Chapter 24 : Post Years

Harry and Hermione were lying in bed. It was Friday and they were both graduating from MIT that evening. Harry was calmly massaging Hermione's hair. He still loved doing this. He looked at Hermione and couldn't believe how lucky he was. Hermione had blossomed since they had met. Her body had filled out in all the right places and Harry constantly craved to be next to her. She was more beautiful today than she was five years ago. Harry was very lucky indeed.

Hermione sighed "Have you looked in the mirror lately Mr. Potter?"

Harry laughed "Who has time to look in the mirror? I'm too busy looking at my 'dead sexy wife"

Hermione lifted her head and kissed his chest. "Mr. Potter you have a very sexy body too and I am so happy its' all mine."

Harry and Hermione had lazed around the bedroom all day. They were leaving their apartment at 5:30 PM as they had their graduation to attend. They had come to America the year after they graduated Hogwart's, both had applied and were accepted at MIT in the Physics and Chemistry/Biology departments.

He and Hermione's one habit that did not stop from their war days was physical exercise. Every morning they ran, lifted weights, and did weapons practice. They had worked a routine that kept them in shape to perform the complex magic spells they had interwoven with their physics and Chemistry/Biology studies.

To their muggle classmates they were just ordinary students who studied and performed in their labs as any other student. In their two-bedroom home, which they had purchased, they had created a lab in the basement. This lab was a specially equipped to apply their knowledge of physics and biology to create much more diverse and complex spells.

Hermione as a joke on Fred and George Weasley had sent them a plastic flower that had emitted magically enhanced enzymes and proteins that caused foul odors, hair color changes, and many other unwanted changes. One day Fred had walked up and smelled the flower and was changed into a female for the whole day. This although a joke, had other more important benefits in biology as a magically enhanced delivery system for medicines and potions as one example. With the right enzymes and protein mixtures it could enhance healing.

Harry had been accepted into the physics program. He had a hard time with some of the physics concepts but with some help from Hermione and long hours of study he was able to master many of the nuances. Harry had always been fascinated by flying and began to magically manipulate gravity much like when he enhanced the velocity of tossed stones. Then he learned to make objects collide at great speeds and precision.

Harry's soon learned to control gravity for defense. He could alter gravity to slow or speed up objects to attack or to defend. He could make it impossible to walk, or travel through areas at will. One of his favorite things to do with Hermione was to create a bubble around them and then simple float into the upper atmosphere. It was a place no one could bother them.

It was in this peaceful and serene atmosphere that Harry and Hermione merged there minds permanently. At first, they would only merge during sex, then 2 years after they bonded they had there first merged dream. Hermione was someplace close to the sea sitting and reading when Harry walked up to her and held her. After that they began to subconsciously merge while they slept. Hermione joked with friends that Harry was the man of her dreams.

After numerous times of merging they would be in different classes and merged to learn the others subject. At first this was done consciously, and then quickly there after, they would wonder what the other was doing and merge without realizing they had done it. Then one night they merged for a wonderful moonlit ride in Harry's Bubble. When they returned they stood looking at each other before they usually separated.

Both hated the feeling of leaving each other and they both looked sad whenever they broke their connection. On that night Harry told Hermione "Don't leave, always be with me."

Hermione smiled "Harry I want this more than anything, I wasn't sure you wanted me that close all the time? Don't you want your man time?"

"Hermione, I have had enough of me time. I was alone most of my life. I don't need or want that anymore. I want you with me all the time and I have no secrets to hide from you." Harry stated with a tremor in his voice.

Hermione never hesitated and merged so they would be together. This is why all their friends thought it odd that Harry now acted like Hermione and Hermione acted like Harry. Their personalities took over the other person for a while to understand what it was like to be them. Hermione had become the one to break the rules, not the ever studious Harry. The reversal of roles from their Hogwarts years had all of their friends completely baffled. Harry was still fun and loved a good joke as always but he could just as easily pick up a book and get lost. Hermione was the one who constantly tried to distract him and to get him to have fun.

Both were receiving their Bachelors of Science in their respective subjects. As they had the same last name they sat together holding hands. When they arrived on the stage and Harry's name was called, Hermione walked with him holding hands. As the Dean looked at them strangely for coming together, the announcer called Hermione's name. Harry and Hermione switched places and she received her diploma. The noise from the crowd grew as they made comments about Harry and Hermione doing this together.

The announcer then paused "As many of you may not know, Mr. & Mrs. Potter came to us from Great Britain, as a matched pair. In the four years they have been here they have never left each other side. It was a challenge to separate them, even when they had classes in different buildings." The audience laughed and applauded. The announcer continued "We wish them the very best." Harry and Hermione lifted their joined hands and turned to the crowd and smiled. They kissed briefly and then departed the stage.

They spent the rest of the summer enjoying the New England weather. In between their various day trips they managed to sell their house and pack their belongings for the return tip to England. They had mixed emotions about returning. Harry had become popular during his time away. The Ministry had finally released the entire story of what Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Ginny had accomplished.

They wanted to see all of there friends and they had missed seeing Draco and Ginny. They both knew that they would not stay long in England as they wanted to learn as much about magic as they could before they settled down to raise a family. Harry and Hermione had discussed this many times in the last four years and they knew that they would be traveling to many places in the next few years. They had made contact with many Ministries all over the world.

Post war Year 14

Hermione had her hands over Harry's eyes. "No peaking Mr. Potter or I swear I will make you regret it." Harry was smiling as he thought he could hear many people surround the table. He and Hermione had been living in Oklahoma for the past 18 months. They had been working with the local Cherokee Indian nation to learn their form of Earth magic. Many believed it was rather weak, Harry now knew better.

Over the last 12 years, Harry and Hermione had traveled to China, Japan, Australia, Russia, Africa, Germany, Iran, and America. They had stayed in each country for 18 to 24 months to learn and teach from select Wizarding groups in each country. China was the hardest to get into but once Harry revealed what he and Hermione had developed about gravity defense they could not accommodate them fast enough.

Word quickly spread through the Wizarding grapevine. Harry and Hermione soon had more offers to visit countries all around the globe. All of them were very eager to share their specialized knowledge in return for Harry and Hermione's knowledge.

In each country, either Hermione or Harry had been able, with the local Wizards, to develop spells not available before. They combined the local magic with the Potter's special magic to make something that benefited everyone. They were happy with the knowledge itself and never asked for anything in return except that this new knowledge always would be given freely.

Harry and Hermione were regarded throughout the world as people who wanted to learn and help mankind, Wizards, and magical creatures. While in Germany and Romania, Harry had been able to crack the wild dragon language after three months. These wild Dragons did not think like any other creature on earth, their language referenced many events in the past with pictures as their words. Harry had to learn these foreign concepts.

In the end Harry was able to convince the Dragons that mankind was not the daft, fragile, and stupid water bags that they believed. The few Dragons he began to converse with did not even know that other Dragons existed as they had always lived a solitary life. Harry then asked the wild Dragons to seek out other dragons around the world. Harry taught the dragon language to local wizards so they could continue the dialogue with them. It was at this time that Hermione found out she was pregnant with Triplets.

She beamed as the local Medicine man told her. Internally Hermione sighed she would be able to give Harry his very own family before they were 30, just as she promised. They had been working on it for 3 years now, she knew Harry would never complain but she had made a promise to him and she was so glad she was able to keep it. As she opened the door of the clinic there stood Harry with the biggest smile he had ever had. Harry picked her up and swung her around before he gently sat her down.

"Thank you Hermione." Then he kissed her, which made her melt. Hermione leaned back after a moment

"You know I really had no choice in all of this. I mean there I was an innocent girl of 15 and this mad haired, green eyed wizard forces me to jump in his bed. Then he kisses me with those wonderful soft lips and then I find out he is my soul mate. I really had no choices now did I?" Hermione gave one of her sly grins.

Harry gently smiled and put his arm around her shoulder as they began to walk home "Hermione I know how these last 14 years have been traumatic for you. I have tried to ease the burden of your forced association in this life with that dastardly wizard you call a husband."

"He is just horrible isn't he? He is just the worst sort possible, I mean really most husbands who get their wives pregnant just have the one baby for each pregnancy, not mine. Oh no, he has to have three at a shot. Ya know … him being the savior of the world and all." Hermione grabs his free hand as she said this.

"I have never understood why you put up with him? Your life could be so much easier if you had another man." Harry stopped and looked at Hermione "Maybe you should take up your boyfriends offer and let him wisk you away from all this." Harry stated with a grin.

Hermione smiled back "And let that dastardly wizard of a husband get out of suffering with me…Oh, know I'll not leave that man ever. Besides in 5 months I will be a plumper, and crabby, and bitchy, I will need nightly massages, weird cravings for food and all that." Hermione stated.

Hermione watched Harry as he got this far off look in his eyes. She watched his whole expression soften and become very happy and contented. Harry dropped to his knees and placed his ear on her stomach.

"Hermione you know deep down I really don't care how plump you get, or how crabby, or bitchy you are. I will gladly get you ice cream or pickles and I will happily massage anything you need. You are going to have our children and I am so very happy."

Hermione let a tear roll out of her eye. She knelt down with Harry and held his face. "Harry I know all of that, we have been together for almost 20 years now. I know who you are." Hermione kissed him gently. "Harry there is one thing I need from you."

Harry looked at her. "What, what do you need?"

Hermione smiled "I think it is time that you and I went home. We need to set-up a house for all of the little potters that will soon be wondering around. Can we stop traveling now?"

Harry looked at Hermione and smiled "I think my girl friend is going to be really upset."

Hermione smiled "Potter, your wife and girlfriend want to go home."

Post War 25 years later

"Lilly, James, and Sirius you need to get your stuff downstairs and come eat breakfast. You don't want to be late for your first day," Hermione called up from the downstairs hall. Hermione turned and took in the view as she walked into the kitchen. Harry was having a little conversation with the three youngest children Albus, Ione, and Herman.

"Daddy we want to go to school with Lilly, James, and Sirius." Albus stated.

"We will be the only Potter's not at Hogwarts." added Ione as she crossed her arms.

"It is really not fair." stated Herman.

Harry intoned "Don't worry you three in two more years you will be there too." Harry smiled and looked at Hermione. "Albus, Ione and Herman were trying to explain to me for the 10th time why it is important that they go to Hogwarts this year rather than two years from now."

Hermione went to pick her cup of tea up. "I see that dear, but I am sure you explained to them how important it was that they attend a good muggle school to round out their studies."

Harry watched Hermione and smiled. "Have I told you lately how amazing and how beautiful you are Mrs. Potter?"

Hermione smiled knowingly "Why no Mr. Potter you have not and I was starting to feel quite neglected."

Albus, Ione, and Herman rolled their eyes as they knew where this was going.

Harry rose from his seat and walked over to Hermione. He held her in a hug and gave her a kiss. Lilly, James and Sirius came around the corner. They too rolled their eyes. "Would you guys get a room or something, geesh!" intoned Sirius.

Hermione looked at them "Oh, so you guys do want more brothers and sisters, then?" asked Hermione with mirth in her eyes.

All six children pointly stated "NO!" This made Harry and Hermione laugh as they held each other.

Harry with a wicked look on his face "Hermione maybe we should save this for Hogwarts I mean they really do have some very nice broom closets to snog in."

Hermione excitedly answered "Oh, Harry you are so right that is a bloody brilliant idea. What a scandal that would cause for the Head Master and the Configurations Professor to be caught in a broom closet snogging. Oh, Rita Skeeter would just love that, maybe we could make the front page if we were caught snogging in one of the classroom."

Lilly shook her head in dismay. "I am so going to need therapy after this. No child should have to walk into a class room with images of their parents snogging on the desk."

Harry turned to her "Who said anything about just snogging?" Hermione giggled as all of their children had pained expressions on their faces.

James eskewed "Mom and Dad that is so wrong on so many levels I don't know where to begin." James went to Lilly and placed her in a protective hug. "Lilly may I please join you at the therapist?"

Lilly smiled and hugged her brother "Of course dear brother, you and Sirius are the only two who would understand my pained and tormented childhood."

Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes. Overly dramatic Harry leaned Hermione back "Hermione my love I don't think my passion for you can wait any longer I must have you once more before we depart." They kissed with mock passion and fevor.

Sirius grabbed the three little ones and ushered them out the back door as James and Lilly quickly followed. "Come on this is our cue to leave maybe we can make it through the whole school year before they get out of the kitchen to embarrass us."

James replied "One can only hope brother, one can only hope."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other "That worked quite well didn't it?" Harry asked Hermione

"Yes, Potter you still know how to clear a room?" She giggled. She grabbed his collar "Headmaster after the kiss I just received, if you are not in my classroom five minutes after the final class is over I am going to find my boyfriend and start snogging without you." Hermione beamed.

"Why am I the only Headmaster who is ordered around by a teacher that works for him?"

Hermione chuckled as she walked out the door "A better question Headmaster is why you listen to her?"

Harry turned toward the door "Because she is the brightest witch of her age and I love her with all my heart." Harry answered.

Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand with their six children in front of them. The three older and the three younger clustered together as the entire family walked to Hogsmeade village to drop the three youngest off at the local elementary school.

Hermione thought that their family could not get any better than this. She never had to stop the children from quarreling; they took care of disagreements themselves. The three oldest were more like best friends than siblings.

They had found out that each triplet group had a unique bond to each other. They had always communicated with each other through their bond link just like Harry and Hermione had through their bond link. Evidently it was a gift they had passed on to all of their children. Harry and Hermione had always been able to link with their children but it had never conveyed anything but how the children were emotionally, Happy, sad, cold, or wet. They had never been able to communicate in a conversation with them until eight years ago.

Harry had been home one day when James, Lilly and Sirius had been home sick. They had never spoken a word even though they were 3 ½ years old. They had somehow been able to sneak up on Harry and simultaneously attack him from three sides. All of them rolled on the floor laughing as they mock wrestled.

Later, Harry had been watching them in their play room while he was invisible and began to notice that they worked together to play and build things. Their activities were coordinated, which meant they were communicating to each other some how. Harry called to Hermione through their link and she came into the room invisible too. They watched the children for an hour go through a myriad of activities. Each game, puzzle or coloring book was done by all three in a coordinated way. The puzzle was the easiest to notice they were communicating as each picked portions of the puzzle to do to complete it.

They suddenly stood and put their hands together and apparated into the yard to play on the swing set. Harry and Hermione were shocked, their three children had just apparated. Harry told Hermione to stay put and become visible as he ran downstairs to open the backdoor. Just as he got to the door, the children linked hands and apparated back to the play room. Hermione stood there with her arms crossed and her foot tapping the floor. "Oh, Sugar." James said.

Harry walked into the room a moment later with a stern expression on his face. "Are we in trouble?" asked Sirius. Hermione and Harry's faces fell as Sirius had used a sentence.

"You need to explain why you have refused to communicate with us. We were very worried about the three of you not talking yet?"

Lilly walked towards her mother "That is my fault mummy, I told James and Sirius that we shouldn't talk yet."

"How could you do that if you didn't talk yet?" Harry asked.

"We have been talking with each other for as long as we can remember." stated James "We do most of it in here like you and mum do." James said as he pointed at his head.

"You three know that your father and I talk in our minds?" All three shook their heads up and down.

Sirius spoke next "I always wanted to ask a question."

Hermione knelt down and held him "What is that, honey?"

"Why do you and dad have one mind and every other married couple we see have two separate minds?" Sirius asked.

Harry literal fell to the floor. "Who are you and what have you done with my children?" He asked.

Lilly giggled "Daddy we are sorry we shocked you like this."

Harry looked at her with a smile "Are you reading my mind Lilly?"

Lilly went and sat on her fathers lap "I can't really read it like a book but I can sense your emotions and sometimes your thoughts, especially when you and mom are communicating." Lilly lowered her head "It's very hard to not hear them when you and mom are in the bedroom at night and afterward you both have very beautiful dreams."

Harry and Hermione both turned beet red. Hermione swallowed "I'm very sorry that you heard and felt all that."

James sat down between his parents "That's part of why we did not want to tell you, we were afraid you would not let us see you and we were afraid it would embarrass you."

Harry put his arm around James "It did embarrass me but only because most children don't see that part of their parents."

Lilly put her hands on her hips "Daddy the love that you and mom have is very special. Everyday we are around you we hear, feel and know it; it permeates everything in this house. It is given to us in such large doses it almost makes me cry. It is what you should have had the first 12 years of your life and the primary reason you have sworn to make sure we feel loved everyday."

Hermione took a deep breath "What do you know of Harry's childhood years?"

James looked at Lilly "You were not supposed to let them know about that Lilly."

Sirius broke in "James what is done is done, let it go."

Harry looked at all three "All of you know more than you are saying. I think it is time to come clean with your mother and I. We deserve to know what is going on with our children. How else can we protect and guide you unless we know."

James looked at his dad "Lilly said you would say something like that. I can feel how concerned you are about us.

Harry looked at James "James how can a family trust each other if they keep secrets from one another? If you can't trust your family who else will you trust?"

"James he is right you know." Lilly stated

"But even mom realizes that not everyone can or should know everything. She is the one that makes sure that she and dad don't let anyone in on their secret way to communicate." James replied.

"James I don't tell others outside of the extended family. I never intended to exclude family." Hermione stated with exasperation.

Sirius asked "When did you plan on telling us?"

Harry spoke "When we believed you were old enough to understand. We are just surprised you found out about it already."

"Daddy we know a lot more than we are supposed to for being 3 years old. We know just about everything that you and mommy know, plus what Godric and Rowena know. We have been learning from yours and Moms minds since we were about 2 years old." Lilly stated.

Hermione sighed "Oh, sugar."

Harry broke in "Is that how you three just apparated outside?"

Sirius Looked at his dad "Yes, but for some reason it works better if we do it together."

Hermione answered "I am not surprised as you are all so young your magical cores are still growing. By combining your magic you become stronger. How do you focus so all three of you arrive at the same place?"

Lily and Sirius pointed at James. "James is our official leader. We link with him and he focuses towards where we want to go."

Harry in a very concerned voice "Please do not do that again. There are a number of things that could go wrong and I don't think you would be able to handle it if things went bad."

Sirius interjected "You mean like splinching ourselves?"

"To name one of many things, yes." answered Hermione.

Lilly hesitantly spoke "You mean like going someplace you are not supposed to go?"

Harry looked at them with concern "This wasn't your first time doing this was it?"

Lilly shook her head "We all wished to go to Coney Island to see the Ferris wheel from a picture in a book, when we thought the wish we were all holding hands. We just appeared where we wanted. It was really scary and the people just looked at us very weird. We held hands and wished we were home and came back."

Hermione tightened her hold on Sirius "Please don't apparate; it scares me to think of what could happen to you."

"That's just it, we don't apparate, and we just appear where we want to. Like the time we wanted to see a lion at the zoo. We wished it and we were there. We ended up on the wrong side of the cage, with the lions. They weren't too happy about it so we had to appear on the other side quickly." James stated.

"Oh shite!" said Harry

"Language Harry!" Hermione said

Harry and Hermione began a rapid conversation by their link. Suddenly they felt all three of their kids listening in to their conversation. Harry told Hermione to follow him and he followed the link back to all of his kids. What they felt was very odd as it appeared as one mind with three personalities.

Harry began to get very upset as his first thought was that he and Hermione had failed their children and allowed something bad to happen to them. Hermione soothed him as she looked upon her children's thoughts. What she saw was not one mind but three minds communicating like one mind but retaining three personalities.

Hermione thought to Harry "Look closer at the children's feelings, listen to their communications, this is not something bad. This is what our mind link would look like to someone from the outside." Harry looked and knew that she was right, his children had been communicating on a different level.

Lilly came and hugged her dad "There is nothing wrong with us. Your bond link and magic enabled us to do this. We do not know of any other way, it is natural for us. James, Sirius and I have no secrets from each other. Now that we know how to do this we can all communicate like this."

Hermione looked at them "That is fine when we are at home but don't forget that you need to communicate by talking so others won't become suspicious."

"I told you she is the one that worries about letting others know." James smirked at his siblings.

Hermione stated. "James this gift could be very valuable one day, but only if no one knows about it… It could save all three of your lives..."

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