Extensive revisions because of Deb and Diane, which, as usual, have made the chapter better. I am not thanking them every chapter, but they have been a constant and welcome help.
*
The last Friday in July Harry called Ginny about four in the afternoon. "I have all weekend off, starting now," he told his wife. "I'd like to take some time to catch up with you on everything that happened with you and what happened in Switzerland."
"I ought to talk to you about what I've been doing the last two weeks," Ginny replied. "I can get mum to take care of the children. They are staying at Potter's New Burrow anyway. Having a little couple time would be good."
"I've just finished an interview. I will meet you at Grimmauld Place before five."
Harry was waiting in the kitchen when Ginny came in through the Closet. It was just easier than traveling by Floo, and since they had installed magical Closets in both the New Burrow and Grimmauld Place she had normally used the Closet to travel between the houses. Harry greeted her with a warm hug, which Ginny enthusiastically returned.
"Mum will take care of the children until Sunday morning, Harry," Ginny announced, leaning her head on Harry's chest and listening to his steady heartbeat. "I'm tired. Let's just eat dinner here."
"I have had more than enough meals eaten in restaurants the last month," Harry concurred. He called, "Mabel." The house elf appeared. "Please make a simple supper for Ginny and me. We will be in the drawing room and will eat it alone in the dining room when it is ready."
"I have a nice fish and some fresh vegetables from the gardens," Mabel replied. "I will make you a nice meal."
The couple walked upstairs to the drawing room and sat down on a love seat facing each other.
"It is not like we have not been together or talked," Harry started. "It just feels like it has been too long since just the two of us have talked."
"It seems we're always surrounded by loads of people at every meal we've had lately," sighed Ginny in agreement.
"And I have tried to spend some time with the children, especially Minerva, who was not with us at the ICWW."
"She did miss you," Ginny acknowledged, "and enjoyed playing with you."
Harry smiled. "I enjoyed it too. I think I am making up for not having a childhood, playing with the little children. It has taken me a while to learn how to relax and relate to them at their speed."
"You have always done a good job, Harry," Ginny retorted. "You just needed a few lessons at first, just like all parents who didn't grow up with young children."
"I love being a parent," Harry assured Ginny, "but we needed some time with just the two of us to talk. I remember the saying that the best thing you can do for your children is to love each other. What have you been doing the last two weeks?"
"I've spent half my time at the Chudley or talking about the Cannons," Ginny admitted.
"Has James actually talked Ron into buying the Cannons?" Harry asked in amazement.
"Not actually," Ginny shook her head. "If there is one thing that Ron likes more than the Chudley Cannons, it is making money. It was always harder on him us being poor than any of the rest of us. Oh, he wants to buy the Cannons, but only if we can make money owning it."
"Have you talked to Bill about it?" Harry wondered.
"Yes, and the same sports agent that negotiated my contract is involved. There were four owners, who fought. One has just died, and his family wants nothing to do with the team. Two of the others are willing to sell, and the other one would be willing to be a partner and wants to help run the team. The last one is the one who is responsible for so many of the stupid decisions the team has made the last few years, so we want nothing to do with him.
"The team is losing money, and they have some expensive contracts with over the hill older players. The families have to come up with the money personally if the team loses money, so the other three families are rather desperate to get rid of the team."
"What needs to be done to turn the team around?" Harry wondered.
"The sports agent suggests changing the name to "James Potter's Chudley Cannons," Ginny admitted. "Just the name will allow the team to charge more for everything, and James really is good. Of course, he is not actually going to own the team."
"That is not James's idea?" Harry wondered. "Having the team named after himself."
"James is all in favor of it, but no, it was not his idea," Ginny laughed. "James has come with me as we have been approaching players. Bill emphasizes that we need to work with the sports agent, and be patient, but I would guess that we have a better than even chance of pulling this off.
"We just cannot talk about this when any of the other children are around. If word got out that the famous and rich Harry Potter was trying to buy the Cannons the price could shoot up."
"I will not encourage that rumor," Harry agreed. "What have the other children been doing?"
"Neither Albus nor Rose are very good at doing nothing," Ginny reflected. "Rose is helping Scorpius write articles about the International Conference of Witches and Wizards, and about the changes in Magi/High Elf laws and ways of relating.
"They have even been working with Hermione on changing laws and standards to reflect the new status of Elves. Harriet Tubman is finally the official head of the office of what used to be the Department for the Control of Magical Creatures, at full salary, and Scorpius and Rose have been helping Hermione find out what laws and standards need to be rewritten and changed."
"I know the name of the department has changed a few times, as it took on more responsibilities over not only magical creatures but unusual relationships with Muggles," Harry reflected. "I think they are still trying to come up with not only a new name but new standards and laws."
Ginny continued, "Albus and Cleo are working on spells, trying to teach her the fifth-year spells and understand how she has to perform them.
"All four of them have been spending some of the good weather days in and around the pond. Rose and Scorpius read for relaxation, and Albus and Cleo practice music, sometimes just the two of them, and occasionally with their entire band.
"Lily flies, but she is also good at not doing much. Hugo tries to spend as much time at the store as he can. And Minerva is just a typical preschooler, learning more each day. Minerva is happy playing with just about anyone. Actually, Minerva may be the happiest child I have ever known. I'd like to take credit for it, but I think it is just her nature.
"Ivana is spending most of most days with Lily. She is a good flyer, not exceptional, so she flies with Lily and the others when they need another person. She and Lily just seem to like spending time together, like sisters, I guess. I never had a sister, but that is what it looks like to me.
"Charlie is not doing well. I know he is taking more care all the time. Pippa is nursing Maria, but I think half the time someone else is taking care of her. Mum, except mum is helping with Charlie as well, and Victoire when she is off work, and even the older children. Albus, Cleo, Rose and Scorpius do spend some time playing with both Minerva and Maria Guadalupe. Me too. I've worked maybe thirty hours a week the past couple of weeks, but I've spent plenty of time around the New Burrow with all the children."
Mabel called Harry and Ginny to dinner, and they went down to the dining room, where they busied themselves with a delicious meal. After the meal was finished Ginny wondered, "What have you been doing, Harry?"
"The Auror Department almost runs itself, but every time I am away for a couple of weeks I run right into the almost. Dennis and Mary Lou, and the rest, need a little help in getting the department to approach certain crimes or problems from unusual angles. There are always a couple of personnel issues that are better handled by me, or occasionally by your father and me. There are still a few people who insist on talking to me and will not confide in anyone else. It always seems to me that the rest of the DMLE is glad when I am back.
"I've spent a little time with Professor Minerva as well. Bowman Flint, the caretaker of the Hogwarts sewage treatment plant Flint disappeared for almost a week. He refuses to tell anyone where he went. At least the sewage treatment plant and water system will run without him for over a week. George Hogg, the new caretaker, and a couple of Elves who work with him, know how to operate the plant and the water system as well."
Harry sighed. "Minerva doesn't feel she can fire him, because of the way Dumbledore put him in that position. She doesn't know all the details, but Flint has let it be known that he feels that he has a lifetime job, and Minerva cannot find any documentation to confirm or deny it. Flint was in trouble with the DMLE, but even those records are not exactly in order.
"Minerva has even tried to talk to Dumbledore's portrait about Flint, but either the portrait does not know what the real Dumbledore did, or the portrait is being evasive. I'm not sure how much of the memory of the person a magical portrait has.
"The other problem is that we do not feel we can reveal what we know about the witch he is meeting with. It is all tied in with the Pirate Witch Queen. It is one of those frustrating damned if you do, damned if you don't situations."
"I know, Harry," Ginny commiserated. "The easy problems other people solve."
Harry nodded.
"I also spent part of two days in Switzerland. I did not want to tell you about those days unless we were alone. The frustrating thing is that I did not really learn anything. It just seems to many of us that things are happening, or are primed to happen, and that we cannot count on having the children all get through school before dramatic things happen."
"Like you and me?" Ginny wondered. "We did not get through Hogwarts as normal students."
"Early in Albus's time at Hogwarts Minerva McGonagall told me that she was not going to be the Dumbledore to Albus and his friends. I'm not sure how good I am at guiding them, though. It is not easy when two of the people involved are your son and your niece."
Harry and Ginny spent some time just holding each other that evening. They could both sense hard times coming, but there was not much to do but prepare as best as they could and wait.
*
"I like your new outfit," Narcissa said as she greeted Molly at the restaurant where they had been meeting for years.
Molly twirled around, her skirt flying out. She reached into a slit pocket, pulled out a case and took out a pair of glasses, and then put the case back into the pocket. "The skirt is a Muggle skirt, but Rose and Cleo modified the pockets, so they hold much more and stay flat. My mobile is in one pocket, my wallet and glasses in the other, and, well, I guess it is rather embarrassing how much I could put in these if I wanted to."
"The blouse is a little risqué for old fashion Magi," Narcissa noted. "It shows a lot of décolletage."
Molly looked down at her cleavage, visible because of the bra from Mother Minerva and the cut of the blouse. She grinned. "There is a spell that is going to make it hard for Arthur not to notice.
"Hermione has an amazing library, and she even has a restricted section, hidden from the children, about all the ways a couple could copulate, and all the spells she could find to enhance sexual pleasure." Molly giggled, as she sat down. "Ginny knows about it as well. For Hermione I guess it is mostly that if she is going to do something she wants to learn all she can about it and get good at it. Ron says it is the best bloody homework ever!"
Both women blushed at this remark.
"I will have to admit that Ginny and I are just a randy lot, loving the physical side of marriage," Molly concluded.
Narcissa laughed, and then had a wistful look. "I miss the physical side of marriage. I miss having someone to share my life with. Lucius and I had a few good years, I think, when we were first married. He always had secrets from me, but I think he loved me and Draco. Tom Riddle ruined that. That and, there is something almost evil in the Malfoy family, especially with the men. I can see it in Draco, although he is more tortured about it than Lucius.
"I love being around your family, Molly, but I also like these private lunches. We can talk about things we could not talk about around other people."
"I know Muggles can end marriages," Molly reflected. "I'm not really in favor of that, except if your husband is going to spend the rest of his life in prison, it just seems ... I don't know. Nothing is simple."
"It would be different if Lucius had repented, and I could feel sorry for him," Narcissa admitted. "I think, I know, any love I had for him died years ago. I'm not proud of it, but the only reason I visit is because I feel obligated to, not because I want to."
*
It was a warm day, with a slight breeze blowing. After swimming, Albus had changed into shorts and a lightweight shirt, but had taken the shirt off and shrunk it, putting it in a pocket. Cleo wore shorts and a strappy top. Both of them wore sturdy boots, since they were walking over some of the wilder parts of the property.
The couple were walking past the pond towards The River Otter, and when they reached the river, they sat down. Across the river was an uninhabited, and rather wild, island. "That is part of the Potter Estates property," Albus told Cleo. "The main part of the river goes around the other side of the island. I am not sure if the island is protected by the wards over this property."
"It might be fun to explore the island," Cleo thought.
"I can ask if we would be allowed to go there," Albus replied. "What would you like to do there?"
Cleo looked embarrassed. "Create a secret place where we could snog and more."
Albus laughed. "I think you are as randy as my mother and grandmother. We really ought to wait until we are married for the more. It is not that I don't want to. I can't wait until we ... but ..."
"I know I shouldn't want to get pregnant and nurse babies, not yet, and I am working very hard with your mother and grandmother to try and minimize that part of my personality, but ...
"Hold me, Albus."
Albus transfigured his shirt into a blanket, and the couple snuggled and snogged, Albus very turned on by Cleo's shape, and rather glad his shirt was off.
Cleo was able to feel that part of Albus that grew when he was excited. She wanted to reach down and touch it, but she didn't. It was hard to wait.
Albus and Cleo held each other for almost an hour, not always snogging. They separated, sat up, but stayed touching.
"It is fun sitting here looking at the river, the wildlife, and not doing much," Albus reflected. "I don't think Scorpius and Rose do nothing very well."
"Scorpius doesn't," Cleo agreed. "I've seem Rose patiently waiting while Scorpius was involved in his writing. She is not quite the workaholic when she and I are alone."
"Scorpius is rather tightly wound," Albus confirmed. "It is good that he and Rose can swim and play around the pond. We need to encourage him to relax more."
*
"Good morning, Love," Harry beamed. "Happy Fortieth birthday!"
"Forty isn't old for a witch," Ginny thought, "but it sure isn't young. I'm glad we are no longer celebrating adult birthdays at the New Burrow. We didn't do anything special for you last year. And twenty-three years of marriage! Where has the time gone?"
"I know Muggles celebrate twenty-five years of marriage," Harry thought. "Do Magi?"
"Sometimes fifty, or seventy-five," Ginny told Harry. "I know there are usually special celebrations at one-hundred."
Harry and Ginny passionately kissed. Was it possible that they would have another seventy-seven years together, or more?
*
It was Monday, August twenty-third, twenty-twenty-one. Scorpius and Cleo were heading back to Malfoy Manor.
"I wish my father would let us install electricity at the Manor," Scorpius complained to Albus and Rose as the four friends waited for Narcissa to come through the Floo at the New Burrow.
"Albus and I purchased solar panels and a charging setup for my room," Cleo told Scorpius. "The Elves have just installed it. It is hidden, but it will let us charge our tablets and my mobile."
"I didn't think your mobile worked at the Manor," Scorpius reflected.
"The Muggle part doesn't, but the magical text message app does," Cleo explained. "The Mobile works in Diagon Alley because they have installed repeaters inside the Alley. There is actually a corner of the Malfoy property where the wards do not reach, and where we could install an antenna."
Cleo looked at Rose. "When you are queen of Malfoy Manor you can install electricity and the internet, and a repeater for mobile service."
"Like that is going to happen any time soon," Rose scoffed.
"I'm not sure I want to live there as long as my father is living there," Scorpius reflected. "I'd rather get a little apartment in Diagon Alley, live anywhere except under my father's rule."
Molly, the only adult present, greeted Narcissa as she came through the Floo. "Good to see you again, Cissy," Molly greeted her friend.
"Almost time for school again," Narcissa replied. "The summer has certainly come and gone quickly. I am glad we could shop for school supplies together last week.
"Be sure to thank Ginny again for going clothes shopping with Cleo."
"It was a fun day," Rose confirmed. "Lily and Ivana went with us, and everybody, even Aunt Ginny, purchased new clothes. Aunt Ginny took the boys a different day. Shopping for boy's clothes is not near as much fun."
Narcissa left with Scorpius and Cleopatra.
*
Tuesday morning the twenty-fourth after breakfast Draco told Scorpius, "You are coming with me today."
Scorpius replied, "No."
Draco yelled, "I order you to come with me!"
"I do not trust you, father," Scorpius insisted. "I refuse to be in the same room with you unless someone else is with me. If you need to tell me things, you can tell both me and grandmother." Scorpius turned towards his grandmother Malfoy.
Narcissa agreed. "I do not see why you need to have secrets from me. Show and tell both Scorpius and me or leave him alone. You are already risking the Ministry's wrath by having Scorpius's memory blank during some of the times he is with you."
"He is MY son!" Draco insisted.
"You do not own him, Draco, and you are driving him away, or have you forgotten what you were like at his age?" Narcissa countered. "You will not force him to do things he does not want to do if I have anything to say about it."
Draco glared at his mother but did not contradict her.
"I am going to stay close to grandmother or Cleo until we leave for Hogwarts," Scorpius told his father, glaring angrily at him.
"We share a bathroom," Cleo thought. "We usually keep the doors closed, but unless we need to we can open my door and your door to the bathroom area. I am going to ask the Elves to watch over you as well."
"I will confirm it with the Elves," Narcissa agreed. "Lucius still has secrets from me, and that is not how a marriage is supposed to work."
Druella volunteered, "When Cydnus and I married, his parents Pollux and Irma sat down with us and went over all the information we might need concerning the Black family estate, at least our portion of the Black family inheritance. Cydnus always kept me informed, and when he died, I did not feel that there were any family secrets I did not know."
Narcissa, Scorpius and Cleo looked at Godiva Malfoy, who scowled back at them. Narcissa was sure that the Malfoy family never shared some of the family secrets with witches.
2021