Author's Note:
Hope everyone is having a good week. My province is in lockdown again due to rising covid numbers so here's hoping people follow Canadian health guidelines and stay home!
Reviews and Comments: To Seriously Sam: Harry doesn't even have to say anything about Luna dating and Ginny knows he's annoyed lol. And yes, Sirius would be so proud of Harry sticking it to Snape! To Leapyearbaby29: Yes, rose buds. And yes, I think Voldemort is much too full of himself and cannot fathom the possibility that someone figured out how to remove the Dark Mark. To Steelcode: Is there a better solution than being sassy to Snape? Inquiring minds wants to know… To AQuickRead91: Thank you! Always happy to do a line justice. To Hellpony: "It just felt like every time one of them found a thread of happiness in the world, someone around them was cutting the thread and sadistically watching them unravel.' Her name is Breanie. If you have complaints, direct them to her." — LMAO! This made me laugh out loud!
To RedheadLover: Crouch will get what he deserves, yes. To Jmcglynn522: You are correct (and only because you've read the story 500x lol — which I love you for!) Dragomir was Althea's favourite professor at Durmstrang. Um, pulling for Snape? We'll see what happens. To Raindrops & Flowers: Wow! That was an amazing review! The detail was incredible and I thank you very much for it! Thanks for noticing Santa's Village is definitely up Luna's alley. Thank you for appreciating the Seamus killed a cactus joke. To xXQueenofDragonsXx: Some lines are too iconic not to use. To Harry: Thank you! Sometimes I think this story will never end, but one day it will, just not any time soon LOL. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
To tim2604: Sorry I didn't have Harry talk to Longhorn, maybe another time. But you're right, he would have babbled LOL. To ThMaddox: Thank you so much for your kind words! Sorry to keep you up for 4 days, but also happy to know my storytelling allows for this. To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Happy to see you back! And yes, Dragomir was mentioned way back from childhood Harry! You're the second person to get it. To coloredwords: That is an amazing headcanon and I support it LOL. And yes, I agree that Ginny fangirling over Jones is most definitely in character. To ANewRanger: Thank you so much! Reading in four days is very impressive! I am most definitely NOT American (Canadian and proud of it). As to not knowing what to do with yourself, you can always read the newest chapter LOL and then check check out some of the authors I recommended back in chapter 231. To Tieggdalewills15: Crouch is indeed a sadistic bastard and you're welcome! To speedsONEandONLY: I sense sarcasm with the word 'patrolling' LOL. To Funbunnypotter26: Yes, there will be more Aydin soon. And yes, Crouch is horrible. I want people to hate him.
To Lara: Hinny will get there, just not yet, but there are some more steamy scenes coming up between them. To Cj: Haha, interesting thought. To LegendDairy: Thank you! I still don't see how you wait to binge ten chapters at once, that's willpower I admire! To Queen Raja: Your comparison of America to Order of the Phoenix just made me laugh much harder than I should have. Accurate. As the Canadian next door, watching and waiting, good luck! To pix25: I know, poor Theo. To FoxEarsAK: You are right, but not the same character of Dragomir that I am using. To kanishkkannu: Writing from Voldemort's perspective helps me try to show where he is going. I find it difficult and interesting. You're welcome. I'm glad my updates can make your day better. To DexterBlack: Make something nice happen? Haha, I do! There's just bad stuff too LOL. To Dianne: You're the second person to claim the line about "someone around them was cutting the thread and sadistically watching them unravel" applying to me LOL. I was thinking about the fates from Greek mythology, but it does apply to me as well haha. To Melinda the Proud Bookworm: I'm sorry for you, but we all hope it gets better soon.
To Justice League: Thank you! I miss writing little baby Harry sometimes too and even though it's become so AU, its my canon more than anything. To Chris: Lucius is unravelling, but he will be "safe" now in prison. To Bumlewis: Happy to have given a chuckle when Voldemort dick slapped Crouch, it just seemed to fit in the scene. And yes, Crouch is not married to Bella and he knows that's a good thing. To CW Smith: Thanks for reading. To alix33: I agree and there will be suffering, but they will also pay. To akshutalanker: No, I know nothing about the vampire academy outside of what I assume is a school based on the name? To Wolf's scream: Very accurate thoughts on Theo and Draco's reactions. Harry didn't have the map on him, it was in his dorm. To scrappy8: Thank you!
To Icwintersoldier: Snape's bullying does need to end. To Nightwing2013: I just liked the idea of Theo calling her a little duck because she was such a shy little duckling, crying when he met her. To Queen Helen: Haha, you're right, cheating on Bella is a very dangerous thing to do. To jdstga: Thanks for reading 260 chapters before stopping, always appreciated.
Thanks for reading!
My posting schedule: Once a week.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND SIXTY-ONE:
Harry was doing his best to get Ginny alone and she was having none of it. The talk with Gwenog Jones had really pushed her into excitement. She couldn't seem to get over the fact that the Gwenog Jones already knew who she was and had already seen her play. Harry told her that it made sense because Quidditch scouts were in the stands quite often and no one usually knew they were present for a reason.
Ginny was practically bouncing in excitement. "She really thinks I'm good, Harry! Me!"
"And when did you start to doubt yourself?"
"What? No! I just... me, Harry!"
He laughed and kissed her neck. "The best damn Quidditch player I've ever played with. I'm not surprised."
"You have to say that."
"Says who?" he asked. "I wouldn't tell you that you were good if you weren't, Gin."
"I know," she said, sighing against him when he held her close on the dance floor. "I just… I've dreamed of playing Quidditch for what seems like forever and she's one of my idols, Harry, and she knows who I am!"
He grinned. "Absolutely she does. You're my star Chaser, Gin. The best Chaser in the damn school right now and she knows it. The only person who has come even close to you is Angelina and she's playing for the Wasps."
Ginny bit her lip. "Merlin, my hands are shaking!"
Harry took them in his and brought them to his lips. "Why don't we get out of here and see if we can calm you down?"
Ginny slipped her arms around his neck. "You just want to see my rose buds."
"And?"
She laughed, nipping at his mouth. "And I'm going to let you. After we dance some more."
Harry's hands slid up her naked back beneath her hair. "I think that's fair."
"Harry, m'boy! I have someone I'd like you to meet!" Slughorn's voice boomed out across the music.
Harry rolled his eyes. "But the sooner the better for so many reasons."
Then he turned to smile at Slughorn. The feel of Ginny's hand in his reminding him that no matter how many people Slughorn introduced him to, the fact that Ginny was able to meet Jones tonight, more than made up for it.
And that was what mattered most.
~ ASC ~
Zee had never been so grateful to her family as she was the last few weeks with Harry back in school. She learned quickly that working out a schedule and a system when it came to the twins, was a job in itself. But she wouldn't change a thing about it.
Every day she found something else she loved about them. She knew people said it was too early, that they weren't even a month old, but she could see them developing their own little personalities. Mina liked to give this little half smile while she slept and Leo's fingers always curled into her neck when she held him.
She fell more and more in love with them every day. She found herself watching them when they were sleeping, just staring at their soft cheeks and little noses, watching their small lips move. But it was also very hard. Over the last three weeks she had mastered the nursing pillow, even getting the twins there herself no problem. It made nighttime feedings a little easier. With changing nappies, she'd worked out a rhythm with the two of them, taking time to kiss and snuggle each of them every time.
Being a mother to Harry had been a challenge, trying to figure out when to step in, when not to. He wasn't a child when she met him, but a teenager, and it made being there for him different than this. But being a mother to two newborn babies, it was more than she'd ever imagined, better than she'd ever imagined.
She found herself anxious to start moving around again more as well, but Healer Abby advised her to wait at least six weeks before she tried to lose the extra weight from the babies. Most of it had already disappeared, but the extra weight on her stomach and thighs still made her feel a bit like a whale. She was almost glad Sirius wasn't around to see how unattractive she looked. Then she wondered if he would think she did look unattractive, or would he consider it simply more of her to love. Knowing Sirius, she knew it would be the latter and immediately felt better about herself.
McGonagall had taken to popping by just after dinner a few nights a week and made a point of still coming by on Sundays for afternoon tea. It made Zee smile to watch her snuggle the babies, the way she made happy noises at them. She had taken to being a granny like a bird to the skies.
But the biggest surprise of all was Kreacher.
The elf was a blessing that she hadn't expected. Not only was he making sure that she had three meals a day, but he changed nappies with expertise. The elf seemed enraptured by the babies and eager to help with anything that she needed pertaining to them. He was there whenever she called and even when she didn't. He was attuned to Mina and Leo's needs as much as to Zee's and she appreciated him more than she could express.
Colt and Flo were still staying in her old cottage with Misha and Sorcha, which offered another set of hands. Zee appreciated the help, but she found herself treasuring the evenings when her parents and grandparents left her alone with her babies. The revolving door of visitors amongst her family was sometimes just as exhausting as it was supportive.
Harry called her every night on the mirror and she filled him in on anything that had happened, holding the mirror over the twins so that he could see them. He filled her in on school and told her that the Weasleys were enjoying their time in Romania with their new granddaughter.
She finally started to feel settled and couldn't stop smiling. Padfoot slept between the two cots, lying under them and whenever the babies stirred, his left ear would perk up as if he was listening closely to make sure that they were all right. Lady Godiva continued to sleep at the foot of Zee's bed, resting her head on Zee's knee whenever she was nursing as if to show support. She found it very soothing to have them both around.
She had settled into motherhood and it was something that she truly loved. It was why when she woke that night, she wasn't sure what it was that woke her. The scent of forest and leather washed over her as she looked across the room to where the two cots were. Her breath caught in her throat as she sat up.
He stood between them, looking down at the twins, a soft smile on his lips. His grey eyes were swimming in unshed tears and his dark hair hung so casually around his handsome face.
"They're the most perfect beings in the world, aren't they? You did good, babe. You did so bloody good."
Zee stood up, moving to stand next to him. "This is the last time you're going to visit me, isn't it?"
She wasn't sure how she knew, but she did. It made her heart clench in sadness, yet relief. Merlin she missed him more than she could bear sometimes, but these visits were just as painful as they were wonderful.
Sirius' eyes met hers. "I'll always be with you, with Mina and Leo, with Harry. But yeah, this is the last time."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "I miss you."
"I miss you, too. Look at you, a fucking vision in my tee shirt."
She chuckled. "Oh yes, an old ratty tee and knickers. I'm sure I look great."
Sirius' eyes raked over her. "Like a goddess. I wish I'd been around to bury my face in those big gorgeous tits of yours. They've gotten bigger."
"All of me is bigger," Zee said.
"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met," he said. He reached out, his fingers brushing a curl and tugging it, watching as it coiled back up to her head like a spring. "Thank you for loving me. For giving me Mina and Leo. For making me so bloody happy."
"I love you, Sirius."
He leaned in, his lips brushing hers. "I love you, Zahira. Always."
She woke alone in their bed, her lips tingling from his kiss, and tears in her eyes. She moved to stand between the cots, lifting Leo first and then Mina to hold them in her arms as they stared up at her.
"Your daddy loves you so much. I wish he was here with you now, but it's just me. I love you more than life and I will always tell you about your daddy, I promise." Leo's little hand landed on her chin and she kissed it. "I love you, my lion star." She pressed a kiss to Mina's head. "And you, my little owl goddess."
Mina's wide eyes stared up at her and she took a seat in the rocking chair, humming softly to them, the room still full of Sirius' scent. By the time she moved back to the bed, one child nursing at each breast, she knew one thing with absolute certainty: She was going to be okay. Most importantly, so were Mina and Leo.
And no matter what, it was something that she was going to treasure.
~ ASC ~
Neville waved at Hagrid when he found him working on the beams for inside the new greenhouse. He had spoken to Professor Sprout about constructing a new greenhouse just for trees. She had loved the idea of building an indoor forest back in November, letting the trees grow around each other and all over each other within the structure of the greenhouse. It would allow them to plant them all year round and to try to grow trees not normally accustomed to the Scottish weather.
Now that the new year had passed, he was finally able to get started on it. Despite the snow, Neville and Hagrid had cleared the area with magic and gotten to work. He'd been helping out the groundskeeper, building the structure with his hands, helping to choose the right sheets of glass and designing the greenhouse the way he saw fit. It was part of his grade and one he enjoyed immensely. Since he was in fact majoring in Herbology under Sprout's guide, he had a lot of leeway into what he wanted to work on.
Sprout trusted him and had given him free rein with his project and it was something that he was thoroughly enjoying letting himself get lost in. Luna had commented that the physical labour he'd found himself doing over the last few months had started to give him biceps and he was pleased to notice that she was right. Between the heavy lifting of the soil bags, big pots, and general building of shelves and whatnot within the greenhouses that he was helping to build, it was also giving him more strength in his arms. He helped Hagrid nail in the structure and wiped his palms on his trousers.
"It looks great, Hagrid!"
"Couldna done it without ya, Neville! You've become quite th' carpenter!" Hagrid exclaimed, beaming. "You really goin' ter grow trees in 'ere?"
Neville nodded. "I really am. I want to see if we can grow trees from all over the world. Professor Sprout thinks that it's a great idea. Plus, we can get some fruit trees in here and help supply some of the fruit to the school."
Hagrid nodded as he slapped his hand on the pillar next to them. "It's lookin' real good in 'ere. Yer should be proud o' what yer've accomplished!"
Neville smiled. "Well, once we add the finishing touches, hopefully I can start planting in here next week."
"Everythin' goin' ter be in pots?"
Neville shook his head. "No. I want to plant it right into the soil as much as I can. It will take some charms to make sure the soil doesn't freeze from the outside, but it should work. I have some plans. We'll plant the trees in lines this way and that, kind of spacing them out in a star pattern. I want it to look like a forest in here."
Hagrid looked around in interest. "Well, th' last o' th' doors will be comin' in tomorrow. We'll 'ave it ready ter go in no time!"
Neville wiped sweat off his brow as he nodded. Hagrid was right and he was looking forward to getting it all together. He finished tidying up before he made his way outside and down to greenhouse number four.
He had decided over the holiday that he wanted to crossbreed a delphinium. Part of it was because of the shade of blue that reminded him of Hannah's eyes, but he also really loved that flower. The brightness of them, the shape. He'd decided that morning to pair it with blue morning glory to see if he could get them to breed together and make the blue a more intense shade. He'd had success so far with the monstera and the perennials. He wouldn't know for sure for a few months yet, but the plant was growing nicely and he was pleased with the results of that.
Neville knew that he could use magic to help speed up the process a bit, but he loved watching nature take its course, seeing how it grew on its own, how it bloomed. He found it absolutely fascinating. Professor Sprout was pleased with his work and told him that she was intrigued to see what kind of combinations he could come up with on his own. He just enjoyed the work of it.
It was a process, trying to figure out which plants could merge together. Some of it was strictly for vanity purposes, but he knew that some of them could be extremely beneficial as well. His biggest success was still the blooming Thaumatagoria. The tiny plant had bloomed so much that he'd had to move it into a larger pot. He'd even taken some seeds and transplanted them into smaller pots in each of his greenhouses at home with great success. The plant liked the music and the sun and needed a lot of water to stay hydrated. If it kept growing as much as it was, Neville was hoping in another year or two, it would give buds. Buds would mean the plant had truly blossomed and it meant that it would be useable as a potion ingredient; a very rare potion ingredient.
It would mean that Neville had managed to do what very few wizards had been able to: Harvest it. He kept a journal tracking the plant's progress and hoped that if it finally did bloom, he would be able to publish it. Publishing articles was an important part of working as a Herbologist and Neville wanted to do everything he could to make it a successful topic for an article. The Thaumatagoria was his big hope.
The large umbrella-like leaves were getting larger every week and he'd even had to trim some of the branches. It was getting taller too and Neville wondered how tall it would grow if he kept it up like he was. It had already surpassed him in height with thick stems, the root almost looking like it could be a small tree trunk. He found the plant fascinating.
He set the music up in the greenhouse, deciding today was more of a Beethoven kind of day, and moved to grab his things. The last few months had been spent working on the new greenhouse and he spent half of his time building and half of his time planting. It was a nice mix that he enjoyed. There was nothing that Neville liked more than working with his hands. He found that designing greenhouses and building them was just as much fun to him as getting his hands in the dirt.
But nothing was as good as working with his plants.
A glance at his watch told him that it was only seven so he had a few hours to experiment before he had to be back in Gryffindor. If he was going to try to crossbreed the blue delphinium with the blue morning glory, he might as well get started now. They'd been back at school for almost three weeks now and he was really getting into his work, finalizing his projects for the end of year. Crossbreeding was one of the things he wanted to work on and as many different examples as he could would only help his work later on.
Neville was lost in his planning, humming along to the music. He had his dress shirt rolled up to his elbows and his brown leather work apron over his school uniform. He moved to find his gloves, wondering where he'd managed to lose them in the last little while and almost walked directly into the person who had snuck up behind him.
"Godric, Hannah, I'm sorry," he said, catching himself on the bench "I didn't realize that anyone else was in here."
"It's all right," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I just… heard the loud music and was curious. What are you working on in here?"
"Oh, I was going to try to crossbreed two flowers to see what I can come up with. Just a few ideas for my thesis."
She nodded. "Oh. What kind of flowers?"
"Some different flowers to start to see if I can create colour patterns and different fragrances... er, sorry, I'm boring you."
"Not at all," she said. "How can you change the colours?"
Neville stared at her for a moment before he continued. "Well, it's a delicate process that requires patience." When she made no sign of leaving, he gestured to the work at his station. "Plants are very much like people in that they have genders. Most flowers have both male and female reproductive organs. We like to refer to these plants or flowers as perfect because that means it's easy to work with them; to create something new from them because they pollinate both sexes. Roses, morning glories, snapdragons, petunias, irises, and lilies are some of these examples. But there are some flowers that only have one sex and these ones are considered imperfect. They're still beautiful and I still use them or attempt to try something new with them, but it makes it much more of a challenge to do any sort of crossbreeding with them."
Hannah's blue eyes met his. "So, you put them together to create a baby plant?"
"Basically," Neville said, his lips curving at her words. "And that baby plant is the perfect combination of its parents."
Hannah nodded, her eyes on the workstation before them. "How can you tell which one is female and which one is male?"
Neville used his wand to magnify the delphinium sitting on the station. "You have to look for the reproductive organs. In flowers or plants we call them the stamen and the pistil. The pistil is the female part. See here, how its shaped kind of like a bottle? You can always find it in the centre of the flower. The pistil has three important parts: Stigma, style, and ovary. The stigma is at the top of the bottle's neck, and this is the style here, connecting it to the ovary at the bottom. The ovary contains the eggs, which when fertilized, develops the seeds of the plant just like with humans."
"It really does look like a bottle with the long, thick neck," she said, curiously. "And the male part then?"
Neville pointed to the long stems next to the pistil, his wand still working like a magnifying glass. "This is the stamen or the male reproductive organ. See how it's like a long stem that supports the pollen sac which allows the pollen in the tip to be carried to the stigma by things like insects, birds, bats, or even the weather."
Hannah examined it carefully, her eyes wide. "Wow, I can really see them."
Neville grinned. "The trick is to choose healthy and strong plants and to make sure that natural pollination hasn't already started to take place. If nature has taken its course, you can't use that plant and you have to find another. It's a careful and somewhat delicate process."
Hannah only continued to stare at him, her blue eyes wide in interest. Neville swallowed and found himself continuing his explanation.
"I have to hold the stamen steady with these tweezers, like this, and then I use my wand to levitate the yellow pollen from the tip of the stamen and into the pistil. Then like any other plant, you have to take care of it. I have to keep it watered and in the right conditions of sunlight that it needs. It's a step by step process. The more similar a plant is to the one you're mixing it with, the more successful you'll be. But sometimes it's fun to see what kind of things you can come up with or what kind of new plants you can even potentially create."
"How do the colours change?"
"The soil mostly. A bit of charm work, but like anything its trial and error," Neville told her. "Like this one." He plucked a hellebore from one of the pots and handed it to her. "This hellebore was a light purple, but with a little work, I managed to make it this stunning sky blue."
Hannah accepted the flower, bringing it to her nose. "It's beautiful."
Neville smiled, his eyes on Hannah. "Yeah, really beautiful."
Hannah's cheeks flushed as she twirled the flower around in her hand. "You're really smart, Neville."
He shrugged. "I'm good with plants, but I don't think that makes me smart."
"No, it does," Hannah told him. "You're patient and it's clear that you really love working with plants."
"I do," he told her. "Life is much simpler when you work with the earth."
She brought the flower to her nose, a smile on her face. "Thank you for the hellebore."
"You're welcome," he said.
Hannah stood up, still holding the flower in her hand. "You're a really good teacher. I didn't know all that stuff about plants."
Neville shrugged. "Well, I guess because I love it, it's easy to explain."
She nodded, her eyes on him. "It shows. Well, I won't keep you from your work then." She twirled the hellebore in her hand and waved goodbye.
Neville watched her go, wondering what exactly had brought her out there in the first place. He kept his eyes on her golden hair as she walked away, his eyes drifting a little to the sway of her hips. Only when she was out of sight did he turn back to his flowers and got back to work. He was still thinking about Hannah as he did so.
It was an hour later as he stepped back into the castle and made his way up to the third floor when he saw Luna. She smiled at him and came to link her arm with his.
"Been spending all of your time in the dirt again?"
Neville shrugged. "It's what I love the most."
Luna nodded. "I know."
"How's Justin?"
"He's fine. He's a lovely snogger."
"But," Neville prompted, his eyes on hers.
Luna only tilted her head absently. "But, he's much too serious for me and he's dead scared of Harry."
Neville snorted. "Harry will love that."
"I find it rather annoying. Harry wouldn't actually hurt him."
"True," Neville agreed. "But I don't think that Justin would actually hurt you either."
Luna made a face. "He's kind of boring."
Neville chuckled. "Well, you can always date me instead. At least we know we have some chemistry."
Luna stopped him on the stairs and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Neville, I love you, but we're not suited either."
Neville knew she was right about that. He loved her, but he wasn't in love with her and he knew that Luna felt the same way. All those worries he'd had about the two of them developing feelings and making it more than just two friends losing their virginities together had been for naught. They'd picked up their friendship again like nothing had ever happened. He was grateful for it. He was grateful to her. He did feel more confident. Not only in himself, but in his entire demeanour. In fact, he felt like it had made the two of them even better friends.
Talking to girls wasn't so hard anymore. It didn't seem so daunting. He'd had a whole conversation with Hannah just a few hours ago without stuttering. Granted, he'd probably bored her to tears with his talk about plants and crossbreeding, but the point was that he'd talked to her. He felt like that was a good sign.
Luna smiled. "I should give Justin another chance. He is really very nice."
"That's up to you," Neville told her. "I just want you to be happy."
"You too," Luna said. "I saw Hannah twirling a flower in her hands earlier. You wouldn't have given that to her, did you?"
Neville's cheeks flushed. "She heard the music in the greenhouses and came to investigate."
"Oh, really?" Luna asked, her eyebrow rising. "Hannah just happened to be out for a walk in the dark? By herself in the middle of January? By the greenhouses where she just happened across you completely by random happenstance? Imagine that."
"Luna… Hannah doesn't like me like that," Neville told her. "She heard the music and was curious, that's all."
"Well, she doesn't know what she's missing, does she? Walk me back to Ravenclaw?"
Neville nodded, linking his arm through hers. "I'm getting better at talking to her, but I told her all about crossbreeding plants like a prat. She probably couldn't wait to get away from me. I wish I could talk to her like I talk to you. Instead I just bored her to tears."
"Did she seem bored?"
"No," Neville admitted. "She said that I was a good teacher."
Luna's lips curved. "Exactly."
He frowned, unsure of what she meant. They walked in companionable silence to Ravenclaw before Luna wished him goodnight. He called her name before she disappeared into her common room.
"Do you really think that she might fancy me? I mean, I practically pushed her and Kevin apart."
Luna tucked her wand behind her ear. "No, you didn't. You're her hero."
Then she turned and disappeared into Ravenclaw Tower leaving Neville staring after her, unsure what to think.
He headed back to Gryffindor, thinking about Hannah and wondering if maybe what Luna said was true. Maybe Hannah hadn't been bored. He was smiling when he headed up to shower for the night, to wash the dirt from his hands and arms, whistling as he did.
~ ASC ~
It took almost two weeks for news of the brutal murder of Lady Narcissa Malfoy of Wiltshire to reach Sicily. Even then, it still came as a shock. Draco took one look at the morning paper that the house elf had brought him and spit out his tea.
"What?" Blaise asked, reaching for the jam on the table.
Draco didn't answer. He just stared at the paper, his face ashen.
Blaise jumped to his feet to move around the table and gripped Draco's shoulder when he saw the headline. "Fuck, mate, I am so sorry!"
"They've arrested my father again on suspicion of killing her."
"Well, that's bullshit. There's no way that your father would ever kill her."
Draco nodded, throwing the paper down. "I can't fucking understand this thing!"
Blaise took the paper carefully from his friend and began to translate the Italian. "She was found off the Irish coast from an anonymous tip with the Dark Mark hovering over her. She was... there are signs of torture and… are you sure you want to know?"
"Tell me what it says, Blaise!" Draco demanded, his face sheet white.
Blaise nodded. "There were signs of torture, sexual assault, and... unknown words were carved into her according to sources, but the British DMLE won't release any more information on an ongoing investigation. Lucius Malfoy reportedly turned himself into the Aurors six days before her body was discovered."
"Wait... he turned himself in?"
Blaise nodded. "That's what it says, yeah."
Draco frowned. "But… why? Why would he do that?"
"He thinks that you're dead, Draco. Who knows what's going through his mind?"
Draco understood that, but he still wasn't sure he knew why. His father had allowed himself to be arrested before, but this was different. To willingly turn himself in… something else must have happened. Something else was going on.
"Blaise, I need to know."
"No," Blaise said, sharply. "We're not going back, Draco. If the Dark Lord finds out that we're alive, do you have any idea what he'll do to us? What he'll let them do to us?"
"He was going to marry you off to Isabella!" Draco spat, bitterly. "You'd be fine!"
Blaise snorted. "Yeah and I'm sure that will totally happen now. He'll pass us off to Crouch and your bloody insane auntie. I'm sure that we'll be treated like kings. Your mother… this has Crouch written all over it. He's a sadistic bastard who gets off on the brutality."
Draco's breath hitched. Blaise was right. He knew that his father wouldn't have hurt his mother, but especially not on a level like that. "Father would never have allowed it."
"Not if he were there," Blaise agreed. "But if he turned himself in…"
"He wouldn't abandon her!"
Blaise was quiet for a long moment. "No, but maybe he didn't have a choice."
Draco didn't like the sound of that. He crumpled the newspaper up in his hands and dragged his fingers through his pale hair. "I need to get word to my father that I'm alive. If he's in protective custody, he's safe and... he needs to know, Blaise. Not knowing that I'm alive and knowing Mother is... I could lose him too."
Blaise tapped his fingers on the table. "We can send a message to your aunt again, your cousin is an Auror, isn't she?"
Draco nodded. "Yes."
"We'll have to be cautious about it. We can't use an owl or it can be traced."
Draco nodded eagerly. "Anything, Blaise, please!"
Blaise called for Lia. When the house elf appeared before them, he smiled. "Lia, we need your help."
Draco stared at his friend gratefully. Anything they could do to get word to his father… Draco wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.
~ ASC ~
Hannah found herself watching Neville a lot as of late. He was quiet and kept to himself unless around his core friends. She found herself taking long walks after dinner just to catch a glimpse of him in the greenhouses and couldn't help but watch him through the window, his shirt rolled to the elbows and the muscles on his arms moving as he did. He had rather nice arms and as she watched him lift massive bags of dirt and pots, she knew that it was all from his work.
The way he worked on building the new greenhouse, climbing ladders and nailing wood, was fascinating. He worked hard and kept to himself mostly. He'd shot up over the last two years and that slightly chubby boy she remembered from first through third year was gone. But he still had the same kind eyes and soft smile. She wasn't sure what it was about her that had attracted him. He was always so kind to her and yet nervous and she found it endearing. She'd been flattered when she'd realized that he had fancied her and surprised.
No one had ever paid her any attention before Kevin.
Kevin.
He hadn't exactly grieved their lost relationship. Hannah had given him over a year of her life, and he'd moved onto Susan Bones in no time. Susan had apologized to Hannah, saying that she'd always liked Kevin and since Hannah had broken up with him, it meant that he was fair game. Hannah had ignored her. She'd thought Susan was her friend, but sometimes, she wasn't so sure. The other girl could be incredibly selfish when she wanted to be. Not to mention that every time Hannah saw her as of late, she was snogging her ex boyfriend.
She jumped when books landed on the table next to her and she smiled at Mandy. Hannah sometimes wondered how she had become such good friends with the Ravenclaw girl, but Mandy was her best friend.
"You scared me."
"Meant to. Daydreaming, were you?"
Hannah blushed. "No."
"Hannah, he likes you. Go over there and ask him out on a date."
"Oh, I couldn't," Hannah told her, looking away from Neville.
Mandy rolled her eyes. "You'll be seventeen in April, Hannah."
"If my mum finds out that I'm speaking to a Longbottom she'll try to get me to do something."
"Like what? She can't control who you talk to."
"He's... you know, she wanted me to get pregnant just to trap Kevin into marriage, and his father is only the head of St Mungo's. If she found out that I went on one date with the earl of Cumbria... that's just a bad idea."
Mandy frowned. "Hannah, when you turn seventeen she can't control you anymore. Mum already said that you could live with us this summer."
"She'll claim that I abandoned her," Hannah told her. "Everything I saved this summer, she spent it all."
"You'll save again," Mandy assured her. "You can't let her control your life. Kevin is a piece of rubbish at the bottom of a dungheap. Neville's a nice bloke. He's kind. He fancies you."
Hannah's cheeks flushed. "Do you know that he plays music for his plants? Classical. He hums along with it as he works."
Mandy smiled. "Does he now?"
Hannah nodded. "He's even been helping Professor Hagrid build that new greenhouse."
"Yeah, he's definitely been growing into himself, hasn't he?" Mandy agreed. "He has rather nice arms."
"He does," Hannah said. "And a nice smile."
Mandy leaned on her arms as she spoke. "Will you just ask him out already and stop worrying about your mum? It's your life, Hannah, and you deserve to be happy."
Hannah smiled and tapped her quill on her textbook. "Let's just work on this Charms assignment, okay?"
Mandy sighed as she opened her own textbook. "Fine. But don't think I'm dropping this."
Hannah knew she wouldn't, but she needed to think more about it herself. She looked over at where Neville was working on the side of the library, making careful notes with books opened around him. His hair a little windblown, the light brown tucked behind his ears and just a smidge too long. She noted he had dirt on the sleeve of his shirt and she wondered if he was even aware of it being there. Mandy caught her watching him and she turned back to her work.
She definitely had some things to think about.
~ ASC ~
Ron ran his hand over his face, stifling a yawn as they patrolled the halls. He hadn't slept well and was feeling extra groggy today.
Hermione looked over at him. "Am I keeping you awake?"
"Haha," he said. "Didn't sleep well."
"Why?"
He shrugged.
Hermione gestured to where he was tracing the lines from the brain through his shirt, outlining each scar subconsciously. "You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." At her look, he sighed. "I... I've been having these dreams."
"What kind of dreams?" she asked, curiosity in her voice. "About Crouch?"
"No, thankfully that one hasn't crept up in a while. No, these… I think they're memories of the bloke who's brain... sometimes it's just not restful."
Hermione stared. "Dreams of... really? Have you told the healer?"
Ron nodded. He had known his girlfriend's thoughts would go straight to the healer. It was part of the reason why he hadn't brought it up. If he was honest, he hadn't brought it up because it still unnerved him. Talking it over with Ginny sometimes just made him feel strange about it. She wanted to know so many details and he still had no idea how she thought it was going to help. He had wanted to tell Hermione more about them, but he'd never been able to get out the words properly.
He snuck a look over at her, her brown eyes were on his, full of curiosity and he saw that spark of research mode in her eye. One of the things he loved most about her was how much she wanted to help, but he didn't think she could help him with this.
"Yeah, I spoke to the healer. There's nothing that they can do, it's just a side effect. It's just sometimes I don't understand them or what's happening and it's like having someone else's nightmares in your head."
"Nightmares? Ron, why didn't you say anything?" Hermione asked, taking his hand.
He shrugged again. "It's not a big deal. Ginny knows. She went all mad about it and started doing research."
"Research?" Hermione asked, intrigued. "On what?"
"On the bloke whose brain attacked me. Apparently he was a muggle who fought in some great war."
"World War One?"
"Yeah, that one."
"Fascinating," Hermione said. "That was quite a big deal for the Muggles, you know. It was thought to be the war to end all wars, but it was in fact only the beginning of even bigger wars with more violent weapons. The Great War is considered to be one of the most momentous turning points in European history. It obliterated the distinction between civilian and military targets, destroyed cities with artillery, and brought war to the people. Not to mention that the peace treaties in trying to prevent a war like the one they'd just fought from ever happening again, really only expedited the problems within European nations and created the grounds for the Second World War to break out. I mean, between the loss of big imperial powers and colonial countries taking their stand to self-govern, it was a great end to the way civilization had lived prior to 1914."
Ron rolled his eyes. "I didn't come to you for a history lesson."
"I just meant… sorry, I just find it interesting sometimes how much you don't know about historical events in the Muggle world. How did Ginny find out?"
"I told her," Ron admitted. "She understands nightmares better than most of us and I thought maybe she'd have some sage advice from the mind healer, but instead, she was just as fascinated as you. She asked a hundred and one questions and wanted to know everything the healer told me about the brains. The healer spoke to the Department of Mysteries. Not much was known or given as it was all classified, but they gave his name, Michael Murray, along with his date of birth and his death. Ginny went mad over it and said that she was going to find out everything. I know that she was working with Birmingham for a while and over Christmas she told me that she's putting things together."
Hermione stared. "About his life? How wonderful!"
Ron snorted. "Yeah, wonderful. She wants to write about it. I don't know what she thinks it will do, but she's dead set on it."
Hermione squeezed his hand in hers. "Well, learning more about him could help, couldn't it?"
"Maybe," he admitted. "But if I knew how to stop having these kinds of dreams, I would."
"Why? What do you dream?" she asked. "Tell me about them."
"I don't know. Some of it doesn't make sense to me. He was a soldier and sometimes there's explosions. He was gassed and his eyes were burning... it's kind of a blur sometimes, but when I'm in there, it's really intense! It feels real and sometimes I wake up and I can still smell smoke and my eyes burn…"
Hermione stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Next time, you take out that new mirror of yours and you call me."
"Yeah?"
Her lips brushed his for a gentle kiss. "Yes."
Then her lips met his again and, for myriad reasons, Ron thought maybe calling her in the middle of the night wouldn't be so bad.
~ ASC ~
Knowing that Voldemort was making plans to try to infiltrate the Wizengamot, but not knowing when, made going into the council meetings that much more daunting. Bill sat next to his brother, his eyes roaming around the room, looking over people for any sign of suspicion.
Studying to be a curse breaker and then working in both South America and Egypt, had taught him a lot about curses. He knew the dangers of them, the long term effects, the traps, the secrets that they wrought. But checking for signs of people being tampered with was a hell of a lot harder.
An Unforgivable Curse was called such for a reason. Eighty percent of people couldn't fight it off. And the twenty percent who could were still scrambling once cursed. The Imperius was incredibly dangerous. Some people argued that when under the curse, people could only do things that they subconsciously wanted to, but Bill knew that wasn't true. He refused to believe that and until someone proved otherwise, he would always look to the good in people.
For now, he needed to keep his eyes peeled around the Wizengamot. Kingsley had given him a list of potential victims that Malfoy had given him. 'Potential' being the problem. They didn't know when or if they were going to be cursed. The Auror Department was speaking to them and their families, letting them know of the potential threat. Some people were happy to have a protection detail near their homes and their work, to have an Auror there to protect them. Others insisted they could take care of themselves. Stubbornness rang out even among those who could potentially become victims.
Bill let his eyes fall on Augusta Longbottom, Lady Cumbria. It was women like her and Griselda Marchbanks that worried him. Malfoy hadn't listed them and he knew that they were both too stubborn to ever consider turning on the new reforms, but they also weren't as young and spry as they once were.
He looked around, eyes on faces he now considered familiar. He called out greetings and exchanged small talk, looking for any sign of someone acting suspiciously, but saw nothing. By the time the council session ended, he felt more on edge, wondering if he'd missed something important. He spent time talking to Percy, Theo, and Neville to discuss what they'd seen or heard, but even with the new security detail it all came down to the same thing. No one had yet been able to prove someone was under the influence of the Imperius and until someone could, they had to just go on trust or suspicion.
At the moment, Bill was ninety percent positive that they were safe. A few members of the Wizengamot hadn't shown up for the session today, but it wasn't mandatory to attend every session so that didn't concern him. He left the Ministry, still thinking about what they had to watch out for, and made his way back to Gringotts to finish up his work for the day.
He met Fleur at his flat just after five and kissed her deeply when they stepped inside.
"How was work today?"
"Trés bien," she told him, stepping out of her heels and sitting in his lap on the kitchen chair. "I finished logging all of ze treasures found in Monsieur Delaurier's vault. With no heirs, zey all shall be sold off."
Bill nodded. "Most likely or the goblins will keep them. He had no family and left no will."
"Oui. I did find a music box zat was interesting. It plays music zat puts one in a trance. Fisher kept moving closer et closer to eet until I closed ze lid. We didn't 'ave time to examine it more," she told him.
Bill's brow furrowed. "You found it in the Delaurier vault?"
"Oui," Fleur said. "It is secured for now, but zere is definitely a curse on eet."
Bill knew she was right. He wondered if it was a sleeping curse or something more extreme. Musical trances meant a multitude of different potential curses. Fleur's lips on his throat made all thoughts of curses fly from his mind.
"I got the keys this morning."
Fleur's lips curved. "We 'ave a 'ome!"
"Oui," Bill said, kissing her lips. "Percy, Fred, and George are going to be here at seven tomorrow to help me pack everything and move it in. Percy will be taking the flat over this weekend as well."
"I wish we were moving in together now," Fleur told him.
"I know, but the lease on your flat goes until May. You'll spend most nights there with me anyway," Bill teased, kissing her. "And you can help me pick out furniture and we'll paint the walls. By the time you move in with me in a few months, it will be ready."
"I know. But on ze bright side, we 'ave one last night to make sure we make love everywhere, n'est pas? Zen we can christen our new home with ze same," Fleur said, standing up and slowly undressing.
Bill kept his eyes on her, watching as she slowly and provocatively removed her jacket and blouse, watched those grey slacks slide down her creamy thighs until she wore nothing but gold lace knickers with a matching bra. "You're a vision."
Fleur cupped his face, kissing him deeply. "And you 'ave too many clothes on."
Bill stood up, his hands slipping down to grip her behind. "Maybe you should do something about that."
Fleur's lips moved down his throat. "Must I do everyzing?"
Bill picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. "No, don't worry, I'll take care of you from here."
And when his mouth pressed against her knickers, she sighed. "Our last night in your flat, make it count."
Bill tossed the lace behind him, his lips curving. "Oh, never you fear, ma chérie."
His mouth found her and she cried out his name. He lost himself in her and thoughts about the future that the two of them would be starting together.
~ ASC ~
It took them the whole weekend to move all of Bill's things to Shell Cottage and move Percy's things into the flat. Bill helped him organize things and Fred and George helped him move his new bed into the room. He was determined to have everything unpacked and together before he went to work on Monday morning.
Bill gave him some of his old kitchen things since he and Fleur would be getting new ones together and as Percy settled in, he felt like it was looking more like a place he could call home. His brothers had barely left when Audrey knocked on the door.
Percy couldn't help but smile when he saw her. She wore blue jeans and a baggy jumper, but he thought that she looked amazing. He kissed her deeply when she came into the flat before he showed her around.
Audrey snuck a look at him over her shoulder as she looked around his bedroom. "And I missed your brothers? Too bad."
"No, trust me, that's for the better," Percy assured her.
Audrey chuckled. "So you keep saying." She took a seat on his new bed, smoothing her hand over the navy blue velvet quilt. "Well, this looks lovely."
Percy sat on the bed next to her. "It's new."
Audrey grabbed the front of his jumper and tugged him towards her, laughing when they fell back onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. "Guess I'll have to help you break it in."
Percy's cheeks flushed. "Don't you want to order food or something first? I did invite you here for dinner."
Audrey linked her arms around his neck. "Absolutely. After."
Five minutes later, Percy's arms were tied to the bed posts with two of his old Gryffindor ties. He was only in his boxers and on all fours as Audrey knelt behind him wearing nothing but her bright pink bra and knickers. She had a quill in her hand and he could feel her teasing him with it.
"Tell me, Mr Weasley, have you been naughty?"
"Yes," he purred, groaning when the feather moved over his thigh in a sweet tickling sensation.
Audrey slowly pulled his boxers down, watching as he popped out at full attention and she softly tickled him with the feather, blowing gently as she did. Her hand cupped his balls from behind. She rolled them in her hand as the feather stroked along his shaft.
Percy's eyes rolled.
"Naughty," she murmured. And then her palm struck his arse and he cried out.
"Oooh!"
"Very naughty," she repeated before she slapped him again.
Neither of them heard the door open.
"Hmm, Mr Weasley, I don't think you've learned your lesson. I think you need to be punished some more," she said. She transfigured the feather in her hand to a leather paddle and had just slapped his balls with it as the bedroom door opened.
"Yes! Yes! I've been a very naughty boy! Yes!" Percy cried just as a familiar voice cried out.
"Gah! My eyes! My eyes!"
Percy had barely turned his head in time before the the blur was gone.
Audrey's hand was wrapped around him and she bit her lip. "I think you have company."
"Untie me," he ordered.
Audrey did and he jumped to his feet, grabbing his robe from the back of the door and stepping out into the living room. He recognized his younger brother standing by the window with his hands over his face.
"Er, hi, Fred."
Fred turned to stare at him, his eyes wide. "I am now scarred for life! I can never get that image out of my head! Never!"
Percy rolled his eyes. "Like it was that unappealing."
Fred stared him down. "Your freckled arse? Extremely."
Percy made a rude hand gesture in response. "What are you even doing here?"
"Forgot my jumper," Fred said, grabbing it off the back of the sofa. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go to the pub for a pint and didn't expect you to already have company. You only moved in four hours ago."
"Well, we had plans and… like there's not something you like to do in the privacy of your own bedroom."
"I sure don't get tied up and spanked, that's for sure," Fred said.
Percy crossed his arms in front of him. "Have you ever tried it?"
"No."
"Then don't knock it," Percy told him. "Now, if you'll excuse me."
"Percy?"
Fred's smile was genuine when Audrey slipped her head out of the bedroom door. "Ah the mystery woman, come out and say hi, love. I'm Fred, Percy's sexiest brother."
Audrey stepped out into the room in Percy's jumper, her legs bare. "Audrey Mayfair."
"Audrey, that's a lovely name," Fred said, taking her hand. "Do you spank my brother often?"
Her eyes twinkled in amusement as she bit her lip. "When he's been naughty."
Fred grinned. "Well, seeing his freckled arse has scarred me for life, but meeting you was worth it. You work at the Ministry?"
She nodded. "Yes. I'm Scrimgeour's personal secretary in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"Interesting," Fred said. "Percy's been keeping you all to himself, wouldn't tell us a thing about you."
"Really?" she asked, her eyes on her boyfriend.
"It's true. You're a complete mystery."
"I just wanted some time with you before the wolves descend," Percy explained, glaring at his brother.
"How dare you!" Fred said, feigning shock. "I'll be sure to tell Remus you insinuated such a thing!"
Audrey chuckled. "Is he always like this?"
Percy rolled his eyes. "Every day of my life. I apologize in advance."
Audrey smiled and moved to slip her arm around Percy's waist. "Well, Fred, it was lovely to meet you, but if you don't mind, I want Percy to take me back to his bedroom now. I want him to flip me over and ride my arse as hard as he can while he pulls my hair."
Percy swallowed, his cheeks heating as Fred's mouth dropped open, his eyes widening in shock.
Audrey took Percy's hand. "It was lovely to meet you. Do close the door on your way out."
Fred's mouth was still open as she tugged Percy into the bedroom and closed the door. She opened his robe, sliding her hands down his chest and smiled up at him.
"Now, where were we, Mr Weasley?" she asked, wrapping her hand around him. "Do you still need to be spanked?"
He pulled the jumper she wore over her head, eyes widening when he realized she'd removed her bra and knickers before coming out into the living room.
"I think someone else needs to be punished," he murmured, bending his head to kiss her breast.
Audrey held his head in place as he suckled her. "Mmmm, fuck me."
Percy flipped her around and pinned her against the bedroom door. He found her wet and wanting and pressed his lips against her neck as he slid into her. The door rattled as he took her and as his hand came around to cup a breast, she turned back to look at him.
"Harder!"
He held her hip in one hand, the other fingering her as his balls slapped her arse with every motion. He was getting close, he could feel it and Audrey was grinding back against him with every thrust. Then he felt her let go and she grunted his name like a mantra that sent him over the edge. When her lips met his, he thought that having his own flat was the greatest thing he could ever imagine.
Even when he somehow ended up with surprising and unexpected guests.
~ ASC ~
Tonks was doing her best to keep herself in check, but over the last few weeks her deliveries continued almost daily. From flowers dipped in blood, to more body parts including a severed finger with a map detailing where to find the body and a few days later, a severed arm. Every time a new box arrived, she found herself doing her best not to worry.
Kingsley had ordered all of the packages addressed to her to be taken immediately to the Autopsy Department before she could open them. But she was still informed that another one had arrived. Robards would go with her every time and they'd go through the contents, trying to decipher what and why it was sent to her. So far, her packages had led her to two new bodies of werewolf attacks, each with a message claiming it had come from one of the Ministry's packs.
They were coordinating the attacks with the alphas and a witch from the Werewolf Registry had figured out a spell that would determine if a registered wolf had been responsible for the attack. So far, this had proven false, only fuelling the fact that this was a message from Greyback and his followers and not from the allied wolves. Bael had since been moved into the Azkaban Crypt on charges of assault of an officer and intended homicide. But there were other wolves that followed Greyback and his ideals, other wolves who were on Voldemort's side.
Tonks knew that someone was keeping an eye on her as well. She felt eyes on her when she was in the field, but they hid themselves well. A revealing charm did nothing if they weren't using magic and she was already around other witches and wizards. Higgins mentioned that he felt like he was being watched as well when they were at a crime scene, but they had to keep working. They didn't know what Greyback was ultimately planning outside of fear tactics at the moment, and Tonks refused to give him that satisfaction.
She refused to show fear.
She'd just returned to the bullpen after processing the photos from the latest crime scene. A Muggle couple had been torn apart in their Brighton home. She and Higgins had an appointment with the homicide detective on the case later that afternoon to discuss how they believed a wild animal had somehow broken into the couple's home.
The last person she expected to find sitting at her desk upon her return was her mother.
"Mum."
"Pixie, dear, how do you work in this mess? This drawer is full of bubblegum and quills. Your files are spread all over the place! You don't even have a clean spot to work."
Tonks grinned. "I like chaos. It makes me work better." She grabbed a piece of the pink bubblegum and popped it into her mouth before kissing her mum's cheek. "What are you doing here?"
Andromeda began to stack the files neatly on the desk as she spoke. "Can't I stop by just to visit my only daughter?"
Tonks put her hands over her mother's to stop her from moving things around. "Yes, but that's not why you're here."
"Have lunch with me."
Tonks hesitated. "I have a lot of work to get to, Mum."
"Nah," Higgins said, plopping himself into his desk chair across from Tonks'. He put his boots up on the desk and opened one of the files. "We're waiting on Danson's results anyway. Go ahead, take a break. I can hold the fort for an hour."
"Lovely," Andromeda said, standing up and linking her arm through her daughter's.
"If you're sure, Rex, I'll be back at one."
Higgins nodded and waved her off as Andromeda led her from the bullpen and down to the café on the second level. They each ordered a bowl of tomato tortellini soup and a grilled chicken and avocado sandwich before Andromeda took Tonks' hands in hers.
"Talk to me."
"Mum, I know that you're worried," Tonks began, her eyes on her mother's. "I know that Remus is worried, but I'm fine. Higgins never leaves my side. Robards is on top of it and we're working through it."
"Mothers worry, Dora," Andromeda said with a smile. "But tell me about you. I know that if Remus is worried, he might be driving you a bit mad."
Tonks rolled her eyes. "That's an understatement! I thought that once he went back to Hogwarts it would simmer down a bit, but it hasn't. The moment he sees me, he wraps me in his arms and asks me to tell him everything odd or out of place that happened. He blames himself for it."
"For this maniac to be targeting you specifically, I can't say I blame him. I'd feel responsible too."
"It's not his fault, Mum!"
"I'm not saying it is, Dora. I just understand why he would blame himself, but I agree with you. You still would be on the frontlines of it all, even if he wasn't a werewolf."
Tonks nodded. "I won't do anything stupid or reckless. I'm a good Auror, Mum. Moody claims that I'm one of the best new recruits he's seen in years and anything from that retired old codger is a compliment and a half."
Andromeda chuckled. "I'm very proud of you. So is your father."
"Thanks, Mum."
Andromeda pulled her hands away to drink take a drink of water. "Now, I came here today to first catch up with my beautiful daughter, but also to let you know that I received word today from two young Slytherins."
Tonks' eyebrow rose. "Oh?"
"They're safe, but your cousin would like someone to let his father know that he's alive. Word of his mother's death has reached them."
Tonks' eyes softened. "I wondered if he'd heard."
"I will leave the decision up to you, but as a parent, Dora, I can't imagine the turmoil that he must be feeling. Tell him that his son is alive. It will comfort him and despite the wrong he's done, he deserves to know that."
Tonks nodded. "You're right, he deserves to know."
"Good," Andromeda said as the waitress brought them their food. "If I hear anything else from those boys I'll let you know, but they didn't give me any sign as to where they're staying, which is probably for the best. A house elf met Ted at the Ministry this morning and handed him a note addressed to me."
"But they're safe?"
"Yes. I'm sure of that. Zabini was well prepared and he's of age now," Andromeda told her.
"Malfoy isn't."
"His wand was left in Hogsmeade, as you know, so he would have been forced to get another and depending on how he did so, the Ministry can't trace it, or him," Andromeda reminded her. "They were smart about it and I hope that they stay smart about it."
Tonks hoped her mother was right. It was good to know that the two Slytherins had somehow managed to escape the dark world their families had dragged them into. She hoped they stayed gone and they stayed safe. She would hate to find one of them dead after they worked so hard to escape or worse, see them back under Voldemort's thrall.
Andromeda picked up her sandwich as she spoke. "Well, since we've got the more serious stuff out of the way, tell me all the gossip that I've missed. How's Natalie? Is she still swearing off men?"
Tonks chuckled. "Actually, Atwell's dating a Muggle. Met him at a bar and went home with him, ended up spending the whole weekend in his bed. She said it's the best sex she's ever had. He's an accountant."
"A Muggle?" Andromeda asked in surprise. "Does he know?"
Tonks shook her head. "No. You know the law prevents it unless the relationship becomes serious enough for marriage. He thinks that she's a police officer. Apparently he has a very talented mouth and a rather long tongue."
Andromeda laughed. "Lucky woman. And you? How are you and Remus in that department?"
"Extremely satisfied," Tonks said. "And no, I'm not pregnant."
"I know, I know. Ever since I held those precious little babies I've been having granny fever. You've talked about it, though?"
"Yes, Mum," Tonks said, trying not to roll her eyes. "But there's too much going on right now. A war. Not to mention that when I did bring it up, Remus' eyes grew to saucers. He's afraid that the baby will have symptoms like him."
"The baby won't be a wolf, why is he worried?"
Tonks finished her sandwich before she spoke. "Mum, it's Remus. He's always worried."
Andromeda gave her daughter a knowing look. "He's good to you, Pixie, don't be cross with him for worrying."
"I'm not, not really. I know that he loves me. But I think when it comes to the idea of a baby, he's overly worried. When the time is right, we'll talk about it again. We're not planning on a little Lupin right now anyway."
Andromeda smiled. "The time is never just right, Dora."
"You know what I mean, Mum."
"I do," Andromeda agreed. "But for the record, your father and I didn't plan on you for a few more years and you were a lovely surprise."
Tonks smiled. "I'm always a surprise."
Andromeda chuckled. "You can say that again. Now, tell me more about Atwell's new accountant. Just how good is he with his tongue?"
"Mum!"
Andromeda winked. "You know how much I love it when you fill me in on the gossip, Pixie."
Tonks couldn't help but laugh. She forgot how much she missed these talks with her mum until she went a few weeks without them. She had always considered her mum to be one of her closest friends and she wasn't ashamed to admit it.
"Well, they met at a Muggle bar. His name is Sully and he wears suspenders."
Andromeda's smile widened. "I'm intrigued already. Tell me more."
And she did.
It wasn't until later on that day that she made time to go to the Azkaban Crypt. It truly was a prison that she wouldn't want to stay in. Unlike Azkaban, it didn't have Dementors but regular guards. Yet the security was almost flawless. Unfortunately they knew that nothing was entirely full proof, but this was pretty close to it.
Before entry, she was scanned, checked for spells, potions, or enchantments and her wand was scanned to confirm her identity. Her badge number was logged into the visitors log before she even got through the first gate.
The second gate required another scan by another security wizard and then a witch rechecked her badge number, her wand, and her identity before her wand was locked into a vault with a key.
The next security witch let her into the third gate where she was once more checked over for enchantments before going through the final door into the entrance way of the first level. The arched gate read Limbo across the top. The first level was kept to house those criminals who were being questioned by the DMLE because of short term arrests or holds due to warrants. Until they were released or processed, they were left in Limbo.
Tonks moved to the staircase to take her to Level Two: Treason. Level Two held all prisoners who were accused of anything considered political treason, blackmail, threats against the Ministry, or considered a betrayal to the Ministry of Magic. Level Three: Virulence, held all prisoners involved with the selling or giving without consent, of potions or charming objects to enact harm upon others. It covered most crimes involving intoxicating substances and improper use of magic. Level Four: Anarchy, held prisoners accused of theft, extortion, or fraud.
When she reached the fourth level, she was brought through more security and magical wards that tested her identity. This one required walking through mist that removed any and all enchantments one might have used upon themselves, it even returned Tonks' hair to her original mousy brown. She was led to a lift with levers for floors five through seven.
Level Five: Degradation, held prisoners who were accused of causing physical harm to Muggles or hate crimes against any witch, wizard, or magical being. Level Six: Terrorism, held prisoners who were accused of crimes perpetuated to hurt the many including stalking, harassing, threatening, and those who were involved in any large scale assault on a big area. Level Seven: Barbarity, held prisoners accused of cruelty to magical creatures or animals.
The last three levels were for those considered the worst that humanity had to offer. The only way to gain access to those levels was to walk down a dangerously narrow winding staircase that took them lower and lower under ground. Level Eight: Desecration, held those prisoners accused of rape, sodomy, assault, and domestic abuse. Level Nine: Brutality, held prisoners accused of murder. Level Ten: Inhumane Atrocities, could only be entered through warding put up by the Head Auror and the head of the DMLE together. No one else was allowed entry without one of them present. There was a tiny hole big enough to levitate a food tray down to the prisoner and no other entry or exit.
Tonks pushed open the door leading to level five and greeted the security wizard at the front, holding her badge out in front of her. "Auror Lupin, I'm here to see Lucius Malfoy."
The wizard scanned her badge with his wand before he handed it back to her and nodded. "Sign here. Eighth door on the right. Do you need entry inside?"
Tonks nodded as she finished signing the visitor log. "Yes."
The guard walked down the hall, using his wand to unlock the many chains and locks from the steel door. "Prisoner, stand back!" he ordered.
It swung open and Malfoy was pressed against the wall in his drab prison uniform. His hair tied behind his back, his hands at his sides. The guard cuffed his hands and used his wand to shackle him to the chains on the floor before he nodded at Tonks.
"You have five minutes."
The door closed behind her and the locks re-engaged. Tonks had to admit, it was an awful sound.
She took her first look at Malfoy since he'd been placed into the Azkaban Crypt. He was pale and grief-stricken, his eyes bloodshot as if he'd been crying.
"Come to gloat?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Tonks shook her head. "I have no reason to gloat. You turned yourself in."
"And what did it do for me? My wife is dead."
"Yes," Tonks agreed, her eyes on him. "But your son is alive."
His blue eyes shot to hers and she saw the flicker of hope. "What?"
"He sent word to my mother. I don't know where he is, but he's alive and he's safe. He heard about what happened to your wife and wanted you to know that he's alive. He wanted you to know that he knows that you aren't responsible for what happened to her," Tonks told him.
Tears glimmered in his blue eyes. "I loved her. I've loved her since I was seventeen years old. I never… I tried to send her away and she wouldn't leave me."
Tonks stared. "My mother said that she loved you very much."
Lucius nodded. "And it got her killed."
"Draco is alive, Mr Malfoy. He's with Blaise Zabini and they're both safe. I don't know if that gives you any peace, but he wanted to you to know."
He nodded again, his eyes still glimmering in unshed tears. "It does. Thank you."
Tonks fiddled with her badge. "Your trial starts next week and depending on what you're sentenced, this will become your new home for the foreseeable future."
"I know what my life will become," he said. "I'm aware of my crimes."
"And you're aware that any other information you can offer that the better your chances are of getting a reduced sentence?"
"Even though I've killed people?"
Tonks' eyes met his. "Yes. There's a difference between the deaths you've taken and those of your comrades and you know it."
"Doesn't count for much in the long run, though does it?"
The locks clicked behind her, letting her know that her five minutes were up.
"I'll see you at your trial, Mr Malfoy."
When she stepped out into the sun and met Higgins at the gate, she wondered if she'd really come to the point where she considered one life was worth more than another. For she knew one thing, the people Malfoy had admitted to killing weren't people the world was going to miss. The thought made her a little nauseous to admit.
End Author's Note:
Just a reminder that I based the crypt on the circle of hell from Dante's inferno.