While Hermione felt terribly awkward during supper that evening, the other four people at the table didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable. The food was delicious, so she busied herself with eating and speaking only when asked a question. Those questions were rare, though. Snape spent most of the meal asking Chibi-Usa and Hotaru about their schoolwork and OWL scores. Both were very bright, and Hotaru's scores were especially high, nearly rivaling Hermione's.
Usagi's scores, as it turned out, were not so impressive. She'd been nearly perfect in the practical application of charms, transfiguration and the like, but did abysmally in the written portions. She'd scored Es in DADA, Astronomy and Charms, As in Transfiguration, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination, and down from there. She'd gotten a D on her Potions OWL, even with Snape tutoring her.
Talk of OWL scores led to rather humorous anecdotes from the days Snape and Usagi spent at school together. As much as Hermione wanted to know about their past, she felt like an intruder, and quickly finished her food. She excused herself quietly with an excuse about an Arithmancy essay and retreated to her room.
She picked up one of her books and sat back on her bed to get in some reading. She'd already finished all of her summer assignments, but would never turn down a good book. The text was engrossing, and before she realized it, two hours had passed. She would not have even looked up at the clock, except her door cracked open, catching her attention.
A small, grayish cat, somewhere between kitten and full grown, had pushed the door open and sauntered in. Letting out a small meow, it hopped up onto the bed and started rubbing against her leg. She scratched its head absentmindedly and returned to reading. The cat flopped over, laying against her leg, swishing its tail and purring.
At some point, Hermione shifted enough that she was squashing the cat's tail.
"Itai!" the cat shouted, attempting to liberate its tail.
Hermione blinked for a second and then let out a shriek. While the word was Japanese, the cat had most definitely just spoken. She rolled off the bed, grabbed her wand and pointed it at the fluff ball. Said fluff ball was currently licking her injured tail, completely ignoring Hermione.
The others appeared to have heard her shriek and seconds later her door opened fully. Snape stood there, wand drawn.
"What happened?" he demanded. All he could see was Hermione pointing her wand at a cat.
"It talked," she said, indicating to the cat. "It was Japanese, but it definitely talked."
Usagi poked her head around Snape and let out a disgruntled snort. "Diana," she scolded. The cat, upon hearing her name, finally looked up from her tail. "You two can put your wands down, she's harmless."
Snape and Hermione did so reluctantly. Usagi brushed past Snape and approached the bed. She smacked the cat lightly on the head.
"I told you to keep quiet until I told Hermione about you and your parents."
"But she squished my tail!" the cat whined. Usagi rolled her eyes and then glared. The cat cowered, and turned to Hermione. "I'm sorry I scared you."
"Um...I'm sorry...I squished your tail..."
Hermione wasn't quite sure how to react. Not only could the cat talk, but she also appeared to be bilingual. Usagi wasn't the least bit surprised by the fact. From what Hermione could gather, the cat's parents could speak as well. Had Hermione not been a witch, she would have protested, claimed insanity. But, given everything she'd seen, and done, in the past five years, she decided a talking cat couldn't possibly be that strange.
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I should have told you earlier," Usagi said. "Diana and her parents, Luna and Artemis, are a species called Mau. They're like Animagi, only their cat form is their normal state. Show them, Diana."
And, suddenly, sitting on the bed was a teenage girl. She had the same colored hair as the cat's fur, tied up in twin buns, and wore a dress of the same hue. She stood up, giggling happily, and hugged Hermione. Then, she turned back into a cat, hopped back onto the bed, and curled up to take a nap.
Usagi took Hermione by the arm and dragged her from the room. She informed the girl that she spent far too much time reading books and, as the newest addition to the family, needed to quit being so shy. Hermione blushed slightly, but joined them in the living room without protest. She even made an effort to join in the conversation on occasion, and was treated to one of Usagi's brilliant smiles for her participation.
The days after learning what had happened to Hermione were tense at Twelve Grimmauld Place. Nearly everyone in the Order knew Hermione and liked her, and at the very least everyone felt deep sympathy. Certain residents were more upset, most especially Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, her best friends. Both were on edge, snapping at others with little to no provocation.
Currently, they sat in the parlor, deeply engrossed in a game of Wizard's Chess. They were trying to keep their mind off things, knowing their lashing out hurt their friends and family. They'd already finished their schoolwork, and had little else with which to occupy their time. Harry was getting very good at the game, though Ron beat him four times out of five.
The two were so involved with their game that they hardly noticed when a stranger entered the room, moving softly to them to oversee the game. Harry issued an order for a piece to move, and the stranger interrupted.
"If you do that, he can take you in two turns."
The voice was light, feminine, a bit condescending and slightly accented. The two boys looked up, startled at the interruption. The woman standing there was rather short, her icy blue hair held back in a braid and her blue eyes looking critically at the board. She was clad in blue robes, fashionable among young, pureblood witches, and seemed to take great care in her appearance. She was perhaps closer to Ron's brother Bill in age, but still looked youthful and attractive.
"I'd move the knight, instead," she suggested. Harry looked at the board for a moment, and, when he realized the plan she must have formed, grinned. He instructed the knight to move as per her advice, and Ron frowned.
"Why're you helping him?" he pouted. "And who are you?"
She smiled lightly. "My name is Beruche Ayakashi. Forgive me for interrupting your game. I was waiting for Albus, but he's out on business for a few hours. I couldn't resist a chess game."
She settled elegantly into another chair and contented herself to watching the game silently. After her bit of advice, Harry took the game in four more moves, leaving Ron miffed.
"Might I play a round?" Beruche asked. Harry offered his spot, knowing his victory was cheap at best. Ron was truly a better player, and he'd like to see the redhead compete against a worthy opponent.
And, Beruche was quite the opponent. Her style was aggressive, and her mind sharp. Ron took more time between moves than he usually did when playing against Harry, recognizing quickly that any rash move could be his downfall. The match ended in a very close victory for the blue-haired stranger.
"You're very good," Ron complimented. He was too in awe of her skill to really be angry at losing two games in a row. Beruche blushed prettily.
"Thank you," she said happily. "You're quite good yourself, especially at your age. I wouldn't mind playing you again, sometime. Unfortunately now, I have a report to make."
She stood, a smile gracing her lips, and left the room as quietly and elegantly as she had entered it. Ron and Harry were left staring, wondering just who the woman was and what role she played in the Order. She must be trustworthy, since she was able to enter Twelve Grimmauld place, but neither of them had seen her or heard of her before.
Beruche settled in a comfy chair across from Albus Dumbledore, glancing quickly around the room. She had never been to Order headquarters before, and took the opportunity to familiarize herself with as much as possible. The den had been warded from prying ears so that she could give her report to Dumbledore without worry. While everyone in the Order was trustworthy, they were not all immune to Occulmency or Veritaserum. He would rather Voldemort not know about the foreign branches of the Order yet.
"You have things to report?" he said, getting straight down to business. Unfortunately, the demands of the situation allowed for very little pleasantries.
"The Bogota team found a nijizuishou in Mexico. It has been delivered safely to Usagi via Helios. In addition, all branches have been notified of the gathering, and when they are to come to England."
"Good. When will we see the Japanese team?"
"Rei is bringing Hotaru in a matter of days. They will play mother-daughter for the time being. Usagi will bring Chibi-Usa and Hermione later in the month. They are planning a debut of sorts for Chibi-Usa, and the rest of the team will come under the guise of guests. Minako and Makoto have opted to stay and run things in Japan."
In the next half-hour, Beruche elaborated on the plan the Usagi and her family had created, and Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle at the cunning employed by Severus Snape and his little sister, Rei. Assuming they played their cards right, Lucius Malfoy could very well be arrested by the end of Chibi-Usa's debut.
The blond Death Eater had done an eerily impressive job of wheedling out of punishment after the Department of Mysteries debacle. Dumbledore suspected more than a few Ministry employees found themselves a good bit more wealthy, too. Lucius Malfoy had far too much money, and nothing to do with it save bribe people to let him do horrible things. Amazing how a few galleons could let one get away with trying to kill children.
Beruche also gave brief reports about how the Africa and North America teams were faring. Despite the bitter rivalry between the San Francisco and Salem branches in North America, they managed to accomplish a great deal more than the Africa team. The Africa team suffered from understaffing and more language barriers than any other group. Two of the team members knew Arabic, and one knew a little Swahili, but other than that, they were trying to communicate with tribes through pantomime. They didn't trust translators, and had, so far, done nothing of real importance to the order.
Once the briefing was done, the blue-haired beauty rose from her chair and exited the den quietly. Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his beard and thinking quietly. He was anxious to meet Chibi-Usa and Hotaru, as well as wanting to see their mother again. She had been a joy as a student, even if she had not been the greatest at her studies. It would be wonderful to see her again.
Nephrite cursed loudly. Then, he cursed loudly in Arabic, just to let the man he was speaking to know just how upset he was. Turning, he kicked a tree-trunk and then grumbled at the pain in his toe. Things were, most assuredly, not going well. It didn't help matters that his teammates were off doing other things that could not be construed as working.
Kunzite and Zoicite had found a secluded area to cuddle. They had not been able to be so affectionate lately, as the natives seemed to find homosexuality anywhere on a scale from strange to just plain wrong. So, they decided they needed to catch up whenever possible, even if it meant blowing off work.
Jadeite had also wandered off, and Nephrite had no idea where. They were supposed to be securing transport south through the Sahara, but were having little luck. His Arabic was shoddy, and Kunzite, who spoke it well, was indisposed. They would normally have just Apparated, but were trying to keep a low profile. Popping up in the middle of some African tribe was sure to raise a few eyebrows.
They were to meet with a contact in Niamey, Niger in less than a week, and did not have the time to go around the coast. Unfortunately, people disliked traveling through the Sahara, and for good reason. There were no roads or signposts, no water or hotels. All necessities had to be carried with you, and if anything happened to you, there was no one to help.
Nephrite had managed to procure the necessary food, water and other supplies for the journey, but they were still in need of a guide and camels. Camels were relatively easy to purchase if you knew where to look, but finding a guide was proving tricky. Most of these people had the sense not to go travelling across the desert, and sent him strange looks when he started asking questions.
"Oi, Nephrite!"
Jadeite's voice was familiarly irritating, and Nephrite turned, glaring. "What?" he demanded.
"I found a guide, and camels. Seventy-five thousand dinars total."
The blond smirked at the shocked look on Nephrite's face. The dark-haired man turned and dismissed the man he'd been talking to in terse Arabic and then faced at Jadeite.
"Can he leave tonight?"
"Yep. He's heading to Niamey himself to visit some family or something. He seems like a nice guy, and his camels look good. Where are Kunzite and Zoicite?"
Nephrite rolled his eyes. "Who knows. Damn poofters, probably off getting us in trouble with the locals. Anyway, show me these camels."
After deeming the camels acceptable, and chatting for a moment with the prospective guide, Nephrite let out a sigh of relief. The man had traveled many times between Algiers and Niamey, and was not likely to get them lost. He also spoke broken English, throwing in the occasional French or Arabic when he couldn't recall the right word. He told hilarious jokes, as well, and the trip might prove entertaining. Well, as entertaining as it could be considering they would be traveling through the Sahara for a few days.
At some point, Kunzite and Zoicite made their appearance. They looked a little haggard, but had put themselves together well enough that others wouldn't notice unless they were truly looking for something out of place. For all the lovers probably wanted to cling to each other in their obsessively dramatic habit, they controlled themselves, standing apart and not touching. Nephrite gave thanks softly to whatever deity cared to listen.
Ninety-nine percent of the population of Algeria was Muslim, and the last thing they needed was some religious fanatic attempting to kill them for their 'sins.' Not to say some Christian fanatic would be any more or less tolerant, but less than one percent of Algerians practiced Christianity, so they were much easier to avoid.
Nephrite glared at them, making his displeasure known. But, to their credit, they immediately began loading the supplies onto the camels without complaint. Zoicite had a disgusted look on his face whenever he was forced to go near the camel, but said nothing. Nephrite silently started planning ways of forcing the other man to spend as much time around the disgusting animals as possible. The two had always been rivals, and neither would waste a chance to get back at the other for perceived slights.
With all four of them working to load everything, it took less than an hour. They ate a quick supper with their guide, laughing at the tales he told. They related their own stories, though often had to edit them so that they did not give away anything suspicious. Many of the locals were deeply superstitious, and the last thing the group needed to do was draw attention to themselves needlessly.
Snape returned to England in the early afternoon, feeling something akin to happiness. It had never really been his desire to start a family, especially after getting involved with the Death Eaters. However, finding that he had two daughters, nearly grown and both beautiful and intelligent, he decided it wasn't such a horrible thing. He didn't have to change nappies or get up in the middle of the night to soothe a bawling child.
He felt a little guilty that Usagi had been forced to raise the children herself, though. If he'd known, even if he was unable to be there physically, he could have sent money. All things considered, Usagi had done a fantastic job without his help. The girls didn't seem to want for anything, physically or emotionally.
He settled into a chair in his personal library, picking up the latest issue of Ars Alchemia. The cover article, an in depth analysis of the negative effects of love potions, did not interest him, but some of the smaller articles on memory potions and antidote development were most definitely worth his time.
Unfortunately, he did not have the opportunity to get more than a paragraph into the first article. His fireplace let out a whoosh, consistent with Floo activity, and Narcissa Malfoy's head came into view. She looked tired and stressed, a fact that was more than a bit worrisome. She always took pride in her appearance, and even when working on few hours' sleep or under desperate conditions, she always looked perfect.
"Severus, may I come through?" she asked. Her voice sounded pleading and Snape quirked an eyebrow.
"Of course."
With another whoosh, the blond woman stood in his library, brushing soot from her expensive robes. Her eyes seemed a little red and swollen, and she slouched a bit. Snape stood.
"Draco?" she asked immediately, and he knew exactly what was wrong. For all she may love Lucius, Draco was her only child, and having him torn away had to be painful.
"I believe he's upstairs studying. It isn't safe, Narcissa. You should return home before Lucius realizes you are gone."
"He's away on business. Please, I just...I need to speak to him."
She was preparing to cry again. He'd never really known how to act with a weeping woman, so he decided to just let her see the boy. He summoned a house elf to fetch Draco, and gently moved Narcissa into a chair. They didn't have to wait long.
Draco didn't bother to ask questions. He simply approached his mother, wrapping his arms around her. When they both started crying, Snape took that as his cue to leave.
It truly wasn't safe for Narcissa to be visiting, even if Lucius was away on business. If he found out she was still attempting to claim Draco as her own, she might very well find herself declared a traitor. Still, Snape couldn't deny them a few moments together. He would leave them be for now, and deal with the consequences later.
I hope you'll forgive me for the delay in the update, but, as I've said, this story only happens after things like life, school and my other story, Vendetta. I know quite a few people like this story a lot...I wish I could say the same. It's also discouraging to get three hundred plus hits and only eight reviews. They were pretty good reviews though, so thanks for that!
Tenshi no Nozomi-You're absolutely right about all the Snape/Usa fics in this section. Which depresses me, because I'm a huge Snape fan. But...as I think I've told you, I don't have this story sufficiently planned out and therefore hate it. As for the OCs, well, I assume they'll be more interesting once they start taking a more active role. Unfortunately, they need to have some sort of background, and that can get a little boring. It won't be too long, though! And, I love your long review. It made me happy. Assuming the review has content, it can never be too long.
Lily ponds-I love the Kushiel books to death! And, she's going to write a book about Imriel, which is freaking awesome. I'm so excited. Anyway, thanks for the review.
Thanks to everyone else, as well. For the most part, you had good reviews that actually pertained to the story! Yay for you!
Now, me and a few other well known authors have a fan fiction newsletter out. It will point out good stories and authors, will critique things that need critiquing, will help improve how you review, and will have editorials about writing in general. If you are interested in subscribing, send an e-mail to phedre44 yahoo . com and we will send you the first issue and put your name on the list. Thanks!
One final note. I will be uploading this chapter at the same time as a chapter of Vendetta. Please write your review in such a way that I can tell which story you are reviewing. If I get "cool, update more," I'll be a bit upset. The more in depth you go, the happier I am, and the more likely I am to keep writing this fic!