Chapter 11

Lady Greengrass smiled back before replying, "I believe that would be the wisest course of action." Turning to Harry she rose, as did Harry, before saying, "If you will excuse me, Mister Potter?"

"Of course, Ma'am," he replied with a slight bow.

As the older woman left the room Harry retook his seat.

When he was once more seated, Lord Greengrass said, "I suppose this meeting is also about our alliance with the House of Potter?"

"Yes, Sir," replied Harry. "I am still learning my place in the wizarding world. And what it means to be 'Light', 'Dark' and 'Neutral'. However, as the letter from my father clearly states, an alliance between our two houses is something he was keen on my renewing. I do not know enough not to - acquiesce - to his request. Plus, I figured with the betrothal contract, it became a moot point anyway."

"Quite!" smiled the older man.

Hesitating a moment, Harry said, "I know very little about my parents, Sir. I've heard some from Mesdames Longbottom and Bones, but I believe they were not part of my parent's inner circle of friends. I was hoping, as it appears you and Lady Greengrass were in that circle, you could help me to understand my parents better."

With a look of understanding, Lord Greengrass sighed and said, "I first met your father and mother when we were at Hogwarts. Your father was already friends with three other boys; Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Your mother and Isabel became friends in third year when they took Arithmancy together.

"Your father and the other three were all sorted into Gryffindor, I was sorted into Slytherin, and your mother and Isabel were sorted into Ravenclaw. Your father, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew were a tight knit group that quickly made a name for themselves as pranksters. Actually, it was more like your father, Black and Lupin were a tight knit group with Pettigrew always hanging around them.

"The four of them called themselves The Marauders; and they kind of wreaked havoc amongst the student population and staff with their pranks. However, there were some of us that quickly deduced that, besides the staff, their pranks were aimed at the 'Dark' families and those who's parents were probably Death Eaters. Students, such as myself, were also the victims of their pranks, but only because I was a Slytherin and their prank was aimed at our house in general.

"There were some who always seemed to be an individually targeted victim. Severus Snape, the current Potions Master at Hogwarts, was always one such victim; as were Bulstrode, Avery, the Lestrange Brothers, Rosier, and the other Blacks. It became very apparent they were almost exclusively targeting those they perceived as being future Death Eaters.

"On graduation, we learned that your mother, Lily Evans, was a secret fifth member of the Marauders in their final year. She and Lupin were the brains behind some of the best and biggest pranks Hogwarts have ever known," he smiled in reminiscence.

"Because it was a time of war, many of us left school to immediately join the Auror Corps. In our year, there were your father, myself, Sirius Black, Edgar Bones, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, and quite a few others. However, it was us eight for whom Black coined the term 'The Auror Marauders'. Though we were supposed to be in training, we spent quite a bit of time pranking the existing Auror Corps and the training staff. It was during that time I became very good friends with both of your parents, as well as the others. That friendship continued into our Auror career once we completed training.

"And that leads us to the evening of 1st August 1980," he said, shifting forward in his chair slightly. "Young Neville Longbottom was born to Frank and Alice late on the night of 30th July, then you were born during the early hours of 31st July. My daughter, Daphne, was born in early June so was only a few weeks old at this stage.

"Your father invited the male members of the Auror Marauders to the cottage in Godric's Hollow to - wet the baby's head, so to speak. That's new father code for get blind drunk in celebration. Of course, this was also the first time we were able to wet the baby's head for Daphne; so I was getting just as drunk and rowdy as the rest.

"I don't know when it happened but it was very late at night. As it was explained to me by one of the Prewett brothers later, someone - I think it was Black - got it into their head that Daphne and you were the best looking babies ever; and that you needed to be protected from 'undesirables' who'd only be after you because of your looks and the power you would wield in the future; and, as such, to protect you both, a betrothal contract between the two of you should be written up immediately.

"Someone found a book that had the text of standard contracts - and, again, I think it was Black who 'found' it, or more than likely had it with him for this - and Gideon, I think it was, who quickly wrote up the contract." With a sigh he said, "Again, someone had a blood quill; probably Black, again. So, both your father and I signed the damned thing using the quill.

"It wasn't until the next morning James, your father, and I woke up to find we'd betrothed you and my daughter to be married when you came of age or were otherwise emancipated. By then, Black had already disappeared again into hiding as the Potter Secret Keeper. And your father and I had to face the music with our wives at Saint Mungo's that afternoon."

"Yes, and I made you sleep on the couch for the rest of the month as part-penance," said a voice from the doorway.

Harry turned in his chair and saw Lady Greengrass had just stepped through the door with a blonde-haired girl with bright blue eyes standing alongside her. The girl was alternatively glaring at Lord Greengrass and Harry.

'This must be Daphne,' thought Harry. 'And, Dad was right; she is a beauty.'

Both 'men' rose from their seats as the two ladies came forward.

"Ah!" said Lord Greengrass as an aside to Harry. With a gesture towards the girl he said, "I present to you, Mister Potter, my daughter, Daphne Ophelia Greengrass - your betrothed."

Daphne just glared at him as if attempting to kill him with her eyes.

Dinner with the Greengrasses then became a much more relaxed affair except for the death glares Lord Greengrass was getting from his oldest daughter. His youngest, though, Astoria, a nine year old brunette with the same startling blue eyes, was having a great time twigging her sister about 'how lucky she was' to be marrying the Boy-Who-Lived, and how she must be 'ever so pleased' Harry was 'such a good looking boy', plus others.

Lady Greengrass, or Isabel as he was invited to call the lady, appeared quite amused by her youngest's antics but Lord Greengrass appeared to wince on occasion by some of the more outrageous things the young girl said. Harry quickly worked out that Lord Greengrass, Cygnus, was clearly under orders not to say anything in response and take whatever was said as yet more part-payment for the betrothal contract.

Harry didn't know whether to laugh or be horrified by some of the things the young girl said. Instead, he decided Cygnus was on his own and hunkered down in his chair hoping to not draw attention to himself.

It wasn't until young Astoria, Tori, sweetly asked her father when he was going to arrange a betrothal contract for her and some bloke named Cedric Diggory - because he was 'dreamy' - that Isabel finally stepped in and called a halt to it. Harry almost laughed out loud when he saw the look of gratitude on Cygnus's face when he looked at his wife.

He could not, however, stop the slight snort of amusement that escaped his lips. And that started Daphne in on him. Clearly, the girl had been bottling up her anger at the situation and she had decided to unload her ire on Harry.

"You might think this is funny, Harry James Potter, but I don't," she snipped. "No modern family uses betrothal contracts, these days; and I'm not pleased I'm subjected to one forcing me to marry you!"

"Peace, my Lady!" replied Harry softly with raised hands. "It appears I'm as much the victim of a prank carried out in August 1980 by Sirius Black as you. I assure you, the man is lucky he's currently incarcerated in Azkaban and out of my personal reach."

Not knowing how to respond she just glared back.

Harry thought, 'Ha! Hopefully, I've headed that particular rant off.'

He also noticed Cygnus make a small gesture with his wine goblet as if offering him a toast of congratulations.

"So," she asked with a lower venomous voice, obviously changing tactics, "Am I that repulsive?"

"No, no! Not at all!" replied Harry. "I'm more worried we'd be introduced as Lady Potter and her husband, that Harry bloke; or, that I'd be completely ignored, lost in the shadows of your radiant beauty!"

That stunned the table until Astoria piped up and said, "Oooohhh! He's good!" Before turning to her sister and saying, "If you don't want him, Daffy, I'll take him! I wouldn't mind being Lady Potter if he's going to say things like that."

That elicited an unladylike snort from Isabel and a grin from Cygnus.

Though her cheeks pinked a bit, Daphne just huffed, ignored everyone, and proceeded to assassinate her roast potatoes with her flatware.

"Round One to the future Lord Potter, methinks," muttered Isabel to her husband.

Harry was glad of the time he'd run out of reading material and 'borrowed' a couple of his aunt's 'Penny Dreadful' romance novellas to read until he could get more books.

Over dessert, talk turned to which Houses Harry and Daphne thought they might be sorted into. Daphne thought she might be in Slytherin or Ravenclaw, while Harry thought Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

When Isabel asked why those two Houses, Harry replied, "I think I'm smart enough to make my way in Ravenclaw, plus I've heard they have their own library in their common room that I would love to have access to. And I know that Hufflepuff House get's a bad rep, but I've no problem with being considered a hard worker and loyal to friends and family.

"Though my father and his friends were in Gryffindor, I don't want to be there just because it's expected of me. Besides, I don't really consider myself all that brave. At least, I don't consider bravery as a defining feature over my other qualities. That would make me seem all brawn and no brain.

"And I'm not interested in Slytherin because, while I consider myself to be somewhat cunning, and I may be able to carry off 'guile' if I worked at it, I don't think I'm all that ambitious. Unless you consider growing up to be a good father and husband and a self-responsible man to be an ambition.

"How about you, Daphne?" he asked.

"Unlike you, I think I'd manage to carry off cunning and guile quite well. And I'm certainly ambitious," she replied before lowering her head and the timbre of her voice with sadness. "However, it's rather pointless for me to be ambitious now, isn't it?"

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