Author's Note: Thank you so much to all those who had reviewed, followed and faved this fic! You bring smiles to my face everytime I look at my personal email! :p
Chapter Five
The last time Holly had been inside Malfoy Manor was when she and Hermione had been on the run. She had been forced to listen to Bellatrix Lestrange torture Hermione while in the Malfoy dungeon. Holly had sworn that she would never return to the wretched place, but here she was waking up inside one of the many bedroom suits beside a softly snoring Hermione.
"I also said my lover would forever be my only one," Holly muttered bitterly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "And now look where I am!"
"Why are you talking to yourself?" Hermione asked, sounding quite sleepy.
"I've gone off the deep end," Holly grumbled on her way to the bathroom. "But I call the shower first, Herms!"
Hermione groaned with a pillow over her face. "Noo!"
By the time both Hermione and Holly had showered and dressed properly, Draco was already banging on the bedroom door. The young man was dressed in his finest robes, while the girls were dressed in their muggle best. Which, of course, consisted of jeans, tennis shoes and t-shirts. Hermione's shirt had a cute cross-eyed kitten that was inquiring if it can 'haz' a cheeseburger. Holly's shirt was a plain black with a pocket.
Breakfast was an awkward affair. They were dining in a formal dining room with seating for forty. Lucius was at the head of the table, looking quite the shifty fellow, to Holly's opinion. Narcissa, Draco's mother, was seated on his left hand side with Holly sitting at her left. Draco was seated at Lucius right with Hermione at Draco's right.
The Breakfast itself was nice. Too nice. Too healthy. Was a spinach and egg-white omelet, with out the cheese, really an omelet? Holly didn't think so. She really would have preferred a complete English breakfast with extra tomato. She sighed and it echoed off walls of the French inspired dining room.
"Draco tells me you are pursuing a career in healing?" Narcissa suddenly said, breaking the silence.
"Yes," Holly answered, quietly. Her eyes were darting here and there, taking in the obviously French inspired design of the ceiling and wainscoting. "Midwifery, to be exact."
"Fascinating," Lucius commented from behind The Daily Prophet.
The man sounded completely uncaring. Holly and Hermione blinked at each other while Draco rolled his eyes.
"We'll be off then," Draco drawled, rising from his seat and helping Hermione up.
Lucius stayed seated while Narcissa sat up, alert. Her eyes were wide and blinking in confusion. She was wringing the cloth napkin in her hands into a thin rope in anxiety.
"What?" Draco's mother asked. "But-but it's not even nine yet! You haven't finished your breakfast! I wanted to take you to the train!"
"Mother, please," Draco begged, looking quite exasperated. "I'm nearly nineteen. I'm not going to get on the train with the rest of the eleven year olds! We're flooing to The Three Broomsticks and then walking to Hogwarts before all the little bastards get there."
Holly snickered while Hermione rolled her eyes. Lucius finally deigned to peek out from above the Daily Prophet, watching them walk as fast as they were able to out of the dining room, which was not very fast at all as Narcissa was trying her best to talk Draco out of going to the Hogwarts early.
"Miss Granger," Narcissa's cheeks were now pinked and her lips seemed to thin out as she addressed Hermione.
Apparently, Hermione's blood status still seemed to irk the Malfoy matriarch. Or at least, that was the way it seemed. Holly tried not to assume too much, she knew perfectly well what was said and done when a person assumes. But then again, after spending all of her childhood with the Dursley family, Holly knew the look of a person who disliked her, and Narcissa Malfoy had that same look reserved for Hermione Granger. As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day. It would certainly take much more than the Summer holidays and the defeat of Voldemort for Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy to change forty-five years of "pureblood" ideals.
"Please, Miss Granger, is there really a need to be at the school this early in the morn? The last I had heard the welcoming feast did not begin until the very late evening! Surely, you three could stay a bit longer!"
Hermione bit her lip while Draco stared his mother down with a fond look.
"Well," Hermione squeaked, before she cleared her throat. "Actually, since we are technically a little older than the regular students and will not be following the regular Hogwarts schedule, all returning seventh years are going to be able to chose their schedules this morning."
Narcissa looked perturbed. "Why was I not informed of this? I received no owl!"
Draco sighed. "Since I'm over the age of seventeen the owl went to straight to me, Mother. Most of us have already completed most of the courses required to get a Hogwarts School diploma. I only have a semester's worth of Advanced Potions classes to complete before I am able to apply for an Apprentice course. I will only be required to attend these classes maybe..three times a week? I'm not quite sure."
Narcissa gaped while both Hermione and Holly nodded.
"I'll be finishing up the rest of my Charms and Transfiguration courses for my diploma," Hermione smiled, looking quite enthusiastic. "Afterward I'm going for a Mastery in Transfiguration and then Professor McGonagall will allow me to Apprentice under her. She's planning on retiring her teaching position in the next ten years to take on the Headmistress position full-time."
"Professor Granger," Holly teased with a sweet smile, before she turned to Draco's mother. "I'm going back for double Advanced Potions and double Advanced Charms. Finishing up my Potions classes will help me get my diploma, but it's also for me to qualify for my Healer and Midwifery Apprentice-ship. It's a four year apprenticeship that I would like to jump right into."
Narcissa had a watery glint in her eyes as she stepped forward to embrace her son. Draco blushed, but then composed himself. He wrapped his arms around his mother and returned the hug, kissing her cheek.
"When did you grow up to be such an accomplished young man?" Narcissa queried, quietly. "And how did I miss it?"
Hermione grabbed Holly 's hand and they made their way out of the dining room to leave the family to their tender moment. Draco looked grateful toward the retreating form of his girlfriend. As soon as the door closed behind them, Lucius appeared out from behind his newspaper.
"We were more than a little preoccupied these last couple of years, wife," Lucius commented quietly as he rubbed a hand over his tired and troubled face. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised our son was even able to concentrate on his academics."
Lucius smiled hesitantly toward his son. "Your mother and I are very proud of you, Draco."
"Thank you, sir," Draco said, returning the hesitant smile.
Things were slowly healing among the Malfoy family. It was in this moment that Draco knew they would be perfectly alright.
The trip to Hogsmeade was a short Floo trip away. The trio stopped by The Three Broomsticks for a more filling breakfast first. The pub and inn was empty despite a few other Hogwarts students.
Even Lavender Brown was in attendance for a quick breakfast. She had opted to sit with them instead of Parvati and her twin Padma, who was a Ravenclaw.
"Our friendship hasn't been the same," Lavender explained quietly. "I'm not the same, and I don't want to be the same. But Parvati does. She said she wanted to go back to how things before the battle. I don't want to. I can't... I don't know how to explain it."
Surprisingly, it was Hermione who had reached forward to pat Lavender's hand in comfort.
"I think you've explained it perfectly clear, Lav. And nobody faults you for changing. I'm actually quite surprised that any one of our year mates has stayed the same, emotionally or mentally."
The walk to the school was much more pleasant. All four houses bunched together and walking happily. Holly had gotten to speak to Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas and surprisingly Blaise Zabini. All three young men were speaking civilly to each other.
"Holly," both Neville and Dean had greeted her happily.
Dean had looked remarkably the same, while Neville was entirely different. Of course, she had noticed the obvious change in the young man after the school had been infiltrated by death eaters last year. He bad been bruised and bloodied, but totally empowered. There was a different light in his eyes that Holly could not remember seeing in the six years she had schooled with him. The same light was bright in his eyes now.
He grinned at her, his chin held up high and his brown eyes sparkling bright. Holly returned the grin, but it faltered when her stomach turned suddenly. She reckoned her face looked a little green too. The was a strong alcoholic smell coming from all three of the young men that was not agreeing with her.
"Blimey," Neville chortled. "Didn't think seeing my ugly mug would make you sick."
Dean laughed loudly along with him while Blaise humorously grinned. Dean reached over and patted Neville's cheek, loudly and clumsily.
"How can anyone not love this beautiful mug, Nev?!" Dean crowed, drawing attention from their other year mates. "It's simply beauteous!"
There were more than a few laughs coming from all around them. Even Draco cracked a smile as he reached over to clap a hand on Blaise Zabini's back.
"A little too early for Ogden's Finest, don't you think, mate?" Draco asked with a grin.
Blaise returned the grin and nodded at Hermione in greeting. "I only had a wee sip in celebration of a happier year. Those two, on the other hand..."
They all turned to look toward Dean and Neville, both of whom stumbled forward, leaning on each as they walked. Hermione shook her head with a frown. This was simply unacceptable in her eyes and needless to say the frown was a permanent fixture on her face the rest of the walk to the Hogwarts doors.
And as soon as they all neared the school, a hush fell upon them. Everyone of them remembered their beloved school in absolute ruin. Walls blasted away and scorched, fire and blood. The serene and peaceful sight before them was almost startling. Gone were the blackened patches of grass and stone. Stone walls were replaced and repaired. The gates were pristine and undamaged.
It was as if the battle had never taken place and that simple thought made Holly's stomach do flips and spins. Bile rose up her throat and Holly sprung forward. The thought of the battle never taking place was horrible. It would mean that the fight against Voldemort was not over and that was simply too much for her to bare.
Everyone could see Professor McGonagall and the three other house heads were walking toward them in welcome. Holly and McGonagall met each other at the gate at the same time. Holly leaned a hand on the wrought iron, her body bowing forward as the bile forced it's way out of her throat... and onto Professor McGonagall's shoes.
"Welcome ba- MS. POTTER!"
Holly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before she looked up into the exasperated eyes of her head of house. She grinned a sheepish smile that McGonagall had seen many times on the face of James Potter.
"Sorry.."
Sirius
It had been quite sometime since Sirius had seen or heard of Holly. A month, to be exact. He had made frequent trips out of Grimmauld to the ministry, Diagon Alley, Gringotts. Being the sole heir and Head of his family was tiring, but he was putting his entire being into task. His first order of business was to welcome his favorite cousin Andromeda back into the family, and by extension, her husband and daughter and grandson.
The Weasleys had returned to their beloved Burrow, but Mrs. Weasley popped in now and again to drop him off breakfast, lunch and supper. Sirius was grateful, he could burn water after all. Each and every time Molly had come Sirius would ask her the same question.
"Have you heard anything about Holly?"
Her answer was always no, but it was slowly being accompanied with a suspicious glint in her eye. Sirius should have been a little more subtle in his questioning, because the next time she came over she had double the amount of food she would normally bring. She had walked past him to the kitchen and began arranging plates for two.
"Er, what are you doing?"
Molly stopped and gave him a bland look. "What does it look like I'm doing, Sirius? I'm going to be sharing a meal with you."
Sirius blinked and then sat at the table, watching as she began to serve him and then herself. "But what about Arthur and the kids?"
"Arthur is going to be working late," Molly explained as she sat down and tucked in. "And the kids, as you feel the need to call them, are all mostly grown up. Ginny is at Hogwarts and all the others either live on their own or are working. I find myself mostly on my own, most days. So, I decided to join you."
"Er, alright," Sirius murmured as he too tucked in.
They ate in silence. They spoke no words to each other and the only sound that could be heard were the sounds of forks and knives scrapping against the plates they were eating upon. Molly sighed a couple of times before she slammed her knife and fork down. Sirius visibly startled and grunted.
"Are you alright?"
"No!" Molly snapped. "I'm not. And you're obviously not alright either!"
"Excuse me?" Sirius frowned, looking thoroughly offended.
"Just tell me!"
"Tell you what, woman?" Sirius asked, now looking dumbfounded.
"Don't play dumb with me, Sirius Black!" Molly reprimanded. She was now waving her wand at him sternly. "I have hexed my children for less!"
The first thought that came to Sirius' mind was 'oh shit!' His eyes followed the tip of the wand that Molly Weasley was waving at him sternly and his adams apple bobbed as he swallowed. He was worried about the way that she was waving it. This was the same wand that cut down his cousin Bellatrix.
"I'm worried about you, Sirius Black," Molly began to explain. "Everyday that I have come to bring your meals you have asked me the same question. Breakfast, lunch and dinner you have wanted to know if I had news on Holly. What I want to know is why you two have stopped speaking!"
Sirius swallowed again and scrambled for an answer. "What makes you think we've stopped talking?"
Sparks flew from the tip of her wand and missed him by inches. "Don't you try to bullshit me, Sirius Black! If you two were talking then you wouldn't be asking everyday!"
"Okay," Sirius admitted. "We're not talking... We haven't talked since she and Hermione had abruptly left a month ago."
"Why?"
He snapped his mouth shut. Sirius' eyes were wide as Molly waited for him to answer. It was there on his tongue. Sirius was tired of keeping it to himself. The only other person who he was able to speak to was Remus and he was the last person who he really wanted to see at the moment. Remus was the reason he was in this predicament. But he was also man enough to say that it was his fault as well. Remus may have talked his own version of sense into his mind, but Sirius was the one to take the initiative to ruin his relationship and break Holly's heart. So he let it out.
Like word vomit.
He could almost hear Holly's voice in his head. Rolling her eyes, she would say, "so like you to do so, Sirius. So like you to do so.."
The words came out so loud and fast that Molly fought to understand. Oh, but she did. She was speechless. Her mouth was gaping, opening and closing like a fish as her mind struggled to actually absorb what he had told her.
How had she not known? The signs had to have been right in front of their faces and she and her husband had not noticed. Or maybe they had, but they had never thought that it was because Holly and Sirius were in a romantic relationship! A red-hot emotion began to overtake her. It started from her toes and went up to her head. Anger, oh yes, this was red-hot anger. She wanted to curse Sirius Black to oblivion, beyond and back.
And just like that, the anger was gone. She deflated and slumped in her seat. What was she to do about it really? No matter how much she wished it were true, she was not the mother of Holly Potter. In fact, even if she were, Holly was legally an adult. And besides, if she wanted to be truthful, stranger relationships had happened in the wizarding world. It was no secret that the most staunchest of pure blood supremacist believed in incest to keep their lines 'pure'. Not to mention the 'mixed' relationships that gave birth to different half creature children, like Hagrid, for instance. Merlin, her eldest is married to a half Veela!
"Oh," she was able to muster out, after a few moments of thinking.
"Yeah," Sirius responded, lamely.
Then, the red-hot anger was back.
"Sirius Black!"
Sirius sat up tall and froze at the ice in her voice. He was fish eyed as he watched her face turn the signature Weasley red.
"How could you just break up with her!?" Molly raged. "How could you allow Remus' feelings to completely overpower your own for that sweet, sweet girl!?"
"I-I don't know!" He stammered out. "Ever since we were in Hogwarts he was always able to do that!"
"And what are you going to do about this?!" Molly asked, her voice stern once again. "Are you going to try to get your relationship back, or are you going to just sit here like a bump on a log?!"
Sirius was bewildered again, this time by Molly Weasley's yo-yo-like emotions.
"She told me to leave her alone! She was crying! I made a bloody fool of myself in Hogsmeade!"
Molly suddenly stood. With a flick of her wand she summoned parchment, quill and ink.
"Well then," Molly muttered, giving the still bewildered Sirius a withering glare. "Once again, it's up to me to salvage things. Meh, men."
She scribbled furiously for a few moments on the parchment before signing it with a flourish and a grin. Molly folded it neatly and stuffed it into her pocket before summoning the rest of her things.
"Well, I'm off then," she announced. "I'm going to send this off via owl post and then we'll go from there, dear. I'll be back tomorrow bright and early with breakfast. Don't forget to leave your dirty clothing out for Kreacher. He's getting up there in age, after all, he can barely do the cooking as it is."
Sirius followed her out the kitchen and to the living area, where she was already walking through the floo with a roar of green flames. He gaped at the fire and blinked.
"What the hell just happened!?"
A/N: I am so sorry I have been gone for so long! Life just gets away from you. I now have a new job, baby is older and driving me crazy and so is the big baby (aka hubby). I'll try to post as fast as I can, but I can't guarantee it's going to be fast...