"No!" Harry repeated.
"But, Dad! What does the school know about me? A: I'm extremely powerful for my age. B: I get into detention a lot. C: I was recently locked out of Gryffindor Tower for doing an Unforgivable Curse with Caden Rowle, and since Zabini knew that I was great at the Imperius from overhearing a conversation I had with Caden, he probably told the rest of them that I've got a talent for Dark Magic. And D: I'm frustrated with being treated like a baby—I whine about it enough, I'm sure most people have heard. It's not only believable that I'd be the one to give the Dark Side a try...it's logical."
"There is no sodding way I am going to let you put yourself in the midst of these people when they have used Unforgivables on your brothers and Scorpius!" Harry exclaimed, outraged. "No! Absolutely not!"
"Mum!" Lily complained.
"Don't 'Mum' me!" Ginny shot back. She sounded equally exasperated. "Of all the reckless suggestions!"
"But it won't be reckless! You lot can be nearby. You can use Extendable Ears to listen in! I'll get in, find out what I need to know, and get out! I can bring Caden with me for backup—"
"NO! And I don't want to talk about it anymore!" Harry shouted. Lily glared.
"Then you're being a coward! Because we could find out what we need to know this way! You're just too afraid to put me in danger!" she snapped.
"Oh, I'm a coward, am I? For wanting to protect my child?!"
"Yes, because I CAN DO IT, DAD—"
"That doesn't even make sense, Lily," Albus interrupted. "Because they hurt your best friend and you had plenty to say about that very publically."
"Well of course I'd take issue with my best friend being attacked; that doesn't mean I wouldn't give the Dark Arts a spin—"
"Enough!" Ginny exclaimed.
Then, to Harry's outrage, Draco said: "She's got a point, Ginny."
Harry rounded on Draco. "Sorry?!"
"They're clearly interested in your kids. Lily has already shown an interest in the Dark Arts. It could work."
"No, it most certainly could not work!" Harry raged. "You don't get to say what will or won't work when it comes to my child's safety!"
"You got to make that call earlier when it came to my child's safety!" Draco snapped.
"That is different and you know it! You wanted to storm off to find Avery yourself and there is a certain way we have to do things! You don't hear me suggesting Scorpius put himself in the line of fire to get information!"
"Scorpius couldn't, it wouldn't be believable!"
"Oh, and that's the only reason he couldn't, is it?! You and I both know that if I even suggested it you'd have crawled down my throat—"
"Don't tempt me, Potter!"
"I'll do what I please, Malfoy!"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake—would the both of you shut up?!" Ginny yelled. Her cry rang throughout the office. Harry ground his teeth and looked away from Draco's face. In the current moment, he was so irritated with him that even the sight of his pointed chin made him want to hex him.
"You two bickering like schoolboys does nothing to help this situation whatsoever," she scolded. Harry rubbed the back of his neck somewhat sheepishly.
"Can I, Mum? Please?" Lily asked again.
"Lily, no. Your dad and I can't...you have to understand, love, it's not that we don't trust your abilities—"
"Oh, rubbish, Mum! 'You have to understand, love' anytime you pull out the 'love' I know you're just trying to console me!"
"I am trying to console you," agreed Ginny. She maintained calmness, but Harry could tell there was irritation lurking low. "But it's also the truth. We have tremendous faith in your abilities, Lily. It's those kids we don't trust. Look what happened to Albus in a split second. We can't risk something like that happening again."
"Well, it's going to happen again. No matter what. If you don't get answers now, it's just going to keep happening."
"Then we'll deal with it when it does. But we won't put you at risk."
"I'm already at risk."
"Lily, let it go," Harry warned. She locked eyes with him and parted her lips, seemingly ready to disregard his request, but after a long moment she merely ground her teeth and snatched her mug up. She stared down at the emptiness—Harry guessed she'd forgotten that she'd already drank it all. Her eye twitched. James quickly pulled her mug from her hands and replaced it with his half-full one. Lily took a deep sip as if nothing had happened.
"More plans will need to be made," Hermione spoke up. She stood—most everybody else did the same. "Harry, I need you at the Ministry tomorrow. Draco, you as well, with the law drafts you and Ginny have been working on. Ginny—somebody has got to deal with Grant within the Prophet offices and nobody else there has the nerve to do it, so I need you to actually work at the office tomorrow."
Ginny groaned. "Do I have to? I can't stand the lot of them and Grant and I aren't really on speaking terms. He's in the broomshed."
"Yeah, you've got to, unless you want Skeeter sneaking more articles in. I'm only one person."
Harry glanced to McGonagall. "What about my classes?"
She frowned. "I might live to regret this suggestion, but...James. Are there any fellow N.E.W.T. level students who might want to join you in substituting for your father?"
James's eyes widened. Without a second's pause, he pointed excitedly at Nora, who'd already raised her dark, slender hand right into the air. McGonagall narrowed her eyes.
"Can you two focus on the students rather than each other?"
"Of course!" James said.
"James Who?" Nora agreed.
"I don't have a girlfriend!" James grinned.
"What's a boy?" Nora added.
McGonagall sighed. "Oh, all right, then. Harry, I trust you'll give them detailed instructions?"
Harry—torn between excitement on James's behalf for something he knew he'd really enjoy and apprehension for how he'd be received by the class—nodded uncertainly.
"And Avery?" Albus demanded. "What about Avery?"
McGonagall and Hermione exchanged a long look.
"I think," McGonagall finally said, "for the time being, as long as the Minister is okay with holding off, that we might let the Conflict Counselor handle this one."
Albus gave an outraged cry. "He Imperiuses Scorpius and his punishment is tea with Draco?!"
"He will be punished. Everybody here who has done Dark Magic maliciously will be. But haven't you been listening, Albus? This goes deeper than we know. We have to make measured moves now," Harry said.
"Er..." Scorpius said, his eyes darting to his dad. "Isn't there a conflict of interest here? Because I'm my dad's son? And he loves me? And Avery used Dark Magic on me? Should he really be the one dealing with Avery?"
"I trust that Draco can hold his temper," Hermione said. She looked to Draco. "Can you?"
Draco crossed his arms. "Of course I can. But what exactly am I supposed to do? I can't even give detention."
"Mandatory daily counseling sessions is what you'll tell him his punishment is," McGonagall said. "I want you to use that time to keep a close eye on him and his moods. And take diligent notes. If you can get a confession from him-- even better."
"Sounds like punishment to me," Harry muttered underneath his breath. Ginny smacked his ribs lightly.
"And Gregory Goyle?" Rose asked. Harry looked over towards her. She and Iset were standing close behind Hermione. "What about him?"
Hermione turned around to observe her daughter and Iset.
"I will handle that," she promised softly. "Before it's time for Christmas holidays, he will be arrested and facing trial, and we will find other arrangements for Iset until she's of age. Assuming that's what you want, Iset?"
"Yes, that's what I want," Iset confirmed at once. "I don't want to go home ever again. I don't even want my things."
Hermione nodded. She reached out and wrapped an arm around Rose and her other around Iset.
"Let's talk about where you might like to go for holidays until you're of age," she said. And with that, the three of them left the office, presumably to drop Iset off in the Hufflepuff Basement, and Rose off at Gryffindor Tower.
Harry was beginning to feel the weight of the late hour, but he wasn't sure he wanted to send his kids off on their own. Especially not now that he knew they were at least somewhat targets. He turned and reached for Ginny's warm hand. He pulled her to the side.
"I don't want them off alone," he began.
"Nor do I. Sleepover?"
"I'll do my best to sell it." Harry stepped back towards the table. "Lily, James, Albus, Nora, Scorpius—why don't you stay in our living quarters tonight? Just until we can get an idea of where Avery is at mentally."
"Can Aster come?!" Lily asked at once. Harry sighed.
"Sure, Lily. You two can have the spare bedroom; Remy—the portrait bloke—would visit his other portrait for a while if we ask nicely."
"Nora and I want the room with Marcus the Mirror," James requested at once. "We want some unbiased feedback."
"Over my dead body," Ginny said. "Marcus the Mirror is still unfit for company. Your dad and I will take that room—"
Harry groaned. "We will?"
"You two can stay in the living room. We can transfigure the sofas into beds for Albus and Scorpius."
"They can stay with me," Draco offered. "I've got a spare bedroom."
Scorpius nodded. He drifted over to Draco's side (pulling Albus along with him, because Albus still refused to be parted from his touch). "I'll go with my dad."
"And I'll go with Scorpius," Albus added.
Harry was starting to get the feeling that this experience was going to impact Albus more than it'd impacted Scorpius.
"All right," Ginny said. She finished changing the bedding on their living room bed and turned to look sternly at James and Nora—now clad in their matching pajamas (Halloween themed with smiling pumpkins...where the hell did they get these?). "Sleep well. I've put the water jug on the counter. James and Nora— no shagging in communal living spaces."
"Ew," Aster giggled. Lily made a gagging noise and pointed at Nora and James. James, on the other hand, grinned and whispered something to Nora that Harry didn't catch. She reached up and caressed his bottom lip with her thumb in response, her gaze lovesick and vaguely nauseating.
"No, James, you cannot 'make love' in communal living spaces either, so put the cheekiness on simmer for the night," Ginny deadpanned.
"'MAKE LOVE'," Lily quoted gleefully. She snickered. "That's so disgusting, Jamie-Baby, I can't believe you actually said that. Who the fu—"
"Lily Luna Potter!" Harry warned.
Lily huffed. "Dad, I can't express myself if I can't swear, and Aunt Hermione always says that teenagers who can't express themselves to their parents end up—"
"Aunt Hermione says a lot about parenting," Ginny interrupted. "Good night, loves."
"There goes that 'love' again," Lily murmured to Aster. "You'd think I'm an infant or a Pygmy Puff or a dragon."
"Absolutely," Aster whispered back.
Ginny kneaded over her temples. She turned to Harry. "I'm going to bed."
"Take me with you," Harry said quickly. He had no interest in remaining in here with his sassy children. "'Night, sleep well, kids." He hesitated. "And...your mum was serious about what she said, James."
"Relax...we've got some boundaries, Dad."
"...Right..." Harry muttered. He shot them one last suspicious look and then stepped back into the Umbridge Bedroom after Ginny. He stopped in place moments after walking through the doorway, because at some point, his wife had conjured another bed. It was wedged between the end of Umbridge's old bed and the wardrobe.
"Oh," he said. He nodded. "Good thinking."
"I do that, from time to time."
"Thank Merlin one of us does."
He set about stripping from his clothes. Ginny—already changed into her pajamas—stretched out atop the blankets on her stomach, her chin rested in her palms as she waited for him. Harry paused.
"Enjoying the show?" he teased.
"Avidly," she said. "But I'd like a bit more hip action."
He grinned. He leaned over and grabbed the nearest pillow. He threw it at her, but she caught it easily; damn Chasing reflexes.
"Take the trousers off!" she called.
"Shh-- the kids will hear you!" Harry shot back, but his words were cushioned with laughter. Ginny only made him laugh harder when she whistled as he unbuttoned his trousers.
"He's not that impressive, dear," Marcus the Mirror snorted.
Ginny narrowed her eyes. She waved her wand and sent the pillows from Umbridge's bed flying over at the mirror. They piled themselves up until the mirror was entirely obscured.
"I hate that mirror," Ginny muttered crossly.
Harry didn't mind it so much anymore. He had begun tuning it out completely. But Ginny still took personal offense whenever it commented negatively about him.
He pulled his pajama bottoms on, tugged an old t-shirt over his head, and then joined Ginny on the surprisingly comfortable bed. He reached for her as she reached for him; they let out simultaneous sighs as they curled up together.
"You are that impressive," Ginny murmured, her hands staking claim over his thigh and bum. Harry grinned into her collarbone.
"I think you're a bit biased."
"Oh yeah?" she challenged. "Witch Weekly's best bum, 2003."
"I still believe Krum should've won that year."
"If you really think that you need new glasses."
Harry leaned back and gave Ginny an exasperated look. She laughed. The way it made her face light up made him want to squirm with delight. He let that tenderness sweep him under; he gently pressed her against the mattress and kissed her laughing mouth. His glasses pressed painfully into his eyes and the bridge of his nose as he kissed her cheek, her jawline, down her neck. He mapped out her skin beneath her pajama top, even if he'd long ago learned it by heart. He thought about her arms around him today, about all the times her arms had been around him during his lowest points. He sought her lips again, and after another lingering kiss, he lifted up just enough to peer into her eyes.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I know," she shot back with a grin.
He scoffed. "That's nice."
"It is," she teased. She craned her neck up and met his lips again. "Clearly I love you and your 2003 Best Bum right back."
He smiled at her as she lowered her head back down onto the mattress. Her hair fanned out around her, a splash of impossible brightness against the gray bedding. He rolled over and lay beside her, his fingers pulling idly through her hair as he studied the profile of her face and thought about their long day. The Quidditch match that morning felt like it'd happened weeks ago. He was tired of long days.
"What are we going to do?" he finally asked.
She turned over onto her side. She pushed her hand beneath the pillow and studied his eyes.
"Whatever we can do, I suppose."
"Our children aren't safe, Ginny. Not as long as Goyle's got a little army in here. But we can't expel all of them without proof...it would start a riot and make tensions even worse. But until they're gone, our kids and their friends are in danger."
She frowned. He watched her eyes dim. He reached up and set his hand against her cheek. She studied his eyes as he stroked over her cheekbone. "I know," she finally admitted.
Harry's throat narrowed. "I think we're going to have to make some terrible choices soon."
Ginny sucked in her bottom lip in worry. Her brow furrowed. "I've been feeling that way, too."
Harry ignored the burning behind his eyes. He leaned in and kissed her, distracting her from the nervous lip-biting she'd begun. He held her face gently in his hands and shut his eyes, trying his hardest to fall into the taste of her (and to let everything but that fall away), but no matter how hard he tried, his heart was still heavy with worry. He loved her, he loved her, he loved her—sometimes (like now) it was all he thought on repeat. But it was a repetition born from panic that night because all the things he loved—they could become weapons.
And their children. Had anybody ever loved anything as much as they loved their children? Harry doubted it. If it were so, the world would have been much different.
He pulled his lips from hers. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and held her so closely that her ribs were pressed painfully into his. "If things get bad again—if we can't stop it—if this world becomes a risk—"
"We get the kids out," Ginny finished.
Harry nodded, relieved. "Yes. Far away. We keep them safe."
Harry woke to Eoforwine's snuffling squeaks in his ear. He groaned and stretched out his legs, reaching up for the tickling Pygmy Puff trying to nest against his hairline.
"No," he complained. He held the red puffball up in the air above his face. He squinted at it, though it was blurry due to his missing glasses. "Who let you in here?"
A familiar purring noise nearby answered his question. He turned his head to the side and squinted towards it. The black mound that was Zephyros, their cat who had mastered the art of opening doors, was the answer.
"Bloody cats," Harry complained. He stretched his arm across the bed, searching for Ginny, but he came up empty. He frowned. "Gin?"
He sat up and peered around the room. He didn't spot her, but he was able to discern the roaring sound of the running bath from over Zephyros's oddly loud purrs. He was suddenly very awake. He set Eoforwine down on the pillow, rose, and stretched his arms above his head as he walked to the adjoining bathroom. He was yawning as he walked into it. Ginny had her head resting on the ledge. She didn't open her eyes, but he saw her lips quirk up.
"It's like magic," she greeted. "Run a bath and Harry will appear."
"Depends on who's in the bath," he shot back, his words still thick with exhaustion. "You? Definitely. Ron? Not so much."
"So you say," she said. Her eyelids fluttered opened as he fought from his pajamas. "Good morning."
"It is a good morning," he agreed. He stepped tentatively into the massive bath. The water was hotter than he'd expected; it burned like hot pinpricks against his feet and calf, but he forced himself to step all the way in it and ease down. He grimaced. "Bit hot, don't you think?"
"Complainers have to leave the bathtub."
"Not complaining, just a...pained observation." He waded over towards her, growing accustomed to the water with every passing second. He looped his arms around her waist as soon as he was close enough. She let her head fall against his shoulder. Her wet hair stuck to his skin. "It's been ages since we've had a bath together. Forever."
He didn't have to look down at her to know she was rolling her eyes. "It's nice to finally know that 'forever' means precisely 'one
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