Chapter 16, The Dangers Of Power

Hydra remained quiet and introspective for the rest of the night which passed pleasantly enough. No one asked her what had happened the next day at breakfast, though they all kept giving her curious glances, especially Loughness. Well all except James, for he'd seen it all play out. He didn't treat her any differently, though, which was appreciated. Not that she knew how she expected him to treat her. She hadn't said anything too far out of line considering the situation, even if she was incorrect about what she'd said.

Unlike her vampiric fathers, she was no mind-reader, so only had their actions to go on when interpreting situations. As she ate breakfast at the Ravenclaw table with James and Guillermo, she found herself wondering what Daddy Kreacher had told Daddy Regulus about last night. If he'd told him everything, did she care? Was he hurt? Of course she cared if he was hurt, but did they care when the sorts of things like what they pulled last night hurt her? The entire situation still made her emotionally uncomfortable with a vague underlying feeling of distress that stuck with Hydra throughout the entire day. She felt Guillermo giving her curious looks at lunch, then Sortia and Loughness doing the same during classes, but both were wise enough not to ask, surely knowing that she couldn't get into it until their group could go somewhere private where there would be no chance of anyone else overhearing.

Of course this wasn't to be until after classes were over for the day. As soon as this was the case, Hydra, Loughness, James and Sortia met Guillermo outside of his final class, which was annoyingly Transfiguration. Annoyingly because now Hydra associated the act with Kreacher Transfiguring himself into Echidna. "Let's go to the lake," she said. "Cool, but I need to stop off and grab some snacks from the kitchen first," James said. "I'm hungry. And also I asked the elves to make us some comfort food. I promised them that I'd grab it when classes were over." Comfort food. James was touchingly understanding, but Hydra had no real appetite.

When she was still vaguely upset her stomach wasn't very interested in much. She kept this to herself, though, as the rest should get to enjoy their after school snacks and James was always hungry! She was content to listen to everyone else's chatter as they walked to the kitchens. Everyone else stood in a group in the Dining Hall while James went into the kitchen for the snacks. Soon James emerged with a basket of snacks, and then they were off to the lake. "I'm hungry," Guillermo said.

"It's been a long day of wondering what's up with Hydra and I really need to stress eat." Hydra's lips tugged into a slight smile in spite of the frustrating situation. When they reached the lake, the five settled onto the grass and James promptly opened the basket and began to pass out cloth napkins. "For spreading out over the lap like a plate. It's just sandwiches and such," he explained. Once the napkins were passed out, he placed the large wicker basket in easy reach of everyone. "Just help yourselves, cause I don't know what everyone wants... or really what's inside for that matter other than things that are easy to eat with the hands and sandwiches." Glancing down into the basket, Hydra saw a row of five bottles of butter beer. That was a sweet touch. Smiling she took one and passed the other four out to everyone else. "I wonder if the elves are free and paid and all that. It's so weird eating what they make and not knowing," she murmured.

"Would you stop eating if they were slaves," Guillermo asked and she scowled.

"No. If I stopped eating, I would starve. Hello."

"Untrue. You could go home and eat the cooking of your free elves then come back. You and Loughness could always Apparate in and out of here with your half-elf bad selves," Guillermo countered.

"I suppose I could, but then people would notice, which would draw unwanted attention to me, which would ruin the lie that I'm only a very short full blooded human, which would upset the Daddies, which would get me in trouble," she said glumly. Glumly, because the very statement, and the very conversation for that matter, too closely reflected the topic of displeasure from last night.

"Good points, I guess," Guillermo said. "So you'd just be stuck eating their food and not being able to free them."

Hydra nodded. "Speaking of," James said astutely, "Hydra, are you okay? I don't even know what to think. I mean I guess we're talking about it, right," he asked hastily.

Hydra chuckled weakly, because it would be a bit late now if they weren't, but James knew she'd share the situation with her other friends and her own brother, so it was all good. "Yeah, of course. And I guess I'm okay, though I still feel weird about the entire thing."

"For what it's worth, I never got the impression that Kreacher minded being gay or anything," James told her. "He always seemed very proud of being with Regulus and the life they have built together with you and Loughness. Just you know, for what it's worth that's my impression if that helps or anything."

"Excuse me, what," Sortia asked. "Kreacher seems great with everything he does." She chuckled. "One must admire that."

"Anyone else confused," Guillermo wondered in-between bites from a large sandwich that he held in both hands.

James reached into the basket, withdrawing a sandwich, then another. "That'll do for a start," He murmured half to himself.

Glancing over at Loughness Hydra asked, "How'd you like seeing MUMMY last night. I expected Kreacher myself." Her voice came out flat, and she realized she still wasn't over the shock of that. Having to express something externally showed her what she wasn't certain about when simply mulling it over internally in her own mind.

Loughness glanced up from his napkin which now held a sandwich and two pumpkin scones. Raising his brows slightly, he shrugged. "I was surprised at first, but I suppose it wasn't really that surprising considering who they are. I mean they're always being weird."

"So you didn't mind," Hydra asked, incredulous

"No," Loughness said.

"You didn't at all feel it was a slap in the face to who you are?"

"No," Loughness said again. "Nothing changed. They already want us hiding it, so they simply facilitated the thing they decided years ago." He grinned over at her. "You're over analyzing it. Stop Ravenclawing so much."

Hydra sighed. "I sort of went off on Daddy Kreacher last night and said some horrible things that may or may not be true."

"I don't think they're true for the record, and he hit her," James said, eyes widening slightly at the memory.

Loughness's jaw dropped. "Wo! They're usually hitting me over something, not Miss Perfect. Glad it isn't me for a change."

"Not a spanking," Hydra corrected. "And you haven't been spanked in years. He slapped me. I was rather upset at the time and crying and saying that he wasn't alright being gay and I may have called Daddy Regulus a puppet."

Sortia made a sound of dismay. Guillermo choked on his sandwich. "My parents would've killed me, so you're lucky you're still breathing," he said around his full mouth of food.

"I want you to know that I don't think it's easy for you, what they're asking," James told Hydra. He lowered his first sandwich and gravely turned to face her. "Just because I don't think what you said about either of them is accurate, I don't feel your feelings are invalid. I get it. I get what everyone is saying."

"Also spoken like a true Ravenclaw," Loughness said, smiling over at James. "At least unlike Hi-De-Ho, your Ravenclawing is more convenient. Thanks."

"Always happy to please," James said dryly, chuckling.

"Don't call me that," Hydra snapped and Loughness grinned.

"Hey it distracted you, didn't it?" She hated being called Hi-De-Ho, but she called him Nessy, and he hated that equally so it was an annoying sibling thing between them.

"So now what," Guillermo asked.

"I don't know," Hydra said. "I mean I still don't know how to feel. You are saying what you are saying," she said, nodding at James, and I appreciate it. Loughness doesn't mind for his reasons, which I also appreciate, but I need to sort myself out. I wonder what Daddy Kreacher told Daddy Regulus. I wonder if I'm in trouble, and what I should say. Should I apologize or explain or..." She tossed her hands into the air.

"I'd do nothing until you sort out how you really feel," Sortia suggested. "I often envy you and Loughness your awesome powers, but I can see how being half is hard too, and I'm sorry. It's a dratted double edged sword, isn't it?"

Hydra gave her friend a smile. "I love you, Sortia, and yes it most definitely is."

"I'd never trade it for anything, though," Loughness said, puffing himself up. "I love myself. I'm perfect."

"I agree," Hydra said. "That I'd not change it and that I prefer myself as I am, not that you're perfect," she hastened to clarify. "I appreciate human magic and of course the enhanced power and abilities of elf magic, and I'd not trade either for the world. I don't mean to be a whiny prat if it is coming off like that," she concluded apologetically.

Glancing at the basket she realized that perhaps only picking at her breakfast and lunch had made her hungry. Getting it out and hearing the perspectives of others had eased the knot in her stomach. She reached for a pumpkin scone and took a hungry bite. "James, you are amazing," she praised after chewing and swallowing. "How do you just know what people need? It's amazing."

James grinned, clearly pleased. "Well Dude! If it's about food and the joy and comfort it can bring, I got you covered!" After that, the conversation lightened and returned to normal topics. By the time the five friends headed back into the school as the sun set, Hydra was feeling better. That was until she saw Daddy Regulus standing on the path leading back up to Hogwarts Castle. His expression was grave and a bit sad. Hell. Hydra didn't know how to feel. She gave her brother a panicked look and he stepped up to her side. "I'll stay with you," he said. Hydra smiled at him as a surge of relief washed over her. It was kind of Loughness not to make her face her mess alone.

"Should we stay as well," James asked.

Hydra shook her head. "I want to say yes, because he likes all of you very much, but I suppose I should face the music. Using you lot as a buffer isn't right."

"You're sure," Guillermo asked and when she nodded the three walked into the castle, greeting Regulus as they passed him. Hydra and Loughness stopped walking, waiting for Regulus to approach. He did so slowly, smiling at them in greeting. That smile eased Hydra's tightening stomach a bit. Perhaps he wasn't angry then.

"Hi, Daddy," Loughness sang out.

"Hello, Baby-boy," Regulus greeted fondly, reaching out to tousle Loughness's shoulder-length black locks. "I came to speak with Hydra, but feel free to stay if she doesn't mind."

"She doesn't," Loughness said, and Hydra nodded, biting at her lower lip in discomfort.

"Kreacher mentioned that you were upset so I looked into his head later because he wasn't very forthcoming," Regulus told Hydra quietly. "What you said about me, it may be true. You are a wise child, and I still have a lot of work to do. Some of it is perhaps what I psychologically learned from the taint of that lake and the exposure to the Horcrux, but it is still harmful and my guilt is something that I still struggle against all too frequently."

As he spoke, his slender shoulders slumped slightly as if bowed under a weight. His blue gaze dropped to the black wing-tip shoes he wore before raising to meet hers with seeming difficulty. "What you said about Kreacher, though, it isn't true. He is the strongest person I shall ever know. He struggled against the elf curse just to be with me when he and I were first together. Allowing himself to desire me went against every instinct that that curse laid on him.

He felt he had no right to his own pleasures or his feelings of possessiveness toward me and he had to fight that. He did fight for me, so please never again say that he is not alright with who he is. That wasn't what last night was about at all." Daddy Regulus spoke in quiet even tones without raising his voice, but Hydra still felt like quite the heel. Before she could speak, he continued. "I do understand your perspective, and I hate that who you truly are must be kept secret. I hate that it bothers you so much, because I never like to see my babies hurting."

"I'm good," Loughness assured and Regulus chuckled.

"And I am glad. You are a rock, Loughness."

Grinning, Loughness flexed his muscles. "I know, right?"

Regulus chuckled again before returning a more somber gaze to Hydra. "It is only for now, though. I wish it was safe for you to be yourselves. You are both so wonderful and Kreacher and I are so very proud of you. He believes you could be at risk from some who would hate you for not only being a half-breed, but being conceived with such vast amounts of magic around you to allow it to happen. They would consider you an unnatural threat, Kreacher is certain. While I never felt so myself, I can't know that he is wrong, and it isn't worth the risk of your safety to find out, period."

"I know," Hydra said, suddenly feeling deflated and oddly empty inside. "I'm sorry about what I said, Daddy." Her chin trembled and she forcefully swallowed back tears.

"I know you are, Baby," Regulus said, reaching to draw her into an embrace.

"And you don't give yourself enough credit," Hydra told him. "You're strong too. You went through so much, yet you survived it and you're still here. You got the grandparents back and you are a wonderful father. Daddy Kreacher loves you very much, so you know you're special, because he doesn't like most people."

Regulus smiled. "Once again you are wise, and I appreciate your words. I need to be reminded of the obvious sometimes," he admitted softly. "I suppose I had better let the two of you go in to dinner, but please write us soon." Releasing Hydra he moved to hug Loughness. Both promised to write before the week was out. As they walked into the castle together, Hydra turned to look for Daddy Regulus, but he'd already Apparated away.

"It's all good now," Loughness said, dropping a reassuring hand onto her shoulder. She nodded, feeling a sudden sense of inner peace that said that he was right.