The rest of the month of May passed in a blur for the young couple and Teddy. As the final two weeks passed, they settled into a comfortable rhythm with caring for Teddy. Grimmauld Place was transformed into not only a home, but a nexus for their friends and families. Ron and Ginny continued in residence there, and Luna became a constant fixture there, much to the amusement of her father and the Weasleys. While Harry was quick to assure anyone who would listen that Hermione and Luna both had rooms of their own, no one ever questioned how many evenings those rooms were actually occupied.
The first of June dawned bright and clear for an early summer Monday in Scotland. Instead of Harry alone, Hermione and Teddy joined him as they made their way to the Headmistress’ office. Standing quietly outside the door, they listened to the murmuring of conversation in Minerva’s office. As they silently stepped into the entrance, they could hear Minerva sighing. “It’s not my story to tell, Andromeda. You’ll just have to wait until they arrive...”
Dumbledore’s cheery voice interrupted. “Well, the waiting is over. Good morning, you three.” All eyes in the office were fixed on the young couple standing in the doorway, hands clasped while Harry held Teddy in his off arm. Both Kingsley’s and Andromeda’s eyebrows were raised just a bit at the sight of the intertwined fingers of the two.
Smiling uncertainly, Hermione nodded to the adults in the room. “I’m sorry if we kept you waiting, things were a bit hectic around the house this morning.” Stepping into the room with Harry, she brightened at the reassuring nod she received from Minerva.
Looking coolly amused, Kingsley nodded to them both. “I’m finding that being Minister of Magic has much less import than I once thought. In the last two weeks, I’ve found myself being politely told on numerous occasions that certain records and files were sealed until released by you two.” Sitting back in his chair, with his hands folded across his knee, Kingsley was shaking his head.
Blushing a bit, Harry smiled. “That would have been the doing of Evangeline verch Dafydd from the Bureau of Permanence. She said something about making certain details weren’t released until we were ready, but I never understood that she included your office in that.”
As they made their way to the sitting area, they took the two remaining seats that were available. Looking to Minerva for permission, Hermione quickly conjured a portable cot and smiled as Harry gently lowered Teddy into it.
Shaking his head, Kingsley laughed. “And you wouldn’t believe the number of people from old families, all of whom are on our ‘suspected Death Eater sympathizer’ list, who have come complaining that Gringotts has informed them that their stipends and contractual arrangements with the Ancient and Honorable House of Black have been revoked by the new Mistress of the House.” Smiling at the delighted grin on Hermione’s face, Kingsley tried to look thoughtfully neutral. “You two wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
Shrugging, Hermione smiled wickedly. “While Harry hasn’t been formally invested by the Wizengamot as Head of House for either the House of Potter or Black, the goblins have their own standards for such honors and their own criteria for establishing such relationships.” Composing her features to match Kingsley’s poker face, she nodded. “It would appear that whomever the witch is that holds the key to Harry’s heart has decided that enough is enough and the House of Black isn’t going to finance a bunch of bloody pure-blood supremacists and Death Eaters in training.”
Trying to look shocked, Harry chided. “Language, Hermione. Is that any way for the hypothetical Mistress of the Ancient and Honorable House of Black to talk?”
Arching an eyebrow and staring at him imperiously, Hermione coolly nodded. “I should emulate Walburga’s example of decorum and deportment?”
The room erupted into laughter, which Hermione joined in with after a few seconds of staring Harry down. Shaking his head, Harry leaned over and kissed Hermione gently on the cheek.
Looking amazed, Andromeda stared at the pair. “We had heard that there had been some changes, but I thought it was just the aurors gossiping about things.” Smiling, she chuckled. “It seems as if it were just a couple of weeks ago you two were assuring us that you could be Teddy’s godparents even though you weren’t romantically linked to each other.
Looking very smug, Hermione smiled. “We were, and we were very sincere about it. Three weeks ago we weren’t romantically linked.” Nodding at Andromeda’s raised eyebrow, she shrugged. “We were also both too stubborn to realize that we were hopelessly in love with each other at the most fundamental of levels.” Blushing a bit, she looked over at Harry and nodded.
Fiddling with a coin in his off hand, Harry smiled. “With a bit of help, we finally realized what we had been ignoring for the better part of seven years.” Nodding to Kingsley, Harry smiled mysteriously. “I know your objections at our first meeting were more to get us to think about the commitment we were undertaking, but the change in our relationship made us realize that we couldn’t in good conscience be Teddy’s godparents, he deserved better than that.”
Both Kingsley and Andromeda erupted in protest. Fiercely trying to be the first to speak, to tell them that they were wrong in their assessment, both were preventing the other, or anyone else, for that matter, from getting a word in. Shaking her head, Hermione lowered her eyes to the cot and cast a spell to ward the infant from the storm of noise and emotions that were swirling around the office.
Minerva, with a strange smile on her face, vainly tried to silence both the Minister and Andromeda, but neither one was listening. Just as she was about to raise her wand, suddenly a bright golden light flared into existence and all of the voices in the room were shocked into silence by the sound of a song that stilled all of the emotions and voices with its calm and beauty.
Harry felt a weight settle on his shoulder and saw every eye in the room, painted and otherwise, focus on him. A rustling of feathers startled him, but a flash of reddish gold out of the corner of his eye told him the identity of his passenger.
“Hello Fawkes.” Harry said simply, trying not to move suddenly so as to not startle the phoenix. “I take it you have something to add to the conversation?”
A warm feeling in the back of Harry’s mind blossomed, and he ‘heard’ a voice within his mind. A dark velvety baritone chuckled and stated, “Fawkes no longer. You have been chosen, once again.” Harry could feel the mental equivalent of a wry smile as the weight of the phoenix’s regard turned to his partner in life. “I am now ‘Locke’, for her.”
The whispered “Goodness!” from Hermione told him that she had heard the exchange as well as he. Smiling he nodded. “I apologize, Locke. Do you have something to add?” Ignoring the shocked looks on the faces around the room, Harry vainly tried to carry on a one-sided verbal conversation with someone sitting on his shoulder without looking too ridiculous.
Locke trilled a series of notes, and Harry felt a small pop as Hermione’s spell shielding Teddy’s cot melted out of existence. Teddy began laughing and clapping at the sound. “This is not well thought out, they worry that you two are abandoning your commitment to the child.”
Shaking her head, Hermione pulled a sheaf of parchments from her bag and laid them on the table sitting in front of Kingsley and Andromeda. “As Harry was just reminded, we could have phrased that better, but essentially we realized that just being ‘just’ Teddy’s godparents was being unfair to him. We decided that he needed parents.”
Smiling at the dawning looks of comprehension on Kingsley’s and Andromeda’s faces, Harry nodded. “We discovered that the Bureau of Permanence, along with tracking inconsequential things like our being soul bound and oath-bound in marriage, has an important function. They, which means Evangeline, decide upon the suitability and appropriateness of adoptions for wizarding families.”
Picking up the thread, Hermione smiled. “The top set of parchments in front of you formalizes our adoption of Teddy as our son.” Feeling tears beginning to form in her eyes, she paused for a second. “We were hoping that your three would see fit to witness this and give your blessings.” Smiling, she saw Harry nod and put his coin away as she spoke.
Looking shocked, Kingsley leaned forward and scanned the parchments in front of him. “You’ve designated Teddy as the primary heir for the House of Black and co-heir for Potter?” Shaking his head in disbelief, he looked over at Andromeda, who was equally stunned.
Smiling, Hermione sighed. “Well, yes. We thought it best that way. Teddy will be equally a part of the family with any children we have in the future, but we thought it would be best if the primary reins of the House of Black remain with him. That way we can sever the seats in the Wizengamot at some appropriate time, but primarily we intended it as a way of Teddy not losing sight of the fact that he is Remus’ and Dora’s son as well as ours.” Nodding towards Andromeda, she grinned. “This is also why we also stipulated that his name will remain ‘Theodore Remus Lupin’ until he turns fifteen so he can decide how he wants to be named. We owe the both of them so much that we decided that Teddy should be the one to decide that.”
Wiping tears from her eyes, Andromeda nodded. “This isn’t necessary, but I know that both of them must be very happy about your doing this.”
Hermione smiled and answered, “It is necessary,” before being cut off by the voice of Albus coming from Severus’ portrait.”
“Both Nymphadora and Remus are very pleased with this turn of events.” Smiling, Albus was leaning against Severus’ chair, ignoring the smirk on his face. “And Harry, phoenixes make their own decisions about choosing, both their names and their persons. Though I’m certain you two know that your relationship means that you both were chosen by Locke.”
Shaking her head, Hermione nodded. “As I was saying, it is necessary, we didn’t want any confusion or hard feelings to erupt at some day far in the future. Also, this formalizes Teddy’s role in the House of Black in a manner that even the Wizengamot can’t overturn.” Chuckling, she smiled. “I suppose they named it the ‘Bureau of Permanence’ for a very good reason.”
All smiles, Andromeda, Kingsley and Minerva all affixed their signatures and magical seals to the document. Harry and Hermione both slid their thumbs across the magical seal point, allowing the documents to be sealed with their blood. A complex magical chime was heard in the room, eliciting a joyous trill from Locke as their intent became fact. A brief flash of warmth from the pendant hanging around Hermione’s neck surprised both of them as they could sense the magic of the soul stone encompass Teddy as well.
Nodding in satisfaction, Minerva turned to Kingsley. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to answer any of your questions about what their intentions were, but the three of us thought that the fewer people who knew about this, until it was official, the better.”
Chuckling, Kingsley nodded. “You’re correct on that account. A copy of this has probably appeared in the Archives by now, and I can imagine that the gossip and patronuses have already started flying.” Turning to Hermione, he tilted his head a bit, as if he were trying to formulate a question.
Smiling, she nodded. “You’re wondering about the ‘patents, assigns and formal duties of the Grangers’ clause, aren’t you?”
Looking a bit sheepish, he nodded. “Well, yes. It seemed a bit out of place in the midst of paragraphs of legalese defining seats in the Wizengamot and heirs and assigns of wizarding families.”
Smiling mysteriously, Harry laughed. “Hermione is nothing if not far from ordinary and it seems her family history is just as extraordinary as she is.” Nodding to her and watching her amused smile, he grinned. “Unless her parents have another child, she’s the only heir for her branch of her family and we’ve discovered that she’s not as totally mundane and ordinary as she would like to believe.” Smiling at the faint colouring of her cheeks, he nodded. “This just clarifies that Teddy is just as much an heir of her side of the family asylum as he is mine.”
Still looking a bit confused, Kingsley shrugged. “If it makes sense to you two and Evangeline, who am I to argue?” Looking at the final parchment on the table, he shrugged. “Still more surprises?”
Laughing, Hermione shook her head. “Not really, it’s just a matter of us making certain that our responsibilities to Teddy are discharged in an adult and orderly manner.”
Before she could continue, a dreamy voice interrupted. “Ronald, I think that’s our cue.”
Looking up, everyone could see Ron, Luna and Ginny standing in front of the Headmistress’ desk. All three were smiling, and Ron and Luna were holding hands as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Smiling, Harry nodded. “Right on time, you three.” Turing back to the others, Harry glanced down at the paper sitting on the table. Hermione picked up Teddy and placed him on her lap, propping him up so he could look around.
“We decided that we needed to make provisions for Teddy’s future. This document formalizes the decision that we made in conjunction with our closest friends.” Nodding at the three as they came up and stood beside Hermione’ seat, he smiled.
Hermione placed a gently kiss on the top of Teddy’s head before speaking. “We decided that in the event we were unable to care for Teddy, his guardianship would pass to these three, though the document is so worded that it allows us to name a fourth.” Shaking her head, she shrugged. “Harry and Ron said it’s a ‘Keeper to be named later’ clause in Quidditch parlance for when Ginny gets around to finding someone.” Smiling at the furious blush on Ginny’s face, she laughed kindly at her embarrassment. Holding up the baby she grinned.
“Ronald Bilius Weasley, Luna Aranrhod Lovegood, Ginevra Molly Weasley, meet Theodore Remus Lupin, your godson.” Hermione intoned. Smiling as the three all nodded gravely while smiling madly, she continued. “Teddy dearest, meet the godparents.”
A/N – First, thank you to everyone who has read and/or reviewed this story (Yes, that means if any of you reviewed without reading, thanks to you also.) I really do appreciate the comments and support, and your reviews made this a much better story than I would have been able to write without your insights. Second, thanks to JRK for providing such an inspired framework to explore and wonder about.
This isn’t the story I set out to write, but it is the story I wanted to write. As you can probably tell, this isn’t the end of this storyline, but it is the end of this story. They will go to try and find Hermione’s parents. They will try to stop the return of Salazar Slytherin. You will get to meet Evangeline. Hermione will make Vernon Dursley rue the day he was born. There are a few other stories that I’m working on right now, but the second part of this will be tentatively called “Meet The Parents” (it’s not a remake of the 2000 movie by that title, but Harry does have to meet her parents. And since they now have a child together, it might be a bit tense for the first couple of minutes.)
Thanks again, and I hope to see you all wandering the halls of fan fiction. Everyone, go write something. And for the three of you out there who haven’t read Deadly Hallows yet, please break down and read it so I can stop putting warnings about DH spoilers in stories.
Have fun, and thanks.
apAidan
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