An Auror's Work is Never Done

Chapter 3 Unexpected Birthday Presents

"They'll be here any minute, Aurora. Aren't you two finished yet?" Hermione groused.

"Almost, Hermione. Merlin, girl, chill." I placed the last hors d'oeuvre on a platter and put a Stay Warm spell on them. "There, all done."

Shawna stuck her head in the kitchen. "Mr. Dumbledore just arrived and Ginny and Neville are on their way,"

"Any word on Harry?"

"The clock still says 'Work'."

"Freckles knows to take Hunter out back, correct?" Hermione asked for the tenth time.

"Yes, Mouse. I owled her this morning to remind her."

"I just want it to be a surprise for them."

Shawna answered, steering her out. "We know. Why don't you and I go outside and wait for Gin and Neville? We'll keep him busy out in the garden until Ron and Harry get here. We'll show him that sickly looking Flutterby bush over by the holly tree."

"Okay."

Twenty minutes later I watched as two more hands on the clock turned to 'Traveling'. "Here they come, Draco!" I said excitedly.

I could hear Harry and Hermione talking through the open kitchen window.

"And why aren't we allowed in the house?" Harry asked confused.

"Draco and Aurora wanted dinner to be a surprise."

They were just outside the kitchen window. The plan was going perfectly.

"Draco, are we ready?" I whispered.

"Yes. Time to go in the dining room. I'll go tell them dinner's done."

Draco went out and I ran to prepare the partygoers. Harry and Neville entered the room and everybody yelled 'Surprise! Happy Birthday Harry and Neville!' The two men were shocked. After hearty rounds of congratulations, the party was moved outdoors.

Seamus brought out his patented Finnigan's Firewhiskey and passed it around while the twins showed off some of their latest inventions. Shawna turned on the WWN and several couples started to dance energetically.

Some while later Sirius stood and called for everyone's attention. "Today we are celebrating my godson's 18^th birthday. Seems like only yesterday he was spitting up on my favorite shirt. I miss that shirt." He smiled fondly and wiped away an imaginary tear. "He's grown up to be a man his parents would have been very proud of. I know Remus and I are. Harry, you have been of age in the Wizard's world for a year but today is the day you are seen as an adult in the Muggle also. Your mother insisted 18 was the appropriate age for your inheritance." Sirius handed him a key. "This is for their Gringotts vault. In it you will find everything James and Lily left for you. Hopefully there are belongings in there which will answer some of the questions you've always had about them."

I squeezed Harry's hand. His eyes were glowing with the wet sheen of unshed tears. He thanked Sirius and talked with him and Remus for a while. He found me alone afterwards and asked, "Will you go with me tomorrow?"

"Do you even have to ask? I'd cross the River Styx itself if you were on the other side."

He grinned at this and kissed me gently.

"Oh, I almost forgot! How'd tryouts go?"

His smile grew crooked. "We made it but I think Ron's officially over his infatuation with the Cannons. Prude showed up drunk and the rest of the team, as you would say suck royally. We're taking Oliver's offer."

"That's great!"

"Cake!" Draco called.

We all sung 'Happy Birthday' to Harry and Neville. When they blew out the candles, the flames jumped off their wax counterparts and turned into a short-lived fireworks display.

"We're calling them 'Birthday Fiasco'. Only 10 sickles for a box of 20!" Fred said loudly over the ensuing bangs and whistles. The twins pulled Harry off to the side to discuss opening another branch of the shop with their not so silent partner.

"Hey, Pumpkin."

"Dad!"

"How's my little Merlin, First Class?"

"D...a...d..."

"Sorry, couldn't resist. How's training?"

"Urgh. We're learning Occlumency."

"Johnson?"

"Um hmm."

"He's one of the best there is. Listen to what he tells you."

"I will, Dad. You say the same thing about all my instructors."

"Can't your old Pops worry about his little girl?" His laughing grin turned serious. "You've chosen a very dangerous career, honey."

"I know, Dad. But I had to do it. You do understand why I'm doing it, don't you?"

"Unfortunately yes. I almost wish Shacklebolt hadn't passed your interview speech on to me. He said he and Tonks made the decision to offer you a trainee position on the spot. It made me proud of you and mad with myself at the same time. I would have rathered you in a nice, safe, boring job. Maybe in an accounting firm..." His eyes got that faraway look again.

"Yes, I'm sure you would. But I took after my daddy. I meant what I said. You are my hero."

"Get out of here before you make me cry. Go find that boyfriend of yours."

"Yes, sir! I love you, Dad."

"I love you too."

Sunday morning around ten I apparated to the Bungalow and found Harry in the living room, staring at pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Potter.

"Morning, Fly Boy."

"Morning," he mumbled distracted.

"Harry? You okay?"

"Sure. Nervous, I guess. I don't know what we'll uncover in the vault. Sirius doesn't have a clue what they left. What if I'm better off not knowing?"

"Harry, don't think like that. They saved it for you, their only son. You love them and they loved you. Remember that and you'll be fine."

"You're right."

"Oh course I am. Ready?"

He stood and we disapparated.

Silently I apparated next to him.

"How do you do that without making any noise?"

"Ancient Auror secret."

"Uh huh...What?" he asked when I smiled.

"The first time I saw you, you were talking with Hermione right...there," I said pointing to my right.

"And?"

"I don't know. There was something about you. I hadn't even met you but I felt this..."

"Connection? Me too."

"You certainly didn't show it."

"You were my best mate's cousin, then you became one of my closest friends. I didn't want to mess it up."

"I'm glad you did," I said sealing his lips with mine.

"Ah hemm. Are you going to stand there all day while I hold this door open?" the doorgoblin broke in.

"Sorry," Harry apologized and led me in.

In a few minutes we were speeding down hidden tunnels in an exhilarating roller coaster ride. Grifter, our goblin guide, braked suddenly and climbed out.

"Vault 689. Your key, Mr. Potter?"

Harry gave it to him and the goblin uttered a short spell while turning it in the lock. The door clicked and creakily swung open. The vault was, in a word, enormous. Mountains of gold and silver were pushed against two walls. On the third rested several Muggle filing cabinets and a desk with a chair. Not a speck of dust was visible on any surface. (Goblins abhor dirt, especially on their clients' money.)

Grifter left. Harry still awestruck kept opening and closing his mouth like an out of water fish gasping for H2O. Not exactly sure what I should do, I strolled over to the desk and sat in the chair. Looking around I noticed a fat envelope propped on the desk. "Harry, there's a letter addressed to you." I picked it up and handed it to him.

The mouth finally closed. He unsealed the faded paper wrapper carefully and read it aloud.

Dearest son,

If you are reading this it means Voldemort was successful in his plot to kill your father and me, but you managed to survive. I pray the protection spell our most unusual friend wove upon your aura continues to keep you safe. How I wish I could see you now with your pitch-black hair and bright green eyes. Does it still stick up in the back like it did when you were a year old? Your dad's does that too.

The things in this vault are yours now. I wish we could be there with you but it was not meant to be I suppose. Always know we love you. Happy 18^th Birthday, Harry.

Love forever,

Mum

"There's another one," he said removing a second piece of parchment.

Hello, son. It's Dad, or Da Da as you called me when I wrote this. Today is your first birthday. We hoped to be there for all of them but obviously we aren't if you're standing in the middle of our Gringotts vault reading this.

In the filing cabinets are important papers, letters, etc. we've saved over the years. There are several property deeds along with personal memories we wanted to share and lots of photographs, Wizard and Muggle (your mum's idea). We're sorry we've kept everyone from telling you more about what we did for a living but there were reasons. I hope you can forgive us and understand why it had to be this way. We never meant to hurt you. Happy Birthday, son. We love you.

Dad

Harry finished reading and turned to me.

"They loved you so much, Harry." He cupped my cheek in one hand and brushed the tear away with the other.

"Yeah, they did," he said softly. "They would have loved you too."

"You think?"

"How could they not when I do?" We shared another kiss full of unspoken promise.

"That was the best one yet," I breathed.

"Oh really?" he challenged before dragging me headfirst into that dizzying, heart stopping place only he could take me. He ravaged my lips until my soul itself cried out for relief. Love washed over me, filling my heart with joy. How I love this man.

"Well?" he asked with an excellent rendition of Draco's trademark smirk.

"Not bad," I teased.

"Not...I'll get you for that."

Seeing the intent in his emerald eyes I lunged for the door. He tackled me, twisting so I landed on top. He laughed at the face I made and rolled over. Pinned beneath his hard body my breath hitched and my pulse quickened. His lips hovered over mine before crushing them in a drowning multitude of sensation. Tongues danced and I groaned only for him to swallow it. He was as addicting as Honeydukes' chocolate, only SO MUCH better.

Coming to his senses before me, Harry tugged his mouth from mine, breathing harshly in my ear. Delicious shivers raced down my spine and I unconsciously arced into him. He jumped up as if scalded. Eventually our raging hormones cooled. Harry looked at me the same time I looked at him and we burst out laughing.

When we'd finished we tried to decide what to do about the vault's contents. I suggested we shrink the cabinets and he could go through them at home. He searched through the desk drawers and found a couple of keys. He put them in his pocket and we disapparated to the Bungalow.

"You've had an exciting weekend, haven't you, Fly Boy?"

"I certainly have. Want to see what's in here with me?" He enlarged the storage containers and pulled out a large stack of photographs and other papers.

"Aww. You were so cute!" I flipped over the picture. "Harry, 9 months old."

"Here's one of Sirius and me."

"Who's this?" I asked pointing to an ugly man in what had to be James and Lily's wedding picture.

"Pettigrew."

"Sorry. Your mom was beautiful. She and your father look very happy."

"Aurora, look at this."

I turned to glance at the piece of parchment he was holding. "What is it?"

"A deed to 154 Godric's Hollow. That's the house we lived in. Feel up to another outing?"

I nodded, concentrating on the address. Harry appeared with a crack beside me.

It was a wonder how the house was still standing. The front door and most of the surrounding wall had been blasted away. Scorch marks marred the crumbling façade. Harry strode towards the open hole and I followed. A slight breeze quivered through the lace curtains that had somehow endured the attack. Glass crunched underfoot as we made our way into the living room. Everything in it had been smashed and burnt. A lone scrap of newspaper remained unscathed. I reached down to pick it up. It was a page from the Daily Prophet. 'Dark Lord on the Rampage!' 'How ironic, I thought, that this would survive. I caught Harry's haunted eyes and told him that I loved him. He gave a half-hearted smile in return and climbed the stairs.

He paused on the third step, bent down, and placed his hand on the carpet. "I think this is were Dad died." A lone tear slipped and fell. We continued on.

Pictures along the stairway had long since stopped moving with the magic gone from the home. I made a mental note to gather them later for Harry. Maybe there was a way I could get them restored.

The Boy Who Lived pushed an ajar door open. It was apparent the room had been a small boy's, his. Quidditch inspired wallpaper and curtains decorated the space. Teddy bears and toys littered the floor. In the corner was a cherry wood crib, a black stuffed puppy dog lying in it. Harry picked the toy up and handed it to me. He knelt down next to the baby bed and plunged his hands into the thick blue carpet. He was soon weeping bitterly, his grief intense in the quiet house.

I sat in front of him and gathered him close. I reminded him of all the people he had in his life who loved him. I spoke of his parents, their sacrifice and unconditional love. My heart felt every drop of wetness and ached for his pain.

Slowly he regained control of his emotions. He turned from meeting my eyes, embarrassment clear on his handsome features.

"Don't turn me out, Harry. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You've never had a proper chance to grieve for them. It's past time you did."

He heaved himself off the floor and muttered that he'd seen enough. With one last glance at the crib he disapparated.