2,536Disclaimer: Still don't own Harry Potter.
Author's Note: For those who follow my other work, I am at least a third of the way through the next chapter of Does Voldemort Even Lift, Bro? So good news for fans of silliness. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter of Harry & Pansy's journey.
-oOoOoOo-
Harry stood back and let Pansy do her thing. If he hadn't thought she would be offended, he might have brought along a book to read. What did he know about jewelry anyway? Rings fit on your fingers and they're made of metal, sometimes with decorative stones.
Yeah, he wasn't feeling too useful while they shopped for an engagement ring for his soon to be fiancee.
Pansy was too excited to care about that though, even as they were on their fourth different store of the day. The previous day they'd gone to five different ones before deciding to head to London for a greater selection, or at least that had been the plan. It seemed to Harry that nothing was exactly what she wanted.
When the salesperson went to return yet another selection, Harry crept up closer to Pansy. "Sweetheart, I just wanted to remind you that we're supposed to be meeting your uncle Malcolm for dinner this evening."
"I know, but we've got another hour, so I'm going to keep looking for now."
"Okay."
Harry squeezed her hand as the salesman returned with another diamond ring for her to look over. He felt a little bad for the guy, who was obviously really trying to get a commission. Pansy could be quite picky at times, but Harry thought she had good reason to be.
He tried to relax and think about their last visit to the Frosts. Vanessa was having a much better summer lately as Dobby had been given practically free reign to go over and help the new parents with tidying up the place. She still groaned about how Gracie only slept for a couple of hours at a time, but Dobby now had another fan.
One night when they were alone, Harry had asked if it would be possible to find a house-elf who could look after their friends full time. However, Dobby had told him that until Grace was older, her magic would not be powerful enough to properly bond with an elf of her own. Since her parents were non-magical, Dobby's volunteer work would just have to do for the time being.
That was fine with Dobby anyway. Neither Harry nor Pansy were too slovenly even at their worst, and this summer had been wonderfully mellow compared to the previous year. Without having to play bodyguard or magical chauffeur, Dobby had more free time than usual- which would have been terrible if not for the new little witch for him to help look after.
Two more rings were eventually viewed, scrutinized, and rejected before Pansy thanked the man for his time and they left the jewelers.
"Maybe the third day will be the charm," Pansy offered, trying to smile. "I didn't think this would be so bloody hard."
Harry chuckled and shrugged. "As long as you end up happy."
"That's why I love you," Pansy said fondly as she leaned against him while they walked past a couple of other stores looking for a quiet place to disappear so they could pop back home. "You pamper me like a princess, and I do appreciate it."
"I'm hoping you'll show me some of that appreciation later," Harry replied with a grin. "Besides, Mortie always says that keeping the missus happy makes for a much happier life, and considering how adorable those two are, I think we could do much worse as an example."
"Ruby is pretty wonderfully sassy," Pansy agreed. "Speaking of whom, we're supposed to join them for dinner next Thursday. Ruby's got a new recipe she wants us to try out. Apparently, Mortie loved it but she doesn't trust his judgment."
"She's a good cook, so I'm sure I'll be able to handle that."
"I am fairly certain that she's going to make plenty so that there will be leftovers for us to take to Vanessa. She hasn't been feeling up to cooking very much lately, as you might expect."
"Dobby won't like that," Harry snorted.
"Well, he has had to deal with Ruby taking some of his share of the cooking duties before, so hopefully he'll be just as gracious this time."
"Have you heard from Luna lately?" Harry asked.
"I'm supposed to call her in the morning." Pansy steered Harry down a hall and into a corner near a couple of restrooms. They looked around and then she embraced Harry as a way to show that she was ready to leave. It wasn't technically necessary for her to do that, but neither of them were going to say anything as they enjoyed a quick pop back home. She kissed his cheek when they returned to the living room of their flat. "She's something like ten hours ahead of us, so after breakfast, hopefully she and Xeno will have just finished dinner."
"Knowing Luna, she wouldn't mind if you interrupted."
"Yes, but I don't want to wake her up. Evening time for them should mean they'll be done with whatever creatures they might be searching for too."
"Unless they're nocturnal," Harry pointed out.
"No, she said they were done hunting those down since their body clocks had grown used to the time change."
"Huh, that's smart."
"Our girl is a Ravenclaw for a reason," Pansy agreed.
"That she is." Harry sat down on the couch for a moment. "Should we change before we go to Malcolm's?"
"Why would we need to?"
"I just meant because we're dressed all... you know, muggle-y."
"I sincerely doubt he would care about that." Pansy shook her head and smiled. "The last time I went to his house, he was much more relaxed than you might expect for an old pureblood. He's more like a farmer that way. That is what he does, sort of."
"I don't think I ever asked before."
"He grows a number of plants, both magical and otherwise, that are used as ingredients for potions. Remember how tan he is? He spends a lot of time outdoors. I wonder if that's yet another reason for why he wasn't closer with the rest of my family. My parents and grandparents all preferred the indoors and more urban lifestyles."
"Ah. And so do we, it seems," Harry said. "I guess that explains why Malcolm and Sprout are friendly then."
"Yes." Pansy kicked off her shoes, but turned back to him. "However, I am going to change. I want to wear something a bit more comfortable for dinner. You should freshen up in the bathroom before I need it."
"Yes mistress," Harry bowed his head with a grin.
"It's not my fault that we have to share a bathroom here," she replied from the other room.
"You mean it's my fault?"
"Of course it is." Harry could see the smirk on her face even with his back turned.
"I guess that's something I'll have to consider for when we need to find the right house to live in once we're done with everything."
"It's never too early to start planning for the future," came her voice from the bedroom. Harry nodded even as he looked at himself in the mirror. It hadn't been all that long ago that he wasn't sure he would have made it to a happily ever after- but now it felt almost in his grasp.
He decided then that he would go ahead and re-read the book on blood magic, in spite of Pansy's warnings about it. The jigsaw pieces had almost fallen into place- he just needed the headmaster to do whatever it would be that led to the Resurrection Stone.
But he kept those thoughts to himself as they went to dinner with her uncle Malcolm. The man was far too pleasant and uninvolved for Harry to bring up things like dark lords. Instead that night, they spoke of school, OWL exams, and simple things like their friends, all of which Malcolm absorbed with a happy look on his face all night long.
Harry guessed that maybe the older man had been more lonely than he might have first noticed. It had been years since he'd become a widower though, and Harry really felt for him about that. He couldn't imagine anything worse than losing Pansy.
Speaking of whom, Pansy also brought up their recent failures at ring shopping, which made Malcolm smile widely. He'd known that Harry cared for his niece, but he was still pleasantly surprised by the idea of them marrying.
He also helped them with the problem of finding the right ring by suggesting they try Paris. It was where her mother's rings had come from, and Pansy loved the idea of taking a little vacation. It had been several months since they'd seen their friends that now lived in France, and they could give Flora and Hestia a more complete story of all that had happened with the Death Eaters. He knew they would be pleased to hear about how well all of that had gone.
By the time they got home that night, Pansy was reminding him about how much fun it would be to see the Delacour sisters too. She really liked Fleur, and she just knew that Gabrielle would be delighted to see Harry. He pouted slightly at that but ended the conversation by dragging Pansy into the bedroom.
-oOoOoOo-
Pansy packed a bag with a couple of outfits for each of them while fretting over what Harry wanted to attempt. Intellectually, she understood that Harry's trips back and forth from their flat to the Shrieking Shack had been more than two hundred miles, but the idea of him just grabbing her and popping straight to France still worried her. She gave in when Dobby promised to go with them and 'make sure that master Harry didn't do anything wrong.'
Harry rolled his eyes at her worry, but he had no problem with Dobby coming along. The little guy deserved a vacation too, and he had admitted to Harry that he was looking forward to learning more about French cuisine so he could surprise his miss Pansy.
That thought made Harry wonder how often there were invisible house-elves sneaking into restaurants to learn new recipes and cooking techniques. Then again, from what little he knew about house-elves, Dobby was quite likely one of a kind. Winky was lovely in her own way, but she was much more timid and reserved.
Maybe it was Harry's fault though? How many wizards took their house-elves along as back up when they went into battle? Well, hopefully, that was almost over.
It was a Saturday morning when they landed, notice-me-not charm already in place. Harry chose to head to the cemetery where Pansy's mum had been buried, as that should be plenty out of the way comparatively.
Pansy said a few words to her before they left. It had been a couple of years, and the emotional upheaval from the last time they had been there was long forgotten. Now, she could merely inform Dahlia's headstone that they were off to find the perfect ring. After the brush with death, Pansy was certain that somewhere her mum was very happy for her.
And then they headed for Paris.
-oOoOoOo-
Once again, Harry was merely nodding along and looking interested while Pansy shopped. They went into store number four shortly after lunch, and he was worried that it was going to be another very long day.
Pansy was still happy and excited though, so he relaxed and made the best of it. They would find the perfect ring one of these days.
"Ooh! I like that one," she grinned, pulling on his arm to have him take a look. "The diamond isn't quite right, but I like the design otherwise."
As a salesman came over, Pansy switched to French. "Is it possible to get something like this but with a different diamond?"
"Certainly, mademoiselle."
"Good, let me see what other sizes and shapes would work with this type of ring." She followed the salesman over to a display case and peered into it at a number of different stones. "I like the round cut, but I was thinking of a slightly bigger stone."
"With this type of setting, we can do anything from half a carat up to two carats," the salesman replied before looking Harry over. He probably should have used a glamour charm, but after everything had come out with Steven and Vanessa, he hadn't seen the need to bother anymore. They did dress up for the occasion, though. However, most teenagers didn't buy expensive diamond rings, and now he was getting plenty of disbelief. "The price goes up, of course, with the larger size of stone also requiring a more expensive foundation."
"I should probably have a second opinion," Pansy said with a frown. She turned to Harry with a smile. "Do you think Apolline would be able to help?"
"She's bound to know more about diamonds than I do," Harry replied.
"We were going to visit them tomorrow," Pansy agreed. She then turned back to the salesman. "I need to make a phone call, but I will be back in a few minutes."
"Certainly, mademoiselle."
She pulled Harry outside of the store and dug around through her purse. "I need to find somewhere private for a moment."
"Looking for the mirror?" he asked. At her nod, he glanced up and down the street they were on. "We should just find a shop with a restroom."
"Good idea."
They had to walk for a couple of minutes, and once they did, Harry waited patiently outside. He'd been doing a lot of that lately, but he smiled to himself at the fact that Pansy had finally (hopefully) found something she liked. It had only taken a baker's dozen stores across three cities in two countries, but they were making progress.
"Harry, it is good to see you." Apolline Delacour walked out of the store with a grin on her face as Pansy followed behind her. "I have been called in for my expertise in the finer things of life."
"Yeah, we definitely needed you," he replied as he kissed the back of her hand. "It's wonderful to see you again. How are the girls?"
"Mine or our guests?" she laughed. "All of them are doing well, although Gabrielle is particularly excited to hear that you have come back to our wonderful country. She starts at Beauxbatons soon, and I believe she will be thrilled to tell you all about it. We went shopping for her uniforms and supplies last week. I'm sure she will want to model the outfit for you."
"Um, yeah," he nodded, not knowing how to properly respond.
"Don't worry too much," Apolline giggled. "I will help Pansy to protect you from my daughter as much as need be."
"Thanks."
"Excellent, now then, I believe we have some diamonds for me to appraise." She turned back to Pansy with a smile. "Lead on, my dear."
"Thank you so much for the help," Pansy said as they walked back towards the jewelers.
"It is my pleasure, I assure you. Henri hasn't taken me shopping for something like this in far too long. Now that you've reminded me, I'll have to make sure he rectifies this error. If only Fleur were with us."
"Where is she?"
"Working," Apolline turned up her nose as she spoke. "I have no idea why she would want to do something so horrid. I would have hoped she would have seen the benefit of marrying well."
She broke out into laughter again and Pansy joined her.
"But to be serious, she and Izaak are working together. They do custom enchantments, and there is plenty of business for that sort of thing."
When they reached the store, Harry stepped to the front and opened the door for them. Pansy led Apolline over to the ring she had liked and the older woman immediately busied herself with harassing the clerk to bring out better stones to help her choose from. When they had a moment of privacy, she turned back to Harry. "How much of a budget are we working with today?"
"I have forty thousand francs," he whispered.
"You are going all out then," she grinned in response.
"I only get to marry her once."
"Good boy, Harry." She patted his hand and turned back to the returning salesman. "Now then, Pansy told me she wanted a round brilliant cut diamond, and we are looking for something in the range of a carat and a half, maybe up to two, but we want something of high quality, first and foremost."
Harry smirked and watched the witch do her work. Apolline was clearly in her element, and Pansy seemed to be taking notes on how she behaved. He should have known that she would see something of a role model in Apolline- she was elegant but could be snobby if the mood struck her, and Pansy's upper class roots strongly approved.
All he was really there for was paying the bill anyway.
-oOoOoOo-
It was later that night, and they had just finished dinner. Pansy was walking beside him and they were taking in the sights of Paris as the sun began to set. He had the ring in his inner pocket of the suit jacket he was wearing.
"So, when are you going to propose?" Pansy asked, clearly excited.
"Don't you want it to be a surprise?"
"Only if it's a surprise that happens very, very soon."
Harry snorted at her response and led them off to the side of the walkway that led towards the Arc de Triomphe. The crowd around them was pretty thick, and he didn't want to get too bogged down in it. He pulled her to stand in front of him for a moment and then clandestinely cast a mild repulsion spell to push people away from them for a moment.
"Never let it be said that I didn't make you happy," he grinned as they now had plenty of room. He got down on one knee and smiled up at her as she began to bounce on her heels. "Pansy, will you marry me?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" She stuck her hand out as he removed the ring from its box. "Gimme!"
He slid the engagement ring onto her finger as a few people nearby clapped. She pulled him up to his feet and kissed him deeply. Pansy pulled back and sighed before leaning against his chest. Harry looked down and saw that she had placed her left hand right in front of her face and she was staring at her ring.
"You're like a kid with a Christmas present," he chuckled.
"The best Christmas present ever, you mean," she corrected him.
"Better than when I got rid of your father, then?"
She scrunched up her face in thought for a moment then looked up at him with a smile. "Yes. That was for the past, and this" she waved her hand at him, "this is for the future. And we're going to have a lot more future to help us forget all the awful parts of the past."
"I'll drink to that," Harry laughed.
"Speaking of which, Apolline told me that she was going to send over a bottle of champagne tonight. I sent Dobby off with her so that he could take it back to our hotel room. Now that we've got something to celebrate, I suppose we could head back there. I might have even packed a little surprise of my own."
"Ooh, so I get a present too?"
"You have been a very good boy today," she whispered in his ear. "I think you'll enjoy the gift wrapping too."
"I really love you."
"Of course you do," Pansy smirked. "Now take me back to our room."
-oOoOoOo-
Apolline was waiting for them when they arrived the next evening, her eyes sparkling with delight. Pansy made a note in her head to ask her about how incredibly at ease she was at playing the hostess- it seemed like that was bound to become useful knowledge someday.
However, for the moment, she was grinning like an excited schoolgirl as she welcomed Pansy with a hug and asked to see the engagement ring.
"You did help me pick it out just the other day," Pansy said.
"Yes, and one always likes to see the fruits of their labors come to bloom," Apolline agreed with a smile. "It looks wonderful, as I'm sure you know. So, where did he decide to propose?"
"In front of the Arc de Triomphe."
"And why there?" she asked as she turned to Harry with a raised eyebrow.
"Because it was the most triumphant moment of my life," he answered. "Getting to this point has made everything that we've been through over the last few years feel worth it. Plus," he turned to tease Pansy with a smirk, "someone couldn't wait for me to hand over her ring as fast as possible."
"Well, it is my ring, so it belonged on my finger, instead of in your pocket," she snootily turned up her nose at him.
"And you should never keep a woman waiting, Harry," Apolline added with a grin. "I am very happy for you both, and I believe we have several girls waiting to congratulate you this evening."
"Even Gabrielle?" Pansy asked with a smirk.
"My youngest has been told to be on her best behavior," Apolline responded before snorting. "But knowing Gabrielle..." she sighed. "We shall see how that goes. As a warning, Pansy my dear, pray for sons."
Both women laughed as Apolline led them past the entry hallway towards the smaller dining room. "I know Sirius has been hoping to visit soon, but the girls have kept busy this summer. I believe they have not had too much difficulty in adapting to Beauxbatons. Monsieur Black really doesn't need to concern himself too much, at least not on my account. Compared to my own daughters, Flora and Hestia are delightfully easy to deal with."
A moment later, they entered to see a table practically groaning with food. Flora, Hestia, and Gabrielle all sat waiting for them, although Gabrielle was quick to get up and hurry over, offering hugs and kisses on the cheek in greeting. "Oh, it is so wonderful to see you both."
"Bonjour, Gabrielle," Pansy replied. "Why the uniform?"
Gabrielle was wearing her new school uniform, and she twirled around in it in response. "I just got it ze other day. Doesn't it look just marvelous?" She turned to Harry with a lecherous smile. "Don't I look nice, 'arry?"
"Um, very nice, yes," he blushed.
Pansy chuckled but couldn't help but notice that Apolline had been right the year before about her daughter going through puberty early. At least she still had roughly an inch on Gabrielle, who had just turned eleven the month before. It seemed Pansy was doomed to be surrounded by leggy blondes, but to be fair, hopefully she could turn out to be good friends with her just as she had with her big sister. Speaking of which, she asked, "Fleur won't be joining us?"
"My eldest is supposed to be here, only I was warned that they might be a bit late," Apolline replied as she sat down at the end of the table. Gabrielle had already grabbed onto Harry's arm and led the two of them over to empty places where they could sit next to her. Pansy saw Hestia trying to hold back her laughter while Flora merely nodded hello. "She and Isaak have been hard at work at their shop lately, and with all the teenagers out of school, it is likely to be their busiest season. We don't have to wait for them, nor my husband, so please, everyone help yourselves."
"Merci," Harry replied even as Gabrielle began suggesting foods that he should try while his girlfriend held in a laugh- no fiancee, he was going to have to get used to that, and he would have smiled if not for the fact that she was once again enjoying his discomfort at his biggest fan's behavior. If not for the fact that he was wanting to enjoy their time in France without getting into any arguments, he might have tried to tease her back by being even a hint more encouraging towards Gabrielle. But he quickly decided that idea could come back to bite him in some unpleasant way. Instead, he went for a much more neutral topic of conversation. "Where is Henri, by the way?"
"Papa is in Geneva," Gabrielle replied happily. "Always so busy with work."
"You should be glad of that, my angel," Apolline said. "Your father might not have allowed you to 'show off' your uniform to dear Harry."
"Oh, please," Gabrielle waved her mother off. "We all know zat papa is wrapped around my leetle finger."
"Yes, and that's also why I'm dreading you going to Beauxbatons this fall," her mother said as she rolled her eyes before turning to the Carrows, who were seated opposite Pansy and Harry. "Girls, please do what you can to keep Gabrielle's behavior in check. Or, at least write to me and let me know how awful she behaves."
"Maman! I would never do something inappropriate," Gabrielle disputed her mother, who snorted while the other girls all giggled. She turned to Harry with a blinding smile. "Do not let 'er color your view of me, mon amor. I assure you, I will be ze most sophisticated of all ze girls in my year. Refined, even."
Harry had felt a little tingle when she had smiled like that and he chuckled at her protestations. "Your allure is starting to come in, Gabrielle. Now, while I know you wouldn't do anything inappropriate," again he heard the giggles around him, which she clearly tried to ignore despite frowning, "I think we should all be more concerned that the people around you won't be able to handle such a refined young woman. You will have to help them."
"I suppose I will 'ave to learn to deal with so many uncultured boys soon," she nodded before grinning at him again. "Such a pity zey can't be more like you."
"You never know," Pansy interjected. "Maybe you will find someone like Harry. I would recommend that you be very thorough when you meet the boys at school. You might just find a diamond in the rough, and believe it or not, Harry himself was once quite rough around the edges."
"That's true," he agreed. "Pansy is responsible for a lot of the ways I've improved over the last few years."
"What do you mean?" Gabrielle asked.
"I'm much more self-confident, for one," he replied.
"Zen I will 'ave to zank you, Pansy," Gabrielle giggled. "You 'ave done marvelous work, as 'arry is tres magnifique!"
"He is, isn't he?" Hestia added, setting off another round of giggles.
Flora snorted and shook her head. "I think you've got a long night ahead of you, Harry."
"Well, compared to dementors and basilisks, I think being teased by pretty girls isn't so bad," he shrugged. "Remind me to tell you some about the last year, because much of it was really stressful."
"We've heard some of what has happened through the papers," Apolline stated. "But let's not talk of such things while we eat. Instead, why don't we hear about how you proposed?"
"I'll have to tell the tale," Pansy piped up. "I don't trust Harry to do it properly. Besides, he might skip the beginning."
"You mean back at school that night?" he asked with a frown. "I wouldn't have skipped that."
"Then you're getting better," she said, patting the back of his hand. "But allow me..."
And so Harry relaxed and ate while the ladies all cooed and laughed as Pansy told of how they had become engaged. All in all, it really wasn't too bad, but it would have been nice if there had been at least one other guy there. He was going to have to see about contacting Sirius soon. Maybe they could do a double date of sorts- with the new Mrs. Black and the soon to be Mrs. Potter. He smiled and relaxed at that thought.
-oOoOoOo-
They were back in England a week later, and staying up late one night when Pansy walked out onto the little balcony on the rear of their flat. "Harry, come out here, it's a lovely night."
"Very lovely," he said, stepping behind her and slipping one hand down to cup her bum.
"I meant the weather," she snorted.
"And I meant the girl out in the weather."
"I'm glad we don't have to go back to school any time soon," she replied as she leaned against him. Harry noted happily that she didn't actually mind where his hand went. "I dislike having to get used to mornings again when September rolls back around."
"Yeah, I'm a night owl by now too. I think it's because of all the wonderful nights I've spent with you."
She giggled. "For some reason, your charm still works on me. I would think I might have built up some immunity over time."
"Perish the thought," Harry whispered into her ear as she wrapped her arms around him.
"You know something?"
"Hmm?"
"We've never been over to that little park back there," Pansy said as she pointed down the hill. "Want to go?"
"Now?"
"Sure."
"I guess I could pull out the trusty old notice-me-not charm."
"Yes, and you could even pop us right over there," Pansy agreed.
"I thought you said it was a nice night," Harry chuckled.
"I don't want to get my feet, or my shoes, wet traipsing through that little creek that's in the way."
"Alright, princess," Harry replied as he grabbed her a little closer and popped them over to the park. Pansy immediately took his hand and pulled him over to the swings. "Want me to push you?"
"I think I'd rather you just sit with me and relax," she answered as she began to swing back and forth, slowly getting a bit higher. "I don't always need you to pamper me that much. Not that I want you to stop any time soon."
"Of course not," Harry said as he joined her on the nearest swing.
"You know, your birthday is coming up soon."
"Yeah."
"That was a hint, Harry," Pansy groaned. "What do you want to do for your birthday?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "As long as you're there, I'm sure I'll have fun."
"Harry, I would have thought you would have figured this out by now, but I love you. I want your birthday to be special," Pansy sighed. "I do still have some polyjuice, and I'm almost positive I've got a few hairs from Fleur left over."
"Uhhh," Harry muttered, "I think Fleur is..."
"What? A sexy goddess?" Pansy laughed.
"A lovely woman," Harry finished. "But I'd much rather spend my birthday with you."
"Even in bed?" Pansy said, still laughing under her breath.
"Especially in bed," Harry insisted. "Damn woman, hasn't my never-ending libido proven itself by now?"
"A girl likes to know that she's appreciated," Pansy teased.
"I'll appreciate you until you can't walk straight."
"That's not a very good threat."
"Then I'll call Sirius and brag for an hour or two," Harry added. "Kathryn likes it when I do that."
"Really? Why?"
"Because he puts all his efforts into proving himself to his new wife," Harry said with a laugh. "She told me all about it a couple of nights ago. Sirius was out with Lupin that night. Remember when I tried to call him on the mirror?"
"No."
"Oh, you were in the bath probably. Anyway, she told me that after a very affectionate night with Sirius recently that he had admitted that he wasn't going to let me beat him at being an awesome lover after drunkenly muttering something once. She finagled the story out of him; apparently my godfather can be rather jealous of us."
"With good reason. We have a fabulous sex life."
"That we do," Harry laughed. "Hence why I'm not too worried about whatever type of celebrating we might do for my birthday. As long as it involves you, me, and plenty of time in bed together, I'm pretty sure it will be a good day.
"Although..." Harry thought for a moment and turned to grin at her with the expression that Pansy recognized as his thinking-about-sex face. "I did almost die a couple of months ago. It seems likely that I might need a check up with the sexiest nurse in the world to make sure I'm doing well."
"Any excuse to see me in a sexy outfit," Pansy giggled. "We don't necessarily have to wait for your birthday, you know?"
"Which just does to show why I love you," Harry agreed with a smile. "We should go clothes shopping for my birthday."
"Really?"
"Yes, for more outfits that you wouldn't wear in public."
Pansy laughed in response. "You're incorrigible. Have I told you that before?"
"Maybe a time or two," Harry admitted with a smile.
"What am I going to do with you, Harry?"
"Hopefully, fun things in the bedroom."
Both of them chuckled for a moment as they continued swinging in the park, with only a couple of lamp posts illuminating the area. There was a soft breeze blowing as well, and Harry leapt off the swing. He turned and walked over in front of Pansy.
"You know, if you were wearing a skirt right now, I would totally be trying to catch a peek."
"If we were young, little Pansy would have been very angry about that."
"Little Harry wouldn't have been able to help himself," Harry grinned.
"Did you ever do that with any of the little muggle girls when you were in primary school?"
"No, I would have been too worried about getting caught. Especially with how the Dursleys would have responded. That wouldn't have been pleasant. Also, I never really got much of a chance to develop little crushes on any of the girls. Never really got to talk to any of them much, so other than maybe thinking one was pretty..." Harry shrugged and looked around the mostly empty park. "Besides, I found the right girl to perv off on eventually, so everything worked out in the end."
"I guess so."
Pansy was slowing her swing when a bright light burst into the area. She and Harry both turned to see a glowing phoenix that began to talk.
"Harry, I need your help." It was the headmaster's voice, although he sounded tired. "Come to Little Hangleton. The cemetery where Tom captured you. Two miles roughly east of there, hidden away in a thick little wooded area. Please... hurry."
The phoenix disappeared and Harry turned back to look at Pansy. "I guess our relaxing night just got a lot more complicated. I assume you're coming with me?"
"You'd have to be crazy to think I'd let you go on your own."
"Yeah, thought so," Harry replied. "Dobby!"
The little elf appeared with a large grin. "What can Dobby do sir?"
"Get my cloak, we've got something possibly dangerous to deal with. Oh, and the box with the basilisk fang would be a good idea too." Dobby returned after only a few seconds, box in one hand and cloak in the other. "I think we should all go under the cloak until we see exactly what's going on."
"Good idea," Pansy said as she got off the swing and came over to stand with him. "Dobby, can you get my favorite purse please?"
"Of course, miss."
"It has my wand in it," Pansy added.
Harry nodded. "Better safe than sorry. Everyone ready?"
With a pop, they were gone.
-oOoOoOo-
With only Harry having been there before, he was the one who took them all to the graveyard. From there, Dobby searched out for more magic and he then popped them much closer to the headmaster's location. Sure enough, it was thick with trees ahead of them and they had a slow time getting through the brush before they came out into a small clearing with a dilapidated shack, door wide open.
"Do you sense anyone else, Dobby?" Harry asked.
"No, master Harry. Only the old head wizardy mister Albus."
"Alright. Let's be careful anyway," Harry added as they crept forward, covering them all with the cloak again as they approached the building. "Can't be too careful for traps and whatever. Pansy, you keep an eye on the surroundings, I'll deal with whatever is going on with Dumbledore, and Dobby, you keep us all safe."
"Yes, master Harry!"
"Okay," Pansy agreed. "But if anything bad is happening, I'll be cursing first and asking questions later."
"I understand, but hopefully you won't need to."
It was only a minute later before they had entered the shack, and there lying on the floor and groaning was the headmaster. He had his wand in his left hand as his right was turning black. Harry noticed the reason why almost immediately, there was a very familiar ring that he had put on one of his fingers. Off to one side, the sorting hat lay on the floor.
The ring called to him, and a flash of external insight came rushing into him. A presence was ready, and it was time for Harry to accept the bargain that had been set before him.
Unfortunately for Albus Dumbledore, he was standing in the way of Death, and Harry knew that would not be allowed.
"Stupefy!"
He knocked the headmaster unconscious with the spell and then summoned the wand into his hand, where it now belonged. A thrum of power surged into him. It was time to reunite the Hallows.
Looking around, Harry didn't see any reason to remain cloaked, so he pulled it off and looped it over his left arm, next to the wand he held as well.
"What are you doing?" Pansy asked in a worried voice.
"What I must, and what I want."
"Harry?"
"The stone is in the ring. Everything has come full circle."
"But it looks like the ring has cursed Dumbledore. Be careful, dammit!"
"I know." Harry put his own wand back into his pocket and turned to Dobby. "I need the fang now, Dobby."
The elf opened it and held it out before him. Harry carefully removed the fang and knelt down by the prone form of the headmaster. He leaned over him and delicately touched the tip of the fang to the ring. It only took a couple of drops of venom oozing out onto it before a hiss was heard and the band of the ring fell away, leaving only the stone.
Harry turned back to Dobby and replaced the fang in its box. He then picked up the stone...
...and everything changed. He remembered the vast cosmos, the terrifying moment that Death had tried to help him understand, and Harry had to press his hands up to his head to keep from crying out in pain. Something immense that was all around him shifted, and a weight settled deep into his very core. He closed his eyes, trying not to see, but they had glimpsed the headmaster, his life force straining against the curse that was ready to drain him.
He fell backwards and glanced up at Pansy, who was like a beacon of warmth burning in the darkness.
Harry didn't know it, but at that moment, his eyes were actually glowing. Pansy saw though, and she gasped as he looked at her. "Harry, please, tell me you're alright."
He blinked, then again, and slowly everything faded back into his normal perceptions. Harry took a deep breath, hoping that sort of thing wouldn't happen again anytime soon. "Yeah, I'm okay," he said as he got back to his feet.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm fine." He smiled at her and placed the stone into one of his pockets. "Dobby, hold onto the cloak please."
"Dobby lives to serve the Great Master!" The elf bounced over and accepted the cloak, looking with even more reverence than usual at Harry. "Master Harry sir is now truly the most powerful wizard of all time!"
"If you say so," Harry chuckled. "As long as I'm powerful enough to do what needs to be done, I think we'll be okay."
"What are we going to do about the headmaster?" Pansy asked.
"He could be a problem," Harry admitted as he turned back to Dumbledore. "I know he wouldn't approve of some of the things I've done."
"Should we kill him?"
"The curse on his hand might do that without our help."
"I just don't want him to cause any more problems for you. The senile old bastard has done enough of that already."
"I guess he did," Harry sighed. In that moment, he felt so very weary as he now knew that he held the headmaster's fate in his hands. And the worst part was, he knew this was a feeling he would have to deal with at times in the future as well. He closed his eyes and thought back to everything he knew of Albus Dumbledore, and despite it all, he wasn't sure what he should do. But a voice reminded him of his childhood, and of the man who was responsible for abandoning him in the hell of Privet Drive.
And a second voice laughed, a voice full of irony and sarcasm, a voice that suggested a fate worse than death.
"Harry?"
"You might want to get under the cloak."
"Why?"
"Just in case," he replied. "There's no reason for him to see you or Dobby. I can handle this on my own."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Harry said. "But I do need one thing from you."
"What?"
"A certain vial that I believe you keep in your purse."
"Alright." Pansy dug through it for a moment and handed it over. "Don't you still have yours?"
"Not with me, but I don't think we'll need it anyway." Harry kissed her and placed the cloak over her while Dobby stood beside her. "I hope this night doesn't have any more surprises."
Harry now used the Elder Wand, and he could feel its power humming in his hand. First he lifted Dumbledore up and floated him over to a very worn chair, then summoned ropes to bind him to it. Once he was certain that he was secure, Harry awoke the headmaster.
"Harry, what's going... on?" Albus recognized the wand pointed at him, and then saw the anger in the young man before him. "There's so much I need to tell you. The ring-"
"Isn't a concern for you anymore."
"Harry, you need to know-"
"None of your secrets matter anymore, Dumbledore. The curse in your hand will likely kill you, do you realize that? But that doesn't really matter to me. It was almost fifteen years ago that you decided to play god with my life. Somehow, you got Hagrid to my parents' home and had him kidnap me on your orders from my godfather. You damned both Sirius and I to hell with that action, and whatever else you may have done, I cannot forgive you for stealing my childhood from me. And now, I am going to repay you."
"Harry, the horcruxes, you have to understand, Voldemort-"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure this is the part where I'm supposed to understand all of your plots and excuses, and how everything had to happen this way, and blah blah blah." Harry shook his head and chuckled. "Your part of the story is over, Albus. Your old friend Sluggy told me enough- things that you kept from me. For my own good, I suppose you would say. But once again, it doesn't matter. Do you recognize this?"
Harry held up the vial and Albus stared at it.
"I do not," he admitted with a ragged breath.
"It's clear, so it wouldn't give you much of a clue," Harry replied. "It was a present from dear old Sluggy. He gave it to me last year. This is the draught of living death. He meant for me to use it on Riddle, you see, but I have a better target."
"Why? If you hate me so much, why not just let me die?"
"Because there are fates worse than death. This potion won't let you die, at least not too quickly, so you'll stay trapped in a sleep while the last of your life slowly ebbs away from you. Meanwhile, the world will wonder, what happened to Albus Dumbledore? The great hero disappearing right when they need him most, to protect them from the evil Dark Lord. They won't like that I'll bet. They'll see your abandonment as a betrayal. Just like how I see your abandonment of me with the Dursleys as a betrayal."
"Please, Harry, forgive me..."
"No."
"At least let me tell you what I've uncovered about the other horcruxes. Please," the old man gasped in pain. "This is too important for a grudge."
"It's poetic, really," Harry said with a small grin. "You stole my innocence, so I will steal your reputation. And better yet," he paused to chuckle for a second, "I won't give you the satisfaction of knowing how things will turn out. Goodbye, Dumbledore."
"Harry-"
"Imperio!" Harry yelled out, and the headmaster's eyes dimmed as the curse took hold. He stepped closer and opened the vial. "Open your damn mouth, and swallow this."
Dumbledore was unable to resist, and he then fell into a slumber so deep he may as well have been dead.
Harry exhaled a deep breath and his shoulders sagged. "Fucking bastard," he muttered.
"Are you okay?" Pansy asked as she pulled off the cloak.
"I think so."
"He deserved it, Harry," she said as she stepped over and embraced him. "He's a fucking headmaster of a school. He had no right to steal you from Sirius. You both suffered so much because this old bastard stuck his nose where it didn't belong. Fuck him. You did the right thing. I'm glad you didn't let him get away with it."
"Really?"
"He hurt you. That means I hated him." She pulled Harry's face down and kissed him deeply. When she leaned back, she could see that it had helped relieve some of his stress. "Besides, even if he thought this blood protection nonsense was so important, why didn't he at least come around every now and then to check on you? Was the great Albus Dumbledore too fucking busy to make sure you didn't have to grow up in a fucking cupboard? Fucking stupid evil old man. We should bury him in a deep, dark tomb and leave him to rot."
Harry sighed and then looked down at her. "I'm glad I haven't gotten on your bad side."
"My bad side is reserved for people that screw with the people I love," Pansy replied. "And that is pretty much just you and Luna. And Dobby of course."
Harry couldn't help but snort. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. They relaxed and just held one another for a moment. The last horcrux was gone. All three Hallows were in his possession- although he would need to do something about the ring soon- and Harry now had Death itself on his side. Riddle was foolish to think he could triumph over Death; his end was in sight.
"Should we leave him here?"
Pansy's question brought Harry's mind back to the moment, and he realized he hadn't decided on that very thing. "I don't know. Dobby, did you sense any protections around this shack?"
"There is a spell to keep muggles away, master Harry."
"But magical people could find it, then."
"Yes."
"Then we can't leave him here. We need..."
"We need a place where no one would find him."
"Yes, and I think I know just where to put him."
-oOoOoOo-
It was two hours later, and after showering and making love, Harry was still having trouble falling asleep. He could feel Pansy's soft breath against his chest, and there was even a tiny bit of drool, which made him smile even as he thought of everything else.
What exactly would Death ask of him in the future? What would being the conduit of some vast cosmic force mean?
And not to mention how soon would he need to deal with Riddle, although that was something he now saw more as inevitable than anything else. When you've been touched by something practically infinite, one bloodthirsty egomaniac really wasn't that impressive anymore.
He'd already dealt with the Resurrection Stone while Pansy had been in the shower. He went to the little cottage nestled deep in the Whinfell forest that he had inherited from a cousin of his father. It had a number of spells to keep it safe from muggles and nicely hidden too. It was the best place at the moment- remote and almost unknown- so Harry used it as the hiding place for the stone. And for one last piece of protection, he cast the Fidelius spell, hiding the secret away in his very soul, so that no one would realize just what was hidden high up on a shelf in the kitchen of that little cottage.
It would be many, many years later before Harry realized that he'd cast the spell once before.
Once he was done with Riddle, Harry was thinking of storing the Elder Wand away as well. He'd need to consider precisely where he would want to put it, although that wasn't too pressing of a need.
A soft little snore brought his mind back to the present, and he smiled at the girl once again sleeping in his arms. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her freshly-shampooed hair.
-oOoOoOo-
Meanwhile, more than one hundred miles away, Albus Dumbledore lay on a rocky isle in the middle of a cave where once upon a time, Regulus Black had died trying to stop Tom Riddle. He would remain there for months, possibly years, as the withering curse tried to end his life while the potion attempted to keep him dormant. It was a far cry from any of the fates he would have wanted or even possibly expected to have. But as T. S. Eliot once said:
'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper.'
