Chapter 5
Chapter 5
While the rest of the team returned to Cheyenne Mountain, General Hammond gave the newlyweds two weeks for a honeymoon; which they chose to spend with his great-aunt. For Delores Landingham, it was a time of joy and sadness as she got to know her nephew and his wife. Their stay in DC was not all sunshine and flowers though.
Office of the Secretary of Magic
Samantha Ofenkil was having one of those days. One of those days where you would gnaw your arm off to get away. In this case, she had been dreading this meeting Davis Montrose had been beating down her door.
“Secretary Ofenkil, you still have not answered my question,” Montrose Demanded “Agent Stormbolt, and His Wife are not stationed here in DC! I want to know why?”
“That is above your pay grade Montrose!” Samantha said smiling “I could tell you but it would be a waste of the training we have invested in you as I would have to kill you.”
“That’s a line of bullshit if I have ever heard one.” Montrose snapped at the Secretary “If they are Unspeakables they are under my command.”
Just then there was a chime at her door causing her to smile “They are not under your command. And if you want to argue with the President your time as Head of Mysteries will be measured in minutes.” She paused pressing her intercom “Cynthia, you can send them in.” The door opened and Samantha Potter entered followed by a very distracted Harry Potter. The cause of his distraction His wife was clad in very tight blue jeans and high-heeled boots. “Davis Montrose I would like to introduce you to Harry and Samantha Potter.”
“Ah Agent Stormbolt we were just discussing the irregularities in your posting” Montrose started puffing his chest importantly “Since you are here, we can handle those right now.” The man said urbanely
Harry shook his head “No we won’t Lady Potter and myself are not employed by the American Department of Mysteries.” Harry pinned the man with a glare “Mr. Montrose. Let me be perfectly clear. I don’t work for you neither does my lovely wife. We both work for the Department of Defense.” Samantha turned to Montrose “Also while we are credentialed as reserve Unspeakables, Harry reports to directly to the prime minister of England and I report to the president.” She paused looking to Harry who nodded “If your thought is keep us to study, know that my husband Lord Potter will gladly challenge you to a duel… to the death to protect our family.”
Montrose paled as he looked from Samantha to Harry whose wand dropped into his hand “I don’t want to, but if I must, I will”
Montrose swallowed slowly “Could you answer a single question. It is unheard of for a Squib to suddenly bloom into being actively magical.”
Harry nodded “as near as I can tell; it is what my family calls a Potterism.” Harry looked to Samantha who snorted “Hey I did not make it up I showed you the entry in the grimoire. Suffice it to say many members of my family were ridiculously powerful but if they did not have bad luck they would have none at all. In Samantha’s case she is culmination of three squib and an active magic line. Effectively her magic was walled off. As Jack puts it my magic acted kind of like Koolaid-man breaking through the wall Yelling Oh Yeah”
This got a snort from everyone. Sam looked at her husband “He did not say that, did he?”
“It came up in discussion with Hermione, Jack and I because he asked and she answered likening the block on your magic as a wall.” Harry looked sheepish “I had no idea what he was talking about until Hermione showed me a commercial clip on the internet. After I saw it I could not disagree.”
“Coming from you love that sounds almost scientific.” Sam nodded sadly “or at least as close as I am going to get to you being scientific.”
Harry then pierced Montrose with glare “I trust we can move past this little misunderstanding.”
Montrose nodded and left the room quietly.
“I am sorry that had to happen” Secretary Ofenkil lamented “He is a good man but the mysteries like why and how Samantha received her gift are what the man lives for. Now is there anything I can do for you as you have done me a great service today.?”
“Meet us for dinner tonight at the Adams house” Harry said with Samantha nodding the two women had struck up an unlikely friendship “Our treat?”
Samantha Ofenkil did not have many friends as most of the people she dealt with were politicians first and magic users second. Her burgeoning friendship with the Potters was like a fresh breeze.
“I would enjoy that” The minister said softly “What time?”
Sam looked to Harry who flashed seven fingers discretely “7:00 PM”
“I will be there with bells on” the minister said.
In a dimly lit room elsewhere in Washington DC
A middle-aged man with a piercing grey eyes and short cropped blond hair squaring his shoulders he looked around the table at the assembled heads of business “It would seem that the NID has been forcibly shuttered. With it we have lost a valuable ally.” He waited for the inevitable explosion and was not disappointed when there were cries of disbelief “We also lost an opportunity to pull the Potters into the fold.”
There was derisive laugh from the down the table from a figure obscured in shadow “Your goal of turning the Potters is a fool’s errand and one that is like you get you killed.”
“Horace, you obviously have something to say?” the man spoke with a sneer “Let’s get it out into the open.”
“You are all captains of industry, princes of countries, and abjectly rich.” The man stood whipping out his wand and illuminating the room “Harry Potter and his wife care little for wealth and the trappings of power. His fortune surpasses most of yours and is growing faster than he can spend it. You have nothing to offer him and I will give you this one warning if you lay a finger on Lady Potter, you will measure your life in seconds. If you move to harm his friends you might live minutes. That is all I have to say on this matter at this time the Silver Baton Consortium abstains from working with you. Choose your path well Graham.” Rather than sitting down the Horace Slughorn Apparated out hoping The Trust would heed his warning.
Graham Buchanon Smiled “Well, with that out of the way,” only to be interrupted by A female throat clearing her throat “Yes Amanda?”
“Are you seriously going to ignore Horace’s warning?” The Middle-aged business woman asked “He has never lied nor sugar coated anything he has told us.”
“No, he has not but I believe recent events in Britain have blinkered Horace a bit.” Graham said plainly “The Potters are staying at the Adams House and have dinner reservations for three I plan on introducing myself at the restaurant tonight. I will request a meeting and make my pitch. If they do not take it our dealings with the Potters will be concluded. I believe Horace. he is right Harry Potter is a dangerous man. As we have no open avenues to apply pressure …”
He was again interrupted this time by much younger Japanese man “He has a cousin, a godson and a great aunt. Relations with his cousin are contentious so that avenue is closed to us. To attack his godson is to invite death into our midst… that leaves his great aunt who is the secretary for POTUS. Which makes it fraught with peril of its own.”
“Be that as it may the Potters will be going through the Stargate.” Graham exhorted “We need access to the things they can bring back. Hohiro-san dispatch watchers to each of the targets you mentioned. I want weekly reports. We will meet next month in Kiev.” He finished effectively ending the meeting. Amand Hutchinson and Hohiro Nakamura looked at each other wondering how badly this could blow up in their face.
The White House
Jed Bartlet had known Delores Landingham since he was a boy in high school that the older woman had always been a friend and confidant. Until very recently he had not known that she had a sibling in Britain nor the extended family that had produced one of the most interesting men he had met in a long time. Not because his he was a wizard or with Stargate program. He was interesting because her nephew made her eyes light up with a joy, he had not seen in nearly three decades. “Mrs. Landingham, may I have a word with you?”
“You just did Mr. President.” Delores quipped “However I suppose I can give you a few more”
Jed smiled at her banter “Delores in all the years I have known you, you have always been amongst the most serious people I know.” The president started what he felt would be one of the more serious discussions “Since meeting your nephew and his lovely wife; Abby, Leo and I Have noticed you have been happier with him around. This has left me wondering if maybe you had given thought with accompanying them to Colorado and being a more active role in their life.”
For a moment the normally sharp-witted woman stunned by what the president had said normally it was her that left him like this for more than 30 years she had been deflating and confounding him. First as a schoolboy, a surrogate son and later as he grew into political office. She was very proud of the man he became.
“Delores?” Jed said reaching out and gently resting his hand on her shoulder breaking her out of her reverie.
“I had not gone there with my thought process.” The aged secretary said softly “however now that mention it. The thought does sound appealing.” Then she looked down “I am very proud of you; of the man you have become. In many ways you are one of my sons and the chance to work here with you. It is easily the second-best thing in my life you have only been in office a few scant weeks. Can I think about it, Talk with Harry and Samantha?”
The raw emotion in his secretary’s voice moved him and before he realized what he was doing he wrapped his arms around her and whispered “Thank you for everything.”
The two sat that way for a few moments until they were interrupted “Mr. President you got a thing.” Causing both of them to look up “I am Sorry to interrupt what is obviously a very emotional moment. But we do have a country to run.”
“Come for dinner tonight Mrs. Landingham. We can make some plans for some of your vacation days” Jed whispered
“I will be there with bells on” Delores said her eyes shining “go do the thing”
“Yes ma’am” Jed spoke smartly “Come on Leo, we have a country to run.”
Leo smirked “Do I even Want to know?”
“Nope But you will.” The President said with a smile “You should come to dinner tonight.”
Later that evening The Addams House
Graham Buchanon moved through the restaurant with a purpose. He had been weighing Horace’s words he knew he only had one shot at this and that a favorable outcome was slim to none and slim just left town
He had seen pictures of Captain Carter in uniform and was of the mind that she was gorgeous in BDU’s and the mid-thigh number she was wearing made him readjust himself subtly. He had not been expecting the secretary of magic to be there and she too was looking very good clearly her association with the Potters had been very good for her there was no way he could approach with any subtlety as Minister Ofenkil knew him very well after all they were once an item but their ideologies caused them to drift a part Samantha Ofenkil was not some petty bureaucrat who could be bought with money or honeyed words. No, she was a believer in doing the best for the most people. While he was a more than a bit mercenary in his activities.”
The Samantha’s were enjoying a glass of decadent wine while making conversation that was making Harry blush for the minister’s part, she was playing straight woman. although she did agree with Captain Potter her husband was the right kind of yummy, looking up she saw a problem coming and the look that came over her face caused Harry to ask “Samantha, is there something wrong??”
“You ever have that one fling you were so desperate to get away from that you would chew your own arm off to make it happen.” The Secretary of magic asked “Mine is coming this way, he believes he is god’s gift to women.”
Harry frowned as he looked at his wife and their friend “Do you want me to get rid of him?”
The secretary of magic frowned at how final that sounded “He is likely not here for me at all, Are you Graham? Did you think I would not notice a meeting of your Consortium, or that Horace’s would not stop to pay his respects”
Graham had been all smiles approaching Until he heard Harry Potter ask what should have been an innocent question with such an ominous tone “Samantha, you wound me. I saw you two gorgeous creatures with this young man here and I was intrigued. You Have never been enamored of those younger than you but here you are with until most recently the most eligible bachelor in our world.” Graham responded smoothly “To answer your question. You are correct While you are still gorgeous due to your proclivities, we are incompatible. I was hoping to speak with the Potters. If you’re not too busy Chasing skirts, could you introduce us,”
Samantha Ofenkil cringed she made no secret that she loved who she loved be they male or female. Since meeting Harry and Samantha carter she could not help but fall for both of them. Harry was an adorably easy to embarrass young man who could be a boy one minute an angel of death in the next she had seen him; his gauntlet was fresh in her mind He did not cast magic he commanded magic in a way that was very appealing. Samantha Potter on the other hand the was simply was Intelligent and Hawt as her little brother would say. But hearing him say it out loud with that deadpan tone cut her
Harry heard the man’s tone and looked at his new friend who looked stricken and then at his wife who had moved to their friend and was whispering in ministers’ ear before turning to the man.
“I am young but even I know first impressions are everything” Taking in the level of harm this man’s words had caused his friend Harry squared himself “You have 10 seconds to apologize to both my lady and the Secretary of Magic.” The or else was left unsaid
‘Why could I not control my mouth’ Graham thought to himself ‘This meeting was not going how he had expected but the Boys attitude rankled him a bit “One Dark Lord and you think you can take on the world Mr. Potter, How very Droll. is your plan to call me to the lists and show once again how you are the chosen one?” Graham asked his eyes narrowing “You would not dare draw your wand here to many witnesses.”
“I made no threat of any kind” Harry Said standing up looking him up and down the man’s posture was poor he saw a wand shape in the left breast of his jacket ‘this is going to be so satisfying’ Harry thought to himself as sent a very light reductor curse into man’s stomach and as the man was doubling over Harry caught him with a swift uppercut. Feeling and hearing the man’s nose break. Graham was unprepared for silent and wandless reductor and was dazed by the blow to the head “One Dark lord, what the hell would you know. People like you either hid from, capitulated to or directly served Voldemort.” Harry snarled shoving the man into a seat at their table and sticking him to it “I apologize for the unseemly action.”
The two women were shocked that the normally affable young man had resorted to violence
Sam looked at her husband with an appraising eye. Unlike Harry she had seen the furtive and somewhat longing looks the secretary of magic had given them both and what Graham had said only confirmed what she had figured on her own. Truth be told she was not opposed “Madam Secretary Perhaps we should move our discussion somewhere more intimate.” She said gently wrapping an arm around the smaller woman. “Would you join us in our suite we can have food delivered and this trash can go to hell”
Samantha Ofenkil was floored she had tried to keep it professional “Are… intimate… are…” she stuttered because things like this were stuff of her fantasies “I mean to say…” She was stopped when Sam pulled her into a hug
“The night is young. Let’s see where tonight takes us and worry about tomorrow in the morning.” She said to the shocked woman turning to Harry and seeing no one had reacted to the beating he laid on the man “Why is no one?”
“Notice me not charms” Harry smiled “after they delivered the wine and appetizers”
“Meet us up in the room we will order a pizza for Dinner and for breakfast …” she broke off looking back at the girl whose hand she was holding “Breakfast should be interesting. Take your time with that ass. it will give us time to talk.”
“You made a mistake care to guess what it was?” Harry asked the man who was trying to stem the tide of blood from his nose “Sorry …. Episky” he said softly and the man’s nose reset itself with an audible crack and silent scourgify and the blood was gone “Now that has been taken care of…”
Graham sat quietly for a moment “I was rude to Madam Ofenkil and by extension your wife. Horace warned me you were protective. I thought this business with Voldemort had blinkered him a bit. Graham mused “I was wrong to dismiss him. I am also betting as a result of this incident you will not want to do business with my consortium.”
“Well, that depends on what Gringotts tells me…” Harry answered waving the server over “A pint of Guiness for me and whatever he wants.”
“Bourbon, Neat” Graham Said debating with himself how to proceed and for once he felt honesty may be the best policy “Mr. Potter. My consortium represents Businesses in multiple different disciplines. Many of us have developed technology that the SGC uses and in some cases has helped outfit the base. We are looking for technology that can help improve quality of life in the third world, can combat climate change, help clean up water and waste.”
“You should have led with that it would have saved you time.” Harry said with a snort as the server dropped off their drinks “your goals are laudable but what is Gringotts going to find when I ask them dig into your consortium.”
Graham cringed knowing that some members were very twisted and just did not care who got hurt. “While I admit the consortium has some bad apples by and far most are decent people. Gringotts will probably tell you that business would be lucrative if risky. If they do a deep dive I do not believe you would want to business with us.”
“I cannot do the kind of business that you obviously want me to do. I am Oathbound my oaths to the President, the Prime Minister and to the crown of the common wealth. That is not saying anything abound the oath to the SGC.” Harry spoke after taking a drink “I can’t help you the way you would like. Neither can Mrs. Potter.”
“Oathbound, did not see that coming.” Graham spoke taking a sip of his bourbon “How can you help me?”
“Well, her majesty, has said that our mandate cannot just be about defending the planet it has to be about improving the quality of life on Earth.” Harry spoke plainly and directly “That was her price for offering her support. So maybe I head up a company and maybe you, not your consortium but you partner with me and we help make the world a better place. Something to consider, eh?” harry drained his pint and left the table leaving Graham alone deep in thought.
Up in the Room
Both Samantha’s had entered the room Potter leading Ofenkil by the hand. “I have noticed the glances you have been giving Harry and I.” Sam stated Calmly “I am not going to lie Part of me is very attracted to you as I am sure Harry is.”
Samantha let out a breath “I love who I love gender does not really figure into it.” She said sitting in a chair by the window “I am attracted to both you. However, neither of our jobs would make it easy to date and merlin forbid what the papers will say about the three of us. That being said I want to see where it might lead.”
“While yes our operational tempo and the fact that you are the Secretary of Magic do not make it easy to date.” Sam pulled Samantha to the bed where she climbed on and laid down patting the bed beside her. “Come here…” Samantha did not need to be told twice as she slipped off her heels and snuggled in Samantha Potter’s arms and felt something she had not felt for years Warmth. They lay on the bed enjoying the touch of the other they quickly drifted off to sleep.
When Harry made it to the room he came in and was about to say something when he noticed the two women asleep there was no room between Sam and the edge of the bed struggling with the dilemma, he almost missed seeing his wife’s hand rise and point to the other side of the sleeping woman. Harry complied lying on his side Samantha Ofenkil between lying between them Harry lay his arm embracing both women as sleep overcame him quieting the whirlwind that filled his mind.