Chapter 21 – Letter from abroad

The following morning found all four members in the small and strange family smiling from the moment they woke up. Once again, it was Harry who was the first to wake. Instead of getting up right away, he decided to lie in bed and think over the events of the previous day. After several long moment of thought, he leaped out of his bed and made it before heading downstairs. He was half-way through planning breakfast when he noticed the large stack of letters on the table that he had ignored the previous day.

He bit his lip as he guiltily remembered that he hadn't done any of the work he had planned to do the previous day. With a determined nod, he mentally prepared himself for a long day of paperwork. He just hoped that Bella wouldn't mind.

~~~Ireallyshouldntbewatchingcookingshows~~~

For the second day in a row, Hermione woke by herself. This time, however, she looked around the room and smiled when she saw a pot of tea, her mail, an empty mug and one of Harry's special spiced fruit scones appear on her bedside table. She prepared her tea the way she preferred and took a sip while reaching for the letter on top of the pile.

Rinie,

I have a lot to do today so can you deal with lunch and dinner? I'm drowning in paper … Save me?

Harry

She chuckled and shook her head in amusement. Her brother always made jokes about needing to be saved from evil paperwork when both of them knew that he would glare at anyone who dared to touch it. She bit into the hot, buttered scone and moaned softly as the sweet spice coated her tongue and filled her nose.

'This,' she thought as she reached for her next letter, 'is pure bliss.'

~~~nowIwantaspicedfruitscone~~~

When Bellatrix looked into the sitting room of Remus' quarters, she was greeted by the sight of Remus, Sirius, Hermione and Blaise – who were trying to prevent themselves from laughing, Severus – who had a hand over his mouth and his eyes closed as his shoulders shook – and Draco who had a pout on his face and one of his fingers in his mouth.

"What happened?" she asked. Her reply was everyone in the room bar Draco, who scowled, to burst into laughter.

"Draco touched Harry's paperwork," Remus eventually managed to gasp out. "You do NOT touch Harry's paperwork – especially if said paperwork is anything to do with his job as Healer, his journals or letters."

"Oh dear," Bellatrix said, her top lip twitching in amusement. "What did he do?"

"Gave him a deep scratch across a knuckle and promised to castrate him after Draco had given him one or two litters if he did it again," Sirius said with a wince of sympathy.

Bellatrix looked at her cousin incredulously. "Are you sure he's a submissive?"

Hermione smiled at the woman. "He is a true submissive. It is true that he can and does act dominant in some cases, but that is because he is a DEMON submissive. We are a possessive species and our submissives are completely useless until there are children involved or they find and are accepted by their mate. Harry used to not eat unless either Mama Figg or I put food onto his plate because – and I quote – 'There's just so much to choose from.'"

Hermione smiled nostalgically, "but when one of the younger kids that had been adopted, Harry's claws came out. One time Harry went to visit one of the children that had been adopted out without warning and saw the next door neighbour hit into his kid for no reason. Someone else had witnessed it and called the police but by the time the police came it was too late. Harry had the boy behind him and had sliced the man up rather badly with his claws. When the police moved in to restrain Harry, he hissed at them then returned to cooing and healing the mother and child. He ruffled the kids' hair, smiled at the mother, hissed at the man then walked to the house that he was supposed to be visiting to check on his kitten."

Remus smiled at Bellatrix. "It's hard to imagine, I know. Just think of James' protective quality and couple it with Lily's temperament."

"I heard that Remi," an amused voice said from the doorway behind the wolf, making them all jump slightly. "Breakfast is ready, if you are interested."

Silently everyone walked into the small, over-crowded dining room.

~~~IwonderifIhavealltheingredientstomakepizzascrolls~~~

Harry allowed the soft murmuring to his right wash over him as he dutifully and methodically turned the random numbers, patterns, shapes and colours that Hermione and Blaise had dutifully written as he called them out into an easy-to-read, universally acceptable medical file for each member of the Zabini family. When he was finished, each file was neatly put together and placed in the expanded cabinet he'd had specially made for his patients.

"That was quick," Hermione said, looking up from the book she had been given the day before. "It normally takes you longer to complete."

"It was done sooner than I thought," Harry admitted, "but that could be due to the different circumstances between the backgrounds of the Zabini's to my usual clientele."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "That is most probably it," she agreed at last. "Did you want to do lunch since you finished earlier than you thought?"

"Well I do need a break …" Harry mused. "How about we both do lunch today?"

"Sounds good to me,' Hermione beamed as she snapped the book shut and got to her feet. "What do you have in mind?"

"How about fishcakes? We haven't had those in a while. With that salad you made for Mama Figg's birthday last year."

"The one with the nuts?"

"No, the one with the herbs."

"Sounds good. Let's go!"

Laughing, the two teens walked into the kitchen, leaving behind a bemused Remus and Bellatrix.

~~~Ineedtea~~~

What's up Bella?" Remus asked the abnormally quiet lady beside him.

"I thought the purpose of this was for him to get used to me and to know me," she pouted.

Remus laughed softly. "He is getting to know you Bella. You being in the same room as him allows him to get used to your presence: Your aura, scent and sound. The only people who he fully interacted with in this process was Blaise and Draco. Even Severus had to deal with being ignored by Harry in favour of a journal, paper or meeting."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I will be the first to admit that my and Sirius' behaviour yesterday was pure stupidity on our part, but the result was Harry forming a sort-of bond with you and Narcissa. Before yesterday even the sound of someone saying Narcissa's name was enough to make Harry freeze. It may not seem like it now or tomorrow when he has an appointment with Willa to check on her and the twins, but he is getting to know you."

Remus smirked, "The first day he had with Lucius, he spent most of it asleep in cat form."

Bellatrix laughed at that, feeling much better about being there.

The door to the room opened and Bellatrix screeched, "SEVIE!" and threw herself onto the man, glomping him and making everyone laugh at the softly cursing man.

~~~Iwantchickensausages~~~

Harry was nearly a quarter of the way through his pile of letters when he froze.

"What is it Harry?" Hermione asked, biting her lip in worry.

"I … I got a letter from Tom …" he said, raising shocked and hopeful eyes to meet hers.

"Open it!" Hermione urged, face breaking out into a beaming smile. "And read it out loud."

Without further provocation, Harry tore into the envelope to reveal several pages of writing.

Dear Hatchlings.

Today I must say, has been both the best and most heartbreaking day of my long life to date. I have loved, nurtured, taught and punished you both for many years and as I recover from the backlash of our bond to each other breaking, I am more than proud to claim the both of you as my students and surrogate family. I know that the breaking bond will have affected you as much as it affected me, and I apologise deeply for that.

The both of you have turned out so much better than I had hoped when I first lay eyes on you and I left the two of you as well rounded young adults with bright futures ahead of you. Together the two of you have taught me that nothing is impossible if you have people who love and support you through everything. It was only this that made it possible for me to walk away from you today. Thank you for believing in me, for trusting me and for welcoming me into your mismatched family.

You will hear from me soon and often.

Forever bound to you by Love and Spirit,

Thomas M. Riddle.