C O Potter

Year Three

Chapter 1

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I am writing this because I enjoyed reading H J Potter very much. This picks up several years after the ending of that story.

It is the Christmas Holidays of the 3rd year of the oldest Potter child.

I own none of the rights to the characters created by J K Rowling, I am just grateful that she lets us play in her universe.

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"Cedric and Cici sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G…" the young witch started singing.

"Shut up!" the third-year black-haired boy yelled at the first-year platinum blonde girl across from him, "Before I hex you into next week!"

"Try it, and I'll stun you so hard mum won't be able to rennervate you," the younger witch replied deathly cold, the temperature in the train compartment started to drop suddenly.

This was his first signal that he had made her mad. Well, this wasn't the first time that he had done that, she was his sister after all. He had done an excellent job of avoiding her for the first half of the school year, now here she was riding in his train compartment with what he hoped would be his girlfriend. Her pale blue eyes lightened in colour until they were almost white.

Then, as quickly as it had gotten serious, she asked, "So, when are you going to tell mum and dad that you two have bonded?" in a light and childish manner.

"What!" the older students almost yelled in unison.

"We're not bonded! We only just shared a kiss! And we only did that because we thought you were asleep!" her older brother continued.

"Yep, well, you two are bonded and married. Whole glowy light thing and all." She waved her hands about like she was imitating the glowing light that settled over the young couple.

"What's she talking about Cedric? What's this bonded stuff?" asked the black-haired witch with the American accent, concern growing heavy in her voice.

For the last little bit of the trip to Kings Cross Station, Cedric tried to tell his new wife what little he knew of soul-bonded couples. He didn't think that those big beautiful brown eyes of hers could get any larger, but they did, and they grew wet, the tears hanging heavy in the corners, as he told her what he knew. He was, after all, raised by the most famous soul-bonded couple in all of Europe, not just Magical Britain. They could hardly go anywhere without people approaching them to shake their hands or thank them for this or that. The legends were almost as exaggerated as what really did happen. A simple trip to Diagon Ally could take half a day if his parents didn't move quickly enough or use a glamour charm to change their appearance. For someone that hated being famous before, he could tell that it would get under his dad's skin if the fans of the "Boy-Who-Lived" got too pushy. As he went on and on with the tidbits of what he knew of soul-bonded couples, he could see Cici's face falling, and the tears clinging to the corners of her beautiful eyes began to roll down her cheeks.

And then he heard it in his head, "Why me?" she cried in a tiny little voice. "All I wanted to do was to just kiss him."

For two years, she had been noticing him. His dark hair that was always out of control. His incredible smile, the sound of his voice. Then when they both tried out for Quidditch, she thought that she was the luckiest girl in the world! But what did his sister say? "Married?" But how?

Pulling her into a gentle hug, he thought to her, "It's part of being soul-bonded. My parents never told me that they could communicate this way. This explains so much of what they could do and know. Our desire to be together is only going to grow. That much, I do know. Just in this little bit of time, my desire to be close to you has grown too much to describe!"

She could feel the tenderness and earnestness in his 'voice.' She sat there, holding his hand with their fingers interlaced together, deep in thought, staring out the window of the train at nothing, not watching the scenery go by, as they approached the train station. How was she going to tell her dad that his little girl is now married?

"I'll figure something out," he thought to her. "I read that the punishment for breaking up a soul-bonded couple is death. The wizarding world takes this serious. I'll - I'll, just talk to him!"

§§§

Standing on the platform, Harry and Hermione watched as their eleven-year-old daughter ran across the platform of 9 ¾ with her trunk floating behind her.

"Daddy! Mummy!" she yelled as she got closer.

Harry dropped down on to one knee and waited to scoop her up into his arms. He swung her around and around to the joyful squeals of his beautiful daughter. A few moments later, his oldest son and an attractive young girl walked up to him carrying their school trunks.

"How is it that your little sister can levitate her trunk, and we have to carry ours?" the dark-skinned, black-haired witch thought to her new mate with jealousy tinging her thoughts.

"Mum, dad, I would like you to meet Cecilia. She's …" Cedric started telling them with happiness overflowing in his voice.

"His soul-mate," finished Daphne sounding like one of the professors at Hogwarts. "They kissed in front of me, and there was the whole glowy light thing going on and …"

"Can we tell our story please," asked Cici sounding pleasant but irritated. "It is our story because it happened to us."

That little blonde head snapped around and glared at her. Judging her, sizing up this new part of her family. A family that was, in her opinion, three siblings to large already.

"Yes," Hermione told her with concern in her voice, while looking around, trying to find out who was within earshot of what was just said. Thinking to Harry, "We need to find… "

"Everyone," he finished thinking for her. "Can you call Remus and Amelia while I call Os and Hugues?" Then speaking out loud to Cecilia, "Please hold that thought," while holding his index finger up. "This is not the place for this conversation. Where are your parents? We're going to need them to hear everything also."

Looking around, Cici found her parents standing uncomfortably at the back of the platform next to the wall. Looking as if they wanted to just blend into the wall. "There they are, over there, next to the wall!" she said as she pointed in the correct direction.

As Harry followed her look, he could see a muggle couple standing back by the wall looking very uncomfortable with all of the hustle and bustle that was the start of the Christmas holidays for platform 9 ¾.

"Angel," Harry thought with some trepidation to his loving wife.

"Yes?"

"Her parents are muggles," Harry thought with worry flowing through their telepathic link.

"Well, so are mum and dad. And they didn't kill you!" she thought back sarcastically.

"You know, sarcasm as a form of humour is highly overrated." He replied sarcastically.

As he looked at Hermione, she had already started talking to someone on her communications watch. Harry looked at Cecilia and asked her very kindly if she would go and bring her parents over so they could meet them. As she left, he contacted Os on his watch. "Os! Could you join us for dinner tonight, please?" stressing the importance of joining them tonight with the tone of his voice. "Yes, bring Daphne and Astoria, also, please. This will concern them too." He responded with the urgency of the situation evident in his voice.

The reduced noise caused Harry to start looking around, he could see that the platform was beginning to clear out quickly with everyone wanting to get home and get the holidays started. He looked up and saw that he had just a minute more before Cecilia and her parents arrived.

Turning away from them in a sign of not wanting to be disturbed right then, he called Lord Hugues Delacour. "Hugues, how have you been? I was hoping that you could join us for dinner tonight. If not tonight, then tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Yes, please bring Apolline and tell Fleur and her sister. It will concern them too. Great, thank you," turning back just in time, Harry stuck his hand out to greet Cecilia's father, Raymundo.

With a confused and sour look on his face, Raymundo took Harry's hand.

"Sir, this is my father, Raymundo," Cecilia said, trying to put her best foot forward.

"Harry, please call me Harry," Harry responded with an award-winning smile, hoping to diffuse a situation before it became too tense. "And this is my wife, Hermione." Gesturing to the most beautiful woman in the whole world. Causing his wife to blush just ever so.

"And this is my wife, Angelica." Gesturing to the shorter dark-haired, plump woman next to him and Cecilia.

"It is a pleasure to meet the both of you. Please join us for dinner tonight. I would like to learn more about Cecilia's parents. You both seem to be such wonderful people. I'm sure that there will be much for us to talk about." Harry said, laying it on thick. The last thing that he wanted to do was to stun them and take them forcefully or to have such an important conversation in such a public place.

"Harry," Hermione thought at him, "You're getting kind of intense. Let me handle this part. We need to invite Neville and Luna also. You deal with that, and I'll handle Raymundo."

"What my husband is saying is …" Hermione started.

"Mom, dad," Cecilia interrupted abruptly, "Cedric and I have soul-bonded, and you need to come with us so we can talk about this."

Harry turned around suddenly to find her parents, too in shock to argue at this point. Looking about, he could see Cedric's mouth hanging open and Hermione looking at her in awe.

§§§

Walking out of the foyer, Harry looked at Charles and told him to expect several guests, and to start preparing for a small private wedding ceremony, tomorrow afternoon or evening, Sunday at the latest.

"Yes, my Lord," was all he responded with a bow.

"Why don't you children go and take your trunks to your rooms. Cedric and Cecilia, come back and join us in the sitting room so we can talk more about the current situation," Harry encouraged the kids. "Raymundo, Angelica, please, let's go to the sitting room where we will have more peace and quiet to talk about what has happened and what is happening with our children," he said, gesturing in the direction of the sitting room.

As they walked across the entryway, Harry could see Cecilia's parents trying to take in everything around them. The grandeur of it all was overwhelming them. As the Ramoses walked across the grand entryway, their jaws just hung open. They were undoubtedly in sensory overload. This was definitely making them much more pliable, and Harry had not even started trying to get them drunk.

"You can't do that!" came the thought in his head.

Upon entering the sitting room, the group of people were met by Gareth, who informed Harry that several owls had brought letters and two packages for Master Cedric and Mistress Cecilia.

"Thank you, Gareth. Cedric and Cecilia will be here momentarily," Hermione informed the second in command house elf.

Looking towards the large table, standing next to the outside wall of the room, she could see where the house elf had placed the too familiar letters and packages.

"Please, have a seat," Harry said, inclining his head towards the large antique couch. While he sat down in an oversized armchair. As the girl's parents seated themselves, Hermione sat across Harry's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and gave him a short, loving kiss. This simple act just helped push the Ramoses closer to the edge of sensory overload.

After asking the couple in the room if they would like anything to drink while they waited for the children, Harry called out for Dobby. When he appeared, Harry asked for two butterbeers, one for himself and the other for the gorgeous woman in his lap. About two sips in, the kids showed up and took the other couch.

"Cedric, why don't you and Cecilia please tell us what has happened to bring us to where we are tonight?" Harry asked with a disarming smile on his face and in his voice.

"Well," Cedric began, "we were sitting in the train car coming home, and when we thought that Daphne had fallen asleep, we kissed," he answered matter of factually. "I've always liked Cici, ever since we first met two years ago," he continued with great concentration, evidenced by his facial features, "and then we kissed, and Daphne starts singing 'Cedric and Cici sitting in a tree' so I threatened to hex her into next week."

At this point in Cedric's retelling of the story, Cici's parents gasped, there was fear plastered all over their faces.

Cedric stopped and looked over at them for a moment before he continued with his side of the story, "And she got all cold and angry like she does and told me to go ahead and try it, and that she would stun me so hard that mum wouldn't be able to rennervate me. And then, she tells us that we're a soul-bonded couple complete with the glowing light and all. So Cici asked me to explain what all of this soul-bonded couple stuff is," he stopped and turned to look at the beautiful young witch next to him. "Yes, babe, I'll get to that part too," he said out loud, looking at her lovingly, but with frustration written all over his face.

In the pause of Cedric's telling of the events, Hermione turned and asked Cecilia if it would be okay for her and Harry to call her Cici also. Cici politely told her yes that would be fine.

Hermione asked her kindly, "How do your parents feel about you being a part of the Wizarding World? Do they seem to like it? Or are they letting you go to Hogwarts begrudgingly? It is a rather large financial burden on a family to send their children to a private boarding school after all."

Choosing her words carefully, Cici told her that she felt as if her mother liked the idea that she is special in this way, but that her father seems to not be as happy for her. "We only came to this country three years ago, and we live in a small flat outside of London, in a not so good neighbourhood. The boys in the area call me names because I enjoy reading all kinds of books."

She explained that England and Hogwarts are very different than where she was born.

"Where were you born Cici?" Hermione inquired "I do detect an American accent. But having never been there I don't know where to place it."

"I was born in Tucson, Arizona, on the 27th of November. Tucson is a hot, dry, dusty place with warm, mild winters and scorching hot summers. It's not nearly as green as it is here. And it has taken a lot of getting used to, the wind, the rain, and the cold, wet winters. Not being able to use a warming charm on myself in the winter over the Christmas holidays is hard. Then in the summers, I can't use a cooling charm either. That is really frustrating, having all of this ability and not being able to use it because I'm underage!"

"So, what did Cedric tell you about being a soul-bonded couple?" prompted Hermione.

"Well Daphne, that's her name, right?"

"Yes."

"Daphne said that we're now married. But all we did was a kiss! How can we be married if all we did was kiss? And then Cedric tells me that by Wizarding law, because we are a soul-bonded couple, that we're now married! What if we never kissed?" Cici pleaded.

"The soul-bond would have driven you two together eventually. Even if you had met and married other people, the bond would have driven you two together," Hermione explained patiently.

"That's a bunch of horse sh…" Raymundo started to yell. When Charles appeared next to him and whacked him on the knuckles with his stick. "Ow! What the fu…" whack! On the knuckles, again.

"You will not use that language in this house, sir!" scolded Charles harshly.

"What the fu…" whack! Again.

"Sir, you will please refrain from using such language in this house, for as long as you are a guest of Lord and Lady Gryffindor!" Charles scolded him again.

"Hit me again and …" started Raymundo.

Harry and Hermione were out of their seat before Raymundo had even finished the sentence.

"You will not ever threaten a member of this household!" Harry towering above the smaller man, his tone was ice cold and forceful, he told Cici's father. "My title is Lord Gryffindor, and this is my wife, Lady Gryffindor. We're working very hard to make this conversation pleasant and personable."

"I'm not going to let a couple of crackpots," Raymundo started, as he rose to his feet, "and I don't care how rich you think you are, steal my daughter from me! She's just fourteen-years-old! And now you're trying to tell me that they're soul-bonded? What does that even mean anyway!" Raymundo came back at Harry hotly. "I hear kids all the time saying 'Oh, he's my soul-mate or oh she's my soul-mate. Who gives a rat's a…" and he shut his mouth, looking down at Charles who was getting ready to hit him again.

"In the Wizarding World, soul-bonded couples are a very real and rare thing. The creator of the Wizarding World built in a failsafe, that in times of great evil a soul-bonded couple would come about to protect the good from the evil. A Wizarding soul-bonded couple is very special. The punishment for breaking apart a soul-bonded couple is death, period, there is no appealing the judgment. A soul-bonded couple is joined mentally, emotionally, spiritually, magically, and physically. If one of the soul-bonded dies, the other will die also. They are able to communicate telepathically, and they're probably talking right now as I'm speaking to you.

"Emotionally, one can feel what the other is feeling, they can feel the happiness of the other or feel the sarcasm in their telepathic conversation. They are joined magically, their magical cores combined are greater than the sum of just the two added together. You and I have no say in this," Harry stated matter of factually. "We can get as mad as we want, it will not change a thing. We can rage against the world, and it will do us no good. The best thing that we can do for our children is to support them in every way possible.

"And as mad as you got earlier, you're not going to like this next part at all. They cannot be separated physically. It will cause them physical pain, emotional pain, and mental anguish to be apart, and this will go on for the next year or so. They'll have to be in constant physical contact with each other, with only very short breaks, for the next full year."

"So, what does that mean? Constant physical contact?" Raymundo asked his temper, reaching the boiling point again.

"Yes," Hermione replied coolly, "they will have to sleep together. If you look at them, even now they are touching."

And everyone looked at the young bonded couple holding hands, and as physically close to each other, without being on top of each other as possible.

"I'll take that drink now if you don't mind," Raymundo said tiredly, deflating, falling back into the chair he was standing in front of.

"Dobby!" Harry called out to the air again.

"Yes, my Lord!" The elf said from a low bow.

"A glass of Firewhiskey for Mr Ramose if you please."

Pop, pop. "Here you go, sir!" Dobby said with great happiness filling his voice. Pop, and he was gone.

"What are these creatures running around your house?" asked a tired and deflated Raymundo.

"I am not, a creature," Charles spoke forcefully. "I am a House Elf. And we are here to serve the Lord and Lady of this house!" Charles turned to Harry and Hermione, he said calmly and respectfully, "Your other guests have arrived and are waiting in the living room, my Lord."

"Thank you, Charles," Harry responded respectfully.

"One other thing, Raymundo, you cannot tell anyone anything about this. About what has happened. Our children's lives depend on absolute loyalty and secrecy," Harry said, without a hint of emotion. And then turning to leave, "Please, let's go join the other guests and prepare for dinner!" He said enthusiastically.

After greeting all of the other guests, Harry had Cedric introduce Cecilia and her parents all-around. After all of the pleasantries had been exchanged, they moved to the formal dining room for dinner. Keeping his mouth closed and his eyes open Raymundo watched as Harry held out a chair for Hermione, the other guy about Harry's age Cedric, held a chair for his incredibly beautiful wife. It seemed as if he was entirely out of his element here with these people.

As dinner wound down and the pudding had been served, Harry stood up and cleared his throat. "I would like to thank all of you for joining us this evening. It is with great pleasure that I would like to introduce the newest member of our family. Mrs Cecilia Ophelia Potter. She joined our family earlier this afternoon after a simple kiss, turned out to be not so simple after all. Much the same as happened to Hermione and me. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my beautiful wife for remaining calm and being the level-headed one in all of this. We will have a small private wedding ceremony either Saturday or Sunday. All of you are welcome to stay here until after the wedding when we will be leaving out of the country for part of the Christmas holidays."

After sitting back down, the chatter in the dining room rose loudly. It was about this time that Cathaoir strolled into the dining room looking for Daphne Potter.

Upon seeing Cathaoir walking into the formal dining room, Angelica screamed, and Raymundo let out, "Oh god, what is that!" as he stood and backed into his wife.

"I am Cathaoir, I am the last of the Golden Griffins, I am not a what, and I am here for Kitten," his baritone voice rang firmly inside their heads.

"You're back!" said a high-pitched squeal as the owner of that voice bolted around the large formal table. Kitten ran straight at Cathaoir and hugged him as tightly as she could.

Watching Daphne "Kitten" Potter hug and climb fluidly onto the monster in front of him, Raymundo turned to Harry and asked, "You let your kids play with monsters like that?" disgust was dripping in the tone of his voice.

At this moment in time, there just happened to be two roars heard in the house, one from Cathaoir as he glared at the disgusting human in front of him, "I am not a monster! I am the last remaining Golden Griffin, and I have sworn my allegiance to this house! You would do well to remember your place human! No Kitten, do not throw an ice bolt through his heart. It will cause more problems than he is worth." Turning his gaze from Cici's father, he said: "Uasal is here also, and she brought a guest with her."

At this pronouncement, Cedric Potter perked up, and he asked his new wife, "Would you like to go meet Uasal and her guest?"

There were two other smaller voices that asked excitedly if they could go also.

"Would you mind Ced if your little brother and sister went with you for now? We'll come and get you in a bit. We need to explain things to the others. Then I'm sure your mother and the other women will want to get together with Cici and her mum to plan out this wedding ceremony," Harry said, looking at his oldest son.

He could see the love building between the young couple as they stared into each other. He could sense that they were talking silently to each other.

"Sure dad, but please don't be all night," Cedric replied almost but not quite whining, he really didn't want to get stuck babysitting for the rest of the night. "Come on Susy, come on Nev. Let's go meet Uasal and her guest!" He told the kids in a much more upbeat tone than what he felt.

As the group of children left the large dining room to go meet Uasal and the unknown guest, the adults in the room began to move into the spacious living room so all of them could have a seat. And where there was no seat, Hermione quickly conjured a chair for them.

"This is an interesting turn of events," commented Sirius, breaking the ice as he took a seat next to Amelia; who was still dressed in her work clothes.

"Yes, most unusual," added Professor Minerva McGonagall. "They can use the married quarters that you and Harry used in your third year." The others in the room could see the wheels turning in her head. "Would it be okay if I brought Professor Vector in on this? Of course, she would have to take an oath of loyalty to you two before anything would be discussed."

"I would want her to swear an oath of loyalty to the family even before that," Harry added solemnly.

Sitting across Harry's lap, Hermione just nodded her head once in agreement.

"I'll have to inform Poppy of the changes," Minerva added again while thinking of the other complications that this was going to make in running the school.

"What are you all talking about! What changes? What married quarters?! What …" Angelica Ramose began to ask with hysteria growing in her voice when she was interrupted by a high-pitched scream of, "Mum!" from a small girl's voice.

Pop and Hermione was gone, pop and Harry was gone, leaving the guests to wonder what was happening. Moving quickly, their wands jumping into their hands, they all started running in the direction of the scream, and now the roaring of two dragons. With wands in their hands, the younger of the adults sprinted down the hallway towards the danger to protect those that they had sworn their loyalty to. Quickly the older adults formed a protective shield around the two muggle couples. Sirius and Os were both on their communication watches calling Susan and Daphne desperately seeking information, as Cathaoir and Kitten came calmly down the stairs.

"Don't all of you want to go see Uasal's son?" Kitten asked brightly.

"Uasal brought her son with her?" asked Amelia in shock. "Your mum is out there with two dragons?"

"Yes!" she said with excitement ringing in her voice. She slipped off of Cathaoir's back and ran over to Aunt Amelia; she grabbed her hand and was trying to drag her down the hallway. "Come on! Let's go!" she said tugging on the older witch's hand.

And then she resorted to apparating, and pop they were gone. Leaving a shocked and stunned Sirius, Os, and the other adults standing there.

"Well, I guess we need to hurry," Dan Granger stated matter of factly. As he started leading the group more quickly down the hallway towards all of the commotions. As they arrived at the scene of the commotion, Dan found his only daughter standing in the middle of two circling Hungarian Horntail dragons. With smoke and tufts of flames coming out of their noses, he assumed that the two dragons were very angry. Dan recognised Uasal, but he had never seen the other dragon. It was three different shades of black. Its skin was a flat black, the scales looked to be a semi-flat black, and the horns and spikes were a shiny gloss black, a truly beautiful creature.

"You assume correctly Dan Granger," he heard in his head.

"What is going on, Cathaoir? Why is Hermione in the middle of the two dragons?" Dan asked.

"The younger of the two dragons have bonded with little Susan," the voice in his head responded.

"Does Harry know what's going on?" asked Dan as worry started to creep into his voice.

"Cathaoir, are you able to translate and let all of us hear what is happening?" asked Daphne Greengrass.

"Yes, I can do that for you," the baritone voice boomed in their heads.

"Child of mine why did you do that! You had no right to do that!"

"Mother, I am old enough to make my own choices!"

"Car-baun, you should have asked first is all we are saying," Hermione said to the younger dragon.

"Why? What is it to you? Two-legged. It was our choice. Not yours."

"Raaaahhhh! This is what I am talking about! You need to have respect!"

"You treat me as if I am still a hatchling!"

"Charles."

"My Lord."

"Is the Manor warded against dragon fire?"

"No, sir."

"Sucks to be you, pup," Sirius interjected sarcastically.

"Charles, if we survive the night, can you take care of that in the next couple of days?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Thank you, Charles." Harry turned and looked down to meet the Head House Elf's eyes, "You can stay and watch if you want."

"Thank you, my Lord. I have always enjoyed watching the Lady of the House do her duties."

Leaning over to Cecilia's parents, Fred told them lowly, "Hermione is the one with real steel in the relationship."

Wide-eyed, Angelica told him, "I can see that. Is this normal here? In your world?"

"Oh, no, this is a pretty quiet night around here!" George leaned in and told her with excitement. "This is better than a boxing match! Ouch!"

"George, be nice!" Angeline told him as she hit him on the arm. Leaning over to Angelica, she said to her in a quiet voice, "No, this is not normal. Normally things are very quiet around here, even with four young children."

With the two dragons still circling, Hermione in the centre of the circle.

She had taken to only facing Car-baun, "Car-baun, we are not upset with you because you have bonded with my youngest daughter. Where the problem lies, is in that you did not ask your mother or her parents first."

"Why do you keep saying this!" just as he was taking in a breath.

Hermione could sense that he was getting ready to shoot fire. As he opened his mouth to incinerate her, Cathaoir put a shield around all of the spectators to protect them, Hermione shot a jet of water into the young dragon's mouth.

Shuddering at what had happened to him, he roared at her, "I will make you pay for that!"

And again, just as he got ready to torch her, Hermione shot another jet of water in his mouth.

"RAAAHHHH! Two-legged!" the young dragon roared at the woman in front of him.

"I can do this all-night Car-baun!" Hermione told him. "All you have to do is calm down and apologise to your mother. Then we can discuss this, like mature creatures. That is all we're asking." You could feel the steel in her voice as she took charge of the young dragon. "Is that acceptable to you Uasal?"

"Yes Mistress, that will be fine. All I want to do is to teach him respect for others."

"Fine, I'll apologise."

"Susy, come here and give me a hug!" Hermione said as she dropped down onto one knee as if nothing had happened. Her calmness belied the fact that she had just broken up a dispute between two Hungarian Horntail dragons. One a full-grown and the other quite evident to her, a teenager. "Baby, are you okay?"

"Yes, mummy. I just got scared when Uasal started yelling at Car-baun, and he started yelling back!"

"It's okay now. Are you ready for bed? It's getting late, and you can play with your new familiar in the morning."

"Oh, mummy! I don't wanna go to bed now! I wanna stay up with the other kids!" Susy whined, with that sleepy whine in her voice.

"Cathaoir, could you help me, please?" Hermione asked tiredly. Breaking up a family feud between the dragons had taken a lot out of her emotionally. As much as she wanted to put the seven-year-old to bed herself, she knew that she needed to deal with the problems created by the unexpected bonding of her fourteen-year-old son.

"Cub! Come on, I'll sleep with you tonight," lying down, he encouraged her to climb on his back to give her a ride up to her room. He had never had children of his own, and being the last of his kind, he enjoyed being a part of this family. Even if they were not of the same species, he still enjoyed the young ones.

"Oh, okay," Susy huffed. As she climbed on to Cathaoir's back, she leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Thank you."

"Thank you," Hermione told him quietly. Turning to the dragons, she asked Uasal, "What kind of sleeping accommodations will you need? Would you like us to create a room of some kind to protect you from the cold?"

"Yes, please," came the hard cold reptilian voice in her head.

"Hey folks, I am going to need some help here. We need to build a shelter for Uasal and her son!" Hermione said as Harry took her in his arms to plant a kiss on those attractive lips. After the kiss, she turned and asked Uasal if she would want just a box or if she would prefer something more cave-like.

"More cave-like would be nice. We are both so tired of the concrete boxes that we stay in at the dragon preserve," Uasal replied with some hope in her thoughts.

"What direction would you like the opening to face?" Hermione inquired, wanting to please the oh so patient mother dragon. "Do you want the floor to be smooth or kind of rough?"

"Could the opening face the rising sun? And I would like my side to be slightly rough."

"Well, I want my side to be smooth!" Car-baun said harshly.

"That is fine, Car-baun, we can make your side smooth and your mother's rougher. Would you like Harry to preheat the floor for you?"

"Yes, please."

"Yeah," Car-baun grunted.

Hermione just had enough time to duck as Uasal's tail came flying around to hit her teenaged son square in the side. "I told you before we left to be nice to these two-leggeds!"

"Alright," Hermione said, taking charge of the situation, "we need to build a cave structure over there away from the main house with the opening facing to the east. One side of the floor it needs to be slightly rough, and the other side needs to be smooth. Harry, when they are done building this, could you please preheat the floor for our guests?" Hermione said very sweetly, looking at all of the men. "Come on, guys! We've got two tired dragons out here that are just getting grumpier by the minute!" she ordered when nobody had started moving.

Remus and Neville stepped forward quickly and started to conjure the cave structure for the two dragons. When they had finished, Fred and George began work on the inside, making it what they hoped the dragons would like. After getting the approval of both dragons, Harry stepped in and conjured a massive fireball to start warming the structure. He stepped outside and motioned for Uasal to come let him know when the cave was warm enough for her. If she was a cat, Harry thought that he could have heard her purr with the warmth of the shelter. It was definitely making an improvement in her attitude. Maybe, Car-baun would catch a little slack now.

"Harry, could you make a small, steady flame at the back of the cave for us?" Uasal thought to him.

"Sure," he smiled at her, "is that large enough for you?"

"Yes, thank you very much, and I'm sorry for the disturbance of my son. He still has much to learn," Uasal's hard thoughts came through.

"We all do Uasal, we all do," a tired Harry responded. "Good night Uasal, good night Car-baun."

Walking hand in hand, Harry and Hermione followed the group of guests back to the living room of the Potter Mansion.

"That was very sexy of you, Angel, refereeing a fight between two dragons," Harry leaned over and whispered in her ear.

With everyone back in the living room, and the youngest children headed up the grand staircase, Hermione climbed into Harry's lap just as Daphne Greengrass was climbing into Cedric's lap so that the two women were facing each other.

With all eyes on Os, he stood up and just before he spoke, he looked over to the Ramoses to see a look of dismay on Raymundo's face.

"Don't worry Raymundo, you'll get used to it. It takes a while, but it happens," Oswald commented with mirth in his voice.

"It does take a while!" Dan chimed in looking at the new parents to the group.

"Now, what is going on with Cedric and Cecilia? Also, when did this occur?" the older businessman asked, sounding like the CEO of some of the largest businesses in Great Britain. Looking at the young couple with a twinkle in his eye, he asked, "Could you please give us the highlights?"

Cedric started off slowly, the nervousness in his voice was evident for all to hear, "We were sitting in the train car headed to Kings Cross Station, Cici and I kissed, and Daphne said that we were now a soul-bonded couple."

"She said that we are married!" Cecilia added almost hysterically. "How can we be married? We haven't even dated!"

At this statement, tumblers of Firewhiskey appeared all around the guests' sitting areas. It was evident to Fred that one of the House Elves had a sense of humour. Many of the adults, including Angelica, reached over and had a sip. Fred watched his sister-in-law's face as the whiskey burned its way down her throat.

"Well, not wanting to rehash all of the soul-bond stuff. The real question becomes, why? What threat is out there that we are unaware of? How much time do we have to prepare? To get these children ready for a fight?" Looking around, he spotted Emmeline Vance-Weasley, he liked that couple. He liked that Arthur had found Emmeline, even if she was much younger than him, it made Arthur younger. Like Tonks did for Remus. "What does the Book of Requirements have to say about this?"

"Sorry Os, Arthur and I didn't know that this meeting was going to happen, so neither of us had time to prepare. I'll have more answers for everyone tomorrow before lunch." Looking at Hermione, she asked, "Are we doing lunch here tomorrow?"

Sirius added in a matter of fact voice, "I think that we need to get together again when everyone has had time to digest all of this new information. It's a lot to take in. Personally, I wasn't expecting another soul-bonded couple for another few hundred years!"

"I think that lunch, here, tomorrow will be fine," Hermione added, looking at Harry. "Harry says that he agrees."

"Daphne, wants to know what time you're going to go dress shopping in the morning?" Cedric added while looking in the stunning witch's eyes.

With Hermione getting off of Harry's lap, Harry stood up and clapped his hands together once, "Okay everyone that wishes to spend the night, a house-elf will show you to your room. Those of you that wish to return home for the night, I would like to wish you a goodnight." Turning towards Raymundo and Angelica, he said, "Please, spend the night here with us. I think that you will find it more than comfortable, and now peaceful. Gareth!" pop "Please show Raymundo and Angelica to their room. Also, make sure that they have everything that they will need."

"Yes, my Lord," the distinguished-looking elf replied with a bow.

"Harry, please, call me Ray," Ray said quietly. "You have good people surrounding you. I'm sorry for thinking that you were a crackpot and for being more difficult than I needed to be. I'm sorry for being a jerk and treating you so poorly. Please forgive me."

"We have all sworn an oath of loyalty to each other," Harry said, gesturing around at the different people. "It is one of the ways that we keep from letting our differences tear us apart," he replied solemnly.

As Cici's parents made their way up the grand staircase, Harry turned to the two young lovers to find them with their arms wrapped around the other's waist. The bond was starting to bring out the latent emotions inside of them. He gestured to them to follow him and his bonded into the sitting room. After the last of them entered the sitting room, Hermione turned and waved her hand, casting all of the needed privacy spells and silencing charms.

Watching his wife closely, Harry started telling the kids the importance of 'Constant Vigilance.'

"Cedric, Cici, please open the letters that you received earlier today. As you open them, there are things that your mum and I need to tell you and talk to you about. Are those the letters congratulating you on your marriage?"

The kids both nodded, yes.

"Please open the two packages that you have received, the small one first."

He suspected what was in the smaller package. As the kids opened it, he could see that the rings were just as beautiful as his and Hermione's. Engraved on the bands was C O Potter, just as his and Hermione's had H J Potter on their rings. The kids just sat there staring at the rings, their old reality fading away and their new reality, sinking in ever so slowly.

"Here, open this one now," Hermione said as she handed them the larger package.

As they started removing the brown paper wrapping of the package, they were working as a team. There was another letter that was set aside for the moment. Cedric and Cici sat there looking at the gift, they were underwhelmed, they could see that it was a house in a bottle and a book titled "The Guide to Soul-Bonds." The house inside of the bottle, looked as if it was set on a beach somewhere warm and quiet.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, both knowingly, and with a bit of shock in their expression. It was different than the house they had received from Edmund. They began to wonder, just how many houses were out there? As they refocused their attention on the young couple, Harry was starting to feel old, they could see that they were reading the last letter with some confusion on their faces.

"So, this is from, the creator?" Cedric asked, both shocked and confused.

"The creator like in God?" Cici asked utterly bewildered. Being a muggle-born witch, this was all still so new and confusing to her.

"No, not God as the muggles know him," Harry started to tell the younger couple. "But Edward, the creator of the Magical World that we live in. You can never tell anybody about what we're going to say to you now. Nobody. It is a matter of life and death for you both, and now for us also. The house in the bottle is your last safe refuge in a time of crisis.

"You two are about to set out for the rest of your lives. This is your next great adventure. You are about to discover your destiny, together, as a team. You are going to grow together, and the other will become your best friend and the one that you can count on when you think you have been abandoned by everyone else. As you have found out by now, being able to communicate telepathically has major advantages, in that others can't hear your thoughts. Now, would you like to put the rings on and take the next big step in your lives?" the excitement ringing evident in Harry's voice.

The kids looked at each other, nodded and stood up together. Harry bent down and picked up the ring box. He handed the smaller ring to Cedric and the Larger ring to Cecilia. "Please, Cedric, place the ring on Cici's finger, and tell her what is in your heart."

Holding the ring in his right hand and taking Cici's left. He looked down at her dainty hand, it was much smaller than his. It was also much softer, the skin was smooth. He could feel the calming effect that she had on his runaway emotions. Her fingers were so long and slender. Her nails were manicured and done in what he thought was a French manicure, he wasn't too sure about all that girly stuff. But he knew with all his being that he wanted to place that ring on her finger, it seemed to be his whole purpose in life, his very reason for being. Then he heard her in his thoughts. "I feel the same way about you too." It was such a calming voice, it was like oil on a stormy sea, the waves seemed to stop crashing about in his head. As he slid the ring onto that delicate, slender finger, the ring resized to fit her finger.

"I heard what he had to say to me," Cici told Harry and Hermione. And to her husband, "You calm me and give me the strength to keep going forward when all I've wanted to do was to retreat and hide from the rest of the world. You give me the confidence to know that we can and will succeed in whatever we set out to do, we do together as one, one in heart, one in mind, one in spirit, and one in soul."

And with two hearts beating in unison, Cici slid the ring on his much stronger hand, and the ring resized itself to fit his much larger finger. The young couple sealed their new union with a fiery kiss that the older couple let continue until the young lovers returned to the here and now. They could relate, after all, they still experienced the same passion all these years later.

"Okay, that was beautiful in its own right," Hermione said with tears in her eyes. "Now, take the bottle and the letter, go to your room. Reread the letter and do what it tells you to do. Have fun, and we'll see you in the morning."

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A/N: Thank you all for taking the time to read. Please, also take the time to review!

Revised again 01.03.2018

Revised again 03.31.2018

And again 05.25.2020