Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or it's characters. This is merely a work of fanfiction.
A/N: This chapter marks 100K+ words of this story! How crazy and exciting! Thank you so much for all of your support, I genuinely would not have extended this beyond a one shot without your encouragement. I also want to thank my Beta Reader Amelia_Stilinski from AO3. Your help is very precious to me.
Holly hugged Lady Malfoy goodbye, and accepted a hug and kiss on the forehead from Lord Malfoy. Part of her wished they could leave the platform, and return home to Malfoy Manor. They could split their days between Malfoy Manor and Potter Manor, have fun, and never have to worry about a thing.
But that was unrealistic. They had to go back to Hogwarts, there were rituals to be done, and spells to learn. Lord Malfoy noticed her reluctant smile, so timid and unsure. He thought she had outgrown that. It would never do.
He leaned down so he could look her in the eyes. Holly looked at him with wide eyes. It was quite a gesture for a man as tall and dignified as Lord Malfoy to bend down to her diminutive height. Her lip wobbled, and she threw herself into his arms. She would miss him so much while she was at school.
He caught her easily and picked her up. He twirled her a bit, and those assembled marvelled at the effect the petite witch seemed to have on the famously condescending Lord Malfoy.
"You're going to have a marvelous year darling," he told her, "you'll finally take your rightful place, there's no more terrible Headmaster, and if Draco is daft you can make him buy you all kinds of baubles on your Hogsmeade trips. We'll be there for your Quidditch games, and you have your mirror if you need us. There's nothing to worry about."
Holly nodded her head as he placed her back on her feet. She knew she would be okay. She took Draco's hand and allowed him to lead her onto the train and into a compartment with their friends.
"Can't you control your snakes?" Blaise complained. Godric and Sally had curled up together in the seat by the window, soaking up whatever sun they could get. Neville and Holly had been given permission to bring them since they were magical familiars, so they no longer had to hide.
"I could, but why would I want to? They're adorable."
Neville nodded absently as he read a herbology book he had picked up in Italy. Hermione had helpfully placed a translator charm on it so he could actually understand it.
"Where's the ginger menace?" Theo asked Ginny.
She shook her head, "Ronald is not returning to Hogwarts this term."
At that the heads of everyone in the compartment snapped to her.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked. A term without him would be most welcome, especially when Holly had to do her Heiress ritual. He knew his soulmate was nervous about the ritual, and would likely be on edge until it was complete.
"Lord Weasley told me about it when we had tea. Apparently Lady Weasley covered for Ronald a lot. Lord Weasley decided to keep him home and have him work with mind healers to sort out his anger and violence issues."
Draco breathed a sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about.
"What happened to Lady Weasley?" Pansy asked, she couldn't help herself. She had seen the headlines about the divorce in the paper this morning. It was breaking news that Lord Weasley was divorcing his scandalous wife.
"I don't know. Lord Weasley said she left the Burrow the day he told her to, and hasn't been seen since she signed the divorce papers. What if…"
"What?" Neville asked when she stopped, setting down his book.
"What if she's gone to find Dumbledore, and help him? She clearly has some delusional loyalty to the man."
Theo and Holly traded a look. She knew he would be passing this information onto his father. He and Lord Malfoy kept a wary eye out for anyone that could pose threats to her or their families. Theo was easily the most strategic mind of their friend group, and was always keeping an eye out for trouble.
"You're safe, Ginny. You're always safe now," Neville told her as he touched her Heiress Longbottom ring. Holly smiled at them, she was sure her sister would always be safe with Neville.
Lord Weasley strode into the Ministry. He saw the way people's eyes lingered on him. Clearly people had seen the Prophet this morning. He noticed more than one person viewing him with pity.
He shrugged it off.
It was unfortunate, but he wouldn't let himself dwell on it. He didn't have time to fall into despair, he had a family to rebuild. He took a deep breath, and pushed the down button on the lift.
He had sent in his resignation to the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts last week. He felt like he was waking up from a long fog.
Was it depression? Was it potions? Whatever it was, it was ending now.
He felt the lift slow to a stop, and the golden doors slid open. The Wizengamot chambers. He hadn't been here since his father held the family seat, not even during the trials after the War. He winced now as he thought about it. It seemed impossible at the time with babies at home, but he should have been here.
He could feel that now. He could feel now.
He passed offices on his left and right that had family names inscribed on the heavy black doors. These offices were held and passed down within pureblood families. He approached a door at the end of the hall, and stared at the name emblazoned in gold against the dark black wood of the frame.
"Weasley"
He took another deep breath and raised his wand to tap on the door three times. Tap tap tap. The lock turned and the door swung open of its own accord.
Sitting there on the desk was his father Septimus' favorite quill, and his gold pocket watch, as if he had just stepped out to get some tea. It filled Arthur with a sorrow that took up residence in his chest and flooded his being.
His father had died at the beginning of The War, and he had never truly had time to grieve. Things had been non-stop since then between marriage, babies, and work.
Lord Malfoy stopped at the door and peered into the office. He had never seen Lord Weasley in his office, not since his father died. It was like his ambition, whatever little he ever possessed, died with Septimus.
"Lord Weasley," he greeted. The red headed man stirred as if being pulled out of a deep sleep.
"Lord Malfoy," he greeted, holding onto his father's watch. He straightened his posture, and drew himself to his full height once again. He was tired of hiding.
"Have you come to take your hereditary seat in the Wizengamot?"
Lord Weasley nodded, raising his eyes to look at Lord Malfoy.
"It's about time. I'm sure you've heard the news about the divorce. Ginny will be okay with you and the Longbottom's, thank Merlin, but I've got to do better for the boys. Ron's not even going back to Hogwarts this year. His issues will take some time to resolve."
Lord Malfoy nodded. He was glad that the man was taking the steps necessary to correct the young boy, even if he personally found him hopeless. Perhaps they could find a way to salvage something of him, he was still young.
"The Minister has issued a mandate saying all Wizengamot members must be tested for potions and hexes. I recommend you get to the healers upstairs, so you can get to work."
"I'll do that," Arthur promised. Lord Malfoy gave him a curt nod and left his office.
"Ravenclaw!" the sorting hat called out.
Little Astoria Greengrass got off the stool, smiled at her sister sadly, and went to sit amongst her fellow Ravenclaw's. Luna and Hermione shot her smiles, they had spent some time with her in Italy, and knew she would make a good addition to their house.
Ginny watched her friend go somewhat wistfully. She and Primrose had been hoping that Astoria might be in Slytherin, but no such luck. The Headmistress took to the podium once the sorting was done, welcoming them to Hogwarts once again.
"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. We have some new staff to welcome, and some announcements to go over. Taking the position of our new Magical Culture & Etiquette class will be Lord Black. He will also be the new head of Slytherin House."
Applause sounded from around the Great Hall. All of the students that summered with Holly and Draco were clapping wildly while Lord Black glared at them, despite the small smile gracing his face. They had all gotten used to his grumpy ways. Luna beamed beatifically up at her father. She couldn't be happier that he had come to live at the castle.
"Yes, yes, thank you. Now, we have a few other additions. Professor Lupin will be taking the position of Head of Gryffindor house, and will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Holly and Draco cheered. Holly repressed a smirk. It wouldn't be long before the entire wizarding world knew he was the next Alpha of the famed Greyback pack.
It had been decided over the summer that it was best not to hide it, but to educate the students about the difference between werewolves and pureblood shifters, and help them understand why both were not dangerous, if managed properly.
"Professor Tonks will be taking over the position of Potions Master, and Professor Rubeus Hagrid will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures."
Holly looked at Draco imperiously. How had Hagrid been approved as a teacher? Draco shrugged, his father had left that bit of information out.
"Your attention please," McGonagall called and silence descended upon the hall once again. "As you know the curriculum has changed, and there are different electives and opportunities than there used to be. Please approach your head of house if this conflicts with your career plans, or you are interested in something that we do not offer. We are here to serve you, and for too long that has gone overlooked."
"Merlin she's fast," Lord Black noted as he watched the Slytherin Quidditch team practice from the stands. Remus sat beside him, watching Holly fly with excited eyes. She barely outstripped Draco's quick pace, but she managed to stay just ahead of him.
"It's a shame she's decided not to be first string this year," Lord Black moaned. That was news to Remus.
"What do you mean?"
Lord Black looked at his friend in amusement. Remus always did miss the point in pureblood niceties, though he was beginning to catch on.
"Marcus offered the position to her, but she turned it down. She'll still practice with them though, in case Draco can't play in one of the games. Apparently she told him she has too much on her plate."
Remus laughed at his friend's tone, "And you think that's not the real reason? She does have a lot on her shoulders already."
"I think she has realized that the survival of the Slytherin bloodline depends on her. Several pureblood families ban their young Heiresses from playing Quidditch for the same reason. There is another Potter now, but she is still the sole Heiress of Slytherin. If something happens to her before she has children, the bloodline is over."
Remus stared at the players as they zoomed around the stadium. It was so much for one young woman to bear, and yet she did so with so much grace.
"Any progress on your little investigation?" Lord Black asked. Remus sighed heavily and carded his hand through his hair.
"Nothing definitive, the man swept the castle thoroughly before he left. I've resorted to looking through newspapers from The War years, to try to see if I can find a common link. I feel like I'm just on the edge of something, like it's just out of my reach, but I can't put my finger on it."
"Keep trying," Lord Black encouraged, "you'll find it."
"Lady Potter, Heir Malfoy please stay after class."
The class of mixed Slytherin's and Gryffindor's oohed and awed in mock shock, but a glare from Lord Black had them all returning to their work. No one was really afraid of him as they had been of Snape, but they still didn't want to receive detention.
The class packed up their quills and parchment into their bags, and emptied the room when the period was over. Greg and Vince waited in the hallway for Holly. Holly and Draco went to stand in front of Lord Black's desk, and he waved his wand to shut and silence the door.
"Do you know why I took this position?"
"Because you're passionate about the education of magical youth?" Draco quipped.
One of Lord Black's eyebrows rose and Holly couldn't help but laugh. She believed he cared about their education, and about Luna's, but that was probably as far as that went. She tried to pull herself back together, as Lord Black looked at her expectantly.
"Because Luna and I are doing our rituals this year?"
"That's right, Holly. I see it's you that's the smart one in this relationship. Nice to see you breaking gender norms. Have you picked your guard for the ritual?"
"To a certain extent," she dallied. She hadn't set it in concrete, and she hadn't asked them yet.
"Well, decide quickly. This sets a precedent for who will be in your inner circle."
"What about Ginny?" she asked weakly. She wanted her sister there.
"Ginny is your sister, it is expected she will be there to support you, along with Draco."
Holly nodded her head. She understood.
"I am here if either of you need anything. Now run along."
Holly sat in the Slytherin common room, stroking Sally as she thought by the fireplace. She needed to solidify who was going to be her guard during the ritual.
Tom had used his Knights, including Lord Nott, but he had bound them to him using the Dark Mark. She had no such plans. The idea sent a wave of nausea through her. She had been offered vows of loyalty by some, but that was not nearly as binding as the Dark Mark.
She had read about it in Lord Nott's journal, and the very idea was repugnant to her. So, who could she and Draco trust?
Greg and Vince, obviously. They went everywhere with her anyways, and she knew that would only increase after she claimed her title. She had retained some freedom this summer that would not be extended to her again. She would be carefully guarded from this point forward.
Theo was next, his family had a history with the Slytherin family, and he was a childhood friend of Draco's. Though Blaise would make a good choice, she knew he would prefer to stay in the background. Marcus was next, he was older and loyal.
Holly looked up and over the room. Primrose and Ginny were looking at catalogues in a corner. Pansy and Daphne were working on an essay, while Marcus and Draco were drafting complicated Quidditch plans on a chalkboard they had wheeled in from somewhere.
She was glad she had decided not to take the seeker position this year. It was a bit too much for her, and the threat of danger was ever present in her mind. She couldn't risk getting hurt and ending the Slytherin bloodline.
Draco looked at his father in Holly's mirror. He had borrowed it tonight to call home. The first Slytherin game was tomorrow, and he wanted to speak to his parents about something that had been bothering him.
"Draco, I'm not sure what the problem is. You get to play in the games, Holly still gets to play in practices, and everyone is happy."
Draco shook his head, and Cissa took the mirror out of Lucius' hands unceremoniously.
"Dearest, what is it about this that's bothering you?"
"She could have it all, mother. She's really good. She can be seeker, Lady Slytherin, and everything. Will she resent me for this?"
Lady Malfoy chuckled weakly. Draco was only ever unsure when it came to Holly. It was amusing to watch, and incredibly sweet.
"I don't think so, dear. It was her decision. We discussed it over the summer. She loves to fly, but it is not the most important thing to her. There are just some things that are more important to her."
She left out that their future family was what was more important, but it seemed not to bother Draco, he nodded his head. He was easily reassured by her words and went to bed satisfied.
Holly strode into the Common Room. Slytherin had properly trounced Hufflepuff in their first Quidditch game. The team piled in behind her, smiles bright on their faces.
Holly was drawn to the sight of Daphne on one of the couches, she had tears in her eyes, and had her legs drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them.
"What's wrong?" Holly asked, taking the seat by Daphne. Daphne tried to pretend like she was fine, but Holly could tell she was faking.
"C'mon what is it?" Blaise asked kindly, leaning forward in the chair he had just claimed.
Daphne's eyes looked between them, then around the room. She fiddled with her gloves, and placed her wand in her pocket, before she leaned forward to speak in a low voice.
"What if...what if there's something wrong with me? I mean you've both found your soulmates. What about me? I mean there's a few others like Greg and Vince…"
Greg coughed from his position in the chair next to Blaise, and their eyes snapped to him.
"Actually," Greg said, "Vince is my soulmate."
"What?!" Pansy shrieked. The eyes of the common room turned to her. She waved them away and they went back to their activities, they were fairly used to her theatrics by now.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Holly demanded. She had never had the slightest suspicion, they never even showed any outward sign of affection for each other. Though, they were always together, even when she wasn't there. She had clearly misjudged them.
Greg shrugged, "Didn't seem like anyone's business."
Daphne slumped forward even more, "See, there's two more! That's exactly my point!"
Holly ran her hand over Daphne's shoulders, in an attempt to comfort her friend. "There's nothing wrong with you Daphne! You're lovely! Maybe your soulmate isn't the right age, or maybe they're in another country! I know you'll find them."
Daphne lifted her head and looked at her friends. They gave her small smiles, and she wiped her tears from her eyes. Maybe they were right.
"What's the plan?" Blaise asked, taking a seat beside Holly at the Slytherin table.
"Whatever do you mean?" she asked in feigned innocence. At this point they had so many things going on she honestly didn't know what he was on about.
"Hols, it's almost Samhain. We doing a sleepover in the common room or what?"
Holly took a sip of her morning tea and thought. She hadn't considered it with the hubbub of everything else. She felt less unsettled about Samhain since she had seen James and Lily's portraits. Thankfully the commissioned portraits should be done sometime in November, and then they would always be with her.
She had taken to delegating tasks recently. Lady Malfoy and Blaise had planned her winter wardrobe as well as Ginny's, and Theo and Lord Nott were helping her learn about her future role in the Wizengamot. Daphne and Pansy sat down across from her, and Holly poured them cups of tea and passed them over.
"What do you two think, sleepover in the common room this year on Samhain eve?"
Pansy nodded her head enthusiastically. She enjoyed getting it all set up last year, and it was better to have Draco around if something happened with Holly.
"Alright then, can I trust you two to organize it, then?"
Daphne nodded happily and drank her tea.
Holly looked around at her friends and tried to soak up this moment. She knew things would be changing quickly, very soon. Word of her Heiress status had slowly begun to work it's way through Slytherin, and it was now considered an open secret amongst their own.
She knew that very soon all of the wizarding world would have it's eyes on her, and they would judge her more harshly than the other Founders heirs because she was descended from Slytherin.
She turned to look at Draco and admired how confident he looked as he joked with Theo and Blaise. He was always so self assured, bordering on arrogant, but they would need that in their future.
There would no doubt be bad press, jealous witches, and enemies to deal with. Draco felt her eyes on him and turned to smile at her. Holly smiled and ducked her head. Draco chuckled at her and patted her hand under the table.
They were equal to the task, together.
Holly was entering the library, looking for Draco, when she heard someone whispering Remus' name. She motioned for Greg and Vince to follow quietly, and crept down a row of books.
She stopped about halfway down the row and pressed her ear to the row of books. Just on the other side of the bookcase was a table of students, gossiping instead of studying.
"Well he says he's a pureblood shifter, not a werewolf," one voice said. It sounded high and squeaky, like a first year. "Besides, Professor Lupin said werewolves aren't even dangerous if they take their potions and stay on reserves during their transformations."
"That's just what they would say," a boy's voice hissed. Holly recognized that condescending tone of Mister Justin Finch Fletchley. He was a menace. How a boy so ignorant and rude could end up in Hufflepuff, baffled her. Holly fought to keep her magic under control. She couldn't afford to lash out in the library, Madam Pince would kill her.
"My mother says they're all criminals," a girl's voice echoed. Miss Marietta Edgescombe. Of course. Hermione didn't trust her at all.
As if Holly's thoughts had beckoned them, Luna and Hermione turned a corner, their eyes lit with anger. They must have overheard the gossip as well.
"I would encourage you to study more, and talk less," Luna sneered, reminding Holly of Draco. "Professor Lupin is a close friend of my father's and I'm sure Lord Black would be only too pleased to assign detention when he hears what racist dribble you've been spewing."
Hermione glared at Mister Fletchley, he was a member of Hufflepuff house and in their year. The Hufflepuff's looked to Zach as their future leader, they should know better than this.
"Lord Hufflepuff will hear about this," she promised and Mister Fletchley's face paled.
Holly smiled and returned to her search for Draco. Her friends had this under control.
Holly donned her ritual robes, enjoying the feel of the smooth fabric on her skin. Ginny draped the Invisibility Cloak over her back, and Holly clasped it in the front with her snake fastener. She held the Marauders Map in her hand, prepared to warn her sister of any approaching professors, but they shouldn't have any problems.
Professor Lupin and Lord Black were patrolling the corridors tonight, and they would cover for them.
She looked at herself in the mirror and admired her reflection. She was wearing a Grecian style dress that had delicate criss crossing gold chains across the chest. Ginny was wearing a matching gown. Once outside they would blend in with the night.
"Are you ready?" Ginny asked.
"Ready," Holly confirmed. She drew her hood and allowed her sister to lead her out to the common room. The boys were waiting by the door, and followed Ginny out of the portrait hole obediently. They knew to follow her orders tonight, or there would be hell to pay.
Holly removed her hood when they reached the girl's lavatory that held the entrance to the Chamber.
"Greg, Vince, you wait here with Ginny. We've been here before, and know the way."
Greg and Vince did as they were told, and watched the entrance to the bathroom. Ginny smiled reassuringly at her sister and turned to keep watch with the boys. A little while later Holly led the way out of the entrance, carrying what looked to be a ball of fire in her hands.
The boys followed behind her, awe clear on their faces. The fire that had been burning in the Chamber had been lit by Salazar Slytherin himself, according to Lord Nott. Only those of Slytherin blood could take it from the Chamber without being burned.
There at the door was Lord Black, he paused to give her a rare smile, but carried on with his rounds. He and Remus were fulfilling their duties tonight by keeping students and staff off the grounds. Luna was already out there with Heir Diggory and her guard.
Marcus strode out into the night, a weak lumos illuminating the ground enough so that they could make their way, but not be seen from the castle windows.
"Can you feel it?" Draco whispered to Theo.
The magic was thick on the grounds tonight. It was always like that on Samhain, but it was more so tonight, as if the castle grounds knew it's Heiresses would soon claim their rightful places.
"Of course," Theo nodded, keeping his eyes on Holly. They followed her to the place described in his fathers journal. It was behind a rough outcropping of rock that rose higher than even Marcus' superior height.
"Build a fire," Holly instructed Greg and Vince. They went to the edge of the forest and quickly collected sticks to use, and made a pile where Holly indicated. Marcus and Theo kept a wary eye out the entire time, making sure no one would catch them unawares. The Marauders Map did not extend quite this far.
Ginny took the Invisibility Cloak, and waited as Draco drew a rune circle on the ground with his wand. He closed his eyes every few seconds, calling to mind Holly's drawing, and recreating it. When the circle was completed, and the runes were glowing, he pocketed his wand and came to stand by Holly and Ginny.
"It's time, love."
Holly snapped out of her reverie and smiled at Draco. She kissed him on the cheek, and walked to the center of the rune circle, where Greg and Vince had placed the sticks for kindling. She knelt down and placed her ball of fire from the Chamber in the center.
She looked over to where the boys were assembled, and nodded. It was time for them to take their places. Ginny and Draco stayed outside the circle, prepared to help as soon as she was done.
The boys took their spots at the four points of the circle, with their backs toward the inside, so they couldn't see her. Holly flicked her wand to let down her long braided hair.
Draco tried not to marvel at the site, though it was only the second time he had seen her with her hair down. She was stunning in the bonfire's glow. She tilted her head and looked at the now tall flames.
Leave it to Salazar to think of something so arcane. It could be worse, he could have made her sacrifice something, or someone. She had already spilled her blood in the Chamber once to prove her lineage.
Salazar would have never picked anything so obvious for the actual Heirship ritual. Blood magic was an obvious choice for the notoriously Dark wizard. He was much more cunning than that.
Salazar wanted something more poetic. A symbolic death to your old self. Jump into the flames, become something new, something more. Of course, it would kill anyone who wasn't his descendant. The poetic similarity to the phoenix did not escape her notice. Leave it to the Founders to be so intertwined and yet so contentious.
She stepped out of her shoes and felt the cold nip at her feet.
The wind blew hard around her, and it seemed as if it whispered to her. Voices both encouraging and terrible whispered things in her ears. She closed her eyes tight for a moment to try to get her bearings.
"You're not worthy," one hissed in her ear, cold and cutting. She flinched away from the voice.
"You've done it you marvelous girl, you've done it. Just take the leap," another told her, and it sounded like her grandmother Charlus.
"We love you," James whispered softly.
She opened her eyes again, and saw the flames waiting.
"My title, to a halfblood little-" she jumped into the flames. She was sure that was the voice of Tom Riddle, and she would not give him a chance to speak. Not on the day of her parent's death, not on Hogwarts grounds. He didn't deserve it.
A scream ripped from Holly's throat as the flames of the fire turned bright green. The fire itself wasn't hurting her, but the amount of magic flooding her body was agonizing. She could feel her body trembling, and willed her legs not to give out.
Ginny took a step forward, but Draco held her back with a hand on her arm. Holly wouldn't thank him if he let Ginny get hurt. The wind picked up around the circle, making the boys uneasy.
"Is she okay?" Gred demanded of Draco.
"She will be, it's almost done."
The wind died down, and the flames of the fire dwindled until they were nothing. Holly fell to her hands and knees. Draco took a tentative step forward, his eyes trained on Holly. She raised her eyes to meet his, and for a split second it seemed as if they were glowing a bright green.
"Draco," she whispered weakly. Her eyes fluttered closed and she braced herself on her arms.
"Keep your backs turned!" Draco warned as he neared Holly, crossing over the rune circle. It's glow dimmed too as he walked closer to Holly.
She was kneeling on her hands and knees, shaking from the aftershocks of receiving so much magic. One day when they were magically bonded, he would help her bear this magic, but they were much too young for that. Her hair was still unbound, and he realized with a shock that it reached far past her feet now.
"Ginny, come here," he called.
Ginny rushed toward her sister, with Sally trailing behind her, she had shown up sometime during the ritual. The snake immediately began to rub up against Holly in an attempt to help. Draco was kneeling in front of Holly, whispering encouragement to her, as she still seemed unable to speak.
"Can you braid her hair? There's no way she'll be able to walk like that."
Ginny peered at the ground and was shocked at the amount of black hair that she was greeted with. She nodded her head, and made quick work of it. She looked like a raven haired rapunzel. Holly focused on breathing, grounding herself back to earth.
She felt like she was a livewire, like she could open her arms and rain lightning down upon them all with the sheer force of her will, and perhaps she could. She would have to work extra hard to control herself from now on.
Could she do this on her own? She had thought the Potter magic was a lot, but that was nothing compared to this, and she still had half of the Potter magic as well.
Draco's soft tone pulled her out of her thoughts, coaxing her gently back into the real world.
"You did so well love."
Holly raised her eyes to meet his, and suddenly realized that she would not have to bear this magic alone forever. Just a few more years and she would share it with Draco, and a few years after that she would share it with their children.
The Potter magic would be shared with Ginny's children and their children as well. Magic was always changing hands, always flowing, and creating something new. She knew if she kept that in mind, she would be okay.
Nothing was permanent.
"Mama is hurt?" Sally asked, slithering up and over her shoulders.
"I'm alright," Holly hissed back.
"You feel more powerful," Sally observed.
"I am," Holly admitted, chuckling at her familiar.
Sally nuzzled into Holly's newly braided hair. Now that she knew her Mama was okay, all she wanted was to get back inside where it was warm and she could play with Godric.
Holly rose to her feet, as she held onto Draco's hand. She looked around, and was glad to see the boys had remained with their backs to her. They were a loyal group, she knew she had chosen well. She reached one hand behind her, and felt her hair.
"It's really long Hols, you look like Rapunzel."
Holly laughed at Ginny's comparison to the princess from the muggle fairy tale. Hermione must have shown her a book of muggle fairy tales over the summer.
"The ritual is over," she announced, "you have served me well. I hope you will continue to do so. I will need all the help I can get."
The Daily Prophet office was in a state of disarray. Owls were flying in and out the open windows, and assistants were zipping to and fro trying to get information for the writers.
The Ministry of Magic had registered Lady Holly Potter and Heiress Luna Black as Lady Slytherin and Lady Ravenclaw respectively on the night of Samhain. It was now one hour before the front page was due, and the staff of the Prophet was scrambling to change their headlines and get an issue ready.
Lord Regulus Black and Lord Lucius Malfoy swaggered in the door. Lord Black held several rolls of parchment under this arm, and Lord Malfoy carried an envelope in his hands. His face was smug, and his posture sang of triumph. A hush fell over the newsroom as they turned to look at their visitors. A petite witch with her mousy brown hair up in a bun ran over to greet them.
"We've come to save you," Lord Malfoy smirked down at her, "take us to the editor. We've brought tomorrow's headline."
The petite witch turned and led them to a corner office where a haggard looking wizard was leafing through parchments. His eyes grew large at the sight of Lord Malfoy and Lord Black. He motioned for them to take the empty seats across from him, and they did so.
"How can I help you?" he asked warily.
Lord Black smiled at him and laid the rolls of parchment on top of his other work, and slid it in his direction. Lord Malfoy did the same with the envelope.
"What's' all this?" the editor asked as he reached for the envelope.
"Tomorrow's headline," Lord Black told him impishly.
He opened the envelope and pulled out several high quality moving photographs of the newly minted Lady Slytherin and Lady Ravenclaw, both alone and with their soulmates, as well as one with both the girls and Lord Hufflepuff. These would be worth a small fortune if brought to him by a freelance photographer.
"What do you want?" The editor asked suspiciously. Nothing came for free in his experience.
"Nothing, except to see our daughter's legacies protected. Obviously we knew our daughters were going to do this, and we prepared. You will find the article is completely factual, and well written. We hired only the best writers, of course.
The editor picked up the scrolls of parchment and looked over them. They seemed well written, and fair. Most importantly they were complete, and they had a deadline to meet.
"Fine," he bit out, flicking his wand to send them to the printers. There was no time to waste.
Draco startled awake when he felt something hit his bed. He sat up and was shocked to find Lord Black standing there.
"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Delivering dress robes. Cissa has me running around like a house elf. Now wake up and get dressed. I won't have you besmirching the House of Black by looking like a slob on such a day. Luna and the others will be meeting us in the common room."
Lord Black turned and headed toward the door. Just as he went to exit he paused and sent Draco a rare smile over his shoulder.
"I'm proud of you," Lord Black said so softly that Draco could barely hear it, and then he was gone.
Draco pushed himself up and realized only he and Theo were left in the dorm. Blaise was gone, probably making sure Holly was dressed perfectly, and Greg and Vince were probably off waiting to guard her. There was no way their protective magic would have let them sleep in when Holly was about to have such a big day, even if they were exhausted as well.
Draco tossed a pillow at Theo to wake him, and went to get ready.
"There aren't supposed to be boys in here," Millie whined as she left the girls' dorms.
"And you're not supposed to be a bitch, and yet here we are," Blaise jibbed as the door swung shut.
He was going to make sure Holly looked perfect if it killed him. He and Cissa had been pouring over photographs and paintings all summer, with the help of Holly and Luna to perfect their looks. Journalists would have their eyes on them from here on out.
Luna favored flowy designs that didn't draw even more unwanted attention to her form, inspired by the middle ages, with floral accents and rich jewel tones. Holly favored something a little more structured, to give her petite frame some shape, and heels to give her some height.
Holly was wearing a stunning green dress with long sleeves that nipped in at the waist with a skinny black belt that had two gold snakes at the center. The skirts flared out in stiff layers of fabric that stopped at her ankles, so she wouldn't trip. Her tiny feet were tucked into her favorite black heels she had picked out in Italy.
"Blaise, are you sure this looks okay?" Holly asked once again.
"You look like one of those muggle princesses. Now stop fidgeting," he instructed, swatting her hand away from where it was smoothing her skirts.
"You do," Pansy said happily, "you look stunning Holly."
"Besides it's not like anyone who matters is going to see you," Blaise noted blithely.
Holly sent him a look, but she knew he was right to a certain extent. While the eyes of the school would be on her today, she knew no reporters would be allowed onto the property. She shouldn't have to worry too much.
"How long have you been out here?" Draco asked as he collapsed into a free chair by the fire.
Greg and Vince stood by the flames, talking in low voices. Greg looked up at Draco. "A while," he admitted, before they returned to their conversation. There were no immediate concerns in Hogwarts, but you never knew when someone would get jealous and decide to cause a problem. They had been talking about it all morning.
Hogsmeade visits would be more contentious, but Marcus had agreed to help them keep an eye out.
Protective jewelry did a good job, but they would keep an eye out just in case. The jewelry only worked if someone touched Holly, it didn't protect against poisons or hexes. They would keep an eye out for any grumbles of discontent.
Luna entered the Common Room with Cedric, Neville, Hermione, and Zach trailing behind her like little ducklings.
Lord Black rose from his spot by the fire and beamed at his daughter. She was wearing a beautiful dress of blue velvet that fell to her ankles. She had placed the diadem of Ravenclaw on her beautiful blonde braids, of which there seemed to be a significantly larger amount.
She hugged him before turning to look at her cousin, who was still slumped into a chair next to Theo.
"Do you have it?" Luna asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Draco sat up then, all traces of sleepiness drained from his face. He patted his pockets, and drew a large square jewelry box from within his robes.
"Be quiet, cousin, it's supposed to be a surprise!"
"What's a surprise?" Holly asked as she entered the common room.
Draco rolled his eyes at his cousin, and turned to face Holly. His words died in his throat at the sight of her. She always dressed well, but she looked particularly stunning today.
Theo slapped his back to bring him out of his stupor, and Blaise laughed openly. If Draco thought this was nice, he was going to be bowled over by Holly's gown for the Yule Ball. Ginny snickered at him as she went to stand by Neville.
"You laugh, but it will be you next year!" Draco sneered at her. Ginny blushed a bright red and hid her face in the sleeve of Neville's robes.
"Draco?" Holly asked. Draco turned back to her, and held out the jewelry box. He was glad to see Pansy hadn't let her put any hair combs in her braids today.
Holly took it and opened the box to find a diadem that looked like it was spun out of gold, and had emeralds and diamonds set into it. It was gorgeous, but small enough that she could wear it without it being ostentatious.
"What? How?"
Draco smiled down at her, pleased that she was so flustered. "We had it commissioned last Spring."
"Draco, this is too much!"
Draco smirked down at her, his arrogant smirk that reassured her everything would be okay.
"Nothing is too much for you. You deserve everything, Holly."
Lord Black broke their bubble, pushing between them, they had unknowingly moved closer to each other while speaking until there was barely any space between them.
"That's enough of that, put on the diadem so we can get to breakfast. No doubt the entire school is waiting to gawk at all of you."
Holly blushed and handed the jewelry box to Pansy so she could place it in her braids. Draco rubbed the back of his neck and tried to pretend like he was ashamed of how he had been acting. He didn't actually care, she was his soulmate. The looks the other boys sent him assured him they knew he had no actual remorse.
"Okay let's go," Holly pronounced once her diadem was secure. Draco took her hand and followed Luna and Cedric out of the Common Room.
Headmistress Minerva McGonagall smiled at her copy of the Prophet at her spot at the heads table. She had been expecting other Founder's Heirs to come out of the woodwork after Lord Hufflepuff.
She hadn't imagined they would get two in one night, but she was pleased that the two girls were the Heiresses. They were good girls, even if they tended to get into mischief. James had been much the same, and she couldn't help but to think that he would love to see this.
Now there was only one Founders Heir left, and she couldn't wait to see who claimed the title. Perhaps together they could help usher in a new golden age for Hogwarts. They had already turned Hogwarts on its head by aiding in the expulsion of Dumbledore.
She could see where things were headed, eventually they would reinstate the Olde Ways, and contrary to popular opinion, she was not opposed to it. Clearly they had been led astray by the man they had trusted, perhaps it was time to try another way.
Silence fell over the Great Hall as a large crowd entered. Lady Slytherin and Lady Ravenclaw led the way with their soulmates next to them. Holly's frequent bodyguards were close behind her, with the rest of their retinue in tow, as Lord Black guarded their backs.
They seperated and took their regular seats, and Lord Black took his spot at the professor's table. The talk slowly returned to normal, but students were hard put to try and pretend they weren't gossiping about the news.