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A Fortuitous Arrangement Ch. 1
🕑 Added 2023-06-14 16:01:01 +0000 UTCBlurb:
There was very little Sirius Black and Amelia Bones had in common. The one thing they did share was a ruthless determination to do right by their wards. Sirius resolves to help Harry become the man his parents would have wanted him to be while Amelia swears to do everything in her power to keep her niece safe.
Amelia’s refusal to believe Fudge’s lies after Voldemort’s return leads her to seek out Harry for a meeting and a proposal that will change all their lives…
(Hogwarts starts at 14. Confident! Mature! Harry. Harry/Susan/Hermione/Daphne.)
Content Warnings: Nothing.
How an adorable redhead wearing nothing but a sheer nightgown ended up as his wife and in his bed was a long and complicated story. But, Harry supposed as he climbed up the stairs to the room he now shared with his wife, it was completely on par with the insanity that was his life. As Tonks had pointed out, between defeating basilisks and men with two faces, the prospect of marrying a girl after a week of courtship wasn’t the most terrifying challenge he had faced. As for the demand that Susan get pregnant within a year to ensure the safety of the Bones family legacy… his parents had him when they were not much older and they had been in the middle of a war too.
Had the deal proposed by Amelia Bones come as a shock? Yes.
Should it have been?
In hindsight, probably not.
---
A week ago:
“Do you have any idea why she’s asked for this meeting?” Harry asked, nervously tugging on his formal dress robes. Sirius had helped him change out his entire wardrobe over the preceding year, but some of the more formal clothes still felt alien on his body. He just wasn’t used to shirts that actually fit instead of hanging off his frame like a tent!
“I don’t know. If I had to guess?” Sirius speculated, helping Harry flatten his messy hair. “She refuses to swallow the shit Fudge is shoveling her way. First the whole fiasco of sentencing Crouch Jr. to a dementor’s kiss without letting her question him and now this? She knows something is up and wants to get to the bottom of it. That, or she’s pissed he’s undercutting her authority as Head of the DMLE”
“She’s tough but fair,” Tonks added, leaning against the wall, waiting for Harry to finish getting ready so she could escort him to her boss. “Sexy too. She’s got those tired hot girl vibes that just make you want to pull her into your lap and kiss her worries away.”
Sirius looked at Tonks strangely. “You’ve got issues.”
“Hey man, I blame my insane family. Bellatrix Lestrange is my aunt, it’s a small wonder the weirdest thing about me is my preference for older women with thick thighs and a perfect ass.”
Harry chuckled nervously. He’d gotten used to Tonks’ irreverent humor in the week he had spent with her. Much closer to them in age than the other members of the Order, the Auror trainee usually spent her evenings with him, Hermione, and Ron. “Alright. Let’s go before Mrs. Weasley finds us.”
Amelia Bones had sent explicit instructions to keep their meeting under wraps and very little stayed secret once Mrs. Weasley found out. He supposed she wanted to keep it hidden from Fudge, which was why they were meeting in her office well after the Ministry closed for the day.
“Alright, let’s go.” Tonks nodded to Sirius before she walked out of Number 12, Grimmauld Place with Harry. They walked down the dark and deserted street until they reached the corner and Tonks extended a hand towards Harry.
Harry held onto it, grimacing as he felt a familiar tug on his navel. Tonks apparated them right in front of the Telephone Booth Mr. Weasley had used to access the building when he’d given him a tour of the Ministry in preparation for his trial.
“If anyone asks you’re here because you forgot something in Mr. Weasley’s office and us traveling together is a sheer coincidence. We don’t know each other,” Tonks warned as they piled into the booth. She pressed ‘nine’ nine times and watched as the charmed glass panes darkened before the elevator shuddered and slowly carried them down to the Atrium.
“Got it.” Harry nodded. Fortunately, they encountered no one but the bored security guard who registered their wands and let them into the main building. They took one of the many empty lifts down to the third floor and walked across the empty cubicles dotting the large space to the door at the very end.
‘Amelia Bones’
No fancy titles. As Harry entered the spartan and utilitarian office, he realized that Amelia Bones wasn’t a woman who enjoyed extravagance. The room was comfortable and warm, but just as plain as Mr. Weasley’s tiny office had been. Most of the space was occupied by a large desk crammed with memos, files, and rolls of parchment. The woman seated behind the desk mirrored the room when it came to simplicity. Amelia Bones was dressed in a plain black robe. Her fiery red hair was secured in a severe bun eerily similar to Professor McGonagall’s preferred hairstyle.
“Boss.” Tonks nodded respectfully when the woman looked up from the letter she had been reading.
“Thank you, Tonks. Did you run into anyone?”
“Nope. I’ll wait outside, yeah?” Tonks squeezed Harry’s shoulder before walking out of the office.
Harry waited for the door to shut behind him before he walked over to one of the chairs arranged in front of the large desk and sat down on it, stiff as a board.
“I didn’t do it,” Harry said firmly after a minute of silence. He stared into the pale green eyes of the stern woman seated across the desk without flinching. He had learned many things from Sirius during their weekly meetings in the cave he had used as his hiding place throughout the Triwizard Tournament, but the most important lesson his godfather had taught him was to always have a healthy skepticism of those in power. Fudge had never been his friend. His godfather had proven to be surprisingly prescient when he had warned that the Minister was simply using him as a tool to further his own agenda. It had taken Fudge a mere hour to go from a ‘friendly man’ who deeply cared about him to vilifying him as a dangerous murderer.
He had readily accepted the meeting with Amelia Bones, the woman who had replaced the now-deceased Barty Crouch Sr. as Head of the DMLE once he had been shunted to the Department of Magical Cooperation after the end of the previous war. But he didn’t expect her to do anything. She worked for Fudge after all, and the man was working overtime to brand Harry as a lunatic who had been responsible for the death of a fellow Hogwarts student.
Cedric’s death still stung. There were days he feared his friend would never get justice. Voldemort was back, and the entire Ministry was trying to bury its head in the sand instead of preparing for the coming war.
Amelia quirked an eyebrow. “Are you saying you did not cast a Patronus in front of a muggle in a tunnel in Little Whinging seven days ago, thereby breaking the International Statute of Secrecy?” He could detect a hint of admiration in her stern voice.
“No,” Harry corrected himself quickly. “I did that. But only because there were two dementors pursuing us and I had to save my cousin and myself.”
“You might not know this, but the dementors guarding Azkaban are under the direct control of the Minister of Magic. He exercises his authority through his Senior Undersecretary. Miss Umbridge-” Amelia struggled to keep a neutral expression as she brought up the distasteful woman. “The Senior Undersecretary has conducted an investigation based on your claims and informed me that no dementors were unaccounted for on the night of the supposed attack.”
“And you believe her?” Harry asked simply. His days of meekly following the instructions of those around him were over. His uncle had done a lot of damage to him growing up, but instilling in him the idea that he always had to obey those in positions of authority had perhaps been the most harmful, and it was something that had taken Sirius an entire year to undo. The final nail in the coffin had been Fudge’s casual dismissal of Voldemort’s return, followed by Dumbledore keeping him isolated for the entire summer instead of helping him prepare to face his nemesis.
He had been trapped in Number 4, Privet Drive, plagued by nightmares every night and slowly losing his mind, all while being cut off from his friends and having to bear Dudley’s constant taunting. Sirius had sent Tonks and Kingsley to fetch him and bring him to Grimmauld Place after the attack and saved his sanity.
“As a matter of fact, I make it a habit not to believe anything Dolores Umbridge says,” Amelia said, rapping her fingers against the polished oak desk thoughtfully. “Which is why I am conducting this investigation on my own. This is off the books Mr. Potter and I hope you understand I’m putting myself in grave danger just by meeting you. A lot of people have a vested interest in seeing you convicted and exiled from the Wizarding World.” She chuckled at the surprised expression on Harry’s face. “Not everyone in this building thinks you’re Morgana’s spawn, Mr. Potter. My niece speaks highly of you.”
“Susan?” Harry had spoken to the quiet, shy Hufflepuff on a few occasions, and often paired up with her for Herbology, but he hadn’t thought they were close enough for her to mention him to her aunt.
“Yes. You’ve left… quite an impression on her,” Amelia murmured with a small smile on her face. “She is part of the reason why I’m going against the Minister’s explicit orders. She insists you’re innocent of the charges brought against you, but I must admit Harry… may I call you Harry?”
Harry nodded.
“Harry, the idea of dementors leaving their post in Azkaban and traveling all the way to Little Whinging seems a little far-fetched. If they did do what you claim, they either acted under the orders of the Undersecretary, or they are no longer under the control of the Minister. Both of which are unthinkable, and I would be laughed out of Wizengamot if I were to suggest them as possibilities without any proof to back me up.”
“You could question me under the effects of Veritaserum,” Harry offered quickly, remembering Dumbledore’s plan for Barty Crouch Jr.
“That is a good idea, but the truth potion is not infallible. You could have been under the delusion that dementors were attacking you. This would reduce the severity of your offense but might not be enough for an acquittal, especially with both Fudge and Malfoy actively whipping votes against you. Not to mention, Fudge would undoubtedly use this argument in Wizengamot and then use his own words to imply that you are-”
“Losing my mind,” Harry muttered.
“Yes.” Amelia coughed. “Veritaserum cannot detect falsehoods you believe to be true. Some people also have an innate resistance to its effects, and Susan tells me you’re incredibly adept at shrugging off the Imperius…”
“Yes,” Harry said, deflating.
“I could take a look at your memories,” Amelia offered. “I am a good enough Legilimens to recognize a delusion when I see it. If you are telling the truth, I will open an official investigation and gather more proof since memories on their own will not be enough. They too can be altered. If, on the other hand, you're not…”
“Do it,” Harry said, before suddenly pausing, a panicked expression on his face. Giving the woman access to his mind meant not only showing her the dementors that had attacked him and Dudley but also things he would die before revealing to the Head of the DMLE. “No. I refuse. You can’t have access to my thoughts.”
“You realize your refusal is hurting your claim that you’re innocent, Harry,” Amelia said softly.
“Can… Will you have access to all my memories?” Harry asked. He had no idea what Legilimency was. He had very little knowledge about so many things he needed to know, something he had only realized after Sirius pointed it out to him. He had started to take his study sessions with Hermione seriously (much to Ron’s surprise), but there was a lot his best friend still had to teach him.
“I can understand there might be some things a young man might wish to keep hidden,” Amelia coughed delicately. “While Legilimency is more an art than a science and some bleed over is impossible to prevent, I will try my best to keep my attention focused on the events of the day in question.”
Some bleed over, Harry thought with a sigh. Which meant there was a possibility she could learn of Sirius’ presence in London. That was something he could never allow, not even to prove his own innocence.
“Sorry,” Harry said apologetically. “Thank you for this meeting Madame Bones, but I can’t let you take a look at my memories.”
“Are your secrets really worth getting expelled and having your wand snapped?!” Amelia exclaimed, thoroughly confused by Harry’s unexpected obstinance.
“They are,” Harry said, slowly pushing the chair away from the desk. He was halfway to his feet when he paused and sat back down, a strange expression on his face. From what Tonks had told him and from what he himself could gauge, Amelia Bones was a tough but pragmatic woman who believed only in cold, hard facts.
Maybe there’s a way I can kill two birds with one stone… Harry thought with a wide grin. Spending all that time with Hermione is paying off.
He turned to a highly confused Amelia and extended his hand. “You can look at my memories if you make me a promise.”
“I can’t commit to anything before I know what you’re asking from me, Harry.”
“I want you to look at all my memories. Not just the day of the attack, I want you to go back and look at everything.”
“That will take hours and hours. The mental strain would incapacitate us both for days if not weeks.”
“Alright. Just focus on all my years in Hogwarts, then.”
“All four years?”
Harry nodded.
“Why?”
“You’ll see. I need you to promise you’ll look at everything without fail and keep an open mind. That’s all.”
“I promise,” Amelia said solemnly, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the desk. Harry copied her actions and allowed her hands to cup his cheeks. “Keep your eyes locked with mine.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The feeling of another mind intruding inside his was indescribable. It was like an uncomfortable itch inside his head. An itch that no amount of scratching would drive away. Still, Harry stubbornly held on even as he lost track of time, letting the woman have access to all his memories. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
He couldn’t always keep track of the ones she was studying but he did notice she slowed down whenever she came across a memory that involved Sirius, the Dursleys, or Susan. She also went back to the day of the Dementor attack several times, and Harry had no idea if that was a good or bad thing. His heart hammered in his chest at the risk he was taking, but he had seen the effect being stuck in the house was having on his godfather and if there was even a tiny chance he could be free, Harry planned to do everything in his power to make it happen.
If Amelia Bones didn’t believe him, he’d simply start acting like a crazy person and claim all his memories were fantasies conjured up by his unsound mind.
After what felt like an eternity Amelia slumped back in her chair, her face pale. “He’s really back…” she whispered hoarsely. She nervously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’m sorry,” Harry murmured, knowing it was news no one wanted to hear. At least she didn’t seem to think he was off his rocker. He was breathing heavily, trying not to give into a trauma spiral after being forced to relive the memory of the graveyard and Voldemort’s resurrection. Cedric’s lifeless, glassy eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life.
“Did Susan ever tell you about her parents?” Amelia asked after a long, uncomfortable silence.
“I don’t think she ever brought it up.”
“The current Head Auror is a man called Rufus Scrimgeour. He’s a capable man, but not quite as brilliant as my brother was. His wife, Susan’s mother… she was an Unspeakable who specialized in soul magic. They were… they were so happy the day Susan was born,” Amelia whispered, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. “It didn’t matter that there was a war raging. Make no mistake. They fought, and they fought hard for a world free from darkness for their little girl. They were part of your Order-”
“You know?”
Amelia chuckled humorlessly. “About Dumbledore’s secret society? Yes, I know. They joined it because they believed they’d make a difference. Maybe that’s why he killed them. Nobody knows what exactly You-Know-Who wanted from them. But Rodolphus Lestrange testified he killed them personally. Dumbledore could have faced the bastard head on but he never did,” Amelia said bitterly. “He was fine with the people fighting for him and his cause dropping dead like flies. It’s why I’ve never joined the Order even though I turn a blind eye when the Aurors under me do. I can’t fight for a man who did nothing to save my brother and sister-in-law.”
“I’m sorry,” Harry whispered softly.
“Susan, was home that day, you know? She only survived because they hid her cot in the chimney. Because they tripped the warning wards in their hurry to get to my brother, You-Know-Who and his followers didn’t have time to search for her before the Aurors arrived. When I came to get her she was covered in soot and struggling to breathe. She still does, in winter and when she’s stressed. The healers in Mungo’s can’t figure out what’s wrong,” Amelia muttered, massaging her forehead. “She would have died that day. I haven’t been… maybe I haven’t been able to raise her like her parents would have wanted but she is my everything, Harry.”
“I know the feeling,” Harry murmured, thinking of Sirius. Just like him, Amelia only had one person left in the whole wide world.
“I’m under no delusions. Fudge sees me as a threat. Dumbledore doesn’t care for me. I’m tilting at windmills and now that You-Know-Who is back, I’ll probably be dead within the next six months.”
“We can-”
“You can’t save me, Harry,” Amelia said with a sad smile. “But you can help me. And I can help you.”
“How?”
“I will make sure you are acquitted at your trial, and I will work tirelessly to gather evidence that proves Sirius is innocent. As I’ve mentioned, memories can be altered and your testimony can’t be the only basis for reopening his case. But it is a good starting point, because I know where to dig and what to look for.”
“What do you want in return?”
“Susan’s safety.”
Harry blinked. “I’m not sure I follow.”
“You faced down a basilisk for a girl you went on one date with.”
“Ginny was… is a good friend. I’d have done that for anyone,” he murmured, his cheeks warm.
“I’ll be blunt Harry. I want you to marry Susan after courting her for a week.”
“I-what?!” Harry spluttered. “A week?”
“It needs to happen before the trial.”
“Why?”
“Because I might die soon after it concludes. I plan to make a lot of enemies during your trial and I want to make sure Susan is protected before I take any risks. So, if you two don’t hate each other after a week of courtship, you marry her and promise to keep her safe and happy.”
“What if we don’t get along? We’ve only ever been friends and we aren’t particularly close.”
“Then I won’t force you to marry her, Harry. I don’t plan to blackmail you. I’ll help you regardless of whether you marry her, but I hope even if you don’t… you’ll swear an oath to keep her safe.”
Harry nodded slowly. “Why marriage if that’s an option?”
“It legally binds you two together and that extra layer of security sets my mind at ease. Plus, it would be remiss of me not to help my niece get with the man she’s been crushing on for the last three years,” Amelia said with a quiet chuckle.
Harry sat there with a dumbstruck expression on his face.
“I take it you didn’t pick up on her shy attempts at flirting?”
“Quite a few people have pointed out that I can be uh… oblivious when it comes to matters of the heart,” Harry said wryly. Susan asking him if he had a date to the Yule Ball after they had just spent an exhausting lesson repotting screaming mandrakes suddenly made a lot more sense.
“I see. Well, despite your obliviousness, I am glad you have no problem being with two women. If you marry Susan, you will take the Bones name. You will need another wife to ensure the Potter lineage does not die with you,” Amelia pointed out.
Harry blushed and squirmed in his seat. Amelia had seemingly taken his request to see all his memories very seriously. He just hoped she hadn’t paid too much attention to the memories of his time with Lavender and Parvati. He had tried his best to hide them, but it was impossible for his unskilled mind to completely obscure them from a skilled Legilimens. “A problem for the future, I think,” Harry mumbled.
“One last thing, Harry.”
“Yes?” Harry asked, glad they were moving on.
“If you do decide to marry Susan, I can accept a rushed courtship and a shotgun wedding, but the marriage itself shall respect the traditions our families have followed for centuries. It will be an affair befitting the union of two Ancient and Noble Houses. That includes a proper marriage contract to protect her sizable inheritance. It will also have a clause demanding that the couple earnestly try to sire a child within one year of marriage. If you talk to your godfather, he’ll explain the type of clauses these agreements typically contain. A union between two Houses is no small matter,” Amelia said seriously. “Especially since both of you are the last remaining members of your lineages.”
Fuck, spoke too soon, Harry thought, stunned speechless. Lady, when Lavender said I had a breeding kink, she was joking. I think. He stubbornly ignored the stirring in his loins at the thought of starting a family of his own.
Perhaps giving her access to all his memories hadn’t been the smartest move.
I mean, would it be so bad? Susan is absolutely stunning, imagine her with our-
Shut up, Harry thought, glaring at his crotch. He had picked the worst possible time to start thinking with his cock instead of his head.
Every single man in Hogwarts lusts after her. And she has a crush on you, the annoying voice in the back of his head pointed out. Imagine her soft body under yours, your face resting on her chest as she-
“Fuck,” he swore, forgetting where he was for a second. You’re a dick, he thought, glaring at the tent that was forming in his pants.
He looked up to see Amelia staring at her with raised eyebrows. He weighed his options. Perhaps it was his suddenly awakened lust talking, but her proposal didn’t sound too bad. If he got cold feet, he could just back out at the end of the week without repercussions. The worst-case scenario was that he’d get closer to one of his friends and swear to protect her, something he’d have done even without an oath binding him.
“You have a deal, Madame Bones,” Harry muttered with a sigh.
Notes:
The story is a Commission by one of my wonderful Patrons! I was originally going to release it next month but I wanted to get it published so I could set up a proper upload schedule for all my long stories which I have now done so you can expect all your favorite ongoing stories to be updated regularly. I am now closed to new commissions except for requests from the Hot Chocolate and Water Tiers until I finish the ones I have accepted. Oh, and please join the Discord Server if you want to talk to me and discuss my stories/see art!
Comments
R. Collins
Thanks for pointing it out, I can't believe I missed it. I'll correct it!
Chichi son
That, he had told him, she’d get when he cleared his name. It didn’t mean they did nothing at all, however. told her?
R. Collins
I don't write too much of any one thing, making sure there's a variety so all my readers can enjoy. So the story (or any other story for that matter) will not be focused on bondage and I can assure you it won't feature in every chapter.
R. Collins
There's another chapter coming out tomorrow!
LT Butterfly287
Honestly I kind of hope you don't do more bondage here, never really been a fan of such things.
Sonny Edgerton
Excited for more
Erinnyes
Awesome opener!
