H P Boy who livesYear 7- Summer
Chapter 42
Gift from the heart
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A gift from the heart is the best treasure of all...
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Rory and Dromi had seen their studio and instantly began working on the portraits for their guys using photos that they had lent them of their mother.
"I hope the boys finally went to bed." Dromi yawned.
"Them? Last I checked it was going on six in the morning." Rory stretched to get some of the kinks out of her body.
"Once we get started on a painting it's hard for us to take a break from it."
"All of this great stuff inspired us to work our guy's presents." Rory took a step back from the easel and studied her work.
Trista walked into the studio to check on them. She had stayed overnight at the castle. "Your brother is sleepwalking while taking the pups out. It's amazing to me how he can look wide-awake and still be asleep."
"Rumor has it that baby brother sleepwalked his way through sixth year, because he spent every waking moment of his free time preparing for his final battle, and making it look like everything was peachy keen to everyone around him." Rory was touching up the background of her painting.
"Daddy says that he's done that since he was a baby. He even talks to you when he's like that." Dromi stood back and looked at her finished masterpiece.
Trista set Bandit down, so she could look at the twins creations, and not worry that he would stick his paws out or touch them. "The princes are downstairs using that amazing Muggle computer and are I believe the Muggle term is chatting with their father on it." She stood behind Dromi and gasped when she saw the portrait. "Dromi this is amazing. You have captured the very essence of the Princess."
Rory walked over to look. "She's right sis this is amazing."
Trista went to look at Rory's painting hers also gave you the feeling the subject was going to walk off the canvas and say hello. "Is that offer to help me with the Four Hearts Collection still good, because the two of you are natural born master artists." She turned to smile at them.
"Gramps wants you to try the impossible. Of course we want to help you." Rory and Dromi hugged her. "You're our friend."
"You two are the best." Trista hugged them back.
"So, what do we call you in public Trista or Melanie?" Dromi winked at her.
"It's okay to go by your middle name it's what I go by."
"I wasn't in the mood to deal with Fred Weasley or reveal that I'm TMM." Trista sighed. "George sure did look dreary though."
"After what you told us he deserves to be dreary for a bit." Dromi wasn't at all pleased with George.
"Mel, do you fancy him or despise him?" Rory had Bandit in her arms.
"Yes, Melanie, do you have feelings for him?" Dromi echoed her sister's inquiry.
Trista looked torn about how to answer them, but finally broke down, and came clean with them about her feelings. "It's not that simple. You see it's been three years since I've last seen him and it dredged up all sorts of long since buried emotions towards him. He was such a pirate around everyone, always the mischief-maker, or the motley fool. That side of him is a follower, especially when it comes to his twin, and Lee Jordan." She curled up on the window seat and thought back to when she was a student here at the castle.
"I thought that he was a jerk, until one day when he proved just how wrong I was. When I was thirteen, I lost my parents and it devastated me. I went somewhere to cry. George found me curled up crying and offered me a candy to cheer me up. I reacted to that by crying even harder, so he poured out his prized bag of Wizarding treats in front of me and pleaded with me to stop crying. I looked up at him with miserable eyes, grabbed up a fistful of the candy, threw it at him, snarled at him that my parents had died, and that I wished to be left alone. George did something unexpected he sat down next to me, pulled me into his arms, told me to tell him about my parents, and that it was okay if I wanted to cry on his shoulder. This was very unexpected because I had always thought of him as a cruel and beastly boy." Trista smiled. "We became fast friends after that, which was a godsend for him. You see he wasn't doing very well in the classes that weren't interesting to him. He would bring me candy and I would help him with his studies or listen to his ideas. He really is quite brilliant."
"Only, he valued staying in favor with his twin, which is why he chickened out at the Yule Ball. That was years ago and he really is sorry. He risked Azkaban to create those rainbows for you." Harry stood in the doorway with the pups sitting obediently at his feet.
"Harry James, it's rude to eavesdrop on other peoples private conversations." Dromi glared at her brother.
"The door was open and these two raced up the stairs to your floor. I wasn't snooping. I knew that you were either sleeping or still painting. I didn't want the pups to interrupt you." Harry was grouchy from lack of sleep and dreaming of what could have gone wrong.
"No harm done you should see your sister's creations."
The pups greeted Trista.
"These two are so adorable."
Harry walked over and looked bleary-eyed at the portraits. "Wow these are brilliant; even I can see that half-blind, and without my specs."
"You're not wearing your contacts or specs and took the pups outside? How in Merlin's name are you maneuvering around the castle half-blind?" Dromi stared at him in disbelief.
"Half-blind as in you're all blurry to me, but I can make out who you are, besides after six years I can walk around this castle blindfolded. Oh, before I forget the two of you are front page news on every paper and news program. Welcome to the club." Harry yawned.
"Nice one baby brother, I nearly believed you." Rory rolled her eyes at him.
"Every tabloid, every major newspaper in the world, every television news media, the internet, and the list goes on." Harry grinned. "They caught the whole puppy scene on film and on tape...particularly the kiss they really loved that. You're TMZ's new darlings."
"Oh, shove back off to bed, after all this is your last weekday morning that you can sleep in for months and months." Rory had to rub that in.
Harry glared at his sister. "Let's go guys. The future Queen of England is being ratty this morning." He and the pups left.
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"Ratty! Why that cheeky little brat." Rory growled.
"Who's a cheeky brat? Surely not our Harry?" Wills walked in with a stack of papers in his arms and Ginger curled on his shoulder.
"Harry a cheeky brat no way." Henry drawled sarcastically, he had Mystic on his shoulder.
"He mentioned something about the front pages around the world and then said welcome to the club." Rory grumbled. "Said they snapped us kissing after you said yes about the pups."
"Yes, that well why not have a look for yourself." Wills showed her what would be the Tuesday headline of The Sun.
'Romance shines above remorse as tragedy strikes royal family!' There was a huge photo of their kiss beside one with the ambulances in the front courtyard as Paramedics and stretchers were rushed inside.
There was another one from another paper this one from The Daily Mail. 'Double visions, Queen of Heart's sons find love with identical twin sisters!' A picture of them with the pups, Henry hugging Dromi, and of Wills kissing Rory were shown. Under that was another article. 'Double tragedy strikes Royals! Charles and Phillip dead after suffering severe heart trauma!' There was the photo of the ambulance scene.
"They really are like sharks!" Rory rifled through fifty headlines and was beyond appalled.
"Those are actually quite tame. You see they're all being nice because of the deaths in the family." Wills words made her stare at him in horror. "That's nothing compared to what the Telly is reporting, because of it happening the eve before the seventh anniversary of mum's death."
Henry had walked over to see just what the girls had been up to and his heart stopped at the sight of Dromi's painting of his mum. "You've captured my Mum on canvas! Is this going to be a Wizarding portrait?" He was so emotionally impacted by the portrait that he could barely speak.
"That's the plan. Are you angry about it?" Dromi asked softly.
"No, love, I am in no way angry about it." He put his arms around her. "What I am is touched beyond measure."
"Then you like it." Dromi smiled happily up at him.
"Angel, I love it." He kissed the top of her head.
"Rory, he loves his surprise." Dromi called over to her sister.
"See, I told you there was nothing to fret about." Rory looked up from reading one of the articles. "These claim that we bewitched you both. If only they knew the truth then they would probably sell their very souls for the scoop."
Wills was curious about Rory's painting and walked over to look at it. He found himself looking at his mother not dressed as a royal, but in a simple sapphire blue turtleneck, matching leggings, and her favorite loafers. She was smiling happily at him. He felt that she could walk out of the painting, and hug him. He missed her so much that tears burned in his eyes. "No one has ever been able to give me a piece of my mum back, but this is as close as it gets." He growled hoarsely.
"We haven't tried the final step on it yet." Rory wished with all her heart the spell would work on their paintings. "So it might only be a painting."
"Even so this is wonderful. I love it and you for staying up, so you could do this for me." Wills walked over and pulled her into his arms. "You are mine forever I hope you realize that." He growled huskily into her hair.
"Picturatus Alacritas." Trista cast the spell with her wand. It took a few moments, but both portraits came to life. Her task done she left them to catch up with their Mother.
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"My word this is odd... where in heaven am I?" The figure of Diana glanced around in Rory's portrait. "Grace and I were discussing the fate of our new arrivals and then I was pulled ..."
Her eyes lit up with happiness when she realized that her boys were with her girls and that she must be in a Wizarding portrait. "My Wills, all grown up and as handsome as his father, I have missed you so. My Katherine Aurora the perfect match for Wills, because yours was truly love at first sight."
Wills didn't care if he was openly crying or not he was with his mum. "I miss you loads, Mum. We've been so lost without you these seven years." His voice was raw with emotion.
Henry walked over to stand beside his brother. Tears instantly began to flow when she smiled at him. "Mummy thank you for sending me, my angel."
Diana ached to pop out of the painting and gather him in her arms. "My Harry. I'm so sorry that you've had a rough time of it these past years. Charles was never really meant to be a father. You both took the spotlight off him and he resented that. Add how much I was loved by the world and it's a blunder in the making. My Andromeda Marie is gentle, as she is fierce, and the perfect match for, my Harry."
"This one is already getting me into loads of trouble." Wills kissed Rory on the top of her head then rested his chin there.
"Hey, I happen to be new at this whole being alive thing." Rory pouted.
"Wills is broken." Henry grinned.
Di frowned at her son. "Broken? Whatever do you mean by...?"
Henry held up one of the headlines with the play-by-play of the kiss.
"I see you broke the cardinal rule and at the Palace of all places. So by broken he means that you openly showed affection towards a woman that you love in public." She giggled her eyes dancing and sparkling with mischief.
"Mum, it's not funny! I have always prided myself in my ability to keep in control while out in the public eye. Now it's shot to hell because she makes me crazy just by smiling at me." Wills pouted.
"That's how it should be when you find the one that's only meant for you." Di winked at him. "I expect that Harry does the same when he's around Dromi."
"Dromi balances me and tames my wilder side." Henry kissed the top of Dromi's head. "I can't lose control anymore or she'll turn me into a mule or worse."
Dromi turned in his arms so she could look at him. "You were being a brat, it made me mad, and I acted on instinct."
"Bully for you Dromi, as long as you can change him back of course." Di winked at her.
"He changed himself back, because Dromi didn't know the counterspell." Rory giggled.
"Did he really? So my Harry is a wizard! What a smashing notion! Both of you did get letters when you turned eleven. Charles was livid when he saw the one for Wills, after that things were over between us, because I thought it was wonderful that he received one. Then when Harry got one as well Charles forbade me from allowing you to attend." Di arched a brow at Wills. "Wills, are you magically inclined as well?"
"Hermione turned me into a mule during high tea with Grams yesterday, then went off after her other half the Prince Harry of the Wizarding World, so I had to turn myself back or stay a mule." Wills shrugged his shoulders.
"We thought that he might be magically challenged, it was really a humbling experience for him." Rory smirked.
"Wills has always had an easy time of it. Where as Harry never found his niche in school. Magic may have been that place." Di sighed, "Our Ducky turned out to be quite a character."
"Mum, you have no idea. She's an amazing young lady and nothing like our shy Ducky at all." Henry was proud of his baby cousin.
"I watched James and Lily go out of their minds with worry for their son and his friends. I counted myself lucky that you two managed to live normal safe lives. Their Harry nearly died at the last battle. He almost crossed over. Thank goodness our Ducky had other ideas and pulled him back to her." Diana shivered at the thought of what could have been.
"She's got him under her thumb and legally bound to her. The little girl who didn't believe in royalty is now a princess and the future Queen of the Wizarding World." Wills grinned.
Di got serious with Henry and pinned him with a look. "I trust that you young man will swear off drinking and such now that you have Dromi in your life."
"I was confused, angry, and had no focus. My outlet was parties, clubbing, and drinking. I have Dromi that changes all that. Plus, I have real magic in me, which I intend to explore. I also have other focuses like my kids in Lesotho, South Africa." Henry was completely forthright with his mother.
"I'm proud of both of you. Especially, how you've both handled the truth that has been dealt to you these past weeks for Wills and days for Harry." Di broached the subject that they were all avoiding.
"You were truly happy and they couldn't stand it because of his choice of religion or because you were happy and he couldn't have that so he ordered you dead. I have evidence to prove it. Add to that our true parentage and they were lucky I didn't send the DNA results to The Sun!" Wills snarled bitterly.
"Mummy, did you know that he wasn't our biological dad?" Henry blurted out.
"I hadn't a clue, until just before our marriage was over and my lawyer was sent official medical documents that showed that he was sterile during our marriage. Yet, the two of you were of the Windsor line just not his sons. Let me tell you that I was mortified at what that implied and beyond furious. It's the leverage I used to keep you with me. I'm okay with it now that I know they used Andrew's DNA. He is a wonderful man and was a true friend to me in a palace filled with enemies." Di was completely honest with her boys.
"How did they pull off that coup without you knowing?" Rory frowned.
"I used to take really powerful sedatives the doctor prescribed to me for when I became stressed by all the pressure. I would take one and not awaken for twelve hours. That must have been when they did what they did to give you to me." Di came to that conclusion.
"Grandfather and Uncle deserved their fates." Henry snarled.
"They are in judgment right now, which isn't good for them, but they did ask for it." Di felt almost sorry for what was to become of them. "No matter... Fill me in on everything and don't spare any details!" Di beamed at her sons and they complied by filling her in on the past seven years of their lives.
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Chapter 43
The Ferret Fritter
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I do not claim any of JKR's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.
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Cindra 2004-2008