I messed with the ages a little. Calliope (Hermione) will always be smarter than her age.
That's an unspoken fact in the story, so keep that in mind.
Luna watched over Calliope as she slept, well aware the unconscious witch was reliving memories that didn't belong to her. She spun the dagger in her hand between her fingers, the sunlight catching on the runes etched into the metal, and tried her hardest not to grow anxious. Her orders were quite clear, and the notes left behind by her mother left no room for interpretation. Luna was a Guardian, a disciple of Fate, and Calliope was her charge. The only people who knew of her true identity were her father and Draco. Luna would remain in the shadows until given the go-ahead, biding her time and preparing for the next step.
When Calliope whimpered, Luna rose from the windowsill and placed a finger in the center of Calliope's forehead. Soon, her friend fell back asleep, and Luna returned to her seat. She rested her head on the wall and closed her eyes, but the dagger never stopped moving.
September 25th, 1980
Rayna Gauthier danced to the high-pitched giggles that came from the bundle in her arms. Even at the age of three, her little girl was a tiny thing who preferred being carried everywhere like the Princess she was. Red eyes glinted with pure joy as Rayna spun her around.
"Those eyes of yours are going to break someone's heart one day," she teased softly.
"Mama, faster!"
"Yes, your Highness," Rayna laughed.
When the door opened behind her, Rayna, without breaking her stride, said, "Sneaking up on me has never been a good idea."
"My apologies. I thought you heard me knocking."
Rayna looked over her shoulder as Bellatrix stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. The woman was flustered and nervous, though she did manage to smile in response to the enthusiastic greeting. Contrary to what the world believed, Bellatrix was not the insane hag Dumbledore painted her to be. She was quiet, smart, and fiercely protective of her sisters. And Tom. Bellatrix was his protégé, and he cared for her deeply. Rayna did as well.
"Raven!" Calliope exclaimed.
"Hello, my little star," Bellatrix cooed.
"Mama, down!"
Rayna rolled her eyes and put Calliope on the floor. Her little legs toddled straight to Bellatrix, who picked up her with little effort. Bellatrix took her eyes away from Rayna long enough to kiss Calliope on the nose.
"Hi. You sleep okay?"
"Yes. You sleep k?"
"I did. Thank you for asking."
"Hungry?"
"No, thank you. Are you?"
"Yes. Oatmeal."
"Oatmeal it is. I need to talk to your Mama before that, okay?"
"Kay. Down, please."
Bellatrix snickered and placed Calliope on the ground. The toddler walked over to her toys and sat down. Once distracted, Rayna turned to Bellatrix expectantly.
"We captured the traitors, but they refused to give us more than a general area. After several hours of questioning, we felt it best to end their suffering."
Rayna clicked her teeth and looked off to the side. They were so close to finding out where the Order was hiding. A flash of red hair entered her mind, and she ground her teeth. She took deep breaths and calmed herself. Naturally, the process would be going faster if Rayna didn't have to split her time between fighting a War and taking care of her child. Still, with the threat coming from inside of their circle, she would die before she ever let her daughter out of her sight.
"There is something else, my Lady."
Rayna frowned and gestures for her to continue.
"I have a prophecy."
Rayna closed her eyes. "Damn. Is it time already?" she sighed.
"Wait, you already knew?"
"Pandora warned me while I was pregnant that there would come a time in which my husband's most faithful would be struck by Fate. It wasn't hard to put it all together." Rayna folded her arms. "Can I know what it said?"
"Pandora didn't tell you?"
"She would never. Bound by Fate and all that."
"Oh. It came in a dream," Bellatrix said. "But I need your word that you will not attack me once you hear it."
"Why on Earth would I do that?"
"Please?"
"Yes, fine. I swear I will not attack you."
Bellatrix glanced at Calliope, who was too busy trying to ram a circle into a triangle-shaped hole, and smiled softly before she said, "From the trees, a child is born with darkness in her veins. Ancient blood and fated souls shall find each other again. Guarded by Fate and the Dragon's kin, this child of Dark will rise from destruction. Bound to the Eldest Daughter of night, this child of Dark will douse the light."
Rayna mentally went over the words in her head, though it was clear what most of it meant. She walked closer to Bellatrix slowly, eyes narrowed on the witch, and said, "This is your prophecy, yes?"
Bellatrix nodded.
"And I imagine the words 'bound to the eldest daughter of night' means bound to the eldest Black daughter, yes?"
Bellatrix nodded again, slower.
"So, if we put it together, your prophecy says that my daughter, Calliope, is the child in question as my last name means "of the trees." Luna, the daughter of a powerful Seer, is obviously 'Guarded by Fate,' and Dragon's Kin more than likely refers to your nephew, Draco. As you are the eldest Black daughter, would I be wrong to assume this prophecy says you are bound to my child?" Rayna asked flatly.
Bellatrix grimaced and said, "I swear to you this is no game."
"I know you are telling the truth," she snorted. "My only issue is the fact that you, Bellatrix, are bound to my three-year-old daughter. You are twenty-eight years old!"
"How do you think I feel knowing I'm bound to someone twenty-five years my junior?" Bellatrix exclaimed.
"Unbelievable," she muttered.
"Would you prefer forty?" Bellatrix deadpanned.
Rayna scowled and said, "It would explain why you are the only one she speaks to besides her father and me."
A tense silence fell between them, broken by the amused giggles of the child in question. Bellatrix shifted and cleared her throat.
"May I ask you something?" she asked.
Rayna gave a sharp nod.
"Why does she have red eyes?" Bellatrix asked carefully. "I didn't think that was genetic."
"Tom's eyes are red because of his magic, so we always assumed it passed along to her."
"Oh," she muttered. "That makes sense."
Rayna rolled her eyes and walked over to Calliope. She picked her daughter off the floor and carried her to Bellatrix. Bellatrix opened her arms and gracefully accepted the squirming toddler. Once in her arms, Calliope calmed considerably and rested her head on Bellatrix's shoulder. Rayna exhaled sharply through her nose and turned toward the window.
"I need to eat. We can talk about what this all means with Tom."
"Do we have to?" Bellatrix squeaked out.
"Yes. He's my husband and her father."
"He's going to kill me."
"Then I should hope you have the foresight to vow him no harm to you as well."
October 24th, 1981
Rayna and Tom shot up from the bed simultaneously. They both got up and ran from the room, wands out. They ran into Lucius and Narcissa in the hall.
"It seems someone broke through the wards," Lucius said, his normally straight hair thrown into a careless ponytail.
"How? I thought they were blood wards," Narcissa asked.
"Would your brother-
"If given the right amount, he would," Rayna growled.
An explosion shook the manor, and the distinct pops of arriving intruders gave way to alarmed shouts from Death Eaters caught off guard. One Death Eater made his way upstairs and skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs.
"It's the Order," he said breathlessly.
"How many?" Tom asked.
"All of them!"
"Go," Rayna ordered. "Keep them from reaching the upstairs as much as you can."
"Aye."
The Death Eater ran back downstairs, casting a spell as he did, and Tom ran a hand through his hair. He paused and grabbed Rayna's arm.
"Shit. We sent our best duelers to investigate a tip not even an hour ago," he said quickly.
"Bella," Rayna whispered. "Call them back!" she added in a louder voice.
Tom put two fingers on his mark while Rayna turned to Lucius and Narcissa.
"Plan Beta," she said, her voice shaky.
"Rayna, are you sure?" Narcissa asked.
"We have no choice. She cannot die here. Please," Rayna begged.
"It will be done," Lucius said solemnly. "I will meet you in the study."
Rayna bowed her head and kissed Tom on the cheek. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you- wait, where are you going! Rayna!"
Rayna ran toward Calliope's room just as figures began to appear in the shadows. Tom's shouts for her turned into enraged screams at the Order. Rayna burst into Calliope's bedroom and hoped the others arrived sooner rather than later.
"Mama?"
"Hi, baby. Come with me, okay?"
"Raven?"
"She's okay."
Rayna held Calliope close as another explosion rocked the house. She tucked Calliope into her neck and ran out of the room.
October 31st, 1981
Tom bent down and kissed his daughter on the forehead. She watched as he walked out of the door and ran upstairs to her room. She hid under the covers and cried herself to sleep.
November 2nd, 1981
"Please don't be mad at me," Bellatrix whispered.
Calliope turned away and folded her arms.
"I'll be back, little star, I promise," Bellatrix said.
Calliope stomped off to the living room and plopped down in front of the window. She watched Bellatrix and the others apparate off the grounds. She never saw her again.
January 5th, 1982
She and Lucius arrived at the home in the dead of night. Dan and Jean Granger met them in the foyer and shook hands with Lucius before Jean kneeled before Calliope.
"Hello, Calli. You've grown so much."
"Thank you."
"You ready?"
Calliope nodded, and Jean removed a small vial from her pocket. She popped the cork and placed it against Calliope's lips. She drank it all in one swallow, and she shuddered and made a disgusted face.
"I know, I know," Jean sighed. "But it's only temporary. Once you reach the correct age, we will cast the spell. Speaking of which, Lucius?"
"Ah, yes." Lucius pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and passed it to Jean. "This is the spell. Read it once when she turns six."
"And the counter?"
"It's underneath it."
Jean nodded and passed the slip of paper back to Dan, who shoved it in his pocket. Soon, a soft purple light enveloped Calliope. Her hair shortened and became thicker, darker. Her eyes turned brown, and her skin tanned to an olive shade. Calliope shrunk slightly and gained a bit more baby fat. She fell to the floor with an oof, and Jean immediately picked her back up. She carried her to the couch, and before anyone knew what was happening, Calliope fell asleep in Jean's arms.
"That happened fast," Dan muttered.
"Well, the potion physically de-aged her," Lucius said. "Mentally and emotionally, she is still the same."
"And the documents? Birth certificate and everything?" Dan asked.
"Pimsy will bring them in the morning."
"Is she still having nightmares?" Jean asked.
Lucius nodded. "They are not as bad as they used to be, but yes."
"Where are they coming from?"
"The theory is because of Bellatrix and Calliope's connection," Lucius said.
"Azkaban is no place for an adult, let alone a child. Those demons will haunt them both for years to come," Jean muttered.
"Indeed." Lucius smiled sadly and checked the clock. "Oh, my. I apologize. Draco has been sick, and it is time to relieve my wife," he said.
"Go on. Give them kisses, please," Jean said.
"Before I go, what name have you chosen? So that Draco and Luna can know in the future."
Jean looked at Dan, and he cleared his throat before he said, "Hermione Jean Granger. Hermione was my mother's middle name."
"Good. I will pass it along."
