Bonjour!
This Chapy is a bit shorter then the last, but my muse and I aren't getting along at the moment, so I need to find another one. Or tie this one to a chair.
This story is moving along slower then I had planned. This was going to be a ten chapter story, but guess what! It's not. I still have to skip ahead into Ria's Hogwarts years and judging by the movement of her before years (which was supposed to be two chapters, tops) that's going to take a whole bunch of chapters. So you guys are stuck with me for a while. But I'll try to make it painless as possible, with as few cliffies as I feel you guys deserve. Grins
Groar, it's early in the morning as I type this, and well, I'm not feeling good. Soccer is taking a lot out of me, and well, ya know.
Disclaimer: Still waiting for a package including my rights to these lovely and sexay characters. Still nothing. But I promised to put them back the way I found them, so I get to borrow them. But they're NOT mine.
Sighs.
I realized I wasn't very clear with the last chapter in saying I'd like at least seven reviews, and I now have seven reviews, total. I want five MORE for this chappy, please!
Moi!
Victoria Epanss was confused, to say the least. Aunt Ginny wouldn't lie, but this lady was not her mommy. Her mommy didn't have yellow hair. She also was shorter. Her mommy was softer, like a Teddy Bear. This lady looked like the people in Aunt Ginny's magazines.
This was not her mommy.
But why would someone pretend to be her mommy? And why would Aunt Ginny go along with it?
She didn't know, but she was sure she wanted to find out.
Ria thought back to what she had just told everyone. She hadn't even told Mommy about Voldy, so why should she tell Gramps and Harry and Red Man, and the Dark Eye'd man? And what about the big man? He hadn't said anything; he had just stared at her. Why?
She sighed on the inside and sat back in her chair a bit, to listen to the grownups talk a bit.
"Okay, this potion that we may use. It uses the blood of four to protect someone. Only those who have that blood can get in or out. That's why you can't use the directly related people. The protected one could get out that way. But that's the flaw. People related or people that have the some of the same DNA can get in. But only those four can use magic in the territory or else all their magic is temporarily drained. Ginny and Ron are related, so they can't. Draco's father would be able to get in if we used him. Only full humans can be used, so Remus and Hagrid can't be used. Albus would die if we used him. All that's left is myself, Professor Snape, Harry and Neville." Mommy said.
Ria looked up at her mother.
She couldn't ask, could she?
She wouldn't.
She pondered it for a while.
Wouldn't I work? She wondered I've heard a very little about the potion, but I'm guessing that we can't use certain people because they share blood with bad people. I only share blood with Mommy, and she's not a bad person. Wouldn't I work?
But she couldn't ask. The Dark Eye'd man didn't like her already.
She was scared of him and he didn't like her.
She felt herself drift off, and tried to keep her eyes open, but it didn't work.
"Wormtail, come here!" A lady-like yet male voice barked.
"Y-yes Master?" A shaking figure asked.
The taller, thinner figure was over a cauldron stirring slowly. His eyes were almost hidden by the cloud of steam rising up from the potion. Almost, but not quite.
"Bring me the traitor!" he demanded.
The smaller, rounder figure was shaking like mad now, but none the less, grabbed the terrified man off the table he was currently cursed too.
The man was short with long auburn hair. He had the appearance of someone who had just lost a good hundred pounds in the matter of weeks. Skin hung from him everywhere.
"M-master, p-p-please no!" He cried as Wormtail thrust him forward. He fell to his knees, his whole body crumpled forward.
"Why, Evans? Why would you go back to him? To the old fool?"
"H-he made m-me!" Evans sobbed into the man's cloak.
"The old fool is too weak to make anyone do anything! He does not thirst for power, only justice! How would you returning to him serve him justice?" The tall man bellowed.
"M-master, I did not wish to return. But a dark-haired man threatened me!"
"You know better then to listen to anything Potter says! He has not the courage to kill! All the Gryffindors are the same! They're too loyal to everything to kill at all. Why, it's amazing that they can throw away a piece of ruined parchment without thinking of all the good times they shared with it!"
"T-that was Potter? I did not recognize him!"
"Not recognize Potter? How could someone not recognize Harry Potter? The boy who lived? The boy who lived to be killed! Tell me, Evans, did you really think you'd be able to fool Lord Voldemort?"
"N-no M-master!" The man stuttered.
"Then why not just come back and confess to me your sins? Tell me of your betrayal? Why continue? Why Evans!" He bellowed.
"I-I was h-hoping to get information out of the old fool!"
"We already have an inside information source! You were best served as a lowly Death Eater, hoping to raising up through the ranks until your sorry butt finally dies in midst of battle."
"F-forgive me M-master, I had my doubts about our information s-source!"
"Doubts are not to be followed unless brought to me first!"
"S-sorry M-master, but I wanted to have evidence before I told you!"
"And did you find this evidence?"
"N-no! I-"
"SILENCE!"
The man fell silent, scared to death of this man. Ria could hear the man's heart beat wildly. His eyes were darting all around, hoping for an escape.
"Listen to me Evans, and listen well, for this voice WILL be the last voice you hear. Now, in this circle, there are two uses for people. One is a spy, and one is a fighter. You were a fighter. I do not need incompetent people as my spies!"
"I-I apologize, M-Master!"
"Apologies get you no where Evans!"
"Y-yes M-master! H-how may I prove myself to y-you?"
"You cannot. Your only use now is to be used in a potion. One to revive my strength."
"I-it will h-help M-master?" He asked
"Yes! That is why you are going to die Evans. To renew the master you betrayed."
"M-master, please! I am loyal! I am your servant."
"And serve me you shall. In this potion. This is an honor Evans! How dare you refuse this honor to help your master!"
"M-master, n-no! l-I have a family!"
"Who, unless you shut up, will be killed as well."
"M-master! I surrender. But do you not want to hear what I've discovered first?"
"No Evans! I will know all I need to know from my faithful spy."
"B-but M-master-"
"Wormtail, prepare the traitor."
But Ria could read his mind, and knew all he did. It was not good.
"No! Don't kill him! No! Stop! Don't kill anymore! Voldy, Stop!" Ria tried to scream, but all that came out were hissing noises. Her head violently jerked up, her breath came in a loud gasp and her eyes flew open to see everyone looking at her.
"Ria, what happened?" Gramps asked her.
"N-nothing Gramps." She said, trying to force the stutter away from her voice. She had the sudden urge to grab her arm and howl at the pain that passed through it, but refused that urge.
"Are you alright?" Mommy asked.
Ria nodded quickly and hurried out of the room.
She held back tears as she ran up the steps and flew on to the bed. She now knew why they were talking about that potion.
They wanted Hermione.
Ria knew she had to protect Hermione for all her life was worth. She had heard the prophecy in the Red Man's head, and then again in Evans.
She hated to see Voldy. He was mean, and he liked to kill too much. She hated him.
She had to stop him.
Silently, she crept out of her room and into Hermione's.
Ginny looked quite shocked at what little she had understood of Ria's outburst. They all looked expectantly to Harry.
"What did she say?" Albus finally asked.
Harry sat still for a moment and told them, "'No! Don't kill him! No! Stop! Don't kill anymore! Voldy, Stop!'"
Mya choked. "So she saw him?"
Harry shrugged. "I guess."
Ron looked at each face before speaking, "Wait, you said she did speak Parsletongue?"
Harry nodded.
"But, isn't it hereditary?"
Albus nodded, "Passed down to the heir of Slytherin. Although, there are other ways to get it." He said, looking at Harry.
"But, she hasn't had any physical run ins with You-Know-Who, has she?" Ron asked Mya, looking at her expectantly.
"No, not physical. Although I guess she has had a few mental ones."
Albus nodded, "She has heard more then any five year old should have to."
Finally, Hagrid spoke.
"Am I the on'y one who thought she look'd a bit famillir?"
Ria looked up at the baby through the thick smoke. She quickly made the smoke see through, and scentless so that no one would think twice about it surrounding the baby.
"Hermione. Shhhh." She said as the little mouth opened and a cry was about to pierce the air.
"Silenco!" she whispered. Then she put a quick spell on her to let her talk to Hermione.
The baby's mouth was wide open, but nothing could be heard.
"Listen… I know you can hear me, so don't even pretend you can't."
The baby instantly closed her mouth.
"Now, if anything is going to happen, I need you to cry. The second you see someone that you get a strange vibe from, let me know. I'll come in and help."
Then she left, before Hermione even had time to respond.
The group ignored Hagrid's question and continued their conversation on her dreams.
"Should she be taught to block these dreams?" Draco asked.
Albus shook his head, "From what I can tell, she can read anyone's mind. She got through my own block, Severus's block and even Voldemort's block. Who's to say she can turn it off? Magic is not it's average potency for her, it's turned up by about 10. She's strong, but young. It's dangerous to try to teach a five year old magic."
Mya looked upset. "So, what? We're just going to let her have these dreams? We're just going to let her innocence be torn from her?"
"Innocence in war is a rare thing. If we worried about saving everyone's innocence, we might as well toss our wands in and run in front of the Dark Lord." Professor Snape sneered
"Professor, I don't know you very well, but let me guess, the stick up your ass isn't removable?"
"Ms. Epanss, I don't appreciate being spoken to like that."
"Well, good for you! Yipedee! I don't particularly care! You're sitting there telling me I have to watch my daughter slowly lose any chance of every being happy just because it's dangerous to teach her magic. Isn't it dangerous to see what she's seen?"
"She probably has a better idea of what this war is about then you do! She probably can take it more seriously, since she's seen more then you have."
"Do not tell me what I have and have not seen Professor. I have seen more then you may ever know I have, and I will have you know that I have a firm grasp on what this war means. I'm part of it, am I not?"
"No. This war is between Potter and the Dark Lord."
"So if I die, that a death of circumstance. She just HAPPENED to be there fighting too. No big."
"You can't keep casualties at bay, Ms. Epanss, we're at war."
"That's what you keep saying. 'We're at war.' For some reason, I get the vibe you're a lonely old man who wouldn't know love if it bit you in the ass. That girl, up there, she's all I have."
"That's more then some of us have."
"That's your own problem, now isn't it. It's not my fault you're- Never mind. You'd feel differently if it was your own child, Professor."
"Luckily for me, my position in this war is not hindered by any child."
"Lucky for you then." She said and refused to look him in the eyes anymore.
"Listen!" Albus was fed up with the bickering. "I'm sure Professor Snape would be more then happy to brew some Dreamless Sleep potion for Ria. Can we please get back to the dream, what may have happened in it, and not what our views on this war are?"
"May I please ask one more thing, before we go on to another subject?" Mya asked.
Albus nodded.
"What should I do, protection measure wise, for Ria?"
"The potion will help a lot. Is her father up to taking her?"
Mya looked down to the table, and she could hear Ginny try not to say anything behind her.
"Her father doesn't know."
Harry looked at her. "You've kept a child from its father for five years?"
"He doesn't want me. What makes you think he'll want her?"
"Maybe he'd like to know what his blood is flowing through." He reasoned.
"I assure you, he doesn't care. He's too absorbed in his own affairs to look."
"Does she know who he is?" Harry asked.
"No, and I'd like to keep it that way. He caused me nothing but pain, and I have not doubt he'll do the same for her."
"Has he ever met her?"
"Once. But he didn't know she was his. He didn't recognize me, and I'm sure that's the best way to keep it."
"I don't know the father, nor the circumstance, but I think it'd be best if you looked for him to at least let him know she exists."
"I've written him a letter. Whether or not he's found it is none of my business."
"How can you say it's none of his business? It's his child."
"By blood. But can you truly say he's done his part to find us?"
"Maybe if he knew about her…"
"He'd consider her an obstacle. He's very wrapped up in his own affairs. Sure the fate of the world sits on his shoulders. I tried to help." She gave a dry laugh, "He made me leave. To protect me. From what? Getting crushed by my own insecurities? He didn't do much to help me there."
"Who is the father?"
"No one." And she muttered something that sounded quite to Albus like 'look closely and guess.'
Albus cleared his throat.
"Now, about the potion."
Ria heard every word.
She had started to come down the steps to ask about Hermione's mark on her shoulder when she heard "'No, and I'd like to keep it that way. He caused me nothing but pain, and I have not doubt he'll do the same for her.'"
She paused to hear who they were talking about.
"Has he ever met her?"
Who ever met who?
"Once. But he didn't know she was his. He didn't recognize me, and I'm sure that's the best way to keep it."
Whowas who's? Can people belong to others?
"I don't know the father, nor the circumstance, but I think it'd be best if you looked for him to at least let him know she exists."
Father. It hit her. They were talking about her.
"I've written him a letter. Whether or not he's found it is none of my business."
So she had tried to contact her father. Ria was curious as to whether or not he ever found the letter.
"How can you say it's none of his business? It's his child."
Ria agreed. It was Mommy's business. Even more, it was Ria's business.
"By blood. But can you truly say he's done his part to find us?"
If he doesn't know about me, Ria thought, Then how can he look for me?
"Maybe if he knew about her…"
Her thoughts had been voiced.
"He'd consider her an obstacle. He's very wrapped up in his own affairs. Sure the fate of the world sits on his shoulders. I tried to help." She gave a dry laugh, "He made me leave. To protect me. From what? Getting crushed by my own insecurities? He didn't do much to help me there."
So Mommy hadn't walked out. He made her leave. Mommy was insecure? That was news to Ria. Mommy was very confident.
"Who is the father?"
Good question.
"No one."
Didn't someone have to be her father?
Then Ria heard something muttered.
"Look closely and guess."
Harry was her father?
"What about the potion, Albus? Professor Snape will brew it, Harry, Neville, Professor and I will put our blood in, and then we have to put some on the crib and get Hermione to drink some."
"You certainly know a lot about this potion, Ms. Epanss."
"Well Professor, I read a lot."
"The thirst for knowledge sometimes takes those down a wrong path."
"And I'm sure you know this from first hand experience. Great potatoes, Gin."
"You seem to enjoy putting me down, Ms. Epanss. May I enquire why?"
"You may, but you may not get an answer."
"Maybe I want an answer."
"And I want a pony, but I don't have one, now do I?"
"I always get what, Ms. Epanss."
"Could you teach me that trick? I've never been able to get Ria's father's head out of his ass long enough to listen to me, and I'd really like to take him off his high horse some times.""So you have spoken to him."
"A bit. But I haven't told him anything about Ria, so don't get your hopes up with getting rid of her anytime soon. She'll be with me for a while."
Albus put his hand up to end the bickering.
"I believe we have an over hearer."
Mya's eyes widened.
"Come on down, Baby!" she yelled.
Ria walked slowly down the steps.
"You didn't tell Daddy about me yet? Your pinky promised!"
"I know honey, but I don't want you to get hurt."
"No Daddy hurts too!" she yelled.
The lights flickered slightly. The doors flew open. Ria's eyes widened and she took a deep breath and calmed down. Everything stopped. She ran upstairs.
I don't like this chapter, but it had to happen. There had to be a conflict between Sev and My. It just had to happen. And I had to establish the fact the Ria's powerful and that she can't control it once she gets mad.
Remember that.
Review please!
Moi! (French Kissy)
