Chapter 3

Bellatrix guessed what had happened the very minute the Hogwarts owl came, before Hermione even got the chance to read the letter. "What does it say?" she kept asking, knowing deep inside something related to her had taken place. "Shush Bella, I'm reading." her partner murmured every single one of these times, until she reached the bottom of the second -and last- page. Only then she moved her eyes to look at Bella's paler than usual face.

"Some kids teased her at the train." she tried to make her voice steady, and horribly failed. "She started sobbing and begging Hagrid to let her return home. She was dragged to the Great Hall and was put in Ravenclaw I learn' but only Freddie wanted to share a dorm with her."

Bellatrixe's voice barely came out: "Was it about me?" she asked, not daring to look at Hermione.

"I'm afraid so." she exclaimed, dragging her eyes from Bella as well.

The ex Death Eater started crying. Of course it was her fault' of course her daughter would have to pay for her sins. She spent years hoping this day would never come' but here they were. "I should have left you two alone." she wishpered, referring to Delphi and Hermione, not really caring if the second listened.

Her wife had already written a reply, which she sent back with the same owl. "I asked if I should go over, see how she's coping. McGonacall wrote me they were all send go bed for the day, but I don't think Delphi is asleep." she informed Bella, avoiding to answer her wishper.

"We should take her away." Bella suddenly thought, "send her to Durmstrang or..."

"No Bella." the younger witch shook her head, tired. "We can't do that to her. We can't take away her chance to go to the best magical school there is' you know well never find anything better for her."

"But..."

"Bella, no! We won't punish this kid for our own actions. Delphi is an amazing young girl, and be sure: she'll win everyone with time. She will always have to live with us two as mothers' she better learn how to from now."

An hour letter Hermione's note was returned with a firm answer: no, she didn't have to drop by. It was way past bedtime and Delphi was most definately asleep by now: no one had heard a peep from her dorm.

The two women stayed up all night, not talking to each other, just staring at their empty coffee mugs. Bella had emptied her head carefully, trying not to feel the pain of betraying, as she saw it, her own kid. Hermione's head was working overtime behind her calm facade: maybe she should really take Delphi to another wizarding school but no, she really looked forwards going to Hogwarts and would be disappointed if they left' Hermione understood the necessity of her growing up to become a fighter, not someone who runs and hides. Maybe she should talk with the other mums' but she had a chance of making things worse, especially if she went on her own. She was so angry she wanted to punch every little shithead who messed with her baby' but that would anything but help. At five she had only thought of one possible solution' she had to enlist the help of her old friends once again. "The golden boys better help me with a couple things" she thought, a bit bitterly.

In Hogwarts, at the Ravenclaw tower, Delphi sat by the window, her eyes red but her tears already dried. The bed next to her was used by Freddie, Luna and Ginny's daughter, who snored lightly as the moon illuminated her face. The three girls who shared their dorm were also in an uneasy sleep' they were afraid of her, Delphi realised. She looked at all four of them, a determined look forming in her face' she would clear the Black name and live with her head held high, she decided. But first she had to find out who her mothers were. And she had no intention of asking any of them.

With the first crack of dawn she woke up - she had managed to fall asleep for a couple hours, basing her head on the window- and, at five in the morning, she made her first trip to her mother's beloved Hogwarts library.

At the same time headmisstress McGonnacal was already up and sitting at her desk, wondering what she should do with Delphini's case. The kid looked terrified and she was put already on dismay, all because of another person's actions! Minevra couldn't stand it when people, especially kids, were accursed for things somebody else had done. "Ill do my best." she thought aloud in the solidarity of her office, taking a silent oath the moment a scream was heard from one of Hagrid's beasts. At five she wore her glasses and started writing a letter to her former best student: herself, professor Flitwick and Delphini's moms had to talk.

It was five o'clock and all of Delphini's allies were awake, when she found the most unexpected one.

"I never had an aunt before." Teddy grined, looking at Delphi, his anger from before seemingly vanished.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, feeling guilty as well as angry towards the older boy. She chose to act on her anger, since it was much easier to admit and handle. "How dare you appear in front of me, after the scene you caused on the train?" she stood tall, in her best imitation of Bella, which weirdly didn't seem to faze him.

"You remind me of my grandma when she's angry." he exclaimed. "Genes, I guess. Or the way they were raised."

"What on earth do you want from me now?" the younger snapped, trying not to lose her pose. "You ridiculed me in front of everyone, and now all the others hate me. Wasn't that enough for you?" her voice started to raise and shake, and, despite her best effords, she couldn't hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry." he now looked ashamed. "That's what I wanted to say. I... don't hate you. Your mom maybe, but not you. You look nice. And... you're my only aunt. I want to... be friends if you want to." The continued with his hands in his robe's pocket, visibly uncomfortable.

Delphi smiled through her tears, for the first time since she arrived at school. "Sure."

The kids shook hands when Delphini added:

"You know... I never had a nephew before too. I never had anyone besides my moms actually."

"Well now you have me. And, if my family doesn't want me to talk to you, I'll run away like my mom did."

So, instead of going to the library, Delphi sat down with Teddy and heard a story about her family for the first time.