PART 2
Ch. 22-Primmy
I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO HARRY POTTER
The Room disappeared from around them again and suddenly they were in an unfamiliar home. It was warm and bright. The exact opposite of the last scene they had watched. Amelia sat on a chair beside a red headed woman with familiar eyes. They sipped on tea and laughed. In front of them on a different chair sat a man with scars on his face, Draco's eyes met Rose's for a moment.
"Oh, that was a strong one." Amelia held her now rounded stomach and breathed quickly.
"It won't be long now." The woman beside her spoke. She too was pregnant, but not as far along as Amelia was. "You'd better get him, Remus." She smiled. Remus smiled and lifted himself from the couch and out into the living room.
"Padfoot! Would you put him down now, Merlin's sake you're about to be a father!" Remus laughed and the women laughed too.
"Can you believe it Lily? Soon we will both be mothers." She smiled and took her hand.
"I can believe it, what I cannot believe is that they will be fathers." Lily laughed as the men joined them in the room.
"I will be a great dad. Can you imagine all the mischief I can teach him?" A man bent down next to Lily and again a terrible familiarity about him.
"You will not. Our child will be well behaved, like me" Lily told him, and they laughed. Another man looked at Amelia from across the room. He walked towards her, his shoulder length hair tied at the nape of his neck and warm eyes looking down at her.
"Will you too deny me passing along my most interesting traits to our child?" He knelt beside her and kissed her hand. She smiled at him.
"It's the part of you I fell in love with first." He smiled and kissed her hand again. "Oh!" She held her stomach. He took his hands and held it too. Lily smiled.
"Let's get her to the bedroom, it won't be long now. Help me, James." She said and James helped her to stand up too. Amelia was helped to the first-floor bedroom, all the while Padfoot would breathe encouraging things to her and sat beside her on the bed, holding her hand. While they were alone for a few minutes she took his face in her hands and kissed him.
"Are you ready for this?" She asked him and he smiled at her.
"Are you kidding? You have made me the happiest man in the world, love." She smiled.
"Alright, let's have a baby!" James said entering the room with Remus and Lily in tote.
"Will you two stop it, you will not be in the room. Give her your best wishes now, don't make me hex you." Lily laughed as she waved her wand.
"Padfoot?" James pouted.
"You heard her Prongs, Moony." He told them. They laughed.
The images faded in and out and then the scene changed. The couple sat on the bad, a little bundle in blankets between them. Lily perched on her other side, admiring holding a camera. James and Remus in the doorframe with awed looks in their eyes.
"It's a girl." Amelia announced. She looked at Lily and smiled. "Her name is Primrose Lily. After my best friend." Lily had tears in her eyes and Amelia was so full of light.
"And we wanted to know if you would all be our daughters' godparents." Padfoot said and they all were speechless for a moment.
"It would mean the world to us." Amelia spoke. They all joined them in hugs and congratulations.
"Of course, we will!" James exclaimed.
"It would be an honor!" Lily hugged Amelia and kissed the top of Primrose's head.
"To Amelia and Sirius and our beautiful Goddaughter." Remus raised his mug.
"Here here." James exclaimed and Lily waved her wand and the camera floated before them.
"Smile everyone." Lily said and the scene faded, with a flash.
Unlike the last one Draco and Rose were ready for what would happen next. Draco pulled the chain from around them and Rose fell onto the pillows on her bed. She could not speak, but Draco needed to.
"Rose, do you know who that was?" Draco asked astounded. He could not believe what he had just witnessed. "Rose?" He asked again. "Have you any idea who that was?" He asked her.
"My father." She whispered. "My father is Sirius Black." She smiled but did not meet his gaze.
"Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban." He told her. "He was there for murder."
"For the murder of Peter Pettigrew. I am aware of all the stories; we didn't live in a cave." She told him. "I have to find out more." She said to him. "Which was next?" She asked looking through the box.
"Rose!" He yelled. "Stop. Take a moment." He told her, feeling overwhelmed himself. He tried to remember all the things his father had told him when Sirius Black had first escaped. He was no death eater his father had said. He did not deserve to be included in the right, his father had said. Wormtail, he thought. The stubby man who had come to his father's estate in the dead of night. Hadn't he called him Pettigrew? Draco shook his head. All this time, he would have never guessed it, but another thought had come into his own mind. Professor Lupin was in the memory. Lily and James as in Potter. The connections were starting to cause him to be lightheaded. Harry Potter's parents were Rose's god parents. She was named after Harry's own mother. Sirius Black had long escaped Azkaban, but his father had told him, he was important to Potter. Hermione would know this. Is that why Hermione had lied. Is that what she recognized, the word Padfoot. His heartbeat raced.
"Draco, please." She begged him holding out her hand. "Just one more, then I'll put them away. I'll start again tomorrow." She told him and he stared at her. She flipped the chain around them, and he put his hand on hers. She smiled at him. The scene changed again.
The home they were in was different. It was smaller then the first, and dimly lit. There was an eerie quiet that surrounded them. Sirius and Amelia sat around the table. A basinet sat close to them. They held hands and put their foreheads against one another's.
"Why Harry?" She asked him. "Why would Harry be a threat to him?" She panicked. "Why a child?" She cried, looking over at Primrose.
"He thinks the boy will be his demise." Sirius said and she shook his head.
"He's only a baby." She spoke.
"But he will grow into a man, and he fears by then it will be too late." He spoke.
"There has to be a way to keep them safe. To keep them all safe." She said and he held her hands tighter.
"Dumbledore is preparing a spell. The Fidelius Charm. I will be their secret keeper." He told her.
"Of course." She spoke. "That's brilliant." She stood up. "Then we should get ready to go into hiding too. If someone finds out that you are the key to finding them, it's only a matter of time before they are knocking at our door." She said but he shook his head.
"No. I will not run, Amelia. I am needed in the order." He told her.
"Sirius, I understand that you are needed, but it is foolish to put yourself at risk when you are to guard such an astronomical secret." She told him. "You know what they will do, they will torture you for the information."
"I will die before I speak."
"And what do you believe will happen then?" She asked. "My love you must remember who is out there searching for us as we speak. If they cannot torture the information from you, then they will find us and force your hand. Then where will be. Where will our daughter be?" He stood up and walked towards the basinet. His fingers caressing her cheek.
"That is why, you and Primrose will go into hiding now. Before the charm is in place." He whispered.
"You think we will leave you?" She asked.
"You must!" He yelled and Primrose awoke in tears, Sirius reached out for her and held her close to his chest. "Shh it's alright Primmy, it's alright daddy's here." He said and she quieted down. Amelia stood beside them. "I need my girls safe, Lia. I can't let anything happen to you. I can't risk it. Right now, very few people know that we are together now. Even less know that we share a daughter."
"We need you Sirius. We need you." She cried.
"Nothing is going to happen to me, love." He stroked her cheek and rocked Primrose, who slept soundlessly. "I will not be able to focus on anything, If I'm worried that you are unprotected." He told her.
"How will you focus if we are in hiding? How will you know that we are safe?" She asked.
"Dumbledore has agreed to be our secret keeper. He has also agreed to further protect you both, should anything happen." He said and she looked at him suspiciously.
"What exactly will he be doing?"
"It's a memory potion of his own doing." She looked at him even more sternly.
"What sort of memory potion?" She asked him.
"Until the danger has passed, I and everyone who is not in protective hiding, will not remember Primrose exist."
"What?" She said more loudly then intended. "Sirius..." She spoke, he swayed.
"It's a precaution, Dumbledore can restore our memories. It will not last forever love. When I know we're safe, then I will find you." He said and tears streamed down her face.
"How long until we're safe?" She asked and he did not speak. "You will miss everything." She placed her hand on her daughter's back. "Her first words, her first- "She cried and sobbed. Sirius placed his sleeping child in the basinet and took Amelia in his arms.
"You and Primrose are everything to me." He said as she cried into his chest. "If anything were to happen to either of you, it would kill me. I cannot exist in a world where you do not. I need you both to be protected. Don't think that it won't kill me to be away from you. I know that I will miss her firsts, but I intend to be there to watch her grow and become a beautiful and brilliant witch like her mother." He told her in nearly a whisper. Amelia looked up and wiped her face.
"If this is what must happen so that everyone is safe, then you must do something for me." She told him. And he smiled.
"What must I do for you, my love?" He said to her.
"Give me that ring you've been hiding for years and marry me already." She laughed and he looked shocked.
"How long have you known?" He asked her.
"Since you told James." He laughed. "Lily cannot keep a secret from me to save her life." She spoke.
"I wanted to give you the wedding of your dreams." He told her.
"I have the man of my dreams; I only need you." She assured him. He kissed her and pulled the ring from his pocket. He bent down on one knee.
"Let me do this properly." He smiled. "Amelia Avery, will you continue to make all my dreams come true and be my wife?" She laughed.
"Of course, you fool!" He placed the ring on her finger and kissed her. A knock on the door startled them both. They raised their wands as Sirius approached.
"It's Remus." Lupin called out from outside. Sirius peeked out and looked at his friend. He came inside and looked grim. "It's dreadful out there. Dementors patrolling the streets." He said and Sirius led him in. Amelia ran to the stove and placed her wand to the tea kettle. In moments hot water was there and she poured him some tea. "Thank you." He spoke. He stared at her hand for a moment and turned towards Sirius, a smile breaking across his face.
"Has he finally done it?" He asked. Sirius joined her and smiled.
"We will do it before we all go into hiding." She said and Lupin looked between them.
"So, he's told you his plan then." He spoke. "You shouldn't worry yourself Lia, I will watch out for Padfoot." He smiled at her.
"And he for you Remus. You will protect one another. Where is Peter?" She asked.
"He told me to tell you, he'd see you soon, He had to run patrol for Dumbledore." He said and they both nodded. "When will you do it?" He asked.
"I suppose before the spell is in place?" She asked and Sirius nodded.
"Let me send word to James and Lily. As soon as it is done Dumbledore should ready the spell." Sirius kissed her cheek and headed to their study.
"Remus, will you promise me something?" She asked him now that they were alone. "Will you make sure that he returns to me?" She asked and he placed his hand on hers.
"If it's the last thing I do." He spoke. Sirius joined them shortly after and they spent the next few hours eating dinner and talking. Remus headed off to sleep and Primrose and Amelia went to bed. Sirius watched them from the doorframe as he guarded them.
Draco pulled back and held Primrose in place. She stared at the floor, unable to speak again.
"Get the next one." He told her. "It's alright." He assured her.
"Something must have gone wrong." She muttered but took the next Vial. Together they closed their hands and eyes and allowed themselves to be sucked in.
In a similar house to where Primrose was born, they all sat in celebration. Remus, James and Lily, Sirius, a short man, who they assumed was Peter and Dumbledore. A few others were propped up against the window, guarding the home, but not joining the ceremonies. In the corner baby Harry and Primrose slept soundly. Lily took their picture. Amelia walked in, in a stunning off white dress and little roses in her hair. She smiled and everyone clapped.
"Allow us to begin." As Dumbledore married them, Rose's hand tightened on Draco's. They kissed and the cheering began. Not even an hour later and everyone was saying their goodbyes. Lily had Amelia in a tight hug, while James held Primrose and Sirius held Harry. Another flash.
"You will write me every day." Lily demanded with tears in her eyes. "And take lots of pictures. I have to see how my goddaughter is." She cried.
"And you will take many pictures of my Godson and give him lots of kisses from his aunt Lia." She cried. "James, you take care of them. Or you'll have to deal with me." She said, trying to sound threatening, but unable to. He hugged her cautiously as Lily took Primrose and kissed her forehead.
"Come here sweet girl. Aunt Lily will miss you so much." She spoke. Amelia takes Harry from Sirius and kisses his forehead.
"I expect you to remember your Aunt Lia, Harry. And to be Primmy's best friend when you two go to Hogwarts." She smiled, but the tears flowed freely now. "I love you, little one." She spoke and Sirius handed Harry to James. He held Amelia's face in his hands and kissed her on her lips passionately. Lily brought them Primrose and Sirius held her to him.
"As for you Primmy. Take care of your mother. She falls apart when she can't brush my silky hair." He laughed. "Daddy will see you very soon Princess. I love you." He told her and kissed her head. Sirius kissed his wife's lips and then her forehead as he handed over their daughter.
"As soon as we're gone, take the potion, the rest will occur with time. See you all soon." Dumbledore said. Amelia hugs Remus and Peter kisses her cheek.
"I love you." She says to Sirius, who blows her a kiss and puts on a brave face. She takes Dumbledore's hand. He cries freely now and so does she. Lily hands the others their drinks and Dumbledore disappears with Amelia and Primrose.
Draco and Rose break apart, their eyes watery on the edge of tears. She takes the vials and necklace and lock them back in the box. Rose sits back on the bed and wipes away her tears. Draco sits close by his hand in hand. It is late, much later then he anticipated it would be. Neither speaks for a while. She looks very sad, and he cannot take it any longer.
"Do you realize that we are related?" He says and she looks at him puzzled. "If your father is Sirius Black then he is my mother's cousin. Which means you're my cousin or second cousin." He smiled. "I always felt close to you, perhaps this is why." She smiled weakly.
"Cousin Draco." She laughed, but it quickly turned into sobs. "They never reunited and if that's the case my father does not know I exist." She cried. "But he loved me Draco, he wanted me. He never meant to leave me forever." She cried.
"I know, Rose." He told her.
"I still have so many questions." She spoke. "Why didn't Dumbledore restore their memories? Why didn't my mother try and find him when he escaped? Where is he now? Why didn't Harry come with us when his parents were killed?" She asked all the questions in seconds, barely understandable.
"We will find out. I promise, but you can't let this overrun you. You need to rest and then tomorrow we will continue." He told her. "Please." He begged. She nodded. Silently crying now. "You can take this from what you've learned. Your mother and father loved each other fiercely and they loved you more." He spoke. She nodded again.
"Thank you for coming tonight. I don't know where I'd be without you." She hugged him. Draco allowed himself to stay until Rose, fell asleep, then he cast his charm and headed out of her room. The entire way down to the dungeon he pictures how different their lives could have been. Had Harry and Rose grown up together, had they not had so much devastation in their lives. Where would they be? Would he still be famous? Could he have gotten along with him? Would he and Rose still be friends? He liked to believe that they would be. Rose was family after all. He reached his room, without being spotted and climbed into bed with none the wiser. That night Draco dreamt of a world without the Dark Lord and how much things could be different.
During the early morning hours, before Hogwarts was awake the DA had their first holiday Surprise. They walked into the room of Requirement and found it to be decorated by Dobby. Hermione laughed at the elf's Christmas surprise and joined the others. The meeting was productive, but short. Harry told them it would be their last until after the break. The other's seemed disappointed, but she was relived. She was not behind on her work, but she feared there was far too much going on to keep up. She hoped to spend some time with her parents and catch up on her reading during the break. Ron and Hermione had not spoken much since Ron's accusation, but she continued try, afraid he would never trust her. As they lingered by the door waiting for Harry, Hermione noticed that Cho lingered too.
"Ron, why don't we head to the common room?" Hermione suggested. He stared at her confused until she pointed at Harry and Cho.
"Right, lets go." She walked out with him and headed for the common room where Ron sat beside her by the open fire. It was bright outside now and the others had gone down to breakfast. They were practically alone. "Hey, Hermione, you got some plans for the break?" He asked her nervously.
"Not really. My parents wanted to take me ice skating at a rink near my flat. Why?" She asked him, he twiddled with his thumbs.
"I was thinking, since we will be you know where, that maybe I could come and see you. I'm sure my dad would love to see your muggle home." She smiled at him.
"I would really like that, Ronald." She said and he smiled up. Harry joined them a few minutes later.
"Well?" Ron asked him.
"We kissed." Harry said.
"Bloody right. How was it?" Ron asked him.
"Wet." They laughed. "She was sort of crying." Hermione knew what Cho must had been feeling and she tried to explain to the boys, but as she sometimes felt, she was misunderstood by the guys.
"Bloody hell, no one can fell all that at once, they'd explode." Ron tried to say after she attempted to explain.
"Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon." She responded to which they all laughed. Hermione was feeling better, she had successfully kept her distance from Rose, Umbridge and Draco for a while and maintained close to her other friends regularly. She still could not let go of the things she'd found out. Later that day, after Lunch, she headed to the library to the farthest back corner where rarely anyone went. It was the school's archives. She skimmed through book after book until she thought she had pieced together a theory. She could not ask anyone, for asking would break one promise or another. She finally found a picture from Professor Slug horns Slug Club Party where a young Lily Evans laughed with a young Amelia Avery. The two looked very chummy. It was Harry's mother who Rose's book mentioned and the coincidence in the other names mentioned. Padfoot was not that common, neither was moony or Prongs or even Wormtail. She thought she had the answers, but she was clearly mistaken.
"Hermione." Luna's voice came from the entrance to the Aisle. Hermione closed the book quickly. "You look nervous. Did I interrupt you doing something against the rules?" She asked dreamily.
"No, Luna. I was just reading." She told her.
"Do you often read out past students?" She asked.
"Sometimes." Hermione smiled.
"I come here too. Look." Luna picked out a book from a few years before the one Hermione held and flipped to a page easily. "These are my parents." She said showing Hermione the picture of the couple standing in front of a hippogriff.
"Wow, Luna you look just like your mother." She said and Luna's genuine smile widened.
"Thank you. She was quite beautiful." She told her.
"She was." She spoke. Luna and Hermione sat quietly reading through the old books. Hermione stopped at a page that was in another book. The face looked so eerily familiar she had to stop. She read the caption and froze.
"Alexander Avery, Quidditch captain and fellow teammate Regulus Black, seeker." She put her fingers on the page. He looked so much like Sirius.
"Is that Rose's uncle?" Luna asked and Hermione nodded. She wasn't aware that everyone called her Rose.
"Do you know her well?" Hermione asked.
"I see her from time to time. She tells me stories about her mother, and I tell her stories about mine." She told her and Hermione smiled.
"That's nice." She responded.
"She's not what everyone thinks, just a little broken, but who isn't?" Luna asked.
"That's true Luna." Hermione told her.
"We'll I should be off. See you on the train Hermione." She skipped off without another word and Hermione smiled at her. The rest of the day went uneventful, it wasn't until the next morning when Hermione could not find anyone that she knew something was wrong.
"Neville!" Hermione reached him as he came down from the dormitories. "Where is everyone?" She asked but Neville pulled her away from the on lookers into a corner.
"Harry lost it last night. Said someone was being attacked. We had to get Professor McGonagall. Ron went with him, but I haven't seen them since. I checked the Hospital wing this morning, but nothing. Fred and George and Ginny are gone too." He told her and Hermione left him, at a full sprint to find McGonagall. When she found instead was Umbridge outside of Dumbledore's office.
"They all had permission to leave, and it is a family matter. Furthermore, I don't have to explain my actions to you. I am still the headmaster of this school and as such, it is within my right to give permission for leaves as I please. Now if you'll excuse me." Hermione saw Dumbledore leave and Professor McGonagall smirk. Rose lingered close by, as Umbridge whispered to her.
"Get that to the ministry immediately." She told her sternly. Rose jogged down the stairs.
"Ah Ms. Granger, perhaps you'll be more open to sharing where your friends have gone to in the middle of the night." Hermione shook her head.
"I'm sorry Professor, I don't know- "Hermione tried to say, but Profesor McGonagall interjected.
"Ms. Granger doesn't owe you any explanations Dolores. Dumbledore has already said what was needed." She led Hermione away and towards the common room.
"What's going on Professor?" Hermione asked.
"Dumbledore asked me to explain it to you, but not here." She said and led Hermione all the way to her dorm. She waited.
"Mr. Potter witnessed Arthur Weasley being attacked at the Ministry last night. Someone was able to get to him and he's currently at Saint Mongos." Hermione gasped. "He will be just fine. We just heard from Molly, and they found him just in time." She spoke.
"I have to go to them Professor." She begged.
"I'm afraid that's impossible Ms. Granger. You are to be on the train tomorrow and with your parents as planned. I've already told the headmaster. If she gets even the slightest hint that you will be joining them, she will have you followed, and we can't have that."
"You're right Professor." She told her. Hermione packed her things and spent the day worrying. She wanted to be with her friends, she wanted to be sure everyone was alright. The following day as she headed down to Hogsmeade to catch the train a thought occurred to her.