Adelaide, Alexia, Mia

"Wait, what?"

Adelaide nodded quietly. "It's just what Mia told me, but… it sort of makes sense."

Avery shook his head. "How the hell does that make sense?"

"Well, the ring," she said slowly. "And just… a feeling. I've felt like something's missing, but I couldn't figure out what it was until he… said something."

"And Alexia just… didn't tell you?"

She shrugged. "Mia said it was because she wanted to research and try to get him back, but she's just been too fucking busy with everything."

"I guess a serial killer cousin will do that to you."

"Yeah. I guess."

Avery sat back in his chair with a sigh. "What are you going to do?"

"With… Lexi gone, the only thing I can think to do is to call the Doctor and Rose," she said slowly. "I just… don't know if they can help."

"You don't know if Lexi could help," he pointed out. "Did you already call them?"

"Yeah. I'm just… waiting."

"Well… I'll wait with you," he said. "I'll do this with you, Addy."

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"How long do you think it's going to take?"

Alexia spun to glare at Alphard. "If I could tell you, I would. It's not my fucking fault that you're missing half the shit I need. We might need to get some deliveries from my universe."

"How could you do that?" Alphard asked, ignoring her mood. She'd been snapping at them frequently and was doing her best to avoid him. Since it was just the two of them there that afternoon, it was a bit tougher.

"I assume my husband will come to check on me sometime soon," she muttered. "Hopefully with Mia. I'll give them a list."

Alphard sighed. "I'm surprised Antonin didn't try to keep your actual husband away."

Alexia looked at him hesitantly. "Is he… a bad man, Alphard? I get that he's loyal to the DOM, but is he a bad person?"

"He's… complicated," Alphard grimaced. "A bit… morally grey."

"Great," she muttered. "Very helpful and comforting."

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"Mi, look, I just think maybe you shouldn't go," James said hesitantly. "I mean, what if something happens?"

Mia rolled her eyes and pulled her bag over her shoulder. "Lexi does this every day."

"Yeah, and she's pretty fucked up, isn't she?"

"Someone has to do it," she said firmly. "She trusted me to take care of this shit while she's gone, and I promised I would. I can't take it back now, Jamie. Why're you so stressed all of the sudden? I'm just going over there to talk to Dolohov and check on Lexi."

James sighed and shook his head. "It's Dolohov. I mean, his family is fucking insane. They all wanna get to Alexia, so who's to say they won't get to you?"

"I am," she said. "Because in Lexi's universe, I won't be going outside of safe places. Try not to worry. It won't be too long of a trip and I'll be back."

"Regulus really can't go with you?"

"Reg needs to work on the Wizengamot today, and there's already a Regulus in Lexi's universe," she explained. "Calm down, Jamie. It'll be fine."

Despite his hesitance, James gave his sister a hug and backed up to watch her leave. She opened a portal and stepped through. Luckily, the portal didn't give her any issues, and she stepped out into Alexia's universe - her Potter Manor.

Mia found Antonin in the kitchen, sitting with and talking to James. She rolled her eyes at the sight. "I'm annoyed enough with my own brother, I thought I was escaping him."

James made a face at her. "Hello to you, too."

"What's the plan today?" she asked Antonin. The man put his hand up.

"Tell Amelia we will be perfectly capable of holding them in Russia," he told James, who immediately looked pissed.

"Are you fucking kidding me? That didn't exactly work out last time," he snapped. "Leave them here! We can put them in Azkaban!"

"This time, I will make sure there is a guard around them 24/7," Antonin said as calmly as he could manage. "Aiming to kill, should they get out."

James scowled. "You are an inch away from being sued, Dolohov."

Mia snorted and quickly covered her mouth when they both looked at her. It seemed like James had threatened to sue before, because Antonin didn't bother replying. Instead, he turned to Mia.

"We will be going to see Alexia," he told her. "If she is unsafe… I have a plan, but it's dangerous. Are you ready?"

"Yep," Mia nodded. "All set."

Antonin got to his feet and held out his arm. Despite hesitating, Mia took it and tried not to grimace as he took them to the DOM.

Once there, it was a simple matter of opening a portal and stepping through together.

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The sound of the TARDIS had Adelaide's eyes opening. At some point, she'd fallen asleep resting against Avery and was blinking away the sleep as the door opened and the couple walked out.

"What? You- you look fine," the Doctor stared at them as Adelaide sat up and stretched a bit. "It sounded like an emergency."

"Are you okay?" Rose asked, glancing at the TARDIS. "We've got a delivery to make.

Avery shifted and closed his book, which he'd opened when he realized Adelaide had fallen asleep. "She is safe, but there's another issue."

"What's that?"

"My… husband," Adelaide said slowly, wincing at the word. "He doesn't exist anymore."

The Doctor blinked at her. "Well, you probably don't have a husband."

"What do you mean, he doesn't exist anymore?" Rose wondered. "Who is he?"

"Regulus Black," she told them. "Sirius's brother. I was under the impression that he didn't exist in this universe, but Mia let it slip that he did and it's just that since the multiverse got messed up, he was… erased."

The Doctor shared a glance with Rose, his eyes wide. "Was he removed from time?"

"No," she shook her head, her eyes glowing a little brighter. "No, his timeline is intact. It's still here, even. He's just… gone. He lived, but no one remembers him?"

"I asked Sirius if he ever had any siblings," Adelaide told them. "In other universes, he had a sister, Cassiopeia. I figured… so I asked, but he said he was an only child. He got weird, like he was trying to remember something that was gone."

Rose hesitated. "Well, we might have to talk to Alexia. She probably knows most."

Adelaide hesitated. "She… damn, we didn't fill you in. She's stuck in another universe. Took a Vow to make sure our friend would be healed. She's going to be there for a while. The best you've got would be Mia or Lexi's husband."

The Doctor glanced back at the TARDIS. "Well, are you two up for a trip? You can come with while we make our delivery and then you can take us - and the TARDIS - to their universe and we'll try to get this worked out."

"Sure," she nodded and grabbed Avery's hand within her own. "As long as we stick together. I… I don't want to risk losing anyone else."

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"Tell me what you're worrying about right this moment."

Alexia looked up at Alphard with a frown. "I'd rather keep working."

Alphard shook his head. "That's the third time you've tried to put that together. Take a break- a short one. Tell me what you're worried about."

"I have no reason to trust you."

"But I think you do anyway," he said. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'm worried that Feliks is going to get away again," she said. "Or worse, he'll get ahold of one of my friends. I'm worried he'll hurt someone else I care for. I'm worried Antonin will do something rash to get me back. I'm worried that the bond I made with Jamie's daughter won't be upheld by Jamie or Antonin and that she'll die. Oh, and I'm worried that Bertie will make Antonin's impulsive, emotion driven decisions worse because he worries for me."

"Is that it?" he asked with a startled laugh. She shook her head.

"That's just the start of it, Alphard. I appreciate you wanting to listen, but I meant it when I said that you should stay away from me. I've met an alternate universe version of you before, and I'm not interested in getting attached."

Alphard hummed thoughtfully. "I've met Hermione Granger before, you know."

"You have?" she asked, surprised. They kept talking as she went back to what she was doing, this time with more success.

"Yes. The last time I saw my nephew was in Diagon Alley, and she was with him. I believe she may be his ward. She's an exceedingly bright young woman. Alexia, I trust that you have a good reason to be wary of me. Despite that, I wish you would allow me to prove myself. We'll be working together for some time, unfortunately. I would like to be someone you can trust while you're here."

Alexia hesitated. She was quiet as she worked for a bit, considering his words. When she finished putting together the piece she was working on, she took the next tools from him and spoke up again. "I spent eight years in the 70s. While I was there, I worked with and befriended Alphard. He was kind to me, and I gave him updates on his nephews, good or bad."

"I'm sure he appreciated that," he told her. "I know I would've."

"He knew I was from the future," she explained quietly. "We argued about my means to save some people repeatedly. In the end, he… he's gone now."

Alphard nodded once. "You were surprised to see I was alive."

"He helped me to get my job," she told him. "His extensive notes on me, my story, and my life told Bertie everything he needed to know about me, and Bertie approved Antonin's request to recruit me."

"You were close."

"There's another universe. My alternate self, her name is Estelle," she explained. "She ended up in the past when she was young, knew nothing of magic. Alphard adopted her. He wanted to send her to the future again, back to her muggle parents, even though it had been years. He was so blinded by his misguided attempt to help her that he was willing to hurt her, sending her back. I told him… leave it be. Raise her. He was too stubborn, just like the entire bloody Black family."

"And so you're cautious of me," he understood. "You don't know what kind of person I am. Am I like your friend, or am I… misguided?"

"My husband is incredible," she confirmed. "But in Mia's universe, her version hurt her terribly. And in Adelaide's, and Cassiopeia, and Founders Hermione. In Ruby's universe, he loved her so much that he was willing to tear the multiverse apart to avenge her. My point, Alphard, is that the multiverse is diverse. There's no way to tell who you are. And, if by chance you are like my friend… maybe it's best you stay away. For your own good."

He frowned. "How did he die?"

"He walked into Fiendfyre trying to save me," she said quietly. "I wasn't in danger, but he thought… and he died."

Alphard chuckled, startling her. "No offense, Alexia, but I don't think I'll be walking into Fiendfyre for you. I will protect myself, I can promise you that. But still, I would like to help you. Let me do that."

Alexia hesitated. He seemed so sincere, she wasn't sure how to say no.

"Good," he said firmly. "Let's get dinner. You didn't touch your lunch."

"But the machine-,"

"Will be here when we get back," he promised. "But you need to eat. It will only take an hour."

She hesitated, but she set her things down. "Okay. Only an hour."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

When they arrived in the universe, they were in the DOM, but Alexia wasn't.

"Where is she?" Mia frowned, looking at the tools scattered about the floor. When she looked over at Antonin, he was frowning to himself.

"Not here," he answered. He focused on his bond with his wife. "Hermione."

There was a moment before she replied. "I'm on my way back."

"This place is a mess," Mia muttered, bending down to pick up Alexia's forgotten wand. "She really needs to keep this on her."

"I have my daggers," Alexia said as she ran in the room. She didn't stop until she was in Antonin's arms, where she breathed out in relief. "I'm so sorry. I missed you."

Antonin held her close, one hand on the back of her head and the other on her back. "Are you safe?"

"Guys," Mia said as patiently as she could. "If you're being gross, sure, but if there's anything I need to know, remember I can't understand you."

Alexia let out a short laugh. "That's the most tolerant you've ever been to us, Mia."

"Well, I'd be pretty upset if I were you, so I figured I'd wait to annoy you," she explained. "Really, Lexi, are you okay?"

"I think so," she said, glancing back. When they followed her gaze, they noticed Alphard standing in the door. "Alphard's alive."

"We caught Feliks," Antonin told her as he backed up. He stroked her cheek gently, pushing her hair behind her ears. He could see relief fill her at his words. "Simeon was helping him. The family is… unstable."

"That fucker," she gasped. "I almost didn't hate Simeon!"

"It surprised me as well," he agreed.

"Did anyone get hurt?" she asked nervously. "Is everyone okay?"

"Everyone's good, Lexi," Mia told her. "Met your cousins."

Alexia raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry."

Mia snorted. "No, good ones. The French ones."

"Jasper?" Alexia's eyes widened. "Oh, god, are they okay? Laurent? Odette? Tristan?"

"They are safe," Antonin assured her.

"Dolohov, is he here?" Mia wondered, looking around the room. "What's he like?"

Alexia hesitated. "I don't… know. He's not here right now, though."

"And Alphard, is he safe?"

"Safe enough," she said, sparing another glance at the man in question before she looked back at her friend and husband. "There are a few things I'm going to need. Antonin's out looking for some of the items, but they haven't had much luck, and I need to get this done quickly."

"You have a list?"

Alexia pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to her husband. He took her hand instead of the list and held onto it like she would slip away if he let go. She looked up at him sadly. "I miss you."

"You will be home soon," he told her, though it was more of an order than a statement.

"If you can get me all of this, I'll be home as soon as I can put it together," she promised.

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Antonin and Mia ended up staying for three hours, hours in which Antonin connected their multiverse machine with the one Alexia was building so that they could control it if they needed to. It came from Alexia's request, and he'd certainly agreed that they needed to be careful.

Once he was gone, Alphard came back to check on her as he'd left to give her some privacy. He'd only stayed for fifteen minutes before leaving once more to do his end-of-day paperwork.

There was a knock on the door around midnight and she waved her dagger at the door to open it, turning right back to what she was doing. "It better be important, and you better not be telling me to get some sleep."

There was a curious pause before they spoke in a voice she'd never forget. "I come searching for my cousin, Malyshka."

Alexia sucked in a breath, tensing up. She knew who stood behind her, and her grip tightened on her dagger. "If you mean Antonin, he isn't here."

She could feel his frustration. "Where is he?"

"I don't know, I'm not his bloody babysitter. This section's restricted anyway, how the hell did you get in here?"

He didn't bother to answer her. Instead, he stood there silently for a moment. She barely had time to wonder what he was doing before she felt it.

It was a tug on her core that was painful, likely since she didn't belong there, and she gasped in pain at the feeling of the family magic being used to call a meeting.

It was the gasp that gave her away.

Kastya's eyebrows rose and he strode over to stand in front of her. "I did not introduce myself. I am Kastya Dolohov. And you are…?"

"Hermione Granger," she said shortly. She saw him twist his wrist as if to crack it, but instead, a spell hit her, and she felt a tightness on her core.

"Are you lying?"

"No," she said before immediately adding, "yes."

"Your name is Hermione Granger? Do you have another name?"

"Yes," she grimaced. She didn't know what truth spell he used, but it was powerful and painful. "Alexia D-Dolohov."

His eyes lit up excitedly. "Dolohov."

Alexia twisted and threw her dagger. It grazed his arm, and she ducked a spell thrown at her as she tossed her other one, which landed in his shoulder.

Instead of pulling the dagger out, Kastya cast again, and this time, his simple body bind hit her directly in her chest. To her horror, her body snapped together and she fell over, hitting the ground gently as she'd been sitting on it.

Kastya walked over and grabbed her wand, sheaths, and daggers and tossed them aside. Once she was disarmed, he knelt down and pushed her hair out of her face. "If our Patriarch refuses to help the House, I will have to do it myself."

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