The Wizard's Promise

Beth sauntered out to the nearly deserted beach about an hour until sunset. Sirius sat looking out at the water. When she sat down he asked, "How was the massage?"

"Massages..Wonderful I feel almost boneless."

"You do look relaxed. So, while you're relaxed can I be hopelessly nosy?"

"Maybe, but where's Harry?"

"He's out riding the waves, they're really good today. I'm rather going to miss surfing."

Beth smiled. "Okay what's your question?"

"Back that second day when we went kayaking you mentioned ditching your itinerary and ditching your security detail. Why do you have security Beth?"

"You would remember that. I usually have a security detail because of who my family is, or to be more specific who my stepfather is. Having one isn't that out of the norm in my job as a negotiator, I just get tired of having every move I make planned and scrutinized; the complete and utter lack of privacy."

"Do you have any self-defense training?"

"No." She snorted. "Why would I?"

"The reason my assignment survived was because I had insisted he get at least some self defense training. I had had to argue until I was almost blue in the face to get him to receive that training. But because I did, he was able to defend himself for the two minutes it took a backup squad to arrive. Maybe if you got proactive about your own defense you would have the means to persuade your stepfather to let up on your detail's intrusiveness in your life."

They sat quietly for several minutes. Beth finally spoke,"Is that why you and Harry practice martial arts every morning?"

"Part of it. The person who killed Lily and James, Harry's parents, he isn't dead. Harry was one of his targets that night. Harry survived against all odds and mostly due to his mother sacrificing herself. Harry is the last surviving member of a very wealthy and influential family, one day he will wield an influence that can change the lives of thousands of people. So yes he is a target and yes that is why I teach him all that I do. I promised James to teach him everything I know and to find the best teachers in the world to teach him everything they know, so that when he's grown he'll be his own master rather than someone else's pawn."

Sirius who had been watching Harry out on his surfboard suddenly stood up. "Oh Merlin is that a shark?"

Beth quickly stood up and looked out to sea as well. Just as her eyes registered that there was indeed a shark fin cutting through the water dangerously near Harry's surfboard the was a loud distinctive crack followed a second later by another equally loud crack next to them on the beach.

Sirius moved quickly and Beth registered that Harry was now safely on the beach next to them.

"Harry, are you okay?"Sirius was looking Harry over from head to toe.

"Sirius there was a shark and he was opening his mouth to attack and I...how did I get to the beach?"

"Congratulations kiddo you just did your first apparition and you didn't splinch yourself!"

"Oh my god."

Both wizards turned suddenly realizing the presence of Beth.

"Are you telling me," her voice rose as if crescendoing, before suddenly she reduced her volume to that barely above a whisper, "that you guys are wizards?"

...

Sirius and Harry looked at each other then at Beth. Awkward didn't begin to cover it. "You know about wizards are you a witch?" Sirius ventured quietly.

"No I'm a squib. What a two wizards doing at a non-magical resort?"

"Remember when I mentioned Harry's condition what I didn't mention was it's a spell and we live as muggles so his condition doesn't kill him."

"Oh."

"Do you not like us anymore Beth?"

Beth looked down into the anxious emerald eyes, and considered the question. They were the same people they had been that morning. They hadn't told her before, but with the International Statute of Secrecy it wasn't something you could just announce. They hadn't known she knew about magic and Harry's question certainly reflected that he knew the attitude that was prevalent among squibs. That, that feeling was usually mutual wasn't part of the question. Beth took a deep breath "I still like you and I understand why you didn't tell me." Beth took a deep breath and smiled as both Harry and Sirius relaxed. "After all you're the same people you were this morning aren't you?"

The vacation continued in the same bent for another week, with a slight change. Beth took Sirius' words about self defense to heart and started to join them for their morning spar. Beth was amused to see Harry taking the lead as her instructor. Her taught her basic stances and how to fall without getting hurt before teaching her some basic punches, kicks, and throws.

It fascinated her when he would do katas with his eskrima sticks,or a staff or two sai, because it was such a contrast to the sweet gentle boy he generally seemed.

Harry had lost his surfboard to the shark attack, it had washed into shore in pieces showing a bite that surely would have killed Harry had he stayed on the board. Harry had begged to go into the nearby city to see about getting a new surfboard but Sirius had put it off.

His therapy wasn't going as well as he wanted and he had caught a cold; but with the potions he was taking he couldn't take Pepper Up to get rid of it. Beth took pity on Sirius and took Harry for a shopping trip. Harry was so happy to be going with her, he didn't object at all to trailing after her, much to her amusement. He seemed as excited as she was to see what the shops had to offer and he joined her in buying gifts for his friends back home.

They were window shopping while they waited for a photo shop to develop their film when they walked past a dress shop that sold evening gowns and wedding dresses. Harry stopped. He pointed to the dress hanging in the window, "You should try that on."

"What?"

"You should try that on."

.....

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