Hepatica was having a small walk alone it was coming up mid-December now, Mr Collin's had returned to get to know his future wife better and make the last preparations for his marriage that would be early in the new year.
Thinking about her situation, she hadn't had a chance to slip Wickham any Veritaserum yet, she wanted to do it in a setting with the most people available to listen in when he spills his lies.
When she was almost to the township she was accosted by a smiling Mr Wickham. He dragged her behind a building before anyone would have been able to see her. Slamming her body against the wall knocking the air out of her before blocking it all together by his hand around her neck.
"I heard rumours you have been snooping around about my spending. Did that prick Darcy put you up to it?" Getting right into her personal bubble, she could see his dirty pores on his face. "The merchants won't lend me credit anymore thanks to your enquiries." He held her throat tighter cutting off her air making it difficult to breath let alone respond. "I'll teach you the proper place for a woman, is on her knees." He sneered into her face.
He must have been drinking. How he managed it during the day while on duty she didn't care to know. Flicking her wand into her hand she sent off a silent Expliarmus. Being silent it didn't hold as much power as it would normally for her but it was powerful enough to make him let go and go flying to the wall with a sickening crack. She thought of using a stronger spell, she was pissed off about the comment of women on their knees, plus the lack of oxygen also playing a role, she stuck to her signature move.
She waited a few moments to catch her breath and heal her neck. Casting a quick glance to the side to make sure no one saw or came running. She thought she saw movement but dismissed it when there was no sound, before she went and checked on the scum. Finding him not breathing and bleeding heavily from the wound. She kicked him over and saw his blank empty face. She had seen that empty eyed look one too many times from a young age to know what it meant. Hepatica couldn't find a single care within herself to waste on the loss of scum.
She decided to bury him somewhere far away. She remembered in fourth year when Barty Crouch Jr, transfigured the body of his father before burying him. Transfiguration didn't normally last for longer than a week or so. But if Hepatica found a secluded enough area to bury the 'random' object deep enough, there would be no suspicion except the idea that the rake deserted. Ideally speaking.
She looked at the wand in her hand and saw it was the Elder wand that decided to come to her summons not her holly one still on her forearm, she checked. Closing her eyes and focusing all her energy on the scum on the ground she waved her wand, spelling him into an unassuming rock.
Suddenly she hears a gasp of 'Hepatica?' from the entrance to alley way. Spinning quickly, wand raised she sees Jane standing there. She looked scared but not about to run. Picking up the rock to put it in her pocket she turned to her friend, well she hoped she was still her friend.
"I can explain. I think." Stepping slowly towards her.
"I saw it all. I had been coming to join you, I uh… I needed to get out of the house after everything that's happened, when I saw he grabbed you and attack you. Oh look at your neck. I can hardly believe it." Jane seemed to work herself into a fluster, though there was steeliness in her soft voice, "I was going to go for help but I wanted to make sure you were okay first, I can't believe he would do something so terrible. He seemed so good and charming. Lizzy spoke highly of him."
"Yes, she was taken in by his charms. You… You're not scared of what I did? O… Of me?"
"I…" She paused and looked Hepatica in the eyes. "No," she said with conviction, "I know you would never hurt us/me. But I don't understand what happened."
"Is anyone else with you?" Jane shook her head 'no', "I need to get rid of the body, I was going to take him someplace secluded. I will explain everything if you want. You can come with me. You are right, I'd never hurt the people I consider family." Hepatica held her hand out to Jane, who looked around made sure no one was paying attention before grabbing Hepatica's outstretched hand. "I apologise, it may feel uncomfortable."
Before Jane can respond Hepatica apparated them to a hill side that is surrounded by trees, With a giant tree in the middle. It's almost impossible to see if anyone was there and hard to get to, Hepatica had found it during one of her walks alone and knew she could land there safely with Jane. She wasn't fond of apparition to start with but it came in handy when she needed to get somewhere she had been before, quickly. She wouldn't risk it on a trip to London knowing how much the layout may have changed from her time to when she was now. Not that she knew London at all from her time, really, having only walked the streets a handful of times at most.
Using her wand still in hand she dug out a deep hole, it didn't need to be big but a deep one would be best to make sure he wasn't found easily. Dropping the unassuming rock down the hole she covered it back up and replaced the grass. It was almost impossible to see it had been disturbed.
Jane watched silently from a root of the tree she sat under. She seemed to be holding it together but Hepatica knew how well she could hold her calm façade. Sitting down beside her, Hepatica took a deep breath.
"I want to start out by saying I never lied. I might not have said the whole truth as I'm not sure how well mentioning magic would have gone with your family taking me in. But everything else that I mentioned happening to me, did happen. Just wasn't a direct result in me coming into your care." Jane nodded showing she was listening. "When I said it was October 31st when I first woke, I wasn't lying. It's just it was October 1998. I was at a Ball celebrating the new government we were building after the war had destroyed all we knew. There was an attack; some rogue death eaters – the followers of the leader who started the war – I was defending the groups as best I could with two friends I fought alongside of, we ended up surrounded in this room with this arch way they called the veil of death. The war with the mad man I mentioned had been over for about half a year. I ended it by taking his life. I was 17 at the time. It was a civil war between Wixen or witches and wizards as you may know them, we live in a society alongside your own hidden since during the time of the witch hunts. The war had been ongoing for near on 30 years. There was a brief pause for around 13 years starting with the death of my parents when I was 15 months old. When he turned his wand on me the killing curse he had used on my parents rebounded and hit him. Only he didn't die, he was still part of the Earthly plane as he had spilt his soul many times and stored them in objects scattered around England. Not that we knew that at the time. I was lauded the hero of the wizarding world. The girl-who-lived." Hepatica let out a huff of air, "I didn't know any of this until I turned 11 and was brought back into the wizarding world to study magic. The years before that were with my magic hating aunt and uncle. My aunt was a bitter woman because her sister had magic and married well when she didn't. She turned that hatred onto me. Treating me as a slave and beating post.
"Eventually Riddle or as he called himself Lord Voldemort, gave himself a body using my blood after kidnapping me when I was 14 and using it in a ritual, the war started again that night after I had brought back the body of the boy that was unfortunate enough to be with me when I was taken. Though it took over a year before the government believed me, that he had returned. I spent that time training. It was expected I would be the one everyone would rally behind. The face of the resistance. When I was 15, I lost my godfather to the veil of death, the same room I was in before finding myself here. Killed by his own cousin because they had different beliefs. It was that same day the world could no longer deny he was back. It was a year later when the magical government was taken over by Riddle and I had to go on the run as his number one most wanted. He had tried over and over to kill me for years. Besides ruling the world his main goal was to have me in some way be it slave, wife, or wipe me from the Earth completely.
"There was a prophecy given, saying a child would be born at the end of July to parents that had fought 3 times against him and that child would have power to defeat him, power he would never know. That one would have to kill the other if either wanted to live. Or some such nonsense but it was that prophecy that had him so hell bent on killing me since the day I was born. After 7 months living in a tent with my two best friends hunting his soul containers, we discovered one of the last ones would be in our school. We planned to sneak in and get it. It was the last one besides the one he kept beside him at all times. Or so we thought. We made it to the school but soon he attacked it. Parent's killing their children, utter mayhem and scenes I still have nightmares about. We tried to get anyone under 16 to hide. There were children as young as 11 there." Hepatica was so lost in the retelling she barely noticed Jane's silent crying beside her. "After watching some memories from a professor who was a triple spy, we didn't know what side he truly fought for, in the end it was mine. Not that I really cared, he was the biggest bully to me when in school. He showed me that I was a soul container as well. Riddle would never be gone unless I died as well. I tasked my friend to kill the snake and went off to meet him. He had promised to leave the survivors alone if I surrendered, so I did. Little did I know I had accidentally collected these really old items that when put together made one the Master of Death and I had the allegiance of all three. I let him kill me, I died, then I woke up and finished the fight. Neville killed the snake and I killed Riddle. Pretty messed up the full story huh?"
She looked to the side for the first time to see Jane red rimmed eyes before being engulfed in a hug that held so much love and emotion. Hepatica found herself weeping alongside her.
"I knew you were brave. But to have to go through all that. I don't know what I can say."
"You don't need to say anything, I just didn't want you to turn me away. I haven't found anything of the wizarding community here yet. It was one of the reasons I wanted to go to London. But I have enjoyed being here with your family and being a nobody. It has been the best time of my life." They talked about other things, like Hepatica wanting to find the wizarding community here as she has felt the magic in the ground and air around her. Jane promising not to tell anyone. But was interested in seeing more magic when they could. Walking back to Longborne she told Jane what she had felt and learnt of Wickham and why it was she had no shame in what she did with him. As harsh as it was. She was lucky Jane didn't judge her. Though she still had trouble seeing him for the rake he was she knew Hepatica wouldn't hurt someone unless necessary.
Jane told of why she was out walking alone. She had received another letter from Miss Bingley. It was a little colder than her other short correspondence and nothing said at all about her brother except he was quite happy in Town for the winter and they were quite settled. Jane was naturally upset and confused by it all, Mr Bingley seemed so into her and genuine. Though after what she saw of Wickham, she might be a bit more disillusioned to charming affable men now. Or so she confided.
Later after they returned to Longborne, Lizzy convinced their father to let Jane go to London in January with Hepatica and the Gardiners on the chance she could run into Bingley. Hepatica went one better by promising to get her some lovely dresses when she had transferred her money and they would go to all the best places and theatres and show him what he's missed out on, if they ran into him. It was his loss for not sicking around and being decisive. When she said that Mrs Bennet entered the room.
"As sad as I am to see him gone, he seemed such a pleasant fellow. I agree with Hepatica, you deserve the best Jane. I'm not sure if he is that now, after using you so ill."
"Thank you, mother. That actually means a lot to me to hear that."
"Oh, my girls. I guess this is what having peace of mind is like."
Christmas came. Lydia returned one day with the 'terrible' news that Wickham is considered a deserter and skipped out of town leaving over £20 worth of debt in the month he had been in town. Soon his other indiscretions came to light when 3 different young – as in 14-15 years old – tradesmen's daughters came forward in the family way, claiming Wickham as the father that promised to marry them and pre-empt their vows. Lydia had been turned off him at that stage, it even dampened hers and Kitty's infatuation with soldiers as a whole thankfully. Even Lizzy couldn't deny he wasn't as good a man as he painted himself. Hepatica and Jane kept quiet, though Mary couldn't help stating that both Hepatica and herself saw he wasn't a good person but nobody listened. Not that the family listened to her then, either.
The older girls were finally informed by Mr and Mrs Bennet about the doweries to which they confessed knowledge of already. Mr and Mrs Bennet thought it best to not tell the youngest two until such time as a boy came knocking and asked the other three to continue to keep it a secret.
Mr and Mrs Gardiner along with their 4 small children finally arrived at Longborne for the Yule season.
Mrs Gardiner reminded her so much of Jane, both so sweet and kind yet with a solid steel backbone. As well as not seeming much older than Jane maybe 30 at most. Mr Gardiner was a naturally genial person yet he knew his business. His trade in fabrics and other exotic materials was flourishing. He was willing to help her out where he could, to see her settled. They were happy for Hepatica to stay with them along with Jane, if she didn't mind sharing a bedroom.
Hepatica felt lucky she had stumbled upon this family when she found herself here in this place.
Their house on Grace Church street was actually quite large, 5 bedrooms and a nursery and very well decorated by Mrs Gardiner. Hepatica wasn't sure what Caroline and Louisa found to dislike about a suburb/area/street called Cheapside. It wasn't the lower slums; it was actually quite a well-off place in comparison.
Hepatica and Jane had been in Town a few days. She waited those days to not seem too eager to do the things she had wanted for a while now. Mr Gardiner was accommodating after talking to Mr Phillips, he helped her get an appointment through his contacts with the investment bank known as Thomas Coutts and Co, in Hepatica's time it was just Coutts and Co and still operating with connections to Gringotts. It was perfect.
On the guise of transferring her money from her 'original' bank overseas. The meeting booked at a time where she could meet with this bank then go to Diagon Alley or at least, try and find the entrance to the Leaky cauldron. She feared her lack of knowledge on where on Charing Cross road the pub exactly was but she had a general idea, having only visited it once on foot with Hagrid when she was 11 would make finding it difficult and it did. One thing she was glad of, she didn't jump the gun and apparate straight there, when the street didn't exist yet and she wasn't sure where on the older streets it was meant to be located eventually, except that it was near Orange street and St Martins-in-the-Fields church from her brief exploration in first year when Hagrid took her there the first time.
When she asked to look on a map to give Mr Gardiner an idea of where she needed to go first and found when she mentioned Charing Cross there was no actual street called Charing Cross Road yet, just a general area. It was also lucky for her that the bank Mr Phillips had picked out for her was near St Martins church as well, on The Strand. She knew the name Coutts and Co was a steady bank still existing in her time so leaving a large lump of gold to live off with them, would be fine in the long run.
It was an interesting meeting. They had taken the appointment as a curtesy for the Lawyer friend of Mr Phillips, Mr Green, but hadn't held much interest in allowing an account to open, always talking directly to Mr Gardiner or Mr Green – who accompanied them and ignoring Hepatica. When she finally took over the interview and asked if her gold would be safe with them, he humoured her and asked how much. She dithered about it before quoting 50,000oz. of solid gold in convenient half ounce unmarked gold coins. She was originally planning on only doing 25,000oz which would have covered her gift to the Bennet's, the Phillips and the Gardiners for their hospitality and help over the months but this banker just rubbed Hepatica the wrong way. She knew women were looked down on still in this time, hence why she asked Mr Gardiner to come with her, but he didn't need to be so rude about it.
The banker naturally puffed and sputtered about the improbability of it until she took a small purse from her pocket and placed 2 coins on the table. He quickly shut up and went about checking the authenticity of the coins, resulting in their meeting being moved to the office of Thomas Coutts (Co-owner of the bank). They rehashed it all again. Hepatica informing them she can have the trunk of gold delivered tomorrow. She of course would be escorting it from its storage area. She asked to borrow four strong work men from Mr Gardiner to escort her, Jane, and the trunk to the bank. In reality she would have a shrunken trunk in her pocket leaving the house with a feather-light charm on it until the men touched the full-sized trunk and confound the men escorting them to believe they picked it up from a undisclosed storage area and were delivering it from there.
The 75-year-old man named Thomas Coutts whose family had been in this business for generations was astounded that this seemingly unassuming woman would have that kind of refined gold on hand. The fact she wanted to invest it with his bank was gratifying. It would push their esteem higher than any of the others around them. The worth of 50,000oz of gold was close to a staggering £309,400 and all she wanted was to have access to some of the interest to live off. Which would total – they were proud to say their investments always brought back an interest of at least 4% – an income of nearly £15500 per annum. The way the young heiress spoke it made it seem she had more. If they did a good job with her initial amount it could result in them gaining even more of her business. Looking over the coins she brought with her he was eager to please. Ordering extra, trusted guards to be on duty on the morrow.
The next day after depositing her gold and leaving the bank with a chunk of her gold in the form of £100 on her persons for shopping, a bank cheque for £1000 for Mr Phillips services and the details needed to make the Dowery in trust for the legal documents. Jane and Hepatica went looking around where she though Charing Cross Road would be built. When they had walked from St Martins-in-the Field near Trafalgar where she thought the closest trainstation would end up being, up to Seven Dials and back down St Martins Lane back to the Strand and there was no Leaky cauldron not even down the side streets, had Hepatica worried. She had been surviving off the fact that though 200 odd years in the past there would still be a wizarding world. Now even that was taken from her too.
Calling it a day they returned to the house Hepatica tried to not let it affect her that she couldn't find the Leaky cauldron. But she would be lying to herself that it didn't hurt her, while raising more questions than she could possibly think of answers to, it gave her a headache that had her retiring early in hopes her stress and fear of where and when she was didn't overwhelm her. She really didn't want to breakdown just yet.
A few weeks later Jane asked if they could go to the bookstore down the road. It was a well known second-hand store that sold many rare items, with the guise of thinking of Mr Bennet's or Lizzy's birthdays. Jane confessed shortly after leaving the house, she felt Hepatica would enjoy it after the disappointment at Charing Cross.
It was there the girls ran into a lovely young girl. It was an accident when Hepatica and the newly identified Miss Darcy went for the same book and struck up a conversation. Miss Darcy was accompanied by her Aunt, Lady Maria Danville-Fitzwilliam the Countess of Matlock.
When it was acknowledged that Hepatica and Jane were acquainted with Mr Darcy from his time in Hertfordshire, Miss Darcy became very animated realising she was talking to The Hepatica Potter and Miss Jane Bennet her brother had mentioned in his letters.
The Countess looked interested when she heard Hepatica's full name glancing at her forehead as discreetly as possible. Though Hepatica did notice.
The ladies were looking for a present for her brother for his birthday coming up in a few weeks, something he wouldn't have. Hepatica had picked up the book as it seemed an interesting read. Handing the book over she informed Miss Darcy she knew for a fact Mr Darcy would enjoy it, if the brief conversations they had at the Ball were an indication. Or at least he had his eye out in search for it.
Before they parted ways Miss Darcy put herself out there and invited both Jane and Hepatica to tea on the morrow. They were happy to attend with no known plans, if their aunt could accompany them. Hepatica thought it would be a nice tea, Miss Darcy might not be 'out' but with her Aunt there it would be good start for her and still within propriety.
A/N fun fact, according to historical sites I visited, finding a map of London in 1800's all the stuff I talked about in this chapter and the future ones is true as much as I can find, including business's mentioned. The gold value is only roughly accurate amounts and prices according to my reasearch.