I get nothing for writing this except some amusement. Everything belongs to JK Rowlings.
****This is the fourth in a series. It will make much more sense if you read the others first. "Lifeline" "Devil's Own" and then "Home". Have mercy on me... I am writing this with a baby on my lap. And thank-you for reading!****
Any day, now... it's gonna start - my real life.
And any day, now: everything is gonna be all right...
Any day, now: life's gonna get real good.
And somehow: life'll be like I said it would
-Any Day Now by Bif Naked
Before the story begins, is it such a sin
For me to take what's mine until the end of time?
We were more than friends before the story ends
And I will take what's mine, create what God would never design
-A Little Piece of Heaven by Avenged Sevenfold
June 24th, 2001 The Cottage, Wales
One of the main problems that arose when you tell a house elf to be quiet until said house elf can learn to speak proper English is that you get a whole lot of silence.
One of the main benefits of that order is that you don't have to listen to a massacre of the English language.
Rodolphus Lestrange was pretty good at looking at the bright side of things and figured that while his only option for conversation was his three year old now, her command of grammar was better than his main house elf, Josephine (He really was not sure how she came about that name. In a world full of Winky's, Dobby's, Binky's and even a Kreature, he had a Josephine. Go figure.). And besides, his three year old was supposed to slur once in awhile.
But he would be honest, even while being optimistic, if he heard the "A B C and 1 2 3" song one more time, he was going to scream.
"Angel, can you please, please, please sing something different?" he begged. His little angel looked up at him and beamed.
"Okay, Daddy." she said obediently.
He had meant for her to call him "Father" because that was how purebloods did it but she sounded so cute when she said "Daddy" and he really did like it a lot.
She even looked cute as she began singing "Jingle Bells" at the top of her lungs.
It was June.
They went through an entire round of "Angel, please sing something else", including wonderful songs such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Amazing Grace", "Puff the Magic Dragon", "It's a Small World After All" and "Come On, Eileen" (he really wasn't certain where she picked that one up... or any of those really) before they ended up with the "A B C and 1 2 3" song again.
This time, she sang it to the tune of "Come On, Eileen".
To anyone in the world that had never heard of the "A B C and 1 2 3" song, it would sound as though he was just being silly. However, there was something special about this song that made it very annoying.
It only had seven words.
And those seven words were sung over and over again.
And sometimes, late at night, Rodolphus heard them echoing on the wind like a demented banshee's cry. Once, he was certain he did hear a banshee.
She was singing the "A B C and 1 2 3" song.
Incidentally, the title of the song also happened to be the lyrics.
In the year and a half since Rodolphus and his daughter had taken up residence in this house, he had been happy. Not completely blissful, that would have happened if his wife had been at his side, raising their daughter but happy.
But he wasn't so happy that he forgot his plans of revenge.
He didn't just have himself to think about, he had his daughter, too. His beautiful Danielle hadn't seen her mother since she was just a small baby. If not for the Redheaded Harpy, things would be so different. If she just hadn't messed with things. If she had just left his Bella alone.
It was late afternoon when the missive telling him that the next part of his revenge was in place.
Danielle was finishing dinner with a mute elf when Rodolphus found them.
"Angel, we'll be heading to London tomorrow." Rodolphus told her, brushing a lock of black hair from her forehead.
"Okay, Daddy." she said, not looking up.
"What are you doing, Angel?" he frowned. She was bent over her plate, apparently sorting her carrots.
"I don't want to eat the ones that are shaped wrong." she replied.
He stared at her blankly. "What?" he asked finally. This was, apparently, some sort of odd toddler thing.
She held up two carrots.
"This one is right and this one is wrong." she said, frowning. "Gotta separate them."
The carrots looked identical to him.
"I don't understand." he confessed.
She sighed like she was talking to an idiot.
Probably, in her mind, she was.
"They taste funny if they're shaped like this." She held up one. "But if they're shaped like this, there's okay." She held up the other. "Taste!"
He did so.
He couldn't taste the difference.
"I can't tell the difference." he admitted.
"Oh, Daddy." she sighed mournfully.
"Well, um, carry on then." He walked out of the nursery, shaking his head.
Hours later, he examined the carrots. There were a couple left in the Good Pile so he could compare.
It took him over an hour but he finally found a difference. The ones in the good pile were cut so that they were perfectly circular while the ones in the Bad Pile had a slight slant to the cut.
"Huh." He nodded slowly. He supposed that there was a point to what she did.
Even if only a toddler would notice it.
***
June 24th, 2001 Dragon Reserve, Romania
"What are you doing?" Adela Sandulescu wrinkled her nose and peered at Charlie Weasley's plate.
"These taste weird." he muttered, carefully separating his carrots on his plate.
"I do not understand. They are all the same." Adela looked around at the other keepers for help.
Ciprian Pavlenco waved his hand. "Do not bother asking, Adela. He says that the ones shaped a certain way taste wrong."
"They do." Charlie grunted, lifting one piece and examining it carefully before putting it in the discard pile.
"But there is no difference to them!" Ciprian said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. There is." Charlie scowled at a particularly tricky piece of carrot.
Adela watched a moment longer before shrugging. "Must be an English thing."
"Wait until you see him try to eat beans." Ciprian said cheerfully.
* * *
June 25th, 2001 London, England
They arrived in Diagon Alley with seven other people. Danielle hid her face against his shoulder and then made a face telling everyone how much she did not enjoy port keys. Then her eyes lit up as she looked around at all the different things that were just made for a small child to grab, play with, chew on and get into.
Like that incredibly interesting potions shop.
Rodolphus made a mental note to hold onto her as tightly as possible.
In the time since the war, things had calmed down enough that he could walk through the alley. His appearance had changed with time and experience so that no one would ever see the man he had been. He was a whole new man.
A whole new man with his delightful little girl.
Of course, once in awhile, his scarred face got some attention but there were many scarred people now. His weren't that bad... although the five straight scars that ran down the left side of his face made people do double takes. He hurt every time he saw that reminder of the last time he had seen his poor Bella awake and alive and fighting. Not the memory of her nails raking down his face... well, that she hadn't recognized him still hurt and having his face clawed certainly was not pleasant, but how he reacted to it.
He forced himself not to remember that.
And she had done him a favor in so many ways with that act. He really wasn't recognizable now. He knew she would be happy to know she had done him a favor like that.
"Daddy..." Danielle breathed in his ear, pulling him back from painful memories. "Look!" He looked in the direction she pointed and saw the wild, flashing and very vivid front of the joke shop those damned blood traitor twins owned. Well. Only one blood traitor twin now since he had read that one had died.
"Very nice, Danielle." he said indulgently. "We have business, remember?"
She twisted in his arms, watching in awe as things exploded and lights flashed and all kinds of things happened in the very, very busy shop.
"Oh, what a beautiful child!" an old woman cried when Rodolphus set Danielle down in front of the bank and straightened the big blue bow in her hair. She smiled shyly at the woman and didn't hide her face. In fact, she preened a bit. Rodolphus smiled proudly.
"What do we say, Danielle?" he asked.
"Thank-you." the little girl replied and took her father's hand.
The business in the bank was long, drawn out and intensely satisfying.
The goblins had found his quarry and made all the arrangements necessary. Yes, it cost an arm and a leg (luckily not literally) but he had done it. Soon, he would be taking care of Unfinished Business. Although, to be honest, he wasn't sure why he had to go all the way to America to do it. It seemed to him that his quarry should have returned here after the war so that he could take care of things at his leisure. He really didn't understand.
He held Danielle's hand as they crossed the Alley, heading toward the bookstore. He had promised her ice cream if she was good and she certainly did deserve it. He just wanted to pick up a couple of travel books and a new story for Danielle.
They were in the middle of the street when there was a loud explosion and people began yelling. As he tried to scoop Danielle into his arms, she was yanked away by a surge of people.
"Daddy!" she screamed.
His heart stopped as he pushed and shoved people out of his way, trying to get where his daughter was. His very small, breakable daughter.
He reached a small alcove and he sagged in relief. His daughter was there, safe and sound...
And in the arms of a redhead.
One of those redheads. The one that was so closely connected to Harry Bloody Potter.
"Daddy!" His daughter sobbed and he forgot his fury at the sight of the bastard. She lunged for him and he caught her, kissing her hair and cheeks as he hugged her tight.
"What in the world happened?" Rodolphus blurted.
"Problem down at the apothecary. Looks like some potions got mixed." the redheaded bastard replied. "You okay, sweetheart?" Danielle nodded, her face still pressed against Rodolphus's neck.
"Thank-you." Rodolphus said to the redheaded bastard.
"How old is she?" The redheaded bastard just would not go away! But since he had saved Danielle, Rodolphus would excuse it.
"Three." Rodolphus replied.
"My older brother and his wife have a little girl a little younger than that." The redheaded bastard continued companionably, watching as the crowds calmed and began to thin out.
"Daddy, wanna go to the sparkly store." Danielle said, lifting her face. Rodolphus carefully fixed her bow and kissed her cheek. Right now, he would agree to anything. Who was he kidding? He had a problem telling her no about anything.
"Alright, sweetheart." he said.
"Ice cream?" she continued.
"And then ice cream." Rodolphus smiled. She was a resilient little thing. She'd probably bounce back faster than he would from this!
The redheaded bastard walked with them to the "sparkly store" because Rodolphus learned that he was working there with his brother.
How... nice.
Rodolphus followed Danielle as she moved from one area to the next, staring in wonder at the different things on display.
"They're cute at this age." the redheaded bastard commented. "Everything's so new."
"It is to her." Rodolphus commented. "We don't get to town very often so it's just the two of us." He glanced at the redheaded bastard. "My wife was... lost in the war when Danielle was a baby."
"I'm so sorry." the redheaded bastard said honestly.
"My daughter needs her mother." Rodolphus said, watching him out of the corner of his eye. "I do as well as I can but it's very hard. And I'm afraid that Danielle doesn't get out very often. Not like this."
Danielle was standing in the middle of the store, her eyes wide, slowly turning around and around, just looking. Then, she looked back at her father and beamed, her entire face lighting up with pure, unadulterated joy.
"But I have Danielle." Rodolphus said quietly. "And there's is nothing I wouldn't do for her." He forced a smile for the bastard. "Please excuse me and I do thank-you for your assistance earlier." The bastard seemed to recognize the dismissal and stepped away.
They ate ice cream and then the toy store and then the bookstore. Danielle was asleep in Rodolphus's arms when they finally left. On his arm was a large bag with Danielle's new books and her new toys, too.
Rodolphus smiled down at his little girl. No one would ever take her away from him. She was his little girl forever.
* * *
June 25th, 2001 The Burrow
Ron was unusually silent at dinner.
"Alright, what's wrong with you?" Ginny demanded finally.
Ron shook his head. "I saw something today that just keeps nagging at me."
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"Well, it was when there was that explosion on the alley. I was walking back to the shop when it happened. I saw this little girl almost get trampled by the crowd so I ran over and grabbed her. There was just... how many black haired little girls with one black eye and one blue do you think are born on average?"
"Very few." Hermione said thoughtfully. "Next to none, in fact."
"Well, this little girl, Danielle, she had black hair and one black eye and one blue. Cute little girl. Freckles all over her nose. And the weirdest thing was that I just felt like I should take her home with me." He laughed. "Her father probably wouldn't have appreciated that at all. Said he lost his wife during the war. Looked scared to death when he came running through the crowd. They just got pulled apart and I was amazed that he let her down at all."
"Was that who you were stalking around the store today?" George asked.
"Yeah. There was just something about that kid." Ron shook his head. "I don't know. I'm being stupid."
But the next day, Ron found himself investigating the man and his daughter. It took some time but he finally discovered that the man's name was Randal Montague and he was an accountant. His wife, Isabella, had died in the war at the end and their daughter's name was Danielle Isabella Montague.
Seeing those papers, Ron let it go, simply accepting that he was being silly and any resemblance that Danielle had had to the baby whose picture sat on the mantel at The Burrow was simply a coincidence.
Not that it would have really mattered one way or the other. While he was telling his family about Danielle, she was on her way with her father to America, her stuffed dragon clutched in one hand and her new book in the other.
***
August 2, 2002 New Orleans, Louisiana
The girl had a beautiful voice. There was no denying that. Her appearance matched her voice, too. In fact, Danielle would have loudly proclaimed that she looked like a princess.
Randal was unimpressed by princesses. In fact, he found them rather boring.
But he had to admit that she did look like one with long red curls and big green eyes.
Randal reclined in his seat in the club and sipped his drink, watching as the girl sang her heart out to a club full of plebeians.
When she was finished, he watched as she stepped off stage, nodding to people when they spoke to her and attempting to walk in absurdly high heels. He pushed himself to his feet and approached the princess.
"You're wasting your time here." he said without preamble. She blinked in surprise and her lips parted slightly. It made her look even more lovely. "Your dress is patched in a two places that I can see, your shoes are worn and not your correct size. You are nervous around people who are drinking and, to be perfectly blunt, you are not taking advantage of your talent. Oh. And you have a piece of carrot in your hair." She blushed and batted at the carrot dangling from one curl.
"Who are you?" she asked, confusion in her voice and on her face. She looked charmingly befuddled.
"Randal Montague. I'm the man that is going to get you out of this place." he replied.
"Listen, I don't know what you think you're going to get but I can assure you that I am not the kind of girl that will just believe someone that promises to get her out and is willing to do- do things in return." Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes flashed angrily. Apparently, the princess had claws.
Fascinating.
He looked her up and down with no small amount of disdain. "Madam, I assure you that I am not interested in any of the things you could possibly offer me. All I am interested in is your voice." He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her. "Honestly, you are just one of thousands of pretty girls with a pretty voice. I am bored and think it would be interesting to make you something more but if you are not interested then I will simply find someone else." She accepted the card with a dazed expression. "Think about it and the contact me at the address on the card. Now, if you will excuse me, I have left my daughter with a babysitter and it makes me very nervous to leave her for very long. Good evening." He turned and began walking away.
"You're not very nice." she called after him.
"And you still have carrot in your hair." he smiled. "Have a nice evening."
He was not surprised when she sent him a message the next morning asking him to meet her for coffee.
As soon as he had sent a message confirming the meeting, he contacted an old family friend that was now involved in the recording industry. An old family friend that had plenty of reason to cooperate and, more importantly, not say a word about who he used to be.
Over lunch, they came to an agreement that he would make damned sure that anyone that Randal sent to him was recorded.
"I can't make them a success if they're awful." he reminded Randal.
Randal waved a hand. "The girl is good and will make us a fortune. Trust me."
"Not a chance." his friend shot back. "But I'll do what I can for her."
Randal hesitated. "Have you heard anything about my brother?"
His friend was quiet. "He's in Azkaban again." Randal nodded slowly. "You're considered dead. I think some people are still looking for you but the public believes that you're dead."
Randal looked up with cold eyes. "See that it stays that way."
That night, he reread his files on the girl. Audrina Winterbourne. Married Fredrick Weasley in September of 1997 when it was discovered that the little princess was pregnant. Sole surviving member of a pure blood family that opposed Voldemort one time too many. Went to school in France and, most interesting of all, was one of those obnoxious creatures that changed their appearances at will. A metamorphmagus. Although it seemed Audrina was rather fond of her natural looks and rarely changed them. She was eighteen years old when her daughter, Fredricka, was born and one month later, both mother and child were shipped off to America for their own safety. Apparently it was decided that the princess had used up all her luck with two escapes from Death Eaters.
Randal knew that he was to blame for the fact that princess was singing in a club in worn clothing and shoes. He needed her to be destitute and desperate. And, apparently, she was now. All it had taken was a few clever purchases of debts and a couple of goblins that were more than willing to help out and Audrina Winterbourne was destitute.
He had learned from watching her that Audrina had almost no survival skills. She had gone from her parents taking care of her to her husband's care. Now that she was on her own, she was proving to be utterly dreadful at it.
He had to wonder if that Redheaded Bastard had been attracted to her beauty and abilities and whether or not it would have lasted if he had lasted. He also wondered why they had not come to collect her yet. It had been years and surely they knew that the two of them existed. It boggled the mind.
Or perhaps they just didn't like her very much. But wouldn't they at least care that the child was in such dire straights. At least, he presumed that they were in dire straights.
He knew this for certain when she showed up with her child in tow and looking like she hadn't slept in a long while.
Randal eyed the pair critically. Both were wearing secondhand garments but at least they appeared clean. The little girl was redheaded and freckled. She had long hair that was pulled into two braids and was wearing a purple sundress and trainers. Audrina was wearing a sundress and a pair of sandals. The little girl kept stopping to look at things and point while Audrina dragged her along.
"Who are they, Daddy?" Danielle whispered. He had brought her along today so that Audrina wouldn't feel threatened. Nothing was threatening about a man with a little girl. In contrast to the worn pair coming toward him, Danielle was wearing shiny sandals with a buckle, a pretty blue dress and her hair was tied back with a large blue bow. She was sitting at the table with the napkin over her lap, sipping a milkshake from a glass that was almost as big as her face.
"They are someone Daddy may be doing business with." he replied, smoothing her hair.
"Oh." She continued to study the little girl with a fascinated, almost longing, expression on her face and Randal realized that Danielle had never been around other children before. Randal stood as they approached.
"Mr. Montague." Audrina managed a smile for him. "Thank-you for meeting us."
"Hi! I'm Fred!" the little girl chirped. "Who are you?" She looked directly at Danielle.
"Danielle." She tilted her head and studied the other girl.
"Mum, may I have some ice cream?" Fred turned her attention to her mother. Audrina flushed.
"Oh, Fred, I don't think-" she began and then stopped. "Remember what I said at the flat?"
Fred deflated. "Okay, Mum."
"You can have some of mine." Danielle offered shyly. "If you'd like." Fred brightened again and looked at her mother. She managed another smile and nodded.
The two little girls dove into the milkshake, chatting with each other as if they had been friends forever, all shyness forgotten. Randal looked at Audrina.
"Am I to assume that you have decided to accept my proposal?" he asked. Audrina took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Montague. What do I need to do?" She looked up him with wide, innocent eyes.
He smiled back, a very toothy predator's smile.
"You just sing. Leave everything else to me."
A month later, Audrina Winterbourne recorded her first album.
Three days after Audrina's first album was completed, Danielle seemed rather... mopey. This was not something that Randal felt himself equipped to handle since she was rarely in this state. It was moments like this that he regretted leaving the elves in Wales. But moving them to another country was such a bother! Licensing and taxes and attention that he did not want... much easier to just hire someone here.
"What in the world is the matter, Danielle. That is the fourth time you've sighed since we sat down to eat." he said as she poked dejectedly at her food.
She looked up at him with troubled eyes. "Daddy, Fred's babysitter got shot. With a gun."
Randal blinked. "What do you want me to do about it? Buy the girl body armor?"
Danielle sighed heavily. "She got shot in Fred's building. And Fred says that sort of thing happens a lot. She's scared in her building." She looked up at him with huge, sad eyes. "Daddy, Fred's my best friend. My only friend. I don't want her to get shot."
Randal was quiet for the rest of dinner. He wanted his revenge but he wouldn't get it if the princess and her child were killed in their own home.
After Danielle had gone into the living room to watch a movie, Randal called the babysitting service he used and requested that they send someone immediately. Then he called for a car. Thirty minutes later, he was headed to Audrina's address.
He had never been here before and, he had to admit, he was not impressed. Gangs of people stood on the corners, women dressed in next to nothing called invitations and when he was getting out of his car, he heard gunshots.
The building smelled unpleasant to say the least. His lips twisted when he stepped over a sleeping man in the hallway and dodged a used hypodermic.
Audrina's door was old and scuffed. One of the numbers for her address was missing and it was painted a color that he was pretty sure started out as green but was now an odd olive color.
It took a moment for anyone to answer his knock but when the door finally opened, it was only a crack. Audrina peered out, her eyes wide and frightened, from beneath a chain lock.
"Randal?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Let me inside, woman. This hallway smells." The door closed and then reopened. Audrina blinked a couple of times, her hands clutching the edges of her robe. Randal moved past her and looked around the apartment.
It was a lesson in poverty.
The couch was a gold color that had probably been popular in the 1960's or 70's, There were cigarette burns on the cushions and random stains that made him cringe.
The carpet was just as bad. Odd stains, cigarette burns, and worn spots graced the green shag.
He saw crayoned pictures coating the pea green refrigerator and a pair of mismatched chairs sat at a cheap, lopsided table that had a coat of peeling, silver tape that was apparently holding one leg together.
There were two doors leading away from the rest of the apartment. He saw a shower curtain peeking out of one and Fred peeking from the other. He strode to the bathroom and turned on the light. It was white, or it was supposed to be white. The tile was broken and cracked. The bathtub was stained. The toilet was running and, although it was scrubbed as clean as possible, he could smell mildew. The faucet was dripping and the sink had a line of rust at the edges.
"Why is Randal in our flat, Mum?" Fred whispered.
"I-I don't know, sweetheart." Audrina whispered back. "Randal? What's going on?"
He pushed past them and opened the door that Fred had been peeking from. It was a bedroom with one bed. Clothing was hanging in an open closet and on one wall, a few pictures hung. Some personal items were placed on shelves and it was very, very obvious that the two shared this room.
Randal turned. "Pack your things." he said. "Immediately."
"W-what?" Audrina was hugging Fred to her. They didn't look like mother and daughter; they looked like sisters.
"You are not staying here." Randal marched into the bedroom and pulled two suitcases from the closet. He pulled his wand out, cast a couple of charms and then started directing clothing into the suitcases. "Your babysitter was shot?"
"Her boyfriend shot her because she left him." Audrina agreed. "But where are you thinking that we'll go, Randal? This is all I can afford!"
"I have a large house." Randal finished packing their clothing and started moving other things into the other suitcase. "There are two unoccupied bedrooms." He turned, sensing that Audrina was about to argue. "For your child if nothing else. Do you want her to get shot next time? Or what happens when she steps on one of those hypodermics that litter your hallway? Or what happens when someone breaks in while she's here? You are not staying here, Audrina."
Ten minutes later, the three walked from the building. The driver put the two suitcases into the trunk and then opened the door for them. Fred and Audrina were still in their pajamas.
Danielle was asleep on the couch in the living room, a Disney Movie playing on the large television that Randal had purchased when they moved in. The babysitter, an older woman that looked incredibly motherly sat knitting in the chair beside the couch.
"How did everything go?" Randal asked, hanging his jacket in the closet in the foyer.
"Just fine, Mr. Montague." the woman began putting her knitting away. "There's never any problem with Danielle. She fell asleep waiting for you to come back." Randal lifted his daughter from the couch, making sure to grab her stuffed dragon. She snuggled against his shoulder and sighed in contentment. One eye, the black one, opened.
"Everything alright, Daddy?" she asked.
He kissed her forehead. "It's fine, Angel." He glanced back at Audrina and Fred. They were pressed together, looking around the room with wide eyes. "Fred can share Danielle's room tonight. We will get her a room of her own tomorrow. Come along."
When both girls were tucked into the purple and white canopy bed, Randal walked back downstairs to pay the babysitter. As soon as she was gone, he turned to look at Audrina. She was standing there in her pajamas and slippers. He snorted a little. Her pajamas were pink and covered with little yellow crowns.
"Alright, Princess. You're probably tired, too." he said. "Come along. I'll show you to your room. I have magic here as well as Muggle technology. Since I saw that you had a few Muggle appliances, I trust that I will not have to teach you to use those items. If you have a problem with any of them, please let me know, Princess."
"Why do you call me that?" she asked, following him up the stairs. He paused and looked pointedly at her pajamas then turned and continued to walk.
"I'm not going to sleep with you." she blurted.
He stopped and turned to look at her.
"Princess, I told you once and I shall tell you again, you have nothing that entices me. All I want from you is your voice." He opened a door and pointed. "This is your room. Mine is over there. Kindly refrain from entering mine unless the house is on fire and I need to leave." He hesitated. "And even then, I would rather you yelled through the door."
"You do these nice things and then you act so mean." she blurted as he walked away.
He snorted. "Nothing I do is nice. You are of no use to me dead and since I am all that you have in this city, I would no doubt end up raising your child. I have no interest in doing so." He paused. "And we will be getting you and Fred some new clothing tomorrow. Please be dressed and ready to go by 10 o'clock."
"I don't need your charity!" she stamped her foot. "And don't order me about like I'm a child!"
"I beg to differ, Princess." he sniffed. "You do, in fact, need my charity and, quite bluntly, I will stop treating you like a child when you stop acting like one." He arched his eyebrows. "So get used to being treated like a child."
Before she could formulate a reply through her stammering fury, he entered his room and closed the door.
"I am not a child!" she wailed finally. He smiled when he heard her door slam.
The next morning, Danielle greeted him with a hug and a huge kiss on the cheek.
"You're the best Daddy in the world!" she cried.
"Only the best for my angel." he replied, smiling.
Fred and Audrina hung back slightly, watching him.
"You're late." Audrina finally sniffed.
Randal smiled pleasantly. "And good morning to you as well, Audrina. You look quite nice even without an outfit with crowns on it. Perhaps later you can put on something with cartoon animals?" Fred and Danielle giggled. Audrina scowled at him and he turned his attention to the girls. "Have you two had breakfast yet?"
"Yes, Daddy!" Danielle beamed. "Aunty Audrina made us eggs!"
He smiled fondly. "Good. Are we ready to go?"
Replacing the secondhand clothing the two had been wearing was tiresome. Audrina's pride was now warring with her desire to outfit her child in better clothing. Randal finally got tired of it and just started piling items on the counter.
"Randal! No!" Audrina tried to block him with her body. Randal stepped around her and put another stack of shirts on counter.
"Audrina, if you are not with us, then you are against us and I will lock you in a changing room until we are finished." He looked toward where the girls were watching him. "Ladies, would you please go pick out some new undergarments?" They darted away. "And socks!" he called after them.
The girls came back five minutes later with stacks of ruffled panties and matching socks. Danielle beamed at him.
"No showing off your knickers to everyone we meet, Danielle." Randal sighed.
Danielle scowled. "But they're so pretty, Daddy!"
Audrina and Randal both rolled their eyes.
Randal took the same approach with Audrina in the shops that carried her clothing as he had in the girl's stores. He sat her down in a chair and put things on the counter.
"Can we go pick out Mum's knickers, too?" Fred asked, clapping her hands. Randal grinned wickedly.
"Be my guests, ladies." The two girls raced away. Randal glanced at Audrina and lifted his eyebrows. "Do I need to lecture you on why you may not show your pretty new knickers to everyone we meet or can you control yourself?"
She glared at him. "I really don't think that I like you today, Randal. And I thought that you weren't interested in my knickers!"
"No, I am not interested in what is in your knickers. I am concerned about the state of your knickers. There is a big difference." Randal glanced at his watch as he spoke.
"Why do you keep doing that?" Audrina asked. "You've been watching the time all day. Do you have plans tonight?"
"We all do." Randal replied cryptically.
That evening, after dinner, Randal herded the three females into the living room.
"Sit down." he ordered Audrina. "And for once, do not speak, Princess."
She glared but did as he ordered. Randal flipped on the radio and turned it to a modern rock station. A song ended and the DJ came on.
"And here's a new song from a witch I think we'll be hearing a lot of." The intro began. "This is 'Kiss Me Crazy' from Audrina Winterbourne!"
Danielle and Fred squealed and clapped their hands as Audrina's voice filled the room. Randal smiled, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Audrina stared open mouthed at the radio.
"That's- that's me!" she breathed. "Oh my God! That's me!" She jumped to her feet, pointing to the radio. "That's me!"
"Your powers of observation are astounding." Randal smirked.
Audrina shrieked, grabbed both the girls' hands and began hopping up and down. "That's me! I'm on the radio!"
Randal just smiled and watched as the three of them danced around the living room, squealing, laughing and singing along.
That week, Audrina's first album went on the Wizarding Charts.