Meeting a Muggle

Chapter 3

"It's not so bad," Harry said and actually looked and sounded as if he meant it. "I've been sent back to school for a few months, to learn to use magic again without the clues of sight. I can hear nearly as well as a werewolf and I can smell things so much better." He grinned in Ron's direction and shrugged.

It had been almost a month since the last battle and life was returning to normal for most people. The seemingly never ending string of award nights and testimonial dinners had slowed to a trickle. Finally they could all start trying to pick up the pieces and get on with their lives. Even Draco had been cleared of any wrong doing and his father's estates returned to him, minus fines and restitution the Ministry had levied with a rather heavy hand. Still, between Draco's very well educated business sense and Hermione's determination to prosper, they were beginning to get Malfoy Enterprises back on its feet. There had been a few purges of the ranks which had caused a furore, but Draco knew where the bodies were buried and most of his father's former colleagues had gone quietly into the night.

Ron sighed deeply when he wondered when his life was going to draw into any semblance of normalcy. At the moment it just seemed to be one long round of spells and physical therapy, surrounded by the rather boring pale pink walls of St Mungo's residential wing.

Harry was still chatting pleasantly, not really aware that he had lost Ron's attention until his sister's name came up. "Ginny bought me a dicta-quill last week, one of the direct voice ones, so I can scribble in my journal if I want to. I always fancied I could write a novel or two, especially with our experiences. It would have to be fiction as no one would believe it was the truth. Ginny thinks I would be a good novelist, says I can string words together in the most exciting way. She makes me feel good about myself and she has been looking after me, really well," Harry added softly, listening carefully for Ron's breathing. "Ginny and I have been, well, you know...."

Ron watched his friend and shook his head slowly. "Like we didn't notice? Harry, while you think you are being sneaky, you keep giving yourselves away by sneaking kisses and holding hands when you don't realise someone is watching."

"You aren't mad?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"No, I'm not mad. Oh come on, Harry, Ginny and I have lost three brothers and our father in the last few years. If you can make her as happy as she looks then she deserves any happiness she can get, and so do you. So when's the wedding?"

"Next week," Harry replied and laughed when Ron gasped aloud. "Will you be my best man?"

Once Ron stopped spluttering, he managed to congratulate his best mate before he began to wonder why they were in such a hurry. Harry's grin became wicked, almost as if he could see the expressions flitting across Ron's face. "No, she's not pregnant," he commented and laughed again. "Bet you are bright red now," he teased.

"Give over Harry," Ron muttered disgruntled. "That's the usual reason for such a hurry."

"Perhaps it is or perhaps we just want to take what happiness we can get while the getting is good, just in case someone tries to take it away from us again. Life is short, Ron, as well you know, and who knows when it will be taken away. So, the sooner we get married the better. Now! Will you be my best man?"

"Of course Mate!" Ron nodded enthusiastically. "What do I have to do?"

"Help me choose the ring. I thought we could go into Muggle London and see if there is a jewel good enough to adorn the hand of your sister."

"How terribly romantic," a voice drawled from the doorway and Draco lounged into the room, hitching his hip onto the bed and tossing Ron a bag which made him grunt when he caught the weight.

"What was that?" Harry asked uneasily.

"It's a Malfoy's idea of a joke. What's in this thing, bricks?" Ron demanded peevishly.

"It's much worse, it's books and clothes. Hermione thinks you should study a little so that you will be ready for your new job."

"You're leaving the Aurors?" Harry demanded incredulously. "But you love your job!"

Ron sighed. "No, I'm getting a promotion actually. I am going to be head of a new department created just for me. I am going to be the chief of information gathering, and disseminating information, a sort of non- unspeakable."

"Well, here is your first piece of information, Auror Weasley," Draco said cheerfully. "Only total idiots would go out in public just now without a full hitwizard squad to guard them. If you want jewellery, Corous and Hanes will come to your home and design anything you want."

"What just like that?"

"For the Boy Who Lived, of course they will, and they are quite discrete, of course. They designed a lot of my mother's jewellery, and are very good."

"And that's a recommendation?" Ron scoffed loudly.

"Naturally, my mother had impeccable taste in clothes, cuisine and jewellery; it was just her taste in men that was questionable. After all, she married my father, and they both followed the Dark Lord. Now, where are you going to hold the ceremony, and who is officiating?"

"At Hogwarts and Albus Dumbledore will officiate, naturally," Harry responded instantly. "We want nothing big, just a small, private ceremony and wedding breakfast."

"Very well, leave it to my people; you two concentrate on the designing of the ring."

~~*~~

Draco coordinated the whole affair, simply by being a Pureblood and clicking his fingers. On Lucius' death, Draco had stepped up as Head of Family, his mother taking poison when she heard of his father's defeat. Everyone thought he might be somewhat upset by the turn of events but he had merely shrugged.

"They both died a long time ago for me," he told the Gryffindors sincerely. "If either mother or father had received even a hint of my marriage or Lysander's existence, do you think Hermione or the baby would still be alive? No, they would have been tortured to death without a second thought. After all, in my parents' view neither one was really human, don't you know?"

It was a hard concept for any of them to comprehend, but that was basically what the war had been about in essence, the rights of Muggle-Borns to be counted as real people or not. That Draco had betrayed his pure blood and sullied the Malfoy name with an unworthy mudblood was unthinkable in his parent's lexicon. He would have been 'put down' with his wife and child as surely as if he had been contaminated by the contact.

~~*~~

The wedding was small, Hermione Ginny's only attendant. Somehow Draco had managed to preserve the secrecy, even as he had the private reception hall at Hogwarts completely refurbished. Molly gave her daughter away in a daze, still not recovered from the death of her husband and sons. In fact, it seemed to Ron that she was getting worse, instead of better, and that the passing of time was not healing her wounds in any way. Albus officiated, murmuring the time honoured words with a new and deeper emotion behind them. When he mentioned those who had gone before but were looking down in approval on this new union, there was not a dry eye in the hall. The tears were happy rather than sad, and the memories fond, rather than bitter.

As soon as the service was over, Draco announced they were having a small reception with a clap of his hands. Dozens of white doves and sparkling splashes of rainbows dazzled everyone and, as their sight cleared, they saw tables and chairs. House elves flitted about, laying lavish quantities of food and drink on the snow white linen and lace cloths. Everything sumptuous was laid on, including a hidden but very good orchestra that played soothing music during the meal, and dance music afterwards. Finally, Ginny tossed the bouquet and the newly weds were off to a secret location to have their honeymoon. Everything had to be kept totally hush-hush as the Daily Prophet still insisted on touting Harry as 'The Boy Who Lived To Defeat The Greatest Menace To The Wizarding World' and wrote lavish stories about him, which were often more fiction than fact.

When they finally came back, Harry had bought a narrow three story townhouse in the middle of Muggle London as well as a country cottage near the Burrow. The Muggle house was quickly hidden under Fidelius charms, and warded as strongly as Hogwarts in many ways. No one was getting too close to the Potters if their friends could help it.