"Mum, dad!"
Hermione let go of Harry and her trunk to hug her parents. Her mum squeezed her extra long and then she stepped back and took Harry's hand as both her parents raised their eyebrows.
"You remember Harry. He's going to come stay with us this summer. I know it's a surprise, but I'll explain when we get home. Please trust me. Harry, do you remember my mum Jean and dad Neil?"
"Yes Mione. I last saw the two of you on the platform at the start of the school year. It's good to see you again."
Hermione began to move forward and her parents took the hint. Her mother shot her a look and took her arm while her dad grabbed her trunk. She had stuck Crookshanks' crate to the top and he jostled a bit and screeched, but soon they were set and proceeding through the magical barrier into the muggle portion of King's Cross station. Once they left the station, they walked a block to where the Grangers had parked and Hermione was glad to see they had brought the Land Rover. There would be more than enough room for hers and Harry's trunks, as well as Crookshanks, Hedwig and Harry's broom. Once they were all loaded, Neil began to navigate the busy traffic and Jean tried to make small talk with Hermione and Harry. She turned and saw that they were sitting quite close in the backseat and were linked still. Neil looked in the mirror and saw the same, but soon had to watch traffic again. The ride to the Grangers' home was tense, but Harry had had much worse drives with the Dursleys. As long as he had Hermione to hold onto he would be alright. The ride took forty minutes as they made their way north out of London on the way to Cambridge. At one point Harry saw the same small Fiat zipping in and out of traffic and figured the Aurors must be tailing them. Neil noticed the same car and scowled.
"I don't know what is going on, but I think we have a tail. Whoever it is, is either the best driver ever or damn lucky with the maneuvers they're pulling."
"Actually dad, that's probably the Aurors. Headmaster Dumbledore said we would be assigned security. And they probably have an anti-collision charm so that it doesn't matter how good they drive."
Neil looked in the mirror at his daughter once again and shook his head.
"Well, I certainly hope you can explain all of this very shortly."
"As soon as we're home dad."
The Grangers lived on the edge of a good size village between London and Cambridge, and Harry was impressed at the beautiful modern English revival house that Neil pulled up in front of. He pulled into the garage and parked the Land Rover next to Jean's BMW. Harry got out and helped Hermione before going to help Neil with the trunks. Jean watched his attitude and was impressed that the young man certainly seemed to have good manners. Soon they were in the house and Neil deposited the trunks at the bottom of the stairs, apparently unwilling to take them further until he received explanations. Hermione let Crookshanks out and then turned to see her parents standing side by side, waiting.
"Alright, why don't we go in the living room and talk?"
Hermione took Harry's hand and they followed her parents to the living room. Once there, Hermione began to circle the room and lay down heavy privacy charms. Both her parents watched, astounded.
"Hermione, you can't do magic outside of school!"
"I can now mum, but we'll get to that. It's important that what is said here does not go further. The Aurors should be outside now under disillusionment charms laying down wards over the house and grounds. There will be a guard the entire time we are at home and a guard that follows us if we leave. You don't have to worry, they will remain disguised or disillusioned."
Jean blanched and Neil scowled as they settled into a sofa. Hermione and Harry sat on a loveseat across from them and clutched onto each other. They had discussed how to do this, and Hermione thought it best that she take the lead to start.
"Mum, dad, we have quite a bit to tell you. Some of it will be hard to understand and some will be difficult for you, but I ask only that you let us tell you everything first. You know that there is a dark wizard named Lord Voldemort that has been rising in power and that Headmaster Dumbledore is one of the people fighting to stop him. You also know the story of what happened to Harry fourteen years ago and how he somehow defeated the Dark Lord when he was a baby. Since then Lord Voldemort has had to live a half-life without his own body. Two years ago, when I was petrified, he tried to possess the body of a first year student at the school. Thanks to Harry, he was stopped. This past year Harry was improperly forced to participate in a very dangerous competition called the Tri-Wizard tournament. Something horrible happened at the end of that tournament and I'm going to let Harry tell you his story."
"Thanks Mione. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, the Tri-Wizard tournament is a competition where champions from three magical schools compete in three extremely difficult magical tasks spread over the school year. The tournament was designed to foster camaraderie among the young people at the different schools. The tournament is so difficult that an age limit was placed on it where no one under seventeen could compete. I did not enter my name for consideration, but Lord Voldemort had a Death Eater in the school under disguise who managed to put my name in. I became a fourth champion. The way the tournament was arranged, once my name was chosen, it was a binding magical contract and I had no choice but to compete. I did not find out the reason that person wanted me in the tournament until the final task that took place a week ago. At the end of that task, myself and another student tied as we reached the final cup. As soon as we took hold of it, the cup transported us away from the school. I can give you full details later, but Lord Voldemort was waiting for me. He had not intended for two of us to come with the cup. The other student, a Hufflepuff named Cedric Diggory, was killed by a Death Eater immediately. I was then tortured and forced to donate my blood for a dark rite. That rite allowed Lord Voldemort to take physical form again. I managed to escape afterward and use the cup to transport back to Hogwarts. I was injured, but told my story and Dumbledore managed to uncover the Death Eater hidden in the school. After that, I was taken to the hospital wing to be treated for my injuries overnight."
Harry paused and looked at the Grangers. Jean's mouth hung slightly open and they both looked pale. He turned and smiled at Hermione and she continued as they had planned.
"I know this is a lot to understand mum and dad, but now I need to tell you the rest. When Harry was in the hospital wing, I stayed by his bed overnight. You know that Harry and I have been friends for years. Now, I have to confess that I have been falling in love with him for a couple years now. I denied my feelings for fear of damaging our friendship. When I saw him disappear after he took the cup, and then when he returned hurt with Cedric dead next to him, I thought I had lost him. I cannot tell you what that felt like. We've had some hard times before this, but I have never felt despair like that."
Hermione choked a bit and wiped her eyes. Harry put an arm around her and pulled her close. Once she collected herself, she continued.
"So, I stayed at his bedside all night. I needed to be there to see him wake up. The next morning when he woke I was so relieved. Then I became quite upset and yelled at him for almost dying on me. You know how worked up I can get. After I yelled at him, I started crying and Harry hugged me. He then confessed to me his feelings and told me he loved me. I couldn't believe that he felt the same way and I confessed the same to him. Then he kissed me and something quite strange happened. There was a very bright light and chimes sounded. Madam Pomfrey witnessed it and went running for the headmaster. Later, once Harry was discharged, the headmaster explained what happened. It was something I have read about, but hadn't realized what it was. What happened is that Harry and I became soul bound to each other. It's extremely rare and many witches and wizards consider it something from myths and fables. It's hard to explain what it's like, other than the light and music, it's like everything perfect in the world is being heaped onto you and for a few moments you feel as if nothing has been or ever will be wrong in life. It's…quite amazing."
Hermione looked at Harry as she found it hard to speak again. She was supposed to continue, but Harry whispered to her and she nodded for him to take over.
"I know you must be wondering what this means. Headmaster Dumbledore had us in his office and was about to explain when three owls arrived. We each received one from the Ministry, and I also received one from Gringotts. The Ministry was congratulating us on our soul bond. The magic that was released when we bonded registered immediately at the Ministry. The authorities registered us as bonded, which in the wizarding world means we're married. We're also legally emancipated, which is why we can now do magic outside school."
"WHAT?"
"You're…married? But, Hermione's fifteen. How old are you Harry?"
"I'll be fifteen in July."
"Now look Harry, Hermione has talked about you a lot and you sound like a fine young man, but I cannot tolerate whatever this is that happened with my fifteen year old daughter. You are certainly welcome to visit and you may date her with proper restrictions, but the rest of this is ridiculous."
"Dad, please sit down and let me explain a bit more. I know this is difficult. What you need to understand about soul bonded individuals is that we cannot be separated. From the time we bonded, Harry and I have tried to hold hands most of the time. If I separate from him for longer than about twenty minutes, I become incredibly tired and drained. It's actually gotten slightly better. The first day it only took a few minutes. Gradually the time we can be apart will increase as our magic settles into our bond. If we are kept apart for too long, it may prove fatal. I'd have to look at the few records that there are on soul bonded couples. I don't know if any have ever tested that theory."
"Mr. Granger, there is something else that you need to know. When I became emancipated, I received a letter from Gringotts. I am the last surviving heir of House Potter and immediately took my hereditary title and assumed leadership of my house, including my vault, patents, businesses and properties. At that time the goblins asked if I wished to accept Hermione as my wife and make her Lady Potter, or if I wished to keep her as a concubine and take another for a wife later. I know, the idea is horrendous. I was appalled and obviously there was no choice, but the goblins are quite formal in the old ways. Hermione accepted the ring of House Potter and is now my lady."
At this point, Harry drew his wand and dissolved their glamour charms to show their house rings. Jean just shook her head.
"So, you're Lord and Lady Potter now?"
"Yes mum."
Neil seemed too stunned to say more at the moment, then Jean noticed the ring on Hermione's other hand.
"Is that a wedding ring?"
"Yes mum. We found it in the vault after we met with the Potter account manager. It was Harry's mum's. He offered it to me and gave me the choice if I wanted one of my own that he would buy for me, but I love this one. It's quite special."
"Good god, you really did it. You went and got married. You're bloody fifteen!"
"Neil, please, language. It's difficult, but it wasn't something they planned."
"Mr. Granger, please know that I love your daughter more than my own life. I know we're young, but neither of us is your average immature teenager. We've been through a lot together. If we weren't meant to be together, the magic wouldn't have bonded us. Also, I want you to know that I plan on completing my schooling and finding a good job, but I don't really need to. I have enough money, including ongoing income from family businesses, to provide for us for several lifetimes. I also own a number of properties, including the ancestral Potter home of Druimoor. I can show you my account statements from Gringotts if you wish."
"Please. Let's get all of this out on the table now."
Harry went to his trunk and pulled out the rolls of parchment from Gringotts. He handed them to Neil and went back to sit by Hermione. The parchments included all details, including the rough conversion rates to British pounds. Jean leaned over and scanned the parchments at the same time as her husband and they both paled again. When they finished, Neil set it aside and rubbed his face, then he stood and began pacing. After a minute, he turned back to talk to Hermione and Harry.
"Alright, so now my fifteen year old daughter is magically married. She is also now nobility and wealthy beyond imagining. And if I decide to try to separate her from her husband, they will both probably die. Oh, and her husband is being hunted by a dark wizard who just came back to life and wants to kill him. Is that a good summary?"
"Yes dad, except you forgot the part where we plan on fighting and destroying the dark wizard so that we can live in peace and enjoy a happy future."
Neil just nodded and sunk back onto the couch next to his wife. He leaned into her for a minute and then they rose.
"Please excuse us for a couple minutes. We need to talk."
Harry and Hermione waited, lost in their thoughts and clinging to each other. As the minutes grew longer, Hermione became more nervous. Harry pulled her close and kissed her briefly before placing his forehead against hers. They closed their eyes and breathed in each other's breaths, taking comfort from their closeness. A few minutes later, the Grangers returned to the room and paused at the sight. Jean suppressed a sob. It was obvious how bonded they were. She may not understand it completely, but then she didn't understand much of her daughter's world. Neil cleared his throat as they proceeded into the room. Harry and Hermione pulled apart and turned to look at her parents. Jean was the one who spoke for them.
"Hermione, your father and I have spoken and have come to an initial acceptance of what you've told us. This is of course quite difficult. Harry is welcome to stay, as we do not wish to push you away. Obviously the two of you have other places you could retreat to. I suppose you and Harry will need to share a room?"
"Yes mum. Actually, on the evening of our bonding, Professor McGonagall assigned us married student quarters at school and we moved out of the main Gryffindor tower."
Jean caught her breath and Neil shook his head and exploded.
"So you're sleeping together?"
"Yes dad. We're married. Not that it's your business, but we are taking our physical relationship slow. This was all quite sudden."
Neil just shook his head again and Jean took over.
"Alright, I suppose the two of you should get settled. Go ahead and show Harry upstairs please Hermione."
Hermione stood and hugged both her parents. Then they all walked out to the hall and she and Harry pulled their wands and levitated their trunks upstairs. The Grangers hadn't seen much magic and stood, watching, once again stunned. Hermione led Harry up the broad mahogany stairs to an upstairs hallway. She stopped at the third door on the right and opened the room. Harry followed her in and suppressed a smirk at the very girly room. The walls were lavender with a pink rose border. The room was quite large with a white iron double bed with a chenille spread. The window had fluttery lace curtains over window covering blinds. Opposite the bed stood an entire wall of white bookshelves with a desk built into the center of them. The room had hardwood floors, but was covered almost wall to wall by a large pastel rug with pink roses and a baby blue border. The far wall of the room had a large walk-in closet and by the door was a long, low dresser with a full mirror above. Between the two was a door that was cracked open and appeared to lead to a bathroom. Harry stood for a minute, taking it all in. He hadn't really thought what Hermione's room would be like, but he certainly wouldn't have guessed on what he found. She turned and saw him looking around and shook her head.
"I know, it's a princess room. Mum designed it when I was five. It was my birthday present. I loved it then, but I grew out of it. I was about to ask for an update when I received my Hogwarts letter and since then I haven't been here enough to make it worth the effort of changing it."
"It's, um, nice. I was just a bit surprised. I suppose I can see you at five in here. You were lucky to have parents who cared enough to give you something so nice."
"Oh Harry…"
Hermione turned to him and wrapped him in her arms, peppering his jaw with small kisses.
"Never again Harry. You never have to go back to that place. Now I get to spoil you and you can even spoil yourself. Have a few of the things you should have always had."
Harry smiled and kissed her, pulling back to smile and just stare at her beauty.
"Thanks love. We'll build a good life together. First job, destroy Voldemort."
"Hmm yes, nothing much to do there."
They both giggled and then Hermione suggested they get settled. Her closet actually had plenty of space and Harry started to unpack his muggle clothes. As he did, Hermione was reminded of the sad state of his clothing. She was so used to seeing him in school uniforms and robes, she had forgotten.
"Well Harry, I think one of the first things we need to is get you some more clothes. Something of your own. Then you can toss those rags and be rid of one more piece of the Dursleys."
"I suppose you're right. I'm used to them, but these clothes are sad. Definitely not appropriate for escorting my lovely young wife around."
Hermione smiled and kissed him. Soon Harry was responding and they found themselves standing in the closet snogging. They were so involved, they didn't hear Jean call them. The door was still open, so she came in, looking around.
"Hermione…Harry…"
Jean stopped when she reached the closet and couldn't keep from smiling. Hermione blushed as she and Harry separated.
"Hi mum, need something?"
"Just wondering what your plans are for the day? Your father suggested dinner out later. By the way, you have your own room. You don't have to hide in the closet."
"I know mum, we were just talking and then one thing led to another. Anyway, I think we should go out. Harry, what do you say we start your shopping and have dinner out? No time like the present."
"Sure love. Sounds good."
"Shopping?"
"Yes mum. Harry has no muggle clothes that aren't years old and hand me downs from his cousin. Now that he doesn't have to wear them anymore, I told him we should go shopping. Is that alright?"
"Oh yes, fine dear. I hadn't realized. I'll let your father know the plan. Also, I'm adjusting to this whole situation, but you know your father takes a while. I might suggest you refrain from being too affectionate with each other for a while. I know with young love, it's difficult, but please try."
"I understand mum. Thanks for being understanding."
Hermione and Harry settled a few more of their things. Harry also set Hedwig's cage on the dresser and then opened the window to let her fly for a while. Crookshanks was already settled on the bed, looking happy to be home. A few minutes later, they made their way downstairs to join the Grangers. Harry noticed when they got downstairs that Neil assessed him, apparently taking in the state of his clothing.
"Mum, dad, before we go, I think I'll step out and see if I can signal whoever is on guard. I'd like to let them know our plans. Where are we going, down to the Coventry mall?"
"Yes dear. I thought that Harry should be able to find most of what he needs there and we'd have a selection of food as well."
Hermione nodded and stepped out the door, casually examining some roses, while surreptitiously looking around.
"I wish I had someone to talk to about my plans…" she said casually to the air "…guess I'll have to go in the garage and look around."
Hermione went and punched the code in to open the garage door and stepped to the back where it was darker. She held her wand loose, waiting. A few seconds later, a woman with bright pink hair appeared in front of her.
"Wotcher Lady Potter. You wanted to talk?"
"Um yes…Miss?"
"No Miss. I'm Tonks. Nymphadora Tonks, but just call me Tonks. I'm on day duty today. Followed you from the station. Merlin, I hate muggle traffic. Much prefer apparating. So, what can I help you with Lady Potter?"
"First, it's Hermione. I'm not holding court. My parents, Harry and I are going to the mall to shop and have dinner. Coventry Mall. It's about twenty minutes south of here. We'll probably take mum's car. Dad hates parking the Land Rover in a garage. Is that alright?"
"Certainly. Although thank you for the warning. The house is warded now, but I'll call someone to come over and drive with me. When we are out in public, there's supposed to be two of us. By the way, that was smart what you did to tell me you wanted to talk, but maybe a signal or a whistle?"
Hermione whistled a brief tune, something her father taught her when she was young.
"How's that?"
"Very nice. Please tell Harry and your parents if they need to talk to us to whistle that and step in the garage. Keep the nosy neighbors away."
"Thanks Tonks. We'll be leaving in five."
Five minutes later, Jean backed out of the driveway and they were on their way to the mall. On the way, Hermione informed them how to get the attention of the Auror guard if they needed to talk. Harry nodded and squeezed her hand as he took in the scenery and familiarized himself with the neighborhood. Neil remained quiet, but Jean and Hermione talked about a bit about school and how her schoolwork was going. As they approached the mall, Jean looked in the mirror at Harry.
"So Harry, Hermione explained that you need to shop because your clothes are old hand me downs. You were raised by your aunt and uncle right? I guess times were hard."
Hermione looked at Harry warily. He didn't like to talk about the Dursleys much. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"It's alright Mione. I know I don't talk about the Dursleys much, but your parents deserve to know. We're family now. Jean, my aunt and uncle never asked to be my guardians. It was forced on them. If it had been up to my uncle, when I was put on their doorstep at a year old he would have shipped my off to an orphanage. My aunt insisted I stay out of a feeling of guilt and obligation to her dead sister, my mum. That obligation was only just enough for them to provide the basics for my existence. Almost anything they gave me was used or hand me down from their son Dudley, who is almost the same age as me. Unfortuately, Dudley is about three times my size. Aunt Petunia got good at figuring out how to shrink the clothes a bit. Then she'd cut the pants off or roll the sleeves and belt the pants on to make them work. Any time I needed something bought, she found the cheapest she could because Uncle Vernon would complain for days about spending anything on me."
"Oh my. And they were your only relatives? You were there until you were eleven, for ten years?"
"Yes, they are my only living relatives. And yes, ten long years. Hogwarts truly saved me. It was my first real home that I have any memory of. It's kind of strange that after Uncle Vernon complained about money so much that I'm wealthy. It's a good thing he never knew what I would be worth when I came of age."
Any further conversation was stalled by their arrival at the mall. Jean circled for a bit and found a parking space. They entered the mall and Harry looked around. He hadn't been to malls often. The couple of times he had, Petunia usually dragged him through quickly and was not happy about it. Hermione quickly took the lead and led him to a large department store. She and Jean soon were throwing things at Harry with a 'what do you think?' and a 'mmhmm, yes, try this on'. Harry just stood and held the growing stack of clothes. He turned to Neil, who had taken up a nearby chair and settled in for the wait. The two men locked eyes and Neil chuckled at him.
"Welcome to married life Harry. Just follow their lead. Especially if you don't know what you're doing."
Harry nodded and turned back around to take the next shirt Hermione brought to him. Soon he was sagging and the women took pity on him as they pushed him to a dressing room. Half the stack of clothes appeared to be doubles of other items, but in a different size. Since Harry hadn't know his sizes, the women had been guessing. They hadn't been far off and soon Harry was able to toss aside wrong sized items and decrease the stack a bit. Hermione and Jean had actually done quite well and he liked most of what they had selected. It seemed to take forever to try on everything, especially since new items kept sailing over the dressing room wall as new items were found. Eventually he demolished the wave of clothing and had whittled it down to a not unsubstantial stack of 'yes' items. In the end, he ended up with four pairs of jeans, three blue in different shades and a tight black pair that Hermione quite admired his bum in, five pairs of trousers, six dress shirts, a dozen t-shirts, a couple sweatshirts, three ties, two jumpers, a heavy jacket, one pair of dress shoes, two sets of pajamas, a robe, socks and underwear. Harry was surprised that they had found his entire wardrobe in one stop and was glad the shopping was over. The largesse set him back several thousand pounds, but he had changed plenty of galleons at Gringotts.
As they exited the department store, Neil and Jean offered to take the bags to the car while Harry and Hermione continued on. The two couples agreed to meet in an hour at an Indian restaurant the Grangers had liked in the past. Harry thought he was done, but Hermione insisted that they should look in some other stores to see if Harry found anything else he liked. He also needed a new pair of trainers, and that would require a shoe store. Realizing his day wasn't over yet, Harry just nodded and went along. Looking at his father-in-law, he saw Neil smirk as he waved goodbye on the way to the car. Hermione and Harry looked through a couple shoe stores before they found a pair of trainers he liked. He also picked up a pair of sandals for the summer and found it hard to believe that he now owned three new pairs of shoes. They browsed through a couple smaller stores and Harry picked up a few more items, including a blazer and a leather jacket. When Harry was finalizing the purchase of the jacket, Hermione wandered out of the store and he found her across the way looking in the window of a jewelry shop. He snuck up behind her and saw the piece that had caught her eye. It was a Chinese style silver hair comb with a peacock detail inlaid with abalone and opals. He could almost feel how much she like the piece. Still standing behind her, he hadn't announced himself as he stepped to the side and entered the store. Hermione saw him and darted after him.
"Harry, what are you doing?"
Despite her protests, he insisted on buying her the comb. The saleswoman also kindly provided a mirror so that Hermione could pull her hair back with the comb immediately as Harry watched and smiled. She really did like it, although she didn't want Harry to spoil her. She looked over and saw him grinning foolishly and realized how much he was enjoying himself. She smiled and kissed him, causing the saleswoman to beam at them. With that final purchase complete, they exited the store and made their way to the Indian restaurant. They entered and the host led them back to where the Grangers were waiting.
"So, shopping all done? Find your trainers?"
"Yes. And a couple other things."
"And I made the mistake of showing an interest in something at a jewelry store and Harry had to spoil me."
"Which I should be allowed if I wish."
Jean and Neil both admired the hair comb and chuckled at Hermione's mock dismay at his spoiling. Then the waitress showed up with a menu and everyone began deciding on what to eat. The food was all quite excellent and Harry enjoyed his time with the Grangers. They were both quite kind, even if Neil was obviously still reserved with him. When he briefly thought about what he would be doing if he had gone home to the Dursleys like usual, he shuddered and dropped the conversation he was engaged in. Hermione took hold of his arm and squeezed him.
"Harry love, you still with us?"
"Oh, sorry, yes Mione. Just thinking about the Dursleys and how happy I am now and how much different this night could have been."
"Don't think about it. Focus on now. You're done with that."
Harry smiled at her and leaned in to press his forehead to hers. Remembering that they had an audience, he refrained from kissing her. The Grangers sat across the table watching them in a scene that was actually more intimate than if they had been snogging. This young man who was now theirs had not had an easy life, but obviously he and Hermione made each other happy. Harry and Hermione separated and dinner continued happily. When the check came, both Neil and Harry reached for it.
"Harry, I know you can afford it, but let me tonight. Maybe we'll switch off in the future."
Harry nodded and smiled. Soon the bill was paid and they left the restaurant. On the drive home, they spotted the same Fiat behind them. Once they were home, Harry began unloading his new wardrobe while Hermione prepared a couple loads of laundry. While the laundry ran, they curled up on a couch and watched the telly. Once the laundry was done and all his new purchases were stored in the closet that Hermione insisted was now theirs, the young couple said goodnight and retired to bed. The night was warm, so Harry opted for just pajama bottoms. Hermione wore a light tank and shorts as they climbed into bed and cuddled up. They talked a bit about the day and kissed briefly, but soon the emotional, long day took its toll and they both fell into a sound sleep.