Chapter 14:

"Quiet! We don't want them to know what we're doing."

"Jamie, I don't want to know what we're doing."

"Rawlins, either turn around or shut up!" Jamie snapped at her brother while they were crawling through the vents. "Send Lily then. She'll be more willing to do it."

"That's what I wanted in the first place. But you said I had the right sized hands. So now what?"

"So shut up," Jamie hissed. She continued to lead her small party through the ventilation system till they reached the main fan. She motioned for Giachi to take out the bucket full of ash they found during their search of the upper floor rooms. He passed them to Rawlins to set them off and then carefully threw them into the main fan. Once all were thrown, they crawled quickly down the vents back to their room.

Four of the children began giggling when they heard the commotion from the rooms the ash would've hit. Sounds of stomping was heard on the staircase and the children knew they were in for a visit. "Looks like you did it now," Rawlins said.

"It looks more like we're not the children this time," Lily said as the door opened. Jolene Malfoy walked in, face on the verge of turning purple from anger while black from the soot. Fudge walked in after, none too happy either.

"You little brats!" Jolene cried. "How Lucius put up with you, I don't know! But I tell you this, you will be sorry. No dinner. And that's that!" With that, Fudge pulled her back as she continued to fume.

"No dinner! Way to go, Jamie!" Lily groaned. "We've never missed a meal before."

Rawlins plopped down on the bed. "Lucius was nicer to us than his wife," he said. "Now what do we do?"

"We stop sitting around, waiting for our parents to save us," Giachi replied. Everyone looked at him. "Look, our parents love us and are probably spending every minute they can trying to find us. But now we're in danger and it could take fo'eva for them to find us. We have to save us. Not them. Us."

The other four looked at him, but then Jamie spoke up. "Okay, you're right. So, since this is your idea, how do we do it?"

Giachi shrugged and sighed. "I wish Sam were here. She would know what to do."

"Well, while you four think, I'm going to go find out if they plan to feed us breakfast as well." With that, Lily climbed back into the vent systems.

She crawled around, but ended up turned around because of the left over ash. Lily crawled and crawled till she popped open a vent to let out some of the soot. She found herself outside the house, facing a grassy plain all around. She crawled out and kept herself hidden among the tall grass. On one side, the plain ended in a cliff that over looked the sea. On the other, she could see a road. She walked over and read the sign. She memorized the name of the town and walked back to the vent. She closed it behind her and crawled back to her room.

"I found it!" she said, startling her roommates. "I found our way out. There's a vent that leads outside. And there's a road to a nearby town. We can go there and get help!"

Jamie looked thoughtful. "What's the name of the town, Lil?" she asked. Lily told her and watched as her sister opened a cabinet to pull out a book. She looked through it and smiled. "This book lists every magical town in Europe. That one is in here in Portugal? Well, someone should be able to speak English, right? We go and tell who we are, they are bound to know. Or at least we can contact the Ministry."

"Good idea, one p'oblem. Th'adults are going to notice all of us gone. They'll come looking and catch up wit us," Rawlins replied.

"Kid's gotta point. So now what?"

Giachi had an idea. "We send Rawlins," he said. "We can cover him. We'll have to be quiet. P'etend the no dinner thing taught us a lesson."

"True. The men dealing with us aren't too bright. We can fool them," Jamie said. "So, when do we put this idea into work?"

Lily sat down next to Rawlins. "So, you think you could do this?" she asked her brother. "You think you could be our knight in shining armor?" Rawlins nodded.

"Thanks," Lily replied but shook her head. "I should go. I'm older," she said.

"And more likely to be spotted," Jamie argued. Lily nodded. "Good. We're agreed--Rawlins is perfect to go."

"Leave the curtains opened so we cansend Rawlins out at dawn," Lily said. "The adultswon't be up but the sun will be. He should get there by noon."

Jackson Herrington had been keeping a low profile for six years. He had walked with Fudge into the Final Battle and then snuck into Hogsmeade to help capture Harmony Lupin. His plan when he saw the twins weren't with her was to take her away from the field with him, but she had jumped the minute she saw her husband. He snorted as he picked up the Daily Prophet and read the day's headline: "War Hero Really Shire Werewolf." Having worked in the Ministry, he knew that Remus Lupin wasn't the Shire Werewolf, but maybe it would convince Harmony to finally come over to him. Of course, his life wasn't as great as it was before the fall of Voldemort. Jack was one of the people who hadn't benefited from the end of the war. He was a fugitive and therefore had to live as one. His financials were strained and he was working in a small store by a magical community.

When Fudge had contacted him after so long, Jack was naturally hesitant to join in the foolhardy plan. Until he heard about the children and realized that the families would do anything to get their pride and joys back. Including giving Fudge the Minister of Magic job, in which Jack could return to the Department of Mysteries again. Or if all else failed, they could try a monetary bribe. That would work for him. That, and the agreement of Harmony to join him again. Which Jack didn't tell Fudge, why risk the idiot to stop his plan of using the kidnapped children to his own end? He smiled and waited for his obsession to walk in.

Harmony walked in, cloaked and kept her head down. But Jack recognized her blonde hair and blue eyes immediately. She walked over to his table and sat down, still keeping her head up. "Jack," she said, never really meeting his eyes, but scanning the crowd.

"Harmony," he said, reaching for her hand. She jerked it away, but he could see her engagement ring and wedding band. "I still see you are married to the Shire Werewolf?"

"Remus isn't him and you know it, Jackson," Harmony shot back. "Look, can we get on with it. This place makes me nervous."

Jack started to stroke her hand. "Now, now, we still have some things to talk about. After all, we haven't seen each other for six years. How's your life?"

"How's my life? How dare you," Harmony said. "You're here to find out if we're accepting the bribe to get our children back and you want to know how my life has been? How dare you."

"Fine, fine, don't cause a scene. This isn't the sort of place to draw attention to yourself. So, are you accepting the ransom?"

"No, of course not," Harmony replied. "We'll try to get our children back through any means but that. Hell will have to form a hockey team before Cornelius Fudge is re-instated as Minister."

Jack shook his head but motioned for Harmony to lean in. "Look, I can get your children back for you if you do one thing," he said. "Either run away and marry me or give me one thousand galleons."

Harmony looked disgusted. "Neither, you worm," she hissed. "Now, you will walk out with me, understood? Or I'll hex you right here."

"Fine," Jack said, downing the last of his drink. He paid his tab and followed Harmony outside of the Hog's Head. With that, Harmony dropped her cloak. The blonde hair became spiky pink hairand she suddenly hadbright green eyes. It wasn't Harmony he had been talking to, but one of those damn Aurors. He cursed as other Aurors arrested him and brought him in.

"I know nothing," Jack said for what he thought was the millionth time. "All I know is that Fudge has the kidnapped children and asked me to meet with the ransom demand. The only thing I demanded was that Harmony do it. And he didn't know about my other plan. That was on my own."

"So," Ace replied. "You don't know where Fudge is keeping the children? Do you know how many people are with Fudge?"

"I don't know where Fudge is and I only saw about five or six people with Fudge, but I think there were more."

"Thank you. Take him to Azkaban," Ace said, waving his hand. He walked out to his office, where Tonks was returning Harmony's rings to her. "He knows nothing. It was an out of the blue thing. This just confirms that Fudge is out of the country if he needed someone in the country to receive the demands." Harmony and Remus sighed and walked out.

The early morning light awoke the five children as planned. They were hungry from not having dinner, but Jamie quickly crawled to the kitchen where she was able to pick up a banana for Rawlins to eat on the road. "Remember, stay on the road till you get to the city. If you get a bad feeling off anyone, get off but lay low. Don't continue moving until the bad feeling's gone," she instructed. Rawlins nodded and followed Lily to the outside.

Lily walked out and led Rawlins to the road. "Be careful," she said, hugging her brother. "You're very brave for doing this. I wish I could go, but you're small enough to miss."

"No worries," Rawlins responded. "I get help. We go home."

"Exactly," Lily said. "Good luck." With that, Rawlins started walking down the road, munching on his banana. Lily watched till he disappeared and then returned to the room. Jamie was listening at the door while Giachi put pillows by Rawlins' sleeping place.

"Someone's coming!" Jamie said, backing up from the door. She plopped down, crossed-legged, in front of the door as Lestrange opened it. "Good morning, sir." Lestrange grunted as he placed down a tray full of food. "Thank you, sir," Jamie replied as the man closed the door.

A few minutes later, both Jolene Malfoy and Cornelius Fudge returned to find the four eating. "Where's the fifth?" Jolene asked.

"Still sleeping, ma'am," Giachi replied. "He was sick. P'obably f'om no dinner."

"We learned our lesson, Mrs. Malfoy, Minister Fudge," Lily replied. "And we're all sorry. Rawlins, too. We'll be good from now on."

Jolene smirked. "I told Lucius all you needed was a little discipline of the denying food kind. He said that was too cruel. Looks like I was right." With that, she turned around and walked back out, followed by a glowing Fudge. The four breathed sighs of relief and hoped they could hold off Mrs. Malfoy until the rescue party came for them. Things seemed to be looking up when a house elf appeared to collect their breakfast tray. They would know better than to question their "young masters."

Meanwhile, Rawlins made it to the small town shortly after noon, as Lily had predicted. The banana wasn't enough to hold the small boy since he hadn't eaten the night before and hadn't had anything to drink. He was feeling poorly and looked woozy. He reached the town fountain and immediately passed out. Kindly villagers took in the poor boy and cared for him, magically providing nourishment and fluids in hopes to revive him. "It's a good thing he came in today and not tonight," the attending medi-wizard told his nurse. "It's a full moon and he would've been an easy target for that werewolf nearby."
Madison Snape once again was asleep in her parents' bed, curled up next to her mother. Her teddy bear was clutched tight against the toddler's little body. Kiki had just crawled back into bed after feeding Garret when the baby began crying again. Severus woke up and said he would handle the newborn so his wife could go back to sleep. The man felt it was the baby's first cold once he felt his son's forehead and looked up the proper dosage of pepper up for an infant. Once Garret was given the potion, he calmed down considerably in his father's arms. As the baby boy drifted back off to sleep, Severus sat in a chair to watch his sleeping wife and daughter.

He felt a tug watching his wife place an arm around their daughter as she rolled over. The only thing missing, to him, was his other daughter sleeping either next to her sister or to Kiki. Severus looked down at Garret as he closed his eyes, remembering sitting up with Sam when she was a baby. She was such a light sleeper and he was usually up to tend to her. Kiki never really knew how light a sleeper Samantha really was until his first trip away from his family to tie up some loose ends for Albus. It had hurt being so far away from his little family, Severus remembered, and he was happy to return. Even to Kiki yelling at him for never telling her about Sam's sleeping troubles. Severus didn't care; they helped him bond with his eldest daughter even more. He kissed Garret's forehead as he renewed his vow to find Samantha and bring her home.

As her husband watched her, Kiki rolled over as her inner eye took over her dreams. A silver cloud brushed over her thoughts and a dream began:

Kiki was a ghost on the platform of the tube. But it wasn't the British underground system as there were signs that called it the "subway" and for card like things known as "metrocards." Kiki tried to put her knowledge to work and realized she was in America. Now, where in America and why did those trains look familiar?

Then it struck her. It was nearly twenty-five years later, but Kiki remembered the trains from her trip to New York City with Severus. She smiled and wondered why she was back here. Was her inner eye playing tricks on her in her very stressed and emotional state? That would be cruel!

Then Kiki saw a familiar face in the crowds. What was Lucius Malfoy doing walking through a crowded Manhattan subway station? She followed him onto the train he boarded. It was crowded, but she found Lucius quickly. It was bizarre to see Lucius Malfoy dressed as a muggle businessman, his long blonde hair shorter than Kiki remembered but still in a ponytail. He was holding someone's hand, but someone blocked Kiki's view.

Then the person moved and Kiki could see Lucius' companion. Next to the Malfoy sat a young girl, about her Samantha's age, that looked like she could be Draco's little sister. Her long blonde hair was braided and tied off with a red bow and her grey eyes darted about the train, taking it in all around them. She wore a school uniform: a short-sleeved buttoned down shirt underneath a grey and red plaid jumper. White, lacy anklets rested neatly on top of polished black Mary-Janes. She wore a gold locket around her neck and a black backpack prevented her from sitting all the way back in the seat.

"So, Serena, are you excited to be starting school?" Lucius asked. The little girl, Serena, nodded. "Good. I'm sure you'll make Mommy and me proud."

"Of course, Daddy," Serena answered. The pair's stop came and they got off. Kiki tried to follow, but her inner eye pulled her out. Blackness surrounded Kiki as she wondered what it meant and why did she see Lucius in New York with a daughter?

A/N: It's time to make our Spring semester schedules and I just did mine last night, which my advisor signed off on earlier! Yeah, just waiting for the Abroad program to process my Shakespeare course so I know if I have conflicting classes (hopefully not). This weekend's Mid-Semester break, so I'm going home tomorrow! Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers:

SarahtheBardess: I went to the International Spy Museum in Washington DC over the summer and one of their exhibits is to see how quietly you can crawl through a ventilation duct while people are talking below. Sarah, are you somehow sneaking into my dorm room and reading my story ahead of time? Really. Lucius, Narcissa and Sam are so special, they don't have to share time with the other kidnapped kids. I love the Spatula of Death…that has to be the best of my running jokes. The owl mistook Ron's head for a stop sign and couldn't break on time.

Takeri: I do try to go over each chapter before I put it up since this written as a larger work and I copy and paste the sections. I do use Spell Check, but there's only so much it can do. If you want to point such things out so I don't make the mistakes in the future, my e-mail address is on my profile page. I also want to make sure you aren't confusing the baby talk with improper spelling/grammar since that is done on purpose. And you read Elaborate Lives in one day? Did you eat? Go to the bathroom? Sleep? I mean, ELI is 30+ chapters as is ELII and this one is still growing!

cerzee: I gave a little hint of that above. Malfoy knew that if he left, the group wouldn't last much longer which is why he left Fudge in charge. Why deny the inevitable? Wita will get hers…trust me.

Anyway, Halloween is fast approaching. I have my costume and my college is putting on "Rocky Horror." My suitemates and I want to go to the midnight showing…should be fun! Mac