Chapter 24: Domos Neutrum
Ianthe Greengrass was having a gory nightmare. Every night since her husband had been killed, she was plagued by horrible scenes. Misery famously loves company and the interruption of her husband's funeral by two Death Eaters who murdered her mother-in-law had proven that. Lyra and Ianthe had never been close. They had a civil albeit distant relationship. This did nothing to lessen the impact of having Lyra beheaded in front of her and her daughters. Ianthe shot up in bed. The last thing she saw was Lyra's blood bathing her children, who died as the blood touched them in her nightmare.
Lady Greengrass threw away her covers and poured herself a glass of water with shaky hands. Trust Chiky, her Head Elf, to anticipate her mistress' needs. Dante had been right when he wrote that "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality." Ianthe couldn't help but feel that they were now paying the price for their historical status of Domos Neutrum (Neutral House) that the Greengrass family had upheld for at least four generations. They had seen wars come and go and had remained secluded in their estate. Greengrass Manor had everything the family could need. They had loyal house-elves that were the only ones to leave the manor in times of war to procure supplies. The heirs of the family would only leave the safety of their home to attend Hogwarts, which was the only place that could be safer.
While the Wizarding World buried and mourned their victims, House Greengrass would stay secluded and safe. They did send mourning cards, and care packages to their friends who suffered losses, but they remained within the ironclad safety of their walls. Greengrass Manor was protected by ancient blood rituals. Anyone who was not a Greengrass by blood or marriage would die a horrible, slow death if they attempted to breach their wards. The last war had proven those defenses to be impenetrable. When Voldemort was declared dead by The Daily Prophet, the manor's elves went out to remove at least five corpses in different states of decay that lay against their barriers.
Sunrays came through the space between Ianthe's bedroom curtains. She bathed, got dressed, and sought the counsel of her husband's portrait. They had a long conversation and agreed that considering recent events, House Greengrass needed to take a stand once and for all. Lord Greengrass suggested bringing back alliances. It was a bold idea. For a Domus Neutrum to request an alliance was unheard of; however, Ianthe would not allow her daughters to suffer the same fate of her husband and mother-in-law. If someone attacked her somehow, they would have no one left to take care of them and keep them safe.
Ianthe recalled her daughter Daphne telling her she kept seeing two bad men coming in the house to hurt them. Daphne had a gift. Ianthe had been on edge since her girl told her this. Her little girl had predicted her father would be killed in the job. Ianthe had never seen her daughter so sad. Her gift was also her curse. Lady Greengrass had breakfast with her daughters and retired to her room to write a letter to Lord Black. Her husband suggested she reached out to him and Lady Longbottom first. Augusta had yet to reply, but Ianthe didn't want to wait.
She sat down at her writing desk and began the letter. She was midway to finishing when she felt as if she had been struck in the stomach by a morning star. Someone had gone through the wards. Ianthe spat blood. Blood wards were funny that way. The house shook. An explosion in the hallway sent a glass shard from a vase flying to her leg before she could move away. Ianthe did not flinch. She was not an average witch. She transfigured several cushions into angry guard dogs that ran at the Death Eaters. Then, she made a water-phobic fire barrier. She hobbled to the balcony, hurriedly finished the letter, tied it, and sealed it with a spell. Only Lord Black would be able to read it. Her owl had been waiting on the balcony. She prayed to Morgana that her words would be legible as the ink hadn't dried. She touched her amulet, but as she apparated away, she saw that her owl fell. Bloody hell! Now no one would know of the attack.
Three-year-old Astoria was attacked in her crib by a Death Eater. She was now unconscious by Merlin knows which curse. Daphne, her sister, had been hiding in the closet. The eight-year-old had a vision that this would happen. But she didn't know it would happen so soon. Usually, her visions would hit her weeks before something occurred. This time, it took a day. She bravely ran into the room as soon as the cloaked figure which attacked her sister ran out to look for her mother. Daphne held her sister and touched their safety amulets. They appeared in the kitchen. Daphne rang the home's emergency bell. Four elves popped and cast protective enchantments in the room so only the family could apparate within it. Seconds after this, the kitchen shook with an explosion somewhere upstairs. Ianthe was barely able to hide in the balcony. This was quite painful as a big shard of glass had gone in her thigh. Daphne hurt her ankle trying not to drop her sister.
Ianthe appeared in the kitchen and saw her elves fighting a hooded figure which could not pass the threshold of the kitchen. She accioed her daughters and apparated to the basement before the cloaked men even realize she was there.
Ianthe was shocked, but there was no time to cry over her unconscious toddler, her panicked girl, or her destroyed home. She had tried to accio the grimoire to no avail. Those bastards! She transfigured an earring to a dagger and cut her palm. This activated the family runes that opened the tunnel.
"Daphne, run through this tunnel, and take your sister! I'll be right behind you. If I am not with you in three minutes, rip off your amulets and crush them. That will bring down the house!"
"But, mommy! You will be in the house! Where are you going?" Daphne was crying. Ianthe waved her wand and stuck her daughters together so Daphne could run without holding her sister.
"We do not leave behind those who fight for us. I need to help our elves. Go!"
The girl had tears rolling down her dust-covered face, but she ran as fast as her young legs would carry her while being careful not to let go of her sister. She half ran, half limped. Was the Astoria dead? She was not breathing much and looked pale. This only made Daphne run faster.
Back in the kitchen, one elf had been decapitated while three others were hurt but were fighting fiercely.
"You piece of shit. Let us through, your mistress left you lot behind. She does not deserve your loyalty!"
"Mistress will comes back for us!" one of her elves screeched with certainty. He snapped his fingers and pans, and pots started attacking the Death Eaters. The protective spell on the door was about to give out from all the unforgivables being thrown towards it.
Ianthe apparated in their cold storage. Her heart filled with pride. Her elves were so brave! She waved her wand in intricate patterns and covered the wand tip with her blood. She felt an immense pull on her core. It hurt. Everything froze. No one but her could move. She threw a handful of her newly invented night powder towards the door, and the room began filling with black, odorless smoke. She ran to her elves, grabbed all of them, she even accioed the decapitated one and his head. She sent a Fiendfyre gush at the Death Eaters and apparated to the tunnel with the elves. The Death Eaters were barely able to jump back when time was no longer frozen. Still, they were severely burnt. Ianthe appeared in the tunnel, her legs almost failed her, but once she saw her daughter, she yelled, "Daphne, don't turn around and keep going, mommy will be right with you."
Her daughter nodded and climbed the stairs up out of the tunnel with difficulty.
Ianthe held back tears. "Chiky, Milly, Jonsi, thank you for protecting us. Our House is so proud to have you as friends. I am so sorry about Ritzy! Please go to our account manager in Gringotts. Take him with you. I'll send help as soon as I can," Ianthe conjured a fabric bag, the elves carefully placed Ritzy and his head in the bag.
"And you, mistress?" a distressed Chiky asked.
"I'll be right behind you."
The elves popped away. Ianthe collapsed the rest of the tunnel behind her with a couple of bombardas. She was pushing her body to keep going. Exhaustion made her limbs feel heavy. Then, pushing the tip of her wand into her cut, to gather a bit more of her blood, she did several spells to cover their tracks. She transfigured sticks and stones to look like her and her daughters' corpses. The sight was disturbing. Daphne was obediently facing away. Ianthe wrapped her arms around her kids and hugged them hard. She felt her core dimming rapidly. She had to apparate before she lost it. Abruptly, a memory came to her: the formula! Ianthe took a vial with a thick white liquid from her clothes. She opened it and drank it greedily. That should revitalize her core for a while, but it would cost her a lot of rest.
"Daphne, hold on to mommy, and please do as I say when we are in Gringotts."
The girl nodded and bawled against her mother's abdomen.
"Without proof of identity or your Lord or Head of House, I cannot let you talk to a manager."
"My Head of House is dead!" Ianthe yelled. Daphne began crying, holding on to her mother's waist.
"And I am sorry for your loss, madam, but that doesn't change Gringotts' policies."
"Policies?! Death Eaters violated our blood wards. Blood wards! Those wards kept my family safe for over one hundred years. I still don't know how they did that. My baby was cursed, and she may not even make it through today!"
"Look, I understand, miss, but I cannot let you in unless you identify yourself and surrender your wand. And like I already said, account managers are not available. King Nagkrat called them to a meeting and-" the human greeter couldn't finish his sentence as Ianthe interrupted him.
"Call your branch manager then!" Ianthe felt her daughter shake. Daphne had a bout of angry magic and pushed the man harshly away from her mother.
"What the hell, lady? Calm the fuck down!" the greeter complained, holding to a statue so he wouldn't fall.
"You clearly don't understand. I need to protect my daughters, you imbecile. I will accept any punishment the King gives me as long as my daughters are safe! We were attacked in our home! My husband was murdered by Death Eaters recently. Then, his mother was murdered at his funeral in front of my daughters. My baby is unconscious from one of their curses! I have a fucking piece of glass so deep in my thigh that I cannot move it lest I bleed out! Do not fucking tell me to calm down!"
The greeter was slapped so harshly that he struggled to stay standing.
Ianthe's wand was growing hot with unreleased spells, and her long, wavy, dusty, raven hair levitated in anger. Two guards pointed their spears at her, and they would have thrown them too if Remus and Sirius hadn't come in running through the doors. As allies to the nation, they did not have to be screened or to surrender their wands. The men jumped to protect Ianthe and the girls. Sirius jumped in front of them, and Remus jumped behind them. Several more goblins looked ready to attack as well.
"Stoooooop!" Sirius exclaimed, raising his strongest protego merging it with Remus' protective spell. "Brave warriors! Listen to me! This woman and her daughters are under the protection of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. As Gringotts' allies and friends, we demand a cease-fire so we can talk to King Nagkrat in private."
Remus touched Ianthe's shoulder lightly. She turned. "Lady Greengrass, we got you, just lower your wand," he said. She obeyed without a clue of who he was. She only cared about her daughters. If these men were willing to face goblins for her, she would follow them. A bong clanged, and thick cells closed all the areas of Gringotts.
King Nagkrat came charging into the room. Bank customers parted, and the smart ones bowed and threw their wands away. Nagkrat growled in Gobbledegook, "What is the meaning of this?!"
The warriors stayed put. One of them replied, "She is threatening out territory, your majesty. They won't let us punish her…"
King Nagkrat raised an eyebrow, look at the distressed, clearly hurt woman, and growled back, "If you are afraid of her, perhaps you should reconsider your career path, soldier."
"Your majesty," Sirius bowed low without ending his spell.
"Lord Black, explain yourself…"
"Are we still allies?" Lord Black asked hurriedly with a shaky voice.
"Yes," the king replied after a few thoughtful seconds. At a movement of his staff, the soldiers took two steps back and lowered their weapons. Sirius let go of a breath that he had been holding.
"Then, we need your help. In private."
Once in the king's office, Nagkrat began with a simple "Who are they?"
"Lady Greengrass and her daughters…" Sirius stopped realizing he did not know the girls' names.
"Daphne and Astoria," Ianthe said.
"Why wouldn't you tell our greeter who you are, Lady Greengrass?" The king waved his staff, and side doors opened to reveal a healer who waited to be invited in.
"I don't know who I can trust! I am sorry about your greeter, but he told me to calm down! Never tell a desperate, angry mother to calm down!" she yelled. She suddenly realized she should not speak in that tone to the king. "I apologize your majesty. I am not myself right now."
"Lady Greengrass, I understand. I don't really like the greeter myself," the king chuckled. "If you don't mind, it would speed things along if we could see your memories of this attack... Healer Chainmaster can take care of your daughters and your leg."
"Yes, I would appreciate that, Your Grace. Please, take care of my daughters first. My elves are also hurt and are waiting for help in my account manager's office," Ianthe said to the healer.
The healer took the baby and the girl and began waving her hands over their bodies. Both kids glowed different colors as they were diagnosed. Ianthe took out her relevant memories and put them in the king's pensieve all the while looking at her children nervously. The king, Remus, and Sirius pushed their heads into the pensieve to watch the memories. Suddenly, the baby girl opened her eyes and began wailing.
"Astoria!" Ianthe took her crying baby and peppered kisses all over her face. "What had happened to her?"
"Nasty Death Eater curse. We have seen it before. It keeps people unconscious, and they die of hunger and thirst without proper a counter curse. Are you breastfeeding her still?"
Ianthe nodded. "No. She is already on some solids."
"You need to feed her nutritional potions at least once a day," Chainmaster explained, handing the woman a piece of parchment. "Here is the dosage. The other child was just scared and tired. I calmed her core, but it was seriously depleted. She needs rest. Lady Greengrass, take a deep breath so I can remove the glass and seal your wound."
Ianthe did as she was told. It hurt, but her leg was healed. "Thank you. Can you please see my elves?"
The healer nodded. Before she left, Ianthe asked, "Healer… do you communicate with St. Mungo's?"
"When necessary. Mostly to share knowledge. Why?" the healer seemed suspicious.
"I have reason to believe there are dark spies in St. Mungo's. Please be careful," Ianthe said, kneeling and hugging Daphne, who seemed about to pass out. The healer nodded somberly. She had read about something like this from the times of Grindelwald. Chainmaster waved her hands over Lady Greengrass's head.
"Lady Greengrass, you need to rest right away. Your core will not hold for much longer," the healer left.
The king and the men took their heads out of the large pensieve. They all had angry scowls.
"Lady Greengrass," Sirius offered his hand. "Pardon my ghastly manners. I am Sirius Black. This is Remus Lupin, the love of my life."
Ianthe kept her face as neutral as she could. It was quite unheard of for gay couples to be so open with their relationships in the Wizarding World… "A pleasure to meet you both, Lord Black, Mr. Lupin."
"We wish we could have met in different circumstances. We are sorry for your loss. Tobias was a great Auror."
Ianthe inhales shakily through her nose. I am a widow, she thought. Exhaustion and despair suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. She hadn't had time to realize how permanent her loss was due to the constant threat of danger, but now it had hit home, her husband was never coming back. With that thought, her knees gave out from under her. Remus' wolf reflexes managed to catch her before she hit the ground, and Sirius caught the baby. Daphne, who had been holding her mother's free hand, fell forward, and king Nagkrat caught her by the back of her shirt with his staff before her face hit the ground. Ianthe had passed out. Remus swiftly conjured a sofa and placed Ianthe. Daphne began crying anew.
"Mommy!"
"Lady Greengrass!" Remus said while shaking her shoulders. "Was she cursed?"
Nagkrat waved his hand over her. "No, but remember that she performed a blood magic ritual to stop time for a few seconds. Her core is almost entirely empty."
"Bloody hell… Can I push some magic into her?" Sirius asked, growing worried.
"Only if you are compatible, let me check you," Nagkrat cut Sirius' palm with his staff. A drop levitated. Nagkrat did the same to Ianthe's hand. Another drop levitated. They swirled around each other and then merged. "You match. You may push some magic."
Sirius took a deep breath and touched his forehead to Ianthe's. She glowed white and opened her eyes.
"W-What h-happened?" she asked groggily. Taking Daphne in her arms. She felt revitalized by a foreign energy source.
"Your core is almost empty. I pushed some of my magic into you to stabilize you. I hope you don't mind," Sirius replied with a smile.
"T-Thank you."
"Lady Greengrass, do you have a safe place to stay?" King Nagkrat enquired.
"No, the manor was entirely destroyed. I was thinking of moving abroad, I-I have distant family in France," she replied slowly. "Have you decided on my request?" she asked, looking at Sirius.
"I read what you said about the alliances. I still need to look into that. However, I can offer you sanctuary until we can sit down to discuss what an alliance between our houses would entail. You and your daughters need rest. We can talk when you feel better," Sirius squeezed the woman's hand. She nodded, gratitude all over her expression.
Remus asked, "Is there anything you need to get before we leave?"
"Do you have nutritional potions where we are going?"
"Yes, we do. We've been preparing to help our friends," Remus replied with a tentative smile. Ianthe nodded, smiling back.
"Your majesty, do you think you can arrange to get Mrs. Snape out of St. Mungo's without raising alarm? Ianthe has information that points to spies being there."
"It will be done. Where should we take her?" Nagkrat replied, scribbling a note.
"The manor."
The king nodded, sighing sadly, "It's just like the first war all over again."
"No, sir. We know better now. We will fight them together!" Remus replied, putting one hand on the goblin's armor. "Darkness will not prevail!"
The king put his armored hand on top of the back of the werewolf's pale hand. The goblin had a sudden bright idea. "We need to complete Lily Potter's law and make it a reality. That way, we can work together in harmony."
"What? You mean she finished it?!" Sirius was shocked.
"Yes, but it was shared on a need to know basis. We wanted to keep it under wraps until the final version was ready to be discussed in the Wizengamot," king Nagkrat explained.
"That is more of a r-reason to a-awaken the alliances, your majesty," Ianthe said slowly.
"True," the goblin summoned a thick tome and handed it to Sirius. "Here is the documentation on past alliances of the wizarding world going all the way back to Camelot. Study it well before you make any decisions that can't be undone."
"Thank you, your majesty," Sirius bowed. "We need to go before the Grangers come out armed looking for us."
"King Nagkrat. Thank you for your help. Please tell my account manager to send my elves to their shelter in my vault."
Emma Granger was shocked. This old lady on her husband's arm was Neesy in disguise. She excused herself at the nurse's station claiming to be ill. The old lady pulled them to a secluded spot in an alley and popped the couple home.
Narcissa and Mr. Snape were in the living room watching the kids. Three hospital-style stretchers were there as well as several different potions and salves. Harry and Hermione seemed scared and ran toward Daniel and Emma. The doctors hugged the kids and then fired their questions quickly.
"Okay, someone, please explain what is happening?"
"Where are Sirius and Remus?"
"Who was attacked?"
"Who attacked them?"
"Are we safe here?"
"Emma, Lady Greengrass, and her daughters were attacked. We don't know much else. Apparently, Ianthe wrote to Sirius to ask for help. They are not back yet. We are worried about them, but we are safe here. Apparently, the hospital has been compromised. Severus is trying to get his mother out without raising suspicion, but we don't know how yet. We wrote to Lady Longbottom to ask for advice."
"How long ago did they leave? About an hour, but Neesy was told to wait to go get you,"
Emma frowned. That dog would hear her! "Mommy, don't get cross at Uncle Padfoot. He was under a lot of stress. He didn't want to interrupt you at work…" Hermione pouted.
Emma sighed. Now her kids could read her emotions… or was it her mind? Damn. "In the future, please inform me right away, Neesy."
"Yes, missy Grangy. I is sorry," Neesy bowed.
The Grangers and Narcissa began pacing. Severus was reading a book. The kids were trying to complete a puzzle to pass the time. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then an hour. Daniel cursed.
"Language!" Emma whisper shouted. She noticed a bandaged owl in a perch by the corner of the room.
"Sorry, but I can't keep waiting here doing nothing! We should have Neesy take us to wherever they are!"
"And do what Daniel? We are not magical, it's pointless, not to mention dangerous and we have no clue what we could be walking into and-"
A gust of ashes came out of the main fireplace. Sirius was carrying a woman who was cradling a toddler in her arms. Remus was carrying a little girl who seemed to be asleep.
"No need to get the guns, doctors, we're home," said Sirius. Daniel rushed to take the woman and put her on a stretcher. Emma took the Astoria, and Narcissa took Daphne.
"What happened to them?" Severus asked with a frown. The Grangers began checking the family for injuries but were seeing none. They were a bit bruised and covered in dry blood and soot, as well as in debris.
"Yaxley, he and someone else attacked Greengrass Manor. They cursed little Astoria and Daphne was able to take her sister to safety. Their elves fought hard to protect them."
"What about Tob-Lord Greengrass?"
"He died in Gringotts… A couple of months ago. He was in his Auror capacity. He fought bravely when the Order of the Black Phoenix broke into Gringotts to release Dumbledore," Sirius replied. Narcissa went pale as a ghost. The Order of the… She could kill her husband. Lucius had known Tobias was dead, and he never told her. Malfoy was the only person in their home who could read the news. Narcissa bit the inside of her cheeks to keep from crying. Severus placed his hand on top of hers to offer silent support. She had once confided in him after a particularly nasty brawl she had with Lucius. Severus knew what Greengrass meant to Narcissa. Sirius had no idea Narcissa still had feelings for the Auror. Otherwise, he would have never said that so casually. Narcissa grabbed Severus's hand and took a shaky breath. "I will tell you about that tomorrow, okay?" Sirius suggested.
Narcissa nodded.
"Lady Greengrass did b- a very difficult kind of magic," Remus said. It wouldn't do to tell the kids about blood magic. They would be scared, and the Grangers would be disgusted. "That's how she was able to leave with her daughters alive. They went to Gringotts, and we found them there."
Sirius carried on, "A goblin healer took care of Astoria and Daphne. Lady Greengrass only hurt her leg, which was healed, but her core was almost completely depleted."
Severus gasped. "Whatever did she do?"
"She stopped time," Remus replied with a shudder.
"What?!" the Grangers turned to Remus so fast that their necks hurt. Narcissa paled further, sitting next to Severus with wide eyes.
"Um… There is a very complex series of dangerous spells and rituals that some families have which allow the caster to stop time," Remus tried to explain.
"How is that even possible?" Emma asked, carefully removing the older girl's shoes.
"It's almost impossible. Most people would never try because it can literally end their core. Lady Greengrass must be a very skilled and powerful witch," Sirius replied with a grimace. The Black Grimoire contained a section on time magic, but Sirius was hesitant to even look at it. Time magic was unstable, demanding, and, often, deadly. The fact that Ianthe had managed to combine both time and blood magic was impressive, to say the least. That was the kind of thing only someone like Lily would do.
"Sirius, I do not want to sound like I am questioning your judgment. I am just a guest here. However, is it wise to keep them here if Yaxley is hunting them down?" Severus asked with a deep frown.
"It's alright, man. Always speak your mind, especially when you have safety concerns. This property is perfectly warded and unplottable. The only people who can come in are those who have no bad intentions towards anyone here. To apparate here, a person must be brought in by one of us. Also, Even the DMLE must come through Gringotts, and they have to be authorized by Sharptooth. By the way, did Madam Bones come?"
"She did, right before the Grangers got here. She left a couple of minutes after she came. But apparently, she could not reach their home since it's blood warded. She went to the Ministry to request a special order. Then, she sent a note because the Minister refused to help. They were only able to see the property after the wards went completely inactive when the house fell," Narcissa filled them in with a sigh. She looked at the raven-haired Lady with a bit of jealousy. She still wasn't happy that Ianthe had married her former beau, and now she would never see Tobias again.
"Oh, come on!" said an exasperated Daniel. Emma looked equally miffed. Even Harry and Hermione seemed to agree.
"What?" Sirius asked with a worried frown.
"You've got to be kidding me! Your police are so inefficient! People can die and be buried by the time they figure things out!" Daniel whisper shouted.
"Do you know how long it takes non-magical police or paramedics to reach a crime scene?" Emma asked. The wizards and witch, except for Snape, shook their heads. "Minutes, minutes! NOT hours! And we don't have magic! If our police were this useless, our death rates would be much higher!"
"How do you manage without magic?" Narcissa asked with true curiosity. Ianthe groaned.
"Well, we just freaking do! We don't have a choice!" Emma whisper-shouted in reply.
"Everyone, chill. We have had a trying day. I suggest we all go to bed. Neesy," Sirius said. The elf popped into the living room and bowed. "Please place Lady Greengrass and her daughters Astoria and Daphne in a guest suite. Make sure they have clean towels, bedclothes, and robes."
Neesy nodded. Ianthe moved slightly; Emma took her hand.
"W-Who? W-Where? W-What?"
Sirius approached Ianthe and took her other hand. "Lady Greengrass, you are all safe. Don't worry. You are at Potter Manor. We can talk tomorrow. Neesy, our Head Elf, will take you three to your room."
Ianthe started palming her clothes with a worried face.
"Lady Greengrass, here is your wand," Remus said, handing it back to her.
"Thank you, please call me Ianthe. Who are all these people?" Ianthe asked, looking around at some new and other vaguely familiar faces. She tried to sit up and grimaced with the effort. Instantly, Neesy placed more pillows behind the woman so she could stay in a seated position. Astoria and Daphne slept peacefully in their own stretchers.
"Ianthe meet doctors Emma and Daniel Granger. They are non-magical healers. That monkey there is their daughter Hermione. The handsome tyke next to her is my godson, Harry Potter. I believe you know Narcissa and her son Draco as well as Severus Snape."
Ianthe vaguely remembered Narcissa. Her husband had mentioned her in passing a couple of times. But her husband was dark… "Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Hermione, Harry, it's a pleasure to meet you. Draco, Mrs. Malfoy, Mr. Snape," she said, nodding. She would not say it was a pleasure because suddenly, she felt unsafe.
"Mrs. Greengrass," Hermione interjected. "Narcissa is no longer Mrs. Malfoy. She's Ms. Black, and she is not evil like her-" the girl stopped herself when Draco visibly flinched. "Sorry, Draco."
"I-I don't even know if I should say I'm sorry for your divorce," Ianthe said, looking straight into Narcissa's eyes.
"Don't. I am glad. The divorce isn't final yet, though," Narcissa said, returning the measuring look. "I am sorry about Tobias."
"Thank you… Sirius, may I retire with my girls? I feel like my eyes want to shut off…" Ianthe trailed off.
"Certainly."
"Ianthe, I'll send Neesy with one of my pajamas that I think may fit you. Also, I will send some of Hermione's clothes for your daughters," Emma smiled. Ianthe smiled, but her head lolled as sleep took her.
Sirius tossed in his bed. He was ruined. Now that he had gotten used to his boyfriend's calming presence next to him, he could not sleep without the man. Remus had decided to go check on the priest in the cottage. Lupin wanted to tell the cleric that he would have to move to Potter manor for the upcoming full moon. Padfoot kicked off his covers. There was no point in staying in bed. He had eyed the Book of Alliances, but he wanted to wait until Minnie and Augusta replied to the meeting request that he had owled them.
He was surprised to find Severus and Narcissa still in the living room talking in hushed voices. The only light in the room was coming from the fireplace. He almost felt a sense of doom, but he shook his head. They were both on their side now. He approached them in the shadows and said in a creepy tone to make them jump: "Good evening…"
Both of them jumped. Sirius snorted. "What is with the scary meeting?" Padfoot looked at their joined hands and lifted a brow. "Or should I say romantic rendezvous?"
The pair let go of each other's hand in alarm. Narcissa colored. Sirius' interest piqued at this.
"Sirius, you scared me. We are just talking, no plotting, and definitely no romance," Narcissa said, looking away as if the thought disgusted her.
Severus looked slightly hurt at her tone. "Anyways, I should go to bed before Emma comes and drags me there."
Narcissa tried to squeeze Severus' hand in gratitude, but the man pulled his hand away as if he could get burned by her.
Sirius remembered something, "Drat! I forgot to tell you, Severus. King Kagkrat will have your mother brought here, probably tomorrow."
Severus looked very grateful. It was an odd sight. "Thank you, I was worried. I'll have to tell Minerva that has been arranged."
"No problem. Good night, Snivellus," Sirius said, clapping the man's back.
Snape rolled his eyes, "Night, Black."
Once they were alone, Narcissa turned to Sirius. "Are they staying permanently?"
"Ianthe and her daughters?" Sirius asked, sitting next to his cousin, who nodded. "Well, they are homeless. Yaxley destroyed their place. She recently became a widow, and her daughters lost their father and paternal grandmother one after the other. The former Lady Greengrass was murdered by Yaxley at her son's funeral. I think that the least we can do is give them sanctuary. They even offered a line oath in exchange for protection. Why do you ask?"
"Curiosity," Narcissa replied in a cryptic tone.
Sirius frowned. He took his cousin's hand in his, "Cissa, if you know something I should know, you have to tell me. We are thinking of forming an alliance, but if you think I shouldn't, please tell me why."
"It's personal and irrelevant to your alliance, milord," Narcissa replied with a sigh.
"Well, dove, just because it is irrelevant to a potential alliance does not mean it is irrelevant to me, your cousin," Sirius said, lifting Narcissa's face with a finger under her chin. "I want this new beginning to be better. No secrets. Let's act like a family…" Sirius offered. He immediately corrected himself when Narcissa chuckled. Their family was not a good example of... anything. "No, scratch that. Let's act like a healthy family… like the Grangers, how about that?"
"I'd like that…" she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Is it because of Lord Greengrass?" Sirius asked in the most neutral tone he could manage.
"I-" Narcissa began speaking, but a sob shook her body, and once she started, she could not stop crying.
"Shh, Cissa, I am so sorry. I really thought you were over him… I was also sure you knew. His death appeared in The Prophet… Since it was a while back, I thought you had heard… If I had known you still had feelings for him, I wouldn't have just blurted it out."
Narcissa kept crying for a while. Sirius kept rubbing circles on her back. "D-Did he do it?" she asked.
"Did who do what?"
"It w-was Lucius w-who k-killed Toby, wasn't it?"
"I don't know, Cissa. We could ask Madam Bones…"
"P-please do," Narcissa said, taking a calming breath.
"I will. Cousin, will it bother you? Having them here? I could place them in Grimmauld perhaps, but I don't think they'd be safe there…"
"No, Sirius. Don't worry. It'll just take time. We never really met in person, she and I. It's just that seeing her reminds me of how unfortunate my marriage was… Do you know how long it takes for divorces to finalize?"
"I have no clue. I haven't even been married. But I'm sure Sharptooth will notify us," Sirius kissed Narcissa's forehead.
"Sirius…"
"Yep?"
"I need to get a job, but I have no idea how to start," Narcissa said, taking the handkerchief Sirius conjured and drying her tears.
"Dove, you have never worked, have you?" Sirius asked with a sympathetic smile.
"No, unless you count pleasing my husband's sick friends…" Narcissa hung her in shame.
Sirius had to restrain himself from breaking something. "Cissa, I am so sorry you had to go through that. I could castrate him myself. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Yes. Help me find a job. Other than that, you are already doing more than I deserve…"
"None of that, dove," Sirius said, lifting her face again. "Never be ashamed of your past. It is behind you for a reason. I could crucio that bastard for making you feel this way. You deserve kindness and respect. You deserve a loving family. You deserve to be with a man who makes you feel loved, happy, and safe. I don't want you thinking I'm the second coming of Merlin for treating you in the way that you should be treated. We were not the closest cousins growing up, but I will never forget what you did for me in the family council fifteen years ago. Family above all. It touched me to know you cared. I was too dumb to understand the risk you took that day, defending me, to be able to thank you. But I am grateful, truly."
Narcissa hugged him tightly. "Well, I had to use his own logic against him. Famille Avant Tout became Toujours pur* after that council." *[Always pure]
"You know what? Fuck him! As head of the family, I am changing the motto back to the old one. Toujours pur sickens me."
"I agree," she smiled.
"Well, the motion is approved, then. We'll talk about finding you a job tomorrow, alright? Cissa, I think you offended Snape earlier."
"What?"
"When I suggested a rendezvous, you replied like you would rather die than see Severus like that… He looked hurt," Sirius replied.
"Really? I didn't notice… I-I just don't want things to be awkward. He's Drakey's godfather. He has always been very kind to me and tried to protect me from Lucius' wrath as much as he could. I appreciate him. This cleanse has changed him for the better. But, somehow, I felt like I was talking to a stranger. He was never this… attentive or kind."
"I know, it's weird… He actually thanked us the day we brought him here, and Remus looked like he was going to have a stroke." Sirius chuckled. "Look, I know you aren't even divorced yet, but he is struggling like you are. Don't add a sense of inferiority to that. He is a much better person than we knew before," Padfoot shrugged. He pulled Narcissa up. "We'll talk more tomorrow, Cissa."
"Thank you for telling me, cousin. I have very few friends. It will not do to offend the good ones. Good night."
"Good night."
They hugged each other tightly and walked away in opposite directions.
A furious and exhausted old man struggled to get to the front door of a secluded, dark, gothic house. He felt intense magic was within the house's walls. He collapsed against the door. The man within the house rushed to the door, picked him up, and laid him on the fainting couch in the deserted living room. He moved quickly and began feeding the old man spoonfuls of the concoctions in the cauldrons in the kitchen. The old man began to react. His eyes opened and looked around in confusion. He stared at the much younger man helping him. Something about him was familiar. The young man grabbed his wand, took off his clerical collar, and removed the glamours he had on his face and body. Dumbledore gasped upon recognizing him. It was impossible.
"Albus Dumbledore, long time no see," the man smirked. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist all the energy in this place. You were always a sucker for energy thrills."
"H-How? H-How did you-"
"The more important question is why. I grew so bored up there. I was told what they had done to you, and I decided that we need to give this ungrateful World and all its weaklings a new Unholy Trinity, Albus," the man caressed Dumbledore's jaw, lifting his face.
Albus' eyes widened. "W-What do you m-mean Trinity?"
The man laughed evilly. The sound sent horrible chills down the old man's spine. "I think you have met. But you may not recognize him. Let me reintroduce you." He waved his hands and said, "Sacris despumat aeni"
Albus Dumbledore was not a wizard who was easily shocked, but this was entirely too much. A glass sphere was filled with dark blood and several small pouches of…tissue of different sizes. Are those human fetuses!? Albus thought. Floating in the gory mess, a hideous thing that resembled an old, wrinkled, pale, deformed baby, levitated about twenty inches over a black, blueish fire. It had pitch-black eyes and when it looked at Albus, he felt what he could only describe as pure, undiluted horror and fear. The man looked at the disgusting creature as if it was a sweet newborn unicorn.
"Albus, meet Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom, meet Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," the man said. The cauldron bubbled. The bubbles that burst on the surface released a very particular smell that made Albus' stomach contract painfully: unicorn and phoenix blood.
"How i-is he a-alive?" Albus gasped.
"You don't really think I am going to tell you. You were the reason I spent years dying of boredom. I hate being idle, and you know that" the man frowned deeply. "Once you make an Unbreakable Vow with me, I can answer all your questions."
"What would I have to vow?" Albus asked with a shaky breath.
"First, that you will be faithful to me and our cause. Second, that you will do what needs to be done to take over with us. Third, that we will act as an army of one with shared goals, shared techniques, and shared glory."
"I-I don't know… I am not a team player as you are very well aware…"
"I am aware that you were not anticipating this turn of events. As I am a gentleman, I will give you twenty-four hours to think about my proposal. Don't bother trying to leave. You are stuck here until you decide. I took your wand. If you decide to leave, I will obliviate you and you will have to fend for yourself. Our take-over will take years and hard work, and it will be a slow-acting poison, but we will succeed," the man had a maniacal glint to his eyes.
That glint made Albus' skin prickle with goosebumps. "I will think about it."
"There is food and potions in the kitchen. I will be in the study down the hall writing some letters," the man stood up. He sighed. "All this time I dreamt of having a chance to tell you that I am sorry about what happened all those years ago. For what it's worth, I am sorry, Albus, truly… Make yourself at home."
"Wait!" Albus said. There was a long pause. Dumbledore exhaled slowly and said, "So am I."
"Won't you say my name? I've wanted to hear you say it for years…" the man looked deeply into Dumbledore's moist twinkling eyes.
"I am sorry too, Gellert."
Hundreds of miles away, a doe-eyed blonde girl shot up from a nap, making her distracted father jump.
"Luna?" he asked, with concern. Her eyes went entirely white. "Luna, sweetheart?"
In an adult ethereal voice, the young girl said: "The Past, The Present, and The Future have met. They will plunge all the Worlds into darkness. Blood of all species will flow until there is no more blood to be shed unless prejudice is overthrown and new ties are formed. The soul-bounded will become a beacon of hope. Protect them at all costs or the world as we know it will exist no more."
Her father paled, his teacup shattered against the stone floor. His daughter closed her eyes and fell back asleep with a peaceful expression. He immediately accioed an empty memory vial and pulled a copy from the memory of what he had just seen from his head, a silvery thread coming out of his right temple and into the vial. He had to contact the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry for Magic.
A/N: Boom! ;) Thanks for reading -Lux-
