Bit of a time jump here. Some things will come back around later.
Please, please read this:
TW: this chapter does have attempted assault. I tried to be as vague as possible with the details, but it is obvious what happens. I marked it with *** and it does somewhat continue until the end.
"This is your worst idea yet," Hermione hissed.
Blaise shushed her and pushed her into the tattoo parlor. Draco urged Daphne and Luna inside before he closed the door behind them. They only had a few hours before the adults would get worried, and neither Hermione, Draco, or Blaise wanted their mothers to catch wind of what they were doing. Xeno and Mathias wouldn't care, but Narcissa and Anathema would have a conniption.
"This is the only place in the country that does ink for muggles and wizards," Blaise argued.
"If I wanted a mark, I would have become a Death Eater," Hermione huffed.
"Well, too bad."
"Blaise-
"Listen, tomorrow is the last day we're going to be able to be ourselves," he interrupted. "When we go back to school, we'll have to be strangers all over again. So, can we please get something that's for us?"
Hermione groaned and laid her head on Blaise's shoulder before she said, "I pick what we get."
"As long as I get to pick where we get it."
"…fine."
Hermione lifted her head and looked around the parlor. It's a pretty extravagant place for something tucked away in an alley. Daphne and Luna dragged Draco over to the piercing area, and he seemed just as curious as they were. Hermione puffed out her cheeks and walked around slowly, taking in every art on the walls. Blaise did the same on the opposite side, giving Hermione space. There were a few symbols on pictures that Hermione recognized and some that she didn't. Hermione stopped suddenly and cocked her head. She took down the sketch and studied it, tracing her fingers over the image.
"That's a newer piece of mine."
Hermione looked over her shoulder at the short man with gray hair leaning on the counter behind her.
"It's beautiful," she said.
"Thank you." His blue eyes sparkled with something familiar, and he stuck out his hand. "I'm Marv," he said.
"Mia," she replied, shaking his hand. "How much would this cost?"
"Nothing." Hermione frowned, and Marv laughed. "Let's just say I knew you would be coming in today," he said.
"How did-
"Fate's a talkative one," he said, taking the image. "I can have you finished in no time."
"It's for both my brother and me," she said.
"Still not an issue. Just need to know where I'm putting it."
"Wait, you picked already?" Blaise asked, coming over to them. "Let me see."
Marv turned the image around, and Blaise whistled, impressed.
"Oh, that's a good one, Mia. I've already picked out the spots."
"Thank you," Hermione said, not taking her eyes off of Marv.
"Where are you getting it?" Marv asked.
"She's going to get her tattoo on the left side of her neck, and I will get mine on the right side."
"That's a bit obvious, isn't it?" she asked, finally looking at her brother.
"I can put a spell on it," Marv said, shrugging. "Only the people who know about it will be able to see it. Kind of like a modified Fidelius charm."
"You can do that?" Blaise asked.
"There's a reason my shop is the only one that came up in your search today," Marv said distractedly.
"What do you mean?"
Marv didn't answer. He sketched out a second tattoo and rubbed his hands together.
"Alright, I need to know who's going first, who all is getting a tattoo, and what spells I need to add to it."
"You don't already know that?" Hermione deadpanned.
Marv winked and said, "Just for you."
"What are you two talking about?" Blaise asked.
"I'll tell you later," Hermione said quickly. To Marv, she added, "I think we're the only ones-
"Daphne and I are getting one, and Draco's getting his ears pierced," Luna said, coming around from the back.
Marv inclined his head to Luna, who did the same, and Hermione narrowed her eyes at the two of them. Luna saw the look and smiled gently, a silent reassurance that everything was okay.
"You're getting a tattoo?" Blaise asked Daphne.
"I am. Is that okay with you?"
Blaise's eyes widened, and he said, "Of course! I didn't mean to imply-
"I'm kidding!" Daphne interrupted, laughing. "I just wanted to see your reaction."
"That's not funny. What are you getting?"
"Your initials."
"Wait, really?" Daphne nodded, and Blaise shifted back and forth. "Um, where are you getting it?"
Daphne just pointed to the spot between her breasts, and Blaise short circuited completely. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at Marv.
"I'm going first," she said.
Hermione laid back on the chair and turned her head to the side. Marv mixed the ink together, muttering under his breath, and the ink turned blue before it settled into purple. Marv seemed satisfied with it and rolled his chair across the room. He snatched a few pieces of cloth off a shelf and rolled back over to Hermione. He placed one across her chest, the other over her shoulders, and the last one he kept for himself.
"This is usually the part where I ask if you're sure," Marv said.
"My brother can be persuasive when he wants to be," she replied.
"I do not doubt that." Marv glanced at her knowingly. "You can ask," he said.
"Who are you?"
"I told you. My name is Marv, but some call me veggente, and a select few call me the fortune maker."
"You see the future?"
"I have dreams. Well, premonitions, I guess. It is a bit more complicated than knowing what will happen. Things change, people make decisions that go against what I saw, and it becomes a completely different experience. Time continues to move even when you stop, and I have learned over the years the best thing I can do for my sanity is to prepare for everything. For example, I knew you would come in today, but I had no idea if you would pick this specific image."
"Oh."
"As I said, it's complicated. Move your hair to the side for me."
Hermione threw her hair into a higher ponytail than what it was in, and she asked, "Why just me?"
"You have a purpose attached to you that I've never seen before." Marv pressed against her neck a few times and cocked his head. "I was overwhelmed last night and this morning when I had the dreams. Seeing you in my mind gave me quite the headache. It's like you're two different people."
Hermione didn't bother telling him how close he was to the truth. Marv sketched the design from the paper onto her neck with a marker, movements quick and precise, and Hermione began to relax. When Marv finished, he picked up a thick needle and dipped it into the ink.
"You know this will hurt," he said.
"I have felt worse," she muttered.
"Consequence of being a Child of Fate." Marv pierced her skin, and Hermione released a sharp exhale. "I told you it would hurt," he teased.
"You could have counted down from three," she gritted out.
"What would be the fun in that?"
"How do you know Luna?"
"Luna?"
"The tiny blonde one you nodded to."
"I don't, but we acknowledged one another out of respect. Your friend sees me as I see her."
"That doesn't sound confusing- ow, fuck!"
Hermione arched off the chair without realizing it, but Marv wasn't fazed. He pushed her back down and kept going.
"You have more questions," he said.
"When you see me in your mind, what do you see?" she asked, ignoring the pain.
"I see two people, but not in the sense you're probably thinking, Miss Zabini. Or is it Miss Granger?" Hermione glared at him, and Marv smirked in amusement. "It was just a question. I would hate to call you the wrong thing," he said.
"It's Zabini," she huffed.
"My apologies. Regardless, when I see you in my head, I see a lot of light, and I see darkness. One part of you is so bright it nearly drowns out your features, but the other is almost shrouded in shadows."
"Lovely," Hermione drawled.
Marv chuckled and added more ink to the end of the needle. Hermione's skin was on fire, and she made a mental note to scream at Blaise later for getting her into it. But if it turned out nice, maybe Narcissa would think it's hot.
"You're in love with someone."
"Not a conversation I want to have."
"I didn't say you did. Hold your breath."
Hermione took a quick inhale, and Marv dug in deeper near the base of her throat. Hermione tensed as Marv repeated the action twice, and finally, he tapped her shoulder.
"Release," he said.
Hermione exhaled with a groan and ignored the tear streaking down her cheek. Marv smiled at her and squeezed her arm.
"I'm almost done, and then it'll be your brother's turn to cry."
"Good because if he doesn't cry back here, I'll make him cry later," she grumbled.
Marv laughed and tilted Hermione's head up to the ceiling.
"Your darkness will not be an obstacle but an ally," he murmured. "You will find that the shadows bend to the will of those strong enough to control them. Trust yourself, and trust those around you."
"I don't want to be like Him," she whispered.
"You won't," Marv whispered back. "He operates on hatred, on terror, and it will consume him eventually. Your heart is too pure for that. I can see it in your eyes that you love with your entire being, and that will be the difference between you and Him."
Hermione was crying for an entirely different reason, and they spent the rest of their time together in silence. Marv would break it now and then, telling her to hold her breath or unclench her jaw, and that would be it. Hermione blinked when Marv moved back and dropped the needle in the trash. He removed his wand from his ankle holster and pointed it at her. Hermione didn't even flinch, trusting the strange wizard, and he performed an intricate movement that left Hermione wondering if she ever had a tattoo in the first place. There was no pain, no warmth, and no blood. She turned and looked into the mirror.
"What do you think?"
Hermione could see the tattoo, but when she turned her head a certain way, it vanished. She grinned excitedly and said, "You have to show me that!"
"I told you. It's just the Fidelius charm."
"No, it's more than that. You added something to it."
"Says who?"
"I'm the Brightest Witch of my Age, remember?"
"Humble too," he teased. "And fine, I'll write it down and give it to you before you leave."
"Thank you. For everything."
"Anytime. Now, send your brother back so I can torture him a little."
"I think you and I are going to get along just fine in the future."
"Who says I'll see you again?"
Hermione stood up and said, "There are no one-time meetings in my life."
Marv's eyes twinkled again, and he said, "Then I look forward to that day."
Narcissa narrowed her eyes at the teens as they came up the path. They were preparing for the end-of-year dinner Anathema was putting together, one where the entire family would be in attendance, including Ted and Dora. Still, Narcissa knew something was different with them. When Hermione turned her head to laugh at something Luna said, she saw it. It was quick, but she saw it. Narcissa slowly put down her knife on the counter and excused herself from the kitchen. Narcissa kept her pace steady as she met the teens at the bottom of the stairs, and she grabbed hold of Hermione's chin without warning. Hermione's bottom lip disappeared between her teeth as Narcissa turned her head to the side. She saw the tattoo in its entirety, and she gasped.
"Oh my," she breathed out.
"Do- do you hate it?" Hermione asked.
"No. That would be hypocritical of me," Narcissa said without thinking.
"You have tattoos?"
"What?"
"You said it would be hypocritical of you to hate my tattoo, implying that you have some of your own."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Are they under a glamour or something?"
Narcissa dodged the question and turned her attention to Draco, who seemed amused and scared all at once. A glint from the sun caught the diamond in his ear, and she let out a strangled gasp.
"You pierced your ears," she exclaimed.
"I wanted something different," he said sheepishly.
"Different? That is far from different!"
"You have seven tattoos," he said.
"Draco!"
"Seven?" Hermione repeated. She looked Narcissa up and down. "But where are they?" she muttered.
"Unless you have x-ray vision, you will not be able to see them," Narcissa said, smacking Hermione on the arm.
"So, you do have them?"
"Oh for the love of- yes," Narcissa said, exasperated.
"Can I see them?"
"No."
Daphne and Blaise snickered when Hermione pouted, and Narcissa turned her attention onto them. The laughter stopped immediately, and it was far too easy for Narcissa to see that they all got tattoos except her son. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed heavily.
"If you agree not to mention mine, I will not mention yours. Agreed?"
"Agreed," they all said.
Well, everyone except Hermione. Narcissa stared at her, eyebrow cocked, and Hermione opened her mind just enough for Narcissa to realize why she wasn't agreeing. Narcissa choked on air and turned on her heels, hurrying back into the kitchen.
That girl was going to kill her.
Draco glanced at Hermione warily and asked, "What did you say to her?"
"I told her what I thought about her having tattoos in vivid detail."
"Hermione!"
"What? You asked."
"I need a nap," he grumbled.
"Me too," Daphne joked. She glanced at Blaise. "You coming? I can show you the tattoo in person."
"Ew!" Hermione exclaimed. "I don't want to hear that."
"Neither did Draco," Daphne deadpanned.
"That- you are supposed to be on my side," Hermione argued.
"No, I'm on Blaise's side, and Draco is Blaise's best friend."
"That logic makes no sense."
"It's okay, Mia. I'm on your side," Luna teased.
"See? You have Luna," Daphne said.
"You should know the love I feel for all of you dwindles each day," Hermione said flatly.
"There's always Pansy," Blaise pointed out.
"Fuck you. The day I talk to Pansy willingly is the day I've reached a new low of desperation."
"So. First day back?" Draco quipped.
"Go dunk your head in a vat of acid."
"Sure thing." Draco's slow smile was more mischievous than amused, and he added, "Mom."
Hermione twitched, and Draco ran off into the house with Hermione on his heels.
"Children," Blaise sighed. "I'm surrounded by children."
Daphne rolled her eyes and dragged Blaise into the house. Luna stayed outside and looked up at the sky. By the time they got back to Hogwarts, some secrets would be harder to keep, and lines would be drawn. Speaking of which, Luna shook off the melancholy and went inside of the house.
There was a letter she needed to send.
Neville was exhausted and in pain. He felt like a prisoner in his own house, and it didn't help his grandmother kept screaming at him about the progress he was making. Neville didn't have the heart to tell his grandmother that he didn't want to be an Auror. That meant she expected him to have faster reflexes when she threw random spells at him throughout the day. It was pure luck that Neville dodged the last hex, and he collapsed in his greenhouse, knowing she would never come inside. Neville scrunched his face when an owl swooped in and dropped a letter on his nose. The owl was gone before he ever got a good look at it, and when he grabbed the letter, Neville didn't recognize the writing on the front. Common sense would be to see if it's a trap or a curse, but he would rather deal with that than anything his grandmother had planned for him.
Neville opened the letter and got halfway through before he realized it was from Luna. He snorted and started over, paying more attention to her words.
Hello Neville,
I should let you know that you will not be able to send a response, and it would be best if you burned this letter after reading it. But it is time for you to accept who and what you are when school starts again. I cannot tell you more than that, but I must be honest with you.
The night your parents were tortured did not happen the way you were told. I cannot tell you over a letter, but I can provide evidence that might change how you see certain things. Certain people. This is hard for me, as I am usually the one who can get away with fudging the truth, but you are one of my friends, and it hurts that I have had to keep you in the dark somewhat. Those dreams you have been having, that crush, and those thoughts are not awful thoughts to have. Please trust me on that.
When you return to the train, find me first. I will explain everything the best I can.
I love you, Neville.
Moon Bird
Narcissa's fingers couldn't get a grip on the necklace, and she pouted before calling for help. Bellatrix, who was thankfully able to get away for the dinner and the New Year's celebration, ducked into the bathroom and slipped the chain around her neck. She fastened it and dropped a kiss on top of her head.
"You look nicer than normal," she said. "Trying to impress someone?"
"No," Narcissa said. "Today is the first day I have been able to do things by myself. I got to cook, walk, and use magic without pain. It is a celebration for me."
"I'm only teasing."
"And if Hermione just so happens to get tongue-tied, then that is an unexpected benefit."
Bellatrix laughed and stepped away from Narcissa, who took that opportunity to stand and brush down her dress. She didn't make a habit of not wearing robes, but there were moments she wanted to show off. Especially since the physical changes after Lucius' death have given her a bit more confidence.
"You look different," Bellatrix pointed out. "Younger."
"I feel it," Narcissa said proudly.
A knock on the door halted the conversation, and their niece poked her head in.
"Mum says to stop gossiping and come down to eat."
"Tonks, you should know by now not to pass along your mother's messages," Narcissa scolded playfully.
"She gives me money."
"Ah."
Tonks winked at them and ducked off back downstairs, but she left the door open, and the sisters shared an eye roll.
"Come along, dear. We have been summoned," Narcissa drawled.
"Once a Black, always a Black," Bellatrix quipped.
Hermione stole a piece of fruit while her mother was distracted. She decided to redo her hair, doing twists instead of braids, and she somehow managed to find enough blue silk to weave in with the twists. The navy blue dress Hermione wore cut deep in the front and ended mid-thigh. She smiled when she remembered her father's reaction when she and Blaise walked down together.
"Where is the rest of it?" he asked.
"The rest of what?" she asked, confused.
"Your dress. Is that even a dress?"
"This is not the worst thing she's worn," Blaise muttered.
Hermione elbowed her brother in a warning. Daniel looked between the two of them and pursed his lips.
"You know what? I don't want to know."
Anathema swept into the room with a similar dress on in gold, and Hermione laughed at the exasperation on her father's face.
"You are going to send me to an early grave," he said to her.
"That is the plan, dear," Anathema replied without stopping.
Hermione kissed her father on the cheek and followed her mother. Anathema winked at her and brushed one of her twists away from her face.
"You look beautiful, Mia."
"Thank you, Mamma."
Hermione was broken from her thoughts when the door opened again, and the grape she'd just stolen fell from her lips to the table and rolled to the floor. Narcissa swept her eyes over the table out of habit. When she saw Hermione, she stopped so suddenly Bellatrix ran into her. Bellatrix snapped her fingers in front of Narcissa's face, breaking the staring contest, and dragged her sister to the opposite end of the table. Blaise reached over and tapped Hermione on the cheek, and she shut up her mouth with an audible click.
Seven tattoos.
Seven huge tattoos.
Seven huge, on-display tattoos that no one else seemed surprised by, and Hermione grudgingly realized they'd been played. Narcissa glanced up, amused, and Hermione scowled at her.
"Guess there goes our secret," Blaise muttered.
"Secret?" Anathema repeated. "Darling, I can see the tattoo when you turn your head."
"Tattoo?" Elena asked. "Who has a tattoo?"
"All of them, I believe," Anathema said.
"Not me," Draco said quickly.
"Oh, thanks for that," Hermione huffed.
"What? I'm not going down with you."
"And I thought these were supposed to be invisible," Blaise said to Hermione.
"He never said invisible. The spell is to hide them from those who we want to hide them. I don't think we truly care if our family sees them," she replied.
"Daphne, you have a tattoo?" Mathias asked.
"Um. Yes."
"What is it?" Daphne turned red and looked at Blaise, who drained his drink in one go. Mathias glanced at them and then held up his hands. "On second thought, never mind. Just maintain some form of privacy about it," he sighed.
"Yes, father," Daphne murmured.
"Can I have one?" Astoria asked.
Mathias pinched the bridge of his nose while Elena drank her wine with a grimace. Hermione had a feeling Astoria was going to give the Greengrass parents many sleepless nights.
"Narcissa, I am surprised to see that you are wearing them so proudly," Anathema mused. "Normally, you have to be full of wine to let the glamour fall."
"I have never been ashamed of them," Narcissa said carefully. "It was a matter of discretion that I do not feel anymore."
"Discretion is one word for it," Draco fake-whispered.
Narcissa visibly kicked her son under the table, and Hermione grinned a little. She couldn't really tell what they were, and she wondered if there would be a chance she could see them all without-
"Mia!" Blaise shouted.
Hermione shot her brother an apologetic look and cut off their connection.
"I am so sorry," she said, trying not to laugh.
Blaise narrowed his eyes, and Hermione was assaulted with images of him and Daphne. She squeaked and punched him in the shoulder.
"Children," Daniel and Anathema said in unison.
"Sorry," Blaise and Hermione sighed.
Just as they apologized, the doors to the kitchen opened, and Roman entered the room with their food on a large tray. He passed out plates one by one, but when he got to Hermione, he froze. It was apparent to everyone when his eyes fell to her chest, and Hermione felt exposed in so many ways. Roman coughed and ducked his head, putting her plate down and moving on without another word. Hermione felt his eyes on her until he disappeared into the kitchen, and she shivered at the jealousy creeping into her veins. Frowning, Hermione glanced at Narcissa, who glared at the kitchen doors with Andromeda whispering in her ear. The jealousy turned into anger, then envy, and finally, arousal. Hermione's knee hit the table when that last emotion hit, and the entire table turned to her in confusion.
"Muscle spasm," she lied.
No one believed her, but no one had enough evidence to call her out on it, so they went back to their own conversations. Narcissa, on the other hand, stared Hermione down. Hermione sunk in her seat until she was hidden behind Blaise.
"What are you doing?" he whispered.
"Hiding," she whispered back.
"From?"
"The woman who will kill me one day," Hermione said solemnly.
Blaise stared at her before he started a conversation with Daphne. Hermione peeked around Blaise's shoulder and blushed when she found Narcissa still looking in her direction, eyebrow arched in an unspoken challenge. Hermione shook her head once, and Narcissa turned away. Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and ate with everyone else. Roman entered the room again. He stayed on the opposite side of the table behind Mathias. And if anyone noticed that his position gave him the chance to look at Hermione all night, no one said anything.
But they all felt the tension rolling from Narcissa.
At eleven fifty-three, Hermione found herself in the kitchen with Roman. She was only there for another glass of champagne. When Hermione turned to the side to avoid looking Roman in the eyes, Roman dropped a small pill into her drink. It bubbled for a moment, and then it settled by the time Hermione accepted the glass. She was about to walk away when Roman cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry. But would you mind tasting it for me? It's a special blend my mother makes, and I'm trying to get an idea of how other people like it."
"Oh. Sure, I guess."
Hermione took a sip, and Roman grinned in delight when her pupils dilated. She then drained the glass until it was empty, and Roman held up the bottle.
"Yes, please," she said happily.
Roman poured her another glass, and Hermione drank that one in one go. Roman poured her another, and that time, he placed the bottle to the side.
"So. It's almost midnight," Roman said.
Hermione winked and bit her lip. Some deeper part of her couldn't figure out why she was in the kitchen with him, but then he touched her cheek with his index finger, and she forgot all about it.
"Got any plans for the special kiss?" he asked.
Hermione giggled and pushed Roman away, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his chest. When he nuzzled her cheek, Hermione froze. It felt like ice water was poured over her mind, and the fog in her brain lifted just enough to send a warning flare to her brother. But the clarity faded, and Hermione melted into Roman's arms. Roman moved his lips across her jaw, her nose, and Hermione followed them eagerly. Right before his lips found hers, a whimper left the back of her throat, and then Roman was gone.
"Get away from her!"
Hermione watched Blaise punch Roman in the face, breaking his nose, and she lunged forward to stop him. Someone else wrapped their arms around her, and she squirmed.
"Don't hurt him!" she cried.
"Mia, stop," Draco exclaimed.
"Let me go! Don't hurt him!"
"Fuck," Draco grunted, trying to keep a hold on her. "Andy, help!"
The shouting brought the rest of the family into the kitchen, including Dorima, and Daniel grabbed Blaise. Narcissa and Andromeda went to Hermione. Daniel pulled Blaise off of Roman, and Dorima ran to her son. Hermione didn't feel Draco switch places with Narcissa, and she didn't recognize the witch's touch. All she could see was Roman.
"Please, let me go," Hermione cried. "I have to see if he's alright!"
The arms around her waist faltered for a moment. Andromeda grabbed Hermione's face and looked into her eyes. Hermione pleaded silently with the witch to let her go. Andromeda shared a look with Narcissa over Hermione's shoulder. The hands her waist got tighter, and Andromeda smiled gently at Hermione.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
The last thing Hermione saw was a wand aimed at her temple, and everything went black.
Blaise dropped his food on the ground and ran toward the villa. Draco didn't hesitate to run after him. The two of them ran into the kitchen to find Hermione pinned against the counter about to kiss Roman, and Blaise reacted. He punched Roman repeatedly until his father dragged him away. He couldn't hear anything but the wind in his ears, and he fought his father's grip.
"Blaise, stop. You have to calm down," Daniel huffed.
"No, I'll fucking kill him!" Blaise seethed.
Daphne appeared in his vision, and the wind died down. She took one of his hands and placed it over her heart, and the other went to her face.
"Focus on me," she said. "Just me."
Blaise matched his breathing to hers, and eventually, all he could hear was the silence. He spun around, looking for Hermione, and he found her on the ground with Andromeda leaning over her. Daniel finally let him go, and Blaise ran to his sister.
"She's okay," Andromeda said, exhausted. "When she wakes up, she'll have a bit of a headache, but other than that, she is fine."
"What happened?"
Andromeda winced and said, "I don't know. When I looked into her mind, everything was distorted. It was like her brain was melting. I had to knock her out just in case."
"Wait, please!" Dorima shouted.
Andromeda and Blaise turned around to find Narcissa with her hand around Roman's throat. Anathema kept Dorima from interfering, and Bellatrix hovered in the background with her wand hidden behind her back.
"What. Did. You. Do." Narcissa hissed.
"I didn't do anything!"
Roman's words turned into choking, and Narcissa used her free hand to pin his head against the wall.
"Either you tell me the truth, or I rip it from your skull." Roman remained quiet, and Narcissa shrugged carelessly. "As you wish then," she said.
Dorima cried in the corner, holding her hands to her chest, but Anathema refused to move. Roman's eyes suddenly glazed over, and the room waited in tense silence until Narcissa blinked. She let go of Roman's throat and head. Narcissa turned and whispered something too low for anyone but Anathema to hear. The woman's eyes went to Roman, and Daniel knew something was wrong when her eyes darkened to the point they were almost black. Anathema passed the message along to Bellatrix, who cocked her head and cackled. Daniel shivered and stepped away from his best friend.
That was never a good sign.
"You all can leave," Narcissa said.
The family hesitated, and Draco stared at his mom as if seeing her in a new light. Narcissa ground her teeth and clenched her fists.
"I said, you all can leave," she repeated.
Anathema gestured at Dorima, then the door, and the woman dropped to her knees. She sobbed for Narcissa not to kill her son, but Daniel saw the look in Narcissa's eyes. He walked to Dorima and apologized before he took her from the room. Draco carried Hermione with Blaise, Daphne, Luna, and Andromeda on his heels. Mathias led Astoria and Elena out of the kitchen. Tonks winced as she stared at her aunts. But she decided against whatever she wanted to say and left the room with Ted and Xeno. Severus and Bellatrix were the last ones in the room with Anathema and Narcissa. Roman glanced at all of them, confused, angry, and scared.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Nothing to concern yourself with," Bellatrix quipped.
Roman tried to make a run for it. Bellatrix whipped out her wand, and a white light hit Roman in the back. His arms locked to his sides, and he fell face the ground. Severus looked around the room at the women and bowed, closing the door on his way out. Bellatrix kicked Roman onto his back and stared down at him. Anathema came up to her side while Narcissa collected herself in the corner.
Or she tried to, at least.
Roman's eyes flickered from one woman to the next, and Anathema clasped her hands in front of her stomach.
"I consider myself an even-tempered woman. All I ask is for no harm to come to my family. Especially, my children," she said. "Even more so, my daughter."
Bellatrix moved her wand again, and Roman's body rose off the floor and slammed against the wall. A wet spot grew in his pants, and Bellatrix rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, boy, we haven't even gotten started on you yet," Bellatrix drawled.
Narcissa finally walked across the room and stopped in front of Roman.
"I saw what you intended to do to her," she whispered.
Narcissa ripped open his shirt and stepped back to her sister's side.
"Though this will not matter to you tomorrow, I should inform you I am a mother, and it pains me to put another mother through this. However, you hurt someone that I care about deeply in the worst way imaginable."
Bellatrix pointed her wand at Roman's chest, and Anathema did the same. Narcissa, however, aimed her wand at Roman's head.
"While you will forget our faces, you will never forget this."