at a secret location. So secret, even with my oath I don't know where it is."
"What's all this got to do with Ron?"
"Harry and Hermione wanted him at their wedding, Ron was their best man at the ceremony."
Molly was now really crying. "Even after what I did, they still wanted our Ronald there?"
Arthur was now trying to comfort his wife, though his words just made Molly feel worse. "They apparently wanted all of our children there, and their other friends too! Amelia was too afraid it might tip off the death eaters that something was happening, which is why they devised the elaborate plan to get Ron away from the castle. Doing that with too many students though would have raised suspicions, especially if they were all friends of Harry and Hermione."
Molly managed to get her sobs under control long enough to at least make some sense. "I sent the girl Harry just married, and is now soul bound to, a howler. They'll never forgive me but at least they're still going to stay friends with our children. That's really more than I deserve."
Arthur poured Molly a fresh cup of tea from the pot, she looked like she needed it. Knowing his wife as he did, and the things she was wont to say in a howler, Arthur also had to agree with her conclusion. Harry and Hermione staying friends with their children was way more than they deserved. Perhaps time would eventually heal the rift, it might even make Molly think twice before speaking her mind. Now that would be an achievement worthy of the front page of the Prophet.
-oOoOo-
Ron was also studying the Prophet, with a delighted Susan sitting beside him. For some reason none of the rest of the household had made it down to breakfast yet. Ron eyed the happy Hufflepuff suspiciously. "You knew about this?"
"When they discovered Dumbledore was going to use love potions on me and Harry, Hermione thought it was only fair I understood why. Last night was very dangerous for them, it could have cost both Harry and Hermione their lives. I hardly slept a wink."
"How come they couldn't tell me?"
"They told hardly anyone, even the minister for magic didn't know the full story." Susan could see Ron building himself up for an argument so decided to cap the volcano before it could erupt. "Look Ron, out of all the people in Hogwarts, who did they go to a tremendous amount of trouble to make sure that person could be here this weekend?"
Ron was floundering so Susan pushed home her advantage. "Hermione has been wonderful to me and their support has meant there's been no backlash over the potions thing. Remember what happened to Hermione last time? We've grown quite close since then but they still wanted their best friend at their wedding."
Ron really couldn't argue with that and Professor Lupin's arrival stopped him pursuing it any further, he was too busy listening to the answers to Susan's questions.
"How is everyone after last night?"
"Knackered probably describes it best, it was a rough night for everyone."
"What happens next Professor?"
"Well, you, me and Ron will be returning to Hogwarts today..."
Ron couldn't help but butt in at this point. "What about Harry and Hermione, are they coming back with us?"
Remus just smiled at Ron's naivety. "Your friends got married yesterday Ron, a wedding is usually followed by a honeymoon."
"Okay, but after that?"
"I honestly don't know, and I doubt very much whether they know themselves yet. Everyone's focus was on last night, there wasn't much planning done for what happens now."
Again, Ron could understand that, didn't make him feel any better though. "Hogwarts just isn't the same without Harry and Hermione, I really miss them both."
Remus and Susan echoed those sentiments but they, like everyone else, would just have to wait and see what happened next.
-oOoOo-
If the chaos caused by today's Prophet was any indication, Hogwarts might never be the same again. It was hard to decipher what part of the story caused the biggest stir inside the castle, that the dark lord was no more or that Harry Potter was now married and soul bound to Hermione. Again the mixture of jubilation and indignation washed right over an uninterested Draco, he had his own problems to deal with. What did garner his undivided attention though was a somewhat majestic owl that arrived with a letter for him, or rather recognising that the seal on the letter was from the Gnomes of Zurich.
With shaking hands, Draco removed the letter and broke the seal. What he read there changed his life forever. Draco was shaken out of his now pleasant daydreams by Goyle shoving a similar letter he'd received from Gringotts in his face.
"Draco, this says I'm now going to be head of my family. Does that mean something's happened to my da?"
Draco cast his eyes up and down the Slytherin table to see who else had received letters from their family's bankers. In a matter of moments, he understood what was happening here. All the eldest sons of death eaters were staring at letters like the one he and Greg held. Draco had no idea of the how but Potter hadn't just finished off the dark lord.
At that precise moment, Draco would have knelt and kissed Potter's feet. Shit, he would even have kissed the mudblood's tootsies. Then his sense of worth reasserted itself, Malfoy's bowed to no one. That Potter's intervention meant that Draco and his mother were no longer destitute would certainly buy the Gryffindors some slack, but not too far. He was still a Malfoy and a Slytherin, though one that vowed to be as unlike his bastard of a father as it was possible to be. Draco also wanted to restore some honour to his family name, that same honour would demand he acknowledge the debt the Malfoys now owed the Potters. Considering the future that had been facing both him and his mother before the Potters' actions, Draco thought he could live with that.
He wouldn't be able to touch the money until he was seventeen, unless he allowed his present guardian to act on his behalf. That would be no problem as far as Draco was concerned, shit - he might even have his mother get the Potters a wedding present! He needed to write to his mother at once, and tell her all their problems were solved. First though he needed to answer the worried boy sitting beside him.
"Yeah Greg, I think it's safe to say something has happened to both our fathers."
Draco then shot out of the great hall, he'd a letter to write before heading to the owlery.
-oOoOo-
Draco would have been delighted to see exactly what had happened to his father.
Lucius woke in a lot of pain, and in strange surroundings. He was lying in a bed but there all his knowledge ran out, he currently had tubes sticking out his body that were attached to things that produced a bleeping noise.
This drew a young woman dressed in white who changed a bag of fluid. Noticing the patient was now awake, the nurse attempted to speak with him. Obviously realising that Lucius wasn't local, she tried German and French before getting a response to English.
"Ah, British. We will contact your consulate at once. The people that mugged you took everything, including all your identification. Can you tell us your name?"
It all came back to Lucius in a rush. Feeling unwell, so leaving the establishment early to head back to his hotel room in the magical section of the city. Stepping into the alleyway only to discover that for some reason he couldn't apparate came as a bit of a shock. His second major discovery of the evening was that the alley hadn't been as deserted as he first thought, that paled into insignificance though when measured against his third discovery of the night. When the four people approached him, their intent glaringly obvious, Lucius' sneer was going full blast as he drew his wand. The sneer turned to shock and then terror as no magic left his wand. These actions were the cause of much laughter amongst his attackers before they swatted the stick away, then expertly began to beat him senseless.
His current circumstances hit Lucius like a bludger. He had no magic, which on its own was his worst nightmare. That this also meant he couldn't access his hotel room and all his money in the bank would now be gone certainly didn't improve the situation. He'd just lost his magic, as well as every single thing he owned, so the now muggle death eater did the only thing left available to him. Lucius Malfoy began screaming hysterically until a stinging pain in his hip saw him gradually lose consciousness.
The nurse and doctor were holding a conversation about the certain types of tourists who frequented the area where this one had been found, and also how certain sections of the locals now made a living by preying off them. They fully expected this John Doe's passport, credit cards and other belongings to have already made their way through the black market system.
They had no idea that four muggers were currently celebrating their extreme good fortune after discovering that their blond victim had no papers or cards, but something much more profitable. Gold was a universal currency, accepted the world over and practically untraceable, especially in the criminal underworld.
-oOoOo-
Amelia had issued an emergency summons to her entire department, wanting to see if anyone was missing before issuing instructions regarding their duties for Monday morning. Not every auror would be there though, Tonks would continue with her assignment to protect the Potters. If that duty saw the young auror spending her time on a tropical beach, Amelia had to concede she had earned it. Amelia was considering all three members of the trio for top honours, with only the actual designation of the award up for discussion.
Amelia also had a massive personal decision to make. Should she leave her current post to take charge of the ministry? Two factors were currently preying on her mind. Her niece deserved to grow up in a magical society where Susan and others like her don't have to worry about the threat of imperius curses or love potions. The other factor was even simpler, Amelia couldn't think of anyone else who could do a better job than she could.
There would be a wave of popular support for the Potters right across their society, and Hermione had practically guaranteed Amelia's election with the wedding picture she chose for the Prophet. Every reader could clearly see Amelia smiling as she told Harry he could now kiss his new bride, Fudge would have sold his grandmother for positive publicity like that.
Having been involved in the final solution to Voldemort and his death eaters, Amelia was one of the few who understood that their society stood at a crossroads. The direction the ministry took in the coming months would determine their society's future for generations to come. When faced with that reality, Amelia really only had one choice she could make. She would put her name forward as a candidate to be the next minister, just as soon as she explained to Fudge why it was in his best interests to resign from that position.
-oOoOo-
After the revelations in the Prophet, Remus and Susan returning to Hogwarts was a logical conclusion. Ron's reappearance raised more than a few eyebrows, especially amongst his three siblings.
"Well, well, well, there's a sight to make my eyes sore."
"Don't you mean a sight for sore eyes Fred?"
"I think I got it right the first time George. This mongrel not only has the audacity to beat our detention record, he then goes and gets himself thrown out of Hogwarts as well."
Ginny pushed through the twins to get a good gander at Ron. "He looks okay though, I thought mum would at least have scalped him. Did she have you degnoming the garden all weekend?"
"What are you lot talking about? I haven't been near the Burrow."
This certainly grabbed all three Weasley's attentions. Ginny was still closest so asked the obvious question. "Where were you then?"
"Oh, Harry and Hermione arranged everything, I spent the weekend with them. Who else do you think would be best man at their wedding?"
The total shock at this ludicrous statement stopped anyone answering Ron's question, before rapidly leading to him being mobbed as everyone demanded details on the wedding of this and any other decade. Ron found himself centre stage, with the entire school hanging on his every word. Once more life was good for Ron Weasley, and once more it was due to the Potters. Ron supposed he would need to get used to calling them that though it would take a bit of remembering.
Ron drew so much attention that Susan approaching Cedric, Fleur and Viktor went unnoticed, and that was just the way the little Hufflepuff liked it.
-oOoOo-
The six of them were sitting around the bluebell fire Hermione had conjured on the beach, comfortable in each other's company as the sun slowly sank into the ocean. Sirius had a guitar on his knee but the few chords he could strum could hardly be considered music, the rhythmic and relaxing sound of the surf greeting the beach was providing the main soundtrack as they chatted the evening away. Harry and Hermione were the first to break from the circle as they claimed it was time to turn in, the four remaining adults all pretending not to notice as the newlyweds strolled past their cottage and headed further down the beach. As the couple were swallowed up by the darkness, Sirius stopped strumming long enough to say what he was thinking.
"I'm beginning to wonder if I did the right thing by arranging for some of their friends to come out here for the weekend?"
Tonks quickly set him straight. "Oh I think you were right to have Susan ask them, the last thing we want is those two becoming isolated from their friends. It will also give us some idea of what's happening back home, and help them decide what they're going to do next."
Emma was leaning into her husband, feeling more relaxed than she had in months. Since meeting Harry off the train just before Christmas, it almost felt as if they were on a roller coaster ride. The difference being that this roller coaster didn't let you see what was coming next, and you had to build the track while still on the ride. Even with everything they had lost, Emma still wouldn't change a thing. Harry had hit the nail right on the head that morning they discovered what a pensieve could do. Life wasn't about the memories and mementoes they'd lost, it was about all those memories they still had to create. Glancing around her, Emma couldn't help but smile with the thought that Harry was certainly helping them create some wonderful new ones.
"I wouldn't be against them going back to Hogwarts now that the teaching personnel have changed, though Harry would have returned to the Dursleys over my dead body."
She could feel Dan shaking against her and turned her head to see the wide grin on his face, and mischief in his eyes. "Daniel Granger, I recognise that look. What have you been up to?" This proved too much for Dan, he couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing.
"Okay, I know when I'm busted. I've been dying to tell you all anyway. It suddenly dawned on me that, after promising to be in touch, we never answered the Dursleys on how the Harry / Hermione situation resolved itself. I sent them a couple of prints from their wedding and told them not to expect Harry at the summer. I might also have let slip that we would all be spending time on Lord Black's private tropical island. We need to take some pictures of them along with their friends when they arrive here, we did promise after all!"
Sirius stared at Dan in awe as the laughter built from his toes up, this appeared to be the reaction of Tonks too as both of them were soon helpless with laughter. Emma kissed her husband to show her approval before voicing a challenge.
"We're four smart people here, there must be a way for us to see their reaction when they open the next envelope? I would have given anything to see their reaction to the first."
That got them focused as Emma thought there were worse ways to spend an evening than brainstorming with your family on a tropical beach.
-oOoOo-
Harry led his wife along the deserted beach until they reached the little cove with the surprise that the elves had helped him arrange. A small decking area had been built on the sand, surrounded by poles from which hung coloured lanterns. Sitting on a table in one of the corners was a portable CD player, along with a selection of discs.
"I made a promise that night in the ministry that I would help turn your fantasies into reality, I hope this is just the first of many." As the music started, Hermione melted into his arms.
She was carried along by the music and the romance of the entire situation. As her husband slowly led her around the improvised dance floor, Hermione caught sight of the four poster bed Harry must have arranged to be here.
For the first time in her life, Hermione Potter thought a book was wrong. The information on soul bonds had said a couple would have to stay close for around forty eight hours. That time had come and long gone, leaving Hermione feeling no different. She wanted her Harry in her arms for the rest of their lives. Through their soul bond, she could tell that Harry was banking on her to be there too. That was a future they all could live with.
The End