L'amour Toujour
C5: Reflection on the Past
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters
Azkaban Prison, Bellatrix's cell
For nearly fifteen years it had been the same routine every day. Listening to the slow non-stop battering of the rain against the walls of her cell all the while waiting for something that should pass off as a meal and then spending the rest of her day holding on to the last shred of her sanity by focusing on the steady thrum of her bond with her soulmate because despite that being the reason she was here, she knew in her heart that her love was alive.
It had been her only companion for fifteen years and it was the only thing that kept her sane, or at least as sane as she could be. She knew very well it was widely believed by the Wizarding community that she was insane, and to a degree it was true.
Being the oldest of her family she had inherited the Curse of her house where the oldest would always be mentally unstable because of the way her family had gained their magic. Add to that the loss of their oldest daughter hadn't helped in keeping her mental faculties straight and that is probably why she had gone a bit of the deep end.
Change was coming though. She could feel it in her veins and magic. The Mark she had taken as a proof of her loyalty to her Lord had been pulsing steadily for a few months, letting her know that he had not forgotten and that she would see her love again.
Lifting her far too thin frame from the thin mattress, Bellatrix made her way over to the small window that let the barest amount of moonlight into her cell, the full moon seemingly taunting her. "Soon, my love, soon we will be together again, and we will find out what happened to our baby girl."
Of course the howling winds held no answer for her, but knowing that her Pandora was out there, alive and hopefully well gave her new conviction and hope that it wouldn't be long before she would taste freedom again.
She knew very well that her options of getting out through legal means were less than none, but she trusted her Lord would break her out as soon as he was able to. She could feel he was regaining his strength still through her Mark, and the small amounts of magic she had sent through it had been returned with a genuine feeling of relief, which she hoped was for the fact that she was still somewhat sane.
As she slowly sat down again and wrapped her arms around herself to feel a little bit of warmth, she let her thoughts have free reign to Pandora and what she could be doing right now. She truly hoped that her love was safe and was taking care of their little girl.
It had been a blessing to learn that after losing Hermione that Pandora was pregnant with a baby girl, but before she had a chance to truly be there for her, she was arrested and sent to Azkaban, and she could only hope that she would get the chance to atone for her absence.
Pandora's cave home
The last fifteen years had been nothing less than absolute hell for her, but she knew that it was best for both her daughter and her mate's sisters if for now she stayed away. She knew her Bella was suffering in Azkaban and it hurt to know that it was her fault that her love was put there. That fact pulled at her heart every single day she had been on the run and even more so when she finally found the perfect place to settle for at least a little while.
The only solace she had retained over the years was the fact that she still felt that steady thrum of Bella's heart right next to her own, letting her know that her witch was still alive. She truly hoped that Bella would forgive her for leaving their youngest with her sisters when they saw each other again, because no matter how much she knew Bellatrix loved her, they were bound to have words about her basically running away for more than a decade and doing the one thing she had promised to never do after they lost Hermione.
Also not knowing how Luna was doing was another thing that pricked at her conscience and heartstrings every day, and as much as she would love to return to her daughter and sisters-in-law she knew that it was impossible at this point in time. She'd had plenty of visions of what would happen if she did and all of them showed that it would put her family in even greater danger, and that was something she refused to do.
She knew that once Bella was broken out of Azkaban that it would be safe to return to her family, and she felt that it was coming soon if the steady pulse of magic she got from her Mark was any indication. Contrary to popular belief their Marks held no Dark magic but served as a promise made as well as a way of communicating with each other in times of need and the only reason she hadn't contacted Bellatrix through it was the fear that somehow the Order could track her magic if it was discovered.
Slowly she got off her bed and made her way to the entrance of her cave home, smiling softly at the sight of the full moon seemingly staring back at her. "It won't be long until we are together again, my love and then I will never again let you go. We will find our little girl and find out what happened to Hermione."
The moon of course didn't answer back, but somewhere deep inside she felt the strong thrum of her bond with Bellatrix, encompassing her in love and warmth as it always did, even though nothing could rival the feeling of actually being in her witch's arms.
…
Fleur was for once glad that it was Sunday, because that not only meant that the store was closed, but also that she had time to finally answer her mother's letters that had been piling up. Her mother didn't understand why she had returned to England after graduating, and she on her turn had not yet told her that she had found her mate, because she firmly believed that Hermione deserved to know it first. It had created some contention between herself and her mother, but she was adamant that she would be there for her mate, and that her mother would understand once Fleur told her mother about her mate.
The only one who did know outside of Narcissa was her sister, because despite the distance between them, they remained incredibly close and told each other everything. Gabrielle had been ecstatic that she had found her mate and like any curious little sister wanted to know everything about Hermione.
Fleur on her turn had been purposely sparse with details because she had little details to give when it came to Hermione. While they 'talked' almost daily to their respective journals she still knew relatively little about her mate, something she fully intended to remedy this coming Christmas.
She couldn't help but smile as she thought about the coming holiday, which was only a few weeks away, and she felt that she had gotten her mate the perfect gift.
While her mother hadn't understood, her grandmother instantly understood why, and had sent her all the books on Veela mating that she on her turn could give to Hermione on Christmas.
She knew very well that the brunette loved knowledge and books above nearly anything, and she hoped that if she had the opportunity to read them, she would be able to explain a few things about her biology and the ways of Veela and their mates.
As she wrote a letter to her mother she couldn't help but think about how exactly she had felt the first time she had laid eyes upon her mate. Last year was mostly a blur for her but a couple of things would forever stand out for her.
The first time she saw the shy little brunette was when they walked into the Hall and immediately she was taken with her, feeling things she had never felt before in her life. Her soul called out to her and at that point she didn't even know her name, so the first chance she got she struck up a conversation with her, or at least tried to since Hermione had been incredibly shy back then.
She still couldn't believe how far Hermione had come in that regard and secretly it filled her with a gigantic sense of accomplishment that she was able to bring the shy bookworm out of her shell at least a little, if their conversations over the last months had been any indication.
Seeing her mate at the bottom of the Black Lake had filled her with both soul crushing anxiety and mind numbing rage at the same time, because how dared they tie her mate down at the bottom of a lake as part of a Tournament she had no part in.
When she heard that only the person that the Champions cared most about had been picked it had only served to anger her further and it had taken everything not to march straight up to Madame Maxime and giving her a piece of her mind.
In hindsight she was glad she didn't do that since the Champions were allowed to spend some private time with the ones they saved after the task, where she took the opportunity to vaguely explain why Hermione had been her hostage to rescue.
She had told her then that she was special to her but that she couldn't really explain why yet, which surprisingly the brunette had understood.
That hadn't stopped her from asking more questions though and Fleur remembered how proud she felt of her mate that she was so innately curious about her and what they shared.
From that point she made it her personal mission to inform Hermione piece by piece about the Veela and parts of their history and not entirely unsurprisingly Hermione ate it all up like it was one of the sweets her mate was so terribly fond of, something she couldn't help but indulge her mate in, since next to the Veela books she had procured a box of French chocolate for her love, which she knew the brunette would love.
Over the course of the last couple of months in corresponding with Hermione she had learned more and more about the girl that held her heart. Hermione had confided in her that despite her best efforts to get over it, she remained deadly afraid of heights, having not touched a broom since her first year.
Fleur remembered laughing lightly at that, reassuring the brunette that it was completely normal to be afraid of heights before sharing her own fear of any and all insects, at least live ones, because she was okay when they were dead and dried as ingredients for her potions.
While she was reminiscing, she had written letters to her parents, grandmother and sister, figuring she could get some lunch before sending them off to France.
As she made herself a simple lunch she couldn't help but think about her future a little, where she and Hermione would share their days together, hopefully without having to look over their shoulders all the time.
If she was honest with herself, she was nervous to see her mate again in a couple of weeks, but at the same time she was also very excited, because it would be the first time since last summer that they would be able to actually see and talk to each other again, which in her opinion had been far too long, since any time spent away from her mate was too much, even though she knew that for the time being it was inevitable, even if they managed to talk about everything.
…
All week classes dragged on and even someone who usually enjoyed classes like Hermione was exhausted by the time it was the Saturday one week before Christmas, and her newfound sister was not faring any better because Luna was anything but her happy self for most of Friday.
Waking up Saturday morning, Hermione felt far too comfortable to actually get out of bed, which was not helped by the fact that Luna crawled in with her the moment the blonde saw that her sister was awake. "Morning Hermione. Did you sleep okay?" She asked softly as she cuddled into her, much like she had done every weekend since they had discovered the truth.
Hermione smiled and nodded. "Thankfully, yes I did. Did you sleep okay?"
Luna nodded at her. "Of course, if only because of the fact that the week is over and it is only a week until the holiday. For the first time since coming to Hogwarts I'm looking forward to spending time at home, although that is mostly because you'll be there this year."
Hermione blushed a little at that. "I'm very curious what a proper Wizarding Christmas is all about. I have a feeling that there is a lot more to it then I could ever imagine."
"I honestly wouldn't know how it is how other families celebrate Christmas, least of all Muggles, but our aunt always goes all out on Christmas. Family dinner on Christmas Eve in respectable clothes breakfast on Christmas morning in full formal wear, same goes for dinner that evening, and all throughout the day she prepares several snacks, since she is always afraid we will go hungry at any point during the day. After breakfast we usually move to the den for gifts, which is probably where you will truly see a Wizarding Christmas. We have all sorts of fun traditions that I am sure our dear aunts will explain to you, because I don't think I can properly explain them." Luna explained with a soft smile.
Hermione smiled at that. "I honestly can't wait to experience it all. Christmas with the Grangers was usually a mandatory trip to church on Christmas Eve, a quick breakfast on Christmas morning and a very impersonal exchange of gifts after a quick dinner. It was never fancy or anything and it is one of the reasons I've chosen to stay here at Hogwarts once I started school."
Luna gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry Hermione. I can't imagine what that would've been like."
"It's okay Lu, from now on I'll be with my true family, I only worry about this summer to be honest. I really don't want to go back to the Grangers after learning everything we did this year." Hermione said softly.
"And I am sure you won't have to Hermione. Once our mothers are home, they will move heaven and earth to bring you home. I think once our mother is home and has healed up a bit, she will find Mummy before Easter and then they'll work non-stop on bringing you home. You'll have a hone where you can thrive and be able to have the life you were always meant to have." Luna said with a soft smile.
Hermione smiled at that. "Honestly I can't wait for that, or for Christmas. I want to know everything about our family."
Luna smiled at that. "I can imagine wanting to learn about the family that you were ripped from, and I am sure our aunts will give you every opportunity to do so, and will undoubtedly answer all of your questions. I do have to tell you one other thing before we go home though, in order to not cause any confusion. One of our aunts, Andromeda looks an awful lot like mother. I'm sure you'll see the resemblance between you two once you meet her."
"I'll let myself be surprised for once. It's not like I can practice my reaction to seeing them for the first time." Hermione said with a soft smile.
"I know sister, but I just wanted you to know that you might see more of yourself in aunt Andromeda then you might think." Luna said with a smile.
Hermione nodded at that. "We'll see what happens Lu. For once I want to let myself be surprised."
Luna nodded and smiled at her sister. "One thing I do know though, Draco is going to go crazy when he learns that you are his niece, since we haven't really found a moment to talk to him about our findings yet."
Hermione smiled at that. "I know, it's going to be amazing. I am honestly curious to see how he is going to react."
"Knowing him, he'll do his best fish impersonation for a few minutes before aunt Narcissa will step in, and then he'll be able to ask his questions, which I think will be quite numerous." Luna said with a smile.
Hermione nodded and smiled at her little sister. "Oh I'm sure of that, and I also can't wait to see Dora's epic reaction to the news, unless she already knows."
"I think she was with our aunts when they shared their suspicions with the Dark Lord, but I don't know if she read the letter I sent them, but I would think she did. She's always been very interested in news from Hogwarts." Luna said softly.
Hermione smiled at that. "It would make sense if our aunts shared this with her already, just so that she is prepared for when we come home for the holidays."
Luna nodded at that. "I'm sure they have, because aunt Cissa believes in informing people as soon as possible when it concerns our family. She's always been the most family oriented out of everyone, which given our family's history is a bit of a rare thing."
Hermione only nodded at that, content to spend the rest of the morning in bed with her sister, who didn't seem to have any issues with that.
…
At Black Manor preparations for Christmas were in full swing, and while this year was shaping up to be one of the best ones in recent memory, it didn't deter Narcissa in any way when it came to the grandeur she wanted to present to their niece. Gifts had been purchased, delivered and wrapped with great care and were ready to be put under the tree.
The only problem with that was that said tree was still to be decorated, which they usually did last because it was by far the most work and would take the most care too. For this year Narcissa had chosen an exceptionally big tree that took up more than the usual allotted space for their Christmas tree, which sent her carefully laid out floorplan in disarray.
Andromeda on her turn was slowly but surely losing her mind because of her sister's usual Christmas craziness, but as she usually did around this time of year she took it all in stride and tried to help her sister to the best of her abilities. "Cissa, you've been staring yourself blind on these plans for almost five hours. Let's take a break." She said kindly.
The blonde let out a long breath before nodding. "I suppose you have a point Andi. I just want this to be perfect for Hermione. She deserves to have her first Christmas with us to be a memorable one."
"I know and I fully agree with you, but at this rate you'll be exhausted by the time the girls come home, come let's have a cup of tea and then see how to tackle the living room situation." Andromeda said with a sweet smile.
Narcissa nodded and followed her sister to the den, glad that at least someone in the family kept their head on their shoulders around Christmas, knowing full well that her Christmas craziness was a bit much.
Once they sat down Jupi brought them both a cup of tea with several selections of small sandwiches. "Now Cissa, isn't this a lot better then breaking your brain over endless possibilities for the living room arrangements?"
Narcissa smiled at her sister. "It is Andi, and I think I lost myself a little in my usual Christmas preparations. I'm just so happy that Hermione is finally coming home."
Andromeda smiled and nodded at that. "I know, and I think we're far from the only ones. We both know when Bella comes home she will stop at nothing to bring her wife and daughter home, whether she is healed or not."
"For once I think Bella will want to err on the side of caution. She's bound to be very weak after fifteen years in Azkaban and I doubt her mental state will be any better. We need to be honest with her and tell her that Hermione is alive and that we have found her, and that she is safe at Hogwarts with her sister. We should also tell her that Pandora is alive but that we don't know where to find her." Narcissa said softly.
"I think Bella knows that Pandora is alive, they are soulmates and we know that soulmates can feel each other through that bond. We'll have to be very careful how to break the news to her that Hermione is alive, because we both know that Bella won't rest until Hermione is home." Andromeda said in a similar tone.
Narcissa nodded at that. "I know, and we will be very careful on how we tell her, because she will need to heal and she will hold that off on getting better in favor of getting her mate back."
Andromeda nodded and smiled at her sister. "As crazy as it sounds, it wouldn't be that bad of an idea. Having Pandora here will help her heal and be at peace, or at least as much at peace as she can be."
"Maybe we'll be lucky and Pandora will feel that she is home and then she will come home on her own accord. Her mate's presence will calm Bella down and will give both us and them time to prepare for Hermione's homecoming." Narcissa said with a gentle smile.
"Let's hope that happens, because it will also be easier on the girls when they come home for the summer. They'll have two months to reconnect and make up for the time they lost." Andromeda said with a smile.
Narcissa nodded at her. "They deserve that time together more than anyone. I'm sure Bella will want to find out everything that caused her disappearance, and while I don't blame her, I worry that she might resort to extreme measures to find it, which might become more dangerous for everyone."
Andromeda nodded at that. "I personally think she will play this through the Dark Lord. She's had plenty of time to think and I think that while she will stay loyal to the cause, her priorities will have changed when she has her daughters and wife back, as ours have too."
"I hadn't thought of that. Knowing Bella she will feel conflicted at first but I know that her instincts will win out. She will want to be there for her daughters and never again miss another moment of their lives. The only question remains if Hermione will be open to bond with her, because I don't think Bella's heart will be able to take it if Hermione rejects her." Narcissa said softly.
Andromeda smiled at her sister. "I honestly don't think she will reject her mother, Cissa. She will be far too interested to get to know Bella."
"That is my hope too Andi, and while I think that both of them will want to spend that time together, I can't help but worry. We don't know how Hermione will take the news that her mothers will be returning soon but that she will have to wait until summer to meet them." Narcissa said softly.
Andromeda merely smiled and gave her sister a hug, wanting to try and take away the worry her sister felt about the future of their family.
…
When she took on the responsibility of managing and maintaining all of the properties and businesses owned by their family, Nymphadora didn't know exactly how much work it would be, but at the same time she was proud of everything that she had accomplished with everything so far. She had managed to consolidate all of the properties into a single list, neatly categorized by size, function and location. Since she had full authority over what her mother and aunt had called 'her project' she had sold a couple of properties for a nice profit, which she then invested into some of the businesses.
Some of those had not been worth saving though and as much as she hated to put people out of a job, she knew that it was only delaying the inevitable in the end so she still felt that she made the right decision in closing the ones that had been losing money for years, which were a lot more numerous than she had originally thought.
In return she had also made sure that all of their businesses that were making a profit were properly motivated to keep doing so, mostly by making more investments in said businesses and ensuring that any improvements or additional purchases they wanted to do were granted.
Now however she was making sure her lists of both the businesses and properties were ready for her mother and aunt to review, mostly so she could show them that she hadn't been sitting idle over the last couple of months.
It would be weird being home again after so long, since even with magic it was exhausting to travel back and forth multiple times a day between multiple locations around Britain and the Isles at large, so she had opted to take one of the apartments their family owned in London and do her business from there.
It was a bit weird to not be home all the time, but it had also been a breath of fresh air to be able to do things for herself while still being close to her family, and it was something she could see herself do for a long time mostly because it provided a perfect balance for everyone.
That didn't mean she wasn't glad to go home for a few weeks though, because she absolutely loved Christmas and everything connected to it, and for once she was also looking forward to the New Year's Ball, since her position had sort of forced her to use her aunt's lessons for something purposeful and it had given her the poise and grace she had always lacked in social situations.
Her gifts for everyone had been properly wrapped and shrunken to fit in her jacket pockets, and thankfully all of her fancy clothes were at Black Manor, something she had purposely done as not to fill up room in her limited closet space she had at her apartment.
Checking everything one more time and finding everything she needed there, she apparated to Black Manor, hoping that the decorations were done so that she wouldn't be swept up in her aunt's well known Christmas craziness.
As she appeared in the living room, she had to smile at the sight that she was greeted with. The tree was gorgeously decorated and was probably even taller than it was last year, with all sort of colorfully wrapped gifts lying at its base.
"Dora! Welcome home sweetheart." Andromeda said excitedly as she came to hug her daughter.
Nymphadora smiled at her. "Hey Mom, it's good to be home again." She said as she gave her mother a big hug.
"You look absolutely fantastic honey, I will admit that I was a bit worried about your health when you moved out." Andromeda said with a kind smile.
"I'll fully admit that for the first couple of weeks there was a lot of take-out, but I've since found quick and easy ways to make food for myself, but I will also admit that I have missed home cooking a lot." Dora said with a soft smile.
Andromeda smiled at that. "You know you are always welcome here Dora, no matter what is going on."
"I know Mom, but with all the travel I do on a given day I'm far too exhausted to do another apparition when I get home. I severely underestimated how much work I took on when I offered to manage all of our properties and businesses." Dora said softly.
Andromeda merely smiled as she led her daughter to the den where Narcissa was waiting, but not before Dora resized her gifts and put them under the tree.
As the two women walked into the den, Narcissa smiled brightly at her niece. "Welcome home Dora. I trust you are doing well?"
"I am, thank you aunt Narcissa. I've been quite busy the past couple of months, but it has all been very rewarding work so far. I think we will definitely notice an increase in revenue in the coming months." Dora said kindly.
Narcissa quirked an eyebrow at that. "How so? Were there discrepancies in our numbers beforehand?"
"Not discrepancies per se, but after consolidating everything I found that there were a fair number of our family's businesses that have been drawing losses for many years, as well as several properties that were hemorrhaging money due to their upkeep. I have sold those and invested the money from that in new properties and the businesses that were making profit, which in the long run should be profitable for everyone, both us and the numerous employees that benefit from our businesses. An added benefit is that it cleared up a lot of administrative clutter." Dora explained with a smile.
Narcissa nodded at that. "It sound like you have been very busy over the last months Dora. Are you still happy with your position?"
Nymphadora nodded and smiled at that. "Very much so aunt Narcissa. It may be hectic, but being who I am it is something I am very much used to. It also forces me to be more proper, which is something I didn't realize I needed to do."
Narcissa and Andromeda both gave her a proud smile. "We're very proud of you for wanting to do your part for our family and that you enjoy it so much. It has certainly been a load of our minds with everything going on."
"I have a full list of everything that has been done over the last couple of months if you two are interested in reading it." Nymphadora said kindly.
They both nodded at that. "After Christmas, dear. The holidays are no time to talk business and work." Andromeda said with a kind smile.
Dora only nodded and smiled as Jupi brought a cup of tea for them, the three of them mostly talking about the upcoming ball, since everything related to Christmas was ready.