Catalina lay silently on the small cot in the room that Minerva and Tom, the barkeeper, had led them up to. Ophelia and Lyssy were sleeping on the double bed, and her heart almost ached with relief to hear their quiet breathing. She was still in shock over the things Minerva McGonagall had shared with her earlier. She'd wanted to believe it was all a joke, but she'd learned as a child that many things in the world were possible. If she were honest with herself it also explained a lot when it came to her youngest child as well. Lyssy had always been different…special. Not that Ophelia wasn't special, because she was, but where Ophelia had received some of the same…traits as her mother, Lyssy had been inexplicable. Catalina had tried her best to help but she couldn't explain things she herself didn't understand.
The pain was still running through her body, though not as violent as it had been. Now the razor sharp edge of it was dulled, and if she didn't move much she could almost ignore it. Minerva McGonagall had informed her that they would have something for her in the morning that would make her better. Catalina hadn't known how to explain that nothing ever really got better. When it looked like it would…well, that's when it all turned into an illusion and Hell came back.
She'd agreed to go back with the strangers to their school. She'd agreed to take her daughters to this new world. Now she could only hope it was the right thing. It had to be better than the alternatives, right?
The door opened softly, but Catalina heard. She'd had years of perfecting the art of listening for people to sneak up on her. Her eyes widened, and flickered to her daughters, but they slept on, obviously exhausted. Catalina immediately recognized Minerva and the dark man entering. She sat up and couldn't hide her wince of pain.
"Professor Snape brought you something to make you feel better Dear." Minerva murmured feeling wretched as she recognized the woman's fear.
Snape approached and silently handed the unmoving woman another vial. She didn't even blink as she looked at him out of frightened eyes. "Holding it will not have the same effect as drinking it." he murmured.
"What is it?" she asked huskily.
One dark eyebrow rose. "A healing draught."
She drank it, and made a face at the bitter taste. "It's different from the one you gave me earlier." This was more of a statement than a question.
"Indeed it was." The man's British accent was almost snide. "What I gave you earlier was not meant for serious or internal injuries. You were suffering from both. There is also a bit in there to help dull the pain."
Minerva still watched from the doorway. "In the morning we'll have Poppy, our healer, check you over just to make sure everything is healed up nicely. We'll also get your things and then go to Diagon Alley to purchase the items you'll need for Hogwarts."
Catalina gazed at the woman with dull eyes. "Perhaps it's not right for me to go with you…the girls could still go, but if he finds out where I am…if he finds out you've helped me…"
The older woman moved forward and stared into deep blue eyes. "It matters not what this man discovers. He would be quite foolish to go against anyone at Hogwarts." Minerva could see the girl's eyes starting to drift shut. Catalina Barron was a full grown woman, with two grown daughters, and still she was so young. Minerva wondered how young she'd been when she'd had her first child, the girl Ophelia.
Snape had moved over to the Headmistress. "Lucius will join us in the morning, and we shall go to collect the Muggle's belongings." he scowled.
"I know you do not agree with my decisions regarding these women Severus."
"It does not matter what I agree or disagree with Minerva, the decision has already been made. The damage has already been done. But tell me, how do you expect Muggles with no magic to survive at a school for Witchcraft?"
"The young girl is a witch Severus, and the other two…they are not, but they have their own brand of magic…something I am not familiar with, yet recognize on some level."
Snape sneered, "Whatever their abilities might be it is not true magic. Have you contacted the Minister of Magic?"
"Already done, and while not altogether pleased at my actions, he has agreed with me." Minerva sighed. "We will take them back and let them have the summer to acclimate themselves to our world…Are you sure Lucius was the right choice for this?"
"Do you not think that between Remus, myself, and Lucius we can get the meager belongings of one woman and two children?"
"I do not doubt your capabilities in retrieving their property; I merely question the idea of Lucius journeying into Muggle London to retrieve said items." Minerva told the Potions Master primly. "It isn't as if it's a secret how Lucius feels towards Muggles and Muggle-born."
"Lucius is working towards ridding himself of these prejudices." Snape assured the woman.
Minerva sighed heavily. "I will trust then that you will handle any situations which might arise in the event that one of these 'prejudices' makes itself known?"
Snape scowled at her darkly. "Of course Headmistress."
When the morning finally came it was with gray clouds and heavy thunder rolling through the sky. Minerva brought Poppy Pomphrey into the room where Catalina still lay, sleeping off the pain potion. Both women sent the teenagers out of the room after Poppy informed them she'd be down to check them after she checked their mother.
The tavern was empty except for the two men accompanying Minerva McGonagall, Tom the barkeep, and a new man with long platinum blonde hair. "Ah, Miss Ophelia and Miss Lysistrata, how nice to see you. It looks as though the sleep did you well."
Ophelia looked at the man who spoke to them. It was the same man who'd told her that her father couldn't see into the bar the night before. He seemed rather soothing. He was perhaps slightly older than her mother, in looks at least, and it seemed like perhaps his life had been hard. She could see that he wore plain black trousers, a white button down shirt, and a strange green cloak that covered him as if he wore robes. His hair was brown with a reddish tinge and he had light greenish blue eyes. If he didn't look so tired he would be rather attractive.
The second man from the night before, the man who'd given her mother something that had helped her feel better, was dark. Everything he wore was black; including his long, wavy hair, dark eyes, eyebrows, and thick eyelashes. His skin was pale, but not a sickly pale, no, this was more of an alabaster pale. He had a long hawkish nose, and in some ways he brought to her mind a visualization of a raven, or perhaps a bird of prey. Yes, definitely a predator instead of a scavenger.
The new man was very handsome. Straight, aristocratic nose, steel blue eyes, perfect mouth, flawless tan skin, and all that light blonde hair…he was what the girls referred to as 'eye candy'. He was a sharp dresser too. That gray cloak-coat thing looked expensive.
Ophelia's observations and inner musings took only seconds before she turned her attention back to the first man who'd spoken. "The sleep did help. I feel some better. Worried about Mom though." Her eyes flickered back to the stairs, and then back to the blonde man who seemed to be looking down his nose at them. "Hope you have an umbrella…it looks like rain." She addressed the man and her tone was snide causing her sister to snicker slightly.
He looked at her with an almost startled expression. "And why would it matter if I had an umbrella?" This man was as British as the first two, but his words were clipped and proper.
Ophelia crossed her arms over her chest, and raised one delicate eyebrow. "Your nose is so far up in the air that if you don't have an umbrella you'll drown if it does rain."
Remus hid a smile at the teens insult, Snape's eyes narrowed in thought, and Lucius just glared.
Lyssy felt a moment of pride for her older sister. She knew that Ophelia was snapping because she was scared, and it was her defense mechanism, but it didn't matter. They needed to appear strong in front of these new people, and you could almost feel the derision coming off the blonde man. Lyssy could feel the power running through them. Her eyes focused on the dark man. "You read my Mother's mind last night." Her tone was calm, yet still there was an accusation there. Everyone seemed to ignore Ophelia's shocked gasp.
Snape's head tilted to the side. "Indeed I did." He agreed nonchalantly.
"I don't care if you are helping us…stay out of her head." The blonde girl told him bluntly. "Hers and Ophelia's."
"No one's been in my head Lyss." Ophelia murmured.
Snape's lip curled, and he managed to hide the intrigue he felt that the girl knew whether someone had been in her head before. "When I start taking orders from children I'll let you know."
Lyssy smirked. "It was merely a suggestion Sir. Consider it a returned favor for the help you've been providing. Delving into their minds could be very bad."
"Are you threaten…" He began angrily, but was interrupted as Minerva, Poppy, and Catalina made their way down the stairs and into the room.
"Your Mum's all taken care of ladies." Poppy's voice was cheerful as she looked at the two lovely girls. "Now I get to take a look at you both."
Lucius took a moment to look at the three newest members of the Hogwarts family. The two girls were lovely, if young, and it was easy to see that they were related. The brunette was perhaps an inch taller than the blonde, and both girls were far too thin for their bodies. Something haunted the dark haired girl's denim eyes, and the anger in the blonde was almost fierce. Snape had said that he and Minerva had felt something…other when dealing with the two Muggles; Lucius didn't know what it was, but he could definitely feel it ebbing off of the brunette, as well as the mother as she made her way slowly downstairs. He turned his steely gaze to the older woman. Even unwell the woman was…exceptional. Lucius almost shook his head as the thought took him. A Muggle exceptional? Never. However, she was beautiful, even being skin and bones, with dark circles under her eyes, and faint bruises still marking her olive toned skin. There was a hint of something Mediterranean in the woman, despite the honey-gold hair.
Poppy Pomphrey had moved to the blonde girl and run her wand up and down the area directly in front of her. While checking Catalina Barron over the woman had told the healer some of the horrors she and her children had recently been through. It all seemed impossible to Poppy. Surely a father couldn't do these things? "Oh child." Poppy whispered in a soft and sad tone. "When we get to the castle I'll have several potions for you to take." She gave the girl a gentle squeeze and some of the girl's anger leaked from her eyes. Then Poppy moved to Ophelia and she did the same motions as before.
"Please…" Ophelia was scared. "Please…I'm all right." Fear gripped her slender body as she wondered how much the woman would be able to 'see'.
Poppy tried to smile, but her lips trembled and a tear leaked from her eye. "You must not move quickly. No more running, no more strenuous activity. When we get back to Hog…" the healer's voice cracked. "When we get back to Hogwarts I'll have some potions for you as well." Poppy turned to look at the men, and her voice was grim. "Did you hear me?" she snapped at them. "This girl must not do anything that would be considered physical straining!"
"We shall go and get the Barron's belongings." Snape announced, rolling his eyes at Poppy's outburst.
"A fine suggestion Severus." Minerva nodded in approval. "While you gentlemen do that we shall have some breakfast and then adjourn to Diagon Alley for our new purchases."
"Your world…" Catalina spoke softly, but it drew everyone's attention. "Does it use regular money?"
"Don't worry about that dear," Minerva turned to look at Catalina. "We'll just advance you some of your wages to get you started…"
Catalina was shaking her head. "I have money. I just needed to know if we needed to do some sort of exchange." she murmured. "I know right now we don't look as if we have funds, but we do."
"Well then, our first stop will be Gringott's, that's the wizarding bank, we can get your account set up, and they can exchange your money for you." Minerva said brightly. She hadn't been concerned with the money they would be spending, but she could see the pride in the way Catalina held her head. This was not a woman accustomed to being helped, or asking for it either.
"I will go with them to get our belongings Mama." Lyssy spoke and nodded her head towards the men.
"No!" Catalina shouted causing everyone but her daughters to jump slightly.
Lucius found himself now staring at the woman who had stood and moved to her youngest child. Her eyes had sped over the men and obviously hadn't liked what she'd seen.
Lyssy took her mother's hand into her own and tried to calm her. "Mama, one of us has to go with them to make sure they get all of our belongings. Lia can't, and you shouldn't. I'll be fine. I'm sure these three gentlemen will make sure nothing happens." She turned her chocolate eyes on the men as if to dare them to disagree.
"I can perform a simple glamour on the girl so she does not appear as she is now." Remus offered.
"I've been remiss." Minerva moved back up to Catalina. "I should have made these introductions previously. May I present Professor Remus Lupin, he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Lucius Malfoy, he teaches Transfigurations as well as beginning Animagus, and of course Professor Severus Snape, he is the Deputy Headmaster as well as teaches Potions. Gentlemen allow me to introduce you to Catalina, Ophelia, and Lysistrata Barron. Catalina has accepted the position of Nanny and Governess to Theodore Lupin. Lysistrata will be entering as a sixth year student, and Ophelia will be schooling with her mother…although, I'm sure if she's interested there are some classes we offer she could certainly take advantage of."
As offered, Remus cast a glamour on Lysistrata, and she ended up appearing as an older black girl with short dark locks. Her mother held her tightly before allowing her to leave with the three men. Meanwhile, Catalina and Ophelia went out the back of The Leaky Cauldron and waited silently while Minerva tapped her wand on several of the bricks on a wall before them. To their astonishment the bricks appeared to fold in upon themselves until there was an archway leading into a bustling cobblestone paved street.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley." Minerva murmured into Catalina's ear.