Author's rant- Disclaimer? First chapter please.
A heartfelt thank you to all those who took their time to review my story. Thank you for all your love and support. Special Thanks to my favourite authors who motivated me for this story: Thank you Thea and WTD! :fox_dance: :-D
This is chapter 8 of the story, Chapters 9 is on my p treaon. Link is on my profile and at the end of the chapter.
Also, I have a good beta reader with me and he has done an excellent job with this one, Kudos to PercyPendragon3.
Alright, I don't have much to say except that-
Here's the link to my super private server on discord where I'll keep on updating sneak peeks of the chapters, Character designs, where you are free to talk and ask things regarding my fics directly from me, I'm mostly active there:
Its a relatively newly launched server...
Link: discord . gg / Gcbcv4dxGx (remove the spaces)
Name: Dev Black's Empire
"I am Talking."
'I am thinking'
Spells
Author Out!
Important Note: This is Harry 'and' Daphne not Harry/Daphne. I am not going to make a love relation between a mentally 6 year old girl and a twenty six year old guy. Harry will be more like a guardian/parent figure along with friendship.
A man with money is no match against a man on mission
~Doyle Brunson
Palliation
-Dev Sagittarius Black
~~Chapter 8: The Perfect Family~~
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"This is The Millennium Tower, laddie," the cab driver said.
Teddy looked out of the cab's window at the large building that was laid out in front of him. It looked the same as the photo that he had been holding all this time. The photograph was released a day ago in the newspaper; it was the day when his aunt Hermione took him to live with her in The Den.
Today, his aunt left him alone to go to the ministry and finish up her work. He had told her that he'd most likely be at home or checking the neighbourhood to see if there were any places that he might find interesting.
Right now, he was doing the very same thing. Only that he was about six miles away from The Den. As soon as Aunt Hermione had left, he had taken the newspaper, clipped the photograph of the building that was indicated to be his little sister Daphne's current residence, and showed it to one of the many cab drivers that were racing to and fro the street.
"But of course it's the Millennium tower!" The driver had exclaimed, "You want to go there, lad?"
Of course he did. And so Teddy noted the address of The Den that was written on the building's postbox. Just so he could tell that to the cab driver who'd take both him and his sister back home.
He knew he would have to explain to his aunt a few things regarding Daphy, but he was sure she wouldn't mind the new addition. After all, Daphne is family, and you never leave your family behind.
Throughout the way, Teddy's mind had been a whirlwind of emotions. He had not been able to sleep last night and had been twitching in anticipation for this moment. He had gone through a multitude of scenarios that would have led his poor innocent sister to this situation, and there was only one that stood out the most.
Someone was taking advantage of his sister's gullible nature and fooling her.
"Here's the change, lad. Do you want me to stay, or should I leave?" The cab driver asked him with a simple smile.
"Err..If you don't get another ride, then you can stay. Otherwise, you're free to leave, sir." Teddy told him and stepped out of the cab.
He looked at the large wrought iron gates with determination-filled eyes.
Teddy was pretty sure that after that horrible accident, someone had found his sister and fed her rubbish thoughts. They had corrupted her so that she could agree to this marriage. It was as clear as the mirror that his little sister was really beautiful. Ergo, it was no wonder some rich guy fell for her and was now manipulating her words and actions.
Teddy remembered what his uncle and gramma had told him about Daphne's illness. She had forgotten her past life and was now stuck in a woman's body with a child's brain. Which meant she was still a child at heart who didn't know what she was doing or what her actions might lead her to.
Therefore, to even think that someone was taking advantage of Daphne's childishness and innocence was like an ugly spear in his heart that was growing more and more with the passing seconds. To even think that someone might stoop so low as to take advantage of a young girl and bind her in such a complex thing as marriage made his skin crawl with disgust.
Teddy reached the large gates and entered the building's compound. He could see the huge building ahead of him and knew that Daphne was probably in one of the rooms right now. Which meant he'd have to be sneaky enough so that none of the men or women who were under the man's command could catch him.
The young boy now made up a mental checklist of all the things that this rescue mission needed. First, he'd have to be sneaky enough to move around the building easily. He also knew that he'd have to avoid the guards and other staff that were under the man's command because the man might try to capture him to force his sister into marriage if she refused.
He had watched enough movies to know that sometimes rich men were really cruel at heart. They might not stop at anything and would try to make the situation as favourable for themselves as possible.
Then he could easily use his Metamorphmagus powers to shift into someone and move out of the building along with Daphne; then they would take the cab and flee to his aunt's home, where Teddy would finally tell his aunt everything.
Teddy could imagine the relief on his sister's face once they reunited. He couldn't wait to hug her and cry tears of joy at finally finding someone from his lost family. He knew that Daphne might be feeling the same thing. After all, it was possible that she tried to contact each of them, but since they were… unavailable, she lost hope and was now missing them.
"Don't worry, Daphy, your elder brother is here." Teddy muttered. "Soon, everything will be alright for us."
'Mission Save Daphne... begins!'
Daphne Greengrass, or as she was known here, Athena, cracked her neck and gave a deep sigh of relief as she felt the tension release from the strain of writing down in the files for the last three hours.
She looked around herself and smiled. It felt nice to be back at work after such a long break. She still remembered the project 'Chronos' that they had started to restore all of the time turners that the ministry had lost in Harry Potter's fight against the Dark Lord. It seemed like it was just yesterday when she told her boss about the fault in the circuit, when that blast had rattled the very foundations of the department.
Daphne was just thankful to the healer who had healed her. It was a shame that St. Mungo's didn't want to divulge the healer's name for some reason. She would have personally liked to thank them and even invite them to her wedding, which was about to happen in a month.
Her wedding was another topic that she didn't know how to feel about. It was actually happening. She was finally getting married to someone and settling down. She still remembered her words when Tracey had asked her about her future: 'I will not marry, not in a million years.' And look at her now, getting all giddy from even thinking about her own marriage with her friend Magnus.
She was glad that her mother was not with her, because she knew that her old woman would have never allowed her to marry a muggle boy, even if said 'muggle' boy was the best thing that had happened in her life in the last decade.
That woman had never, in her twenty-six years of existence, treated her like a mother should treat her daughter. She didn't want a daughter; she wanted a slave who would make her proud in her merry band of misfits. Strangely enough, Daphne didn't feel the emptiness when she thought of the word 'mother'.
Before the accident, whenever she thought about it, the word 'mother' made her feel the pain of not having one. She remembered all of her moments with Lady Elizabeth Greengrass, and not one of them was a good one. It was strange that now whenever she thought about the term, her heart was filled with protectiveness instead of hatred.
It was as if in the time she was being healed, someone had come into her life and shown her the real meaning of 'mother'. A child's friend, a partner, a teacher, and a companion. It was as if she had actually met someone who had given her a new meaning in life.
But that was impossible. Daphne knew she hadn't met anyone.
Hell, she was comatose for three months. How could her feelings regarding such an important place in her life shift from hatred to contentment even without any major change was beyond her.
Still, she was happy. After coming back from her coma, the world seemed a lot safer and cleaner than before. It was as if somehow she had been relieved of a certain burden that even she didn't know she was carrying. This didn't make any particular sense because all she had done was sleep for three months.
'Guess it's all a much-welcome side effect of my marriage and the good changes that are being welcomed in my life.' Daphne sighed contently before picking up her pen and starting to work again. Magnus had planned another date, and she couldn't wait to meet him again.
Teddy peeked from behind the wall, looking around for the two guards who had accidentally seen him entering the building premises. He knew he would have to be sneaky about it. He had seen in movies that the hero actually gained knowledge about the damsel from either the guards or a good servant who wanted to free the damsel.
Unfortunately, the 'guards' method hadn't worked, and he had to run away from the two rude guards who were chasing after him. Now, he just needed to look for a good-hearted servant who would help him free his sister from the clutches of this rich guy who was corrupting her.
Teddy tip-toed to the next corner of the corridor when he saw a room with an ornately carved door. There were many waiters and waitresses moving in and out of the room, along with a large number of people. Surprisingly enough, everyone was wearing rich and expensive clothes, their long overcoats and gold rings shining in the sunlight.
The eight-year-old boy looked down at his faded blue jeans and red-white check shirt that had been washed many times and sighed. This was not a dress suitable for such an event. But he had not planned to attend events here. His job was simple: Get inside, free Daphne, and get out.
It seemed that the task was easier said than done. He would have to—
"THERE HE IS! DON'T LET HIM RUN AWAY!"
Teddy's eyes widened when he saw the two bulky guards running towards him.
'Oh shit…not you again!' He decided to get the knowledge later. For now, he knew he had to run to save his life first.
Hermione released a deep breath when she stepped inside the elevator. Working for her dreams was surely a tough thing, especially since she was a muggle-born witch. It was as if there was a silent underlying prejudice that revolved around her whenever she tried to bring about a change in the laws to protect the magical creatures.
She was just glad that Harry had supported her when she really needed a friend, and Kingsley was there as a protective guardian over her too. She knew that Kingsley was really busy being the Minister for Magic of a country that was recently plunged into war, and pulling it from shambles was never an easy task.
And Harry? Her friend... she didn't know what to think about the only person who had supported her so much. Even when her ex-boyfriend and his family had left her. Even when he himself was going through his breakup and was getting rejected by the family that had called him 'one of their own' for the last 10 years.
Still, he had been with her when she needed him. And now there was nothing that she could do for him except wait for him to come back from his coma as soon as possible. She visited him once a week to check on him and see if there was anything she could do to help him recover faster.
Right now, all Hermione could do was wait for Harry and take care of his godson, Teddy, for him. At least until Harry wanted her to.
Teddy was another person who was slowly taking up a special place in her little circle. Hermione knew she was never good with kids. Even her aunt Lizzie said so when she tried to make little Mike laugh during her summer holidays in fifth year.
She had been surprised to have received a summons from St. Mungos two days ago. They had said that Teddy Lupin, who was Harry's godson and a victim of the accident in the fair on January 1st, was finally awake, and since his legal guardians were unable to take care of him, the hospital was requesting her.
Hermione had weighed the pros and cons of taking a young boy like Teddy under her care. She would not lie and say that she readily agreed to the proposal. Taking a child was a big responsibility, especially since she was a single, working woman who sometimes worked overnight to ease up her schedule.
And she hadn't known Teddy much either, preferring to stay away from everyone except Harry. So, establishing a bond, the tantrums, and the extended work of juggling between a child for an unknown duration, as well as her work, was not something she had planned to agree to.
Ergo, she had gone to the hospital to refuse them and tell them to contact any other friend of Harry's. But when the little boy had cried his heart out and she had taken him to see his grandmother's grave, she decided to take him with her and do her level best to take care of the little boy and hopefully turn him into a strong and wonderful human being one day.
It might bring a major drawback to her own health as a working woman, but at that moment, she didn't see him just as Teddy Lupin. Instead, there was a hidden Harry Potter inside the boy. The boy who had lost his parents to Voldemort, the boy who had lost everything, was now being given to a completely unknown entity for care.
She knew that it was not Teddy's fault for being born. But it would be her fault for giving up on him when she could have helped him not only survive the fight but also win it.
There was a small hoot, and Hermione looked at the window to see her personal owl, Diana, on her office's window sill. She went there and took the letter off before breaking the seal and reading it.
I am going to check the neighbourhood, auntie. I will be back by evening, and if possible, I will introduce you to my friend too. Will tell you many things tonight.
~Teddy L.
Hermione smiled at this and sent Diana back home. She was happy that Teddy was recovering well and quite fast from his past ordeals. Maybe, if he was ready, she could ask him if he wanted to come with her when she visited Harry next time. It might make the boy a bit more relieved to see that his godfather was safe and recovering too.
Yes, that was a good idea.
"I am telling you again, I have to meet Daph! It is important!" Teddy cried loudly.
"And we are telling you, little runt, that we will not allow you to meet her," said the guard. "She is way too important to meet little brats like you."
"Yes, you tell us exactly why you want to meet her," said the other guard.
"I won't!" Teddy rebelled again. "This is something only she will know. No one else deserves to know that!"
"Then we can only do one thing." The first guard said, and together they each grabbed Teddy's hands and hauled him up in the air.
"WAIT! WHAT IS THIS! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!" Teddy screamed, wildly waving his legs in the air.
But the guards didn't listen; instead, they held him tighter and started moving towards the gates. They had been suffering the runt for the last fifteen minutes, and all he wanted to do was meet their employer, Miss Greengrass, all alone, to tell her 'something'. And she was the only one that he'd tell that 'something' to.
They were not stupid. Miss Greengrass had already been attacked at her workplace, so badly that she was left comatose for three whole months. They were not going to let anyone—no matter the age—alone with their lady. Who knew what devil their enemies had planned? Maybe they were using the boy to plant bombs or some such devices in The Millennium Tower.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Teddy screamed. "I HAVE TO MEET DAPHY! MY LITTLE SISTER NEEDS MEE!"
The guards paused at that.
"What did you just say?"
"Your…little sister? Daphy?"
Teddy feverishly nodded his head.
"Yes!" He cried. "Daphne Greengrass is my little sister; she needs me! Why don't you understand that!"
Teddy tried to free himself from their clutches, but the guards weren't loosening their grips on his hands.
They looked at each other before bursting out in laughter. Teddy, too, stopped struggling and looked at them, confusion clearly etched on his face. "What happened? What's so funny about it?"
The guards laughed harder. "You really think—" The first one choked amid his guffaws. "You really think that Lady Daphne Greengrass would even... Oh god!" he laughed harder.
"You really think that our lady would be your little sister when you are nothing more than seven at most? And it's the first time we are even meeting you." The second one laughed.
"You don't believe me?" Teddy exclaimed. "It is true! You can ask her if you want to. She is my sister!" The boy cried. "Wait, I even have the proof; I have a photograph I can show you!"
"Oh, you do, do you?" The first one's laughter subsided, and he smirked at the boy as he released his arm. "Go on, show us your 'proof'," he said, sarcasm dripping from his words.
Teddy fell to the ground, promptly released from the guards' arms, and pushed his hands into his pockets. "Just you see! I—" He stopped and looked down.
His eyes widened when he realized his mistake.
The photograph was still in the jeans that were in the wash bucket at his aunt Hermione's home. His clothes had been dirty, so he had changed into a fresh pair, forgetting to take the photograph with him.
"What happened, brat?" The second guard taunted. "Can't find the 'proof', can you?"
Teddy looked up at the two guards, who glared back. "I-I am sorry, sir; the photograph is at home. I-I will run back and bring it as soon as-"
But the guards didn't listen and instead picked him up again. They ignored his cries of frustration and the tears that started to leak from his baby blue eyes. This was not funny anymore. A poor boy coming from nowhere and claiming that one of the richest ladies in Britain was his sister. Was this all a joke to him?
If this was his way of pranking, then it had gone far beyond, and if he was sent by someone, then the boy was getting what he so righteously deserved.
Nothing more and nothing less.
They opened the large wrought iron gates and kicked the screaming, crying boy outside, who was now begging to let him meet Daphne.
"Stay outside!" The guard shouted. "And don't you dare show your face ever again, or we'll throw you out even harder!" With that, the two guards turned and left, completely ignoring the broken boy who was on his knees, slamming his little fists against the hard iron, banging it so that they would let him meet his sister just once.
Teddy wiped his eyes. He looked down at his bloodied hands and choked a sob. This was not how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to take his sister and leave the place. This place was even crueller than he had assumed.
It pained him to even think about what sort of work they might be forcing on his innocent sister. What sort of things they might be making her do and what lies they might be telling the gullible woman to keep her in this building full of demons and foul creatures.
Teddy took a deep breath, his puffy red eyes glaring at the large gates as he stood up and dusted his clothes. He took a look at the address on the nameplate outside the building. He knew what to do. And this time, these guards would not be able to prevent him from reaching her. Not if he had it his way, which he would.
Teddy wiped his bloodied hands on his shirt and took a last look at The Millennium Tower before turning towards the streets.
He 'will' free his sister from this savage place.
He 'will' take her with him, and he 'will' save her, no matter what it takes!
"Come inside, Teddy."
The boy with light blue hair and golden eyes slowly stepped inside the room. He wrinkled his nose at the phenyl smell that blasted his nose buds and looked around the white-washed, spacious room.
He slowly reached the bed where his aunt Hermione was standing and moved beside her, looking down at the person he was seeing for the first time in almost 2 months.
His godfather, his uncle, his best friend, and the only father figure he ever had in life: Harry Potter.
His godfather looked a bit pale, paler than usual. He looked almost chalk-white. His cheeks had sunken, and there was a small overgrowth of stubble that he used to get when he was busy with some case for a week, which made Teddy's gramma forcefully stay at her place so that he could eat well.
"He-" Teddy started but stopped to compose himself. "He doesn't look well."
Hermione smiled as she ruffled his hair. "Yes. But I know Harry well." She looked at the unconscious man, who was her best and only friend. "He has come back from worse, and I know that he will come back from this too."
Teddy nodded and grasped his uncle's hand. The fingers were warm but a bit stiff. "I know he will."
Hermione patted Teddy's head. "I am going to meet Healer Michael. He is the one overseeing Harry's case," she said, subtly giving the boy some private time with his godfather. "I'll be back in ten minutes, alright? Don't leave the room."
Teddy nodded again before taking the chair that was beside the bed and interlacing his fingers with Harry. He heard the door open and close, meaning he was finally all alone in the room.
"How are you, uncle?" The boy asked. "I hope wherever you are, you will come back to me soon." He slowly started making circles on the back of Harry's hand. "I know it's been quite some time, but-but I was..a bit busy, you see."
"I don't know if Aunt Hermione told you or not, but... Gramma has left us." His vision started blurring. "She protected me like you told her too, but there was no one to protect her." His voice started breaking.
"I am a strong boy, uncle. I know I have to be strong." He sniffed. "But… but sometimes I don't want to be strong anymore." Teddy whispered, "You are sleeping; Gramma isn't with me to hold my hand or hug me." The boy choked a sob as his eyes started feeling heavy.
"And-And you know, Daphy… she's not with us either." The first drop of tears rolled down his eyes. "I am trying my best, uncle. I am sending her letters every day! But there isn't any response from her." Teddy sniffed again. "I feel like it's all gone, uncle. I feel like giving up because all of my hope is slowly going off."
And just like a dam, Teddy broke and hugged Harry's prone form, crying pitifully. He didn't care about anyone seeing him; he didn't care about his aunt knowing he wasn't as strong as he seemed; he didn't care about anything. Except releasing all of his frustrations in front of the one person who had always been with him. The one person whose mere presence reassured him time and time again that things would be alright.
He just needs the strength to bear the bad times because the good times are just around the corner, waiting for the right moment.
Teddy didn't say anything for the next few minutes. He didn't have the strength to say it either. He just kept hugging his godfather's body and kept on weeping his heart out. He was trying his best to remove all of his frustrations, failures, and helplessness through his tears, which were slowly forming a wet patch on the hospital's white sheets.
After some time, Teddy finally sat up. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffled. Trying to control himself and prevent another breakdown. He again held Harry's hand and interlaced his fingers with his.
"I promise you, uncle," The young boy began, "I promise you that I will bring back Daph with me next time I come to visit you." He blinked, "Or..Or better yet, Daphy will be with us again the next time you come to visit us. Yes, that sounds better!" Teddy tried to sound happy, his frustrations gone with the tears that had soaked the sheets.
"I will keep sending her letters and keep trying my best to prevent that corrupt man from marrying Daph. By the time you are with us again, I promise that our family will be whole once more!" The boy spoke, determination filling his words as he gripped his uncle's hand tightly.
'I promise you, uncle... We will never be separated again.'
When Hermione came back from Healer Michael's office, she saw Teddy sitting on the chair, holding Harry's hand. She noticed the small wet patch on Harry's chest but ignored it in favour of the small, almost invisible smile that had graced the boy's features. It had been a long time since she had seen the boy smile for real. And she would swear to Merlin that this was one of the most beautiful smiles she had ever seen.
Days after that went by in a blur, and the inhabitants of The Den slowly adapted to their changed lifestyles. Hermione left early in the morning to start her work in the ministry. Teddy woke up and sent his daily letters to Daphne, asking her about herself and telling her a few things before asking her when she would like to come.
He never got any response, but he kept up with the letters, sending one letter every day. He even asked Hermione to bring the bunny plushie from Tonks' household and then sent it along with his letter the other day. He was hoping that the Bunny plushie would bring in some sort of response from his sister.
Unfortunately, it didn't.
After his early morning ritual, he watched as Diana, his aunt's owl, flew in the direction of The Millennium Tower, then he would start his day. In the month he had been at The Den, he had called a few of his friends, and he had asked them to stop worrying about him and that he was alright.
Teddy hadn't told anyone except his best friend Eren about his gramma's demise, and had asked him to remain silent and not tell anyone. He had told his friends that he was at his aunt's home and would join them when school started in a few weeks.
It was like this when Teddy came and sat on the sofa. Looking at The Daily Prophet as he proceeded to finish up his breakfast that was laid out by his aunt before she left for work.
He was really thankful for his aunt's presence and was glad at how readily she had taken him in, even when she hadn't really known him.
Teddy wasn't a fool; he knew that taking care of a young boy was not an easy task, especially if you're a single, working woman. He had seen his gramma and he could see the similarities between his gramma and his aunt.
Both headstrong women, both had a good heart, both were single and lived alone, and both only had one male in their lives—Harry Potter, one who looked over him as a son and another who looked after him as a friend.
Teddy smiled at the mental picture of adding another woman, his sister Daphy. The third woman who was in his uncle's life. She was like a big teddy bear with emotions. And she was the most loveable woman who, in Teddy's opinion, would have made an excellent aunt to his uncle once she was completely cured. Just like the woman in the picture, wearing a bride dress and a big smile—wait, what?
The eight-year-old boy looked at the newspaper that was on the coffee table and his eyes widened. This was not the news he had expected. Not in a million years.
There on the front page of the newspaper was a large building, decorated with all sorts of flowers, ribbons and banners. It was The Millennium Tower. The place where his sister Daphne was captive and the place which he had infiltrated a few weeks ago.
But the Millennium Tower wasn't the shocking thing. No, it was the news related to the Tower that was way more shocking. Because, just above the photograph, in Bold Letters was the news related to it, saying:
The Most Awaited marriage of this year has begun!
Heiress Daphne Greengrass ties the knot with Mr Magnus Peralta.
There was no need for Teddy to read the article. He didn't need to know the news, he didn't need to know the groom's face, he didn't need to know the location or anything like that. He only need to do one thing….that was to infiltrate the building and run away with his sister at any damn cost!
Ending Note: There you have it fellas, Chapter seven of Palliation. Liked it? Loved it? Something missing? Please, do tell. Is it fluff? Not anymore. Am I proud of turning fluff to tragedy? yep. Am I ready for all you angry reviews? lol yeah. (evil smile)
Also, chapter 9 is there, so please if you can and want to, then visit my p -treon.
My p a treon will always be 1-2 chapters ahead of ffn.
If want to support me and read 1-2 chapters in advance go there, it's started recently but all my stories will be 1-2 chapters ahead on it as well as there will be story and character polls for patrons.
www. p a treon .c-o-m / DevSagittariusBlack
(Remove the spaces and delete the '-', obviously) Link is also present on my profile.
Also, Here's the link to my super private server on discord where I'll keep on updating new chapter's sneak peeks, Character designs, where you are free to talk and ask things regarding my fics directly as I am mostly active there:
Its a relatively newly launched server...
Link: discord . gg / Gcbcv4dxGx (remove the spaces)
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I am waiting for all your reviews, even a small 'Good Work Dev' is welcomed. Constructive criticism is appreciated, flames aren't welcomed.
Once more, thank you for reading and reviewing.
With regards,
Dev Black