"Lumos." She murmured quietly and then turned to the boys who were thrashing against the elves and Blaise who had tried to keep Scorp from falling.
"Boys. Please stop. Hey. That's enough. I'm sorry. I know you were sleeping but we had to leave. This place is mine too and we are all here. Snitch and Treacle brought us quickly and safely." They had stopped the noise and the thrashing but Scorp had tears on his face and Tray was holding onto him with both hands.
"Come here." She said quietly and didn't look at Blaise or the elves. All three were basically against the far wall and Tray was flicking his eyes to them. Scorp was watching her though and he pulled his friend toward her. Slowly she reached for the blond head and then crouched down on the floor.
"I'm sorry. Sorry you were scared. We didn't have time to wake you but I promise that if we do I will and if we don't and you are sleeping then I could spell you to stay that way until I wake you when we get there. Or the elves could. Probably quicker and better than me." She spoke quietly and Scorp finally pressed into her hand. Then Tray spun from Blaise and to her.
"Was it him?" He asked in a quiet whisper and she shook her head.
"No Tray. No. It wasn't Blaise. He was there with me when a letter came from the Ministry. It wasn't a good one and I didn't want to go so we left. They can't find this place." She held the dark blue serious eyes. Wanting him to believe her.
"I would never hurt you. I know you don't know me and I'm sorry. I will win your trust though." The wizard spoke solemnly and Tray did look at him but Scorpius was still watching her.
"I trust him for myself. He is the only person I trust with you. The only one in the world. Not my friends or people I know would do anything for me. Blaise though, he loves you already. You've been waiting for your dads right?" She asked and waited for them to look at her. They didn't respond but both were watching her, listening.
"He has been waiting too. He had to leave or he would have been in there with them. They didn't want that either. So he did but he came back as soon as he could and has been waiting for them. Missing them too. I won't leave you but I hope you can try and trust this one person. You only have the two of us for now." She spoke as solemnly and seriously as she felt. Scorp nodded slowly but Tray didn't.
"You stay. Please." He added on it on earnestly and she nodded. Not able to smile or anything. She could feel her eyes prickling and her chest tighten. She was going to cry and she looked up at the three watching them. The elves didn't look too concerned but Blaise looked heartbroken and angry. She caught his eye and waited for him to compose himself. That face wouldn't help. Then he seemed to see her and his shoulders slumped.
"Is it safe here? The house doesn't have any infestations or anything?" She asked the elves quietly and they shook their heads.
"We feels nothing Miss." Snitch said and Treacle gave them a look and then popped away. No doubt to check on things. What were they going to do. They hadn't brought blankets or food or anything. She didn't know where they were. She was staring where the elf had been when she noticed movement and looked toward Tray. Her hand still resting in Scorpius hair. Scorp pulled him and then stepped into her shoulder and started to cry. Quickly it was sobs and then Tray pressed against her too and she over balanced.
It was as if an invisible pillow caught her and she knew it was the elf slowing and stabilizing her.
"It's alright." She murmured and the sobs got louder. Unable to stop herself she started to cry too. Tears slipping silently from her closed eyes as she pressed her head between theirs.
"Snitch. Can you find us a couch or bed. Two of them. One for them and one for me. Then breakfast for the morning. You can grab things from her house. Just don't if someone is there. Don't be seen. By anyone not in this house right now, until further orders. If they could keep you away then I don't know what else they could do. If the wards change or you don't recognize them then don't go back. Can you get on and off the estates?" He asked and she felt herself calming down. They could do this.
"I was scared. Tray wasn't with me." Scorpius said through sobs and she felt terrible. It wasn't hard to tune out Blaise speaking quietly as she answered them.
"Alright. I promised you wouldn't be separated and I meant it. You each have an elf but maybe we could talk to them tomorrow. One could take both of you and maybe they could take turns. Their feelings would be hurt if one always got to take you both. Blaise is going to sort out a bed or something and we will lay down together. You can hold each other and I'll be there. The elves will guard us and Blaise too. He looks all smooth and polished but he is at least as dangerous most magical people. Not as much as me maybe, but he is a match for nearly anyone else." She felt Tray relaxing against her and she felt better. Scorp would take his cues.
"She came. Didn't leave Scorp." The quiet voice said and she wasn't sorry for running or whatever she had done.
Kidnapping. In a second her eyes came open and she could see the wizard watching her. They could talk when the boys weren't so upset but she knew he could see her rage. His face firmed and she could see his own anger. This was beyond anything she had expected. As usual she had considered the absolute worst. If it had happened to you before then you considered it in every situation. Her world had exploded before and she had felt like it was Harry and her against the world. When Bellatrix had her it was just her against the world. It hadn't seemed paranoid to instruct the elves to bring both boys to Blaise with the instruction he run when he had left earlier. If something happened and she was incapacitated or taken or unable to care for them then both were to go. It had been maybe five sentences and the elves had nodded and then went back to their tasks.
She had mentioned running with them to Blaise. Maybe it hadn't been likely but it had been a consideration. She hadn't packed though. Hadn't actually been ready and hadn't really expected to have no notice of something like that would be needed. A magical summons. That letter would have taken her. It made her feel violated and less sure of herself than usual. It wouldn't have got to her though. It had only come through because she had allowed Harry in and he hadn't tried to give it to her. She would think about him later.
The soft pop heralded the return of an elf and Trays head snapped up to look in its direction.
"Treacle no takes little master. Miss takes you. To room at the top of stairway." The elf said quietly and she looked away from Blaise and down again. Scorp was crying silently and Tray looked stubborn.
"That's what we will do then. Thank you Treacle." She said quietly and the elf waved a hand. The door opened and the hallway was dimly lit. Tray shifted but Scorp squeezed the arm he was holding tighter and she paused.
"If I carry him, will you walk?" She asked Tray and he met her eyes. Always weighing and judging. As if he could read her honesty. A nod and then he stood beside her and watched her stand with Scorpius. The elf magic giving her a boost and she smiled at the creature. Who bobbed its ears once. Then the little hand was in hers and she headed for the door. Tray looked back at Blaise twice before they reached it and she frowned.
"Do you want him to walk in front of us?" She asked quietly and those eyes met hers. Then he nodded slowly and cringed.
"It's alright. Blaise?" She asked him and looked over her shoulder. His face was expressionless and she tried to show him that this wouldn't last. They weren't actually afraid of him. Just of the situations.
"Yeah. I'll walk on your side Tray." He met the boys eyes and then dropped his to the floor and she looked forward. Showing them she wasn't frightened. Tray pushed against her leg and the she couldn't see Blaise. Tray took a step when he was four ahead of them and she followed his back up the hallway and then the stairs. The walls were bare but a warm wood and the carpet was Gryffindor red beneath her feet.
They entered the open door and Blaise moved to the bed closest to the door and sat down. Then moved his back against the wall and watched them.
"This Looks comfortable and already there is the blanket you were lying with earlier. Perfect. Let's crawl in. Where do you want me?" She asked and Tray frowned and then looked to Blaise. Who just met the boys eyes. As she had earlier and Hermione watched the man's face soften.
"I will not hurt her." He said quietly and the boy didn't respond but did look back to her after his assessment.
"Scorp in the middle." He said firmly and she nodded and then watched them arrange themselves and slid into the bed. Blaise waived his wand at himself and then was in comfortable looking pants. And a t-shirt. It looked foreign on him. She had never seen him in anything more casual than a button down shirt with rolled up sleeves.
Scorp's little hands pulled at her arm and she smiled down at him while he tried to drag her toward him and Tray.
"We need a bit of room. This is alright. I can reach you both." She said when half of the bed was between them and the edge facing the wizard.
"Everything is alright. Snitch and Treacle will take us away in a second if that changes." She assured them and dimmed the lights. Then felt them wriggle and shift.
"You stay please." Tray sounded tired and she cast a silent tempus. Nine thirty. Two and a half hours. A lot had happened in that time.
"I won't leave. I might have to pee but that's as far as I'll go alright?" She decided that she might have to leave for that reason so she added it on. Lying to them wouldn't be good.
"Kay." Was mumbled and she only lay there in silence for about ten minutes before both boys had fallen asleep and she could feel their little chests rise and fall in an easy rhythm. Then she cast a silencing spell over them and spoke into the night.
"Fuck." She said quietly and there was a huff from the wizard opposite her.
"Merlin and Morgana Granger. This day has been crazy." He said and then asked a low and not amused laugh.
"I know. I'm sorry." She said. It wasn't her fault but she was. Sorry they were in a dark bedroom who knew where and that the world they lived in was such a messed up place. A place she was nearly abducted from herself. After being accused of abducting the two beside her.
"Are you sure this is what they would want?" She asked quietly when he only scoffed at her apology. "Not to have family fight for them or something? Aren't they related to everyone? At least a little." It was the first time this had occurred to her and she decided to ask. Not wanting it to fester or something.
"Neither have close family. Regardless the answer is no. You may be muggleborn and a Gryffindor but you are fair and kind. Gentle too. They need that more than anything else. They are scared of me Granger." He said quietly and she turned her head to face him.
"No they aren't. Not really. They've only mentioned the man and maybe he is the only one they have ever met. He knew, they said the man knew how they were treated there. Maybe it's a gender thing. We will get a couple brooms maybe. Training ones so don't go crazy. Some toys too and then you will be the fun one." She assured him and he lay down on the edge of the bed closest to her. She could see the gleam of his eyes in the darkness.
"You did it. Ran with them." He said quietly and she could only nod.
"Did you?" She asked and he was silent for a bit.
"No. I don't think so. I want to know what is happening. No daily prophet delivery so we will have to have someone gathering information." His tone was dry. As if the Prophet was his only source of said information.
"You are right. Okay. How do we get things? They still need clothes and toys and nearly everything. They don't own anything and I hate that. I don't even know if they know what they like." Her voice was pretty even but she could hear the overwhelm there.
"Don't worry about that. We will sort it out. I'm sure you could go into muggle London and get wherever you need. The goblins don't worry much about the Ministry usually and your vault should be fine. Do you have money? Or want me to get you some?" She knew he meant, did she have money on her.
"I've got some. Enough for a while. Gold and muggle pounds. You've commented on my paranoia before." This time her voice was dry and amused. He laughed lowly.
"Sorry Granger. Of course you were ready to flee into the hoards we wizards just can't seem to stop underestimating." His voice held the same amusement.
"So we can deal with everything tomorrow." She said. Then yawned. The warm weight of Scorp on her arm and the adrenaline crash were combining to make her sleepy.
"Yeah. Tomorrow. Night Granger." He said but didn't turn away from her.
"Night Blaise." She turned away from him and reached across so her hand was on Tray's back and closed her eyes.