Le Frère de Sang

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GENERAL DISCLAIMER - I do not own any of the characters used.

NOTES ON THE CHAPTER - Again with the more nasty Anita and we see what has happened with the relationship from chapter 13. Again we see an INTIMATE SCENE between Asher and Harry and Harry’s second relationship begins to develop too.

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“No! No way! Absolutely NOT! You are not going! Not now, not ever! That’s all there is to it! No. Do you understand that Nathaniel?”

“Yes Anita.” Nathaniel sighed and slumped his shoulders. Anita gave me the dirtiest look I’ve ever seen. Worse than the ones Death Eaters gave me. Then she got up and stormed out of the room, but not before ordering me to leave the house.

“I’m so sorry Harry.” I shrugged and offered Nathaniel a small smile as he held the front door open for me. I stepped outside and looked back at him.

“It’s okay.”

“I wish I was going. You shouldn’t have to be alone. But if Anita won’t let me there’s nothing I can do.”

“I know Nathaniel.” Tears sped down Nathaniel’s face and I started in horror. I reached forwards and wiped them off his cheeks. “Hey, don’t worry about it. It will all work out in the end. Don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry…”

“What’s this? What’s going on? Why are you upset Nathaniel?” I turned at the voice and Nathaniel jerked his head up. Micah was stood behind me holding a bag in one hand and wearing another custom made suit, this time in a navy blue. He was staring straight at me and I looked away. He had been avoiding me. He’d been practically ignoring my existence. All because of a kiss and now here he was staring at me. I couldn’t stand it. If I was reminded of what I was missing then it would hurt more. If I didn’t look it wouldn’t hurt as much. Besides which the almost confession to Asher yesterday wasn’t a lie, I just hadn’t really thought about it all yet.

“Harry has to go to England because the government is trying to take all of Blaise’s money. Anita said I wasn’t aloud to go with him and now he has to go alone and he shouldn’t be alone.” That was the very watered down version.

“Why didn’t Anita let you go?”

“Because she hates me. And because Nathaniel’s one of her favourites. Asher warned me this would happen.” I confessed still not looking properly at Micah but looking in his general direction. Then I turned to look at Nathaniel. “I said it was okay Nathaniel. I’m alright with going on my own. I guessed I’d probably have to do it alone anyway but it feels good that you wanted to go with me.”

“Was that the only reason she didn’t want Nathaniel to go?” Micah asked and I could have stamped my foot in frustration. He ignores me and avoids me for ages but now he’s not? I don’t understand!

“It must be because the trial is right between the two full moons and I’d be back to go furry.” Nathaniel explained.

“Well if it’s okay with Harry I’ll go.” I jerked my head around to look at Micah who pinned me with his eyes. What had he said? He’d go with me?

“Why?” I asked and Micah sighed.

“Nathaniel? Can I talk to Harry for a while please?”

Nathaniel gave a small affirmative sound and disappeared into the house closing the front door behind him. Micah stepped under the porch with me, leaving only half a meter between us. He sighed and looked at his hands for a moment before meeting my eyes again.

“Harry, you shouldn’t have to face something like that alone. Nathaniel can’t go with you because of Anita, Jean-Claude can’t go because it’s his city, Asher can’t go because he’s a vampire and second in command to the city, Richard can’t go because of his job but me…I don’t have any commitments that I can’t get out of. I’m owed time off work, the pard can manage without me because they’d have Anita. We are friends, at the very least, despite not talking recently. I would like to go with you, both so you have someone to help you through everything and so that I can have peace of mind and know that you are safe. Will you let me come with you?”

“But…won’t Anita be angry? You’re her boyfriend after all.”

“Oh she’ll be angry but she’ll get over it I’m sure.” I bit my lip. What about Asher? What would he think about me staying with somebody I kissed and was very attracted to while I’m his lover? Wait a minute…he doesn’t exactly have the right to argue that point because except Micah I’ve been completely monogamous with Asher but he hasn’t been truly faithful to me. That’s a spiteful way of looking at it but it doesn’t stop it from being true. Would Micah be okay staying with somebody he fancied but who wasn’t the right gender for him? Would I be okay seeing him everyday and knowing I wasn’t good enough? Or know that he was so close but I couldn’t have him?

“About the kiss…” Oh Merlin…Micah was looking guilty but determined. “I understand that you feel awkward around me because of it and I guess I’m feeling the same way but we are friends. Make your decision based on us as friends not on that kiss.”

“Do you regret it that much?” I blurted out and heat burned in my cheeks almost immediately. “It’s not that big a thing, it’s not massively important. It’s because of that that you’ve been ignoring me. I don’t understand why you beat yourself up about it so much but then offer to take me to England and spend two weeks with me.”

“I…” Micah started then shook his head slightly. He stared at me for a while before shaking his head again. “I don’t regret it. I’ll admit, it’s made me very confused but…Look, I know it’s not big. I’m struggling on the gender issue a lot, don’t get me wrong. I just have to figure out whether it will stop anything between us just because I didn’t think I fancied men. I don’t…I don’t know how to say any of this…”

“Then don’t say it.” I turned to walk away. A hand grabbed me and spun me around and I was staring at Micah’s blazing eyes.

“I want to go to England to make sure you are okay and…and I guess it’s so that I can persuade you to come back here should you start doubting it. I don’t want you gone from St Louis Harry, you belong here. I know the kiss is making things difficult. I’m confused and you are probably hurt, I don’t know because I’m not an empathy. I know it’s hard but it shouldn’t change things and I’m sorry for ignoring you. I would like to go with you to England, would that be okay?”

Micah looked so sincere. His eyes…I know people say the eyes are the windows to your soul and though I’ve never really understood that, the way Micah was staring at me so hard made me feel like I was looking right inside him. I didn’t dare open my mental shields. I wouldn’t be able to detect sincerity with my empathy anyway. He looked so sincere though. His expression pleading and honest, open and gentle.

“Okay. I’ll get Richard to help me book the flights then.” Micah nodded and smiled. He looked torn between something for a moment before he stepped backwards.

“I’ll call work, inform Anita and the pard, talk to Jean-claude and manage things with the London Pard. Here.” Micah reached inside his bag and pulled out a card with a load of numbers on it. He pulled out a pen and scribbled another number onto the card. “That’s my cell phone number. Give me a call to let me know how things are.”

“Thanks. Do you have Richard’s number?” I really should get a mobile phone, or cell phone as they’re called in America.

“Yeah, Anita will have it written down somewhere. Or I’ll just borrow her cell and copy the number into mine.”

“Okay. I’d better get going then. Tell Nathaniel good bye for me?” Micah nodded.

“Sure.” I smiled and walked away.

-

“Hi Asher.” Asher smiled and stood to greet me. I leaned up and kissed him gently.

“Ah mon petit, how long do we have?”

“Not long. About two hours.” Asher nodded and pulled me into another kiss. I let him draw me over to the bed and kicked off my shoes. I climbed on and rested against the headboard. Asher climbed on next to me and kissed me again, tracing a hand down my neck and drawing circles on my skin. “How’re you going to feed when I’m gone?”

“Ah, Nathaniel and Jason have agreed to feed me as well as Jean-Claude while you are away. Of course, Jean-Claude may not need them at all should Anita let him feed from her again.”

“I see. You going to feed now?”

“If that is agreeable to you.” I nodded and pulled back from him. I pulled my shirt over my head and threw it to the floor. I undid my trousers then had to lie down to pull them off my hips. Asher was more sensible than me, he got of the bed and undressed. I hesitated on my underwear and watched Asher stop off his trousers followed by his underwear. I bit my lip slightly before raising my hips off the bed and slipping my underwear off. I sat back up against the headboard.

“I shall never understand your modesty when you are so beautiful.” I smiled and leaned my head back against the headboard. Asher climbed gracefully onto the bed and kissed me softly before settling next to me against the headboard. He patted his lap. Was he kidding?! He wanted me to sit on his lap when we’re both naked? It’s one thing to be naked beneath him, quite another to sit on him naked. At least it is in my opinion.

“Sit here, face me and let me feed.”

“Not lying down? Not like normal?” Asher smiled but shook his head.

“This is my last time with you for two weeks mon beau, allow me to have you this close and watch you as you come. Do not deny me this?” I sighed. I didn’t need to be empathic to recognise the emotions here. Why am I such a…a weakling. Why do I always cave in?

I moved and shakily straddled his lap, making sure to sit on his thighs and no where near his…dick. God I hate those words. Asher gave me a cheeky grin before lifting his knees making me slide down them and press up against his privates.

“Better. Closer is better.” He kissed me, distracting me with his tongue again before kissing my chin and down my neck. He pushed his fangs into me and I felt the pain as he pierced my skin. Why was I so much more relaxed with Asher? I never really understood why I got so sick with Blaise yet never with Asher. It can’t just be the orgasmic power he has.

I came hard, as usual, and covered his stomach and mine. His erection pressed up against me as I slumped against his shoulder and I grabbed it, tugging on it until he came too with a loud moan and a hard kiss on the neck. I lay against him for a while but my thoughts drifted to Micah. I’d be alone with him for two weeks, in his company all the time. We’d already kissed once…as much as I feel for Asher I can’t deny what I feel for Micah but I couldn’t cheat without knowing what would happen if I did. I sighed and slid down. I licked Asher’s nipple gently before pulling up and kissing his lips gently.

“Asher…” He read my expression and got a curious, if slightly cool, look on his face. He suspected he wasn’t going to like what I was going to say. “You know how you love Jean-Claude? But then you have Anita as well and you also have me? Well what would happen if I was to…was to fancy someone else but still want to be with you? Would it be okay for me to find someone who would be with me? Would I have to stop seeing you?”

“You have found someone Harry?” He used my name…is he going to get like Jean-Claude with Anita? Jean-Claude only ever calls Anita by her name when he’s angry at her. Was Asher angry at me? I bit my lip.

“You have others who love you as well, am I allowed another who would love me if I ever found that person? If you…” I looked away for a moment and gathered myself together before meeting Asher’s eyes and trying to convey my sincerity and honesty behind my words. “If you want me to remain monogamous, I’d be happy to be just yours. I just want to know what you want, whether I’m allowed the same…the same things as you have.”

“You wish to know whether I set stipulations on our relationship.”

“No…I mean yes. Merlin! I’m making it sound so accusing. I don’t mean to honestly.” I put my hands on Asher’s cheeks and leaned my forehead against his. He didn’t move. “I’m making this sound so bad. I feel so much for you. I’m pretty sure it’s love. I nearly said it the other day, remember? I think I love you. I’d be only yours happily. If that was what you wanted, I’d love to be just yours. But is that what you want from me? Tell me how you feel.”

“I want you. I don’t want you to leave me. It isn’t fair for you to be monogamous to me when I am not to you. As long as you return to me through it all then you can have others but you must always be mine too.” I nodded and kissed Asher as hard as I could. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and he gripped my hips hard.

“Join me for a shower?” Asher smiled and agreed.

-

We were glad, Micah and me, to get off that plane. Sure, we enjoyed each other’s company but all those hours on a plane unable to clean ourselves properly was a nightmare. Not to mention the threat of what was about to come was hanging over me. I’d told Micah about what happened to me when I was younger. I didn’t know how the Wizarding world would react to me suddenly appearing again. I didn’t know how they all viewed me now. Sure, they were scared of my magic but dispite that, and despite those close to me abandoning me, I was incredibly famous. Would people still pass me in the street and want to shake my hand? Would they arrest me on the suspicion of being dark? Would they ignore me?

“Where is it we’re staying again?” Micah said then yawned. I sighed.

“At my house. We’re getting there by floo. Come on, it’s this way.” I lead Micah through Heathrow to the illusion wall. I dragged him through it, ignoring his protests and gasps and paid for both of us to use the floo. I stepped into the fire with him, though he hadn’t wanted to enter it at first, and said the location. Moments later I was tumbling out of the fireplace but Micah, once again, kept his balance and stayed on his feet.

“Master! It is good to have you back Master Harry Potter sir! Kreacher is looking after the house, yes he is! I is making up your room for you. I making up the guest room too? For Master’s friend?” I blinked up at the old house elf before me and gave him a small smile before pushing myself up off the floor.

“It’s good to see you Kreacher. How are you?” I dealt with Kreacher’s theatrics, and then I dealt with Dobby’s theatrics too, before showing Micah to his room.

“So…what were they?”

“Kreacher and Dobby are house elves, my house elves. They are kind of like voluntary slaves. They live to serve though I do pay Dobby because Dobby has hobbies outside of cleaning, cooking and tidying up. Kreacher is just happy to stay in this old house. This used to be my godfather’s home until he died.”

“Right, I see.” Micah moved into the room carrying his suitcase with him. He looked around the room then put the suitcase beside the wardrobe. “What time is it?”

“Eleven o’clock. We’d better get some sleep or at least rest to try to adjust to the times.” Micah nodded and yawned.

“Adjusting shouldn’t be too hard, I’m shattered.”

“I’m going to bed. I’m right across the hall from you. If you need anything just ask Kreacher or Dobby. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. G’night.”

“Night Harry.”

I left Micah alone and closed the door wandering into my bedroom, the Master bedroom. Dobby and Kreacher had changed it to suit me. It was done up in red, rich hot reds that didn’t clash they just added to the fire. I loved what they’d done with the room. Blaise had seen it and commented on how red it was but how it was a stunning room. His room was next to mine, not across the hall like Micah’s room is. Blaise’s room was done in blues and silvers with some purples thrown in occasionally. He said he felt like he could drown in his room, the nice kind of drown if there is a nice version. He liked this house and because of him I liked it too.

I slid into bed and tried to push away all my thoughts so I could rest.

-

I stumbled down the hall and literally collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs. The wood dug nastily into my back and after a while, when I really couldn’t bare it any more, I shifted so I was more comfortable. I rested my head on the table and wrapped my arms around it, cocooning it.

“Is Harry Potter being okay?” I raised my head ever so slightly to look at Dobby who was shifting nervously on his tiny feet.

“It’s the memories of this place Dobby. Most of them aren’t that great for me.”

“Harry Potter not glad to be home?”

“I am Dobby, it’s great to see you and Kreacher again. But my home is in St Louis now, I have a lover back there and friends and family. Besides you and Kreacher I have nothing left here. Perhaps I should move you with me to St Louis.”

“Us? Live with Harry Potter in his St Louis? I would be liking that Harry Potter.” I hummed and nodded.

“I wonder what Kreacher would think.”

“Begging your pardon Master?” I turned and found Kreacher standing by the stove staring at me. I gave him a smile which he returned ever so slightly.

“Would you ever consider leaving this place, Kreacher, and coming to live with me in America?” Kreacher looked torn and I didn’t blame him. “If you’d rather stay here then you are more than welcome to. Think about it for a while and tell me your answer before I leave.”

“Yes Master.” I sighed, ever the obedient elf but even when obedient you could see his will shining through. He’d think about it and probably wouldn’t give me my answer until I was about to walk out of the door.

I heard the creak of floorboards and looked out into the hall. Micah walked slowly into the kitchen. He offered me a smile.

“Hi.” I nodded to him.

“Hi.” I replied and he threw himself into the chair opposite me with a groan.

“I really hate jet lag. I didn’t think it would kick in so quickly, what with me usually staying up all night and things.” I shrugged slightly, I didn’t understand it either.

“What would you like to do today? We can do some sight seeing if you like?” Micah shook his head.

“I really don’t mind what we do. It would be nice to get out and about. After being on that plane for so long the idea of being in the open is very appealing. Perhaps some fresh air would wake me up a little.”

“Would you like to go to Diagon Alley then? I could do with getting some potion ingredients since I’m here. It would save Jean-Claude having to order the ingredients in.” Micah nodded and yawned again. Dobby placed some food before him before virtually bouncing away. Micah stared in amazement after the house elf. I gave him a small smile and shook my head, he shouldn’t ask…if he asked then I’d have to explain a lot and I really don’t want to explain. He just shrugged again.

“So, I’ll eat, clean up and then we’ll go okay?”

“Sure. Please, take your time.” Please don’t rush, I really don’t want to go to Diagon Alley but it would be useful to go there. I could get information and potion ingredients for the blood replenishing potion. I could also look into the Wolfsbane potion, though from the looks of things the weres back in St Louis might not want the potion.

Micah ate his breakfast record speed then showered in record speed. I showered and changed my clothes. I pulled on some smart black trousers and a pale green top. I also pulled on my only hat which is one of those flat black hats that camp gay guys wear, sometimes non-gay guys wear them too. I can occasionally pull it off and today it worked for some reason. I also gave myself a slight fringe to help cover the scar and having a hat on just added extra protection. Everyone would know I’m in the wizarding world when the court hearing comes about, they don’t need to know about me being here yet.

Finally ready I pulled on a pair of shoes and went to meet Micah. Hopefully because Micah nearly always dresses in a suit and I was wearing more formal clothes, except for my hat, we wouldn’t gather too much attention.

Micah looked over my clothes and his eyes gained a curious glint when he saw my hat. I shrugged my shoulders at him and summoned my wand from the bedroom. I cast a spell over myself and then pointed my wand at Micah.

“I’m going to cast a notice-me-not charm on you. I’ll know you are there, you will know I am here, but unless you draw attention to yourself when we are out nobody else will pay us much attention.”

“I see.” I cast the spell on him and then slid my wand up my sleeve, casting a wandless spell to make it stay there because I didn’t bring my wand holder. “You really aren’t happy to be back are you.”

“No I’m not. But, it can’t be helped. Come on, lets go.”

“How are we getting there? I refuse to apperate with you.” I laughed.

“We can either walk to the pub or take a taxi, it’s up to you. We could take the floo of course but I don’t do portkeys.” Micah looked completely bewildered.

“Taxi. I’ll pay for it. But, you will have to help me with this currency because it’s completely foreign to me.” That was a really bad joke but he was trying to keep the mood light. I walked towards the front door.

“If you think this is foreign then you would have hated to have been me when I first went to America. Here we don’t have to calculate the tax on top of the amount everything costs, tax isw included in the price. Kreacher! Dobby! We’re going!”

“Master Harry Potter sir!” I cringed slightly at my title but gave Dobby a smile. “Will yous be needing yous key for the bank sir?”

“Um…” My Gringotts key? “It’s in storage at the bank isn’t it Dobby?”

“Um no sir. I’ve got the keys here, thought I’d keep yous and Master Blaises’ keys safe here. I is sorry, Dobby is a bad elf! A bad elf!” Dobby started to hit his head.

“No! No Dobby! That was a brilliant idea, I’m glad you took care of them for me. Can I just have my key?” Dobby nodded his head and popped away then popped back a second later holding three keys. One was the key to the vault with my trust fund in, the second was the Potter vault key which held all the generations of Potter’s money and the final one was the master key to all the Black vaults, that key could get me into any of the twelve different vaults belonging to the now ended Black line. “I’ll just have the one to my trust fund thanks Dobby, there’s more than enough money in there.”

“Yes Master Harry, here yous go.”

“Thank you Dobby. Would you or Kreacher like me to pick you up anything while I’m out?” Dobby’s eyes filled with tears but he shook his head and I saw Kreacher shake his head too from the landing. “Okay then, I’ll just pick up some socks and hats for you to have as spares. I’ll see you both later.”

I lead Micah outside and turned down the path towards the square where numerous taxi’s are always waiting. Micah followed without a word but he kept close so I could feel his body heat along my arm. It was comforting but I had to cast a cooling charm because his heat, coupled with the hot summer sun was making me overheat.

“Hi, can we get a lift?” I asked the taxi driver and the man stood on his fag before answering. I gave him the address and Micah and I climbed into the taxi.

“So, what’s the plan now then?”

“I need to go to Gringotts to get us some money then I need to go shopping for supplies, there’s a book shop there and I should get those hats and socks I promised Dobby and Kreacher. Once I’ve got the money out then you can pick where you want to go so long as we arrange a time to meet.” Micah nodded. We got out of the taxi and, I suppose it’s because of his lycanthrope, Micah was able to see the Leaky Caldron. We entered and I steered Micah through the mass of people, hiding from the sun, and out into the courtyard. I tapped the bricks and the archway formed. Micah looked at it in awe for a moment then followed me.

In Gringotts I handed a goblin my key and he took us to the cart. I enjoyed the ride but Micah looked sick. I pulled out three bagfuls of gold, each bag holding the equivalent of fifty galleons then left again.

“Good God Harry, that’s one hell of a lot of money!” I smiled ruefully.

“Yeah but that’s my smallest vault, all the others are about ten times the size and not to mention I’ve got Blaise’s fortunes on top of all that.” Micah looked completely astonished. “When we are in the alley could you call me Harrison? The name Harry might draw too much attention despite the spells and I really don’t need the attention today.”

“Sure, whatever you like.” I sighed in relief and sagged in the cart seat. The goblin watched me, his hand on the lever that made the cart go. I nodded to him and he started the cart. Micah grabbed my hand and shut his eyes swallowing several times in quick succession as the cart moved through Gringotts. I squeezed his hand tightly, I don’t think he’ll like flying on a broom if he doesn’t like the carts. Speeking of brooms…I wonder if I bought the newest broom on the market would Asher and Jean-Claude provide me with safe storage? Of course, I could just put it in one of the sections of my case. You’ve got to love magical cases, bigger on the inside than on the outside.

“This is a fantastic place, I’ve never seen any place like it.” Micah said as we sat outside the ice cream parlor. He was having a drink of water to help him loose the nausea from the cart ride.

“It’s like medieval Britain sustained. The wizarding world didn’t develop much past those times. They brought in tiles for the roofs to get rid of thatch and installed running water and other plumbing and waste things but other than that the wizarding world didn’t advance. You won’t see anything technical here, no electricity because magic interferes. Any lights you see are fires or magical lights. This world is very backwards but because of magic we have a better standard of life to everybody else.”

“Amazing. But, I wouldn’t like to be a wizard if it meant no television. That would be hell on earth.” I pushed his shoulder slightly in retaliation.

“We have other things, like riding broomsticks, exploding snap and other games. At school there wasn’t a television but we had plenty to do to entertain ourselves. There was never a dull moment at school. Hell, I never got to watch the television anyway so not having one at school mad eno difference to my life.” Micah wanted to say something, you could see him trying to work out a way of wording the question, but he didn’t and I was grateful. “Right, I need to get potion supplies. Do you want to come with me or have a little wander around on your own?”

“I think I’ll stay here for a bit then I might go into the book shop. So when you’ve finished if I’m not here I will be in there.”

“Okay. Enjoy yourself.” I stood up and began walking towards the potions shop. A hand grabbed my wrist and spun me around.

“Harr..ison…” Micah stuttered slightly, correcting the name. “Relax a little, you’re okay and I’m not that far away.” He left his hand on my shoulder for awhile, his fingers massaging the muscle there slightly.

“I’ll relax when we are back in St Louis safe and sound.” Micah sighed and took his hand off my shoulder. I snatched it quickly before he could withdraw it completely. “Thanks though. You being here makes this easier.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You are part of what makes St Louis so special to me. I’d better go. I’ll see you in a bit okay?” I released his hand and walked towards the shop. You can’t say something that mushy and then not retreat.

I found all the ingredients for the blood replenishing potion and bought all of them en masse so I would have supplies for a very long time. I had the server cast spells that would keep the ingredients fresh so they would keep until I needed them. I bought a load more floo powder as well and then looked at the quiditch supplies. The newest broom on the market was the Lightningbolt and on it was a lightning bolt engraved. It looked exactly like my scar and they even had a dedication to me on the brooms description. I decided not to buy the broom after all. It was sickening to think they were still going gaga over me though I’d left them all. They’re obsessive!

I visited Madam Malkin’s shop for a set of formal robes for both me and Micah to wear to the court on the 9th. I was told they needed Micah in order to make his robes, despite me giving them his sizes. So I bought socks and hats for the house elves and let them take my measurements before wandering over to Flourish and Blotts since the seats we’d been in earlier were vacant.

“Oh! Sorry!” I rubbed my shoulder. I’d walked straight into the…Micah.

“It’s fine. Looking for me?” I nodded and smiled slightly.

“You finished?”

“Yeah. God, wizarding money is even more confusing than British money. I bought a few books.”

“How much did it come to?”

“Twenty one galleons, ten sickles and one knut. Here’s your change.” He handed me back the bag of money I’d given him and I pocketed it.

“What did you buy?” Micah looked really guilty.

“You’re going to hate me. I bought a book about your Hogwards years by a Hermione Granger, I bought ‘Wizarding for Muggleborns’ by some person with a really weird name and ‘The Rise and Fall’ of the You-Know-Who’ by a Kingsley Shackley or something like that. Some people have weird names.”

“Hermione wrote a book? When did she find the time! She’s only been out of Hogwarts a year! Can I read that book after you? I need to know what she wrote about me…” Micah nodded.

“Sure. I thought you’d hate me for buying it, I know how you hate your fame.”

“It’s just…unreal that she wrote a book about me. Don’t people need my permission to write books about me? Surely there are laws against that?”

“You would take your friend to court?”

“Maybe…it depends on the content of that book and how much of my personal life has been revealed.”

“Well, the book is a best seller so you could at least demand half of the income from it, not that you need the money.” Damnit Hermione. Why didn’t you talk to me before writing a book! Sure I wasn’t in England but there were ways to get in contact with me! Gringotts always knew where to find me, the Ministry had my address and Owl’s are smart, they can find people nine times out of ten without an address.

“Micah, would you come and be measured for robes to wear to court or are you just going to wear your suit?”

“What do you think would be best?”

“Well, dressed like a wizard they’d definitely let you in and it wouldn’t draw you any attention either. But robes can be uncomfortable so it’s up to you.”

“Well, you’d be happier if we draw less attention so I’ll go for the robes. Besides, you aren’t going to be comfortable so it isn’t fair that I’m comfortable when you aren’t. Lets go get these robes shall we?”

Madam Malkin took all of his measurements and then we both walked around the shop looking at the different styles of formal robes. Madam Malkin pointed out the most fashionable robes which were, the most expensive. I was torn. If I got those robes there would be no arguing with my position, I’d have authority, and I’d match the other Lords in the courts, if not outmatch them. However, to dress up so much would possibly draw too much attention, it would be a waste of money since I’d probably never wear the robes again, and I’d be making a spectacle of myself.

“I’ll have those.” I ordered the most expensive. The positives outweighed the negatives. Other robes would do but I wanted to look the absolute best I could look, despite not being comfortable. Micah found some robes which were very popular for muggleborns and muggle raised wizards. There consisted of a pair of trousers and a shirt with a knee length robe over the top which hugged the wizard’s torso, having been done up from the right shoulder and in a diagonal across the chest. Once we decided what types of robes we wanted Madam Malkin talked us through the colour schemes for each of them. She ‘pursuaded’ me into buying, by constantly repeating, black robes with an undertone of red and a silver lining because the colours would look good on me. Micah’s robes could come in two colours or one colour. She decided that black trousers with a green robe would be best because it would match his eyes and of course the lining around the neck and sleeves had to be gold because that matched his eyes as well.

After spending over 500galleons on robes we left the shop. Micah tried to ask me how much his robes cost in dollars but I refused to tell him. I had to charge the robes to my vaults because there was no way I would carry around that amount of money.

When we finally made it back to the house I gave the house elves their presents, after making sure they understood that I wasn’t giving them clothes and was instead letting them use the clothes whenever they wanted to. Kreacher didn’t want to be free so after he understood that I wasn’t freeing him and instead letting him borrow the clothes to wear, put on a pair of socks and a hat straight away. Dobby was just happy to get socks, and replaced the ones he was wearing quickly. The tea cosy he was wearing on his head was pulled straight off and replaced with one of the red hats I bought. He looked like a set of traffic lights with a red hat, yellow shorts and a green pair of socks on but he was happy.

I knocked on Micah’s door to get his permission to join him in his room. He called me in straight away and patted the bed so I knew I could sit down. He was already reading Hermione’s book, the other two books were scattered over the bed. I picked up Kingsley’s book and read the blurb, apparently he talked about all my battles with Voldemort, including all the ones at school. Somehow I don’t think I’ll ever read that book.

“You just gonna read for the rest of the day?”

“Sure, if that’s okay with you.” I nodded and put the book back on the bed.

“It’s fine. I’m going to the library in that case. I can find something to read that will hopefully help me prepare for the courts. I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll come with you, we might as well read in each other’s company.”

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