Chapter Thirteen

Trainlines

The journey to London had been long and arduous for Bellatrix Lestrange it may have been eight years since the defeat of her lord and she was presumed dead by most but she still couldn't stand the risk of being recognized. She knew she was still under an anti apparition spell and the floo network was impossible. That virtually only left muggle transport she had flown as far as the Scottish mainland before catching several local trains from Wick to Edinburgh followed by a fast train to London she had to travel second class as she didn't have enough muggle money for a first class ticket. She spent most of the journey picking invisible muck off her clothes the years since Voldemort's fall had been unkind to her, her face was paler and gaunter than ever and her body was incredibly thin yet her mind was as active and wicked as ever. "One minute," she thought "that it all it would take a minute to whip her wand out and kill all these stupid muggles reading their newspapers and playing music on boxes". She had done it before many times why the man sat in front of her couldn't be older than thirty but already took up not only his own seat but also the one next to him. He looked like a thug had he been a wizard he would be exactly the kind she would recruit to beat up and intimidate others. He was too absorbed in a tabloid newspaper reading a story about benefit cheats muttering "scroungers," under his breath whilst his eyes strayed to the photograph of a topless girl on the next page. One second Bellatrix thought he would be dead before anyone knew.

"Mistress mistress," Daphne said loudly and she realized the train had stopped and the man was no longer sat there in fact the entire carriage was empty. "We are in London miss."

"Miss Granger?" a voice asked as Hermione and Draco went to pick the twins up from their school "could I have a private word." It was Miss. Frobisher Mariella and JJ's class teacher.

"Of course," Hermione replied a little worried the woman seemed concerned and until now the twins had never been in serious trouble.

"Ermm this is a bit delicate Mariella mentioned that you got married a couple of weeks ago and I just wanted to know if you wanted the twins surnames changing." Hermione almost laughed she had been expecting much worse.

"No," she brushed the suggestion away "we haven't talked about it really I'll leave it until we have." Hermione knew that Mariella would have no objections but JJ certainly would and it was unfair to force a name change on them when it would only be reversed a few months later.

"So any homework?" Hermione asked as they entered the flat.

"Maths," came the rather short and unenthusiastic reply.

"What's Maths?" Draco asked even Hermione couldn't hide her shock she knew that most witches and wizards where home schooled before Hogwarts but she had assumed this included just as much Maths English history geography as her own muggle schooling had provided.

"One plus one equals two duh," JJ said to his father in a how thick are you voice.

"JJ" Hermione scolded "don't use that tone."

"Why shouldn't I?" the little boy replied "he has butted in on our life turning up one day announcing he is our dad after ten years then in a couple of months he'll disappear."

"Sit down and do your homework," Hermione said it in much more patient voice

"Why?" He shouted and Mariella gave a little yelp as the Maths book sat next to her shattered into a hundred pieces as though it was made of glass and little pieces of white confetti sized paper flew all over the flat. It was a moment before anyone spoke.

"What was that?" Mariella asked finally breaking the silence.

"JJ," Draco said "he was angry so uncontrolled magic made him take it out on the book I did a similar thing to a chair at his age."

"So what?" JJ shouted "I don't care," and another book this time from Hermione's own bookcase (Shakespeare's "Julius Casaer") did the same thing.

"Right before your mother has no books and we are all covered in white paper I have something to say" Draco put in. JJ looked as though he couldn't care less but his curiosity got the better of him and he did not move from his position half way to his bedroom. "Whatever happens from now on guys I am going to be in your life. I may have been a lousy dad until now but I promise I am going to make up for it and not just with presents but with time I want to spend time with you two get to know you. I love you both so much so you'll have a job getting rid of me."

"I love you too dad," Mariella shouted as she jumped out of her chair at the dining table ran across to her father and gave him a hug.

"Suck up," JJ whispered but said nothing else.

"Right Maths?" Hermione asked.

"Will this do mistress?" Daphne asked in a quiet voice it was the third house she has viewed this morning looking for something suitable for Bellatrix s plan the first two had been unsuitable so Daphne had been admonished by magic.

"Yes," replied Bellatrix slowly "it will do." Daphne breathed a sigh of relief. Bellatrix conjured a high backed black chair from midair with silver snakes making the legs and a shield across the top. The room was now black as night and as the curtains sucked the daylight out of the room it became increasingly cold.

"Daphne?" she asked of the girl who was clutching the back of her head where the jerks she had perfumed during the curse had made her hit her head rather hard on one of the piles of debris lying about the untidy room.

"Mistress?"

"How long will the potion take to complete?"

"A couple of weeks to get all the ingredients some are quite specialist…"

"Are you making excuses you worthless piece of doxy droppings?"

"No no," she stammered, "I have contacts I can get them."

"You had better,"

"Then a month to brew,"

"Good," Bella muttered although this time more to herself than to Daphne.

Daphne Greengrass had been plagued with ill luck most of her life her father had been killed by death eaters at the end of the first war for refusing to take sides. She had been bullied through out her time at Hogwarts for being uncommitted to pure blood values. For most children this would have turned them against their classmates but Daphne had a weak constitution and it make her only more determined to become one of them. Her mother was marrying her fourth and then fifth stepfather during this time and cared little for her daughters well being giving Daphne an ever-bigger thirst to prove herself to those in power. She had avoided the war for most of its duration she may have had a thirst for power but she like most Slytherins also had a very strong survival instinct. She had therefore only joined the dark side at the very last moment when their victory looked certain. But she thought in hindsight her fathers path would perhaps have been better for all Luc Greengrass s failing his death had taken seconds Daphne's prolonged pain at the side of Bellatrix Lestrange had lasted years. At the very last moment seeing the dark side was doomed Bella had in the darkness decided to preserve the only thing she believed more important than Voldemort's rule: the Black family line. Beside her there was only one pureblood Black left even if he did not bear the name; her nephew Draco Malfoy. In a mistake Bella had cursed herself and others for years she in the darkness grabbed the hand of a tall figure with a dark hood around them and a wisp of blonde hair escaping. Her rage and fury on discovering when she re-apparated that the individual was not Draco who had been fighting beside her but a low ranked death eater Daphne had cost her last shred of sanity and spent went the next eight years hatching a plan to restore the Black line. Daphne had paid dearly for Bellatrix's mistake she knew she could not return to the wizarding world at least one surviving death eater would have given her name to the authorities so she had lived almost a decade as Bellatrix's slave.

"A month to brew Bellatrix," repeated jolting Daphne out of her daydream.

"So?" Draco asked his children who were both sat at the breakfast table JJ looking distinctly more awake than his sister "I thought today I could take you to see where I work." Neither appeared particularly enthusiastic.

"Dad?" Mariella asked "don't you work in a bank?"

"Yes."

"We have been in one before."

"A wizard bank?"

"No."

"Well then have you seen goblins or gemstones as big as your fist or perhaps a dragon?"

"The bank you work at has a dragon in it?" Mariella asked.

"Yes."

"And we can definitely see it?"

"Well I can twist some arms."

"Cool I'd like to see a real dragon," she said popping off the stool she was eating off yawned loudly and wiped her eyes before rushing to her room.

"JJ?" Draco asked, "Would you like to come?" The little boy shrugged his shoulders, which was probably the most positive response Draco had since their Diagon alley trip two months month earlier. Go get dressed then this too was a huge step forward as without blowing up books, an electrical item or one occasion a teapot JJ took an order from his father.

"Are you sure Gringotts will be ok with you traipsing two children around their premises?"

"They'll have to be ok with it my department makes at least half the banks revenue. "

"Gosh it is a good thing you don't get conceited about what you do," she laughed as she tied his tie around his neck. This was never something Draco had asked her to do but somehow over the months it had become part of their morning routine. Neither would admit it but both liked it. "Guys are you ready to go with your dad?"

"Yes and mmm ,"where the replies

"Ok," Hermione smiled as she disappeared on the spot.

"Right off to see a dragon," Draco smiled.