Chapter 13: In the Interim
London, England
"Do not ask me about Belle again, Hermione." Harry snapped as he sat in his office/throne room.
"So her name is Belle," His best friend said giving him a weird look. "At least you're admitting her existence now."
Ever since he arrived back in London for a few meetings, Hermione had been on his case since Emma had let it slip that Rumford Gold had been married.
He hadn't really talked about Belle. Not in those ten years since he had told Hermione about his true identity, he didn't know why. The past was in the past, and he was already having enough relationship woes with Emma.
He shook his head, "There's really no point in mentioning her, she's dead."
And as always when he said he had that feeling of emptiness, though it wasn't near as painful as it once was.
He still loved Belle, a part of him always would. But he had moved on, he really had. Besides, whatever it was that Belle and him could've had was long gone even before her death.
"Harry," Hermione sighed. "That's not true. It's obvious that she was an important person to her, enough for Regina to marry you off in the curse."
"We had established that Regina is cray cray already, it's not that hard to believe that she would pair random people together."
"But you loved Belle," Hermione pointed out.
"It really isn't relevant what I felt for Belle," He snapped. "How's the custody case coming? Do you think you can get a more permanent order with that legislation I highlighted."
"Probably, especially after you talk to the American ambassador." She said referring to the Magical Parent and Children Act had which gave magical parents a preference in custody to non-magical parents in magical England. Of course, international and the muggle courts would view the legislation differently as protecting the rights of a very small group of indigenous people. "Don't you think that law's a little too archaic though? I mean, what if the magical parent is someone like Malfoy? I thought you were thinking of changing it. The precedence it would set is sort of frightening."
"For one thing Malfoy would never have a child with a muggle. Besides, I am thinking of making some minor modifications, but right now the law suits my purposes as you'd be the first to point out."
She nodded. "I still can't believe you're using pureblood legislation though."
"It's the best course of action I have," He snapped. "Besides the fact I never consented to the adoption, but I'm sure there's some statute of limitations that Glass would argue against."
"It doesn't help that Emma never disavowed the adoption." Hermione said.
"Obviously," He said. "Otherwise, I would've never thrown the whole I'm-Your-Long-Lost-Husband thing on her."
Hermione sighed. "True, though I was hoping—"
"What? She'd fall into my arms and declare her love for me. Honestly, Hermione, Emma's more likely to look at Ford Gold than me. Believe me when I tell you it's hopeless."
She shook her head. "Maybe, if you tried—"
Rumple ignored her. "And honestly, she's more likely to go out with that stupid blonde Sherriff Graham Cracker than me. You know he was the Huntsman in the old world. Pretty sure Regina has his heart, if I remember correctly she was sleeping with him. The last thing I will have is my wife going for Regina's leftovers."
Hermione had a weird look on her face.
"What?" He asked.
"It's nothing," She said. "That name though, Graham. I just—ignore me."
"Hermione."
"The private investigator," She said. "You remember the one I was seeing when we helped Emma his name was Graham. It just brought back some bad memories."
Harry gave her a weird look. "Do you think it's the same guy?"
"I doubt it, Harry." She said, "He never mentioned anything about a Regina. Besides, it doesn't matter it's been ten years. Believe me, when I say I've gotten over him."
"I still want to deck his face in for you though," Harry snapped.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Seriously. You'd think for being over three hundred years old, the master of dark magic, and our esteemed ruler you'd be a bit mature."
"Hermione, you're like a sister to me. When someone messes with my sister the least I can do is deck them."
She gave him a skeptical look.
"Look at in the old days I would've turned your Graham Cracker into a snail and that would've been me in a good mood."
While he missed Emma and for that matter Jaime terribly, the work did take his problems off of things, he hated to admit it but he loved his job. There was nothing more satisfying than barking orders and signing legislation in. Of course, that didn't mean that he didn't spend a second of his day in London not thinking of Emma and Jaime. Although, he only knew the boy for a few days he already had a connection to him, and felt bad about leaving him in Storybrooke. A part of him, just wanted to run. It was an idea. God knows, if Jaime and Emma were in London with him right now, Regina couldn't get her grubby paws on him as much as she tried. He had absolute authority over her, but he couldn't do that to Emma who was trying to play by the rules as much as possible.
She still didn't like him. Not that he had really helped matters by refusing to drop the charges against Ashley Boyd.
"She's due to give birth any day," Emma snapped. "I get that she hurt you, but think about that baby being born in jail."
"We've been over this already, Emma." He sighed heavily. "Ms. Boyd is not fit to raise a child."
"She was scared."
"Yes, scared into mugging a random stranger." He rolled his eyes. "Now let's drop the subject. I'm waiting to find out whether or not Ford got that TRO."
Emma just shook her head.
They hadn't really talked much alone since then, mainly because they had picked Jaime up from the hospital and most of their efforts had been spent on their son who was confused as expected.
It was strange how it felt to be a parent again. It had been several years since Rumple had raised a child, and he forgot just how much work it was. And obviously, Jaime was different than Bae. While Bae had been an extroverted child who loved to talk and had a sense of innocence about him; Jaime was quiet but would somehow make observations that were years ahead of him.
The boy didn't like being coddled that was something Rumple instantly noticed when Emma and him tried to sugarcoat why the judge had found that it would be better if Jaime stayed with them rather than Regina for the interim.
"It's because she drugged me." He pointed out. "Isn't it? Don't lie."
It was after all hard to hide things from the kid. Like the state of their marriage, when Harry mentioned that he needed to fly out and take care of some business for a few days the boy asked him about the state of his relationship with Emma.
"Me going to London doesn't mean anything's wrong with my marriage to your mother." He said as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
Jaime rolled his eyes. "Really, that's what you're going to say."
"It's not changing anything, Jaime, I'm coming back."
"What is your relationship with Emma anyway, Harry?"
"I'm her husband and your father."
Husband might've been a stretch though, since Emma looked at him as merely a means to an someone who was apparently in charge of cooking dinner, since his wife still could only make grilled cheese sandwiches it seemed AND order pizza.
He honestly didn't know what his state of relationship was with Emma since she hadn't been that much of a conversationalist even when he told her he was leaving.
"Okay," She said with a shrug. "You're not going to be long though, we have that hearing in a few weeks about the custody, right?"
"I'll be back in a few days." He said as he looked at her.
However, Emma's already had turned back to her laptop. She was working on Grumpy's case again. Apparently, she was trying to get another bail hearing, which Harry knew was unlikely in Storybrooke. He was going to instruct her as Ford to do mostly civil cases. God knows, he checked his accounts, since finding them, and he had several tenants who hadn't paid up their rent. It would be a slam-dunk and a self-esteem boost for Emma.
He sighed heavily.
Emma noticed and turned around. "What?"
"Nothing," He said.
"It's something," She said. "Look, I'm not upset. Do your job, I can handle HJ. Just be there for the hearing. I'm sure you have a life you need to get back to."
"Emma."
"Really, Harry, there's no need to lie. It's been ten years. Surely, you have some sort of life in London. You weren't pathetic enough to wait around ten years for me."
He bit his lip wanting to say that he WAS that pathetic. It was amazing how she had managed to make whatever they had seem so insignificant. He knew it was a defense mechanism, she had admitted as much to Ford but it still hurt. And maybe he was pathetic for not moving on.
"Hermione," He asked in between meetings that day. "Do you think I'm being ridiculous."
"Ridiculous?" She asked.
"About hoping that things will work out between me and Emma." He said.
She sighed heavily, "No. Whatever would give you that idea?"
"It's been ten years," He said. "She mentioned that even if she gets her memories back that it's not going to be the same and she's right. We're different people now."
"Obviously," Hermione said. "But that doesn't mean that there's nothing worth salvaging. God knows, Harry, I've watched you for ten years, you haven't gotten over her."
He hadn't, but that wasn't the issue.
"I don't think Emma wants anything to do with me, Hermione. I should try to move on."
She rolled her eyes. "You're being ridiculous."
"Am I?" He said, "You're always telling me that I need to get out. It was only last month you tried to set me up with Parvati Patil."
She rolled her eyes. " Oh Merlin, no. Not you and Parvati."
"You said I should've took her offer though," He said.
She sighed heavily, "Okay. I did say you should consider going out with someone or moving on, but it's obvious you're still into Emma. And I don't think you should give up on her so easily."
He shook his head, "I don't want to give up on her either, but what if it's useless."
"Harry." She said shaking her head.
He looked at her, "You haven't been around her, Hermione."
She sighed heavily, "I know but—do you really think you can move on?"
Even though that might've been the end of the conversation about Emma, Harry still thought about it through that afternoon.
She didn't want him.
Which was why he was considering on asking Lavender Brown of all people as his companion to the North Atlantic Magical Countries Conference that he was attending.
Lavender had been trying to get her hooks into him ever since he had defeated Voldemort and had been declared king.
Hermione was shocked when he told her that he was inviting Lavender.
"Seriously," She said. "Lavender?"
"She might be daft, but she's not that bad. And as you said, she was one of the better-looking girls in our year. Perfect king candy."
"Harry," Hermione said.
"I'm going to have to let her go," He said. "Lavender Brown might not be the one, but it's a start. At the very least, she'll be as empty headed as the other representative's girlfriends."
"You don't have to give up on Emma," Hermione said trying to reassure him again. "I—don't listen what I said in the past."
He shook his head. "She made perfectly clear she wants nothing to do with me. I told you. She said it wouldn't matter if she remembered."
"And yet you're giving up without a fight? That doesn't sound like you, Harry."
Truth be known, it sounded exactly like him. Or at least the man that he used to be. Or was.
Even though Hermione tried to reassure him otherwise, he still saw himself as big of a coward as he was three hundred years ago. And yes, he knew he had done a lot more in this life than he would've ever done in his old life—fight an egomaniac multiple times before the age of majority, kill a basilisk, and all that sort of stuff but there were some things he was still inept at as he was all those years that he lived as Rumpelstiltskin.
And relationships were one of them.
He failed at all of them.
He sighed heavily, "There's no use. I keep trying and she still pushes me away. I should've told her what happened all those years ago. I shouldn't have told myself she'd be happier this way."
"Harry." Hermione said.
"Hermione," He said. "I am trying to let go, believe me when I say this is a new thing for me."
"That's the thing," Hermione said. "I don't think you're ready to let go."
"Regardless, I'm still inviting Lavender."
"I think you should give it some more time," She said.
He shook his head already planning his date.
Of course, that didn't mean he was going to give up. He would restore Emma's memory, he told himself. Or at least he'd continue to the quest, it would complicate things if she realized who she was, but she deserved to at least know the truth. At least that's what he told himself, as he got ready for the conference that would begin with a quidditch game (naturally) and proceed with the opening dinner. It was three days of shaking hands and making false pleasantries, and having "fun" while discussing business. It was the sort of thing that Harry usually sent his underlings to do but because he wanted to catch the American ambassador, he was doing today.
Besides it was in France, and he might as well enjoy the food.
Lavender was just as lovely as ever and perfect arm candy. The years had been quite nice to her and only ripened her already glorious assets. Like him, she had never really been much into quidditch, and after finding out who he was Harry wasn't that into either. Which wasn't good, since Rumple found Lavender's company to be intolerable.
"I'm surprised you called, your majesty." She said.
He shrugged. "My advisors say I need a companion, and it was recommended that I give you call."
"Really, I thought Granger hated me. After what happened with that Weasley boy."
Harry rolled his eyes, "She didn't hate you. I think she was more mad at Ron, if you really want to know it."
"I miss Won-Won," She said. "Do you know what happened to him?"
"I think he's in Canada or maybe America," Harry lied knowing that Ron in the Box was in his secret vault deep beneath the Chamber of Secrets in wards that were blood coded and he would stay there until Harry needed him.
The ever-living guinea pig.
"Oh," Lavender said. "America, really?"
"I don't talk to him much anymore." Harry said, "He was sort of a waste of space."
"But such a pretty face, but not as pretty as yours." She quickly amended. "God, you got hot."
"What?" He said caught off guard.
"Sorry," She said. "I'm just saying, I never imagined you being hot. Not when you were a kid, remember how short you used to be with that weird sticky outty hair."
"Yes, because my aunt didn't give me proper care or nourishment." Rumple said trying to figure out just why he invited her again.
Lavender ignored the bit about supposed child abuse though. "Thank God, for puberty. Huh? You're probably taller than Won Won now."
He was. Or at least last time he saw Ron in the Box he was, but again it had been years. Even though he was in a box, Ron had probably grown too.
"I rather not talk about Ron." Rumple snapped as he tried to pay attention to the game. The snitch's location was obvious. The seekers though were being idiots (typical).
"Of course," Lavender said not noticing that he was no longer giving her the time of day. "It's not very romantic to talk about ex -boyfriends, isn't it?"
"No," He said scowling. "It's not, though there really isn't anything that romantic about this come to think of it. Not that this is a romantic occasion though, this is an international conference."
"I think we can change that," Lavender said.
Was that supposed to be attractive, Harry thought, as he saw the way she was making googly eyes at him. That was ridiculous, there was nothing that was turning him on. With Emma it was effortless. She didn't have to do anything, she just had to look at him and he'd feel his pants ever tightening. Lavender just annoyed him as she put her hand in a very suggestive place.
He sighed heavily, "As nice as that would be, there's a matter of propriety we have to present here. We are representing the magical U.K. You do know that, right, dearie?"
"But you're the king," She said. "You can do whatever you want."
He rolled his eyes. "Being a king doesn't give me the right to fornicate in public. Especially in front of these foreign dignitaries."
Lavender looked at him for a moment before she said, "Well, maybe we can get a room then, you know after the dinner."
Harry shook his head as his phone vibrated. He had been planning on sleeping with her to get his thoughts away from Emma, but now he wasn't interested. He sighed heavily as he pulled out the recovered iPhone. "I need to get this."
"I still don't get those things," She said twirling a piece of her blonde hair. "What's the deal with them?"
A prime example of why purebloods needed to have an introduction to muggle technology, Harry thought as he looked at the text that was from Emma:
Just got a summons, Regina is getting the hearing set for today.
"I need to call Hermione," He snapped.
"What?" Lavender said. "I thought."
He shook his head, "If the American ambassador comes over here tell him I'll be back in a minute."
"Yes, seriously today." Hermione snapped when he called her to confirm the text.
"Regina, must've gotten one of her cronies involved," Harry said. "What worries me though is she doesn't have any cards to play. At least any cards that I can think of at least to get the TRO overturned. Except for that photo which would be just ridiculous."
"I'm sure we can get this handled. Are you sure you want me to represent the case in court rather than—you or should I say Ford?"
He sighed heavily. "Better be you. I still need to talk to the American ambassador to set up a meeting so we can enforce that act. I don't want Regina knowing my existence until it's absolutely necessary."
She nodded. "It shouldn't be a huge deal."
"You don't know Regina," He said.
"I can handle Regina," Hermione said. "You handle the ambassador. How's the date with Lavender going?"
"She wanted to have sex in the king's box, how do you think it's going?"
"Really?" She asked.
"I'm just glad that Ambassador Welsh was busy with business himself." Harry said, "If this doesn't end with disaster, I'll be lucky."
"Just zap her up a stomach flu or something to get her to leave early," Hermione said. "I'm sure it's in your repertoire, but I did warn you not to invite her."
"Excuse me, earlier you said she'd be a nice distraction."
"A distraction is not someone you take to state events, your majesty." Hermione snapped
"Most other dignitaries take empty headed models with them if they're single, I didn't think it would hurt. Besides, you know it's pretty much required I have a dinner guest and much to my chagrin, right now, Lavender is the only option."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Did you really think a roll in the hay with Lavender is going to make you forget about Emma?"
"Make sure the TRO sticks," He said ignoring her comment about his sex life. "Hopefully, I can set up a meeting with Welsh to enforce the Magical Children's Act in the US."
"I'm sure you will, your governing skills are always on par. Your personal life though—"
"Watch it Hermione, or I'll turn you into a snail."
She rolled her eyes, "You wouldn't."
No, he wouldn't.
The meeting with Welsh went as smooth as he expected since he had just set up a time to speak with the man in private, dealing with Lavender was more difficult who seemed intent on getting him in bed that night. At the beginning of the evening that's what Harry intended to do, somehow he thought that sleeping with someone else—even Lavender Brown—would get rid of his feelings for Emma, but his mood had now changed he was now more concerned about the hearing.
What sort of leverage did Regina have?'
The obvious was that she had probably gotten a change in venue, but the Storybrooke courts couldn't very well overturn the other court's decision. He didn't even know if Storybrooke had a family court to handle such matters. She really had nothing to go off of, especially after that little drugging incident. Sure, she had been Jaime's primary caregiver for the past ten years. Though caregiver might've been a stretch, she made his Aunt Petunia look like mother of the year.
Harry frowned at the thought of the Dursleys. Since he had recovered all of his memories, he hadn't given much thought to the family. He had gotten some petty revenge though, mostly by buying stock up from Grunnings and once becoming a major shareholder promptly consolidating the company with another power tools company he owned which guaranteed Vernon being given the boot which in turned guaranteed that he would not be able to pay the mortgage and thus the Dursleys being given the boot from Number Four.
Turning them into snails and squeezing their hearts into dust would've been too much for them. Besides, at the end of the day Rumple did feel they were punished enough in a way for being forced to raise a "freak". And now seeing that said freak was a close relative to the British royal family and a MP—or at least that was how the magical world described his position to the rest of Britain—they were being tortured each day they turned on the BBC and saw his ugly mug on the screen.
The only one he heard from regularly, Dudley of all people had called up to see how he was doing and pandering for a job. His former nemesis had become estranged from Vernon and Petunia, and because of this Harry ended up giving him a minor gopher position in the press department. Oddly enough, Big D met and eventually married a reporter—Ginny Weasley or should he say Ginny Dursley of all people.
Who would've thought? But he had to admit that Ginny and Dudders made more sense than he and Ginny ever did.
And it gave Mrs. Weasley her one big happy Weasley family which he pointed out to her at the wedding much to her aghast.
Needless to say, he hadn't been sent a mince pie in years. Not since she had badmouthed his wife.
She loved Dudley though; she made sure to tell him that at the wedding.
"Such a kind, caring, considerate, young man; even if he's a muggle." She said, "He really made a great catch."
This was a jab at Harry from not rekindling the relationship that he had with the redhead.
Harry just took a sip of his champagne. "Well, I'm glad you like Dudders. See you got what you always wanted, we're family."
The witch's eyes narrowed at him. "This is not what I expected, your majesty. Surely, you know that."
"Well, you got what you wanted. Dudley's a good man. A little dense, but he and Ginny suite each other. Right?"
"Ginny is not dense."
"I never said she was, Ron was the idiot in the family." Rumple snapped, "Though I was starting to wonder when she went blonde for those few years."
Mrs. Weasley shook her head and quickly drank the rest of her glass of champagne. Harry could tell she wanted to leave, but it was hard to move away from the place of honor (next to his royal majesty). Honestly, Harry didn't want to sit next to her either, but he did like watching the painted up biddy squirm and he did feel that he owed it to some of the Weasley to show family unity.
"Harry," Lavender whined when he finally turned his attention towards her after he and Pierre Delcacour had decided some of the particular terms for a trade agreement he was currently working on with the French government. "Are you almost done?"
He rolled his eyes. Maybe he should've given her the stomach flu. He thought she would get the point when he ignored her the entire meal like most ministers and officials did with their respected spouse or model date of the evening. Obviously, Lavender was new to this, which was sort of surprising.
Minister Delacour chuckled and told Harry in French, "Your girlfriend is persistent."
Harry sighed, "Not girlfriend, dinner date."
"Ah," The minister said. "I'm taking it Ms. Granger wasn't available."
Harry nodded. Many of his counterparts believed that there was something between him and Hermione, and he let them for the most part. Or if they were smart like Delacour, they knew Harry well enough to know he wasn't one for relationships.
"She does have a pretty face though," Delacour said.
"Looks aren't everything." Harry said as his thoughts turned towards Emma whose face in his opinion was a thousand times better than Lavender's or really any woman.
"Touché. A good woman is like fine wine. There has to be layers. Lisette is one of those women." He said referring to his wife. "You will find your own fine wine, one day. Perhaps, you should meet my daughter Gabrielle? She has grown a lot since you've seen her last."
Harry nodded as Lavender tried to play footsie with him. Inwardly, he rolled his eyes as he discreetly waved his hand causing the girl to have to excuse her self-moments later.
Yes, he went for a Dark One's version of the norovirius. The footsie was too much, especially at the opening dinner. He should've just done that in the first place.
Lavender blamed the escargot, and told Harry she was sorry as he dropped her off back of her flat. Not for being overly suggestive but because she would not be able to entertain him later that evening.
"Don't worry about it, I have some emergency business I have to attend to anyway."
"I—I'm sorry." She said, "Things didn't go like I thought they would today. I really like you, your majesty, and I wanted to show you."
"Lavender," He said, "It's okay. But I really have to attend to business. I hope you feel better."
She then ran to the toilet again, as he took this opportunity to make a hasty exit before poofing back to his office and looked at his phone. The news wasn't good.
Not good at all.
Not only had Regina succeeded in getting the TRO overturned, but Hermione and Emma were in jail.