A/N Hey everyone. I'm sorry for the short chapter last time. Unfortunately I wasn't sure how to give it more filler, but I thought you might like to know how Sirius and Remus were doing. In case you were wondering and it bothers you, I know since Hollyhock and Harry are only 1 they shouldn't be talking as well as they should, but I think it gives the story more character, plus they are wizard and vine-elf.

Chapter 8:

Plans and Play Dates Part 1

Harry woke up in a nice cozy bed. He was alone in a big room which was painted all white, with a plain blue carpet and a dresser. Harry thought the room looked boring. He could sense his sister, but she was far away. Harry didn't worry, though, because he was saved by his scary Auntie and Uncle, as well as his fat cousin and the scary cupboard. Harry pulled back the covers and tried to climb off the big bed.

A pop sounded as a little elf arrived in the room. If Harry had blinked, he would have missed the materialization of the little creature. The elf looked a lot like Holly's elf, but he was smaller, and not dressed in pajamas. He wore a tea towel and Harry thought it looked weird.

"Mardy will help Mr. Harry get down," said the elf, who was named Mardy. "Just be still. Mr. Harry will have a little boy room all of his own soon. Mardy will make it so."

Mardy snapped his fingers and Harry was lifted into the air. He giggled and waved his arms and legs. Mardy lowered him to the floor and helped him dress in some new clothes. Mardy then lead Harry to a bathroom, where he tried to tame Harry's hair. Harry giggled as he watched himself in the mirror.

"Daddy say it impos ble," said Harry with a giggle. "Mummy say so too."

Harry began to cry then, hopping off the step to get to the sink. He curled up in a ball and held his knees to his chest. He would never see his mummy or daddy again. Uncle Sevvy had said so, so it must be true. When Harry saw the bodies lying on the floor, he thought they were only sleeping. When the big man had taken him away, Harry thought he was only going outside for a walk to get ice cream. All he got was a mean family and a scary cupboard.

"Mr. Harry must shush," said Mardy. "You must not wake Master Blaise in the next room."

"Wha's going on Mardy?" asked a little boy's voice. "Who that?"

"This is Mr. Harry," said Mardy. "He's to be your new brother. Go along to breakfast. Leefy must be waiting for you."

Blaise left the room as Harry looked up with a tear stained face. The woman from earlier now walked in and picked up Harry. He fought against her for a little while, but she cooed to him and talked to him in heavily accented English. Harry saw that she had dark skin and purple eyes. They were almost like Holly's, but darker.

"Hush and shush my little boy," said the woman. "I'm not here to replace your mummy, but if you let me, I will be here for you. Blaise has always wanted another brother."

She continued talking to him as she carried him from the room. Mardy followed as they entered a big dining room, with Blaise sitting in a highchair. He looked a lot like his mummy. A female elf was putting breakfast onto his plate. Blaise's mummy strapped Harry into a highchair and Mardy gave him some breakfast. Harry dug in happily as his tummy grumbled.

"If you are good," said Blaise's mummy, "We will be going to Draco's house to visit."

"See Holly?" asked Harry, his breakfast forgotten.

"See Dwaco?" asked Blaise.

"Yes," said Blaise's mummy. "Now eat up dearies."

Hollyhock was playing with Draco in the smaller sitting room. Narcisa sat on the sofa watching them, as well as a few portraits, who looked at the little girl avidly. Most of them were aunts and uncles or distant cousins, so were free to hang on the walls here, but one specific portrait had been moved in here, just to watch over Hollyhock. His vines rippled down his back as he moved his head slightly.

"Where Harry?" Hollyhock asked as she tried to build a train track with Draco.

"He's coming over in a few hours to play with you and Draco," Narcisa said as she looked up from painting her nails. "Blaise is coming too."

"Where Unca Moony, Unca Pa-foot?" asked Hollyhock, satisfied she would be with her brother soon.

Narcisa sighed and cast a drying charm on her fingernails. Hollyhock waited, though she did hand another piece to Draco as they built the train track around the living room. One of the portraits shook her head sadly, having slipped into the portrait with the important looking man. She wrapped her arms around him, blue vines seeming to wilt. He rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Uncle Moony and Padfoot…" said Narcisa. "They've gone away little flower. I don't know when they will come back."

"We're doing all we can to get them back for you," said Lucius as he came in from the next room, scooping up Hollyhock.

Draco yelled at his father, showing him the unfinished track. Lucius hushed him with a finger to the lips and Draco fell silent. Lucius rocked Hollyhock musingly as she growled like some form of cat, feeling her smaller and lighter weight in his arms. It was doing him and Narcisa a world of good having her in their home, even though it had only been a few days.

"I can't do much right now, Holly," he said to her, putting her head next to his heart. "I've got a plan in motion, but it might take a few… A while to get them free. You're too young to understand I'm afraid."

"Bring her over here," said an authoritative voice from the large portrait. "I want to look at her closely, and I want to test something."

Lucius never ignored his great grandfather. His grandfather Metrion, he didn't know at all, for Metrion only lived 2 years past the birth of his son Abraxas. At this point in time, Glacius's portrait had been hidden away for a reason he still wasn't sure of, and Abraxas and his mother Murna had begun to teach Lucius the ways of pure blood, which they had learned from Abraxas' mother Hessia. Narcisa had tasked the elves with the job of cleaning out the attic, and they had brought Glacius' portrait to Lucius, who hung it up once more, curious of his heritage.

"Touch the portrait, Holly dear," said Glacius' wife Elisia. "It won't hurt you."

Hollyhock reached out from Lucius' arms and touched the canvas of the portrait. Her fingertips ghosted over the blank white patches, then found a raised portion. Her violet eyes went wide and she began to feel a face that wasn't there before. It didn't feel like the picture faces in her books, but like a real face. If she wasn't careful, her fingers passed through the lines. She made cooing and screeching noises that were completely animal as she found two bodies in the picture.

"Who you?" she asked. "You not like picture."

"Those are my great grandparents Glacius and Elisia," said Lucius. "They wanted to meet you. They were just like you. Elisia was a blue vine elf and Glacius a green one."

"What's vine elf daddy?" asked Draco from the floor.

"A vine elf is what Hollyhock is," Lucius explained to Draco as he let Hollyhock go. "She's not a full vine elf, though, because she's still little."

"What vine elveses for?" asked Hollyhock, bumping into the train track and falling on her bum. "Oof. Draco this track tripped me."

"Sowwy," said Draco. "We almost done."

"Vine elves are very magical," said Lucius, amazed that his son even knew the word sorry. He needed to be a better father. "Vine elves are almost always druids, but some prefer to stay in touch with wizarding culture and become healers. Druids take care of the land. They nurture it and heal it. They can make a variety of animal sounds when they are young, until they inherit their full elf nature, then they become an animagus and can only make those sounds."

"Auntie Mini a cat," said Hollyhock thoughtfully. "Pa-foot… He nice doggy… Oopsy."

Hollyhock curled into herself and Lucius sighed. There was no time to do anything about it now, though, because a very happy Harry ran into the room. He yelled out his greeting to Draco and began helping with the track. They soon were joined by Blaise and his mother. Blaise's mother went to go comfort Hollyhock, but Narcisa shook her head.

"Not yet Iliana," she said. "It wouldn't be wise. She might hurt herself or you."

"I am a strong woman Narcisa," said Iliana, a little affronted.

"You mis-understand," said Narcisa. When Lucius first brought her here, all she could smell was all the dark magic around him. Since I am a mere mortal who hasn't casted a dark spell unless to save my life, she was fine with me. She wouldn't take too kindly to someone with fire in her blood yet I don't think."

"It's alright," said a voice from the doorway, "Auntie Morgan's here… Though not for long unfortunately."

Hollyhock uncurled as Morgan picked her up and kissed the top of her head. Severus hugged the little girl, the man and woman trading glances over her auburn head. Hollyhock was comforted for now, and Draco very nicely offered for her to climb into the driver's seat in the driver's compartment. Blaise pushed the button and the magic zoomed the four children around the track to happy giggles and shrieks.

"It seems the twins are both having trouble," said Iliana, sitting down in an armchair. "I found poor Harry missing his parents today. Mardy didn't know what to do."

"How will we cope with them if they keep having nightmares and bad experiences?" asked Narcisa.

"All we can do is fill the rest of their lives with happy days and good experiences," said Morgan. "It will prepare them for Hogwarts, where Mini and Sev can watch over them."

The adults watched the children play as Mousy, one of Narcisa's elves, brought them tea. Dobbie popped in with a platter of snacks. Lucius poured a good dollop of fire whiskey into each teacup before the adults began to plan.

a/n Again please leave me a review on what you'd like to see or if you need questions answered and the like. We have 3 ocs left for those reviewers who'd like to offer one.