Chapter Two

"So how does it work?"

Antonin sat back in his chair. They'd moved to a sitting room and he'd given Alexia a pain potion, much to her relief. Unfortunately, she couldn't hold Hermione to stop the eclipse while they were breaking the bond, or her bond with him and Hermione both would interfere. "Feel for your core. You can hold onto it and light it up. You will feel pure magic ready to be used. This is how one would cast without a spell."

"That's extremely dangerous, please don't do that," Alexia cut in. "Pollux did it once and he nearly cut him and I both in half. Alphard was pissed."

"Okay," Hermione said slowly. She ignored Alexia's words. "And then what?"

"You will feel for the bonds connected to your core. Find the one you hold with me and grab onto it tightly," he continued. "Once we have both done so, we will be more connected than ever. It is then that we will break it by holding our magic, our bond, and saying Non Coniungere together three times. It will sever the bond and destroy the curse."

Hermione nodded. She was nervous and uncomfortable, that much was clear to everyone. "Okay, so- so when do we… do it now?"

"Yes."

Though she shook slightly, her eyes closed again. The Founders had taught them how to focus on their cores and use it for magic in the direst of situations, so it wasn't difficult for her to do. The feeling of her core ignited was comforting as she searched around for the correct bond. She felt the missing bond belonging to Sirius and set it aside. The next one she grabbed belonged to Alexia, and setting that aside had the woman in question gasping. Finally, she grabbed the one between her and Antonin. He already held his part, and she tried not to wince at the feeling.

She could feel that he was ready, but she wasn't yet. She was still scared, and she took a moment to breathe in and out slowly. When it didn't help, she just sighed and began. "Non Coniungere… Non Coniungere… Non Coniungere."

Antonin spoke it with her, and when they finished, she gasped at the painful feeling of the bond ripping apart. It felt like it lasted an eternity and she grit her teeth as it continued deep down into her core until finally, it ended. It ended, and she felt lighter than she had in months.

Hermione's eyes shot open wide. "It's- it's gone. It's gone?"

"Yes."

"It's gone," she breathed in amazement. "Just like that, it's over."

Antonin raised an eyebrow at her. "I would assume that it is not."

"What?" Alexia asked him sharply.

"He will know that it is severed. If he is the type of man to use such a curse, I doubt he will let her go. Be careful. You are not tied to him, but he is still tied to you."

Hermione's smile faded slightly. She looked at Alexia. "What about you? What are you going to do?"

"Stay. Build his machine. I've done it twice now, rebuilt yours, and started on Adelaide's. I just- there's a couple of things I need you to do for me," she requested.

"What?"

"I need you to get Mia first."

Hermione frowned. "Why?"

"She…" Alexia trailed off and frowned at her hands. "The reason I wanted to build Mia her own machine is because I asked her to take over, should anything happen to me. I need you to go to her before going back to my universe, get her and bring her back."

"You… really asked her to do that?" Hermione wondered softly. "Why?"

Alexia forced a smile. "I need you to tell Antonin what happened. Tell him I love him, that I'm sorry, and I'll be back. Tell him to help Mia and to go with her on her first few trips. She doesn't know what she's doing, and she's going to have to be me around certain people. Besides, she's never worked in the DOM. Um… tell the BAU what happened if you could. And if someone could…"

"What?"

"Never mind. Nothing," she shook her head. "She doesn't want to see us. Just get to Mia and my husband, okay? And then go home and take care of yourself."

Hermione looked at her. "I'm sorry. I never meant for you to get stuck here."

Alexia smiled. "Go, Hermione. Everyone's probably losing their minds that you're gone, anyway."

With a small nod, Hermione tapped her ring three times until a portal opened. Sparing a glance at Alexia, she stepped through and fell out in Potter Manor's kitchen.

"Um, okay," Sirius said. "Can you get off my bacon?"

"Hermione?" Mia asked in surprise. She helped her off of the table and looked her over. "You look stressed. What's going on? How'd you get here? Why did you get here?"

Hermione laughed nervously. "It's sort of hard to… Lexi sent me."

Mia's smile quickly turned to a nervous frown. "She sent you. She didn't come, she sent you here."

"Yeah, she- I told her she didn't have to, Mia. I don't get why she did it. We could've found someone else or-,"

"Breathe, dear," Charlus told her with a kind smile. "Just tell us what happened."

Hermione took in a deep breath as instructed before speaking again. "Something happened and I asked Lexi to take me to have the curse removed. She was in the middle of- I think her cousin is a serial killer? She didn't really explain it well, but she said she was safer out of her universe. She took me to the one she met with Cassiopeia, but he was dead, so we went to a different one. He agreed to do it under the condition that she swear a Vow to stay until she built him a multiverse machine. I told her not to, but she did it."

Mia looked at her in horror. "Lexi's stuck with an alternate Dolohov in a universe she barely knows?"

"Um, yes."

She huffed out in frustration and threaded her fingers through her hair. "Oh, that dumb bitch."

"Mia," Dorea frowned at her.

Mia tilted her head back. "And she sent you here."

"Yes. She said you promised to… take over if something happened to her," Hermione told her. "She told me to come get you before going to tell her family."

"That's probably for the best," Mia made a face. "Actually, I should tell her Dolohov. He gets a dangerous look to him when something happens to her, and I'm not about to let him scare or blame you."

Hermione hesitated. "I don't know. Lexi told me to-,"

"Yeah, well, Lexi doesn't always think things through clearly. Trust me, Hermione. Did she tell you to do anything else?"

"Not really."

Mia got to her feet with a sigh. She glanced at Avery. "Tell Reg where I'm going if you will."

Avery scoffed. "Absolutely not. If you will not wait for him, I will come with you."

"I don't need you to-,"

"Mi, she just said that Alexia's cousin is a serial killer, and you look exactly like Alexia," James pointed out. "I wouldn't exactly mind if you had him with you."

"Fine," Mia scowled. "Come on."

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"What?"

"What?"

"You're…" Alexia trailed off. She stared at the man before her in disbelief. "I haven't traveled to a universe yet where you… survived."

Alphard chuckled nervously. "Well, I did. How would I have died?"

She grimaced and changed the subject to distract from the guilt she still felt. "I'll make a list of materials I'll need. Some of them may be difficult to find. I also refuse to build it in the Ministry. Someplace else that you trust, Alphard."

"Me? Why me?" he wondered.

Again, she ignored his question. "I expect it'll take a couple months as long as everything goes smoothly. In the meantime, when I'm not working on it, I will be studying this universe."

"Do you do this often? Stay in other universes for long periods of time?" Alphard asked her, slightly miffed.

"Not exactly. I've spent a few days in other universes, mostly when I'm building a friend their machine. That being said, it's difficult being away from home. My sister-in-law is pregnant, we're still rebuilding the ministry after the war, and my House is a fucking disaster. We have other ways of taking readings, and my friends help with gathering research for me sometimes."

Bertie grinned at her from his chair. "I would love to hear about your life and universe. Tell us about your House."

Alexia crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. "They're insane and hard to control. Not much more to say."

"Your friend mentioned a few of them," Antonin disagreed. "Nikita, Kastya, Feliks. What of them?"

"No."

"You understand, they are alive here," he told her. "If they have hurt you, it would do you well to tell us how."

She did her best not to glare at her husband's alternate self. "I am the last remaining female Dolohov. Nikita hexed me and Kastya helped him kidnap me. The plan was to ensure that I bore one of their children so that the kid would be heir. Pollux came for me and killed Nikita, and Kastya killed him. Then, he nearly beat me to death for Nikita's death."

"Father?" Alphard's eyebrows rose. "Why on earth would he come save you? Did you know him well?"

"Well? No. Did I spend an absurd amount of time with him because he knew my secret and my mother expected him to protect me? Yes. Aside from that, at the time, I was engaged to Regulus and Pollux was Lord Black. I was the only way that the Black family would continue on, too. Joke's on all of them, I can't have kids. Really fucks up the plans of the assholes chasing me, too."

"Merlin."

Antonin gave a short nod. "And Feliks?"

She grimaced. "Feliks also wanted me to have his kid. He's… stalked me for a long time, apparently. He's attacked me numerous times. He stabbed me… kind of a lot, nearly killed me. That was a few months ago. Yesterday, he broke out and killed people that he shouldn't have known I knew. My neurologist, someone from one of the first cases my husband and I worked on together, and Lily's cousin, who I hid when we were sixteen and never told anyone about. It's impossible that he… he also followed me to France, and then to Black Manor. He couldn't get past the wards, but he kept killing people around where I was. Right now, my husband and a muggle team are working on finding him."

Antonin looked at her curiously. "My alternate self married you and you cannot have kids. Does he know?"

She shook her head. "He loves me more than he loves the House. Besides, we're marrying off all the old assholes. Silvestr married two weeks ago, and having kids is in the contract. We'll be fine on heirs."

"He married you for love," he repeated. "That is it?"

"That's it. He waited twenty years for me because he loves me. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes."

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Black Manor was empty when Mia and Hermione got there. After sending out a nervous Patronus, James told Hermione that they'd moved back to Potter Manor, and that Antonin had Avery adding some heavy and somewhat dangerous and dark warding to make sure Feliks stayed out.

Mia walked Hermione and Avery out of the wards of Black Manor and Apparated them into Potter Manor. When they got into the library, they found the entire, large group there, including Yaxley. He had a box in front of him with some miscellaneous materials on the table, and held his wand in his hand. Unsure what he was doing, Mia turned to scan the room until she spotted Antonin standing by one of the muggles- Hotch.

"Mia?" James blinked at her. "Where's Lexi?"

Mia stepped over towards Antonin, making sure Hermione was fully behind her. "Dolohov."

Antonin was pulled from his conversation and stared at her with a frown. "Potter. Where is-,"

"Lexi had to stay there," she interrupted. Her words had him tensing, and Avery stepped a little bit in front of her, but not by much. "She had to make a deal to cure Hermione. She's building them a machine. I know you're pissed, I know you're worried, but it's probably safer for her right now. She isn't safe here from what I've gathered."

"No, she isn't, but is she safe there?" A blonde woman asked with a concerned frown. Mia shrugged.

"I think so," Hermione cut in before Mia replied. "I think she is, at least for now. He seemed more interested in the machine than her."

"Which poses another problem," Antonin glared at Mia. "What does he want it for?"

"Not my problem."

"Actually, she sort of said it is," Hermione spoke up. Mia rose an eyebrow and she sighed. "Well, she asked me to get you because, according to her, you were prepared to take over if anything happened to her. So, it's your concern."

"I understand that this is a serious problem for you, but we have a serial killer out there," the older man said. He looked italian, but Mia wasn't sure. "And we need to focus on him."

Mia sighed and turned to Hermione. "You good?"

"I'm fine," she nodded quietly. "Are you guys?"

"Yeah. Go home, let me know if you need anything," Mia told her. She watched as Hermione opened a portal and jumped through. With her gone, she turned back to Antonin and the muggles and clapped her hands together. "So! What do we do?"

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The BAU stayed at Potter Manor that night, as well as Mia, Avery, and Adelaide. Mia's Regulus had been brought over at nearly two in the morning when he'd finally been able to get in contact with them. Everyone woke bright and early and sat down over breakfast to go over the case once more.

"We need to try and figure out who he might target next," JJ told the witches and wizards.

"He's going after people on the outskirts of her life," Adelaide said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't be concerned over anyone here, or at her work. Maybe extended family? Muggle family, that is."

"Hermione and I put extensive warding up around the homes of her mother's side of the family," Antonin said stiffly. "But I will send Kir to check on them."

"We may need to bring them somewhere safer, somewhere we can keep an eye on them," Morgan shook his head.

"Lexi hasn't gotten around to actually talking to them," James admitted. "She's been so busy since the war ended and getting back. I think she said it's been around five years since she's seen the family in France."

"My mother died," Helen said from the door. No one was really sure how long she'd been standing there. "While we were… when we couldn't remember. All I have left, aside from my daughter, is my sisters and their kids."

"How many people would you say that is?" Emily wondered. "Where do they live? All in France?"

Helen came to sit and smiled gratefully when an elf brought her coffee. "All in France, except for my niece, Odette. I have two sisters, Ines and Bridgette. Odette is Ines's daughter, and she also has a son named Tristan. Bridgette has two sons, Laurent and Jasper. I believe Odette is the only one that's moved from their childhood homes."

"I'll go to France," Adelaide offered. "I can pretend to be Alexia and get them out with Avery- oh, right, not my Avery."

"No, you can borrow him," Mia waved carelessly. Her friend stared at her.

"You cannot loan me out, Sano."

"Avery, I trust you. I don't want any of us getting hurt or being in danger more than necessary. Please go with Addy and help her," she asked, speaking a bit quieter. He frowned and nodded - it wasn't often she was so serious.

"In the meantime, we'll keep making a list of people we might want to check on," James nodded. "You go ahead and go. Helen, you can help her make a portkey to get to your family."

With their dismissal and after finishing their coffee and tea, Adelaide, Avery, and Helen left to the sitting room where Adelaide grabbed out a piece of rope and cast the spell. With Helen's help and focus, the portkey was made, and soon, she and Avery were taken away.

Landing was rough, but Avery grabbed her to keep her stable. They were in a small ally outside some townhouses, and they moved quickly. They were looking for number 24, and it was just around the corner. According to Helen, Ines lived there, but the entire family visited quite frequently.

Before they knocked, Adelaide looked to Avery. "Remember, I'm Alexia. We have to get them out of here, even if that means using some spells."

Avery nodded sharply before knocking on the door. It didn't take long before the door opened and a young man, a few years younger than Alexia, stared with wide eyes. "Hermione!"

"Hey," Adelaide smiled. "Can we come in?"

He just waved them inside and moved to yell up the stairs. "Mama! Hermione is here!"

There was some pounding on the stairs as an older woman, but younger than Helen, ran down. She had a young boy on her heels following her. She didn't stop until she wrapped Adelaide up in a tight hug. "Hermione, dear, it's been so long! Where's your mother?"

"Mum couldn't make it," Adelaide said, patting the woman's back. "She's got pneumonia."

"Oh, it's not serious, is it?" Ines gasped.

Adelaide hesitated. "A bit. In fact, she sent me because she was hoping you'd come visit. I know it's sudden, but- but she sent me with enough to bring you all round trip."

"Can we go, Mama?" the teenager asked with wide eyes. "I've never seen Hermione's home."

Ines hesitated, looking back toward the kitchen. If she looked closer, Adelaide could see another man sitting at the table with a notebook and a textbook. "Jasper! Come say hello to your cousin."

He didn't move immediately, but soon, he set down his pen, closed his notebook and textbook, and got up. Adelaide was surprised to see him grinning as he hurried into the hall. He didn't hesitate to grab her in a hug, even spinning her around. "You disappear for years, Mi, and come back without notice?"

"Things have been… rough," she said slowly when he put her down. Shaking herself, she nodded at Avery. "This is my friend, Avery. I know it might be inconvenient, but- but it's really important that you come now. Where's Auntie?"

"Bridgette is visiting America," Ines rolled her eyes. "Off the grid, she says. Wanderlust, she says."

"Mother's feeling antsy, as per usual," Jasper explained to Adelaide. "I don't have anything important in uni for a week, so I'll come."

"Me too!" the little boy exclaimed with a grin.

"Mum, can we?" the teenager asked Ines. The woman looked between the boys hesitantly.

"I suppose if Hermione says it's urgent… if Helen is sick… we can go."

Avery leaned closer to Adelaide. "How do you propose we get them out of here in a timely manner?"

"Portkey," she whispered back. "I don't want them to know what's going on, at least not yet. Lexi can deal with the breaking of the Statute when she gets back, or her husband can."

"When do we leave?" the teenager wondered. "Do we get to fly first class?"

"Tristan!" Ines smacked the back of his head. "Don't be rude."

Adelaide laughed. "Something like that. Avery… you don't think- well, the age restriction is-,"

"It'll be fine," Avery said, catching on. They'd both managed to figure out who was who by then, and the young boy was apparently Laurent. He looked young, but the age restriction was 2 for portkeys, which were decidedly safer than Apparition.

With that confirmation, Adelaide pulled out the same string. Quietly, she spelled it to take them back to Potter Manor and held it out. "Do me a favor, everyone hold onto that."

"Hold onto it?" Jasper stared at her, though he was the first one to take it. "Now what?"

"Wait," she rolled her eyes as everyone grabbed on. "Hold it tight, Don't let go. Jasper, you should probably grab onto Laurent."

"Since when do you call me Jasper?" he asked. Despite his confusion, he did grab his brother's hand tightly within his own.

Once she was sure the boy wouldn't get lost somewhere, she waved her hand at the rope. "Portus!"

There were screams as the portkey took them from France back to Potter Manor. Soon, they landed in the sitting room, where Mia was with Antonin, James, Rossi, and Garcia.

"Motherfucker," Adelaide groaned as she tipped her head back. "That's dangerous! I can't believe Arthur ever thought it was safe enough to bring all of us on a portkey at once, damn the world cup!"

"What the hell just happened?"

"Where are we?"

"Who are these people?"

"Is that you?" was the only question Jasper asked Adelaide. She grimaced.

"There's a lot you guys don't understand. Normally, you'd never find out about magic, but you're in danger, so we had to get you here."

"We're in danger?" Ines asked sharply. "What kind of danger could we be in?"

"Someone's going after Lexi," James said before pausing. "Hermione. Sorry, forgot you knew her before… everything."

"Hermione is in danger, but most of all, the people she knows are in danger," Rossi explained. "Someone is targeting anyone in or around her life. You're here to keep you safe."

"Avery, can you take the kids somewhere else?" Mia asked with pleading eyes. "This isn't a conversation they should hear."

Avery stared at her. "You owe me."

"Thank you!"

"Okay, seriously, Mi, is that you?" Jasper asked Adelaide. Adelaide grimaced.

"I'm not me," she admitted. When he just stared, she sighed. "I'm not the person you know. It's a… lot to take in. She didn't even tell you about magic, understandably so, so telling you about the multiverse is probably a lot. I take it you and L- Hermione are close?"

He nodded, looking between Adelaide and James. "What is it you keep calling her? Lexi?"

"Alexia Dorea Dolohov née Potter," Antonin said. He said stiffly in his chair, watching the scene with decreasing patience.

"Ignore him," Mia waved him off. "He's moody because his wife is temporarily gone."

"So she… changed her name?" Tristan wondered. "Why?"

"And got married?" Jasper added. "That means she's married, doesn't it?"

Mia grinned. "Yep to both. She changed her name because something happened, magic happened, she was in danger, changed her name, more shit happened, she got married to the grumpy guy, and now she's in a different universe because she's got a fucking bleeding heart and can't wait a goddamn minute to find someone else to help her with the issue."

"We are hallucinating," Ines decided.

"And all that's fine- well, maybe not her being gone - but now there's legitimately a crazy fucking serial killer that wants to get to her. He's hurt her pretty badly before, and now he's out again and wants to get to her. She's safe where she's at, probably, but we still have the issue of him killing people. So, you're here."

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"It's nearly three a.m.," Alphard said quietly as he set another cup of coffee down by where she sat on the floor. "You should get some rest. We've put you up in a hotel-,"

"I'm good," she said quietly. "I've nearly got this part finished, and then we can start on the flux tomorrow. If I keep going, we might even be able to start pre-programming, as long as we get some more parts in and-,"

"Alexia," he said gently. "What Antonin did to you… it's not right, and I'm very sorry. You shouldn't be here. I know you said that in your universe, we worked together. I have to think that in your universe, I would ask you to take care of yourself. Don't run yourself ragged. Get some sleep and come at it again tomorrow. We- I will make sure you get this done as soon as possible to ensure you get home quickly. I swear it. I will do everything I can."

Alexia hesitated. "Maybe you should stay away from me, Alphard."

He looked at her, confused. "What? Why?"

"It's for the best," she muttered as she reached toward the beginnings of the machine again. "For your own sake, it's for the best."

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