Disclaimer: I own nothing
WARNING: Domestic abuse referenced, sensitive topics
Summary: An article in the Daily Prophet gives Pandora hope. She finally had something she would risk everything for. She knew she had been right. She just had to prove it. She might be able to be with her family again.
"Pandora's Hope"
Pandora's parents hated Xenophilius. They had called him a loon and not worth their daughter's had in marriage. They told her she was too young to marry. She wished she had listened to them. Seventeen is too young to marry. Eighteen is too young to have a child. She wished she had never married Xeno. But then she would have Luna. Luna was her entire life. It was the only thing that kept her going. Without Luna she surely would have lost hope when she found out her family was murdered. For a few hours she thought she was alone in the world until her sister, Marlene, showed up at the house only to tell her she was alive. That was the last time Pandora saw Marlene. That was the last time Pandora had left the house in nine years.
The only media she was allowed to read was the Quibbler, which was written by her husband. There was no way she was going to find out the truth for that. She was surprised to find a copy of the Daily Prophet on the coffee table. She passed by it a few times before she was sure that Xeno was in his study before snatching it from the table running up to the attic, where she spent most of her days. When he made it impossible for her to leave the house she made his life hell. She would spend all day making spells that she would use on him when he wasn't expecting it or she felt threatened. If she was going to die in this house he was going to suffer for it. She flipped over the paper to read the article on the front page.
The Potters Fall from Power
By Rita Skeeter
The entire magical community including myself was shocked at the arrival of young Ms. Bridget Potter only a few short months ago. Who was the parents of the mysterious young girl? Where has she been? Why was she hidden from us? Some believe that the Potters had rejected the child because she was a squib. Other believe that it is a political stunt to bring more attention to the Potters after the end of the war. We cannot be for certain what the reasoning is, but we have gathered new information about the Ms. Potter.
Earlier this week a young French wizard was brought to St. Mungo's after being transferred at the family's request. The Ministry denied that such a child was at St. Mungo's, but according to a correspondent in St. Mungo's there is a young boy from France that arrived with nearly fatal injuries that could only be caused by the darkest forms of magic. Until recently we had no information on the identity of the mysterious French boy. It was leaked from Albus Dumbledore in a conference that the young boy's name was Sebastian and he was the older brother of Ms. Bridget Potter.
Pandora only skimmed the rest of the article. She knew Rita was full of rubbish. She was a terrible student at Hogwarts. Always causing trouble. She seem to have a true hatred for Marlene. Pandora understood why Rita hated Marlene now, but she was a year younger and didn't know the whole story until she had left Hogwarts and a friend of Marlene's told her what had happened. Leave it Marlene to accidentally steal a guy from the most jealous and revengeful Slytherin girl in Pandora's year. She laughed remembering the story of how it happened.
She had completely forgotten about the article until her eyes met the picture of the young girl standing in front of two coffins with Cornelius Fudge looking baffled. Her heart stopped beating for a moment. The young girl looked just like Marlene, just like herself, just like all the other McKinnon women. She was without a doubt a McKinnon. She had heard rumours that Marcus had a baby, but she didn't believe them. But this little girl had to Marcus's, there was no other explanation. If the little girl was alive then Marcus had to be alive. How else would an infant escape a Death Eater attack? An adult would have had to save her. The only McKinnon, besides Marlene, not account for that night was Marcus. This time she had more than just her gut feeling and dreams to prove she was right. She had to find Marcus. He was the only one that had the political power to save Luna and her. She tore the article from the newspaper. She set the newspaper on fire to hide any evidence that she had ever had the paper.
Pandora stayed in the attic all day and well into the night. She sat there unable to pry herself a way from her easel. She couldn't stop painting until she was finished. Something kept her awake. The sound of the attic door locking didn't even upset her tonight. When she put down she heard the secret door to the attic open.
"Mummy I brought you dinner," said a young girl with long wavy light blonde hair.
"Thank you, love," Pandora said.
"Who is that?" questioned the young girl.
"Your cousin," sighed Pandora "her destiny that that is."
The young girl corked her head at the painting. It was of a young woman with curly blond hair holding out her hand admitting golden light from hand that was ripping through the pitch darkness. White wispy figures of all ages and sizes fallowed behind the young woman.
"What does it mean?" asked the little girl.
"One day your cousin is going to save us all. She is the light. She is a child of darkness that will bring forth a new age for wizarding kind. She is only one of the many that will lead to a new age. Luna you mustn't tell her or show her this painting until the darkest of times are upon you. She mustn't know destiny until it is time for it to be fulfilled," said Pandora "promise me."
"I promise," said Luna. Pandora kissed the top of Luna's head before pushing her back through the hideaway door so Xeno never found out that Luna had left her room.
Tomorrow would be the day she left this house. Xeno would go to Diagon Alley all day like every Saturday. When he would return Luna and Pandora would be gone.
It had been a month since Pandora finally left Xeno. Luna could run and play in the snow without a care in the world. This is what Pandora had always imagined for her little girl, who really wasn't that little anymore. She was sad it took her this long to find the courage to leave, but it was worth it. She was worried that Xeno would find them, but she knew that the house would protect them. After all it had been protecting generations of McKinnons. The two story stone farmhouse needed a lot of work, but Pandora welcomed the challenge.
"Mum! Mum!" called Luna running through the house in her snow gear leaving a trail of snow behind her.
"Luna for the love of Merlin how many times have I told you to take off your boots at the door," sighed Pandora as she was trying to clean the small amount of useable dishes they had.
"Sorry mum. But there is a strange man walking towards the house," said Luna.
"It's nothing to worry about dear. Can you get some wood for the fire tonight," said Pandora wiping her hands off on a hand towel.
Luna went straight through the back door of the farmhouse. The door fell off its hinges again. Pandora sighed find her wand in the pocket of her apron.
"Repro," she casted. The door floated upwards then back into place. The screws went back into the hinges for now.
Pandora had no reason to believe that there was anyone dangerous around. She knew the enchantments and protection spells on the farmhouse would protect her. She tested them all herself to be certain. Then she heard the front door creak open. She looked out the window to see that Luna was still trying to carry the wood to the house as she kept dropping a piece every few seconds. She gripped her wand tightly have every intention to do whatever she had to do to protect Luna and herself. She silently crept into the dining room and peered into the entrance hall. She saw a tall man in large faded red wool coat. She knew the texture of wool anywhere. Once he lowered his hood Pandora's breath hitched. She knew deep down who it was.
"Marcus?" said Pandora.
The man turned around to face Pandora. His curly brown hair was windblown and his cheeks rosy red from the long trek to the farmhouse. He smiled at his sister then hugged her. His dark blue eyes were pained with guilt, but lightened for a moment of relief.
"I-I'm so sorry. I should have told you I was alive. I was afraid. I was weak. I had to make sure that the Bridget, Marlene and you survived the war. I left you alone, you needed me and I bailed. Merlin I-I've been such a terrible brother. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but please I need your help," whispered Marcus into his baby sister's ear as he held her close. It took all he had not to crumple to his knees.
Pandora was a loss for words. She was angry, happy, excited and anxious all rolled up into one second. But her love for her brother would never change no matter what he did or how deep of trouble he was in. She wrapped her arms tight around her older brother.
"You don't need to ask for my help. I'll always help you even if you were an escaped convict from Azkaban. And Marcus I don't hate you and there is nothing to forgive. We all did what we had to survive," said Pandora willing to let go of the past nine years of grief on a moment's notice.
"Mum, where do I put the wood?" called Luna from the kitchen.
"In the room with the fireplace," offered Pandora.
"Silly me," giggled Luna.
"Long term affect from legilimency. She needs to see a Mind Healer, but I can't risk her father getting any information of where we are," said Pandora.
"Don't worry about him," growled Marcus.
"Marcus, please don't do something you'll regret. We'll deal with him the legal way," said Pandora "remember we're doing this the legal way."
"Don't talk to me as me like a child. You may be my sister, but you aren't mum," Marcus said in a serious tone. He was too old to put up with Pandora being condescending to him. She never had that right to do that to begin with, he was older after all. She only got away with it because she was the baby girl.
"Sorry, it's a habit really. I've been repeating myself to Luna since we got here," sighed Pandora breaking the hug "Luna love, come here! I want you meet someone."
Luna skipped around back through the kitchen into the entrance room. She smiled at the man happily. She watched the man with curiously. He sure did look like the girl in the painting her mum had painted.
"Luna this is your Uncle Marcus. Marcus this is Luna," said Pandora.
"She's got the McKinnon beauty for sure. She looks a lot like mum. It's so strange seeing my baby sister having a kid of her own," said Marcus.
"Marlene's oldest is already in Hogwarts," reminded Pandora.
"Don't get me started on the as-jerk she married," snorted Marcus correcting himself before he swore.
"Stop worrying about swear words, if that's all she picked up in that bloody house it would be a miracle," said Pandora. It was the honest truth though it stung Pandora a bit to admit it.
"Mummy, he looks like the girl in the painting," said Luna.
"Well of course he does she's his daughter," chuckled Pandora.
"Painting?"
"Don't worry about it. I used painting to release my built up spirit magic. It doesn't like being contained," said Pandora.
"Okay…then. I still can't believe that you figured out how to master fire and spirit," grumbled Marcus.
"You know you are more than capable of mastering both fire and air if you'd stop letting your fire magic dominate," said Pandora.
"Using fire and air sounds like a deadly combination for me," said Marcus "fire is hard enough the control."
"It's only hard for you to control because you bottle your emotions," said Pandora.
"Can you lecture about how I don't express myself later?" groaned Marcus.
"I certain can and will," said Pandora.
"Have you heard anything about Bridget?" asked Marcus.
"Plenty, I'm surprised you haven't heard. She's all over the Daily Prophet. They just won't leave those poor kids alone," sighed Pandora summoning the article she had taken with her when she left.
Marcus snatched the article mid-air. The paper started to smoulder within a minute. Luna looked around with fascination at the burning paper and also fright. She had never seen anyone start a fire without a wand or words.
"Aguamenti," casted Pandora as a small stream of icy blue water shot out of the tip of her wand drenching the paper.
"Remind me to file a harassment lawsuit on Rita Seeker," growled Marcus "and I need to give James and earful. What was he thinking make a political stunt over his own sister and niece's funeral?"
"Marcus, you need to sleep on it. Then you can contact someone, I'm sure there is someone that will help you. Someone who can tell you the truth," said Pandora.
"You're right. This is only the twisted truth," said Marcus.
"I need you to contact someone, once you get your identity proven, to annul my marriage to Xenophilius," said Pandora.
"You'll both have to see a healer to get enough proof that he is abusive to do that. Are you sure you want that? It can be very invasive on your mind. At least that's what dad gave a reasoning why people don't get divorces often in the magical world," said Marcus.
"If it keeps him away from Luna I'd do anything," Pandora said forcing back the that were threatening to fall.
"He's never going to hurt either of you. I can promise you that," said Marcus.
Pandora told everything that had happened to her in the past nine years to Marcus. Some parts she couldn't stop the fears from falling when she spoke about them. Marcus would have gone after Xeno and probably kill him if she hadn't used the freezing charm to prevent him from leaving. She would reverse the charm only when she felt like he had calmed down enough. After the third time he started to control is temper better. She knew in the near future she was going to have to repeat this all again. And she would do it for Luna no matter how painful it was for her. She wanted this to be all a terrible nightmare and none of the past nine years was true.
Into the late hours of the night Pandora was still awake. She couldn't stop watching as Luna curled up right next to Marcus on the floor and felt asleep snuggled into him. The loss of sleep was worth seeing that. She tossed another log onto the fire until she gave into sleep.
Author's Notes: This one shot is connected to Changing Seas and does have spoilers for Chapter Five if you haven't read it yet. I hope you enjoyed this one-shot into why Pandora and Mallene haven't talked and my own ideas that went on in the Lovegood family. I do have a Christmas themed one-shot that I"m going to be working on based on Lily and James, so be on the look out for that. But anyways thanks for reading and try to leave feedback for me.
This story has not been belta read yet and may be updated on a later date.