L'Amour Toujour
C3: Routines
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters
As Luna and Hermione settled into a rhythm over the next month, they both found that when it came to dealing with Umbridge that they both just had to keep quiet and did as she asked, because it was clear that she had little qualms about handing out detentions for the smallest of slights.
It was also clear to both of them that the woman craved more power, because it hadn't taken long for her to involve the Ministry, having been named High Inquisitor by Fudge to completely overhaul Hogwarts, seemingly to bring it in line with Ministry values.
The result had been that they were now in the library every day, doing as much of their homework as possible so they could use their evenings practicing the things that Umbridge refused to teach them, within reason of course since they didn't want to accidentally destroy anything in their room. It was still their sanctuary after all.
Because of this and the atmosphere in the school, it had taken a bit of a toll on their moods in recent weeks, and especially for Hermione this proved to be a bit of an issue, because her temper had been steadily rising over the last couple of weeks.
Luna tried everything in her power to keep her best friend calm but it was getting harder to do so, so now that their first Hogsmeade weekend was upon them, she was glad that the brunette had agreed to come with her because she was seriously out of options to try and restore her best friend's mood. "Aren't you glad that you agreed to come with me, 'Mione?" Luna asked with a smile as they leisurely walked to the village.
Hermione smiled at her. "Yes, I am. It's good for both of us to get out of the Castle for a bit. The mood has seriously dropped over the last month, and I'll admit that it has had an effect on my temper."
"Yes it has, and despite my best efforts to cheer you up, it has been noticeably bad over the last few weeks." The blonde said with a soft smile.
Hermione sighed softly at that as she linked her arm with that of the blonde. "I know, and I'm sorry I've been so irritated over the last weeks. It's just that Umbridge combined with Potter and Ronald have the uncanny ability to push each and every one of my buttons. I've tried to keep my temper in check but it's getting harder with every passing day."
Luna smiled and gave her a hug as best as she could. "I know you have, and Merlin knows that those two idiots deserve that ire, but if you get detention because of that temper that will only hurt you, and I would hate to see you get hurt."
"I'm trying Lu, I really am, and trust me that I am the last girl that would want to have detention with Umbridge, or any sort of detention, we've got a reputation to uphold after all." Hermione said with a smile.
Luna giggled a little at that. "Very true, and I am in no mood for a Howler from aunt Narcissa either. So we're going to get plenty of sugary and chocolatey things today so that we have all the ingredients to make sure that no one gets hexed, and of course we're going to get some books too, because I'm sure that they have some new releases."
Hermione smiled at that and pulled the blonde into her side. "I hope they do, because I've read everything I brought with me twice already, although I have to say that the book you gave me is very interesting. The spells in that book have proven to be both stubbornly difficult and endlessly interesting at the same time."
"We all thought you would. Aunt Narcissa kind of predicted you would love it the moment you opened it up, although Draco did doubt it for a moment." Luna said with a smile.
"I figured he would, I honestly wouldn't have expected anything less from him. It will be fun to see his face when he hears the contrary." Hermione said with a smile as they walked through the arch that was the entrance of Hogsmeade.
Luna smiled at her as she remembered something. "Did you hear from Fleur by the way?"
Hermione nodded and smiled at her. "I talk to her almost every night now that we have those journals. Apparently she already has a regular customer that comes in once a week for either supplies or one of her creations, one of which she said she is going to send to us both when it is ready. She's apparently working on a new Pepper-up Potion, one that will not only cure a cold and warm you up, but will also revitalize you, without the steam coming out of your ears."
"Wow, that sounds amazing, perhaps we could go and pay her a visit on Christmas break, if you want that of course. I'm sure she would love to see you again." Luna said with a soft smile.
"Are you trying to play matchmaker here Lu?" Hermione asked teasingly.
Luna laughed lightly at that. "No Hermione, because I'm sure you wouldn't need me to if you wanted to make that happen."
Hermione blushed a little at that, since she was still coming to terms with her feelings for the beautiful French Veela. "We'll see, because I can admit I am definitely attracted to her, but I honestly don't know how to interpret my feelings to her."
Luna smiled at her best friend. "I was only teasing Hermione, you know I would never look at you any differently."
Hermione smiled and nodded. "I know Lu, and you know I would also never look at you any differently."
"I know Hermione, and I have to admit that over the summer I've had a few dreams where I saw you and her being quite lovey dovey together." Luna said with a soft smile.
That only darkened Hermione's blush, as she knew that Luna's dreams came true more often than not, and if she had seen that she and Fleur would get together at some point, then it was probably going to happen, and that was something she wasn't even close to being ready for yet.
Luna noticed and decided not to push too much, knowing that the brunette needed time to process things now.
…
Narcissa was not happy to hear what was happening at Hogwarts from the letters she had received from Luna and Draco, but also knew there was little they could do about it for now, and would have to trust her son, niece and her best friend that they could keep their heads down and try to stay on the woman's good side, even if she knew that the woman had no good side.
She had discussed this at length with Andromeda and Nymphadora, and they agreed that it was high time that they sent Luna and Hermione something that would help them get a bit of an edge this year.
What had surprised them more though was that Luna had also told them that she was planning on telling Hermione about their suspicions that Hermione was their niece and Luna's sister. Andromeda thought that it was time to truly find out and also that it was time to meet her in person, something Dora vehemently agreed with.
That's why she was in the library, ready to write her niece a letter, as well as one to Hermione, to officially invite her over for Christmas, knowing by that time Luna would have given them an update on their suspicions, because if that was positive, they wouldn't have to do anything to the wards.
She started out with the letter to Luna, knowing that she would be the deciding factor in this.
My dear Luna,
I hope you are holding up in these trying times at Hogwarts and I wish that there was something more we could do for you.
We have not been sitting still though as we have discussed at length the contents of your last letter. We are a bit worried about the ramifications of this, but we trust you and your insights, since you are more acquainted to the situation.
That is why we are going to invite her to stay with us for Christmas, since I remember you telling us that she usually stays at Hogwarts during the holidays, and if she is who we think she is, she deserves to be here.
Things at home are good and moving along as they always do, and I cannot wait to see you again come December.
All my love,
Your aunt Narcissa
She then checked her letter over to make sure that if it were to be intercepted it wouldn't have too obvious clues on what was going on within their family, which she honestly wouldn't put passed the old man or Umbridge and once she was satisfied she spelled it into an envelope to be sent later, since she still had another letter to send.
To Ms. Hermione Granger,
We would like to cordially invite you to spend the Christmas break with us.
From the things I have heard about you from my nieces it is high time we officially meet and I therefor would also like to apologize for it taking so long. We are eternally grateful for being there for Luna these past couple of years and we want to properly thank you.
Kind regards,
Narcissa Black
Satisfied with her wording of Hermione's invitation to their home, she spelled the letter into a separate envelope before sealing it with the family seal and making her way to their Owlery so she could send her own personal owl to Hogwarts, since she wanted to them to have these letters as soon as possible and she couldn't wait until the mail moment next Saturday.
Walking into the crisp night air of late October Narcissa could barely suppress the light shiver that ran over her back as she made her way to the Owlery, thinking back to the times where things were easier for them.
The last decade or so had taken a bit of a toll on her but it had also brought a lot of joy to their home, she had merely wished that they could've been complete instead of three members of their family short.
The news that Luna may have found her long lost, and presumably dead sister had hit them all hard, and while Dora too had some suspicions about the girl's heritage, having stated more than once that her resemblance to Bellatrix was uncanny at times, including her sister's legendary temper.
That was one of the reasons she and Andromeda had agreed to invite the brunette over for Christmas and hoped that Luna's visions would prove their truth once again and that they could finally start to work on getting their family back together.
It was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord would contact them, and their response had been ready for years. First they would have to bring Bellatrix back to them, and then they'd talk further.
As she walked into the Owlery four heads immediately turned to her, which made her smile. "I know it's late, but it's important. I need one of you to deliver two letters directly to Luna's room at Hogwarts."
As expected Hecate, who had a very special bond with the young blonde flew down from her perch, and stuck her leg out almost enthusiastically. "Thank you sweetling, I promise that there will be treats waiting upon your return. I would also ask you to wait there should they want to write an immediate reply."
Hecate blinked in understanding as Narcissa tied the letters to her leg and then giving the owl a treat before she send her off to Hogwarts.
Not wanting the rest of their owls to feel left out, she gave them all a little treat. "I promise that soon you will all will have plenty of letters to deliver."
They all blinked lazily at her as they stuck out their necks for pets, which the blonde gladly gave, because unlike what most people believed, they cared a lot for their Elves and owls and did everything in their power to keep them safe and comfortable and after half an hour of giving the three remaining owls the attention they deserved she made her way back to the Mansion, wanting to warm up a little and get herself a well deserved night-cap.
…
Fleur Delacour was for all intents and purposes a happy camper. Her business was doing well, she was in frequent contact with her mate and her regular customer had become a good friend already, which is something she did not expect to happen so soon after her move to England.
She and Narcissa even had a regular day planned where they would go to lunch together, having really having hit it off in the month they had known each other, and it was clear to the French Veela that they had very similar views on potion brewing, something that was a novelty for her. She was used to having to explain her views on potions and why she preferred natural ingredients, while Narcissa instantly understood and was happy to listen to her theories, and happily shared her own theories with the blonde.
It was one of those theories that she was working on right now, which she hoped would become a big hit with her customers. If it worked as she hoped it would, it would be to cure all but the most serious of injuries as well as replenish blood and mend bones.
The potion was still in its early stages and required a lot of research, but it wasn't like she didn't have plenty of time to perfect it. It didn't need to be rushed because she knew very well that it could very well have adverse effects.
The soft jingle alerted her to a customer so she closed her book on ingredients before making her way to the front, smiling when she saw Narcissa standing there. "Good afternoon Narcissa. How are you this afternoon?"
The older blonde smiled at her as they embraced each other. "I've been doing wonderful Fleur, thank you for asking. I trust you're doing well too?"
Fleur nodded at her. "I am, I've been doing a lot of research recently for our new potion, and so far I am very hopeful of being able to make it."
Narcissa smiled at her. "That is good to hear, I'm glad to be a source of inspiration for you. It's been a long time since I have been able to talk to someone about advanced potions, but I actually came with another reason today besides my usual order and our lunch appointment. I was wondering if you had any plans for Christmas."
"I actually don't. I had a bit of a falling out with my mother prior to moving here so I have no desire to go back to France." Fleur said with a kind smile.
"Then I hope you don't think me too forward, but I would like to invite you to our home for Christmas dinner. I firmly believe that no one should be alone on Christmas. Luna and her best friend will be there as will my son, my sister and her daughter." Narcissa said kindly.
"Hermione will be there? Then I will definitely come, thank you so much for inviting me Narcissa." Fleur said softly.
Narcissa smiled at her. "I was not aware you also knew Hermione, but I should have expected it, from what I have heard from Luna they have been inseparable over the last four years."
Fleur smiled at that. "It's a little more complicated than that I'm afraid. As you may know all Veela have soulmates and I found out last year that Hermione is my mate. It is one of the reasons I moved to England."
That surprised Narcissa a little, as well as made her think about the possibility of Hermione being Bella's daughter again. "It's a small world isn't it. Does she know?"
Fleur blushed a little at that. "I think she suspects something but we never had the opportunity to really sit down and talk about it. I made a journal for her so that we could keep in contact and we've been talking to each other every night and her messages are becoming more and more flirtatious. I was planning on telling her when I saw her again this summer."
Narcissa smiled at that. "I'm sure you will have the opportunity to tell her come Christmas time, but I have a feeling there is more to this."
"How do you mean Narcissa?" Fleur asked softly.
"What I am about to tell you must absolutely under no circumstances leave this store. I have told you that I have an older sister in Azkaban, we have suspicions that Hermione is her daughter that was taken from her at a very young age. A few years ago a Prophecy appeared in our family book speaking of her and a 'flower from the continent' which given the meaning of your name could very well be you. It would also mean that she is Luna's sister. Her mother was my my sister Bellatrix's soulmate, and she supposedly had an accident, which in truth was nothing more than an assassination attempt. She thankfully survived but also knew she would be in danger at all times. This is why she left Luna with me and my sister when she was just a few weeks old. She has been in hiding ever since." Narcissa explained softly.
Fleur looked a bit shocked but nodded at her. "That actually makes a lot of sense. I have a different kind of Prophecy that was foretold by my Gran-mere, who is a full Veela. It foretold me finding my mate in a young woman who not only would be the brightest of her age, but also from an Ancient house."
"We don't know for sure that Hermione is our long lost niece, but with everything we are starting to find out about her, we are getting more and more sure that she is." Narcissa said softly.
Fleur nodded at that. "I know all too well that speculating about what if's might drive you crazy, but I thank you for sharing this with me. I promise not to tell a soul, including my mate."
Narcissa smiled at her. "I would appreciate that, but come, let's go out to lunch, we wouldn't want our spot to be occupied after all."
Fleur smiled and nodded as she flicked her wand to ensure her cauldron would continue to follow its instructions.
…
Later that evening when Hermione and Luna were just finishing up their homework when their was a telltale tap on their bedroom window, which had both of them quirk an eyebrow. "I wonder what that could be." Luna said as she made her way over to the window.
As she opened it she smiled brightly as the owl hopped in. "Hecate! It's so good to see you my lovely. Do you have mail for me?" She asked excitedly.
The owl merely blinked as she stuck out her leg so Luna could detach the letters, Hecate hopping onto her shoulder afterwards.
"Hermione, I would like you to meet Hecate. It is one of our family's owls, and my very good friend. Say hi Hecate."
Hecate hooted once and seemed to bow as she spread her wings, which made the brunette smile. "It is nice to meet you Hecate. You are a beautiful bird."
Again Hecate bowed to her before flying to the ground and hopping over to Hermione, seemingly studying the brunette.
While her owl and her best friend were getting acquainted, Luna took a good look at the letters. "One of them is for you 'Mione. I think they're from aunt Narcissa."
Hermione quirked an eyebrow at that. "That's odd. Why would she write me?"
Luna shrugged and handed her best friend her letter, the brunette opening it with a small sense of anticipation while Luna opened hers with a smile, always eager to hear from her family.
"Did you write your aunt about Christmas again? Because she just invited me to spend the holidays with you all." Hermione asked softly as she tried to take in this invitation.
Luna smiled and nodded as she reread her letter, not accidentally wanting to say too much. "Not directly, but she remembers most of the things I tell her, I think that they managed to change the wards and want to meet you at long last, so I'd also be prepared for a lot of questions this holiday."
Hermione smiled at that. "I have been prepared for that for years Lu. I'm just a bit surprised that the invitation comes now that we're starting to find out things."
"Honestly I think that is part of the reason why they want to meet you. They will want you to know both sides of the story now that you're starting to see the cracks in Dumbledore's story. They will always be honest and will only hold back the things you might not be ready to know, but if that happens they will explain why." Luna said with a soft smile.
Hermione nodded at that. "I'll be honest Lu, I am starting to doubt Dumbledore more and more, and are more than ready to find out the truth, whatever that may be."
Luna nodded and hugged her, inadvertently startling Hecata who had nodded off close to the brunette. "I'm sorry my sweetling. Were you to wait for a reply?"
The owl nodded in agreement. "Then I'll go write that. I'm sure Hermione wouldn't mind giving you a treat."
Hermione smiled at that as she made her way over to the desk where she knew Luna kept the treats, after Hecata had promptly flew up to her shoulder.
Meanwhile Luna got to writing her reply to Narcissa.
Dear Aunt Narcissa,
I will admit it was a bit of a surprise to see Hecate deliver our letters tonight, but they were very welcome. Hermione asked me to relay to you and aunt Andromeda that she would love to join us for Christmas.
She also told me she is ready to learn more about the things we talked about, and I think she'll be pleasantly surprised by the answers.
As for school, we will continue to keep our heads down and obey the ever increasing rules as best as we can.
All the best and my love,
Luna
Satisfied with her letter, she spelled it into an envelope and sealed it with magic before walking over to Hermione and Hecate. "I see you've made a new friend, sweetling. Are you okay to take a letter back home?"
Hecata nodded and hopped down onto the desk, sticking her leg out so that Luna could attach the letter and get a scratch. "I would almost say that she was your owl." Hermione said with a smile.
Luna smiled at her as she gave Hecata another treat before opening the window. "We don't technically have our own owls at home, but all of us definitely have our favorites, and Hecata definitely favors me."
Hermione smiled at that as they watched Hecate fly off. "What did you write to your aunt?"
"That we were surprised by the letters but that you would be happy to join us for Christmas. For safety's sake I didn't say anything about the thing we talked about. You never know if she might get intercepted on her way home."Luna said with a soft smile.
Hermione nodded at her as they closed the window and started preparing for bed, it was late and they both had at least two hours of Umbridge to endure tomorrow, something they both dreaded for similar reasons.
…
The following morning Narcissa woke up to a soft tapping to her window and with a slight groan she got up. "It's way too early for this." She said as she put on a robe and made her way to the window.
As she pulled aside the thick curtain, she looked straight into the bright eyes of Hecate. "Good morning little one. You must have quite a journey all the way from Hogwarts."
Hecata only hooted once as it stuck out its leg, clearly wanting her to take the letter so she could fly to her perch and rest.
Narcissa smiled and took the letter from her, giving the owl a scratch before it flew off to the Owlery. She could recognize Luna's handwriting easily and quickly opened it.
As she read the letter she couldn't help but smile and she quickly decided that she would check some things before she would show Andromeda the letter.
With that in mind she quickly showered and got dressed before making her way to the library, needing to reread the Prophecy that had appeared a few years ago, and there had been no doubt at the time that it had been one foretold by Pandora.
Walking into the library a few minutes later she couldn't help but think back to the times where Bellatrix was still here and would usually be curled up with a pregnant Pandora on one of the couches. To this day she still didn't understand why they felt the need to move out of the safety of their home with Hermione, and if it would certainly be one of the things she would ask her sister about when she saw her again.
In all these years she had also heard nothing of Pandora, which she understood on the one hand, but in the same breath she would argue with herself that the blonde would have been safest here with family, and she knew that the moment she felt Bellatrix was free, that it would be only a matter of time before Pandora would come home again, and she hoped that she could give them both good news by that time.
As she summoned their Family Book to her and took a seat in one of the comfortable reading chairs she quickly flipped through the pages to find what she was looking for, since it was so old that it did not have an index.
It was really something she should look into at some point, but as with most of those things, life usually got in the way of that.
Thankfully she quickly found it and read it thoroughly, her conversation with Fleur also being on her mind.
Two children of the Darkest House
Separated by the Light
The youngest raised by family
The oldest raised among traitors
Brought together when the truth is revealed, a family reunited
The Light will oppose them at every turn
The Dark will embrace them
A flower from the continent will capture the heart of the oldest
The youngest will find true love in the flower's kin
Together they will bring change sorely needed
Narcissa blinked a few times, being absolutely positive it was not this extensive the last time she read it, and with that she took the book, after bookmarking the page as she went in search of her sister.
It took a bit of searching, but eventually she found her in the den enjoying her customary post breakfast cup of tea. "Good morning Andi. I trust you slept okay?"
Andromeda smiled and nodded as she took in her sister. "Are you okay Cissa? You look a bit dazed for lack of a better word."
Narcissa nodded at her. "Mostly yes. I got a letter from Luna this morning. Hermione accepted our invitation to spend the holidays with us and that she is ready to learn the truth, but that is not what brought me to the library this morning. I told you of my conversation with Fleur and that together with the things Luna didn't outright say got me thinking, and I found almost irrevocable proof that Hermione is Bella's daughter."
"What makes you so sure now? We've checked the book countless times over the years for a shred of information." Andromeda asked softly.
"Because now her full Prophecy has been revealed. You read the same one I have, but when I checked it again this morning, there was more to it. Couple that with what Fleur told me about her being mated to Hermione, I am full convinced that Hermione is who we think she is." Narcissa said as she handed the book to Andromeda.
The brunette took it with a bit of a puzzled look and opened it on the bookmarked page, reading the Prophecy once again.
"You know Cissa. I think you're right, but this still raises the question what we will tell her when she comes here in a few months." Andromeda said as she met her sister's eyes again.
Narcissa smiled at her. "We tell her what we can Andi. The girls has been lied to long enough and I refuse to lie to our niece. However, we will also make it clear that it is imperative that she does not let anyone know who her parents are until the time is right. We can't risk anyone knowing that she is related to us and have her be targeted even more."
Andromeda nodded at that. "I figured you would say that, and I fully agree with that. She deserves to know her heritage and what kind of dangers that brings with it, and of course we need to tell her about Bella and Pandora. It is also something she deserves to know."
Narcissa smiled and nodded at that. "Of course we will, and we will also give her every opportunity to ask questions and read whatever she wants when it comes to her heritage. I also have a feeling that the Dark Lord will contact us soon through one of his followers."
"Probably, but we've talked about what our response will be at length already. What I am more interested in is how we will explain Fleur being here without mentioning that Hermione is her mate." Andromeda said with a soft smile.
"I thought about that already Andi. We will tell her the truth of why Fleur is here. That she is a friend of ours that we've invited for the holidays, because I am pretty sure she has already told Hermione about her shop." Narcissa said with a smile.
Andromeda smiled at her sister. "You really have thought of everything haven't you?"
"Have you known me to be any different around the holidays Andi?" Narcissa asked with a smile.
Andromeda smiled and shook her head. "No, I suppose you've always made sure that the holidays were memorable, which I completely understand."
Narcissa smiled and hugged her older sister. "Then here is to hoping that soon enough our family will be complete again."