March 18th, 1977
Severus was the first to move, and even as he pulled Regulus's robes off and waved his wand over him, everyone else was still for a very long minute.
"She's… dead?" Fabian asked softly, his voice breaking.
"Her runes," Avery's voice shook as he answered him. "They tell us in danger. She only mentioned it once, but she said… she said they'd stop working when she dies." When everyone looked at him, he glanced at Dumbledore. "Go ahead. Tap them."
And so the man did.
And nothing happened.
"She's dead," James whispered, his shoulders shaking.
"It was Sectumsempra," Severus told them, his voice thick with horror as he set his wand down again, Regulus healed but unconscious. "It hit him, too, because their bond is so strong."
"She's dead."
"No," Sirius argued. "No."
"Yes, Sirius, yes, she is. You felt it, too."
"Are you fucking stupid?" Sirius snapped, staring at Avery. "I know you know what she did."
"What are you talking about?" James asked his brother. Sirius looked between them and, for the first time, revealed the black tattoo like band around his wrist.
"We did a fucking blood ritual," he snapped. "It was dark magic, but she said we needed to, for the future, to- to bring me back."
"Okay…"
"I can bring her back, you fucking idiot!"
The room fell silent.
"What?"
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Sirius stood with Regulus, who had been woken and given a plethora of potions to keep him stable, and Snape in front of an extremely intimidating arch.
"You're sure you can do this?" his brother whispered. He'd barely spoken since he'd been woken, and Sirius got the feeling his brother knew something he didn't. He nodded silently and moved forward. He sliced his hand over the stone arch and dripped blood on the ground, watching it glow.
"Mia Potter, daughter of the House of Potter, you have sworn to heed my call from the Veil of Death. I am here to demand your return to this world. Heed my call, Blood Sister."
There was a terrifying moment where nothing happened, but after nearly thirty seconds, Mia's unconscious body fell from the Veil and to the floor, and Sirius felt nauseous looking at her.
She was naked and bloody everywhere with scratch marks dug deep into her skin on her legs, arms, stomach, seemingly everywhere he looked. Her hair was matted and her chest was bleeding freely. She had bruises everywhere his eyes fell, and her entire body shook uncontrollably.
But the worst was the openly bleeding wound on her stomach.
Snape visibly gagged at the sight but rushed forward with the pair of brothers. They stayed out of the way as Snape worked, healing her most dire injuries. Once she was less close to the brink of death, he leaned back, letting Sirius and Regulus take over. Sirius heard him throw up somewhere behind them but ignored it.
All in all, preparing her to be taken to Hogwarts took a full two hours. Eventually, they just were no longer sure what was injured and had to move.
They placed her under the Invisibility cloak and made their way back to the castle, rushing her up to the room of requirement where Madame Pomfrey and two other healers were waiting. She was handed off to them, and they set to work silently.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
April 23rd, 1977
"Mia," a voice called. She whimpered and shook her head, staying where she was. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to see it. "Mia, please."
"No."
"Mia, you know you can't live like this," the voice scolded. "You will fade into nothing."
"I can't do it, please."
"You have to go back."
"Please."
"I know he hurt you," the voice, soft and female but still firm said. "I know you're scared to face that. But if you stay here, you'll never see Regulus again."
Mia paused. Regulus. If she left… she could see Regulus?
"Of course," the voice answered. "He's been by your side the entire time."
"He promised me he'd kill me," she complained. "I want to be dead."
"No," the voice snapped. "You don't."
"Yes, I do."
"He did kill you, Mia," the voice - who she now recognized as herself, her magic - told her. "But you made the bond with Sirius. You swore to return to him just as he swore to return to you."
"I didn't want to come back."
"You have so much to do, Mia," Hermione told her. "Don't give it up because of this. I know how hard it is. You're terrified, and you don't want to face everything, I know. But Regulus and I will be right with you while you do."
"Regulus…"
"Mia?"
"Regulus?"
"Mia!"
She opened her eyes slowly, the motion taking more effort than she'd anticipated. She was in a hospital, and Regulus alone was sitting with her. He looked exhausted and somewhat dirty and she wondered when he'd last left her side. "Reg."
"Mia," he said again, tears falling immediately. "They said- we weren't sure…"
"How long?"
"A month."
She coughed, startled, and stared. "A month?"
Regulus nodded slowly. "Madame Pomfrey said you were in a coma. You're nearly completely healed physically, but your mind refused to wake up. There've been a few instances of accidental magic around you and she said it was probably your mind and your magic fighting."
Mia just nodded numbly.
"How do you feel?" He asked softly, placing his hand gently into hers. The feeling was cool and calming, and she felt herself calm at the touch, completely the opposite of what she'd expected.
She ignored his question. "What did Madame Pomfrey say about me?"
Regulus hesitated. "She said you'll likely have pains and shake for… a very long time."
Mia shrugged lightly. The motion didn't hurt, and she assumed they'd given her a pain potion.
"They've got special potions for people with long term side effects of the cruciatus," he told her. "You were started on them a week ago. They're to be taken three times a day."
"What else?"
He looked at her closely, and she knew in that moment that he knew. "There were some things she couldn't heal." Dread filled her. She knew they'd used cursed blades numerous times, but had they done anything else?
"Like?"
"Well… they did… something… to you, and," he sucked in a breath, his gaze shifting from her eyes to her stomach, confusing her for barely a moment before he spoke. "She says you won't be able to have children."
Mia felt her entire world freeze. "What?"
"She didn't explain, but she said they damaged something called a uterus?" he frowned in confusion. "They damaged it, tore the walls and did something else, I don't really know what."
"Oh my god."
She didn't hear Regulus's words as the entire world was drown out by a rushing noise in her ears. She felt dizzy though she remained lying in bed and couldn't breathe in deep enough to fill the ever growing hole in her chest.
She was shocked from her panic as she felt something slide down her throat and, moments later, understood that it was a calming draught.
"Mia-,"
"No," she shook her head. "Was there anything else?"
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, which seemed to have grown a little. Without realizing what she was doing, she reached out and gently pushed his hand away, instead running her own fingers through his hair. She watched him melt at the touch and felt a deep pang of guilt for leaving him for so long.
"They used a cursed blade," he told her slowly. She knew that, but as far as she knew, it had just been occasional cuts here and there. Right? "But at the end… Dolohov… added something."
The little color she'd gained drained from her face and she flung the covers off of her, pulling up the hospital gown over her until she found what he was talking about.
On her stomach was a large, dark scar, scratched in just the same way her mudblood scar had been. Though this time it said something much different and, in her opinion, much worse.
Dolohov.
She felt herself gag and leaned over the bed to release the contents of her stomach onto the floor. Tears joined the vomit as she stayed leaning over. Regulus settled a hand on her back and rubbed gently. She felt herself shake as the tears came quicker and she threw up again.
It took her awhile before she was able to lie down again, though the tears still fell. She curled into herself, holding herself in a tight ball of pain and horror on the bed. She felt Regulus place himself on the bed next to her and leaned over as he wrapped his arms around her. A few tears dropped from his face onto hers and she let herself break down for the first time of what was sure to be many as Regulus did the same.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
May 1st, 1977
Regulus and Mia had been different. It was understandable, of course, considering what had happened, but Sirius knew there was something else. Regulus was always around her, which was to be expected, but he refused to let anyone touch her, and she hadn't stopped him as she normally would've.
An idea had formed in his mind on the third day of this and he felt sick with certainty.
The entire group had been released from school for the year a month early and sent to Potter Manor. Sirius's uncle Alphard had assured him that Orion would not tell Walburga of Regulus's wareabouts, and he was suspicious but grateful. As far as Walburga knew, Regulus was still at Hogwarts finishing up his fifth year.
Mia rested most days in her room, alone with Regulus and Dorea to take care of her. It was rare she was left alone but there were times when Regulus went to fetch something for her or do something that she'd find herself alone, and Sirius intended to take advantage of that to check on his sister without his psychotic brother.
"Mia?"
"Sirius," she gasped as he poked his head into the room. She was in pyjamas and sitting in a chair by the window, just looking out the window quietly, wrapped up in her thoughts.
"I was wondering if we could talk."
"Sure," she agreed. "Reg will be back in a few minutes-,"
"No, I just mean us," he told her patiently. She blinked in surprise but nodded slowly, though she was obviously tense.
"Yeah. Of course."
"Mia, I know what happened to you while you were there was terrible," he said softly. She looked back out the window as he began to speak, though he was fairly certain she was listening. "And if you tell me that there's nothing that the rest of us don't know about it, then I'll accept that and back off. But… I feel like something else did happen when you were there. Before he killed you."
She was completely still and her face didn't change at all as she looked at the tree across the lawn, studying it while he spoke. He shifted uncomfortably. He hated it. He hated the bare thought that it could've happened to her, but he was nearly certain.
"Regulus felt a few things while you were there, I'm sure you know that," he said slowly. She didn't reply at all and he chose to continue. "And before- before you died, he was terrified for you. He acted like something else, something new was happening."
"Okay."
"Did Dolohov…"
"Yes."
Sirius sucked in a breath. He was almost glad she'd spared him from actually saying it, actually asking, though the confirmation hurt him worse.
"And then he cut me into pieces and drew his name on my skin," she told him. Her voice was light and airy, like she had no cares in the world. "And I died."
"Mia-,"
"But I didn't get to stay dead," she laughed like she'd told a joke. "I came back to all of this."
"I'm not sorry, kitten-,"
"I thought my nightmares were horrible before," she laughed again, and he shifted in frustration. "Now I get to relive… everything. Because I remember every single detail, like how Voldemort entered my mind and found my fear of Dolohov and then gave me to him to kill - to do whatever he wanted - because he knew that's how I'd really suffer."
"Mia," a voice called. Her head snapped up and the odd daze she was in faded away until she looked exhausted. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she told Regulus tiredly as he strode over to her and placed himself on the arm of her chair. "I'm just talking to Sirius about Quidditch."
"You hate Quidditch," Regulus argued.
"I have nothing else to talk about and he loves it," she lied expertly. Sirius stared at her in shock.
"Well I got your tea," he told her. "It was rather hard to find."
"I told you you'd only find it in muggle London," she rolled her eyes. "Did you give it to the elves?"
"They're brewing it now."
"Brilliant," she sighed before glancing at Sirius. "I don't mean to be rude but I'm exhausted. I'll see you at dinner?"
"Sure," he agreed, looking between his brother and his blood bound sister with a frown before removing himself from the room.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"What did you do to him?" Regulus asked with a sigh. Mia shrugged noncommittally. "Mia, you need to stop this. You would've done the same thing in his place."
"I don't care," she argued. "This is his fault."
"No, it isn't," Regulus argued tiredly. "It is no one's fault. Besides, you gave him the ability to bring you back. You had to know something like this could happen."
She didn't reply but instead looked back out the window.
Regulus pulled himself away, tired of the same argument. He'd been careful not to let Sirius have a moment alone with Mia because he knew she'd blame him for what happened to her, and they all knew that wasn't fair. There were plenty of people to blame - mainly Regulus and Mia, not to mention Voldemort and Dolohov - but Sirius wasn't one of them. He'd only brought her back, which was what she was really angry about.
He'd learned the word "suicidal" when she snapped at him and told him she wanted to die again and he'd spoken with her parents about it. She'd been put on suicide watch, and her room had wards against magic use so she couldn't hurt herself that way.
It had been startling to suddenly fear less about someone else hurting her and worry more about her hurting herself. Still, there had been slow but real progress over the days, and he felt almost as if her anger with Sirius was just her projecting her anger at what happened to her on someone she could physically see.
He knew that over time she'd get better, but it was possibly the hardest thing he'd ever done, watching her hate life in such a true and aggressive way.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
May 10th, 1977
"It's your bloody fault!" She screamed, throwing another plate at the black haired wizard across the table from her. He ducked out of the way and stared back at her.
"I brought you back, you fucking insane witch!" He yelled, putting up a shield to block her hexes and cursing his parents for returning her wand to her.
"I didn't want to come back!"
"That's too fucking bad! You should have thought of that before you gave me the fucking ability to do it!"
She grunted as she slammed a teacup into his shoulder from behind him and he winced as it cut him. "I fucking told you what happened, you want me to live with that?"
"No!" He shouted, extending the shield to cover him completely. "But I'd rather you live with it than be dead!"
"That's fucking stupid!" She argued.
"Too bloody bad," he spat, ducking once more as a hex passed through his weakening shield. He sighed in relief as his fell and his father replaced it, letting his core rest.
"I just wanted to rest," she choked out, her anger slowly dissipating into despair. "I'm tired, Sirius."
"If you let us, we can help you heal," he promised, his voice lowering to match hers. "We can help you heal, kitten. Please don't make us live without you."
And with that, Mia broke down into tears, crying into her mashed potatoes.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
May 12th, 1977
Mia sat at her desk with Sirius on her left, Regulus on her right. So far, Avery and Severus had arrived already, having come numerous times to visit her and check on her.
They were waiting for more to arrive, and didn't wait long before the floo chimed and a house elf brought in a terrified looking Rodolphus.
He stopped short at the door as his eyes fell on her. "Mia?"
"I'm fine."
"No," he shook his head, taking a small step back. "No, you died."
She raised her wrist, waving at Sirius to do the same. He did, and she waited for the Death Eater to understand.
"He… brought you back," he nodded his head slowly. She nodded once and saw him sag with relief. "I wasn't there, but I got back and Bellatrix laughed about how she'd tortured you, I'm so sorry-,"
"Stop," she interrupted, her face practically void of emotion. "It's fine. I didn't expect you to do anything, and you couldn't have to hold your Vow in place anyway."
"Of course, Sano," he replied quietly, moving further into the office and pausing as he saw only one chair placed across from her.
"That's not for you," she shook her head. Severus was standing next to her desk on the right while Avery was next to her desk on the left. She waved for him to move next to Severus, though he stood about a foot apart from the boy. "We've got more guests coming."
"Who else?"
"Master Gibbon is here," a house elf called. Leon made his way into the room slowly and he, too, stopped at the sight of Mia.
"Mia?"
"I'm fine," she said again. "I died, I'm back, I'm fine."
"The paw print, it-,"
"It burned you, yes," she nodded. "I might've forgotten to mention it'd do that when I die. I apologize."
"Don't," he shook his head, amazed. He glanced around the room. "Were you all waiting for me, or…?"
"No," she told him, waving him over next to Avery. He took his spot easily and she tapped her foot under her desk. "There's one more."
Both of her wands were out on her desk. Sirius and Regulus also had theirs out, and the wards of the house, which had been strengthened over the past week in preparation for the meeting, were humming in tune with Mia's core. Any threat she felt would be wiped out. Immediately.
There was a chime from the hall as their last guest arrived and Mia stood. She looked between her boys and took a deep breath before vanishing her robes, leaving in place a sports bra and her underwear. Lucky to be surrounded by Slytherins, no one reacted, but she could feel their horror.
As he entered the room, he did the same as the two before him and stopped short, his breath catching. His shock at seeing her alive faded to deep horror at the sight of her badly scarred body, her stomach being the worst of it.
"Mia?"
"Dodd," was her slow reply. "I'm not sure if you knew, but I had a… run in with Voldemort recently."
"Mia-,"
"Turns out, someone had told him about me," she smiled, her eyes blank. "He had me taken, and I was held for… how long, Reg?"
"Five days."
"Right, five days," she nodded quickly, like she'd really forgotten. "See, it was hard to keep track through Bellatrix and Dolohov's Crucio's and, well… you can see," she waved at her body in general, indicating the numerous scars littered across herself though she saw his eye catch on the worst of all of them. "Oh, right, that? That was his present to me before he killed me, Dodd."
"You… died?"
"Oh, yes," she nodded. "It was awful. Luckily, I'd used some dark magic to bond myself to Sirius here or I'd have stayed dead," she paused. "Not that I didn't want to. God, I really fucking wanted to be dead."
"Mia, please-,"
"No!" She yelled, stopping him in his tracks as he tried to move. "No."
Dodd looked around at all of the Death Eaters surrounding the desk and then back at her as he felt magic tingling against him, the sign of strong wards protecting someone. "What did he tell you?"
She stared at him for a long moment before she seemed to relax some and waved to the chair in front of her, the only chair in front of the desk. He hesitated for only a second before he sat. He wasn't going to piss her off more if he could avoid it. Unfortunately, she didn't choose to sit as well, leaving him with a horrible view of a jagged scar on her stomach reading Dolohov.
"He told me that he spoke with you and that you told him I'm from the future," she said stiffly. "And then I refused to tell him more and he invited Bellatrix and Dolohov both in to torture me."
"I was called to a meeting," Dodd began quietly. "I've only been to a few and each time we spoke privately. This time was the same. He told me he wanted my advice on the time turner thief because of my father, and I tried to lead him astray but he seemed to realize I was lying to him. He caught me off guard and broke past my walls easily."
"And your proof?" she asked coolly. He shifted uncomfortably.
"I'd be perfectly willing to take Veritiserum," he offered. She shook her head.
"It's too easy to manipulate the questions."
"No set questions, then," he tried desperately. "Ask me whatever the hell you want."
She seemed to consider it before Regulus leaned down and whispered something in her ear. She looked up at him and frowned but nodded and he left the room. Just as soon as he left, Severus shifted to the side to take his place next to her, unwilling to leave her unguarded. "While we wait for Regulus to get back, what questions do you have for me?"
"Um," he blinked. He had multiple questions, most of which he really didn't think he wanted answered. "When you died, the-,"
"Yes, the paw print likely burned you," she nodded. "I forgot to mention it would do that, but in my defense, I truly didn't expect to die here."
It didn't take long for Regulus to return, but the five minutes of silence after Mia's words were painful and awkward as he sat with an entire room of Death Eaters - and one decidedly not Death Eater - glaring at him. Regulus took his place at Mia's side again, Severus moving over, and handed something to his girlfriend. She looked down at it and nodded, whispering a thanks to him.
She moved forward and placed the vial on the table. He stared at it. "Veritiserum?"
"The entire thing."
He stared at her now. "The entire thing?"
"Yes. We give you a subject to talk about and you go until it begins to wear off."
"But… there's truly not that much to tell about the situation," he promised. "I'll just be rambling for a half hour, spilling my guts."
"Yep."
He looked at her for a long moment and then realized that this was likely his only option. It wasn't just her encounter with Voldemort and her death that had made her seem hard - no, this had been there the day they met, this warrior inside of her, unafraid to do what she had to do. He had no doubt that if she thought she had to, she'd kill him.
So he picked up the vial and drank the entire thing.
"Tell me about your conversation with Voldemort about me."
"I was called to meet him in the middle of the night," he began, the urge to speak irresistible. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as her eyes locked on him. "He asked me to tell him about my father and the signs he'd been moving the sands. I gave him the bare bones - his eyes glowed gold. Beyond that, I told him I wasn't sure since it was the DOM. He could tell I was hiding something though, and he took me off guard by grabbing my head and looking in my eyes before I could stop him. He saw my memory of meeting you and part of our meeting - the second half mostly, where you revealed you were from the future. He ordered I stay in Malfoy Manor for the night and I was unable to warn you when I returned to the castle the next day because you were gone. The next I knew anything about you was after the pain in the paw print. Dolohov was walking in the dungeons bragging about how he'd… killed you."
"Who are you loyal to?" Regulus asked.
"Mia."
"Why?"
"She's the Light Lady destined to kill the Dark Lord," he reasoned. The entire group looked at him firmly and he sighed. "Everyone knows it by now. It's obvious. She doesn't even need a wand at all for magic, she just uses it for show. Besides, she's got every trait, not to mention the singular trait of a Legendary."
"What?" Mia blinked, looking at him in confusion.
"They're like… Merlin, Morgana, Circe," he explained.
"What's this trait?" Sirius asked, looking nervous. He looked at everyone, confused.
"She's a Light Lady and she died and came back," he said like it was obvious. "Don't any of you know this?"
"Obviously not," Severus drawled. Mia snorted laughter that drew everyone's attention and she blushed, the most relaxed thing she'd done since he'd gotten there. She glanced at Severus quickly.
"Um, nothing," she shook her head. "Just… the future."
"What does it mean to be a Legendary?" Avery asked, directing the conversation back to Mia's apparent new title.
"Well, it's sort of like being a Light Lady or Lord but you're not destined to only one Dark Lord," he shrugged. "You're basically a Light Lady for your entire life for any Dark Lords that appear. Beyond that, you'll have immense political power and obviously even stronger magical powers."
Mia groaned, sitting down. "I really don't want that."
"Really empathizing with Harry right now, aren't you?" Avery commented, and she scowled at him before perking up.
"When I get back, Harry can take care of Voldemort," she said. "Will that void my power?"
Dodd shrugged. He wasn't sure who Harry was, but he was fairly certain she was grasping at straws. "This isn't really a gift you can return."
"This is bloody stupid," she complained.
"Um," he paused. "There's more."
"What?"
"Yeah," he shrugged. "There's more about soulmates and family - not just blood but anyone with a familial bond."
"What is it?"
"Well," he said slowly. "You're bound to live longer than the normal wizard. It's never sure how long, but you are. And that extends to anyone you're bonded with, but only down to grandchildren in the case of children, I believe." He saw Mia stiffen and regretted his words immediately and moved on quickly as Regulus grabbed her hand. "So Regulus will live as long as you do, and so will, say, Sirius, for example."
"Me?" he stared. "Why?"
"Because we're bonded, stupid," Mia rolled her eyes. "Are you even paying attention?"
"Yes," he said defensively. "Mostly."
"Mostly," she scoffed.
"I think it's wearing off," he told them with a frown. "I don't understand."
"Oh," Mia waved her hand in the air. "Yeah. That was a particularly weak batch we made forever ago. Hadn't had a use for it until now."
He nodded cautiously. "So, you believe me?"
She stared at him, giving him a small smile. "Yeah."
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine," she shrugged. "It probably would've happened eventually anyways."
"What will you do now?"
She looked at the group around her. "I'm going to keep healing and keep making the rings over the summer. Fabian already agreed to come visit three times a week for it."
"You want to leave."
"As soon as I can," she agreed. "I died once. They said the bond should bring me back again, but I don't want to risk it."
"And what about when you get back?"
She sighed, rubbing her face. "There's going to be some confusion to figure out first. I have to take care of Sirius, let the Order know, and a few other things… I'm making a ring for Avery because I don't know anything about him in the future and he might need it."
"Good plan," Rodolphus agreed. He, like Leon, had been silent the entire time, more focused on potentially protecting their leader than interacting in the conversation.
"How long will it take you to make the rest of the rings?" Severus asked.
"Months, probably. Likely into the start of school."
"You're not going back?" Dodd asked, horrified. Mia shook her head vigorously.
"Of course not. They still believe me to be dead, yes?"
"Yes, Sano," Severus answered her. "And we've told them Regulus was injured by the severing of the soul bond and he is recovering slowly."
"Good," she nodded.
"He'll have to go back eventually," Avery reminded her. "You know he has to."
She ignored him. "So with the paw prints burned, they severed their connection to my core," she explained. "I felt it as I-," she cut off, her breath hitching. "Anyway, we need to redo them. So…"
"Oh, no," Avery groaned.
"Everyone, shirts off!"
OoOoOoOoOoOo
May 19th, 1977
"I'm sorry," Mia sighed, settling into her chair. "This is the first time I've managed to slip away from Regulus for more than five minutes."
"It's quite alright," Orion promised, looking her over. "I was glad to hear you're doing better."
"I'm managing," she said honestly. She'd been writing with him and was startled to find that being honest with him, telling him how she truly felt was not hard for her the way it was for everyone else, even Regulus. "It's just hard to… get out of my head."
"I heard about the information you gave Bertie Croaker on mental illness and looked into PTSD myself," he admitted. She nodded. It didn't even surprise her anymore. He was a very different man than she'd originally thought. "Are you having issues with that?"
"I have for some years now," she told him. "But it's gotten harder to manage lately, yes."
"Have you considered seeing someone who specializes in both muggle therapy and magical mind healing?"
Mia blinked. "I wasn't aware there was such a thing."
"It's very rare," he admitted. "But there is a woman in Canada, I believe, who has become quite the expert. Perhaps you should go see her."
"I'm not sure it's safe," she admitted. "I'm really only going between Potter Manor and this house. I just… don't feel safe going anywhere else."
"You want them to continue thinking you're dead," he realized. "But that won't work for long. You can't hide your entire life, you'll drive yourself mad, Mia."
"I won't be hiding," she shook her head. "I'm leaving soon, within a few months."
"I see."
"Orion…" she paused, chewing on her lip. She knew things would be so much easier if he knew the truth, but the last time she'd shared it, she'd died. She felt rather justified in her hesitance. "Call me a Seer if you'd like, but I must tell you this: in twenty years, your house will have died out. The last remaining will have been Sirius, and even he is lost to death. I- I mean to change this, to help restore this House when it's free from the hands of the bigots, and I just… I want you to know that, I suppose. I want you to know that even when you are no longer able to protect your House, I will."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"You've been- Mia, what the fuck?" Sirius gasped, staring at her. Regulus was doing about the same, nodding along with his brother.
"Will you quiet down?" she hissed, glaring. "It's not that big a deal."
"Are you kidding me?" Regulus stared. "You've been meeting with my father alone for months and it's not a big deal?"
"Yes, because I know what you both think of him and therefore I knew you'd make it a big deal."
"You can't go there alone again," Regulus said immediately. Mia turned to him with an icy glare.
"Excuse me?"
"What if he hurts you?"
"Yes, that's exactly why he was extremely concerned for my physical and mental health and told me about someone to help my fucking PTSD, Regulus, so he can just kill me. Makes sense to me."
"What's PTSD?" Sirius asked. They ignored him.
"What if he just told you about a Death Eater so they can kill you?"
"That's ridiculous and you know it," Mia rolled her eyes.
"He's not a good man, Mia!"
"Yeah?" She raised her eyebrow. "Ask Charlus."
"Ask him what?"
"Well, Orion stopped by while we were in school and told me he was writing up a contract for us. He stopped by with Charlus and they did it together. Charlus told me…" she trailed off. "The day we met with him and Bertie."
"If he knew you were muggleborn-,"
"He does," she sighed tiredly. "Can't you just trust my opinion for once in your life? Is that too much to ask? Because I'm really starting to feel like, you know, it is."
Regulus blinked in surprise. "I do trust you-,"
"No, you don't," she shook her head. "You never do. You second guess everything I say and refuse to let me make decisions alone and when I do, you yell at me. Am I your child or am I your girlfriend? Who knows?"
Regulus stared at her in shock as she pulled away from him and stomped out of the room. He was only reminded that Sirius was even there when the boy spoke.
"She's right."
"I don't need your opinion on this, brother."
"No, but she is," Sirius insisted. "You worry about her so much that you forget that she's a person and you can't just control her."
"I'm not-,"
"Regulus," Sirius sighed. "You are. And she's still here, and she still loves you, she's just tired of it so acknowledge the mistake and make the change, yeah?"
Regulus was silent for a beat.
"Yeah."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
May 23rd, 1977
"Fabian, I'm fine," Mia sighed. "It's not about how I'm doing anymore. It's about getting this done as soon as possible."
"But you're sure you're ready?" Fabian asked her. She nodded firmly.
"Where's Gid at?"
"He's stopping by later, pet," Fabian sighed. "He's at an Order meeting right now."
"Right," she sighed, pulling her wand. "Let's just start working, yeah?"
"Be careful," a voice warned, startling Fabian. Mia ignored it as well as Regulus, who had grown used to it, but Fabian stared at the sudden image standing next to his young friend.
"Um, Mia?"
"Ignore her."
"Is that… you?"
"I'm her magic," Hermione answered him.
"Oh, yeah, sure," he nodded as if it were totally normal, looking between the two girls. There was more visible difference the closer he looked.
Hermione was dressed in jeans and a button up with her tight curls framing her face closely. She was young, maybe fifteen, and looked rather untouched by war, if a little tense.
Mia, however, was different. She wore a loose white shirt that fell off of her shoulder and a pair of shorts that hugged her close. Her curls were looser and tickled her shoulders as they fell down her back, reaching her low back. The scars on the older woman were unhidden, littered across her arms, legs, and whatever was showing on her. They didn't seem to affect her much, though Sirius had told him that it was just because of the one on her stomach. Beyond the physical, Mia was harder and darker, the truly shocking differences. Where Hermione was relaxed, Mia held herself tightly, never letting her guard down even around her friends.
"You remember what Croaker said," Hermione said to Mia. She turned to her magic and nodded slowly. "It's changing you. If you push too hard, the consequences could be dire."
"Fine."
"Is this just… normal?" Fabian asked Regulus. He shrugged.
"She's appeared on and off since she came back. She's helping to heal."
"Are we going to get started?" Mia asked impatiently. They were out in the yard, far away from the house, and Fabian nodded slowly.
"Let's get to it."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
May 25th, 1977
"I'm sorry… what?"
Mia flipped her hands over and started again. "I need you to bring me Hufflepuff's Cup."
"Okay, Mia… no, do you know what you're asking?"
"Yes," she sighed in exhaustion. "Of course I do."
"You want me to enter her vaults and take the Cup and bring it to you."
"Yes." Mia rolled her shoulders. "Because it's your vaults, too."
"Yes," he agreed slowly. "And if she finds out?"
"She won't," Mia shook her head. "You know you can do this. Or are you not a Slytherin?"
Rodolphus bristled at the comment but nodded. "I can do it."
"Thank you. It's extremely important."
"You'll have it at the end of the week, Sano."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
May 26th, 1977
Mia glanced behind her as she slipped out of the house alone, triple checking that no one was following her. When she was certain she was alone, she made her way to a house no one knew about - one that would go to James - and set up tea in the living room.
It took barely five minutes for her guest to arrive and she smiled brightly. She was dressed in a skater dress with converse shoes and her locket on her neck, her rings on her fingers. She left her Potter bracelet on at all times and pushed it down a little to settle on her wrist.
"Lady Malfoy," Mia smiled softly. "How good to see you."
Narcissa Malfoy stared at her. "Mia Potter?"
"You've heard of me, then," Mia commented gratefully. She waved to the chair across from her couch and Narcissa slowly took a seat. "I'm sorry to be impolite, but I don't have much time, you see, as my boyfriend will probably notice I'm missing soon and come looking for me."
"You died."
"And then I came back."
"Okay."
"So, I'd like to talk to you about the heir you will someday produce," she explained. Narcissa looked startled but Mia kept speaking. "By now I assume it is common knowledge that I come from the future."
"There are rumors," Narcissa confirmed.
"Well, I went to school with your son," Mia told her. "And I'd like to talk about his loyalties."
"He has not even been conceived yet," Narcissa said slowly. "And you want to speak of his loyalties?"
"Yes, of course," Mia blinked at her. "There's no better time."
"Why is this important?"
"Because, I will be returning to the future within the next few months, and I'd like to be able to know he's on my side when I get there."
"Was he kind to you in school?"
Mia snorted. "Not at all. My name was Hermione then, and I was a muggleborn Gryffindor student in the same year as him. His father's prejudices led him to hate me and bully me throughout school."
"And you want me to change his mind?"
"I want you to ensure that what he does in school is at least mostly an act," Mia corrected. "I want you to raise him to be the person you wish you could be."
"Lucius will never stand for it."
"Is Lucius here?" Mia raised an eyebrow. "If he were, he'd tell Voldemort that I live and I'd be found and killed again."
"But why do you trust me?"
Mia hesitated. "I only know so much about you, Narcissa. I first met you in Malfoy Manor in the future. I was being tortured by Bellatrix. You looked miserable for being unable to help me, and so did your son."
"Perhaps you misunderstood," Narcissa suggested. "I do not imagine I'd ever want my son around torture."
"I never thought he'd find a problem watching me be tortured," Mia rolled her eyes. "But he did. And you did, too, but Lucius did not."
Narcissa watched her for a long moment. "You are right. I never wanted to be a part of this life."
"So you'll help me?"
"I will save my child from a life of pain in any way I can," she clarified. "If that helps you, then so be it."
"Thank you, Narcissa." Mia smiled softly. "I have a well recognized sign in the Order that pardons Death Eaters. I know you are not one, but I'd like to give you the mark so that your life after the war will be smoother."
"And my son? You'll do the same for him?"
"As long as he wants it," Mia agreed. "Lucius, however, I will not."
"To hell with him," Narcissa spat. "He's vile and cruel."
"I wholeheartedly agree."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
June 15th, 1977
"Oh my god," Mia squealed. "Look!"
Regulus pushed himself over and glanced down, his eyes widening. "Mia, what the fuck?"
"I don't know!"
"No, really, what the fuck?"
Mia giggled. "I don't know!"
He looked over at Fabian. "I left for ten minutes."
"Yeah," the redhead nodded numbly. "I have no clue."
"This makes no sense," Regulus argued. "You just did one yesterday, we didn't think you'd finish another for weeks, not to mention all of them."
"I'm done!" Mia jumped up excitedly. "I finished!"
"It was strange," Fabian told him. "It was like they'd been fighting her this entire time, but they finally just… agreed, and they did what she said."
"Did you take the glamour off?" Regulus frowned, holding her chin to look at her eyes. They were brighter than ever now and she shook her head lightly in his grip.
"No, it just fell and we couldn't replace it," she explained. "I don't think it matters though, Reg, because I finished it!"
"You did."
He stared down at the eight rings laid out on the table in front of them. They were all matte black with a single speck of gold in each of them. Simple and discreet.
"I'm finished," she said again, calmer this time as the excitement of succeeding wore off and she began to understand what that meant. "I have to leave."
"I know."
"Regulus," she whispered, eyes wide as she looked at him. "I don't wanna go."
OoOoOoOoOoOo