**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Some of our readers have voiced irritation at the fact that Blaise Zabini and Ronald Weasley are becoming a sexual pairing. While SisterGryffin wishes you to understand that Hermione is NOT being excluded from the equation, SisterSlytherin asserts that this is one facet of the story that will remain as written. Our story is already penned to paper. For our computer-world readers, we are putting it out there digitally. We completely respect your right to your opinions, and understand that you can read elsewhere, but we will continue to present our story as written.
Lucius settled down in the den after everyone at back at the manor had settled for the night. He joined Severus Snape and his partner Tonks and relaxed with a drink in his hand. "So, Severus…" said in a thoughtful tone. "Do you think we have enough to arrest Parkinson…?"
Severus glanced at him and smirked at the perseverance of his old friend. Despite the little snippets of information he was grudgingly given, he had clearly discovered who they believed to be behind it all. It had only been a matter of time; the head of the Malfoy family was not, after all, a fool. "I believe there is enough to arrest…"
"Arrest, yes: but not enough to convict." Tonks sighed softly. "She has been quite clever in her manipulations… she's been careful to use only Hermione's wand when she's done the most criminal acts; that way she will be held completely responsible for everything that has been done, unless we can gain proof of the fact that Pansy was the one actually performing the magic. Even evidence presented by pensieve can be tampered with, after all…'
"Very true." Lucius agreed.
"Dora believes, as do I, that the best method to prove who is truly behind this is to get Parkinson to show her hand; to catch her red-handed harvesting 'donations' from unconsenting wizards."
"Makes sense." Lucius said, nodding. "What is to be done about all of the children…? Potter's offspring and the Malfoy children…? Do we remove them from the people who purchased them?"
Nymphadora sipped her juice. "Temporarily, all will be taken from their families." She said plainly. "It's the only plan of action that will ensure we get them all. If we get proof of the innocence of the mothers and the proper rearing of the children, the children will be returned to their families."
"Of course, all documentation must be examined, and signatures analyzed, and there will of course be testimony by veritaserum. Each of the children must be individually examined to ensure they are not being abused before they can be returned." Snape answered.
"It must be done all at once; we've got to get every one of the Potter babies at the same time or they'll vanish." Lucius said softly.
She smirked at his comment. "We've thought of that already… we've got the addresses of each of the children. We've even got a plan to remove each and every one of the babies generated by this scheme at the same moment; including the mothers who are still carrying children." Nymphadora answered.
Lucius eyed her. She may have been in Hufflepuff, but there was quite a sharp mind under that insane shock of pink hair. That was probably what attracted Snape to her… "I assume you have a plan to get Parkinson to show her hand…?" he asked, sipping at his drink. He'd taken the time to track down the brand of whiskey that Harry had served him, Tullamore Dew… Rather difficult to find in the regular muggle shops; they'd had to order it in for him. He had brought a bottle over to Severus this evening but he was being much more careful about the amount he consumed tonight.
"Naturally… We're setting it all in motion tonight, if Harry gives us the go-ahead… I'm sure you have all the potions I'll need to get the information I need, Sev…?" Nymphadora asked.
"I've been brewing and stockpiling veritaserum since all this began." He said calmly.
Tonks smiled warmly at him. "I knew I could count on you, Sev…"
"There should never even be a shadow of a doubt." He agreed calmly.
She gazed over at Snape, still seated in her favorite squishy chair. "It won't be until after we take Parkinson into custody that we take Mrs. Weasley into custody…"
"I have been told by a contact at the Ministry that she has filed for a divorce… she bears close watching. Waiting may be a mistake; she may become a flight risk…" Lucius informed her.
Nymphadora shrugged, completely unconcerned with the possible threat of an attempted run by the younger witch. "I really doubt it, considering the amount of work she's done to help us. Besides, it doesn't matter what paperwork she does; she has one of my trackers on. I'll be able to find her anywhere she goes; so she won't get far…"
He arched an eyebrow at her. "And she put this on willingly…?"
"Yes. She's done everything we've asked." She said firmly.
Lucius looked thoughtful. "Hm… and when will all of this happen…?"
"By the end of the week; I can't be more specific than that. I really do want to get all this over with." Tonks answered in a weary tone.
Severus sipped the whiskey delicately. "And this plan you discussed with Potter last night…?"
She shrugged. "Not sure if that's going to happen at all. Harry needs to talk to the other two 'targets' first and see if they're willing to cooperate…"
He wasn't about to let it rest at that. "And you…? Tell me she doesn't have another night like you spent with her planned…" Snape eyed her. It had taken her days to return to her normal self, and he did NOT want her exposed to that again. He would have to personally kill whoever hurt her like that ever again…
Tonks made a disgusted noise at that thought. "Gads, no… She hasn't scheduled anything. And I'm not going if she does."
"Good. I wouldn't allow you to go, anyway." He grumbled.
"I'm glad Remus brought you into our lives…" she gave him a soft smile. "You've been very good for us…" she unwound herself from her chair, rose and moved over to him, plopping down on the couch beside him and snuggling close as she slipped her arms about him. Lucius smirked, watching them.
Severus still felt rather odd about his relationship with her, but he did not draw away from her. "You and Remus have been very good fro me as well… I'm certain I would never have survived without you. Things were out of control for a long while there…"
"Yes, but together, we got by."
"True…" he said, resting one arm about her.
Hermione gazed at the list she had of potions… she knew the purpose of most of them in the lab: Fertility potions, strengthening solutions, blood-replenishing potions, calming draughts, magical cleaning solutions, pepper-up potions… these all made sense in the day to day operations of the clinic. But she saw no practical purpose in having a large multiple-dose bottle of Gregory's Unctuous Unction. That stuff was only used to force people to like you… was that was Pansy was using to get people to trust her…? That was one thing that could work to help her get close to Ron. She had to tell Nymphadora about that… There was one other potion she had never seen before; stored behind all the others and sealed in an almost hidden compartment…
She donned gloves before touching the compartment and pulled out the potion bottle, frowning at it. What was this…? She'd never seen a potion quite this shade of crystalline blue with a faint opalescent sheen on the top. She took the bottle and poured a tiny dollop, just enough for analysis, into another vial. She took that to her desk and pulled out the glass beaker that served as her cauldron while at work… before long she had an identification potion brewing that even Professor Snape would have approved of. She began to identify each of the items that made up the unknown potion. As the list developed, she thought at first it was one she knew how to brew herself; the Strengthening Solution… but the ingredient of Salamander blood never surfaced. Instead, one she knew was actually harmful was identified. "Kreshweed Fibers…?" she murmured, looking at the tiny shreds that had given the potion its opalescent sheen.
The properties of that particular plant fiber were not desired in any potion that would be given to any wizard or witch; especially a pregnant one. The main purpose of THAT plant was to drain a magical person of their power… As a wizard's pregnancy was maintained by his own magic, it was very possible that a good dose of this could have been used to force the miscarriage. It would not be something that anyone would think to look for either. "Pansy, you're such a devious heartless bitch…!" she whispered. She carefully took the bottle that had levels lower than the others and slipped it into a baggie then into her bag. There might be trace evidence on it to indicate who had actually handled the item…
She bit her lip, thinking hard. The missing samples had to have gone somewhere… oh…! Oh, Merlin… she turned her eyes to the personal workstation of the only full-time and permanent lab technicians here in the center. August Bebel.
He was a squib that Pansy's father had taken a particular interest in. A 'charity case', Pansy called him with a particularly nasty sneer. She never had treated him with any sort of respect behind his back, but was quite standoffish and basically ignored him when he was around.
He had been attending specialized classes in various countries; Switzerland, Japan, Germany, America and even here in Britain. Hermione had been taking many of the same classes but had not begun her overseas classes as of yet. With her daughter she had been unable to take advantage of those… but he had done it all and was at least four years ahead of her in studies. And he was the only other one that had any knowledge about the process of fertilization and gene replacement within the clinic… He was the one performing the "special" processes… he had to be! She'd never thought about what he did here; he was always assisting everyone and put out as much work as everyone else… He never talked to anyone and was always quietly working away…
Besides… the main spell that Pansy used for thieving the sperm was a German spell, she was certain of that… and where else would she have learned of that? Probably picked it up on the same trip with her father about five years ago that had resulted in the arrival of Bebel and his immediate appointment at the clinic.
She moved to his station and turned on his computer, only now realizing just how much specialized equipment he had: his own cryogenics freezer; several sets of pitri dishes and other tools, all of the absolute highest quality; a computer system of a much higher capacity than hers… oh yes. Pansy might look down at him but it was clear someone… Pansy's father…? It had to be. He had to be the one behind all of this, somehow… but what the hell were they up to? She used her administrative password to open the system and access his files.
She pulled up file after file, reading the complex and cryptic notes that she doubted anyone else could understand… she didn't spend the time needed to read them; she knew that August usually came in early and it was already past four… she began printing off file after file.
While the files were printing, she began inventorying everything in his personal storage, feeling that she had to get this done as quickly as possible and leave little or no trace of her having done so…She didn't know when they were going to get Pansy or when they were going to close down the lab and she didn't want to alert anyone to the fact that she was figuring out what was REALLY going on…
In the cryo freezer she found several samples with coded identifications… they were eggs, and at least two dozen embryos… Whatever he was working on was an ongoing project. The information she needed was in those blasted files… she glanced at the printer. Nearly out of paper… she moved over quickly and refilled the printer, then glanced at some of the printouts. What she read was disturbing. Complete removal of the female DNA, that she knew how to do… but complete erasure of any DNA…? Hermione suddenly snatched up all her papers and stuffed them in the rucksack she'd brought along… she had to study all this and make sure of what she thought she was seeing… then she needed to contact Tonks. If it was what she thought they were trying to do, the entire Wizarding World was in greater danger than if Voldemort had survived…!
Draco moved down the hallway early the next morning; he wanted to have another glimpse of those precious little blonde babies… the room they had converted into a nursery was once Narcissa's sitting room; she had moved her things to another room farther down the hall so they could have a room with a door directly connecting to their bedroom the better to monitor the babies. He came round the edge of the door and stepped into the early morning sunlight spilling from the room… and stopped.
Lucius Malfoy was already in the room, and Draco could see he was in the middle of tending to one of the babies. His father was dressed in his pajamas, wearing a robe left untied and open. His hair was drawn back and bound by a black ribbon at the nape of his neck, and he was… oh Merlin. He was changing the baby… actually changing his nappy himself…
Draco watched as his father tended to the baby, dropping the used nappy in a basket without ever losing physical contact with the infant. He spoke in a soft and tender mumble to the child; not the imitation babytalk that most grownups seemed to use when talking to infants, but a soft dialogue, treating the child as if it could understand every word he spoke. The baby began to whimper and Lucius whispered "Hush now, little one… I'm here…" he said as he scooped up the baby and held her in his arms, cradling her closely in one elbow as he walked slowly from one side of the nursery to the other. He began to hum a soft soothing song as he picked up a bottle and began to feed the tiny girl.
Draco was sure he'd never seen his father so enamored of anything… he was clearly smitten with these little ones… He glanced about as he felt Harry's arms slip about him, giving Harry a soft smile.
"Morning baby…" Harry whispered, kissing Draco's neck.
"Morning love…" Draco answered, snuggling back against him, his eyes going immediately back to his father in fascination.
"We're watching your father…?" Harry murmured softly.
"Yes… I've never seen him so focused on anything…" Draco murmured. "Even when I was little, I rarely saw any kind of attention from him…" he said softly. Harry held him, letting Draco work his way through what he was thinking. "Harry… I don't want you to be angry with me…" he began.
The question rather surprised Harry. "Whatever would I be angry with you about…?"
"Father needs a second chance." He said softly.
"You mean…?"
"He loves them so… I've only met them. They're so precious; such tiny things… look how amazing he is with them…" he said in a quiet tone. "Both he and mum… the children need my parents as much as my parents need the children. They've given them new life, a purpose… we have Angel, and we have our son… and we'll have more to fill our home before the month is out…"
"Where the twins live and who care for them is, as it always has been, your choice my dragon. I told Lucius that before. I meant it. So whatever decision you make, I will stand by you…"
"Thank you, Harry…" Draco smiled, contented.
Draco heard Harry laugh softly against his ear, his breath warming his neck. "You know, dragon; I never would have believed he was such an old softie… if I'd have known how deeply a baby would touch him, I'd have found a baby for him years ago…"
"Harry…!" Draco scolded with a soft laugh.
Lucius heard his son's laughter and looked over, raising an eyebrow. "Something amuses you, son…?" He asked, though most of his attention clearly remained on the baby.
"Not amusing… fascinating. I've never seen you with a baby before, father…"
He smirked at the comment. "Well, I have had practice…"
"You and Narcissa have done a fantastic job with them…" Harry smiled. Lucius settled the baby on his shoulder, patting her back to encourage her to burp.
"Have you fed them both already…?" Draco asked, moving in.
"Yes; fed, bathed, and changed… I couldn't sleep." He shrugged.
Draco lifted the other baby into his arms. "They're such sweet little things… barely a handful…"
His father laughed softly. "Oh, yes; very delicate and sweet… just remind yourself of that when it's three in the morning and they're both screaming their little lungs out, demanding to be fed…"
"I know it won't be easy; I've never thought it would be, father…" Draco chuckled softly.
"It's well worth all the work, though." Harry added without hesitation.
"Indeed…" Lucius kissed the baby, who was drowsing after a healthy burp. "They are worth more than anything that money or power can buy…"
"Have you plans for today, Harry…?" Draco asked, looking over at him.
He nodded after a moment. "I need to talk to Blaise… and Ron too, later…"
"All right, but until then you're all ours…"
"Daddy…?" Angel murmured, moving up to join them, rubbing one eye sleepily. She stopped, staring at Lucius and Draco holding the tiny infants. Her face lit up with joy and she jumped up and down. "Oh Daddy, look…! Daddy, Papa had TWO babies…!" she squealed with delight.
Draco laughed. "No, honey; see…?" he rubbed his round belly. "Look; your brother is still snug inside my tummy… these babies…" Draco glanced at his father. "These babies belong with Nonno and Nona…" he finished in a soft tone.
Lucius looked startled, then more pleased than his son had ever seen him before. "Son…" he said in a deeply heartfelt tone of gratitude and happiness. His son trusted him enough to give him a chance with these two…
"Nonno has babies…?" she asked, running over to him. "Oh, Nonno…! Can I see, please…?"
Lucius moved over and sat in the rocking chair. "Come up, my own…" he smiled. She moved to him and clambered up onto his lap, gazing at the baby in rapt fascination as she sat down. He slipped a supporting arm about her. "You must meet my kittens…"
"But they're not kittens, Nonno…!" she giggled softly.
"Sometimes when they cry it sounds like a kitten…" he said, chuckling. "This one is a girl, and her name is Lillian Cassiopeia… and the little boy that your papa is holding is Remus Severus…"
"Ooh I like their names, they're very nice Nonno… can I hold them please…?"
Lucius helped her to hold the baby, his own arm around her and supporting them both. "There you are… see…? Isn't his hair fuzzy like a kitten…?"
She stroked his head, eyes sparkling. "Oh… yes, it's fuzzy but silky too. Like your hair, and Papa's, Nonno…" she answered. "Can I please help you take care of them…?"
Lucius smiled as he cuddled the children. "Yes, my own. You may help me care for them, but you must never pick them up by yourself… agreed…?"
"Yes, Nonno, I promise… I know about babies. I promise I'll be extra super careful and be really good…"
"And how did you get so smart, knowing about how to care for babies…?"
She turned her pretty leaf-green eyes to the baby, stroking his hair gently. "I used to get in trouble if I touched any of the babies… they'd yell and scream so much at me…"
"The babies…?" he asked, a bit confused about what the child was talking about.
"No, not the babies, the foster parents… the second family, the third and the fifth all had babies… I was never allowed to touch the babies but I still got to help. I fetched washrags and towels and they let me help take out the dirty nappies and clean up after the babies… sometimes I even got to pick out what the babies would get to wear…" she said, smiling, then her smile faded a bit. "I didn't mean to be bad, but I couldn't help it; I just wanted to touch them and show them I loved them too. Babies are so pretty Nonno…"
"She was in several foster homes since she entered the system." Harry told his father-in-law in a soft tone.
"I see." He answered, quite taken aback that anyone would make a child of four or five do all that work to assist in tending to infants. "Well, my Angel, you're in my home now. You may touch the kittens all you like; it is a very good thing for them to know they are loved. And when they are bigger, you can all play together…"
"When will that be…? Will they really want to play with me…?" she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.
"Of course they will…but they have much growing to do first."
"Okay Nonno…" she said, looking back at the baby with pure love on her face. She leaned over and kissed the infant's soft fuzzy head with delicate care. "I love you baby…" she said softly.
"Come, angel. Let's go get you some breakfast…" Draco said.
"Can't I stay and help a little while with the babies, Papa…?"
Lucius chuckled softly. "Now, Angel, I've fed and changed and bathed them already… they are ready to be laid down for a nap now. You will most certainly help me with them when they wake…"
"Promise, Nonno…? Promise for real…?" she said, eyes pleading for the truth.
"I give you my word, Angel. Upon my name and honor as a Malfoy. I will fetch you myself when they are due to be fed next time. Agreed…?" he smiled reassuringly.
"Okay…" she handed the baby back with infinite care, then slipped down and moved to her father. Lucius' smile faded a bit. The poor thing… so used to being lied to, to being betrayed… well she'd never have to worry about that from him. He would never tell this little girl a lie.
"Let's get you ready for the day, shall we…?" Harry smiled at her.
"Okay Daddy…" she slipped her hand into his. Harry and Draco moved off as Lucius gave his new son a kiss, placing him in the bed beside his sister.
Blaise couldn't help but notice the mood that had hung about Ron all day long. He was much more withdrawn than normal when they arrived home from practice later that afternoon, though he had put an incredible amount of effort into his workout for the day. His efforts had greatly impressed the coach, and were noticed by everyone on the team. Positive comments and praise given to him for the work was just met with an offhanded shrug and a mumble; something was definitely bothering him.
"Would you like some tea, Ron…?" Blaise offered. "I can put the kettle on…"
"Yeah… sure… thanks, mate. I gotta put my gear up…" He said softly then turned away to go to his borrowed room. He took an inordinate amount of time putting his gear away, taking time to clean each item before he placed it where it belonged. He then ensured that the entire room was put to rights; bed made and room spotless before he returned to the kitchen.
Blaise had waited for him, and had prepared a plate of small sandwiches and cookies, setting them on the table. Ron glanced at the food and sighed, finding he had little appetite. "Good practice today, eh…?" he asked, attempting a harmless conversation as he poured some tea.
"Yes; I think we'll actually have a shot at the cup this year." Blaise agreed, frowning ever so slightly. He didn't like that Ron had hardly eaten anything in nearly a week.
"Yeah…" Ron agreed, and then grinned faintly. "You know, Blaise, this is the closest I'll have been to the World Cup since I watched it that third year of Hogwarts…" he said, eyes on his tea as he stirred in the milk and sugar he had added.
Blaise smiled at the memory. "I remember that game; I went with Draco."
"I was so bloody excited about that stupid game… I must have been mad to obsess so much over Viktor Krum. All I wanted to do was watch him fly; I didn't even really pay attention to the game. I didn't even mind that the Irish beat the Bulgarians…" he admitted with a faint smile. "I remember seeing Draco; he said some thing or another that was typically suited to the prat he was at the time… I don't remember seeing you there…"
"I saw you." Blaise said, sipping his tea. "You were three levels above the Minister's box, and three full sections east…."
"Yeah… I think you're right. I really wasn't paying attention…" he admitted.
"I think I watched you more than I watched the game."
Ron looked at him, surprised. "You… what…?"
Blaise smiled. "You were beautiful. You still are."
"I'm really nothing special…" he said, blushing and looking confused… and something else. The redheaded wizard laughed softly. "Compared to Harry and Draco, I'm really nothing to look at, you know…" he said softly, staring back at his cup of tea. "You're the one who's drop-dead gorgeous… and you've only gotten better looking over the years…" he said softly.
The dark-skinned wizard interrupted his self-deprecating diatribe. "Ron; I liked you from the first moment I saw you on the train to Hogwarts. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean that everyone around you can't…"
"You did…? I… thought you were really interesting too…" Ron admitted quietly. "But…" he shrugged and sighed. "It doesn't matter. None of it does. You're married, and you're family…" he said, although Hermione's words began to ring in his head. 'Keep your mind open, Ron… the one to get you through is closer than you think…'
Blaise slipped his hand over Ron's. "Charlie would welcome you into our bedroom, Ron… You may not realize it, but you've always had a place with us…"
Ron gazed at the hand over his, his heart skipping a beat. "I… but… but Blaise, I can't… I won't… Charlie's my brother…" he murmured, his face flushing.
"And why not…?" A third voice spoke up, and Ron looked about sharply to see that Charlie had arrived home and had been listening to their conversation, leaning casually on the doorframe of the kitchen with a clear grin on his face.
Ron pulled his hand out from under Blaise's, his blush deepening. "I… he's yours, Charlie, he's your husband…!" He stammered, behaving as if he had been caught cheating, snogging or more right there on the kitchen table.
Charlie moved over to his brother. "You know, Ron…" he said, picking up a cookie and sitting down beside his brother at the table. "Let me tell you something about my chaser here. Blaise's mum was a full-blooded Veela… and she put seven husbands in the ground. Just plumb wore them all out… and I'll tell you. Every one of them died a happy man…" he said with a fond grin at Blaise. "My husband takes after her… and I tell you, he's more than I can handle most of the time." He said conversationally, smirking slightly at how much his brother was blushing to hear such things.
"Well, I… I knew he had Veela in him…" he mumbled.
"And Veela are very demanding, extremely sexual beings." Charlie went on. "That's why we have such an open relationship, Blaise and I… because he's just too much for this old Dragon-Tamer to handle. I wouldn't mind a bit of help, keeping him happy…"
"You… you're okay if we…?" he asked, looking slightly dazed and unsure about everything.
Charlie chuckled. "Okay with it…? Merlin…! When he comes home after two weeks on the road playing Quidditch, I have to take three days off work just to recover…"
Ron finally looked up at Blaise, who could see the shadow of desire in his eyes, greatly restrained. He was clearly unsure of the entire situation and how it would look to everyone… He attempted to quash it, lowering his eyes again. "But what about… Mum and dad…? I couldn't, it wouldn't be right, I…"
To his surprise, Charlie outright laughed. Ron looked up at Charlie, confused worse than before. "Mum and dad…?" he repeated, chortling.
"Well, yeah… you ARE my brother…!"
"THEY're the ones who suggested I have an open relationship…!" his elder brother answered, taking a big bite of the cookie. "Bloody hell, Ron…! I went to them in my first year of marriage to Blaise, hoping they'd have an answer to help me figure out how to keep up with him, what to do…"
"I didn't realize I was wearing him out…" Blaise grinned sheepishly.
"It was mum who sat us down and talked to us both… she heard us both out, and then recommended we find another partner for Blaise, to help him to stay… well, sexually satisfied."
He looked shocked by the revelation. "… mum…?!"
"Yes, Mum. She's taken every bit of our families and relationships without even a hiccup… dad had a little more trouble dealing with things from time to time… Oh, he's accepted us without any problems now, but at first he wasn't too thrilled with the idea of my bonding to a wizard." Charlie explained. "It was also mum who noticed how you were always looking at Blaise during our big family get-togethers."
"I didn't… I mean…" Ron stammered
"Sure you did. But it's all right, Ron; really. I know how sexy Blaise is even when he doesn't try to turn on that Veela charm…" Charlie smirked. "And mum suggested that we ask you to be that partner for Blaise way back then… I was going to ask you the day you announced to the family that you were going to marry Hermione. I dropped the idea then. Neither of us wanted to get in the way of your new family…"
"Hermione said she wanted someone to take care of you. Who better than someone who is happily married but wants to ensure you stay happy…?" Blaise asked softly. "Someone who cares for you and always has…?" he reached out and brushed his hair back from his eyes. "You know, Ron… if you join us… you'll never be alone again…"
"I don't like to be alone…" he whispered, biting his lip, taking the cup and tea and holding it in both of his hands. "It hurts… when I'm alone." He said softly.
Blaise rose and moved behind Ron, slipping his arms about his shoulders and giving his shoulders a gently massage. "No one will ever force you; I'll be the last to ever do that. It's your choice, Ronnie… but you don't ever have to be alone again…" he said softly.
Ron felt tears welling in his eyes and he closed them, allowing himself to relax back against Blaise. "I don't want to let her go…"
"I'd never ask that of you… but you will be ours forever and hers as well." Blaise murmured softly in his ear.
"Forever sounds just about long enough…" he murmured softly.
Charlie smiled and rose from the table, stuffing the last bit of cookie into his mouth. "Well, I think I'll just let you two discuss things… I'm going to go pick up Rosie from the dance studio… she's due out at three, right Ron…?"
"Yeah… but it's only two-thirty…" Ron said, glancing at the clock.
"Thanks, Charlie…" Blaise smiled.
"That's all right, not a problem. I can watch her rehearse." He grinned and turned away, moving out humming a merry tune. He was certain that his brother would go all chaste and shy again if he remained; he would rather allow them to let nature take its course…
Blaise looked about as the floo activated later that evening. He'd just gotten out of the shower and was toweling his hair dry when he trotted down the stairs to see who Harry step out, dusting the soot off his clothes. "Harry…!" Blaise smiled warmly. "Nice to see you again… how's Draco? Big as a house yet…?"
"Not yet… but getting there." Harry laughed. "He's getting quite a tummy... as beautiful as a winter rose…"
"Get pictures. Lots of them…" he recommended, continuing to dry his hair for a moment.
"Oh, I have; scads of them. Draco loves attention but he's threatened me within an inch of my life if I take more than twenty photos a day. Accuses me of turning into another Colin Creevey…" Harry chuckled softly, then sobered, glancing around. "Is Ron about…?"
"Oh, most definitely..." He said, turning back to the stairs. "Ron..! Hey Ron..! Charlie! Harry's here…" he called.
Ron trotted down the stairs, combing out his damp hair as he moved. "Oh, hi Harry… good to see you…" he smiled, looking happier than Harry had seen him since this whole mess had begun.
Harry looked from Blaise to Ron, his grin growing. "Ron…?"
"It's not what you think… really…" he started, blushing instantly. "Well… maybe it is, but… Hermione's okay with it, and so is Charlie, I just…"
"There's nothing wrong with it, you know…" Harry laughed reassuringly. "I already knew that Charlie was okay with it; he and I talked all the time about the possibilities that could arise if you ever needed a place to stay…"
"Did he talk to EVERYONE about it…?" he asked, embarrassed.
"Pretty much." Blaise smirked. "Everyone but Ginny…"
Ron made a face. "Just lovely…"
"What I want to know, though, is if you're okay mate." Harry asked softly. "I mean with Hermione and all…?"
Ron's smile faded and he shrugged. "I dunno…" he said, looking down. "I mean, she came over and we had this horrible scene where she tried to convince me that divorcing me would be the best thing for everyone…"
"I knew she'd ask you for it… what did you do…?" Harry asked.
"I told her she was absolutely mental to even consider it and I threw the bloody papers into the fire… But then, she… she told me to find someone else…"
Harry moved over to him. "We'll get through this; you know I'm right here with you, mate…"
"Yeah, I know… I've got you and Rosie and Blaise and Charlie to keep me going. I really didn't know what to do…"
"Well you can curl up with me anytime, even if it's just a platonic snuggle. I'd rather have more, but that'll be by your choice. You won't be hiding from the world or giving up on yourself anytime soon if I have anything to do with it, Ron." Blaise smiled.
"I know; I won't, I promise." He smiled warmly, giving Harry a grin as well.
"So what's up, Harry…? I'm assuming this isn't a casual visit or Draco would be here too…" Charlie spoke up, trotting down the stairs as well, tugging a shirt on.
Harry grinned softly at the older Weasley boy. "Always straight to the point, eh Charlie…?"
"Can't help it; it's become more than just a habit. Kind of dangerous to do anything else when you work with dragons." he shrugged with a grin.
"I've come to ask your help."
"Ask; you know we'd do anything for you and Draco." Ron said simply.
"Like a drink, Harry…?" Blaise offered. "You know, you can sit down, too…"
"Perhaps we all should have a drink, and have a seat as well." Harry agreed.
"It's that mess Hermione's involved with isn't it?" Ron asked, moving to help Blaise get drinks for everyone.
Harry nodded, taking a seat in the red chair near the window. "Yeah… our best bet to ensure she gets to have credit for everything she's done is to catch Pansy red-handed."
Blaise looked curious. "Exactly how would we be able to do that?"
"Bait." Charlie said quite simply, understanding instantly.
"Bait…? But…oh… You mean…?" Ron knew exactly what Pansy was after; Hermione had just told him that. He blushed deeply and shuddered at the thought of Pansy 'harvesting' his sperm.
Harry nodded. "Exactly. She wants Ron and me most of all; she's already sold our sperm. She wants us so bad she'll make the mistake we need her to and stroll right into our trap. Let's give her a shot…"
"You mean… let her come here, and… and…" Ron looked disgusted. "I'd much rather have nothing at all to ever do with that murderous, vile, smarmy bitch…"
"I can take Ron's place. Use polyjuice…" Charlie offered.
"She wants you too, Charlie. If it was all four of us she wouldn't be able to resist for sure…" Harry answered as Ron and Blaise brought everyone drinks, taking seats as well.
"It's just… all of this is her fault." Ron said, scowling. "Even if some good came out of it…" he glanced at Blaise and blushed slightly. "That Parkinson is one evil, twisted git."
"I've registered blood feud against the entire Parkinson clan. I WILL take her down." Harry said with a soft growl.
"Are you sure she won't get anything from us…?" Ron asked.
"Certain. We've plans for that as well, thanks to Severus Snape."
Ron bit his lip and considered a moment, then sighed. "All right… what is it we have to do…?"
"Thanks Ron…" Harry gave his old roommate a grin and took a drink. The four settled down to discuss the plans and exactly how things were to proceed.
Pansy slipped behind the wheel of her Bentley Azure, taking a moment to smile as she stroked the steering wheel of the expensive muggle vehicle. It wasn't a bad thing, owning one of these silly things… it made lots of noise but got her more than a little attention whenever she went about her errands in the muggle world. Oh, she planned to buy quite a variety of these cars within the next year… sales were going incredibly well and she'd be able to afford to buy anything she wished…!
She licked her lips, smiling at her reflection a moment in the mirror. Oh, yes, everything was going swimmingly. Even daddy was happy with her and how things were proceeding. She'd just gotten a call from Hermione Weasley… or was she going to change it back to Granger now? She'd been separated from that husband of hers for weeks. It didn't matter what the bloody hell she called herself; if everything worked out this evening, she'd adopt her as a Parkinson!" Potter, Charlie and Ron Weasley, and Zabini all together in one nice neat little package… ohhh it was almost too good to be true. One fell swoop, and she would be a very, very wealthy witch. And since daddy had finished his little 'project' successfully, she would be retiring and vanishing out of this community of dullards… perhaps move to Germany…? She'd leave poor little Hermione holding the bag and all the blame for the entire operation… and a little call to the Aurors office to drop the hint of something smarmy going on would surely get her thrown in Azkaban for the rest of her pitiful little life. Oh. Poor thing… she grinned wickedly, pulling into traffic.
But she wasn't unprepared, if it did turn out to be a double-cross. She had been impressed with Hermione's performance at their little impromptu party in the hotel room, but something still nagged at her that this entire thing could be a trap for her, somehow. She had an emergency escape plan all set up; it was just perfect…
She released her grip on the wheel of the Azure, and it sped on through traffic on its way as it was spelled to do, doing all of the driving for her. It had definitely been worth the money to have that mad old wizard do those controlling spells upon the vehicle; she hadn't had to bother to try to learn to drive it. She relaxed to enjoy the view and the ride; soon she would meet up with Hermione and ride in her car to Blaise and Charlie's flat… Oh, this was going to be a night to remember… and Hermione had better not be late!
Harry answered his cell after checking the phone number. "Yes…? Oh, hey Tonks… yes. Everything is ready on our end. She's on her way, is she…? All right… Yeah. Okay, see you soon. Thanks…" he hung up and looked at the others. They were as ready as they could be for what was coming; none of them really knew what to expect. All they had to go on was what Tonks had seen during her 'party' with Pansy, and what Hermione had told them. Details on what she had used were far too sketchy for the liking of any of them. Ron seemed to be the most nervous of all about the entire thing.
Ron began to pace slowly. "Remind me again why we've invited that backstabbing, family ruining, hateful bitch over here…?" He requested, running his fingers nervously through his hair.
Blaise moved up behind Ron and wrapped his arms about him. "To send her directly to Hell, baby…" he murmured softly, kissing his neck.
Ron sighed, settling against him. "That's one reason I agreed to all of this… that and the fact that I trust Harry…"
"She thinks Hermione's arranged a meeting to reconcile with you… the word's been put out that you two have drawn up divorce papers. Tonks is going to be posing as Hermione, by the way…"
He nodded, only half-listening. "All right… I'll do whatever it takes… I want all this crap done with so we can just get on with our lives…"
"You don't have anything to worry about; I won't let her touch you…!" Blaise growled.
Charlie gave his brother a reassuring smile. "If I can stop a dragon, I can stop her, little brother. She's definitely not a dragon." He said, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder.
Ron smiled at him. "Yeah… I guess…"
"You three look good together." Harry grinned, making Ron blush.
"I just… I feel safe. And it all feels right… I just wish Hermione could be here too…"
"You belong with us." Blaise shrugged. "And she'll be with us when she can be…"
The younger redhead wizard sighed. "So how do I… how do I act toward her…? Pansy, I mean…"
"You've never liked Pansy anyway." Charlie shrugged. "Act however you want. She'd probably be suspicious if you were acting friendly, anyway."
"She was trying to drag me back into the back of the clinic to get me to have tea with her a couple of weeks ago; now I know why…" Ron said with a frown.
"Good thing you didn't or she'd have less reason to come tonight. I'm sure that Pansy will more than likely leave you to Hermione, since you've brushed her off before…" Harry answered.
"Yeah… and … I know its Tonks and not really Hermione, but that isn't gonna make it any easier…" he sighed.
"You worry too much, Ron." Charlie laughed teasingly. "You worry even more than mum does…!"
"I can't help it…" he shrugged.
"Just go and have a calming draught; they ought to be here soon." Charlie advised. Ron gave him a soft smile, still clearly worried, and moved off to get the potion. Charlie scowled, watching him go. "I don't really like any of this either, but we're gonna go through with it… damn that Pansy anyway…"
"Come on, dragon-tamer. Let's get it all set up…" Blaise led him off; following Harry as he led them all back into the living room.
Harry glanced at the clock, feeling highly impatient. Where the bloody hells were they?! They should have already been here by now…!
Ron jumped when the doorbell rang, still high-strung and nervous despite the calming potion he had drunk. "Bloody hell…!" he muttered.
"Easy, Ron…" Charlie said, moving to answer the door to find Tonks/Hermione and Pansy at the door, as expected. "Hi there…" he said in a welcoming tone. "Come on in…"
Ron rose to his feet, trying to conceal his emotions and his nerves. He found his eyes drawn to Tonks/Hermione and he felt it all come back… damn he loved her and wanted to be with her… was Harry really sure that wasn't the real Hermione…?
"I haven't seen you in a long time, Blaise…!" she beamed, smiling sweetly as she gave him a peck on the cheek and moved inside. She didn't seem like she was after anything but a very casual and friendly visit.
"Pansy…" he smiled. "You look really good… you know my husband, Charlie…?"
"Yes, of course… Ron's brother, right…?" she smiled. She was all manners and proper behavior, dressed in an outfit that hugged her youthful curves and made her appear years younger. "And Harry…! Good lord, it's been years… I heard the good news, congratulations…!" she moved over and hugged him. "It's fantastic…"
"Thank you Pansy... Draco's very happy as am I." Harry was able to answer in complete honesty.
She batted her eyes at him. "You simply have to bring him by for tea sometime; I haven't seen him since that horrible tragedy at the clinic…"
Harry forced himself to keep a bland smile on his face; he hated her more at that moment than he had hated anyone in his entire life, but doing anything would ruin the chances of catching her red-handed and getting what they needed to ensure her conviction. Once the courts had their say, he would be free to pursue his blood-feud with her. "It has been a while…"
"Far too long… you and Draco are such a sweet couple…"
"Hey 'Monie…" Ron said softly, unable to keep his eyes off her. Was Harry really sure that wasn't his wife standing there beside the door…? He couldn't see anything to tell him that it really wasn't…
"You look good Ron… I've missed you…" Tonks/Hermione said, walking over to stand near him.
"You… you look good too… Blaise is making sure I take care of myself…" he said, forcing his eyes away from her.
"Of course he is…! Blaise was always the motherly type…" Pansy grinned. "I'll never forget how he always took care of us in Slytherin House… he babied and mothered each and every one of us…" she smiled sweetly at Blaise. "You know, I'm surprised the two of you haven't had children yet…"
"Just not meant to be, I suppose…" Blaise shrugged. "Ron and Rosie are over all the time and Harry will be bringing his baby once he's born too…"
"I don't have anywhere else to go, unless I'm pestering mum and dad…" Ron said, licking his lips nervously. That damned calming draught wasn't helping… he was nervous and he could feel sweat breaking out on his lip…
"You know, Harry, I figured you'd be home with Draco, considering what his past pregnancies have been like…" Tonks/Hermione said.
"Oh, there's nothing to worry about at all; Draco is doing absolutely fantastically. Our son is strong and there's no trouble. He's over his father's house tonight, anyway…"
"Oh…? Lucius is all right with his son being pregnant with your son…? No offense, Harry, but I know how he despises you…"
"My contribution really doesn't matter… after all, it's HIS son that's pregnant, and it'll be HIS grandson once he's born. You know how he is…" Harry shrugged.
"True… After all, the baby is Draco's son; that makes him a Malfoy no matter who the father is…"
"Exactly." Harry nodded.
Pansy glanced at Tonks/Hermione and frowned. She was supposed to be getting close to Ron, how the bloody hell was she going to get him in bed to do the damned harvest if she couldn't even get close enough to touch him? Did she have to do every bloody thing herself?! "Hermione…? Don't you think you and your husband should go find a more PRIVATE place to talk…?" she asked pointedly.
"I need to… to go check the roast…" Ron murmured, turning and heading towards the kitchen.
"Ron… Ron, wait…" Tonks/Hermione said, but Ron only hurried through the door.
"Go AFTER him, Hermione…!" Pansy half-growled.
Tonks/Hermione glanced at the others and Harry gave her an imperceptible nod. They could handle Pansy. She turned and followed Ron through the kitchen door.
Charlie moved to the bar to pour a drink. "So, Pansy; tell us what you've been up to…?" he asked.
"Oh, more of the same… you know, making people's dreams come true…" she said, smiling as she strolled over, leaning on the bar.
"Oh…?" he leaned on the bar as well. "You know I never pictured you in the medical business. I figured you'd marry some rich bloke…"
She sighed melodramatically. "I couldn't find one that I liked that father even vaguely approved of… you married Charlie, and Draco went and married Harry… What's a girl to do…?"
"Your father would never have approved of either Harry or Charlie…" he scowled.
"He would have loved you or Draco, though…" she said, then shrugged delicately. "That's all in the past now, though…"
"Yes, but you, Pansy, are quite the wrong sex for any of us…"
"And that's such a tragedy…!" she pouted. "Are you all quite certain that the only gender you want is another male…?"
"I have my men; I need no others, and no women." Blaise slipped his arm about Charlie.
"Then I'll just have to carry on being single… at least until father dies." She said. "So tell me, what have all of you been up to…?
Harry sat on the couch, drink on the table. "Just work, Pansy. As always…"
"Never met a cause you couldn't take up for, have you Potter…?" she smiled, reaching for his drink. She twitched her hand ever so slightly and a small compartment on her ring fell open, concealed by her hand as she lifted the cup.
Harry shrugged. "Its what I do best…"
"You boys go sit down; I'll bring these drinks over…" she offered, taking Harry his now drugged drink.
Charlie moved to his easy chair, pulling Blaise down onto his lap and Pansy returned to the bar for the other two drinks. She picked the first glass up with her left hand, and then transferred it to her right as she picked up the second glass with her left smoothly. The drug dropped into each cup flawlessly… she brought them over to the two men in the chair and sighed. "You two do look good together… you know; perhaps I should travel; maybe my wizard is out there somewhere waiting for me in some foreign country…"
"Hum… maybe. You never know…"
"There has to be someone…" she laughed, sipping her own drink. Just carry on the conversation, and wait… "Come on, fellas…! Give me SOME hope here…!" she complained.
"They say there's someone for everyone… keep looking."
"Oh, I am… you fellows look so content maybe I should look at the witches for a change…"
That made Blaise laugh. "You? With a witch…? Now that I'd like to see…!"
She laughed as well. "Yeah… that IS a stretch, isn't it…?"
Harry checked his drink with a couple of muttered spells to detect spells or potions put into the drink… finding none, he relaxed back, sipping it.
Tonks/Hermione followed Ron into the kitchen; he was standing beside the door to the garden, looking hangdog and guilty. "Ron…"
"I don't think… look, Hermione, I… I'm sorry…" he said softly.
"What…? Wait, Ron, you don't understand…"
"I didn't mean to… I want to be loyal to you, I…"
She moved to him and he bowed his head. "Ron…!" she hissed at him in quiet tone, sounding much more like herself, glancing furtively back at the closed kitchen door. "I'm NOT Hermione!" she growled in his ear.
"Oh… Oh dammit. You just… you look so much like her…" he looked up at her, need and longing clear in his expression. "You even have her eyes…" he murmured softly.
"That's the general idea when I go undercover…" she answered, unable to help a very un-Hermione like smirk.
Ron gazed at her, reaching out to touch her cheek. "I keep forgetting how good you are at that whole changing thing…"
"I'm just doing my job… I need to get back in there. We're putting the boys in danger, leaving them alone in the room with her…"
"What do I do…?" Ron asked softly.
She pointed at the back kitchen stairs. "Go on upstairs, and stay there until we call you down. I'll just tell Pansy I've already dealt with you…"
"But she'll expect the… you know…"
She held up a vial with Ron's name on it, the expected white viscous liquid inside. "Taken care of… go. Hurry now." She said in a soft, urgent tone. Ron turned and hurried up the stairs in silence. Tonks/Hermione waited just a moment or two before pushing the door open, keeping the bottle in her hand.
Hermione dialed the phone, muttering soft curses under her breath. She had gone through everything; she had no doubt anymore… they had a lot more on their hands than she had even been aware of. She was still wrapping her mind about the facts that she had discovered through the course of the day. They definitely had to be stopped…
But something she had just found in her analysis of things she had brought home had nearly sent her into a panic. She had to warn Tonks, and do it right away! She tried Tonks' phone three times then recalled that she'd given her the phone she usually carried… she called that number as well and again, there was no answer the first time. Refusing to give up, she called a second time and to her surprise Severus Snape answered.
"Yes, Mrs. Weasley…?" he asked impatiently. "I have no time for you at the moment…"
"I don't need to speak to you anyway… Snape, please…!" She tried to put all the urgency she felt into the tone of her voice. "I need to speak to Tonks; it's highly important…!"
She could almost hear his sneer. "That isn't possible; she is more than a little busy at the moment…!" He growled softly. "You will simply have to wait…!"
"No! Tonks is in danger!" she snapped immediately.
"What?" he had been about to hang up; that simple statement had more than captured his attention.
"Pansy… she has a phial of Gregory's Unctuous Unction… I don't know if she has any on her, but she has it in the lab and she…"
Severus snorted with clear derision; he had for a moment thought that there was actual danger. "That's no danger to her…! Dora knows to look for such things…!" he retorted.
"Of course she does, but would she know to watch for muggle drugs…?!" Hermione demanded; she would NOT back down; she had make this snarky old snake understand!
That stopped him cold. "What muggle drugs…?"
"In the lab, in the other lab technician's station; I found both Ketamine and Rohypnol…!" she said in an urgent, worried tone. "I went to the lab and inventoried every item in there… I came across two phials and I brought small samples of them home to analyze them…"
"And you're certain of this…?"
"Absolutely certain! I'm in my car right now, on my way to Blaise's house… I tried to use the floo but it's blocked…! The phone doesn't even ring there, and Harry's phone is turned off… something is WRONG, Severus! Please! You have to help them! It'll be at least twenty more minutes before I can get there…!" she was nearly in tears but determined to get him to understand… the call ended at that moment as Severus apparated away.
Tonks/Hermione expected to walk back in to a group still quietly chatting; it had become quiet in there but she could still hear Pansy's voice. She and Ron couldn't have been talking any longer than a few minutes, after all…
Pansy was closing the last of the bottles… turning away from the three unconscious men lying sprawled on the floor, chair and couch. "Oh, excellent… didn't even bother sleeping with him…?" she asked in a biting tone. "You really are ready to leave the little hubby behind, aren't you…?"
"What did you do…?!" she demanded, hurrying over to check Harry.
"Such a worrier…!" she laughed softly. "I wouldn't do a THING to harm the supplier of my best selling product… Carpe Retractum…!" the spell snatched the bottle out of Tonks/Hermione's hand with a flick of her wand and it zipped across the room directly to Pansy's waiting hand. She slipped it away as well. "I've got what I wanted… and all is right with my world…" she said dreamily, then watched amused as Tonks/Hermione hurried over to check on Charlie. "They'll wake up a little cramped from how they're sitting in oh… about eight hours or so…" she said.
"But how…? Harry wouldn't take a tainted drink…! What spell did you use…?!" she asked, looking up at her sharply.
"Spell…?" she laughed. "Oh you really are simple, aren't you…? I wouldn't ever try to use a spell or potion on a Dragon Tamer or the husband of our lovely Draco Malfoy…"
"Drugs…?" Tonks/Hermione looked horrified. "But Blaise has Veela blood! Muggle drugs can kill him!"
"Really…? Huh. I didn't know that… how interesting…" she said in a droll and clearly uninterested tone. "I thought you were in all this for the money, Hermione…"
"I'm not a murderer! I need to get Blaise to St. Mungo's!"
"So take him. Take them all; I really don't care. Have the clinic too; I'm finished slaving needlessly away in that horrible place." She said, her wand in one hand, the other touching the pendant on her neckchain.
Tonks/Hermione scowled and pulled her wand "Incarcerous!" She snarled.
"Protego!" Pansy snapped at the same moment. Her spell blocked most of the magical ropes moving to seize her and she snapped the pendant off her neckchain; the portkey it was activated and suddenly Pansy was gone.