A/N: And here is the second chapter. Thank you everyone who have favourited and followed this story. I'm glad and humbled to see so much of you wanting to know more.

I hope you'll like this chapter as well.

Burning Ice
Chapter 2

Twist and shout

Rock and roll

Laugh and cry

Let's watch this city burn

Upside down

Downside up

Figure-eight

We didn't start the fire

James, Lily and little Rosie went into hiding to cottage in Godric's Hollow that Dumbledore had offered them. It was about a week before Halloween. Emily drew into herself during that week and refused to much interact with people.

The All Hallows' Eve itself came way too soon. Emily refused to go to sleep the entire night. Her parents thought it was the sugar high and she didn't bother to try and correct them. She was put to bed early yes but couldn't close her eyes. Any hour now. Any minute now.

A crash sounded from downstairs followed by an anguished cry.

"Mama…" Emily thought but remained still. She knew that the adults had been spending the night in the drawing room where the family tree was. It wasn't as impressive as the one at Potter Manor which had multicolored roses in it but Emily liked theirs better. It was an actual tree with white branches and golden leaves. The names and birthdates were on parchment pieces with gold. It was especially pretty during evenings when the tree seemed to glow against the dark green background. Lighting candles in front of the tree in the memory of people of past was a tradition in their family. One wall had their family while Charlus's branch was on the other wall, quite central of the room since they were the main family.

But that also meant that at least one of the adults had the direct view to the names of James Potter and Lily Potter nee Evans when they burn out, turning from bright gold into ashy gray. Emily had years ago witnessed when Dorea's name had burned away and it… was quiet and dramatic. Once it had been a day from the death, the ashy grey name had turned silver along with the birthdate and added death date but the parchment frame had now burnt edges.

Emily heard her father running downstairs and out of the door, to presumably in order to apparate to Godric's Hollow. When the Fidelius Charm had been implemented, they all had forgotten where James and Lily were but once they were dead… It returned with clarity.

The little girl lied still in her bed and listened her mother crying as she made her way to the master bedroom. She remained awake the rest of the night, hearing when her father returned empty handed and defeated and going to comfort her mother.

No one felt like celebrating. Not like the rest of the wizarding world. Daily Prophet was announcing Voldemort's defeat and that Rose Potter was the Girl-Who-Lived who'd survived the killing curse.

Next day it announced that Sirius was arrested for betraying the Potters and killing twelve muggles and Peter Pettigrew. Emily remained silent and tended to her hedgehog. She stayed out of the way while her father busied himself with arranging the funerals and mother tried to arrange things going back to normal. Last year she'd taught Emily basic spelling and numbers but next year she'd probably start having tutors around. Maybe.

Edward had been prepared to go to Ministry to petition for guardianship over Rose. Until he'd seen her name change in the family tree and Lily's relation to connect to other branches. He had not found the girl from Godric's Hollow. He and Hagrid who'd arrived to the scene a bit after him, had only seen the bodies of James and Lily but no sign of Rose. There was only once person who could've arrived there after realizing the attack was on-going and that was Sirius. And if what the family tree was showing was true, then Rose most certainly was safe with Blacks.

Nevertheless, Edward closed the drawing room from anyone else but himself and the future Lord and Lady Potters, in order to protect whatever precautions James, Lily and Sirius had taken.

Emily knew nothing of all this, assuming her father sealed the drawing room due grief and Rose having been taken to Dursleys. After all, world had strange tendency to make sure people's lives followed intended lines… Maybe it was the case here too.

The Blacks were causing ruckus. Tossing Sirius to Azkaban without trial caused it. They didn't succeed in getting him one but they did get visiting privileges. Even a small victory was needed to relieve the poor man of constant dementor presence and get him some news from outside world. Some relatives seeing Sirius semi-regularly would make sure he wouldn't go insane. Well, more than necessary and irreversible. Wallowing in guilt and self-hatred would do damage to anyone even without the soul-sucking monsters floating around.

Emily was frustrated at the Ministry's incompetence but conceded that it was inevitable, expected and as a child of four years only, she really couldn't do anything.

James and Lily were buried to the cemetery in Godric's Hollow since Edward had no access to main Potter manor anymore. Ministry turned the house into memorial and preserved. A memorial was erected in the town square as well.

Emily cried in the funerals despite people trying to tell her to be like a respectable pureblood lady-in-training. That she was already four years old should act like it. That hadn't her mother (her French mother) taught her any better. Emily didn't like those accusations and expressed her displeasure with accurate but volatile accidental magic, freezing the ground beneath the most vocal hags and then watching them slip around the graveyard. Considering it was chilly November, it wasn't like people could actually accuse her of making the ice, the cobblestones of the town being covered in frost as well.

One change Emily managed to do though, was to change the writing in the tomb stone. Instead of the Death Eater motto turned to mean life after death (that Dumbledore had picked for James and Lily), Emily suggested something she'd read from a manga. It was from her previous life. She whispered the suggestion to her mother who in turn suggested it to Edward and his sisters. It was picked. Marianne agreed with it and Victoria wanted anything but what Dumbledore had picked.

Fear of death is worse than the death itself.

Thus read on the tombstone. Because Emily knew James and Lily had died without fear for themselves but for each other and their daughter. They were Gryffindors until the end.

Remus disappeared after the funerals. Emily barely even managed to meet him. All the letters Edward kept sending him did reach him but never got a reply back. It was the only indication that the man was still alive. And honestly, back then they all were too busy to keep worrying about the werewolf, especially after the man had made it clear he wanted to be left alone.

The Death Eater trials began. Edward sat as a regent on the Potter seat. From his seat he could see how families had dwindled during the war. Not even the Grindewald's War had affected Britain this much since the World War II raging back then had affected muggleborns in big settlements more than noble and old families living in their manors at countryside. But this time not only several old families were without head or immediate proxy but also many seats inherited from merit members had been hunted down solely because they had been descended from muggleborns. Even if the muggleborn member had been given the seat a century or two ago.

Edward looked at the empty seats in distain as his thoughts drifted towards the piece of trash published in the 1930's that listed the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' pureblood lines that should be preserved no matter what. Wholly inaccurate and slandering everyone who weren't part of it.

"Just looking at how many scions of those houses are either dead by aurors or awaiting sentences to Azkaban… Pathetic."

"Potter, how are you today?" A familiar voice sounded from next to the man. Edward looked up to see his friend and rival from his time at Hogwarts…

"McLeod… This is a surprise. I didn't expect you to appear here. Proceedings such as these are way below you after all." Edward sneered mockingly. It was a habit by now. Potters in Gryffindor and McLeods in Slytherin, they couldn't be afforded to be seen too friendly. Though as the years had gone by and they'd graduated, people were pretty much used to and numbed to the appearance of the pair.

"Don't tell me you expected to see my mother here." McLeod scoffed and took the seat next to the former Gryffindor. He was short and slightly portly man with black hair and neatly trimmed beard. His suit was immaculately pressed and a black cloak with green silk inside was thrown on his shoulders.

"Well, Lady McLeod is the one who received the seat by merit and I know for a fact that she enjoys the discord of courtroom."

"Rowan… She decided to go and tour America, thus forcing me to come here. She downright refused to appoint any other person as a proxy."

"Save your dramatics to someone who actually cares." Edward smirked before turning his attention to the floor where the first prisoner was being brought to. State versus Dolohov was beginning. Edward was surprised that the man had been caught at all but with Amelia Bones in the case, the criminal had probably been chased to the end of the earth. And with Bartemius Crouch overseeing the trial and evidence actually existing against the Death Eater… There was no way the Dolohov was about to walk free.

"Free to grab lunch after this is over?" McLeod asked then, eyes glued on the prisoner and the dementors hovering by the doorway before shivering slightly despite the chill not actually reaching the Wizengamot members or the gallery.

"Sure, let's take Bones and Cresswell with us too. It has been ages since we all were gathered in one place."

"Is it true that Cresswell is working for Goblin Liason office?"

"As a muggleborn, he has an innate understanding of strife between two cultures. Last I heard he was aiming for the top."

"Probably will have no one to contest the place either…" McLeod muttered then something about stuck-up traditions without any try for improvement and lack of actual ambition which made Edward smile.

"Amelia has her eyes on that healer overseeing the potion related accidents from the Magical Accidents ward of St. Mungos." Edward remarked then, changing the topic and indulging in idle gossip of their friend.

"Really? I never thought she'd even think about dating anyone. Especially not after the death of her brother's family. She has too much on her shoulders now. Job at DMLE, the Bones seat, looking after her niece… Who is the guy?"

"Roranicus Willows. He was on our year in Hufflepuff."

"Roranicus… Pureblood?"

"Half-blood. Quiet fellow anyways. Shone in Defense and Potions."

"…Didn't he graduate in honors for Potions? Only one in our year and only one in last ten years."

"Yes. The next ones to have such praise were Lily Evans and Severus Snape."

"And what came of them. One dead and the other accused of crimes that should not be mentioned."

"I hear Dumbledore is vouching for him. Would you try and ask Slughorn what the old goat is planning for Snape?"

"I can try but I doubt even that spider knows. The goat tends to keep a bit too tight of a hold at his cards that he plays so close to vest he could've as well pocketed them and changed them all into aces."

And that was all the more worrying. Edward frowned. The Potter Wills were sealed by Dumbledore. Rose was missing and hopefully with the Blacks but the possibilities of what Dumbledore could've planned for the girl were worrying. And was possibly still planning if she was to surface again…

December. News shook Britain again. The Longbottoms were attacked at their own home. Frank and Alice were respected aurors and well-liked by their peers. The perpetrators were thankfully caught in the act and arrested immediately but help had been too late for the couple.

The three Lestranges and the Crouch heir were tried and sentenced for life in Azkaban. The Longbottoms were placed at a permanent ward in St. Mungos. Little Neville was placed in care of his grandmother Augusta who also became the proxy for the Longbottom seat.

"When will it be over?" Emily asked her father the day he came back from spectating the trial.

"I don't know. Hopefully soon." Edward sighed whilst hanging his cloak. "Did the Daily Prophet come yet?"

"Yes. Mama read it and left it on the table." Emily replied. She'd read the paper as well. The Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold was spouting morale boosting speeches but that was it really. She was throwing her weight in the Death Eater trials it seemed but basically giving free hands to Crouch. But… for a minister elected only last year she was doing quite well. What she'd read from papers and books, Bagnold was way better than her predecessor Minchum was. His answer to everything seemed to be adding dementors. While he did some good too, it was into Bagnold's tenure to the office that aurors got more liberties and got actually do their work. Mortality rate also dropped by that decision. Though Unforgivables shouldn't have been the answer. Then again, that had been Crouch's idea.

The Christmas came and went. So did the New Years. Emily had a new cousin from her mother's side. Claire Lalonde, born 13th December. Emily had seen pictures. Little Claire was very cute and had a tuft of chestnut brown hair on her bald head.

And once the new year started properly, so did Emily's lessons. Etiquette, herbology, literature, art… Christine had a lot of knowledge to impart. And she didn't want any English tutors interfering. The remarks at James and Lily's funerals had apparently stung even if the woman had tried to ignore them.

Christine made learning fun. She taught Emily the same way her own mother Aurelia had taught her. With etiquette she imparted little tid-bits of history and reasons for certain actions. With herbology they went outside to the garden and learnt not only about the properties of the flowers and herbs and other plants there, but also their meanings in flower-language. Sometimes art lessons were included to that and Christine and Emily would sit side by side drawing the flowers and ponder together why they had certain shaped leaves or certain colored berries. With literature and grammar in general, Emily would be sitting in Christine's lap so she could see the letters and words read aloud to her with afterwards trying to write down her favourite ones. And many times they'd read the same book in English and in French.

Emily loved her lessons. In her previous life she'd been in kindergarten at this age and then gone to primary school. While she'd never hated her lessons, sometimes they were going too fast and on other times too slow. With her mother, they could go just on the pace Emily herself set.

Edward in the other hand taught Emily family history on weekends. They'd walk past portraits in the gallery hallways and converse with them and Edward explaining in depth some details that the portraits didn't know or didn't bother to mention. They also went to ballroom to look at the landscapes painted from views seen on other Potter properties. Edward also imparted some of his political knowledge to Emily as well as details about International trade as that was what he worked on at the Ministry.

With those lessons, the spring just flew by.

On her own, Emily began practicing her handwriting more and code notes about future with made-up runes. While not everything would remain the same as the story she'd read and loved in her previous life, she could at least use them as a baseline for big events. She also drew a lot aside from her art lessons where Christine had been teaching her about colors and pigments and shapes. Eventually they'd progress to shading and symbolism. In Emily's previous life she'd enjoyed drawing and painting and been quite good in it. Her artwork had been praised in the internet and among her friends and she wanted her skills back. It was a matter of her pride really. And for that she needed her hand-eye coordination.

Practice, practice, practice…

Notebooks, parchments, pens, papers, paints, pencils…

Most of her art she hid from her parents. They didn't need to know that their daughter was acting like possessed whenever she was alone. But Emily needed something to do. Something to keep her mind off of things.

Taking care of Hedge-Sammy helped too.

Emily noticed when her parents started to worry again. She didn't know why at first… but one instance she managed to eavesdrop on them again. They were worried about lack of accidental magic on her part. She hadn't had bursts since the funerals and it was already late April…

That wouldn't do.

And so, in the upcoming weekend Emily threw a tantrum and blew up some coffee cups when she let her magic take the reins. And it was all because her mother told her that no, they were not going to London to see if there was that 'really cute unicorn plushie' at Harrod's.

While embarrassing, it was worth it to see the relief on her parents faces when cleaning up after the magical explosion of feelings.

And on her fifth birthday, Emily did get the unicorn plushie from her mother.

Two birds on one stone really.

Christine was pregnant. Emily didn't get how she'd not noticed it until being told on her birthday. In May. And it was twins of all things!

Who were born in August.

Just how did she miss this? Some of her older friends had gotten pregnant while Emily had been alive in her previous life and she'd never missed the signs. But maybe it was a magical thing? Or because she saw her mother daily and thus any changes were gradual? Or the senses and logic were duller in the body of a five-year old? Or Emily had been kept purposefully busy with her lessons so she wouldn't pay attention to it? Possibilities all of them.

Anyways, the twins were named Andrew and Albert. In their naming ceremony, Emily met her French relatives for the first time.

Christine's younger brother Jammes and his wife Amelie Beauregard and daughter Claire. Emily's baby cousin was very cute and less pink than in the first photos.

Also Emily's grandparents Louis Argent and Aurelia Lalonde. Emily liked them both.

As well as current Lord – sorry, Seigneur – Lalonde, Aurelia's brother Michel and his wife Eloise Delacroix. They had no children.

At Lalonde family the eldest child inherited the title. Which meant that once Michel passed away, it would be Aurelia as Dame Lalonde and Christine next in line. And Emily then. The girl had wondered why her mother had kept her family name even though she'd married Edward. Well, there was her answer. And as well any husband or wife Emily herself married, unless they were from higher ranking family, they'd become part of Lalonde family. And if Emily in turn became part of their family, Albert would become the Seigneur Lalonde. And already it was set that she was forbidden from marrying any heirs or heiresses.

Complicated.

Emily generally liked her French side of the family. The only one she didn't like was her mother's father's side of the family. Specifically, Louis Argent's own mother Mylene Moreau. She was, in Emily's own words, a hag. Always disparaging her father and Emily's own English blood. Obviously, didn't even want to be present aside from giving premonitions of doom and unhappiness to her and twins both.

Emily, simply said, snapped. It was one thing to hear things like than from strangers, it was another thing to hear them from her own family.

A sheet of ice covered the floor and then shifted beneath the old woman's feet, sending her spinning. Might've fractured a hip as well. Emily was sent to her room with a reprimand but she could see her mother sighing in relief. Edward as well didn't look as stern as he usually did when reprimanding her. Apparently Mylene had had it coming a long time ago but no one civilized would call her out of it. A bit of accidental magic from emotional child being targeted by the old woman's insults? Perfectly fine and even understandable.

In her room, Emily attended to her hedgehog. A bit later Reginald and William joined her. They were nine and six respectively. And in silence they watched Hedge-Sammy to run in his wheel.

"Thank you for silencing her, Milia." Reginald spoke up then. "She was saying bad things about my mother as well."

Emily had heard them. Calling aunt Marianne a whore and a loose woman. She just didn't want to settle down with a specific man. Marianne had also been accused of line theft due getting pregnant with Reginald while not married but since the father was an American muggleborn no charges had been raised. As there was no family magic involved. Emily didn't know much about family magic. Just that Lalonde did have some that she was bound to inherit eventually. And that Potter's family magic had something to do with Alchemy probably but as they were a side branch, she didn't really need to worry about it. Might make her more intuitive if she were to craft her own magical objects but bulk of it going to Rosie her children.

Reginald didn't have any family magic. William might've had some from the Colt line but he was second born. Henry Colt was more likely to educate Charlus Junior in the matters. Emily didn't ask. That'd be rude.

The remaining year went on with Christine busy with the twins. Meanwhile Edward took over educating Emily. Less herbology but more history of magic and the beginnings of Japanese. Literature and grammar as usual. Art in more supervisory point of view. Etiquette with some English specificities added in. Some flying lessons and survival tips sprinkled on.

Emily liked those too very much. Her previous… could she call it incarnation? …had liked hiking so it was nice that Edward was sort of acknowledging it. Or at least making sure she could survive even without a wand if she was ever stranded in wilderness.

While lying sprawled on the sofa, Emily looked up at the cream-colored ceiling of the sitting room they'd taken on using after the sealing of drawing room. The ceiling itself was plain but the plaster rosette at the root of the chandelier was very pretty.

Sort of like the manor itself. There were still rooms that Emily hadn't seen either due them being too far for her to walk to or then because she wasn't allowed into them. For example, she hadn't seen the kitchens or the laundry room even though she knew they had house elves. She simply didn't know where they were. As well, she had never been to the master bedroom even though it was along the same corridor than her own room. There had never been a need for her to go there as at first, she'd been sleeping in nursery with her mother or father in the room or in adjacent one and later on Emily had been in her own room. And if she ever had a nightmare the wards around her own room alerted her parents and they came to her rather than her going to seek comfort from them. Handy, since as the dark corridor had terrified her and she probably would've run the way and possibly tried to enter a wrong room or something.

But anyways, the manor wasn't overly decorated but surprisingly simple in décor. Details finely honed but not everywhere. And likewise, was her family. They were a good whole with interesting details scattered around the members.

Reginald was thoughtful one and formed his own opinions clearly articulated. Charlus hid in his mother's skirts and imitated whatever she thought. William was a bit wilder, always smiling but listening patiently before agreeing or disagreeing. Claire and the twins were too young to be observed like that yet.

Marianne was brave. The very image of a Gryffindor with her even working at Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, in the Beast Division. She had joined with after her OWLs and taken the place by storm. She did a lot of field work, having even gone to America to see some of the local beast. That's where she'd met Reginald's father who shall not be mentioned. He was a chauvinist arse in the end apparently. And even when informed of Marianne's pregnancy, he only agreed to pay for the child support but not to have anything to do with Reginald.

Victoria in the other hand… She had gone to Hogwarts on the same year than Marianne due the cutoff. Had even been in Gryffindor. But in order to differentiate from her elder sister, had gone on a different route. She'd been in the Quidditch team since her second year as a chaser (while Marianne had played beater on their fourth year only) and graduated with best marks of their house. Married Henry Colt of Ravenclaw right out of school. Then she'd been recruited by Appleby Arrows and played for them until becoming pregnant with Charlus Junior. Only a year really. While Henry worked for Wizarding Examination Authority, (being the highest-ranking student of their year and for the past ten years or so, and thus granted entry despite only having graduated) Victoria became a housewife and tea party arranger. William was born a year later, the second born being favored by Henry while Victoria pampered on Charlus.

On the French side Emily had Jammes who was her mother's younger brother. He had gone to Beauxbatons and also married Amelie Beauregard right out of school. He was timid man but Amelie kept their house working on. Nice people if a bit distant despite the close blood-relation.

Overall a good whole. It was a pity Emily had never met Edwards parents, Samuel Potter and had only scarce memories of Primrose Fawcett. As well as having no memories that she could speak aloud of about Charlus and Dorea.

But that was life.

A/N: So, Lalonde's introduced, Emily kept distracted so she wouldn't worry about Rosie and thus gets also blindsided about getting siblings. Some introspection to Potter relatives too.

I hope you don't mind that I kept the scene with Edward at Wizengamot... In the original Burning the Bridges I unashamedly borrowed characters from other series to make up the cast and it was a bit of a theme in that fic... people from various series being reborn to that version of HP world... but it confused many and was one of the reasons for rewriting. And thus some names were changed in Edward's conversation with his friend.

Please review, I'll answer in PMs if it's a longer comment.