A/N: My next chapter and it isn't a month later! I deserve a cookie :D but really, this chapter came together fairly easily so here it is. If you follow Cassie, I'm sorry, but this one has been taking my time and I haven't even started that chapter yet. I'm starting it now since this one is finished and hopefully will be able to have that ready soon. I have an idea of where it's going so it shouldn't be a complete shot in the dark. This has not been beta'd yet (I say this like you all don't already know I never wait). But I hope you like it anyways.

Peace, Love and Slyther 2017,

Gimi aka Jess

Hermione stood outside of the massive gates of LeStrange Estate looking up at the grand home of her past. If she was being honest, there was a familiar feeling about the manor. A sort of deja vu, if she was being honest. She held out her hand to touch the gate as Harry popped back into existence with Rodolphus. As she reached out to touch the gate, Harry shouted at her to stop. Jumping slightly, she turned to look at her friend in surprise.

"Hermione, you know better than that," Harry scolded her, "The gates could have been cursed, you know not to test wards like that."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Well of course Harry," She said with a huff. "I am a curse breaker, I can tell when shields are malevolent, these aren't." She put her hand to the gates and her fingers felt a warm caress as the magic flowed through her.

Rodolphus smiled, finally getting the confirmation that he was holding his breath for. While he knew in his heart of hearts that she was Lyra, a tiny doubting piece had still been there. His daughter was his favorite dream of his past; but as she touched the gates of his home- their home- it was no longer just a dream but truly his reality.

"The wards, they kno-" Rodolphus stopped, a bundle of nerves sitting on his windpipe; making it hard for him to breathe, to speak, "The wards know her mag- magical signature. The wards know she's Lyra, that she's home."

As he spoke the words, the gates began to open for them. Rodolphus began to walk through them. Hermione, reaching back to hold Harry's hand, pulled him through the wards and began to follow him up the long drive.

Holding onto Harry's hand, Hermione couldn't help but look around at her surroundings. The LeStrange Estate must still have at least one elf in it's possession, Hermione hoped there was more than one for the sheer size of it, it would be too big a job to have just one. While she was not happy with elves as slaves, she had given up on Elfish liberation as she really could see how they were happy to work for their families and how much like family most people treat them. She was uncomfortable owning one, she really had to think about maybe releasing Cheeks as a free elf but she was almost sure that is she suggested it to the tiny elf, Cheeks may jump off the roof of the Manor. Hermione got the feeling that Cheeks had missed her alot and being separated from her Missy was not going to go over well.

As they walked up to the massive doors, it opened and Cheeks stood there, bouncing on her heels as she welcomed her missy home again. Rodolphus gave the little elf a smile and led the two Gryffindors into the parlor.

"Okay," Harry said as Rodolphus sat down. Cheeks had followed the three of them, stopping only long enough to bring a tray of tea and sandwiches from the kitchen and setting it on a table off to the side. Harry grinned at the scene, it was an odd feeling to be in the home of a convicted death eater, the father of his best friend and to be served tea. Though it's not like he hadn't been to Malfoy Manor on occasion and had to sit there with Lucius and Draco; both who have sent unforgivables his way when he was a child. Maybe it wasn't such an odd feeling after all.

Harry let out a small chuckle before continuing, "Hermione you are the executor of the LeStrange Estate. Rodolphus, you are confined to the Manor unless Hermione is with you," Harry started, taking out his wand he started again, "I am going to perform a modified vow, a take on an Unbreakable. This vow can be lifted when it is deemed that you can be released further into society. We have already gone over your rules as to people you can associate with while on parole. No known Voldemort supporters are out with the exception of Lucius Malfoy. We also have a list of all wizards and witches whom claimed to be under the imperiused and you are not to be near them as well."

Rodolphus nodded, he had no need to be near his old comrades, he was getting too old for that bullshit. Never truly believing that muggleborns needed to be eradicated like his brother had, he didn't see himself engaging with any of them except for Thorfinn and Lucius and that was only because they were family or would be soon.

"You can be around the Malfoys and Rowle of course as they are family," Harry confirmed. "You are not allowed a wand presently, but Hermione will be checking in with an auror on your progress and you may gain limited use eventually." Harry didn't mention a time frame, as it was Lucius still wasn't allowed wand and it had been many years since the war.

"I've been in prison for most of my daughter's life," Rodolphus said to Harry, "I don't need a wand if I can be with her now."

Hermione felt a warmth begin to fill her stomach, but being the logical witch that she was, she stifled it down. The man had only met her twice on friendly terms, she was not going to get sucked into this need to bond with him just yet. They had only spent very minimal time together, she was not ready for that yet.

Harry nodded, he understood where Rodolphus was coming from. If he had a chance to be with his parents again, but couldn't do magic, he knew he would do the same thing.

Harry took out a quill and parchment with all the rules for probation and after a quick signature, Rodolphus gave a small bow and went upstairs to leave his daughter and her friend to give Hermione a bit of space. Rodolphus knew she would be nervous, maybe even scared to be in the same room as him for long periods of time, so he would ease her into it.

OoOoOoO

Thorfinn pulled his arm away from the dark skinned auror as soon as he landed in front of his childhood home. He could see his sister pop next to him in his peripheral and he relaxed. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he had been worried for a moment without his sister there, that the auror would just do him in and save his golden girl friend the trouble of marriage to an ex-death eater.

Ingrid, sensing the tension rolling off her brother, reached down and gave his hand a small squeeze. This is the first contact Thorfinn had had with his sister in seven years. At first touch, Thorfinn couldn't help but flinch, the movement was subtle, but Ingrid squeezed even harder until he returned the gesture of comfort. Grinning up at her brother, she moved over and began to remove the wards on the home so the auror may enter.

Walking onto the familiar grounds and the feeling of the wards run through him as they let him pass, Thorfinn sighed in relief. Following his sister with the Auror at his back, he continued until they were in the manor. Dean proceeded to give him his rules and performed the modified vow. He and Ingrid made certain that aurors with their badge, would be able to apparate onto the grounds of the property. Thorfinn only listened because he refused to go back to prison, if following the rules and marrying that uppity Gryffindor kept him out of Azkaban, well just call him a Hufflepuff. Well, maybe not that far…

Finishing his speech, Dean got Thorfinn to sign the agreement and left the siblings to themselves. As the door closed Thorfinn's grin grew into a full and bright smile as he picked up his little sister and spun her in excitement. Ingrid squealed and threw her head back slightly as she reminisced of their childhood when they would run around the garden playing.

As he put her on the ground, he brought her in for a bear hug which she returned, squeezing her brother with tears in her eyes. She had missed Thorfinn since she had gotten married. They had always been close, but moving away to stay out of the conflict had torn her heart in half knowing that Thor had been in the thick of it. Damn their father for believing in such a despicable man… thing… she wasn't even sure what to call her father's Lord. Thor had had such a bright future. Ingrid was reminded of her brother in their potions lab. Anyone who didn't know the giant of a man wouldn't have guessed, but he was a skilled potioneer. Ingrid remembered how he had been aiming for an apprenticeship with a master potioneer from Salem. Before the mad man came back, Thorfinn was on his way to America to study with the best.

And then the Tri-Wizard Tournament happened in Thorfinn's 7th year. Ingrid watched as her brother went from aspiring potions master to having that blasted mark on his arm and bowing down to a Lord whom he didn't even believe in. Ingrid had felt bad, her brother had not had an easy life. The heir of the Rowle line, he knew his duties to his family and the one thing that Thorfinn was without fail, a dutiful son.

"Finn we need to talk," Ingrid said with a final squeeze.

"Not yet Iggy," Thorfinn grumbled as he pulled her back into his embrace. It had been years since he had his sister in his arms, he wasn't ready to let her go.

"No now Thorfinn," Ingrid said sternly and pulled away, walking into the parlor. Sitting in the dragonhide wingback chair in front of the fire, she waited for her brother.

Standing at the door, Thorfinn quirked an eyebrow at his little perfect pureblood sister. Sitting there with her ankles crossed and her hands clasped in her lap he almost let out a chuckle, but thought better of it. While Ingrid was the perfect Rowle or Pucey these days, in public; Thorfinn had been on the other end of her curses in the past. While underage magic could be detected within muggle homes easily enough, in a full magical home it was harder to detect and if using an adult's wand, it was never a problem. Ingrid had taken to borrowing their mother's wand and issuing punishment as she had seen their mother had given. While the fit wasn't exact, the magic still worked so she was able to cast jinxes on her brother without anyone knowing the wiser.

"Sit Thor, it's important." Ingrid said gesturing to the chair next to her.

Thorfinn shook his head in amusement and sat with his sister. He would indulge her this one time, "What is it Iggy?"

"What are you going to do about Hermione?" Ingrid asked, looking fairly serious at her brother. Thorfinn snorted and grinned, as she knew he would. Ingrid was afraid of this, her brother was not taking this seriously, he had not spent any time with the girl because of their differences in age and the obvious, Ingrid had spent a little time with her through her years at Hogwarts. They would meet in the library and had a bit of an understanding while studying.

"What do you mean? I have to marry the bint."

"Thorfinn Rowle, you are such an idiot!" Ingrid yelled jumping to her feet. "You honestly think that she will marry you if you don't change your attitude towards her?"

Thorfinn rolled his eyes, "Of course she will, otherwise she dies. That's why they let me out Iggy."

Ingrid shook her head, "You really are stupid, mother and father must have dropped you on your head as a child. Hermione Granger will not care if she dies."

"Her name is Lyra LeStrange."Thorfinn said with a grin. "And mother and father would have had to have touched me as a child in order to drop me. I'm fairly sure mother was allergic to affection."

"No idiot," Ingrid spat out, "Her name is Hermione, you really never paid attention to her in school did you? She ran into danger. She was fighting three headed dogs at 12, I'm pretty sure she knew about the DADA professor being a werewolf in school and didn't tell anyone and if Draco is right she stole a dragon. You really think death is going to be hard for her to grapple with? Especially with a man who wanted to see her blood spilt? Thorfinn, think! Hermione Granger will not have any qualms with sending you to your death even if it meant her own!" Ingrid all but screamed at him.

"She wouldn't do that." Thorfinn argued back, "She won't let me die and her friends won't let her die either. She'll marry me, don't worry Iggy."

"Don't you Iggy me Thorfinn Rowle, I'll hex you silly and you'll wish to be back at Azkaban." Ingrid said shaking her finger in his face. In spite of himself he looked up at his little sister, she was the only woman who would think to talk to a Rowle man like that since his mother. "She's a Gryffindor, they aren't self preserving like you Slytherin are, she would see it as one less Death Eater to torture the wizarding world with. She's the most stubborn woman I've seen and I've known her since school. She was willing to die for her best friend, she will die for the whole of wizarding kind and she doesn't like you. Especially now that she can't marry her childhood sweetheart."

Thorfinn scoffed as he tried to remember the redhead that use to hang about his fiancée. He really couldn't remember, he remembered the twins that were in Ingrid's year and the pompous one the year above him, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember the one Hermione loved. "What do you want me to do? You already said she hates me, She thinks I tried to kill her!"

"You did try and kill her Thor!"

Thorfinn jumped to his feet, "I did not try and kill her! Fucking Salazar you honestly think I would have killed her? She was a kid Iggs, she was no older than you were for fucks sake! I tried to bind her, to bring her in, but I wouldn't have killed her."

Ingrid scowled, "You would have bound her and brought her to that no nosed freak! He would have killed her, it's as good as you killing her yourself. It would have been kinder if you had just tried to kill know as well as I do, that freak would have done away with her and it would have been your fault!"

"Damnit Ingrid!" Thorfinn's voice echoed through the large room, the window panes rattling from the volume, "Do you think I had a fucking choice?! That I wanted to give up my life to serve that fucking psycho? But father said I had to and I always had to do what he said. You know I couldn't have said no, he would have killed me and then where would that have left you? You ungrateful brat, he wouldn't have cared, he would have made you taken that fucking mark."

Ingrid paled at her brother's words, "What are you talking about? I was always going to be married, father wouldn't have-"

Thorfinn snorted, "He didn't have a fucking choice! His own father had promised fealty to the Dark Lord while they were in school. Every heir of Rowle was to serve the Lord. If I said no, I would have been killed and you, my precious sister would have been the heir. I took the bloody mark and made him move your contract up to Pucey and you left the country. I did what I had to do so don't fucking talk to me like you know what goes through my head Ingrid Rowle!"

Ingrid sank back in her chair, eyes dazed as Thorfinn's words penetrated her brain. Thorfinn took the mark to save her. He forced his father to get Ingrid away from the madness, her brother saved her future by endangering his own and now was a piraha among wizards.

"Finnie," Ingrid whispered, Thorfinn turned to stare down at his sister, "Finnie, you have to try. Hermione will not accept her fate with you if you don't start trying to win her heart. I lost you once, I can't-, I can't lose you Finn. I've lost so much, I can't lose you again."

Thorfinn grimaced at the sight of tears in his sister's blue eyes. He had always hated it when she cried, kneeling down in front of her. Thorfinn lifted her face with his index finger and swept away the trails of wetness down her cheeks, "I promise you Ingrid, I will try. That LeStrange chit will fall for me."

Ingrid laughed, "You are an idiot Finn, just try and hold your tongue." Thorfinn gave his sister an eyebrow waggle and she smacked him on the back of the head, "Seriously Finn, just try and get to know her, she's actually quite a brilliant girl."

Thor lifted an eyebrow again with a smile this time, "You know how much brilliant witches love me."

Ingrid snorted and gave her brother a long lost look of affection. "They loved it a million years ago Finn," she said eying him up and down, with uncertainty. "You are in need of a good scrub, you are filthy."

Thorfinn looked down at his ministry provided clothes and chuckled, "Yes well," he started as he stood up, "I didn't have the nicest accommodations. I should go clean up before tea."

Ingrid stood up and threw her arms around her brother, fresh tears blurring her vision. "I've missed you Finnie, I'm so sorry I left you to take care of this burden, but now you're free, please try hard. I need you brother."

Thorfinn huffed, rolled his eyes and gave his sister a sly smile as he hugged her tighter. "I'll see what I can do Iggy." With one last squeeze he let her go and left her to her thoughts.

OoOoOoO

Hermione and Harry began exploring the manor. Hermione knew there was nothing that could hurt them. Besides being a professional curse breaker, the aurors had swept the house many years ago after the war. All dark artifacts had been disposed of. Down the corridor from the parlor she could see a set of french doors that opened into a dark wood panelled room filled with books.

Hermione's eyes grew big as she pushed open the glass of the door and the fireplace sprang to life. The two friends walked into the LeStrange family library. A cream sofa sat in front of the roaring fire and in the back of the room was an oversized desk and dark leather chair. Harry looked around as Hermione began to read the titles on the wall.

Harry went behind the desk and moved a heavy navy and cream curtain. It was apparent the elves still kept the house pristine, not a speck of dust on anything. "Hermione, come look at this," Harry called behind him to his friend. Her small footfalls stopped behind him and he heard her gasp. Along the wall was a tapestry like the Black family tapestry at Grimmauld Place, but of the LeStrange family. Several familiar names appeared on the tapestry; The Bulstrodes, Selwyns, Fawleys, Notts, and Parkinsons; all names they both had known through school. Hermione glanced at the tree with little interest until she saw it.

Rodolphus LeStrange - Bellatrix Black

And then

Hermione Jean (Lyra Capri) LeStrange

"Looks like the tapestry knows who you are," Harry commented as his own eyes landed on her name. "Merlin, this really makes it real Hermione."

Hermione snorted, "Yes, because the two blood charms and the drastic hair and eye change didn't make it real."

Harry chuckled too, "Well of course that did, smart arse." Hermione smacked his arm and he grinned at his friend, "But I mean, even then I had a sliver of hope that it was a mistake and we could send them back to Azkaban and you could marry Ron."

Hermione sighed as her heart dropped at the mention of Ron, "Yeah." She said, brushing her curls behind her ear and sucking back the tears that threatened to fall again, "I had hopes of that same thing too. I didn't really want this to be my life." She looked around the room with a bit of sadness. Something that is never in Hermione's eyes when she was in a library.

Harry looked around the room too and put an arm around her shoulder, "Oh well. You can do this Hermione. You are a Gryffindor and no matter your family, that doesn't change who you are. You are Hermione Granger LeStrange, Muggle raised witch. Don't you give into Narcissa and her pureblood ideals."

Hermione smiled at her friend, "You think I have a chance against Narcissa Malfoy?"

Harry gave her a side grin, "Not a chance in Hades. You will be in dress robes the size of Hogwarts by August."

Hermione chuckled again silently agreeing with her friend as they moved to leave the room and continue their exploring.

OoOoOoO

Rodolphus had left his daughter… his daughter… Rodolphus ran his hand through his brown hair in amazement. He still couldn't believe that it was true. His daughter, his Lyra had come back to him. He let his feet take him up the stairs and the next thing he knew he was standing in pale green and peach colored room. His blue eyes looked around the nursery, not seeing its current state, but remembering the past.

The black haired little girl in her blue party robes on her first birthday, holding onto the furnishings and tottering on her little legs. His beautiful wife calling out as Cheeks stood behind Lyra in case the little girl fell down. Then another memory of the same little girl with her cousin, screaming, laughing, and playing. Her first bout with illness when his wife would not leave the little girl's cot even as Cheeks went about feeding the babe potions to get better. Memories, memories of a daughter in his past. The daughter of his present was unrecognisable and feared him. Maybe not feared, but certainly did not trust him.

Rodolphus turned and slowly walked out of the room, his eye caught sight of a small, green dragon that laid in the cot as he passed. He picked it up and held it to his nose, hoping without reason that he could smell his Lyra's scent clinging to the toy. Hoping in vain, but hoped nonetheless. Dropping the toy to his side, he left the room.

"Cheeks." Rodolphus called out as he could hear a door close downstairs in the distance. With a distinct Pop! Cheeks appeared by his side. Staring at the door, Rodolphus said, "Please seal this door until L- Hermione is ready." Cheeks nodded solemnly and began to seal and ward the door closed.

Once the little elf is done she looked up at her master with sadness in her eyes, "Done Master Roddy," she said in a whisper.

Rodolphus looked down at his daughter's nanny elf. "Thank you Cheeks, will you leave this for Hermione in her room. I will be in my room if she needs me. I know we are to go to the Potter's home for dinner tonight. I must get ready." He held out the little dragon for the elf and she took it with a nod. Giving the little elf an affectionate pat on the head, he walked down the hall to the master suite to get ready. That night he was walking into an actual lion's den. Walking in unarmed, but he would do it for his daughter. They were her family, have been for longer than she had been his own really. He would do it for Hermione, she was worth it. He would do whatever it took to get his daughter back.

There was no more Dark Lord, no more line drawn in the sand, hell, No more lunatic brother dragging him off into a war he did not think necessary. He was the last male LeStrange, the maker of his own future finally and he would be damned if his name was left in the mud because of Rabastan. He would begin to restore the noble name and maybe one day, Hermione could hold her head up when she revealed she was a LeStrange. One day, his daughter would be proud… he hoped.