Hermione and Harry used the Room of Requirement to create a maze and had different creations that they worked on with the twins to place in it. They weren't dangerous magical creatures but they would help the champions with their speed and accuracy. Hermione turned into a Veela to help them practice dodging in the enclosed space and other little creations were created to assist. Intellectual riddles written up by Hermione and Cho were placed in the maze while Harry helped the twins make little magical creature action figures that they could enlarge to a fuller size. It was agreed that they would hit the market after the task, though they'd no longer be able to grow to their proper scale.
The twins had been struck with uncertainty after the second task but the magical menagerie that they were creating with Harry and Hermione soothed any worries about their inability to create. No one had seen the second task so creating anything had been impossible. This time, though, they'd just create magical creatures, a maze, and some figures of the champions. People could create different scenarios by placing the creatures in the maze as they saw fit. And of course if anything happened that was funny they could replay that too.
Hermione also turned them on to muggle games like Monopoly and the twins were falling all over themselves to create a Wizarding version with different pieces. For the twins' birthday Harry had bought them the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The twins had immediately wanted to make Wonka's creations. Ginny teasingly scolded her friends that they'd created monsters but it was hard to worry about the twins. With mentors in the two Marauders they had a safety net to fall back on. The two older men were able to funnel the twins' eagerness into constructive ways.
Fleur lay on the blanket, watching her boyfriend fly with Harry. "Are you okay?"
The blonde glanced up to see Hermione walking toward her, "I suppose."
"Okay," Hermione sat down next to her, "what is wrong?"
"I find myself unable to fully trust any man."
Hermione looked at her friend, concerned, "What do you mean? Did Viktor do something?"
"No he didn't," Fleur shook her head, "he ees a gentleman."
"Well then I'm confused," Hermione frowned.
"Zere have been men before that have…not been good to me," Fleur took a deep breath, "Viktor is not like them, I know that. But for me to trust a man ees not easy any more for me."
Hermione gazed at her boyfriend before asking, "Do you want to trust Viktor?"
"Oui," the blonde answered. Hermione gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "I know that Viktor is not like the others. But to know in your head and know in your heart are two very different things."
"They are," Hermione agreed.
"How did you…with Harry how did you…"
Hermione let her mind drift back to the events of earlier that year. It really had been earlier that year; it felt like so much more time had passed than just the school term. "I was convinced I wouldn't be good enough for Harry. That he wouldn't want someone like me," she said. And despite all the love he'd shown her the memories of her bullying choked her up. She glanced at Harry and he gave her a smile that she returned before finding the courage to continue, "I was bullied growing up. Picked on about everything from my looks to my intellect to my hobbies. My parents put me into lots of after school activities but few of them were completed. I mostly played alone. A local coach watched me taking penalty kicks alone one day and told my parents I'd be good for her team. They agreed. She was the first to ever really give me encouragement. Of course my parents did but they were my parents. It's different when someone else tells you you're good at something." Fleur nodded in agreement and watched the younger witch tell her story, "When I entered Hogwarts I was excited. Finally I would belong. But I found that I didn't fit in here either. I was too smart, I tried too hard. And this time the bullying became about my looks, my intellect, and my heritage." Fleur was amazed at how she could relate to Hermione. She had the same problems when entering magical schooling though she wasn't bullied; her father was Minister of Magic, after all. "That Halloween I was ready to just pack it all in. I was just never going to belong, never have any friends. And I figured if I went home at least I could attend games at Old Trafford with my mum like we always did. But then the troll came in and Harry saved my life."
Fleur was amazed she hadn't yet heard this story. Hermione just continued, unaware of the wide-eyed look of her best female friend, "Harry leaped on its back and stuck his wand up its nose. Later Professor Flitwick said that he'd vanished the troll's brain (1)." Fleur's eyes bulged at the thought of a first year student being able to vanish anything let alone a creature's brain. "Anyway then Harry climbed off the fallen troll and walked over to me and asked if I was okay. I hugged him so tightly I'm amazed his ribs were intact. It was Harry's first hug," she added. "We became friends after that. I wasn't friends with Ron; the bastard was the reason I was in the bathroom in the first place and all he did was stand by the door pissing himself."
The blonde Veela giggled at the image before letting Hermione continue, "With Harry I knew I had a friend. I knew that he appreciated me. And it was nice to be appreciated. So I decided to stay."
"All because of 'Arry?" Fleur asked.
"Yes," Hermione nodded. "Harry was all the reason I needed." She watched him dive for the snitch, "He's all the reason I've ever needed." The warmth and love in her voice made Fleur smile. That was what she wanted. "Second year he visited me every day in the hospital wing when I was petrified. Third year he told me after Ron stormed off that he understood why I turned his broom into McGonagall and thanked me for it. I tried to apologize for not telling him first but he waved me off, saying that he wouldn't have listened if I had tried to explain it to him before I did it (2). Harry's more intelligent than anyone has ever given him credit for." Harry landed and walked over to kiss her. Hermione returned it and when they parted to breathe she smiled, "Enjoy your flight?"
"Yeah. I'm going to head up to our room to shower. See you there?"
"Sure. I'm going to talk to Fleur a bit longer first though."
Harry kissed his lover once more before whispering, "I love you Hermione. So incredibly much."
"I love you too," she responded, gently caressing his cheek, "I'll see you in a bit."
"You could help me dry off," he gave her a lecherous grin that she returned with one of her own.
"Or I could make you dirtier. I'll be up soon."
Harry waved to Fleur as he walked back up toward the castle. Hermione blushed at the look from Fleur, "I have many reasons to not be at Hogwarts. Harry is the only reason for me to stay. I don't think I need to tell you why he's all the reason I need."
Fleur shook her head. It was obvious why. And she knew that she'd never have exactly what Harry and Hermione had; their relationship had started as something far different. But she wanted that same depth of love that the pair had. "Go up to your lover Hermione. You should enjoy the time you get to have with him."
Hermione got up from the blanket, "Did I help you?"
"Knowing more about how you became friends has helped me, yes." Hermione smiled and ran off toward the castle. Fleur watched her until she was out of sight. She was very glad she and Hermione were friends. The young Veela was someone Fleur would forever be grateful to know. She knew that without a doubt.
Harry was in the shower cleaning when he suddenly felt arms encircle him and his girlfriend's breasts press against him. "You looked happy, talking to Fleur."
"I was talking about you and about our last three years here."
He grinned. Just the knowledge that talking about him put that smile on her face and made her so happy was nearly all he'd ever wanted. "I do seem to get a dreamy smile on my face whenever I talk about you. You know, other people don't understand how neither of us ever knew how we felt but then none of them know that we grew up so bullied that it's entirely understandable," he said.
"And in your case abused," Hermione added. "Still, you look so much healthier this year."
"Regular meals, no more horcrux in me," Harry smiled, "and of course the regular sex with my hot Veela girlfriend."
"I'd imagine that has had the largest impact."
Harry laughed, "Well we did torture a dark lord with our encounters until he pulled the horcrux out of me."
She ran her hands over his back and shoulders, "Time to clean you up."
"Only if I get to clean you up," Harry countered.
"Well I can't be trusted to bathe on my own according to you." Harry grinned and turned to kiss her. Hermione returned it, "Summer is coming."
"Do you think those topless beaches will render Remus and Sirius speechless?"
"If anything can manage to render those two speechless a beach full of topless women should be able to do it," Hermione giggled at the thought.
Harry sighed as her hands ran over his body. "Before you I never liked my body," he confessed.
"I know that," she gave him a quick peck before leaning into him as his hands explored her body, "Don't you know the territory by now love?"
"Never get tired of exploring it," he said. Hermione smiled at her boyfriend's obvious desire and they soon lost themselves in each other.
George Weasley looked at their sales figures. They were doing really well with their little business. Nothing sold as well as the Draco ping-pong sets but they were working on the mazes and the creatures because those would probably sell well. They'd worked out how to find things out from Hagrid with help from Harry and Hermione who were quite good at getting the half-giant to reveal secrets. They managed to find out the types of challenges and used that knowledge to improve the mazes. There were no physical obstacles, though George and Fred were of the opinion that a physical obstacle course would be brilliant to play in.
Working with Harry and Hermione set the twins up for success and they both knew that. Hermione's genius had corrected molting problems that they had with the Canary Creams and without her and Harry their other products, including the Draco ping-pong set, would not have been sold. The pair had helped them with so much and never asked for anything in return. Harry absolutely refused any portion of the profits. The twins still sent owls to Gringotts with money for Harry's share though; their sense of fairness wouldn't let Harry not be rewarded for his work. Fred came in, "How are the sales figures?"
"Pretty good. The Canary Creams are really popular. I think the maze will be incredibly popular. Possibly as popular as the Draco ping-pong game was."
Fred chuckled at the mention before continuing, "I think we should try to finish up our Wizarding Monopoly game. That would sell out."
"Agreed," George nodded. "So we should run through that board Hermione gave us to use to work out how to arrange all of our locations."
"Honeydukes, Zonkos, and the Three Broomsticks could be all the yellow properties. Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, Quality Quidditch Supplies, and Sugarplum's Sweets can be the red properties. The brown ones can be the Daily Prophet and the Leaky Cauldron," Fred looked at the board as George wrote down the list.
"That's good. Flourish and Blotts, Madame Malkin's, and Potage's Cauldron Shop can be the light blue places."
"No, make them the orange ones. Hermione'd never forgive us if we made Flourish and Blotts one of the cheapest properties on the board."
"That's true," George nodded. "How about we then use Eeylop's Owl Emporium, Magical Menagerie, and Slug & Jiggers Apothecary for the purple-pink properties?"
"That's fine. Hog's Head, Gladrags, and Dervish & Banges for the light blue?"
"Brilliant. For the green we can use Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, Wizarding Wireless Network Headquarters, and Tomes and Scrolls. That'll make Hermione happy," George beamed at the solution they'd reached. "That leaves the dark blue. Those are the most valuable ones. How about Ollivander's and….ooh! We can use the name of our shop!"
Fred's eyes lit at that idea, "Then we can have the electric company and water company be King's Cross and Hogsmeade station while the four railways can be changed to the four Hogwarts quidditch teams!"
"Brilliant!" George exclaimed.
"Are you two okay?" Ginny asked her exuberant brothers.
"Just making up a game that Hermione taught us," Fred said, "we're fine. Hey Ginny, if you're playing a board game would you rather be told 'Go to Azkaban' or 'Go to Jail'?"
"Jail. Azkaban is too scary," Ginny shuddered at the thought. "You two scare me sometimes."
"We're brilliant," George argued, "not as brilliant as a certain brunette Veela but still pretty bloody smart."
"Now we just need to work out the name of our store. We have the Marauders as inspiration but with Harry and Hermione we're like the new Marauders," Fred said, forgetting Ginny was there as they thought about their store name.
"Why not go with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes? That's what you wanted to call your shop right?" The twins turned to see Harry and Hermione standing behind them.
"Well it wouldn't be fair to you two. We want a name that includes all four of us."
Harry tilted his head in thought, "How about 'Hex Marks the Spot' or something like that?"
"That's not bad," Hermione admitted.
"We think that we should put our shop name as the other dark blue square on the Wizarding Monopoly board," Fred explained. "You know, so people know it's coming."
Hermione's eyes lit up, "How about Marauders' Mischief?"
"BRILLIANT!" Three boys exclaimed, causing the Gryffindor common room to all turn toward them.
"Ignore them, they're just being boys," Hermione said.
Harry chuckled at her words and leaned into her, "The two remaining Marauders would love that name. Have I mentioned how much I love you?" He kissed her and a few catcalls were heard as the couple kissed.
When they parted Hermione ran a hand through his hair, "You mention it pretty often Harry."
"Good," he rested his forehead against hers, "I mean it every time." He watched as the twins wrote down Marauders' Mischief onto the parchment about the board, "I bet we could get the remaining two Marauders to help run it."
"While we're at school? I can see them doing that," Hermione nodded. "It'd give them something to do and keep them out of too much trouble."
Harry gazed at Hermione in awe. That was a brilliant idea. "I think we should write them so they can find an adequate shop. Between us six we can come up with plenty of things to stock and then when Fred and George graduate next year they can work there and do some more creating." If the twins were rockets they would be launching any moment the way they were bouncing in their seats with joy at the ideas being discussed.
Fleur Delacour was not certain if Viktor was her soulmate. But she did know that Viktor could be the man who gave her faith and hope in dating again. Not every couple could be Harry and Hermione and lucky enough to meet when they were eleven. So with that new thought process Fleur decided to work on letting her guard down. And the first step to that was telling Viktor her insecurities.
Lucius Malfoy gazed at the letter from his son. Draco wanted dark magic books from their home to use and there was no way Lucius was dumb enough to send them. He looked at the names of the books. None of them would help him with the maze unless…Draco couldn't be that stupid, could he? On second thought, he absolutely could. Perhaps if he quietly disowned Draco…that way he couldn't be held accountable for his son's actions. Draco wouldn't know; at least, not right away. Narcissa's pregnancy was going well and the baby was growing nicely.
"Lucius?"
He glanced up to see his wife, "What?"
"The healer informed me that we are having twins," she said.
"Two boys?"
"A boy and a girl (3)," she answered. "Do you want to raise both or…"
"I can raise them both," he nodded. "Unless you want to have shared custody?"
"Once the divorce goes through I'm leaving the country never to return. I married you only because my parents forced me."
Lucius knew that. He remembered when Andromeda had been kicked out of the family for marrying a muggleborn wizard. Lucius had seen how it destroyed Narcissa; in a rare moment of tenderness in their marriage Lucius had comforted his wife as she broke down. He let his thoughts turn to having twins. A boy and a girl. He'd never seen himself as having a daughter. This would be interesting.