Chapter 22

5 August 1998

"There we go," said Maribeth sweetly, as she passed everyone cups of steaming hot coffee before taking her leave.

There were murmurs of thank yous and hums and haws of acknowledgement. To say that the occupants of the conference room at the GSC HQ were tired, was an understatement. Considering it was about eight in the morning on a Wednesday, it did not really bode well for their work-life balance.

"Okay, who wants to start?" asked Daphne, after they'd had a moment just to sip their hot beverage.

"Let's start with Quidditch," said Draco. "It will put us in a better mood."

Adrian chuckled, as did Harry.

"Well, Viktor Krum is now the official Puddlemere Seeker," said Harry, as Daphne tapped the signed contract with a small smile. "When is the announcement, Tracey?"

"In two weeks time," answered Tracey, checking her diary. "We are waiting because of the overhaul you and Longbottom have suggested."

Harry nodded. He and Neville, with plenty of encouraging from Isaiah had wanted to give Puddlemere a better image. They were already a good team in the League with the least amount of scandals and a healthy amount of wins, but it never hurt to be better. On the day they had introduced Viktor to the team, the two co-owners had also opened up the room for the team to bring up what they thought needed to change about the team.

The answer they had received was rather unexpected.

"The uniforms," said Vanessa Chen, star Chaser and team captain. "Brown is the most boring colour." The rest of the team, including the newly signed Viktor, nodded along.

"Especially mud brown," added Oliver Wood, former Gryffindor Quidditch captain and now the starting Keeper for Puddlemere United.

After a few more discussions, it was decided that the team colours would change from mud brown to navy blue. The emblazoned crossed golden bulrushes did seem to pop more on the prototype sketches that were drawn up by one of their Beaters who was a surprisingly good artist and before they knew it, Harry and Neville had decided to rebrand the team, starting with new team colours.

The stadium was already renovated and Camille Gibson and her team had signed on to assist the players, and it was all coming together quite well.

The rest of the GSC was pleased as Harry conveyed all of this to them.

"What about the reserve Seeker?" asked Draco.

"Viktor suggested someone," said Harry. "Greek woman, named Faye Anastas. She's a bit older as far as Quidditch players go, about twenty nine, but he said she's excellent."

"I have heard of her," nodded Adrian. "She was recently forced to retire due to her age, despite her tremendous skill."

"And the fact that she's a woman," added Parvati, slightly irritably. "Men in the Quidditch League can play until they're well into their fifties but as soon as women get to around thirty, everyone loses their mind."

"Either way," said Adrian, diplomatically. "She is available. Have we made contact?"

"Viktor has written to her. We shall see how we go," said Harry. "That's all on the Quidditch front, I'm afraid."

"Shall we do the Institute next or Diagon?" asked Daphne.

"The Institute, considering there is a overlap now," said Fleur, giving Draco a nod.

"We met with Cillian Montgomery yesterday. He's Noah Desford's apprentice," said Draco, pulling out his notes.

"He was the one who came up with the idea for providing warding services for people's homes," explained Harry to the group.

"Yes, we got it all set up with his help," said Draco, passing them a roll of parchment each. "We have a price list and the services offered. We are clearing up a shop space in Platinum Alley."

"It's not one of the big ones, considering this one would be offsite work, but we wanted something concrete in Platinum Alley prior to the Prisma reopening, at least," said Fleur. "Renovations will be done by the end of the week and I know Tracey is getting the word out."

Tracey nodded. "We haven't published the full price list yet, just given a tease," she said. "More incentive for people to come to the shop that way."

"People are more concerned about security these days," said Parvati. "Demand will be high."

"Yes," nodded Fleur. "We are making full use of both the Office of Employment and the Magical Guild of Great Britain."

"We are recruiting the salespeople with the Ministry's help and getting spellcasters skilled in warding from the Guild," explained Draco. "Cillian and Noah will be training the warders and Parvati and Tracey have agreed to train the salespeople."

"Are you stretched a bit too thin?" asked Daphne, looking at Tracey, who did indeed look much more exhausted than the others which was a concerning fact in itself.

She smiled tiredly. "I wouldn't say no to an assistant," she said.

"Have you got someone in mind?" asked Daphne, briskly.

"Not really," she said, sheepishly.

"Adrian?" prompted Harry.

Adrian was already looking through his leather bound diary. "Julius Godwin," he said. "He was a Ravenclaw Prefect a year above me. Half-blood, and quite good at administrative tasks. He was always a good choice when it came to organising anything from patrol schedules to the Yule Ball."

"We're not bringing him into this meeting room just yet, are we?" asked Parvati, as Tracey looked relieved at the thought of help.

"No," said Tracey, before anyone else could. "I'll mostly be delegating him stuff that I don't need to be directly involved in. Coordinating with Ben, answering mail, keeping my diary, that sort of thing."

"I'll draft a good contract, just in case," said Daphne. "I expect we will be needing more of these as our workload grows and we bring in more staff. We can't let all of them be privy to everything we do here, of course. Fleur, Draco, if you need someone as well…"

"We would be happy to have Maribeth, honestly," said Fleur.

Daphne paused but then nodded. "I'll check with her but I don't think she will mind," she said.

"It leaves you without an assistant, though," said Harry, giving her a slightly concerned look.

"I can always recruit a new one if I need," she shrugged. "So, the shop with warding services will be operational by next week, shall it?"

"No, two weeks after that, to have time to train the staff," said Draco. "And we have a name for the shop."

"Platinum Warders," said Fleur.

"We thought it was best to embrace the spirit," said Draco, when a few eyebrows shot up at the name.

Harry nodded his approval. "Let's see how that goes then."

"The other crossover we have with the Institute and Diagon is your idea to have a shop that would sell products from the Institute and showcase inventions," said Fleur, with a look at Harry.

"We thought it appropriate to be called 'The Pottery'," said Draco, with a slight chuckle.

Harry rolled his eyes as a few people snorted discreetly into their cups of coffee. "Fine, as long as it brings in people," he said. "Do we know when the Cornfoot brothers shall be able to mass produce the 2-way mirrors?"

"Not yet, but we are meeting with them later this morning to go over the specifics," said Fleur.

"I'd appreciate an update at the end of the day," said Daphne, and both Draco and Fleur nodded.

"Anything further from the Institute?" asked Adrian.

"Nothing more, oh but Damocles Belby has officially signed on as of yesterday," said Harry.

"The research is in good hands then," said Parvati, with a small smile.

There was a knock on the meeting room door and Maribeth peeked her head in. "It's quarter to nine," she said.

"Alright," said Daphne, as everyone started gathering their things. "Let's leave the rest to the end of the day."

There were nods as everyone dispersed. Harry and Daphne quickly made their way down to the back entrance of the GSC HQ and disapparated, arriving in the Ministry Atrium. It was quite crowded, but it was the good kind of bustle, decided Harry as he and Daphne wordlessly made their way to the Wizengamot.

The trials for those arrested in Knockturn Alley would be starting today and it was going to be a long couple of weeks with trials every morning. Harry nodded politely at several of the Wizengamot members as they made their way over to their seats, realising he had grown quite used to this environment in a way he would not have thought possible before.

He glanced at Daphne, who appeared deep in thought, no doubt going over one of the million and a half things that demanded their attention at all times, and smiled a little. If it had been just the two of them, he would have pressed a small kiss to her cheek or the top of her head. It usually worked to distract her, brief as it may be, and for a relationship that wasn't even a full week-old yet, Harry supposed it was nice he was already comfortable with Daphne on a level that had taken him years to reach with other people.

"Alright?" he murmured to her, once they were seated. Even if he couldn't kiss her at that moment, didn't mean he would not be checking up on her.

She looked a little bit startled before chuckling quietly. "Yes," she said. "Just going over some things."

Harry opened his mouth to say something but Daphne glanced away as an impressively tall woman with charcoal brown skin, wearing exquisitely crafted silk chartreuse robes walked into the Wizengamot chamber, followed by two faithful assistants.

"Johanna Inglewood," said Daphne, before Harry could even ask. "Defense lawyer extraordinaire."

"Robards does not look happy," murmured Harry, as Robards shot daggers at Johanna from the other end of the table.

Johanna seemed to ignore him, speaking to her assistants as they neatly set up files upon files on the defense's side of the table.

"Susan thinks it's purely out of principle which is not out of character for Robards, to be perfectly honest," said Daphne.

Harry chuckled in agreement, watching in quiet amusement as Susan Bones went and greeted Johanna politely, a gesture that Johanna returned without hesitation.

"I think he doesn't get that while our system might be adversarial, there is no professionalism in being a twat," continued Daphne, and Harry had to hide his laughter in a series of very fake coughs. He still got a few concerned looks from the people around them but he attempted to smile reassuringly.

Thankfully, the doors closed as the Chief Warlock stood up. "Members of the Wizengamot, a very good morning to you," he greeted. "Today marks the very first day of trials for arrests made by the Auror Department in their raids of the area formerly known as Knockturn Alley."

There were a few cheers and murmurs of praise, mostly from the gallery of public and press, who had been granted access to the Wizengamot trials. Robards seemed to preen under the praise and Harry supposed it was well-deserved this time around.

"Members of the Wizengamot would have received a list setting out the trial dates," continued the Chief Warlock, without pausing. "If certain trials run over time, the list shall simply rollover to the next day. As decided, the accused shall be questioned under Veritaserum. We have a potioneer selected by the prosecutor and another chosen by the defense to verify the dosage prior to administering the Veritaserum. Are there any questions before we begin?"

The Wizengamot was silent and the Chief Warlock gave a firm nod. "We shall begin then. The Wizengamot calls Mrs Fiona Howard…"

"That was blinking brutal," murmured Harry as Fiona Howard was found guilty on all counts, including blackmail and smuggling of illegal artefacts.

"Would have been much worse if she hadn't taken the plea bargain," said Daphne, and Harry saw reluctant admiration on her face as she looked at Johanna Inglewood, who was already engrossed in the next file.

"True," agreed Harry. "How long would it have been?"

"Fifteen years, at the very least. She got off, well not lightly, but much better with seven," said Daphne.

"Robards doesn't seem too disappointed either," observed Harry.

"Exactly, that's why she's so good," murmured Daphne, sounding very conflicted about it for some reason.

Harry gave her a questioning look but she didn't notice as the next person on trial was called on. Unlike before, Johanna Inglewood put on much more of a fight, and Harry could soon see why. The young man who had been charged was barely seventeen himself, it was his first offence, and he appeared to simply have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After an agonising 90 minutes of Robards and Johanna verbally going at each other, the young man was thankfully found not guilty by the Wizengamot and was set free. Harry could see him visibly trembling with relief as he thanked Johanna before being escorted out of the chamber.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we had time for another trial, but since it is almost noon, it shall now be held first thing tomorrow morning," said the Chief Warlock, and Harry was relieved. "Have a good afternoon."

The chamber emptied slowly, and Harry stood up, wanting to leave before he was inevitably held up by someone or other wanting to discuss something with him. Daphne was great at disappearing at times like those, leaving him alone to navigate various Wizengamot members who always seemed to want something from him.

This time was no different and by the time he managed to shake off the last person who wanted to discuss the weather of all things with him, it was almost 1 in the afternoon. Harry was so very grateful when he walked into Daphne's office and saw a plate of fresh seafood ravioli and a tall glass of ice cold lemonade waiting for him on her desk.

"Have you been using Legilimency on me when I haven't been looking?" asked Harry, taking his seat and smirking at Daphne who was busy writing something at her desk.

"Absolutely," she deadpanned, without looking up.

"Good to know," he grinned, taking a long sip of the drink. "Have you eaten already?"

She pointed at an uneaten plate and half-empty glass of lemonade to her right instead of answering. Harry leaned over and with the quick reflexes of a Seeker, snatched her quill from her hands.

"Harry," she complained.

"Ten minutes," he said. "It can wait for ten minutes while you eat lunch."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation but dutifully pulled up her plate. Harry grinned in satisfaction and dove into his own meal with gusto.

"Was it busy after I left?" asked Daphne, after a few seconds of them eating in silence.

Harry gave a nod with his mouth full. "It always is," he said.

"Perhaps I'll stay from now on," she said, her tone the same calm as always but Harry detected a hint of nerves in it that he thought was adorable.

"I would like that," he said, and she smiled. Harry gave her a fond look, and decided to take a small leap himself. "I am thinking of getting a new owl."

Daphne paused mid-bite and gave him a searching look. He gave her a little shrug to indicate he was alright. "It is a sound idea," she said. "Floo calls aren't always convenient and you can't use house elves with people you aren't overly familiar with."

He nodded, remembering his session with Ivanna the day before. He was yet to discuss it with Daphne, mostly because he had been taking some time to digest what they had unpacked.

"Grief is a process, or so Ivanna says," he said, now. "It's good to keep things moving. It helps the process along."

"As long as you don't move too slow or too fast, I suppose," said Daphne.

"Something like that, yes," he agreed.

"Either way, a trip to Eeylop's this afternoon may not be amiss," she said, briskly. "I have to finish some paperwork for the hiring of further employees and I'll be busy until evening."

Harry gave a nod and they finished the rest of their meal in comfortable but thoughtful silence. After they were done eating, Harry cleared up the empty plates and glasses with a swish of his wand, and after placing a small kiss on Daphne's head, he made his way to Eeylop's Owl Emporium.

He had been there only a week ago with Mila and Kai from the Lily Potter Home, and he could admit it had been on his mind since then. He had brought it up with Ivanna as well, because she usually started their session by asking him about his week.

"Can I help you with something, Mr Potter?" asked a timid voice, and Harry turned to smile at the soft-spoken middle-aged shop worker who had assisted him last week as well.

"Yes, please, Eric," said Harry, and the older man looked gobsmacked that Harry had remembered his name. "I need a new post owl."

"C-Certainly," he stammered, quickly beckoning him towards the snowy owls.

Harry felt a pang in his chest but he took a deep breath and shook his head. A process, he reminded himself. "Perhaps an eagle owl instead," he suggested.

Eric's eyes went wide and he immediately led him to the other side of the shop with the eagle owls. Harry gave him a grateful smile and glanced around. Most of the owls were asleep since it was daytime, but a couple blinked balefully at him as he walked past.

"This one right here is quite the speedster," said Eric, nodding towards one of them, who looked deeply asleep. "Came from one of my better breeders, too."

Harry glanced at the owl, who sensing interest, opened one eye and gave Harry a searching look. "I'll take him then," said Harry.

"Excellent," smiled Eric. "I shall prepare his cage and feed for you to take."

Harry nodded gratefully, as Eric bustled away with Harry's new owl. After paying thirteen galleons for the owl, and an additional two for the cage and a week's worth of feed, Harry returned to Verdant with his new owl in tow. He tried to think of a name, but he hadn't come up with anything by the time he reached Verdant.

Daphne smiled at him in greeting when he walked back into her office. "What a gorgeous owl," she said. "Have you named him?"

He shook his head and set the cage down at the edge of Daphne's desk. "Haven't thought of one," he said.

"I always wanted an eagle owl," said Daphne, reaching through the bars of the cage to gently stroke the owl's feathers. The owl did not rouse from his nap, content to sleep while being pet.

Harry smiled fondly at her. "You can name him then," he offered.

She grinned and cooed softly at the owl. "Gainsboro," she said. The owl opened one eye, gave a single hoot and went right back to sleep.

"He seems to like it," said Harry. "Why Gainsboro?"

"It's the shade of grey his feathers remind me of," said Daphne. "You should take him home. Have him get acquainted with your estate before you come back for the end of the day meeting."

Harry nodded; he had already been thinking along those lines. Grief was a process and it was also tiring in a way he hadn't expected. He quietly kissed Daphne goodbye, and took Gainsboro with him to Potter Hall.

Draco stepped out of Platinum Alley, looking inordinately pleased with himself. He'd instructed the house elves charged with renovating Prisma Hotel, and the sample rooms would be ready by the end of the week. Once the sample rooms were designed as per Clearwater's sketches, they could all come in and make any changes as needed before the rest of the hotel could be renovated.

It had been a very productive day so far, since before visiting Prisma, he and Fleur had hammered down the final details concerning the two-way mirrors with the Cornfoot brothers. Draco checked the time and was surprised to see he had almost two hours to kill before the end of the day meeting. It was almost unheard of to have any sort of free time these days and he was determined to make the most of it.

He stopped by Fortescue cafe for a quick cup of coffee and a pastry, before strolling down to the Claw Bookshop. His house elf did all of his shopping, so there was no cause for him to visit any shops these days unless it was for work. But he was determined to make the most of his free afternoon and browse some books in peace.

The peace went out of the window when he realised how full the shop was and he almost smacked himself remembering that this was the Hogwarts rush since the letters had come out in the past couple of weeks. He was ready to turn around and walk back out but he came face to face with a familiar girl exiting the shop, which quickly made him stand up just a little bit straighter.

"Astoria, good afternoon," he said.

Astoria Greengrass, dressed demurely in seafoam green robes with a brown leather satchel thrown over her shoulder, blinked at him in surprise. "Draco, hello," she said.

"Nice day, isn't it?" he asked, and then cringed internally at himself. What was wrong with him?

Thankfully, she didn't seem to think he was an idiot. "It is," she agreed. "It's why I decided to try and get all my Hogwarts shopping done today. It's miserable trying to do it when the weather is horrendous."

He nodded in agreement, and then realised they were both blocking the shop's doorway. "Er, are you all finished in here?" he asked.

She nodded with a small smile. "Yes, I was about to head to the apothecary," she said.

"I'll go with you then," he said, holding the door open for her.

"Oh," she said, sounding a little surprised. He carefully searched her face for any displeasure, but found none. "Weren't you about to go into the shop?"

"I was, but it's a bit too crowded for me," he said, with a slightly distasteful look on his face.

She chuckled and stepped out of the shop with him. "I doubt the apothecary will be any different," she said.

He just smiled at her, in lieu of saying something stupid like her company would make up for it. He wasn't quite sure when he'd developed a bit of a crush on Astoria Greengrass, but he certainly knew it was the first time in his life he'd felt this way about a girl.

Pansy had been a passing distraction and his later years at Hogwarts had left him in no headspace for things like crushes and girls. His survival and the survival of his family had been resting on his shoulders. Draco didn't even think he had breathed properly in years until he had seen the Dark Lord's body fall at Harry's feet.

He hadn't really noticed Astoria at Hogwarts, but he certainly did now. She was a bit shorter than Daphne, and her dark hair made a very striking contrast with her porcelain-like pale skin. She and Daphne had very similar facial features, but Astoria's features were more guileless and less shrewd and sharp than Daphne's. Draco hoped he wasn't staring too much as they walked to the apothecary together and cleared his throat, realising he had been silent for a moment too long to be considered polite.

"How far into your shopping list are you?" he asked.

"Just the apothecary left and then it's all done," she answered. "I already did robes and books."

He nodded, searching his brain for a further topic but was aware that they were out in public and he didn't want to discuss anything to do with his work where he could be overheard.

Thankfully, Astoria seemed content to let the silence linger between them and Draco was a little comforted by how nice it was. He had discovered he liked the peacefulness in silence since living on his own, and it was pleasant to find it unexpectedly on a busy day like he'd had. He chanced a glance at Astoria and she turned and gave him a small smile as they continued together.

The quiet, comforting silence stayed between them as Astoria replenished her potion supplies for the year. If she thought the silence was odd, she didn't show it, and after they stepped out of the apothecary, she wordlessly nodded towards Fortescue Cafe. Even though he'd had a coffee less than an hour ago, Draco nodded back with a small smile.

The cafe was in that nice quiet hour just before the end of the work day, so they snagged a corner booth at the very back of the cafe easily.

"How has work been?" asked Astoria, once they were seated with their drinks and a shared plate of Victoria sandwiches. "Apart from insanely busy, I mean?"

He chuckled and sipped his cool chocolate. "Productive," he said.

"That's good," she smiled. "I have hardly seen Daphne these days, but from the brief conversations we have had, that seems to be the consensus." She took a dainty bite of her Victoria sandwich and a bit of jam smeared at the corner of her lip. He conjured her a napkin and she chuckled gratefully as she accepted it. "Thank you. It is really inconvenient not to be able to do magic outside Hogwarts. Especially since I'll be of age in November."

Draco just nodded, trying not to stare as she dabbed the bit of jam away. He must have failed miserably, because Astoria chuckled and folded the napkin, setting it down on the table.

"May I be very blunt with you, Draco?" asked Astoria, and he gave her a curious look and nodded. "I have grown fond of you over the summer, even in the limited time we have spent together. I do not have any experience in this, but I believe in speaking up when it is necessary." Draco was sure his eyes were wide as galleons. When she said she was going to be blunt, this was not the topic of conversation he had expected her to raise. "Would I be correct in assuming you are interested in me as well? As a potential paramour?"

Draco blinked, feeling his face flush. He was not a brave man, he had never been, but Astoria's words were without hesitation and her face was sharp and steady. He wondered how in Merlin's name he'd thought her face was less shrewd than Daphne's. He doubted Daphne would ever be as blunt as Astoria, and deciding he was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he nodded firmly.

Astoria sipped her tea and didn't react immediately. When she did, it was to smile at him over the rim of her teacup.

"Well, then," she said.

A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like her mother reminded him he had to take the next step. Setting his hands flat on the table, palms down, he carefully bowed his head a fraction. "Heiress Greengrass," he spoke quietly enough for only the two of them to hear. "I, Draco Abraxas Malfoy, do swear to seek permission from the Head of your House to court you per the traditions of Mother Magic. So mote it be."

A small silver glow shone on the Malfoy crest on his robes, and he heard Astoria gasp quietly. He raised his head and saw her face was flushed pink. She had clearly not expected him to invoke the courtship rituals of the old ways. But Draco was nothing if not very respectful of the old ways, and so was Astoria it seemed when she carefully mirrored his position by placing her hands on the table, palms down and bowed her head.

"I accept the promise, Heir Malfoy," she said, sounding very close to tears.

He beamed at her, not trusting his voice just yet. He was well aware that he had to leave now if he were to make the end of the day meeting in time, but he was loathe to part company with Astoria just yet. Fortunately, she seemed to understand and by seemingly mutual agreement, they finished their drinks and cake quickly.

"How will you be returning home?" asked Draco, as they stepped out of Fortescue Cafe together.

"I'll take the floo from Verdant," she said. "Draco, I-" She paused and then smiled brightly at him. "Thank you."

"I feel as if I should be thanking you," he said, honestly. "If you hadn't-" He stopped himself and cleared his throat. "I am grateful for you speaking up when you did."

"As long as you didn't think me too forward," she said, glancing away.

"It was forward," nodded Draco. "And I am grateful for it," he repeated.

Astoria's smile was the most beautiful he had ever seen it. He wanted to walk her back to Verdant, but she insisted she would be fine. They parted company with polite bows and Draco checked the time, realising he was going to be late for the meeting. Still, he made a quick detour before going back to the GSC HQ, walking in just about twenty minutes after the meeting had started.

"I apologise for my tardiness," he said, as he sat in his usual seat in the conference room. "I lost track of time."

If anyone thought his behaviour odd, they didn't show it and accepted his excuse before turning their attention back to Tracey who was giving them an update about Platinum Warders. Draco glanced briefly at Daphne and the box he'd hastily stowed into his robes before rushing to the meeting and made himself focus.

Tracey finished what she was saying, and Adrian told her he had written to Julius Godwin who would be coming in for an interview in two days.

"Let's move on then," said Daphne, as Tracey thanked Adrian. "How did it go with the Cornfoot brothers?"

"It went very well," said Draco, as Fleur nodded at him to go ahead. "They have a hundred units ready for use. Newt is interviewing candidates from the guild tomorrow so they should have a small team put together to manufacture further units by the end of the week."

"If the team does come together by the end of the week, the Cornfoot brothers have promised to have other prototypes ready for display at the Pottery in a matter of days," added Fleur.

"Let's make an appointment with them for next Wednesday then," said Daphne, writing it down in her diary. "We can visit the Institute to get an idea of what these prototypes are. How soon can the Pottery be renovated?"

"By the end of this week, or Monday at the absolute latest," said Fleur, and Draco nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. If all goes well, we can open in about two weeks' time," said Daphne, making another note. "What's next?"

"Sayre Potions opens the day after tomorrow," said Fleur. "I'll drop by during the day to see how it's faring."

"Thanks, Fleur," nodded Harry. "How goes the winter resort?"

"I have arranged a meeting for you to visit Chateaux Black this weekend," said Fleur, passing Harry a letter. "The hotelier we hired, Lavinia Poitier, will be showing you around and giving you a proper update. The renovations are almost done, so I thought you would like to see them yourself."

"We still need a name for the place, though," added Draco.

"Suggestions?" asked Harry.

"The Onyx Chateaux? In keeping the name similar to the original?" suggested Tracey.

"Sounds a bit too gloomy, if you ask me," said Parvati. "How about the Alpine Village?"

"Sounds like a horrific, cheery Yule nightmare," said Adrian.

"The Alpine Onyx," suggested Draco. "Equal parts gloomy and cheery."

"I like it," nodded Harry.

"If Lavinia has done a good job, we should consider hiring her for Prisma as well," added Draco.

"I thought we hired her as the manager for the winter resort specifically," said Harry, looking a bit confused.

"No, Lavinia is best described as a consultant," said Fleur. "Papa recommended her which is why we hired her. She has helped with the recruitment and putting the whole thing together, but we hadn't brought her on as an employee."

"If she has done a good job, though, we should consider bringing her on as an employee like Draco said," said Adrian. "Apart from this and Prisma, I thought there were further properties to expand upon in this manner."

"There are," agreed Daphne. "We'll see how she has managed with the Alpine Onyx and then consider keeping her on to oversee the hotels and such."

There were murmurs of agreement, and Draco gave them an update about Prisma, and they agreed to visit it at the end of the week to observe the sample rooms.

"Anything else we need to discuss?" asked Daphne. No one spoke up, so the meeting came to an end. Draco took a calming breath and lingered at the table as Daphne spoke quietly to Harry about the Wizengamot trials scheduled for the next day. After the room had emptied and it was only him, Daphne and Harry left, he cleared his throat.

"Can I have a word with you?" he asked, looking at Daphne. "In private?" he added.

Daphne's eyebrows raised delicately and she glanced at Harry briefly before giving Draco a nod. Harry nodded goodbye at him but threw a slightly curious look in his direction that Draco did his best to ignore. His palms were sweating a little and his heart felt like it was lodged in his throat, so he cleared his throat again, hoping his voice wouldn't squeak or break.

The door closed behind Harry, and Draco took a seat opposite Daphne. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he reached into his robes and pulled out the thin, long carved wooden box, setting it down carefully on the table. Daphne's eyebrows shot up in shock and it looked like she had a question right on the tip of her tongue, but Draco placed his hands on the table, palms down and bowed his head before she had a chance to speak.

"Lady Greengrass," he said, his words thankfully steady though full of nerves. "I am Draco Abraxas Malfoy, Heir Apparent of House Malfoy."

He paused with his head still bowed, waiting for her to speak. There was a long silence, before he heard her shift and her hands were placed on the table, palms down.

"Heir Malfoy," she spoke, her tone just the tiniest bit frosty than usual. "What is it that you seek?"

"I seek your permission as Head of House Greengrass to court your sister, Heiress Astoria Greengrass," he said.

The silence was far longer than before. He was sorely tempted to look at her to gauge her expression but he didn't dare. Since he was the one asking, she had the high ground, so to speak. So he waited patiently, until he eventually heard Daphne speak.

"And what, Heir Malfoy, can you offer my sister?" she asked, her tone like ice.

Without raising his head, he gently slid the wooden box towards Daphne. "For my first gift, I bring her gloves of silk," he said.

"Raise your head," she said, without reaching for the box. Draco sat up straight, trying not to wince at the cold expression on her face. "Let's speak candidly. You realise Astoria is not of age yet?"

"She is sixteen," he said, neutrally. "And she will be of age in but a couple of months."

Daphne's eyes narrowed but Draco knew she wouldn't rebut that. Per the old ways, fifteen was an appropriate age to begin courting, and Daphne knew that very well.

"I mean to adhere to traditions," he continued, bolstered by his momentary courage. "I am aware that I cannot promise she will be Lady Malfoy but not because I do not intend to honour her with a bonding," he clarified. "I am not certain if I shall be Lord Malfoy, but regardless of whether I inherit the Lordship or not, I will give a solemn vow to do right by Heiress Greengrass."

"Is Astoria aware of your intentions?" asked Daphne.

"I swore to her I shall seek your permission to court her," he answered honestly.

Daphne looked a bit surprised, before her cold expression returned. "And if I refuse?" she asked.

Draco swallowed roughly but held her gaze. "I would be disappointed," he said. "More importantly, Heiress Greengrass will be disappointed. I will, of course, abide by your decision, regardless."

Daphne glanced at the box briefly before looking at him again. "The permission is not mine to give," she said. "I appreciate you adhering to traditions, and if you are to court Astoria, I expect you to abide by the old ways. However, the decision to accept your offer of courtship shall be Astoria's. Is that acceptable?"

Draco nodded quickly, hardly daring to believe it. Daphne carefully pulled the box closer to her and gave Draco a sharp look. "I shall present your gift to my sister. Whether she chooses to accept or decline is up to her. However," Draco was surprised that her tone grew even colder. "If you treat her with anything other than respect and affection befitting a lady of the House Greengrass, I shall not hesitate to declare a blood feud on you and yours."

He felt a chill down his spine at her words. Threats of blood feuds were not thrown around lightly among pureblood families. Blood feuds had wiped fortunes from entire families and ended many a lineage. As they currently stood, House Greengrass was in a far better position than House Malfoy, both financially and with their standing in wizarding Britain. Draco had no doubt she could wipe his bloodline if he harmed Astoria in any way.

"I give you my word, Lady Greengrass," he said. "Heiress Greengrass shall be treated with honour and respect."

Daphne gave a short nod. "Very well, then," she said. "Thank you for your candour, Heir Malfoy."

"Thank you for your indulgence, Lady Greengrass," he said, getting to his feet and giving her a deep bow.

She stood up and returned his bow, and for a moment, the two of them just stared at each other.

"I mean it, Draco," she said, and he noted the careful use of his name rather than his title. "If you hurt Astoria…"

"You have full permission to kill me, Daphne," he said, deliberately using her name as well.

She nodded with a tight-lipped smile. Draco wished her a goodnight and took his leave, feeling slightly relieved.

Now he only had to wait for Astoria's response.

Astoria sat near the fireplace in the family living room, trying desperately to focus on her book and not on Daphne's arrival. It was likely she wouldn't even be back just yet, considering she usually went to Harry's for dinner to plan for the Halloween event before coming home. At the same time, she was hoping she would be coming home early today, because Draco had approached her.

In all likelihood, Astoria wasn't even certain he would speak to Daphne right away. Courting in the old ways was a long, arduous process, and Astoria got the feeling that Draco would be the sort to abide by it. She was also still a little uncertain if he would actually go through with it despite his promise, because she knew she had been rather bold in declaring her interest in him. She had never really pegged Draco as a truly noble type, but Astoria had become attracted to the Draco Malfoy she had come to know after the war as opposed to before it.

During their time at Hogwarts, Astoria had known of Draco by reputation, and it wasn't a very positive one to start with. She had thought him handsome but him being a Death Eater and the son of an even worse Death Eater meant her opinion of him as a person ranked right next to a horned slug.

The few times she had seen him since the end of the war had shown her a new side of Draco. There was hesitance in his behaviour, as if he were thinking of each and every one of his actions and how it would impact those around him. There was no shortage of remorse in him, but more than just regretting his actions, he seemed determined to do the right thing. Astoria found that determination more fascinating than anything, and she wanted to know more.

Was he doing out of a sense of duty? Or a sense of shame? Or something else entirely?

Astoria was itching to find out. And it helped that he was still quite handsome. Actually, more so now than he was at Hogwarts, as he'd seemingly gone through his final growth spurt.

She jumped, when the fire burst to life and Daphne stepped out of it. Astoria blinked at her, and Daphne looked just as surprised to see her right by the fireplace as well.

"Evening, Daph," said Astoria, trying not to seem like she was eagerly awaiting her return.

Daphne didn't seem to be fooled for a minute and crossed her arms in exasperation. "Oh, Tori," she sighed.

Astoria went pink but stared back at her stubbornly. "What?" she asked.

Daphne sighed again and gave Astoria a sharp look. "You know very well what I mean," she said. "Draco Malfoy?"

Astoria went redder and gave a little shrug. "I gather he spoke to you," she said, heart thudding in her chest. Would Daphne have refused permission? She certainly didn't seem to be giving anything away.

Daphne didn't answer immediately, instead choosing to take her cloak off and handing it to Jolly who disappeared just as quietly as she had appeared. Astoria opened her mouth to ask again, but saw a carved wooden box in Daphne's hands.

"The first gift," said Daphne, likely noticing Astoria's gaze.

Astoria was dying to know, but she forced herself to look at Daphne. "Did you give him permission?"

Daphne sat down on a nearby armchair and primly crossed her legs, setting the box on the arm of the chair. "Sit," she said, nodding at the other chair.

Astoria obeyed quickly and looked at Daphne expectantly.

"He asked my permission to court you and said you were aware of his intentions to do so," she said.

"Yes," confirmed Astoria.

"Since when?" asked Daphne. "How long have you...felt this way about him?"

Astoria shrugged in slight embarrassment. "I'm not sure," she said, honestly. "Perhaps when you invited him with the others for that study session before the NEWTs or maybe the summer solstice celebrations, or Blaise's party. I couldn't tell you when it happened."

"And you're sure of your feelings?" asked Daphne.

"Not at all," chuckled Astoria. "But I would like to learn more about my feelings. And his, if I'm honest."

Daphne sighed deeply and rubbed her temple as if fighting a headache. "Have you thought of the long-term implications?" she asked.

Astoria bit her lip but nodded in determination. "I realise I may not become Lady Malfoy if his parents do not approve," she said, and took a deep breath. "I also realise things might actually be worse if they do approve of me. Because that's not approval that would sit right with me."

Daphne nodded gravely. "You understand then," she said.

"I do," nodded Astoria. "But I want to pursue this anyway."

"What about the short-term problems then?" asked Daphne. "You are at Hogwarts for two more years. You cannot be bonded until you graduate, I hope you realise that."

"I wasn't about to suggest otherwise," said Astoria, firmly. "I want to graduate and become a Healer, Daph. I'm not going to give up my ambitions for wanting to be with Draco."

Daphne gave her a small, proud smile. "And you can bear to be at Hogwarts, away from him?" she asked.

"I will have to be," she said. "Long-distance relationships aren't ideal, especially new ones, but I think he is worth it." Her face went pink as she said it, but she refused to break her gaze with Daphne.

Daphne gave her a long look, before nodding. "I didn't give him permission, and I said it was because it was not mine to give," she said, and Astoria's eyes went wide. Daphne carefully lifted the carved wooden box and held it out to Astoria.

Astoria inhaled to steady herself and took the box with shaking fingers. She set it down on her lap and opened it slowly, stifling a gasp when she saw a pair of gloves resting on a bed of velvet. The mother of pearl silk gloves were more delicate and dainty than any pair she had seen, and she felt tears spring into her eyes.

Silk gloves as the first gift was a very old tradition. Courting in the old ways meant that it was the wizard's prerogative to present his prospective paramour with a series of gifts, all of them meant to be worn by her on the final day of their courtship, when he would present her with the final gift, being an engagement ring. Most people now, even while courting under the old ways, used hair combs as the first gift, usually followed by other jewellery and then the ring.

In the very traditional way, it wasn't just jewellery that was to be gifted to your prospective paramour but a series of items showing your appreciation, desire and promise to care for her. To receive a pair of gloves as the first courting gift felt special, and Astoria couldn't help as tears fell down her cheeks.

She vaguely heard Daphne call for Jolly, and looked up as Jolly appeared with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Daphne smiled softly at Astoria and poured them both a drink.

Astoria almost pointed out she wasn't of age yet, but took the glass when Daphne handed her one.

"No one in this world would be good enough for you in my eyes," said Daphne, holding up her own glass. "But all that matters in the end is that you are happy. And if he makes you happy, I wish you the very best. I am so very happy for you, Tori."

Astoria smiled through her tears and clinked her glass with Daphne's. "Thank you, Daph," she said. "I love you."

Daphne's eyes seemed a bit misty too as they both took a sip of their drinks. "I love you, too, Tori," she said. "So much."

Harry sat in his favourite study at Potter Hall and carefully wrote in his new journal. It had been a suggestion from Ivanna to keep records of his days, considering the numerous things he was involved in. He had only started doing it since the start of August, but he was already finding it relaxing to write down his day over a cup of tea before bed. He finished writing and took a sip of the soothing Greengrass blend tea as he waited for the ink to dry.

The grandfather clock in the study showed it to just before 11, and he was looking forward to being in bed soon. He set his empty teacup down and closed the journal, carefully putting it away and locking it up.

The open window showed the bright night outside, and he smiled when he saw Gainsboro swoop silently through the sky, acquainting himself with the estate. He didn't think it was possible, but Potter Hall felt a little bit nicer now that it wasn't just him and the house elves. With a quiet sigh, he waved his hand as the lights in the study dimmed down before going out completely once he stepped out of the study.

It was a new development, he'd noticed. He was able to control his magic differently while inside one of his properties, especially inside Potter Hall. He hardly ever used his wand, though strong spellcasting still required him to use one. But it took less effort, even with a wand, and Harry couldn't tell if it was the effect of the Elder Wand, losing the Horcrux, a combination of the two, or something else entirely.

This was something he had not discussed with anyone, not even Ivanna or Daphne or Hermione. It wasn't that he didn't trust them implicitly, or in Ivanna's case, had a watertight contract in place. This was more a case of wanting to figure this mystery out for himself.

He wandered in the direction of the library instead of his chambers and stopped in the doorway, wondering if he should try and research this phenomenon or simply let it go for now. The decision was made for him when a large yawn broke through him, and with a rueful shake of his head, he went to his chambers and undressed for bed.

Sleep seemed to elude him though, despite being quite tired, and after about twenty minutes of tossing and turning, he climbed out of bed and threw on his dressing gown. He decided against going to the library and instead headed towards the arboretum at the West End of the house. Unlike its counterpart in the East End which was perfect for entertaining guests, the arboretum at the West End was a cosy living space full of flowering shrubs and hanging vines that were lovingly tended to by the house elves. It was a space meant to relax and read and let the worries that kept one up at night simply fade away.

Harry sat down in a squashy armchair and pulled a soft, patchwork quilt over his legs to keep warm. While the days were still warm, the nights were slowly beginning to grow colder, especially inside Potter Hall.

"Annie," he called softly, and Annie appeared just as quietly.

Harry knew the house elves knew exactly where he was at all times, and they knew well enough to give him his space and only coming when called. He was really grateful for that.

"Can you fetch me the event binder?" he requested.

Annie vanished and returned a moment later with the binder in her hands. Harry took it with a smile and she disappeared once again. Harry opened the binder and flipped the pages until he reached the last event his family had ever planned. It was the last public event at Potter Hall, since the war made it too dangerous the following year, and his parents were gone by the time Christmas came around in the year after that.

It had been the Potter Christmas party held on Christmas Eve of 1979. Harry and Daphne had glanced through it briefly as they were planning the Halloween event, mostly to make sure they wouldn't be repeating anything, but Harry was feeling particularly melancholic today.

His parents had planned that event, since it had been after the death of his grandparents, leaving only the two of them as the last Potters. It had to be around the time his mother would have realised she was pregnant with Harry. He had no way of telling how they had been feeling when they planned the event, so soon after the death of his grandparents and knowing they were expecting a child of their own. They hadn't been much older than Harry was now, and the thought sent a dark shiver down Harry's spine.

To Harry, his parents had been grown-ups, adults, who had fought in a war and been lost to its brutality. And now, he was realising just how young they had both been. James and Lily Potter had only been twenty-one when they died. They were married at the age Harry was now, and while he knew it was because there had been a war going on at that point, it didn't make it any less terrifying for Harry.

Married at 18, parents at 19 and then dead at 21. What a short life they had led, leaving their child all alone with virtually no memories of them to hold on to. Harry didn't realise he was crying until he felt the tears splash onto Lily's neatly written notes for the menu. He carefully moved the binder off his lap, not wanting to ruin the last little bit of his parents he had left.

A discreet flash of light caught his gaze and he saw a neat, leatherbound book resting on a nearby side table that had certainly not been there before. Wiping his tears hastily, Harry set the binder aside and reached for the book, knowing Annie must have set it there. The house elves did that sometimes, moved things and objects without him having to ask, and being invisible while they did it.

The book wasn't actually a book, but a diary, realised Harry when he opened it. It was also completely blank, but Harry knew well enough that it didn't mean there was nothing there.

Pulling out his wand, he tapped the diary with it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he tried. The diary stayed blank. He paused and flicked through the blank diary thoughtfully, trying a couple different spells he knew about revealing hidden secrets in a book, but none of them made a difference.

With a sigh, he decided to act on instinct and carefully drew the Potter family crest on the cover with his wand. As he did, the golden crest seemed to seep into the diary and it glowed briefly before vanishing. Feeling curious and hopeful, Harry opened the diary and his heart jumped in his chest when he saw words written in a gorgeous flowing script, filling the pages of the diary.

Hands shaking just the tiniest bit, he flipped open to the first proper page.

Hogwarts tomorrow, for the very last time. I suppose it should feel exciting and perhaps a bit sad, but it doesn't. I am mostly nervous.

It is not a new feeling, though I suppose I am feeling it more acutely this time around. The badge sitting on my desk as I write this feels like a massive beacon of responsibility that I thought I had managed to avoid so far.

Still, Mum and Dad are thrilled about the Head Boy thing, so I can't complain. Although, I am not sure what Dumbledore was thinking, giving me the badge. I wasn't even a Prefect!

Padfoot reckons it's because he is hoping I will clean up my act if given the badge. A huge fucking gamble, if you ask me. Moony thinks it's because he didn't want to make a werewolf Head Boy. Probably true, but it doesn't change the fact that werewolf or not, Moony would always be the better choice than me for Head Boy. Wormtail is the only one, apart from my parents, who thinks it was well-deserved.

The other reason for my nervousness is my fellow Head this year. Lily Evans, who I am kinda, sorta in love with. Who has kinda, sorta allowed me to owl her over the summer a few times. Just as friends, she had insisted, but considering all our interactions before this ended with her calling me all sorts of names (none of which were the least bit friendly), I will take being called a friend as a massive fucking win.

Padfoot has already asked me several times how it feels to have my balls in Lily Evans' purse, but I just replaced his Sleekeazy with Hair Removal potion. Nothing like going bald to distract him from poking his nose into my (non-existent) love life.

Back to my reasons for nervousness. Lily's last letter had mentioned she was looking forward to sharing the Head dorms with me and working together on making sure we had a wonderful last year at Hogwarts. I have been trying so hard not to read anything into it, but surely that is progress. While sharing the Head dorms with her is going to be pure torture (of the pleasurable kind), I really, really do not want to screw this up. I am not a fifteen-year old twerp anymore who thought hexing people would endear me to her.

Lily Evans is sharp, bright, beautiful and kind. She is witty and clever, and has never hesitated to put me back in my place. I cannot explain why I have always been so drawn to her, but in the last couple of years or so, I can admit to myself it is much more than a crush.

And even in knowing how much of a long-shot it is that she would ever see me as anything but a classmate, or a friend at best...I have decided to take a massive leap of faith.

Which is the next reason for my nervousness. But more on that later. I should sleep now.

I would hate to miss the Hogwarts Express for what is sure to be my last time on the train.

J.F.P.

31.08.1977