DISCLAIMER: HP belongs to JKR. The storyline, all new characters, new character development, new developments are my intellectual property. Glorioux
A/N This could go on for a while, but need to end it soon. I do need to give my attention to my writing.
The Bad Wife
"My Lord," Narcissa bowed and smiled seductively. She was a beautiful witch, blond to Bella's dark looks, but they were similar. When she and Bella were engaged in amorous play, they were a sight to see; the memory made him nauseous.
Tom knew her game and was ready for her.
She never missed the chance to come on to him, she couldn't help it. Besides, she wanted him not to grant Lucius a divorce that would deny her access to what she wanted.
She felt a probe inside her mind; the next second she touched a ring on her left hand which modified her memories. The ring had been in the Black family for ages.
The Dark Lord put his hand on her forehead. He detected a change, but wasn't able to determine what had happened. Nothing, he could see nothing because many of her memories weren't accessible.
"Ah, Bella's hand at work. Or maybe some of that elusive Black magic. I see. Just know, if you lift a finger against my family, you will wish that you were dead. Same goes for your son. I am nearly certain that you are hiding much. If you think that I owe you something because I watched you fucking your sister, you are wrong." He had hit a nerve, he could tell.
Time to act, he touched her arm, and she screamed. The last thing he told her was a bluff. He wasn't certain that Jean would forgive that.
On her lower arm there was a small X with a snake wrapped around; it hurt. The small mark was raised and colorless.
"You cannot hide." He told her as he left; he was uneasy, sensing something out of place.
He turned around, "A warning about the young child, my niece, forget about her. Lucius is not yours; he never was. I intent to find out what you did to keep Lucius from his promised bride. You need to know, listen well; I won't be merciful if you commit one more act of transgression. And that includes acts against those who my daughter loves. So I am clear, let Remus Lupin be, tell your niece to do the same."
He lifted his finger and Narcissa screamed again, she felt as if acid had gone thru the mark on her arm. When she looked up, Voldemort was gone.
He needed to find out who warned the ones who rescued Jean in Nürnberg, and how Celeste knew to escape the sisters. There was something that he didn't understand. The witches were different, okay they were like Fenrir, but that wasn't it. He needed to ask Lear, but he thought that it was related to Jean's mother.
Later that day, Lucius came to see Tom. The day that Sirius had been pushed into the veil, he had done an enchantment because he liked Sirius. Now, he wanted to give Hermione a special wedding present, "You have my allegiance, know that." Lucius added.
Tom nodded, "Watch your step, send Narcissa far away, the sooner the better. Her uncle wants you married within a forthright. Annul the marriage, it is possible since you were in a binding contract."
"I cannot, Draco is my son, my heir. I love him, but I have already talked to my solicitor, he will send the divorce scrolls for your signature. Yes, I agree about Narcissa, something is wrong."
"Let's do the gift a few days after the wedding, it will mean more."
Tom wanted Hermione married before she saw someone that she might care for and ruin the wedding plans.
"You are right."
When Tom went back home he looked for his daughter, she seemed to have left unsupervised, which was forbidden. However, there were a few places she was allowed. She had been increasingly secretive which worried her father.
He went to see Sebus, and that was a mistake, he wanted her to move to the Fortress effective immediately, which Tom considered. When he went back home, he was informed that his daughter was back.
Lord Tom asked Hermione at the first chance he had, "Where did you go?"
She decided not to say it yet. "Just looking, doing some research." She still wanted to get Sirius, she had some theories.
"Why haven't you opened the box that I gave you long ago. Don't you want to know about Nagini?" He sat on her bed petting the growing pups.
"Father, is this a trick?"
"No, but this would be a good time. I hope you know, Lear has invited us to move to the Fortress, it will be safer there. The Headquarters remains here, as well as most of the guards but for a couple of your choice, and also those assigned to my in-laws."
"Why and how, others would know."
"We will use a portal that is just a door. A door that only we can pass. Nobody will know but a few, we can discuss. Your mother likes the idea. She wants to be close to her sisters."
"I want to live with my husband, alone, the two of us."
"I wish you could," he looked regretful, he wasn't, "but you are my daughter, and we need to stay close, partly because of security reasons." A small part to be sure but it wasn't a complete lie.
"The Fortress is a large place, I was told, you will be independent." Tom smiled benevolently. He would always be with Hermione , she didn't understand that he would be broken if something were to happen to her. As of lately, he was wondering if he should have let her wait. He looked at her.
"I do understand your need for independence." He didn't. He would spend the rest of his days near her. He had two compelling reasons, to protect her, and to see her daily. His wife knew it and understood that nobody would change his mind. He needed his daughter like he needed to breathe.
"Ha, ha," she decided to let it go, for now.
"Again, go and look at the box. I think you will be happy." Anxious to change this topic, she would keep digging.
She went to her room to change, and to look at the box she had hidden. Now she was curious.
When she opened her door, she saw her father in her room stretched on the chaise lounge with Brutus next to him. "Great, let's do it."
She couldn't get mad, he knew her too well, just shook her head at his gall.
Inside the box, she found a small charm, it was a coin, and a note. 'Remember Cedric Diggory? Go to Hogwarts, to the place where he was alive last. Throw the coin on the ground and step back quickly, be prepared.'
She looked at him, "Diggory?"
"Aha, I made a change using very old magic. Remember when you ask about Sirius Black? I told you that I had already made a change on the timeline, with a modification. Not perfect, but let's go. It will take but a minute, ah, bring Zip and and Zap."
No need to ask her, the small dogs were floating next to her.
"My dear, I am also bringing Potter and your Weasley mate."
Once they arrived to the place where Cedric Diggory was killed, Harry looked around and asked, "What is going on?"
"Could it be?" Ron asked.
Hermione answered, "Not sure, but I have a good feeling," she was hoping to be right.
She threw the coin on the ground and stepped back quickly.
It first turned into Nagini that launched her body towards Hermione, Zip and Zap flew behind her and sent a killer discharge as Nagini's jaws opened widely, Hermione jumped back farther. The discharge started a sequence of shimmers of the flowing blood that had been Nagini, they got bigger and bigger.
Another shimmer and the Cedric, the one from that day, wearing the same tournament clothes, was sitting on the ground, looking dazed.
"A fake body is in his grave, his parents still think him dead. I was unable to change the day. I looked into it, but this fits and changes nothing. He thinks that it just happened. I froze Nagini, used a different spell to come back, and today she is gone. In his actual time, it just happened."
Hermione, Harry and Ron were amazed. They couldn't stop grinning.
"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, please take Mr. Diggory to his parents, tell them that he is my daughter's gift. Explain as best as you can. Do check on the families of Nagini's victims, I have a theory. Tell them they might have a surprise, and it will be a good one. I checked with the Holy Man that you sent me to, we shall see."
He flicked his wrist, and they were back in her room.
"You mean that Cedrick could had been back for nearly two years now."
She was sobered and peeved.
Tom, his hardheaded self, answered, "Zip and Zap were part of my gift, they were needed. Plus, I asked you over and over, "Have you opened the box?""
She looked down, guiltily, "I forgot."
"I didn't." He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, he couldn't help it, her rejection still stung.
Hermione saw the pain on his eyes, making her realize how hard she had been with him. Now, she believed that he had cried for her. Something tugged at her heart, shame for causing her dark father more pain.
She went to him, held him by his waist and laid her head on his chest; he rested his cheek on her head. He could feel his daughter's love, she was giving it without reservations. His mouth opened to say something, but decided that no words were best.
This was one of the best moments of his life. He saved the memory and watched it, always alone, time and time again. It was a moment too intimate to share with anyone. Her love was a bleaching agent removing stains from his soul.
Two Wolves' Wedding Vespers.
Hermione tried the bride's dress worn by Lear's mother sometime in the 17th Century. It was made out dark red silk, and embroidered with gold thread and pearls.
Millie was stuck to Hermione like glue. She had come almost every night into her bed. She disliked Fenrir and was barely civil to Lear. He tried, but he took too much of her time; she wanted to be like her big cousin. Sebus was another matter, she liked him.
"Ermi, I wanna one like that." Millie stomped her foot refusing to try on the gown made for her.
No amount of coaxing made her change her mind. In the end she won, a copy cat dark red silk dress for a toddler. She wanted every detail reproduced, Hermione had to laugh. She looked precious, Teddy Lupin declared her the prettiest of them all.
Hermione was getting super stressed, when Lear and Sebus were announced.
"My dear, we will try with you first, we will unlock your wolf, and later this week, after we observe how it went, we do your aunts, cousin and mother. Their Auror uncle is already in the Fortress, he will wait for his nieces.
They went to the fortress thru the door that only a few saw. The four of them stood under the four moons.
"Where or what is this?" Hermione asked.
"When we came here during the great exodus, each group brought an imprint of our worlds, ready to place it in an in-between. This is really a bridge, an entrance portal to our word. We don't know if it is safe to go back. Some worlds are safe, but we must keep the gate closed until we are certain."
"Ah, Muggle theory about related universes. I see, why here?"
"Because we are more powerful here. We are three beings, a wolf, a human like, and what we were. The later, it is only for us, we don't share it. At this Lear placed a hand over Hermione's head.
She felt changed, her senses expanded. She was seeing the world different. She decided that she might be a wolf. She was right.
She looked down, and to her surprise, she had paws. Running in circles around her, she saw the three wolves. She knew their names, Thunder, Plato and Roy.
They took off in a run, and she went after them, they ran for a short while and went back to the clearing.
The three wolves licked her face. "Think of your self dressed, or you will be naked," she heard Fenrir, "not that I mind." She giggled still high on the bars of chocolate she had eaten with her mother and aunts.
Lear stood by her, "Eat your chocolate now, you won't be able to when you are with pups. You won't miss it, so I've been told."
She looked puzzled, "Why?" As far as she knew chocolate wasn't forbidden during pregnancy, okay she was different, but they were hiding something.
Sebus made faces to Lear, he knew why, because he had seen his mother, and Fenrir's mother. The she-wolves from his family and the Greybacks, were nauseous the entire time. Blue grass tea made it better, but chocolate made them very sick.
"Because you will be too, err, happy." The three wolves avoided eye contact. Fenrir wanted to smack his father.
Hermione remembered her mother saying she was sick 24/7. She narrowed her eyes. "I will find out, and thanks for the wonderful present," she gave Lear a big hug and a kiss.
"Can I do this at will?" She asked.
"Of course, cannot wait for a big run. Soon, with all our princesses."
Hermione was already planning ahead, easier to escape supervision, freedom...
Sebus whispered, "Nothing will change, you will be easier to track."
She growled, no privacy, damn wolves. The three males snickered.
The Wedding
Fenrir woke up and was sick. He had come down with a magical virus, he was certain. He found out it was Groom's nerves. He was afraid she would change her mind, after all, his bride was still resisting the quick wedding.
Security was tight at the wedding, no reporters. They all gathered outside hoping to get a tip, a glimpse, nothing.
The ceremony was very short. It was by an old stone altar. Soft moss was laid all around. Flowers were strewn on the ground. String music was played by her aunts and some of the Malfoy Manor's loyal employees. The guests stood around the altar, behind a floating silk rope.
On her head, Hermione wore a tiara worn by all the Greyback brides, she looked like an old time princess. Fenrir, dressed in a tunic, made many females swoon. It looked just like the one he wore the day when he asked to court her, but today's was embroidered in gold threads. He wore a circlet, same as his father, as well as other adornments, symbols of his status.
Besides that, he looked like he had been sick, he had, with apprehension. All the wedding party carried magic weapons. The Fortress' wolves were also heavily armed. It seemed the weapons were required to fight some of their enemies.
When the Dark Lord gave his daughter to Fenrir, he was the proudest father ever. "My princess, thanks for being my daughter." He and Lear looked happier than anyone else, many made that comment.
Lear married them and to seal their union he made shallow cuts on their hands and tied them together. In that moment fairy lights shone everywhere, and a sweet scent permeated the air. Later nobody could figure out who had set them up.
Fenrir had groom's nerves, and the bride had drunk fizzy caffeine with her father along with the chocolate cake. They hid at the library until Fenrir found them.
The hundreds of wolves at the celebration were rowdy after too much the chocolate cake and the must-Drink-along Eier Liquor (egg Liquor)
Rabastan who had been disappointed, but in truth he just liked the princess, and once fancied that it might be love. Whereas he wanted Adeline, he still mourned the loss of mother load, Hermione. Being a man, he enjoyed how the too happy bride flirted with him. It made her father smile; Sebus chuckled a little; Lear just watched; but Fenrir was furious.
Hermione was about to find out that Fenrir was jealous. The groom approached Rabastan.
"Lestrange we have known each other for long. So just be advised that she is my wife."
"So? I am admiring her, only that." With this, he went to look for Adeline that was talking to his brother. He was grinning, Fenrir in love, and many were jealous that the bride had her eyes on him. Many who aspired to be chosen as seconds and had noticed.
Fenrir was edgy, he had barely kissed the bride with his father, her father and Sebus watching him as hawks, one month of sheer torture. He was planning to end it as soon as possible.
"My bride shall we escape?" He whispered.
"Yes, I am packed, all here," she had a small pouch.
"We need to be in a place were we will be alone and undisturbed."
"Where is that? Between my father, Uncle Sebus and your father, that place might not exist." She caressed his face, making his heart speed.
Millie had fallen hard for the pups who didn't fancy her. She was a bit rough. Brutus loved her, and she rode him; she was a hellion and was getting spoiled with all the attention. But nobody trumped her older cousin, who Millie liked much more than the pups. She was looking for, 'My Ermie,' her face and hands were covered with frosting.
Tom had just let Millie brush his hair, something nobody could believe. He could because he was covered with frosting. The truth was that he liked children. Teddi Lupin also adored him, much to Remus dismay. Whenever Tom had started to change, he had discovered his love for the tikes.
Hermione grinned looking at Millie's antics, she loved the mini Malfoy. Millie was stuck to Hermione all day long. The night before she slept with Hermione, so now when was getting tired, she wanted Hermione to take her for a nap.
Millie saw her with Fenrir, narrowed her eyes, and ran away from her parents. The couple were obviously in love and busy looking at each other. By the time Lucius saw Millie, he sighed, "She is going to throw a fit. She thinks she owns her big cousin." Both parents grinned and walked to get her.
"You my cussin, I loves you," she reached Hermione.
"Yup, I am yours too." Hermione told her. Millie was cleaning her face on Hermione's dress so she could kiss her, as well as running her dirty little hands along the dress' embroidery.
"Ermi, can we play dollies wif the doggies like afore?"
"No no, I have to go sweet pea."
"I no wanna you to go," Lucius was right, Millie started raising hell.
"Noooo, I want Ermi here, noooo." Indeed, she was pitching a Malfoy fit.
Draco was laughing. "Soon she would fall out limp. Then she will hold her breath long enough to scare them all."
Greg had noticed and grinned, it was the old Draco. Draco told Greg, "A Malfoy fit, in five seconds she will be flat on the ground kicking." They counted down. Indeed, she was doing it. "She will pass out in two seconds, and...wait I'll be back."
When it didn't work, she started screaming, "No, no don't go. I wanna ou to' tay." When Lucius tried to pick her up, she refused and pushed him.
"Wif my Ermi, I go. My big cusin, mine, he's ugly," she pointed at Fenrir holding Hermione's hand.
Teddy was in love, he had tried, but Millie only wanted Hermione. "I'll marry Millie." He told Remus, who was walking with Pansy and Magnolia, her mother.
Fenrir wasn't happy when his bride picked Millie up, her bridal clothes were covered in dirt and frosting. She had just discovered that cleaning her dress wasn't easy, it resisted magic.
Sebus saw them and offered, as their leader, to take Millie, but she snarled, a willful pup, showing teeth. All the wolves around laughed at her bad temper. A few took notice, a bride in some years, they needed their name to be considered. However Teddy Lupin told his father, and others, "She is mine."
Draco saw all the fuzz, stretched his arms, and she went to him.
Lucius watched her with Draco, she let him clean her with a wet cloth he conjured. She sighed contented, let him pick her up, and started sucking her thumb. "I like ou and lov'ou."
"As you should, I am your brother."
"My brodder?" Her eyes opened with admiration and pride.
"Yup." He kissed her head
"You are big and purty like my papa. I'm lit'le and purty like my big cusin Ermi. Not big and ugly like Feri, I no like him. He's nasty and smells phiuhi." With this said, she relaxed in her brother's arms.
"Uh, uh." Draco was controlling a big grin looking at Fenrir's evil eye and listening to the wolves laughing.
The Malfoy magic was at work, siblings were rare, but they bonded at first sight, the older ones would always felt compelled to take care of the little ones. Lucius understood why a girl, no competition for the male heir from another witch. He also knew something else, the love for a sibling could not be broken by Narcissa, it trumped all non-Malfoy's, maybe Millie was a godsend. Draco would always choose his siblings over Narcissa.
"I will read you a book, okay?" Draco asked Millie softly.
"Two books, and a short one."
"It's a deal."
"Can you take a nap wif me? Like Ermi?" She touched his chin.
Draco was worn out after the ugly scene with his mother, he could use to be with his little sister. "Lets go to your play room, okay? But you walk, you are a big witch." He wanted to tire her out.
Lucius thought, yes today is a good day, maybe I have my son back. He looked at his children as they walked away, holding hands
Celeste smiled shyly. He turned and asked her, "No sense in pretending I never got over losing you, wait, I mean thirty one years ago. It is time, will you marry me? I mean right away."
"You are married," she waited.
"I was until yesterday. I am free."
"Excuse me." A blond wolf interrupted . "My Lady Astuss, May I have this dance? I need to talk to you," he was one of the wolves who wore a formal coat, medallions, ribbons, and such. "I am a Count, I was just talking to your uncle, we can..."
Lucius saw her face, "What you can do is be gone, she is to be my wife."
He smiled knowingly, "I knew that, perhaps you should be better informed. I'll go, for now." He bowed, smiled and left.
Lucius had a sudden bad feeling in his gut. He looked around, he felt evil reaching out to touch him. Something about his child, and he was scared.