Chapter 2
London, June 27, 1960
He wasn't sure what to think about the letter he had received from his friend. Especially since there was no trace of her usually neat handwriting. He was also disturbed by traces of tears and… blood. He hoped nothing had happened. Especially now that her son was approaching eight months of age. Sirius was very weak at birth and it was feared that he might not survive the first years of his life.
"Salazar, again?"
He closed his eyes and leaned his head back as he waited for the fireplace in their living room to work. The floo system continued to suffer from the ill-considered decision to immediately register every fireplace participating in the system. Abraxas couldn't understand why the changes weren't made gradually.
Fortunately, this time he didn't have to wait long before he was engulfed in the emerald green flame of the floo.
xxx
Walking down the dark corridor of 12 Grimmuald Place, he didn't know what to expect. He did not know what to count on. All he knew was that Walpurga needed his help. His Walpurga needed his help. Just in case, he slid his wand from the holster strapped to his forearm so that it covered the Dark Mark with which he had been marked in his youth.
He was only a step away from the bedroom where, according to the letter, he expected to find her.
And after taking that one step, he knew he would never forget what he saw. Walpurga was sitting on the floor curled up with a bundle in her hands and on her bed lay a dead woman with her belly open. Stomach acid flooded his mouth, which meant only one thing. He could throw up at any moment. But he had to make it. For her.
He quickly ran to his beloved and, not paying attention to her condition, wrapped his arms around her. He whispered the question right into her ear. - "What happened?"
"She…" - she looked at him with her pure silver eyes - "…she knocked on our door. I don't know how it is possible. Our tenement house isn't visible to Muggles. She shouldn't… She shouldn't"
He was about to shake her when he heard a soft cry. - "What the hell?"
"It's her baby. Little girl."
Seeing no other way out, Abraxas whispered Legilimens and began to gently scan through her memories. First he saw Walpurga arguing with Orion again, then Walpurga trying to play with Sirius who was more interested in playing with their dog. Then he saw how the witch heard a noise behind the entrance door to the tenement house. He scrolled through the memories to the moment when the unknown woman died and Kreacher announced that the child was still alive. The last memory he saw was when the present Lady Black pulled a live child from his mother's dead body.
"Show me her." - He allowed her to slowly pull back the material protecting the girl's body. Almost immediately he was struck by the short brown curls visible on her head. He fell in love with this child. He felt the same as when he saw Lucius for the first time. - "She's beautiful. But what will we do with her?"
"What will WE do with her?"
"You don't think I'm going to leave you alone, do you? I won't make the same mistake again."
xxx
With tears in his eyes, he walked the corridors of Hogwarts feeling the same as he felt years ago, walking down the corridor to help the woman he loved from the first day he met her. He loved his wife, but it was nothing like what he felt for Walpurga Black.
He was afraid that Tom's potion wouldn't be enough and they would lose Hermione. He knew his heart would break if he lost her too.
Every step he took made his heart feel heavier and heavier. When he got to the door, he had to stop and regain his balance before he decided to go in. Unfortunately for him, he saw a petrified Hermione as soon as he entered.
"What are you doing here?" - The mediwitch screamed as soon as she saw him. - "From what I remember, Lucius, your son, finished school a long time ago."
"I am Miss Granger's magical guardian. I advise you not to question it."
Taking advantage of her surprise, he walked over to the young witch's bed and sat down on the chair there. He couldn't believe it just happened to her. He was naive to think she would miss it. She was a Muggleborn and there was nothing they could do about it. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. Just like every time he put her to bed.
"I have to question it. There is no information about a magical guardian in her documentation. So her magical guardian automatically became Professor McGonagall."
Former Lord Malfoy growled in annoyance. He reached for his bag and pulled out a second copy of the papers proving his rights. He was beginning to wonder if anything at this school was functioning properly.
It took Poppy Pomfrey a few minutes to confirm what he had always known. - "I'm sorry, sir. I act on the basis of documents provided to me by Albus." - She cleared her throat before continuing - "Your ward is in no danger. After administering the mandrake potion, all her vitals should return to normal. She may have temporary problems with concentration and balance, but that's normal after months of lying motionless."
"I brought a potion. It's concentrated, so it should be enough to give to any affected child. I know Hermione wouldn't forgive me if I allowed only her to be healed."
A smile appeared on the mediwitch's face, which he had never seen on her. "Normally I should be allowed to administer the potion but… I won't ask this time."
"And that's fine." - At that moment, Abraxas Malfoy thought he liked the woman.
xxx
London, September 19, 1979
"She's beautiful." - he said, looking at the man he was beginning to treat as his own son-in-law. - "She looks exactly like her mother when she was born."
"I know. I saw the pictures you took of her." - The man sighed, then moved his thumb so that he curled a chocolate brown curl around it. - "I still can't get used to the fact that magical pictures move."
Richard Granger was more than he could have dreamed of as a partner for Jean. Caring, kind, intelligent. He didn't try to limit her. - "Relax. I'm still not used to cars either. The only ones where I feel good are buses, because we also have them here. Where is your wife?"
"She's talking to Walpurga. Aunt brought one of her sons to get to know her. I left to calm Hermione down. She was so delighted with Regulus' hair that she couldn't stop laughing. This made any conversation much more difficult."
xxx
He felt humiliated by his father. Standing in the silence of the Great Hall, he wondered what had just happened. He felt the eyes of his students, his son and friend on him... He clenched his jaw not to say anything that would make his situation even worse. He waited a moment in silence and then said - "I think we should go to the Hospital Wing."
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw understanding on the face of his son's professors.
He smiled as he saw the shadow of a smile on Severus' lips. - "I think Lucius is right."
xxx
Entering Poppy's kingdom, he didn't know what to expect. The situation itself was rather one of the kind of absurdities he had seen in telenovelas so eagerly watched by his mother.
"Father, what are you doing?"
The older wizard spun around and the smile on his face quickly gave way to annoyance. - "Can't you see? I thought considering how long your hair is, you'd know what brushing is like."
The Potions Master could barely contain his laughter at the sight of the former Lord Malfoy gently making a French braid on the Gryffindor's head. He wasn't aware that the wizard he had feared in his youth could do such a thing. Especially since for as long as he could remember, Abraxas Malfoy had worn his hair either loose or gathered up with an emerald velvet ribbon in a low ponytail.
"To be honest, I'm more concerned with why you're godfather to the mother of this…Mudblood." - Lucius growled. He didn't even notice the same look in the eyes of his father and one of his students.
xxx
Malfoy Manor, June 27, 1965
"I didn't think, Abraxas, that you allowed cattle into your home while your family was away." - she was terrified of the man she bumped into while running out of her uncle's library. He was tall and had slightly wavy hair. Just like her. - "Mudblood in the Malfoy house? What a shame my friend."
She tried to step back inside so she could hide between the shelves, but she couldn't. The stranger dug his fingers into her arm so that she could feel his nails digging into her skin.
"Let Jean out." - her uncle hissed as he always did when he was nervous. - "If you want to survive, I suggest you let her go. She's my goddaughter, so she's my family. Do you remember what I'm willing to do to protect my family? Do I need to remind you what happened the last time you tried to threaten someone I care about? Answer me Tom."
The dark-haired wizard raised his hands in surrender and chuckled as she ran into her godfather's arms.
"She's so trusting. I wonder if she'll still be like that when she finds out you're a monster. Just like me."
"She already knows about it. Unfortunately, she already knows about it."
xxx
An attempt to extend this story. I wasn't sure if this chapter was as good as the previous one. After many tries, I found that I am satisfied with it. How do you like it? Regards, Katie Krum.