A/N: Since I haven't heard from you all about the whole breaking this up thing I'm going to continue on until someone offers their opinions either for or against because I'm pretty much on the fence about this.
It was easy to get seduced into their world. Hermione had come from a world or rules and limitations, a world where her intelligence was mocked and her attempts to change the status quo dismissed. This world was a world without hard rules, where the status quo was not only challenged but changed…and she was friends with the people who changed it.
Hermione was currently wearing a borrowed blue striped bathing costume consisting of long blue striped bloomers and a camisole dress to go over that. There were dozens of crystals jammed into the ground around her lighting the pond they were currently swimming in. A year ago if someone were to tell Hermione that she would be spending her summer holiday frolicking in a pond at midnight with three pregnant aristocrats and Harry The-Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived Potter she would suggest they seek mental help.
Now though, now she could believe almost anything. The past week was an endless parade of intellectual debates, not so intellectual debates, jaunts into the muggle world, jaunts into more of Remordere, and even a high class party that ended up boring Hermione to tears.
Hermione knew what she was, a half-blood and the only living Crouch heir from the main-line. Even with magic Crouch Sr.'s wife was far too old to have another child and Crouch himself had no interest in bringing another son into the world only to watch him become the very worst that humanity had to offer. Hermione didn't used to care about things like names and family trees, she came from a good family in the muggle world but they weren't exactly descended from the royal family or anything like that.
She still didn't care, not really. It had hurt knowing where she came from and what her mother must have gone through. At first she cursed the heavens and vowed to hunt down Barty Crouch Sr. and torture him for bringing that awful son of his into the world. Later she cried and wondered if she would turn out like Barty Crouch Jr., if she too would go mad. The final stage was acceptance. She accepted that she couldn't change who she was or where she came from but she knew she had to make the best of this situation.
"Hermione, come on in! The water's great!" said Portia as she jumped in from the edge.
"Portia! You're going to either break your neck or go into labor, one of the two!" said Harry swimming over to her.
"I'm fine, honestly." Said Portia with a huff as she began to float on her back. The glow of the crystals seemed to make her glow against the darkness of the water and the canopy of a willow overhead. Hermione wished she had a camera. The pound in the garden was more like a small swimming pool with stone sides and a small waterfall at the corner.
"Maybe we should make it deeper, we aren't small children anymore." Said Persephone as she paddled around the perimeter of the pond.
"I say that we build a swimming pool, a proper one inside the house with heated water." Said Harry
"Why don't we all just get into the giant bathtub then?" laughed Portia
"Thanks, but no thanks. I have absolutely no desire to see the lot of you starkers." Said Hermione as she entered the pound. Cold, very cold…
"Scared you'll see anatomy you, yourself, already poses?" said Portia
"Just because I have something doesn't mean I want to go looking at everyone else's." said Hermione
"I don't blame her, really, we do look a little disturbing all swollen out like this." Said Persephone feeling the roundness of her stomach.
"No you don't, I'm sure you look lovely." Said Hermione trying to salvage Persephone's ego. She was still a thirteen year old girl and not thirteen year old wanted to look ugly.
"No, I look all disproportionate ad ugly." Said Persephone lifting the camisole of her bathing costume. Hermione and Portia paddled over to her while Harry stayed at the sidelines. If he agreed he was a terrible person but if he said she was still physically attractive then he's be insulting Portia with him being her husband and all. He decided to take a third option and just stay the bloody hell out of it.
"Meh, those marks will go away when the baby come out." Said Portia lifting up the camisole of her costume as well. Hermione could just make out the marks crossing their torsos like railroad tracks. Her mum had marks like that but she thought it best not to bring up their possible permanence.
"No, Galatea still has them." said Persephone
"Maybe she just didn't get around to having them removed." Said Hermione still looking down at their swollen bellies. She had never seen a pregnant woman's bare stomach before, being an only child and all, and honestly it looked painful. On an intellectual level Hermione knew it wasn't because that's what the female body was designed for.
"I'll ask her. Hey, Galatea!" called Portia. Galatea, who up until this point had been sitting on the edge with her feet in the water, looked over as she was being called.
"What?" asked Galatea with a hitch in her voice. There was sweat upon her brow and she was digging her nails into the ground. In the darkness none of the other's noticed as they compared stomachs and Harry tried to do underwater handstands like when he was a child.
"We just wanted to know if it was possible to get rid of the marks on your stomach, you know, from the baby growing." Said Portia
"Yes, I believe so." Said Galatea, her eyes focus on some spot in front of her. She knew what was happening, it had happened before, and she knew not to show weakness. The other two were worried enough about it as if was and didn't need her screaming her head off with pain.
"Then why do you still have them?" asked Portia not noticing the grimace upon Galatea's face in the dim light outside. Hermione didn't notice either; she was still unaccustomed to the true darkness that nighttime brought. It was different with no houses, cars, or streetlights.
"Never got around to removing them, no point in that really. It's not as if I go strutting about the house nude or anything." said Galatea with false happiness in her tone.
"Thank Merlin for that." Said Persephone. As they laughed the pain got to be too much for Galatea. She got up on shaky legs and attempted to make her way back to the house.
"Where are you going?" asked Persephone wading over to the edge to see what was up with her big sister.
"Inside, it's a bit too late for me." Said Galatea trying to look like everything was fine. Persephone knew something was wrong but decided not to make a big thing out of it.
"Well, good night then, sister." Said Persephone swimming back to the others. Harry and Portia were boasting about who could hold their breath the longest while Hermione looked on good naturedly. This was one of those, not so intellectual debates.
"Well I have to breath for two so therefore I have greater lung capacity." Said Portia
"Exactly, because you're breathing for two you have half the oxygen you normally have." Said Harry
"Why not just settle it and hold your breath underwater?" asked Hermione. It unsettled her somewhat, how sibling like these two could be.
"We always either tie or are stopped by someone because we may give ourselves brain damage or something." Said Portia feeling like a kid again. It was no fun being an adult, so much planning and responsibility.
"Besides, Galatea won last time and we haven't done this in ages." Said Harry
"Speaking of Galatea, where'd she go?" asked Portia looking around. Persephone waded over to them, not quite sure what to say.
"She went inside." Said Persephone mentally telling herself that she was probably just in labor and could handle it herself. She was Galatea Black after all and she had done this before.
"Why?" asked Hermione
"I…I think she may be having the baby." Said Persephone quickly.
"You're kidding." Said Portia disbelievingly
"Why would I kid about something so serious?" asked Persephone a little put out. Sure she could kid about things but her sister was bringing new life into the world at great physical danger to herself. Even with magic it wasn't exactly an afternoon of Quiddich.
"How…how far along is she?" asked Hermione. She was worried for her friend. Muggles gave birth in gleaming, sterile hospital rooms with machines and doctors. Now she knew she wasn't going to debate the whole doctor vs. midwife issue without the proper research but the truth was that witches still had more danger in childbirth than muggles.
"…we have no idea." Said Harry
"I told you I think the baby's coming." Said Persephone. There was a pause and then splashing and talking as they all rushed up to the house with Hermione in tow. There was all sorts of speculation ringing through the halls as they entered, dripping wet, both worried and excited.
Galatea was in pain. There was no doubt about it, she did not like childbirth. She got to her room and stripped completely before running herself bath in the attached bathroom. This was the first part of labor, it could last for hours.
"When will this end?" muttered Galatea to herself as she dug through her things for a pain potion. The contractions were still far apart. She found a bottle of potion and downed it like a dying woman in the desert. She grimaced as she caught sight of herself in the mirror.
Her torso was a mass of battle scars and stretch marks. She had alchemic arrays carved shallowly into her body in some places and runes in others. She turned away from the mirror and went into the bath. She could feel herself unwind with a combination of the potion and the warm water.
"Oh yes." Said Galatea leaning her head back onto the cool white porcelain. She could just stay like this, birth Celeste in the comfort of her bathtub. It wasn't a bad way to come into the world, far from it. Timothy was born in the splendor of Avalon, the domain of the fey and birthplace of all magic, but that was truly a difficult act to follow.
"Oh!" said Galatea as another contraction plagued her. She knew she had to fetch the midwife, for all her skill and ability she was not a trained medical anything, but she was going to put that off for as long as possible. She didn't quite feel like having everyone bothering her during this private and intimate time.
"Great." Muttered Galatea sarcastically as she heard the ruckus coming down the hallway. They cared, and that was wonderful, but she wanted to be alone as her daughter made her big debut.
"Galatea? Are you alright?" said Portia pounding on her cousin's bedroom door. She had run upstairs and taken a brief detour in her room to throw on a nightgown.
"No, I'm dead." said Galatea. She heard her door being thrown open and footsteps crossing her bedroom.
"You shouldn't joke about such things." Said Persephone as she and Portia entered her bathroom. Hermione was still in the hall with Harry who knew despite what happened in the past it would not be inappropriate for him to see Galatea in that state of affairs.
"While we're on the subject of what subject of what should and should not be done maybe the two of you shouldn't be barging into my personal bathroom." Said Galatea bringing her knees up to her chest and clasping her arms around her body as if she was protecting her daughter from the world.
"You did say you were dying." Said Harry from the hallway. He wondered if he should call the midwife or if it was even time. Addie usually waiting some time before summoning someone, or summoned them immediately if she sensed something was wrong.
"No, she said she was dead." said Hermione in a much lower tone of voice. Unlike the rest of them she whether or not she disturbed the many, many servants of the house.
"When I really die then you all can feel free to stare at my naked corpse for so long as you see fit but as for now I would like to enjoy my bath, people." said Galatea
"Oh, so now we're people." said Harry with mock indignation
"What would you prefer?" asked Galatea sarcastically
"Family members." Said Harry
"Alright then; will my loving family please leave me alone until I call for assistance during this trying and personal time?" said Galatea sarcastically.
"Alright then, sister, we shall depart lest we are exposed to anatomy which we also possess." Said Persephone with a mock courtesy.
"It's nothing I don't have a better version of and may I remind you that the three of us were there when you were giving birth to Timmy." Said Portia
"I just want to be left alone right now, what don't you understand about that?" said Galatea. Portia and Persephone felt hurt. They just wanted to be there for her.
"We just want to be here and help you through this." Said Portia
"I'm your sister." Said Persephone
"I don't want to ever see that again." Said Harry from the hallway
"What are you going to do when Portia has her baby?" asked Hermione
"Do like Peter and sit in a chair in the corner with my head between my knees." Said Harry matter-of-factly
"It's nothing personal, it's just that this so happens to be personal and I would very much like to be left alone while my body is ravage by the miracle of life." said Galatea through clenched teeth
"But…we were there last time…" said Persephone
"Well, when Pietro is born I want you to be there, I would never reject you." Said Portia
"Sister, I'm going to respect your wishes and leave…but I am going to fetch the midwife because I don't think we should be giving this one the old Hogwarts try." Said Persephone exiting the bathroom. In the dim lighting of the magic light it was hard to read her expression but if Galatea could she would have implored her sister to stay.
"You want to be alone, naked, and in labor than be my guest." Said Portia turning to exit, the white silk of her nightgown fanning out around her.
"What's with you?" asked Galatea
"The question is, why are you being like this?" asked Portia. Hermione could hear this from the hallway and wanted to tell Portia to leave her cousin alone but didn't want to be seen as bossy. Besides, she wasn't Portia's keeper.
"Like what?" said Galatea turning up the paraffin light on the small table next to the tub, she could do that now that Persephone was gone. It would be cosmic in a way, bringing a person into the world and taking on out of it…she always had morbid thoughts during labor.
"Rejecting me." Said Portia with an impertinent stomp that made Pietro kick like his life depended on it, he had been doing a lot of that tonight.
"I'm not rejecting you I just want to go through this alone for a while." Said Galatea in her most reasonable mum voice. Portia didn't quite feel like being mothered, especially not by her two years older cousin.
"We did this together last time…I just want us to have this together again." Said Portia
"You didn't do much of anything, I was the one who pushed Timothy out of an opening the size of the lemon while you three listened to the Princess and panicked. It was one of the most painful and terrifying times in my life and that is saying something." Said Galatea
"But…but…" said Portia
"You're just upset and hormonal because you're about where I am give or take, mostly take, and that is making you clingy. Right now I am going through something intensely painful, difficult, and private so right now I want to at least get through the first stage of labor alone. I know that you are mature enough to respect my wished and when you go into labor with your son then you will understand what it is I am saying." Said Galatea in her most diplomatic voice
"You here that voice? That's the voice that made intersection a valid form of human experimentation." Said Harry to Hermione
"Intersection of what?" asked Hermione puzzled. That had not been in any of the cultural dictionaries she had read.
"Separating the part of the soul that allows the use of magic from the rest of the body." Said Harry neglecting to mention that the process was invented in a world where souls walk about outside of the bodies of their hosts.
"…that can't possibly be safe." Said Hermione
"Which is why it's only done to convicts until we can perfect it." Said Harry
"But why?" asked Hermione. Portia and Galatea could still be heard talking in the bathroom. Portia was giving in now. Hermione hoped that when she had children she was going to look into ways to keep her hormones in check. She liked being herself, thank you very much.
"Take magic from a dangerous convict and give it to a squib." Said Harry with a shrug. The silk of his pajamas could be heard rustling but barely over the stomping of Portia's bare feet on the rug. She had obviously done something to make it seem like a drunken giant was stomping about the house.
"I can't believe her." said Portia
"What's wrong, Portia?" asked Harry as he put a comforting arm around her.
"We've been apart before, we have lives after all." Said Portia into Harry's shoulder
"I feel like there's a but coming." Said Harry
"But she's never pushed us away before." said Portia
"Not to intrude or anything but she is doing a very private thing and she was naked…" said Hermione
"The servants used to bathe us together and when we can we go to the spa/bathhouse, the nudity was just an excuse." Said Portia
"I don't think she meant anything by it, you've all pushed me away when you were doing super-secret girl things together." Said Harry
"Well you never slammed the door in my face when you were having some you time." said Portia
"Because you knew not to bother me then." said Harry
"She slammed the door in your face?" asked Hermione disbelievingly
"Metaphorically." Muttered Portia
"It's late, maybe we should go to bed." Said Harry
"Fine, we'll slam the door in her face!" said Portia loudly before dragging Harry down the hall and into their room. Hermione stood in the hallway, in her nightgown, for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and retiring to her room.
Portia and Harry debated Galatea's newfound sense of privacy well into the night before agreeing to disagree. Harry was sued to being shut out of some things, he couldn't help being the only boy in their group after all, and his analogy of this being the equivalent to them having an audience during intimacy did nothing to change Portia's mind.
Portia countered his argument with the fact that nobody was present when that happened so there was no precedent set. She was hurt that Galatea had shut her out. Sure sometimes Galatea didn't give her or the others the whole story on things and sometime she disappeared for weeks at a time but she had never shut out Portia before. Portia didn't actually particularly want to see Galatea give birth. It was the fact that this might set a precedent which would lead them down a slippery slope in which Galatea shut her out permanently that upset her so greatly. She laid in bed listening to Harry's rhythmic breathing and feeling Pietro either sleeping or eating or something, she couldn't really tell when he wasn't kicking, when there was a knock at the door. Portia answered it in confusion and was relieved that it was Persephone and not the midwife telling them that Galatea was dead or something. She ran to the bed and jumped onto Harry much to the protest of little not yet born Pietro. After alerting Harry she ran down the hall to get Hermione.
Persephone had been the first to be by her sister's side when the contractions got closer and closer together. This was proving to be a short labor, according to Persephone anyway. Aunt Addie had once been in labor for over a day even with the limited aid of magic. Galatea decided to keep magical intervention to a minimum because she wasn't the one doing the intervening. She had stayed by her sister's side as support while she walked around to easy the pains of labors. On the floor a nest of towels was made as well as on the bed depending on what position Galatea felt more comfortable in. Eventually Galatea told her to go and summon the others if they still absolutely had to be a part of this amazing and terrifying process.
Hermione couldn't sleep. She tried and tried but the knowledge that someone was giving birth down the hall kept her awake. She knew what was happening to Galatea on an intellectual level but at her age she now knew that one could only learn so much from books. Her door was closed, cancelling out all noise going in and out, so she couldn't hear the rushing about of servants or Galatea's grunts and screams. The silence of her room was broken by a knock at her door. She slipped into a pair of silk slippers and opened the door slowly, dim paraffin light from the hall filled her room as best as it could.
"Guess what?" asked Portia excitedly. Hermione could only shrug in response. Just because she hadn't been able to fall asleep didn't mean that she wasn't tired at all.
"Fine, I'll tell you. Galatea isn't shutting us out anymore!" said Portia with a squeal that had no place existing at that hour.
"So everything between you two is fine?" asked Hermione with a yawn
"Between all of us, silly." Said Portia much too chipper for someone to be at this time of night…early morning…?
"That's wonderful, you are such good friends after all." Said Hermione
"We all are. Anyway, Galatea had requested our presence at the birth of her second child." Said Portia in a stiff and formal manner while giggling the entire time. Hermione thought it was kind of…cute…in a way.
"I-I'm honored." Said Hermione. It was a big thing to be invited to a birth and even though she really didn't want to see this is would be bad form to reject a request of her presence for something like this; especially from Galatea Black.
"C'mon!" said Portia grabbing her hand and leading her down the hallway. Harry smiled at her as she past him outside of Galatea's room. Typically the only man present for this was the husband of the woman giving birth.
"Dear Lord! Woman, give me something for the pain!" said Galatea as she stood above a nest of towels gripping the bedpost. Her long black hair was plastered to her body white camisole was almost soaked through with sweat. Portia went to her drawers to get her another one.
"I've given you the maximum safe dosage for that potion, Lady Black, either your magic or the child's is interfering with its absorption into your body." Said the midwife as she rubbed a ball along Galatea's back to ease some pain.
"Here." Said Portia holding out a new thin cotton shift. Without a thought to modesty Galatea pulled hers over her head and put the new one on. Hermione tried and failed not to stare. On telly the woman were always laying down in bed taking panting breaths and screaming. Galatea was standing up and holding the bed for support. She winced as Galatea let lose a stream of foreign words which Hermione imagined were none too polite.
"You kiss our mother with that mouth?" said Persephone attempting to alleviate the mood in the room. Galatea hadn't looked this bad when Timmy was born but that was on Avalon.
"Not as much as I should." Said Galatea smiling as best as she could. She tried so hard to be strong for them and it hurt her that she was failing. They needed her, they depended on her, she couldn't be weak in any way.
"Are-are you doing alright?" asked Hermione not sure what to make of this. Galatea was a lot sweatier, louder, and just more…natural? Yes, more natural looking than the women on telly. If Hermione were in her place she'd be screaming and begging for her mum to save her.
"It could be worse. This is actually shaping up to be a shortish labor." Said Galatea as best as she could. They were not convinced when the front of her camisole began to turn red. The midwife didn't seem worried which put them a little bit at ease. If something was wrong she would have said something. Right?
"Drink this." Said the midwife putting a bottle of blood replenishing potion to Galatea's lips. She drank it greedily, anything to help this along.
"You'll be alright." Said Portia, her voice wavering. She was scared, very scared. When Timmy was born there hadn't been that much blood and Galatea didn't seem to be in as much pain either. She knew that was on Avalon and this was at home but it did nothing to put her at ease. She wanted nothing more than to curl up next to Harry, for them to hold each other and make it all better. Harry was in the hallway now and she didn't want to leave Galatea so she reached next to her and held Hermione's hand, telling herself it was because everyone else was too far away.
"Please be alright." Said Hermione barely registering that Portia was holding her hand. This was terrifying. Was there supposed to be so much blood? Galatea was too weak to stand now and was sitting up on the bed.
"God help me!" screamed Galatea as she felt herself tare in two. She was now convinced that it was either the magic of Avalon or some sort of intervention from the Magus that made Timmy's birth a comparative afternoon of Quiddich. She wanted her son, no,…she wanted her mother…hell she'd settle for her Aunt Addie. She just wanted someone familiar and female to help her through this. The others didn't count, they were almost completely in the dark about this. Bloody hell, Hermione looked like she was going to either faint, vomit, or both. Persephone was praying to the creator, Galatea could tell by the way her hands were positioned and her head was bowed.
"Let no bad happen, let no bad happen, let no bad happen…" repeated Persephone instead of an actual prayer. She didn't have the capacity to remember one at this stressful time. Whenever Aunt Addie gave birth there was never this tension, except for when Bertie Bott was born, in fact it was almost a holiday atmosphere. In here the worry and fear were as oppressive as the mourning veil which protected her from the deadly rays of the sun. What would protect Galatea from the deadly birth of her own daughter?
"I know I haven't been the best person, religious or otherwise, but I do make an effort. Uh…I take Merlin's name in vane and not yours…I don't commit adultery…I honor my false father and false mother…anyway I have something to ask you. God, Creator, Truth, Keeper of the Gate, whatever you are called and whatever you may be I only ask you to spare Galatea. If you do I promise that I'll smite whoever you want me too…no, scratch that. Um…I'll do everything in my power to make this world a better place. Yes, I'm very wealthy, that should work." Said Harry pleading with a force greater than any being, human or fey, on this world or any. On the other side of the wall Portia was taking a different approach.
"Galatea cannot die. I have seen Celeste therefore Galatea cannot die. I have heard her spoken of therefore Galatea cannot die." Muttered Portia to herself. Hermione listened closely trying to make heads or tails of what was being said. She was about to attribute it to nerves when Portia suddenly stood up and left the room. Hermione followed, hoping that this was allowed. She didn't want to see anymore of that.
"I'll ask Celeste. Yes, that's what I'll do. I'll ask Celeste and Celeste will tell me her mother is still alive…yes…that's what I'll do." said Portia making a mad dash down the hall to her room, aware but not caring that Hermione was hot on her tail.
"Portia, wait!" said Hermione as Portia entered her and Harry's bedroom. Hermione came to a stop as Portia dug through a box she produced from inside of the wardrobe.
"Where the bloody hell is that stupid thing?" muttered Portia paying Hermione no mind. She needed to know that Galatea would live to put her mind at ease. If she didn't then…then she'd say her goodbye before it was too late. She replayed the night in her mind. Why, oh why, did she have to pick a fight? She'd gladly be shut out for a hundred years if that meant Galatea would live.
"Portia, what are you doing? You were muttering all sorts of nonsense and then you just took off." said Hermione. Portia made a gasping sort of noise and pulled out a platinum pocket watch.
"I have to make sure." Said Portia opening it up and turning the dials on the sides. Hermione came to her side and looked over her shoulder. It was like no watch she had ever seen. The body was solid platinum, the gears inside appeared to be made of glass, and instead of a watch face it had several tiny spaces for dates and times along with a pair of spinning hands behind them.
"Portia…what is that thing?" asked Hermione quietly. The closer she got the more alien it felt. Like it was wrong somehow…
"Hermione, have you ever wondered just how we've accomplished all that we have…well mostly Galatea that people know about…" said Portia as she finished her settings and began to wind the damned thing.
"Good breeding and privileges that come with that breeding which I could only dream of?" asked Hermione as Portia's fingers nimbly worked the small winding dial on the side. She stopped suddenly.
"Do you know what a time turner is?" asked Portia suddenly. Hermione felt her blood turn to ice before rapidly melting.
"Yes…Professor McGonagall gave one to me in my third year to I could get to all my classes…are you telling me that's a time turner?" asked Hermione with disbelief etched upon her face. Portia tsked.
"I'm assuming yours was what, an hour a turn? This can take me to anywhere I want. It's the where that we're still working out. This isn't the Phoenix Gate you see, there are limits but on the bright side according to Galatea there aren't rules about what can and cannot be changed." Said Portia putting the pocket watch down on the table and slipping into proper undergarments faster than Hermione thought was possible. Portia threw her a set of clothes and drawers. Hermione took the hint and followed suit.
"Wait, you're telling me the Phoenix Gate is real?" asked Hermione half hoping that Portia was just going through a bought of stress induced madness.
"Of course it's real, we have it on loan from David Xanatos." Said Portia tossing Hermione a pair of shoes.
"Who?" asked Hermione still trying to get into Portia's clothes. Portia came over and helped her into the simple blue dress.
"He lives in America, fancies himself a chess master…well he actually is pretty good at playing chess with people's lives…a bit of a role model for Galatea I suppose. Anyway, we got sick of sharing the Phoenix Gate with him and our future children so Galatea fashioned us these using the same basic principles as time turners. Well, I think it was Galatea I'm not exactly sure." Said Portia helping Hermione into a pair of sensible to Remodere shoes.
"The Phoenix Gates allows the user to travel to any place and time period they so choose. To wield that kind of power is unfathomable…and you say that the three of you are going to use it?" said Hermione wondering if she had, in fact, fallen asleep and this was all some sort of odd dream. Any moment now she would be called up to the front of the class in her underpants.
"Have used it. Extensively. Remind me later to regal you with tales of our Avalon world tour. Anyway, that's how we stayed for so long on Avalon without coming home to everyone we ever knew being long dead. Hour inside, year outside you see." Said Portia draping a long platinum chain around the two of them.
"Portia, I really don't understand. You mean to tell me you went to Avalon, have the ability to travel through time, and have met your future selves and children?" said Hermione feeling all the blood rushing to her head. She needed to sit down and sort this out before she went mad.
"Of course we went to Avalon, we needed the grimorum arcanorum, a book of spells used by The Original Magus and written by Merlin himself. Anyway, we got it and, now don't tell anybody this, but ours is a copy. The Magus has the original one. Anyway we got that and some other stuff, including little Timmy, and we came home when Timmy was about one, maybe older." Said Portia supporting Hermione so she wouldn't go crashing to the floor. She knew that the original plan was to reveal all of this to Hermione slowly but the plan wouldn't mean anything at all if Galatea died. Besides, Hermione was taking all of this rather well.
"What?" was all that Hermione was able to choke out. Either Portia was mad, very mad, or this was all real. Either way Hermione was frightened and exhilarated at the same time.
"Oh, and I've never met my future self, Galatea said that could be dangerous, but I have met my future children. Pietro grows up to be a lovely boy. Harriett too, even if she is a little prissy. Cassandra, well she's got your intelligence that's for sure. Timmy actually grows up to be involved with Beadle so I'm not really looking forward to the drama that's going to bring…" said Portia rambling on and on out of nervousness. Alright, maybe Hermione wasn't taking this as well as Portia thought she would.
"What?" squeaked out Hermione making a valiant attempt at speaking. So had hundreds of thousands of questions but none of them would come out.
"Maybe I ought to just show you." Said Portia holding Hermione close.
"What?" asked Hermione in a more panicked voice. Portia paid her no mind.
"Deslegrate muri tempi et intervalia!" said Portia before they were engulfed in a ball of flame.
Hermione wanted to run away for a moment before she realized that the flames were not hot in the least bit. It only happened for a fraction of a second but to Hermione it seemed like a lifetime as she watched the walls of time and space burn down around her. The Platinum pocket watch clicked wildly in Portia's hand and they were transported years and years into the future. The flames died away and they found themselves in the same room, only empty and neglected.
"Welcome, Hermione, to the year 2009." Said Portia proudly displaying the dark, dusty room. There was a bare bed where hers and Harry's was and all of their personal articles of property were missing from this room, even their portrait. Hmm…they must have switched at some point.
"What?" asked Hermione dumbly. This was just too much to process, like if she stayed up all night reading something advanced but hadn't taken the time to mentally digest it.
"Well, we left in the year 1995 and we're fourteen years into the future so it's 2009. Let's see, we were born in 1980 and I was almost fifteen and I'm guessing you were too so that makes us about…twenty nine." Said Portia walking over to the fireplace and opening a pot of floo powder.
"I…I…this can't be real…" said Hermione trying to comprehend the fact that there was a twenty nine year old version of herself running around. She knew time travel was possible, she had gone back an hour at a time to take her classes, but to go into the future was incomprehensible to her.
"It's real, it's very real. This is my house in fourteen years and down the hall, or one of these hallways, are my sleeping children." Said Portia taking a handful of floo powder from the pot. She went over and pull a dumbstruck Hermione to the fireplace. Above it a small framed photograph of a little blonde boy and girl. Hermione realized that it was Portia and Harry as children.
"That's you…" said Hermione as she stared at the picture. It was slowly becoming real in her mind, that this was in fact the year 2009 and they were in the future.
"No, those are two of my siblings. See, no scar on the boy, I was never that blonde, and we never wore clothes or hair like that. Now, come on." Said Portia tossing a handful of powder into the fireplace. The fire roared to life and turned green.
"Where are we going?" asked Hermione as she was pulled into the fire
"The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Number Twelve Grimmauld Place." Said Portia slowly and clearly. Soon they were rushing through the floo network and for a moment they were blocked before the fire place let them through.
"Portia, what's going on? Why are we here?" asked Hermione as Portia brushed the soot from their bodies.
"Galatea's house, one of them anyway. I'm here to make sure she doesn't die in childbirth…it wasn't that bad when Timmy was born…anyway I just have to make sure. Now, before you say anything we don't meet our future selves face to face because nothing good can come of that." Said Portia as she clasped Hermione's hand and pulled her to the stairs.
"A-Alright." Said Hermione dumbly as she was lead through the house. From the ceiling there appeared to be square light bulbs without filaments inside…the walls were covered with painted portraits of Galatea and what appeared to be her children; all but a one had the look of the fey. Portia glanced at the doors as they passed, on each door was a name plate. They passed several doors before they reached one with Celeste upon it. Underneath the nameplate was a poster for something called 'Hindi Sad Diamonds'.
"It was only supposed to run for fifty years." Said Portia referring to the poster. Who would have thought something made up on the fly and translated by what seemed to be a blind idiot could have become so popular.
"This is Galatea's daughter's room?" asked Hermione looking around the hallway. There were other posters and photographs upon the doors too. Were these all her children's?
"Yes, little Celeste." Said Portia as she began to gently knock on the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming…it better not be you Timmy." Could be heard on the other side of the door. Locks could be heard clicking and Hermione stared at the door with bated breath. On the other side of the door was the fourteen year old version of the person Galatea was pushing into this world.
"Harriet, Cassandra…you've gotten into the hair dye again?" yawned the white haired girl who was floating in front of them. Yes, floating. Hermione had occasionally seen little Timothy hovering for small periods of time but never up close and never so…casually? Yes, she was very casual. She yawned again, her long, tall ears twitching in annoyance. Her face had more of a pointy, pinched quality than Timothy's as well but that could have been because Hermione had only seen him as a four going on five year old.
"Who's dyed their hair?" came a male voice from in the bedroom. Portia looked a little uncomfortable but Hermione was just curious. She wanted to see all of their children, to meet them, to see all that they and the world had become.
"Harriet and Cassandra." Said Celeste rubbing the sleep crusties from her eyes. This better have been important, she had a busy day planned tomorrow.
"Celeste, it's me…Portia." Said Portia. Celeste's eyes flew open and she cursed herself for being so stupid. Of course that wasn't Harriet, Harriet wasn't pregnant.
"Auntie Portia, Auntie Hermione, what brings you to the future…err…present?" said Celeste. Rustling could be heard from the other room as well as curses in a langue Hermione couldn't understand.
"I need to know about Galatea." said Portia as a nineteen or twenty year old boy rushed to Portia's side.
"Beadle Bard…?" asked Hermione. She had seen the boy before and this was definitely him all grown up. His short blonde hair, Pettigrew eyes, and general chubbiness gave him away. Hermione stared at him for a bit longer than was necessary.
"Hermione?" asked Beadle and Celeste. This caused a flurry of questions to be bombarded at the two groups before a remarkably normal looking boy stuck his head out the door and told them, with much profanity, that it was very late and he was trying to get some sleep.
"What do you need to know about mum?" asked Celeste worriedly. Hermione wanted to say that she wanted to learn everything possible but decided to keep quiet.
"Fate of the world stuff?" asked Beadle Bard still staring at the people before them. His big sister was there only now she wasn't so big now. Inside of her must have been either Pietro or Harriet, she still looked pretty young. By her side was Hermione, not Harry. Good.
"Nothing that big. I just want to know if she's…around…and unharmed from the affair of childbirth." Said Portia. Celeste and Beadle started giggling like school children.
"Affair means something different now." Giggled Beadle as Celeste jabbed him in the side to stop laughing.
"She's alive and well. I'm not sure if it hurt her in any way, she's pretty private about that stuff, but she's alright." Said Celeste. Portia felt a load of her chest. Now she wouldn't have to say her goodbyes.
"Are all these rooms belonging to your siblings?" asked Hermione glancing around the hallways. If Portia had seen all these names then she would have known that Galatea was still alive. After all, she had gone on to have more children.
"No! It's bad enough I know somewhat about mine but I don't also need to know about Galatea's." said Portia
"It's not good to know too much about the future, yours or someone close to yours." Said Celeste. Portia nodded in agreement.
"Well, we'll be off then. May we use your fireplace?" asked Portia
"Feel free." Said Celeste floating backwards so they could enter her room. It was like nothing Hermione had ever seen before. There was what looked like a computer and a telly on the desk but the screens were completely flat and they bore the same symbol as the strange lights. Upon the nightstand were two small squares with the entire side of them taken up by the screen. One of them began to play some sort of pop song where the girl implored the boy that she was more right for him.
"That's mine." Said Celeste as she floated over to the nightstand, the glowing of the stars and moon on her nightgown cutting through the dim light of the many devices. She held the square in her hand, the other side displaying a picture of what looked to be some sort or pop star based upon the microphone in her hand and the gaudy colors and fonts. She swiped her finger across the screen and then held it up to her ear.
"It's a telephone." Said Hermione. She had seen cellular phones before, her parents kept one on hand in case a patient needed them urgently, but that was black and had buttons as well as an antenna…and why would a witch have one?
"And a music player, and a video player, and you can get on the information highway with it." Said Beadle trying to break the silence between them with something other than the sound of Celeste arguing with someone.
"Ingenious the things we can do with anabarium, no?" asked Portia before going to the fireplace and looking for the floo powder pot.
"The information highway…the internet? You…you have internet?" said Hermione not quite believing her own ears. She had heard of the internet, her parents were thinking of getting their system hooked up to it in order to reach more potential patients, but for a wizarding home to have it…
"Yeah, doesn't everybody?" said Beadle as Celeste swiped her finger across the screen again.
"Honestly! It's summer holiday, what does Berlioz need to get up for?" muttered Celeste angrily, both of her ears twitching against her hair.
"Where's the floo powder?" asked Portia
"Oh, here." Said Celeste as she floated over and took the head off of a porcelain doll. Celeste poured a handful of powder into Portia's hand before replacing the doll's head and putting it back upon the mantle next to a photograph of her, Pietro, and Celeste before they boarded the train to school for the first time.
"Come along, Hermione." Said Portia. Hermione didn't want to go, she needed to stay. She needed to learn all that she could about this future. She had so many questions for them but she was intelligent enough to know that it was dangerous to know too much about the future. She and Portia bid them farewell before stepping into the green flames and making their way home.
"That…was strange." Said Beadle Bard before taking off his housecoat and getting back into bed. Celeste threw herself on the other side of the bed and pulled the blanket completely over herself.
"That was beyond strange." Said Celeste, her voice muffled by the blanket she had pulled up over her head.
"Do you ever wish we were normal?" asked Beadle Bard cuddling up next to her for warmth; it was always so cold in this house.
"Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary?" said Celeste kicking off her socks so she could be more comfortable. It was always too warm when Beadle stayed over.
"There is no one on this earth more extraordinary than you, Celeste Black." Said Beadle Bard staring at the photograph across the room of Timothy and Celeste when they were a bit younger and he wasn't involved with her.
"And there is no one as loving, well dressed, and well-mannered as you, Beadle Bard Pettigrew." said Celeste before falling into a not so deep sleep, her back pressed into the curve of Beadle's body as if they were made for each other.
Hermione watched the birth of Celeste Black calmly, she knew what the outcome will be. After a couple more hours the head, and then the rest of her, was visible. Hermione watched as the person she had just met only hours before came into the world.
"Hello my wonderful, sweet baby girl." Cooed Galatea to her little daughter, a look of genuine happiness on her face.
"She looks like Puck." Said Harry as he sat on the bed with the rest of them. Her hair, even at birth, was white. Her ears, even as a newborn, were tall. Hermione wondered if she could walk or if she would always float.
"She looks upset, I bet she wants a bath." Said Portia. Celeste still had some of the blood and various fluids upon her from birth. Galatea would allow her to be cleaned later, for now she wanted to hold the person she had grown inside of her.
"She's beautiful." Said Persephone as she sat at her sister's side. The birth had been terrifying but it was all worth it to see the look of pure joy and love upon her sister's face. Persephone wondered if she, too, would look like what when her own daughter was born.
"She's mine." Said Galatea