“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Harry,” Luna said.
The last parchment had really made Harry mad, especially because this wasn’t some kind of bond thing or a duty he owed to his family or any of that. The Flamels, Tennysons or whoever they were hadn’t even told him how to fix it, rather they gave him some books on Wizarding British Magical Laws, Magical Bonds and Mind Arts although the last was not an immediate read they said. They were not here to tell Harry what to do if they could help it. They hadn’t after all told Harry to begin the bond with Hermione or Luna nor had they told him he had no choice but to accept the other two contracts. They merely told him why he should and now they said nothing about this last one which appeared the worst by far. They just gave him books, said they’d arrange some meetings at Gringotts later in the week to deal with the Bond and the contracts and bid their goodbye.
They were standing in Luna’s access trunk when she spoke. After the Flamels had left Harry had called Dobby and told him to bring three access trunks: one for Luna, one for Hermione and one for the Grangers as the Flamels refused one for themselves. Dobby helped key them in and then left to take Rose home so she could speak to her husband about all that happened. They hoped that he too would regain his memories upon reading the contract. It would go much easier if he did. Dobby also took the Granger family’s two trunks with him allowing Harry, Hermione and Luna to use her trunk to get to Harry’s main trunk. Harry was still furious.
“This really isn’t that big a trunk,” Luna observed. “How are we going to live here, much less sleep here seeing there isn’t a bed.”
“This isn’t the Main Trunk,” Harry growled, “it’s just the access!”
“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Harry,” Luna said. “How was I supposed to know?”
Harry just glared at her although he wasn’t angry at her.
“Wrong expression, wasn’t it?” Luna said. “You don’t wear knickers, do you?”
“Um,” Harry paused, “um… no. Boxers actually.”
“Ah! Yes, a tent pole needs a proper tent, doesn’t it?”
“Excuse me?”
“Tent pole! Or are you hiding something else in your pants?”
Harry blushed furiously even though he wasn’t even anywhere near being a “tent pole” at the moment. “LUNA!”
“Knickers in a twist is a rather odd expression, don’t you think?” she continued. “I mean after all if they were in a twist, how could you be wearing them. Not that you’d know, Harry. Boys don’t wear knickers, do they?”
“Um… not that I know?”
“Well I wouldn’t know either, would I?” Luna said. “Then again, I don’t wear knickers either. Not boxers or anything else down there.”
“You don’t?” Harry and Hermione replied, although in very different tones.
“Except during my monthlies,” Luna continued. “That could get messy. But otherwise, no knickers. Much easier to pee if you don’t have to pull them down, don’t you think?”
Harry blushed and Hermione seemed to pale.
“Of course it makes knickers getting in a twist meaningless - unless I’m wearing them for my monthlies,” Luna continued. “And also the expression ‘getting in my knickers.’ Of course, if I’m having my monthlies you could but it would be messy. Otherwise, there’s no knickers to get into, are there?”
“Luna?” Hermione all but hissed. Harry was too gob smacked to say anything.
“I mean, I do know what that expression means,” Luna said. “I have no problem with you getting in my knickers, Harry, even if I don’t wear any. But I think I should not let you until you’ve gotten into Hermione’s knickers first.”
“Luna!” Hermione squeaked, beet red with embarrassment.
“After all, she is about a year older and she was your first kiss, so it’s only fair you get into her knickers first,” Luna continued. “But once you do, you can inspect my knickers area next. Better?”
“Wh-wh-what?” Harry asked.
“See,” Luna said. “You’re now too busy thinking about my knickers - or lack of them - and Hermione’s knickers to be all mad about what that man’s trying to do. Now can we see if you trunk is huge and magical?”
“I’m not dropping my trousers!” Harry protested.
“Why should you?” Luna said. “You said that beyond the door is your huge magical trunk. Why would you say that if you had to drop your trousers to show us? That would be silly!”
“Um… ,” Harry began, “fine!” He opened the door and left them there.
“Luna? What was that?” Hermione asked.
She looked at Hermione and winked. “He’s not angry now, is he?”
“No… but?”
“We can’t think our way out of this if one of us in angry. I… um… distracted him from his problem.”
Hermione nodded. Harry could be really moody and she had yet to figure a quick way to get him out of a funk, then again she never thought of that.
“You really don’t wear knickers?” she whispered.
“He would be disappointed one day to find that I lied to him, don’t you think?” she whispered and winked back and they followed him into the trunk.
“Why did you do that?” Hermione asked.
“I believe what Grammy and Grampy said,” Luna replied. “We - you, Harry and I - were supposed to grow up together. We were supposed to be friends from the time we were in nappies. We were then, apparently, but things changed. Someone saw to it that this did not happen. I haven’t had a friend of any kind since before my Mum died. I’m bonded now to Harry, as are you. I want to be, I hope to be his friend regardless. I am trying to be. I’m trying to help him with all of this. Isn’t that what friends do?”
“You’re right, Luna. Sorry if I thought otherwise,” Hermione nodded. “I've… I’ve been Harry’s friend, and yet… he doesn’t really know me.” She whimpered.
“Doesn’t know me at all, does he?” Luna replied. “We’re his bonded now, his wives even. Seems to me it’s time he got to know us?”
“But how?” Hermione whimpered again.
“We have to work at it, don’t you think?” Luna said. “Now let’s go and see his trunk… before he gets suspicious.”
Hermione nodded and followed Luna through the door. They walked out into the main entry, a huge space with a few tapestries on the wall.
“Don’t see any place to sleep,” Luna began.
“Not unless you count the chairs,” Hermione finished. And there were not many of them either.
“This is just the entryway,” Harry said. “Bedrooms are up the stairs.”
“Who are all these people?” Hermione asked seeing the paintings and tapestries in the Entry Hall.
“My ancestors,” Harry said, “or at least my Potter Ancestors. They’re all over the trunk or house. They were apparently in storage in the Potter Vaults and while I can’t access the main vaults for gold, Dobby was able to bring these here. He brought a bunch of them here when he got the trunk for me and picked up a few more last night. Thirty-two generations of Potters are now on these walls.”
He led them to a large tapestry. On it was a man in a Saxon Battle Helmet with an ax, a woman with black hair three girls and a boy, who was clearly the youngest.
“This is the oldest tapestry I have. It show my thirty times Great Grandfather Edgar Potter, his wife Matilda of Mercia and his children, Helga, Anne, Edwina and my twenty-nine times Great Grandfather Albert, Edgar was born around 873 and Matilda twelve years later. It was before Hogwarts, that much I do know.”
“How?” Hermione asked.
“Their oldest daughter Helga married a Muggle man by the name of Hufflepuff.”
“You mean as in the Helga Hufflepuff?”
“Actually, the Helga Hufflepuff was her daughter.”
“So your related to a founder?”
“Might even be descended from her,” Harry said. “I seem to be distantly related to a lot of people. I know I am descended from Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor.”
“Really?”
“They’re around somewhere. If we call Edgar here the first Potter, which he’s not by the way, then Harold the sixth Potter married Agnes Slytherin who was Salazar’s Great Granddaughter I think. Henry the eighth Potter married Amelia Gryffindor who was the last to carry that name.”
“Anyone else you’re related to? I mean aside from Luna and me?”
“Probably. Certain names crop up from time to time. I have two so many times Great Grandmothers and five so many times Great Aunts named Bones. My Grandmother, two other so many times Great Grandmothers, and two so many times Great Aunts were Blacks. I have two so many times Great Grandmothers and a so many times Great Aunt named Weasley. There’s a so many times Great Grandmother and so many times Great Aunt named Abbott and six so many times Great Grandmothers and nine so many times Great Aunts named Longbottom, the last was my actual Great Grandmother. I’ve only just started learning about it really. Fortunately, there some good references in my Library.”
“You have a library?” Hermione gasped in excitement.
“Yes,” Harry drawled, “and no, I have no idea how many books there are. But there’re a lot.”
“Where is it?”
“We’ll see it,” Harry said. “No worries there. No need to get your knickers in a twist. You are wearing knickers, aren’t you.”
“Of… of course,” Hermione blushed.
There were now four doors on the wall. One, of course, was the one Harry had entered his first day. Until now, it had been the only one, although there were the eight frames for doors in the wall. Harry now noted that the one in the middle had a brass plaque on it with his name. The other three doors read: “Hermione”, “Luna” and “The Grangers.” The Grangers' door opened and Dobby stepped through carrying what looked like two shopping bags.
“Harry Potter, Sir,” he said almost as an announcement, “the access trunks be delivered to the Grangys. Miss Mione’s be in her bedroom and Missus Grangy be’s sayings to put theirs in the foyer, Sir. Missus Grangy be’s sayings that if Mister Grangy be’s gettings his memories back, they’s mights be wantings to be comings over for dinner tonight, if that be’s alright with Harry Potter, Sir.”
Harry glanced at Hermione who nodded.
“That’s fine, Dobby. What’s with the bags?”
“Oh. Well as Miss Mione and Miss Luny being Harry Potter’s Bond Mates and needings to be with Harry Potter at nights and all, Dobby be gathering their things for their rooms. Dobby will be hangings what needs to be hanging in their closets and folding and storings what needs to be in their dressers, Sir.”
“What about my books?” Hermione asked.
“Dobby be having all of Miss Mione’s and Miss Luny’s books and such. Dobby be’s putting Miss Mione’s books in her Study. Dobby be putting Miss Mione and Miss Luny’s pictures and dollies and plushies and whatnot on or by the couch in their’s bedroom so’s they cans put them where they’s wants. Dobby be leaving Miss Mione’s wand on her night stand. But Dobby be’s wonderings about Miss Luny’s books.”
“Oh?” Harry and Hermione said.
“Miss Luny be’s having lots and lots of books. Far too many for shelves in Miss’s study.”
“That’s okay… Dobby, is it?” Luna said and Dobby nodded. “My school books and my collection of ‘Harry Potter the Boy Who Lived’ books can go in my study. The rest can go in the Library.”
“Of course, Miss Luny,” Dobby said and popped away.
“‘Harry Potter Boy Who Lived’ books?” Hermione exclaimed. “You know he’s not like that!”
“Oh, I know they’re fake. I’ve known that since I was four. I mean, after all my Mum did take me to Madam Caudry’s Bookshop in Tinworth to by them and Madam Caudry only sells fiction. My Mum bought them so I would learn to read and later learn to enjoy reading. They may be silly books, but they remind me of my Mum and the times we were together. I still buy them because they remind me of Mum.”
“How many do you have?”
“Oh, all of them actually. I’d have to count but I do have all of them. Well, at least all of them that were available as of the last time I went to Madam Caudry’s at Christmas. You can borrow them if you like. After all, we are like sisters now, right?”
Hermione nodded.
“Right then, shall we continue the tour?” Harry asked.
Hermione and Luna nodded. He led them to the door marked “Harry” and they entered the cloak room beyond. He explained that the ladder led to his bedroom at his relatives but that he hoped there would be no need for anyone to head up there until it was time for him to leave Privet Drive for the rest of the summer. He then led them to the far door and they entered the Control Room.
“This room monitors and controls the magic that makes this trunk and the access trunks work. There’s a surprising amount of magic involved and not just the wards that keep us safe. After all, we need a lot of air and water and stuff like that and this controls it. Water, of course, can be summoned. When you turn a tap or flush a toilet here in the trunk, clean water is summoned in and what goes down the drain is banished. For air, there is a field that extends several hundred meters around to bring air in and let air out. That field is what also lets out smoke.”
“Smoke?” Hermione asked.
“From the fireplaces,” Harry said, “and Dobby says that its with that field that Hedwig can come and go. She flies out a window here in the trunk and is transported to the edge of the field and when she returns to the field, she’s transported to the window in the trunk. It only works for Hedwig, though. Dobby checks my room at my relatives for regular post owls.”
“Where does the magic come from?” Hermione asked.
“The trunk absorbs ambient magic. There’s a fair bit of it at Privet Drive due to the wards and, of course, you two and I and Dobby also add to the ambient magic. Now, if we were to try and magically power a place as large as this one, it would require a lot of magic. But that’s the beauty of the trunk. We only need enough magic to ward and operate something the size of the trunk so it really doesn’t require much at all.”
“So we’re really smaller then?”
“I don’t think that’s the way the magic works,” Harry said. “I do have some books on it, but have only read bits of them. As I understand it, we’re normal size but the only part of the trunk that is truly in the normal world is the box itself.”
“So we’re in another dimension?”
“I guess it’s something like that,” Harry said. “But we cross through easy enough through the access ports.”
“What’s this about Stasis Fields?” Hermione asked.
“Food and many potions ingredients are stored in magical stasis so they won’t spoil. If I place a piece of fresh meat under such a field, I could leave it there for years and it will be just as fresh when I remove it as when it was put in. It’s kind of like a magical ice box.”
“What’s this in front, Harry?” Luna asked.
“Ah. I call it the periscope. It lets me see what is happening outside of the trunk. Right now, it’s showing you my room in Privet Drive. It’s how I can tell if there’s a post owl waiting, although there hasn’t been one yet.”
“Doesn’t look like much of a room,” Hermione noted.
“It’s not. But I live here now, don’t I? Now, I suppose a brief overview of my new home is necessary. It has four levels. I can’t say if it can have more, but for now it’s four. We’re currently on the third level and what I call the Main or Living Level. Aside from this place and the Entry Way you saw, it has what Dobby calls the Great Hall, which are the doors across the way near the staircase. It’s pretty big. Lots of places to sit and all. On the left side, there’s the recreation room, which as Muggle games like darts and billiards and such and tables for other games and a bar.”
“Don’t tell me you have those kind of drinks here, Harry,” Hermione began.
“It has a bar,” Harry replied. “Didn’t say it was stocked, did I?”
Hermione seemed to calm down.
“Next to that are some loos and then there’s the Library. It’s pretty big, has two levels even. But I don’t know how many books it has. Now on the other side of the Great Hall are the Ladies' Parlour, Men’s Parlour - or so Dobby calls them. Nice rooms for small gatherings really. Then there’s the Formal Dining Room which right now seats up to twenty people, although Dobby says it could easily seat twice or even three times that, and the Informal Dining Room, which seats about four now. That one’s quite nice. Then there’s my kitchen.”
“Your kitchen?” Luna asked.
Harry shrugged. “I like to cook. My Aunt’s been having me do it since I was four or so. Don’t like cooking for her ‘though.”
“That’s just wrong,” Hermione began.
Harry shrugged it off. “I hope it’s water under the bridge now, you know. The fourth level, up the stairs, that’s where the bedrooms are, although they’re really a bunch of rooms. Each ‘bedroom’ has a bedroom of course. But it also has a separate bathroom - really nice ones too - walk-in closet, a separate Sitting Room and the Study. I asked Dobby for a nice place to stay at my relatives and would have been just fine with that - presuming I could eat without dealing with my relations of course.
“Second Level, well Dobby calls it the recreation level but I call it the training one.”
“Why?” Hermione asked.
“It’s got Gyms and things. It’s got a Muggle gym with a basketball court - not that I can play, mind you - and another room with exercise equipment. It has the Potions Lab as well. I’m thinking of trying that out. Might be easier doing Potions without Snape breathing down your neck, don’t you think? And there’s a magical gym, to do spells and such…”
“But Harry,” Hermione protested, “we’re not allowed to do spells outside of Hogwarts!”
“That’s not entirely true,” Luna said. “If you live in a Muggle area, it is. That law is all part and parcel with keeping Muggles from knowing about magic. But if you’re magically raised and have wards to keep the Muggles from seeing, you can be doing magic.”
“That’s so not fair!” Hermione complained.
“It’s all about keeping the Muggles ignorant of magic,” Luna said. “It’s not fair to Muggle Borns and Muggle raised and even some of us who are magically raised but who don’t have the right wards to safeguard magic. But, can you honestly say that every young witch or wizard exposed to the Muggle World will keep it secret?”
“I would!” Hermione stated.
“Can you say that of all the others like you?”
“Umm…”
“You can’t,” Luna replied. “You may be responsible about such things, but you may also be the exception. The law is not designed to truly discriminate, but magical families can let their children do magic, if they like.”
“Malfoy’s probably been waiving a wand for ages,” Harry chuckled, “for all the good it’s done him. You’re still top of our year, Hermione. But if you wish to practice, this trunk absorbs all magic that is expelled, as it were. It’s what powers it. You can cast spells here to your heart’s delight and not ever trip up with the Ministry. Trust me on this. I did test it and no Ministry owls have arrived.”
“It’s still not fair to Muggle Borns!” Hermione said.
“While I agree, let’s not worry about that today, okay?”
Hermione nodded, although she was not truly convinced.
“Finally on that Level we have a pretty big swimming pool,” Harry said. “That doesn’t really matter all that much to me seeing as I can’t swim.”
“Do you want to learn?” Hermione asked. “I know how.”
“So do I, Harry,” Luna added. “We can teach you if you want, right Hermione?”
Hermione nodded. “So when do we see all this stuff?”
“What time are your parents coming over, assuming your Dad remembers?”
“Mum said around seven, why?”
Harry sat at the console and revealed what looked like a keyboard. He touched a key and the view of his room disappeared. The screen when blank at first. Temporal Modification System On Line in Standby. Password? The screen flashed. Harry typed several keys but only “******” showed on the screed. Access Granted. The screen replied.
System charged for up to 1100 hours of compression. Enter Sequence Start Time - Sequence End Time - and Compression duration: dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm:ss - dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm:ss - hhh:mm:ss
Harry typed:
21/06/1993 16:00:00 - 21/06/1993 17:00:00 - 168:00:00
22/06/1993 06:00:00 - 22/06/1993 07:00:00 - 168:00:00
23/06/1993 06:00:00 - 23/06/1993 07:00:00 - 168:00:00
24/06/1993 06:00:00 - 24/06/1993 07:00:00 - 168:00:00
25/06/1993 06:00:00 - 25/06/1993 07:00:00 - 168:00:00
25/06/1993 22:00:00 - 25/06/1993 23:00:00 - 168:00:00
First Sequence will begin in 02 hrs 23 min 14 sec.
Upon completion, system will have 92:00:00 hours of charge remaining excluding recharge.
As the screen returned to the view of Harry’s room in Privet Drive, Hermione asked: “What was that all about?”
“This trunk has an added feature,” Harry replied. “The one thing we don’t seem to have enough of is time, right? We need to sort a lot of stuff out this week and you’ve seen the books the Flamels gave us. Even if all we need to know is in those books, it could take us days to find what we need to know. Add to it we need to spend time together as well and there just doesn’t seem to be enough of it, is there? This feature changes the rate that time passes in the trunk. At four o'clock it will activate and while and hour will pass outside of this trunk, we will experience the equivalent of seven whole days. I have it set to repeat again each day between now and Saturday which gives us time to learn what we need to learn, time to get used to being together and time for the others to get settled in as well before we even have to worry about the rest of the hols.”
“So, we could have years in here? Won’t we get older too?” Hermione asked.
“No. While we experience more time, we don’t age any faster than we would if we spent that time outside of the trunk. We’ll only actually age an hour. As for years? The maximum number of time compressed hours this trunk can do is 1440 or sixty days. It then needs regular time to recharge. And no, I don’t know how long a recharge will take.”
“Still, it seems useful,” Hermione said.
Harry nodded. “So let’s go and see the rest of the trunk, shall we?”
He led them to the lowest level first as it was probably the most boring, being nothing more than storerooms, the Elf kitchen and Elf quarters. He knew Hermione would want to see the Library first and perhaps he was teasing her a bit, but he also wanted them to know their way around the place and he was pretty certain that one Hermione saw the Library he might have to have her dragged away forcibly, which he did not want to do. The lowest level was a safe place to start and the next level was as well. She could see the bedrooms and such later, when she was tired.
They came down the narrow, spiral stair into the lowest level. Hermione and Luna were bade to go first and when Harry arrived he looked around.
“Okay,” he began, “this wasn’t here before.”
“What Harry?” the girls asked.
“This door here,” he said pointing to a door. “It wasn’t here before I’m pretty sure. Um… think I should check it out?”
“I don’t know, Harry,” Hermione began.
“Did you just miss it? Not notice it?” Luna asked.
“No. Dobby showed me every room in the place, or so I thought,” Harry replied.
“Maybe we shouldn’t,” Hermione began again.
Harry frowned. “It’s my trunk! Unless the door is locked, I think we should,” he finished as he opened the door. “My God!” he gasped. Hermione and Luna saw him walk through the door and followed him even if a bit reluctantly.
They walked through and were in a flower garden, a huge flower garden that seemed to stretch on for hundreds of yards in every direction.
“Th-this wasn’t here before,” Harry noted after what was probably a few minutes. “Pretty sure I’d remember this.”
“It’s beautiful,” Luna said. It was indeed.
“Dobby?” Harry called.
A second or so there was a “pop” and Dobby appeared. “You’s be callings Dobby, Sir?”
“What it this place?”
“Oh Sir, this beings the gardens. Dobby be takings Harry Potters requests fors a nice place to spends summer and Dobby be’s buyings a ‘Deluxe Manor Trunk.’ It beings a Manor, but Manors be needings gardens so Harry Potter and Ladies cans be walking about thems, yes?”
“How much did this cost?” Hermione began.
“Why didn’t I see it before now?” Harry continued.
“Oh Sir, the gardens being parts of the original price, Sir. Dobby just be needings to buy the seeds for the plants and such as extra and it being only a couple hundred galleons mores, Sir. But the seeds be needings to grow intos plants, Sir. So gardens being is time magics to let plants be growing. Some be takings years and others be takings months, Sir. Until they’s all be’s ready, cants be entering. But they’s all ready now, Sir.
“This being the flowers garden, Sir. It be havings lots and lost of different kinds of flowers and evens if theys being the sames kinds, many varieties as wells. It be’s for walkings and enjoyings, as be alls the gardens, but we’s be cuttings flowers to puts throughouts the house, Sir.
“To your rights be’s the fruits gardens. Be havings many, many groves of tress such as apples, pears, plums, apricots, peaches, oranges, lemons, mangos, guavas, bananas as papayas and then there being the berries as wells Sir. There’s being strawberries and blueberries, cranberries, blackberries and raspberries and grapeses of course. And melons and pineapples too.
“To your lefts being the herb and spice gardens. Nearest one being magical plants and Dobby be askings you nots go there withouts an elf ‘cause somes plants be dangerous and yous hasn’t learneds abouts them yet in Herb studies. The further ones be non magical herbs and spices. All kinds of thems there including peppers and such and garlics and others and coffee and tea.
“At far end of flowers be the vegetable gardens. We be growings all kinds theres, Sir. We be havings lettuces and cabbages and carrots, beets, radishes and several kinds of peas and beans and spinach and cucumbers, zuccinni, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, several tomatoes types, several potatoes types and maizes as well as others, Sir.”
“How… how large is this?” Harry asked.
“24,787 acres, Sir,” Dobby said. Harry’s jaw dropped, Hermione nearly fainted away and even Luna looked gob smacked.
“That’s like forty square miles!” Hermione gasped after a moment.
“It not beings square, Miss,” Dobby replied. “But there’s be’s miles and miles of paths throughs it all with places to be sitting or watching things or picnics or… Well, Harry Potter be’s askings Dobby fors a nice place to lives whiles stills being at nasty Muggleses and Dobby be thinkings this be nice.”
“It seems such a waste,” Harry began.
“Sir?”
“All these flowers and fruits and spices and such. I can’t possibly use them all!”
“Not be worrying, Master Harry Potter Sir. Flowers be cuts for vases in rooms but those what nots be cut remain. What Harry Potter nots be needing from herbs or spices or fruits or such, we’s be sellings. We’s could be payings back the cost of this trunk in six or seven years and maybes less. You will sees buildings on the garden and theys for canning or preserving or whatnots so we’s can stores them for Harry Potter or sells them.”
“But there’re only four of us living here,” Hermione protested. “How can we maintain this?”
“Not’s to be worrings, Miss ‘Mione,” Dobby replied. “Dobby be’s thinkings ahead. Dobby be’s puttings words out amoung House Elves that Harry Potter be needing staff and staff cames. They alls be young, youngers than Dobby and many’s just beings olds enough to find works of their owns. They be manys brothers and sisters, families what nots be wantings to be separated from each others. Dobby - sorry, Harry Potter, Sir - Dobby was presumptuous. Dobby be promisings thems they cans come and works here. Dobby be telling them they must accepts wages, they must dress appropriately, theys be alloweds days off and must take sick days if they be beings sick. They’s be accepting, Sir, if you’s be having thems.”
“Um… I suppose,” Harry said slowly.
Dobby smiled and suddenly a lot of House Elves appeared. They were all dressed in clothes of some form or another. Some seemed to be in nice dresses and suits - depending upon their gender - and most others in gender appropriate gardening attire. All had a crest on their clothes. It was the House Potter crest.
“Are these my Elves?” Harry asked.
“Theys not be bondeds to you yets, Sir,” Dobby said. “They wants to be.”
“What are their names?”
“They be onlys havings Elf names which be though and not spokens, Sir. They never be bondeds before so you’s must be givings them their spoken names, Sir. Six Elf maids and two Elfs be to be assigneds to the House to cooks and cleans and suches, especially as Harry Potter beings bondeds and his ladies be needing Elves to do ladies things. The others being assigned to the gardens, Sir. If you will lets them, of course.”
They all looked so hopeful, so how was Harry to say no? Fortunately, Hermione had nothing to say either. After all, this place was an awful lot for just one elf. Harry nodded and the bonding process began. He asked each Elf or Elf Maiden if they wished to be bonded to his family and when they say they agreed, he gave them their name and welcomed each of them to the House of Potter. The House Staff now consisted of Petal, Flower, Sunshine, Summer, Marigold, and Blossom and Higgins and Burt as well. The garden staff had their own names as well. When the bondings were done, Dobby - who apparently was in charge of them all - sent them back to their duties and they all disappeared with a pop as did Dobby as well.
“This is… well,” Hermione began. “It’s pretty amazing. I hope you weren’t trying to impress us.”
“Oh don’t be silly,” Luna said. “I hope you were being silly. I think it’s clear Harry’s as surprised by this as we are, aren’t you Harry?”
Harry nodded.
“Still, it’s a nice surprise.” And with that comment Luna pulled her dress over her head and tossed it to the ground. She really wasn’t wearing any knickers, or anything else under her dress for that matter.
“Luna!” Hermione gasped. Harry could only stare and blush as Luna turned around in her full glory.
“I’m not all that impressive, Hermione,” Luna said. “You obviously have bigger boobies than me and I’ve only just begun developing any of my own in the last year or so.”
“That’s not… you’re naked!”
“I would think that’s rather obvious. I don’t mind really.”
“But Harry’s here!”
“And why should that matter? You heard we are bonding to him, right? That means I’m his wife and you’re his wife. Unless you’re saying husbands never see their wives naked.”
“That’s not the point!”
“It isn’t? Then what is? I don’t mind being this way when it’s warm out and I’m in a place I can trust. When I was younger - when my Mum was still alive - we used to spend summer days in our garden and in the woods nearby like this. ‘Course Daddy was off for one reason or another. But Harry is my husband, so I don’t see this as at all creepy or anything. 'Course we may need rules.”
“It’s not proper!” Hermione argued. “It’s not decent! You’ll get a sunburn.”
“Oh, I don’t think that will happen,” Luna replied. “That’s not the real sun in the sky ‘cause it’s also not a real sky. It’s a magical one, I’m pretty sure. And who’s to say what it proper and decent? I admit that being like this in Hogwarts or Diagon Alley might cause problems. Even I wear knickers there. But we’re not at Hogwarts or Diagon Alley. We’re in Harry’s trunk and right now the only other people who could come here aren’t due here for days and days our time. So if I want to dance around naked, why can’t I? You don’t mind, do you Harry?”
Harry could only shake his head.
“You broke Harry!”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure he’s fine,” Luna said. “Do you like seeing me like this Harry?”
Harry nodded. “You’re - you’re very pretty, Luna.”
Luna walked over to Harry and kissed him. She then took hold of his right arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. “See?” she said to Hermione. “He thinks I’m pretty. I guess it must be true then seeing as this way he can’t be confused about my clothes. I’m pretty sure he’ll think you’re pretty too.”
“Are you suggesting… ,” Hermione began.
“Grammy did say that for our bond with Harry to grow and be healthy we need lots of intimate contact. We don’t have to do It, but we need to do something. Since we’re alone here, why not?”
“She didn’t mean that!”
“She didn’t say this can’t or shouldn’t be done. Now I trust Harry to be a gentleman and not try and do something we don’t want, but he can look at me whenever he wants to and he seems to like me here holding his hand. It feels right, doesn’t it Harry?”
“Yeah,” Harry nodded even though he was not looking at Luna. Hermione looked at them in shock at first, but then began thinking, chewing upon her bottom lip as she did so. As odd as it seemed, what Luna said did make some sense. The bond was important after all and it’s not like people could just pop by and interrupt their privacy. As she thought more about it, her fingers began unbuttoning her blouse. She was blushing a little, but Harry was watching her with interest now. The blouse came off, followed by her skirt and then the rest of her clothes. She enjoyed having Harry watch and decided to reward him further. She walked up to him and kissed him deeply before taking his left hand in hers as the three of them walked further into the gardens leaving the girls' clothes behind.