The first week of school at Black Towers went better than any of the new staff expected.
Arthur and Molly Weasley were so shocked to receive a positive report on Fred and George from Master Aberforth Dumbledore they allowed all the children to have an overnight, a party at the school dorms on Friday night. The two of them went to Madame Luc's Fine Dining, the best restaurant in Diagon Alley.
"How long has it been, my love?"
Molly, wearing a silky green dress robe Narcissa and a house elf had permanently transfigured from a robe found in a storage room at Black Towers, her hair up in a tidy bun, smiled. "After Percy was born, remember? Your mother watched the boys."
He nodded and poured more wine.
"How is working in the playschool?" he asked.
"Oh, it is so much fun, and there is so much help! I don't feel tired at all! Parents drop by on their breaks. Xeno Lovegood even came for an hour and made the stuffed toys dance! Plus there are always house elves with us, and Andi is available for any little issues."
"I was ever so relieved by the letter from Aberforth," Arthur said. "The twin's failure to take learning seriously weighed on my mind so much. I know they have so much potential."
Molly nodded, eyes shining. "Ron is happy, also. Who knew he was so farsighted that print was hard for him to read? He will soon catch up."
The dorm's largest common room was filled with children. Party dress was pajamas, robes and slippers. Pizza, pizza rolls (made by the house elves), fizzy drinks, veggies with dip, and ice cream shakes for dessert was the menu. Most of the Purebred children had never had pizza before and were excited by the flavor. Daphne, who hated tomatoes, had a white pizza that was also tasty.
While they ate, Aberforth and the twins came in and set up a large marble box with runes inscribed over it. Aberforth worked on it while the twins stuck a white canvas to the wall, closed the curtains and dimmed the lights.
"Okay, short people in front. Elves, too." Luna, Ginny, the Creevey brothers, Hermione, Stormy and four house elves all sat on pillows on the floor. Harry and Milly cuddled together in a large chair.
"In enchanting class we made a magical device to play muggle movies," a twin said.
"Movies are stories played by actors or with lots of pictures. They are on film in these little boxes. Dudley chose the movie," the other twin said, holding up a video.
"Oh," Hermione piped up. "Do the house elves have children that would enjoy this? There is plenty of room."
The house elves looked at each other. "There be twelve younglings that be older. The rest being babies."
"We can wait while you see if they want to come. They can wear whatever they want," Hermione was so certain the rest of the room just nodded.
Soon a group of tiny elves, wearing bright, neon colored bathrobes, joined them, trying the pizza.
"Ready?" A twin asked. He dropped it into the box and his twin tapped the runes.
Soon the screen lit up.
Narcissa got the babies to sleep, hopefully for five or six hours. She decided to go peek at the children's party. Draco had made good friends, and she saw such improvement in his social skills, manners, and temperament. She had so much to be thankful for. Even if she didn't have a man in her life. There would be time for that someday. Three children, a teaching job, a mastery, and a slobbery dog should be enough for anyone. Plus Andi was back in her life.
She slipped into the back of the room and stared in shock at the pictures on the wall. Men in white armor shot spells. A tiny elf with a large floppy bow sitting on a pillow squealed and to Narcissa's surprise, Draco picked her up and sat her on his knee, patting her back.
Gore was leaning against the wall in wooden chair. She gave him a slight smile. They had parted as friends, after all. Her vanity was stoked, since she wore a plain gray robe that was a miracle of fine tailoring, showing her figure to an advantage without being obvious.
Showing him what he was missing.
She turned to leave, and he followed her into the hallway. "You can stay, Narcissa. The muggle movie is quite fascinating, and the food is different but tasty."
She wanted to stay. I want him to change his mind! "All right. The babies are asleep. I have heard of muggle movies but have never seen one. When I was first married it was fashionable to go to the theater in muggle London and Paris."
"Arcturus is taking Petunia to the London Opera," she whispered as they filled plates. "Silvi promised to take pictures."
He nodded, escorting her to the table. She took a slice of the odd food and a glass of fizzy drink. Gore took a slice also, and they sat at a small table on the side of the group watching the movie.
"This is tasty, but I am not used to eating with my fingers." She glanced at the movie as spaceship sped though the stars. "Can muggles do that?"
He grinned. "No, they have only been as far as the moon. This is a fiction about the far future."
"Oh." She frowned. Wizards never spoke or imagined the far future. Odd.
"Narcissa, perhaps I was hasty," Gore whispered softly in her ear. "My whole life I have not been good enough for the wizarding world. All these changes leave me...off balance."
She leaned against his shoulder. "I feel the same."
"Would you like to accompany me to brunch at the village pub? I've heard it is quite good. Ten in the morning?" He asked. "Perhaps we could get to know each other amidst all these changes."
"That would be lovely."
Petunia was getting ready for a night at the opera in London. Her muggle evening gown was perfection. Deep rusty red, figure hugging to the hips where it flared out. It brought out the gold in her hair and a sheen to her complexion.
"Not many have the figure to wear that style," the store assistant said. "So many need a bit of tailoring around the stomach."
"I think it is perfect."
Now she was dressed. Silvi arranged her hair in a soft updo, with diamanté pins that were likely real diamonds. Her nails were a creamy golden tan, nothing flashy, and they matched the golden spangles of her delicate heels.
There was a knock at her door. Lysandra came in to her call, carrying a large jewelry case.
"What lovely gown."
"Thank you. It is what muggles call couture. The very best of designers made it." She widened her eyes. "It cost more than my husband Vernon made in six months."
"Ahh, well, don't feel guilty. Money spent into the financial systems of the world benefits us all, eventually. What good does it do piled in a vault? The Blacks do not need to save for a rainy day."
Lysandra opened the jewelry case. Orange jewels gleamed like fire, set in heavy gold, like flames. Necklace, bracelet and dangle earrings.
"Oh, my."
"Orange topaz, quite rare. It was a gift after my first child was born. Like you, I looked my best in warm tones."
"An autumn, muggles would say."
"Ahh, interesting. Please wear them. They look the best on a young neck!"
Lysandra kissed her on the cheek and left. Silvi cooed and sighed as she put the jewels on Petunia. "Missy Petty looks like a queen!"
Silvi was certainly good for her self esteem.
Argent Lovegood ate his midday meal at an outdoor cafe in Munich. Soon he would be in an ancient magical forest that spanned the border of Austria and Czechoslovakia. He had always wanted to forage there, ever since he purchased an old travel journal in a second hand shop in Knockturn Alley. The writer was a potion master's assistant, nearly a century ago. It spoke of a cave where dragon tear amber could be found. He hoped to find the magical stone. Even one would pay for his travels for a year.
He ordered a German meal, sausage on a bun with sauerkraut and a side of spatzle. He would have a cup of strong coffee and apfelstrudel for dessert.
Since he no longer needed to hide, he had decided to eat one meal a day in a restaurant.
The waitress, extremely flirty, delivered his meal. Did Xeno Lovegood get this treatment when he travelled? Everywhere he went, young women flirted with him. Argent could not imagine the distracted man flirting in a restaurant.
But Xeno was snapped up right quickly by Mimosa Burke.
Xeno made sure Argent knew he had to attend Xeno's and Mimosa's wedding feast in the spring. Family duty. Xeno had also given him a small handwritten book, Lovegoods and their Magic.
He couldn't quite wrap his brain about being a Lovegood. But he was obligated by Family Magic to Xeno. Someday Luna would be head of the family. Best not think about that.
His waitress checked on him diligently. "I am Ursula. If you are not busy tonight you should join me and Heidi at The Blume. Only two blocks." She pointed.
"You speak English well."
She smiled. Ursula was quite cute, with big brown eyes and a sprinkling of freckles. "School. You should come mit uns. Good band this week. Nine at night we will go there."
"I will think about it."
After eating and smiling an awkward goodbye at the two young waitresses, Argent found the magical district. His wand was no longer precise, but then he was a Lovegood now. Of all things.
His new wand was elm, polished to a high shine, with mixed fairy wings— freely given at shedding time— and thestrel hair core. "A wand for precision, for an affinity with nature. Thestrel hair wands rarely go to a child. They go to those who have seen some ugliness in life, and death. The fairy wings tie you to magical beasts and plants. A wand of great sensitivity and endurance. I wouldn't be surprised if someday a great grandchild of yours would fit this wand."
"I am an herbalist," he said. "Argent Lovegood."
"Perfect." The old man wrapped up his wand.
His new identification claimed he was a Master Herbalist. He was also a Potion's Master, but not the youngest. Some things disappeared with his old name. Since one of those things was his dark mark, and another was Severus Snape's vow to Dumbledore, he didn't mind. Also six years of age. He did look younger as a Lovegood. Some sacrifices had to be made, and happily it wasn't his freedom that was sacrificed. He was no longer a slave by magical vow.
In honor of his missing dark mark, Argent wore a black short-sleeved t-shirt, black jeans and boots to the dance club. Ursula and her friend Heidi were both cute and eager to dance He had a fun time but left them at midnight. "I am a botanist and am due in Czechoslovakia the day after tomorrow. But thank you for lovely evening."
Both girls kissed him on the cheek. Ursula slipped a paper in his hand. "My email."
Back in his caravan he stroked Harvest and wondered if he should buy a computer. He did not perform much magic here. Since he parked in muggle caravan parks he didn't want to be seen doing magic.
The opera was lovely, as was the late dinner Arctutus took her to, in an expensive restaurant with a view of the Thames. He looked stunning in his tuxedo.
She could hardly believe this was her, Petunia Dursley. Gone was the constant discontent and low level anger. The guilt she always felt in the back other mind over Harry and Dudley had greatly dissipated. She now knew she was not an uncaring monster. She and the boys were starting counseling next week.
"What lovely night, Arcturus. In fact, my whole life is lovely now. Thanks to you."
"Not just me, Petunia. You took great strides to make your life and the live's of the boys right. Never forget that." He took her hands across the table. "You have brought a dimension of joy to my life I haven't felt for decades."
"When I am with you I barely remember my past, my previous marriage."
"We have the same goal, Petunia. To make our families as healthy and as strong as they can be."
He reached into his suit and pulled out a tiny box. "Petunia, I love you with a depth of love I didn't think my old heart would ever feel again. Will you marry me?"
Petunia looked deep into his eyes, Oh, yes ,Arcturas. I love you also. Deeply."
He slid the large diamond surrounded by onyx onto her finger. A flare of flame red danced within the diamond.
"Only magicals can see the flame. The ring is a Black Family Heirloom, last worn by my grandmother. The Black Family magic approves. The flames only dance for a love match."
Dumbledore was furious. Snape had not visited in over a week! Minerva either.
Of course, it was the beginning of school, but still! They owed him their loyalty.
Had Harry started Hogwarts?
If he did not hear from them this evening, drastic measures would have to be taken. Surely Poppy and Severus could make the potions he consumed.
He barely slept through the night. Anger made his shorn hair tingle.
A medinurse came in before shift change at seven, after a long night. It was easy enough to beat her unconscious with the heavy glass water pitcher. He perhaps hit her a little too vigorously, part of her skull was caved in. Oh well, it was for the greater good. And she was already in the hospital. As he recalled, she'd been a giggly boy-crazy girl, of no real importance. He disillusioned himself with the wand and made his way to the floo.
