The Wonders of Family
So I happened to come across the number to Ms. Rowling's personal assistant. He laughed when I asked if I could buy at least some rights to Harry Potter with one cent and told me I made his day :p I still own nothing, not even the Charmed Ones :(
"What are you doing?" Severus asked curiously.
Wyatt gasped, "He's not dead." He looked at everyone in the room. "But I can't heal him either. It's like his soul is floating in Limbo, waiting to be called back, but he is fading fast. If we don't do anything..."
"It can't be," Hermione whispered.
"Help him," Draco pleaded to Hermione.
"I can't Draco. You know there is no spell or potion to bring a soul back," Hermione said softly. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige shared a look and nodded in agreement.
"We can do it," Phoebe spoke up. Draco looked at her hopefully. "Don't worry Draco, we will do our best to put your father's spirit back."
"Wait," Hermione said. Draco looked at her. "I want to try something before you do." Hermione walked over to Lucius and grabbed his arm and started chanting in Romanian with her wand tip digging into Lucius's dark mark. A white-golden light flowed through his body and a smoky black snake left his arm through the mark, hissed at Hermione, then dissolved. Lucius Malfoy's dark mark was gone.
"How?" Severus asked, stunned. "No one has been able to get rid of the dark mark," he whispered in awe. "You've just accomplished the impossible."
"Can we figure out a way to bring my father back now?" Draco asked impatiently. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige surrounded Lucius in a circle around his body holding hands. The sisters chanted the same rhyme three times, after the third time the wizard suddenly gasped, his lungs starving for air.
"How? How is this possible?" He asked sitting up. "Draco!" He called and stood before his son, taking him into his arms. "My son!" He called out. "My son," he whispered.
"Father," Draco said quietly, unsure if he should return the embrace. Phoebe caught his attention and wrapped her arms around the air as if hugging it and nodded to him. Draco wrapped his arms around his father.
"My son," Lucius cried into Draco's shoulder. "I am so sorry Draco, so sorry. I love you so much. It hurts that I do not know how to express it. No one ever taught me how. I am so sorry."
Phoebe stood there crying. "So beautiful," she whispered. Severus looked at her curiously.
"She's an empath," Hermione whispered to Severus. Draco was still clutching tightly to her hand. Lucius released Draco and kissed his cheek, then composed himself and cleared his throat.
"I've yet to meet an empath," he said to Phoebe holding out his hand. "It is a pleasure," he politely bowed and layed a light kiss on the back of her hand. Phoebe gasped.
"What did you see?" Piper asked.
"I'm sorry," Phoebe said to Lucius then smiled at him and Hermione. "But your future will be so much better than your past," she smiled at Lucius.
"You have the Sight as well," Severus raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"May I?" Lucius asked.
"Excuse me?" Phoebe looked confused.
"Pardon me. I meant to ask if I may look into your thoughts," Lucius clarified.
"It is better one does not know their own future Lucius," Severus advised. "Just take her word for it and know it will be a happy one."
Lucius cleared his throat and nodded, "Of course. Thank you...very much..."
"Phoebe," she said, "and these are my sisters Piper and Paige, and my nephews Wyatt and Chris."
"It is a pleasure to meet you all," Lucius bowed in greeting. He looked at Hermione hesitantly, wondering.
"Just do it," Phoebe whispered, giving him a light push and winking. Lucius walked over to Hermione. She moved behind Draco and twitched nervously. Draco stayed his ground, protecting her from what may come.
"Thank you H-" Lucius stopped, unsure how to address her. "I am very sorry. I have done you wrong. I just ask please, please allow me to take care of you and our child. I know it will take a while to earn back your trust, but I plan on earning it."
"Thank you," Hermione said in a voice that was almost a whisper. "I would say you are forgiven but that will take time, along with learning to trust you again."
"Sorry to interrupt this little emotional exchange but we have been gone too long Draco. Lucius you need to hide. Everyone thinks you are dead and as you no longer have the dark mark the Dark Lord would not suspect you to be alive. Now...should we do away with MacNair or just his memory?" Severus asked thoughtfully.
"Would it not be better to have one less enemy Professor?" Luna asked in her airy voice.
Severus chuckled, "10 points to Ravenclaw Miss Lovegood." Draco and Hermione's jaws dropped. "Catching flies Draco, Madame Malfoy?" Severus smirked.
"You just gave points to a house other than Slytherin!" Draco exclaimed.
"Are you feeling well Professor?" Hermione asked and felt his forehead with the back of her hand. Severus sneered and smacked her hand away.
"Do mind your own business Madame Malfoy," Severus smirked at Hermione's reddened face. "15 points from Gryffindor for not minding your own business." Hermione huffed, then laughed.
"That is the Professor we all know and hate," Hermione smirked. Then shot a hex at him. "That's for calling me that name!" Lucius and Draco laughed as Severus undid Hermione's hex muttering to himself. "Next time I will take a leaf through Ronald's book and you will be vomiting up slugs!" Hermione warned him.
"Damn scary woman," Severus muttered. "How are we to address you then?" Severus asked. "I can neither address you as Miss Granger as you are now Malfoy, which you also do not like to be addressed as, and you have not given your permission to address you by your given name," he sneered.
"Professor Snape," Hermione held her hand out to him. "Please call me Hermione. Or Mione which ever you prefer," she shook his hand.
"Then call me Severus," he offered with a polite kiss on the back of her hand.
Hermione looked over to Lucius, "You may do the same Mister Malfoy."
"You may also call me Lucius," he said.
"If I may, I prefer Mister Malfoy for now," Hermione said lightly. He nodded in understanding.
"You still have permission to address me as such, though I shall await the day you do," Lucius gave her a small smile.
"We need to go Draco," Severus said. Draco looked at Hermione and his father standing a ways apart.
"You take care of her father. If one hair on her head is out of place you will have to answer to me," he threatened.
Lucius raised an amused eyebrow and smirked at his son, "I will guard her with my life." Draco turned his attention to Hermione and smirked.
"Please do the same for my father, Hermione. Though I think he would die again if his hair was messed with."
"You bugger!" Lucius raised his voice. Draco laughed.
"Have fun father," Draco paused then smirked. "Mother, be good while I'm gone."
"Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Hermione yelled and started shooting more hexes at Draco who dodged them, to the amusement of a laughing Lucius.
"I'll be good! I'll be good!" Draco laughed.
Hermione turned serious, "Promise you'll be careful." She hugged him.
"I always do," Draco said quietly, hugging her back then turned on the spot and was gone with a Pop followed by Severus. Hermione turned to Phoebe and Paige.
"That is apparition," she said.
"Your spies forgot a little something," Chris said, pointing to an unconscious MacNair. Lucius pulled out his wand and set the tip to his chin while he paced thoughtfully in front of MacNair's body. He didn't want to kill any more, he wanted to live his new reformed life without that. He should cause MacMair pain for all the pain he has caused others but that would mean using an Unforgivable, something he would chose to avoid now unless the situation was dire.
"Can you take away his mark Hermione?" Lucius finally asked.
"I can do my best," she said, then pulled out her wand, repeated the same words, and again, a white-golden light flowed through MacNair's body as he screamed in pain. Again a smoky snake rose up in the air, hissed at Hermione, then dissipated.
"What did you do to me!" MacNair demanded of Hermione. Lucius stunned him.
"Obliviate!" He said quietly, then lowered his wand after a minute.
"What did you erase?" Hermione asked.
"Everything," Lucius said softly. "I gave him a new life without magic."
"Why?" Luna asked.
"He never wanted to be a Death Eater." Hermione scoffed at Lucius's words. "His father forced him into taking the dark mark just as my father did to me," Lucius said looking straight at Hermione.
"The difference between MacNair and myself is he not once regretted his actions. One look into his mind would give me nightmares for weeks. Me-...I am sorry Hermione," Lucius's eyes pleaded. "I am sorry for everything."
Phoebe placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It's time to stop blaming yourself and move on. Though you should seek forgiveness for others you have wronged, it is also important that you forgive yourself."
Hermione took Lucius's hand hesitantly, "I do forgive you Mister Malfoy. I am just working on trusting you.
Lucius lightly squeezed her hand, "Thank you lo-Hermione," he corrected himself.
"Do you really? Or is that just a term of endearment and you use it sarcastically?" Hermione asked.
"Earlier I used it sarcastically, but who is to say it was not meant? Or did I not mean it?" Lucius smirked at Hermione. "Do you enjoy puzzles Hermione?" She nodded hesitantly and Lucius winked.
"Did you just wink?" Hermione asked.
"Now what do to with MacNair," Lucius said thoughtfully.
"Are you ignoring me?" Hermione asked incredulously, her voice raising slightly.
"Should I apparate with him to New York? That is a big city, easy to get lost in," Lucius continued.
"He is ignoring me," Hermione said to empty air, the others chuckled. "Besides Mister Malfoy you cannot under any circumstances apparate. We will not take the chance of old Voldy finding out you are alive."
Lucius chuckled, "Old Voldy. I do enjoy your sense of humour."
"I can orb him, leave him in front of a homeless shelter," Paige said. "Then bring Leo and Harry back." She orbed out with the unconscious man.
"Homeless shelter?" Lucius asked. "What kind of apparition was that?"
"Muggles cannot transfigure a home out of a rock or a tree," Hermione tried not to roll her eyes at the pureblooded wizard. "They provide shelters for people who do not have roofs over their heads." Hermione's galleon burned in her pocket.
'Find a new safe house soon. Get EVERYONE to safety' Draco wrote.
"That was orbing," Wyatt said. "Our mode of transportation."
Hermione showed Lucius her galleon, "What's this?" He asked reading it.
"Draco's and my means of communication," Hermione said.
"How do you write back?" He asked.
"Just place the tip your wand to it thinking of what you want to say," Hermione instructed.
'How long do we have?' Lucius wrote back, holding the galleon out for Hermione to see also.
'Less than two hours, maybe an hour at the most' was Draco's answer.
'Stay safe, both of you' Hermione wrote back while Lucius held the galleon.
'You too. Let Father know I really do love him. I'm sorry I could not express it out loud' Draco wrote. Lucius's eyes turned glassy while he read.
'I am sure he already knows but I will remind him' Hermione wrote back.
"Should we use a Fidelius charm before we leave?" Hermione quietly asked Lucius after a minute. He nodded.
"We have less than an hour to make ourselves scarce," Lucius addressed the Halliwell family, cutting their time shorter than Draco said they had. "I am sorry to say that includes your family also. Thank you for taking care of Hermione," Lucius said.
"My family's summer home has more than enough room for everyone," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Mister Malfoy and myself will be using a Fidelius charm on this home, with your permission, as a precaution when Voldy comes to look for it again he will not find it."
"What is a Fidelius charm?" Leo asked.
"It is like an invisibility cloak except it is over your whole home," Hermione explained, "and it can make one see something different in place of your home like an abandoned home, a forest, or maybe an empty lot. You also need a secret keeper, someone who knows the password to allow others to know of the location of your home. The secret keeper is usually someone you trust not to give away the location and password to an enemy."
"I think that is a safe idea," Phoebe said. Piper and Paige agreed.
"That is settled then. Who will be the keeper?" Lucius asked.
"Wyatt," Paige spoke up for the family and her sisters agreed.
"Gather what you need for now and I will arrange the safe house for us," Hermione ordered and took out her mobile phone, dialling a number. "Come stai Anthony?" (How are you Anthony?) Hermione greeted as she left the conservatory to find privacy. "Bonjour Clarence! Comment vas-tu?" Hermione continued. (Hello Clarence! How are you?)
"I will need to step outside for this," Lucius said while looking curiously after Hermione. "You all can wait here but I will need Wyatt to follow."
ChaRmEd
"Merci beaucoup Clarence. Grazie Anthony." Hermione finished.
"I have finished with the charm," Lucius said quietly to Hermione as she disconnected her call. He looked curiously at her muggle device.
Hermione sighed, "I've arranged three vans for us, they'll be waiting at P3. That is the name of your safe place?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, our children are waiting for us there too," Phoebe informed her.
"Are you sure your home will fit all of us?" Piper asked unsure if she knew how large the Halliwell family actually was.
Hermione only smiled and said, "Very." Lucius was becoming curious about his witch. "We will need to change our appearances," she instructed everyone then nodded to Luna and pointed her wand at Lucius and smiled. Everyone laughed.
"What did you do?" He asked and transfigured a mirror. "Ginger!" His voice rose and his cheeks turned a very light pink. "I am not a Weasley Hermione, nor would I ever choose to be one!" He sneered, then he pointed his wand at himself and changed his hair back. Hermione shook her head and changed his hair to a light brown and shortened it. "It is better than being a Ginger." He lengthened his hair and tied it back with his leather string, then pointed his wand at Hermione and handed her his mirror.
"I think I am too tanned for this colour," she said looking at her new white-blonde curly hair, then changed it to a darker blonde. "There, now I won't stick out as much." Lucius pointed his wand again and her hair grew. Hermione rolled her eyes and with a flick of her wand her hair twisted and knotted itself into a perfect braid wrapped around her head. Lucius smirked.
"Our child will be as perfect as you are," He whispered in her ear. Hermione blushed but was amazed at the Halliwell family's wandless glamour charms.
ChaRmEd*ChaRmEd*ChaRmEd*
"Are we there yet?" Phoebe's son asked again.
"I don't know Parker," Phoebe repeated. "Only Hermione knows."
"Are we there yet Herminny?" Parker asked Hermione for the millionth time.
"Can I silence him now?" Lucius whispered yet again, becoming just as irritated as the adults in the van. Hermione glared at him from behind the wheel.
"Do you see those lights in the distance Parker?" Hermione asked the impatient boy.
"Yes, what are they?" Parker asked getting excited.
"Those light belong to our new safe house. We are already on my property. We will be there in ten minutes," Hermione smiled at the now excited child.
"Yay!" Parker jumped up and down in his seat belt. Phoebe's eyes grew big and Lucius grew more curious.
"Is your family loaded?" Parker asked.
"Parker!" Phoebe blushed.
Hermione laughed, "That is for me to know."
"And me to find out?" Parker asked.
Hermione laughed again, "You will find out soon." All three vans stopped and their occupants stared wide-eyed at the Manor before them as they exited the vehicles.
"Lady Mione!" A middle-aged man greeted in a slight French accent. Then stared at the baby she just pulled out of a safety seat. "You didn't!" He accused, then started spanking her. Lucius barked out laughing.
"He's not mine!" Hermione kept yelling and running from the man's hand when he brought it down on her bottom.
"Explain!" He demanded as she tried time and time again to escape him.
"He belongs to a friend, I promise!" Hermione yelled running away from the man to everyone's amusement. "I am just babysitting!"
"Swear on your magic!" The man yelled. Hermione stopped and the man spanked her once more then smiled sweetly as if nothing occurred. Hermione made herself taller and imposing.
"Clarence," she said sternly.
"Yes my Lady," he answered sweetly.
"Explain!" She demanded. The man winced.
"I've known since your fourth year. I also know what is currently happening in Wizarding England. I am glad you are safe," he said, giving her a fatherly hug. "I've released the staff on holiday just as you've instructed."
"We will need your help then," Hermione said. "This is Luna Lovegood and Lucius Malfo-"
"Malfoy!" Clarence spat as he pushed Hermione behind him and pulled out his wand.
"He is not as the Daily Prophet and I made him out to be Clarence," Hermione said sadly as she pulled his wand hand down. Clarence hugged her. "Everyone may go inside and explore," she said politely to the Halliwell family. "We can use your help setting up the Fidelius charm," she said to Clarence. "We are going to do this right now."
"Yes my Lady. I've set up everything. The golf carts are this way," he said, leading them away from the entrance. "I take it you are wanting us to take up the positions on a compass?" He asked.
"Yes. Mister Malfoy and I will take the North and East edges of the property. You and Luna will take South and West," Hermione ordered and looked at her watch. "At three o'clock sharp we will start the charm." Everyone nodded in agreement. Clarence handed Hermione a compass. The quartet climbed into one of the two waiting golf carts to reach their respective points.
"You could just use the point-me charm," Lucius said, eyeing the muggle object in contempt.
"I like going back to my roots," Hermione said quietly. "It reminds me that not everyone is blessed with the gift of magic and keeps me from getting a big head about it."
"You are a great witch with a beautiful soul," Lucius said under his breath, not knowing Hermione heard. A few minutes later Hermione dropped him off.
"If you do not feel like waiting when we are done just keep walking the way we came," she instructed him. " I will pick you up whether you choose to wait or not but it is rather cold out."
"Warming charm," Lucius smirked and Hermione just gave him a small nod and waved before she drove off.
ChaRmEd
"That's it, I'm moving in here permanently," Piper said in awe while touching every pot, pan, and counter top reverently. "Don't touch that!" She yelled at Phoebe.
"Okay, okay," Phoebe said, raising her hands and stepping away from the oven. "I don't think Hermione will take it too kindly when she finds out you moved into her kitchen," she laughed.
"I would not mind at all," Hermione chuckled as she walked in then looked around sadly. "In fact you are welcome to use this room any time you wish. Clarence has a late lunch, early dinner, set up for us in the dinning room."
"You'll regret telling her that," Phoebe said to Hermione and Hermione just laughed but Phoebe felt her sadness as she left the kitchen. Piper looked at Phoebe curiously.
"What's wrong Phoebs?" Piper asked when Hermione left.
"She felt overwhelmingly sad when she entered the kitchen," Phoebe contemplated her reaction to the room. "On a brighter note she really meant it when she said you are welcome to the kitchen." Piper laughed and raised her fist up in the air in triumph.
ChaRmEd
"What?!" Clarence yelled at the men, particularly at Lucius. The fatherly man glared at the blond. One could practically see the raw magic rolling off him in waves.
"Run," Hermione said urgently to Lucius. Clarence lunged for Lucius's neck but Hermione blocked him and flew back against the wall and fell to the floor with a hard thud.
"Hermione!" Lucius yelled and ran to her.
"Run Mister Malfoy!" Hermione yelled back. Clarence tried to tackle Lucius again but he took the hint and ran for the nearest exit. "Can you take their wands away?" Hermione asked Chris. He nodded and took off after them. Hermione groaned and held her stomach. "Oh Merlin!" She breathed, her eyes widening at the blood stain growing between her legs.
"Hermione!" Wyatt and Leo yelled rushing to her side.
"Please! Not this!" Hermione teared up as she held her stomach. Wyatt placed his hands on her stomach. They glowed as he healed her and the blood stain cleared, healing her and the baby. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"You'll be okay Hermione. Your baby will be fine," Wyatt assured her.
"Thank you," Hermione sobbed. "Thank you so much." She held Wyatt's hand. "Please don't tell Clarence, he would be devastated. Or Lucius, he is already sorry for so much. I don't know how he would take it if I had. Thank you so much Wyatt."
"Hermione!" Lucius ran back into the drawing room taking her into his arms and running a hand through her hair. "Are you okay? Please tell me you are okay?" He asked, holding her tightly, asking her desperately. Clarence growled as he watched them.
"I am fine. Just a little sore but nothing a little bruising paste can't take care of," Hermione's answer was muffled in his chest. "You will behave yourself Clarence," Hermione ordered in a stern tone. He bit his tongue but nodded stiffly and gave Lucius a warning glare. Hermione chuckled and lightly pushed Lucius away. "Well, now that the cat's out of the bag."
"Pardon?" Lucius asked.
"Muggle saying," Hermione clarified. "Meaning, now that the secret is in the open. Well not that it was a secret before, but I was trying to figure out a way to break it to him lightly. Then he overheard us. Great now I'm mumbling," Hermione finished the last part to herself and went off to her private sitting room in search of some peace and alone time to think.
ChaRmEd
'Dancing bears, painted wings' Hermione wrote the safe phrase on her galleon and went back to attempting to read her book.
"How are you feeling?" Phoebe asked, startling Hermione from her thoughts. "Sorry, I knocked but I guess you didn't hear me."
"That is fine. I was just reading," Hermione said quietly, putting her book down and realising she hadn't received an answer from Draco. "I'm feeling fine, have a seat." Hermione motioned to an armchair next to the fireplace.
"Are you sure? I can sense an underlying emotion of fear from you. It's barely there and understandable after what happened earlier," Phoebe said as she took the offered seat. "There is also a lot of uncomfortable feelings when you are around Lucius, also understandable. Have you talked with anyone about it?" Hermione was quiet.
"If it makes you feel better I did take some college psychology classes. Graduated. What ever you say here will stay here between you and me," Phoebe encouraged her. Hermione was quiet for a few minutes more.
"It's not like he took me completely against my will," Hermione started softly as Phoebe settled in to listen. "I mean, when we were caught by the snatchers and taken to his Manor I noticed how dishevelled he was. He lost everything..."
"His son, from a falling out. His wife, to her breaking their marriage contract, then death by her hand. She was his best friend Draco said, even though they had an arranged marriage." Hermione was finding it easier to talk once she started. "It has been hard for Draco to forgive him."
"Mister Malfoy helped us when we were captured, not to escape, mind you, but he keeps, or kept, the prisoners fed and sent the house elves to discreetly watch over the prisoners in the dungeons and provided them with essentials when he could," she paused. "He treated me better than a prisoner. Bellatrix was particularly cruel with me. 'Filth' like me is not worthy of magic' Bellatrix kept saying over and over while using Crucio on me again and again."
"The three days we were kept in Malfoy Manor...Mister Malfoy always took me to his bedroom and treated my wounds and broken bones, always giving me an anti-cruciatus potion and setting up a hot bath to relieve my nerves from effects the curse. I spent hours in there with him, it felt like weeks, months even. Then he kissed me," silent tears fell from Hermione.
"He was a man starving to be needed, who was I to deny him? I did begin to tell him no, he even asked me to deny him, but in the end I gave in to him willingly. I wanted to be wanted after Ronald abandoned Harry and me. All it took was a little push and I was his," Hermione whispered. "I still don't understand why he chose me..."
"The next few hours after that I spent being tortured by Bellatrix and having my skin carved and scarred permanently," Hermione held out her arm for Phoebe to see. The word 'Mudblood' still an angry red. "Then today I almost lost our child," Hermione whispered. "I don't know what I would have done if I did," more tears fell. "This little miracle is what is holding me together in a time when I know I would fall apart...this child is becoming the glue to my pieces..."
Phoebe moved to her side on the chaise and held her while she let go.
Two young women stood at a loading dock hugging each other. Their clothes looked to be the 'in' style of the early seventeenth century. A loud warning horn blew and more people crowded the loading plank.
"Be safe Clarise, I promise to write thee every day," the first woman said as she wiped silent tears from the second woman's eyes.
"This I also promise," Clarise whispered as she watched the first woman walk up the plank onto the ship.
"He needs you because of your big heart," Phoebe said as she contemplated the vision she received from touching Hermione. "He still needs to be needed and you are exactly what he needs and he is exactly what you want. You are the glue to his family." Hermione considered her words as she fished in her pocket for her burning galleon.