A/N: Heya guys! So, it's finally here. The third part of the series of 'Unconventional Family'. As the title suggests, it's going to be unconventional as you guys will soon find out.
The series covers Female Harry/Voldemort pairing, where they are married to each other to stop the war, and how their life unfolds after it.
I do not own Harry Potter; it solely belongs to J.K. Rowling!
Warnings: Drama, fluff, the usual.
"I found this under Harriet's bed," Marvolo levitated the gold bracelet, showing it off to Remus and Lucius. The duo had literally been grabbed and brought to the manor immediately by the house-elves, as per the orders of Marvolo.
"Why are you showing it to us?" Remus asked, pushing back his glasses. He was confused; the bracelet looked as ordinary as any other piece of jewellery.
"This isn't Harriet's, and neither is it mine," Marvolo spoke, trying to make them understand the situation a bit more. "No one else other than Bella, Cissa and Missy, besides myself, are allowed entry on her side of the wing. Not even the other house helps."
Now that seemed alarming. Because Lucius was sure that his wife or sister-in-law didn't own the bracelet either. On top of that, Marvolo had made sure that Harriet's wing had the best defence in case of emergencies, even going as far as to include a secret passageway outside of the manor.
"I also found this envelope on my office desk. It was empty," Marvolo floated the blank white paper, making sure not to touch it in any way. "It had a mild hexing charm on it, specifically to knock someone out for a few minutes."
Remus' eyes blazed in anger when he sensed all that Marvolo was insinuating. Someone had tried to ham Harriet. "Who?"
He wanted to know who was behind the attack and wanted to strangle the life out of them.
Lucius was going through similar emotions. In their time together, Harriet had become an irrevocable part of their family. She was like the daughter he'd always wanted; she'd even asked him to walk her down the aisle when Remus was not present. Thus, to think that someone was trying to harm his child worried Lucius to no end.
"A death eater, according to what the senior house-elf has informed me. Apparently, they entered the house claiming to give me some of the important reports that I had asked of them. They must have sneaked into Harriet's room when Tilly came to put this envelope into my office. She was smart to not open it. As for the bracelet, they must have dropped it in haste."
"A death eater, My Lord?" Lucius asked, not noticing the slight cringe on Marvolo's face. It had been a long time since Marvolo had asked all of his followers to not call him 'My Lord' anymore. He was their leader, not a dictator, he'd realised.
"Yes, Lucius. Though we are not sure of their identity. They were clever enough to hide their faces with the mask."
"What should we do then?" Remus came straight to the point.
"Yes, Lucius. Though we are not sure of their identity. They were clever enough to hide their faces with the mask."
"What should we do then?" Remus came straight to the point.
"Lucius, you and Barty, try to find out who all had visited the manor in my absence. I want a list of the past week. Also, make a list of all the death eater rebels who had raised a voice against our marriage contract. I have a feeling it is someone who has been trying to target my wife for a long time now. I want the reports by tomorrow morning sharp."
"And Remus, you and Bella will visit this muggle address," Marvolo hastily scribbled down the address of the muggle restaurant wherein they had found the child in the alley.
"Muggle London? But why?" Remus was confused.
Marvolo sighed in tiredness; he had no choice but to tell Remus and Lucius everything about the night, or else he might not get the needed information.
"The night I took Harriet for dinner…" Marvolo recited the whole incident to them. Word by word, not leaving any details. It was as if the night was etched into his memory-the shock of seeing an abandoned child, the helplessness as the little one struggled for her life, the fear as she was rushed to the hospital. He couldn't get the picture of her tiny body attached to innumerable wires out of his mind.
"She was purposely left there, abandoned to die. According to the healers, her magical core wasn't stable enough, so her treatment is going the Muggle way." Marvolo told them with a heavy sigh. "They weren't sure if she would be able to make it."
"Is she?" Lucius asked immediately.
"Out of danger, for now. But I have a feeling that something is wrong. Her mother didn't face a healthy pregnancy either. They both may have been abused physically, especially her mother."
"Remus, I want all the information and intel that you can gather upon her. Start with a missing person report at the local police station, scoop out all the areas. Check if she has any other relatives and if yes, then a thorough background checks on them as well. We don't want the child to go into a potentially abusive household," Marvolo couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't allow what happened to him and Harriet, as children, to happen to the child as well. "I have already contacted Arthur Weasley regarding this, he will help you get in touch with the Muggle police. It'll make your investigation easier. If you want, you can take him with you and Bella."
"That seems like a good idea. He is well aware of the Muggle laws, and it wouldn't raise too much suspicion as well," Remus agreed with the decision whole-heartedly. He could see that the fond Marvolo talked about the child. It seemed that they had formed a special connection. Not to mention the ends Marvolo was going to keep his promise to Harriet to help the child.
"Just in case, if we can't find anything about her family, what would happen then?" It was Lucius who raised the question. And he was right because they needed a backup in such a case. What would happen to her safety then?
"I haven't discussed it with Harriet, but if a situation like that arises, then she'll be staying with us at Hogwarts. We'll be her guardians until we find out about her family. I have already made an appointment with my Family Manager regarding this. As soon as we get the intel, we can proceed further," Marvolo was one step ahead. He wanted nothing to go wrong.
"Okay then. I'll start right away," Remus nodded to the both of them and flooed to Malfoy Manor to pick Bella and inform her about their recent task.
"He seemed happy when you mentioned Bella," Lucius commented off-handedly, amused by the enthusiasm that Remus showed.
"Yes, they seem to be getting closer for sure," Marvolo chuckled lightly. Harriet had pointed out the same thing weeks ago. In fact, he was surprised Lucius caught on so late seeing Remus was at his home practically the whole time now. Narcissa and Barty had already made bets as to when they would confess their feelings for each other.
"I'm happy for them, they really deserve love," Lucius muttered, and soon stood up to take his leave. The mission given to him was of utmost importance; he wouldn't let any harm come to Harrie.
Marvolo landed in the hospital waiting room gracefully. He felt better now after that much needed nap. Honestly, he had slept in for longer than he had intended to. So, as soon as he saw that it was close to seven at night, he'd taken a quick shower, grabbed his and Harriet's belongings and rushed to the hospital. With him staying the night, Harriet would get some rest as well.
He walked towards the assigned room, greeting the staff on his way. With Harriet being a healer, he knew most of the people here now. And boy, working in a hospital was no easy task!
Reaching his destination, Marvolo opened the door quietly, not wanting to wake the little one just in case she was asleep. But the voices coming from inside suggested otherwise.
"You're so brave. So, so, brave, sweetheart." Marvolo smiled as he heard his wife cooing softly to the baby. "And you're soo beautiful, yes you are."
Marvolo nudged the door and walked inside, but of course, his dearest was preoccupied. He chuckled when he heard the little one sigh as Harriet softly rubbed her head.
"Look at those gorgeous eyes, oh and those tiny feet," Harriet slightly tickled her and was met with the most gorgeous sight of the baby's smile.
"You like that, don't you?"
"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" Harriet was startled by the intruder's voice, but she grinned when she saw her husband looking at them.
"You scared me!" There was the playful glint in her eyes that he loved so much.
"My apologies, dearest." He moved, instinctively taking her in his arms. Finally, he could breathe; this was where he belonged. Marvolo buried his face in her neck, inhaling into her intoxicating scent.
Harriet rubbed his back gently, feeling the tenseness in his muscles diminishing. After a few moments, Marvolo reluctantly broke the embrace but still kept her close.
"How was your day? How is she doing now?" Marvolo asked, looking towards the child.
"I'm okay, just tired. As for the baby, she had a little problem breathing earlier in the evening. They had to put on an oxygen mask for a while." Marvolo's frown deepened at that. "She's fed for now, and I made her burp, but she still hasn't fallen asleep."
"Is that a bad thing? Should we call healer Matilda?" Marvolo asked genuinely. He knew nothing about kids, let alone newborns.
"I wonder," Harriet mused as she looked at her husband, then at the baby, and Marvolo was creeped out by the way she was staring at him.
He followed as she beckoned him to sit on the couch, but his eyes widened when she suggested he open the first three buttons of his shirt.
"Darling, I don't think this is the right place for such..."
"Shush, Marv," Harriet chuckled, understanding his implications perfectly well. She picked the baby up gently in her arms, cooing at her when she scrunched up her cute, little face. Moving towards the couch, Harriet gently placed the baby on Marvolo's exposed skin.
Her husband, though, was frightened. He'd never held a child, and he was afraid that he would accidentally hurt the little one.
"It's okay, you're doing great," Harriet encouraged him. Gosh, how easily could she read him?
With the baby nestled safely against him, Harriet seated beside him as well, placing her head on Marvolo's shoulder and entwining their fingers.
"Skin-to-skin contact helps the child in such cases. Not to mention your magic, it would help her heal much faster if she's in closer proximity."
Marvolo looked down, and sure enough, his wife was right. The child was fast asleep in his arms now. His magic surrounded both of them in a safe bubble.
The feeling as the little one held his finger tight in her grasp was indescribable.
"What if my magic hurts her?" There was a little strain in his voice.
"You won't, and I know this because you make me feel safe too," Harriet poured her heart out. Marvolo couldn't help, but lean down and kiss her gently.
"Sleep now, I'm here." Within minutes, both his girls had fallen asleep in his arms. He promised himself that he would never let anything happen to either of them, even if it meant killing someone.
-A/N: Let me know what you guys think about this one! Reads, followers, favorites and reviews are always appreciated! Good day to all! :)