Hi all, welcome back, I apologise for the very long wait, I lost motivation for a while. Thank you to vani12 for your review, I'm glad you enjoyed the prologue. Also, I will openly admit to using Google translate for the French in this chapter. If you are fluent in French and want to help a girl out, feel free to message me to correct what I wrote!
Novotel Paris Centre Eiffel Tower Hotel: Paris, France 1989
She couldn't stop herself from glancing out the window every few minutes; the feeling in the pit of her stomach told her something was not right. She sighed, stepping away from the window and turning to look down at her beautiful daughter.
Charlotte was everything to her and often the only thing that kept her going. Whenever she would think about going back home, running back to the man she had loved so long ago, she thought about Charlotte, and what might happen to her if he ever found out she was back. She shook her head. Nothing like that would happen because she would never go back. She smiled down at her daughter, lying down in front of the fire with her nose inches away from a muggle book. For as long as she could remember Charlotte had loved everything to do with muggles.
Charlotte had grown up in the muggle world, but she had always known her true identity. She could never have kept that from her daughter, but she was glad that Charlotte had not minded being raised like a muggle. Charlotte had attended a muggle primary school and had taken up dance lessons when she was two and never stopped. She was always so proud to see her little girl at a dance recital because she always stole the show.
"Hey mum listen to this," Charlotte called from the hearthrug.
As Charlotte looked up to her mother to tell her an interesting fact from the book she was reading, she was reminded of the long-ago conversation that she had had with Charlotte's father. Charlotte had indeed inherited her mother's bright green eyes and her father's dark curls, though the curls aside she was the spitting image of her mother. She thought back to that night, the last night they had spent together and thought it a little ironic that as they sat there talking about their future children she was already carrying their daughter, and it would be the cause of her leaving England forever rather than the beginning of a happy future together. She sighed and pushed those memories away. She had decided to come to France and to never look back and she had to live with that decision.
"What have you learnt sweetie?" she asked.
"Did you know that there are two kangaroos to every human being in Australia?" she said, in her best imitation of a teacher.
"I did not know that," she replied smiling, then added, "It's time for bed though now Professor."
"Can I please finish this chapter mum, I only have," she paused counting the pages she had left to go, "three more pages,"
"Ok but bedtime after that," she replied turning to answer the phone that had begun to ring.
"Penny, mon 'mie , nous avons ici un homme , voulant parler avec le propriétaire"
It was Pierre from the front desk of the hotel. She wasn't particularly fond of the idea of leaving Charlotte, but she could always have Pierre or Dominique come and take care of her while she was gone.
"Je serai là allez-vous prendre soin de Charlotte?"
"Bien sûr chérie,"
Penny hung up the phone and turned to Charlotte, "Sweetie, I have to go downstairs and meet with a customer, but Pierre is going to come up and watch you for a bit ok?"
"Ok mum," she replied, standing up from the floor and giving her mother a hug and kiss goodnight before returning to her book.
Penny was about to leave but quickly turned back and grabbed her wand. She usually went without it these days, but she had a horrible feeling about tonight. She left their rooms and promised Charlotte that Pierre would be up in a moment.
Unknown Location: England 1989
The dark shadow was thrown against the wall against its will as the body was tossed into the room. The man that had been thrown in slowly began to realize where he was. He would have been terrified once upon a time but all he had time to think about was how he was going to get out of there alive and back to his family.
"What do you want with me?" he asked gruffly from his position on the floor.
The tall, thin figure of Lucius Malfoy turned to face him; a smug smile crossed his face as he looked down at the man kneeling before him.
"I do believe that you have valuable information regarding one Miss Penelope McIntosh, Trevor," he said, the smirk never leaving his face.
Trevor glared up at his captor and wondered why he looked so smug. There was no way in hell he was going to give this blonde peacock the whereabouts of Penny and Charlotte. He doubted this man even knew that Charlotte existed, but he was not about to make him aware of it.
"I don't know what you're talking about Malfoy," he answered through clenched teeth.
A knowing smile, that set the hairs on the back of Trevor's neck on edge, formed around the arrogant mouth of Lucius Malfoy, "I thought you might say as much," he turned and spoke to one of his henchmen, "Pick him up and follow me."
Malfoy walked out of the room head held high and Trevor knew that he was in trouble. Malfoy was always arrogant and years of dealing with him at the ministry made it no easier to tolerate. He knew though that even Lucius Malfoy would have expected this reaction and planned for it. The only question was what he had in store for him.
Trevor let the rough man grab him by the arm and drag him to his feet. They followed Lucius down a long corridor and Trevor noticed that there were no windows. Underground, wonderful, Trevor thought. He took in the fact that there were doors to his right and none on his left and came to the conclusion that they must be on the very eastern edge of the house. He briefly thought about how he might rest the wand from the man holding him but before he had time to put his plans into action they came to a stop.
"In here," Malfoy said brightly, uncharacteristically standing back and holding the door open for his prisoner to walk through first.
Trevor glared at him as he walked through but it didn't hold as his gaze was drawn to the back wall of the room where his wife and son were being held by two more burly henchmen.
"Eliza, Sammy!" he called, trying with all his might to hold back the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes at the sight of blood on his small son's face.
He tried to walk over to them, to comfort them and to tell them that everything was going to be ok before he was yanked to the side of the room.
Malfoy had lost the smirk and was pressing Trevor against the wall, his forearm pressed against Trevor's chest.
"Now, you are going to tell me what you know about the whereabouts of Penelope McIntosh or I will torture your wife and boy until you are begging for their deaths."
Trevor looked toward his wife and son. He had been expecting torture or veritaserum but never had he imagined that Lucius Malfoy, who had his own wife and son, would torture two innocent people just to find Penelope.
"Don't tell him Dad, you can't do it… Not to Penny!"
Trevor glowed with pride for a moment at the bravery of his ten-year-old son before he was terror stricken once more.
"Quiet boy!" Malfoy yelled across the room, "One last time Mr. Blyth," he growled, his face mere millimeters from Trevor's.
He had to save his Sammy and Eliza, but he couldn't give up Penelope and Charlotte, he just couldn't do that to them. He hesitated a moment too long, for before he knew it his wife was screaming in agony as Malfoy crucioed her; apparently even Lucius Malfoy lacked the stomach to torture a ten-year-old child.
"Please, please my wife knows nothing!" Trevor screamed.
The screaming continued and Trevor couldn't take it anymore. He had heard about what happened to people who were tortured for too long with the Cruciatus curse and he could never live with himself if that happened to his beautiful Eliza.
"Please stop, I'll tell you, just stop please!"
"Where is she?" Malfoy growled, taking the torture curse off Eliza.
"You will let my wife and son go?"
"Your wife and child," he paused looking over at them then turning back to Trevor, "Will be excused if I receive the necessary information."
Trevor hung his head in shame. He thought about sending them on a wild goose chase, but he knew that as soon as he did, Malfoy would hunt his family down again. He sighed, begging to every deity that existed for forgiveness, "Paris."
Novotel Paris Centre Eiffel Tower Hotel: Paris, France 1989
It was nearing midnight before Penny made her way back to her rooms. The man that had wanted to speak with her had been particularly difficult but eventually she had dealt with him.
As she made her way back up to her rooms she wondered if Pierre had let Charlotte stay up past her bedtime. She smiled; of course, he had. Everyone that worked for Penny at the hotel absolutely adored Charlotte; Pierre and Dominique in particular doted on her. They had known Charlotte since she was born and had been Penny's first real friends when she had arrived in France.
She silently crept into her rooms and found Pierre and Charlotte asleep on the couch. Gently she shook Pierre awake. He smiled groggily up at her and then without being asked picked up the sleeping Charlotte and carried her to her bedroom.
"I've told you before and I'll tell you again, that is one amazing daughter you have there," Pierre said as he stepped out of the bedroom and gently closed the door behind him.
"Oh, trust me I know," she replied smiling.
Pierre was about to leave but stopped, "You know she should have gotten her letter by now," he said.
Penny sighed and beckoned for him to follow her back into the living room. From the draw of her writing desk she pulled out the Hogwarts letter she had received and handed it over to him.
He frowned as he read it, "Did you receive one from Beauxbatons also?" he asked.
Penny shook her head, "No just Hogwarts, strange isn't it, I mean she was even born here you would think that would be the deciding factor," she said, shrugging and taking the letter back and placing it back in the draw.
"You look worried Penny."
"I am worried, people will recognise her last name there, I don't know if I should send her."
Pierre pulled Penny into a hug and held her for a moment before pulling back and holding her at arm's length, "You know you have to send her, she'll never forgive you if she doesn't go to school, she's been looking forward to it since the moment you told her it existed," he said with a smile as he remembered a three year old Charlotte trying to read Pierre's old charms text book.
Penny knew that he was right, but she could not shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong. He hugged her once more and told her everything was going to be ok and then left.
She tried to calm down, but the nagging feeling would not go away. She walked over to the window in the lounge and pulled the curtain aside. Instead of seeing Death Eaters flying toward her she saw only the beautiful city of Paris sprawled out in front of her. The river Seine flowed gently across from her and sometimes she would go down to the river and watch the boats go past at night all lit up like Christmas trees; it was soothing to her on the rare occasions that she was not with Charlotte. The city surrounding her was awe-inspiring with the Eiffel Tower standing tall and looking over the city, it's watchful guardian.
She let the curtain fall down and finally headed to bed.
Unknown Location: England 1989
The grin that spread across Malfoy's face was terrifying to say the least, "Paris," he muttered, inches away from Trevor's face, "You know I need more information than that Blyth."
Trevor paused again, for a fraction of a second too long. Malfoy raised his wand again, never taking his eyes off Trevor, "An address, Blyth!"
He spoke quickly, wanting nothing more than to see his wife and son let go. Malfoy grinned once more and Trevor hung his head in shame, hating that he wouldn't even be able to warn Penny, but quickly lifting his head back up to check that Eliza and Sammy were ok.
Malfoy backed away and gave the silent direction to his men to let the woman and child go. Trevor sighed in relief as they were led out of the room. Malfoy and his henchmen turned to follow them.
"Malfoy!" Trevor called.
Malfoy turned just before he walked out the door, "I promised that your wife and son could go free, not you," Malfoy said with a sly grin on his face, "Oh don't look like that Trevor, I promise they will go unharmed." He then walked out of the room slamming the door behind him and leaving a fuming Trevor that hoped beyond hope that for once Malfoy was good for his word.
Novotel Paris Centre Eiffel Tower Hotel: Paris, France 1989
Penny woke hours later, instantly alert, sitting up and straining her ears for any little sound, anything that sounded out of place. Her eyes had not yet adjusted to the dark, so she relied on her hearing. So far there was nothing. The sounds of cars far below her, the gentle breeze through her open window and the river Seine that flowed directly across from where she lived, all normal sounds.
Quietly she got out of bed and walked up the hall to her daughter's bedroom and slowly opened the door. She was fast asleep and hugging her pillow. Penny smiled at the sight, but it didn't stick as she thought about what might happen to her daughter if something should happen to her. She closed the door softly and went into the lounge room and the desk which held Charlotte's Hogwarts letter. In another draw lay a thin gold midi ring. It was plain with no jewels of any kind set into it. It was something that her mother had given to when she had turned seventeen and she had planned to give it to Charlotte when she turned seventeen, but she knew that tonight might be the last chance she had to pass it on. She grabbed a small gold chain from her jewellery box in her room and put the ring on it; the ring would be too big for Charlotte for a little while longer.
She quickly walked into her daughter's room and gently shook her awake.
"Darling, wake up. There's something that I need to give to you," she said pushing a lock of her hair from her daughter's eyes.
Charlotte sat up rubbing her eyes and looking at her mother with confusion, "What is it mum?"
"There's something that I'm going to give to you," she started, "It's something that my mother gave to me when I turned seventeen."
"I wanted to give it to you a little early baby, it ah," she pulled the ring out on the chain and placed it around Charlotte's neck, "won't fit your finger yet so I placed it on a chain. When you can wear it, it doesn't go on like a normal ring, it sits a little higher, like this," she said, placing the ring on the middle finger of her right hand. She took it off and smiled and tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in her stomach as Charlotte frowned at her.
"It's beautiful mum, but why are you giving it to me at 4:30 in the morning?"
She hadn't quite thought about what she was going to tell her daughter yet, but she should have known that Charlotte was very intuitive.
"Baby, I think you may need it soon. I'm going to turn it into a portkey if need be and when I tell you to leave, you're going to do it," she said.
"But mum, you're coming with me, aren't you?" she asked.
Penny smiled, for all that Charlotte was a smart little girl, she was still just that, a little girl.
"We'll see baby, for now don't worry about it and get some more sleep," she said, as Charlotte took the necklace off and placed it next to her bed.
Penny kissed her forehead and quietly left the room again. She walked down the hall and into the lounge room to once more look out the window. There was nothing there. Pushing away from the window she paced around the living room; she knew that she would get no more sleep.
North Bank of the River Seine: Paris, France 1989
They apparated onto the other side of the river Seine and looked around for the hotel. Their dark cloaks swished behind them as they walked, the few muggles that were out at this time looked at them and then turned away quickly in fear when their looks were returned.
"There," one of them said, pointing across the river.
Looking around to find that all the muggles had moved swiftly away from them, they apparated across the river. He had seen her look out the window; she knew that they were coming, he smirked, it wouldn't matter that she knew, there was no way she was going to get away from them. He had waited for her to drop the curtain before instructing his men to cross the river. It would not be hard to get in now that the fidelius charm was broken, any other charms she had placed on the building he was sure that he could get through. Walking to the front doors of the muggle hotel he muttered, "Alohomora," but that didn't work. He smiled knowingly and tried a few other spells before finally they were admitted into the building.
Room 764, Novotel Paris Centre Eiffel Tower Hotel: Paris, France 1989
She was alerted to an intruder into the hotel the moment the wards had come down. She ran from the lounge and into Charlotte's room shaking her awake again, "Charlotte, baby it's time to get up." Her voice came out in a harsh whisper as she was trying to hold back the tears. She didn't want to send her baby away, but she would do just about anything to keep Charlotte out of harm's way.
"Mum, what's wrong?" Charlotte asked, quickly sitting up and realizing that this was the moment that her mother had been talking about only an hour earlier.
Penny said nothing at first but lifted the necklace off her daughter's bedside table and tapped it with her wand whispering, "Portus." At that precise moment there was a bang as the front door to their rooms was blasted off its hinges.
Penny dropped the necklace back onto the table and flew out of the bedroom, firing a hex at the men standing in her front door. She saw Malfoy dodge it and let the man behind him take the hit. Charlotte was crying out to her, begging her to come back into the bedroom so they could leave.
"Now, now Penny is there any need for that?" Malfoy said softly.
"Get out of my hotel Malfoy," She growled with as much force as her voice would allow her. She had always hated that pompous prick.
"But I've come all this way," he said mockingly.
She kept looking sideways into Charlotte's bedroom and though she tried not to make it obvious she knew that Malfoy had noticed. There was a brief moment where neither of them said anything and only looked at one another, their wands held up.
"Now!" he shouted, firing a curse at her which she dodged as she went flying back into the room, slamming the door shut behind her and warding it as well as she could in a few seconds.
"Mum what's going o…"
She cut her daughter off, "Honey you need to go, ok? Grab the ring, it will take you somewhere safe, when you get there you know what number house to go to," she said sitting down next to her daughter on the bed. She could hear Malfoy trying to get through the door, muttering. Penny hugged Charlotte and then held her at arm's length, "Sweetie I love you so very much and don't you forget that ever, now go."
Charlotte started crying, "But mum you have to come with me, don't stay here please," she begged holding onto her mother.
At the moment the door flew open and Penny screamed at Charlotte to go.
She was frightened but she knew her mother and she knew that her mother was not coming with her. The least that she could do was to leave now and find help. With a last tearful look at the men bearing down on her mother Charlotte grabbed the ring and felt the familiar sensation of being pulled by a hook from her navel and she was gone.