14. Graduation

April was a bliss for Harry. With Hermione recovered from child-birth, she was eager to be very intimate with him, resulting in feverish bedtime activities each night, after the baby was put to sleep. She liked cuddling with Harry, who was doing his best to satisfy her as before. His boosted magical powers came in handy at giving him stamina which no other man his age had.

While Hermione had to feed the baby sometime during the night, she let him sleep continuously, so he could be fully rested in the morning, able to sate her before starting the other day activities.

By mid May they felt ready for the exams. It was fortunate, as these were starting the next week. The school had to make some special arrangements for Lady Potter, as she needed to breast feed her baby regardless of the exam schedule. So it happened that during their Ancient Runes exam, Hermione was escorted to a side room, where she could care for the baby and still do the exam. The same was repeated for Arithmancy exam and the other theory exams which lasted more than two hours consecutively.

The practical exams posed different problems. One couldn't leave a potion brewing while caring for a baby nor continue preparing potions with a baby nearby. For these tests, Hermione resorted to bottle feeding and rushed to her baby as soon as the exam was over, just to ease the pressure in her breasts.

Harry was not affected. He still got his morning exercises and his nighttime exercises regularly. These helped relieve the tension from the exams and set the two into a pleasant mood each morning, while not interfering with the preparations for the exams.

Once these were over, all they had to do was wait for the results and prepare the graduation ball. They used to leisurely stroll along the lake with the baby staying in his pram, pushed by Hermione or Harry. They were usually joined by Neville with Hanna, Ginny with Draco, Luna or Daphne. The last, although recognizing her defeat by Hanna (she eventually discovered that she had never had a chance), had become quite close with the Potters and spent with them and the baby almost as much time as Ginny did.

"What are you going to do after graduation?" Hermione asked her.

"I'm not sure. Dad would like me to marry someone rich, yet all the pending marriage contracts he had for me before the war were rendered null, as either the grooms died or were taken to Azkaban," her face showed her relief at being rid of these potential mates, "or they became bankrupt, making them unsuitable. Now, checking the new social, financial and political situation, he sees no appropriate candidate. I should also refrain from being the first wife of an apparent heir, as Dad would like my children to be Greengrass."

"That doesn't seem to leave you with much choice," Hermione commented.

"None, really. Most purebloods have at most one boy, and all those in the appropriate age range are either disgraced, bankrupt or already taken."

"Maybe you should consider a muggle-born or even a muggle?"

Daphne looked at Hermione with a bit of surprise. "Well, I didn't think of that, although that is the most logical option. A muggle-born would have no such obligations and would not be disgraced. I only have to see what Dad thinks about it."

"You think he will not agree?"

"He has no real choice either. I could start looking for somebody on the continent or in America, but I'd rather stay in Britain, especially now, after the war."

She thought a bit more. "There's no muggle-born I could be interested in, though. How can I get to know muggles of appropriate age?"

"You could go to clubs, I suppose, although I don't like them. Your best option, I think, would be to enroll at a college or a university. If nothing else, it would give you more knowledge in the fields of your choice, and then – you may find a nice guy there..."

Daphne's eyes sparkled with interest. She could probably do well in Ravenclaw, just like her sister. "What can one learn at a college or a university?"

Hermione smiled. "Practically everything. The list is almost endless. You can study science of all kinds, different kinds of engineering, medicine – the muggle way of healing, different arts... Every college has a limited list, but with so many around..."

"I think I'll talk Dad into this. He'll probably insist on the best. Do you have any names?"

"The best known are Oxford and Cambridge, yet there are many more. My parents may be in a better position to recommend any."

They got their NEWTs results two days before the end of term. Hermione had the best grades, as expected, with Harry a close second, only surpassing her in DADA. Daphne was in the third place, surprisingly followed by Neville. Luna also scored quite high on all subjects. Ginny and Draco were well in the middle, with Draco excelling in Potions while Ginny excelled in Charms.

They had their Graduation ceremony that evening, followed by an elegant ball. Harry danced with Hermione and then surprised many by dancing with Daphne as well, when his wife had to leave for a while to feed the baby.

Many more girls opted to dance with Harry, but he only danced with Luna, Susan and Ginny before returning to his wife.

The farewell feast took place the next evening. Harry sat with Hermione, enjoying the feast, talking with some of his class mates. Unlike previous years, the students sat in mixed groups. The headmistress had stressed inter-house relations throughout the year. Even the Quidditch teams were no longer house-based, although the captains tended to elect mostly players from their own houses.

Daphne sat with the Potters, close to Hermione. They had already decided to talk with the Grangers about her future studies, and Hermione was contemplating some more studies as well. Ginny was leaning on Draco, looking dreamily towards Harry and Hermione. She didn't seem envious any more, and Harry was glad she seemed to have found some love, although with an unexpected partner. Neville was sitting with Hanna, holding her shoulder possessively.

Headmistress McGonagall stood up.

"Another school year is reaching its end. This one has been a very special year for all of us. We had a lot to do, to recover from all that the previous year had caused, but we managed. Our students have got the highest NEWTs scores for over a century, and it looks like the OWL results would be just as good. We have many students graduating this year, as none did the previous one. I want to congratulate them all and wish them a happy and successful future, building their positions in our society and rebuilding our society to become what it can and should be."

She seemed to have reconsidered something else that she was going to say. She just added, "Have a nice trip home. Now – off to bed, and don't forget to pack everything before breakfast."

Their train compartment was fuller than usual. Harry sat there with Hermione, and the pram housing his baby almost filled the rest. Daphne joined them, making the small compartment quite crowded.

This didn't stop Ginny and Draco from coming to play a bit with the baby. "I hope to have my own in a year or so," Ginny said, looking lovingly at Draco.

"We have to get your father's agreement first," Draco said nervously.

"Oh, he will agree. We'll only have to consider the dates, as I'm sure he wants to wed your aunt as soon as he can."

Draco didn't comment. He just reddened a bit.

Neville came with Hanna. "We're planning to get married in a few months, Harry, and I'd like you to be my best man."

"No problems at all, especially since you already did this task for me."

Harry and Hermione stayed last on the train, not wanting to subject the baby to all the hustle and bustle of the train station on arrival.

Dan was waiting at the other side of the barrier. "You must stay with us for a few days. It's not so easy for us to travel with a baby, and I assume that you face similar problems. We want to get to know our grandchild, and Hermione should also become closer to her brother. I believe he has similar talents as well."

It was a happy group that reached the Granger residence. Emma hugged her daughter tightly and then took her grandchild in her arms, checking him all over, before going to the nursery and bringing her own baby.

"Finally, we can all live our lives and enjoy our family," Harry said, hugging his wife and his son. He hoped to have some more children. He was in no hurry, though. There would be a time for that. The whole future was still ahead.

I hope you liked this story. I'm contemplating a sequel, but don't hold your breath.

As usual - Please Review!