A/N: The future is a dark place.
Chapter 5
The New Order
September 11, 2031
New Order Headquarters, Brighton
Almost the entirety of the New Order had gathered at their headquarters, in the dining room, as it was the only space large enough for everyone to squeeze into, with the majority of those members being the Zabini family. As the discussions had been going on for well over an hour, everyone in attendance was starting to waver in their ability to stay focused, breaking off into smaller discussions. Blaise looked over at his eldest sons who were all standing together speaking in hushed tones, and he could only narrow his eyes as he wondered what the three young men might be talking about.
"You know, my love," Luna whispered into Blaise's ear, drawing his attention back to his wife, "this entire situation has your mother written all over it."
"I'm aware, but until we know for certain that she was involved, I'd rather not say anything." He kept his voice low, his eyes flickering over to where Theo, Ted, and Vic were still holding court discussing the latest attack of an unknown party. Any tip to them about who might be behind Bellatrix's assissination in Edinburgh would cause a division between the Zabini family (as Blaise and Luna would stand with his mother, regardless if they agreed with her actions or not) and the Order. Doing that at such a time would be foolish. "The woman is housing our daughters, and Bellatrix did threaten our family if you recall. I wouldn't put it past my mother to send Frank in to do her dirty work."
In fact, Bellatrix had more than merely threatened just the Zabini family. She'd used the Daily Prophet, now the Black Empress' propaganda tool, to swear vengeance against Molly Weasley and all her Blood Traitor descendants, with the exception of the Minister of Magic and his lovely Pureblood family, of course. Blaise's mother certainly wouldn't have taken that kind of public threat against her grandchildren lightly.
The thought of his late wife's older brother made his jaw clench, and his nails dug into the arm of the chair he was sitting in. If Blaise ever got his hands on Percy, the Italian wizard swore he'd personally rip the man to pieces the muggle way. No magic would be necessary for him to disfigure the figure head that allowed a mad woman to terrorize the entire United Kingdom.
"Well, someone killed Bellatrix and we all know the Black Empress is going to retaliate beyond allowing her Death Squad to run loose in the streets of London!" Ted exclaimed in response to something Al had said that Blaise hadn't heard. "Whoever has done this is putting our entire operation in danger, and it needs to be stopped!"
"We need to find out if they are friend or foe before we put a target on their backs," Lily Luna argued, leaning forwards in her chair, resting her elbows on the long table in front of her. Her red ponytail fell over her shoulder, a bright contrast against the black leather jacket she wore.
She raised a challenging eyebrow in Ted's direction that made her look so much like Ginny, Blaise's heart clenched at the sight. "It's completely irresponsible of us to write them off after they were able to take out the Black Empress's right hand," she stated, addressing the rest of the room. "This is an ally we need in this war. Someone who is capable of delivering blows like this to their regime."
The silence that settled in the large space at Lily's outburst only made the tension between the members grow. In the corner of his eye, Blaise saw Lance shifting uncomfortably as he stood near a bookshelf with his cousin Fred, son of the late George Weasley.
"Do you know something about this, L? You seem defensive of someone you claim to not know," Vic finally spoke up, leaning forwards, imitating the movement that Lily had just done. The part Veela's eyes flashed gold before fading back to their normal silvery blue when she blinked, the only indicator of her anger not just towards his eldest daughter, but the entire situation.
"They took out Bellatrix after she rose from the dead and attempted to kill my entire family for her revenge against Grandma Molly. Of course I'm going to defend them! You have three questionable sources you're in touch with feeding you information that you use to plan missions. We aren't even positive if their interests align with our own. How dare you sit there questioning the intentions of whoever took out Bellatrix Lestrange, as if they are evil! What happened to 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'?" Lily snapped back, her voice raising with each word until she was nearly shouting at the blonde woman.
"Enough!" Ted roared, slamming his hands on the table in front of him. The bright blue hair he normally sported shifted to a flaming red, and his normally mossy green eyes morphed to a brown so dark that they were nearly black. "The point is, we are not trusting random sources until we think their information to be valuable and reliable. No one on our team would have been so reckless as to assassinate Bellatrix so publicly! All of us at this table know we could have used her alive to get more information on the Black Empress. Found out what her goals were, where their head of operations is housed, what type of experiments they're conducting and using what magical creatures and beings. Instead, we're still in the dark and have no clue what the Death Eaters are planning next!"
"We knew the Death Squad had swarmed London, but we were able to stop them with no casualties," Theo said, standing and taking the entire attention of the room. "Friend or foe, we need to know all the players on this battlefield. If we can find an ally, regardless if their ideals don't perfectly align with ours, we cannot dismiss them."
Ted began to open his mouth in protest, but Theo held up his tanned hand to pause their leader from speaking again. "However, we need to speak with them about our efforts, our plans, and express to them the concerns about their actions having dangerous consequences and what they are going to do when those consequences come to fruition. We're all fighting in the same war and we all have the same objective, and that is ending this madwoman's reign of terror and putting an end to her Death Eaters and her Death Squad." Theo made eye contact with everyone who had been arguing their points, but not a soul made a move to speak.
A tired sigh escaped the older wizard's lips, and he ran a hand through his hair before adjusting the glasses on his face. Looking towards Blaise to help ground himself, Theo changed topics to a less controversial one. "Not to beat a dead Abraxan, but where are we on getting the trace removed to extract the young ones from the country? Vic, your mum and Parvati have been in contact, yes?" His blue eyes never left Blaise's face even as he addressed the woman.
"They have safe houses set up in France ready to receive any minors we can get through the wards. We just have to figure out how they are using the trace to keep children from exiting the country, and if we are able to remove it or deactivate it to evacuate them if we're unsuccessful with removing the wards." Vic reported, her hand resting on her husband's shoulder. Her touch must have had a calming effect on the man as his hair faded from the red back to his normal turquoise. "Lily Luna, this is your area of expertise; how are you coming along with creating a tear in the wards?"
Not answering immediately, she allowed a small sign of her petty nature to show as she studied her nails before answering the woman she'd just had squabbled with. When Luna finally cleared her throat and gave Lily a pointed look, the witch finally answered. "I need more time at the border, because they've set up Caterwauling Charms everywhere I've attempted to go to make the adjustments. I've almost figured out how to replicate the ward, which I'm teaching Theo as a backup."
"Do you think it wise," Blaise whispered into his wife's hair as his eldest daughter continued to speak about her charms' work with Theo, "that we send more of the children to my mother? Perhaps we ought to send them to France with Fleur and Parvati?"
"Pandora insists on staying put to work as a healer," Blaise made a move to argue, but his wife's narrowed eyes and hand on his forearm caused his words to die on his tongue. "And I agree, her skills are much needed, but I want to send Omaira, Nova, and Apollo. Once Lily Luna can get them out, they will go to your mother. They need to know how to protect themselves, and your mother lives in a fortress. Between her and Frank, I will not fear for their safety."
"Yes, well, I'll fear that we will have omicidi for children if we leave them all in her care."
"In the world we now find ourselves in, I don't believe that would be the worst fate for any of them." Before Blaise could respond to his wife, however, a silver dolphin that Blaise recognized swam into the room, halting all conversations. Making one last circle of the table, the creature opened its mouth, and the sound of Blaise's closest friend, Dean Thomas, rang in the room.
"A ward has been tripped by an unknown person, and a small explosion has happened near The Scott Monument, in Edinburgh. Seamus and I are heading to check it out and see if it wasn't just some of the muggles acting a fool again. No need to send anyone; Justin and Dennis are taking over guard duty while we're out, will report back with more information once it's available." As the message ended, the dolphin nodded its head and swam into the ceiling, bursting into a mist of light that showered the room.
His three eldest sons exchanged looks, Al going as far as to rest a hand on James' shoulder while Cole whispered something to his brother.
"Isn't Maeve in Edinburgh with her family?" Luna asked, Blaise nodding in confirmation. "Perhaps we should keep an eye on James, and make sure our boys don't do anything reckless."
December 31, 2029
Godric's Hollow Cemetery
The report had come through her badge just moments before, and she hadn't hesitated to apparate where she needed to be. Hermione's feet had hardly hit the grass before she was running through the gates of the cemetery that she had avoided since Harry's funeral nearly twenty years earlier. There was already a sea of DMLE agents moving around the crime scene, appearing quickly and getting to work, but Hermione paid none of them any mind as she moved through the crowd, pushing aside anyone who got in her way.
"Out of my way; move," she sternly instructed her subordinates, not caring about professionalism in the slightest.
She came to a halt, her stomach going up into her throat as she reached the dreaded sight that had been hidden from view by a large white tent. Ginny's broken body was spread out on the tomb of her late ex-husband. Her belly had been cut open in a deep vertical incision, as if a crude caesarean had been performed, with no sign of the baby anywhere.
The baby, who had been a joyful surprise to the entire Zabini clan after thinking that their family was complete, was just gone. There was no sign of whether she was alive or dead, and it was clear that whoever had done this had very limited medical knowledge. The baby hadn't been due yet for weeks, it would have been easy for her to be hurt in such a savage act. Ginevra Weasley Potter Zabini's final legacy was just gone without a trace.
Hermione hadn't even realised she'd fallen to her knees or that tears were streaming down her face until she felt the arms of her husband wrapping around her.
"Granger," he murmured into her hair, his own voice hiccupping, "I'm so sorry." He choked down his own emotions, staying strong for his wife, knowing that Ginny was more than a friend, she was Hermione's sister in every way but blood.
The sound of someone getting sick wasn't even enough to pull Hermione's eyes away from the sight in front of her. Her beautiful best friend, mouth open in a silent scream, her hazel eyes glossed over and unseeing. Her final moments being her infant being stolen from her before the baby was even born. The sight was almost enough to break Hermione, but she knew her sorrow would have to wait. Someone was out there, with the youngest Zabini, a brand new innocent baby, and had murdered her mother in cold blood.
The promise that she was going to find who did this and make them pay, played in the forefront of her mind. She hardly even registered when Draco left her side for a moment to attend to the rookie Auror standing behind Lily and James Potter's headstone, vomiting at the sight.
"Take this potion and get yourself back to the DMLE so you aren't alone," she could hear her husband saying in a soothing tone he often used with the twins. "This is a brutal scene for anyone to find; I applaud you for being able to contact us for backup before this. Off with you. I'll check in later; you've done your job well, Trevor."
The mumbled words of gratitude for her husband's kindness were lost to Hermione as she continued to gaze at Ginny's body for more clues. Beyond the vertical cut into her womb, there were no outward physical signs of what had happened to the witch. The state of the body, however, did indicate to Hermione that Ginny Zabini had died days prior to being staged at Harry's gravesite. The stiffness of her joints locked in place and the decaying of the wound, all indicators that the lab back at the ministry would easily be able to date, and check to see if there were any potions or poisons used on her before or after death.
"Draco, as Head Auror, I'm going to investigate this. I want to make sure whoever did this pays," Hermione stated as her husband walked back over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"I know, Granger, I know."
...
"You can't investigate your best friend's murder, Ms. Granger," McLaggen said, not even giving Hermione the courtesy of looking from the adult magazine he was reading, the witches on the front looked like they'd just finished school as they crawled towards the photographer in lacy lingerie. The baboon even had the nerve to adjust his view as he looked at the centrefold model, scuffing before flipping to a new page. "It's unprofessional and you would have a bias in the case."
"Head Auror Malfoy-Nott, McLaggen. I've been married for fifteen years and Head Auror for sixteen. The least you could do as my superior is call me by my legal name and professional title." Hermione ground out, her teeth clenching as she spoke, the temptation to slap his dirty dragon skin dress shoes off the top of his desk hardly contained. "And I've never been anything but professional in all my time as the Head Auror; I investigated Harry's murder, and he was my best friend. I don't see the difference in investigating Ginny's murder as well."
"Granger, look–"
"Malfoy-Nott, or if that's too much you can call me just Malfoy or only Nott, McLaggen. You aren't pulling me off this case, plain and simple." Hermione insisted, ripping the magazine the golden blonde man was 'reading' from his hand and tossing it into the fireplace, the young witches on the front trying to run from the cover as the fire engulfed the paper. "Someone kidnapped and killed one of the most well known witches in Britain–Ginevra Zabini, formerly Potter, after cutting her baby out, who is now a missing person! You cannot tell me I can't investigate this!"
"Head Auror or not, I'm in charge of this department. If I say this case is going to Boot and Creevey then that's who's getting it. And they will be reporting directly to me, not to you." McLaggen finally set his feet on the ground as he steepled his fingers, resting his elbows on his cleared desk.
"Are you bloody mental?" Hermione seethed, no longer caring if she offended the man or not. "Creevey is head of the crime scene division, he's never done anything other than collect evidence or taken photographs and labelled it, sir. He's never been the lead on a case because that's simply not his job." Hermione argued, quickly seeing what Cormac was doing, "You can't just give someone unqualified an assignment because you feel like it."
"He's been wanting to move up in the department, and what better way than to give him a case. Boot has handled hundreds of cases–"
"Terry Boot is one of the magical creature protection specialists! He's never worked a case involving a human as a victim, much less a murder!" Hermione was shouting now, completely disregarding any professionalism with the man. "If you think Blaise and Luna Zabini are going to find this acceptable for an investigation effort into the murder of their wife, you're wrong, McLaggen! And I'm not the one who is going to have to answer to their wrath, you are. Ginny is the sister of the Minister of Magic and you are putting two people in charge of the case who are not qualified for such a sensitive investigation!"
"Simply put, Head Auror, I am the head of the DMLE, and I call the shots around here." He gave a little shrug of his shoulders, a smirk showing off his crooked front tooth. "Remember that next time you come storming in here with your little attitude."
"McLaggen you can't be serious!"
"I'm dead serious, now get out of my office." His voice was cold, as he opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a fresh magazine, the same one that Hermione had just burned. "And do shut the door on your way out, I don't wish to be disturbed."
September 9, 2031
Zabini Cabin, near Loch Lomond in the Trossachs National Forest, Scotland
The faded pink and purple of her hair blocked his vision as Maeve rocked her hips on top of James. "Fuck, right there!" she cried out when he thrust upwards, arching her back so that he could now see her body as she rode him. Tattoos covered the entirety of both her arms, enchanted gardens, the flowers blooming and the pixies dancing as her pleasure grew nearer. "JAMES!" her shout came as he reached up, tugging at the rings that she'd put through her nipples just for their encounter.
The red of the gems on her septum piercing glittered in the low moonlight as James lifted the petite woman above him, taking the control away from her, so that he could pound into her dripping pussy. "JAMES!" she yelled as she gripped his hair at the roots, digging her nails into his scalp. "FUCK!" her cunt clenched down on his prick with one last thrust up when her climax slamming into her.
James kept up his brutal pace, as the petite fey woman shook, unable to stop herself as he prolonged her orgasm. Flipping her so that she lay splayed out beneath him, James hovered above her, and gave a little smirk before thrusting into her, bottoming out in one motion. Her moan of pleasure had him grinding his teeth to try to keep from coming undone at the sound of her. Pulling out, he slid back into her, keeping an even pace that had her whimpering, and tugging at the pale blonde roots of her hair until he felt his sack starting to tighten.
"Maeve, fuck!" James grunted as he pulled out just in time to spill his seed all over her stomach, coating the ring sticking out of her navel like a glaze.
Her chest heaved as she breathed deeply, trying to catch her breath, her dark brown eyes gazing up at him, a smile playing at her lips. "Damn, Potter," she murmured before nudging his arm so that she could roll out from under him. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but keep that up, and I'll make a point of sneaking out of the safe house more often." As she turned back towards him, her breasts on full display, the unicorn that he knew she had tattooed on her chest appeared while a stallion crossed her skin to join the smaller creature.
"We've got to stop doing this," he muttered, looking away from the two animals on her, knowing the meaning of them. Not wanting to acknowledge what she'd done in a drunken moment. His patronus chasing hers engraved into her skin forever. "It's not safe, and we are going to end up being caught."
"Well, you're the one who sent your stallion into my room asking me to meet you here. Now, come along; I do need to be getting back to Edinburgh." The woman waved her wand with a muttered 'accio', both their clothes flew to the room they were in from where they'd previously been discarded.
"Go to Italy, please. Nonna won't refuse you, I know she'll take you in without question." His voice cracked as he watched her pause the little shimmy she did while slipping on her faded jeans.
"You can't ask me to leave my family. My sisters and fathers need me. I'm an asset to the Order, even if you try to keep my participation at a minimum," she snapped, yanking her sage green jumper over her head, not bothering to scourgify his cum from herself first. "We are nothing to each other. 'Just a casual shag', isn't that what you told me when you proposed this entire arrangement to begin with? I'm not leaving my family and going to a safe house in Italy meant for the women in your family, when you've made it clear that I am not nor am I ever going to be part of said family."
"Maeve, it's not like that," James groaned, leaning his head against the headboard and closing his eyes.
"Then what is it, James!" the Irish witch snapped as she grabbed a boot, shoving her sockless foot into it. "You reach out, we meet up and fuck. You're the one who told me this meant nothing! You can't change your mind and decide to be all noble right when Ted finally sees that I can be of use!"
"You're not a soldier, Maeve! You need to go somewhere safe, look at what just happened in London when the Death Squad attacked! Look at what happened to my mother!" His voice raised as he ran his fingers through his already mused hair.
"We're at war, James!" she shouted, "I'm not a child! Ted wouldn't have asked me to be of assistance if he didn't see the value in having me in the Order nor has he ever asked anyone to do anything that they weren't already willing to do! He's no Albus Dumbledore, James! We're capable and trained adults, it's our responsibility to save our world. If we don't do it, who will?"
When James didn't answer her question, Maeve continued, bending over to grab her the forest green jacket she favoured. "Maybe I ought to call up Adrian Flint-Wood, or actually I know, Quinton Pucey is hung like a horse I hear. Hell, maybe I'll see if both of them would be interested in a romp since you can't seem to make your mind up about what I mean to you, James! At least with them, I'll know what I am!"
"You can't be serious!" James shouted, getting out of the bed, not even bothering to try to hide his nudity. It was nothing she hadn't seen already after all. "You can't call up fucking Flint and Pucey just to make me jealous!"
"For you to be jealous, I have to mean something to you, James!" she screamed, her face turning red as she went on her toes to try and get as close to his face as she could.
"I can't lose you, Maeve." James didn't even try to lower his voice, knowing when he rowed with her it always got loud and stayed loud until one of them stormed off.
"I'm not yours to lose," Maeve snarled, as she went to the doorway, "You've made it clear repeatedly that we are nothing to each other beyond friends who shag. Let me know next time you need a quick and dirty fuck, otherwise, stay out of my business!" She slammed the door behind her, causing the pictures on the wall to shake. Another moment and he heard the crack of her disapparating.
Staring at the door, he wondered how he'd fucked everything up so badly, and if he was ever going to be able to make it right with the only witch that he'd ever loved. Every time he tried he just seemed to make it worse.
"You are my everything," James whispered to the empty room, plopping himself back down onto the bed. Then he put his face in his hands and wept.
After a bit of time had passed, James pulled himself together to return to the Brighton safehouse, knowing if he waited too long someone would come looking for him.
As he walked through the door, passing by Al who was reading next to the fireplace, he resolved with himself that he was finally going to tell Maeve the truth. He'd explain his fear of commitment, that he worried he was going to end up treating her the way his father had treated his mother.
Maybe, he'd go to Edinburgh in a few days once she had calmed down and try to make her understand what she meant to him; maybe Blaise would give him his mum's ring. What if he took a leap of faith that he wasn't going to be a man like Harry Potter, and proved to her that their years together truly meant something. That she was his first, his only, and he hoped she would be his last.
His feelings for her couldn't be misinterpreted if he got down on one knee, could they?
September 11, 2031
New Order Headquarters, Brighton
Theo looked over where James, Al, and Cole were all huddled together by the fireplace, only low embers simmering at this point. He could hear the hushed whispers of the younger two men trying to convince their eldest brother not to take off to Edinburgh. Theo knew that James and Maeve Thomas were in a relationship of sorts, and if he were to go it was unlikely he'd have a level head about him.
"I have a bad feeling about this, Theo," Ted said in a low voice as the pair surveyed the rest of Order members that had gathered for the meeting. "We have two safehouses there housing four families at the moment. The situation with Bellatrix's murder is far from over, and my gut is telling me that there's something wrong and it's more than just a few muggles fucking around. I know they've tripped the wards before, but, I don't know…"
The young leader of the Order stood next to him, seeking his counsel; his metamorphmagus abilities had his eyes changing from his normal mossy green to a dull brown as he unseeingly gazed into the room. His hair began to shift to a sandy blond, that was so much like his late father's, and hung in his eyes. The man didn't make a move to brush it aside, even as he let out an exhausted sigh. The other members were milling around, each of them fidgeting with nervous energy after the message that Dean Thomas had sent. Regardless of his assurance that things were under control, there was still much unrest in the group.
"You were elected the leader of our resistance for a reason Ted, if you believe something is wrong, then we need to follow your gut." Theo kept his voice low as he stared at the wizard who was now watching his wife squabble with his young protege. "Blaise won't sit by while he believes his friend might be in danger, so we'll need to bring him. I advise leaving at least two capable duelists behind to guard headquarters."
"Agreed," said Ted, looking at Theo, his mouth set into a hard line before he clapped his hands together. The sound stopped every conversation that was happening around them as their leader moved to the front of the room so he was more easily seen. When all eyes were on him, Ted cleared his throat, his hair shifting into a bright green as he spoke.
"A team is going to go assess the situation in Edinburgh. Theo, Blaise, Vic, Lily Luna, and myself." When James moved to protest, he was shot down with a shake of Ted's head, indicating that this was not up for debate. "James, you, Al, and Cole will stay here to guard headquarters. There are children here who might need protection, and it is too dangerous to leave this location exposed. If we need the assistance–"
Ted was unable to finish his sentence as his words were cut off at the arrival of Dean's patronus swimming into the room once again. Though this time, it was not at the leisurely pace it had been before. The silvery mist was agitated and skittish, not even able to hold still as it delivered its owner's message.
"It's a trap! The Floos are blocked, anti-apparition wards have been erected! Not even the port keys we have are working! We're trapped! The Black Empress has sent in her dragons and they are burning the city to the ground! The emergency portkeys we have aren't working. Please, send help! SOS! We need immediate rescue and evacuation!"
7th of June 2030
Nott Castle, on an unplottable island off the coast of Lowestoft in Suffolk
The sound of heels clicking coming down the hall towards his study made Theo's jaw clench. Even though he had sent the owl and this is what he'd requested of the witch, he very much doubted that she'd actually be of any use to him. "Thank you for coming on such short notice," Theo said in a dry tone, the undrunk glass of firewhisky held firmly in his hand, not bothering to look up at the new arrival. "I think you know why I've asked you here."
"Theo, you know I can't tell you about the investigation into Draco and Hermione's kidnapping or your mother-in-law's murder. I only barely got you off the suspect list for both crimes, you don't want to know how hot some of the Aurors were and still are wanting to pin this on you–" she began, but Theo didn't want to hear it.
"I don't need your excuses! I need the facts!" Theo shouted as he stood from his chair, toppling the heavy wooden piece of furniture to the ground with a loud crash. "I need my husband and my wife found, Pansy!" He finally met the dull green eyes of one of his oldest friends as she stood in the centre of his office. She stood with her hands behind her back and her spine straight as she surveyed him for the first time since her initial interview with him two days prior.
He couldn't help but sneer at her when she raised one of her perfectly manicured brows as he eyes flickered over his private study. The room hadn't been in such a state in years; the sofas were blasted into pieces and holes were in the walls from where he'd put his fist through them. Smoke from a small fire he still hadn't bothered to put out (but Mispy had contained the flames to stop it from engulfing the entire room) had billowed up, fogging the window overlooking the sea. The full-length mirror was shattered, and Theo had forbidden Mipsy from cleaning the glass shards off the floor, even after he'd stepped on them, cutting open his feet while he trailed blood all over the antique rug Narcissa had gifted him for his fiftieth birthday the year before.
Pain. Everything he did was to cause pain that he could control. Because in the two days since his spouses hadn't shown up to the restaurant where they'd had reservations for Draco's birthday, his life had been utterly out of his control.
They were supposed to have been out on an easy mission. Something to gather a bit of evidence to find out what had caused the magical black out on the second of May. But things had gone horribly wrong, and when the auror department went to find them, they'd instead found their various tracking devices, placed on them by both the ministry and Theo, to be left behind, abandoned in the dirt at the crime scene.
"Theo," Pansy whispered, slowly approaching him, her shoes crunching on the glass scattered about the floor. "Draco and Hermione wouldn't want you to be drinking. Don't throw your sobriety away like this."
"I can't live without them, Pans," he dropped the glass in his hand, letting it fall to the ground before he turned and punched the top of his desk, causing his fist to ache instantly.
"Officially, there is no word on their disappearance." Pansy stated, walking away from him and instead towards the drink cart where she filled her own tumbler and drank it down. "Unofficially, I finally got a match for the DNA we collected at the scene of Narcissa's crime. McLaggen tried to have it thrown out because according to him, a dead man can't be a suspect."
"A dead man?" Theo asked, blinking, trying to clear the haze that had gathered in his mind over the last few sleepless nights. As he straightened out to face the witch, "Who?"
"Lucius. It was his semen that we collected from inside Narcissa's body." Pansy answered, filling her glass again, though this time she paused when the tumbler reached her lips. "Like I said, McLaggen wants it thrown out because the man is supposed to be dead."
Seeing Theo stunned into uncharacteristic silence she continued. "He was the only person who could have gotten into that manor and past Cissa's wards while she was there. When McLaggen saw what I was checking, he tried to throw me off the case and hand it over to Smith."
She took two long pulls after her revelation before making eye contact with Theo again. "Granger swore McLaggen was involved somehow, and, while I was always inclined to believe her, now there's not a doubt in my mind. If for some reason Lucius escaped Azkaban and the Kiss, then the Head of the DMLE knows."
"You think the Head of the DMLE is covering up that Lucius was never executed? Then years later came back from wherever he's been hiding to commit a murder and is potentiallyinvolved in the kidnapping of the Head Auror, his own daughter in law, and the Lead Auror Healer, his own son?" Theo stated, knowing that the idea McLaggen was in on whatever nefarious goings on wasn't far off. He'd heard Hermione ranting and raving about the man more times that he cared to think of. McLaggen was dirty, she'd always suspected it, but could never prove it. His actions since her disappearance confirmed what his wife had always suggested. But if Lucius was alive how had such a thing been covered up for twenty years, more than McLaggen would have to be involved. "And Neville? As acting Head Auror–"
"Has his hands tied even more now than he did as Deputy Head Auror. There's something bigger happening here, Theo. First Ginny and George, that magical black out, Narcissa, and now Hermione and Draco. Something's coming, and McLaggen is scared to rock the boat, clearly saving his own skin at minimum. At worst he is fully involved in whatever is happening and behind it, but I doubt hi andthat. He's too stupid to pull something of this magnitude off," Pansy shook her head, her pin straight hair falling back perfectly in place when she met his eye again."No, I'm afraid we are woefully unprepared to handle whatever or whoever is coming."
"Since Ginny was killed and the baby stolen, I've had the same feeling," Theo turned back to his desk, as he began to shuffle through the drawers. "I've actually had the same fears as you. I don't think this is a war we can win, when we don't even know who or what we're fighting."
"Theo–what are you talking about?" Pansy moved in closer, coming around the large mahogany desk, trying to see over his shoulder, but he blocked her line of sight.
"I need a wizard's vow, Pans, before I can tell you anything else." He looked behind himself and watched as shock overtook her features.
"Theo, what the hell–"
"Pansy, I have had two kids lying up in their bedroom laying in bed together for the past two days, not knowing if their mother and father are alive or dead. My daughter is convinced that it is her fault that her mother is missing because of a silly little fight they had right before Hermione left for work. I lost the only mother figure I've really ever known, and my best friend lost her wife and her unborn child to some unknown force. Who knows what might happen to you, Neville, Astoria, or your children next? To say what is coming is bringing terrible things is a gross understatement; now, do I get that vow or not?" He gave her a pointed look, holding his breath as he waited for her answer.
"You have it, I vow on my magic," Pansy murmured, without wasting another moment, his words hitting a chord in her.
"I'm building a time-turner. We're going back and we're going to fix this, but I need to know everything that you know."
15th June 2030
Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Head Auror's Office, Ministry of Magic, London
"Mr. Longbottom," Neville slowly opened his eyes, not having realised that he'd even fallen asleep. He lifted his head from his desk to see two familiar faces standing in his doorway.
"Mrs. Weasley, Parvati, how may I help you?" He asked, clearing his throat and running a hand through his hair as the two witches entered the office and sat in the visitor chairs across from him. "I apologise for the mess, can I offer either of you a cup of tea?"
"Nev, cut the shit. We were housemates for seven years, we're here to talk about what's happening around the country." Parvati said, locking her eyes with his as she leaned forwards in her chair. "Hermione's kidnapping is the last straw. We're taking the kids and getting out of here."
"I thought you already sent Dom, Louis, and Jasmin to France to stay with your parents, Fleur, after Bill and Lavender…" he trailed off, not wanting to upset the two witches over the loss of their other two spouses anymore than they already were.
"Not our children, we're taking Victoire's children into hiding," Fleur answered, her eyes fluttering as the colour flashed from silvery blue to the Veela gold. "We're here to warn you that we believe people with special abilities are being targeted." The French witch motioned towards the missing poster laying on the desk in front of him, the same one that he'd just been sleeping on. She tapped her finger upon the picture of the beautiful witch looking back at them. "My cousin, she's a full blooded Veela, just as Andi and Nym are."
"What about Vic?" Neville asked, picking the missing poster off the desk to study the young girl smiling up at him. "Isn't she a Veela too?"
"No, my children are all part Veela as am I. Her children, however, are full and already showing signs of being able to transform. Just as my cousin, Vivienne is able to do. I fear you won't find the girl alive, there are so many uses for Veela blood, feathers, and tears in potions and other rituals, the poor girl is doomed."
"What about Remy? Are you taking him with you as well?"
"We fear," Parvati spoke up, "that he will be hunted for his metamorphmagus powers. Ted and Vic agreed with us, but we wanted to alert you to quietly spread the word that anyone with a gift should leave the country, and quickly."
"What else might you have heard?" Neville asked, knowing that he was probing where he ought not to be, but brushed that thought aside. If what they were saying was true, they were all already in grave danger, regardless of what they did or did not know.
"I'm hearing less and less these days, the Prophet, they're covering up things just as they did when Voldemort returned." Parvati said, holding onto her only living partner's hand tightly. "There's something big coming, Nev. It would be best if we were all prepared for the fallout."
August 2, 2030
Pandora Malfoy's Townhouse, Brighton
The townhouse was too bright and too loud for the emotion that Ted Lupin was feeling as more people milled around the room, quietly discussing what the future might hold. This wasn't how life was supposed to be. Everything seemed to be in hyperdrive, and their small group was hardly clinging on, as if the world would shatter even more than it already had at any moment.
"I shouldn't be the leader, I have no experience with this type of thing," Ted whispered to his wife. The votes had been cast and it was decided that he would be heading the resistance fighters.
"Who else is there to lead them, Ted? You were made the Deputy Head Auror for a reason; you have the skill, you have the training, look at them, they need someone to depend on." Victoire replied, her voice low, her long white hair hanging in curtains around her face as they looked around at the gathered members.
"I was in that position for less than a month, and only because–" he started to say, but his wife would hear none of it.
"Because nothing, Ted. Neville trusted you, if he didn't, he wouldn't have appointed you his successor." She raised an eyebrow in a challenge that only made Ted roll his eyes at her.
"He had no one else," Ted insisted, his fists clenching at his side. "If I was better, then he wouldn't have–"
"Enough, I won't hear you speak down on the best man I know any longer. Like it or not, Edward Lupin, you are their leader now and we're going to need you to get through this war."
Knowing that it would be pointless to try and continue to argue with his witch, Ted sighed, and nodded in agreement. He surveyed the room at large; the entire Zabini family sat huddled together, the six members of the Thomas family near them, Theo Nott and his children, his wife's Aunt Angelina, and her two children, and so many more. Every last one of them, looking towards him to lead them into another time of peace. If that's what they wanted, then dammit all, he was going to give it his best.
"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Ted announced, stepping forwards, and taking command of the room, all eyes turning in his direction. "Anyone who is under the age of twenty or has no prior training or experience fighting is going to be asked to step out of the room at this time." The protests began to ring out instantly, especially from the Zabini triplets who had just recently turned seventeen and technically were of age. "I realise the legal age of adulthood is seventeen, and while I can appreciate the law, we are fighting a war. I see who is here, and I know who has duelling training and who does not. Those seventeen to nineteen are welcome to wait in the adjacent room for further instructions on how we will train you, but this room is not for that."
"What about the underage witches and wizards?" Luna Zabini asked from where she was perched on the old sofa. Her eyes were wide as she reached for her younger children seated on the floor near her feet. "Will we not be training them in combat as well?"
"No, children do not fight in wars. We are not the Order of the Phoenix, nor are we Dumbledore's Army. Children will not be fighting in this war as long as I am your chosen leader. If you all have a problem with that I suggest that you reconsider the leadership vote," Ted finished stepping back as he waited for all the parties he'd addressed to exit.
Once everyone he'd listed had left the room, only a moment passed before Blaise Zabini spoke up. "They've put some sort of ward on the trace, I've never seen magic like this. I went to try and send Pandora, Omaira, and the twins to my mother, but they were unable to exit the country. Not by portkey, not muggle transportation, none of it. Muggle minors were still able to leave, so it's only reasonable to assume that they've somehow tied the trace into the ward."
"Mum's shipments of supplies are still coming in, though she's using a muggle smuggling ring to do it. Financially I'm not sure how we're going to bankroll this," Vic said, stepping forwards. "Unless you all have offshore accounts, because the goblins are on lockdown then we have no access to anything–"
"I have enough galleons, don't worry about the money or where it is coming from. Just know, we won't run out," Theo spoke for the first time, his eyes downcast, the horrors of the events from the days before were still etched in his features. "Draco, Hermione, and I have accounts around the world, there will be no shortage, I can assure you."
"What about the older children?" Dean Thomas interjected, clearly wanting to take the attention off the recently widowed man. "The ones of age, are we able to get them out?"
"Ember, Delia, Scar, and Ruby are all set and ready to sneak out of the country to go to Italy. After what just happened in Romania, Delia obviously can't return there, and my mother insisted that they still join her, even if we can't get the younger children out." Blaise explained, "Your girls are more than welcome to go as well, Dean." The Italian man looked over at his friend, who shook his head in response.
"They won't go, much like Lily Luna." The other wizard said with a smirk as he looked at his three daughters who all smiled back at their father and shrugged in unison.
"Excuse me, I'll have you know that I'm a duelling champion three years running. Just because I'm the charms professor–" The eldest Zabini daughter began to speak up, only for her father to cut her off.
"And after what happened to all your colleagues, you should also be heading out with your sisters. If you hadn't been coming home from the castle on the weekends in secret, you could have just as easily met the same fate." Blaise finished, looking at the witch, who only crossed her arms over her chest, her hazel eyes flashing in anger.
"I am more capable of taking care of myself than Al or Cole, don't insult me, Papa." The fiery redhead said, glaring at her father. "I'm twenty-three; I'm not a child."
"You're still my child!" The Italian man cried out angrily, his fist shaking, his expression making it clear that this was not the first time this exact argument had been had between the two of them.
"Enough, this is getting off topic, and a row between the two of you can wait until we've finished here and you can have the room." Ted cut them off when Lily went to open her mouth to respond. "We need a headquarters, Blaise, could we use the cabin?"
The elder man narrowed his eyes at his daughter, who sat with her arms crossed and nose in the air before looking back at Ted. "Unfortunately, no. The wards are laid into the foundation and only those related to the Zabini family by blood or marriage are able to enter, even though we can bring guests. It's a defensive ward I included on a whim after Cole was born to activate if a war was to break out. That would mean for every meeting someone from my family would have to be available to escort everyone onto the property, and that's just not feasible."
He pointed to the floor, indicating the home they were currently settled in. "This property, however, is unplottable and hiding in plain sight might be to our advantage."
"Agreed, this was my mother's after her father burned her from the family tree. She had to make it unplottable after Uncle Lucius threatened her life, but there's no record of the purchase in the wizarding world because she bought it from a muggle. Officially, it's condemned." Luna answered, looking around the space, "I haven't been here in years, but aside from my father, I was the only other person who knew of it until yesterday."
"What about the werewolves? Will they be able to scent us here?" Seamus asked, his brows scrunched together as he held both of his husbands' hands on the top of the tattered table. "Even with wards up, they've been getting a bit too close to our house and it'll only be so long until they break through."
"No, I've already done it here, but I'll go through and reinforce everyone's wards." Theo spoke again, his voice cracking. "Nothing less than Fiendfyre or Dragon fire will be able to penetrate them when I'm done."
21st February 2032
Zabini Cabin, near Loch Lomond in the Trossachs National Forest, Scotland
Al sat in the corner of the room, his heel propped up on his knee in the spot furthest away from his parents holding the family meeting. They were discussing the events of the last five months, but Al couldn't find it in himself to give them his full attention to their concerns. It wasn't that he didn't care about what had happened to Lily, in fact, it was the complete opposite. He was destroyed over the sight of his sister's mangled and broken body splayed out in front of him, but there was so much more happening in his mind. Always as perceptive as their mother, Nova, the second youngest Zabini child, danced over to the sofa he had claimed and crawled up next to him, curling into his side as if she were a kitten.
"Is everything going to be alright little sprite?" He murmured, running a hand over the top of her soft honey curls. She looked up at him with her wide doe eyes and shook her head before hiding her face against his side once again. Her body began to shake as silent sorrow flowed from her. It had been years since Nova had last spoken aloud, and Al could only imagine the images she saw at such a young age with the same abilities that she'd inherited from her mother.
His father's voice pulled his attention from the small witch next to him, as the rant continued. Every word went in one ear and out the other, while Al rubbed soothing circles onto the young teen's back until he felt her noiseless sobs ease and her body go heavy with sleep. James stood near the window, looking out into the dark forest, lost in whatever thoughts were at war within him. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent against his pale skin, the two leather bracelets he wore pressing into his forehead as he leaned on his hand.
"We have to stop trying to save the baby," the words finally pulled Al into the conversation. "Your sister was kidnapped because we tried to save Merope, and it's not a trade that I will make again."
"You can't be serious?" Cole said, stepping forwards, nearly as tall as his father they were eye to eye while glaring at each other. Cole hadn't always been the one most likely to question their father, but after what had happened in Romania, something in him had changed. "You're going to let that madwoman keep our sister?"
"I'm not letting her keep anyone, Cole. The baby is still alive, and from the glimpses we've seen, she's–" Blaise began, the anger at the accusation clearly written on his face.
"It's not an option, Papa," James said, turning around, a dent in his forehead from the bracelet with an 'MT' showing where he'd been resting his arm. "We're going to keep going after her until we have saved her."
"Not you. Your mother and I will be the only ones tracking her from now on." His father shook his head. "She's my daughter, therefore she's my responsibility to save, I will die before any more of you are taken from me."
"You have got to be joking," Lance said, from where he sat on a plush lounge chair. He lifted the beer to his lips, taking a drink before wiping his mouth against the sleeve of the jumper he wore. His long curly red hair pulled back into a bun showing the sharp angels of his jawline and the new lily tattooed on his neck. "You can't think any of us are going to be okay with you and Mama taking on some of the darkest forces to ever walk the earth on your own. Lil wouldn't–"
"Lily's not here, Lance. Lily was kidnapped because she was targeted by some dark wizards hunting witches for the darkest of purposes. We don't know where their reach extends, and therefore, we're sending the rest of you who are of age to Italy to be with Nonna. You'll be safe there, and the Death Eaters, Death Squad, and Dark Wolves aren't openly walking around and burning the streets of Sicily." Blaise said, making Al roll his eyes. "You're safer together than you are apart."
"And who all do you think is going to agree to this? Not me, I'm staying here to fight with the Order, and I wish you luck in convincing Pandora to leave her hospital," Cole spat, rolling his eyes as he turned to walk out the room. The clicking of his boots was the only sound accompanying the crackling of the fire in the hearth, until he paused in the large archway. "We're all scared of the what-ifs, but Lily wouldn't want our efforts to save Merope to end just because of what happened to her."
No one moved as he finally swept from the room, his long black cloak billowing behind him as he left. The sound of the front door slamming followed by the crack of his apparition. Upon his son's departure, Blaise reached out, shocking all his children when he came up with a cigar, lighting it in front of them, pulling the smoke into his mouth and letting it soak for only a moment before blowing it out. Smoke billowed from his lips and his nose as he sucked in again, this time holding his breath, letting the tobacco soak into his mouth membranes.
"I'm not calling her Merope," Lance snarled, "I don't give a damn if that's what she's being called by the Black Empress." He stood together and came to where Al sat to gather Nova, still sleeping soundly, in his arms.
"I don't understand why you would ever think that we'd abandon one of our siblings. We never have and never will," Rory growled as he stood and joined Lance as he left the room. Following their lead, Apollo and Omaira exited the meeting without comment, the soft padding of their footsteps heading towards the guest rooms until the doors shut. That left only the Potter boys and their parents in the sitting room.
James stood, looking at his stepfather who looked worse for wear. His eyelids were heavy and the smell of firewhisky came off his as did the smell of the cigars that he'd previously long since given up. His stepmother sat, still not saying a word as tears brimmed in her eyes and her hands were tightly clasped in her lap.
Her silvery blue gaze finally shifted to Al, making him feel unsettled, as having a seer for a stepmother always had.
A pale brow lifted and her eyes widened before a little smirk played at her lips, quickly covered by a cough as she stood. "I think a cup of tea would do everyone some good," she announced before she swept across the room, the pale yellow robes she wore flowing around her as she left. She spared Al one last glance over her shoulder before she disappeared out the door.
Al's eyes widened, worried that she might have found out what had happened, but there was nothing to do about it if she had. In all honesty, he was more shocked that it had taken her this long to figure out his secret.
Blaise looked at the young men, "I really do need you two to go to Nonna's, you have to protect your sisters. I know I said that she'll be helping me, but Mama is going with you, too."
"Good luck getting Mama to go anywhere without you," James scuffed, turning back towards the window, his arms crossed over his chest as he gazed into the woods only lit by starlight. "Why not try to force Cole or Lance to go instead? You think we'll just abandon our duties here? And what of Omaira and the twins? You're going to leave them unprotected by sending everyone else away."
"Frank doesn't get along with them, and for anyone to be there long term, Frank–" Blaise paused as he reached to light another cigar.
"Yes, yes, your mother's house elf has to get on with them. Honestly, the bloody thing hates all wizards, I don't know why you'd think we'd have any better luck with him." James stated, turning back to face them, "if it's because he gets on well with Dippy and we're Dippy's masters, then that's still a slim to no chance."
"Yes, that weird relationship with Dippy does have something to do with it, so the two of you need to go so that you can protect them. What will happen when, not if, but when the Black Empress gets to Italy?" Their father said, putting the cigar to his lip. "I'm working with Theo on a safety plan for everyone here, but there's just too many of you for it to work as is. The more of you with Nonna, the easier it is for me to protect the younger ones until they can travel."
"I can't go to Italy," Al whispered, looking at his hands. His eyes grew wide with the realisation of what his mother must have seen. Well, he was fucked.
"I can't either," James jumped in, understanding where Al was going with this. "We're both senior leadership, with me being second in command after Ted."
"James, I can understand that reason and accept it, but Al, Vic is ahead of you in the line of succession. The Lupins and Theo have even encouraged sending you to Italy to see if you could connect with some of the resistance groups there. Surely you can do that." Blaise snuffed out the cigar in his hand as his eyes narrowed.
"Papa, please don't push this," Al begged, not wanting to admit the grave error that he couldn't fix.
Blaise turned his gaze on Al, his dark eyes met Al's green and it felt as if he were piercing his very soul. "What do you mean you can't go to Italy?" When Al made no move to speak, Blasie narrowed his gaze, "Albus Potter, you're going to tell me what's going on with you." His father's voice was low and the lingering smoke made the man look even more intimidating as his tattooed skin glimmered in the low light. "Someone is going to tell me."
"Al," James warned his brother, already knowing the truth, shaking his head.
"I have a soulmate," Al admitted, he'd never been able to keep things from the man in front of him, even as a child. Not able to look his father in the eye as the truth spilled out as if he'd been dosed with veritaserum. "I can't leave her here defenceless and she would never go to live with Nonna."
"Why didn't you tell me you had a soulmate? Unless you've bonded, I don't–" Blaise stated, then stopped as the pieces started to fall into place. "You're bonded, but that doesn't seem to be what's bothering you, no there's something else…" his father trailed off as he tried to fit this puzzle together. "Who is she, Al? Normally you wouldn't have hid something like this, but obviously your brother knows, so she is clearly someone that you should not be bound to."
"It's Viola, sir." Al muttered, feeling as if he were a six-year-old boy again, and not a hardened twenty-six-year-old man fighting in a war.
"Viola, as in Theo's daughter? How the fuck have you bonded with her!" Blaise shouted, the understanding washing over him. "She's barely of age! Please tell me you weren't having sex with her when she was still a minior!"
"Of course not, I couldn't, I would never have!" Al shot to his feet, his arms flailing in the air as he tried to explain. His tone and volume were matching his father's, as the anger coursed through him at his father's suggestion. "I would never have touched her when she was underage!"
"When did this happen?" Blaise asked, his gaze levelling both his sons. "Clearly it's been going on long enough that James found out. You do realise that if Theo learns about this, he will kill you."
"It was her birthday, I didn't even know she was there or that it was her at first," Al admitted, his temper settling. "Everyone was in a mask, only after the bond was sealed did I realise it was Vi, otherwise you have to understand I never would have done it."
"Where is there?" his father asked, before understanding dawned. "Indulgence, she celebrated her birthday at Indulgence. Oh my god, was your sister with her?"
"Uh, yeah. I found out after… Vi, Scorp, and Dora were all there." Al's gaze locked on his feet where he scuffed the floor with his boot, "I swear I didn't know it was her, but now we're sort of stuck with each other."
"Well, no wonder your mother is so bloody happy all of the sudden. She loves being tied to Nott in every way possible, first him marrying her cousin and now her son bonded with his daughter." Blaise let out a breath, "Theo can't find out; he'll kill you on the spot."
"Yeah, I'm aware." Al said, looking up, shocked that his own father, who was the girl's godfather, wasn't causing him physical harm. "You're not—I don't know—pissed?"
"Oh, I'm beyond angry at the situation, but I think the threat of the wrath of Theo Nott is enough of a warning for you to stay in line. For the sake of the four founders, do be discreet."
Al closed his eyes and let out a cough at the smoke still lingering in the air from the remains of Blaise's cigars. His father wasn't wrong, the thoughts of everything Theo would do to him when he found out about their bonding was more than enough to keep Al from acting out. Because even though the man was like an uncle to him, he still had seen what he was capable of and the thought of being on the receiving end of his curses…well…Al had a healthy fear of the man destined to be his father-in-law.
3rd January 2032
The Club Indulgence, Newcastle
The music was so loud the entire building felt as if it were vibrating. At least in this part of the club. The real party, what James had brought them here for, took place in the back. With the reckless behaviour James was engaged in these days, Al was here to make sure his brother didn't do anything that would get himself killed.
"A double firewhisky on the rocks," his brother's slurred speech could be heard as he slouched forwards, resting his hands on the bar to support himself. The barmaid, a tall woman, her head shaved and dyed a bright green with large star earrings dangling down to her bare shoulders. She hardly glanced at James before she began to pour his drink, completely disregarding that the man was almost much too intoxicated to be consuming anymore alcohol.
"And a water," Al instructed her, and she merely shrugged her shoulders before turning back and setting the clear liquid in front of Al and the amber one in front of James. When the redhead reached for the glass, Al swapped them, taking a sip and letting out a hiss at the cheap hot liquor. "Ted is going to kick your arse if he catches you like this, again," Al warned his older brother who was scowling at the water now in his hand.
"I don't give a fuck what Ted fucking Lupin thinks of me, now give me my drink back." His sloppy movements were easy to anticipate and Al only rolled his eyes as he dodged his brother's lunge with little effort.
"This troll piss? I'd hardly consider it a drink," Al said, finishing off the drink with a wince before setting the glass back down, surveying the club. He was thankful for the masks that all guests to this club were required to wear upon entry, as it allowed for him and James at least a bit of safety through anonymity.
His gaze swept the room, wondering just how many Death Eaters, Death Squad members, and Dark Wolves were also in attendance tonight, the unknown making him nervous. But that was part of being able to go out and blow off steam in this world, the chances of rubbing shoulders with the enemy was high, and that's why it was so dangerous for James to be alone. It was rather disconcerting knowing that both sides were just needing a night out, but at the same time, the drunken fights were usually over silly things like jealousy, and not over blood status or your position in the war.
It's what sets Indulgence apart from every other club.
"What's your plan tonight, James? Find some other faceless girl to fuck? If you're wanting to do that, we better head towards the back before you're too drunk that you pass out," Al said, loud enough to hear over the pounding music in their ears. "Wouldn't want you to leave without getting off at least once."
"Fuck off, Al. I don't need a babysitter," James retorted, pushing away from the bar and doing exactly as Al had suggested. The flashing strobe lights made it only slightly more difficult to track his brother's movements, but still he moved slowly as he'd drank himself stupid earlier in the night. Rolling his eyes behind his brother's back, they weaved through the crowd until they were at the entrance to the den. After being scanned to ensure that they were of age in the wizarding world, the large bouncer motioned for the brothers to make their way into the room.
The door shut, and the first thing Al noted was that the music wasn't nearly as loud here. Both of their masks changed from black to an emerald green to indicate that they did not have partners with them and that they were both willing to play. While Al had no intentions of actually ending up with a witch, he still wasn't one to turn down an offer if the right kind of opportunity was to present itself.
It was only a matter of moments before two black-haired pale skinned women in matching black satin mini dresses approached the two of them, their giggles too high pitched as they sashayed their way towards the brothers. Al rolled his eyes, but watched intently as James' eyes trail their long legs and the dips of their curves that the dresses they wore displayed. "Ladies," he said, his voice deepening, causing the birds both to giggle again.
"Hello, gentlemen, we were wondering if you'd be interested in being our escorts for the night," the taller woman on the left said. "I promise we'll make it worth your while," she purred, leaning into James' ear, but Al could still hear her perfectly.
"I'll pass, thanks," Al said, stepping out of the reach of the second woman, but not before her long red nails scratched his arm. A look of offence crossed her face before she turned all her attention onto James, who already had his arm wrapped around the other witch's waist.
"I'll watch a show while I wait for you," he called after James, who was already disappearing into the corridor housing the private rooms with both the witches.
A tingling in his chest made Al rub his fist there as he turned and headed towards the stage, where a couple was putting on a display of wax play. As he sat back onto the black leather settee, the tingling became almost painful, as if it were trying to tell him something, when the cushion dipped. "Hello," a feminine voice said, pulling his attention away from the couple on stage he'd been watching.
Al turned to see dark chocolate curls in ringlets framing a heart shaped face. The sapphire eyes behind the emerald mask she wore sparkled as she looked him over, making the tingling in his chest thrum again. The more he looked at her, the less aware of his surroundings he became, nothing else nearly as enchanting as the witch next to him. "Hi," his reply came, his voice coming out raspy, as if he hadn't spoken in ages. Clearing his throat, he let his eyes travel along her body, her perky breasts hardly contained by the corset she wore. The dark brown colour only enhanced her own olive skin, and front busk closures with the floral print and the buckles adorning it were sexy, yet warned you this witch was a fighter. The lace up back with the bow was the perfect touch of feminine and the matching lacy boy short style knickers and thigh high brown leather boots she wore completed the look.
Al gulped as he watched her eyes take in his appearance, and when she stood, holding out a hand, he was helpless to do anything other than accept her offer and follow her wherever she wanted to take him.
She led him through the thrumming crowd and it seemed as though all of Al's awareness was focused on their entwined fingers and the static that seemed to course between them. The private rooms had dials on the doors. Black meant open, the void, no one inside. Green meant there were people inside but they welcomed company. Red meant the room was occupied and meant to stay private. When the girl in front of him led him to a black door, he followed meekly as though she'd cast a spell on him. He couldn't imagine walking away from her, despite that no more than two words had been spoken between them. Her body was perfect, and the sway of her hips made him want to feast on every inch of her. Merlin, the thought of how sweet she would taste made his mouth water as he hoped he'd get to before they parted ways.
That was the other thing about Indulgence— unless you already knew who you were with, your identity stayed hidden. It was the only way to keep everyone safe, because otherwise it could end in bloodshed. And when the little witch looked over her shoulder and gave him a coy smile, for the first time, he cursed the policy, because fuck it all did he not want to give this woman up.
He followed her through the doorway and she looked at him, biting her lower lip in a way that was hauntingly familiar. Not lingering on the thought, he bridged the distance between them and took her mouth with his. His hands reached into the wild curls that framed her face, wrapping them around his fingers, and he pulled her body against his. Her every curve and valley fit against him perfectly like they were made for each other. He groaned as he slid his thigh between her legs and could feel how soaked her knickers were. One hand reached between them, rubbing her slit, and he huskily whispered, "is all this for me?"
"How could it be for anyone else?" Her breathless reply confused him, but then she claimed his lips again, and any lingering questions in the back of his mind disintegrated. Her tongue sliding into his mouth had him pulling her closer yet, the buckle from her corset digging into his ribs. Al didn't think he'd ever been so hard as his cock jumped at the little whimper she made against his mouth.
Her hands started to work skillfully on the buttons of his green silk shirt; he did still have some House pride after all, but he stopped her, pulling back from their kiss, when he felt her finger tips skating over his chest.
"Stop," he instructed, taking hold of her small wrists, "I have cursed scars that I can't glamour. At least let me dim the light first, I promise you won't want to see them. They are hardly fit for a pretty little thing like you." He smirked at her with his final comment, but the woman only shook her head, as if she saw straight through him.
Pulling out of his grip, the mysterious woman continued with her task, her sapphire eyes locked with his. "There's a war on, everyone has scars," she'd reached the final clasp and undid it, exposing his chest to the cool air of the room. When she looked away from him and at his exposed skin. "Some are more visible than others," she whispered, and then her hands were caressing his chest, placing a soft kiss over each horrific slash of his sectumsempra scars. They were deep and wide, so much worse than Draco's had been. The intent when the spell had been shot towards him was to kill, and the signs of that were plain as day. His chest and stomach muscles, once perfectly defined, would never be the same. One of the deepest slashes had barely missed taking his left nipple, running like a deep valley.
Al grabbed her chin and tilted her face towards his again, she smirked, a dimple he hadn't noticed before appearing on her cheek. He nipped at her lips before kissing his way down her neck, nipping and sucking, leaving marks so that she would remember him for days to come. He ripped her knickers off, taking the scrap of material and shoving it in his pocket as his own souvenir. She gasped at her cunt's sudden exposure to the cool air of the room, and when he picked her up by the waist and tossed her onto the centre of the bed.
The woman was splayed on the bed, her legs falling open, showing him an unobstructed view of her glistening pussy on full display. As his hands travelled to his belt, he vaguely took in the sight of the bed. It was heart-shaped and gauche, Albus had never come into one of these private rooms, never used one of these beds, but tonight? Tonight he was going to.
He didn't think he could stop himself if he tried, not able to take his eyes off her as her hips gave a little inviting wiggle. Kicking off his boots, Al climbed over her. She brushed his long hair back from his face, her hand trailing down so that she was cupping his face in a loving manner. Their eyes met and he thought he could drown in the depths of her blue eyes. Sweet Circe she was perfect.
The swell of her breasts over the top of her corset was perfection. He kissed and worshipped the soft tissue with his mouth, making her whimper at his attention. Her moans of pleasure drove him on as she clutched at his head, her back arching beneath him. His left hand crept along her thigh until he found the hot wet folds at her core. She gasped as his fingers circled her sensitive nub.
"Can you come for me, sweet one?" he whispered in her ear, his fingers pumping in and out of her tight core, wanting to make sure when he took her, she would be ready. "Come on my hand, before I'm even inside you." She arched her back at his command, spurring him to add another finger, his pace staying even, slowly bringing her to the edge. Al's voice was a shadow of his normal one and he had no idea where such words had come from. He was not much for dirty talk, but this woman underneath him made him want to do all sorts of things he'd never considered.
Growing up in a triad household with fourteen other siblings, Al understood all about sex and kinks. This was the first time he'd ever wanted more than the simple mechanism of intercourse with someone. He wanted her every way a man could have a woman. He wanted her in all kinds of depraved ways. He wanted to cum all over her skin so that any Wolves in the club knew that she belonged to him. He wanted to make her his in every way. He wanted her round with his baby, her perfect breasts full of milk that would leak down her flawless bronze skin.
What the fuck was wrong with him? The thought fled as quickly as it came, because her hand was stroking his cock through his trousers. And, Merlin, she was fucking purring while she was fucking his hand, picking up the pace as she chased her release, trying to do as he'd commanded. Al's long fingers slid in and out her wet heat and she panted into his mouth.
"Please," she gasped with those perfect rose lips, "Please, I need all of you, I can't wait." Her cunt clamped down and she let out a cry that was muffled against his mouth. He pressed his thumb against her clit, trying to prolong her climax, but she was pulling away from him. "Please, I need you to fuck me," she begged, and Al was helpless to do anything other than what she needed.
Al pulled at his pants and kicked them off, not wanting to vanish them in such a location or in such a frenzy as he had no idea where he might send them. His trunks went with them, thrown carelessly, draping over a lamp on the side table. His cock sprung free and she made sounds of pleasure at his size as she took him in one hand, pumping him a few times, before guiding him towards her wet heat. If he'd been in the right frame of mind, he would have noticed the sparks that happened each time they touched, but alas, Al was in too much of a haze to think of anything beyond needing his witch.
Al itched to take her corset off so he could worship every inch of her, her fingers twisting around the head of his cock, causing him to get lost in the feeling. The wetness of his own pre-cum caused his body to twitch in her grasp as she eased his head to her dripping apex. She rubbed the tip of him against her clit repeatedly and stiffened and moaned as Al felt wetness gush from within her.
"Did you just come for me again, my sweet girl?" At her nod, Al moaned in pleasure, nipping her neck. "What a good girl you are for me. What a delightful surprise finding someone like you here tonight."
Her hand led his hard shaft to her entrance and he eased his way forward.
"Oh fuck!" she gasped as he filled her. "Fuck yes! Fuck!"
Albus rocked his hips forward, plunging to the hilt into her, her cunt clenching him like a vice as he filled her. "So fucking tight. Feel so fucking good," his voice was raspy as he pulled out, then plunging back inside her.
Unable to stop himself, Al began pounding into the little witch, her legs thrown up over his shoulders as she was bent in half. He grabbed her wrists in one hand and pinned them to the bed over her head. "Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine." His words punctuated every thrust, having no idea where the possessiveness he felt over her was coming from. Another thing he should have more carefully analysed, but didn't.
"Yours. Yours. Yours. Yours. Yours. Yours," she replied in time, clearly having no problems at all with his claiming of her.
Al felt as though the room around them had disappeared, he couldn't see anything beyond the woman beneath him, feel anything other than her body. Deep inside himself, he felt his magic reaching out towards hers, mixing together as he pumped his cock inside her, claiming her as his. Seeping from the couple, their magic poured into the room, wrapping around and enveloping them in a protective bubble as Al continued to verbalise his claim over her. "You're mine, forever," he said, thrusting again.
"Forever," she whimpered out, and their magic glowed gold at their promise to one another.
"Sweet fucking Salazar," the woman screamed, as the magic shot through the two of them like lightning. Suddenly, it was as though Albus was seeing himself through her eyes and he had never seen himself that way, consumed with pleasure, pupils blown, lips swollen from kisses.
"Come for me, Al, please," she moaned as her cunt clenched his cock, his orgasm slamming into him from it.
What the fuck. Albus couldn't stop as he emptied himself inside her, his body cumming longer and harder than ever before. His cock continued to throb and pump into her as her body milked him for everything he was. The room glowed from the mixing of their magics, and with horror, Al recognized the sight from his studies of divination.
Soulmates. He'd pledged that she would be his forever, and she'd agreed. The sex consummating the bond, and their magic had done the rest to seal it. With wide eyes, he felt his mask vanishing, exposing himself to the witch; since she knew his identity, the club's wards allowed the garment to be removed.
She gazed up at him, a sated smile still making that cheek dimple show…cheek dimple. He looked in her eyes again, a sparkling sapphire, and…he looked down at her left thigh, a birthmark in the shape of the Gemini constellation that he hadn't first noticed when she approached him. With a wave of his hand, now knowing who she was, her emerald mask disappeared, exposing her identity to him.
"No, no, no, no…" Al muttered, his heart rate picking up as he looked at her. "Fuck, Viola?" He said her name, hoping that he was wrong, even though he knew there was no way he was. The woman he'd just filled with his seed, and fucking soulbonded with, was Viola Malfoy-Nott. His little sister's best friend, and the daughter of one of the most lethal members of the New Order.
In shock, he dropped onto her, pulling his softening cock from the warmth of her body, his cum dripping down the inside of her thigh in the movement. She sighed in pleasure, not even phased by his reaction, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Mmmm," she whispered, "I have been dreaming of that for years."
"Oh my god, oh my god," Al said, jumping from the bed, pacing the space, forgetting his nudity in the moment. "Your father is going to fucking kill me." He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling at the roots, making it even more messy than it normally was.
"Al, he doesn't need to know," Vi sighed, sitting up in the plush bed watching him. "And besides, shagging once is not a big deal, it's not like we are together."
"Viola, oh my god," Al stopped and looked at the woman. Her skin was glowing with the after effects of their bonding and her hair was a wild mane of curls come loose. "Not together? Is that what you think?"
The young witch shrugged her shoulders, trying to give off a nonchalant vibe, but Al could tell that her feelings were hurt from the distance that he'd put between them. "I mean, it's not as if you'd want to be with a seventeen-year-old anyway. I'll always be just a kid in your eyes, even if I am now of age."
Al slumped, falling back into the bed, pulling Viola into his side. She didn't hesitate to snuggle up into his warmth. "You have no idea what just happened, do you?" he asked, pressing his lips into the top of her head in her curls. He breathed in the scent of her, the vanilla and honey, knowing at that moment that he'd never be able to get enough.
"We had sex, I mean I've wanted you for as long as I can remember. But, you know that I've always had a crush on you." She looked up, her eyes glittering, the glow coming in even brighter now that he was giving her the attention he should have after the moment they'd just shared.
"It's a bit more complicated than that, but I'll explain to you later," he said looking around the room, realising just how exposed they were being here. The bond in them thrummed, and he was overcome with the realisation of where they were. The possibility of running into someone from the Black Empress' forces was too high in this place, and risking her safety wasn't something he was willing to do.
"Just know that you're mine now, and I'd do anything for you. But, I think it is best that we get going, who are you here with? We're going to have to go get them, since I have a feeling I already know who it is."
Viola's face lit up as she smiled up at him with the mischievous glint in her eyes, the look so familiar from watching her getting into trouble with his sister for years.
"I'm not going to like your answer, am I?" he asked, understanding slamming into him. "Merlin, please tell me Dora isn't wearing something like you are," he begged, closing his eyes not wanting to think about facing his sister dressed as Vi was.
"Oh no." He let out a sigh of relief that only lasted a moment. "She's wearing a leather catsuit. Scorpius is somewhere around here too, but he's not wearing a catsuit. I'll know it's him when we find him." Hopping off the bed, she looked over her shoulder and smiled at him as she pulled a new pair of black knickers provided by the club from a drawer, shimmying into them. They didn't match as well, but Al couldn't stop thinking about how sexy she was and daydreaming about dragging her back to the cabin to rip them off before ravishing her again.
Al summoned his own clothes, quickly redressing, not wanting to waste anymore time. "Let's go, I'll have to grab James before we leave as well." He took her hand, waving his wand over both their faces, replacing their now red masks, indicating that they were a couple not looking for someone to join them. Her eyes widened as she noticed his mask before a giant smile graced her lips. "I told you, little witch," he murmured, leaning in to give her a kiss, "you're mine."
Hand in hand, the new couple left the room, moving quickly down the corridor, passing the door that Al was fairly sure James was occupying. Knowing where he'd be able to find his older brother after getting his sister and Vi's twin, Al led the way until they were in the showroom. Al was prepared to look for the elder Malfoy-Nott twin, but was stopped by the sight of the very wizard walking out of the bathroom, followed by not one, but two men. The other two wizards gave Scorpius a longing look before disappearing into the crowd.
It wasn't even the fact that he'd just clearly just been fucked by both of them, his hair a complete mess and cum was dripping down his thigh. No, it was what he wore that was shocking to Al. The black leather harness he wore as his top had adjustable buckles over his pecs and a silver metal ring that a leash or something else could be clipped to in the centre of his chest. If that wasn't enough, he completed the outfit with a pair of black latex shorts that showed off a pair of very muscular alabaster thighs. And not just any short, no, with an open arse and penis pouch, the younger wizard left very little to the imagination. There was a soft glow on his skin as though distinguishing marks, or maybe tattoos, had been disillusioned for the night. Wasn't Scorpius a bit young to have that much of his skin adorned?
"You have cum on your face just there, did you know?" Viola asked her twin, clearly not bothered in the slightest by his appearance.
Lifting a finger, Scorp wiped the milky stream dripping down to his chin, collecting the mess before popping it into his mouth with a hum.
"Waste not, want not. Hey Vi, who's this and why is your mask red? You look like a bloody Gryffindor in that ridiculous colour."
"Seriously, do you not know how to use a Scourgify?" Vi said, ignoring the rest of what her brother had said. Al was stunned into silence by the man. He'd never really interacted with the male Malfoy-Nott twin as much as he had with Viola when they were growing up. By the time they were old enough to come over and stay the night, Al had moved off the island and into his flat with James and Cole. Due to not being of age, once the war had started he still hadn't spent much time with him, and when he did see him, it was only in passing or during some traumatic event or another, making Al think he was a quiet and reserved boy.
Oh, how wrong he had been…
"As if that's the most disgusting thing you've seen me do tonight." Scorpius rolled his eyes.
"And next time you plan to be the centrepiece of a gangbang on stage, let me know, so I can leave the room," Viola made a disgusted noise.
"Please, like I was going to turn that down! Those two enbies had magical strap-ons that really ejaculated and the two boys were just delicious. Sweet Salazar. Don't be a buzzkill. It's my birthday too." At the stern look on his twin's face, Scorpius sighed dramatically. "Are you ready to move along then? Dora was getting a lap dance last I saw, might have ended up eating the bird out if things were progressing the way they looked like they were." The blonde turned around, giving Al a full view of his goods, making Al look away.
"I'd rather not find my sister eating some girl out, thanks," Al muttered, his eyes still pointedly trying to not stare at Scorpius.
"Wait, sister—" The blonde turned, finally giving Al his full attention. Scorpius squinted at him until realisation hit him. "Al!? You've got to be fucking joking." He smirked at his sister. "Happy birthday, Viola. Looks like it's your best birthday ever. You know," Scorpius turned back to Al, "she's had the most outrageous crush on you since we were little? I can't tell you how many pieces of parchment I've found over the years with 'Viola Potter' scrawled on them." His sentence had hardly left his mouth before Vi's hair started to spark with rage. "Ah, there's Dora now, just cleaning her face up," Scorpius continued, completely ignoring his own sister and waving at Al's.
When he saw the nearly eighteen-year-old, Al couldn't stop the groan. The all back catsuit was skin tight, completely covering her, except for the deep V in the front that went nearly down to her navel. The tall heeled boots she wore completed the look and Al quickly decided that he never wanted to be as comfortable seeing his sister dressed for the club as Vi was with her brother.
"Al!?" She hissed as she neared the small group, "oh you've got to be fucking kidding me! Is there nowhere I can go without running into one of my siblings? Who else is here? Oh Merlin, it's James isn't it? I know for a fact that Cole wouldn't set foot in here and I doubt either Lance or Rory would want to go out with an old guy like you." Her face was screwed up as she crossed her arms, groaning and stomping her feet as if she were a small child.
"Well, Dora, you see," Scorpius said, getting his exposed nipple flicked by the blonde witch, "keep that up and I might be up for round two soon. Anyway, as I was saying," this time he side stepped his attacker with a laugh, "when you're one of fifteen children–" he was interrupted by Pandora's hand covering his mouth. As she turned to Al, she pointedly ignored the muffled sounds Scorpius continued to make behind her hand.
"I'm assuming you're with Vi because we have to go? Well, we'll wait here, as there is no universe where I want to see James' snow white arse on full display." She pulled her hand away from Scorpius' mouth with a jerk, scowling at the blonde before looking at a bite mark on her palm. "Actually, I'll wait in the hall, I'm assuming you have a port key to wherever you're wanting us to go with you next," she asked, her silvery blue eyes showing her annoyance with her friend's brother.
"Uh, yeah," Al said, taking Vi's hand in his as he pulled her through the crowd, back to the corridor where he knew James still was. He pulled the little witch closer, his eyes narrowing at everyone that looked in Viola's direction. The feel of her hand touching his face startled him, and when he looked into her eyes, he couldn't help the smile that came to him. She was his now, and not even Merlin, Morgana, or the four founders could help anyone that tried to take her from him.
25th September 2031
Hogsmeade, Scotland
Cole Zabini wasn't uptight nor a prude, not by any means, but the thought of stepping foot into the Hog's Head, the filthy pub with its expired drinks, questionable food, and even more questionable regulars, was still something that he preferred to not do. But, when Al insisted that Aberforth Dumbledore had information on the whereabouts of Lily Luna, Cole had reluctantly agreed to join him and James on their recon mission to Hogsmeade.
The trio landed inside the Shrieking Shack with a soft 'pop', all of them having almost perfected the silent apparition technique that their father had been teaching them. The tattered walls of the shack were even more dilapidated than the last time they'd snuck inside during their final years at Hogwarts when they would gather to drink and tell ghost stories.
The remnants of the empty bottles of firewhisky littered the tattered wood floor, with the well worn furniture barely holding together by poorly done refurbishment and sticking charms. Cole's gaze swept the rest of the room taking in the signs of neglect and was pleased to see it didn't seem to be infected by dark magic in any way, meaning Ted had been right in his thoughts that The Black Empress's troops hadn't thought to utilise this space.
"We better get going," James said, his red hair obscured by the black hood he had pulled low. "I want to get in and out of here."
"I agree, I don't want the Death Eaters or Squad to swarm us," Al whispered, reaching back to grab his own hood and blocking the messy black hair that made him look so much like his biological father.
"Can't forget about the werewolves…" Cole reminded his brothers, as he also pulled his hood low and followed James to the boarded up window they were to use as their exit.
"Ah right, the wolves. It's a new moon tonight though, so they won't be out and about. Trust me, Ab wouldn't have called us here if he thought we would be in any danger," Al insisted, his voice carrying through the broken window as he was the last to pull himself out.
The three brothers huddled close together as they swiftly moved into the woods, not daring to take the main path. The smell of dirt and the pine would have been soothing, if it had not also been accompanied by the coppery scent of blood hanging thick in the air. What had once been a safe place filled with fond memories had been tainted by the war, destroying everything that Cole had once held so near and dear.
As they approached the village the sight caused bile to come up his throat as the torch light illuminated the heads of the Hogwarts professors on pikes. It had been over a year since they'd been captured and decapitated, so it was a surprise to see them still looking as if it had only been hours prior that they'd been killed. A stasis charm must have been used to preserve them as the Black Empress liked to make a show of her warnings. Letting anyone who came across the carnage she left behind to know of what was to happen to those who opposed her.
"I'm going to ask Mama to obliviate me when we get back," Al whispered. His body shuddered as they passed McGonagall's face, frozen forever twisted in the grimace she had when she was beheaded. Hagrid's massive head required three pikes to hold up and his great lolling tongue was black despite the stasis charms. His eyes had been pecked out, leaving gaping holes that shiny black beetles were scurrying in and out of, having made a home in the large skull. Blood staining his florid cheeks indicated the Death Eaters must have left his head for a while before displaying it.
"I don't see why Aberforth made us come here instead of meeting somewhere else, bloody mental old coot," Cole muttered under his breath as they entered the village, their cloaks concealing their bodies as they moved through the shadows cast by the various buildings. Flickers of candle light in windows were the only thing illuminating the grounds, but the men didn't chance being caught. Another rescue mission was not something the Order could afford to do at the moment with its thinned numbers, and the capture of James and Al would be disastrous.
Most of the buildings still stood, semi together, as the Death Eaters had made the village one of their bases of operations after they'd taken Hogwarts the previous year. Anyone who'd tried to put up a fight against them had been swiftly removed and left out as offerings to the werewolves under the Black Empress' orders during the full moon. Their screams deterred the remaining residents from rebelling against the control they were under. Even though the movements in and out of the village were recorded, Cole doubted that Aberforth Dumbledore couldn't possibly figure out a way of leaving without detection.
The brothers crouched in an overgrown garden as a pair of Death Eaters turned the corner to the alley they were travelling in, the men appearing to be on their patrol. Cole clenched his teeth, his wand tightly gripped in his hand, trying to keep himself from attacking them.
No, he'd come back later, when his brothers weren't with him. The two of them didn't need to know of his late night activities that often sent him into the dark corners, taking out threats as they appeared. Now that he was aware of the lax security that Hogsmeade had fallen into, Cole knew that he'd be able to come back and easily thin out the threat against the village. Possibly being able to rescue and relocate all those that remained if he was smart about it.
As soon as the Death Eaters' footsteps faded, the three brothers took off at a run towards the hidden back entrance of the Hogs' Head. Al only knew of it due to his past employment at the dingy pub in his final two years at Hogwarts. As his raven-haired brother pulled back his hood, exposing his very identifiable face in the star light, he knocked on the door and waited, all three men holding their breaths.
After what felt like hours, but was only merely minutes, the door slowly appeared and swung open, allowing them entrance. Not wanting to waste another moment out in the village, the trio darted inside, the entrance disappearing as soon as they were inside. "Ab?" Al called out, pulling his wand from his holster and lighting the tip.
Overturned dust covered tables and broken benches littered the space. The bottles behind the bar had at some point been smashed, and the lingering scent of liquor hung heavy in the air.
"It's a trap," James exclaimed, turning to the now fully formed wall, banging his fist against the wood. "Al, how do we bloody get out of here!" He shouted turning back towards his younger brother.
Movement from the stairway had Cole jumping into action, tackling Al to the sticky ground just as a flash of green light soared over them. Dropping down as well, James crawled through the dirt, leaves, and blood to join his brothers, who were crouched behind one of the tables taking cover. The creaking of the stairs was all they needed to hear to know that their assailant, whoever it was, was coming for them. "We've gotta get out of here," Cole whispered, sending a blind stunning spell towards the invisible person. "Al, where's the exit?"
"Only Ab can open the back door," his brother explained, his chest heaving with every breath he took. "Fuck, they probably imperiused him." The realisation that it was the old man coming for them flashed over Al's features, the regret and hurt that he'd been the one who had fallen for the trap showing clear.
"You think?" James hissed, not bothering to coddle his brother as a bombarda made contact with the table next to them, sending the shards of wood to go flying about the room. "How the bloody hell are we going to get out of here without one of us dying?"
Cole knew that James was including the last living Dumbledore when he spoke, but at the moment, Cole didn't care if the old codger lived or died. As a reducto hit the table on their other side, the splinters from it cut his face open before he could put up a shield to fully protect himself.
"I'll distract Ab; I might be able to bring him out of it," Al said, looking over the top of the table. "I know him better than anyone else, I also know this pub almost as well as Ab, I think I know where he might be hiding."
"Al," James' warning came too late as the raven haired wizard jumped from his hiding spot, stupidly running head first into the fight. His fleeting act of Gryffindor rashness didn't last long before he was stopped.
"Sectumsempra!"
The spell hit its target, causing Al to drop to the ground as the air filled with the copper smell of blood. "AL! Avada Kedavra!" James screamed as Cole leaped over the table to his unconscious brother laying in a pool of his own blood.
Muttering the countercurse as quickly as he could, Cole waved his wand, syphoning the spilled blood back into Al's body. He hardly noticed James dropping to the floor next to him, pressing the leather bracelets he wore into his eyes as he sobbed in pain from using the killing curse. Cole opened his medic bag that Pandora has insisted he keep on him, pulling the bandaging he'd need to slow the blood flow until a healer could work on the wizard.
"You'll be alright, James. Your soul ripped, but feeling remorse for what you did will heal it," Cole told his brother as he finished tying Al's cloth bandages. The white cloth was turning red, indicating that while Cole had managed to slow the progression of the curse, he most certainly hadn't stopped it.
"How do you know?" James asked as he stood on shaky legs, ready to assist Cole in moving Al's unconscious form from the pub.
"I don't," Cole answered as they stepped over the crumpled form of Aberforth Dumbledore on their way towards the exit. Neither man gave him a second look as their only focus was on saving the life of Al. The time for reflecting on what had happened would have to come later.
"You've never cast an Avada?" They'd reached the front door, opening it and looking out for any signs of danger. When none were spotted, James' hazel eyes searched Cole's face for information he wouldn't find.
"I've never felt remorse," was the last thing he told his oldest brother before the three of them slipped into the dark street.
September 11, 2031
Edinburgh, Scotland
The team landed with a crack of apparition, and Theo looked towards the leader of the New Order, who was directing everyone that had come to try and get past the wards.
"Do not enter on foot!" Ted shouted as he held his hands up to protect his face from the heat of the raging fire below them. "It's Dragon fire! Damn her!"
The heat licked up the hill towards them, the orange flames melting the buildings that made up the city. "We're not going to be able to get in," Theo shouted to Blaise, Cole, and Lily who stood on his left. "I can feel the wards; nothing short of Dragon fire is getting through what they've placed in addition to ours. They're massacring the entire city."
He'd hardly finished his explanation before a thunderous roar drew their attention to the sky. Theo looked and watched as the massive dragons circled above, all desperate to dive into the destruction they'd thus far caused, but unable to due to the magic. A cry of pain came from one of the creatures as a fiery whip yielded by its rider cracked against its hide, sending another devastating breath of into the out of control flames.
"We can't just stand here!" Vic yelled, tears streaming down her face, red from the heat. She glared at Theo as she gestured towards the city, "people down there are dying, Nott! And you'll have us stand here doing nothing except watch!?"Lily turned towards the other woman, opening her mouth to speak, but Theo motioned for his protege to stop. Now wasn't the time or place for petty arguments.
"There's nothing we can do, they can't get out and we can't get in," Theo's booming voice carried over the cracking of the fires, the screams of the residents, and the tumbling of the building below them.
"Dean…" if Blaise hadn't been standing directly to his left, Theo would never have heard the Italian man's voice. With nothing else he could do, knowing Blaise wouldn't be able to comprehend anything he said, Theo reached out, grasping his friend's shoulder. In the horrors they were witnessing and never able to forget, Theo gave the man the only support he could offer in that moment.
The roars of the dragons rang out again as they blasted more fire into the wards that were originally meant to protect the city, but instead, had doomed its citizens.
"Who's all there?" Vic asked, coming to stand near Theo, tears brimming in her eyes as she swiped a hand to stop them. "I know Caroline Creevey and her daughters, Erin and Jackie, were with Dennis. Obviously the Thomas family, but who else?" Theo watched as the part Veela attempted to compose herself, while watching the city housing friends burn.
"Ernie McMillan and his muggle wife, Heather. Hannah, Susan, and their squib husband, Patrick. Then like you said, Dean, Seamus, Justin, Maeve, Saoirsa, and Aiofe. Two safe houses, each home to two families," Ted answered, his arm wrapping around his wife's waist.
The small group stood in silence as they looked out over the burning city from Arthur's seat. The need to get back to headquarters was subdued, as James and Al were left behind in case this was a distraction and not a real attack. The other half of the team that had come for the rescue attempt likely watched from their own vantage point, as they also were no doubt in such shock at the scene before then.
The wards did nothing to quell the intense heat of the flames as they continued to lick up the side of the hill they stood upon. Eventually, the human screams ended, leaving behind only the cracking and falling of the buildings being engulfed in the two types of fires.
"You have to fix this," Ted's voice was so low that only Theo could hear him. Theo didn't need to ask for clarification, as he knew what the younger man was referring to.
"I'm working on it," Theo answered, his eyes not leaving the sight before them. A fiery manticore chased after a sphinx that had appeared, showing that fiendfyre had been cast by the dragon riders.
"This can't come to pass again, Theo." Theo's nod of response was all he could give the Order leader as they watched, knowing there would be nothing left of Edinburgh, not knowing if the flames would ever truly subside.
Later it would be confirmed, even though they had already suspected; the death toll of the city was absolute. No survivors in the once proud capital city that was reduced to nothing but ashes.
9th May 2032
The Burrow, Ottery St.Catchpole
Theo wasn't sure what Fleur Weasley wanted, but it had to be urgent if she was coming back from France to meet him at her in-laws' former home. The place had been abandoned since the eldest Weasleys had moved suddenly to Canada. After the Drama that Molly had caused following the death of Ginny, it really wasn't all that surprising of a reaction. If Theo found it strange that they had left so many of their belongings behind, however, he chose to ignore it. As it was, he himself had left a large number of things he found would serve him little use when he and the twins had to abandon Nott Castle.
He let them be as they went through every cabinet and drawer they could open, Scorpius letting out an exaggerated cough complaining loudly about the dust. It was their typical behaviour, whenever they moved to a new safe house, going and exploring their new space, not paying any mind to closed and locked doors. If these actions displeased anyone, they kept it to themselves.
Trying to get comfortable while he waited for the French witch, Theo sat on one of the most raggedy overstuffed monstrosities he'd ever had the misfortune of encountering. "No wonder the woman was a bloody nightmare," Theo muttered into the empty room as he looked around the space, finding framed photographs of more redheads than he'd ever seen in one place in his life.
The tingling of the wards signalled that someone had been admitted, causing Theo to abandon his thoughts and rise from his seat with his wand in his hand. Even though the chances that anyone besides those he'd keyed in would be able to cross he was still on edge. He didn't know how to be anything else these days.
As the door to the kitchen opened and closed, Theo had his hornbeam wand pointed at the hooded figure, causing the person to freeze. "You can go ahead and stop right there," he said as slender pale hands slid out from the sleeves of the robe. Gripping the hood, it was pulled back to reveal the beautiful French witch that Theo hadn't seen in what felt like a lifetime. "What was the last thing you said to me?" he asked, remembering the day Fleur had taken her grandchildren and fled the country.
"You're a fool if you don't take your children and run to your mother's family in Greece," she answered, her face unapologetic, clearly still holding the same views she had almost two years prior. "They've been seventeen for long enough now that you could have left, yet you've stayed here instead. Tell me, Theodore, what did you confide in me that you were working on when you were a young drunk?"
Her own wand was raised and pointed at his chest, making Theo smirk as he lowered his own. "That I was making the most powerful time turner the world had ever seen." His answer made her body relax, but only slightly as she shot a glance over her shoulder out the sliver in the curtains that hung over the window of the door into the dead orchard behind the house.
"I don't know how much time I have, but I felt it was important that you received this." Reaching into an inside pocket of her cloak, Fleur produced a small vial containing the blue wisps of a memory.
"What is it?" Theo asked after accepting the container and storing it into Hermione's beaded bag that he kept all the information that needed to be sent to the past in. "How is it relevant and worth the risk of coming back here?"
"I thought, when it first happened, that it was a nightmare. However, now I'm not so sure that it is. I think– I think you need to see it now, though, and not wait. There is something, I can't explain what, but something is telling me that you need to know what was in that vision." The woman looked out the window again, before grabbing Theo by the arm and dragging him further into the house.
"Vision?" Theo asked, feeling a bit off kilter at the nervous tone of her voice and how she was now making a point of avoiding any of the windows. "What do you mean a vision?"
"Veelas and their bonded mates are able to project their thoughts to each other in a moment of high emotion. I didn't know this at the time due to my grief otherwise I would have shown you sooner, but you need to see the night Bill and Lavender died." They'd moved into the sitting room that Theo had initially been occupying, Fleur's eyes darted back out looking out at the wide open field. Gnomes freely roamed the open grounds, every so often walking over and kicking at two small mounds before breaking out into fights amongst each other. The scene would have been humorous, if what Fleur were telling him wasn't so awful.
"You-you saw your spouses die? I'm so sorry," Theo began, but the witch waved him off.
"Now is not the time, Theodore. I need you to enter my mind and see what I saw, we don't have time to set up a pensieve." Fleur glanced out the opening in the curtains and past the little creatures, as if she knew something or someone was coming. "Quickly, Theodore," she urged him again, this time making direct eye contact with him to make the task easier.
Not one to argue with a powerful woman, Theo did as he was told. Pointing his wand at her forehead, he closed his eyes and let out a steady breath before muttering "Legilimens."
Instantly, Theo was thrown into the memory that Fleur had brought to the forefront of her mind, though nowhere in this memory was the beautiful blonde witch. Instead, he found himself in a crowd of men. Theo looked around, quickly recognizing many of their faces from the old wanted posters that Hermione would often bring home. Werewolves. The crowd was nearly two hundred strong, mostly men, but a few scarred women amongst their numbers.
As he turned, Theo saw the hardened faces of Bill Weasley and Lavender Brown, though something was wrong with Lavender's eyes. Looking to the person closest to her, he found that man also seemed to be under a trance, as were the others around him.
The vacant expression was the telltale sign that Lavender and all the other werewolves were under the Imperius curse. Turning, Theo was shocked to see Greyback standing completely still next to a small hooded figure on a small hill where a sword was sticking out of the ground. Dark Magic was positively radiating from the cursed item as the figure wrapped their pale hands around the hilt.
"Slit your own throats," the female voice commanded and the next thing Theo knew, blood was spraying everywhere around him. His eyes locked on the eldest Weasley brother and he could see the man straining every bit of his magic as Bill fought against the Imperius curse and the command that had been given. His Veela mate bond was being pushed to the limit in its protection of him as magic in the air shifted, the epicentre coming from the female and the sword nearest Greyback. As Lavender's body crumpled to the ground as Bill gritted his teeth in agony, not daring to cry out for the loss of his partner.
Looking back towards the hill, the witch wrenched the sword from the ground before handing it to Greyback. The imposing werewolf, who was the cause of nightmares for so many, obediently took the weapon without question. He swung the sword with such force that in one clean movement he removed his own head, causing it to roll some three metres away from his lifeless body which fell to the ground with a thud.
The pale hand appeared from under the long bell sleeves of the robe again, summoning the crimson covered sword from the grasp of the decapitated man before sheathing it at her side. It took a moment before the woman took notice of Bill, struggling to fight off the curse as he fell to his knees in a pool of blood mixing into the ground.
"What do we have here?" The woman asked, approaching Bill, lowering her hood as she went. Theo's breath caught as he looked at the woman standing before him. Her long wild black curls with her deep grey eyes and high cheekbones—she was the spitting image of Bellatrix Lestrange before she'd been carted off to Azkaban in her youth.
Once, as a boy, he and Draco had snuck into the attic to go through his mother's old things. There they'd found all the Black family portraits, all in Narcissa's possession because she'd been the only Black that was alive and not imprisoned. The wedding photo of Bellatrix had been terrifying, because even before Azkaban, there was a madness in her eyes.
But as he pushed aside the thoughts of the wedding portrait, Theo's jaw dropped as the timeline began to piece itself together. That couldn't be the mad twice dead witch, because Bill and Lavender had died before Bellatrix had been reborn. Unless…
"It's a shame you have to die, you are so pretty. Alas, I have a better use for a mindless wolf." The Bella look alike said, her pale hand lovingly stroking the handle of her sword, Greyback's blood staining her skin.
"You'll never win," Bill growled out as she stepped closer to him, pulling the sword, the dark magic and power radiating off it making Bill feel weak, as if it were pulling his magic from his core and into the witch wielding the weapon.
"Oh, but you see," she smiled, her sharp white teeth gleaming in the moonlight, "I already have." And with those parting words, the young Bellatrix ran her sword through Bill, abruptly ending the vision and throwing Theo from Fleur's mind.
"What the bloody hell was that!? When exactly was this?" Theo nearly shouted as he stumbled backwards. He met her silvery blue gaze, waiting for an explanation.
"I believe that is the Black Empress, when she killed my husband and my wife on the night of the magical blackout. What other sort of blood magic would call for an offering of that size, Theodore?"
...
End Notes:
OG Timeline:
05.01.14; Hermione, Draco, and Theo are bonded and the twins are conceived
01.03.15; The twins are born
12.24.29; Ginny goes missing and George is discovered dead at the ministry gala
12.25.29; Hermione tells the Zabinis that Ginny is missing with no ransom.
12.31.29; Ginny's body is discovered on Harry's grave with the baby cut out of her and missing.
05.02.30; Delphini brings back all the death eaters – causing a magic core drain on creatures and beings and a black out in the muggle world.
05.03.30; Narcissa and Pippa are killed by Lucius
06.05.30; Draco and Hermione are kidnapped while going to collect evidence.
06.07.30; Theo meets with Pansy and tells her about his time turner. Pansy tells Theo that Lucius is somehow involved and Cormac is covering everything up.
06.15.30; Fleur and Parvati meet with Neville and tell him that people with special abilities are being targeted. Fleur and Parvati flee the country with Ted and Vic's children.
07.31.30; Draco and Hermione are executed in front of Theo and Twins in Trafalgar Square
08.02.30; Ted is elected leader of the New Order, and it is discovered no one with the trace can leave the country.
08.05.30; Zabini girls over seventeen are sent to Italy.
09.09.31; The last time James and Maeve are together
09.11.31; The burning of Edinburgh
09.20.31; Lily Luna is kidnapped on a mission
09.25.31; James, Al, and Cole go to Hosmeade and are attacked by an imperiused Aberforth.
01.03.32; Al and Vi soulbond
02.15.32; Lily Luna dies
02.21.32; Blaise forbids his children to help try to get the missing baby back, and Al tells Blaise he's Vi's soulmate.
03.26.32; Cormac rapes Vi and is killed by Scorp during the attempted kidnapping
05.09.32; Theo sends the Twins back to 2013
New Timeline:
06.15.05; Greyback finds his mates
07.31.07; Ginny finds out about Harry's affair with Cho and goes to Zabini Cabin. Meet Charlie's boyfriend.
08.01.07; Kingsley asks Ginny to come to the ministry to sign a NDA to not speak publicly about Harry's affair.
08.07.07; Blaise, Luna, and Ginny get together for the first time.
11.02.07; Harry has his first visitation alone with his children after the separation
04.15.09; Blaise takes the kids to work for the custody exchange and Molly shows up
04.10.13; Cormac takes down Greyback's pack and Delphini and Greyback become partners.
04.12.13; Delphini and Greyback become partners
05.02.13; Delphini kills Harry Potter
05.09.13; Twins arrive, meet Theo, Luna, and Narcissa. Scorpius meets Hermione and Draco, Viola meets Albus.
05.15.13; Theo gets arrested.
05.16.13; Cormac is appointed head of DMLE and is beat up by Scorp and Vi. Pansy and Neville meet the twins. Hermione meets Viola. Draco goes and retrieves Theo from jail.
05.17.13; Hermione finds Harry's body and Theo is put into a coma
05.25.13; Hermione and Blaise go to Potter Manor for the first time
05.26.13; DRCMC comes to Potter Manor to collect all the creatures being housed there
05.31.13; Harry's wake and burial
06.01.13; Reading of Harry's will
01.05.14; Pandora Zabini is born
