After she left the trio sat quietly finishing their breakfast. Dobby had asked for something to do so Harry had him cleaning the house up a bit. Ginny had a thoughtful look on her face. "Mom how come you and daddy have the same last name but I don't?"
Hermione looked up at Harry who had a panic stricken expression frozen on his face. She sighed and put down her fork, "Well sweetie its like this. Your birth parents are not doing real well right now so they are letting us take care of you. Depending on how things go they might want us to take care of you forever and if that happens we'll go do some things to change your last name to ours okay?"
Ginny "So you're not my mom and dad?"
Harry took her hand, "We are if you want us to be. We'll be whatever you need ok?"
Ginny smiled brightly at that and hugged Harry then hugged Hermione. "Ok then you're mom and dad because I don't know anyone else. And Dan and Emma are Grampa and Gramma."
Hermione chuckled, "Ok that works then."
After breakfast they took the knight bus to Diagon Alley. Ginny was laughing and having fun the whole way which made Harry laugh too. Hermione held on and looked green but was trying to smile. Which only made Harry and Ginny laugh all the harder.
Getting off the bus Ginny was happy and bouncing, "That was fun are we going to do that again?"
"yeah that's how we are probably going to get back home." Harry said.
"Awesome. Mommy didn't you like the ride?"
"It was interesting. I suppose I could get used to it." Hermione sickly said.
Harry and Ginny laughed so hard they where crying. Hermione eventually joined in because she loved the way they looked when they where happy and over the years Harry had not had a lot of reasons to be just happy.
Walking to the Alley Ginny was a star struck child with an expression of sheer wonder on her face. Harry recognized that look from his first trip to the Alley and smiled. Whispering into her ear that magic was wonderful which Ginny barely heard. She was looking at all the shop windows as they walked by in amazement. Harry was beaming in shared excitement.
Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil came walking up the alley ahead of them. Parvati had a puzzled look on her face, "Hey Hermione, Harry who's the redhead?"
Hermione came up short and knowing how many people had been obliviated about Ginny returned her question with a question, "You know her don't you Lavender?"
Lavender looked and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah she's Ron's sister Ginny. Better question is what are the three of you doing together?"
Parvati smacked Lavender's arm, "What do you mean Ron's sister? Ron Weasley? He doesn't have a sister. He's never had a sister."
Lavender turned on Parvati and smacked her back, "Don't hit me. And yeah he does. We met her last year at school. She was the one Harry rescued."
"Lavender you've drunk some of your hair tonic or something. There was no Weasley girl. I'd have known about that. And what do you mean rescued? There was nothing to rescue anyone from."
Ginny was getting upset and yelled at the Hindi girl, "My name is too Ginny and I'm real. Mommy and Daddy said so."
Lavender raised her eyebrows and mouthed the word mommy at Hermione who nodded at her. Lavender growled at Parvati "Look we'll talk later about that. You needed to get back to your parents before lunch anyhow. So later."
Parvati looked like she wanted to say something else but she stomped off. Giving Hermione a disgusted look and Harry a large smile.
Lavender watched her go then turned to Ginny with a smile, "Sorry about that Ginny. Parvati is just in a mood because of her monthly cycle. I know you're real and a real doll aren't you?"
"Yeah mom and dad think so because they chose me." She got sad, "Nobody else wanted me."
Lavender sighed, "Yeah that's the way these two are. They're great people hun. I'm sure they love you lots."
Ginny smiled up at Lavender at that, "Yeah they do. Dad made Omelets this morning."
"Good. I'm sure they tasted great."
Ginny nodded enthusiastically. Hermione wanting to talk to Lavender before the situation spiraled out of control turned to harry, "Harry dear, why don't you take Ginny over to Quality Quidditch and show her some of the neat stuff. See if she likes the looks of anything."
Harry may be slow on girls but understood the fact that Hermione wanted some time alone with lavender to talk. He could tell she wasn't mad so didn't feel that there was a danger to lavender's mortal existence so he turned to Ginny, "Hey wanna go see my favorite store in the whole alley? Then we'll go to your mom's favorite the bookstore." Ginny was all in for that plan.
Watching them walk off Lavender said, "So what happened? Potion or spell gone wrong?"
"Sort of." Hermione sighed then pointed to a nearby table at Fortescue's. After sitting and getting a float each Hermione started explaining what happened. About how Ginny had been injured by too many mental tampering spells and potions. How her family had been made to forget her along with a great deal of the students and teachers it seemed like. At how she had fixated on Harry and her as mommy and daddy and with them being magically married they had guardianship over Ginny until they could figure out what Arthur and Molly would do when they got back from Egypt.
Lavender sat back and shook her head, "If it wasn't you and Harry involved I'd say this was just a dumb story written by a hack writer but after everything that's happened I can believe it. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Hermione was surprised by that. She had thought Lavender was a flighty shallow gossip. "Um well you can explain how you remember Ginny and don't seem shocked at Harry and I being married."
Lavender chuckled hollowly. "Mom was a healer at Saint Mungo's in the last war. She saw a lot of bad things happen like what happened to Ginny. So she taught me to I guess backup and compartmentalize my memories and personality. That way I present a shallow empty fluff headed gossip to everyone that way they don't take me as a threat. After the troll I really started paying attention to things but hiding it. The way you and Harry looked at each other it showed. That's why when you two kept acting weird I kept watching."
"oh. Thanks. So that makes a lot of sense."
"Yeah I'm now even more concerned if Parv has been gotten to."
Hermione sighed deeply. She seemed to be doing a lot more of that. Although seeing Harry and Ginny come out of the store did put a smile on her face. She was wearing a bright orange ugly Quidditch jersey that Hermione recognized as the Chudleigh Cannons colors from Ron having one.
Lavender saw Hermione's expression. "You really love them don't you?"
Hermione shook herself from the reverie, "Hunh? Yeah of course."
Lavender tried again, "No I mean you feel a real familial bond with them don't you?"
Hermione frowned at her. "I suppose. What do you mean?"
Lavender harrumphed, "I keep forgetting you're a muggle-born. Muggles talk about the bonds of family but wizards and most especially witches know about the bonds of family. We can see them, feel them. For Ginny to call you mom with as much fervor as she does that means her bond with her blood family has been broken pretty solidly or at least its so weak that it is hanging by a thread. A frayed thread. How do you feel about Ginny and Harry. Please be honest."
Hermione sighed again. "I love her. I know she is only a year younger than Harry and I but when she calls me mom a little thrill goes through me that makes me feel happy. I look at her and I feel warm inside. Harry makes me feel warm but in a different way. A kinda scary way but one I don't want to run from. But he makes me feel safe too. And comfortable. Very comfortable. OH I'm not even making sense. "
Lavender smiled and took Hermione's hand, "You're going to be a great mom. You and Harry make a great couple. And yeah you're making plenty of sense."
Ginny came running up. "Mommy look at the shirt daddy got me. Isn't it great?"
Hermione chuckled, "Well we certainly won't lose you in the dark now."
Ginny hugged her and sat down. Looking at Lavender's and Hermione's float she started to ask if she could have one when harry sat one down right in front of her. "Anticipating the needs of others." "Thanks daddy."
Lavender smiled at the interaction. "If you guys want me to. I can help you strengthen your mental defenses to prevent someone messing with you, or at least make it harder."
Harry agreed readily, "yeah that would be great Lavender. We'd appreciate that."
Lavender remembering that Ron had a jersey just like that asked Ginny "So why did you choose that particular jersey."
Ginny got a confused look briefly before she said softly, "There was a clown I saw in a dream wearing this. He was a friendly clown and made me happy. So this shirt made me feel happy."
Harry put his arm around her shoulder, "Cool. That's a great reason. Clowns are neat." He kissed the top of her head which made Ginny feel better. He looked over her head at Hermione and Lavender who both nodded softly at recognizing that Ginny remembered Ron somewhat, even if she didn't know how she remembered him.
Finishing their floats Hermione gave Lavender her address and how to contact her in the muggle way. When Lavender found out they where going to be going clothes shopping she asked if she could join them. Hermione and Harry said yes especially when Ginny said she would like Lavender going with them. They went to the bank which the goblins scared Ginny. Going shopping they debated about going to Ollivander's but with Ginny's mind not exactly clear they decided to wait on getting her a wand. Maybe they could find her old one at the Burrow. They got her a few other things in the Alley then had Dobby take the purchases to the Granger home.
Taking a taxi they went to a department store and got Ginny a new wardrobe. The sales clerk gave Hermione a sympathetic pat on the shoulder when she heard Ginny calling her mommy and said she had a cousin who was special too and it was good for Hermione to help take care of her.
Lavender took Harry off to the men's department and started working on giving him a makeover. Since he didn't have to go back to the Dursley's she was able to get him looking very good. He was a bit uncomfortable when she took him through the underwear section but she just chuckled and said it was nothing personal and she wouldn't poach. She just wanted to make sure Hermione enjoyed the gift wrapping. Harry was so red she thought Hermione could see him from the other side of the store.
They met back up near the front. Hermione and Ginny loaded with bags as well as Harry. Lavender of course had her hands free but was smiling happily. They snuck into a side hall that had no one around and called Dobby to take their things to the Grangers. Dobby was excited and happy that Harry and Hermione had so much for him to do.
Hermione was looking a bit embarrassed but broached the subject, "Hey can we have Dobby take us back to the house now instead of using the knight bus. "
Lavender laughed, "Yeah that thing is a crazy menace."
Ginny scoffed, "I like it its neat."
Harry laughed "How about this I get Dobby to take you guys to the house and Gin and I will ride the bus?"
Ginny liked that idea as did Lavender and Hermione. Within moments the foursome had split up with Harry and Ginny riding the knight bus and Hermione and Lavender being blinked back to the house with Dobby. As soon as they where back Hermione had Dobby go and make sure Harry and Ginny where ok.
Lavender was looking around, "Nice place."
"Thanks mom and dad got it when their dental practice got really good and I came around. "
"So you wanna get Ginny's stuff put away for her?"
Hermione smiled, "Yeah. Make sure my daughter is taken care of. You know the more I say it the less weird it sounds."
Lavender nodded, "Its the bonds forming. You love her like a daughter, she loves you like her mom. Its just the way it is. So are you going to go for adopting her or try and give her back."
Hermione was torn and it showed on her face, "As much as I love Ginny if Arthur and Molly do want her back then I should give her up. But I want her to be happy and protected and taken care of."
Lavender rubbed Hermione's back, "Look if its any consolation I don't think the Weasley's have a strong familial bond with her anymore or if they ever did. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to form such a strong bond you know."
Hermione shrugged, "I guess it just makes me so mad and confused why anyone would be able to treat their own family like dirt. I mean Harry's aunt and uncle treat him so horribly, but I thought the Weasley's where different."
Lavender shook her head, "You can never tell with some families. I know my family is close and we love each other and I can tell yours is the same. But not everyone has that."
The front door sprung open and a herd of elephants charged up the stairs before a red haired whirlwind burst into the room followed by a black haired hurricane. The redhead leaped onto the bed and screamed, "I won. I won."
Hermione rolled her eyes and loudly growled, "Alright congratulations now stop bouncing on the bed like a jackrabbit and calm down."
Harry looked at the floor, "Sorry Mione. I raced her off the bus. We figured you'd be upstairs."
Ginny bit her lower lip and looked abashed as well, "Sorry mom."
Hermione hugged the both of them. "Ok well just remember the furniture is designed for a specific purpose not to be playground equipment."
"Yes mom,/Ma'am" The two scolded miscreants said.
"Well considering how it seems like Dobby put all our purchases away already I guess there's not much to do. Is everything ok Ginny?"
"yeah. Its fine mom." She yawned. "I'm just tired. Can I take a nap?"
"Yeah sure we'll be right downstairs if you need us."
Harry and Hermione hugged then kissed her on the top of the head. They left the door open enough to hear if there was any trouble and made themselves comfortable downstairs.
"Lavender was telling me that she thinks the Weasley's familial bond may not be very strong or may have already broken because we're forming one with Ginny."
Harry looked sad at the blonde. "Really? That's not right."
Lavender agreed, "Yeah I know. But it happens harry. Not every family is a kind and loving one."
Harry just shivered in knowing experience, "Well we're going to make sure ours is."
Lavender chuckled. "I actually believe you Harry."
They sat and chatted about school and their friends. Which ones might still remember things and which ones might have been affected. As well as what it will take to adopt Ginny.
"Well Mother says that the ministry paperwork is just a formalization of the old rites where you could blood adopt someone. Or in the case of a baby milk adopt them." Lavender explained.
"Milk adopt?" Hermione and Harry where puzzled.
"Yeah its a magical ritual where you feed the baby some of your milk and that makes them your child. Since you're married to Harry that would make her his child too. In magic as well as fact. Why do you think no pure-blood risks allowing a wet-nurse for their child if at all possible."
"Too bad Ginny's too old or I'd be willing to do that." Hermione said.
"Well unless she has started her monthlies she's not. Technically. I think. I'd have to check with mother about that. She still sometimes helps people do that as a midwife."
"Well Ginny has started those. So that ends that idea." Hermione sighed sadly.
Lavender patted her arm. "Hey that's not the only option you know. Just the easiest and quickest."
"Hey Lavender would you and your parent's want to come over for dinner and talk about things like that." Harry mentioned.
"I guess yeah if you guys want. I mean we're not real close friends at school."
Hermione shrugged, "No time like the present to change that."
"Ok cool. Sure."
"I need to use a mirror to call home since you don't have a floo."
"Ok we can use the one in the hall bathroom." Hermione said showing her the way.
The Granger's came in while the girls where in the bathroom. "Hey Harry. How was today?"
"It was great. Ginny had fun. We met a friend from school. her and Hermione are in the bathroom talking to her parent's to invite them over for dinner. Ginny is upstairs napping as it was a big day. We got a lot of nice clothes for her and Hermione."
Emma could tell Harry was the kind of person who would be forced to think about himself so she asked, "And did you get anything for you?" She was going to ignore the in the bathroom thing for right now.
Blushing a bit, "Yeah Lavender helped me pick out a few things. She said Hermione should like how I look in some of it."
"Lavender hunh? Don't you have any male friends harry or is it an entire harem thing going on?" Dan teased.
Harry chuckled. "No sir I don't have a harem. Just Hermione. She's all the world I want. And yeah I have Neville and Ron and Fred and George and I guess Oliver and maybe Seamus and Dean."
Emma was curiously looking at him. "And Hermione's friends."
Harry went to open his mouth but stopped when he couldn't think of any.
"Hi mom. This is Lavender." Hermione saved Harry from near certain embarrassment by entering the room with lavender at that moment.
"Hello Lavender. That's a pretty name."
"Thanks its my mother's favorite flower."
"Well that's lovely. Are your parents going to be coming to dinner?"
"Yeah in about an hour if that's ok?"
"I suppose. I'll have to make some adjustments to my plan." Emma fretted
Harry pulled out a wad of cash, "I can pay for take out if you want? I have some left over from shopping. Lavender's pretty good at getting a good deal."
Hermione smiled, "Yeah you should see some of the outfits Lavender helped pick out. She has a great sense of style."
Ginny came down the stairs rubbing her eyes, "Whats going on?"
"Hey Ginny how you doing?" Dan smiled warmly at the girl.
Smiling back she ran over and gave him a hug, "Hey Grampa I'm doing ok. Mommy and Daddy took us shopping with Aunt lavender."
Dan raised an eyebrow at Aunt Lavender but given the way the kids where smiling he didn't care.
Charles and Amanda brown arrived by Knight bus around the time they said they would. He was a tall sandy blonde thin man with a bit of high forehead who wore a brown tweed suit while his wife was a medium height slightly curvy brunette. Her eyes where the same deep blue of Lavender. So the Chinese take out was ordered and a few minutes later arrived. Harry just threw several notes at the driver that left them wide eyed at the tip they got.
"Harry I saw the bills you tossed to the kid. He probably got his weeks pay in that."
"Oh. ok." Harry shrugged.
"Um aren't you a bit concerned tossing money around like that?"
Blushing Harry ran his toes back and forth in the carpet. "Uh no not really. I'm kinda rich."
"How rich?" Daniel asked before Emma smacked him.
Hermione raised her eyebrow, "What do you mean rich?"
"Um I mean my vault has a lot of gold and silver and copper coins stacked all over the place in it. And they don't seem to be going down very quickly, if anything I think the piles are larger than they where since the last time I looked."
"Well of course Harry. The Potters where not exactly penniless paupers you know?" Charles Brown said quietly.
"really?" Harry was surprised, "I never knew anything about them. Nobody has told me anything."
"Your guardian hasn't told you anything?"
"I was raised by muggles. They hated me. And Albus Dumbledore is my magical guardian so he hasn't told me anything either."
Charles and Amanda looked at each other. "That is not right. Seriously not right. You should have been told about your family by either one or both of them."
Moving his rice around Harry mumbled something under his breath that Hermione sitting beside him glaring made Emma ask Harry to repeat himself. "I said they told me my parents where drunks and trash who managed to get themselves killed driving drunk."
Emma shook her head at that kind of cruelty. No caregiver should ever say that to a child. No matter what even if it was absolutely true you do not tell a child that. Amanda Brown broke the chopstick she was holding she was so mad. Dan stepped into the kitchen using as an excuse to get a fork for Amanda but gripping the sink edge to avoid having his own anger moment.
Hermione looked like she was ready to head to Privet drive and discus things with the Dursleys, painfully. Lavender might have helped the way she was looking. Harry saw all this and before anyone could do anything he cleared his throat, "Its okay though. I'm not going back there and I know they where lying so its their problem whatever happens to them. I've washed my hands and moved on. So no need to feel bad ok?"
Ginny hugged harry, "Its ok daddy. We love you no matter. Don't be sad."
Harry hugged her back and kissed the top of her head, "Thanks gin. I love you guys too."
Dan came back in and handed the fork to Amanda. "Well said harry. You're a lot better than I would have been."
Harry shrugged. Charles though cleared his throat, "Harry I suppose since no one has told you about your parents Amanda and I should. We did not know them very well but we where at school with them. My family and yours have also had business dealings and associations over the years."
Harry was excited to hear that and it brightened his mood considerably. Hermione was also happy to hear about Harry's family.
"Well your grandfather was a great potioneer who developed the Sleakeasy's magical hair care product line. One I'm sure many in the girl's dorm at Hogwarts are familiar with." Lavender and Hermione both nodded in agreement.
"he also developed a few other products. He wasn't exactly what you'd call a revolutionary or esoteric researcher more of a pragmatist. The shares from that product line alone I'm sure are partly responsible for a great deal of that gold. "
"Wow, Harry that's a pretty good thing to find out. Not only an inventor but a businessman for a grandfather. Mine was a dentist in the army." Daniel was proud for Harry.
"Yes his father was no slouch at school in developing tricks and pranks and such. Its very unfortunate that they never got the chance to really develop things. They probably would have been revolutionary."
Amanda smiled, "And your mother was such a wonderful woman. She was Brilliant and kind and compassionate and caring up until you burned her one time too many then you saw her anger. She turned into a an avenging angel. Brilliant and awesome. Her entire aura become enflamed. Her mind was the most brilliant we had in any of our classes. I was so glad to just be near her in our study groups."
Lavender started laughing. "Mom you sound like you had a crush on her."
Amanda chuckled back, "Oh yeah. She was that kind of person. Everyone loved her. She was beautiful and when she turned those emerald eyes on you if she was happy they where love itself, if she was angry with you they where glowing death. When Snape finally crossed the line and she broke up with him it was no surprise she took up with your dad and they fell madly passionately in love. Turned him from an irresponsible jokester into a real hero."
Harry and Hermione where shocked though. "Snape as in Severus Snape? My mom knew him?"
Amanda looked between the two took a deep breath and answered honestly. "Yeah as far as I knew, I was in Hufflepuff, they had known each other since they where children. They where close. I don't think anything really went on but I did see them hold hands a few times."
Harry sighed and shook his head, "That's just wrong. Snape and my mother."
Hermione was less disgusted and more curious as to how they ended, "So why did they break up?"
Charles answered, "Snape ran his mouth too much and called her a mudblood. Not a good word as I'm sure you no doubt know."
Hermione shuddered, "And that's when Harry's dad got her attention."
"A little bit later. He was smart enough to let her calm down as she would probably have hexed the person who got in her way into protoplasm."
The dinner conversation eventually drifted into the living room where the Potters made themselves comfortable in a big easy chair. Hermione sitting in the chair with harry sitting on the floor between her legs and Ginny sitting curled up beside Harry. None of them felt anything sexual in that just the most comfortable way to share a single chair. The Browns where on the couch and the Grangers on the loveseat. Harry heard stories about his parent's time at school. How James Potter had started out an irresponsible cocky jerk and turned into the most mature and responsible gentleman you had ever seen. How Lily had to beat the boys off with a bat. How Sirius Black and Remus Lupin was the best friends of James. How Lily had won over many of the other girls at school. The Grangers talked about their time in school and University. Harry Hermione and Lavender talked about their last couple of years. How much things changed and how much it stayed the same. Harry was feeling a happiness unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He leaned back and felt Hermione ruffling his hair, he had an arm around her leg and an arm around Ginny as she was curled up beside him. He was not going to be going into a locked bedroom or under stairs ever again. Not if he had this to look forward to, he would rather die first