River attempted to hide behind Bill and Fluer, thankful they were taller than her so she could assess the situation before being thrown into the madness.
"Mum?" Bill called as River peered around him and out of the fireplace and smiled as she realized the room was empty. She could hear the sound of men yelling outside and women in the kitchen and she breathed in the scent of a home well lived in.
She quickly hid once more as she heard the bustling footsteps of a woman she hadn't seen in five years except for the few times they happened to be in the same room.
"Billy! Fluer! And my beautiful little granddaughter!" She called, taking the sweet 4 year old out of Fluer's arms.
River could hear the sound of small children outside, happy and playful, she turned away from the sound as she heard Bill being to introduce her.
"Mum, we brought an old friend for dinner as well," he moved away.
"River Bl-Lestrange..." she said, quite surprised but instead of the negativity she expected, the woman was more sheepish.
"Hullo, Mrs. Weasley," she said quietly and politely.
"Oh..." she started, opening and closing her mouth a few times before smiling, "Hullo, River. I'm happy to see you."
River watched as the matriarch fussed over Victoire's outfit before smiling. "Come into the kitchen then. Everyone's in there or outside."
She hurried back into her kitchen as River looked around gingerly.
Bill smiles at her encouragingly and ushered her forward. She sighed and followed behind her.
Rivers tension disappeared as she watched Teddy at the table, coloring with Malfoy. She walked over and sat on his other side.
"Is that a dragon?" She asked.
Teddy's eyes went wide with excitement and his hair turned a shade of purple as he looked up at her.
"Auntie!" He called, hugging her tightly.
She laughed and hugged him tightly. "I missed you, my little wolf."
Malfoy smirked as he watched them and she looked up and raised a brow.
"Where did you get that sweater, cousin?" She asked, smirking.
"She kept saying we all needed one so to get her to shut up I let her dress me," he grumbled his cheeks going red.
River snickered and Teddy grinned. "You like our sweaters, auntie? Grandma Molly can make you one, too."
"If I remember correctly I have one," she replied, her cheeks burning.
She looked up, keeping the lanky boy close as she took in the rest of the room. She recognized everyone in the room and smiled politely to a tired looking Hermione and an annoyed Ginny.
Ginny sighed, "the guys are outside and I'm stuck in here."
"You're ready to pop. I'm sure your mother was right to keep you in," River replied, amused.
Ginny grumbled, rubbing her stomach, "im just ready for the little bugger to be out."
"How have you been, Gin?" I asked.
"Sick," she huffed.
River tried not to laugh and she cuddled Teddy to her. River's grey gaze moved quickly over to watch Hermione who whispers quietly in Molly's ear.
River trained her hearing, focusing on the conversation as she watched Teddy colour.
"Have you told him she's here?" She heard and her eyes narrowed.
"Draco, we should get Teddy home to see his grandmother," River said quickly, rising to her feet, pushing the panic down.
Draco frowned and looked up at her. "Wh—"
The door swung open and 4 redheads popped through, followed by a black haired shaggy hair and 3 young children.
"Gamma, i won da game!" A small Freddie called happily as he pushed passed his father and uncles.
But, River wasn't focused on that. She was focused on lark blue eyes that seemed to burrow into her. She swallowed hard and Draco looked at her in confusion.
"Boys, Bill and Fluer have arrived and they've brought a guest," Molly said quickly.
Each of them said hello, but Charlie's eyes narrowed as he pushed passed his younger brothers and hurried up the stairs.
River rubbed her pant legs, wiping away the sweat. She cleared her throat and kissed the top of Teddy's head. "I'll be right back, Duck. Stay put."
She got up quickly and hurried for the door.
"River, please, stay," Molly called.
River nodded curtly. "I just need a bit of fresh air, Mrs. Weasley. Please, excuse me."
Teddy frowned and looked up at Draco, wondering what was wrong.
"It's ok, Teddy-Bear, Riv's been away at work for a long while so she needs a minute to adjust being indoors," he explained.
Teddy nodded and Draco ruffled his hair.
Charlie didn't remember punching the hole in the wall, but there it was, staring at him like a gaping wound. He hadn't been able to breathe when he saw her. She looked so much like the wild girl from Hogwarts that he could almost forget that she was a Lestrange, he could almost forget that her mother almost killed his sister, almost forget she'd left him. But, here they were.
Five years had passed and he still thought about her. He thought about her fire like kisses, he'd feel for hours after she'd left his side. He thought about the charming way she could weasel herself out of any trouble. He could remember the gleam of excitement as they ran around the burrow, her knowing more about his family than even he did. All back when she was the orphaned ward of Newt Scamander.
The door to his old bedroom opened and Bill looked down at his brother.
"Mum's going to kill you when she finds that hole," he said, nodding toward it.
Charlie sighed and his hand twitched, reaching for the cigarettes he no longer carried around with him.
"You quit, remember?" Bill chuckled, laying back on the bed.
"What do you want, Bill?" he growled.
"When is this war with River going to stop?" he asked, "You left her. Remember? She didn't ask to be a Lestrange. She didn't ask to be the daughter of a psychopath, Charlie."
"I'm not mad about that! And I didn't leave her! I needed a chance to think and when I came back she was gone!" he snapped.
"Well, it happened more then five years ago. So, go downstairs and be cordial. She'll be gone in an hour and you never have to see her again, except at all the big events in my life," Bill replied.
Charlie rubbed his face. He got up and muttered a spell, watching the wall fix itself. "Let's go downstairs before mum starts looking for us."
As they hurried downstairs they could hear Hermione in an animated discussion with River, discussing the rights of house elves with how they choose to live their lives.
"You fight for their rights and that's beautiful and amazing, but some house elves, like my Gretchen, have been serving wizarding families for generations. Gretchen is free, but still wishes to serve the Lestranges. And I don't think it's right to force her out when this is what she feels is her calling." River explained.
"Because she hasn't known any other reality," Hermione pushed.
"We're discussing this again?" Bill groaned, flopping down beside their father.
Hermione's eyes narrowed on him and River used that moment to focusing on Teddy, who'd fallen into a fit of coughs. River hurried over and gasped as she touched him, a vision making itself known. She rubbed her temple, writing the prophecy on a piece of paper on the table before dropping beside Teddy and pulling him toward her. Her hand went up and Draco pushed the potion into her hands before coming down to hold Teddy down as his body convulsed. River helped open his mouth and fed it to him.
After a minute he calmed and Victoire quickly hurried over. "Is Teddy okay?"
Teddy whimpered, curling up into River's side. She lifted him up and cuddled him close. "You're okay, Teddy-bear, it's okay."
Draco apparated, grabbing all of Teddy's things before apparating back in the kitchen. River rose to her feet. "Thank you for dinner, but we need to go. Bill, I'll see you tomorrow."
They apparated back to the Lestrange manor before they could reply. Draco moved quickly, opening doors. She moved swiftly through the doors and carried him up to bed. She laid down beside him, humming softly as she tucked his hair back behind his ear.
"Are you okay, sweetness?" she murmured.
"It hurt a lot," he whispered.
"I'm sorry, duck," she replied, "We'll help this, okay? It'll be over soon. I promise."
She kissed his forehead, "We'll eat in a bit okay? Get some rest and I'll get Aunt Andromeda so she can see you. Okay?"
He nodded sadly, his hair falling a dark brown and his eyes going a dull tan. She pet his hair back and got up slowly as he curled up into a ball. She knocked on Andromeda's door and peeked in.
"You're back," she said happily.
"Yeah, so is Teddy. He had another attack so he's in bed resting. How are you feeling?" she asked.
She nodded, "Yes, honey. Just a few coughing fits, but I'm well enough to see him. And how was the trip? Fruitful I hope."
River nodded, "Yeah, I think so. I'll tell you more tomorrow, right now I'm going to brew more of Teddy's potion and make sure Gretchen and Astoria are working on super."
She left the room and moved downstairs, amused as she caught Draco staring at Astoria. She leaned beside him and whispered, "She's too good for you."
His eyes narrowed and then he sighed.
"How is he?" he asked.
She sighed and sat down as Gretchen brought her a cup of tea.
"He's feeling better."
He pulled the prophecy out of his pocket and handed it to her, knowing she'd tell him about it later.
"Thank you, I'm glad someone grabbed it."
He shrugged, "How was the trip?"
"Good, I'm going to open up the book tomorrow."
"I hope it has some answers," he replied, sipping his own tea.
They sat quietly as Malfoy watched Astoria. As sickly as she was, she was also sweet and kind. She lived to make others smile. He looked at his cousin and frowned. She looked lost in thought, as though she felt the entire world on her shoulders.
"Riv?" he asked, "What was that with the dragon-loving Weasley?"
She shifted uncomfortably. "We dated a long time ago. Be ready for tomorrow."
She got up quickly and hurried from the room. Draco sighed and watched her. If River couldn't open up her heart to someone how would he ever be able to?
