The train ride back to London was quite pleasant. With Malfoy and his cronies gone, there was nobody to mar the pleasant atmosphere. Harry was hugging Hermione during most of the ride, enjoying the peace and quiet after a very eventful year. Yet he wasn't completely calm. He dreaded meeting his relatives again, uncertain about the outcome of that meeting. He was also worried about meeting Hermione's parents. Despite having talked with them on the phone, he felt quite unsure of himself.
"Don't worry. My parents will love you, just as I do," Hermione whispered in his ear. He smiled at her, trying to look more confident than he really was.
They were sharing compartment with Ron and Neville. Ron already knew of their relationship, and they also told Neville about it. Harry didn't dare tell them about Fleur. That would be too much for Ron to bear.
Ginny had also visited a bit, looking longingly at Harry but congratulating them both for their engagement.
"She may just fit as Lady Gryffindor, if you have to take one," Hermione whispered.
"Do you really want me to take more wives?" he asked.
Hermione shrugged. "I already have to share you with another, yet we may become very good friends. If you need to take more wives, why not somebody we both already know?"
Harry didn't want to even think of that. Having a wife before reaching fifteen and being engaged to another was more than he wanted to think about. The mere idea of more wives was giving him a headache.
Alain was waiting at King's Cross, not too far from the Weasleys. He waited for Molly to finish hugging both Harry and Hermione before greeting them cordially and urging them to pass the barrier. "Where's Fleur?" Harry asked.
"She thought her presence could attract too much attention to you. She's waiting at the other side of the barrier." Yet there were quite a few reporters anxious to meet the Triwizard winner.
Alain proved very useful at keeping the reporters at bay. Many of them were anxious to ask Harry a multitude of questions. "Lord Potter will give a press conference in a few days. You will all be able to ask then," Alain informed them, rushing the teens through the barrier.
Fleur ran towards Harry as soon as he came out, hugging him tightly and kissing his lips passionately. This made Hermione frown a bit, but Fleur hugged her tightly as well, making the frown disappear.
Alain waited for Fleur to release Harry and then walked with him to meet his uncle and aunt, who were standing at quite a distance from the barrier, as if not wanting to associate with any of those coming out of it. Fleur walked a bit behind Harry while Hermione went directly to her parents.
"Mr. and Mrs Dursley, I'm Alain Delacour from the French Ministry. I'm here to talk about Mr. Potter."
"Has he offended the French now?" Vernon asked with malice in his voice.
"On the contrary, Monsieur! He saved my daughter's life, making her his forever."
Vernon looked at Fleur and gasped. She was clearly more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen, yet he wouldn't let the freak enjoy her, if it was the last thing he could do. "What does this have to do with me? I can't take her home with us."
Alain smiled politely. "We would never dream of burdening you with an unexpected guest! I just think it would be polite to let you know that you need not worry about Lord Potter's accommodation for this summer."
Vernon felt as if hit on the head. Lord Potter? The brat he had raised despite himself was a Lord? He must be loaded then! Vernon would make sure to take as much as possible from him.
"What do you mean?" he spat.
"I mean that Harry is no longer your responsibility ever again."
"Good riddance!"
"Not so fast! You see, as his guardians for the last thirteen, almost fourteen years, you seem to have neglected your duty. I suggested to Lord Potter to not press charges if we can reach a reasonable agreement out of court."
"What? How dare you!"
"Quiet, please, Mr. Dursley. You don't want to attract undue attention, I believe. Or maybe you'd rather we discuss it at the embassy?"
"No, here is fine," Vernon replied, looking as if he was going to burst.
"As his solicitor, I've done a bit of calculations. I understand that you had him work for you since he was about five, didn't you?"
"He had to earn his keep. I couldn't pay everything for him!"
"Despite having received five hundred pounds each month specifically for that purpose?"
"Well..." Vernon huffed, unable to come with any reasonable response.
"You've also starved him at least once a month, during this period, haven't you."
"The brat didn't do his job right and was insolent."
"You've probably treated your son the same, didn't you?"
Petunia was smarter than her husband. She knew this couldn't end well for him, so she rushed into the conversation. "How much do you want in order to leave us alone?"
Alain was enjoying this little game. From what he had learned during his conversation with Harry he knew these two deserved to spend quite a few years in prison, yet Fleur assured him that her husband didn't want it. Still, they needed to pay for their crimes, if only symbolically.
"As you've clearly not used the money you've been receiving for its intended purpose, I believe that money should be returned... with interest."
Petunia's face looked frightened while Vernon's got even redder.
"Then, I also believe that if one puts a child to work, one should pay him generously, as a way to educate the child on the importance of work. I'd say that a hundred pounds per month would be about right."
"A hundred pounds?!" Vernon was alarmed.
"Yes, I don't think a child's work is worth more than that. Don't you agree?"
"But... but..."
"I'm sure you've given your son no less than that as pocket money, without asking him to work for it," Alain commented.
"Fine," said Petunia, "but not for the months he's been at school."
"Of course, dear lady. For those months you'll just give him pocket money like you've given your son. I've got the numbers, if you need them."
Vernon was already purple with contained rage, unable to show this stranger what he was really thinking of him. Petunia, paler than usual, had a practical solution. "I suggest we let the children go on their way while we sit at that café near the entrance and iron up the details."
Alain nodded. He turned to Harry and winked at him. "You two may go and join your friend. I'll join you there when this is over."
Harry didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Fleur's arm, not before she blasted Vernon with her allure at full power, and hurried towards Hermione and her parents. After seeing Vernon, even meeting his fiancée's parents seemed easy.
Dave and Jean Granger were very happy to meet Harry and Fleur. The introductions were somewhat informal, and then they all walked to the parking lot, where Harry helped Hermione with her trunk before loading his.
"Mon Papa will bring my things when he comes," Fleur said.
Once again, Harry found himself sitting between the two girls. Hermione, at his right, was holding his hand tightly, while Fleur just let his hand stay on her thigh, as high as her skirt would allow, after making sure that none of the adults would be able to notice.
It wasn't a long ride. It was actually much shorter than the drive to his aunt's house, although Harry wouldn't have minded if it took much longer. Both girls let their heads rest on his shoulders, pressing their breasts onto him. It was the pleasantest ride he ever had.
Harry helped Dave take the luggage out and carry it to the upper floor, where Dave took Hermione's trunk into her room and put Harry's in the adjacent guest room, before they both joined the girls downstairs. Although Hermione said that he could now use magic freely, he still didn't like the idea of "showing off" his magical abilities.
"Dinner will be ready in less than an hour," Jean informed them. "Hermione, why don't you take Fleur upstairs and start making room for the folding bed to put besides your own? You'll have to share room while both your friends are here."
"But Mum, Fleur should share with Harry!"
Jean had an unbelieving expression. "I don't think that's a very good idea," she said sternly.
"You don't understand! She's his wife!"
Jean needed to sit down. It took her a moment to comprehend.
"His WIFE?"
"Oh, I'm really sorry," Fleur intervened. "I thought Papa has already explained this to you, but yes. I'm Lord Potter's wife and Hermione will be his main wife when they marry."
"Main wife?..."
Both Grangers looked shocked. It was just too much for them.
"I may have skipped some details when I called you on the phone," Hermione said apologetically. "We had to hurry back, so..."
"These are not small details, dear. These are major concerns!" her mother replied.
She now turned to Harry and Fleur. "Do you mind if we speak with our daughter privately?"
"Not at all," Harry replied, not really feeling so confident.
The Grangers went to Hermione's room for a private conversation. Harry looked at Fleur with some concern.
"Don't worry my dear husband. I trust Hermione to explain it well, and Papa should be here in a short while. He can explain it even better."
She grabbed his hand, leading him to a sofa, where she sat down and made Harry sit at her side and rest his head on her bosom. She caressed his unruly hair and hummed to herself.
"How can you be so calm?" he asked. "They may prevent Hermione from joining us, if they don't agree."
"No. I can sense that her magic has already chosen you, probably long ago. Your magic can make you married just as it did for us."
Harry hoped she was right. He felt quite uneasy about the Grangers. They simply couldn't understand the situation. Not that he did much better, but their lack of understanding could cause some difficulties.
Hermione came down running, her face wet, and buried her face in his chest. "They don't want me to get married to someone who already has a wife!" she wept into his chest.
Harry held her tight, caressing her wild mane while Fleur held her hand. "Do you still want to marry me?" he asked her.
Hermione lifted her head. "Of course I do! I want to marry you, Harry, regardless of how many other wives you may have."
"And I also want to marry you. I'll make you my wife, whatever it takes," he said with deep conviction.
He suddenly had a feeling of deja vu. A bright light appeared, much brighter than the one he'd seen a few days earlier, when making Fleur his wife. By the time they could see again, both Grangers were standing on the stairs coming down from the upper floor, looking confused.
"What was that?" Dave asked.
"I think that was Harry and Hermione getting married," Fleur answered, barely keeping her joy under control.
"Married?" Dave asked, as if it was impossible.
Fleur grabbed both Harry's and Hermione's hands. Hermione was now wearing a gold wedding band, engraved with the Potter crest. Harry was now wearing an additional wedding band, similar to the previous one. "Don't you see? Magic has blessed them. The moment they both expressed their wish to marry each other – it happened!"
Jean's eyes were becoming teary. "Hermione, dear, this is not the way I hoped to see you get married. Are you happy with this?"
Hermione nodded, her face still streaked with her previous tears. "Yes, Mum. I didn't think it would happen so soon, but I'm very happy with this."
Dave also seemed to get out of his daze. "Harry, Hermione – I hope this is for the best. I wish you a lot of happiness together, even though I have quite a few concerns."
He now turned to Harry. "Make sure to take good care of my little girl, or else..."
Harry could barely hold his grin. "Sure, Dad. I'll do my best to never disappoint her."
He turned to Hermione, lifted her face to him and kissed her lips tenderly. She deepened the kiss, stopped from making it a snog only by her father's loud coughing.
They heard a car stopping at the front. A moment later Alain came in. "Have I missed anything?"