The Parent Trap:
Chapter 24: Found Among The Clearing: by Ang.
Darkness had descended upon the girls as they sat in the clearing. The stars above twinkled down at them, reminding them both of their father's eyes when he was happiest and a look they were not likely to see when they were found. The warm summer nights has started to give way to the approaching fall as the air grew chillier and the girls huddled together for a bit of warmth.
"How long do you think we'll have to stay here, Abigail?" Evie asked as she struggled to keep her teeth from chattering, not sure if it was from cold or nerves.
"I don't really know. I'm sure they've figured out that we're not in the castle anymore and knowing Mum, she's contacted every single person I've ever known."
"And that means that Papa has called in Uncle Aberforth too. Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble with everyone. But surely they'll see that it wasn't entirely our fault," she said absently.
"That all depends on what Professor Cline tells them and whether or not they're willing to believe two eleven year old sisters over one somewhat respected Professor at Hogwarts." Abigail grew silent once more as she replayed the series of events in her mind. She had been incredibly puzzled as to how on earth she had managed to project so much power without even the aid of a wand. She remembered reading once in a book that some powerful witches and wizards were capable of using wandless magic but that ability was rare indeed. She knew her mother had that ability and most assuredly her father too but she had no idea if that was something that could be inherited.
"I bet you that old cow tries to blame us for what happened. She'll make us out to be the villains in all of this and then where will we be?" Evie turned to look at her sister for a long moment. "You know, I never said thank you for standing up for me. She had me gripped so tightly that I couldn't move and I was actually really afraid of what she might do to me. I'm really glad you were there when I needed you."
"That's what sisters are for, right? You'd have done the same thing for me and it's strange but I could feel your fears. I could tell she was hurting you and my arms even hurt in the same spot where she was holding you."
Abigail touched the spot on her arms and remembered vividly the multitude of feelings that raced through her mind in those few seconds of indecision. She could actually feel everything that her sister was experiencing at the hands of Nicholette Cline and she could also feel the woman's rage as it bubbled just below the surface and that scared Abigail. Then, just as quickly as those feelings were processed, Abigail felt her own arms begin to hurt and with that came the strong desire to fight back, to make the woman pay for hurting her sister and herself. It was then that the image of her mother appeared in her mind.
The image had been one of a strong Minerva McGonagall, standing tall and proud in the center of a field of thistles. Her long hair was blowing in the gentle breeze and her emerald green eyes were set as hard as stone upon some fixed point beyond Abigail's line of vision. Her mother's jaw had been hardened and the determined look upon her features had practically radiated power and protection. It was at that moment that she felt the surge of power race through her body and the image of her mother was replaced with one of her father, also standing tall and strong. A second wave of energy hit the young girl and seconds later Professor Cline was crumpled on the floor, screaming in pain as she tumbled down the long staircase.
"Hey, are you alright?" Evelyn asked full of concern. Her sister had been shaking and it had nothing to do with the cool air. "You seem to have gone into some kind of trance or something there for a minute."
"Evie, when we were on the stairs, did you sense anything different about yourself or me when she attacked you? I mean, did you think of anything in particular aside from trying to get away from her?"
"Well, I guess so. I wanted you to help me in some way, to make her let go of me. I wanted Mum and Papa to come and find her hurting me so that she'd stop. And a bit of me wanted to hex her into the next of never for daring to talk about our parents like they were horrible people. Is that what you mean?"
"That's something like what I was thinking of but not entirely." Abigail sighed and looked out to the small lake in front of them. "I could feel what you were feeling and I think somehow I was able to draw some power from both Mum and Papa in order to force her to release you. I've never been able to do wandless magic before so why would it suddenly appear now unless there was some sort of connection between the four of us?"
"No idea but that's a good theory. You should ask Papa about that when we see him." The girls slipped into silence as they sat huddled close together in the clearing. Somewhere in the distance a twig snapped and each girl drew in a quick breath in anticipation. Just then, a timid mother unicorn poked her head out of a small thicket of trees, no doubt making sure there was no danger lurking in the clearing. Seeing none, she walked majestically towards the crystal waters and was followed by two smaller unicorns, no doubt her offspring. On the opposite side of the lake another unicorn appeared, this one much larger than the first and certainly stronger. The girls each surmised that this must have been the mate to the girl unicorn and the father of the smaller ones. A wry smiled played upon Abigail's lips as she drew similarities between the unicorn family and her own.
Off in the distance a familiar voice rang through the trees, calling for one girl and then the other in the hopes that an answer would be returned. "They've figured out where we are, Abigail. What are we going to do?" The male unicorn must have recognized the voice of Albus Dumbledore for instead of running away and seeking safety, he neighed and soon he was joined by his mate and their children on the far side of the water.
"There's nothing we can do except sit still and wait for them to get here. If we try to run, we'd probably get lost since it's already dark. And we can't run from them forever. Might as well go back and take our punishment before we make it any worse for ourselves." Evie nodded her head and resided herself to the fact that they were about to get the worse punishment of their lives. "One more thing though before they get here." Evie raised an eyebrow at her sister, much like their mother would have done in questioning. "This was all my fault. I made Professor Cline fall and I should receive the punishment for that. You had nothing to do with it and I won't have you getting in trouble because I couldn't control my magic."
"But if I hadn't provoked her, then none of this would have happened."
"She had no right to hurt you, even if you did provoke her. She was supposed to be the adult in that situation and instead she turned out to be a bigger child than either of us. Now, I'm going to tell them exactly what happened and at least try to make them understand that I was only trying to protect you from her."
"Abigail…Evie? Answer me!" A frantic feminine voice joined Albus' and both girls cringed inwardly. Minerva was with Albus and no doubt she would be furious with them for so many reasons. They had ruined the picnic. They had each scolded their parents for different reasons and then without so much as an "I'm sorry" they had walked away only to find more trouble waiting for them inside the castle. Their father would no doubt be as lenient as possible but Minerva on the other hand would demand answers and justice, no matter the reasoning behind the motivation.
"We'd better answer her. She sounds really upset," Abigail announced more as a thought out loud than an actual statement to her sister. "Mum…Papa…we're here," she called out. The girls could hear the quickening of the footsteps of their parents as leaves and sticks crunched beneath their feet.
When Minerva saw her girls sitting on the blanket and huddled together, she wasted no time in racing to their sides, pulling them into a massive, bone crushing hug as tears spilled from her eyes. Then, pulling back she carefully inspected each one for any signs of injuries. Abigail looked a picture of health and so did Evelyn but when she touched their upper arms, Minerva noticed how they each winced. But before she could ask any questions, Albus had dropped to his knees and was kissing each girl and telling them how worried they had been.
Hugs and kisses were exchanged as tears flowed freely from blue and green eyes, no doubt tears of relief at having found their most precious jewels safe and together. The first thing the girls said was how sorry they were for worrying their parents but they were met with understanding eyes instead of harsh ones. That was something they had not expected at all.
"Come on. Let's get you back to the castle and warmed. It's getting chilly out here and you'll catch a cold," Minerva announced. She was about to stand when Albus placed his hand on her arm, keeping her in her place on the blanket. He nodded to the far side of the lake where the small family of unicorns has risen. The male unicorn locked eyes with Albus and bowed his head lowly, as a sign of respect, as the female of the beast licked each of her young ones once on the top of the head and then looked in Minerva's direction. Minerva wrapped her arms around each of her daughters' and then kissed the tops of their heads too.
The unicorn family soon turned and walked away leaving the Dumbledores in the clearing. "I…I can't believe they're still here," Minerva managed to say. "I never thought I'd see them again after that night."
"What night, Mum? Is there something special about the unicorns that we don't know?"
"Yes, but that's a story for another time my lasses. Maybe one day your father and I will share that tale with you but not tonight. We have other matters to discuss and I want to get you back to the school and out of the forest."
Both girls hung their heads in shame. "We're sorry," Evie mumbled "but it wasn't our fault. We…"
Albus held up his hand to silence his daughter. "No one is blaming you…either of you…for what happened. Your mother and I are just happy to have found you safe and unharmed. While we're not happy that you ran away, we can try to understand your reasoning but you'll have to tell us the entire story first." Minerva nodded her head in agreement and then clasped her hands with one from each of her children as they silently followed Albus out of the forest.
Once back inside, the girls were given a proper dinner instead of the snacks they had been munching on from the basket. As soon as their plates were cleared, Minerva suggested they take warm baths and get into clean pajamas before sharing their version of events with their eager parents. Albus went to gather their nightwear while Minerva disappeared into the bathroom to run their water.
"Is it just me or is something different between them," Evie asked.
"I thought it was just me being wishful," Abigail admitted. "Maybe something has changed but we'll just have to wait and see." She was about to continue but Minerva appeared in the doorway, beckoning them both into the steam filled bathroom.
Sitting on the side of the tub as her daughters bathed, Minerva let her shoulders slump in relaxation for the first time since the picnic. She had gone through so many emotions and it had completely exhausted her to no end. She thought back to the memories drudged up at the clearing and as she looked into the eyes of each of her children, she remembered so many of the good days between herself and Albus. It was as if those years of separation had never existed. But then suddenly something caught her eyes and she gasped.
"Evelyn, how did you get these bruises on your arms?" she asked with a voice filled with concern. Minerva ran her finger lightly across the offended area and searched the young girl's face for an answer.
"Abigail has them too, Mum. It was Professor Cline." Immediately Minerva moved to the opposite end of the bathtub and inspected Abigail's arms as well, noting the same imprint on her arms as well. There were definite handprints, no doubt where someone had forcefully and angrily held them between their grasp.
"Albus…come here. I need you," Minerva shouted loud enough to startle the girls and several of the portraits in the sitting room.
Seconds later the door burst open and a frantic Albus appeared, shaken and unnerved. "What's wrong? What it is Minerva?"
"Look! Just look what that…WOMAN did to our children! She's left her mark on them…physically! She actually bruised our babies," Minerva said as she dissolved in a flood of guilt and angry tears.
"Is that right, girls? Did Professor Cline do this to you?" Both girls nodded and suddenly felt a cold wave pass through the room as Albus inspected each of the four bruises. "Minerva, you will see that our daughters are bathed and put into bed. I am going to get some answers from Cline and then we can decide on whether or not to press charges for her behavior. I will return as quickly as possible and then I want to hear your sides of the story." Before he left, Albus kissed each girl on the cheek and then turned to Minerva. Without a moment's hesitation, he lowered his head to hers and kissed her quickly on the lips before disappearing from their rooms in a flurry of billowing robes, leaving three Dumbledore women behind nearly speechless.
An hour later, Minerva reclined in the middle of Albus' large bed with a girl on either side of her. Her protective arms were wrapped gently but securely around the waist of each girl and her chest served as their pillows as she hummed soft tunes to lull them to sleep and to calm her own nerves. Albus had been gone much longer than she had expected and that could not mean good things. But for now, her main concern was her family and that family most assuredly included one Albus Dumbledore. Thinking back to the night the girls were conceived and then the quick peck on the lips he had planted on her lips only a short while ago, Minerva knew that the walls around her heart had started to crack. All Albus needed to do now was prove to her that things could be different and then perhaps they might have a future together…if in fact he still wanted one with her.
Minerva had drifted off to sleep and did not hear the soft clicking of the door as it opened. As quietly as possible, Albus entered the bedroom and stared upon the sight he thought he would never see. His beautiful wife and his lovely daughters all curled up in his massive bed, sleeping peacefully and waiting for his return. His large purple dressing down was spread out across the three of them, barely covering them but symbolically protecting them in his absence. It was a mental image he hoped he would never forget and one that he so desperately wished to see more than just this once. It was the image of his family, together at last. His family at home, safe and protected, love and adored, happy and satisfied to be in his presence. In that one moment, as he stared at the sleeping beauty he called his wife, he realized just how much of a fool he had been for taking her for granted. He didn't know how but somehow he would make her see just how much he was sorry. If need be, he would drop to his knees and beg for a second chance, for their daughters' sakes but most importantly for his and Minerva's. But first, he had to resolve the issue with his children and the woman who had left visible evidence of her hate upon their creamy skin. And it would take all of his strength to keep Minerva from returning the favor of bodily harm to that woman, especially if his girls told a story anything like what he had just gathered from Professor Cline after a secretly administered dose of veritaserum.
TBC…