The Boy Who Lived

The Gamekeeper and the Librarian

The door of the Hall opened to reveal Luna who promptly enveloped Harry in a big hug, then took his hand and led him towards the gardens.

'It's good that you have such large windows here, sunshine is good, Harry. And we need to find you dittany, betony, flitterbloom, and lots of lavender plants; they have beautiful calming properties and we should fill the house with them. They will help.'

Harry called Tilly and Carls and introduced them to Luna. Luna reiterated her instructions.

'Of course, Miss Luna, I is having all those plants in the gardens and greenhouses and I is very happy to be filling the house with them, especially Master Harry's room.'

'Harry?' Dray was calling Harry from the front door of the Hall. Teddy was with him and ran to Harry's arms.

'What's going on, Da?'

'Everyone's just helping me out for the moment, Champ' Harry said, swinging the boy around in his arms. 'We're trying to sort out the mess.'

Draco was signalling Harry over so Harry went to meet him, still carrying Teddy even though it was as if Draco and Harry couldn't help reaching for each other.

'Pince and Tweazle have asked if a friend of theirs can come over, a Madame Hebe Knipping, she seems to have been a prodigy to Pince at Hogwarts and went on to run the Magical Literature Reading Room at the British Library in London before it got absorbed into the Ministry. She could, potentially, be the one to help get your idea off the ground here but we can leave that until we know what she's like and this is all sorted. Also...' Draco faltered.

'What, Dray?'

'Dumbledore suggested that my mother comes and helps with the research too, apparently she was rather good at researching obscure spells at school.'

'I know what you said about your mother but I think it's a good idea. Send Ossy and Letty and I'll swear them in when I get back. It's a chance for you, Dray. Use the excuse to try and patch things ups. She's welcome to stay as long as you both want. Listen, if I'm turning all this into a coherent library, we should amalgamate with the books from Grimmauld Place, so potentially we need Kreacher's and Ruby's help with this too, will you talk to them? Also, any potentially dark books which need a Ministry licence will need to be kept separate and somewhere safe. Same with any very rare or precious books. I can create a locked cabinet when I get back and we also need to consider what we do with Merlin's book...'

'Don't worry about the library, you've got the right experts here to help you. Hermione's got hold of Merlin's book, she won't let it go. I don't think she wants the others to know you have it.'

'Okay, we'll keep it that way for the moment.'

Draco pulled Harry into his arms and Teddy wriggled away with a squeal of 'Ew! Da!' and charged off after Hercules.

Draco kissed Harry softly, his tongue finding Harry's briefly.

'Don't...' Harry moaned into his mouth.

'We'll solve this,' he whispered as he reluctantly pulled away. 'Stop worrying about the books, Pince and Tweazle are on the case; it'll be ordered in no time. You don't need to think about it. Let Luna take care of you this morning. She's enough calming aura that you won't need my potion. Now, chip-chop...'

Harry wondered if this was going to become a thing where Draco turned him around and slapped his arse to demonstrate he'd been dismissed... He quite liked it...

Luna, Teddy and Harry wandered towards the woodlands near the lake with Tilly and he discussed his grandmother and her rare breeds and he put his proposition to Luna. He could see she was attracted to the idea; she was without a stable income, relying on her occasional articles between her expeditions and helping her father. Harry said he was happy for Pansy to join Luna, if they were becoming a permanent part of each other's lives.