Chapter 35

They had known, Rigel had held it together well, but it wouldn't last. Rigel was amazingly strong, both from his years away from them, and from his training with Abraxas. But he was still young, and both the realization of Albus, and almost being killed, was a lot. Rodolphus hated his son being here, but he couldn't remove his son, not now. It would make Albus more suspicious, and Rigel had a life here, and friends here. The twins knew, and Draco who was at school, and they would keep him safe. He had been brave, not only for his friends but them, earlier when they spoke. It was what he did, he always put on a strong face, another sign of what he had suffered as a child.

Rodolphus rushed into his son's room, when he heard the telltale sounds of a nightmare. Abraxas had come as well, but he watched from a distance, when he watched the man comfort his son. He wanted to help, but it was Rodolphus who Rigel needed, to get him back to sleep.

In the morning Rigel came out of his room looking a bit pale and looked around. "Where is Papa?"

Abraxas looked up from the paper he was reading. "He needed to go. But he'll be back later."

Rigel sunk down at the table. "I guess. I wished he said goodbye."

Abraxas squeezed his hand. "He wished he could too, but your Uncle Lucius needed to see him, and you were still out with a potion."

Rigel was surprised. "How did you know?"

Abraxas assured him. "I knew you would be a bit shaken. And I was there, when he gave you a potion."

Rigel was uncomfortable. "I didn't want you to know, to worry."

Abraxas stopped. "Do you think I would be ashamed? Because you are scared after what happened, and what you were told last night?"

Rigel looked down at his food. "I guess not."

Abraxas made him look up. "I told you how proud we all were, of how you did. You know that."

Rigel nodded. "But the dreams."

Brax shook his head. "We all have bad dreams sometimes. We have spoken of this, it isn't a sign of weakness Rigel."

It wasn't the days when he had crawled into his Papa and dad's bed. He had been scared even then, to admit when he had a bad dream, and needed help. He could still need it now, it didn't make him a baby, just someone who had almost been killed. Abraxas looked at what his apprentice had faced, and how he had done, not at the dreams after. The twins had even said it, they may have peed their pants, if they thought they were about to die. They were brave, no one would doubt that for a second, but fear was fear.

Rigel knew he was right. He had always been able to tell Brax when he was scared, even when he was little, and couldn't tell the others. He used to go into the den, because he felt safe with him, till his dads found out. But their new relationship seemed to be changing things.

Brax squeezed his hand. "Just because we have kissed, I don't want you to worry about telling me such things."

Rigel allowed the man to keep his hand. "I guess it's just odd. I don't want you to think I am a baby and…"

Brax smiled a bit. "And change my mind? I guess I should be happy, you don't want to run me off."

Rigel blushed and looked back down at his plate. "I guess not."

Abraxas knew not to push at all. "I think we will have a quiet day here. Your Papa will come back when he can."

Rigel was relieved the topic had changed. "I'd like that. Do you know why Papa was called away?"

Abraxas shook his head. "I don't. I now your Uncle Lucius was looking into the chances of Bella having a baby."

Rigel was still not sure what to make of it. "I never really thought I'd have a cousin."

Brax pointed out. "You have Draco, and the twins."

Rigel clarified what he meant by that. "Technical cousin. Uncle Siri will never marry."

Draco and the twins were his cousins, he loved them as such, and grew up with Draco as one. It was what made this new relationship a bit odd. But Narcissa was his father's cousin, not sister, and Uncle Sev and Moony were not related, or closely. With Uncle Sirius being a playboy for life, and Rabastan meant to be in prison, he never thought to have a real cousin.

Abraxas motioned after breakfast for Rigel to join him on the couch. "We will find the child if there was one."

Rigel nodded. "How old?"

Abraxas nodded. "She was likely only four months pregnant, the kiss waited almost five. The baby would not be two years younger than you."

Rigel looked at the hand over his. "Do you think Albus may have hurt the child?"

Abraxas shook his head. "I have a feeling if there is a child, he has kept them around, for a reason. But I don't see him being caring."

Rigel felt bad. "If I have a cousin, they don't deserve to be used as pawns, because of my Uncle."

Abraxas kissed him. "You know you have an amazing heart. You don't even know the cousin, even if there is one."

Rigel thought, there were a lot of people who thought his dads were evil, and could think bad of him. Their names were clear, and his Uncle and his Papa's former wife were monsters, but their child might not be. He knew there was a chance the child may be, they may have been raised by Albus, and now he had all his doubts about the headmaster. He thought of the fourth years, and had to wonder if the kid was among them, if there was one. He knew there might not be, that his so called Uncle may be lying about it.

Abraxas drew Rigel into his arms, and after another longer kiss, held him. "Whatever the truth, I promise we will keep you safe."

Lucius had been looking, and he wasn't sure what he would find, or so soon. He knew Albus, he would cover his tracks, if he was involved. He had a tendency to believe the man, that he at least thought the man wouldn't lie then. He had nothing to gain, and for his faults, Rabastan had often been honest to the core. He had told his brother, he was sleeping with Bella, from the start. Rodolphus had of course not cared, he was sleeping with the man he loved, forced into the marriage with Bella. If he could have, he'd have divorced, and allowed the two to be together. But unfortunately it was a bond, and there was no option, unless he died. Rodolphus was too useful for his brother to kill right away.

He was looking, and he found that Bella had not been at the hospital, when she was under psych evaluation. Someone had claimed it was too much of a risk, and she had been placed in private care, with strong wards. The healer though who did the evaluation, was a clue.

Lucius looked at Rodolphus when he came into the office. "I am sorry to pull you away from your son."

Rodolphus shook his head. "He'll be sleeping for another few hours. Abraxas will take care of him till I get back."

Lucius knew the man didn't know about the kiss. "We will keep your son safe."

Rodolphus sighed. "We will try."

Lucius put a hand on his arm. "I may have found a way to bargain with your brother."

Rodolphus knew he spoke of the baby. "I will not use an innocent child as a pawn. It would make me no better than my brother."

Lucius explained. "I didn't mean to threaten it. But if your brother knew his daughter was alive and safe out there."

Rodolphus stopped him. "Daughter? You said daughter? We didn't even know if he was telling the truth."

Lucius showed him the records. "I'm not certain, we'll have to keep looking, but it seems it was a girl."

There was a record, at the private hospice Bella was sent to, of the birth of a baby. It was about the right time, but the mother was thought on paper, to be another female patient. But the woman from what Lucius could find, had been locked and nearly catatonic all her life, and the chance she had a baby were slim. The baby had disappeared from records, whether she was adopted or had died, there was no record. The supposed mother had no family to speak of, and the father wasn't on record.

Rodolphus thought of his possible niece. He knew she would have been innocent, the madness of his ex and the darkness of his brother, couldn't pass on to a child. But if Albus had any hand in raising her, there was no telling what she had turned into.

Rodolphus put down the papers. "As head of my family, I need to find out if there is another."

Lucius reminded him. "Your son is actually head, since you were declared dead, but I'll help where I can."

Rodolphus knew he was right. "At least my brother and this child have no claim, even if my brother is a fugitive."

Lucius had him sit down. "I have found the nurse who helped deliver the baby is the only one still alive."

Rodolphus was surprised. "Even with the war, I mean it hasn't been too many years."

Lucius shook his head. "Both the psychiatrist for Bella, and the doctor who delivered the baby, suffered accidents."

Rodolphus looked down at the forms. "Within a week of each other, and of the birth of the child?"

Lucius nodded. "Someone wanted to hide the existence of the baby, and the true reason Bella was at the hospital."

The psychiatrist had fallen from his office window, a fall three stories deep, and split his head open on the rocks below. It was said it might be suicide, and he had some potions in him, he was not meant to take. The other, the man who delivered the baby had been in a muggle area, and had been run over by a bus, having tripped on the sidewalk. The man had no muggle connections, no reason to be in the area, before that.

The nurse had disappeared, the day the baby was born, never to be seen again. Her family though had reported they had contact with her. It led to speculation she may have been the care taker for the baby at first. The other two were killed, obviously to keep them quiet.

Rodolphus sighed. "We need to find that nurse and the girl."

Lucius was already ahead of him. "I have my team on it already."

Rodolphus shook his head. "Less than twenty four hours and you already have a lead? You'd
have made a good auror."

Lucius smirked. "I have a good team, besides there were obvious reasons you know I couldn't."

Rodolphus stood. "I will leave it in your hands. I need to return to school for my son."

Lucius agreed with him. "I am sure my dad is doing his best, but I am sure my nephew could use you."

Lucius was as involved, and he loved his nephew, but this was different. Rodolphus had to worry about his son and husband, both as they were targets, and because they were in bad shape. Lucius would do anything to protect his family, and the three of them were included in that. He would have all his men and resources on it, until he found this child. They would still have to catch Rabastan, and put him in prison, but this was a start. And perhaps it was a step towards nailing Albus once and for all.

Lucius looked at the file. "Now to find out who this girl is. I have to wonder if she is right under our nose at Hogwarts, or if she even knows."

Important Note(Not by author): I have never actually read this story so I don't know if this is the last chapter. If it isn't then tell me because I honestly don't know. Also I am sorry but I only have 35 chapters saved. I will try and find the rest, if there are any. About the chapter hostage thing, well it was a dare. By the way never play truth and dare with my picking truth is the safer , I was feeling daring that day and chose dare. She was literally breathing down my neck while I was writing. Anyway, I wanted to say sorry about the hostage thing. Hope you enjoyed the story.