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Chapter 12: Meet the Parents

"You're a great wizard Harry," the little girl's voice said.

"Not as good as you" he replied, knowing those were the words he must say.

"Books and cleverness, there are more important things. Friendship, bravery and-"

"Lumos!" Harry cried.

The dementor seemed to flow like oily water into the open window of a cellar before Harry could call forth his patronus.

He knew that voice.

It was the voice of an eleven year old girl.

It was the voice of Hermione Granger.

A feeling like an icicle in his gut made Harry run back to Madame Malkin's. He burst through the door, demanding to see Hermione.

The sales staff could sense the aura of a powerful wizard on a mission and they pointed toward the owner's office. The door slammed open as Harry approached, apparently of its own volition, rather than be torn off its hinges or blasted into so many toothpicks.

A very startled Hermione, dressed, if you could call it that, in white stockings and suspenders, white lace demi-bra and matching lace barely there knickers.

"Harry?" she screamed, not out of anger but out of fear, fear for him, he looked like someone had ripped his soul out. "Harry, what is it?"

He enveloped her, bound and determined to protect her from the evil that was stalking them.

"I-I saw it again, you know?" he was sobbing as he held her.

"But this time it spoke, only it was your voice, and I was so afraid that it had got-got to you and you would be like Ron and I couldn't stand it and I ran here and I didn't see you anywhere and I can't-I can't lose you again!"

He was babbling incoherently now and she was soothing, comforting him.

"It's okay baby; shhh, it's okay, I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere without you."

"Merlin" he sniffed as he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe, "you must think I'm a total git. I can't be away from you five minutes without panicking."

She smiled and said, "I can think of worse things, like you being away from me and being thankful for it."

He smiled and took a deep breath, "never happen" he turned to look sheepishly at Madame Malkin "I'm sorry Madame, I had no right barging in here like this; I'll just wait outside.

"Before you go, sweetie" Hermione did a little pirouette, "you like?"

He smiled and said, "oh yes, I like very, very much!"

"Thank you, thank you," she said, sketching a theatrical bow "next show will be sometime after my parents go home tonight!"

Harry smirked and said "I'll be sure to get a front row seat!"

Hermione smiled and kissed him and said "I'll be a few more minutes."

Harry left the office and offered his apologies to the staff and customers who had heard the entire exchange.

One of the sales girls nearly swooned, "what I wouldn't give for a man to come for me like that. If you stormed into Hell the devil himself wouldn't dare stand in your way!"

"Well there's a rogue dementor out there stalking us and he's about as bad" Harry said by way of an explanation.

Those nearby shuddered at the thought.

Harry took a seat near the fitting rooms and looked through the magazine selection. Fairly recent copies of magical publications aimed at witches adorned the table; there was Witch Weekly, and Kitchen Witch, and Teen Witch. Harry noticed that there were an awful lot of articles about him; he recognized some of the cover art as having been taken by Colin Creevey, who now exchanged oxygen for carbon dioxide in St. Mungo's and not much else.

As he thumbed through the Teen Witch he noticed not only articles, but adverts featuring himself. He didn't remember giving anyone permission to use his image or name in advertising, and he certainly never posed with a bottle of Peace-of-Mind morning after potion.

He looked up at the counter girl and asked, "May I have this?"

The girl looked around and said, "if you'll sign the cover of my copy, please, it's for my, um niece, yeah, that's it, my niece in Devon" she handed him a quill along with her copy of the magazine.

Harry smiled and asked "what's her name?"

"Just say "best wishes Dawn, your friend, Harry," okay?"

Harry handed the magazine back to the counter girl just as one of her co-workers called out "hey Dawn, we need some suspenders over here!"

Harry smirked "funny how your niece has the same name as you."

The counter girl shrugged and smiled weakly, "busted!"

Hermione stepped out of the office and sidled up to Harry "flirting with the sales staff?"

Harry winked at Dawn and said, "Just enjoying my last few days as a carefree bachelor" which made the counter girl go crimson.

"Come along Don Juan, your mistress commands!" she said with a haughty tilt of her nose.

"Yes dear" Harry replied, his head bowed.

They left Madame Malkins and stopped into Fortescue's for an ice cream creation; Mrs. Fortescue served them and, like Madame Malkin, refused to accept payment. "Florean, God rest his soul, was right fond of you Mr. Potter, you and your fiancé are always welcome here."

After ice cream they went back to the Leaky Cauldron to floo home. Harry went into the library to compose a letter to Judge Vance, to let him know of his concerns and to ask for the name of a good lawyer.

"Oh Harry . . ."

Harry finished his letter and had just affixed it to Hedwig's leg.

"Yes dear?"

Hermione came into the library holding a bowl. She was stirring the contents with a largish spoon.

"Meacham had some raspberries left over from the trifle and I wondered if you might like some" she had a hungry look in her eye, and not for raspberries.

"What would you like to have yours on?" he asked as she handed him the bowl.

"The question, Mr. Potter, is what would you like to have yours on?"

As she asked this she opened her robes to reveal nothing but skin beneath, she sat up on the library table, scooted to the center then lay down to look at Harry with a glazed expression, "anything come to mind?" she asked, huskily.

Harry grinned as he stirred the tart sauce, "hmmmmm, let's see" he said as he dribbled a little sauce between her breasts, tracing dribbles around each of her nipples. He set the bowl aside and began to lick and suck the sauce from Hermione's chest, paying particular attention to her erect nipples.

He stood and dribbled a line down to her navel, which he filled like a raspberry sauce reservoir; then proceeded to trace over the line with his lips and tongue, draining the tiny pool dry, well as dry as he could get it with his tongue.

He continued to dribble down till he reached her pubic hair and thought, hmmmm.

"Sweetheart?" he asked, "Have you ever considered shaving down there?"

She growled, "Got your wand handy?"

"Always" he answered, then whipped it out and began the same spell he used in the mornings to remove his chin stubble. It was a particularly useful spell because it not only removed the hair, but vanished it as well. He thought of Professor Flitwick's lectures on the physics of applied magic, that said anything vanished in one place had to appear in another and he wondered as he rendered Hermione's sex completely smooth where the hair went?

Once she was completely smooth he continued the dribble line to the folds of her pudendum; her outer labia were clearly beginning to swell forming a very wet opening from the bottom, a classic 'splitter' if ever he'd seen one. Well he hadn't seen one, in fact, but he had heard two girls talking about getting 'splitters' in the library once. It's no wonder he was becoming more studious toward the end of his stay at Hogwart's.

He put down the bowl and began to trace the raspberry line with his lips and tongue and paid particular attention to her wet labia. The tart berries and her own natural musk made him crazy with desire, he desperately wanted to plunge balls-deep into her moist cleft but first he wanted to make her climax with just his tongue and fingers.

He licked top to bottom, pushing the tip of his tongue as far in as it would go, he made it a priority right then to research the spell that made the twins' ton tongue toffee work, if he could just localize the engorgement he could make Hermione's body cum like mad with just his glottal muscle!

As he licked and sucked her juicy center he reached under her thigh with his right hand to push his middle and ring fingers into her slick channel, he'd remembered reading about a spot that was supposed to drive a girl crazy and he began to twist and plunge with his tongue and fingers until he heard an unearthly screech. Hi lifted his head to see what was the matter when he saw Hermione's face, wild wide eyes boring into him as she said, "if you stop again before you get me off I swear by the Gawdess I'll hex you into next week!"

Harry grinned and went back to work, fervently trying to remember what he had done to make her so wanton. Twist, suck, lick, twist, suck on the firm little nub near the top, graze it with your teeth.

He was rewarded with another squeal and he began to pump his fingers into her as he sucked and licked and gently bit her nubbin until she went rigid and appeared to hyper-ventilate.

Hermione's body was one long continuous orgasm, she knew from her researches (and some observations) that Harry was a natural, he seemed to know when to be gentle and when to be NOT gentle. He brought her off so many times in a short period that she was having trouble remembering to breathe. She finally had to grab him by the hair and slam her legs together to get him to stop long enough for her to catch her breath. It's a good thing he had come up for air just then!

"Oh Harry, you absolute jewel!" she said breathlessly then she looked down and saw that his lower face and jaw was wet with a combination of her juices and the raspberry sauce and she began to laugh.

At his puzzled expression she said, "Look in the mirror Harry" between fits of uncontrollable giggles.

He stood and looked at his reflection in the mirror over the fireplace and saw what she saw. He began to laugh too.

"Oh my darlin', kiss me!" he said as he nuzzled her neck, transferring the sticky sauce and her own juices to her neck then face.

"Off me you great lummox!" she shrieked as she tried to push him away with her hands, "you're a sticky mess!"

He laughed, "Pot to kettle, who's a sticky mess?"

She leaned up on her elbows and looked down at her raspberry smeared body.

Harry thought she was the sexiest sight he had ever seen, propped up on her elbows, knees spread showing off her bald, raspberry and girl juice glazed cunny.

She laughed along with him and said, "I guess we both are, eh whot?"

He carried her up to the master bath where he set her down gently then started the bath water. The tub filled very quickly and by the time Harry had his clothes off the tub was full.

"Hold still" she said as she wiped his face with a wet flannel.

He slipped in first then she joined him, lounging on him as he caressed her wet soapy body with his magic hands.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you Harry?"

"If it's half as much as I love you, then it's a scary lot!"

"You're everything to me, never forget that, whatever you ask of me I will do, I love you that much."

"Anything?"

"Anything"

"Then promise you won't leave me, promise me we can be together forever and a day" he said earnestly.

"This I vow" she said and the water around them glowed blue for a few moments and was then re-absorbed into Hermione's body.

"Did you just swear a mage's vow?" he asked.

"Yep" she said, as though it was the most natural thing in the world to do.

"Didn't you tell me not to take a magical oath lightly?"

"Harry" she said, "without you I am nothing, it was not taken lightly, I'm afraid you're stuck with me" saying this she smiled and twisted around to kiss him tenderly.

He remembered a Disney movie that his cousin had watched on video and said in an over the top Latino accent, "if this is torture, chain me to the wall!"

"Hmmmm," she murmured, "chains Harry? I had no idea . . ."

Eventually they drug themselves out of their relaxing bath and dressed for dinner. The doorbell rang promptly at seven and Harry and Hermione, looking every bit the lord and lady of the manor greeted her parents at the door.

"Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger, welcome to Grimauld Place."

Hermione's father extended his hand and said "Daniel Granger, Dan to my friends," Harry shook it and accepted a kiss on the cheek from his wife, "Emma, Harry, it's good to finally meet you properly."

The Grangers looked around the foyer and Emma exclaimed, "Why it's lovely, nothing like what Hermione described from two summers ago."

"She didn't exaggerate Mrs. um, Emma, this place was a run down wreck, full of awful dark objects" Harry explained.

"Well I love what you've done with the place" she enthused.

"I have to give credit where it's due, Meacham is responsi-"

"Yes sir?" the little man asked, startling the Grangers who hadn't seen him standing there.

"Oh, nothing Meacham, I was just telling Mrs. Granger that you were responsible for the wonderful renovations to our home."

"Thank you sir, ma'am," the old elf looked to Harry, "there is wine on the sideboard; dinner will be at the half."

"Very well Meacham, it smells wonderful."

"It smells like a roast," Dan said.

"Oh surely not," Emma rejoined, "Hermione knows we're vegetarians."

Harry and Hermione paled for a moment.

"I'll just see if I can give Meacham a hand in the kitchen," Harry said, "why don't you give your folks a tour, dear?" his eyes were pleading.

"Oh sure, we can start in the library!" Hermione said just a little too brightly.

Harry walked as casually as he could into the kitchen and said, "Meacham, we have a problem. The Grangers are vegetarians."

The old house elf looked nonplused "not a problem sir, we elves are also herbivorous, I can substitute Portabella Mushrooms for the London broil, and not have to change any of the attending dishes. He vanished the broil and in its place summoned the biggest mushrooms Harry had ever seen, wrapped in a like manner to a broil.

"The mushrooms only need to broil for fifteen minutes; then we can proceed as planned."

Harry clapped the old elf on the shoulder and said, "Meacham, you're a life saver, thank you!"

The old elf allowed himself a small smile "all in a days work sir, I'm pleased that you find my services adequate."

Harry was all smiles when he joined the Grangers in the formal dining room for wine before dinner.

"This is wonderful wine Harry!" Dan enthused, "wherever did you get it?"

Meacham piped in, "that's a Burgundy from the Black family cellar, I'm glad it's to your liking sir."

In no time the table was set and the two generations of couples settled in to a fine meal.

"Oh this is delicious, wherever did you find Portabellas this grand?" Emma asked.

"Again, I have to defer to Meacham on that. It just so happens that he and his people are also vegetarians."

"Forgive me Harry," Emma said, "but is Meacham a, well, a little person?"

"Point in fact, Meacham is an elf" Harry clarified.

Emma looked at Hermione, "you mean those creatures you described as slaves to the wizarding world?"

"Actually, there are no more house elves, in fact, Harry freed them," to the Granger's dumbfounded expressions she explained, "there was a battle, the elves fought on the side of the light and for that they were freed."

"So how is it that you still have an elf?" she looked at Harry for an answer.

"I serve this house as its retainer ma'am, a gentleman's gentle-elf if you will" the old elf volunteered. "I am not a slave, but I will serve the House of Potter for the span of one human wizard's life. That is my agreement with the council of elders, our ruling body."

"Oh, so you're here by choice then?" Emma asked.

"Indubitably ma'am" the miniature butler said with great dignity.

The elf poured more wine for the Grangers, but not for the younger hosts, it was alright for the guest to be 'a bit relaxed,' but not the host and hostess.

After dinner the raspberry trifle was served and neither Harry nor Hermione could suppress their grins at the sight and aroma of raspberry sauce.

"What's so amusing, then?" Dan asked, eyebrows rising.

"Sorry Dad, my fault" Hermione offered, "I was playing in the kitchen and I'm afraid I made quite a mess of the raspberry sauce . . ."

Harry guffawed, "I'm sorry, he said, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye, but she was quite a sight, cov-covered in tart berry sauce!"

The laughter was contagious, and the wine certainly helped.

Dan leaned over and whispered in what he thought was a voice that couldn't carry "I know what I would have done if I'd found you in the kitchen covered in tart berry sauce!"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other and he said, perhaps a little too brightly, "Sooo, anyone here know anything about motorcycles? I seem to have inherited one."

Dan's face fell, "a motorcycle, do you ride?"

"Not yet sir, I plan to take lessons, the bike belonged to my godfather and he willed it to me, along with this house."

Emma said, "We used to ride, but it's gotten too dangerous on the roads these days, too many cars not watching where you're going, we were nearly hit on our old Bonnie, twice!"

Harry stood, "you may want to see this" and he led all three Grangers into the old carriage house."

"My God," Dan was awestruck, "is that a Trident 750?"

"Pretty sure, sir."

"It looks like it just came off the showroom floor!"

"That's exactly what I said; care to give it a spin?"

He looked crestfallen again, "I'd love to Harry, but we've had a bit too much to drink as it is and it wouldn't be safe."

"Perhaps another time then?"

"Oh I'd love that Harry, thank you."

"Let's retire to the library everyone."

They reluctantly left the Triumph in the carriage house and regrouped in the library.

"So, Hermione," Emma asked, "are you and Harry, um, living here now?"

Hermione smiled, "yes we are Mum."

"And that's an engagement ring on your left hand?" she pressed.

Harry jumped in, "my fault Mrs. Granger, Mr. Granger, I couldn't stand to put it off so I asked Hermione to marry me yesterday and she said yes. I - I didn't think to ask you, sir for your permission, I guess it's too late for that. But I love your daughter with all my heart and it would mean the world to her, to both of us if we could have your blessing."

There was a pregnant pause and Emma and Dan did that silent communication so common to married couples, then Dan's mouth split into a huge grin as he said "you told me, didn't you; didn't you tell me this would be and engagement party?"

"Of course dear, mothers just know about such things!"

Hermione piped in, "then, you're okay with this?"

"Oh pumpkin, if he's your choice than of course we're alright with it!" Emma said, gathering her daughter into a tight hug.

"I can see that you have the wherewithal to support my daughter in a manner," Dan looked around the room, "in a manner to which she will become accustomed, welcome to the family, son!"

Harry took the offered hand and was surprised when the older man pulled him into a 'manly embrace' with much back slapping involved "just be good to my little girl, that's all I ask."

Harry returned the embrace and said, "I will sir, I promise!"

As if on cue, Meacham popped the cork on an excellent champagne and it was toasts all around.

Since the next day was Sunday the Grangers agreed to take one of the guest rooms for the night rather than risk being pulled over for driving under the influence. That gave the two couples more time to enjoy each other's company. Somewhere near midnight Emma pulled Harry into the kitchen.

"Harry, I think it's wonderful that you've managed to help my daughter break out of her shell, but I have to ask. Did something dreadful happen recently, to Hermione, I mean?"

He had already resigned himself to the notion that Emma would be at least as observant as her daughter.

"I won't lie to you Emma," he said, not flinching from her penetrating gaze, "it was pretty bad. Some of our friends were killed this week, and some, well some are as good as dead."

"And Hermione was in the thick of it?"

"Emma, I would have done anything to keep her out of it, but I think you know how headstrong she can be?"

Hermione's mum kind of half-smiled and nodded.

"She was attacked by a soul-sucking demon, I-I thought I'd," tears formed from the memory, "I knew I'd lost her and I just shut down, I wanted to die."

Emma pulled Harry into a gentle embrace, "I can see she means the world to you Harry."

"She means everything to me Mrs. Granger, and she saved my life too!"

"How?"

"Like I said, I'd given up, I wanted Voldemort to just get it over with, but Hermione said 'no!' and she came back fighting! It was because of that that we're all alive and safe today, if she hadn't . . ."

"I've noticed some things," Emma said, "little things mostly, but she's like a different person now."

"How so?" Harry asked.

"Simple things, really," she explained, "like putting lemon in her tea, and using the wrong fork for salad and dessert, and she seems to have forgotten some things we talked about just last week."

Harry sighed, "It's been one hell of a week Emma."

"Harry, could you do us a favor?" she asked "For Dan and me actually."

"Sure" he agreed.

"Could you call us Mum and Dad?"

Harry's eyes filled with tears again "I'd love that . . . Mum!" and she held him again.

"We always wanted a son, but after Hermione was born, well, it was a difficult delivery and we can't, I can't . . ."

It was Harry's turn to sooth his newfound mother in love.

After a short while she pulled a hanky from her skirt pocket and blew her nose "just look at us, what a sight I must be!"

"You look great Mum, I can see what Mione will look like in a very few years and I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

"Mione?" she asked, "she lets you call her that; since when?"

"Going on seven years now, why?"

"She hates it when someone tries to give her a nickname, or to contract her name," she smiled, "it just means that our Hermione has thought of you as something special for a very long time already!"

Dan came into the kitchen and said "Oi, you've already got one Granger girl," then he pulled his wife into a playful hug, "leave this one to me!"

"Sure thing . . . Dad."

Dan's expression went from one of shock, through pensive, then delighted.

"I'm going to take this lovely creature to our room now, son, we'll just say our goodnights now."

"Goodnight Dad, Mum."

"Goodnight son."

They were not quite as foot-sure as they could have been climbing the stair, but they made it to their room more or less upright. Harry smirked as he realized that his in-laws were in the room farthest from the Master, way to go Meacham!

Harry went back into the library where he found his fiancé staring into the fireplace.

"A knut for your thoughts" he said bending down to kiss her gently.

"They're good people" she said.

"Well, they had you, of course they are" he said without hesitation.

"And they love you already, you charmer you!"

"Well, I've heard stories about in-laws from hell and I hoped we'd try to make a good first impression."

"Mr., um, Dad thinks the world of you; he told me that I should hang on to you, that you were a keeper."

"I hope you didn't tell him I was a seeker instead" he chortled.

"Seek all you want Harry, but make sure you always find me at the end of the day."

"I will. To bed?" he asked.

"To bed" she agreed.

As they waked up the steps they heard a faint moaning coming from the guest room, followed by the unmistakable squeaking of bedsprings.

A feminine "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh . . ." was countered by a male voice going "uh, uh, uh, uh, uh . . ."

Harry looked at Hermione, eyebrows raised, grinning like a madman, she grinned back in like manner and together they all but ran to the master bedroom. They were going to make some noise of their own, but with one difference.

Harry knew a few good silencing charms.

_____ooo000ooo_____

Author's note: in Great Britain garter belts are called suspenders. The line "If this is torture, chain me to the wall is from Oliver and Company.