Chapter. A Thousand Cuts

Hermione Granger Pov-

I stood in the home, in front of a brick fireplace of the heir of Penelope Clearwater.

"Mrs. Granger?" A long curly hair brunette approached me.

"Yes?" I turned. When I received a letter of invitation I assumed it would be a clue on the case of the New Darkness Rising, which I silently named my file late yesterday evening.

"She's ready for you now. Follow me." Penelope's kind, plump, assistant says.

"Thank you." I say, quickly, on the fence on laying down a book from the fireplace I hadn't realized I picked up.

"It's alright, you can bring it along." The assistant says.

In French was a book I knew very well. I translated the cover 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'

It was then that deadly departed Albus Dumbledore written message hit me.

To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in the hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive.

The book came into my possession on 31st of July, prior, it had been examined for thirty-one days by the British Ministry of Magic on the orders of Minister Rufus Scrimgeour, who was suspicious of the nature of the items Dumbledore had bequeathed in his will. Even after a brief interrogation of me, Scrimgeour was unable to determine any significance the book may have, and thus was forced to turn the book over to me.

I looked to Elizabeth Clearwater, was just behind wooden set doors and I greeted her with a smile. "Good morning."

"Good Morning, I'm pleased you could make it. It's been a busy week." She says, with blonde hair and a light blue, well tutored suit.

"Yes, indeed." I say.

"I hope you weren't waiting long, Angelina Weasley has a message that she needed to speak with you as soon as you were available."

"Oh, alright. Thank you. It was not long at all" i say. I rather come here then return to the ministry when i should be on ny way home to the kids before they wake for the day.

"So I see you were curious of my fireplace collection." She says.

"My copy of this book English publication contained notes from Dumbldore which were lent to me by Professor McGonagal."

"Is that so? Hm, well that particular copy was my great-great-grandmother Lizabeth. I was named after her."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes, I was actually writing a letter to my distant cousin, Susian who just lost her son."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry to hear that."

"As am I. I never met her, well them. They live in America. My father would never had allowed it. My mother Penelope was born in 1975 Ireland but moved here to Great Britain in her childhood. I believe her to be a half-blood, however my father say that was a rumor. Her ex-boyfriend Percy Weasley, named her Duck." I glanced to the photographs on the wall. A woman who had Blonde hair, white skin, with a Ravenclaw badge, she had a blotchy nose.

"I remember her." I say, during my second year at Hogwarts, we both used a mirror to navigate the hallways but still were petrified.

"Yes, I now own the ornate hand mirror my mother once had. I wonder if she was the 'Clearwater' that was meant to be a clue."

The day Cho Chang lifeless body was found, what appeared in the ashes near by was the name 'Clearwater' which in the other crimes such as Neville Longbottom's grandmother Augusta Longbottom, appeared 'Rising'. None of what's happening make sense.

With Rita Skeeter killing, there were no ashes, just sightings of The Dark Mark in the sky. Her death was the first.

"What happened to your parents?" I ask.

"Mother left soon after I was born, she had me right after the 2nd battle of Hogwarts. My father was believed to be dead."

"Your father?"

"His name was Audrey, he was a death-eater."

"Your father was a -"

"Follower of 'You-Know-Who' ...Yes, he was." She say. "For years I thought of my parents, but my grandmother raised me well."

"You never spoken to your mother again?"

"Not in person, no."

That's very strange. I thought to myself. Why would her mother abandon her?

"As a child I was curious of the war, and deaths by 'You-Know-Who. It frighten me to have been born in such a time, my mother must have been terrified. Have you ever wondered the meaning of Albus Dumbledore's death?" She asked me.

What an odd question. "No, not really."

"I believe the universe wanted to show the death of a great leader, no matter how brilliant, could never stop a war. Timing of many deaths are believed to be a purpose. The Dumbledore family lived in Godric's Hollow, the same place where Gryffindor founder Godric Gryffindor and the Potter family lived."

I nodded. "Yes." I knew of that for a very long time. It was public knowledgebase.

"Did you know that a secret revealed that Lily Evans… well Lily Potter, was pregnant with her second child, when Voldemort killed her? Even forevermore saddened, she had finally talked her husband James into making peace with Severus Snape and even wanted to make him the godfather."

"That's absurd." I exclaimed.

"Perhaps... Yet to think events could have come to play differently." She says.

Harry Potter, have a sibling? How unlikely.

"Furthermore...DNA is very magical." She continued.

"How do you mean?" I ask curious.

"Did you know the Dark Lord went after Harry Potter instead of Neville Longbottom because he identified with the half-blood DNA and therefore decided he must be the greater risk."

"Sorry?" I asked confused.

"Angelina Weasley, found a Pure-blood, lead, late yesterday evening. However, it does not explain whomever is killing the Muggle-borns, or why, when the muggles; who are not human at all is a threat."

"Perhaps they hope's to create public panic and fear." I suggested.

"Perhaps..." She slightly agrees.

Suddenly we heard a tap on her door. "Sorry, to interrupt however Miss. Clearwater you have a meeting with the Daily news this morning. You must'not be late."

"Thank you, I will be there shortly." She says to her assistant and I knew it was time to head back to the ministry to do more research on the past few crimes, in hopes I've missed a obvious clue.

Perhaps Albus Dumbledore dear gift that helped me years ago when I accompanied Harry on our journey to find Voldemort's Horcruxes, I could reread like i had extensively, back then and use what I've learned in the Study of Ancient Runes to translate the book's originally runic script onc more. For a connection to later days. Our very first clue I discovered the mark Dumbledore had left, in which connected to a necklace worn by Xenophilius Lovegood. I should read his past clippings on the crimes of the first war with Voldermort, the crimes that lead him to Harry, and the ancient magic his mother Lily Potter use to protect him.

Leah Clearwater Pov -

It was humid.

My pants were clinging to my tights. The walls of my bedroom felt like hell, hours after my only brother's dead. I tried to breath without sobbing.

This on going war, defensively defeated completely. First my father, Harry. Now, my baby brother. My heart is shattering like glass, into a hole so deep inside me. I just want to bleed everywhere.

All those kids and people were innocents... the civilians, all scared and full of confusion and fearing for their lives. My daughter a target, I will find and kill those who tried to harm her.

This was more than a warning to our people. This was retaliation for pain of no other.

"This evil never leaves." I breathed.

I lifted my head from hands, just as Jacob walked into the bedroom.

"You should go stay with Henry." I say fast.

I didn't want him to see me break down once again. "Better yet, see what help you can do on the beach." I didn't look to him as I removed my sneakers.

"No. They don't need me." He says and I can feel his eyes burning holes in my back.

"Yes, they do. At least go check on Sarah."

"She's with Embry, you know that." He says too calmly and I wanted to scream, searching through the half-full clothes hamper for my night shirt.

"Jacob,-" I say just wanting to be alone.

"Your t-shirt is in the bathroom, behind the door." He says.

I shake my head, tears filling up the bottom of my eyes. Neverending. It feels. To imagine what Sarah feared, trying to escape those psychos. Right now, she's safe with Embry. He remains her safe haven, Embry always go the extra mile by spending the night and being there. Years ago when Jacob was locked away Embry would take the kids on small adventures to keep them from noticing my hormonal behavior. When I was pregnant was Sarah, he barely left my side. Not only because he was drawn to Sarah, but because when Camilla Makah framed Jacob of assault, he was released and redeemed as innocent until months later. My lips pressed together, holding back words I didn't need to say as I moved towards our bathroom.

In a instant Jacob was right there, suddenly blocking my way as I startlingly looked up at him. "What are you-"

"I'm not going to say the R-word but can you do me a favor and take a pause." He says lightly placing his hands on each side of my forearms too calmly.

"Don't you do that." I snapped slapping his hands from me. "Don't treat me like I'm not allowed to get upset, -Mr. Cool-and-collective. He may not have been your brother but he deserves someone to be mad and upset."

"You don't think I'm upset? You don't think I feel the want to cry and get angry and kill something? To go out there and find whose responsible?"

"Then prove it! Go find them!" I yelled.

"Leah-"

"Don't, Leah, me."

"Seth, isn't the only one who died. A little girl lost both of her parents. She has no one. She's just as important as Sarah or Henry-"

"You only care about her because she's a descended of your precious Cullen-clan. My nephew could lose his mother as well." I practically yelled, and Jacob flinched and I pushed passed him to our bathroom.

He chuckled without humor, following me into our overly sized bathroom that was way overdue for a paint job. "First, Seth is my brother, I don't care that you don't believe that, and second, make that the last time you spat those words at me."

I sighed slamming the toilet seat shut, and it broke in pieces.

Angry I looked to Jacob who leaned up against the door frame, crossing his arms.

I threw my hands in the air, then sat on the side of the tub. Running both of my hands threw my hair.

"It wasn't his time. Just a blink and he's gone. Gone forever, too damn soon. I want them dead."

From across the room, Jacob was soon slowly kneeling beside me, grabbing hold of my hands.

With the both of us having to shift earlier, we were beyond hot to the touch. Yet, his heat was soothing and comforting like always. We were the same temperature more then ever, it's usually him who phase once in a while.

"We just spoke to him, ...yet so fast I never thought he'd be the one." I say to him. "He's the part of our father that needed to live on, and on and on. It'll never be the same here without him. Henry will never be the same, what if Taylor doesn't make it? He'll be -"

"Henry will be fine, because we'll take him in. He won't ever know what it's like to be alone, alright. We got him, and his mother will recover and if she needs us, we will be there for her as well. Seth would've done the same Godforbid something was to happen to us." He say and I tried my best to hold back tears.

Hate how relaxed he's always is. It's like as we got older, he gotten cooler and more chilled, less impulsive. Unlike me, I'm still emotional. The emotional one of us two.

He pulls me close, cradling me in his grasp. He buries his face in my neck, giving me a tender kiss there.

Even more warmth bloomed within me, he's always been such a natural at everything. I feel this man was meant just for me deep in my bones.

I slowly pushed him away, not needing to breakdown.

"I have to go check up on Henry. " I got to my feet and headed back to the bedroom.

"Leah, he's fine. Rebecca and Sue is with him."

"Yet, neither one of them is me. Seth was my baby brother, and I don't know if you noticed but Sue isn't the most compassionate person when it comes to losing people."

"Hey," Jacob says grabbing hold of my waist, spinning me into a pull towards him. "The pain I know is deeper than the Marianas Trench, but I promise you, we will destroy who did this. God knows how I wish I could change everything."

Next thing I knew, my face was in the palm of his hands, his eyes burning into mine. "You, are my only true love. I'm with you."

I smiled.

"Thank God, it would've been tragic if not."

"Seriously. I love you." He stated.

"I love you too." I reply.

"There's no life without you, and I promise we are no going to lose anyone else we love, to them, or whomever."

God know's I pray for that to be true, yet it wasn't in his ability to stop crap like that.

"I need one of your breathless hugs Mr. Black."

For a moment I want everything to feel as if it was perfect again.

Instantly he dropped his hands from my cheeks and placed them around my back, pulling me into an intensely strong yet, so comforting I felt myself beginning to want to cry and break down.

I cleared my throat and patted his back for him to loosen up his hold. "Thank you, I needed that, now I need some time alone." i say pushing him from me, slowly.

"No." He put one hand on my waist.

"Jacob, honestly. I'm okay."

"Leah.."

"Jacob." I pleaded.

"I need a second of aloneness. I'm fine."

"I'm not." He spoke, and it hit me.

I haven't once asked him, if he was alright.

"I'm sorry." I breathed lowering my head guilty. "Your always the strong one and I always naturally assume your fine. I'm so selfish sometimes." I say rubbing my eyes.

"No, your not, and it's fine. Let's just... not be alone right now. Okay?"

"Okay. It's... I don't want to break down in front of you." I confess.

"Why? Let me guess, you think I would accuse you of having a mental breakdown. Well... I wouldn't blame you if you did and I wouldn't get you sent away or stick you with a tranquilizer. We're not robots, Leah. It may take a lot to puncture our skin, but we do feel pain. I would never judge your heart, or make you ashamed of anything. Yeah, I will always try my best to keep it together no matter what either one of us is going through or how hard it gets, but at the end of the day you are the one I rather fall apart with." He says wrapping his warm arms around me.

I squeezed, his body as he caressingly rubbed my hair.

"I wanna go back, take me back. Lets just jump into a time machine and go back to yesterday's morning. I can talk to him again, call him. Ask him to stay home, and that we'll meet him there."

"If i had that power i would do that, i swear i would. To take us back." Jacob exhaled.

"I don't want to feel this." i breathed.

"Tell me, tell me what you rather do."

"I ...can't." I cried. "I..I want to scream... I want to punch... and push crap over...yet...yet...right now.. i can just hold you because I have nothing else." He leans back, to look at me.

"Not true, and you know it. You have me, so with that decreasing energy... come lay it on me and let's go rest. It's almost 7:00am."

"Jacob, I can't. I cant give another thing... No energy. Not for this. Not if it's ...going to cost me.. everyone I love."

"Leah, it won't. Like before, I promise you I will be here with you, we will end them, no matter what. No one else will harm our family."

"After Harry, past a womb was sliced opened, then Jeremiah, then baby Olivia and now-"

"Listen to me..." He says grabbing my face once more. "I won't lie and say I know how you feel, i just say I will never leave you alone to dealing with the pain ever. I want all your scars, all your darkness… the interior of your soul. You have mine every second of everyday " I laughed, as tears streamed down my face.

"Oh, God... I love you." I mouthed touching his face.

"Then let me hold you." He breathed.

Against whatever is coming, the lost of my brother has left me weak and vulnerable and completely blindsided.

I gave up, with my head hung I couldn't put on a brave face right now, I'll save it for another time. "You win." I shrugged.

"I always do." He grinned and i rolled my eyes with a genuine laugh.

Jacob Black, my everything. Had always been there, like a shining light on all my darkest days. His warmth guides me back to sanctuary.

End Of Chapter. A Thousand Cuts