Chapter 3
Harry looked up from his book as Daphne stepped out of the fireplace with practiced ease.
'I will never be as good as you at that, how was the meeting?' he greeted his wife with a kiss to her cheek as she sat beside him.
'strange. Minister Rene was very light on the details, which is unusual. There has been a request for me to go over to England and investigate things as there may be a dark lord or Lady. There's something else too' she sighed and explained about the photo and the warning. 'it's not Theo's handwriting, I know that' she explained as Harry handed her the book and bent down to pick up Andi who had been sitting at Harrys feet.
'he missed you mummy. Didn't you little man?' harry tickled Andi's chest and Daphne's heart melted at the laughter from both of them. 'are they all packed?' Daphne asked as Harry blew a raspberry on Andi's cheek. Harry nodded and said, 'just waiting on you to pack, then we can go'. Daphne leaned over and kissed him, then Andi and stood.
The whole family stood in round Harry and touched the length of rope he held in his hand. the rope stated to glow blue and then they all felt the familiar hook behind their navels and the vanished. Only to reappear in a similarly decorated room at Greengrass manor.
'welcome everyone' chimed lady Greengrass as she swept into the room, regal like the lady she was. Harry could tell she was struggling not to cry, and grabbed Daphne's hand in comfort.
'grandma!' Alex shouted as he threw himself into her arms, followed closely by Rosemary, Cassidy and Damion. Tamara held back until she saw Aunty Astoria coming this way. She ran over and hugged her tightly.
'Tami, what have we told you about running?' Daphne called as she held Alannah in her arms, while harry greeted his mother in law.
'not to? But mama!' Tamara cried as Astoria tickled her side, causing her to shriek in laughter and fright.
'children!' Roxanna called out over the excited noise in a hoarse voice. 'you can all go play whilst lunch is being prepared' she instructed as the children ran away, all save Andi who had made his way over to his grandmother and was pulling on the folds of her dress.
'grandma up?' Andi asked as he looked sadly up at her. Roxanna knelt down and picked Andi up and settled him in her arms, then she sat on the couch next to Astoria.
'how is papa?' Daphne asked quietly and watched as Astoria broke into sobs.
'I'm afraid you were too late. Adreian passed on an hour after we ended the floo call' Roxanna sniffed and tears streamed down her face. Daphne turned to Harry and buried her head in his chest, while Harry held her tightly. He looked at Astoria and motioned her over and suddenly he had both sisters crying on him.
Harry himself felt his eyes grow wet and mentally chided himself on crying. After all he didn't remember his own father, so why was he crying over his father in law?
Guessing the directions her son in laws mind was taking, Roxanna simply said 'Its ok to cry harry, Adreian felt that you were the son he never had' she promptly fell silent as her grief broke the dam she had erected and she wailed. In her lap, Andi was crying as well, though he couldn't understand why everyone was crying.
Tatiana popped in, looking tired and announced that lunch was served, then she took Andi with her and softly cooed 'there, little master. You be safe now' and she conjured a plush toy for him and placed it in his hand, soothing the now catatonic child.
Lunch was covered in a cloud of morbid feelings as the children were told by Harry, as she was the strongest and least likely to cry at any given time. The children all ran and hugged their mother, aunt and Grandmother, bringing a fresh wave of tears.
After lunch, where nobody ate much, Harry put each of his children to bed, and then picked up Daphne and did the same. Roxanna had locked herself in the office and harry could hear her wailing.
On the stairwell, he was met by Astoria who held a note for him. 'this came just now.' She explained and then she ran to her room.
The note was on stiff parchment and held the faint smell of cloves.
"by now your wife, the bitch has informed you of my letter to her, and my first victim, your father in law is dead. Soon everyone you love will be dead, and you will know what the loss of the most precious things in your life feels like.
You won't be able to stop this…
Harry folded the note and slipped it into a pocket of his robes. Calling for Tatiana he left the message that he was headed to the ministry to see how the investigation was unfolding. Tatiana nodded and popped away to watch over her charges.