Alright then, time for the next chapter. I wanna apologise for the gap in between two chapters. Two sick babies gets to be a little bit too much.
As always I hope you enjoy and please leave me a wee message to give me your thoughts. Rated M for multiple reasons so please be cautious.
Chapter Four
HarryPOV
The following morning found Hermione in my bed, I vaguely remember her coming in at around three in the morning and crawling in beside me. She was shaking like a leaf and cradling her arm across her chest.
It must have started bleeding because small flecks of blood sat against the white of her pyjama top. All I could do was pull her in closer and kiss the top of her head.
"Morning Harry." She smiled at me and sat up before stretching and yawning. It had became pretty normal to wake up beside one another and it seemed to come when we needed it most. It was probably a little unhealthy how co-dependent we have became on one another but she is the only person that understands.
"Morning." I was grateful Hermione had chosen to live here with me. There was no one I would rather have in Siriuss house. Only she knew the connection to the house I had. Soft pecking on the bedroom window distracted me and I stood and opened the latch to allow the creature in.
"It's from Gringotts. They have asked me to come in this afternoon. I really don't want to be eaten by a baby dragon Hermione. The Goblins will murder me for my crimes I just know it." She smiled before offering to go with me. We decided to shower, change and head out maybe pick up a coffee on the way.
"I wanted to stop at IKEA and get the sofa and stuff sorted. " She smiled at me and went back to her own room to change before leaving. Thankfully Hermione wasn't one of these girls that takes forever to get changed.
Dressed in a pair of tight jeans and a tank top with a long knitted cardigan and doc Martins I realised how quirky her sense of style was. She had really grown into herself and had went with Luna one day to style her hair.
A salon in Diagon Alley opened up and had given her a blow out which seemed vaguely dirty but seeing her emerge with her hair sitting straight and choppy in layers. She really suited it and seemed to give her a source of confidence.
"Ready to go?" Tucking my wand into the holster she nodded and with a grab of her beaded bag we made our way to the FLOO. Coming out in the Leaky Cauldron was an experience. It was the first time we had been out properly in the magical world and it seems as if the people haven't calmed down.
All eyes turned to us and I just grasped onto her hand tightly and hoped she wouldn't let go. I kept looking around in constant vigilance as Mad Eye would say, even though the war is over doesn't mean there is no danger. Neither one of us spoke to each other but you could hear a pin drop in the bar as we walked through.
One little child who appeared to be about nine or so came running over to us both and before it's mother could reprimand her she smiled at us both.
"Thank You so much!" No matter how many years pass I still can't get used to people thanking me. It seemed to be the catalyst we were waiting on because because one by one everyone came up wanting to thank us, kiss our cheek and shake our hand. It took us a solid five minutes to manoeuvre out of the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley was just as bad.
We made it to Gringotts eventually and as we walked into the opulent marble room all eyes of the Goblins also turned to us. The expression if looks could kill was on the tip of my tongue but thought better of it. We had already disrespected the Goblins by breaking in and stealing from them.
With Hermione hand still firmly ensconced in my own we made our way up to one of the bank tellers. Each set of beady eyes followed us as we walked down further into the room and stopped in front of one of the marble desks.
"I am here to see Ragnok the Third. My name is Harry Potter, this is Hermione Granger." Some hissing could be heard around us as I said my name and the goblin in front of us looked even more pissed off. If I make it out of here today without getting maimed or killed it will be a miracle.
"Mr Potter, follow me." Like obedient children we followed the Goblin behind a desk and back through a door. We made our way down a black spiral wrought iron staircase. A long corridor branching off in multiple directions and could be seen going in both directions.
" I have always loved this building, it is so full of mysteries and I have never been able to see the full layout." Hermione was in awe and if I was being truthful with myself so was I. Gringotts had always been impressive but I had never seen anything more than my vault, the carts and the entrance hall.
"Maybe don't destroy it this time." The little Goblin glared at us and it made us just walk with our heads down until reaching our destination. A large mahogany door was opened and we were ushered into a large circular room with a wingback chair behind a rather odd oak desk.
"Thank You Dunro that will be all." With a final glare at us the Goblin left the room leaving us with what I assumed was Ragnok.
"Mr Potter, Miss Granger. Sit." He reminded me of Snape a little bit with how much derision was in his tone. He took out two files that had put names on it. One was incredibly thick whereas the other was half the size.
"Now, let us not have any form of pretenses from the get go. I am Ragnok the Third and my family have been in charge of the Potter family accounts for a long time. I am going to be honest with you Mr Potter. We have been trying to get in contact with you since your godfather passed away. You too Miss Granger." I could tell Hermione was just as clueless as I was at this point because she sat forward in confusion at Ragnok.
"I was not aware you have been trying. The first letter I received was the other day. I'm sorry Ragnok, if I had known I would have written to organise and appointment. I mean prior to breaking in... and stealing the dragon." The Goblin nodded his head for a moment before a strange smile overcame his face.
"We shall get to your crimes soon Mr Potter, for now it has since come to our attention that Albus Dumbledore had been interfering in our post to you both. Now we have multiple things to get through. Mr Potter, this is your key to the Potter family vault and this is a ledger with all of your financial holdings, investments and items such as paintings, books, jewellery." As I opened the Ruby red ledger my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. The current balance split through three vaults is more that I could ever spend in seven lifetimes.
"Your mother Mr Potter also left you this. She had kept these in Remus Lupins possession and now that he has too passed and you are over eighteen it is needed." A green envelope was placed in front of me and as I took in my mother's beautiful cursive writing.
I couldn't even bring myself to touch it let alone read it, all my life I had never even known my mother and seeing her handwriting made my heart break even more. Hermione seemed to know exactly what was going on in my head and she touched me on the shoulder.
"Would you like me to read it for you Harry?" All I could do was nod at her as she slowly picked up the envelope and tore open the silver wax at the back to pull out a piece of parchment as well as a key and a photograph of his mother with a baby in her arms.
Hermione slid it across the table toward me and I picked it up with blurry eyes at the sight of my mother holding me. It was only in hindsight I noticed the pink blanket and the fact that my father was not in the photograph. Remus stood behind her smiling at the pink bundle and my heart started beating faster.
'My dearest Harry,
In any other time and world I would not have to write this letter. In any other time and world you would be together but if you are reading this then I cannot be there with you.
There is so much I have to tell you, the Muggle world is not as progressive as the wizarding world and when it comes to unwed and young mothers it is even more frowned upon.
Where to start? I suppose at the beginning. This was not an easy decision for me but considering the state of the world at the moment I do not think we will survive this war. If that is the case then there is something you have to do for me.
There is no easy way to say this my darling boy but you have a sister. An older half sister I should say, she is three years older than you. Please my sweet boy don't be angry.
When I was fifteen I started a relationship with my best friend. He was slowly becoming addicted to the Dark Arts and well we had a fight and broke up. In my sixth year we became close over the Halloween break. We slept together and stayed together until I found out that he had planned to join Voldemort.
I refused to be a part of that and we broke up again. Not long afterward I found out I was pregnant. I didn't tell the father because of how far into darkness he had spiralled.
No one knew except one of my best friends at the time Remus Lupin. He kept my secret and helped me all year. I dissolutioned my belly for the remaining year and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in May. She was early and a little bit sick when she was born but she was perfect.
I loved her instantly but knew she would never be safe. I spent a month with her and then before heading back to Hogwarts I let her go. Deciding to put her up for adoption was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. Albus Dumbledore found her a family, last I heard she had been adopted by a lovely couple and she moved to Canada at the age of one. Hopefully in your time the war will be over but if not, she deserves to be found and Severus deserves to know his child. Please love each other and know in a different world we would have been together.
All my love
Mum
It took me a second to register the wetness on my cheeks. A sister, I had a fucking sister that it seems no one knew anything about. In all of my conversations with Dumbledore, Remus and not one of them said anything.
Right in front of me, the small pink bundle in a teenage Lily Evans arms with a disapproving Grandmother behind her. Snape and my mother had a child, where in the under fuck.
"Harry... Oh my god." I couldn't even look at Hermione, my entire focus was on the picture in front of me. My mother was so young and as she held onto the little precious baby she didn't look old enough to be in that position.
The little baby all small, wrinkled and pink was content with her head laying on her mother's chest. My grandmother whom I had never met sat beside her with a scorn so bad I thought she was going to slap mum.
"There will probably be proof of this on your family tapestry which is either located in your vault or hanging in Potter Manor. The address is in the Ledger. Mr Sirius Black has also left you a vault Mr Potter. It is the main Black Vault which had been handed to him from his uncle. From that vault he has left things to people in his will. You two are the only ones left." I glanced over to Hermione who shook her head at me.
"Mr Potter this is yours, you have been left all of Sirius Black's vault and it has been left for you to peruse at you own leisure. A similar ledger has been sorted for you and will continuously adjust as investments gain or fall. Miss Granger, Sirius Black also left you something also. The entire Black Library has been set aside for you in a vault downstairs and some volumes are in Grimmauld Place along with a million galleons." She nearly choked beside me and I couldn't help but smirk at her.
"Mr Black requested the money be spent on getting a Mr Crookshanks some fresh fish everyday." A sob like laugh came from my best friends mouth and I couldn't help but smile at my godfathers message. She took my hand in hers again and held steadfast onto my own.
"Now since you have not had a Vault with us Miss Granger one has been opened for you. You will need an account manager." She requested that he do it and the goblin agreed.
"Now for the other thing we have to speak about. Mr Potter, Miss Granger you have also to answer for an incident which happened here in the bank. Now we have come up with a restitution of One thousand Galleons each to us for the theft and damage caused by your escapade." I nodded and knew it wouldn't even make a dent and I told him to pay Hermione also much to her bitching about it.
" Mr Ronald Wesley, do you wish to pay for him also?" There was a part of me that wanted to because realistically he had only been in the bank because of me but then I remembered what he and Ginny almost did to us and I shook my head.
"OK well, from now on I will be in direct contact. We have concluded business for the day you can both leave." Not wanting to overstay our welcome I asked to go to my family vault and Dunro appeared to take us to the carts. We placed our keys, letters and ledgers into Hermione bag and made our way down to the bottom of the building.
The last time I had been this far down was when we broke into Lestranges vault. A small Hungarian Ridgeback stood being well fed now that Voldemort wasn't around the little dragon will have the correct place to roam and grow.
According to Charlie whom had brought the dragon from Romania, the Goblins have an empty vault permamantly left open, inside it had been magically expanded like Hermione beaded bag.
"Let's go to the Potter Vault first please." Dunro opened the door with the key and a small drop of blood to key my blood to it. Once the door opened my jaw dropped and so did Hermiones. It was ten times the size of my trust vault and along the back wall was a large tapestry which looked a bit like The One in Grimmauld Place.
"Here look Harry. Elena Evans." On the tapestry it had my mother and father joined together in marriage in gold letters however, a silver thread edged away from her to match with Severus Tobias Snape. From that union another silver thread edged down to sit parallel with me.
ELENA EVANS
It was almost too much now at this point, the tears started flowing and upon hearing me cry Hermione turned from the tapestry and held me close to him.
"I have a sister Hermione. A fucking sister and no one told me about her. Snape has a daughter and my mother and Albus took her from us." I needed to speak to Severus and truth be told that was conversation which I could do without.
" We will make this right Harry. I promise." I grabbed a few things included Potter Property keys, some books and a silver bracelet which had some charms on it. We then made our way slowly up to the vaults Sirius left us.
Two doors which were side by side in the Medium security vaults level. Dunro nodded to Hermione for her key. A similar process for Hermione as a small bead of blood erupted from the tiny cut and she rubbed on the lock.
"Miss Granger can wait in the cart when she is finished." Hermione just nodded and as the door swung open I let out a soft scoff at that. The mountains of books that were lined all around the room caused my friend to grasp onto my arm.
"Dunro, I don't think that she will be waiting for me...getting her out of here is going to be a bit more challenging." She didn't even acknowledge my joke at this point and dove head first into the vault looking through the books with increasing vigour.
Dunro took me to the vault to the left of it and repeated the process to key it to me before the door swung open and a vaults full of Galleons, clothes, paintings, jewellery and even more books.
Upon closer inspection there was photo albums mixed through it. My curiosity won out and I pulled open the cover which had the Black Family Motto. The first photo was a picture of the latest Black Generation as children.
At first it startled me because a much younger Bellatrix stood in perfect dress robes. She looked mid twenties and was gripping almost possessively on Andromedas shoulders.
Andromeda stood looking as awkward as hell, from what I could tell this was just before she ran off with Ted and before Sirius was disowned. Sirius and Regulus looked about Fourth and a fifth year at Hogwarts.
Narcissa stood out like a light in a dark ocean. Her long blonde hair sat poker straight down her back and in a crown of Black, curly haired people she stuck out like a sore thumb.
Everyone had their emotions plastered on their face Bellatrix and Sirius were bored, Andromeda looked like she hadn't slept in weeks. Regulus was the ever dutiful son and did as he was told by the looks of things but Narcissa.
The ice cold gaze of Narcissa Malfoy was notorious but it seemed she had that look down pat ever since Hogwarts. I know Narcissa is a year older than Sirius but she looked younger even then.
Sitting in a perfect set of dark dress robes she had a look of derision aimed at the cameraman in that moment that would have cut you to the core. I remembered Reguluss words to me in the Library. Bellatrix had too much darkness, Andromeda had too much light and Narcissa was stuck in the middle.
It seemed there was more to the Malfoy Matriarch than even he knew. Seeing the young woman amongst her family looking every bit the Ice Queen her persona dictates was unnerving.
Deciding to call it a day I made my way out of the vault with the photo in my hand and went back over to Hermiones new vault. She had set a new record even for her, in the five minutes I was in my vault I seen her with an open trunk and quick reading some books and stepping into the trunk and disappearing for a couple of seconds which I honestly thought I was hallucinating.
I could only watch her do it two more times before I walked into the room out of curiosity. The movement must have caught her eye because she whipped her wand from its holster and turned it to me in lightning fast reflexes.
"Whoa Hermione!" She instantly relaxed and looked annoyed at herself before tucking her wand away and smiling at me.
"Sorry Harry, habit." I knew more than anyone and came over to hug her tight to me which she seemed to appreciate. Standing like that for a couple of minutes was enough for us as she beemed at me and trailed me into her new trunk.
Inside was almost like a house, it had four compartments which were almost empty. One was slowly filling with books on shelves and the other was a small Potions lab with so many Potions ingredients preserved. Some of them I had never heard of before.
"Remind me that I have to allow Snape to have a nosy." She smiled at me and we spent the rest of the afternoon cataloguing her new books from Sirius, one by one the healing began.
That's us done with another chapter folks. As always leave me a wee review to let me know what you think. See you next time.