Chapter 114: One hell of a Christmas
After lunch, more guests began to arrive at Potter Manor. The children invited friends, the Greengrass, the Longbottoms and the Weasleys. Rick had decided to make a gigantic celebration for the end of the war but also for those who wanted to spend moments with friends or who didn’t have any family or plans.
After having received Rick’s greenlight, Remus invited James and his family. Albus had gone to fetch his brother Aberforth who was all alone at his pub. The man had nearly ran back to the floo when he saw Cassiopeia present. Unfortunately she used her wand on him, conjuring a whip and dragging him out of the crowd.
“What the hell?” Marlene voiced what everyone was thinking.
“Albus?” Lily inquired.
“I’m afraid I know very little of their relationship. My brother is even more secretive than I am.”
“I know my sister. She’s probably had him rip his heart out for her and she just chewed on it.” Arcturus commented.
“Sometimes, I’m really curious about Aunt Cassie’s early years, then I remember that I’d probably only find trauma at the end of it and give up on the idea.” Rick half joked.
“Smart of you, nephew.”
Lily caught Severus exiting the floo from the corner of her eye and immediately made a bee-line to him.
“Sev!” She greeted him happily with a hug. “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Lily.” he replied politely. For the first time in decades he gave her a small genuine smile. One that he had before they went to Hogwarts. Pure with no burden behind it. She dragged him away towards the bar for something to drink and to not block the floo.
“Soooo… What are you going to do now that you’re free? Will you stay as the potions instructor?”
“I’m not free.” he answered while grabbing his left forearm where the dark mark was. “But I will be soon. After that? I think I’ll quit as a teacher. It was just a cover and I never particularly liked teaching the students save for the NEWT years. No, I plan to open a small apothecary in Diagon Alley. Selling basic potions first or ingredients then doing some research during my free time.”
She looked both happy and sad at the news. “Aww. I'm going to miss having you working around.”
“You could always quit and join me as my assistant,” he joked.
“I love teaching too much for that, sorry, Sev.” Lily smiled. “If you need funds to start-”
“I’m good. I talked to Minister Bones yesterday after the battle. For my decade and more of services as a spy, and my decisive actions leading to the defeat of the Dark Lord, I will be awarded an Order of Merlin first class.”
“That’s great! The money that comes with it will help greatly.”
“Yes. I intend to take an apprentice or two as my assistants so they can handle the shop at first. Once it’s popular enough, I’ll find someone to manage it while I would simply be brewing at the back.”
“Come to me if you need ingredients hard to come by. You’ll get a fair price and a family friend discount.”
“Much appreciated.” He nodded gracefully. “It’s becoming harder and harder to find good suppliers.”
“Don’t worry about it. What’s the project you have in mind for a start?”
“A cure for lycanthropy or at the very least improving the potion Balby and you developed. I’ll sell the recipe so you could make pills out of it of course.”
“Oh, about that… I discovered that… well… Lycanthropy is not a magical transfiguration. But more of an alchemical reaction.” she confessed and Severus raised an eyebrow in surprise and curiosity. “Everyone had been searching in the wrong direction. It’s… you know, why don’t we meet again next week to talk about it? It’s Christmas and if we start talking about that subject we’ll miss all the fun.”
“Fine by me.”
At the other side of the room, the marauders with the addition of Rhianon and Lara were all looking at the thick envelope James had in hand. A christmas gift from Rick who quickly walked away after giving it. That had been a surprise as Rick didn’t particularly like James as far as anyone knew.
“Well? Are you opening it or not?” Sirius’ voice broke the tension.
James shrugged his shoulders and opened the envelope pulling Gringotts documents out of it. He began to read in silence and his facial expression changed a lot. From dubious to surprising to contemplative.
Lara was the one to bring him out of his thoughts. “Dear, what is it?”
“It’s… Those are documents of disownment annulment for me and House claim for Henry.”
Sirius had something to say about it. “Shut up! Rick is bringing you back into House Potter? That’s neat.”
James wasn’t sure he would agree with that. “Is it?”
“Of course!” Sirius insisted while Lara began to read the papers herself.
“You’re not happy about it, Prongs?” Remus questioned.
“It’s been… I’ve been a Dodderidge for nearly as long as I’ve been a Potter. I’m just… not sure…”
Rhiannon voiced her friend’s thoughts. “That you’re worthy of being a Potter again?”
“Yes, nor if I want to.”
“Nonsense, James! You’re-”
“There is a note.” Lara cut Sirius and showed it to her husband. “It’s not forced. It’s your choice and Henry’s if you wish to take the name Potter. You can also hyphenate it. Dodderidge-Potter or the other way around.”
“As I was saying, you got disowned because you were being a right prat back then, but you changed for the better.”
“That you did.” Lara smiled and kissed James’ cheek lovingly. She had forgave him long ago his childish, spoiled and entitled attitude which was now just a bad memory.
“Rick heard plenty from Sirius and Amelia about you on the job and he taught Henry at school.” Remus provided an explanation. “Teenage irresponsible James? He wouldn’t have been able to raise such a fine young man. He’s neither spoiled nor entitled, and that says a lot about the kind of person and father you are. I’d say Rick noticed it and considers you to be a proper Potter but doesn’t want to force you to take the name back when he took it away in the first place.”
“You also own up to our treatment of Snape. Must have been the kicker.” Sirius added.
Lara confirmed it. “It must have been. The documents are dated from late December 94. With You-know-Who's return I supposed he didn’t have the time to present the papers to you.”
“Regardless if you take the name back or not, James. You deserved it.” Rhianon encouraged.
“I’ll… think about it. It’s not just a change of name. The name Potter is more political than ever now.”
Remus dissuaded him of the notion. “Rick doesn’t really care for politics. He just rams in and makes everyone follow and put down the opposition. I think it’s just a genuine gesture.”
“... I’ll tell Henry tonight.”
Near the floo, Dorea and Rick were having a conversation through communicating mirrors with Moody.
“Alastor, I’m not asking you to spend the day celebrating, I’m asking you to show up just for a drink. Also, we have a whole feast ready for you and your guys. Amelia said the Ministry was footing the bill for it. Aurors on guard duty during Christmas without any kind of compensation? That won’t do in her opinion. Many agree with her.”
“Fine, fine, I’m coming. But only because the smell of good food and the festivities will put a damper on all those scums’ moods when I come back with it.”
Soon enough, the grizzled and battered looking auror veteran came through the floo. He was barely out of the fireplace; his facial expression changed into shock, horror and fear. He turned around on the spot and tried to leave the way he came when a whip tied him up to everyone's shock. He fell to the ground and was dragged away by Cassiopeia while he pleaded for help in panic. They passed next to Aberforth who was well determined on drinking himself to death after whatever happened with Cassie.
“Merlin’s Balls!” Sirius shouted, breaking the silence.
“What kind of monster is Aunt Cassie to scare Alastor ‘Mad-eye’ Moody of all people like a little girl?” Rick asked his mother.
It was Arcturus who spoke first from across the room. “The worst kind, nephew! The Absolute worst!”
Deciding, again, that more questions were not worth the certain traumas, Rick dropped the subject and mingled a bit more with the guests. He observed the children's corner being very animated with products from the Weasley Twins and decided to leave it alone. He talked with Arthur about muggle things, most notably the last type of mobile phone which were now not only small enough to be put in a pant’s pocket but could send text messages. He said he wanted to try tweaking one of Lily’s mirrors to be able to replicate that as you could sometimes receive a call but not be able to answer. Rick invited the man to speak of it with his wife, admitting it was a wonderful idea.
He went to check on the babies for a bit and everything was fine except for Edgar who was having a fuss. No matter what he did, Rick couldn’t settle his son down. Soon enough he found himself next to Amelia, speaking with a few of her aurors. The Longbottoms, Kingsley, Sirius, James, and Nymphadora.
“Here. Our son wants his mother.” He took Amelia’s drink from her hands and put Edgar in them instead.
The reactions of his friends amused him immensely. Sirius and Frank choke on their own drinks, while everyone else had their jaws to the floor with the exception of Nymphadora. All for different reasons. Because the implication that Rick and Amelia were together, that Hardass Amy was a mother or because she was replaced by cooing Mommy-Amy.
Sirius was the one to recover first. “HOW?!”
“Well, Sirius… When a man and a woman love each other very much…” Amelia began with a teasing smile making everyone snort.
“I know how that works, I have my own, thank you! I mean…” he waved at Amelia, Rick.
“Susan is only interested in women.” the redhead explained and understanding spread among the group. “She may want children one day or she may not. As the heiress of the House she strong-armed me into motherhood. Not like I regret it.” she smiled and cooed a bit at Edgar.
“While I’m not surprised at who the father is,” Frank smirked knowingly at Rick. “I do wonder about the legalese of it?”
“We married under very strict clauses.” Rick answered. “Edgar and any possible siblings will be nothing else but a Bones and will never inherit anything from House Potter or Black. Nor their descendants unless they marry into one of the Houses. I’m technically Mister Bones and have even less power than Amelia regarding the House.”
“And you kept it under wraps for how long?” Alice inquired.
Rocking Edgar who had calmed down, Amelia answered. “Roughly eighteen months. We just signed the papers.”
“Lots of politicking happening without anyone knowing then.”
“Actually, Frank, Amelia and I never discuss politics. I’m neutral through and through.”
“And Susan and I are light aligned like all Bones before us and it’s not going to change soon. We never scheme or anything like this.”
“Which often lands me into trouble.” Rick chuckled.
“The blood feud?” Inquired Kingsley.
“Among other things.”
“I would have murder him had I known he planned to do that.” The Minister of Magic glared at her husband.
“How did you do that by the way?” Kingsley was curious.
“You mean the extinction? I have nothing to do with it.” Rick was very sincere with his answer, which took the group aback. “My plan was for them to lash out and retaliate and let Bella deal with them as she saw fit since we could act in self-defense. It had been a nightmare to deal with her when the news of the houses were extinct. She wanted her pound of flesh and someone out there denied her.”
To this day, Bella refuses to talk about what was his mother’s punishment for screwing the plan.
“And from now on?” Alice asked.
Amelia shrugged her shoulders. “Same old, same old. We stand up for our ideals and clash about it.”
“Or more babies, if Susan has her way.” Rick joked.
Frank had another question in mind however. “How were you able to conceal your pregnancy?”
“That’s thanks to me!” Nymphadora interjected with pride in her tone.
“Until my seventh month, I was using glamours. After that Nymphadora replaced me for public appearances after I coached her into acting like me. Moody was picking up the slack management-wise while I was giving directives from home.”
Amelia went to put back Edgar in his crib and Rick accompanied her. He embraced her from behind and they looked down at their sleeping son lovingly.
“Have you thought about it? More babies I mean.”
“I did.”
“And?”
“We should start soon. I know you’re emotionally done having them. That’s why having at least two more quickly would be better. No need to make you endure it more than necessary. I also don’t want to have multiple breaks in the middle of my tenure as Minister. It wouldn’t be wise.”
“It’s sad that we are to the point of thinking of having children for convenience.”
“I agree but it is what it is.”
“The trials for the death eaters?”
“Up and done before spring; I’ll try to clean the corruption as much as I can so they won’t get free like last time.”
“I’m warning you in advance. I’m going to ask for either the kiss or the veil for all of those who got away last time. Ripping the filth from the root. I will also be presenting a bill on the restructuring of Azkaban. No more Dementors. They’re just tool of torture and they are untrustworthy.”
“I agree with the latter. The former? Good luck with that.”
She was right. With the dark factions almost all under arrest, the vote will be between the lights and neutrals and there were a lot more of the former. It was an uphill battle for Rick to get what he wanted. Feeling done with the conversation, he changed the subject.
“I was thinking about replacing the new year’s eve ball with a concert this year. Something for our generation and most of all the younger one. It’s purely a PR move for you but also a political one. With no ball you have to appear for the Wizengamot members outside the chamber.”
“The ball is in four days.” She replied, not totally disinterested by the prospect of avoiding nobles trying to bribe her for the release of the captured death eaters.
“If we have the prophet announce it every day…”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Well… The rebellious Back turned out to be quite popular at Hogwarts. With me having defeated Voldemort in the band, it could rally people.”
“Not just the right kind. There are still partisans out there, they may launch a raid. Or is it what you had in mind? Playing bait?”
“No. I was more thinking of avoiding the multi breach of Statue you’ll have to deal with like what happened last time.”
Amelia began to seriously consider it. “Give me some time to ponder and I’ll give you an answer before going to bed.”
They went back to mingle with the guests and by the end of the day she agreed to it.