"Now that we're done in here, what are our plans to for tomorrow?" asked Harry.
"Well since you mentioned it earlier, we need to do some shopping. We'll have to ask Professor Dumbledore if we can go out tomorrow to get some food and supplies at least," replied Hermione, and Harry nodded in agreement. "But if possible, we need to get you to a clothing store badly. I'm tired of seeing you wear rags," she added derisively.
"Now hold on a minute! I realize Dudley's cast offs aren't much to look at, but I'm fine with what I have…really," he retorted.
Hermione ignored him for the moment and began ticking off points on her fingers; lost in thought and her eyes were unfocused. "You could definitely use some new trainers. We might as well get ourselves measured for new school robes while we're in Diagon Alley. I'd like to stop at Flourish & Blotts to get a few books if we have time. Hmm, it would probably be wise to get your eyes checked, too. I wonder if there are any wizard optometrists?" She thought on this for a few seconds as she scanned her memories of the alley. She shrugged and turned her attention back to Harry, "Harry, Ron said you had a little bit of money in your vault. Is there enough there to cover what we need?"
"I said, hold on Hermione—honestly! Yes, there's enough gold in my vault to cover it. Of that, I'm sure. But who says I need it?"
Hermione took on an almost pitying look, "Oh Harry. I know you're probably not much for shopping, but trust me. You'll feel better in some new clothes; ones that actually fit. You'd be surprised how much it boosts your confidence. Besides, you come from pretty ancient wizarding bloodlines. You should at least try to look the part."
"Alright, fine," Harry sighed. "But don't expect me to be much help. I've never been shopping, at least not for myself at any rate." Harry could see Hermione's anger building and attempted to calm her down. "Look Hermione, that's all in the past. There's nothing we can do to change it. Alright?"
She growled and grit her teeth. She lay back on the bed, glared at the ceiling, and let out a furious shriek, "Damn those Dursleys, and what they've done to you!"
Harry placed his hand on hers before she could get up and start pacing. "Don't worry about them. They're gone, and I don't plan on ever seeing them again. I'm here with you now, and that's better than anything I could have possibly asked for." Her enraged expression fell quickly. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she sat up and wrapped him up in a tight embrace. He now looked gravely concerned. "What's wrong? What did I do?" he asked uncertainly.
She pulled back slightly and held his jaw on both sides to keep him from looking away. "Nothing's wrong, Harry. As a matter of fact, you did everything right." Harry's confusion was echoed in his expression. "That was probably the sweetest and nicest thing that anybody's ever said to me," she said as she leaned in, closed her eyes, and placed a soft kiss on his stunned lips. She pulled back again and rewarded him with a heartfelt smile that pulled him from his daze. The goofy smile she received in return was enough to make her lightheaded. She was even further removed from her faculties when he recovered and ran his fingers through her hair then leaned forward to initiate another kiss.
This kiss was just as tender but what she felt from the kiss made her breath hitch. She could feel the emotions, his emotions, rolling off him in waves. The depth and breadth of his emotions caused her to heart swell and stir the embers of her own passion. She fully returned his affections but held back to allow him set the pace. She was reward for her patience as he kissed her several more times and tugged slightly on her upper lip. He then tilted his a little more and ran his tongue along her lower lip. She responded by opening her mouth to him, and the kiss deepened. The pulses of emotion emanating from him jumped in intensity, which took her by surprise again. The feelings of love and affection came across just as strong, but they were now coupled with passion, want, and desire. She felt as if she were on a rocky shoreline watching and hearing powerful waves crashing against the rocks and was left in awe. She was utterly lost in the intoxicating sensations as she pulled Harry down beside her as she again fell back onto the bed. Harry started as he realized the position he was in and withdrew enough to speak to her.
"Wh-What are we doing, Hermione?"
She had a mischievous look in her eyes, "Haven't we already had this conversation before?"
"Well, yeah. I guess so. But I'm afraid that I'll go to far, and that I'll hurt you. I-I couldn't live with myself if that happened," he stated sadly as he looked away.
"Harry, look at me." He didn't move. She rolled her fingers under his chin and pulled his gaze to her. "Come on, Harry. Do I look hurt to you?"
"Yes. A little."
Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking, "You're right. Do you know why?" He pulled his eyes away and shook his head. "Because you stopped." His popped up and his eyes locked with hers. They conveyed his sense of confusion. "One of the happiest and most amazing moments was happening a few minutes ago, then it abruptly stopped when I didn't want it to. I want this. I want to be with you like this. Do you?" A lump caught in his throat, and he could only nod dumbly in response. "Then trust me a little. If one of us gets uncomfortable and wants to stop, then we'll stop. Otherwise, let me hold you. Let me be with you." Hermione's voice took on a sultry tone, "Let me love you."
Harry smiled and nodded as she leaned in to resume where they left off. For the next hour they held each other close, bathed each other in easy, comfortable affections and spoke in whispers about life, love, their histories, and the future. For the first time in his life, Harry fell asleep feeling completely content with his lot in life. After talking with Hermione for such a long time about how she felt and then about her parents and their relationship. In his mind, he began to examine his own feelings.
'Am I really in love with her? Maybe… I mean, I think so,' he thought to himself. He rolled over and spooned himself against the young woman beside him. After deeply inhaling her scent, he continued, 'I just know that with her by my side, I could face just about anything.'
Somewhere in the Northern Scottish Highlands at that very moment, two tennis ball-sized glass globes stood side-by-side attached together by a small glass pipette: one contained rolling clouds of dark, smoky grey, the other contained white fluffy clouds with a shade of pink at the edges. Suddenly, they grey one cleared entirely while a pure, blinding white light broke though the clouds and illuminated the room completely. On a perch by the window, Fawkes spread his wings proudly and erupted in joyous song that could be heard throughout the castle.
"Excellent. They've done it."
A.A.A.A.A.A.A.
Remus Lupin awoke early the next morning in his hotel room. After donning one of the provided bathrobes, he called room service and ordered a simple breakfast. He then opened the blinds and the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the patio. He leaned on the railing and admired that the view this morning was almost as majestic as last evening's. The valley of the mountain below was covered in shadows, and the mountain peaks in the distance was enveloped in inviting orange and yellow light from the sunrise with few splashes of red.
Room service arrived shortly thereafter, and Remus was set at the table on the patio enjoying a breakfast of toast, steak, eggs, and a cup of coffee as he perused the local newspaper. 'Too bad they don't serve bangers and mash here. I was quite in the mood for it,' he thought. He briefly looked at his watch and noted it was almost 8:00 a.m., and that he best get moving. Although he had already found the museum after sunset on the night previous and mapped out all the best routes, he still wanted to leave plenty of time in case the unforeseeable happened. In true execution of Circe's Law, an owl flew up and landed on the railing with a post attached to its leg just as he folded the paper and put it on the table. He removed the post and the owl promptly departed. He opened the letter and saw that it was in Greek before the text faded behind the translated English.
Mr. Lupin,
I have received word from Hellenic Wizarding Intelligence that forces from your English Dark Lord have entered Greece but could not be detained at customs. They are en route to Delphi via a detected illegal portkey as I write and should be arriving before the bottom of the hour. I am taking your package to the bus station and will purchase you a ticket for the 8:20 a.m. departure to Athens. I have the transfer scrolls for you to sign before taking the package, but I will not immediately submit it so that you can't be followed. I'll meet you at the station wearing a forest green business suit and a similarly colored fedora hat with red feather. Pass-phrase: "I am a sheep in wolf's clothing."
Meet me as soon as possible.
Your
friend and colleague,
A. Koutsouris
Remus reread the letter to memorize the information and then burned it. He hastily cast a cleansing charm on himself and packed the few items that he had unpacked, left a few Drachmas under the weight of the breakfast plate, and hurried out the door.
After taking a few minutes to check out of the hotel, he hurriedly walked the four or five city blocks to the bus station. He scanned the station for his appointed courier and found the feathered hat on his second pass over the crowd. The man had a three-foot length cardboard tube on his arm and leaning against one of the building's concrete supports. Remus walked casually walked toward the man and leaned against the same support on an adjacent side. He kept his head down and turned his face to the man but did not meet the man's eyes. "I am a sheep in wolf's clothing," he muttered just above a whisper.
The man turned and offered his hand, "Good morning, Mr. Lupin."
"Good morning, Mr. Koutsouris," Remus returned.
"I'm afraid we don't have much time. Here is the artifact that your school's headmaster requested. I need to sign these transfer scrolls, and then we can get you and the artifact away from here." He produced two pieces of parchment from and envelope and offered him on old-fashioned fountain pen. "Sign here please, on both copies and keep one copy for your headmaster's records."
Remus signed both copies and kept the last one and gave the pen back to its owner. "What's going to happen to your museum?"
"I don't know for certain. I had the building closed for the day and evacuated. I hope that the Dark Lord's men may just look around and then leave when they can't find what they're looking for, or they could destroy everything. I hope they decide on the former."
The uncomfortable silence was broken by a voice over a loudspeaker, "First boarding call for the 8:20 departure to Athens."
Remus looked behind him saw people making their way to the bus and looked back to his Greek Order colleague. "Well sir, I'd best be getting on board. I hope you're right, and that they leave after they don't find what they're looking for. I'm kind of a history buff myself and would hate see it destroyed."
The two men shook hands and the assistant curator offered, "Please come back to Delphi sometime to visit the museum and seek me out. We shall have dinner together."
Remus smiled, "It would be my pleasure." Remus took his ticket from the man and boarded the bus with his duffel bag slung over one arm and the cardboard tube under the other arm. The man waited at the bus station until the bus left the terminal and was out of sight.
"May the gods protect you on your journey, my friend."
A.A.A.A.A.A.A.
Harry rolled over the next morning with a smile, thinking about a wonderful dream he had had. 'It all just felt so real,' he thought. He slowly opened his eyes to find the object of his dreams lying beside him.
"Good morning sleepyhead," Hermione bantered.
"You mean it wasn't a dream?" he asked.
"That depends…what you dream about?" she added playfully.
Harry's face turned red enough to match any Weasley's hair. "Well, we…we sort of talked most of the night, and…and maybe kissed a little bit."
"Oh that? No, that wasn't a dream. Although my dream took things a bit farther than that," Hermione said quietly.
"Hermione!"
She slapped him teasingly on the arm. "Oh quit being such a prude, Harry."
"Wait a minute! That's usually my line!" They cuddled a little closer shared a little light-hearted humor at the other's expense. During the exchange, Hedwig flew in the open window and perched herself on the headboard.
Harry greeted her jovially, "Good morning, Hedwig. What have you got for me this morning?" Harry reached for the post on her leg, but she snapped a light warning at his fingers and fluttered down to Hermione's leg. "Well, if it wasn't for me, you should've just said so," he responded dejectedly.
Hermione removed the envelope and countered, "Honestly Harry, how is she supposed to tell you?" Hermione read over the letter and the smile on her face widened the further she read. She launched to her feet, and punched her fist in the air. "Yes!"
"What? What's going one, Hermione?"
"I wrote Professor Dumbledore last night after you went to sleep to ask if we could go to London today to go shopping, and he said 'Yes!'" she squealed excitedly. Her face then frowned immediately with worry, "Oh dear, I have to phone my mum right away to let her know—she's driving us there. Plus we've got to finish our list of what we have to do." She looked back the letter and continued to read. "Wait a minute. What's this?" She pulled her face closer to the parchment as she read silently. "This doesn't make any sense. The professor says that he requires that we allow close guard in Diagon Alley but that we should be fine in muggle London." She lowered the letter and looked to Harry. "Why would that be. Do you think that we would be safer in muggle London?"
"Dunno. Maybe he figures there's safety in numbers. That and the fact that I'm essentially a 'nobody' outside of the wizarding world might have something to do with it. Maybe that's his logic."
She tapped her finger to her jaw, "I'm still not so sure—maybe so." She resumed reading the letter and paraphrased for Harry. "He also says that we can use this letter as a portkey to come back here. All we have to do is tap a wand to the parchment while holding it."
"Well, that's dead useful. That way your mum won't have to come back to London to pick us up."
"True," she said thoughtfully. "Oooh, you know what? Since we aren't going to be guarded in London, we could actually go out on a real date!"
Harry tried to swallow the lump that formed in his throat, "A what?"
"A date you silly boy. You know where a boy and a girl go out on the town and have a good time?" Harry stood there in stunned silence with his mouth flapping. Hermione approached him and forced his eyes to meet hers. "Oh Harry, I know your last date didn't go well, but I assure you that this time will be different."
"But…but, how do you know? I mean seriously, I'm no good with girls."
"But you and I talk all the time, don't we, Harry?" Harry merely nodded. The maniacal gleam reappeared in Hermione's eyes as she lightly ran her over his jaw line and across his lips, "Besides, based on how you were kissing me yesterday, I'd say we pretty do pretty well together when we're not talking as well." She raised herself on the tips and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Harry grabbed her around the waist and couldn't help but to smile.
"Alright, I'll go along with this date idea, but you've been given fair warning. I'm a horrible date." Harry sighed and got serious. "Well now, we need to get moving if we are going to get everything done today, 'Mione. How about I take my shower while you call your mum? Then when I'm finished, I'll look over the list, and you can take yours, okay?"
"Okay, love," she replied excitedly and gave him another peck. He heard her bouncing all the way down the hall as she recited in a sing-song voice repeatedly, "We're going all day to London…"
He gave a dreamy sigh and his eyes glazed over. 'How did I get so lucky as to have somebody like that fall in love with me?' He answered his own question by shrugging his shoulders. He gathered his things and went to the bathroom.
A.A.A.A.A.A.
Remus Lupin had finally made his way back to British soil and was walking along the path from Hogsmeade to the school. The headmaster wearing a set of flowing white robes greeted him at the large front doors.
"Good morning, Remus. I trust your trip was uneventful," the headmaster addressed him.
The former professor shook the headmaster's hand, "Aside from a minor change in plans, the trip went off without a hitch."
"I believe you have something for me…" the headmaster stated with his eyes twinkling merrily.
Remus looked into his eyes but gave pause, "I…I think this should be done within the confines of your office Albus."
"Ah yes, I did say that, didn't I? The elder wizard withdrew to one side to allow him passage, "Shall we?"
Remus nodded in affirmation and made his way to the headmaster's office. Upon reaching the stone gargoyle, the headmaster gave his password, "Terribly Tacky Taffy."
"Another product from Fred and George?" Remus inquired.
"Indeed. I've heard that a few grandparents of muggleborn students use it as denture adhesive, whatever that may be."
Remus lowered his head and coughed, while trying to disguise his amusement as they went up the rotating stairs. Upon entering the office, glanced over to the perch by the window and observed the phoenix as the headmaster entered. The phoenix met both of the humans' eyes emitted a short cooing sound and then went back to preening its feathers. Albus Dumbledore paused to meet the phoenix's gaze then walked behind his desk and sat down.
"Now, I believe you have something for me," the headmaster prompted.
"I do," replied the lycanthrope. He handed the parchment to the white-haired wizard. "Here is the notice of transfer and a copy of the receipt. And here is the artifact you asked for," Remus stated as he placed the cardboard tube on the wooden desk.
"So tell me Remus, what caused the change of plans in Delphi?" Remus settled into the cushy chair across from the desk and told the tale of the past few days.
"I, for one, am glad that returned to us safely, Remus. I had heard rumblings that Voldemort and his followers were looking for an artifact such as this. After the record of the prophecy was destroyed in the Department of Mysteries last month and Voldemort's subsequent defeat at the ministry, he has been looking for other ways to obtain the information. To my knowledge, this is the only other option to obtain the prophecy indirectly."
"But what is this artifact, and what makes it so special?" Remus asked.
Dumbledore removed the end cap from the cardboard tube and extracted a long, polished, golden staff from the packing material in the tube. The staff appeared to be about two and feet long, and the main length of the staff was shaped like an ancient tapered Greek-style column. The staff had a few decorated collars near the wide and tapered ends of the staff. At the head of the staff were carvings of three attractive women standing back to back in a triangle formation wearing toga robes. Their arms were extended up and slightly outward, and their hands performed as clasps to hold the diamond cut ruby that rested on the backs of the three women.. The ruby seemed to pulsate with magical energy.
"This, my friend, is 'The Staff of the Pythian Oracles.' In Ancient Greece, a set of remarkable triplets were born unto the god Apollo's most humble servant and his wife. These three girls were truly gifted seers in every sense of the word. Their visions were sought out by all peoples, Greek and foreign alike. Emperors and leaders sought their wisdom, warlords sought to have their victory foretold in upcoming battles, and the upper class asked which heirs would maintain their fortunes.
"But the triplets foresaw their impending murder and death. The women decided to enchant their spirits into an object to keep their legacy and gifts alive for those genuinely in need of their services. The object they enchanted was this staff. It was received as a gift from the most prominent goldsmith of the time for their services rendered to him. No one has received an answer from the spirits within the staff, but it is told that the spirits will come to those who call them in their time of need."
Remus gave a appreciative whistle, "Wow. That's some story Albus. So Voldemort was looking to gain the contents of the prophecy from this staff then?"
"That is what Professor Snape told me. I could not allow this to fall into his hands. Although I didn't count on it being hunted down so quickly, I am again glad that you were able to return with it uninjured."
"Likewise, Professor. Likewise."
A.A.A.A.A.A.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Cor, Hermione! Get out of the bathroom already! You're mum's due in less than five minutes!"
"Just another minute!" came the muffled response from behind the hall door.
Harry continued ranting to the young woman standing on the other side, "In all the years that I've known you 'Mione, you've never been one to hold up the bathroom. What's taking so long?"
"I just want to make sure that I look decent for our date this evening," he heard from behind the door.
"Don't work about it, Hermione. You'd look terrific in just about anything. As a matter of fact, I don't think that you could look bad even…" Harry paused as the bathroom door opened. Hermione stood absolutely still; looking nervously at Harry. "…if you tried," he finished lamely as his jaw couldn't find the initiative to close itself.
Hermione looked down at her feet and fidgeted with her hands behind her back. Harry eyes could only seem to follow hers to the floor then slowly he allowed his eyes to examine the pretty young woman standing in front of him, inch by inch.
She had a pair of plain white trainers on her feet with a pair of baby blue ankle socks. His eyes slowly climbed up the large expanse of skin that covered her long, slender legs until they reached a pair of high-cut white shorts. His eyes continued their northward journey. His breath hitched as he saw the matching baby blue fitted T-shirt that hugged her torso tightly. He couldn't help but notice how taut the fabric was around the swell of her breasts. Her bosom wasn't too large or too small; they just seemed to fit her frame perfectly. Harry had to quell wicked thoughts as he judged that they would fit perfectly in the palms of his hands. Difficult as it was for hormone-assaulted mind to continue, he made his pull away and move onward.
Hermione had managed to tame her bushy hair. Instead of being pulled up as it was during the Yule Ball a year and a half ago, she had opted to leave it down. It cascaded behind her shoulders in soft, silky ringlets down her back with a few locks draping down the front of her shirt due to her lowered head. She only wore a hint of makeup on her face that brought out the flecks of gold in her soft brown eyes and made her skin radiant. The overall effect left Harry waging an internal battle between his want to run his hands across her face and being afraid to spoil the vision of loveliness standing before him with his oafish mitts. When he noticed that she was almost shaking nervously in anticipation, his desire to touch her won out. He curled a finger underneath her chin and drew her gaze to his.
"Somehow you've managed to look both adorably cute and breathtakingly beautiful. You look absolutely brilliant."
Seeing nothing but truth and sincerely in his expressive emerald eyes, she smiled brightly. Hermione took a step forward and draped her arms over his shoulder and pulled him down to give a peck of the cheek.
"Thank you, Harry."
He pulled her gently into his arms, and she rested her head on his shoulders. "Not a problem, 'Mione. Besides, I probably look an absolute fright standing next to you, Miss Granger," he kidded.
She looked him squarely in the eye and traced a single finger down his nose, "Oh, I plan on taking care of that situation today, whether you like it or not," she countered. Their good-natured banter was cut short by the ringing of the doorbell. "That should be my mum," she declared as she bounced down the stairs. Harry followed cautiously with his hand wrapped tightly around his pocketed wand. Hermione opened the front door and greeted her mother warmly as Harry continued down the stairs, his eyes never leaving the doorway. Hermione's reaction seemed to indicate that nothing was amiss, and Harry relaxed somewhat.
"Hermione dear, are you going to invite me in or leave me standing here all day? I thought I taught you better manners." Helen playfully scolded.
Hermione looked aghast and stepped aside, "Oh, I'm so sorry mum. Please do come in." Helen came into the house, and Hermione closed the front door behind her. Hermione then circled around her mother, stood by Harry's left side and took his hand into hers. "Mum, this is Harry. Harry, this is mother, Helen Granger."
Harry considered Helen for a moment. She stood about an inch or taller than Hermione, and her hair, although cut slightly shorter, flowed down her back in light, honey-brown curls in contrast to Hermione's dark chestnut mane. Helen's eyes were hazel in hue to Hermione's soft, warm brown ones, but both had flecks of gold scattered about their colored irises. Other than these few differences and the presence of a few laugh lines, both women were of similar body type and facial structure. After Harry saw Hermione's mother, he could definitely tell that Hermione's natural beauty was an inherited trait from her mother.
When Harry glanced back up at Helen, she seemed to be inspecting him with the same level of scrutiny. She engaged his eyes, and he was more than a little unnerved at the feeling of having his soul measured. She broke into a hospitable smile, as her attention seemed to refocus back to his physical form. "It's nice to finally meet you Harry. I believe we saw each other once on the train platform, but we were never properly introduced." She saddened slightly as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hermione told me about your godfather, Harry. I'm terribly sorry for your loss. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help."
Harry shoulders drooped and looked down, "Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate the offer, but you've already given me the best help possible when you allowed Hermione to some stay with me. She's already saved me from myself. And for that, I will be eternally grateful."
He froze when Helen abruptly wrapped in a warm, motherly hug. "I can see why you like this one Hermione. He may be a project, but he's definitely a keeper."
Harry was still shell-shocked as Helen released him, and Hermione took her place. "He is, mum. I know he is." Harry seemed content to ignore the conversation as he curled his arms around her and settled comfortably in to her familiar embrace.
Helen sighed forlornly as this young man was holding her only daughter so adoringly. "My little baby is almost all grown up," she whispered quietly, but Harry heard her and held the girl in his arms a little more tightly. Helen wiped her eyes and put on a more cheerful face. "Just look at me drowning the two of you like a leaky hosepipe. You guys have a busy day planned, and I decide to hold up the train by getting so emotional. Let's just jump in the car before the day decides to pass us by."
The three left the house quickly. The teens paused momentarily as Harry closed the door behind them and locked it. Hermione again entwined one of his hands in hers as they walked toward a late model Range Rover sitting idly in the drive. As they moved closer, Harry saw that a pink-haired Tonks was already riding in the co-pilot's seat and looked eager to leave. Harry opened the door, and Hermione slid across the seat to leave room for him. He sat down beside her and closed the door. Within minutes they were on one of the main motorways to London.
The trip itself was a fairly quiet affair. Tonks tried to engage them both in light conversation, but Harry would not allow himself to be baited. Harry was lost in thought for the greater part of the journey and stared out the window with unfocused eyes. Harry only looked up when Hermione pulled his face away from the window and asked if he was all right. He gave a forced smile and stated that he was fine and was merely thinking. Hermione held his arms and snuggled her head against his shoulder as Harry resumed his station at the window.
The biggest reaction though, came when Tonks mentioned that the two of them seemed awfully cozy lately. Hermione grinned impishly and replied, "What's the matter, Tonks? Are you jealous?" Helen laughed merrily at the counterattack, and Tonks had the good grace to look embarrassed, if only slightly. Tonks didn't speak for the remainder of the trip.
Upon reaching London, they slowly made their way to street that passed by the Leaky Cauldron—the hidden entrance to the wizarding world. Helen drove slowly by the hidden pub as she endeavored to find a parking space. She backed into one roughly a block away and killed the ignition.
Tonks spun around in her seat. "So…are you guys ready?" she asked eagerly.
Helen seemed to have other ideas though. "Tonks, I'd like to have a private moment with Harry and Hermione if you wouldn't mind." Harry tensed at her request.
"No worries. I'll be just outside if you need anything." She opened the door and promptly stumbled over the curb. Harry couldn't help but chuckle a little at the auror's notorious clumsiness but still held the girl beside him tightly to his side. Helen Granger turned in her seat to face the teens as best she could in the vehicle as Harry shifted nervously in his own seat. Hermione's expression seemed to echo her own feelings of dread.
"Harry, I hope you forgive me for being so forthright, but I need to know your intentions toward my daughter."
Harry took a few minutes to carefully formulate his response. "I care very deeply for your daughter, Mrs. Granger. She has been my best friend for the past several years during some of the most difficult times in my life. She has always stayed by my side and believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. I would do absolutely anything for her." He felt Hermione give a grateful squeeze upon hearing this, but Mrs. Granger pressed on but with a less formal tone.
"I understand Harry. But what are your romantic intentions toward my daughter? Do you love her?"
Harry thought over everything he had ever thought or felt for Hermione as his eyes darted back and forth without focus, his face screwed up in concentration. "Yes, I'm pretty sure I do." He glanced at Helen briefly, then looked into the eyes of the beautiful young lady beside him and smiled confidently. "No… I know I do." Hermione's smile was absolutely radiant.
Helen took a deep breath. "Thank you for being so open Harry. I just ask that you watch over my daughter and treat her with respect. Professor Dumbledore said that the safest place she could be in the wizarding world is with you, and now I know why." Helen placed a hand on his knee. "Just please keep her safe for me, will you?"
"I will, Mrs. Granger. You have my word on it."
The two teenagers exited the car. Harry stood by Tonks as Hermione and her mother bid each other farewell. Mother and daughter shared a hug through the open window and spoke quietly before Hermione nodded in answer to something that was said. "I will," she voiced quietly. The trio on the sidewalk walked toward the Leaky Cauldron as they heard the Range Rover pull into traffic.
When the reached the dingy pub, Tonks opened the door and strode inside quickly and told them to try and keep up. Harry was somewhat puzzled by the request until they entered the pub and the patrons stared at them and started pointed. "Blimey, it's Harry Potter," declared one customer, stating the obvious. The chattering crowd converged on them as Harry finally caught on to what Tonks meant and grabbed Hermione's hand tight. He pulled her quickly to the rear of the pub as Tonks was already opening the stone archway to Diagon Alley.
Once through the arch, the three of them strode purposefully toward Gringotts Bank with business-like expressions. The crowd in Diagon Alley stared and pointed as well but behaved much more civilly as most decided to keep their distance. The trio jumped quickly up the steps and entered the bank as inconspicuously as possibly. Only when the employees and patrons of the bank paid them no mind, did they actually allow themselves to relax. The three of them walked to a counter at the far end of the building that had the shortest line. Within minutes, they reached the front of the queue.
"May I help you?" the goblin behind the counter asked in a raspy drawl.
"I would like to make a withdrawal from my vault please," Harry stated evenly and placed his key upon the counter.
Whatever respite they had now appeared short lived however. The goblin closely examined the key and then seemed to do the same to Harry. The goblin's attitude changed significantly as he declared crisply, "Gringotts has other business matters that you must attend to before you can be taken to your vault. Please sit down by the doors to my right and I will notify the appropriate individuals that you are awaiting them." The odd trio looked at each other with puzzled expressions as they traipsed slowly over the waiting area.
"Do you have any idea what this is about Harry?" inquired Hermione.
"Not a clue," he replied.
They both looked at Tonks, who shrugged. Harry looked down and started counting the flagstones in the floor to pass the time.
The door next to them opened silently. Harry changed posture when he saw three pairs of short feet in front of him. The goblin on the left carried a broad axe and wore a simple red tunic with an insignia bearing a crossed spear and battleaxe in front the Gringotts logo. The middle goblin wore a plain black colored tunic, and the goblin on the right was wearing a black tunic of silk bearing a larger Gringotts insignia and was trimmed in gold. He also wore a heavy linked gold chain as a sash across his chest. Harry and his friends rose to meet their welcoming party.
The ornately dressed goblin on the right broke the silence, "Good day, Mr. Potter. I am Ragnok, Manager of Gringotts Bank, London." He gestured to his two companions next to him, "This is Lugnor, my Assistant Manager in the Wills and Trusts Department. On the end is my personal bodyguard Snorlag."
Harry spoke for his companions, "I am Harry Potter." He then motioned in reference to his friend, "This is my friend Hermione Granger, and my guard Auror Nymphadora Tonks." Tonks frowned a little and glared daggers at Harry for addressing her by her full name but said nothing. "We are all pleased to meet you," he said as he bowed slightly in respect, and the others followed his lead.
The stunned goblins recovered quickly. The goblin guard opened the doors, and Ragnok asked the wizard and witches to follow him. They walked to the end of a long hallway lined with many doors labeled with gold foil letters on frosted glass. When they reached the final door labeled 'Meeting Room No. 1,' Ragnok opened the door and went inside and the rest followed his lead. Once inside, Snorlag stood by the door, the two senior goblins sat one side of the long table, and the humans on the other; Harry and the trust officer occupying the center seats directly across from one another. Once settled, Lugnor snapped his fingers and several folders containing documents arrived on the table in front of him with a soft 'pop.'
Lugnor sifted through several documents then garnered the room's attention by clearing his throat noisily. "There are some matters regarding your legal status that must be addressed Mr. Potter." Harry mutely nodded. "Mr. Black asked us to draw up the legal documents needed on his behalf to adopt you as his son." Harry and company all gasped at hearing the revelation. Lugnor rambled on, "We drew up the documents immediately at his request, but we could not execute them until his name was cleared. The testimony given in the investigation of last month's ministry break-in by the indicted death eaters did just that."
'Why didn't I hear of any of this?' Harry thought to himself. He turned to Hermione who had an equally befuddled look and then to Tonks who avoided eye contact. "Did you know of this Auror Tonks?" he asked in a steely voice.
Tonks continued to look down, "I did. This information is not yet a matter of public record, so I couldn't say anything because of my position. I was planning to tell you as soon as I was allowed."
Harry sighed but accepted her answer. He wasn't happy about it, but he could understand the difficult position she was in. Harry took another deep breath to reign in his emotions. "What will happen if I don't sign the adoption papers?"
"I realize that signing these posthumously might seem pointless now—I assure you, it is not. After signing these, you will legally be the son of Sirius Orion Black and sole heir to the House of Black. If you decide not to sign, then Mr. Black's closest male relative will receive the estate, which would be…" Lugnor turned to the third or fourth sheet in the second folder, "Draco Malfoy."
"Look, I really don't need or want the money, so if it's all the same…" Harry said before Hermione interrupted him.
"Harry, think about what you're doing for a moment. If you pass on this, Draco Malfoy inherits Sirius' estate. If he follows in his father's footsteps, you're handing everything that the Blacks owned to Voldemort.
"Forget about the money for a minute. There were tons of dark artifacts and books about the Dark Arts in the Black library at Grimmauld Place alone. How many other things are contained in the family vaults and other properties? You'd be putting our side at a tremendous disadvantage."
Harry nodded in agreement, "Alright, just remember I'm doing this for two reasons: Sirius asked me to do it, so I will honor his request and to keep everything out of Voldemort's hands." Harry heaved a great sigh before asking, "Where do I sign?"
Lugnor pushed three papers forward to him and asked that he sign each copy. Harry took a quill from a roll of holders in the middle of the table, dipped it in ink, and signed the offered parchments. "Congratulations Mr. Potter, you are now officially Harry James Potter-Black as well as head and rightful heir of the Noble House of Black."