AN: For Oliver and Lucy because they love me in spite of all of my flaws. For making sure I go to bed at a reasonable hour and get up for work each day. For never complaining when I have the fan going full blast and for greeting me with a cheerful meow when I come home each evening.
FAMILY TIES
Chapter 12
You Are Beautiful
"True beauty ees vhut lights us from vithin."
A woman's voice, deeply accented, was the first thing Dawn Granger heard when she followed Minerva into the robe shop.
"Eet is vhut gives a voman dat special somesink."
Grinning, Minerva entered the main sales floor of the shop and spied her dear friend. Taller than she, Ivana Malkin was an icon. Someone who had haunted the wizarding fashion world for longer than anyone could remember. Whispered gossip had placed her age somewhere around the same as Dumbledore...
Although no one ever had the courage to ask.
"Ivana?" Minerva's brogue identifying her even with the other witch's back to she and Dawn.
The tall woman turned and steel grey eyes beheld the Headmistress and young Dawn. The latter feeling like she was being appraised or looked at like a specimen under a microscope.
"Vhat can I do for jue Meenerva?" The stately witch took an elegant step towards them. Her iron grey hair was swept upward and bundled in the back of her head in a bun that was stylish, yet not quite as severe as what Minerva wore. Her left eyebrow was quirked curiously as her piercing gaze fell upon Dawn once again.
Minerva smirked as she watched Dawn squirm under Ivana's penetrating stare. Placing a gentle hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder the ebony haired witch stated, "I should like you to take a look at some of young Dawn's designs." She paused and glanced around the shop looking for customers. "Do you have time?"
Those all-seeing eyes again raked over Dawn for long moments before the older witch replied, "Vhut do jue know of fashion Meenerva MeeGonagall?"
Minerva snorted, "Not one bloody thing except that Dawn Granger has a talent that I would like to see reach it's pinnacle. I think you can help do that."
"Indeed." The older witch shrugged her purple clad shoulders and stated, "Vell... eef the venerable headmeestress of Hogwarts tinks eet so... den perhaps eet is."
Minerva wasn't sure if Ivana was being sarcastic or serious.
Neither was Dawn. She wasn't about to take any condescending crap either. Planting closed fists on her slim hips, she flashed angry mocha eyes and stated, "If you don't want to look at my stuff, then fine. It's your loss. C'mon Minerva." She moved to turn around but stopped when she heard booming laughter.
Ivana Malkin was delighted to meet this spunky youngster.
Sassy and full of fire.
Young Dawn intrigued her. Smiling, her steely eyes took on a twinkle, "Come. Let us go to my office. I vant to see vhut jue have come up vith."
It was at that moment, that the person Ivana had been speaking with stepped out of a dressing cubicle. "If she's a Granger, then I have no doubt that her designs will be... interesting."
Narcissa Malfoy slowly limped over to the group of women. She walked with a cane these days courtesy of one Leta Pendragon*. The regal witch nodded to Minerva noticing a momentary flash of anger in her emerald eyes. Turning, she addressed Dawn, "I mean no disrespect."
Dawn nodded, "None taken." She eye'd the older witch up and down and asked, "Do I need to make an appointment for you to see Hermione?"
Touched by the young woman's concern, Narcissa shook her head, "Your sister explained that my recovery would be lengthy and that I might have to use a cane for the rest of my life." A sad twinkle glistened her eyes, "She said that once my tendons and ligaments have completely healed, then she would look into reconstructive surgery if necessary."
Dawn nodded and replied, "Would you like to relay anything to her?"
Narcissa smiled, "I understand congratulations are in order Headmistress? Perhaps you could relay my best wishes."
Dawn grinned as Minerva replied, "Thank you Lady Malfoy." There was warmth in Minerva's voice, but it never made it to her eyes.
Ivana Malkin was never a patient witch at the best of times, however even she could spare the time to allow Narcissa Malfoy a few moments with her new guests. Her eyes wandered to the headmistress noticing for the first time that she wasn't clad in her usual tartan but rather a stunning burgundy robe/cloak combination that took her breath away. "Ees dat vun of jour's?"
Dawn looked to see what Madam Malkin was referring to. Seeing Minerva's robe, the slim young woman smiled and replied, "Yes. I did one for Hermione in emerald green as well."
"Fabulous dahlink! Let me see..." Without so much as a how-do-you-do, Ivana Malkin removed Minerva's robe from her body.
Dawn grinned, "Good thing you're wearing something underneath!" She snickered after feeling a gentle cuff on the back of her head. She looked over at Lady Malfoy and noticed she had a hand over her mouth trying to cover her own snickers.
Completely oblivious, the fashion conscious witch examined the fabric this way and that. "Eet is put together rather well."
Dawn loved how Ivana Malkin rolled her "R's".
Minerva watched as her friend tugged on the stitching and turned the garment inside out, "If you damage my robe I will hex you."
Steel grey eyes fastened on emerald for just a moment before her focus went back to the garment, "Dis is amazink!"
"Would you be willing to sell these?" Minerva pressed.
Narcissa's eyes lit up, "I would like mine in green and silver."
Slytherin colours.
Naturally.
Taking a deep breath, Ivana pierced Dawn with an intense grey eyed stare, "Did jue construct dis? Eet has magical properties but I do not sense workable magic in jue."
'Workable? What did that mean?' The young woman wondered. Instead, Dawn shook her head, "I designed it. Molly Weasley made it."
"Brilliant."
Narcissa Malfoy had never been one to associate with muggles or squibs in years past but the war had changed her way of thinking. Especially after having dealt with Dawn's genius of a sister. She smiled at the younger Granger and replied, "You do have magic my dear." She placed a hand over her heart and added, "It's right in here."
Madam Malkin returned the robe to her friend sniggering at the look of disgust Minerva was shooting her way, "I vould be delighted to sell dis..." She paused thinking... "I tink perhaps three or four hundred galleons each." Shrewdly she added, "I take tventy percent of course."
"Five." Minerva hissed.
"Feefteen."
"Four", came another hiss.
"Twelf?"
"Three."
Steely eyes rolled as a disgusted Malkin grunted, "Fine. I vill take fife!" She walked over to a work table and quickly sketched out a design. Bringing the paper over to Dawn, she stated, "Dis shall be jour logo."
Dawn stared down at the paper to see a stylized sunrise with the word "DAWN" written in the middle. Showing it to Minerva, she whispered, "This is perfect." She looked up to see approval shining in proud emerald eyes.
"Excellent. I vill haf some contracts drawn up for jou to sign." The tall witch nodded towards Minerva, "Pending jour approval of course."
Minerva nodded and said, "She can make her own decisions." Catching mocha eyes, she added, "I think you should speak with your mother and Hermione about this though."
Nodding, Dawn replied, "Molly too. If she agrees to make these for me, then I want the logo to be done in red ink."
Malkin shook her head, "I haf seemstresses..."
Dawn frowned, "No Weasley no wobes... I mean robes." She elbowed her "big" sister after hearing a quiet snicker.
Malkin frowned, "Fine."
Narcissa spoke up, "I want green and silver!"
Chuckling, Dawn smiled, "Okay. Let me talk with Molly, mum and 'Mione..."
"Dat ees amusink. Sounds like law firm..."
After leaving the robe shop, Minerva took Dawn to the Leaky Cauldron for a bite to eat.
Minerva noticed that Dawn seemed too quite, "Alright then?"
The young woman looked up from her sandwich. Sighing, she leaned back and muttered, "Why does everyone think I have magic? I don't feel anything."
Minerva thought for a moment, then replied with a small smile, "Magic can sense other magic." At Dawn's mystified expression, she continued, "My magic tingles when I encounter other magical beings. Similar to what muggles call "radar"."
Dawn smirked, "You mean you get pinged?"
Not understanding the specifics but getting the gist of the idea, the older witch replied, "Something like that."
"So I ping you?"
Chuckling, Minerva answered, "Something like that. Your mother does too, to a smaller extent. Perhaps you should ask Hermione?"
The young woman took a bite of her ham sandwich. Looking thoughtful as she slowly chewed. Once she swallowed, she took a sip of her pumpkin juice and said, "I guess I will."
Minerva speared a bit of her tuna salad and asked, "I am curious as to your inclusion of Molly Weasley."
Dawn leaned back and said, "The Weasleys have so little and Molly has a genuine talent with a needle and thread. Don't you think it's about time someone took notice? She's spent her entire adult life looking after her family. Maybe this will give her something that's just for her and provide extra money."
Raising an elegant eyebrow, Minerva asked, "Do you plan to make her a partner?"
Dawn smiled, "Maybe. I need to talk with her."
Minerva nodded. She was very impressed with the young woman sitting opposite her. For being so young, Dawn Granger was very thoughtful, caring and compassionate as well as possessing an enormous artistic talent. A talent that was being channeled by magic. That's why Minerva kept getting "pinged".
Dawn shook her head, "That still doesn't explain whether or not I have magic and if I do, how come I can't use it?" She was getting frustrated. Everyone said she was magical yet she couldn't wave a wand for toffee.
She'd tried with 'Mione's. The only thing that happened was Hermione giving her a lecture about taking another witch's wand without permission.
Minerva cocked her head as an idea came to her, "Perhaps I can speak to Hermione about pursuing a new line of research into why you have magic and yet cannot voluntarily access it."
Dawn snorted, "Great. Turn me into a lab rat."
Minerva laughed and after a few moments Dawn joined in.
Later...
Narcissa Malfoy limped into her sitting room only to find her son reclining in a chair reading. Ever since he'd been compelled to kidnap Hermione McGonagall, the young man had kept to the relative safety of Malfoy Manor. Her son had been plagued with nightmares and no potion had been able to help him.
"How are you today?" She asked as she met his misty grey eyes with her own.
Rising gracefully, the tall, lanky young man moved to his mother's side to help her sit down, "More to the point, how are you?"
Sighing, she replied, "In pain, but that's a given these days."
"Is there nothing that can be done?"
The regal witch shook her head, "The best healers in St. Mungos didn't even know how to repair the wounds from what your aunt did to me. They told me that I would never be able to use my hands or feet again and look at me now. Up and walking. Albeit rather slowly, but still I am doing it and that is thanks to your former classmate. My best hope is Hermione McGonagall. She repaired the damage and whatever medicine she concocted really helped."
Draco swallowed nervously, "And after what I did to her, I imagine she doesn't want anything to do with us." He shook his head as memories of what he'd done to Hermione and what Minerva had done to him surfaced causing a shudder to race through his body.
Narcissa shook her head, "No. I don't believe she is one to hold grudges over something like this. Minerva on the other hand..." She trailed off remembering how she had interacted with the Headmistress and young Dawn Granger earlier in the day. There had been times when she had seen anger flashing in those intense emerald eyes.
"I think you need to make peace with the Headmistress."
"Aw mum! She'll kill me!" Draco whimpered as he remembered feeling McGonagall's powerful hand on his throat as she physically lifted him off of his feet.
Narcissa opened her arms to her son, "Come." Willingly the tall man knelt in front of his mother and felt her loving arms wrap around his shoulders.
Shuddering, he whispered, "I'm afraid."
A sad smile graced the lovely face of his mother, "I know. But you must see her if you are ever to put your nightmare to rest." She ran her fingers through his soft platinum hair as she felt him begin to sob.
"I am afraid too." She whispered looking at the faint scars on her wrists.
Draco pulled away to see what she was doing. Taking her hands in his, he looked deeply into her eyes, "You will get through this. We both will."
Narcissa sighed, "I am scarred."
A tear slid down Draco's cheek as he whispered, "We all are, but you? You are beautiful."
-to be continued
AN: When writing Ivana Malkin, I had this picture of Lady Tremain from Disney's Cinderella in my head. Y'all know her as the evil step-mother. I'm borrowing her look not her personality. Thank you unknown Disney animation artist from way back when.
I also want to thank Aslin's Fire and LilyPhoenix for poking me into getting this chapter done.
* See chapter 27 of "The Ties That Bind"
