A/N Thank you for your reviews and favorites. Dragon, how Gravity falls of you 😊 I'll need to know a little more info on your oc since werewolves are kind of a thing too. 😊 Wyvern, your oc will be included as well. I'm glad you like the story.

Chapter 9:

Plans and Play Dates Part 2

"First things first," said Lucius, "We need to address the fact that Hollyhock keeps mentioning an uncle doggy. We need to teach the children tactics to keep secrets. Severus, I believe I remember you being well versed in the mind arts. Maybe you and Iliana can teach them to meditate."

"Iliana?" Severus queried, gazing over at the black skinned woman. "Forgive me madam Zabini, but I don't know you very well. What could you contribute?"

"I am a fire dancer," said Iliana, biting into a cream cheese and crab roll. "The talent is also in my son, but diluted. I wish to bring out his full potential to the best of my ability. The fire is in me and around me. Try to read my mind, Severus."

Severus sent out a mental probe, using wandless legilemency. He didn't want to scare the children, who were now bouncing little balls against the wall. The small tendril of his probe encountered a wall of flames, a dome over Iliana's mind. He found no cracks or weak spots, and hastily withdrew. After the heat of that experience, he drank half a glass of water Mousy had placed on the tray.

"You weren't kidding, were you?" he asked Iliana. "Can you teach Blaise and Harry each evening? Morgan and I will do our best to teach Hollyhock and Draco, but we won't always be here."

"I have a book on occlumency training," said Lucius, scratching his chin as he watched the kids. "I'll practice my own mind arts, along with Narcisa."

"I might be able to pop by on the weekends for an hour or 2," said Morgan. "Dumbledork has my restrictions so high, it's tough for me to leave. I'm apprenticing under the Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes professors though, so I might be able to make excuses to leave for a while. I might be able to teach the children how to color symbols and soon carve them if I can make it fun enough."

"That's a great idea," piped up Narcisa, throwing a stray ball off the sofa and into Harry's hands. "I can begin to teach them etiquette lessons, as well as colors and shapes."

"Aren't you a mud…" Lucius began to ask Morgan, before Severus gave him a searing glare. "My apologies Mrs. Snape, but aren't you a muggle born yourself? Why would you apprentice to the Muggle Studies teacher?"

"It's all a ruse," said Morgan, laughing softly and shrugging at Lucius's slip of the tongue. "I'm doing my best to better the class, as well as finding out all the information I can. The Ancient Runes professor is giving me the knowledge of runes that Lily had before she died. We might need to make another rune circle like the one she made."

"That could come in very handy," mused Narcisa, crunching daintily on a spring roll. "If I remember correctly, Lucius had mentioned the Greengrass family. I believe they have a daughter, Daphne. They were a neutral family during the war and still are. With us going neutral, it would be beneficial for us to become allies with them, as well as the Davis family."

"I don't see any harm in that," said Iliana. "The more friends the children have, the more support they will have when they join the Hogwarts population."

"I think some muggle born and half bloods should join them as well," said Severus thoughtfully. "I'm not sure how to go about that, though. We need to keep Hollyhock and Harry secret. None but the people we trust most should know that we have her. Everyone thinks Hollyhock's dead in any case."

"We should discuss this more after supper," said Morgan. "The children are growing restless."

It was true. None of the children seemed to want to play with the toys on the floor and were wandering around, looking at the portraits. Hollyhock was the exception as she toddled over to Iliana, placing the palm of her hand on the woman's knee. She backed up and blew on her hand, despite the fact there were no bruises there. She didn't cry out, though, and Iliana grasped the girl's hand gently.

"I will not burn you, little blossom," she said to the elf. "Fire may kill flowers sometimes, but it will not kill you. I can promise you that."

"You are fire," said Hollyhock. "Why?"

"I was born with the fire in my blood," said Iliana softly. "Blaise has it too. Do not be afraid of us. We mean you no harm."

"Harry wives with you," said Hollyhock. "You won't hurt him?"

"I will not," said Iliana.

She gently picked up Hollyhock and snuggled her close, turning down the core temperature of her body. Hollyhock snuggled against her, feeling warm and sleepy. This woman who took care of her brother was cuddly like Narcisa but warm without a blanket. She moved her head a little, until her ear found Harry's new mummy's heartbeat.

"Hewe Holly," said Harry. "I bwought you lion. This one youws."

Hollyhock held the lion, making sure it was hers and not Harry's. It was the only thing she had from her old house. She missed her picture books and other dolls and stuffed animals. A few tears fell down her cheeks at this thought, and Harry's new mummy brushed them away.

"Don't cry, sweetheart," she said. "you are but a babe, and in a few years you will have all the toys you'll ever need."

Hollyhock didn't know what this woman meant, but soon she was wrapped in a blanket and shifted over to her new mummy's lap. She still missed her old mummy, but Narcisa was nice, and she seemed to know what Hollyhock wanted and needed. Hollyhock warbled like a little bird, sad but also happy to have friends and adults who cared about her. Narcisa stroked her hair and Hollyhock soon fell asleep. She was happy to have a nap among all this chaos.

Narcisa looked at Iliana jealously when Hollyhock was placed on the fire dancer's lap. This little girl was hers now. She sat on the black fluffy arm chair and sipped another small cup of tea, waiting for Iliana to be done with her little one. Iliana seemed to understand her impatience as she handed the tiny girl over to Narcisa. Mousy brought over a blanket and Narcisa wrapped Hollyhock in it. Mousy informed Narcisa that dinner would be ready in an hour as Narcisa wrapped Hollyhock and her lion in the blanket. Narcisa graciously offered Iliana, Blaise, and Harry to stay for dinner as she rocked back and forth, feet carefully avoiding Draco who had fallen asleep on the floor.

Iliana cuddled Harry as Blaise slept beside Draco. Everyone looked so cute together, and Narcisa made sure that Dobbie took a picture of them all. Severus and Morgan kissed Hollyhock and Harry's heads before departing. If Morgan was gone too long, it would seem to suspicious to Albus the coot Dumbledore. Lucius sat down beside her after picking up Draco. He cuddled the little boy close to him, keeping an eye on Blaise, who's mother had floated him onto a sofa to rest more comfortably. Draco seemed happy to be cuddled, even in his sleep.

"We had better get started soon," said Narcisa. "They may be young, but that's no excuse. If we can work out the kinks now, it should be easier to teach them when they're older."

"I agree," Iliana nodded. "If we can manage to open up their magical core a little earlier, we could stop some of their accidental magic."

"In any case," said Glacius, from his portrait, Hollyhock is an elf and must learn differently from everyone else. We must find a way of doing so without making her feel left out. If you go to Gringotts, Lucius, there should be a vault full of books I left about Vine elves. I know that Severus knows something, and the Black boy, Sirius must know. Unfortunately, Sirius is in prison."

"The Black library is second only to ours, I believe," said Lucius with a frown. "I've got to figure out a way to get into it. I don't think Hollyhock will be able to use an actual wand."

The remainder of the group discussed a little more with the portraits, before they were called to dinner. Lucius, Iliana, and Narcisa woke the children and lead them to the dining room. Four high chairs were set up, and small portions of food were laid out on the trays. As the children were set before the food, they rubbed their eyes and sniffed. Their tummies growled and they tried their best to eat neatly. Narcisa and Iliana put bibs on the children and put napkins on the tray with a smile.