A Fortuitous Arrangement Ch. 6 (Old Chapter Unlocked For All Patrons) (Patreon)

Content Warnings: Lingerie, Outercourse, Shower Play, Teasing, Dirty Talk, Costumes.

“Oi, Potter! I’m coming in, you two better be decent!”

“Give us ten minutes!” Harry yelled back, staring at the rune on the shut door to undo the privacy charm so she could hear him.

Tonks rolled her eyes fondly at the giggle and squeal that followed Harry’s shout.

“Come in!” Susan shouted and Tonks could hear the sound of what she presumed was the girl slapping her husband’s chest.

The charmed lock on the door clicked and Tonks turned the knob, walking inside the dimly lit room. The curtains were drawn and the fire in the small fireplace behind the large red couch had been reduced to embers, leaving the room shrouded in darkness. The only source of light was the purple candles charmed to hover at strategic locations in the bedroom.

Harry was shirtless and sitting on the bed with Susan in his lap. A breakfast tray was balanced on her legs and the curvy redhead was hastily tugging on the Quidditch Jersey she had pulled over her head at the sound of the knock, trying to make sure she was decent.

“It’s eleven in the morning.”

“Sorry, our uh-” Harry’s hand gently pushed under Susan’s jersey and ghosted over her thigh, his fingers applying the barest hint of pressure as he traced his initials on her soft skin. “Our clock broke. We lost track of time.”

Right on cue, the clock on Harry’s nightstand chimed as the hand moved to eleven.

“It’s very temperamental,” Harry added smoothly.

“Why don’t you get a new one?”

“Don’t really see the point. Susan loves it and it does a good job of waking us up every morning,” Harry answered, gently shifting the redhead on his lap.

Susan blushed and let out a breathy giggle as Harry’s morning wood pressed into her firm bum.

“Look, normally I love your temperamental clock because you two not emerging from your room before noon means I win the bet every day but-”

“What bet?” Susan asked.

“Oh, we have a bet on what time you’ll come out of the room every day. I always go for noon and two orgasms because Harry just seems like a generous lover but sometimes I look at your limp and I just know that number is much higher.”

“Current record is five. Would’ve gone for six but Susie’s legs started cramping,” Harry said proudly.

“Harry!” Susan squealed, shooting Harry a mortified glare.

“What? I had to listen to her tell me all about how hard she rode Penelope Clearwater while we were sorting the books in the library yesterday!”

“It’s how we express affection,” Tonks said, blowing Harry a kiss. “We share inappropriate details about our relationships.”

“Or crushes,” Harry added with a grin.

Tonks blushed. “Anyways,” she said, clearing her throat. “While I’d love to win today’s bet, I have good news.”

Susan forgot her embarrassment and perked up. Good news had all but dried up after Harry’s acquittal. Mrs. Weasley was constantly getting on her nerves and she wasn’t even allowed to go to the corner cafe for a coffee with Harry. Only his love and Hermione’s evening lessons were keeping her sane.

“What is it?” she asked eagerly.

“First, answer this. Who’s your favorite girl?”

“Susan,” Harry said without hesitation at the same time Susan grinned and chimed, “Tonks.”

“Seriously, Potter?” Tonks asked, pretending to be offended.

Harry grinned and opened his arm, allowing Susan to hide her red face in his shoulder.

“I guess I can live with being your second favorite,” Tonks huffed.

“What’s the good news, Tonks?”

“Well, you better get ready because you have to go to Diagon Alley to shop for… a predictably long list of potions ingredients,” Tonks said, glancing at the Hogwarts letter she had taken from Mrs. Weasley.

Susan peeked at Tonks through a curtain of red hair. “I thought Mrs. Weasley was going to buy all our Hogwarts supplies during her trip to Diagon Alley tomorrow.”

“She was but I talked to the boss lady and she agreed that there’s no danger in you doing your own shopping if I’m with you. So I took your list from Mrs. Weasley and we can go today,” Tonks explained.

Susan carefully set the breakfast tray on the bed, then jumped out and hugged Tonks with a happy squeal. “Thank you!” she beamed, pulling the amused Auror into another hug.

“You’re welcome kiddo,” Tonks said, watching Susan dash into the bathroom to get ready. She slowly turned to look at Harry and sighed softly.

“I don’t like that look. You only have that look when you’re about to give me some bad news or you’re staring longingly at Madame Bones’ ass, neither of which is good for my health.”

“She wants to see you.”

“Madame Bones?”

Tonks nodded. “Today. She didn’t tell me what it was about but it sounded bad. I’ll take Susie to Diagon Alley but you have to go with Kingsley to the Ministry.”

Harry nodded. “To be honest I expected this. Always felt like I got off too easily at the trial.”

Tonks shook her head. “The case is dead and buried. This isn’t about that. If I had to guess she’s found something about the undead wanker fucking up all our lives.”

“Thanks, Tonks,” Harry said as he climbed out of bed. He carefully placed the tray of food on his desk and cleaned the bed with a quick charm. “We’ll be down in ten minutes.”

Tonks kept staring at Harry.

“I promise,” Harry said with a dry chuckle. “She’s been wanting to get out of the house for days now. I’m not about to risk Mrs. Weasley changing her mind. Some days I feel like she’d happily keep us all trapped here under her supervision till the new term starts. I’ll keep it in my pants, no quickies.”

“Mrs. Weasley isn’t exactly in a position to overrule Madame Bones but yeah, it’s probably a good idea to leave before she finds something else to be upset about. Kingsley and I are waiting downstairs.”

Tonks patted Harry’s shoulder and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Harry stretched as he padded across the room, working out the kinks in his muscles. He walked into the bathroom and instantly regretted his promise to keep it in his pants. His naked wife was standing in front of the sink, securing her gorgeous red hair in a messy ponytail. Strands of red spilled free and framed her pretty face. Her creamy cheeks still had hints of red and her plump pink lips were just begging to be kissed.

That was how she slept. Naked, with just the forest green collar made from basilisk skin around her creamy neck. That was how he liked her. Innocent, vulnerable, untainted by the evil of the world.

Harry walked over and hugged her from behind, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. His gaze shifted to her heavy breasts and his cock twitched at the sight of her rosy nipples rapidly pebbling in the chilly morning air.

Susan bit back a groan as she felt his length brush against her sore ass. “We get to go out,” she whispered, shivering with excitement.

“Mhm.” Harry buried his face in the crook of her neck, enjoying her needy whimpers as he kissed down her creamy skin to the collar secured around her neck. His collar. The only mark she wore on her body was one that told the world she was his. His cock twitched again. “I want you to promise me that you’ll have fun today.”

Susan blinked in confusion. “We. We’ll have fun today.”

“I can’t come with you, Susie. Your aunt wants me to meet her for something important.”

“Oh.” Susan shrugged and turned around in his arms. She leaned up and pressed her lips against his for a quick kiss. “That’s okay. I’ll come with you to the Ministry and Mrs. Weasley can shop for us too.”

“Nope. You’re going with Tonks for a fun girl’s day out.” Harry groaned as she stepped closer and her soft, pillowy breasts pressed into his firm chest. He could smell the arousal staining her thighs and part of him wanted to pin her against the cool tiles of the bathroom wall and taste her.

“But our date-”

“We’ll have it some other day, I promise,” Harry said firmly, cutting her off. “Now be a good girl and hop in the shower. I promised Tonks we’d be downstairs in ten minutes.”

Susan nodded obediently and pushed her fingers into the waistband of his pajamas, pulling them down his legs. She went down with them, settling down on her knees.

“Susie, what’re you doing?” He rolled his eyes at his question. He knew what she was doing. “No, stop,” he murmured, reluctantly grabbing her hand and pulling her back up to her feet.

“It’ll be quicker if we shower together,” Susan murmured, batting her eyelashes.

Not even she could make that sound innocent.

“I also promised Tonks I’d keep it in my pants,” Harry replied with a frustrated groan. Her fingers had gently closed around the base of his throbbing shaft and the gentle pressure on his cock as she began to pump it felt absolutely heavenly.

“She’s not your wife. She doesn’t get a vote. Your wife wants you, sire,” Susan whispered, blushing heavily. She spread her legs further, giving him a glimpse of her slick slit and the wetness coating her creamy thighs. “I’m still learning how to be a wife and how to be worthy of the collar around my neck but if there’s one thing I know… I don’t let my husband start or end his day frustrated.”

She took his hand and made him step out of the pants that had pooled around his ankles. They stepped into the shower cubicle together and Susan pulled the knob. She turned it until the water hitting her back was the perfect temperature.

Keeping her eyes locked with Harry’s, she slowly reached out and grabbed the bar of soap. She loved his heavy breathing, the way his cock twitched every time he glanced at her quivering breasts.

“We only have ten minutes, Susie,” Harry said hoarsely, trying his best not to snap. She knew what she was doing, the innocent little cocktease. She was goading him to bend her over and fuck her, to grab her hips so hard that her skin bruised. She wanted his lips on her ear, whispering filthy things while he filled her belly with his seed.

“That’s okay.” Susan traced the rim of one large pink areola with the soap, then the other, making sure her back was arched and chest pushed out for Harry’s viewing pleasure. She ran the soap over her soft, supple skin in concentric circles, slowly soaping up her large, firm breasts. “Five minutes to get dirty. Five minutes to get clean.” She stepped closer and trapped his shaft between her thick thighs and began to rock on the soles of her feet, giving him a thigh job. “Not necessarily in that order,” she whispered, looking up at Harry through her thick lashes.

After all, the only thing better than a shopping trip was a shopping trip with her husband’s cum running down her leg.

It took Susan twenty minutes to slip out of the bedroom and limp down the stairs. She ignored Kingsley’s confused stare and Tonks’ knowing grin at her wincing, simply walking past the pink-haired Auror.

“Harry?” Kingsley asked.

“He’s getting dressed. He’ll be down in five. Tonks, let’s go.”

“Sure. Bet you’re tired after all that vigorous exercising. I always reward myself with Fortescue’s finest chocolate ice cream after a hard session,” Tonks said with a wink.

“Do you exercise in your room? It must be very cramped”

“Every morning. She’s religious about it. Most nights too, isn’t that right, Susan?” Tonks teased, ignoring the redhead’s glare. “And it’s not cramped if you’re creative about it, mate. Although I have to admit, there’s a certain fun in doing it outdoors. You should try it sometime,” she added, throwing her arm around Susan’s shoulders.

“I will try it if Sheila lets me,” Kingsley said seriously.

“He’s going to go home tonight and ask his wife if he can exercise in their bedroom and she’ll have to explain to him what we were talking about,” Susan hissed as they walked out of the house. Her cheeks were red but she had a bashful smile on her face. Harry’s cum trickling down her leg under her long blue skirt was a reminder of his presence, even if he wasn’t physically with her.

“And then she’ll come by tomorrow and thank me for helping them out in the bedroom.” Tonks shook her head. “I can’t believe he didn’t realize what we were talking about even after he took a look at you.”

“What’s wrong with my appearance?!”

“Other than your ‘I just got fucked hair’, the swollen lips, the massive hickey on your boob peeking out from the edge of your blouse, and the bloody collar around your neck absolutely nothing, you look like a goddess.”

Susan blushed and buttoned up the top button of her blouse.

They walked to the end of the street before apparating to the alley next to the Leaky Cauldron. The pub was mostly empty but Diagon Alley was full of shoppers and street vendors hawking their wares.

Susan smiled, glad to be out of the seclusion and gloominess of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, even if it was just for a little while.

“So, what’re we shopping for first? Potion ingredients? Dungbombs? Toys of the naughty variety?”

“I don’t… I can't… I don’t buy those!” Susan spluttered.

“Why not?”

“Well, for one, I don’t even know where to get them!”

“I’ll take you. Penny’s friend owns the shop, she’ll give us a great deal on whatever we want.”

“Penelope Clearwater is friends with a kink shop owner?”

“Trust me, I was just as surprised as you are. Underneath that severe bun and crisp white blouse, that woman is a freak.”

“Do you think you’ll marry her?”

Tonks laughed and shook her head. “Not all of us are as blessed as you were when it comes to finding love, Bones. I don’t love her. She certainly doesn’t love me. She’s just having fun with me while waiting for the man she actually wants to notice her.” Tonks shrugged. She was doing the same, except in her case she doubted the woman she wanted would ever notice her. “So, what do you want to do first?”

“I want to get a nice gift for Harry but maybe it’d be smart to finish uniform shopping first?” Susan suggested, glancing at Madame Malkin’s store. “I need new uniform blouses.”

“Alright. Why don’t you do that while I get us both some ice cream?”

“Vanilla for me, please.”

“Finally found something vanilla that you like,” Tonks teased.

Susan blushed and left before Tonks could think of something else to tease her about. Madame Malkin’s was quieter than usual and she stepped into the mostly empty store. She could hear the owner in the back fitting room and she waved off the assistant who was coming up to help her.

She didn’t need anything fancy, just needed to get fitted for new uniform blouses. Apparently, her breasts had missed the memo that her growth spurt had already occurred three years ago and the blouses she had bought at the start of her third year were already too tight. She limped into the fitting room and sank into one of the couches in the room to wait her turn, watching the maestro do her magic on the blonde whose measurements she was taking. The girl glanced at her and Susan responded with a polite smile.

She knew who she was. Everyone in Hogwarts did. The Ice Queen was feared and envied in equal measure.

To Susan, however, the girl had always seemed a little lonely. She had never once seen the Slytherin talk to anyone other than Tracey Davis and Blaise Zabini outside of classes.

“You want me to chop two inches off the hem?”

Daphne, who was standing as straight as a rod on the measuring podium nodded. “Yes. I’m thinking of making a statement this year. Mother says my legs are my best feature,” the leggy blonde said, striking a pose and studying her reflection in the mirror next to her. “Do you have the samples of cashmere I asked you to order?”

“Yes, madam. I’ll get them.”

Daphne waited for the woman to leave before she hopped off the podium and walked over to Susan, her eyes burning with curiosity. “Susan Potter,” she drawled, extending her hand. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“I’m still Susan Bones I’m afraid,” Susan said, shaking Daphne’s hand.

“He agreed to sire children with your name.”

“You sound surprised.”

“Most men and their fragile egos can’t handle that, even if it’s to get a wife as beautiful as you.” Daphne glanced at the door to make sure nobody was within earshot. “Listen, there’s an apothecary called Petronia in Knockturn. Tell the owner you want Widow’s Tears. Two drops in your husband’s nightcap will solve your problem.”

“What problem?” Susan asked, utterly confused.

“Don’t worry. It’s not poison. You’d be an idiot to kill him although I’m pretty sure the Minister would pin a medal on you if you did. It’s a tasteless and undetectable sleep potion.”

“I don’t get it. Why do I want to drug my husband?”

“So he can’t harm you,” Daphne said, looking at Susan strangely. “Don’t worry about having to pretend with me, Bones. I know we don’t know each other very well but I understand your pain. I’ve been preparing for it my entire life. Powerful men are rarely good or kind and us wives must suffer their cruelty the most.”

Susan snatched her hand away from Daphne. “Harry isn’t cruel and he has never harmed me. I don’t know what the Daily Prophet is printing about him these days because I refuse to touch that rag but you’d be a fool to believe a word in it,” Susan said coldly.

“I didn’t… it wasn’t… I haven’t been reading those articles,” Daphne stammered, shocked by the unexpected venom from the normally sweet Hufflepuff. They rarely interacted but never before had she taken such a tone with her.

She’s in love, Daphne realized, her gray eyes widening. Fuck, are the rumors true? Did the idiots actually marry for love?

“I apologize if I’ve caused offense,” Daphne said formally. “I saw your limp and the marks on your wrist and jumped to conclusions.”

“Oh. Oh!” Susan blushed and turned her hand to hide the bruises. “It’s uhm… we’re on our honeymoon and we get carried away sometimes. He’s not hurting me. He’s not doing anything I don’t want,” Susan squeaked, fidgeting uncomfortably. “He likes certain things and I like them too and we-”

“I get it,” Daphne said, putting Susan out of her misery. “All consensual-” She gestured in Susan’s direction. “All of it very much desired.”

Susan’s blush deepened as she nodded.

“Did you two really marry for love?”

“It was arranged but we do love each other.” Susan turned and looked up at Madame Malkin at the pressure on her shoulder.

“What’re you looking for today, Miss Bones?”

“Just uniform blouses, thank you,” Susan replied with a polite smile. “I don’t mind waiting until you’re done with Daphne. You’ll need to take new measurements, the old ones won’t work anymore.”

“Did you get anything new for the back collection?” Daphne asked, studying the sweater options presented to her.

“A few pieces.”

“Why don’t you show them to Miss Bones? She’s on her honeymoon and might like something.” Her father had asked her to get closer to Harry Potter. What better way than to become friends with his wife?

“If she does, put it on my tab. A wedding present,” Daphne said, saluting Susan with an imaginary glass.

“What back collection? I thought we are already in the back room?”

“You don’t know what the back collection is?”

Susan shook her head.

“I’ve never been approached by Miss Bones for something in that category,” Madame Malkin explained when Daphne turned to look at her. “You know my policy madam, that room is displayed by request only.”

“I think it’s time we gave Miss Bones a tour. She’s a married woman now, it would be a tragedy if she didn’t take advantage of the full range of your services,” Daphne said, hopping off the stool.

“Maybe some other day?” Susan said, biting her lip nervously. “I still have to finish my shopping. I want to leave myself enough time to find the perfect gift for Harry.”

“Trust me, once you see this collection you’ll realize why buying something from here is the perfect gift for him. Go ahead, show her.”

Madame Malkin nodded and clapped her hands. The door to the changing room swung shut, then the mirrors behind the stool disappeared to reveal the large room concealed behind them.

Susan’s eyes widened as she took in the racks of lingerie and costumes. The room was dotted with mannequins. The one closest to her had the shortest and tightest Hogwarts uniform possible, while the one that truly caught her attention wore a slutty Holyhead Harpies uniform.

“Men are visual creatures, Miss Bones. If marriage is war, this is our armor. You shouldn’t go into battle unprotected. However, wearing one of these isn’t just for him. I don’t have a man in my life. I buy things just for me,” Daphne said, her heels clicking on the marble tiles as she walked through the racks, studying the collections on offer. “It makes me feel powerful.”

“This one,” Susan breathed, walking over and standing in front of the Holyhead Harpies costume. She stared at it with wide eyes, her blush deepening as she imagined Harry’s reaction to seeing her in it.

“Too obvious,” Daphne said, dismissing the choice after a brief glance. “Plus, you’ll never convince him you’re a Quidditch player. If you truly want this to work you need the fantasy to be something that matches your nature.”

“How do you know so much about all this?”

“Witch Weekly. Etiquette Tutors. Zabini’s subscription for Playwitch. Those magazines have some surprisingly insightful articles.”

Daphne rifled through the costumes on offer, her lips curling into a small smile when she chanced upon the perfect one. She pulled it off the rack and held it out for Susan. “Go on, try this.”

“Here?!”

“It’s just Madame Malkin and me.”

Susan chewed her lip, weighing her options before she grabbed the hanger from Daphne’s hand. She ran to the changing room, slipping inside before she could change her mind. She stripped and changed into the costume Daphne had picked out of her, doing her best not to stare at herself in the mirror.

“Are the wings really necessary?”

“Yep.”

“Okay.”

Her face was red when she slipped out of the changing room. She had changed into translucent stockings and they were all that covered her feet. Her panties and bra were made from white lace and intricate patterns covered the important bits but left nothing to the imagination. Her creamy mounds strained against the flimsy fabric trying to hold them in place. Her midriff was bare but her back sported two small perfectly shaped angel wings made from the fluffiest white feathers.

“Well?”

“I like it,” Susan whispered, twirling around and finally studying herself in the mirrors set in the changing room. “Thank you. I know you didn’t have to help but you went out of your way to do so.”

“Call it a warped sense of karma. Maybe someday you’ll help me out in my marriage. Who knows.” Daphne shrugged. “I’ve also been reliably informed that I’ll never land a husband if I walk around looking like I want to murder everyone around me so I’ve been trying to moderate my homicidal impulses.”

“I think you’re a good person,” Susan said, disappearing into the changing room to switch back to her normal clothes. “I know everyone thinks I’m sweet but I’m sure I'd be extremely grumpy if I was in a House that forced me to deal with someone as disgusting as Malfoy every single day.”

Daphne smirked. “You know what, Miss Bones? I do think we’ll get along just fine.”

Susan emerged from the changing room and placed the neatly folded costume in the bag offered by Madame Malkin.

“Will that be all, Miss Bones?”

“The uniform blouses too, please. Then you can bill me for those and this,” Susan said, her cheeks turning pink as she held up the bag in her hand.

“Follow me, please.”

“Daphne?”

“Hmm?”

“Would you and your friends like to meet up on the platform and ride the train together?”

“I think we’d like that.”

                                                                                    ---

Harry knocked sharply on the shut door with his knuckles.

“Enter,” came the quiet, tired response.

Harry turned the knob of the door and walked into the surprisingly dark office. Heavy dark green drapes were pulled across the windows, obscuring the enchanted view outside and blocking all light. The small fireplace only held the dying embers of small logs. The room was shrouded in shadow, making it feel far more foreboding than it had during his previous visits.

Harry shut the door behind him and walked over to the chairs in front of Madame Bones’ desk. He pulled one of them and sat down on it before giving the severe redhead a nervous smile.

Madame Bones was sitting behind the desk, her back as straight as a rod and her monocled eyes fixed on the desk where a number of manila files were arranged.

“Tonks tells me married life is treating you well, Harry,” Amelia murmured, leaning back in her chair with a tired sigh.

Harry was glad it was too dark to see the blush on his cheeks. “I-It… uh… I’m far more suited to it than I thought I’d be,” Harry replied diplomatically. Anyone with two eyes could see how much he loved Susan but he wasn’t about to rub that fact in her aunt’s face. Especially since he had no idea what Tonks had told her. The Auror had caught them on a number of occasions and had nearly caught them on several more.

Amelia chuckled dryly. “I remember the first time my brother brought Susie’s mother home. Our parents made up a bed for her in my room. They weren’t married and it was the respectable thing to do after all. I neglected to mention I had already caught them in half a dozen broom closets and classrooms all over the castle by that time. Do you know how much time she spent in that bed during the one week she stayed with us?”

Harry cleared his throat awkwardly. “Madame Bones, I-”

“I’m not mad, Harry,” Amelia murmured, cutting him off. “I’m delighted. Susan deserves what her parents had. They… They deserved a proper ending to their love story, deserved to be here to give their daughter to the man who’d give her what they had. The last war took that from them. It took my chance for love from me. I cannot… for Susan… it cannot be the same for her,” Amelia said, her voice shaking with suppressed emotions. She placed a finger on a closed manila folder and pushed it towards Harry. “I want you to see this.”

Harry opened the folder. His blood turned ice cold when his eyes settled on the first picture tucked into the large pocket inside.

“Why are you showing me this?” Harry asked. He knew it was wrong to stare but he was unable to tear his eyes away from the picture. Unlike most magical pictures it did not move, which he considered a blessing. The man and woman lay on a wooden floor, large pools of blood gathered around their torsos. The man had the same red hair as Amelia and Susan and wore the monocle Amelia now had fixed to her eye. The woman next to her had light brown hair and Susan’s eyes. Harry knew the vacant stare would haunt him just as much as Cedric’s had. Their hands were inches away from each other, fingers nearly touching. It was clear they had sought out each other’s company and comfort even in the last moments of their life.

“A reminder. That file never leaves my desk. I look… I force myself to look at it every week.”

“Why would you torture yourself like that?” Harry asked in a whisper. He shifted through the photos with a trembling hand, tears welling in his eyes when he came across the small gold locket that Susan still wore around her neck. It belonged to her mother, the only part of the woman that was still with her.

“They were innocents. Idealists, fighting for a better world. My brother didn’t deserve to see Bellatrix Lestrange carve open his wife’s chest and watch her bleed out. He didn’t deserve to die. I couldn’t do anything to help them back then. That’s not true anymore. I have the power to protect innocents now. I keep that file as a reminder of my failure and my duty, Harry.”

“Why did you show it to me?”

“Because I see a lot of myself in you. And I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. When you married Susie, you promised to protect her. Tell me, how will you do that?”

“I-” Harry paused. The only person to recently depend on him for help had been Cedric. And he had paid for that mistake with his life.

“Don’t feel bad,” Amelia said softly. “As I said, you and I, we’re not so different. I showed you that folder to motivate you. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did, Harry. Would you rather have the power to protect those you love now, or thirty years later, when you’re full of bitterness and regret and have lost nearly everyone you love?”

“I’m not going to lose Susie,” Harry growled, glancing at the pictures in front of him. That wouldn’t be them. He refused to even accept that possibility.

“Good. Now, Dumbledore thinks we should let you enjoy your honeymoon and marriage.” Amelia rolled her eyes. That was rich, coming from a man who had opposed the union till the day it was sealed. “And that we should keep you shielded from what is happening in the world.”

“We’ve been locked up in Grimmauld Place for two weeks, Madame Bones. I’d say he’s doing a pretty good job of it,” Harry said, deciding not to mention his and Susan’s secret trip back to Hogwarts. If their imprisonment in Grimmauld Place was to continue until term started he wanted there to be a viable escape route for both of them to let off steam.

“Even someone as powerful as him can only hold the door closed for so long. Besides, are you really willing to trade your freedom for a vague sense of safety?”

Harry shook his head.

“The Dark Lord is coming after you, Harry. And when he does, you need to be ready. Not only for your sake but for the sake of those you love.” Amelia picked up another folder and handed it to Harry. “This is why I called you here today. I’m afraid the honeymoon is over. Time to get to work.”

“When?” Harry asked, staring at the picture of the dead man inside the packet. “Karkaroff was an ass and a coward but he didn’t deserve this.”

“A couple of days ago. We found him in an Auror outpost near Azkaban. I established it after your trial to keep an eye on the dementors. It’s clearly a message,” Amelia said with a sigh, taking the folder from his hands and tossing it into the top drawer of her desk. “He’s getting his own house in order and then he’s going to come after us. We’d be smart to use the little time we have to prepare.”

Harry nodded. He and Susan spent every evening studying with Hermione for a reason. As important as the OWLs were, all three of them knew it was far more necessary to prepare for the inevitable battle. He was trying, but he also knew he could do more. The term ‘too much’ did not exist when it came to ensuring Susan’s safety.

“I’ll try to convince the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher… whoever it’ll be… to restart the Dueling Club,” Harry suggested, trying to think of ways he and his friends could get better. He had no intention of relying on dumb luck when he faced Voldemort again. “Lockhart was useless but that was one of the few good ideas he had. It will be good to get some practical experience.”

“That’s a good idea. Learning a spell in a classroom and knowing how to use it in a duel are two very different things.” Amelia nodded approvingly. “But I doubt the new teacher will be interested in something like that.”

“You know who it is?” Harry asked with a frown.

“Not yet. But Fudge is determined to place one of his cronies in the post. He wants a spy in Hogwarts. I don’t have the juice to stop him right now. I called in most of my favors to get you acquitted and the ones I have left I’m using to try to reopen your godfather’s case.” Amelia rubbed her forehead, feeling a familiar pressure behind her eyes that heralded the onset of a migraine. “Dumbledore doesn’t seem interested in using his power to combat the Minister’s bullshit so it seems like Fudge will get his way.”

“He’ll know everything I do the entire year. One step out of line and he’ll try to have me expelled. He’s that desperate to get rid of me, huh?”

“It’s nothing personal if that makes you feel better, Harry. He just wants to go back to the good old days when he took a bribe from a different Wizengamot member every week to do their bidding and nobody expected anything from the Ministry.”

“Feels personal to me,” Harry muttered moodily. “Thank you for the warning.”

Amelia nodded. “The Dueling Club isn’t a bad idea. Try to find a secluded place in the castle and start it with friends you trust. It’s important you learn how to fight. I’ll make sure Tonks, Kingsley, or another Auror I trust is posted close by so they can drop in and give you the occasional lesson. I wish I could do more to help. If you have any ideas, I’m all ears.”

“Madame Bones,” Harry said after a few minutes of silent contemplation. “Could you arrange a copy of the Auror training manual and a set of the books they use for me?”

Notes:

I took a couple of days off to pack, shift house, and plan! All your old favorites are coming back, next up is going to be a chapter for A Godfather's Vow! This story is certainly innovative in that it makes Harry active without making him overpowered. Daphne, Hermione, and Susan will remain the three pairings and all three have entered the picture now, should be fun to see how their personalities mesh with Harry's! You can read Chapters 7, 8, and 9 right away, let me know what you think about the story's direction!