October 1998

Bill stared at his sister in shock. "The Weasleys? You think our family is the family descended from Richard and Anne?"

"It's possible," Ginny admitted. "We haven't found anything to disprove it, but we haven't found anything to prove it either."

"Ginny looks so much like Anne," Harry said. "That's what made me even think it might be."

She looked at her brother. "Is it possible?"

Swallowing, Bill said, "Fleur is two months pregnant, she is due at the beginning of May, on the sixth. She went to her mother's Healer whilst we were in France. He has a lot of experience with pregnant Veelas so she felt more comfortable with him. We were waiting until her third month to tell the family." He cursed softly. "Our child could be…what did it say? They would be doomed to a cursed life never to know love and turn to evil, possibly destroying magical Britain."

"Bill, that's what we are trying to prevent," Harry spoke up for the first time. "If it is your child, we have the advantage."

Focusing on the young wizard, Bill took a deep breath and nodded. He looked at his mother. "What do we do?"

"Congratulations, my love. I am so happy for you," Molly said tearfully as she embraced her son. Ginny also hugged her brother while Harry nodded to him, a bit uncomfortable with the emotions washing around him and unsure what he should do.

Once Molly sat back down, she said, "We need to confirm that your baby is the one mentioned. The birth would line up. As I figure it, the baby would have been conceived just prior to our annual visit to the museum."

"But we didn't even know she was pregnant then," Bill protested, blushing at the thought of his mother speculating about his sex life.

"Magic works in mysterious ways," Molly said gently. "Your father's parents have a chest full of family documents. We should see what we can find in there."

"Ginny and I have started working backwards to trace the Weasley family back to the fifteenth century," Harry said.

Nodding, Bill asked, "Can I tell Fleur?"

Molly paused. "I don't think you can tell her the details. I think you should tell her that your child is potentially under a curse."

"She will lose her mind," Bill said. "An angry, pregnant Veela is not something I want to deal with."

"If it is your child, Fleur will need to know," Molly said gently. "I can talk to her as well. She needs to know there is a curse, but also that there is a way to prevent it from taking hold of the child."

December 1998

"I think this will work," Harry agreed quietly as he watched Bill quietly cast spells on a case they'd set up in the drawing room at Grimmauld Place. Working with his mentor, Mina Harker, Bill had replicated the spells and Muggle security set up on the case in the museum.

When the last spell hit the case, Bill slipped his hand in and removed the fake crown they'd fabricated for this test.

"Good," Molly murmured. "We're sure the Freezing Charm will work?"

Harry nodded. "Professor Slughorn was the one who suggested it. Before he started working at Hogwarts, he would move from house to house using a Freezing Charm on the burglar alarms. I went back and confirmed it with him." Flushing slightly, he admitted, "I tried it on my relatives' house. They have a new state of the art alarm system since they moved back into their house. It worked very well. I entered the house several times without setting off the alarm."

"I still think you should have let me come with you," Ginny grumbled.

Leaning over, he kissed her on the cheek. "I thought it would be easier if you didn't go with me."

"I wouldn't have done much damage," she protested.

Molly smiled at the couple. She didn't blame her daughter; she had a more than a few things she would like to say to Harry's relatives.

"When do you think we should retrieve the crown?" Bill asked his mother.

"I've been thinking about that," Molly admitted. "I'd like to leave it in place as long as possible. It has been safe there for over two hundred years."

"Mrs Weasley, you don't think Elizabeth Woodville could have placed any sort of protection on the crown, do you?" Harry asked, thinking of what Voldemort had done to protect his Horcruxes. "Did she even know that Josiah Prewett was able to put it in place?"

"I don't believe so," Molly answered. "From what I've read, Josiah was able to place the charms on young Richard's own crown to counteract the curse. I don't believe she was at all concerned about the far future that she'd been warned about. Her focus seemed to be placed her progeny on the throne and she was able to do that. Unfortunately for her she was not able to enjoy the status of dowager queen; she spent the last five years of her life at Bermondsey Abbey – some say at the insistence of her son-in-law Henry VII."

"I'm surprised she didn't do anything to prevent that," Ginny commented.

"From what I've read, Elizabeth was skilled in enchantments, but she wasn't a fully trained witch. She may not have had the necessary skills to protect herself against him," Molly explained. "It is rumoured that she backed more than one rebellion against her son-in-law including one of the so-called pretenders to the throne. This indicates that she may have been aware that one of her sons survived."

Turning back to the case, Molly considered it for a moment. "I'm tempted to say that we wait until we need the crown unless there seems to be any interest in it."

Bill nodded. "Mina placed a monitoring charm on the gallery. If any witch or wizard visits the gallery, we will be notified. We will know if anyone seems suddenly interested in it."

January 1999

Harry walked up behind Ginny and wrapped his arms around her. They were looking over the beach at Shell Cottage.

"How are you doing, love?" he murmured into her hair.

Sliding her arms along his arms, she smiled up at him. "Surprisingly well. Christmas was hard, but even George seemed better."

"Ron and Hermione certainly had an interesting Christmas," Harry added.

Ginny burst out laughing. "I thought once they started dating, they would stop fighting so much."

"I think they enjoy it," Harry said shaking his head. "I don't get it, but they seem to like it. Did you figure out what all the drama was about?"

Sighing she stepped out of his arms and taking his hand, tugged him to sit with her on the bench Bill had placed overlooking the sea. "Hermione's parents wanted her to spend Christmas with them. When she told Ron, he didn't take it well. They started arguing over whose family needed them more. Dad finally took Ron aside and told him he needed to learn to compromise. Hermione has spent Christmas with us in the past and it was only right for him to spend Christmas with her family."

Harry smiled at the thought of Ron panicking over spending time in a Muggle house. In fact, Ron actually had a great time at the Grangers' house. He'd discovered that he and Mr Granger had a quite a bit in common. When Mr Granger heard that Ron was a huge Quidditch fan, he'd taken Ron to a football game while Hermione and her mother went to an art museum. They'd all learned much more about each other. Hermione was thrilled to see Ron and her parents get along so well while Ron discovered that Muggles weren't quite as scary as he'd been led to believe.

"I wondered why he suddenly decided to go to her parent's house. I'm glad he did," Harry said. "I asked him before he left, but he didn't make much sense. He just told me he was going to Hermione's and he'd be back after Christmas."

She stretched out her left hand to admire the ring Harry had given her for Christmas. "He didn't even seem upset about our engagement."

Harry smiled and shook his head. "He told me he was glad it was me because he knew I would take care of you. I told him that you take care of me."

Ginny rewarded the sentiments with a sweet kiss. "That was nice of him. Hermione congratulated me with a lecture to make sure I finished my education."

He laughed out loud. "That sounds like her. She worries about all of us. You have to admit she came around about our research – teaching us the indexing charm and pointing us in the right direction. She told me she thought we were too young to be thinking about getting married." He shrugged. "I think she needs to wrap her head around it. She and Ron aren't close to getting married so she finds it a hard time to imagine we are."

"I guess that makes sense. She was happy for us and she complemented you on the beautiful ring."

"Bill helped me," he admitted. "I was a bit overwhelmed by all of choices."

Before she could respond, Bill opened the door and called out to them. "It's freezing out there! Come on inside."

Bill was waiting for them in his sitting room. He smiled at Ginny's bright eyes and cheeks pink with the cold. Leaning over he kissed her on the cheek. "You look very happy."

"I am," Ginny smiled.

The three sat down and for the next two hours Bill helped them practice their Transfiguration and Charms. He'd proven a capable and patient tutor to them as they worked towards their NEWTs.

"You are doing well," he smiled. The wonderful aroma of the stew Fleur was preparing had been tantalizing them for the past hour. "Why don't we eat and then we can work on our museum plan?"

The two couples had grown close over the past few months. Fleur had been devastated to learn there was potentially a curse on her baby, but she'd once again shown her strength with her steadfast belief that between Bill, Harry, Ginny, and Molly they would be able to protect them.

March 1999

"I found it!" Ginny yelled.

Harry looked up from the document he'd been straining to decipher. "What?"

She thrust the yellowed scroll in his face. Taking the scroll from her, he squinted to read the faded, but elegant writing. He was holding a birth certificate for Marie Neville born in September of 1495. Her parents were listed as Anne Neville née de Mowbray and Richard Shrewsbury.

"Marie Neville," Harry read. "They took the name Neville?"

"That was Richard's grandmother Cecily's maiden name," Ginny explained. "She was the mother of Edward IV and Richard III. After I tried all of the obvious names and didn't come up with anything, I realized that Richard knew what his mother had done and what his uncle tried to do to help him. I figured any name they used would be from his paternal line."

Harry smiled at her. "You are brilliant!"

Laughing, she kissed him. "I don't know about that, but I'm happy we found that out. We can go to Hogwarts to research the Neville family."

In the end it only took three weeks to discover that Cecily Anne Neville married Nathaniel Weasley in April of 1788. In another two weeks, they traced a direct line from the children of Cecily and Nathaniel to Arthur Weasley and his children.

April 1999

Bill's hand shook as he took a copy of the form. He blew out a breath as he read it. "I don't know if I'm happy we found this or not."

Wrapping an arm around her son, Molly hugged him. "I know this is scary, but we have proof. We know that your baby is the baby mentioned. We know where the crown is to cancel out the curse."

Leaning against his mother for a moment, Bill straightened up. "You're right."

She smiled sympathetically. "Trust me, love. I know how scary it is to have your children in danger, but we have a good plan. We will be able to save him or her."

Bill smiled weakly. "Fleur has assured me we will be having a girl."

"I hope so," Ginny spoke up. "We need another female Weasley."

Molly nodded. "We need a few more girls around." Glancing at the clock, she sighed. "I need to head home. I'm a bit behind on my chores."

Harry and Ginny decided to join Bill at Shell Cottage. The three used the Floo to travel from Grimmauld Place to Shell Cottage. Bill went first followed by Ginny and then Harry stumbled out of the fireplace.

"Fleur?" Bill called out. Fleur didn't answer.

Smoke was rolling out of an empty pot on the hob. Hurrying over, Harry levitated the pot over to the sink. Bill swore as he hurried upstairs to search for his wife. "Maybe she fell asleep and forgot she put something on the stove."

Harry looked over at his fiancée after Bill left the room. "It looked like it boiled dry. Fleur wouldn't do that."

"Fleur!"

The young couple ran upstairs in response to Bill's anguished cry. He was standing in front of his bedroom looking in at a scene of disarray. There had obviously been a struggle. Spell's had left black marks on the wall. The mirror over Fleur's vanity had been shattered and most ominously, there was blood on the wall. Fleur was nowhere to be found.

Kingsley looked around the room automatically cataloguing the spells that had been cast in the room. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Harry doing the same. Turning to the younger man, he asked, "What do you think?"

"It was a Lestrange," Harry said positively. "Rodolphus, I think." He wrinkled his forehead in thought. "There were no Unforgivables used. He didn't try to kill her."

"I agree," Kingsley said gravely. "He wanted to kidnap her, not kill her. We will start tracking her." Looking at Harry, he asked, "Is there anything you can tell me?"

Slowly Harry shook his head. "No."

Kingsley said, "I've heard there is a family duty to be fulfilled. Do you believe this to be connected?"

"Yes," Harry said simply.

"There is nothing else you can tell me?"

"Fleur is eight months pregnant and needs to be found and returned home," Harry said simply.

Kingsley nodded. He stopped briefly to speak with the Aurors on the scene before heading downstairs to talk to the Weasleys. The family had rallied around Bill who was sitting at the kitchen table looking lost. Molly was bustling around making tea while Arthur was sitting next to his son murmuring calmly. Ginny was talking to Percy, George, and Ron who'd been summoned from work.

"Bill," Kingsley said, "We will do everything we can to find your wife. If there is anything you need, please let me know."

"How the hell did the Lestranges escape?" Bill demanded.

"The Lestrange brothers have been fugitives since the Battle at Hogwarts," Kingsley explained. "The two of them are the only members of Voldemort's inner circle that we have not caught yet. We are working on it."

Bill nodded, his anger spent. He didn't have the energy to stay angry. His thoughts were with his wife and unborn child. Arthur stood and shook the Minister's hand, before walking him out to the Apparition point. Kingsley filled the Weasley patriarch in on what had been discovered thus far. Arthur sighed. "I pray we recover her. The Lestranges are brutal. Do you think this might be in retaliation for Bellatrix's death?"

"It likely is," Kingsley admitted. "Harry feels it might be associated with this family duty as well. Is that possible?"

Arthur shrugged. "Unfortunately, it is a Prewett family duty so I don't know any details. Molly was able to share that Harry's involvement was foreseen by prophecy. He would likely know better than I."

Harry swore as he smashed his hand into the wall of Bill's study. He, Ginny, and Molly had retired there to talk things over. Bill had been given a Calming Draught and was sleeping upstairs while Arthur and his other sons were renewing the wards on Shell Cottage. It was a sign of Harry's distress that he didn't even seem to notice the pain. "I don't know how we didn't see it earlier."

"What do you mean?" Molly asked as she attended to his hand.

"What is the best way to assure that a child grows up knowing nothing of love? Separating them from their family, beating their worthlessness into them, and lying to them about their family. That's what the Durselys tried with me. That's what happened to Voldemort." He sank down into a chair with a sigh. "We were so focused on knowing where the damn crown was that we forgot why we needed it."

"You're right," Molly admitted. "As soon as I realized it was Bill's child, I didn't worry because obviously a Weasley would be surrounded by love and could never grow up not knowing love. I thought the difficult part was over."

"I thought that the danger was from something that happened in the past," Ginny said in confusion.

"It may be," Molly replied. "A curse could have been cast in the past that would take effect in certain circumstances which occurred in the future. The seer could have seen the birth of the child and the circumstances that led to the child to become Dark. I don't know that there is any way to know what she saw, but she told Elizabeth that to continue to try to put her child on the throne could trigger this disastrous future. Josiah was determined to protect the future and devised a way to do so; therefore I think we assumed the danger was from the past."

"We need to find her and soon," Ginny said as Harry finally sat down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him.

He nodded. "The Lestranges have her. Kingsley said he'd keep us updated on the investigation."

April 1999

Fleur looked around the room in which she'd been left. It was a large, opulently appointed room. She was lying on a large four poster bed. Placing her hand on her belly, she calmed as she felt the baby move beneath her hand.

Lifting her head, she felt the room swirl around her. She quickly put her head back down as she tried to recall what happened. She'd been preparing dinner when she'd felt someone behind her. Thinking it was Bill, she turned around to see an unknown wizard.

Her eyes widened and she took off running. The wizard must have expected her to be slower, because it took him a few minutes to chase her. She'd reached the bedroom and grabbed her wand from where she'd left it earlier that day.

A spell streaked by her and she whirled around firing a Cutting Curse. The wizard howled in pain and ducked behind the door.

"Rabastian, you fool! Can't you grab one pregnant witch?"

Fleur swore as she realized who the wizards were. Rabastian and Rodolphus Lestrange, two of Voldemort's most dedicated Death Eaters. Not only did they hate blood-traitors, but her mother-in-law had killed Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus's wife and Rabastian's sister-in-law.

Were they here for revenge? Why did they want to grab her? She tried to Apparate, but was unable to do so. They must have erected anti-Apparition wards.

Rodolphus appeared at the top of the stairs and started firing. He was a much better fighter than his brother. Fleur found herself backed against the wall. A spell slammed her against that wall and her world had gone black.

Gingerly, she reached back and felt the back of her head. There was a lump and she felt a bit of blood. Her wand of course was gone, so she had no way to heal her injury. Slowly she sat up. When she didn't experience dizziness this time, she sat on the edge of the bed for a moment.

The bedsheets were expensive, matching the rest of the room. She frowned as she wondered where she could be. Finding her shoes on the floor, she slid her feet into them and walked around the room.

The door that she presumed led to the corridor was locked, but there was another door leading to a bathroom. There were several windows, but they were locked and she couldn't see through them. She couldn't tell if it was a spell or something on the outside of the window.

A pop made her whirl around. To her relief, it was a house-elf. It was a pitiful looking creature dressed in a dirty rag. Fleur thought maybe she was female.

"'ello."

"Bonjour Madame," the elf said.

Relief flowed through her as the elf chattered shyly at first, but with gaining confidence. The little elf healed her injuries and provided some water and snacks. Fleur discovered she was being held is a chateau in her native France, but the elf couldn't tell her anything about her master or where exactly the chateau was located. The fact that she'd been left alive gave her some hope.

Hermione rushed into Ron's arms as soon as she stepped out of the Floo. "Ron! This is awful! Is there anything new?"

Shaking his head, Ron led his girlfriend out into the back garden of the Burrow. "I'm glad Professor McGonagall let you come. I don't know anything new. The Lestranges kidnapped Fleur and we haven't heard anything."

"No ransom demands?"

Ron shook his head. "Harry offered to cover any ransom amount, but so far there has been no word from the kidnappers. Harry, Ginny, and my mum have been holed up with Bill most of the day."

"Is this more of that family duty nonsense?" Hermione demanded. "Obviously the time for secrets has passed. They need to tell us what is going on."

"It is not nonsense!" came an angry voice from behind them.

Ron and Hermione turned to find Bill glaring at them. Hermione flushed. "I didn't mean to upset you, but you need help."

"My wife and unborn child are missing. I will not risk their lives by betraying my family duty at this point. Their lives depend on our keeping our secrets. Ron wanted you here, but if you try to interfere or if you start badgering Harry or my sister for information you will have to leave."

"Bill!" Ron shouted. The tips of his ears were bright red as he glared at his oldest brother.

Bill was not fazed by the anger. "I'm serious. We are dealing with old and powerful magic. I will not risk something worse happening because the two of you are curious."

"I'm sorry, Bill," Hermione said with her voice cracking. "I didn't…I just thought…"

Hermione trailed away as Bill turned and walked towards his father's shed. Looking at Ron with tears in her eyes, she said, "I am sorry. I didn't mean to upset him."

Hugging her tightly, Ron shook his head. "They've all gone barmy. Harry, Ginny, and Mum are working on something with him. They have secret meetings. They aren't even telling Kingsley and his Aurors everything. I don't understand it. Dad says we need to trust them."

Hermione shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand. Why aren't they doing everything they can to help? What exactly happened?"

"Bill was with Harry and Ginny. He's been helping them prepare for their NEWTs. I didn't even realize they were doing anything more with this family secret. They went to Shell Cottage and found Fleur missing." Ron swallowed hard as he remembered the details his father had shared with him. "There were signs of a fight and there was some blood. They say she was kidnapped by the Lestrange brothers."

"Why do they think it has to do with this family duty? I can imagine the Lestranges would be angry because of Bellatrix's death."

"That's what I thought," Ron agreed as the pair entered the back garden and sat down under one of the large trees on the property. "I don't even know anymore. I can't imagine what would be so important. Do you have any idea what they were researching?"

Hermione sighed. "I tried to figure it out, but I think Harry knew that. So he would sometimes pull random books. At least I think they were random. I know they researched a lot of people from the fifteenth century. I think they were looking for someone in particular, but I don't know who. Ginny bought several books over the summer that covered that time frame – Muggle books."

"Muggles?"

She nodded. "She was reading about King Richard III. He stole the throne from his nephew and killed his two nephews. They are called the Princes in the Tower because they were last seen at the Tower of London."

"Do you think -" Ron broke off in confusion. "How in Merlin's name would that be related to a magical family duty?"

"I have no idea," Hermione sighed. "I just hope they aren't wasting a lot of time. I could help. I am really good at research."

The sound of the back door of the Burrow opening made them look up. Molly exited the house and headed towards them. She smiled as the pair stood up and she hugged Hermione.

"Hermione, dear. I'm glad you could come. I know that Ron really appreciates your company."

"Of course, Mrs Weasley," Hermione said.

"Bill said he had words with you. I hope he didn't make you feel uncomfortable. I know you don't understand or maybe you don't believe, I'm not sure, but please accept that I have a duty to perform. Bill, Ginny, and Harry are critical to helping me. Fleur's kidnapping we believe to be part of this duty."

Hermione didn't feel comfortable arguing with the woman she considered a second mother, so she nodded. Molly could read her emotions. She cupped Hermione's cheek in her hand and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you for the respect you have shown me."

Blushing, Hermione nodded. Molly continued, "I am going to France with Bill. Harry and Ginny shall be join me shortly. Percy and George will be staying at Shell Cottage just in case there is any type of ransom call. Mr Weasley will be going into the Ministry later and working with Auror Williamson. They are searching for any home associated with the Lestrange family. I was hoping that you would help me."

"Of course," Hermione answered at once. "I just want to be able to help."

"Excellent," Molly replied. "I can't tell you why I need this information. Can you accept that?"

Swallowing Hermione nodded nervously. Molly surveyed her for a moment before she nodded. "I would like you to research any property associated with the Rivers or Woodville families. The families have both wizarding and Muggle descendants, but I suspect we are looking for the wizarding branch of the family. The family originated in Luxembourg, so it is possible there is a property there as well."

Hermione's eyes widened and she was itching to get started. "Of course."

"Thank you," Molly replied. Looking at her son, she said, "Please help her and if you come up with any answers send a Patronus – immediately. This is very important."

A/N: Thanks so much for all of the support! Thank you to Arnel and seekers_destiny for the beta work!