I'm sorry for the brief holiday, but Real Life does but in sometimes. I enjoyed it though, because Spiderman 2 had great action scenes despite all the drama in-between.

"One of the best times for figuring out who you are & what you really want out of life? Right after a break-up."

-Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love and a Dash of Sass-

It took a week before Draco and Hermione managed to hunt her down. It honestly surprised Heather that it took them so long. It made her chuckle, though she covered it with a cough, to realize that her friends-turned-relatives was still applying the things they did back in their world, for sick people in particular the sick and stupid kind.

The requirement was to send flowers and a howler, or visit, hug and then lecture. Since howlers were rather a dead give-away that they came from another world, they picked the second choice.

So Heather gave the innkeeper a gold coin and asked for a private room the moment she saw the telltale black blindfold and the mass of ringlets.

"Let me have it," she said.

That was the cue for Hermione to launch into a long and shrieking lecture about her utter stupidity, her recklessness and her complete disregard for how the rest of them would feel when they saw her, near-comatose and muttering prophecies in high Latin.

"And you're lucky that none of the elves even speak Latin!" she wound up. And then she sat down, panting.

Heather arched an eyebrow. "Feel better?" she asked.

Hermione nodded. Draco then stood up. "I don't," he said. Then he launched into his own impressive lecture. It made a bigger impact than Hermione's because he spoke in a reasonable tone and berated her intelligence, her reasoning and her stupid pride. Once or twice, he managed to make her wince. He probably took pointers from Snape's own mutters about her.

When he finished, he surprised both girls by hugging the daylights out of her. Hermione, after her initial surprise, was quick to join the pile.

"We're staying with you," Hermione said firmly and Draco did not say anything to refute her statement. Heather allowed it because the last time they had seen her, she was so ill that she could not wake herself up. They seemed to want to reassure themselves that she was alive.

They spent two days in the inn, going over their building plans for Luna's school, because while Luna was really great, her organizing skills needed a lot of work. Draco then added that if he was to brew potions, he would eventually take on apprentices. That made them add another wing.

And then, all of a sudden, an idea occurred to Heather.

"Why don't we just make our own town while we're at it?" she asked.

This set off another round of debate and more parchment produced to accommodate their plans.

But it took the Blood wards falling for them to actually act on it.

All three of them doubled up and clutched their hearts, hunching inwards while they gasped for breath. This was the reason why Blood wards were rarely used.

But the point was something had intentionally broken it. They had wanted to awaken the slumbering darkness. Whoever that was didn't have kind intentions to the people in the continent. Heather's precognition acted up just as the pain and the breathlessness faded away. It made her see an army made up of thousands of orcs and goblins. She hadn't exactly seen orcs yet, but the Dúnedain had told her enough stories about it to be sure of it.

"What was it?" they asked.

Heather took a deep breath. "An army. Marching against dwarves and men. There are elves there too."

Hermione moved to apparate and Draco caught her. "No!" he cried. "Stop it, Hermione!" it was the surprise that Draco had actually called her by her given name that stopped her.

"Draco's right," Heather said as she straightened up in her chair, wincing as she did so. "Whoever broke the wards was very powerful and as we are, only the two of you are capable of magical combat. I'm not crazy enough to fight when my magic is still recovering, and Luna cannot watch death with a cold mask. She bloody well hears the soul scream!"

"So what do we bloody do?" Hermione demanded. She was so pissed off that she had resorted to foul language. "Are we just going to sit and twirl our thumbs?"

"Fuck no!" Draco protested. He looked repulsed by the idea.

Heather nodded in agreement. "Those people can handle themselves. Let's focus on something else. My sight tells me that safe-havens are important right now. Rivendell is a safe-haven. Let's make another one. Let's start with this." She tapped the parchments they had been working on for two days straight. "Meanwhile, we have to think of Luna."

They left the reassurance of Luna to Draco. Heather and Hermione chose an area in the wilderness, close enough to a forest and near a gurgling river. Heather drove her sword in a large rock on the ground and set to work.

Making the start of a village was loads different from building the house that they eventually called Sanctuary. But with Kreacher's help, they were able to make headway in a week. In the middle of it, Draco returned with news from Luna, saying that she would finish her apprenticeship in six months.

In the second week, they had finished the wards. Upon entry into the village proper, one would feel the absolute certainty that one was safe. With Draco's help, they also imbedded runes deep into the earth around the perimeter of the village to keep darkness away.

Their first citizen, aside from each other, was an orphaned boy. Hermione brought him back with her, along with the supplies she had gone to a town to collect. She was sheepish while Draco muttered about the trouble of housing children, but Heather had seen the compassionate gleam to his eyes and did not call him out on it.

The child was named Ellas, and after some hesitation and wariness, helped out in the building.

This set the theme for their citizens. They arrived alone or by groups, desperate and looking for a new start. Some of them were so destitute that a roof over their heads and three meals a day was paradise.

Hermione broke down crying one night; in the little house they built in their new city to replicate the Sanctuary.

"I can't help it," she whispered. "I wish we could have done this for our world as well."

Draco sniffed condescendingly. "These people want to be helped, Granger. Our world was near hopeless. They were happy in their helplessness."

Heather visibly agreed with Draco but secretly mourned for their old world as well. But that was remedied through working for their new home, so that it would not degenerate into the near ruin they had left behind.

The Sword of Gryffindor, which she had driven through a stone, was made into the center of the city. She used it to look for the next heir of the Gryffindor, since only the heirs of Gryffindor could hold, and wield the sword. So far, all the orphans could not come within a foot of it.

Draco had called the endeavor as useless, saying that no one would be as prideful or as reckless as her. He was proven wrong within another month, when the children found another orphan, beaten near death and left near the edge of the dirt path.

Heather had flashbacks about the beatings she had received from her own uncle. When all the other people had given up on the boy, including Draco, she took him on and never gave up. There were close calls when he suddenly stopped breathing but Heather gave him her blood and a bit of her magic to keep his magic tied to his body.

When the boy finally regained consciousness, Heather nearly fainted from the shock when he blinked sleepy green eyes at her. She wasn't vain enough to think that she was the only one in all of Arda with green eyes, but that exact shade was something she saw in the mirror every morning.

"Who are you?" he croaked.

Okay, the explanations were going to be awkward.

She told it to him as bluntly as possible, stating all the pertinent facts and leaving nothing out. Hermione had compared the method to ripping off a band-aid quickly and neatly.

Either way, the boy appreciated it by the way his eyes didn't shutter down to blankness. Heather was familiar with that, knowing that your emotions made you vulnerable to the one who hated you. The fact that he was showing her his emotions meant he trusted her…in a very teensy tiny amount.

"What's your name?" she asked. When he hesitated, Heather continued as though she had not noticed his hesitation. "My friends call me Gryffon"

He twitched. He had noticed her use of the word 'call' instead of saying that her name was Gryffon. Then he turned his eyes, her eyes back at her and said, "Can you call me a name?"

Oh, how Heather understood! Her heart throbbed.

"Guiomer," she said. "That is the name I would have chosen if I had been born a boy."

The child smiled, testing the name on his tongue. Then he turned to her. "Thank you."

Was this how parents felt, she asked herself as she enveloped the boy in a hug, Or maybe how Remus and Sirius felt when they saw me in my Third year.

Guiomer did not try the sword of Gryffindor until he had stayed for a week. Heather did not think to let him try; she was too confused, worried and busy to let him try. She still had to consult her siblings' on why Guiomer had her eyes, when she was sure he was brown-eyed before.

But it happened and Guiomer's hand closed around the bejeweled handle of the sword and a large cheer went up from the children who were all watching him try it. The noise stopped the adults from their own pursuits and they also watched in shock as Guiomer eventually pulled the sword free.

They had known that one of the town's founders was looking for an heir through the sword so to see it happen was actually historical. There was a silence, and then Heather herself broke it by clapping and cheering loudly. The others followed and then mobbed Guiomer.

Draco, who was beside her as they worked on a plan for a public library, looked amused. "Potter, did you brainwash the kid when you cured him?"

Hermione swatted him. "Shut up Malfoy! This is a happy event," then she sighed. "I'm just jealous that I left the diadem at home. It would be nice to have my own heir and apprentice."

Before any of them could say anything about that, Hermione straightened like one electrocuted. "Salazar's Pants!" she shrieked and then darted away, leaving the two of them blinking in her metaphorical dust trails.

The cheering sound stopped and made them look to where they had last seen Guiomer. He was holding the sword formally across his hand and was carrying it towards her. He was flushed and his eyes had a look of vaguely concealed panic. He then knelt and presented the sword to her.

Slowly, because she was feeling like she had fallen through a story book, Heather stood up and unbuckled her sword belt, which had the empty scabbard. She took the sword and nicked Guiomer in the thumb before sheathing it with a thunk! Then she made him stand and tied the belt around his waist.

He stumbled at the weight and she kept him steady with both hands on his shoulder. She kissed his forehead and beamed. "Guiomer, the sword of Gryffindor, of my ancestor, has always chosen those who carried it. Do you accept the burden of this gift?"

Despite the fact that he looked panicked and was probably confused out of his mind, Guiomer managed a smile. "I will, Lady Gryffon. I accept the burden and bear it proudly."

That made all of the people cheer again. There was no resentment, or anger. All of them had seen the shadows that drove her to fight. They appreciated her will and none of them wanted to be in her shoes.

Draco then laughed as the townspeople abandoned their building projects and carted Guiomer off for some impromptu celebration. "You are bloody well starting a competition," he said.

"What do you mean?" Heather asked.

He sent her a challenging grin. "I'm not settling till I find my own apprentice, Potter. I don't think any of the others will. Well, not Lovegood. That one is as unpredictable as they come."

Heather groaned, but her actions gave that part of the city a name. It was called 'The Choosing Square' for years to come until people forgot why they called it that. It still had myths and legends tied to it though.

Luna's apprenticeship ended and all three of them were there to greet her when she arrived on horseback.

Luna's silvery grey eyes had unfocused when she crossed the wards and then she smiled at Hermione. "You've recreated the wards of Hogwarts. Thank you, Hermione, for making it feel like home." How she knew that Hermione had been the one to set the wards was a mystery since Draco and Heather were just as capable with Ancient Runes.

The four of them wandered the city, introducing Luna to the sights and buildings and then introducing her to the people. They all bowed (how that came about, Heather had no idea) and took note of their founder's happiness. They then bowed to Luna too.

And then she met Guiomer. She saw the green eyes and the sword belt that held the sword of Gryffindor, which the twelve year old was holding awkwardly with his hand. Luna's eyes went wide and her mouth turned to a perfect 'O'. Then she looked to Heather. "You blood adopted him! You are a genius, Feather!"

Heather gave an undignified squeak that resembled a "what?" while Draco roared with laughter and Hermione started firing off questions.

Heather stopped the ruckus with a sharp gesture. "What the bloody hell does that mean, moonbeam?" she asked.

Luna beamed at the confused Guiomer. "That means he is your son in all ways that matter."

That bloody well didn't explain anything.

"What it means," Draco cut in. "Is that the brat has your magic."

Heather would forever deny that she had momentarily swayed with the onslaught of feelings. The happiness, the worry and the melancholy all rolled into one.

"Are you alright?" they asked her. But Heather's eyes focused on Guiomer and she swung him around, pressing kisses to his face despite his protests.

Late that night, when the whole town was sleeping and only a select few were being drunkards, the four of them took Guiomer to the Sanctuary and swore him to the truth. Heather dithered until Draco reluctantly dosed her with a calming draught. (They were wary of letting her drink potions ever since the incident. Bugger!) But her worry was groundless, because Guiomer's only response was, "Well, my name was Renac."

It took another year before any of them noticed anything, but that was understandable since all of them kept each other fairly busy. Hermione's goal for the first five years was to reduce illiteracy. With the number of stubborn, retired old soldiers they had that had opted to be Training Masters, that was quite a feat. Soldiers didn't like reading anyway, they said. But they found no help in Heather since she put literacy as one of the requirements for teaching the sword.

The schools for children were all full with the children actually eager to learn since no one but the nobles were taught reading. Hermione had to tutor the older ones in her spare time. She was horrified at the number of older students she had and had roped in the others. They had the whole city in the Library and Draco all but announced a National Library Day.

Luna had heard of what Heather did about finding an apprentice. She had flushed and muttered about being jealous. Next thing they knew, she had turned the whole hospital into a sentient thing with the amount of magic in it. It would only allow entry to those who wanted to serve. Then she had also curtained an area that would only allow entry to one whose heart was compatible with her own.

Heather groaned and Draco laughed, even as he stated something about it being a competition. Draco had followed Luna's example anyway and resolutely ignored heather when she choked down the word, "Twins!"

Hermione's methods were simpler and subtler. She had simply placed a book on a book stand. The one who would notice it would be her apprentice because only a hunger to learn would allow one to see the book.

Out of the four of them, only Draco and Heather had found theirs.

But still, it was really reasonable that it took them a year to notice that they had stopped ageing.

It quite panicked all of them, even Luna, since not one understood why. Draco had decided to be logical for once and performed quick tests on their blood and found that it was a complete and total freeze.

"Our bodies are simply existing," he said. "But it has completely stopped its decomposition." When an 'eew' look crossed Heathers face, he elaborated. "All human decomposes daily, Potter and that decomposition leads to eventual death. But this, it's like death doesn't want us."

At the word 'Death', Heather stiffened. Luna observed this and understood immediately that Heather had something to do with it.

"Feather, please share it with us," she said.

Heather told it in halting and soft words because the implications had just occurred to her. If they had not done the ritual, Heather would have spent ages by herself. But the Veil of Death had shared her blood and amplified the consequences.

Heather ended it with a whispered, "I'm sorry."

That made the girls move and Draco, after some hesitation, joined them in a major pile-up.

"You've just become as cursed as I am," Heather muttered.

"Hell yes," Draco agreed and then continued before Hermione or Luna could punch him. "I'm going to be cursed to spend eternity with women!"

That made Heather stop crying and start laughing. If it was a tad bit hysterical, nobody called her out on it.

The Ritual Ingredients:

The Corpse of Evil – Voldemort's body
Purpose: Balanced the ritual; Power behind the Ritual
Unintended Effect: Enhanced the physical changes and their physical features, because no matter what you lot say, Tom Riddle was still a handsome bastard,

The Heart of Bitterness – Rita Skeeter's heart
Purpose: Chose the world
Unintended Effect: Catalyst for the internal change

The Bones of Loyalty – Vincent Crabbe's bones
 Purpose: Anchored and steadied the Ritual
Unintended Effect: Interacted with the Heart and became a catalyst for the Physical Changes.

The Blood of Rebirth – Heather's blood
 Purpose: Balanced the Ritual; Power behind the Ritual
Unintended Effect: Gave all of them Immortality

Soo, the Ingredients for the Ritual was actually requested by someone. I sorta forgot who, but I wrote this down immediately after I received that review. I didn't post it until now since that would spoil this chapter. And I soo hate spoilers…unless I asked for it.

I hoped this chapter answered more questions. And please, enjoy yourselves rereading it or something.

R&R, please.

~Hallen