"What, exactly, made you think it would be okay to turn your aunt's hair green?" Fabian asked his daughter in exasperation. The adults had been catching up on lost time when, mid-conversation, Molly's hair had turned neon green. Laura cocked her head to the side, a puzzled expression on her face.

"I thought it would be okay to turn her hair green?" she shook her head. "No, no - I did it specifically to get in trouble." she told her father. Fabian groaned, while Gideon and Arthur fought back laughter. None of them wanted Molly to go off on another tangent, after all.

"Why?" he asked resignedly. She shrugged.

"No idea, really. I was just bored."

Fred and George snickered at the back of the room, and Arthur and Gideon coughed to cover their own chuckles. Fabian sighed and massaged the throbbing vein in his temple. It had been amusing and the prank was harmless, he decided to let her off the hook this time, seeing as know one had been hurt.

"You're getting off easy, this time - but only because no one got hurt. I don't want something like this to happen again. Understand?"

She nodded, looking chastised. Fabian pulled her into a hug, knowing she wasn't sorry in the least.

"You're going to have to apologize to your aunt and change her hair back." he told her. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"But Daddy… I can't change it back. It won't wear off for another three hours."

Molly shrieked with rage.

"You're not going to punish her?" she demanded in disbelief. Fabian shook his head.

"No. You weren't hurt, Molly, and it was amusing. I see no reason to punish her for a harmless prank."

Molly took out her wand, sneering at her brother.

"If you won't teach her to respect her elders, then I will."

She aimed her wand at Laura, and Fabian froze when he heard his daughter cried out in surprise and pain. He snarled and disarmed his sister, while Gideon rushed to his niece and took her in his arms. He sunk to the floor with her, pulling her onto his lap and rocking with her, rubbing soothing circles into her back. He glared at his sister.

"Molly! She and Harry were both abused by the muggles they lived with! You don't use corporal punishment on abused children!"

Laura whimpered and burrowed into her uncle's embrace. She felt weak and ashamed, but she couldn't help it. After so many years away from Mr. Jones, the sudden pain on her backside had been a shock. It had brought back memories and suddenly she was waiting to be beaten again. Arthur, Fred, and George glared when Molly looked unrepentant.

"Molly, go home! Take Ron and Ginny with you!" Arthur snapped, furious. Molly gaped at her husband.

"But… but Arthur! The brat deserved it! She turned my hair green!" she protested. Arthur only stared coldly back at her.

"Go home, Molly. We'll discuss this later."

Molly huffed, gather her youngest children, and left. Fabian took his daughter from his twin, saying to Fred and George,

"Go get your brothers and Harry. There's something we need to tell the lot of you."

They nodded, hurrying to do as they were told. Fabian sighed and ran his hands through his baby's hair.

"Shh, baby. No one's going to hurt you ever again. I promise." I'll kill them first, he added in his head. Laura just continued to shake and whimper and mutter 'I'm sorry'.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Time Jump ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After a long explanation and a promise to go to Gringotts later in the week, the Weasley boys went home and Gideon and Fabian took the kids back to Black Manor. As soon as they were through the fireplace, Laura was taken from her father's arms by an overly worried Sirius, who held her like newly spun glass. He carried over to an armchair and sat her down in his lap, holding her just tight enough that he knew it would ground her, but not hurt her. Michael, the kid she'd saved from his stepmother, entered the room and reached for her hesitantly, looking to Sirius for permission. When the animagus nodded his consent, he grabbed her chin and forced the shaking girl to look at him.

"Lorey," he said firmly, "look at me. Come on, damn it, look at me!" he waited until she raised her eyes to meet his before continuing. "He's not here, and if he were, he would have to get through everyone in this room before he could get to you. You're safe. He can't hurt you anymore. Do you understand? Laura, answer me." he demanded harshly. Her eyes cleared and she nodded.

"Mikey?" she whispered. He sighed and gripped her hand with his free one,

"Yes, Lorey?"

"When does it stop? When does it stop hurting? When do the memories go away?"

He sighed again and shook his head.

"It doesn't go away, Lorey, it just becomes less painful over time. But you have to talk about it, yeah?"

She nodded again.

"Mikey?"

"Yeah, Bambi?"

"Will you help me?" she asked brokenly, looking at the floor. He used the hand under her chin to tilt her face back up, determination in his eyes, and nodded. She smiled weakly at him before leaning back against her godfather and closing her eyes, falling asleep.