Family Matters: Chapter Six

[doodasnapefreak]

Chapter 6

Harry awoke a short time later to find Hermione laying beside him, dead dozing, her arm lazily across his chest. He looked up and realized that they had left the door open HOW CONVENIENT, and found her father in the doorway. He motioned to Harry. That's his reaction? Really? Harry blanched, gently disengaged and walked toward the man, who was dressed in shorts and a short sleeved shirt. Why should I care about what he's wearing? Once Harry had exited the room, Douglas Granger pulled the door shut. He led him out to the common room area of the suite, pointedly noting the two pieces of Hermione's bikini lying on the floor. This makes no sense. Harry picked them up, much as he would have at the Dursley home, and carefully placed them, folded, across the back of the couch. Douglas motioned him to the leather chair.

"From what I saw, Mr. Potter, and what I see, can I assume that my little girl is no longer a virgin?" was the somewhat cold question. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH.

Harry fell apart inside, but kept it from his face. "Yes sir. Your daughter and I have been intimate." NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW THAT.

"You say that to her father without much thought on how I might react." Oh great. We're going to get the overprotective father schtick.

"Well, there's no obvious weaponry available, so your choices are bare hands and various crockery, sir," he replied, his head hung low. Maybe you should have thought of that BEFORE you played "hide-the-weenie."

"Very true, Mr. Potter. Can you give me a valid reason to not use what you suggested?" If possible, the voice got colder.

"Because murder is a disproportionate reaction to finding out that your daughter got her cherry popped? No sir." If it were possible for Harry's head to drop further, it would have.

There was a very long pause before Mr. Granger said, "Excuse me? What did you say?" He sounded more than a little shocked.

"I said that there is no valid reason I can give you not to physically injure me. SERIOUSLY? HARRY, GROW A SPINE. YOU HAD SEX WITH HER. YOU DIDN'T HURT HER. I should have attempted to keep my hormones in check, but I was too weak; instead, I have taken something from your daughter that she can now never give to someone far more deserving. Ah, and now the "precious gift" crap. I will not stop you if you choose to exercise your rights as a father in protecting your daughter." There's protection, and there's overreaction. Tears had begun to fall from Harry's eyes.

The silence following Harry's comment was even longer before Douglas Granger said in a voice that Harry assumed was shaking in anger DEAD HERRING ALERT, "Go to your room, Harry. I … need to think for a while."

Harry walked to his room and shook in remorse for a while, crying at what he had done to Hermione and the relationship between her and her parents. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? HER MOTHER WAS PIMPING HER OUT! Finally, he shook himself free of the sorrow and looked at his owl Hedwig. "Girl, I'm going to need to you fly to Professor Dumbledore for me, okay? Just let me write the note, and I'll send you off." She hooted once quietly and affectionately nipped his finger. In short order, she was winging her way to Scotland. Harry, in the meantime, wrote another note, dressed and then he shoved several changes of clothes into his book bag. Slipping the invisibility cloak over his head, he carefully stepped from his room, and headed toward the common room of the suite. Seeing that Mr. Granger was no longer there, he quickly exited the suite, and soon the hotel. That's right, Harry. Run. Run far, far away from this travesty.

---

Hermione awoke feeling slightly sore in a certain tender area, and smiled broadly because of what had caused that tenderness. I DON'T NEED TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SORE POONANI She looked beside her, and noted that Harry was no longer on the bed. He must have headed to his own room. She stood and walked to the door. Hmm, I don't remember closing it. Wow. Hermione the exhibitionist. That's a new one. He must have. She headed out the into I don't understand that the suite to see her parents sitting there, looking a little tense. "Everything all right?"

She was surprised to see the venomous look her mother shot her father. "No, everything is about as not all right as is possible, due to your father's sense of humour." She held out a piece of tear-stained parchment.

Hermione,

I had a talk with your father. I won't be able to live with you now, that much is obvious. He made me realize that no matter how much we both may have wanted what we did, I have taken from you the most precious thing you had Please excuse me while I vomit. - something that belonged to a far more worthy man than this boy you gave it to. I can not forgive myself for not being stronger.

I have sent Hedwig to Professor Dumbledore to procure a portkey for my return to the Dursley household, or the Burrow, or wherever it is deemed is a good place for me to stay for the summer. Here, Harry. Here's a cross. Why don't you climb up on it. You seem like you'd enjoy martyrdom. I would say that it is fairly safe to assume that I will no longer be welcome in your presence, at least when your father is around, so that prevents me from coming back to you for the summer. It is doubtful that I will see you again before September 1st. I am sorry to ask you to carry my things with you, but I needed to travel light, if only to keep your father from committing justifiable homicide. No. Not justifiable. What the hell. I have my cloak with my, by the way, so that it will be harder for me to be noticed.

Know this, Hermione - I do love you. I just realized that you are better off without me. WAH WAH WAHHHHHH CRY MOAR Please realize it yourself, and find someone better.

Harry

She looked up at her father, eyes blazing. She stared at him for a long moment before asking through gritted teeth. "How long has he been gone, Father?"

"We talked half an hour ago. When I realized what I had done to him, I … I intended to explain to him that I'd been playing a joke, playing the concerned father. Concerned? Concerned, my ass. But he reacted so badly that I just … couldn't speak. It's not that I didn't want to; I couldn't. I needed a short break to pull myself together. He's been gone probably twenty minutes. We've sent the hotel security looking for him, and they were going to get the locals involved." The man put his head forward into his hands. This is SO STUPID.

Hermione spun and pulled a wrap-around dress out of her closet. She slipped her sandals on and walked out the door. "Thanks ever so much, Father," she barked as she turned into a chihuahua the door closed.

She stalked down the hall and out of the hotel herself. She walked out onto the beach, where she stood staring at the ocean. "Harry, where are you? Where are you hiding yourself?" she asked the surf. If Harry's turned into a merman, this story will become automatically awesome. "My idiot of a father and his sense of humour have sent you off when you don't need to be gone." She fell to her knees on the sand, and the dramatic violins began to play started to cry.

A short time later, she heard someone say, "Hey honey, I can wipe those tears away." CREEPER ALERT, CREEPER ALERT!

"Please go away," she said firmly.

"Aw, come on, let me try," the man replied a little more firmly, and took her arm. BAD TOUCH! BAD TOUCH! When she tried to pull away, she discovered that he had a tight grip on her arm. "I tried to make it your choice. I know what you're selling, and I'm buying. Now, come with me." OMG WHAT THE HELL, KINSFIRE? He started to drag her across the beach.

She was surprised by an incoherent roar coming from her left, and suddenly her attacker went flying. She was dragged a short distance, but he released her. As she looked at her attacker, she saw him double up as if someone had landed on his stomach, and then his head began to shoot back and forth as if someone were punching him. To paraphrase the wonderful Ron Weasley, "ARE YOU A WIZARD OR NOT?!" Blood began to fly, and she heard bones break, but still the man kept moving. She ran over and pulled who she knew had to be beating the man to death off him. "Harry, please stop - you'll kill him!" Psychotic Harry. Fun.

"He deserves it!" came the sobbing response from thin air. HARRY, YOU ARE A WHINY TURD. She pulled the cloak from him and hugged him tightly.

"I won't let you, Harry. Please. Come back with me to the hotel. Let me fix up your hand. Let my father apologize for his stupidity."

"He has every right to be angry, Hermione! He was standing in the doorway to your room when I woke up! We were both naked, and it was fairly obvious what we'd been doing. He knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that his baby girl is no longer a virgin. And the door was open, as if I was flaunting despoiling his little girl!" Ugh. Stop talking like this. It's making me feel ill.

"Harry, he knew my plans. I had told the both of them that I intended to give you what I did today. Ew. This is like Jamie-Sue making plans with Hermione for her cherry-popping party. He knew, and supported it, because I promised him that I was not going into this just for a quick fuck." He started at her brief profanity, so out of character for her, but she kept talking. "I was giving my body to the man who already holds my heart." If you'll excuse me, I'll be taking a little jump off my balcony. She scowled. "If he'd just waited on his damned joke, we could have let you know that he wasn't serious. Instead, he appears to have pressed all the wrong buttons. You were going to willing go back to the Dursleys? I'll bet you would have willingly climbed into that damned cupboard, too - just to punish yourself more." Hey, there's nothing wrong with a little masochism! Just stop being so damn whiny about it.

Harry blushed. He'd been thinking exactly that. "Herrmione, he just reminded me that I'd set my sights too high. The likes of you are not meant for the likes of me. SHE IS A PERSON. YOU ARE ALSO A PERSON. HOLY FUCKING SHIT, THIS PISSES ME OFF. You made a serious mistake giving your heart to someone like me. I don't deserve such beauty." You know what you do deserve? A KNIFE IN YOUR STUPID WHINY FACE.

"Oh Harry," she sighed, trying hard not to cry. She helped him to his feet and led him back to the hotel, absently telling a security person about the unconscious person on the beach. "We're going to have to talk to the police, unfortunately," she murmured. This story is so disjointed.

---

They re-entered the hotel suite, and Harry was immediately faced with Douglas Granger. "I'm sorry, sir, I …" Harry began.

"No, Harry, it's me who should apologize. I was trying to pull the concerned father routine, and pushed all the bloody buttons that the Dursleys installed. I ended up making you feel worthless, and that is unforgivable." He sighed. "I saw you waking up, which gave me time to wipe the smile from my face. You two looked so happy, so … right. Ew. This is seriously creepy. My dad walked in on me and my husband once, and if he had stood there smiling, I would have set myself on fire. I saw why my daughter loves you so much, Harry. I hope someday you can forgive me for the hell I put you through." He met Harry's eyes. "I am stating this now, of my own free will, Harry. If you and Hermione decide to get married, you already have my blessing. I will be proud to call the man who my daughter loves so much my son-in-law."

Harry's jaw dropped. "But …" You didn't see that coming? Really?

"Harry, none of what you did was wrong. My daughter loves you, and what you told Helen tells me that you love her. Hell, even your goodbye note to Hermione proves how much you love her. If you'll still have us, we'll let you live with us."

“But I … your daughter isn’t a virgin anymore, and it’s because of me.” He sat down heavily, confusion strong in his eyes. "I don't understand anymore. How should I feel? Part of me is happy that you accept me, but I know that I really don't deserve that sort of happiness." STOP THAT I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU.

"Why not?" Helen asked.

"If I were truly worthy of being loved, wouldn't I have been put into a household where I could be taught what love is, instead of being placed with the Dursleys? No. You were put with the Dursleys because you needed the blood protection. I'm a weapon, that's all. I'm the only one who can defeat Voldemort, so I was put where I could be safe, until I can be pointed and told to kill." STOP WHINING.

"What do you mean, you're the only one who can defeat Voldemort?" Hermione asked.

Blah blah blah. Harry whines about how he is going to die. Tonks decides that the whole blood protection thing pales in comparison to Harry's need for sex. I contemplate new and creative ways of harming myself that will all be much more pleasant than reading this crap.

"I wish the Dursleys cared for me the way you care for Hermione," Harry breathed quietly.

"Oh, we're not doing this for her - we're doing it for you, Harry. She just gets to be the beneficiary of what we're doing. We’ve only known you a very short time, Harry, but we understand why our Hermione loves you. We love you, too, son.”

He was enveloped by the Grangers as he fell to his knees crying. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHWEATHAPWEGAIUHWTEG

---

It was growing dark outside when they heard a knock at the door. Doug Granger opened it to be faced by Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody. “May I help you?”

“I am Albus Dumbledore, Mr. Granger. My companion is Alastor Moody. I need to speak with Harry, if I may. This is quite possibly a literal case of life or death. Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?”

“Come in. This involves the Dursley family, doesn’t it.” It was not a question.

“Yes, it does. Sometime earlier today, the protections about the Dursley home began to fail. HOW CONVENIENT. They completely failed fairly rapidly. This puts Harry in extreme danger.”

“When did they fail?” Harry asked with a laugh. He had a suspicion as to what had caused the failure.

“They began to fail between four and five PM,” Alastor said. “They simply disappeared at roughly five PM.”

Harry’s laughter got stronger, with more than a hint of despair and madness to it. “Of course they did! The universe couldn’t be that nice to me.” He got himself under control and turned to Hermione. “My dear, apparently our professing our love for each other, and then actually daring to act on it shattered the protections at the Dursley household, and therefore the protections over me. The universe thinks I should have died a virgin.” NO. NO NO NO NO NO. WAAAAAAAAY TO MISS THE POINT OF THE WHOLE SERIES.

“You have been intimate with Miss Granger?” Albus asked with some interest. Why is everyone in this story so creepy?

“The future Mrs. Potter, but yes, we have. Do you need a blow-by-blow?” Hermione asked with some asperity.

“Only if it would give you pleasure to give it, Miss Granger,” came the amused response. “I am aware what this question sounds like, but I must ask it nonetheless. What was your reasoning for becoming intimate?”

This keeps getting worse. Seriously. Get some booze.

Harry was turning red, and it was obvious that it was not due to embarrassment. Helen Granger rested her hand on his arm. “Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, Harry. If he’s not asking for the right reason, then we all open up on him.”

Dumbledore said. “I ask because I wish to be able to explain why Alastor and I could not Apparate directly here.”

“You couldn’t Apparate here?” Hermione asked with interest. “It sounds as if the wards have transferred, sir.”

“I’m not surprised,” Douglas Granger said. “With the depth of love these two have for each other, I’m betting no one could get within a few miles of them.”

OH BITCH YOU DID NOT. WHAT THE EVER-LOVING HELL IS GOING ON HERE.

“To answer your question, sir,” Harry answered hotly. “Hermione and I have, in fact, been sexually active, because we are engaged to be married. YOU'RE SIXTEEN. I love her and her parents, and if I defeat Voldemort, it will be because of them, not because of anyone else. Oh really? What about YOUR MOTHER, you ungrateful bint? Hermione, to keep the love of my life alive, and her parents because they’re the closest I think I’m going to get to my parents. They love me unconditionally.”

Albus opened his mouth to speak, but Harry was on a roll. "Was there a reason, sir, that it was decided that I was worthless, except as a weapon? DFSAKLDFSJKALNKVDSVNJDFSOHUAEHUETGDSAGDNSNDFSJAFDLA Or was the fear so great that I might be taken or killed that it was all right to place me in a home where I received exactly the opposite of what my parents would have given me? Vernon and Petunia have detested me from the very first day I was there."

He rounded on Moody before anyone could speak. "And that little stunt you pulled at the station - threatening Vernon? Well, it worked just fine IN CANON. Oh, I wish I had copies of the hospital photographs! Ask these wonderful people what I looked like!" He was mildly surprised to see Doug Granger walk back into the room with an envelope.

Snip. Anyone who complains that Harry was angsty in OotP can bite me right now, because it is NOTHING compared to him in this story.

“Another thing,” he said, rounding on Dumbledore. “The Order is supposed to be worried about defeating Voldemort. Well, then, it's damned time that Hermione and I became members, since we know what the prophecy was. Especially since the aim of the Order is directly in line with what the prophecy requires of me. And you knew that for years! If Voldemort is to be defeated, then I damned well need the help of the Order. If the Order says no; that I have no right to be a member, then I will have no choice but to sever ties with the Order. The Order’s purpose is to support me, not the other way around." I WILL END YOU, HARRY.

"You told her what the prophecy said?" Dumbledore asked simply.

"I told all three of them. How about telling Ron? You know, since he is your best friend and all. I felt that they had a right to know the danger involved with accepting me into their family. As far as I'm aware, we are the only five who know the prophecy, sir, and I expect someone will chew me out for even mentioning it in front of Moody."

Blah blah blah. I really hate this story.

"Exactly," said Doug Granger. "This is a war, and we're affected. We can work with the Shadows, or with the Light. Either way, we're involved. Harry is the side of Light. Congratulations, Kinsfire! You've hit another one of my fanfic pet peeves! We support our son."

Harry started at the reference. "Son, you and Hermione consummated your love earlier. In the eyes of the universe, you're married WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?, and as far as I'm concerned, you're our son-in-law now. We just have that pesky legal thing to get out of the way. We can grant permission for Hermione to marry since she's sixteen. Since you'll be an emancipated minor as of the thirty-first of July, when you turn sixteen, you can give yourself permission to marry." He grinned suddenly. "How about over Christmas break?"

Harry's jaw was almost on the floor, and Doug laughed. "Didn't expect that kind of reaction, obviously. Despite my ill-advised attempt at a joke, for which I will apologize until you get sick of hearing it, I love and trust my daughter. She told us that she would only take one man to bed - her future husband. Plenty of people think they're doing that. But the person you THINK you'll marry at 16 and the person you ACTUALLY marry are often different people. She told us his name the summer after your Tri-Wizard Tournament. His name is Harry Potter." He laughed. "Now comes time to embarrass my daughter without pulling out the photo album."

"Oh no, Daddy, you're not going to …" Hermione blushed furiously.

"Silence, child!" he said imperiously, but with a laugh. "When she came home from school for Christmas, her first year at Hogwarts, she informed us that she had met the boy she was going to marry. CREEPY CREEPY CREEPY It took us until almost New Year's Day to discover that there were other male students at that school than Harry Potter." He grinned. “Apparently it took until fourth year before there were any male students at the school except Harry, Ron Weasley, and their nemesis Draco Malfoy.”

Hermione was blushing furiously, but Harry's jaw had dropped. "You've … wanted me for that long?" My face looks like this: D:

She couldn't look him in the eye. "Since the moment I opened the door, looking for a toad."

He dropped to one knee before her. "Can you forgive me for being too thick to notice?"

"I won't argue with your being thick," she purred at him in a voice that told him she was not thinking of his behaviour, "but you're a boy. Of course you wouldn't understand these things!" He couldn't help but laugh.

Finally, he turned back to Dumbledore. "I'm having a hard time not being angry at you, especially after this time with the Dursleys. You need to know that the Muggles are already exploring them for child abuse, because I have no intention of ever returning to them. I think the only reason I'd save Vernon from a Death Eater would be because I wanted to kill him myself." This is not Harry. At Moody's and Dumbledore's shocked looks, he barked, "Can you imagine me not wanting revenge on that son of a bitch after the … the shit he's put me through in the last fifteen years? Seriously. Harry was never bitter about this, and that's one of the things that makes him awesome (in canon). I grew up in a bloody cupboard until I was eleven years old! And whoever repaired the house from my little tantrum could probably figure that out, if they bothered to look! I think my little bit of graffiti is still on that wall. I marked the cupboard as my room, sir. You peed on it? Go to that household, and look in that damned cupboard! They’ve never been able to paint over it - it may have been my first accidental magic. Look at the repairs from where the Weasley boys ripped the bars off my wall, so that I could escape! I was always the freak that needed to be dealt with, and your response was always, 'It's for the greater good!' So you've read book 7? You REALLY have no excuse for this crap. If the greater good involves condoning child abuse, then who the fuck wants to be good?!?" He turned and stalked from the room, Hermione in hot pursuit.

---

Hermione's parents yell at Dumbledore for being a big meanie. Or something. Frankly, the excessive Dumbledore-hate makes me want to hug him.

"I have no doubt of that now," Dumbledore said. "I admit to being at a loss. My disbelief that such a thing could truly exist - such hatred aimed at a child … I have made so many wrong decisions concerning this boy … correction, this man. He's sixteen. He's not a man. I have forced him, whether I fought against it or not, into an early adulthood. I truly do not know what to do to rectify this situation anymore." He looked at Douglas and Helen. "Have you any suggestions?"

"Yes," Doug said. "If an adult he must be, then treat him as an adult. Treat him as the saviour he has to be. I weep. This doesn't mean to give him parades or parties, but it does mean that you need to explain things to him. If there's a reason you can't explain it to him at the moment, then try to explain the reasoning behind it. I'm betting that even a simple 'If I explain it, your reaction might not be natural,' would be a lot more acceptable than nothing at all, followed eventually by an explanation. The first allows him some feeling, or even the pretence of input. The second says that he's a child and should listen to his elders and betters. This Occlumency thing that Hermione talks about - is there any other teacher in the school who can teach it to him than this Snape person? Yeah...did you skim the end of OotP? From what Hermione can see, even though she's willing to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt, she thinks that his methods are less than effective. Are you going to learn well when faced with a teacher who has told you from the day he met you that you are worthless, and that you're a glory seeker? Agh. I'm sorry to hear that Harry's ego is so fragile. I've heard about that little explosion at the end of Hermione's third year - are you even sure that the man is sane? Personally, I’d like to meet the man face to face. Can this be arranged without him knowing why we’re meeting? I’d like to get a better feel for his true personality.” I HATE HERMIONE'S PARENTS. I HOPE THEY STAY IN AUSTRALIA AND GET EATEN ALIVE BY WOMBATS.

“This Order thing he talked about - is he right? Can their purpose be stated as ‘Support Harry in his fight’? No. Their purpose is to fight Death Eaters. If so, I think I can guarantee that he’ll follow through if they don't accept him. He won’t end the friendships with the people, but he won’t trust the information coming from the Order if you tell him he’s too young.” He sighed. He is too young. Get over yourself, Harry.

“My wife is right. Whether or not he’s going to legally be our son-in-law, he’s our son, borne by another woman. This is creepy. Just as Hermione clicked with him when they met, we did too. I think he did too. Did you know that we were the ones he called to rescue him? We talked about that. He couldn’t think of anyone else. The only other people he would have called were in the Order, and would have delivered him over to you. And what would you have done? From the reaction that the girl named Tonks had in the hospital room before finding out what had been done to him, you lot would have berated him for being so stupid as to jeopardize himself by leaving.” He slammed his hand flat against the wall. “I won’t have that done to him, do you hear me?” Doug had tears forming in his eyes. I have tears in my eyes, too. Tears of RAGE.

“I agree, Mr. Granger,” Albus Dumbledore said softly. “I have done too much to him for so long, in a misguided attempt to protect him. In doing so, I have lost his trust, quite possibly permanently. I will miss the days of him thinking of me as a grandfather figure.”

Harry walked back into the room, more than a little mussed, with Hermione behind him, her hair also quite mussed. The dress was not tied quite as firmly around her as it had been earlier.

“Sir, it’s still salvageable. It’s only been a short time since Sirius’s death, and I still haven’t truly dealt with that - part of me keeps expecting to get an odd owl, or eagle, or knowing him, a flying wombat saying ‘What a surprise! I ended up in Pago-Pago!’ That won’t happen, though. I need to cry for him, and then get on with my life.” You've cried more than enough, Harry. Trust me. He took a breath. “Treat me like an adult. If there’s a valid reason not to tell me, such as my lack of Occlumency skills, then tell me that, and I’ll accept that. Even the need for an honest reaction - I know I’m not a great actor. But don’t do what you’ve done the past five years. Treat me like someone who deserves to be told what he needs to know.”

“I’ll even understand if the Order says no, as long as you make a concerted effort to make them realize that I’m serious about it - I will not work with the Order to defeat Voldemort if they choose to lock me out because of my age. You keep talking, but all I hear is WAH WAH WAH. I will work on my own. I’m sure that the Order will find ways to get me the information anyway, but do they really want the extra time built in to get me the info?”

“I understand, Harry,” Albus said. “I wish to state to you now that I will not give you the treatment that I did last year. My office is open to you.” He looked to Hermione. “That goes for you as well, Miss … Mrs. Potter.” He looked at them carefully for a moment, and then looked at her parents. “Where will you be on his birthday?” DEAD. EXTRA DEAD. SUPER EXTRA DEAD.

“We’ll be back in the London area for a while, before heading out again until near the end of August,” Doug answered. “Why?”

“Because on his birthday I wish to do something that will be of dubious legality in the wizarding world, and of none in the Muggle world, but will help cement the protections that these two have already built.” He looked to Hermione and Harry again. “Be proud. The power of your feelings has created an anti-Apparation field of roughly two miles in diameter around the two of you.” KINSFIRE, YOU ARE WHY PEOPLE MAKE FUN OF HARMONIANS. He chuckled. "I had originally been worried that something else had caused the wards, but I see now the true reason."

“Two miles?” Hermione squeaked. “But that means ….” She closed her eyes for a moment and bit her lower lip as she began to work the problem through in her head. Harry smiled at her as he watched her. Suddenly her eyes shot open and she looked at Harry. Her eyes were so wide that Harry was almost afraid that they would fall from her head. I hope they do. Then Harry will stop blathering about how they are the color of a perfect poo or whatever it is. She suddenly blushed and dropped her gaze demurely.

“Precisely,” Dumbledore chuckled. “Both the level of power that Harry has at his command, and the depth of his feeling for you.”

“What is it, honey?” Helen asked.

“I may be the only girl in all of England who can Arithmantically prove that her lover loves her more than anything else on the planet. I am going to cry. The power required for such a field is astronomical. His raw power supplies a part of that, but the depth of his feeling supplies the true power to the field. A two mile radius means that, basically, Harry would storm Hell itself for me.” HOW IS THIS BETTER THAN HBP? IT IS NOT. IT IS WORSE THAN THAT HARMONIAN REWRITE OF HBP.

They looked at Harry, who shrugged. “I could have told you that, Hermione,” he said simply.

“Maybe, but I never would have seen it as anything but hyperbole. Now I know, beyond any possible doubt.” She turned to Dumbledore, her look changing to one of pride, not to mention looking a little stunned.. “What was this dubiously legal thing you want to do on his birthday?”

“A handfasting ceremony. It is basically ….”

“It’s a trial marriage,” she interrupted. Wow. Their love is SO true that they are having a TRIAL marriage? “And we can set the duration of the handfasting, can’t we?”

“Yes. Traditionally it is a year and a day, but if you chose until, oh, let us choose a random date of September nineteenth, that would also be legitimate. I wonder if someone at Hogwarts is empowered to perform a wedding ceremony on such a date?” he asked, his eyes twinkling merrily. He turned to Doug and Helen. “We’ll need your written permission for her to wed, but such a wedding would be legal. In December, you could also do a Muggle ceremony.” My head hurts.

The look in Helen’s eye made everyone laugh, even Moody. She was obviously looking forward to this. OH WIMMINZ. THEY ALL LOVE WEDDINGS, YOU KNOW.

“Not that I’m complaining, sir,” Harry said, “But why the handfasting ceremony?”

“Honestly Harry,” Hermione huffed, but with a strong undercurrent of amusement to her voice. “It’s to solidify the protections. We’ve created them, but even a dubiously legal ceremony will have enough magical validity to hold them until we can officially marry in September.”

“You are definitely a credit to your parents, Mrs. Potter.” At this second reference to her in this matter, she started, causing him to smile. “The wards prove what your father stated. In the eyes of whatever deities run this universe, you are married. Who am I to argue?”

“Thank you, sir,” Harry said seriously. “How are we working this at Hogwarts?”

“Leave that to me, Harry,” Albus smiled. “Fear not, I will not separate you once the school year starts. If you could perhaps hold off on children until at least after Christmas, it would also be appreciated.”

“We’ll only be sixteen!” he squawked. “I don’t even want to contemplate bringing a child into the world until I’ve at least left Hogwarts.” But getting married at sixteen is fine? He looked to Hermione and his eyes sparkled. “Practice, on the other hand….” Hermione blushed prettily on cue. DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY ENJOY THIS FIC?

Albus laughed. “I will be in contact before the thirty-first. You might wish to invite some people, but it would be good to keep the numbers small for the time being. Perhaps only the Weasley family, and a few other friends from school?”

“The Weasleys? I thought you said small,” Hermione laughed. Oh man. I don't know how I'm going to get through this thing.

Chapter 5 ~ Table of Contents ~ Chapter 7