Moving to Hogsmeade took two days and a night. Harry was no
expert, but he had thought it would take longer. But apparently, the
Tonks House was desirable property and the family in Hogsmeade
had already moved out. Andromeda had enough finances to buy a
new house and put her current house on the market. It spoke to how
stupid rich the Blacks were as well as Andromeda's money
managing skills that over twenty years later and buying a house in
full didn't cripple her spending money.
Nevertheless, it looked like one or both of them might have to get a
job within the next five years.
Harry had also mistakenly believed that packing up the Tonks House
would take longer. But then magic really was awesome. Even the
wards hadn't taken that long to put up now that Harry understood
what he was doing.
Teddy was still drained from the night before and as soon as the
nursery was set up he asked to go to bed.
Harry was highly disturbed by this. He was making chicken soup just
incase as Andromeda set up the rest of the house. She was far
better at interior design than Harry. She was humming softly as she
moved around the space.
Harry kept checking on her out of the corner of his version.
She seemed brighter, more complete somehow. Her shoulders had
straightened, her perfect posture seeming natural. She no longer
looked like she was fighting to not hunch around pain in the center of
her being.
She wasn't cured from her sorrow, but Harry that maybe some vital
part of her had come to terms with their loss.
Andromeda had lost everything she had everything she had ever
loved, but she was not without a heart.
She caught him staring at her. Tilting her head, she asked,
"Everything alright, Harry?"
Harry turned back to stirring the vegetables, "Just worried about
Teddy."
She came to him, "He is probably coming down with a cold. The
broth from that soup you are making will help him fight it off."
Harry frowned down at the stove, "Are you sure there aren't any
potions we can give him?"
Her voice was gentle, but certain, "No Harry, there isn't. Aside from
some mundane plants there isn't much to be done."
"I was thinking of making ginger tea, if I put ice in it, he'll probably
drink it."
"Lemon and honey would be good in it."
Harry shook his head, "I can't decide whether Luna Lovegood is a
seer who so attuned to the people around her she can surmise a
situation before it comes into being."
"What's the difference?" Andromeda asked, at his side now.
"One can set a Dark Lord on a baby and his family and the other
gives you a tea recipe," Harry said a tad bitterly. He sighed, "But
that's history. Do you like the new house, Andromeda?"
She came up from behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder and
wrapping her arms so that her hands rested on his lower chest.
He stiffened, and not from displeasure.
"I love the house, Harry, you chose well," she said, her words
brushing his cheek.
He swallowed hard, knowing she could here it, but unsure how to
respond to her. Not with the blood draining from his face. "I'm glad,"
he said almost huskily.
Her arms tightened around him and it took everything he had not to
groan. Even through their clothes he could feel her soft curves.
He could protest the logic behind wanting a widow more than twice
his age all he liked, but it had been almost a year now since he had
last been intimate with another person. He had needs and
Andromeda was beautiful, intelligent- basically anything Harry found
attractive in a woman, Andromeda was. And though he had never
taken advantage, he knew exactly what those soft curves looked like
under her robes.
He wasn't sure what would have happened and he was ninety nine
percent he would have lost all cognitive function had Narcissa not
aparated into the house.
Andromeda hastily stepped back from him and Harry turned the
stove down to a simmer, put a lid on the pot, and said a hasty
greeting to their guest before rushing into the bathroom. He was
intent on a very cold shower or perhaps an ice bath.
Cissa was smirking at her.
Andromeda glared at her little sister, "Knock that expression of your
face. Nothing happened."
"If I had known you were finally going to make a pass at the man I
would have stayed away," Narcissa said, her icy blue eyes dancing.
Andromeda ignored her, checked on Teddy -who was sound asleep,
and knocked on the bathroom door. "Harry," she called, "Narcissa
and I are going to the apothecary, we'll be back in an hour or so."
"Sure," Harry called back through the door.
Her spirits fell, she wondered if she had crossed a line with him. She
hadn't been planning anything but seeing him there, fretting over
Teddy and her feelings. She was drawn to him, she wanted to bask
in his kindness and his strength, like winter chilled hands before a
fire.
Narcissa pulled her along the path and towards the nearest pub.
"Apathco-"
"I don't think so," Narcissa said firmly, "we need to talk." Ordering
two glasses of honey-cider mead, she demanded, "When are you
taking that man to bed?"
"I'm not-"
Narcissa cut off her protest, "What's stopping you?"
Andromeda ground her teeth, "You mean aside from the fact that
he's younger than my daughter?"
Narcissa sighed, exasperated, "Draco and Harry are the same age."
Andromeda glared at her, "I am aware that, little sister."
"And would you trust Draco to babysit Teddy?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because your boy is a child. He might get along with Teddy, might
even love him a little, but I doubt he could handle him if something
went amiss."
"But you trust Harry."
Andromeda rolled her eyes, "Harry takes care of him more than I do.
I feel like I'm the father in this relationship. Occasionally I make
dinner, occasionally I clean, but Harry doesn't ask me to do anything
except for those hand full of times he goes out which he usually
plans around Teddy's nap schedule."
Narcissa her a meaningful look.
"What?" Andromeda asked.
Narcissa sighed, closing her eyes and pressed two fingers to her
temple as if she were trying to hold onto her composure. "You said it
yourself, you are in a relationship with him."
"Only because of Teddy," Andromeda said.
"Can you honestly say that Harry has only been taking care of
Teddy?"
Andromeda looked away, she hated that she had been weak, so
weak that she hadn't missed her own daughter and husband's
funerals. She had barely had the strength to go on living when Harry
found her. If it hadn't been for Teddy, would she have even been
there to find?
Narcissa's hand found hers still resting on the table, "Are you happy
with your life?"
Andromeda wasn't sure how to answer that, her knee jerk reaction
was to say 'No, my daughter and husband are dead' but that wasn't
the complete truth anymore.
She had Teddy and Harry, she had her little sister back in her life, a
new house in the wizarding world; a new start to a new life. Finally,
she said, "I'm not unhappy."
Narcissa squeezed her hand, "Take the beautiful, powerful, world
saving man to your bed, sister, I'll stake my fortune on him not
allowing you to regret it."
Andromeda yanked her hand back, "He doesn't want me like that."
Narcissa laughed, "Like hell, he doesn't. He all but waddled out the
kitchen, after that full body hug you gave him. And that was with
clothes on."
"He looked scared, Cissa, his face was paler than ivory."
Narcissa smirked, "I would suspect that was due to other parts
being," and she drew out the last word, "flushed."
Andromeda's own cheeks grew rosy.
"Why are you fighting this? I know why he's reluctant to pursue you
but not while you're not indulging. You may be in your forties but you
look younger than I do."
"Harry doesn't want me because I am older and Teddy's
grandmother ."
"No," Narcissa corrected, "Harry wants you. He hasn't pursued you
because he is not sure of his welcome and because he thinks your
too broken for a relationship."
Andromeda felt as if she had been slapped in the face. "He told you
that?" she asked in a weak voice.
"Not in so many words, but have you given him reason to believe
otherwise?"
"Have I given him reason to believe I want a romantic relationship?"
Andromeda snapped, her anger bringing back the strength to her
voice, "No I suppose I haven't."
"I doubt he would want a teenage fling," Narcissa noted.
"He could be a virgin for all you know."
Narcissa laughed, "There is a knowing in those emerald eyes that
goes far deeper than a man who has never tasted a woman before.
He's Harry Potter, he could damn near have any woman he wanted,
single or otherwise."
"Then why don't you make a pass him?" Andromeda snarled.
Taking back her hand, Narcissa's own expression turned cruel, "If
you keeping pawing him and pushing him away, I just might have to,
poor thing might pull something."
"You would never cheat on Lucius," Andromeda said and gaped
when she saw something cross her expression. "You didn't? Cissa
how could you?" And then more coldly, "So much for marrying for
love."
Narcissa glared, "We married young and I did things I am not proud
of to keep Bella-" Her voice cut off and she had too look away, "I
failed in the end. They broke her and melded her into what the Dark
Lord wanted her to be."
"Bella was never sane, Cissa," Andromeda said softly.
Narcissa watched the people mull around outside, caught in the
medial errands and said with more emotion than she intended, "But
she wasn't always evil. Sometimes I think we should have killed her
the day you ran off to marry the Hufflepuff boy, it would have been a
kinder end."
"I didn't mean to hurt either of you," Andromeda said.
"No, you meant to hurt our parents. You and Siri, thinking you were
above the rest of us."
"If I had stayed I wouldn't have been me," Andromeda said. "If Siri
had been sorted into Slytherin he would have been miserable."
"Or maybe he would have started a revolution from the inside out.
Maybe he would have brought us glory and grounded us rather than
uprooting us all. He was Heir Black, it meant something. But every
half blood and blood traitor out there praised him for shirking his
responsibility."
"He was a child Narcissa, and Walburga was-" Andromeda shook
her head, "If Walburga had half the amount of magic and brains as
Bella had our Aunty dearest would have brought the wizarding world
to its bloody knees."
"Bella would have replaced the Dark Lord if she had been a little less
intelligent, she was too smart for any one person to handle, it drove
her to do things that no other would have."
"If I could back and raise the five of us," Andromeda mused, "it would
be a different world, had there been more kindness in our lives."
"Kindness like Harry offers to you every moment of every day without
limit or condition?" Narcissa asked.
"Why won't you let this go?"
"Why do you keep fighting this?"
"He-"
Narcissa made a harsh sound, "Andromeda I am not asking you to
force yourself on him, if he says no then he says no. But know that
he knows he could have any woman or man that he wanted; if you
offer and he accepts, then he chose you, he wants you. Anyone with
eyes can see that he does."
Andromeda had no defense but her truth, "What would Ted think?"
She brought her hands under the table and rubbed her fingers
against the gold band. She still wore Ted's wedding ring. She still
loved him. It didn't matter that he was dead, her feelings for him
weren't.
"Harry makes you happy."
"So did Ted."
"Perhaps, but he's dead."
Andromeda scowled, "This isn't a joke."
Narcissa sighed, "You can't fuck a memory. You can't sleep in the
warmth of a dead lover's arms, you can't shower with one, you can't
eat a meal with them, and you most certainly can't raise children with
one."
Andromeda felt as if a thousand knives had been shoved hilt deep
into her. "I know that."
"If your husband loved you, he would want you to be happy."
"How can I be happy with another? I swore to Ted my heart, my
everything."
"Until death do you part," Narcissa said coolly.
Andromeda closed her eyes the tears brimming but not spilling over,
"I don't know that I have anything worth giving. When they died it felt
as if I died with them."
"You did," Narcissa said bluntly, "But here you sit, breathing, heart
beating. We can't go back, everything in the past has died but not
everything in the past ceases to exist. You survived. Are you truly
going to waste the rest of your life mourning of shadows and
memories when life and light spills itself at your feet?"
"Very poetic," Andromeda said acridly.
Narcissa finished her drink and stood, "Fine stay miserable. But if
you continue to live in the same house as that man who adores you,
then you need to either give yourself fully to him or stop taking
everything he offers. Whatever he deserves, he deserves better than
scraps off your table, better than half promises and empty caresses."
Andromeda stayed seated at the table and Narcissa left her to her
thoughts and ghosts.
Teddy was whimpering. He most definitely had a cold and the more
he tried to breathe through his nose the more he coughed and more
upset he grew. Harry rubbed his back and played one of
Andromeda's records. Harry had never heard of the band before but
Harry liked how dramatic it was, and he was oddly reminded of
Hedwig.
Harry hated him being sick, but it really was just a cold. The hot soup
and cold tea seemed to help his throat.
Teddy sat in his lap for most of the afternoon and by the time
Andromeda came back he was ready to go back to bed.
They tucked him in together.
"That is one of my favorite albums," Andromeda said quietly once
they were back in the living room.
Still a little embarrassed about this morning, Harry only nodded.
"Are you alright?"
He nodded again, "I need to go see the goblins."
"Now?"
"Teddy should stay asleep for a few hours."
"So you are going to ignore Kingsley's advice?"
Harry gave her small smile, "I don't know when any of us are going
to learn but when authority tells me to stay out of trouble, either I
don't listen or trouble finds me anyway."
"Fair enough."
Harry grabbed his cloak, "See you later then."
The door shut behind him, leaving Andromeda standing in the center
of her new home alone.
If Harry didn't come back what would I do? She asked herself.
The answer was simple, she would take care of Teddy and she
would go on.
But.
But she would much rather Harry come home to them.
Because the world was brighter with him in it.
Harry stared down Ragnok, "Let me get this straight. You never took
away my vaults or my inheritance. You were bluffing, so you could
negotiate a fee for services rendered."
"Yes, Sir, no one has been in your vaults. In fact, the Lestrange
Vaults now fall to you as you are the closest relative, being the Black
Family Heir."
Harry sighed, "And why did it take you nearly a year to tell me this?"
"Because we kept expecting you to go to the ministry for help and
you didn't, holding you accounts was no trouble for us."
"So why tell me now?"
"Because," Ragnok said gravely, "ten months ago goblins were left
alone to do business. Now that business is being taken away from
us and we are being treated worse than ever in the streets. If Harry
Potter returns his faith and does business with us then the rest will
fall in line."
Harry's mouth thinned, "And what would that entail?
"A public statement."
"You mean another speech?"
"Yes, Sir."
"No."
"Mr. Potter-"
Harry raised a hand to silence him, "You have just told me that you
kept my accounts and family inheritance from me out of a petty need
to one up the wizarding world."
"Hardly petty if you consider our history," he hissed.
Harry leaned forward and bared his teeth, "I did, that's why I didn't go
to the ministry. But I don't like playing games and I don't like being
manipulated."
"So long as his name isn't Albus Dumbledore."
Harry ignored him, "This is what is going to happen. You are going to
allow me access to my vaults, all of my vaults and you are going to
allow Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley get vaults. In fact, why
don't you open one in Hermione Jane Granger's name, transfer a
few hundred galleons from my account to hers. But I will decide how
the information that 'Harry Potter' is back at Gringotts is released. I
will do so in my own time and the next time you think to screw with
myself, my family, or my friends, I will bring trouble to you and
yours."
"You already have," Ragnok grumbled.
Harry just shook his head, "That was inadvertent. You have no idea
what I can do when I plan it."
The goblin grimaced, "You stole our dragon, how much trouble could
you possible cause?"
Harry stood to leave, "The question is Ragnok, are you willing to find
out?"
Ragnok looked like he was eating cow scat but said in gravelly,
almost civil voice, "Your terms are acceptable, Mr. Potter, thank you
for your time and gold."
Harry went to Hogwarts before returning home. It was still early
enough in the day that evening classes were just ending. Harry -who
had memorized Hermione's timetable, was leaning against a wall
against to Filius's office. The class let out everyone but Ron and
Ginny waved and grinned Harry.
Harry smiled back and thanked Luna for her tea idea. She swirled in
place and dipped into a curtsy.
"You're most welcome, my friend," she said before skipping down the
hall.
Everyone seemed to get that Harry was either waiting for Filius or
Hermione, who happened to be the two last out of the house.
Filius laughed when he saw him, "How are you, Harry?"
He smiled at the Charm's Master, "Very well, we just moved into our
new home in Hogsmeade."
Hermione exploded with joy, "You're going to be that close!? Oh,
you'll have to let me come over to study during exams."
Harry laughed, "I doubt Teddy will let you study much, Moine. But of
course, you are welcome. You both are, Andromeda is always
complaining I make too much food."
"With a growing boy, she will not be saying that for long. I'll have to
tell Minerva," Filius said, "I assure you, Mr. Potter you will be getting
more visitors in future." He looked more closely, "But then I assume
you are here to see Hermione, not your old professors."
"I am always happy to see you, Filius, but I did come to speak with
Hermione."
Filius smiling, he nodded and went on his way.
Harry directed Hermione back into the Charm's classroom.
"What's up, Harry?"
"Goblins," Harry started and explained everything that happened.