Okay so, Henry and Albert will be staying on as side characters. Also if you want to talk to me directly or see little bits and pieces from the story you can find me on my tumblr side blog (KhlorisDancer, has a moon thumbnail/icon), I'll probably answer questions faster on there. Thank you all, for your time!
William Granger does not wake the day he is taken to the hospital, nor the next day, nor the day after that. The nurses and Doctors all say he's fine, that the mixture of trauma and stress on his body have left him in need of rest more than anything. They all assure that he will wake up soon. The bandages wrapped around his body and the dark bruising of his blackened eye and reset nose do little to soothe his wife and daughter.
Hermione Granger spends four days at her father's bedside in the hospital, her mother Helen is there as often as she can be. Leaving only for work or to grab basic necessities from their apartment. Each day she returns looking more and more worn. Each night she falls asleep on the little worn couch in the waiting room, no matter how uncomfortable the old springs are on her aching back.
On the fourth day, everything changes.
Hermione, busy reading one of the books the hospital had had on hand, doesn't notice the other visitors and nurses rushing through the halls . Nor the sound of a lone person approaching from down the long sterile hospital hallway.
The form of a vaguely-familiar man in a stuffy suit comes to a stop in the hospital doorway and surveys the room, startling slightly at the sight of the room not empty as it should be thanks to the anti-muggle spell currently in place. The same spell that had already sent the nearby medical workers and other visiting family members scattered in other directions.
"Hello, young lady," Orion greets the young bushy-haired girl he had met earlier that week, under rather unpleasant circumstances.
Hermione looks up, startled.
"You're that boy Sirius's dad?" The girl says, though it sounds more like a question with her little head turning sideways and her nose scrunching up, giving Orion the impression of a curious kitten.
"Yes, I am. How are you feeling?" Orion asks. He hadn't expected to be seen today but there is no way to sneak the files he has in his hand into the small hospital room, with her there, without it being overly suspicious. Especially if Charlus is keeping an eye on the goings-on of this particular case. The man may be an ally of his house but he took his job seriously and would know if the area was flagged for magic use. The muggle repelling spell would dissipate without a trace due to its nature of being an 'atmospheric' spell, but adjusting anything or anyone directly would be easily discovered.
The girl shrugs, "Ok".
"I'm glad to hear. You're father?"
That seems to be the wrong question as tears well in the young girl's eyes and she starts to sniffle.
"The doctor's say he'll wake soon, b-but th-they don't kn-know when."
Realizing that a tantrum is on the horizon Orion hurries to calm the young girl down.
"No need to cry, I'm sure he'll be awake before you know it." He enters the room and offers Hermione his handkerchief, thankful for the training having three nieces and two sons has given him. He is not a comforting man, but he does know how to make his presence soothing enough to calm an upset child from time to time.
"Oh, Hello." Came a voice from the doorway Orion had only recently vacated. " I'm sorry, but who are you?"
There is strain in the voice of the woman that has just entered the room. A woman who, to Orion, looks ready to keel over from sheer exhaustion. A woman who has also gotten through his spell, curiously.
Perhaps her bloodline contains some squib blood, it would explain her and her daughter's ability to throw off an admittedly weak compulsion. Or perhaps they are merely determined to see to their husband and father respectively.
Before Orion can answer a small voice pipes up.
"He's the one who helped Daddy." Hermione says, voice sure.
"What?" Helen asks bewildered at her daughter's comment.
Orion freezes wondering if the young girl is actually going to tell her mother about what exactly Orion had done that day.
"He called for help and helped deal with the bad man."
Helen stiffens at the mention of Krane, something that doesn't go unnoticed by Orion, and maneuvers herself into the room between Hermione and Orion, who is keeping a respectable distance between himself and the young girl.
"Is that true?" She asks, curious but cautious around the man she doesn't know, whom she has just found alone with her daughter, in her heavily injured husband's hospital room.
"I did what I could to assist. Your husband is likely the only reason my son came out of the situation unharmed. My family and I are eternally grateful. I apologize for not sticking around, I only left once I saw the emergency personnel arrive. My son doesn't deal well with sirens and flashing lights."
The last part is only a partial lie. Over-stimulation does set Sirius off, the same way it does any Black. The Black Madness was inherent in all those born with enough Black Magic, though blessedly only Bella has been touched by the more potent Black Fire in this generation.
"I understand. I'm grateful you helped at all. Luckily the damage wasn't terribly extensive."
Of course it wasn't, Orion thought, I'd already healed most of it.
"I didn't mean to intrude," Orion started. "I only wished to make sure everyone was alright. Now that that's done, I should be on my way."
"Oh, yes. Of course, thank you for your time. Please, allow me to see you out."
"That isn't necessary."
"I insist, plus I need to find the nurse, she should have done a check already."
"Then by all means, I would enjoy the company, and directions. This place is a maze."
Helen's smile is as fake as they come, Orion suspects that's the point.
She turns quickly and presses a kiss to her daughter's forehead. Years of sleight of hand are all that allows Orion to slip the folder he's brought into a pile of William's clothes folded neatly on a nearby side table.
There is no evidence of the folder as Helen turns around again.
"Please, lead the way."
William Granger wakes in fits and starts to the bright white of a hospital room, He falls in and out of consciousness for the first few days. A mix of trauma, exhaustion, and the pain meds he's being fed.
Finally coming to his senses his first instinct is to block out the insufferable light burning through his eyelids. A mistake he soon realizes, as the arm he tries to lift instead shoots with pain.
The groan of pain he emits notifies his daughter to his new state of consciousness.
"Daddy!" His daughter throws herself at his bed, but doesn't climb in, too scared to jostle her father's wounds.
"Hey Pumpkin, are you okay?"
"I'm okay Daddy. Sirius's daddy showed up and helped. And the policemen took away the bad man when he woke up two days ago."
"Two days ago? How long have i been asleep?"
Hermione furrows her brow and starts to count on her fingers.
"... 1,2,3,4. Today is day number four since you got here Daddy."
Four days out cold and who knew how many more before he recovered. Shit, he might not be able to keep his jobs, it might not be entirely legal to fire someone who's been injured, but they didn't have the money to press a suit if it did happen.
Beepbeepbeepbeep
The heart rate machine beside him alerts him to his own growing anxiety.
Okay, deep breaths, think this through.
He is alive, Hermione is okay. He can get disability if it comes down to it, at least for a while. His landlord isn't a complete asshole and will let them be late on rent if it's an emergency. It'll be fine, he just needs to talk to Helen.
"Don't worry Daddy! I'm gonna get super strong, so next time I can protect you, too" Comes his daughter's voice in earnest.
He smiles down at her, her face full of determination. She's even set aside the book she was ready, bookmarked of course -so she doesn't lose her spot.
"Not just yet Pumpkin. It's still Daddy's job to protect you, Daddy would be very sad if you took his job away from him."
This earns him a 'Harrumph' and a fierce glare, as fierce as a child barely out of toddlerhood can be. His daughter seems to think for a moment, looking for a rebuke.
"Fine, I won't take Daddy's job… yet. But, someday I'll be big and strong, then Daddy can," Hermione seems to search for the right word, "Retire! Daddy can retire, Mrs. Donaldson says that's a rich, old person vacation. You can do that Daddy!"
William highly doubts he will ever be able to retire, at least not before he's 70, but his daughter's words and her sleepy yawn as she crawl into his hospital bed bring a smile to his face either way.
The walk down to the lobby is strained at best.
It's clear to Orion that the woman beside him has no desire to be in his presence, not that he blames her, if a strange person appeared in Walburga's hospital room and accosted Sirius he would react rather poorly to the intrusion as well.
"I apologize, I've just realized, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Orion Black, Sirius's father."
"Helen Granger," Helen replies stiffly.
"Ah, the Queen and Princess of Troy," Orion remarks.
"Yes, not that we're Greek. My family is from Glasgow," Helen smiles wistfully, Orion wonders how much she misses them, " It's Shakespearean as well, for William."
"What about your son, Sirius is the Dog Star right?" Helen glances back at her companion. Orion only looks on, bemused.
"Yes, though most people outside of our acquaintance don't realize that. It's a family name. Almost every member of our family is named for the Heavens in some way."
"Mr. Black?"
"Yes?"
"You and I both know you didn't come here just to check on my husband and daughter."
Orion sighs, Helen is a great deal more straight forward than he usually deals with.
Neither his nor Charlus's investigations have turned up Sirius's mantle and broach, and his surreptitious look around William's hospital room had shown nothing.
As well the goblins had notified him that the broach is no longer showing the fluke of the 100% Black Magic, but has not been away long enough to be established as lost at the GALO. Speaking of, Gritgnaw had informed him that the creator-heir of the broach desired for the broach to remain with the 'True' Black Magic, rather than be returned to the vault!
Orion is honor-bound to see such a thing through, but now he is at a loss. He has no clue where either item is and even less of an idea of where the so-called 'True Black Magic' is coming from. Only creature magic and blood magic can determine such things. Neither of which he has access to in this situation.
"You're right, I have some personal matters involved in coming here as well. But do not mistake me, I meant it when I said that my family is eternally grateful for your husband's actions. Sirius is a bit of a miracle child. My wife and I had been married for over a decade when he was born."
At this Helen stops short, "Wait, How old are you?"
"I turn 40 this year." Orion says amused at the woman's flabbergasted look.
"40? How?"
"Good genetics and I used to be involved in sports." Helen shakes her head, willing her confusion at the situation to go away, and starts again toward the entrance to the building, Orion following. The man beside her looks 30 at most.
"But, back to your question. My son has lost a coat and a broach. They are of great sentimental value, my wife and mother made the coat by hand, and the broach is an heirloom, mostly cut glass and fool's gold, but my son loves it dearly."
"The officers took both items for their investigation, that's the last I've seen of either." They turn a corner and the Entrance comes into view.
"Thank you, again, for your time Mrs. Granger. Have a good day." Orion's reply is almost despondent. Orion knew from Charlus's investigation that all material evidence had been destroyed for 'safety measures' as Krane's blood was 'too toxic to handle' and had gotten on to nearly every item at the crime scene. Likely a cover up, and if so the mantle was lost and the broach likely pawned. He would have to wait for the GALO's decision before he continued.
Helen turns and heads towards the nurses station intent on discovering why the nurse on duty hasn't made her rounds.
"Mrs. Granger!"
Helen stops on her way to the nurses station and turns to find an officer in uniform walking briskly towards her, a bundle of cloth thrown over his arm.
"Glad I could catch you, could I have a quick word?" The officer's demeanor is stiff and tense.
"Of course, how can I help you Officer -?" Helen looks at the man quizzically, she has only met him in passing.
"It's Brantley, and there's been some news involving your husband's case. We believe Krane's associates may try to intimidate you or your family into silence so that your husband won't testify against him."
Helen, who has been running on fumes for days, can't find it in herself to be shocked at the revelation. Krane and his posse are notorious in their area, unfortunately the police have never been able to prove anything, Krane has ways of keeping people quiet.
"What do you suggest we do? Are we in any danger?"
"Stay in the hospital as much as you can, we'll have an officer posted at the door 'round to clock. Once your husband is ready to leave we'll keep a patrol of your neighborhood. But your best bet is to move somewhere else. Krane won't try and off you immediately, it would be too suspicious, but every other witness has recanted their testimony. Those that didn't flee disappeared a few months later."
Helen laughs a small, derisive laugh.
"That's not an option, we're barely getting by. I can barely afford the bus fare to my jobs. There's no way we could down pay on a new place and all the subsidized housing is in our area anyway."
The officer sighs, looking exhausted.
"There are some funds that the force and the city have set aside for these types of things, the problem is, they need proof that your family is in danger."
"Which you don't have cause Krane and his buddies have never been caught."
The officer only nods, eyes tight and mouth drawn down.
"To be honest Ma'am, It wouldn't surprise me if the man has friends in high places. Or someone covering up for him on the inside. I've never seen an operation as slippery as this one."
The silence that stretches between them after Officer Brantley's words is telling, they both know the Granger's are unlikely to be considered for the aide.
"Was that all officer? I need to be getting back to my husband and daughter."
"Almost," Brantley begins, "We've also finished taking a look at the jacket and trinket you handed over the other day. They've been given the all clear, and since we haven't been able to track down the boy your daughter mentioned the items ownership falls to you, or rather your daughter as the jacket is rather small."
"That was rather fast." Helen says as the officer hands her the items to her, confusion creasing his brow.
"Yes, well the evidence room tech said they were too distracting and wanted them gone as soon as possible." Helen understands, the coat and costume broach seem to itch at her brain, like something is just slightly off, but she's unsure what.
"I'm also on first watch, if you'd like to return to your husband's room. I'm sorry for keeping you away for so long."
"No, thank you officer. I still need to find the nurse on duty. And don't worry about it, I'd much rather have this conversation out here and away from my daughter."
"Very well, I'll see you in a little while then Mrs. Granger." The officer replies then heads down the hall towards the elevators.
It's only as the officer leaves her sight that Helen remembers that the items in her hands belong to the son of the man she has just escorted outside. In fact she'd forgotten about the man at all.
Hurrying, Helen makes it back out to the front of the Hospital in record time. Not spotting the man in the front lobby, she turns to the welcome desk.
"The man that I came down with just a few minutes ago, do you know where he went?"
The receptionist looks up confused.
"What man?"
Helen huffs in frustration.
"Dark hair, Wide shoulders, and this tall," Helen gestures, her hand raised a little over a head taller than herself, "He was in a suit and used a cane."
"Oh. Ummm yes." The receptionist seems to concentrate, "He's left, didn't even order a taxi, just walked out the front door."
"Mr. Black!" Helen calls as she runs out the front door, looking up and down the streets, but the only thing that greets her is the sound of a car backfiring in the distance.
"You're awake." A hoarse voice comes from the door. William looks up from his sleeping daughter in his arms to find Helen standing in the doorway, a jacket draped over her arm.
"I'm awake," William replies, still a little dazed from the pain and drugs in his system. In a few strides Helen is beside him. She leans down to him, her forehead resting against his.
"If you ever do something that stupid again, I won't forgive you." She says and William can hear the thickness in her voice.
"I'm sorry I scared you," William said.
"You'd better be."
"Will, what are gonna do?" Helen asked, still leaned down.
"I don't know, we're already in debt. The hospital bills aren't going to be easy even if they are subsidized due to our situation. The disability won't cover everything and I don't think we'll be safe back home"
"The officer said the same, he said they'd put a patrol in but you and I both know Krane has a stranglehold on the entire area. People are too afraid of him. Even with an officer sitting outside the apartment there's no guarantee we'll be safe."
"Worst case… I'll talk to my brother. My parents might have disowned me, but David wouldn't let anything happen to Hermione. He- he can take her in while we get back on our feet."
Helen's tears come freely then. David is Hermione's godfather, too scared to stand up to their parents but too kind-hearted to outright reject his brother, and their next of kin should anything happen to them.
Two days later William is finally given the okay to be released, he has to come back for a check-up in two weeks time, but is otherwise free to go.
"Helen, will you pass me my clothes?" William calls from the hospital bathroom.
"Yeah, here." Comes his wife's muffled reply from the door as she pass him the clothes that have been waiting on his nightstand for almost a week.
Oh, what a joy to have underpants again, William thinks.
It's only as he puts on his shirt that William notices the thick manilla folder nestled in the folds of his trousers.
Pulling it loose William turns it over in his hands unsure of what it could be.
We're Even
The words are embossed in gold across the front in hand so fancy it could have been calligraphy.
Curiosity getting the best of him, and dread welling up in his gut at the rather ominous declaration, William steels himself and opens the folder.
"..."
"Honey?"
"Yes?" comes Helen's reply again.
"Can you go get the officer on guard?"
"What?"
"Go get Brantley."
William slips on his trousers hurriedly as his wife steps away and the sounds of a muffled conversation reach his ears.
A quick knock on the door announces Brantley's arrival.
"Mr. Granger, do you need assistance?" Brantley asks before clearing his throat uncomfortably.
In less than a second William has the door open and is dragging the officer in. He catches his wife's eyes and motions towards the hospital room door and mouths the words 'lock it'. Flipping around he returns his attention to Brantley and locks the bathroom door behind himself. Brantley for his part has stepped away, one hand on his baton the other out in front of him to keep William at a distance.
"Look" is all William says as he gestures toward the newly acquired folder.
Hesitantly Brantley grabs the folder and opens it.
Inside are photos, logs, receipts, Names; evidence in every form and even a slip of paper with a post office box number on it, claiming to have even more audio and video evidence, just inside London proper. Everything the police need to take out Davon Krane and at least two dozen others.
"My God, How do you have this?"
"I don't know, I just found this amongst my clothes. I've never seen any of this before in my life."
"Do you know what this means?"
"That you can not only prosecute Davon Krane but have the evidence to take out an entire Human Trafficking ring? Look, one of the Logs says they're having a big 'get together' tomorrow night, I bet if you can bug the place and get there first you can get some of the big players. And there won't be anything they can do."
Brantley lets out an incredulous laugh.
"Fuck, you some sort of cop."
"Lawyer actually" William replies, a wicked gleam in his eye
"Even better, I need to go call the Chief," Brantley replies, "Lock the door behind me, we'll do this quiet so no one realizes what's going on. The code word is Wistman's Woods."
"You're from Devon?" William asks, voice tinted with humor.
"My mum is. I'll stand guard again after I make the call and make sure no one comes knocking till the Chief gets here."
"Got it, good luck."
With that, William lets the other man out of the bathroom. Officer Brantley makes a b-line for the door, though he doesn't leave until he hears the lock click again.
"William what's going on?" Helen asks from beside their daughter, who is also giving William her full attention.
"There's been a break in the case, we'll have to stay here for a few more minutes before we can leave."
Helen nods towards the bathroom, questioning him with her eyes. He only shakes his head no. His wife looks like she wants to ask more but understands the information she wants isn't appropriate for Hermione to hear. Hermione for her part shrugs her shoulders and goes back to her book, uninterested in the unspoken conversation going on between her parents
A half hour goes by before there's a knock on the door.
"Got a visitor," comes through the door.
William approaches the door and waits, only when he hears 'Wistman's Woods' whispered through the door does he unlock it.
In steps a man with Salt-and-pepper hair and piercing eyes, he is a few inches shorter than William but has the same type of air his own father had had. Barely restraining anger and irritation. He is dressed in an officer's dress uniform but has on an overcoat, hiding the fact.
"What is this all about? Brantley wouldn't say on the phone, just that I needed to get down here quickly and quietly."
"Best to see for yourself," William replies, "It's in the bathroom."
The Chief doesn't look amused by William's words, but enters the other room anyway, closing the door behind him. For a time there is only the sound of papers being shuffled and reshuffled, with more and more urgency.
BANG
The bathroom door slams open, the chief standing there hair mussed and a mad grin on his face. He looks like a cat who's gotten the cream and the canary.
"Where. Did. This. Come. From?"
"No clue, found it in my clothes."
"What about you two?" The Chief turns his attention to Helen and Officer Brantley.
"I don't know, I haven't seen it before. But I've had to come and go several times since this all started." Helen replies.
"I'm not sure either, Sir. I never saw anyone enter with it, but we only put up a detail a few days ago." Brantley answers.
"Has anyone been here consistently?"
"Only Hermione," Helen says.
At her name Hermione peaks out from behind her book, which she had not been hiding behind since the door had been slammed open.
"Young Lady, do you know where this came from?" The chief asks and holds up the manilla folder.
Hermione scrunches her nose in concentration.
"Umm, I think the man who helped Daddy had it when he came by? Did he accidentally leave it? I hope he comes back for it, he forgot Sirius's coat and jewelry ,too."
The chief looks askance toward Helen and William.
"I've never actually seen the man. I've been unconscious every time he's shown up," the latter replies.
"He said his name was Orion Black, and now that I think about it he did mention he came here to do more than check up on Hermione and William." Helen adds
"That's going to be a problem," Brantley interjects. "I tried looking into him when Helen mentioned him after William woke up. There's nothing on him, or a Sirius Black. No birth certificates, no marriage certificates, no deeds, nothing. The best the archives could find was a family that used the same names from a couple hundred years ago that owned a lot of land in London, but that was the Elizabethan Era."
"The man's a ghost," Brantley finishes.
"That's a powerful ghost, to be able to get this much evidence and in less than a week? He has to have friends in high places, or access to a lot of resources," The Chief starts, "But that can wait for a moment. We've got a lot of work on our hands."
"You should talk with Mr. Granger, he had some ideas about getting the ball rolling, they're pretty good." Brantley pipes in again.
"Might as well, we need to call a couple of cruisers anyway. With this much information, and with some of the names in this folder, we'll need to put you all in protective custody. There are a couple of safe houses you can stay in outside of London that should work."
"What about our home? Our jobs? We can't just disappear, we don't have the means for that."
"If it gets to it we'll relocate you, but for the most part we have social workers that will help reintegrate you when you return." The Chief snorts. "Plus, if this goes through you'll have quite a bit of means. Several of the crimes this implicates Krane and his associates for have cash rewards tied to them."
Helen and William both look taken aback at the information.
"Brantley, go and call the precinct, have them send around a few cruisers, make sure they send a few of the non-descript ones as well, I don't want this to be an entire circus."
"Yes, Sir." With that the other officer is off and the door is locked again.
"Now Mr. Granger, how about you and I have a conversation in the other room. Here those ideas of yours."
Fifteen minutes later both men step out of the restroom, an air of accomplishment between them.
"Granger, the second this shit show is over come see me. I could use a mind like yours on the force."