A few quick notes. One, I do not and will never condone violence or viciousness of any type. Secondly, concent is the recipe for life and I do not support forcing anyone into slavery, pain or intimate acts. The scenes from henceforth might grow a bit tense and border violent. Possible triggers for those that have issues with such. As I have said before, I am not all fluff and roses, but I do have limits on what exactly I expose you all to... with a fair warning if it will grow to be negative or hurtful to anyone. I hope you will still enjoy and see through this story. Thank you again for your reviews and reading! Enjoy and try not to throw your laptop, tablet or phone at my next scene. Thank you.
Sam
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"Rabynya!" A gruff voice called out, and the witch cringed.
She had a tray for tea and was walking barefoot through the small house. Her dress was ragged, and her teeth nearly chattered from the cold. The woman was not particularly fond of her surroundings. The house itself was a small farm in the isolated lands that were foreign to her.
The woman walked into the sitting room with the tray, and the older man waved her over. "Set down the tray and stoke the fire, Rabynya," he snapped, and she nodded.
She wanted to tell him where to stuff is tea tray, but her mouth would not will such an insult. She wasn't certain where her insolence came from, this was her life. It was the routine for her and she had little memory of what it was before. Small glimpses in her sleep and voices that she felt familiar toward. However, things were as they always had been Antonin insisted... she did not believe him.
"Master Dolohov, anything else?" Hermione questioned after getting the fire roaring.
He smirked at her shivering and rose an eyebrow. "Devushka, tell me. Aren't you cold dressed like that?" he was baiting her to beg for more insolation.
This was his favorite game. "Yes," she said quietly and his lips curled further.
"Are you going to ask for a coat and shoes?" he inquired, and she shook her head.
"No, Sir," she murmured and gazed away from him.
"Then you won't mind shedding your dress and walking around starks while looking after the animals." He said, and she exhaled.
"Please may I have a coat and shoes to do my chores?" she asked in a small voice, and he chuckled.
"Well, I cannot be too cruel. The west winds are howling." He snickered and waggled a finger at her.
Her feet willed her forward, and she internally cringed. Antonin was an awful predator and did not mind at all to treat her as an object. A tool. A slave. A piece of her heart still declared independence no matter the subservient sway of her bindings. How she wished she could break them and find out why she had forgotten her former life.
His hand caressed her cold arm and ran a finger over the scars. "Do you know why this was placed on your skin?" he questioned her, and she nodded.
"You have told me before." His other hand caressed her hip and pulled her closer.
His hand on her arm grasped her tightly making her wince. "Let me remind you, Rabynya."
He yanked her to eye level as his other hand trailed to her hair and his sneer grew. "You are a dirty and disgusting breed. You stole magic from real wizards and willed yourself into the world. You are a thief who deserves this lot in life. Never forget who your true masters are, Devushka."
Hermione's eyes glittered in the light as he berated her. "I have never done anything to harm anyone." Her voice was a whimper, and his expression evolved into something dark and wicked.
"You haven't done anything? Let me remind you," he growled and pulled her hair, causing her to grunt and fall to her knees. "You must be careful what you wish for, Rabynya," he finished as his hand clenched her arm harder.
"Please, don't do this," she whimpered, and he glared down at her. "I promise not to argue." She said softly as he repositioned himself on the chair.
"You are nothing, remember that," he spat and kicked her away from him as he released her arm. "Finish up your chores. I will find the capacity to entertain myself with you later." He growled and flicked his wand at her.
She now donned a long coat and a pair of worn boots. "Thank you, Master Dolohov." She declared as she stood up, her gaze to the floor.
"Get going. I expect you to be presentable next time you are in my presence," he snarled with a wave, and she left the room.
Hermione bundled the basket close to her body as she walked outside. Her first stop would to check on the chicken coops and then she would have to feed the horses. This is what was expected of her. Antonin had insisted that she do things like a dirty muggle until she learned her place. He had claimed her wand was under lock and key until she realized her station below him and his colleagues. This was never a truth that the witch lived by. Part of her knew she would never see the tool to do magic again. He liked her this way and would keep her. His Rabynya; his slave girl.
Being outside the cottage gave her the freedom to breath the air and gaze upon the lands in front of her. She wanted to run as far away from here as possible. Her heart throbbed for the softness she had once felt in her life. Hermione knew that she had. You cannot erase love and she was intelligent enough to know that. Digging deep within her after she sought all the eggs in the coops, she spawned beautiful teal butterflies to tickle the frosty air.
Her piece of magic he couldn't take from her. The butterflies floated on the air and she sighed. "Go, before he sees you. Find my happiness for me," she murmured and they drifted off toward the west.
Hermione knew she had a son. That was a fact. She dreamt about holding a little boy with teal hair almost every night. Somewhere he was waiting for her and she can only hope that her bursts of magic she was able to produce would find him and reassure him. She was thinking of the boy with blue hair. Her son.
0o0o
They were sitting out on the landing speaking to Andromeda and Narcissa as the boy played his version of hide and seek with the cat. The cat would hide, and the boy would go searching for him. Leon seemed unamused by the boy's incessant seeking, but tolerated the child like a grumpy sibling. The air was cooler as fall approached but the sun was warming the garden.
"She isn't at the manor. Draco has told me that he has not seen her since he brought her here," Narcissa murmured and watched the small teal haired child run around the tree.
"Where would he send her, Cissa? He must have a purpose of keeping her from her family." Andromeda asked, and the Malfoy huffed.
"He lost his mind when she purposed all those bills against former Death Eaters, Drom. Why do you think I left? He was talking about enacting some sort of revenge, and I was not going to take part in that."
Remus scratched his chin and bit the inside of his cheek. "Do you think he sent her with one of them?"
Sirius grunted and waved him off. "They checked them all, Moony. Every single one of them came out clean. She was nowhere to be found."
"Did they check for a new dog? Did they check to make sure she wasn't in some cage? She has to be somewhere, Pads," Remus murmured and the animagus drummed his fingers on the table.
Andromeda pursed her lips and knew her next words would not be received well. "It has been four months. It is quite possible that he just banished her, isn't it?"
Remus pinched the bridge of his nose, and Sirius howled. "Don't say that, cousin! She is close. He wouldn't have just let her run off. This is a man sick on revenge!" Sirius shouted, and Narcissa rolled her eyes.
"As much as I hate to agree with him, he is correct. He feigned an affair with the girl just to keep her in his grip. I am quite sure my husband is willing to go to much more to keep her under thumb now that the whole wizard community is looking for her."
Teddy started giggling, and that drew the attention of the table. He was twirling as blue butterflies circled him and made Leon chase and jump at them. It was about twenty of them, and the boy was smiling brightly as they did a few more circles around the boy before disappearing into blue dust.
"Did you see them this time, dad? I told you they follow me," the boy cried as he raced toward the table.
Sirius was frowning as he held up a finger. "What does he mean they follow him?"
"He told me a week back that butterflies have been visiting him through his window. I thought he was embellishing but apparently not." Remus murmured, and the older witches raised their eyebrows.
"Those were magical," Andromeda commented and hugged her grandson. "They had the same coloring as your hair, darling."
"They look like the one my mum gave be before she left," He replied and held out the pendant on his necklace.
The whole table went silent, and Sirius paled. "We need to contact Harry."
Remus drained his glass and bobbed his head. "I will send for him."
Sirius, she may not know it, but she is sending you a message. You need to find her whether she told you to or not. Lily said sternly.
"Doesn't being dead give you an all-seeing eye?" Sirius growled, and the occupants of the table observed him.
Don't be a wanker, Padfoot. We have limits as well. James muttered, and Sirius exhaled.
"You proved you knew things, tell me something I don't," Sirius hissed, and everyone at the table was shook by how bold he was being.
She's not in Britain. Regulus said flatly.
"Thank you, brother," Sirius replied and turned to the witches and werewolf. "I was informed she isn't in Britain."
Remus shrugged his shoulders and walked off towards the back door. "Uncle Sirius, can you tell my mother I love her?" Teddy asked, and Andromeda kissed his hair.
Tell him I love him too. We are going to try very hard to get Hermione back to him. Tell him I hear him say he loves me every night and I say it back. Nymphadora responded, and Sirius gulped.
He repeated what she said to him, and the boy smiled. "Good, I am glad she knows." He sounded with a nod.
"Why don't you go inside and see to it that your father found the parchment, love," Andromeda told the boy who nodded.
"Yes, Grandmother," he murmured and skipped off toward the house.
Andromeda gazed sadly at the animagus and sighed. "Sirius, my darling cousin. I know that this is hard. These last four months have been the hardest since your return. You need to hold it together."
"I am holding it together. This is me, working hard, to hold it together. I don't work right without that witch!" He hissed, and Narcissa frowned.
Hey, Sirius, tell my mum something? Tell her that when I broke the crystal vase and we glued it together when I was child… that taught me that something magic doesn't give you. Memories. Nymphadora declared, and Sirius smirked.
The animagus relayed the information and Andromeda paled. "Merlin… my Dora…" she murmured, and Narcissa held onto her sister.
"They really do talk to you?" Narcissa asked, and Sirius nodded.
"They have been this whole time, cousin. You just didn't believe me. She did," Sirius grumbled, and the witch gave him a nod.
"Then what you told me about Severus?" she questioned gently and Andromeda frowned.
"That was true?" Andromeda whispered and Sirius bobbed his head slowly.
Narcissa leaned over and kissed her sister's cheek. "I have an engagement I must get to, I will return later." She said briskly and rose from her seat.
Narcissa left the foyer swiftly just as the Lupins made their way out. "She seemed in a rush," Remus remarked, and Sirius huffed.
"I imagine I did bugger a bit by revealing so much about our dead friends." The animagus grumbled.
"Well, Harry said he will be over within the hour. Let's try to map out some sort of plan." Remus murmured, and Andromeda nodded.
"If anyone knows where she is, it is that slimy snake," she growled, and her cheeks tinted lightly. "Never repeat that, Edward. I had a fit of bad manners."
The boy nodded and plopped down in the vacant seat. "Can we go find her too?"
"Not this time, kid, but soon, hopefully." Sirius sighed, and Remus agreed.
Hopefully. James muttered.
Not to worry, just have faith. Lily told Sirius who inhaled and ran a hand through his beard.
"I do hope I see more butterflies soon," Teddy declared, and Remus chuckled.
"Maybe this time we can follow them." The werewolf replied.
"Faith. Lily says to have faith, we shall do so," Sirius grumbled, and Remus beamed.
"I concur. Now, let's talk about possibilities, so we aren't completely useless when Harry gets here."
"Alright, to business." Sirius tapped the table, and Andromeda stood up.
"I am feeling like lunch. Come along, Teddy. Let's have a bite."
The boy and witch left the Marauders to plot. Blue butterflies or not, their determination was renewed for the time being.