Away and Back
by Teddylonglong

All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.

I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.

Harry

When everyone else above third year readied themselves to leave the castle for the day, Harry pulled Hermione into one of the alcoves near the entrance hall.

"Are you ready to head to Fairy Alley?" he enquired.

"Of course," Hermione replied, and in the faint light of the alcove, Harry had the impression as if she was smiling happily.

Reaching for Hermione's arm, Harry apparated them into the garden of King John's castle, knowing that there were rarely any visitors this early in the morning, before they entered Fairy Alley.

"If you don't mind," Harry spoke up, hesitantly, "I'd like to go and visit Ms. Elfine."

Hermione stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Draco's mother," Harry added, just to make sure that they were speaking about the same person. "I'd like to invite her to visit us at Hogwarts. According to Draco, he'd really like her to visit us, but she's always declined."

"So you believe if you as the headmaster invites her, she might come," Hermione said, seemingly thoughtful. "That might be. Let's try it out," she added, striding ahead in clear determination.

'That's my Hermione,' Harry thought, smiling in amusement.

To Harry's relief, Ms. Elfine was a very friendly woman. When she first opened the door, seeing two unknown humans stand in front of her house, she seemed very apprehensive, however, when Hermione introduced them as Draco's best friends, she motioned them inside in apparent excitement.

"Ms. Elfine, we'd like to invite you to visit us at Hogwarts," Harry spoke up, explaining, "Draco is good friends with my whole family, and we, my parents and my grandparents would really like to get to know you."

When Ms. Elfine hesitantly agreed, Harry promised to collect her after breakfast the following morning and take her to Hogwarts to meet his family.

Before leaving, Harry asked the friendly fairy if she could recommend a coffee shop at Fairy Alley, where he and Hermione could spend some quiet time together, and Ms. Elfine gave them clear instructions and cast them a knowing look, when they left, thanking her profusely.

"Harry, we didn't bring your Clover Cauldron," Hermione suddenly remembered, causing Harry to smirk.

"We don't need it," he reassured her. "Draco told me that he heard from his mother that Gringotts has recently opened a small branch at Fairy Alley and that it's now possible to pay with the currency of the British magical world."

"Oh, all right," Hermione replied in surprise, just when they entered the coffee shop, which was indeed very cosy and offered a nice view over the clover garden.

To their surprise, the menu was not different from those in human coffee shops, and they quickly ordered something to drink.

"Hermione," Harry suddenly spoke up after a minute of quietly enjoying their drinks, "would you perhaps like to become my wife?"

Hermione looked up in what seemed pleasant shock, before she replied, "Yes, Harry, I'd love to become your wife."

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized, while his thoughts went haywire. 'She agreed!' his mind screamed at him, while he promised to look for betrothal rings together. "You know everything went so fast with Voldemort's demise only yesterday," he explained.

"I fully understand," Hermione replied, smiling, and together, the two love-birds walked through Fairy Alley looking for a jeweller, which they finally found at the other side of the clover garden.

By the time they left Fairy Alley, each of them was wearing a ring with a Celtic pattern, equipped with all possible safety charms that the jeweller could apply as well as a telepathy charm, which allowed them to communicate through telepathy at all times. Hermione's ring was decorated with two white and two green little stones on each side of the Claddagh symbol.

"It's just beautiful," Hermione sighed, happily, as she eyed her ring with apparent happiness.

"I like it, too," Harry fully agreed.

Draco

At dinner after the Hogsmeade visit, Harry instructed his whole family to gather in the Founders quarters right after breakfast the following morning.

'We almost always meet there on class free days anyway,' Draco thought in surprise. 'I wonder what's so special tomorrow.'

He almost stared in shock, however, when Harry apparated into the Founders' living room with his mother in tow.

"Mum," Draco blurted out in disbelief, when Harry began to introduce her as Ms. Elfine, his mother.

"How nice of you to visit us here at Hogwarts," Rowena greeted their guest and introduced everyone.

To Draco's relief, everyone was very friendly and welcoming to his mother – not that he had expected anything else – and she seemed to feel quite all right in spite of the fact that she never wanted to venture into the human world as much as Draco had tried to convince her.

'Why is Harry always able to achieve whatever he wants?' he mused in slight amusement, feeling extremely happy to have his own mother with him for once.

It was only later on, after Harry had taken his mother home to Fairy Alley that Rowena spoke up, pensively. "Ms. Elfine would make a brilliant head of Ravenclaw, considering how much she knows about the magical word, and even if you want to separate the head of the house positions from the teaching positions, she could still teach a few classes of Fairy knowledge."

"That's a fantastic idea," Hermione blurted out, causing Draco to grin. 'Leave it to Mione to not miss a chance to learn something new,' he thought in amusement.

"Good luck with convincing her to live in the human world," he spoke up, smirking.

Harry gave him a thoughtful look. "I agree that it would be just amazing," he spoke up. "Draco, will you accompany me to Fairy Alley to ask her next Sunday?"

Draco let out a long sigh. "All right, I'll accompany you, but you will be the one trying to convince her," he conceded.

Hermione

To Hermione's relief, Ms. Elfine finally agreed to take the offered positions from the new school year onwards. She agreed with Harry to try it out until the Christmas holidays and then decide if she would remain at Hogwarts and close her small business on Fairy Alley or if she would return home.

'I hope she's going to stay,' Hermione thought, before a sudden idea crossed her mind. 'Oh no, next school year, I won't be a student anymore. Will I still be able to take her class?'

When she voiced her question at the next opportunity, everyone blurted out laughing.

"Since Ms. Elfine has taken the head of house position, she's going to teach only one or two classes at the most, and those are probably going to take place sometime during the weekend," Harry reassured her, grinning.

"But I won't be a student anymore," Hermione replied, worriedly.

"That doesn't matter," Lily spoke up in a soft voice. "I believe that such a special class will surely be open to any staff member as well. By the way, Harry, have you already thought about the other positions for the next school year?"

Hermione looked from Lily to her fiancé in curiosity, thinking, 'Oh, I'd so love to remain at Hogwarts as a teacher. I just hope Harry will consider me.'

Harry smirked. "Well, I've put some thought into the matter, however, I need to hear your opinions," he replied, before he began to explain his ideas.

"Well, for the heads of the houses, I'd like Blaise for Slytherin, provided that he agrees."

"That would be brilliant," Draco voiced his consent, and Hermione had to agree. 'He's really nice, and as far as I've observed, everyone in Slytherin seems to like him,' she thought.

"I've toyed with the idea of making James the head of Gryffindor, even if he could still remain at Hogwarts as an Auror," Harry continued, giving them a questioning look.

"Why not," Minerva was the first to agree, and everyone nodded their consent.

"Well, I could as well quit the Aurors," James spoke up. "I could still roam the castle in my dog form if the students don't need me."

"And Hufflepuff?" Helga spoke up, eyeing Harry with apparent eagerness.

Harry let out a long sigh. "Frankly speaking, I'd like Petunia on the position, however, we can't do that, considering that she's a muggle."

"Nonsense," Salazar growled, glaring at Harry. "We can simply give her magic."

"How?" Hermione asked in bewilderment, thinking of her own parents who would surely love to be part of the magical world.

"What?" Petunia gasped, staring at the Founder in what seemed to be a combination of bewilderment and hope.

Helga

Glancing at Susan, she enquired in a friendly voice, "You're Dudley's girlfriend, right Susan?"

"Yes," Susan replied, smiling.

"Would you, Susan, and you, Petunia, allow me to cast a spell to see if your blood was compatible?" Helga asked, glancing from Susan to Petunia, who used to visit the extended family in the Founders' quarters every Sunday.

"The magic giving person and the receiving person must not be relatives, however, need to have a close relationship," Salazar explained, while Helga cast her spell, seeing that the two women's blood was indeed compatible.

"Well, I suggest that you both consider if you wish to proceed with it, and when you have decided, we can do it at any time," she said, gently, giving Petunia an encouraging smile.

"If it's possible, I want it," Petunia blurted out, only to add as an afterthought, "if Susan is comfortable with it."

"I don't mind," Susan replied, smiling, causing Helga to stand from her seat. "Very well then, let's head to one of the guest room and go on with it," she suggested, smiling, when Susan and Petunia eagerly followed her.

Harry

'Aunt Petunia a witch,' Harry thought in disbelief. "Oh well, I guess we have Petunia as the Hufflepuff head then," he spoke up, smirking. "Now, I can offer the following teaching positions," he continued, "Arithmancy, Charms and Divination, and we also need a librarian. Now if you allow me to make a few suggestions," he paused, glancing around only to realise that everyone was looking at him in clear expectation, "Granddad, would you be willing to teach Arithmancy?"

His grandfather stared at him in apparent disbelief. "Harry, I'd like that very much, however, I believe that there are younger people who need to get a chance," he replied in a soft voice.

Harry shrugged. "I thought you'd be best for Arithmancy and Hermione for Charms. However, if you prefer it the other way round…" He looked from his grandfather to Hermione, questioningly.

"Hermione, which would you prefer?" his grandfather enquired, giving Harry's fiancée an encouraging look.

"Either of them would be absolutely brilliant," Hermione blurted out in apparent happiness. "Thank you so much, Harry for considering me."

"Well, it's up to the two of you," Harry urged them, causing Hermione to speak again. "Mr. Potter, would Charms be all right for you?"

"Of course," the older wizard replied, gently, causing Harry to give his grandfather a confirming nod.

"All right then, Hermione for Arithmancy, and Granddad for Charms," he repeated, trying to remember everything that they had decided. 'Oh well, I can always ask Hermione. She always knows exactly who said what in a conversation,' he thought in relief. 'She really is the best.'

"For Divination, I don't have a clue whom to ask, and for the position of the librarian," he interrupted himself looking at his grandmother, "Granny, would you like to take the position?"

"I'd love that," his grandmother immediately agreed.

"I know whom you could ask for Divination," Rowena spoke up. "My sister Roxana is a Seer just like myself, and I know that she'd love living here in the future. Just go to a time after we'll be back in the past and ask her," she suggested.

"All right, I'll do that then," Harry agreed, feeling extremely relieved that he had been able to fill all the positions that were going to be vacant after the end of the school year. 'Oh well, I still need to ask Petunia and Roxana.'

"Very well then," he continued just when Helga, Susan and Petunia joined them, seemingly happy. "There are still two more positions which I wish to fill next summer. "Dudley, would you perhaps like to teach Muggle Studies? All magically raised children will have to attend the class for two years."

"If you deem me adequate for the position, of course," Dudley replied, grinning.

Harry nodded, contentedly. "Susan, I wish you to teach the newly invented subject Traditions of the Magical world, which all muggleborns must attend for two years. How is that?"

"If you think that I'm competent to teach such a thing, I'd love it," Susan agreed, seemingly happy.

"There's something else, which I'd like the two of you to do," Harry continued, slowly. Seeing that he held their attention, he explained, "Considering that you won't have as many classes as everyone else, I'd like to ask you to together research muggle devices like mobile phones and personal computers to get them to work in the magical world."

"Oh, that sounds like great fun," Dudley blurted out, grinning at Susan. "We're in."

"I'd be willing to help with that as well, if you need any assistance," Remus spoke up, smiling.

"Yes please," Susan replied, eagerly. "Thank you, Remus."

"What about Draco?" Hermione suddenly spoke up, looking at their blond friend, questioningly.

"I'm going to open my own apothecary in Hogsmeade," Draco replied, "just next to the twins' joke shop. I'll also supply Hogwarts with potions, so that Lily only has to brew urgent things apart from teaching Potions."

HP

'Thank Merlin, everything is fixed for the upcoming school year,' Harry thought after a very turbulent summer and a quadruple wedding. While Harry and Hermione as well as Susan and Dudley had already decided six months ago to hold their wedding together with Sirius and Amelia, Remus and Roxana, who had come to the future on New Year's Day, had decided in the last minute to get married as well.

'There's only one thing, which I still need to remedy,' Harry thought, as he motioned Hermione to come with him to Potter Manor for a moment.

"I thought that since we aren't living at Potter Manor anymore but spend the whole year at Hogwarts with our extended family, we should take Buckbeak back to Hagrid under the condition that he's only allowed in classes from fifth year onwards," Harry explained to his wife, giving her a questioning look.

"I think that's a brilliant idea," Hermione agreed and eagerly followed him out onto the grounds to fetch the hippogriff.

Two hours later, they were flying over the lake approaching the grounds of Hogwarts.

"Back to where everything began," Hermione voiced her thoughts, having to shout for Harry to understand her against the wind.

"Back to where everything began and where our future lies," Harry agreed, smiling, once they had given Buckbeak back to Hagrid.

"I'm so happy," his wife added, before he pulled her into a long kiss.

The End