Chapter 16
Hermione's mind was made up, she was going to torture Ronald bloody Weasley to within an inch of his life. She thought it would be fitting punishment for the torture she was currently having to endure. Her day had started off so very well too.
As far as Hermione was concerned, any day she woke with a near naked Harry Potter in her bed was a day that was off to a brilliant beginning. She intended to have a quiet word with Dobby and Winky to ensure Harry never owned a pair of Pyjamas again. She so preferred him in her bed without them.
This brought up another problem that she would have to discuss with Harry later, Hermione never wanted to wake up without her man beside her again. She also had no intention of sneaking about behind her parents' backs and felt it was time to solve the problem once and for all.
Her new timetable had been a pleasant surprise. Double defence with Remus started the new school year off fine. This was followed by double transfiguration and then an afternoon of Arithmancy. Harry had gotten bored by then and Hermione found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on magical mathematical formula with his invisible hands gently rubbing the small of her back. He would be rewarded for that later.
She wasn't timetabled for potions tomorrow either and, with Harry sending his note off to Amelia Bones this morning, Hermione was hoping Snape would be gone before her scheduled lesson on Wednesday. Puck had flown with Hedwig last night until the snowy owl was safely away from Hogwarts and well on her road to Glasgow before returning to 'stand guard' over Hermione. A school owl took Harry's request to the head of the DMLE this morning.
Yes, today was going so well until she discovered Ronald had swapped his scheduled prefect rounds tonight, leaving Hermione to endure patrolling the castle with an amorous Anthony Goldstein.
Hermione knew she was going to have to slap this plonker down hard, and soon too before Harry broke his cover and decked him. Anthony was top of his year in Ravenclaw, which usually meant top of your year in Hogwarts. Unfortunately for Anthony, that position belonged to a certain Hermione Jane Granger. Without using the intelligence for which his house was famed, Anthony had arrived at a solution that was fatally flawed.
His simple solution might even prove fatal if he persisted with it, Hermione should date him and they would be the top couple in Hogwarts. She was currently having to listen to this useless wanker mouth off about how he was obviously the best choice of partner for her, totally ignoring her engagement ring and the Potter crest on her robes. When she forcibly pointed this out to him for at least the twelfth time, Anthony gave that smug little smile that left her wanting to pull all his teeth out without offering the aid of anaesthetic.
"It's ok Hermione, when Padma told me it was you who requested our prefect rounds be changed, I was able to read between the lines. I can also totally understand why you wouldn't want to walk around the castle with that uncouth Weasley. What Brown sees in him I'll never know…"
It was then the penny dropped for Hermione. Lavender wanted time alone with Ron, Parvati speaks with Padma and lover boy here thought he was on to a good thing. Ron Weasley better enjoy himself tonight. After she was finished testing those curses she found in the library back in third year, for witches who wanted to avoid amorous advances, he wouldn't be much good to Lavender for at least a month.
Anthony couldn't miss that this girl wasn't paying him the attention he felt he deserved. "I'm sorry Hermione but for this to work, you need to be a little more cooperative. Relationships are all about give and take."
Hermione had about all she could take from this arse and was just about to give him something he surely wasn't expecting when her day suddenly got really bad.
Two body bind charms shot out from the shadows ahead and hit them both. Anthony went down backwards like a felled tree while Hermione's golden Puck did its job and the curse merely bounced off her. This froze their two attackers into inaction for a split second and that was all the time Hermione needed, her wand was in her hand and a blasting curse was glowing from its tip. Just before the curse was released, Hermione felt as if a gorilla had grabbed her forearm, her blasting curse saw chunks of masonry fly off the ceiling.
She didn't have time to worry about that though as the gorilla's other arm snaked around her neck and squeezed, the hold was so tight Hermione's feet left the ground as two people emerged from the shadows to stand in front of her.
Theodore Nott was really angry while Pansy Parkinson appeared to be terrified, Granger's blasting curse had missed her by a matter of inches on its way to creating a crater in the ceiling. Had Millicent been one second slower in grabbing the bitch, Pansy could see she would have been severely injured. Granger wasn't playing around. She was beginning to doubt this plan, Potter's rage would be something to behold and, like Granger, he appeared to be finished playing and now working to his own rules.
Theo though was not for wavering now that he had his prize. "Granger you stupid bitch, I wanted to take my time and enjoy this. That blasting curse means I'll have to hurry."
Theodore had the supreme confidence of one who always gets what he wants and never suffers any consequences for his actions. He spoke to the clearly frightened Anthony who was lying on his back, unable to move anything other than his eyes. "Goldstein, I'll show you how you treat a mudblood. I might even give you a shot at her when I'm done. A couple of memory charms and you can even take the blame for it. All that really matters is that Potter's bitch will be ruined and everyone will know about it. You and your friends hurt all of our family's this summer, now it's payback time."
Theodore reached out to grab the front of Hermione's robes, intending to rip them open, when there was a flash of steel.
Hermione's vision was blurring at the edges and in danger of going totally black from the choke hold the gorilla had on her when something warm and wet splashed over her face. She thought there was screaming but it was hard to concentrate on anything else but getting out of this death grip. The arm on her throat slackened slightly and that was enough for Hermione. With a last supreme effort she put every ounce of strength she currently possessed into pushing that colossal choking arm away. She didn't meet the resistance she expected and Hermione found herself slipping onto the floor, a floor that was now wet and slippery.
Anthony watched in helpless horror as his fellow prefect was about to be raped in front of him. That was until a sword flashed from nowhere and Nott's arm below the elbow was now lying on the floor, unattached to its former owner. Blood was spraying everywhere as Nott screamed and thrashed about, Parkinson was then hit in the head by a curse that threw her into the air like a rag doll in a storm. She smashed off the corridor wall before hitting the floor in a heap.
Bulstrode must have loosened her grip in the ensuing panic because Granger escaped and she too dropped to the now bloody floor. That sword wasn't finished its gruesome work for the night though, it flashed once more and the arm that was choking the life out of Granger joined Nott's lying unattached on the corridor floor.
The screaming had now reached horrendous proportions as Harry Potter appeared in the corridor, the look on his face would have been enough to silence anyone but the two spells he cast at Bulstrode and Nott completed the task admirably. He was suddenly down on his knees beside the girl who wore his ring.
"Hermione love, are you ok?"
A gargled "What kept you?" was all she could manage.
Harry's glowing hand was gently massaging her injured neck and throat as he explained what had happened. "I had to take care of Snape first. He'd set the whole thing up and was back there to provide cover for his Slytherins. If I'd known what he intended to happen here, I would have killed the bastard where he hid."
He helped a shaky and bloody Hermione to her feet. "Time to go love."
Hermione nodded her agreement before Harry turned his attention briefly to Anthony. "Tell Dumbledore I'll be paying close attention to discover just whose idea this attack was. If it was his, tell the old bastard I'll be coming back for him."
Anthony never doubted for one second that Potter meant every word of that, he watched as he led his girl away and his heart nearly stopped when Potter paused and glared directly at him.
"Oh and Goldstein, do you need a reminder that this young lady wears my ring?"
Anthony stared at this figure who stood there with one arm around his girl while the other held a lethal sword that was still dripping blood. He discovered he only thought he was scared before, his new level of fear had given him the power to fight the body bind as he desperately assured Potter he got the message. He also managed to piss himself at the glares coming in his direction from this couple, Anthony was never as glad to see two people leave in all his life.
After all the screaming and spellfire, it could only be moments before this corridor was full of people, Anthony couldn't wait.
Harry was leading Hermione upward and she understood his reasoning, the doors leaving the castle would be the first place they would search for them. Harry burst out onto the top of the astronomy tower and Hermione ran right into the back of him, she couldn't yet see what had caused him to stop so suddenly but she could feel the rage pouring off him.
"You useless, selfish bastard!"
The spell left Harry before Hermione could see what it was, far less what he was aiming at. When she did finally see, Hermione was wishing she hadn't.
Ron was standing there, trousers at his ankles while Lavender's bare legs were wrapped around him. Both had turned their heads to see who had come crashing through the door and Harry had frozen them in situ. Hermione could quite happily spend her entire life without ever laying eyes on the pale spotty bare arse of Ronald Weasley.
Harry though was as angry as Hermione had ever seen him.
"I asked you to watch her back, first prefect patrol and you fuck it up. They were waiting in a corridor to rape her, that prick Goldstein would probably have enjoyed watching."
That Harry still had the sword and his magical aura was actually flaring with his anger was a pretty terrifying sight, it certainly scared the coupling couple.
Harry placed his sword in its scabbard as his voice became so cold, it could have frozen hell itself.
"You've let me down for the last time Ron, you deserve everything that's coming to you. C'mon love, it's time to put an end to this nonsense once and for all.
A helpless Ron and Lavender watched in horror as a blood-splattered Harry and Hermione stood on the parapet of the tower, the look of determination on Hermione's face was intense. Ron was screaming inside as they both dove off the tallest tower in Hogwarts as the waiting night swallowed them whole. He was still silently screaming when McGonagall found them spell-locked in that compromising position ten minutes later.
Harry's intention was for both owls to fly outside the Hogwarts wards and use Hermione's portkey to take them back to their home in Glasgow. Puck began to lose altitude but a screech from Naida told him his love had other ideas, he was certainly not going to refuse any chance to fly with her.
Hermione had been more than interested on how Harry came up with her name, she giggled as his eyes practically glazed over as a memory hit.
"Seeing you in that white bikini, leaving the swimming pool at your parents' villa in France was a life changing moment for me. I felt like such a pervert watching you through the telescope and couldn't wait to hold you, that awe inspiring sight forced me to take action."
His eyes refocused on her as he continued. "You move through the water with such ease, Naida is a beautiful water sprite and I thought described you perfectly. That you now fly through the air with the same skill you move through the water makes your name even more apt."
Considering the other bird of prey in Harry's life was named after a famous witch he'd read about in a history of magic book, Hermione loved her owl name.
Both owls soared over the forbidden forest, flying until they reached a large body of water. This was now the longest flight Naida had undertaken and the adrenalin rush from earlier was long gone. It was a beautiful night though and Hermione now recognised where they were, her tiredness evaporated as a plan formed. She led Puck up the large loch toward the lights they could both see twinkling in the distance. Hermione's plans now included how she wanted this night to end, their house in Glasgow probably wouldn't allow those plans to reach fruition.
This was how the young couple found themselves checking in to an Inverness hotel, after Harry had cast a few cleaning charms and transfigured their clothes of course.
-oOoOo-
Albus found himself once more heading toward the infirmary, this time though it was the most serious situation he'd faced yet. He had two students missing limbs while all three Slytherin attackers now wore Harry's mark on their forehead, as did Severus. He'd tried his best to warn his potions professor but Albus was now overwhelmed by the proof Severus hadn't heeded that warning. He could see no way out of this for Severus unless...
Albus had composed his features by the time he reached his potions professor's bedside. "Severus, I can't say how disappointed I am in you. What you attempted with Miss Granger was despicable and cowardly. There is no way I can protect you after these actions."
Severus sat stoically in bed as he answered. "I understand headmaster, I assume the aurors are on their way?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he gave an answer Severus was not expecting. "Not yet, I wanted to have a chat with you first. I may have a way to solve all our problems."
Albus now had the man with the bleeding forehead's complete and undivided attention. For once the headmaster didn't procrastinate but got straight to the point, time was of the essence here.
"Mr Potter has just unknowingly given you a golden ticket that will allow you to get close to Voldemort. When it becomes public knowledge you also bear Potter's mark, he's sure to summon you. That you will surly be being hunted by the DMLE by that point will also lend credence to your case too."
Snape was looking at Albus as if the old man had finally lost his remaining few marble. Why the hell would anyone willingly go near that psycho? He'd nearly killed him the last time he'd been summoned and he had no intention of ever going back. Azkaban may not be pleasant but dead was forever. His days of being a spy were over.
Albus could see the doubts Severus was expressing as the twinkling in his eyes increased in intensity. "Voldemort is now mortal and there are great rewards for the person who brings him down. The hardest part will be getting close enough and you have just been handed a great advantage there."
It suddenly hit Severus what Albus was implying. Getting marked by Potter would get him closer to the dark lord. Killing him would see all his crimes swept away with a ministerial pardon. That there was also half a million galleons to be had from the Potter brat certainly sweetened the deal to his taste. He would be a free man and, with that sum of gold behind him, able to do whatever he wanted. Compared to rotting his arse off in Azkaban, it was a very tempting option.
"Ok Albus, how do we play this?"
The twinkling eyes had settled down to a gaze that would cut through steel. "I'm sorry Severus. As I said earlier, I can't help you in any way. As headmaster, my first duty is to the safety of the students under my care. As soon as I've ascertained their condition, I will be heading to my office to floo the DMLE. Now, if you'll excuse me."
Snape nodded, understanding at once. Albus couldn't help him anymore than by offering a slight delay in calling the aurors. The instant the headmaster went behind the privacy curtains around Bulstrode, Severus was out the bed and heading out the infirmary. He needed to get away from the castle and lay low, taking time to consider his options concerning the dark lord. He was certain Albus was right and he would be summoned, he needed to plan for how to deal with that.
A part of Albus was well aware he'd just sent Severus on what would be considered by many as a suicide mission, he justified it to himself by asking what other choice did he have? The dark lord had to be vanquished and Severus was of no use to him sequestered in Azkaban, this way Albus had a chance to accomplish both goals. Both he and Severus were well aware that, when the DMLE got a hold of Severus, only a ministry pardon would keep the potions master out of Azkaban.
Albus tried to concentrate on his other problems, Harry Potter being inside Hogwarts without him knowing was top of the list. Mr Goldstein's information that Harry would be watching closely to see who ordered the attack was also a worrying development. That Harry could even consider that Albus Dumbledore would resort to something like that showed how far their relationship had fractured. Harry's real question though would be whether Voldemort ordered it or Severus acted on his own hatred. Albus was really left with no option but to separate himself from Severus.
The headmaster also had severely injured students to deal with, Harry had been brutal in his treatment of Miss Granger's attackers. Poppy had informed him that neither limb would be able to be reattached to its owner, the magic in the blade preventing this procedure. All three attackers would face serious charges while Mr Potter had acted within the law while protecting his fiancée's virtue.
Miss Granger had very publicly worn the Potter engagement ring and the family crest on her school robes. As her attackers were all purebloods, they therefore couldn't claim they were unaware she was under the protection of house Potter. That the entire incident was witnessed by another pureblood, Mr Goldstein, sealed their fate and would quickly close the matter for the DMLE.
Miss Granger leaving Hogwarts before she reached seventeen would almost certainly be overlooked. Her birthday was in two weeks and she could easily claim that time was spent recovering from her attack inside the castle.
Albus was also struggling to understand the two Gryffindors' claims that the escaping couple had jumped off the astronomy tower. The area had been carefully checked and no sign of them had been found. Albus was left to conclude that the charm that locked them into that compromising position must have had an element of the confoundus about it too. If Harry could walk around the castle right under his nose, fooling two students as to his method of escape wouldn't exactly be a difficult task for the young wizard.
Minerva had investigated the matter fully and discovered the only motive behind Mr Weasley's switch of prefect duties was the request from his girlfriend to spend some alone time with him. While this may have cleared Ronald from any conspiracy in the attack, it didn't stop Mr Longbottom setting about the Weasley boy the instant he discovered the details of what happened with Miss Granger.
Yes, this was a very serious incident that would have major repercussions inside and outside Hogwarts. Noticing Severus' bed was now empty, Albus started toward his office. It was time to call the DMLE, he couldn't cover this up even if he wanted to.
-oOoOo-
Harry entered the bedroom after his shower to find Hermione on the phone to her parents. Despite repeated assurances she was ok, Harry could clearly hear Dan's voice shouting even though it was Emma on the other end of the phone.
"Give me the phone love, you go and get your shower."
Hermione gladly passed the poisoned chalice onto Harry and headed off into the bathroom.
Dan had also taken the phone off his wife and didn't even give Harry time to say hello before boring into him. "Harry, you told me my daughter would be safe. We trusted you and now we hear she was almost raped! What the fuck happened?"
Harry understood Dan's anger perfectly, he shared it totally. He'd managed to release some of his though with the help of a certain blade. "Dan, the bastard that tried to lay a hand on our girl found his arm lying unattached on the corridor floor. The bitch who had Hermione in a choke hold suffered the same fate. If they had as much as torn her robes, I would have killed them where they stood."
There was a moment's silence at the other end of the phone before Dan spoke again. "Outstanding answer Harry, outstanding."
With Dan now a little calmer, Harry took the chance to explain the situation. "Her necklace worked perfectly and only Bulstrode being such a crap witch that she had to physically grab Hermione prevented our girl from wiping the floor with them. I was just along the corridor dealing with the bastard who planned the whole thing and shot straight back to lend Hermione a hand."
"Harry, I was going to make a joke about disarming them but my heart really isn't in it tonight. We've been worried sick since we left you last night. Just tell us you're both finished with that place?"
"Yes Dan, we're both done with Hogwarts."
"That's all I wanted to hear, I'll hand you over to Emma now."
Emma's concern was still there though. "Harry, if Hermione's fine, why are you in Inverness and not here?"
"She really is fine Emma, Hermione just wants a little time to put this behind her. She phoned in case you heard the news from another source, we didn't want you to worry."
"Do you think Voldemort ordered or arranged this Harry?"
He answered as honestly as he could. "That's a possibility, I'd like to rule out Dumbledore but the man has a history of manipulating me to do what he wants. He wants Voldemort dead and blaming him for any attack on Hermione would see me go after him with everything I had."
Harry could see any of those scenarios as possibilities, but thought that's all they were. "My best guess would be Snape acting on his own and out for revenge. We'll soon know one way or the other. If Dumbledore doesn't cover this up, it will be all over the Prophet."
Emma could see Harry's point, she'd taken an instant dislike to the sour faced man the only time she'd seen him. "Ok Harry, say goodnight to Hermione for me. Stay safe and phone us in the morning."
Harry promised they would and said goodnight before hanging up the phone, only to find Hermione standing there wearing nothing but a towel.
"Harry love, it's time. I want it to be tonight."
"Are you sure Hermione, after what nearly happened earlier..."
"No Harry, that's not the reason. I never wish to wake up alone again. I want to be yours for the rest of our lives, I think our new lives should start tonight." Hermione's towel dropped onto the hotel room floor, taking with it any objection Harry might have made about taking advantage of her situation. He stood and wrapped Hermione in his arms as his own towel soon joined its mate on the floor.
Harry's voice was barely above a whisper but the emotion contained was colossal. "How does getting married on your seventeenth birthday sound?"
Hermione kissed him with all the passion she could muster before answering. "Like too long a wait!"
-oOoOo-
Minerva McGonagall had a problem, she'd effectively just lost both Gryffindor sixth year prefects. The head of Gryffindor hadn't wanted to award the badge to Mr Weasley in the first place but Albus had blocked her preferred choice. Mr Weasley being caught like that with Miss Brown had just proved her point and cost the male prefect his badge. Mr Potter's immobilisation charm was so powerful she almost had to call on Filius to help her overcome it, all the while having to see two of her students joined like that while trying to concentrate. She had begun to wonder if a bucket of ice cold water might have been a better idea for separating the couple.
A quick search had soon discovered all Miss Granger's things had been removed from her dorm, those two elves of her fiancée's were something else. This confirmed to Minerva that Miss Granger wouldn't set foot back inside Hogwarts again, she could hardly blame the girl.
Her problems were compounded when she offered Mr Weasley's natural replacement the prefect's badge. When Mr Longbottom heard where Mr Weasley was when Miss Granger got attacked, the young man had emitted quite a few profanities while attempting to pummel a certain redhead through the nearest wall. He was now joining the other two on detention and Minerva had an additional letter home to write.
With Miss Brown's behaviour obviously ruling her out of contention, her only other choice of female prefect then outright refused to have anything to do with the position. It was hard to refute Miss Patil's claims that she had no wish to be raped in a corridor. Mr Thomas and Mr Finnegan also ruled themselves out of the vacant male prefect's position, Minerva also couldn't refute either of their claims that they were barely passing classes at the moment without the added burden that being a prefect brought with it.
In all her years at Hogwarts, this was a situation that no head of house had ever faced before. She had no idea this was only the tip of the iceberg that was about to strike Hogwarts.
-oOoOo-
Harry was holding a sleeping Hermione in his arms and silently promising to have a word with Dobby and Winky to banish all Hermione's sleepwear, he much preferred his fiancée just as nature had intended her. His eyes were drinking in her beauty when he saw her smile.
"See something you like Harry?"
"I like everything I see love, are you ok?"
She kissed his cheek. "Harry, stop worrying because I feel wonderful. I wish we'd taken the time to actually think about contraception but I will never regret what we did."
Harry's blush wasn't the response Hermione expected, she expected to see him worried.
"Hermione, I cast the contraceptive charms, on you and me." Her pause and surprised expression caused Harry to ramble. "My dad taught me the charms, then Sirius pulled me aside and taught me them too. As if that wasn't embarrassing enough, my mother then explained some things to me and taught me them again. I could probably cast them in my sleep..."
Harry's ramblings were stopped by virtue of Hermione covering his mouth with hers. When the kissing was finished, she had a question for him. "Love, how long are these charms of yours effective for?"
"At least forty eight hours, why?"
"Oh good, just checking we didn't need to cast them again."
There was no more talking for a while.
-oOoOo-
Emma answered the phone to a clearly excited Hermione. "Mum, get the elves to pack a bag for you and dad. We'll meet you in Edinburgh. There are trains running between the two cities all the time and Harry has made reservations at the Balmoral Hotel, it's right next to Waverly station."
"Hermione, what's going on? Why Edinburgh?"
"Mum, everything's way better than fine. It's not something I want to discuss over the phone so we'll explain it all when we meet you there. Harry and I have left Hogwarts so will be doing things as normal as possible from now on. We'll be taking the train down from Inverness so it will be this afternoon before we get there, there's no need for you and dad to rush."
The joy coming through the phone line told Emma her daughter was indeed fine so she decided to cut her some slack. After facing every woman's worst nightmare last night, Emma was prepared to cut her all the slack she needed. She could also understand travelling from Inverness by train. Emma had no idea what the situation would be with Harry protecting Hermione in the manner that he did, it was a safe bet though that there would be no magical people looking for them on the Inverness to Edinburgh train.
It was the proposed meeting in Edinburgh that intrigued both Grangers, they were certainly up to something but what?
-oOoOo-
From the moment Emma climbed up the steps leading out of Edinburgh's Waverly station, she fell in love with the majestic building that was the Balmoral Hotel. The sheer old world elegance of the place flowed over her senses like the finest chardonnay. From their greeting by the doorman in traditional highland dress to being led to the suite Harry had reserved for them, everything was an experience and Emma felt a little like Alice in Wonderland.
Looking out the window certainly lent credence to being involved in a fairytale. The magnificent castle, set proudly on top of the extinct volcano, would certainly grace any real-life princess. With parts of the castle over nine hundred years old, it was not difficult to imagine the historic upheavals those famous walls had seen.
Emma had wanted to visit the Balmoral Hotel since reading that her favourite author wrote the ending of her last book here, she wondered if the view had inspired her creative juices as she wrote about a battle for life and death in a famous fictional Scottish castle.
Dan was also a little overawed, but for a totally different reason to his wife. It was one thing for multi millionaire authors to stay here but they were merely the Grangers, two dentists from Crawley. "You know Emma, it's times like this I'm reminded of just how wealthy Harry actually is. This must be costing him a fortune but I'll bet he never even asked the price. He has all that money yet he doesn't let it define who he is."
This earned Dan a kiss from his wife. "Finally getting it are you? Harry Potter is a special young man, and not just because he loves our daughter. Both would be happy just being a couple of students, as long as they were together. I honestly think they are a couple who are going to have a massive effect on the world around them and it's got me asking myself, what are we going to do with our lives?"
Dan was a little confused by the turn this conversation had taken so Emma took his arm and they sat on the sofa facing the open fireplace, the dancing flames having a soothing effect on both of them. Emma was well aware what she was proposing would change their lives out of all recognition but felt it was time.
"Dan, my life changed in so many ways the day our practice was destroyed. I already felt we'd been given another chance to have our Daughter back in our lives, now I'm determined to be a big part of theirs."
She took a moment to steady herself before the next bit. "Dan, I can't go back to being a dentist in Crawley, I don't even know if I can go back to being a dentist."
Dan could tell this was not some whim for Emma but something she had been working up to, he could only let her get it off her chest and see where it led. He had a pretty good idea what his wife was talking about, for the moment he would wait and see if he was right.
Emma tried to explain her feelings to the man she loved. "Watching Harry in that hospital ward was life changing for me as well as the people he healed. How could anyone not be affected by witnessing something like that? I understand no one but Harry can do that, well perhaps Hermione when he trains her, but I so want to be part of the team that helps. I've done the supportive mother bit – oh really dear, a basilisk can petrify you say – and I'm utter shit at it. Those two deal with things so far beyond our understanding it terrifies me sometimes. I don't want to be a passenger either, I want to earn my place on the team."
Emma looked into her husband's eyes and saw nothing but understanding there, giving her the courage needed to say the next bit. "I want to go back to university and study whatever form of medicine will allow me to help them the most. Our current degrees would get us into forth year on most medical courses. Do you think I'm crazy, taking this on at our age?"
It was now Dan's turn to offer reassurance by kissing his wife. He answered her as honestly as he could. "Like you, I was certainly affected that night. I would also have to agree with you about going back to Crawley and rebuilding our practice, it's not something I think I could face. I think we're both different people now."
Emma was smiling but couldn't help thinking there was an enormous BUT coming along soon.
"I also want to be part of a family that has four of us in it, we've just got Hermione back and I will not lose her again. I would be very surprised if Harry doesn't have some long-term career plans he's yet to share with us. Can I suggest we wait and see if I'm right before committing ourselves to something. We already have a wide range of skills between us that should allow us both to fill major roles in our expanding family."
Emma snuggled in to the man she loved, content in the knowledge that they would face things now as a family and her days as a dentist in Crawley were over. They sat there in comfortable silence, awaiting the arrival of their daughter and the young man who was destined to be their son-in-law.
Hermione had said they would be here before dinnertime, the loose plan at the moment was to have a chat and then go down to dinner. For the moment, that was enough to be going on with.
There were soon hugs all around as Harry and Hermione entered the Granger's suite. After both parents repeatedly had confirmation that their daughter was indeed fine, Emma couldn't contain her curiosity about the positive energy cascading off Hermione any longer.
"Ok Hermione, I want to know why all the mystery? There's a perfectly good house sitting empty in Glasgow yet we're staying in an Edinburgh hotel, and just why are you walking on air?"
Hermione was bursting to tell them but couldn't resist a bit of teasing. "Harry and I are getting married!"
Emma rolled her eyes. "Hermione, we were there when he asked you and held an engagement party, I think we already know that."
She couldn't contain her excitement any longer. "Harry and I are getting married this Saturday!"
This time Emma's eyes rolled for an entirely different reason, Dan was alert enough to grab his wife and sit her back down on the sofa. It took a few minutes, and a trip to the mini-bar before Emma's colour was back at anything approaching normal.
There was nothing wrong with her mind though, it kicked into gear after the shock. "Hermione Granger, how can you possibly get married this Saturday? There are so many practical things that need to be taken into consideration, not least of which is you need a dress."
Harry stood there thinking that if this was their only objections, then they were home and dry. "Emma, problems like that disappear when you throw money and magic at them. There are plenty of shops in Edinburgh, or didn't you notice?"
Dan though had an entirely different point of view, and wasn't slow to voice it. "I would like to know the reason behind this sudden rush, and it better not contain the word grandchild."
"Dad! Not for a few years yet. I want to be with Harry, He wants to be with me. We have no intention of sneaking around behind your backs, nor will we ask you to accept something I know neither of you would approve of. We all knew this was coming, it's just the date that's moved."
Emma's brain was stuck on the one fact. "But you're both only sixteen!"
Hermione though wasn't giving an inch. This was something she wanted with all her heart. "Yes mum, which is the legal age to get married in Scotland, the country where both Harry and I intend to live. We have an appointment at the old blacksmith's in Gretna Green this Saturday, we can only hope you'll be there."
The fierce determination Hermione was displaying was like an electric shock to her parents. They could see that their daughter couldn't be swayed from this course which forced a decision on them. Since they already accepted this relationship of their daughter's was going to progress to marriage, the decision wasn't too difficult for the parents to reach. Dan's answer though was almost a growl.
"No one but me will be giving my daughter away on her wedding day. We'll be there."
"Kilts!" All eyes now were on Emma to explain her sudden and somewhat strange declaration.
"Kilts. We're in Edinburgh, it's a Scottish wedding and I think our men would look so cute in them."
If that's what it took to win Emma's approval for Saturday, Harry was quite prepared to humour his very soon to be mother-in-law. Emma's wink at Hermione meant that both his and Dan's fates were already sealed.
With both Granger women now in full planning mode, they had dinner delivered to their suite as the complimentary hotel stationary took a pounding as list upon list was created. Neither parent brought up the subject of where Hermione would be spending the night, both already knew the answer and weren't too concerned. Hermione would be Mrs Potter in a few days.
-oOoOo-
Hogwarts on Wednesday morning was still reeling from the aftershocks of Monday evening's attacks on two prefects doing their rounds. Anthony Goldstein would describe the events in great detail to anyone who stood long enough to listen, the corridor ended up running in more Slytherin blood with every retelling.
The tension between the rest of the school and the house of the snakes had never been higher. The reasons why the headmaster and head of Slytherin were missing from the hall were now all over the front page of today's Prophet. Nott, Parkinson and Bulstrode were all very quick in blaming Snape for ordering the attack, it didn't stop the aurors arresting them.
Amelia Bones went crazy when she discovered there had been a considerable delay after the attack before her department was contacted, a delay that allowed Severus Snape to escape. She didn't buy Dumbledore's excuse of ensuring the welfare of his students for one second and he to found himself arrested. At the moment the charges were allowing Snape to escape, Amelia fully expected those charges to increase in number and seriousness as the investigation progressed.
Ron and Lavender's location and the activities they were involved in during the attack were revealed to everyone in a Molly Weasley howler that was probably heard in Hogsmead. They were perched at the end of the Gryffindor table, a good few spaces left free before the next student felt comfortable sitting near them.
Neville and Ginny were sitting with Luna at the Ravenclaw table having breakfast, not one Ravenclaw raised an objection. Padma had spread the story of what Neville had said would happen if anything happened to any of the girls, Anthony had given them all an eyewitness account of just how bad that could be. Ginny and Luna could probably have walked into the Slytherin common room and not one student would say anything.
Neville though wasn't taking any chances, after what happened with Hermione, neither girl was getting out of his sight until Snape was captured. Both girls had returned their prefect badges, as had quite a few others. With Nott and Parkinson also being the Slytherin prefects, all prefect duties had been suspended until further notice and there would now be aurors patrolling the corridors at night.
He escorted both girls to defence, only leaving when he spotted Remus already in the classroom. He promised to be back at the end of the lesson. Neville didn't care if this behaviour cost him house points or detentions, anyone trying anything with Ginny or Luna was going to have to go through him first. When a Hogwarts head of house gets his students to attack another, the question of security inside the castle was shown to be the farce Harry's friends were becoming to expect.
Luna and Ginny had enjoyed their lesson, right up until Professor Lupin asked them to stay behind after class.
"Both of you, and a certain Mr Longbottom, have earned a weekend of detentions with me and my wife. Report here on Friday after your last class. You'll have time to go to your dorms to change but don't worry about dinner, that will be taken care of. The dress code is casual muggle, or so a certain elf told me."
Luna caught on immediately, emitting a squeal of delight and hugging Remus.
The marauder couldn't contain his laugh at the girl's excitement. "Miss Lovegood, I'm pretty sure a student cuddling a Hogwarts professor is against the rules. Please save it for the young man who just entered."
Neville had heard Luna squeal and rushed into the classroom with his wand already drawn, he wasn't quick enough though. Luna was on him in a flash, wrapping her arms around him and still managing to jump for joy.
"We're going to see Hermione and Harry on Friday!"
Remus nodded his confirmation to the two Gryffindors whose excitement then matched Luna's. The marauder though had a word of caution for them. "This is a secret guys, tell no one outside this classroom. Dobby will get the parental permission slips signed and I'll cover the school side, we don't want this getting around."
The trio quickly agreed and left the room with wide smiles on their faces. Even after what happened, their friends were keeping in touch.
Chapter 17
Harry and Dan were using the outdoor seating of a rather nice café, having a much-needed cup of tea while watching all manner of life pass them by on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. Both could probably have done with something slightly stronger but, while it was legal for Harry to get married in Scotland at sixteen, he had another two years to wait before he could legally drink alcohol. The pair had just left the highland dress shop where the rather distinguished older gentleman who owned the establishment had initially been less than impressed with them.
Both Dan and Harry had thought there would be nothing more to their day than walking into a shop and asking for a few kilts, finding out how wrong they were had taken hours. Choosing what tartan they would wear was their first stumbling block.
The shop's owner had explained the situation to them in a tone of voice that told Harry and Dan he must have said this speech at least once every day for many, many years.
"There are no rules about wearing a specific clans' tartan but custom dictated that you wear your own, providing you have one."
Harry's eyes had zeroed in on a tartan that could practically have been designed with Gryffindors in mind. On seeing what clan it represented, Harry soon mentally vetoed that idea before he even mentioned it to Dan or the proprietor. The tartan was Clan MacMillan and, while nothing against Ernie, Harry didn't want anyone's thoughts to drift in that direction during their wedding.
"What happens if you don't have a clan tartan? I'm pretty sure the Potters don't have one."
"Well young sir, the Royal Stewart Tartan is considered to be the Monarch's tartan. As you both are her subjects, you are perfectly entitled to wear it."
On first sight of the beautiful red tartan, both quickly agreed. This was the colour and design that Harry and Dan associated with Scottish tartan. They foolishly thought that their job was now complete, they soon found out differently.
Style of sporran, belt, kilt pin, socks, flashes and gillie brogues had all to be chosen, and that was before they got to shirt, tie and jacket.
When Harry then dropped the bomshell that they wanted two full dress sets for each of them by Friday, they thought the old man was going to cry. Harry then pulled off a completely different kind of magic by offering to pay for any extra costs this incurred. Suddenly all their problems disappeared.
Harry provided the owner with a copy of the Potter family crest and was assured that there would be kiltpins and badges made to that design by Friday. There was such a turnaround in the old guys demeanour that he even offered to provide white heather buttonholes for all four outfits. They both thought that would be great and one less thing for them to deal with.
Dan and Remus were reasonably close in height and build, Harry and Neville weren't too dissimilar either. Winky would be able to perform any alterations needed to either outfit in minutes. The little elf would also be performing the same service for Luna, Ginny and Tonks.
Harry and Dan thought it was a stressful few hours but they could now relax, their shopping was over and it was definitely a case of mission accomplished. Both thought they had looked good in their outfits and couldn't wait to see their other half's expressions when they first laid eyes on them.
The Balmoral Hotel staff had also come through big time for the young couple, they were organising the entire reception. Hermione had loved the room they offered, it looked onto Edinburgh Castle. She quickly narrowed down a choice of menus, picked their wedding cake from a brochure and decided a string quartet would provide the music for their dancing. There was also a wide range of pre-wedding facilities and activities that she was more than happy to book.
A stretched limo would collect the entire wedding party from the front steps of the hotel and drive them all down to Gretna. Apparently the procedure was to drop most of them off at the old blacksmiths before driving around the village and returning to allow the proud father to lead his daughter to her wedding. The hotel also offered to secure the services of a first rate photographer who would record their special day for posterity. Harry and Hermione were very impressed with the service while Emma pointed out that they don't award hotels five stars for nothing.
Harry had also arranged with Dobby to bring the jewellery from the Potter and Black vaults so the ladies could have their choice. Hermione already had the diamond necklace and earrings to match the Potter engagement ring but Harry didn't want to leave anything to chance. There were plenty jewellery shops in Edinburgh if they couldn't find exactly what they were looking for from the vaults.
All things considered, Harry was feeling pretty pleased with himself. That was when Dan asked the question that had him cringing.
"Emma and I know you and Hermione's short term plans, but where do you see yourselves in say, ten years?"
As the person who was soon to become his father-in-law, Harry thought Dan had the right to expect an answer. It was time to speak his dreams out loud to someone other than Hermione. "That's a very big question that has to take into account lots of if's, but's and maybe's. Hermione and I have discussed this only in the loosest sense but I think I can give you some idea of where we hope to be."
Dan smiled as he considered the old adage, 'if you want to make god laugh, tell him your plans'. "That's fine Harry, I can assure you this last summer has turned out totally different than what I imagined it would be."
This had Harry returning his smile. "Funny that, so has mine. I have a wondrous gift Dan that compliments my saving people thing, I have the ability to heal others. You might have realised by now that I'm also pretty wealthy, this will allow me to help even more."
Dan could find no fault with either of those statements. He'd seen with his own eyes what this young man could do with his healing hands, there was also no disputing his wealth.
"I, sorry we intend to start a charity foundation that will see hospitals built in some of the poorest countries in the world. I'm not talking about the large city hospitals we have here in Britain, they will be more akin to what we would call clinics."
Dan could see the excitement and enthusiasm oozing out every pore of his future son-in-law, but this was also backed-up by a huge amount of steely determination.
"We have no intention of just signing cheques and then standing back to let someone else to do the work. Hermione and I intend to be there from the very start, seeing the hospital built and working there ourselves until we have good staff in place to run it for us. Then it will be time to move on to the next one. We intend to spend our lives travelling the world, helping as many people as we can."
When he'd told Emma that the kids would surely have some plans, Dan had never considered anything on this scale. Harry wasn't finished though.
"I understand what a great offer the government is making to us and we will become involved in some research projects. I have a real need to heal people though and that's where our main focus will be, can you understand that Dan?"
Any lingering doubts Dan had about this young man joining his family vanished like mist faced with the heat of the midday sun. Here was someone with the talent, wealth and conviction to potentially make the world a better place. Well, at least the small corner they happened to be in at the time. "Harry, that sounds wonderful and I can more than understand it. What I was wondering though was if you had room for a couple of aging dentists anywhere in this organisation you intend to build?"
Dan felt a pair of arms go around his neck as his daughter kissed him on the cheek. He wasn't sure how long she'd been there but Hermione had at least heard the last bit. "Dad, it was my job to convince you both to become involved. We're years away from that yet though, there's the not so small matter of becoming qualified as doctors first."
Emma sat in the empty seat beside Harry and her expression was all business. "I don't have any intention of being a passenger on this journey, I want to help as much as possible. I'm willing to retrain to whatever we need and I'll get you for that 'aging dentist' comment later Daniel Granger."
Hermione sat as well as Harry ordered more drinks. "Mum, as I just said we're years away from that yet. We don't know ourselves what will be involved but having a connection to the government can only help when it comes time to begin setting up our clinics."
Both parents were happy to know that Harry and Hermione wanted them involved with this grand project, they could work out the finer details as ideas gradually turned into plans. Dan decided to change the conversation in the hope his wife would forget his quip about their ages. "So, how did my two favourite girls get on with their shopping?"
The wide smiles told their own story.
-oOoO-
The dark lord now found himself in a terrible bind after that blasted Potter brat posted the history of Tom Riddle all over the press. Not to mention that massive reward placed on his head with a ministry pardon to go along with it. To top it all, his secret anchors were no longer secret, or even anchors. Voldemort didn't know where to turn next.
That he was currently stuck with only Wormtail to aid him perfectly illustrated his current dilemma. Any death eater worthy of the name would sooner or later make an attempt on his life, thus he was restricted to the useless, but too terrified to act, Wormtail.
That one of his most competent death eaters was currently on the run from the ministry, and also bore Potter's mark, should have been a welcome boon. The only problem with that situation was that it felt a bit too contrived to Voldemort, something was amiss here.
Only one factor had him even considering calling the potions master to his presence. The dark lord had rummaged around inside Snape's mind and plainly seen for himself just how much Severus despised the Potter boy. Bearing Potter's mark would be as painful and degrading to Snape as it was to himself.
The prudent thing to do would be a little investigating behind the scenes first, at least his remaining servant should be able to handle that. "Wormtail!"
-oOoOo-
Ron couldn't miss the changes in Ginny, Luna and Neville, all three were now going about the school with a spring in their step. Neville breezed through his detention, whistling happily as he scrubbed the toilet Filch had assigned him.
Unlike the howler Ron had received from his mother, Neville had gotten a letter from home saying his parents were proud of the way he'd stood up for his friends. The same letter also gave him carte blanche to do whatever it took to keep both girls safe, points lost or detentions gained be dammed. They were writing to McGonagall as well, making her aware of their opinion on the matter.
It would appear that most of Hogwarts agreed with that opinion as Ron found that he and Lavender were effectively on their own as no one else wanted to even speak to them. Ron couldn't find it within himself to disagree with this opinion.
Harry had predicted Hermione would be in danger and asked Ron to watch out for her. Lavender breathing in his ear that she had something special planned for them that night had some devastating effect on him. Any thoughts of Hermione Granger were banished from his mind in an instant while all available blood rushed south.
Ginny had accused him of making decisions with his wrong head and she was right, that wouldn't appear to be a problem for the near future though. Having McGonagall stand there and cast counter curse after counter curse at his bare arse just might have cured Ron of that affliction forever. He had no way of knowing if McGonagall had cast something sinister on him deliberately but, ever since that night, little Ron had resisted all efforts to be anything other than little.
Ron also found himself being unable to offer Lavender much comfort when their escapade cost her any chance of working on the new school magazine. He himself discovered no one in Gryffindor wanted him on the Quidditch team. Even owning a firebolt couldn't get him a trial. What use was a super fast broom when no one else wanted to be in the same team with you? He knew more than most that Quidditch was all about teamwork, there was no room for anyone who couldn't be counted on to do their job.
Ron also understood things were really bad for him in Gryffindor when Cormac McLaggen was more popular than he was.
-oOoOo-
Darla Parkinson sensed someone else was in the room with her but really didn't give a shit. If they had broken into her house to commit robbery they were going to be disappointed, Darla had nothing left for them to take. She took another sip from the tumbler of firewhiskey that she clutched in her hand before speaking.
"Are you going to stand there all night or are you actually here for a reason?"
Peter could see this woman had been drinking for quite some time. He moved where she would be able to see him as apparently she couldn't be bothered to turn around.
"Our master sent me to discover what happened to your daughter and Snape…"
This was apparently the wrong thing to say as the whisky glass shot from her hand and just missed his head, smashing on the wall behind the intruder.
"Don't dare mention that greasy bastard's name in my house. He's ruined my daughter's life over his petty feud with Potter, the coward didn't even have the balls to do it himself. He may wear Potter's mark but he better hope the aurors get their hands on him before I do."
Darla summoned a replacement glass and then poured herself another stiff drink. "That mark on Pansy's forehead ruins her just as effectively as if she'd shagged a centaur in the great hall during lunch. No wizard will ever want her now, she's marked for life."
The distraught woman took a good hit of the firewhiskey before continuing. "First it was her betrothed murdered by muggles, quickly followed by her father being arrested as he sat at this very table. Now she herself will probably see the inside of Azkaban. No, I will not have that name mentioned in my house. He took away the only thing I had left."
Peter was supposed to come here and ask this woman questions but he had nothing at his disposal to threaten her with. He also felt he'd seen all he needed to. Strange as it might appear, Darla was actually coping better than Glenda Bulstrode. She was practically suicidal because of what had happened to her husband and her little girl.
It was time to get back and report his findings to his master.
-oOoOo-
Tonks had privately mentioned to Amelia that she had been invited to meet with Harry this weekend, the senior auror suddenly found her work calendar clear. The head of the DMLE only requirement for this action was confirmation that both he and his fiancée were ok, Tonks couldn't see Harry having a problem with that and quickly agreed. As the party of five made their way toward the Hogwarts gates, all they knew was that Dobby and Winky would be waiting for them there. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
The elves popped them into the Grangers' suite at the Balmoral and chaos reigned for at least ten minutes. Harry and Hermione were hugged almost to death while all the time being bombarded with question after question. Dan and Emma finally got everyone seated before Tonks stood once more.
"Let me get the official bit out of the way first, then I can relax and just be myself." She cleared her throat dramatically before continuing. "Lord Potter, the DMLE thanks you for your swift action that prevented a heinous crime being committed against your fiancée. All three attackers have confessed their intentions and Mr Goldstein's testimony will be more than enough to convict them. Severus Snape is being hunted for his part in the crime and Albus Dumbledore is currently enjoying ministry hospitality in one of our holding cells for allowing one aforementioned greasy bastard the opportunity to escape. You will face no charges for your actions that night and Amelia has asked if I could let her know that you both are ok?"
Harry was smiling as Tonks had just confirmed his opinion on how the ministry would react to him slicing off a couple of arms. "Thanks for that Tonks, one less thing for me to worry about."
Harry then stood and mimicked Tonks' actions from earlier. "Now, I also have an official bit that needs doing too. The delectable Miss Granger here has finally set a date for when she will change her surname to Potter. Nev, will you be my best man?"
The grin he received back from his friend was as wide as his face allowed. "Proud to Harry, just say when and where?"
"Well actually, it's tomorrow at Gretna Green."
It was left to Hermione to break the silence Harry's announcement had generated. "No, my future husband is not joking. Luna, Ginny, would you stand with me?"
The chaos of earlier was now merely a curtain raiser, here in all its glory was the main event. Kisses were now added to the hugs and questions as the entire evening was spiralling out of control before Emma took command. This was her daughter's wedding being planned here, there would be order.
"All of your outfits for tomorrow are in your rooms. Can I ask everyone to go and try them on so Winky can make any last minute alterations that are necessary? we'll all meet back here and then go down to dinner at seven."
Harry and Hermione then led everyone to the rooms they had booked earlier. Hermione though was nervous. "We tried to guess the sizes as best we could. Sorry you didn't get any input into these choices, we just decided to get married after that night we left Hogwarts and there wasn't time to contact you before now."
Luna was so excited just to be involved, she'd wear a sack if she had to. "Relax Hermione, I'm sure we'll love whatever you've picked."
Tonks and Remus found their clothes hanging in garment bags and clearly labelled, she took hers through to the large bathroom so she would have more room to change. Tonks was very pleased at what she found in the bag.
There was a very smart jacket and skirt suit, matching shoes and handbag with three different tops for her to choose from. Tonks ended up dithering between two of them and decided to ask her husband's opinion.
"Remus, I like this red one but..."
Tonks couldn't speak, the sight of her husband standing there bedecked in full highland regalia was doing something to her insides. Her breathing was obviously affected too as she panted out her question. "Remus, how long until we have to meet the others for dinner?"
"Just under an hour, why?"
"Oh I suddenly have this irresistible urge to discover what's under that kilt. C'mere husband."
It was two rather flushed Lupins who joined everyone before they headed off to dinner. Tonks may have been a metamorphmagus but even that wasn't enough to hide her blush when Emma asked if they liked their clothes.
Emma smirked before whispering to the younger woman. "Don't worry about it, same thing happened to me earlier when Dan came back with his. What it is about kilts I don't know but my knees were like jelly."
Luna and Ginny were raving about how much they loved their dresses, that was until they discovered just what Harry and Neville would be wearing. Emma was filling everybody in on the details as the excitement mounted.
Harry had a quiet word with the Lupins. "Remus, you're my last remaining link to my parents, would you and Tonks stand in for them tomorrow?"
Remus could only nod by way of an answer, his emotions were all over the place tonight as Tonks held his hand. He eventually found his voice. "Harry, I know your parents and Sirius would have been so proud of you."
"Our loved ones never leave us Remus. They will be there with us tomorrow, watching me marry the girl I love. I just hope they take a holiday while Hermione and I are on honeymoon."
Remus was now chuckling. "Good luck with convincing Sirius to leave you in peace."
"We both know my mother is more than a match for my dad and Sirius combined, she'll make sure we have our privacy."
The banter continued like that for the rest of the evening but one subject wasn't mentioned. The tradition whereby the bride and groom don't see each other on the day of the wedding, right up until the ceremony. No one was foolish enough to believe these two were going to be parted tonight. Harry hadn't seen his bride's wedding dress, and wouldn't until tomorrow, but that was as big a nod to tradition as the couple would be giving.
-oOoOo-
Ginny and Luna were in their shared room snacking on the contents of the mini bar, neither expected to get much sleep tonight. Both were far too excited over what was taking place tomorrow to even consider closing their eyes.
Ginny had trouble removing her eyes from the fabulous dress that she would be wearing tomorrow, not to mention the jewellery Harry has provided. She was going to look like a princess at the wedding, and the only downside was none of her family would get to see her.
That it was going to be a muggle ceremony was always going to exclude most of them but this was going to be especially hard on Ron. When the news broke, Ginny was certain her mother would blame him for the rest of them being excluded. Another howler with her brother's name on it would be winging its way to Hogwarts.
Luna drew Ginny out her musings. "I didn't like to say earlier but I have no Idea what a spa morning is, do you?"
"Not a clue, the way Hermione and Emma were talking though, it must be something good."
-oOoOo-
Excitement was running at fever pitch by the time the wedding breakfast came around, this was the room they would use for the reception and it already had decorations and flowers set. Luna and Ginny now understood what was in store for them and the five ladies there were looking forward to their morning of pampering in the hotel's spa before the make-up and hair team arrived.
Dan couldn't help but think that Harry was the most relaxed groom he'd ever seen. Emma meanwhile appeared only moments away from meltdown. The mother of the bride was checking over details she'd previously checked at least twice already in the last half hour. She was in dire need of some relaxation, thankfully her morning schedule should provide it.
Dan himself was surprisingly calm, he put it down to the summer they'd just survived. His daughter had almost been killed at a battle in the ministry of magic, then there was an attempted rape while she was at that bloody school. He'd personally watched her leave for battle twice and their dental practice had been blown out from under them. Compared to that, walking your daughter up the aisle toward the man she loved was a pleasure to be savoured.
The menfolk decided to spend their morning taking a stroll along Princes Street and then down into Princess Gardens, making the most of the uncharacteristic autumn sunshine in Edinburgh. They gave the castle a miss though, all had quite enough of Scottish castles for the moment.
-oOoOo-
Harry stood alongside Neville and Remus, kicking their heels in the hotel lobby. All three were dressed for the wedding. They were waiting on Dan fetching the ladies down so they could leave for Gretna. The ladies had commandeered the Granger suite as their dressing room for the morning, leaving Dan to get dressed alongside Remus in the Lupins' room. Harry had kept Neville company and got ready there, he didn't want anyone seeing the room he and Hermione shared. Dobby and Winky had prepared it as their bridal suite and Harry thought it looked beautiful, Hermione would love it.
Beautiful didn't even begin to describe his bride as she slowly made her way down the elegant staircase, on her beaming father's arm. Neville had to begin his best man duties early by reminding Harry to breath, the sight of Hermione had sucked all the oxygen out the Balmoral lobby. Every pair of eyes in the busy lobby were locked on the girl who was about to become his wife, Harry didn't blame them in the slightest. She was an incredible sight.
Her dress was strapless, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. The bodice was intricately and exquisitely embroidered with the dress then flowing unadorned from her hips without any of the usual frills or embellishments Harry had expected. It appeared to be made from pure white satin as there was a definite sheen reflecting from it. As far as her future husband was concerned, the simple style of her wedding dress just enhanced Hermione's beauty.
Her hair was worn up and was complemented by a diamond tiara that matched her necklace, earrings and engagement ring. Harry wouldn't discover until later tonight that her golden puck was worn around her left ankle as her dress swept right to the floor. She'd chosen not to wear a veil, which allowed him to get lost in her sparkling brown eyes as she slowly made her way toward him. The groom did however notice that she'd chosen a mixture of red and white roses for her bouquet, an obvious reference to how Harry had told his wife to be that he loved her.
As Dan was dressed exactly the same as Harry, he was given a sneak preview of how they would look at the altar. The Royal Stewart tartan matched Hermione's bouquet and Harry thought the tartan sash over the left shoulder, held in place by the silver Potter family crest, looked fantastic. The black Prince Edward Jacket, white shirt and black bow tie added greatly to the occasion.
Heather is an intrinsically Scottish plant and white heather is regarded in this country as being lucky. The buttonholes looked fantastic and who was Harry Potter to turn down some free good luck.
The photographer was also covering this phase of the wedding but his flashgun almost had Harry reaching for his wand. He'd forgotten everything just staring at the vision that would soon be his wife.
-oOoOo-
Ginny was sitting in the back of the stretched limo as it smoothly made its way out of Edinburgh and headed south. Her father had liberally used expansion charms on their old Ford Anglia but this non-magical car just took that principle to the extreme. The décor and a bar was taking it too far in her opinion, her dad would be drooling over it though.
It was hard to concentrate on anything else other than Harry and Neville in those outfits. She'd had to grab Luna's arm as they made their way down the staircase. Had her friend not been wearing such a long dress, Ginny wasn't sure if she would have managed to stop Luna sliding down the banister to get to Neville quicker. She certainly smudged her carefully applied make-up by almost snogging Neville in the hotel lobby.
Tonks was repairing it now while Emma was using a tissue to wipe lipstick off a blushing best man.
This interaction was completely missed by the bride and groom, Harry and Hermione hadn't taken their eyes off each other since the hotel lobby and were oblivious to everything else around them.
-oOoOo-
Emma was delighted when she finally got to see the wedding venue. That this was the original blacksmith room dating back to the seventeen hundreds went a long way to calming her last remaining nerves and fears. Over the last few centuries there must have been countless couples who started their married life in front of the most famous anvil in the world. That five thousand weddings a year were now held here didn't lessen the romance of the place. When she spied the piper that Harry had hired, making his way out to greet Dan and Hermione when the car returned in a few minutes, the first tear of the day squeezed out the corner of her eye. It wouldn't be the last to be shed on this special day by the mother of the bride.
This was quickly proven to be true when the bagpipes started playing 'Highland Cathedral' as Dan led his daughter toward the man she would spend the rest of her life with.
Harry had requested the piper to stop at the door and not interfere with his wife walking toward him, that he could see her smile at his surprise meant he'd gotten it right. Now it was time.
-oOoOo-
Severus Snape had not been idle but all his preparations had been complete for a couple of days now. He'd been trying to meditate while waiting on the summons that was going to change his life irrevocably. Severus' belief in his own abilities, and himself was total but only a complete fool would underestimate the dark lord. Suddenly his arm burned fiercely, signalling the waiting was finally over. Now it was time.