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Harry sighed as Fleur fixed up his tie. “Maybe I got really sick an hour ago and we have to reschedule.”
“We already rescheduled once,” Fleur reminded him.
“That was because your father had a meeting. I had nothing to do with that.”
“And you were ecstatic regardless.” Fleur stepped back to evaluate her work. “You’ve met Andi and Ted. You’ve met Dan and Emma. You’ve met Cyrus and Cylenthene. You need to meet my parents, and Gabby’s parents.”
“I know,” Harry said in a resigned tone. “I know.” Of all the parents of his girls, Apolline and Pierre were the ones that were the frostiest towards him. Tonks’s parents wished him the best of luck. Hermione’s were still too awed by magic to speak against him. Daphne and Astoria’s were understanding of how part-animal witches could be with certain wizards. “Thank Merlin Cylenthene doesn’t have a sister,” Cyrus told Harry more than once. The parents of his french veela were deliberately cold and frosty, especially ever since he sent Gabby her collar.
“I love you, mon amor.” Fleur pecked him on the lips. “But I also love my parents. I cannot have these two parts of my life split in half anymore.”
“Promise to protect me?”
Fleur scowled. “Did I put on the collar of a weak wizard, who needs to hide behind somebody else’s skirts?”
Harry was stung by her words. “No need to be mean.”
“You say you want my parents to like you? Then charm them. Show off how happy Gabby and I are to be yours.”
“I don’t think your parents will appreciate me showing you off.”
“Nonsense,” Fleur dismissed Harry’s concerns. “Every parent wants to know that their daughters are valued by their owner.”
“Do not call me your owner tonight,” Harry pleaded. “I won’t complain about this again, just don’t do that.”
Fleur arched an eyebrow. “You would have me hide something so important from the man and woman who raised me?”
“...No?”
“Good. Besides, Gabby and I have already told them. Come now, they are waiting.”
Harry stepped through the Floo with a sinking feeling in his stomach, arm and arm with Fleur. She kept him from stumbling out of the Floo on the other side. Harry wasn’t typically a clumsy person but with this method of magical travel he was as bad as Dora.
The evening started out pleasantly. Gabby greeted him with a quick peck on the lips, taking his free arm for his own. She was boldly wearing her collar, the blue leather marking her much the same as Fleur’s diamond-encrusted collar did.
“Monsieur Potter,” Pierre Delacour greeted him stiffly. A short man with a sharp goatee, Fleur and Gabrielle’s father could look intimidating even when looking up at you.
“You can definitely call me Harry by now.”
“Come, Monsieur Potter.” Apolline was a veela and thus looked much like an older version of her daughters. “Dinner is waiting.”
“Mother,” Fleur said reproachfully. “You could be more respectful to our owner.”
Apolline’s blue eyes were piercing as she glared at Harry. “I am nothing but respectful, daughter. Follow me.”
Harry sighed internally. This was looking to be a rough night.
Dinner was lovely as Fleur insisted all meals in France were, steak frites with onion soup on the side and genuine champagne. Gabrielle was limited to one glass but she ignored that directive until Harry told her to listen to her parents. If Apolline and Pierre appreciated that they didn’t show it.
“How is your work, daughter?” Apolline spoke in English for Harry’s benefit.
“Tiring at times, but rewarding. Dora is a good roommate.”
“And you are still staying in Hogwarts, non?”
Fleur shrugged. “For the moment. We are looking for a bigger place.”
“I want a perch like Fleur has,” Gabby insisted cutely.
“We’re considering tearing down my parent’s old cottage in Godric’s Hollow,” Harry said. “And building a new place specifically designed for everyone.”
“That would be a large house,” Pierre said pointedly. “How many of you are there?”
“Seven.” Harry hoped he didn’t sound timid as he waited for the reaction of the reminded that both of Pierre and Apolline’s children were members of what most boys termed a harem.
“Six pets are a lot of work,” Fleur cut in lightly. “But Harry is more than up to the task.”
“How are the others doing?” Gabby asked. “I miss them.”
“They miss you too,” Harry said. As she still lived in France while going to school, Gabrielle sometimes felt on the edge of things. “Astoria says to write more.”
“Astoria is the little wolf one,” Apolline remembered.
“She’s getting pretty big now,” Harry said. Astoria was just a hair shorter than Daphne, and well into her monthly puppy phases.
“And did you give her a collar at the same time as her sister?” Pierre asked pointedly.
“He did it the same time I made him send me mine,” Gabby said casually. Harry froze, deciding not speaking at all was the best way to avoid provoking anybody.
“And me as well,” Fleur added, taking a delicate bite out of the last of her steak frites.
Apolline and Pierre also froze as well. “You made him send it?”
Gabrielle nodded. “He was very stubborn about it. At times we’ve had to educate him about how to treat your pets. Harry wasn’t allowed any growing up.”
“You never mentioned that, daughter.”
Harry facepalmed. “Of course she didn’t.”
“I thought it was obvious,” Gabby defended herself.
“We owe you a great apology,” Pierre told Harry. “We thought our Gabby was coerced into this, and that she wouldn’t receive the attention she deserves from somebody with five other pets.”
“Six of them. There’s six of them and not a single one ever learned how to communicate with another human being.”
Fleur laughed at the misunderstanding. “I assure you, Harry gives us lots of attention. Isn’t that right?”
Harry still had his face in his hands lamenting the communication skills of his pets so it fell on Gabby to answer. “We are all very happy with him.”
“Then you must ensure that he is happy with you.” Apolline spoke in French to her younger daughter. “Your oversight has caused your owner much grief. Is that how I raised you to behave?”
“What is she saying?” Harry asked Fleur.
“Don’t worry, they’re on your side with this.”
“Harry, you mentioned building a place with your pets in mind.” Pierre’s tone was totally flipped now, warm and inviting. “If the Potter coffers cannot bear the load, rest assured that we will not leave our daughters out in the rain.”
Harry was still trying to process the switch. “So you are cool with this now?”
“Of course.” Apolline pulled out a necklace from where it was hiding under her shirt. On the end of it was a large metal plaque with words in French that Harry couldn’t read. “All veela love having our owners. Typically however, we do not share.”
“He is worth it,” Fleur said, laying her head on Harry’s shoulder.
“I feel the need to apologize,” Apolline told Harry, “for apparently raising my youngest daughter not to be mindful for her owner.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Harry said quickly. “Gabby is great.”
“You’re going to need to worry about it,” Pierre warned. “With Gabrielle and five others.”
“He’s getting better,” Fleur said. “He’s even started using leashes at times.”
Harry sputtered. “Your parents don’t need to know that!”
Apolline nodded in approval. “Good. Leashes are a good way to keep a litter in line. I would recommend a pair of bird cages as well for when they get really troublesome.”
“Ooh, like the one you have in your room mama,” Gabrielle said excitedly. She turned to Harry. “I want a bird cage! I’ll decorate it with lots of pillows and it can sway in the breeze as I sleep.”
“What do you want a birdcage for?” Harry asked in bewilderment.
“For when we’re bad pets and you need space from us,” Gabby explained like that was obvious. “We both need one.”
“Oh, and should I get kennels for the rest of the girls?” Harry asked, throwing his hands up in the air.
Fleur and Gabby looked at him like he was crazy. “Why would Hermione go in a kennel?” Fleur asked. “She’s a cat.”
“Cats don’t go in kennels,” Gabrielle agreed.
“My mistake,” Harry muttered.
“See?” Pierre said. “Two good birdcages you can hang from the ceiling. Absolute necessity.”
“Do you want to see mine?” Apolline asked.
-Line Break-
Dora was trying to chase her own tail as Harry led her inside. It was her parent’s own house but she insisted that he be the one to lead her in like she was the guest. “We’re here!”
“Oh good Harry!” The voice of Andromeda Tonks came from the next room. “Come on in, Ted is just getting some stuff set up outside!”
Dora’s fox ears twitched on her head and she sniffed the air. “Spagetti.”
“I can tell that with my human nose.”
Sure enough, the pureblood lady, once of an ancient house, was directing kitchen supplies to stir up the sauce when Harry and Dora walked into the kitchen. Through years of Metamorphmagus transformations Dora typically looked nothing like her birth parents. Andromeda was tall, taller than Harry, with dark hair and eyes that were brown instead of the violet Dora typically wore. “Hullo Mum.”
“Welcome home Nymphadora.” Andromeda was also more reserved than her daughter, a holdover from her upbringing.
Dora pouted. “I've told you not to call me that.”
“It's a lovely name dear,” Andromeda said for the thousandth time in her life. “Do you allow Harry to call you by your name?”
“Dora is better.”
“Your owner can call you what he wants,” Andromeda said sternly. Also from her upbringing were some firm views on how pets should act.
Harry wrapped an arm around his pet's waist, her tail flicking his back. “Dora is good for me too.”
“Very well dear. Head on out back, Ted should have a table set up.”
I'm the backyard Ted did indeed have a table and cloth set for dinner. “Harry.” He greeted his daughter's owner with a clasped wrist. “How has your summer been?”
“Voldemort free so far.”
Ted shuttered. “Don't invoke that name so casually around me, I beg you.”
“If you want.”
Andromeda followed them out, bowls and silverware and food levitating around her. “So Harry,” she said as the table was set. “What issues has my daughter caused for you lately?”
“Excuse me?” Dora protested as she grabbed her food. “I am a very stress free pet.”
“Dora's been great,” Harry assured her parents as he sat down. “Most of her days are spent working.”
“I noticed she didn't wait for her owner to start eating,” Andromeda said pointedly.
Dora froze with a forkfull of spaghetti in her mouth. “Oohpsish.”
“You're fine,” Harry said quickly. “I don't worry about things like that. I have bigger things to worry about.”
He told the story of how Gabrielle hadn't informed her parents whose idea her collar was. Ted found it hilarious. “Still better than the one time I met Andi's parents. We passed them on the street one time.”
“Her mother was right to be upset with her,”
Andromeda said with a sniff. “And from somebody raised to be a pet as well. You are a very forgiving owner Harry.”
“Everybody makes mistakes,” Harry said a little uncomfortably. Sometimes people acted like he should be far more controlling of his girlfriends. “Hey Dora, go fetch me a glass of water.” She bounded out of her seat, tail wagging. His girlfriends loved “fetch.” One time Harry kept throwing a ball to the other side of the room and telling Dora to go fetch it. The game kept her happy for an hour.
“You mentioned you are buying cages for your birds?” Andromeda asked.
“It was a suggestion from their mother, I don’t really-”
“That’s a lovely idea,” Andromeda cut him off. “Nymphadora deserves a kennel as well I think.”
“I could have used a kennel while raising her a time or two,” Ted agreed.
“Watcha talking about?” Dora asked as she returned with Harry’s water.
“Harry suggested buying you a kennel,” Andromeda answered.
“I what?”
“That sounds cozy,” Dora said. “I can put it in my room and make it a den within a den.”
“Your owner decides where your kennel goes.”
Dora turned to Harry. “Can the kennel go in my room? I promise I’ll be good.” She leaned in to whisper something.
Harry turned red and choked on his food. “The kennel can go in your room.”
-Line Break-
Harry knocked on the door of Hermione’s childhood home. There was a rush of footsteps and Hermione opened the door, trying to pretend like she hadn’t just run through half the house to beat her parents there.
“I got you flowers.” Harry held out the bouquet of roses he’d bought for her.
“That’s sweet of you.”
Harry said hello to Dan and Emma once inside. They knew him decently well after he spent most of a summer living in their house to escape the Dursleys. Unlike the parents of all his other girls, Hermione’s family were muggles and unused to the oddities of the wizarding community. Harry went out of his way to be respectful of Hermione around them and didn’t bring the other girls around, and they stayed silent on his polygamy, and the collar Hermione insisted on wearing everywhere.
“We made homemade toffies if you want to try one,” Emma told Harry.
“Hermione, go fetch me one of those,” Harry said without thinking. He winced once he remembered where he was.
“Yes Harry.” If Hermione saw anything wrong she didn’t say it.
“Fetch?” Emma asked with narrowed eyes.
“It’s fun,” Hermione told her mum. “I know I’m a cat but if the other girls get to do it, so do I. You and dad should try it sometime.”
“I think I’ll pass on that one sweetie.”
Hermione shrugged. “Your loss.”
Harry looked at Dan and circled one finger near his ear in the universal sign for crazy.
“So is this an uh, a cat thing then?” Dan asked his daughter as Harry sampled the toffee.
“Well like I said it’s not exactly a cat thing,” Hermione answered. “I’m the only cat I know that plays fetch. At first I mostly didn’t want to be left out.”
“Does your own cat play fetch?” Emma asked, clearly confused.
“Crookshanks?” Hermione laughed. “Crookshanks isn't a cat, he's a kneazle.”
“But you're a cat.”
Hermione flicked her tail. “Of course.”
“I see,” Emma said in a tone that suggested she in fact saw nothing. “But you can still hold a job, correct?”
“Yes,” Harry answered quickly.
“Maybe,” Hermione corrected. “I have many duties as a pet.” Harry knew most of her “duties” consisted of sunbathing in front of a window for half the day.
“Duties?” Dan asked sharply.
“No duties,” Harry rushes to correct.
Hermione narrowed her eyes. “Are you suggesting that I'm freeloading?”
“Most cats do,” Harry said carelessly.
“Excuse me! I tell you every time Daphne does something wrong!” Despite their now years long friendship, a strong cat-dog rivalry still existed.
“I said most cats,” Harry tried to backtrack. “You aren't like the other cats.”
Hermione’s yellow eyes stayed narrowed. “You aren't just saying that?”
Harry shook his head and pulled her onto his lap. “Of course not.”
“That's ok then.” Hermione curled up in Harry's lap right in front of her parents, tail around his waist. She nudged his head with her own, and Harry reluctantly started scratching her behind the ears, avoiding the gazes of Dan and Emma.
Dan cleared his throat. “Well I must say, the wizarding world seems more interesting every time you visit, Harry.”
Hermione shifted slightly to glare at her father. “Dad, I love you, but if you ever try to interrupt my head scratches again I will leave this house forever.”
-Line Break-
“Hello ma'am,” Harry said politely as Cylenthene greeted him at Greengrass Manor.
Her ears wiggled in a way that Harry knew from her daughters meant amusement. “For the last time, call me Cylenthene.”
“Sorry. It feels strange to call somebody by their first name when they own a house this large.”
“You own my daughters,” Cylenthene said mildly. “I think that warrants a first name basis.”
“I wouldn't put it like that,” Harry said uncomfortably.
Rapid footsteps announced Astoria running down the double staircase in the grand entrance, Daphne following more stately behind. Astoria stopped in front of Harry, doing her best glare. “I'm mad at you,” she declared.
“Astoria,” her mother admonished. “Is that any way to talk to your owner?
Daphne was behind Astoria now, silent for the moment but clearly upset. Her ears were tucked back against her hair. “He promised Dora he would get her a kennel but never promised me,” Astoria protested.
Harry sighed. Clearly, communication between his girls was as effective as ever. “I'll get you a kennel too.” It seems he was doing this. “One even bigger than Dora's.”
“Smaller.”
Harry blinked. “Smaller?”
Astoria nodded. “Because I'm smaller.”
“You better not give me a kennel smaller than that fox's,” Daphne warned.
“Daphne!” Cylenthene turned to Harry. “I'm sorry for how they are.”
“It's fine. Astoria, Daphne, go fetch me something heavy from the far, far side of the manor.”
“Ok!” Astoria ran off, followed by a still more dignified Daphne.
“Cylenthene, I need you to explain something to me.”
“Of course Harry.”
“Nobody explained to me what it means to have pets.”
“You're their owner and they're your pets,” Cylenthene explained like that clarified anything. “If you had a pet dog growl at you, what would you do?”
“Tell it to stop?”
“Or call it a bad dog. Astoria hates being called a bad dog. I do too as a matter of fact. Cyrus used it to train me.”
“But you aren't a pet,” Harry pointed out. “You don't have a collar or anything.”
Cylenthene's smile was wolfish. “Not where you can see.”
Harry flushed slightly. “Oh.”
“Cyrus could give you some advice, but he finds the topic embarrassing. Talk to me instead. Of course as you said, I am not a pet.”
“What's the difference?”
Cylenthene's tail flicked back and forth. “I do not play fetch.”
Cylenthene and Harry went searching for Daphne and Astoria and found them levitating a grandfather clock across the manor. After placing it back they had lunch while Cyrus was out working.
Harry loaded up Daphne and Astoria's plates. He was getting more used to feeding his “pets.”
At one point Astoria broke off her endless chatting to go chasing after a rabbit. “Do you want her doing that?” Cylenthene asked Harry, taking a delicate bite off her fork.
“Astoria!” Harry called out hesitantly. “Umm… bad wolf!”
Astoria immediately turned around, tears in her eyes. “I'm not a bad wolf!”
“Just come back and stop chasing animals.”
“Say I'm a good wolf!”
“If you stop chasing rabbits you'll be a very good wolf,” Harry assured her.
Astoria gladly took her seat again, with one more high-pitched growl to the furry mammal that just escaped her. “That was a low blow,” Daphne said.
“Well done,” Cylenthene said. “A responsible pet owner can't allow their pets to run wild. What if Astoria ran onto somebody else's property because she wasn't paying attention?” If anything, Daphne seemed to approve as well. Astoria was still a little miffed, but she tended to get over things quickly.
“So, about my kennel,” Daphne said. “How big will it be?”
“I don't even know where to get something large enough for you,” Harry said a little tiredly. His girls’ obsession with cages and kennels was getting strange. At least in this Hermione was normal.
“The Magical Menagerie,” Cylenthene told him. “They do custom orders. I imagine you'll need some cages for your birds?”
“I guess so.”
“None of that should be difficult.”
“I'm going to put a sign on mine that says ‘Astoria’s Den.’ And I can cover it in sparkles and pink and purple cushions inside to match Dora's hair.”
Daphne snorted. “Why would you want to match with a fox?”
“You two need to get along.” Harry had made Hermione and Daphne (mostly) set aside their rivalry, he could make Daphne stop hounding after Dora.
“This one thinks she's the alpha's mate,” Cylenthene said, ruffling her eldest daughter's hair. “Maybe a smaller kennel will remind her that's not the case.”
Daphne crossed her arms. “Fine.”
“Speaking of mate,” Cylenthene said casually. “Daphne and Astoria are both old enough, are they not?”
Harry had an idea where this was going and he didn't like it. “For what?”
“When can I expect my first litter of grandchildren?”
Daphne shuddered, and not in a scared or disgusted way, and Astoria got a maniac gleam in her eye. “Not for a long time,” Harry said emphatically. “After Voldemort is dead, and graduation.” He needed Cyrus with him. As it was, he was stuck with two wolf girls and a wolf woman and like all animals wolves prioritize continuing the genetic line in a dangerous world.
“I could only give Cyrus small litters,” Cylenthene said. “And I have three younger brothers. You are the last member of your family. You need to ensure it doesn't die out.”
“What if you die fighting You-Know-Who?” Daphne suggested.
“Don't say that!” Astoria screamed. “He isn't going to die!”
“We don't know anything for certain.” Astoria yelled and tackled her sister, the chair tipping back and claw-like nails tore at clothes.
Harry waded into the midst, grabbing each by her collar and yanking them apart. Astoria had a slight scratch on her cheek, while Daphne's shirt was ripped from her left shoulder. “Enough! Both of you sit back down.”
Cylenthene watched it all without standing up, still eating. “What should you say girls?”
“We're sorry Harry,” they both chorused.
Harry rubbed his eyes. “No puppies. Not now.”
Astoria climbed into Harry's lap while Daphne knelt next to him, her head next to Astoria's leg. “It's ok,” Daphne said. “We understand.”
“And you aren't going to die,” Astoria said firmly.
“Got it. No dying.”
“Wolves are wild animals,” Cylenthene said. “If you want to keep them in public, they have to be domesticated. If they refuse to do that, just lock them up until they behave.”
“And I thought my aunt and uncle were bad.”
-Line Break-
Sirius had given a whole wing of three bedrooms for Harry and his girls to use over the summer. Even better, Gabby was visiting for a month.
One room was the aviary. Two person-sized birdcages hung from gigantic hooks in the ceiling, suspended five feet off the ground. Fleur and Gabby turned into their veela form and hopped up with one push from their wings. Inside the cages were cushions and the remains of several kinds of seed-related foods.
Another was the den. Daphne, Dora, and Astoria all had to share. Astoria had a kennel that was, per request, a tight squeeze even for her that was quite flashy in its interior decor. Dora's was tall enough Harry could comfortably sit up on his knees inside and full of branches and leaves and everything else needed to make a den. Daphne's kennel was a kennel in name only, and that the door locked from the outside. Daphne hardly had to stoop to walk inside, but it made her happy.
The third room was Harry's and in true cat fashion Hermione made her owner's bed her own. In truth, it was where everybody slept most nights. Cages were cozy, until the night got cold and people wanted to cuddle. Hermione expanded the windows floor to ceiling to get her morning sun. And afternoon sun. And early evening sun.
Astoria kissed Harry awake. She was finally old enough to kiss him and took full advantage of it at every opportunity. Every morning became a challenge not to smell some nasty morning breath without offending her.
Fleur shifted on one side of Harry. “Damn this infernal sun.”
“Shouldn't you start chirping when the sun comes up?”
“Veela are predators,” Gabby said from Harry's other side, eyes still closed. “We do not chirp like songbirds.”
“You didn't seem very predatory last night.” But Gabby was already falling back asleep.
Dora slid out of bed, transforming her foxy parts away. “I start in an hour,” she said as she reluctantly removed her collar. It didn't feel right to see Dora without a tail. She didn't act right either. Daphne hated it because Dora wasn't scared of her. Dora didn't like it either but the Auror dress code was strict.
“Have a calm shift,” Harry told her from the bed.
“Kill some Death Eaters,” Daphne encouraged her. Daphne, Astoria, and Hermione were all eager to end Voldemort’s power so that litters of babies would be back on the table. “You have to restart the entire family,” Hermione tried to justify to him.
Hermione slept through it all. She was more active during the nocturnal hours, pawing Harry awake twice a night until he would pet her. Unlike with the other girls, he couldn't threaten to leave her in a kennel for the night. It had quickly become his favorite method to curb some of their more irritating habits.
Harry settled back in to doze. Voldemort could wait. This was what deserved his time.
Astoria tried to kiss him again. “Astoria, sweetie.”
“Yes?”
“Go fetch yourself some mouthwash.”