CHAPTER 13: Snowflake
A/N: This is the calm before the storm. After this nothing will be the same. Without further ado...
Interior, Master Bedroom, Second Floor, Mars, Godric's Hollow – Morning
The door opened with a small creak before Rose's face popped in. Her eyes immediately went towards the bed where Hermione was softly snoring on her side. Her eyes turned wide as they roved her mother's naked form, the bed sheet laying rumpled on the other side of the bed.
"What's the matter?" came a voice from behind her. "Is she in or not?"
Rose gulped before she fully pushed the door open, revealing Lily standing behind her with a small frown on her face.
Rose stepped inside, followed by her grandmother whose eyebrows rose to her hairline as she looked at Hermione before taking in the condition of the room. Clothes were strewn all over the place.
Her eyes shifted from a pair of jeans with knickers on top lying on the floor in one side of the room and a t-shirt on the other side hanging from the arm of a chair.
Rose looked over her shoulder at her and shot her an amused smile with a light dusk of pink to her cheeks.
Lily mirrored her expression and shrugged her shoulder in response before motioning her to wake her mother up.
Rose walked over to Hermione's side of the bed before gently shaking her shoulder.
"Mum..."
She tried again with a little more force.
"Mum"
"Mmmm" Hermione jerked her hand away before pressing her face in to the pillow.
"Mum!"
Hermione's eyes fluttered open before she turned on to her back and stared up at her daughter with narrow eyes.
"Rose?"
A soft gasp escaped Rose's lips as she saw tear stains all over her cheeks. She turned to Lily whose gaze was already trained on Hermione's face. She walked over and stopped next to Rose; her features shone with concern.
Hermione shifted her squinted gaze towards her.
"Everything alright?" she whispered hoarsely before she tried to sit up. Rose helped her by placing her right hand behind her back, supporting her, and grabbing the pillow with her before placing it against the headboard.
Hermione released a sigh once she was properly settled and gently laid her head against the headboard.
"Rosy, why don't you put the kettle on" Lily said, giving her a warm smile before continuing. "She can freshen up in the meantime. Give us a call when it's done and then we'll all sit outside in the back garden. It's a beautiful day today"
"Okay, grandma" she turned to Hermione before leaning down and kissing her on the cheek. Hermione ran a hand through her hair and playfully nudged her nose with her when she pulled back. They both shared a small smile before Rose stood up and walked out of the room.
Lily let out a slow breath before perching herself on the side of the bed. She smoothed the bed cover, her gaze down and a contemplative expression on her face.
"You gave us a little worry this morning" she started, lifting her gaze. "We looked all over the Manor, everyone..." her forehead scrunched into a small frown. "Why didn't you tell anyone..."
Hermione turned her neck and stared out the window at the blue sky.
"I..." She shook her head, swiping her tongue across her dry lips. "I don't know..."
"I went to Mungo's before coming here" Hermione shifted her gaze back to her. "You had been spending every waking minute in that room I thought that was where you went."
Hermione's breathing got heavy and she turned her gaze down.
"Count me surprised when I found out that he discharged himself last night and not only that but that Jenson sent an owl to you, informing you about it." She placed her hand over hers. Hermione lifted her gaze as a lone tear escaped her eye. "Did you find him...did something happen. I can't imagine otherwise because...well I mean just look at you"
For the first time since she woke up Hermione looked down at herself and instead of appearing shocked or embarrassed, she seemed indifferent.
"Hermione, what happened. What did he do this time?" a slight panic rose in Lily's voice as she saw Hermione's face twist in agony as the dam broke down and an onslaught of tears came cascading down her cheeks.
She moved towards her and put her arms around her, cradling her head against her chest. Silent sobs wracked Hermione's body as Lily tried to calm her.
A furious expression came over her face. "Damn that boy!" she snarled. "Even now he has to make everything about himself. I've had enough of his attitude! It's about time someone sits him down and puts some sense in that thick skull of his"
A strangled gasp tore through Hermione as she closed her eyes.
Interior, Auror Headquarters – Afternoon
Harry was storming through the cubicles, well as fast as he could with an injured leg, his hair flying in every which way. Everyone cowered into their space with their head down, appearing to be fully engrossed in their work.
He turned a corner and headed towards the exit.
"Sir!" he stopped and turned around to see his team hurrying over to him. John and Dave led the group with Chris, Rebecca and Roman trailing behind them.
He chewed the inside of his lip as they came to a stop a few feet before him.
"Sir" John began, offering him a smile. "First of all, let me just say it's good to have you back"
"When did you get back" Harry interrupted him, making him snap his mouth shut.
"Yesterday sir, we came back in the morning. Finding that woman was a lot tough than we initially shot." he said with dry smile before sobering up. "We didn't know anything that had happened so we were all..." he blew a breath, a solemn expression taking over his face. "It's tragic. When we heard about Deputy head Auror Mal-"
"What did you find about the woman" Harry cut him off, an edge to his voice that made John gulp. "And be quick, I don't have time"
"Yes s-sir" he cleared his throat. "Umm, well nothing much to be honest with you. You see, she's braindead, basically"
"What do you mean" Harry frowned.
"Well, after finally tracking her down we found her living in a small little apartment with a friend who takes care of her, has been taking care of her for the past five years. She has been cruciatus to a waking coma. She can breathe, smell, eat, shit but apart from that she's a living dead body. Forget talking, she can't even make a sound. All day she just keeps staring at the wall."
Harry closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. "That means he got to her after or before Bruno."
"Just a couple of months after, sir. We confirmed it with her friend"
"What about her child"
"Child?"
Harry raised a single eyebrow. "Yeah, she was pregnant in 2004. What, did she get an abortion"
"Umm...we don't know sir but she defiantly didn't have a child or any family for that matter"
"Fuck" Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, the minister will be arriving late evening from France and I want all of you on him the moment he arrives. Never leave him out of your sight. I need to speak to him. I'll try to be back before the election is decided but if in case I can't make it then inform him in simple plain terms that he can't go on that stage. I don't fucking care if he wins, he will not step onto that podium and if he does, I'll rip all your fucking heads off!"
They all vigorously nodded their heads.
"I'm certain that cunt is going to make a move on him tomorrow. He's been waiting for an occasion like this. If he does and if he succeeds it'll send the entire wizarding community into a fucking uproar to the likes we haven't seen since Voldemort so for his sake and yours, lock him a fucking room if you have to"
"Yes sir," said John. "May I ask where you are going, sir. Maybe we can help"
"If I needed your help I would've said so" Harry gave him a long hard look which had him turning his gaze down. "I'm heading to ISC"
Roman's eyes whipped up to him, curiosity in his gaze.
"ISC sir?'
"Yeah, to get to the bottom of this we first need to understand who or what this fucker is."
"So, he was a patient at ISC?" Dave inquired.
"How the fuck they let him out?" said Rebecca. "More importantly, how did he fool them to let him out"
"Simple" Harry said. "He faked his own death"
Her eyes turned wide in shock and her mouth formed an 'o'. The others had somewhat of a similar reaction except Roman who continued to stare at Harry introspectively.
"You all just worry about the minister and leave the rest to me." He narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. "Don't fuck this up" his voice just above a whisper as he swept his gaze at each officer. He turned on his heel and marched out of the door.
A couple of seconds the door opened again and Roman hurled through it.
"Sir!"
Harry didn't stop, nor did he slow down but Roman eventually caught up with him.
"Sir, can I have two minutes of your time, please"
"No"
Roman's halted in his step and watched Harry limp away before jogging over to him. "Sir, please, I promise I'll be quick"
"You have till I step inside the lift" he grimaced at the end and pressed the heel of his palm to his injured thigh.
Roman's eyes trailed down to his leg before snapping back to his face.
"Your hurt, sir"
"You're losing your time" grunted Harry.
"Oh right, umm... well, I just wanted to say that Auror Malfoy-"
In a flash Roman was pushed back against the wall and his ability to speak was halted by a forearm to his neck, blocking his windpipe, as Harry breathed down his face. The young auror's eyes turned wide in terror as he stared up at him and tried to remove his arm.
"Deputy Head Auror Malfoy" growled Harry, pressing further. Roman's hands dropped down to his side and his face was turning red at a rapid pace. "Respect the position, respect the rank...and if I ever hear you slip one more time you won't have a tongue to say sorry. Understand"
Tears started leaking from Roman's eyes as he nodded his head.
Harry slowly released the pressure and brought his arm down but his glare remained unwavering.
"I'm standing right on the ledge son...don't push me over."
Roman brought a hand to his throat as he started coughing and bowed forward.
"Fucking pansy" Harry's stare turned into a look of disgust. "Knew you were a shitshow from the start. Don't know how you fooled Draco to think otherwise."
Roman stood up and looked at him, his lower lip trembling and his body shaking in fear.
"Stop shaking!" thundered Harry, making him jump. He took a step towards him. "What, did your father fucked your mother in a train that you can't stand still. I told you this before son and I will say it again. Find your balls and put them back in place or you'll always be someone's bitch. Is that how you want to be treated, to have a leash around your neck and get fucked from behind. Damn it! Show me your anger!" He punched the wall next to his head, eliciting a whimper from Roman before silent tears rolled down his cheeks. Harry shook his head before backing away. "How are you going to take care of your sister when you can't even take care of yourself." He hissed. Roman whipped his head up, an unrecognizable expression on his face. "Or maybe she's the one who takes care of you. Wouldn't surprise me" he spat before walking away.
Interior, Level 6, Department of Magical Transportation – Afternoon
Harry stepped out of the lift and walked the small distance to the reception desk where a young man was sitting. His eyes lit up the moment they landed on Harry and he jumped up from the rickety old chair with an excited grin.
"Sit down, son" Harry motioned with his hand. "Is it ready?"
The young man's stare turned into confusion. Harry's gaze dropped to the nametag on his chest.
"My portkey, Stanley" Harry elaborated.
"Oh right, sir" he frantically looked around the desk that was filled with all sorts of ordinary things, shoes, buttons, hairbands, spoons etc.
"Ah hah!" He thrusted his hand forward, holding an antique watch in his grip.
Harry stared at the timepiece for a few seconds before grabbing it.
"Just rub the glass three times counter-clockwise and it'll be activated. It'll glow blue for a few seconds so you know it's ready" he explained enthusiastically. He then handed him a coat button. "This is for your second portkey, the one to Crawley Lane. To activate this just place your thumb on top of it for ten seconds"
"Hmm"
Exterior, ISC, somewhere in Bulgaria - Afternoon
Harry was standing in the garden, staring up at the massive, gothic structure that housed children with special needs. The perimeter was surrounded by a 20 feet tall wall made entirely out of stone.
He took a long drag of his fag before throwing it to the ground and stumping it with his shoe.
Though he couldn't see it the sound of waves crashing against the rocks hundreds of feet below still reached his ear.
Kids of different ages were spread all over the garden, some running around and laughing with their friends while others sitting quietly in a group. Harry's gaze stopped on a boy standing in a corner near shrub bushes and staring up at the sky.
He seemed to be around twelve or thirteen and had jet black hair. He couldn't see his face since he had his back turned towards him.
"Dad!"
He closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly by his side. He took deep breaths through his nose before opening his eyes and heading forward.
Exterior, Back Garden, Mars – Afternoon
Hermione was sitting on the marble steps of the porch, overlooking the garden and basking in the warm glow of the sunlight.
An empty teacup lay beside her alongside a half-eaten plate of cookies.
She had her arms folded around her knees and was staring straight ahead.
"There you go, mum" Rose walked in through the open door with a blanket in her hands. She unfolded it and draped it over her mother's shoulder.
"Thank you, sweetie" Hermione pulled her hand and placed a soft kiss on it before looking up at her. "Are you going back with Grandma to the manor or the burrow."
Rose pushed back a stray curl that had fallen over her face before answering. "Actually, I'm going to Mungo's. See if dad's woken up."
Hermione's jaw tensed before she turned her gaze down.
"What" asked Rose, trepidation in her voice. "Mum...what's wrong"
Hermione looked up and offered her a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Nothing sweetie...just...you won't find him there."
Rose's eyes turned wide. "What do you mean" her voice took on a breathy nature.
"He-he's fine. He was discharged last night."
"So, where is he?"
"I don't know" Hermione replied, ducking her head.
Rose chewed her bottom lip in thought. "Maybe he went back to Uncle Sev's house? You said that was where he was staying, right?"
"I'm not sure, honey, but I think it's best we give him some space. He needs rest"
A scowl came over Rose's face. "I'm not going to disrupt his rest" Hermione whipped her head up at the hard tone in her voice. "I just want to make sure he's alright."
"I didn't mean it like that, honey. I just-" she sighed. "I'm just saying he may not be in the best condition to talk."
"Doesn't matter. I'm still going to check on him. Just because you have given up on him doesn't mean I have also."
A sharp gasp left Hermione's lips. "Rose-"
"No mum!" Rose yelled. "I know he's not perfect and he has his faults. But who doesn't. His maybe more than others but he's still my father and you're forgetting the most important part" her chest heaved with heavy breaths. "That it could have been him, too. Not just uncle Draco. It could have been him right now buried beneath the ground with his name written on a stone." she furiously wiped the tears that had escaped her eyes with her sleeve. "He may be an asshole who doesn't know the first thing on how to be a father or a husband but he's still my father and I love him!"
She turned on her heel and ran into the house.
Hermione stared at the spot she just vacated for a long time, her eyes hollow and tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.
Interior, ISC, somewhere in Bulgaria - Afternoon
Harry was walking through the hall with an old woman beside him. She was dressed in blue robes that were neatly pressed. She gave away the posture of an authoritative person. The walls were a maroon colour and the hall was lit by floating candles that created a moody atmosphere.
They stopped before a door and Harry waited as the lady unlocked it with a key before pushing it open. She motioned for Harry to step inside first, which he did, before walking in behind him.
The room was empty except a single bed placed against the back wall. It pictured a dull aura with grey walls that were scratched in places.
Harry squinted his gaze and moved towards the bed. He stopped next to it and crouched down, facing the wall before lifting his hand and grazing his fingers over the writing and the lines carved in the stone.
"Call it a pastime hobby or a troubled mind seeking some kind of refuge, too be honest I don't know." she said.
"Why didn't you stop him?" he asked, frowning when his eyes landed on some writing right under a maze. Random alphabets, all in caps. BD APWBD. His eyes trailed down where another slew of letters was written next to each other. TW DH HI RL CC GN QL.
"We tried but it only made him rebuke violently. No one and I mean no one could stop him from this. He was a silent boy, always agreed to everything that was asked of him but never this. So, we let him be but on one condition"
Harry looked over his shoulder at her and waited for her to elaborate.
"To use a tool and not his fingers"
If he was surprised or shocked by this revelation, he didn't show it.
"What tool?"
"At first it was a small stone which we charmed so that he couldn't use it to harm himself or others but later it was a quill made out of stone."
"Hmm" He turned his head back and brought his gaze towards the maze above the letters. "Did he ever spoke about it. What any of this means or why he was doing it?"
"Not to the staff and if he told his friends then they kept it secret."
"His friends, how many?"
She waited a bit before answering. "I would say around seven or eight. Those who were basically his age group."
"I need their names"
"Will be provided but like I said, they all died that day with him"
Harry scoffed. "Yeah right"
"I'm sorry, what was that"
He stood up and faced her. "Nothing. Tell me about this girl. The obscurus"
She let out a sad sigh and folded her arms over her chest. "What is there to tell. Poor Christina" she shook her head. "She was a sweet little girl whose life had been nothing but a tragedy up to that point. The horrors that poor girl faced...no girl should have to go through them. Anyway, her condition was slowly but gradually getting better. We were actually using the serum developed in IMA at the time to cure her. She received daily doses of it."
"IMA?"
"Yes, I believe it was your wife who worked on it. It was revolutionary. The serum to cure kids who would take an obscurus form every time they would try to use magic. Kids who had repressed their magic for so long that they couldn't perform it normally. Not to mention that their life span was really short. Most died when they were ten or eleven. Some like Christina got to sixteen. Now, there are stories of some who are living well into their twenties and thirties with the help of the serum. We believed Christina would have been one of those and her results were pointing in that direction as well but then one day, that day, she just lost complete control. That much power...it was just too overwhelming"
"The serum. Was it green in colour?"
"Yes, was supplied in glass vials. It's one of the experiments that really put IMA to the map and changed everyone's opinion of Mr. Kyle. Up until that everyone thought of him as nothing but a rich boy flashing his father's money with extravagant experiments. But all the credit goes to your wife in my opinion"
"Hmm" Harry scratched his beard. "What was her relationship with Charles, Christina's?" He asked, changing the subject.
Harry's question caught her off guard as she blinked at him before replying. "Oh, there was no relationship to speak of. They were sometimes found talking to each other which led some staff members to believe that there may have some romantic feelings brewing between them but I didn't think so. She was only out for an hour each day and that included her walk around the garden which took approximately half an hour for her to complete"
"Was it mandatory?"
"Yes, one of the staff members accompanied her. So, there was never enough time for her to spend time with her peers let alone start a romantic liaison, plus they knew the rules. Girls and boys never mingled"
"What, no relationships?"
"Precisely"
"Why"
"Distraction"
"Distraction?" he let out a bitter laugh. "Relationship or being with one another isn't a distraction. Certainly not in a place like this where you don't have the onslaught pressure of NEWTS or tests every single day hovering over your head."
"Mr. Potter" she said crisply, a scowl etched on her face. "Let me be very clear with you that we here at ISC take children's education very seriously. Though it may not match the standards of Hogwarts but we're not far behind. Our goal is to not only help students become able human beings who can navigate life without outside assistance but to provide them with sufficient education so they feel like they have the tools to survive once they leave."
"Having a relationship is a part of navigating life. It doesn't have to be romantic but separating genders into groups is like curbing their confidence down the drainpipe. You talk about providing them with tools to survive life yet you take the most important tool. Friendship, love"
"Mr. Potter!" she fumed. "Don't tell me how to run my institution. That's the way it's been, that's the way it is and that's the way it'll be"
Harry turned around and clenched his fists. "Cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt" he kept whispering the word as he shut his eyes.
"Mr. Potter?"
He took a deep breath before turning around to face her.
"Everything alright?"
"Splendid cunt"
Her eyes turned wide and her mouth opened in shock.
"Sorry, I meant, maam." He whistled past her, leaving her mouth hanging open.
Exterior, Back Garden, Mars – Afternoon
Hermione was strolling through the garden at a leisurely pace. She stopped when she reached the empty pool. Dry leaves were strewn all across the tub. Her gaze stopped moving when it reached the far-left corner.
"Move"
Harry opened his eyes and craned his neck back before squinting up at his wife who was blocking the sun from his view.
She was standing with her hands on her hips and wearing a two-piece red bikini.
He took a small puff of his fag before shifting to the side and lending her a hand which she used to gently easing herself into the water.
"Ahh" she sighed as he pulled her towards him till her back was touching his front.
She smacked his hand away when he offered her the cigarette.
He smiled before doing it again.
"Stop!" she sent him a withering glare but he kept at it. Finally, she grabbed the blunt from his fingers and threw it away.
"Hey!"
"Shut up and massage my shoulders"
"Yes, maam" He sighed, before putting his hands on her shoulders.
"Umm" she moaned. "Good to know your fingers haven't lost their magic"
"I thought I proved that last night"
His reply came back in the form of an elbow to the stomach.
"Oof!" He chuckled. "Merlin woman, is that the reward I get for the service I provided you last night"
"If you'll be a git about it, then yes. Mmm" she let out a breathy moan. "Right there"
"You're tense, Mars. You've been overworking a lot. Barely got to see you these last couple of weeks. Plus, the kids miss their mummy a lot"
"I know" she sighed. She turned in his arms and brought her arms around his neck. "I need to discuss something with you"
"I'm all ears" he kissed her shoulder.
She nudged her nose with his before opening her mouth. "I'm thinking of taking Rowan for his offer"
Harry continued to scatter butterfly kisses all along her neck and shoulder as she continued.
"I love medicine. It's my foremost passion"
"After me"
"After you, of course. But I also want to work on things outside of it. There's so much stuff to explore, to experiment and not just that but there are so many fields in magical healing alone that doesn't have answers and I want to find them. Lycanthropy, dragon pox, cancer, and then other diseases like, obscurus. The cases for it have been increasing lately and so many kids are dying. It just..." she pulled him closer and rested her head against his shoulder. "It breaks my heart every time I read it in the paper. My mind automatically goes to Rose and Kai."
"Honey-" He tried to move back but she pulled him back in.
"I know we're lucky in this case but not everyone is as fortunate as us"
"Mars, my sweet mars" sighed Harry, pulling back and cradling her face between his hands. "Baby, you always have my support, in anything. You want it, you go and get it and I'll be right next to you all the way"
"But that'll mean I'll be away more" she sniffled. "What about the kids. I already see very little of them and I don't want to miss their best years by working myself into exhaustion. I don't want to be the type of parent who wants nothing to do with their kids because she is too tired to deal with them. Plus, I also have to take care of you"
"Take care of me?" he scoffed.
"Yes" she smiled, playing with his hair. "You always need me to take care of you"
"Now, that's true" he pulled her in close till their noses were almost touching. "How about this. I have an idea"
"I'm all ears" she whispered, kissing the corner of his mouth.
"How about I take a six month break from work and just stay home with the kids" she pulled back sharply, staring at him wide-eyed. "You take that offer and see how it feels. If you think you like working two jobs and feel like you can handle it then great, if not, then great too. I'll bring in the kids to meet you every day for an hour or two so you won't feel like you're missing on your mummy time too."
"B-but what about your job. You just got promoted to deputy head"
"Pssh!" he waved it offhandedly. "So what, it'll come back. Plus, it's only six months. If you decide to stick with this two-job thing then we'll think about it when we get to that. We'll make it work; we always do. You'll get used to the hours and get better at managing them"
Her eyes filled up as she beamed at him. "I love you, Snowflake, so much" she started peppering kisses all over his face.
"Of course, you do. Why do you have to say it every time"
"Shut up" she said in between kisses. "I'll shout it if I want to and you can't stop me and don't challenge me because you know I've already done it, much to your embarrassment too, I might add"
"Oh, how can I forget that lovely evening. Our first date. Every guy's dream that the girl he loves says those three magical words to him. Mine just happens to shout it in a pub filled with rowdy students"
She giggled. "I can't believe I did that. God, even I get embarrassed when I think about that." She gave him a mock glare. "But don't think I won't do it again if I have to"
"Yes maam"
"Good, now where was I" she dipped her head and started placing kisses on the underside of his jaw.
"Will you shout to the skies when I'm gone?" he laughed.
She pulled back and all levity vanished from her face. His laughter turned into nervous chuckling as she kept staring at him with a tense expression.
"Say those words one more time and I'll kill you myself" she whispered.
He gulped before nodding his head.
"Yes, maam"
She pulled him into a hug and wound her arms around his neck.
"I swear it, Harry. Never ever utter those words"
"Hey, it was just a joke, love"
She punched him hard between his shoulders. "I don't fucking care" she hissed. "It wasn't funny!"
"You're right, I'm sorry" he kissed her shoulder. "Forgive me"
"It'll take some time." she mumbled into his shoulder. "You're definitely sleeping on the couch tonight."
"Damn it! I planned on tying you up tonight" he grumbled.
A smile came over her face but she didn't let him know about it as she closed her eyes and tightened her hold around him.
Hermione jerked her head and blinked her eyes as she looked around herself. Her breath caught in her throat and soon, tears were running down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees on the soft, plush grass.
A/N: As always, post your comments and let me know your thoughts.