Hey everyone,
So, just like with Dragons and Morals, I can barely believe how long it has taken me to get back to this story.
Just like with Dragons and Morals, the end of the previous chapter just completely blocked me. Which, in regards to both stories, is weird as just continuing where I left off only sounds reasonable. Yet for some reason I couldn't get what I wanted out on paper.
So, just like with Dragons, I'm just going to let my fingers decide.
Let's see here,
Venquine1990
Chapter 14
True Family Helps
2nd of November 1994
Private Chambers, Hogwarts
Henrietta's POV
As we left the walk-in closet, Winky suggested that she could go and inform the Diggories.
I had hesitated, yet Sirius had transformed back and reminded me that they would be my in-laws in a few years from now.
I had nodded at this and encouraged Winky to proceed, though I had placed the same restrictions on her when it came to the Diggories as I told her when it came to Cedric.
The elf had nodded and popped out.
Yet for some reason I got the feeling that she didn't agree with me or my need to put up such a restriction on this.
Sirius, Lupin and I leave for the living room and while Lupin guides me back to the couches, he also makes sure to a different couch.
He also goes to sit with me and wraps a loose arm around my shoulders. Deep in my heart I know why the man is both caring and distant, yet I wish he wouldn't be the latter.
Thankfully, a single glance his way seems to convey this message. The man quickly pulls me closer against his side.
In the mean time Sirius uses his wand to levitate the portrait of my parents down from the wall. He places it against the table in front of Lupin and me.
The two look at me worriedly, yet Sirius beckons them over. And when dad has his face near the edge of the frame, Sirius whispers what happened.
The man's eyes widen and yet, when he looks at me, a look of guilt is on his face.
"Mate, what's wrong?"
Sirius asks.
The man closes his eyes and looks away as he mutters: "My madness almost made me as bad as that bastard. I almost tried to subject my poor girl to a similar fate."
And instantly mum seems to get what really happened. Yet at the same time the man's words help me recover the last of my senses as I say:
"Dad, that's not true. At least, not entirely. You only went way overboard with your need to make sure I could continue the family line.
That bastard thought I was with people who only expected that kind of pleasure out of me.
No matter how horrible your madness-induced actions were, they still came from a respect for our ancient line and love for your daughter.
And either way, at the end of the day, you're still my dad, while he is nothing but a perv. And one who's in trouble, too, thanks to Winky."
The man gives me a grateful smile, while tears shine in his eyes and he gently tells me that I am way too noble and forgiving for my own good.
I shrug at him and remind him of what I told my friends and Professor McGonagall about my desires and wishes for the future.
The man nods.
Then suddenly Winky pops in with Mr. and Mrs. Diggory. Both of them look deeply worried, yet Mr. Diggory also has an amused smirk on his face.
"That sure was interesting. The others at work were so confused when they saw Crouch's old elf. Thankfully, she didn't tell them anything more than that there was trouble at Hogwarts.
I told them that my boy was chosen as the Hogwarts Champion and made up an excuse around that.
So what happened?"
Mrs. Diggory repeats this question and tells us that Winky only told her that I needed them. I grimace and ask:
"Would you guys mind if Sirius and Lupin explain stuff? I'd rather not have to hear this explanation. I'm too grateful to Sirius for just whispering it to mum and dad."
The others nod and I retreat into my bedroom.
Nella's POV
I may not know Henrietta all that well yet, but a woman, especially a mother, can always tell when something bothers a young girl her age.
And while Henrietta tried to sound casual, it wasn't just her choice of words that made me know that Winky was right;
Something is really wrong.
Amos, Cedric and I make sure to sit down on the couch to the right from where Remus and Henrietta were seated earlier.
Sirius has gone to take Henrietta's seat and the look on his face – as well as the fact that he took James and Lily's portrait down – increases my concerns for the young girl.
"Okay, I'm just going to summarize the whole thing. Earlier this morning over breakfast, we thought that Hedwig had delivered Henrietta the Potter Grimoire.
My sweet little girl wanted to start reading it right away, but thankfully she read the letter that came with it first and, thankfully again, she decided to do it here.
I'm grateful for this, because the letter proved us wrong. The book wasn't the grimoire – it was a book sent to her by a creep who saw us in The Paddock.
And trust me, a guy like him only deserves to belong in Knockturn Alley.
He had no right to be in the Paddock and they really should up their security around there."
Amos asks him about the book and Remus tells us that Winky has already sent the book, together with a copy of the bastard's magical trace to the Paddock's authorities.
Instantly Amos asks Winky if she can provide him with another copy of either. Winky nods and snaps her fingers.
And just by the look of the fake book, I know exactly what it is that Sirius and Remus didn't tell us. And the notion that my future daughter-in-law had to experience this on her second day in her natural form horrifies me.
I jump up and barely notice Sirius warning me to be gentle with her as I rush for the door the sweet girl has disappeared behind.
Only then I suddenly notice a knock coming from somewhere.
Lily gasps and says: "Oh dear, Cedric! He must be waiting for one of us to help him come in."
Instantly Sirius levitates their portrait back up on the wall.
James leaves through the frame and a few seconds later, Cedric rushes in. And while Amos guides him over and Remus repeats the explanation, I head into the girl's bedroom.
Henrietta's POV
After I closed the door behind me, I internally battled with myself for a moment.
On the one hand I wanted to stay close to the door, so I would know when I could head back inside.
On the other, I wanted to get away from the chance of hearing about what happened earlier.
The latter of the two desires won out and I went to wait on my bed. After a few minutes, I moved and pulled the blanket in such a way that it was wrapped around me.
Somehow, being by myself again, makes it really hard for me to keep my mind off of what I read in that horrible, horrible letter.
I try
And I try
And I try.
Yet it just doesn't work and instead seems to have the opposite effect. The more I try not to think of the letter, the more the words of the letter seem to press themselves onto my retina and my inner eye, making me feel even worse.
Then suddenly a knock on the door is heard and I let out a loud yelp of fright and shock. With a sense of embarrassment I realize that I had become so focused on my thoughts over the letter that I had become lost in thought.
Yet Mrs. Diggory seems to either not have heard the yelp or decided to pretend that she didn't hear it. She just opens the door a little and asks me if she can come in.
I gently, and gratefully, tell her to come in.
For a moment I wonder whether I should pull the blanket off of my body, but Mrs. Diggory proves me why mum thought she'd make a good mother-in-law.
Instead of looking down on me or trying to pull the blanket off herself, she moves the blanket in such a way that it covers the both of us.
And like Lupin she wraps an arm around me as she whispers: "Amos got Winky to make a copy of the book. He'll take it to Amelia, Madam Bones, and will make sure to keep vague about your identity. But he will make sure that she works together with the Paddock Authority to see justice done."
I deeply appreciate the fact that the woman doesn't mention either the letter or the bastard that wrote it and send it to me.
I also deeply appreciate how warm and comforting her arm feels as it's wrapped around me.
Mrs. Diggory then proves to me why her son is in Hufflepuff.
"We're here for you now, dear.
We should've been here for you for the past few years. Regardless of the fact that we didn't remember the betrothal, we should've respected our friendship with your parents and proved that we care about you as well as them.
But we are here for you now, dear.
We are here for you now."
The woman's words, her tone and the way that she keeps holding me and softly rubbing my arm and my side with her hand do what I failed at.
I feel so loved, cared for and reassured that I can finally stop thinking about that horrible letter. And so I gratefully cuddle closer with my new mother-to-be.
I know this is something that I learned from the Weasleys and how wonderful they have always been to each other since I met them.
Yet, outside of Sirius, I have never gotten the chance to directly experience something the Weasleys and their interaction taught me, until now.
True Family Helps.
Bite me!
You guys know that I love using my titles in some part of my chapter and that, more often than not, I will include it in the final bits of the chapter.
That will never change,
Venquine1990
