A Curse of Ancients
C17: Love Returned
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters
The following morning Hermione woke up early, smiling softly at the sight in her bed. Gaia and Luna were cuddled up together, while Fabian had nuzzled his nose in the blonde's neck and one of his hands was tracing slow circles across her stomach, all three of them still blissfully asleep.
She slowly rolled out of bed once Fabian had turned around, knowing she had a few things to do before the rituals today.
The one thing she needed now was privacy to prepare herself, and since it was still early enough that she knew most people wouldn't be awake yet, she made her way to the sitting room after donning the robe she needed to wear today, and heirloom of Morgana and the Old Religion and the moment she put it on, she could feel the magic of the Old Religion surrounding her, almost seeing it dance around her as she sat down in the center of the sitting room to center herself.
She took a couple of deep breaths and felt herself fall into a meditative state, feeling the soft hum of everyone's magic in the house, from the chaotic mingle of Nymphadora's magic to the steady and controlled hum of Bellatrix, but of course Fabian stood out most to her, a steady thrum of magic that pulsed with love and even a bit of possessiveness towards most women in the house, which struck her as a bit odd.
"Excuse me, Ms. Le Fay, there is a Miss Ginny Weasley on Floo call for you." Jupi said softly as he popped in behind her.
Hermione blinked a few times, having lost complete track of time. "Thank you Jupi, I'll be there in a moment."
The elf nodded and waited patiently for her to follow him, leading her to the living room a moment later.
Hermione was genuinely worried for her best female friend, knowing that a call this early could only have a few implications. As she stuck her head into the fire, she saw a red faced Ginny. "Hey Gin, is everything okay?"
"No 'Mione, it's really not. I decided to bite the bullet and tell my family about my preference and relationship with Luna. Mum and Dad flew off the handle and Ron actually tried to attack me. I managed to get out before they could do anything, but I can't go back there. I'm at a loss 'Mione. What am I going to do?" The redhead sobbed.
Hermione gasped softly. "Oh Gin, that's awful. Where are you now? Are you safe?"
She nodded at that. "I am, I'm with Fred and George right now, but I can't stay here."
Hermione sighed in relief. "Thank Morgana you're safe. Give me a few minutes, and if all goes well, I will come and get you. I'm sure Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda won't mind, but I'd rather ask and be sure."
Ginny nodded at that before Hermione pulled her head out of the Floo, seeing the three witches standing behind her in their morning robes. "What was that all about sweetie?" Andromeda asked softly.
"Ginny came out to her family and they had rather violent reactions. Ronald actually tried to attack her before she was able to flee. I know it's a lot to ask, especially today, but do you think we could have her stay here? It would make me feel a lot better about her safety."
They nodded and smiled at that. "We'll do you one better. I am sure Molly and Arthur will have disowned her for this, so we'll take over guardianship of her, effectively bringing her into the family. We can easily do that while you get her." Narcissa said with a kind smile.
Hermione smiled at them. "That's great, will it really go that fast?"
"It will when you know the right people sweetie. I think I can convince Lucius to make this happen right now." Narcissa said with a smile.
Hermione nodded and hugged them. "Thank you. This means a lot to me, and I know it will mean the world to Luna too."
"You've given a lot to our family, Hermione. This is just a way for us to give something back, now go get her and try to stall a little, we need a little bit of time to get the mill started and adjust the wards."
Hermione nodded and smiled as she took a handful of Floo powder and Floo'ed to the twins' joke shop.
When she stepped out Ginny almost flew into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably as she clung to the brunette. "Shh, it's okay Ginny. I've got you." She said soothingly.
"I was so afraid that it was my Mum or Ron coming through that Floo. I'm so glad it was you." she said softly.
Hermione smiled at that. "I promise that your Mum and Ron will get what is coming to them, in one form or another, and I'll be upfront and honest with you. Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda are already working on getting guardianship, so you will be a ward of the Black Family, but I hope you know that the Curse will affect you too when that happens."
Ginny smiled at that. "I figured that, but honestly I've had a lot of time to think about that, since Ron has been absolutely intolerable since I came home, and of course Mum let's him get away with it because they all blame you for getting him expelled, and I have come to the conclusion that I am okay with it if it means that I get to spend so much private time with my girlfriend."
Hermione smiled at her. "Trust me that you'll have plenty of time for that, and I think she'll be over the moon that you will be coming to live with us, but I also have to warn you, some things are going to happen today that will not make sense immediately, but I promise to explain afterwards."
"I've learned to keep an open mind, 'Mione. Whatever happens I will not judge or ask questions and will do whatever you ask." The redhead said with a soft smile.
"Good, are you ready to go then?" Hermione asked softly.
Ginny smiled at her. "Let me say goodbye to Fred and George and then I'm ready."
Hermione nodded at her as Ginny made her way downstairs, returning within a few minutes with the two redheads. "Hey 'Mione. Thank you for doing this for Gin. We would love to take her in ourselves, but Mum will flip when she finds out, but we promise if you ever need anything from us, we will do whatever we can to help you."
Hermione smiled at them. "That is much appreciated, and to show that I want you two to have this." She said as she pulled out a piece of parchment from Gringotts, handing it to the two pranksters.
They looked it over and smiled at her with teary eyes. "Thank you Hermione, but we can't accept this. This is too much." Fred said softly.
The brunette smiled at them. "See this as a thank you for everything you have done. You were the only ones besides Ginny who did not shun me for being with Fabian, nor when I discovered who I really was, and for that I want to thank you both. This is also just the first of several gifts I will give you, but I hope you don't mind if your sister and I excuse ourselves, we have a busy day today, but I promise to come and catch up soon."
They nodded and gave her a hug. "You are always welcome here, 'Mione. Especially since thanks to you we have been able to expand our clientele to include Slytherin Students."
Hermione smiled at them before shrinking Ginny's luggage and then apparating them back to Black Manor.
…
When they appeared in the living room, most of the family was there to greet them, save Luna, Fabian and Gaia. "Good morning Ginevra. I'm sorry to hear about what happened. Are you okay?" Narcissa asked kindly.
Ginny smiled and nodded. "I am now. I know it was only a matter of time before it all went south, especially with Ron being home permanently, so I figured it was best to get it over with and let the chips fall where they may. I just never expected them to react the way they did. Thank Morgana for Fred and George, I don't know what I would've done without them."
"We're glad that not every member of the Weasley family follows that old goat so blindly, and I think you'll be happy to know that as of today, you are a ward of the House of Black. I trust Hermione has explained the ramifications of this?" Bellatrix asked with a sweet smile.
Ginny nodded at her. "Yes, she has, and like I told her, I'm okay with that. It is a small price to pay for being able to spend so much time with my girlfriend, and on a more personal note, I have been curious about this ever since you all told me about the Curse, so I am looking forward to satisfying that curiosity."
Bellatrix smiled at her. "I think you be a perfect fit in our family, Ginny. I know my daughter is ecstatic to have you here."
"Where are they anyway? I would've expected them to be here already." Hermione said with a soft smile.
"Luna had a vision of Ginny coming here and apparently she saw everything that was said, and that shook her up a lot, so Fabian is comforting her at the moment, and of course Gaia also didn't want to leave her other Mommy's side. They'll be down soon." Andromeda said with a soft smile.
Hermione nodded and smiled. "Very well. We still have a bit of time. We have to do the first ritual by noon. I'll take that time to explain to Ginny what is going to happen today."
The five women nodded and smiled at her as the brunette led the newest addition to the family to the sitting room, where they would have all the privacy they needed.
As the two women took a seat, Hermione smiled at her best friend. "So, what I am about to tell you might seem impossible, but it is going to happen today. We are going to go to Morgana's island and bring back two people from the dead, namely Pandora Lovegood and Lily Evans. We found out that Dumbledore had them both killed because of the sole reason that they refused to do what he wanted. Pandora and Bellatrix were actually set to be married before Dumbledore intervened and Lily and Narcissa also would have been together if it hadn't been for that old fool. I am merely righting some wrongs to this family with that. By the end of today this house will be a home to four additional women, including Lily and Pandora. The third is Morgana herself. Her body was kept in stasis until the time was right to bring her back, she is also Andromeda's intended."
Ginny looked wide eyed at that. "That's a lot to take in, but I have learned never to doubt you, so if there is anything I can do to help, I will."
Hermione smiled at that. "Thank you Gin. There actually is something you can do to help. Because these rituals take a lot of magic to perform, I will need everyone's help to make it work as smoothly as possible, so basically, the more people there, the quicker it will work. I also have to warn you about another thing. Gaia recently discovered something about herself and can now take a human form, so I just want you to be prepared for that, which brings me to the fourth woman. She is called Aithusa, Morgana's dragon and Gaia's mate, and since her Mistress is now once again among us, she will join us here as well, mostly in human form because of the fact that she is too big to stay here in her dragon form."
Ginny nodded at that. "That I can understand, but I wonder why this is all so easy to accept right now. I would've thought that given everything I have learned over the past couple of weeks I would have a lot more issues with all of this."
"I personally think its because you somehow knew how your family was going to react on you coming out and therefor mentally prepared yourself for this outcome. I do have to warn you about the curse though. The first time it hits you it will be very powerful and will also be a pretty good indicator on how you will want to spend your nights with me and Fabian, so I want you to be prepared for that." Hermione said softly.
Ginny smiled at her. "I know, I'm actually wondering how it will be that first time."
Hermione smiled at that. "To be very honest, Fabian and I are looking forward to that first night with you too, for which again I have to warn you. Fabian is a lot bigger down there then you might think, but he will always try to be gentle with you the first few times, and you don't have to be jealous of Luna about the things she's able to take during the first inevitable time the four of us are intimate. Out of everyone in this house, she's been intimate with him the longest."
"I know, she told me about that, but again that leaves me wondering how big he actually is." The redhead said softly.
"Since you will find that out for yourself soon enough, I can tell you. He's ten inches long and three inches thick when he's fully erect and there is no real preparation for that, other than let everything run its course." Hermione said with a soft smile.
Ginny blushed at that., "Ten inches! That will tear me apart. I'm not that much bigger than Luna."
Hermione smiled at her. "No it won't, because he knows how to use it. He will probably ease you into it like he did with Luna. One thing that is very important to both of us is to never really hurt our lovers."
Ginny's blush darkened at that as she nodded. "I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens."
Hermione nodded at that as she stood. "We'll talk about this more when it actually happens, right now we need to go. I can feel Fabian, Luna and Gaia are ready.
Ginny nodded and hugged the brunette tightly as they made their way back to the living room, where Ginny and Luna shared an intimate embrace, the two witches clinging to each other as they apparated to the Isle of the Blessed.
…
When they had shaken off the dizziness that always came with apparition and side-along, Hermione had to smile at the sight of the woman before her. Morgana was smiling right back at her in all her raven haired pale skinned glory, along with Aithusa who looked just as pale and had beautiful silver colored hair. "Welcome, my darling Hermione, and of course welcome to you all as well. For those that do not know me, I am Morgana Le Fay, Mistress of this Island, and of course ancestor to the beautiful young woman you all know so well. I will be assisting you with the rituals today."
Hermione smiled and hugged her. "Hello mother. It is good to see you again."
Morgana smiled at the young witch. "As it is good to see you again, my sweetling. Shall I escort you all to the ritual site?"
Hermione nodded as she arranged everyone in a specific order, herself leading the way with Fabian, followed by Andromeda who was again followed by Narcissa and Bellatrix, Fleur and Dora, Ginny and Luna, with Aithusa and Gaia walking next to Morgana.
Andromeda on her turn had trouble in not looking at Morgana, who was even more beautiful than any tale she had ever read about the witch could ever have captured. She felt a pull not unlike the Curse itself, but this felt much more benign, like she would never be complete unless she was in the raven haired witch' presence.
Hermione noticed the flux in the brunette's magic. "I promise to explain before the rituals, Andi. I honestly hadn't expected such an immediate reaction."
Andromeda nodded at her, but said nothing as they all felt a slight tug at their magical cores before stepping into a clearing, the castle that was to their left only a moment ago, was now far in the background.
Morgana saw the confusion in everyone's eyes and smiled. "Because of the leylines crossing this island, I have been able to make complex teleportation magic possible without it costing too much magical energy, but before we can start the rituals Hermione has prepared for today, there is a confession I need to make regarding the beautiful Andromeda. I have long foreseen that we are meant to be together, and that it would be Hermione who would bring us together."
Andromeda smiled as walked up to the raven haired beauty. "That certainly explains the pull I felt towards you from the moment I first laid eyes upon you, but what happens now? You look so much younger than I."
Morgana smiled at her. "That is something that Hermione's first ritual will remedy, my sweet star. It will give the three of you your youth and vitality back, so that you may enjoy many years with your lovers, and I will admit that I am not entirely unselfish in this."
Andromeda smiled at that as Hermione led them to a circle that was already pulsing with magic. "I need each of you on the points of this triangle and not move until I say so. Any slip up now may actually have the opposite effect."
Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa nodded as Hermione stood in the center of the circle and waited until the time was right, at which point she threw out her hands and started a chant in ancient Celtic.
Three lines of pure white then floated and enveloped the three witches, the years almost literally dropping from them.
When Hermione dropped her arms and gave them a nod, the three took a good look at each other. "Happy with the result, ladies?" Hermione asked with a smile.
The three women smiled and nodded as they came up to give her a hug. "Immensely so, Hermione. I think our nights from now on will be a lot more interesting." Bellatrix said with a soft smile.
Hermione smiled at that. "I think so too, but not anytime soon. You will have plenty to catch up on with Pandora, and I have a feeling that I will need to recuperate for a few days after today."
Bellatrix smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "We have a few ways to help you with that sweetie, our family has a few potions to help you replenish your magical strength."
Hermione smiled at her. "We'll see how I feel after today, but shall we continue, we're wasting daylight, and I think your sister is dying to hold her lover in her arms again."
Bellatrix nodded at her, knowing Lily would be the hardest to bring back because she had been dead the longest.
"Hermione, I do have to ask one thing before you bring her back. Will Lily remember anything from her past life?" Narcissa asked softly.
The brunette smiled at her. "She will remember everything Cissa, you don't have to worry. All you need to catch her up on is the events of the years she has been dead, and the same goes for Pandora, before you ask."
Narcissa nodded at that as Hermione led the family to the next circle, which was set up a bit differently and once again she directed everyone to their spots. "Okay, this one will work a bit differently. For these rituals, I need you all to hold hands with the person next to you so that a continuous link is created. This will allow the magic required to bring Lily back to flow freely to me and Morgana. Cissa, the ring please. And also, no matter what happens, I need everyone to stay in place until such a time we are done with our chant."
Narcissa smiled and handed over the ring to Hermione before taking the hands of Andromeda and Bellatrix once again.
Hermione then faced Morgana and smiled at her ancestor as she took her hands. "Are you ready sweetling?" Morgana asked softly.
Hermione nodded at her as she placed the ring in the center of the circle before they started to chant in Ancient Celtic once again, and slowly a body appeared, bones at first, before slowly being covered with muscles, flesh and skin and not soon after the body of Lily Lestrange had reformed, lying motionless between the two Le Fay women. "It is done, all that is required is to give her life. Narcissa to you the task of giving her the kiss of life."
Narcissa smiled as she walked forward, her eyes shining with tears as she kneeled next to the body of her long time lover, smiling down at her before placing her lips on those of the beautiful redhead.
It took a moment before Lily opened her eyes, sitting up with a gasp. "Cissy? What's going on? Why are you here?"
Narcissa smiled and gathered her close. "It's okay, my flower. I promise to explain everything. You are back and that is all that matters."
"Take a while with her Cissa. We have at least an hour before I can perform the next ritual." Hermione said with a soft smile.
Lily turned to the brunette. "You, I've seen you in what seems like a dream. Who are you?"
Hermione smiled at her. "I am Hermione Le Fay, a former friend of your son that with the help of my ancestor and family has brought you back to your love."
Lily smiled at her. "Thank you, but I would like to know what is going on."
"Narcissa will explain everything over the course of the day. We have another to bring back in an hour, so until that time, take some time to reconnect and relax a little." Hermione said with a smile.
Lily nodded before Narcissa helped her up and the pair walked off to one of the nearby trees.
Hermione in the meantime sought the comfort of her lover's arms. "Tired love?" He asked softly.
She shook her head and smiled. "Not as much as I thought I would be. Morgana and Aithusa's presence really help with managing the exhaustion. I didn't have to spend nearly as much magic as I would've if they hadn't been here today."
He smiled and kissed her softly. "Will that still be true after Pandora I wonder. It is really complex magic we are talking about."
"If anything Pandora will be easier and require less magic because she hasn't been dead for as long as Lily was. I'll be fine." Hermione said with a smile.
He smiled and kissed her again, the two more than content to relax a little together before they had to do the last ritual of the day.
…
When they had done the second ritual an hour later, Hermione could finally relax a little, and now that their family was finally complete, she had to smile at the sight now in front of them. Pandora was cuddled up to Bellatrix while Luna was sat in front of her with Ginny, the two blondes looking extremely happy with her current situation. Lily and Narcissa were also cuddled up together under a tree, talking softly to each other. Nymphadora and Fleur were mostly exploring the grounds a little, Fleur especially finding the grounds interesting because of the concentrations of magic she felt, and Dora was more than happy to follow her wife in that exploration.
Morgana and Andromeda had gone to the Castle, the raven haired witch stating she had to get something before she could come home with them. That left her and Fabian, who were glad that the family was complete and that they could finally start planning. "You've done amazing, my love. I love you so much." He said softly.
"I love you too, my Prince, and trust me that everyone contributed to today's success. I knew you would be great at following directions." She said with a teasing wink.
He smiled at her. "As long as they are your directions, or mother's, then I have no issue with following orders. I can't wait to see the look on McGonagall's face when she sees Lily and Pandora at the New Year's Ball, not to mention when she sees Morgana."
Hermione smiled at that. "I wonder who your mother will invite to the Ball, some things might be difficult to explain to some people."
"The New Year's Ball is a family affair, my love. The only reason McGonagall is invited is because of the fact that she is my Godmother, and I think Draco will understand when we explain everything to him and Astoria. Lucius usually holds his own festivities for the night with the influential families, and Draco usually chooses to come here for that. He's not really the one to schmooze before he is of age." He said with a soft smile.
Hermione laughed lightly at that. "At least he gets enough practice of that at school."
"That he does, and I think my aunt and uncle have a lot to do with that. As greasy as my uncle is, he is a very astute man with a lot of connections, and if Draco wants to be the Head of the Malfoy family, he will need to form those connections with the current generation, and so far I think he is doing a good job." Fabian said with a smile.
Hermione nodded and smiled as she saw the rest of the family walking towards them. "It's not that we want to interrupt such a tender moment between you two, but I think we're all ready to go home." Bellatrix said with a smile.
"Yes, let's do that, I love it here, but given what will probably happen tonight, I think it's best if we do that in the comfort of our home." Hermione said with a smile.
Everyone nodded at her as they apparated back to Black Manor, reappearing in the living room seconds later. "I think in light of everything, I think it's best if we take a little while to reacquaint ourselves with our lovers before dinner. We've all earned it, and there is a lot that we need to explain." Narcissa said with a soft smile to Lily, who had not left the blonde's side from the moment she had woken up.
Everyone nodded and made their way to their rooms, everyone being more that content to spend a few hours alone with their lovers.
The moment Fabian and Hermione were alone in their room, Hermione kissed her lover deeply. "I'll be very honest with you baby, I'm glad that everyone finally has found their true love, but I'm dead of my feet, not even from the rituals too. I'm just tired."
He smiled at her. "Do you want me to run you a bath, my love? Perhaps with some relaxing bath salts and a nice glass of wine?"
She nodded and kissed him softly. "You know, that sounds fantastic, with the exception of the wine. I have something more rich in protein in mind for a drink."
He smiled and scooped her into his arms after he flicked his wand in the direction of the bathroom. "If that is what the Lady Le Fay wishes, I will of course fulfill that wish."
Hermione smiled at him. "That is what the Lady Le Fay wishes, because I just know that within a few days we will have a lot to do in a few days in regards to the Curse, given the number of women coming into the family today."
He nodded at that. "I was thinking about that too, but I must admit that I am a bit nervous about when the Curse hits Morgana. I wouldn't want to piss her off."
"You won't love. Morgana and I have already talked about this when I learned that she was Andi's intended. I of course told her about the Curse and she said point blank that she already knew and accepted any consequences. She actually told me that she is looking forward to her first time with a man that will respect her for the woman she is. So you will be her first man ever, my love." She said with a soft smile.
Fabian blushed as he put her back on her feet. "That honestly does not make me feel better baby. "
Hermione smiled as she got into the tub, while Fabian added several bath salts that he knew she loved when she needed a relaxing bath. "You of all people don't have to be nervous, my love. You know very well that there is very little you can do wrong when it comes to making love to a woman, and I think that is a sentiment shared by every woman in this house that you have been inside of. Morgana will love lying with you, probably as much as I do."
He smiled and kissed her softly. "If you say so, Princess."
"Trust me love, I might have to fight her off you. If you think I am insatiable, you will find out exactly where that comes from." She said as she cupped his crotch.
He smiled and vanished his pants. "Is that your subtle way of saying you are thirsty, my love?"
She nodded and stroked his cock to full hardness. "Of course it is. I know your balls must be bursting, and while I can be a cruel woman at time, I never will be to you, so I will gladly take a bit of pressure off you by sucking out a nice load, and of course this is not entirely out of selfish need too. I know the last few days were hard on you."
He only smiled at her as she sucked the head of his cock into her mouth, both of them moaning softly from the sensation, even if it had only been two days since they had last done it.
