She awoke to the familiar pools of dark chocolate. "Nadia, ho long have I been out?"
"One day Athena."
"Where's father?"
"Master LeStrange is making a potion for you."
"Can you tell me if my husband is home?"
"He is. He found out you were injured and got here at once."
"Does he know how I got injured?"
"No, Master LeStrange lied to him."
"Can you get my father after he's done with the potion?"
"Of course I will Athena." The elf walked out of the room. Athena relaxed a bit and closed her eyes. She spoke aloud to herself.
"How am I going to explain this to my husband?"
"Yes. Do explain what happened to you my dear!"
"I didn't hear you enter." She said hoping to redirect his line of questioning.
"So I'm waiting. How did you get that wound?" She regained her composure enough to lie to her husband. Instead she realized that she didn't have the energy or the focus to lie without him sensing the lack of truth in her words.
"How do you think I got it?" she asked allowing him the control of the issue.
"Well it looks to me like the talons of a beast. What sort of beast did this to you?" She knew that to mention any breed would doom the species. It was true that Fenrir made her blood boil, but Remus was always kind to her. One word kept repeating in her mind. /Vague/ so she said as convincingly as possible.
"Well I was taking a walk through the woods, I lost track of time and it got dark. As I turned to leave something scratched me. I was startled, so instead of investigating as I would have, I ran home. I realized as I crossed the threshold how deep the scratch was, so I fainted. For all I know a tree scratched me." She said bending the truth to suit her current predicament.
"Well you need to be safer for the sake of my heirs. It seems that my old friend is failing at this. The solution is clear, don't you think my dear?"
"You are being as clear as ink husband."
"Cute. You must move into Malfoy Manor at once!" he demanded.
"I won't leave father alone. I'm all he's got!"
"You will or the consequences will be severe!"
"You wouldn't…"
"Hurt you? No. There are ways of making you behave that don't involve physical pain. But I implore you for the sake of my heirs make it simple for them and yourself."
"Fine…" she said as though she were appeasing a screaming child.
"I'll have Pettigrew and Yaxley come and take yours and my heirs' belongings to the manor. You will be there by the time the clock strikes 12!"
"What time is it?"
"It's 10:30. You know the deadline, be there even a minute later, I'll be forced to punish you. Understood?"
"Being a bit dramatic? Relax baby, I'll be there. Just go do your thing, I have my own thing to do." He left her room and the familiar cracking sound of his apparition was heard. She began to weakly stand up. Still drained from the attack she made her way to her father's potions lab. She knocked on the door; a mumbled voice was heard on the other side.
"Come in…" she entered the room.
"Father because of my injury I have been ordered to leave LeStrange Court tonight."
"I figured this would happen. Here, it's the strongest wolfsbane potion I could brew, drink it quickly, before it cools." She choked down the liquid, almost vomiting it up.
"Thank you." She said out of breath.
"There's something else?"
"Yes. I need you to watch Yaxley very closely, Pettigrew too. They are too sycophantic to him for my liking. If it seems they are looking at my belongings too closely stop them. I also need you to keep them out of here. I need time and quiet to get my patronus to talk. I need to send an important message to Andy and Tonks."
"Do you have the proper memory to pull that off?"
"Yes. It is strong enough."
"Maria."
"Of course, now please I only have shit one hour to do this."
"Good luck." He left the lab to tend her request.
She drew her wand and concentrated on the one memory that she had left that was still untainted. Closing her eyes she recalled every detail.
The ground beneath her was lush and green. It had just rained the previous night. She and Maria were sitting by the pond on the Warner Estate. Maria was brushing her daughter's hair. Athena recalled their conversation. "I know that you are only two my daughter. I know it's probable that you won't remember this at all. You are the most important thing I have ever done with my life. No matter what life throws at you, you will rise above it. You are my one true love. My light…" The memory feeling strong enough she held her wand firm.
"Expecto Patronum." Her patronus arrived shortly after. Hers took the form of a house cat. She hoped that her side studies with her father had taught her how to properly do this difficult piece of magic. She spoke to the cat, telling it the message that if not learned could cause more deaths. "I don't have long. You need to know this, it will help you elude you-know-who." She said hating that she may have to fear her own husband's name. "In order to hide and protect yourself fully, you must not say his name. The act of saying it draws him or those loyal to him to you." She stated recalling the episode with Jaymes, in which after saying her then fiancées name her and her brothers arrived. She decided she needed to add an apology to her message. "I'm so sorry Tonks; I failed to locate Remus for you. I hope you are safe, Maria." She allowed the cat to run out of the house.
She closed her eyes, and in her minds eye what she hoped would come true. In her daydream, she saw her husband wand to wand with Harry Potter. Some sarcastic words were being exchanged between them. Energies from their wands collided. Her husband lay dead. Bellatrix was being restrained by Rodolphus and Rabastan as she screamed out her menace and grief. She only tore herself from this happiness because of the almost frantic knocking at the door. She came to her senses, feeling more drained than she was earlier, still cheerfully she said at the intrusion "Come in…" The door swung open and in the doorway stood her husband.
"Time's up. Let's go."
"Let me get the children and I'll be at Malfoy Manor. They are far too young to apparate."
"Fine. Use the floo lines."
"Go. I'll follow you, my dear husband."
"Be quick, it's 11:45. Pettigrew and Yaxley have already moved your things into your new room."
"Don't sound so dire. I will be there." He left the room and she was left feeling a mixture of exhaustion and excitement. She left the room and casually strolled to the nursery. She entered and saw her father leaning over the green bassinet. "Are you going to let me take my son anytime soon?"
"This isn't right Athena. You could always go to Sam and Liam. He doesn't know where they live."
"I'll be fine father. If I ran now, he'd track me and hurt everyone that I love just to prove his power over me. I know what I'm doing." She said clearly not believing her words.
"Do you know how to brew that potion?"
"I will if you'd give me the step by step instructions." He held out his hand with a piece of parchment in it.
"I thought that you'd ask. I've written the instructions so even a first year muggle-born in their first potions class can understand them."
"I'm not that bad at potions."
"How many cauldrons have you gone through in your schooling? By my count at least twenty have met with bad endings."
"Point taken..."
"Lucius shouldn't miss the ingredients."
"Thank you daddy." He began to tear up. She picked Grant up, and placed him gently into his portable bassinet. "Does Nadia have Kali?"
"Yes, she's almost done changing her."
"Nadia, when you are done with Kali could you bring her to me?"
"I'm already done, I was only saying goodbye to her.:
"Thank you. Please put her into her portable bassinet and bring them both to the fireplace."
"I will Athena." Athena kneeled down and hugged the elf. She kissed her forehead.
"Thank you for everything Nadia, I am going to miss you." She got to her feet. "Now, please help me."
"Of course Athena…"
"Goodbye Nadia."
"Goodbye Athena, you are the kindest mistress any elf could hope for." Nadia took the twins and left the nursery. He father put his arm around her as they walked.
"I could tell her to go with you.""
"No. It's far too dangerous for her."
"Just like…"
"I know mom. I get it father really I do. I am just like mom. The more you say it the less I believe it. I do love you daddy."
She put Grant in his harness, and held Kali in her arm, she held strong to the fine powder. She took one last look at her father, and the now sobbing Nadia. She cleared her throat and spoke clearly the words she wished she didn't have to say. "Malfoy Manor." In a swirl of green she was gone. As the grates passed before her eyes she felt more and more uneasy. Once she arrived at the Malfoy's home she stepped out of the flames. She was greeted by the elder Malfoy.
Lucius was kneeling down. "Welcome my queen!"