Two Daughters
A Harry Potter Fanfiction
Chapter Three
Hermione Granger sprinted across the lawn at Longbottom Manor, opened her own arms and threw herself into Harry Potter's.
"Harry!" she shouted, "It's been years!"
Potter hugged her to himself, reminding himself not to hug too long, with Ron Weasley standing right there.
"No it hasn't," he said, "We got together…let's see…it was eleven months ago. There was some Wizengamot thing."
"You left as soon as it adjourned," noted Weasley.
"Yeah, the boat," said Potter. "Had to get going. Some heavy weather was about to hit where she was tied up. But now I'm here!"
Neville Longbottom walked their way so Potter stepped back. He looked across the lawn to a play area he and Longbottom organized for Teddy Lupin and the two Black witches. Ane and Delphi were laughing, possibly in response to Teddy's blue hair. Everything seemed nice and quiet, Potter noticed, wondering how long that would last.
Ron and Hermione walked across the lawn with Longbottom. It didn't appear to Potter that they were taking a great interest in the three children. When they got closer, Andromeda Tonks stood up to say hello. The newcomers' pace slowed as they studied the young witches' faces.
"It's okay, you can stare," said Potter as he stepped up next to Hermione.
"Here."
Potter raised his forearm, should she wish to steady herself.
"What the…?" breathed Weasley. "How?"
"All kind of mysterious," Potter observed. "Magical, in a way."
"Girls? Can you come over here?" asked Potter. "Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, allow me to introduce you to Delphini Black and Anemone Euphemia Black."
Teddy trotted over.
"And you know Teddy Lupin, of course."
Even with her hand on Potter's arm, Hermione began to show signs of imminent collapse. Potter took a handful of the robe she wore over her other clothing, holding her up until he was sure she was steady on her feet once more.
"We're having a little play day," explained Potter. "What were you all doing?"
"Sailing," said Ane.
"I was a hippogriff," shouted Teddy as he flapped lightly feathered arms and rose two or three inches off the ground.
"I was thinking about a dragon, a big one," said Delphi, "I was going to throw a dragon-size temper tantrum!"
"When did you ever throw one of those? How did you hear about such a thing?" asked Potter.
"I don't KNOW," said Delphi, the protest evident in her voice.
"Okay, then, if you all want to get back to it…" said Potter.
The children turned immediately and sprinted away from the clump of adults.
"Iced tea? Lemonade? Butter beer?" asked Longbottom.
"Whiskey," croaked Granger and Weasley.
Andromeda Tonks, Longbottom and Potter deferred to the newcomers, standing by while they picked out seating and settled down. Potter looked toward the house and saw Augusta Longbottom, Neville's grandmother, walking their way. She took great care placing her steps which might have explained covering the yards so quickly.
"So! The Weasley delegation," pronounced the old lady.
"Actually, she's not…" said Ron Weasley.
"We aren't…" tried Hermione Granger.
"Gran, they haven't made it legal, yet," explained Longbottom.
"No matter," said Mrs. Longbottom. "You won't find anyone here tattling on you."
She dispensed warning looks to all of her guests.
"Were you going to offer them something to drink, Neville?" demanded Mrs. Longbottom.
"We'd just come to that," said Longbottom. "Ron and Hermione asked for a whiskey."
"Mm-hmm. Recognized the witches?" asked his grandmother.
Andromeda Tonks laughed out loud.
"Where will you sit, Augusta?" she asked.
"Oh, you youngsters are inviting me to your party? Well then, that garden swing is very sturdy and has a great view of these interesting children," replied Augusta Longbottom. "Can we sit over there near you?"
"Yes, Grandmother," answered Ane and Delphi.
Teddy Lupin occupied himself watching hippogriff feathers appear and disappear on the outer aspect of his lower arms. Weasley and Granger passed the taken-by-surprise-moment and were beginning to glower.
Mrs. Longbottom's elf brought a tray with two squat, yet generous, glasses of fire whiskey. Weasley drank off half of his immediately.
"Okay," he said. "Explain."
Potter looked at his friends.
"Sure," he said. "Please try and keep an open mind. The young witches' mother lived an atypical life."
Granger's voice came out as a rasping stage whisper.
"She is a psychopath! Remember this?"
Granger pulled up a sleeve and treated Potter to the sight of her scars, now healed but spelling out 'MUDBLOOD' in thin, red lines.
"Of course," said Potter. "She was very remorseful!"
"Was?" asked Weasley. "You're sure? Because this is highly irregular."
Potter laughed at Weasley's question.
"Yes," he said, his own voice suddenly raspy, like Granger's.
"I'll get started, if you can listen," said Potter. "This will go a lot faster. Is that acceptable?"
Granger and Weasley nodded as they sipped some more whiskey.
"Good. Because I'm holding you to that," Potter began. "When we three were on the run…"
He gave a short account about the night Bellatrix Lestrange materialized on the edge of their campsite. How they had talked and confessed, in roundabout language, their feelings for one another. That night in the woods, Harry Potter and Bellatrix Lestrange agreed their love was doomed. The seedling died before it could form a bud, much less blossom. The story continued through Bella's trial and return to Azkaban, Potter's informal non-stop at the prison and the subsequent sailing trip on the open ocean.
"I'm kind of proud of my magical seamanship, really, getting the boat to hold steady in the North Atlantic and all…" said Potter in an aside from the actual story.
His friends, speechless, stared as they sipped more whiskey.
Potter continued on, describing how they went sailing to Maine, the Maritimes, down the East Coast of the United States, port calls in the Bahamas and the Antilles.
"She was a different person," he said. "Before she died, she asked me to do her a favor."
He related the story of the search for Delphini's foster home, his visit and decision to relieve Euphemia Rowle of the responsibility of caring for the young witch.
"So now, I have them together. A very few family members know about us and we mean to keep it that way," said Potter.
Granger immediately suspected that the Malfoys were the other family members. Weasley studied his nearly-empty glass.
"So you were snogging Bellatrix Lestrange while we were asleep in the tent that night in the woods?" demanded Weasley.
"Wasn't nearly long enough to qualify as proper snogging, but, yes, we did kiss," admitted Potter. "We'd already confessed we kinda liked one another so it seemed like the logical next step on our joint list of things to do."
"Harry, I don't know if I can be your friend anymore."
Granger managed to get that one sentence out before bursting into tears. She hid her face with her two hands and sobbed. The children looked up from their play then turned away, embarrassed.
"That would make me very sad, Hermione," said Potter. "Bella and I had nothing to do with you, or Ron. We specifically stayed out of Britain, Ireland, even the home waters. She thought we were probably bond-mates. Couldn't hurt one another. We each had a chance to kill the other, more than one, in my case. If I showed a little mercy, it was very little. The last years of her life were pleasant. Like I said, she was a completely different person. She wanted me to express her remorse, and ask whatever pinch of forgiveness the people she had wronged could spare, whenever I thought it appropriate. As for Ane, she just came along as a natural codicil to that other."
"That other? That other? Taking Sirius' killer into your bed for a little fornication?" demanded Weasley.
"The…um…Number Two?" sniffed Granger.
She tossed her head toward Delphini.
Potter looked at Andromeda, who shrugged.
"Voldemort wanted a child. Don't ask why. No one ever said he was rational. Rodolphus and Bellatrix agreed to help," said Potter. "Delphini was born at Malfoy Manor a couple of months before our big battle."
Granger looked like she was about to be sick. Weasley looked like he really needed to be, but was somehow unable.
"Look at them, playing together," Andromeda said to Granger. "They had nothing to do with that other stuff. The fanatics and the violence. You—Ron, Harry and Neville—along with some others, got between the lunatics and the rest of us and made a new world. That will be all these three know. They won't have all of that in their magical little heads. Do they deserve a chance?"
A long pause in the conversation followed Andromeda's question.
"Yes," agreed Granger. "Will I be able to see them that way? I don't know. Harry, I was furious when you gave your testimony at Bella's trial. Why save something like that from the penalty she'd worked so hard to earn? I learned to accept that you had your reasons. Whatever those were, I'd probably never know. Now—Oh, Harry, how could…"
Hermione started to cry again, rubbing the forearm with the 'Mudblood' scars.
"I think we should go," Weasley said, standing, abruptly, reaching out and slipping his hand under Granger's upper arm.
Potter stood, looking at Granger. She took two or three deep breaths, then stood up with Weasley. Potter couldn't read either face, though he tried. Even so, there was something that needed to be said. It needed to be said now, at this meeting.
"Well, they're all our little Blacks," Potter said, quietly, as he looked at the three children playing on Augusta Longbottom's lawn. "So everyone understands, Lord Black will defend them, with his life, if that's necessary."
Longbottom turned to walk the guests outside Augusta's wards, Potter falling in, the two of them bracketing Weasley and Granger. Not knowing what to expect from his friends, more concerned about Weasley's temper than Granger's cool, methodical approach, he was very much relieved when the two finally apparated away.
"As well as could be expected," observed Potter.
"Merlin and Morgana, Harry," said Longbottom. "Not telling you how to live your life, but…I kept flashing back to the Hall of Prophecies! The last twenty minutes were worse than that bloody battle!"
"True," said Potter. "Let me say, I really didn't want to put you through anything like that. I do need to know where they will be if crunch time comes in the next two or three years. After that, the national magical consciousness will have gone on to something else. I think."
Potter did not care to risk exposing either his little witches or himself by enlarging the circle that knew he was raising Bella's two daughters. His greatest fear was not what could happen to him, although imaginative thinkers could still create a scenario that linked him to Bella via a jailbreak. His main concern was for Ane and Delphi, who could be hurt just because of how they came to be.
Potter knew, looking at everything in retrospect, that he had not thought through all the possible complications Ane could face, just being the daughter of Harry Potter and Bellatrix Lestrange. Delphini would not have been a complication all by herself. Put Bella's daughter with Voldemort, Delphini, together with Bella's daughter with Harry Potter, Anemone, all living together in London—that would make for some complications.
Potter knew he needed some experienced person, someone who'd been around the track a few times, to fill the role of wise counsel and sounding board. He needed some insight into the thinking of the pureblood set. Just because Voldemort and his pureblood partisans had gone down in defeat didn't mean they were all sitting in local pubs pickling their internal organs. They had traditions, economic interests, opinions and they would be active in public life. Family ties meant a lot, half of Potter's pureblood acquaintances being married to their friend's first cousin, or, to an embarrassingly-large degree, their own. Their views mattered because their influence was far greater than mere numbers.
If he was going to mend fences, Potter figured he might as well start by cultivating a pureblood from his embryonic circle. He knew three who could recite pureblood myths and bylaws far past his reading limits. Potter sat at his desk and began to draft.
"What?"
Draco Malfoy stared at his mother, who stood in the doorway of the Malfoy Manor breakfast room. Narcissa Malfoy read the invitation a second time.
"Harry Potter, Lord Potter-Black requests the honor…"
"Yeah. Dinner," said Malfoy.
"Draco, let your mother speak. Then you can have a turn," Astoria Malfoy said, keeping order by admonishing her husband so softly he sent a smile in return.
"Thank-you, Astoria," said Narcissa. "Harry wants us to come over for dinner, that's the short version."
"Why? What does he want?" asked Malfoy.
Astoria might have rolled her eyes, just slightly.
"Some social contact? Stay in touch with his Black relatives?" asked Narcissa.
"Auntie Andromeda and Teddy can represent the Blacks," said Malfoy.
Astoria glanced at Narcissa.
"Let's try this," said her expression.
"Draco, dear, Harry is not who he was at Hogwarts," she began.
"I know…"
Narcissa gave Malfoy a very stern, 'I'm quickly becoming fed up with you, Draco,' sort of look, causing her son to blush and look down.
"Think strategically. He is Lord Black, at least until Teddy grows up and Harry turns it all over to him. Your family and the Potter-Blacks will have to do some business together. You will have common interests and you will want to work out a common approach. Just looking out for your own mother, wife and, if I need to underline it, your son," said Astoria.
Malfoy looked like he knew he'd stepped out of line and earned himself a good swat on the seat of his trousers.
"What can dinner do about all that?" asked Malfoy.
"We don't know, do we?" asked Narcissa. "Potter might have an agenda. Something he wants to bring up over dessert. Or, he might just be bringing family over to Grimmauld Place to give the young witches exposure to family members in a social setting. They are old enough to learn the difference between salad and dinner forks."
Draco Malfoy recognized force majeure when he encountered it which explained his position at the head of the Malfoy delegation that walked out of the hearth in the front salon of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place at dinnertime a number of days later. Potter stood in the center of the room, a hand on the shoulder of a young witch to his right and another to his left. He waited until Draco, Astoria, Scorpius and Narcissa were all present.
Kicking the evening off, Potter stepped toward the senior Malfoy by age, Narcissa Black Malfoy.
"Madame," he purred, "So honored to have you back at Number Twelve."
Potter bobbed his head over Narcissa's hand, just the way Bella Black had taught him.
"And Madame Malfoy!" he continued as he turned to Astoria. "Can't have too much of a good thing, it's a contradiction in terms!"
Potter repeated his little dance and began to step away when Astoria gripped his fingers and bent at her knees. She was young, nimble and a well-trained pureblood witch who happened to love all the old, courtly ways. In addition, she had a very positive outlook on life, magical folkways, and the traditions so many spent time and effort avoiding.
Astoria held her bent-knee position, silently counting off three seconds, just the way she'd been drilled by her mother. Draco rolled his eyes. Potter was pleasantly surprised. Narcissa Malfoy swelled with pride watching her daughter-in-law's perfect pureblood arrival, entrance and greeting of their host.
"Draco," said Potter, extending his hand. "Welcome back."
"Harry," Draco answered, returning the greeting. "Wouldn't miss it. Cleared our calendars the moment your owl brought the invitation."
"And Scorpius," said Potter. "Heard so much about you but we never got a chance to actually meet."
Scorpius Malfoy laid his middle fingers on the outside seam of his trousers and bent from the waist.
"Your servant, my lord," said Scorpius.
Potter looked at Astoria Malfoy and gave the slightest inclination of his head. He meant to acknowledge her well-demonstrated skill in raising and training a proper example of top-tier magical youth. Potter also made Scorpius' mother and father very happy with his tribute to both parents and son, according to their own huge smiles.
Scorpius stood upright and Potter offered his hand.
"Welcome to the London family seat of the Blacks, Scorpius," said Potter. "You are heir to a long and illustrious history, am I correct, Madame?"
Potter addressed Narcissa, never thinking he might be putting her on the spot. She didn't mind.
"So I have been telling him, Lord Harry," said Narcissa.
"And these," said Potter, turning to the witches who'd been watching the goings-on in general but Scorpius in particular. "Are this generation's Black witches, your cousins Delphini and Anemone."
The witches curtsied in the Malfoys' general direction when Potter spoke their names, bringing on a little squeal of delight from Astoria.
"So perfect," she said as she dropped down to knee-height and extended her hand. "We have to get to know one another. Scorpius?"
Astoria opened an arm to pull in Scorpius, whose face was a silent appeal for release.
"Our son, Scorpius," she said. "He would be your…what degree of cousin?"
"Second, I believe," said Narcissa.
"So wonderful to have family!" said Astoria, standing up again. "What's that you have there?"
She spoke to Delphi and pointed at her stuffed bear.
"It's a dragon!" Delphi said.
"Oh, is it?" asked Astoria, sounding a bit skeptical.
"Right now it wants to look like a bear," Delphi insisted.
Ane took a step forward and grasped Scorpius' hand.
"Cuzna," she said.
"Cousin," corrected Harry.
Ane gave her father a stern look.
"Cousin," she tried, using her snottiest tones.
"That's right," said Potter, nodding.
"Well, welcome home. Let's get some cloaks hung up. Kreacher! Cloaks please, then drink orders."
When the cloaks were turned over, Potter led the way to the rear of the townhouse and the second drawing room. Guests were still arranging themselves when Potter heard Ane out in the corridor.
"Auntie Walburga Wake Up!" she shouted. "You have to meet Scorpius!"
"Excuse me, just one moment," Potter apologized as he turned and took three great strides out of the drawing room and down the hall.
"Ane, you know Auntie Walburga needs her slee…"
He was too late.
"The shame!"
Auntie Walburga was off and emoting so there wasn't anything to do but give her some feedback.
"Madame Walburga…" Potter tried.
"My son has disgraced our family from the grave! FROM THE GRAVE! Is there no end to the shame?" moaned Walburga.
Ane, very pleased with her results, leaned over and provided some background information for Scorpius.
"She screams!" she told him, obviously delighted.
Scorpius nodded in silent agreement.
"Madame, please, we have dinner guests, this young wizard is your twice grand-nephew, surely you don't want his evening spoiled?"
"Potter, the half-blood son of the ruination of the Black family! Your father wrecked all our lives!" shouted Walburga.
Delphi reappeared, her bear tucked under one arm.
"MADAME WALBURGA!" she shouted.
Something in her voice got through, enough to get Walburga to pause. Delphi, exploiting her breakthrough, waved her bear at the portrait.
"Harry is the Head in this house, or didn't you know? I want no more screaming or my dragon here will burn your portrait to the ground. Is that what you want?"
Delphi looked at Harry, who gave her a little smile and nodded in agreement. He disapproved of Euphemia Rowle advising young Delphini that she was destined to come to a bad end, but if Delphi had picked up her admonishment skills from Madame Rowle, perhaps that was not grounds for complaint.
"So, Lady Black, what will it be?" asked Potter.
The sound of a sniff came out from behind Walburga's black crepe curtain. Potter gathered the three children into a proper gaggle and began to herd them back to the drawing room.
"We'll come back when Auntie's feeling better," Delphi assured Scorpius.
"Okay, enough excitement for right now," said Potter when he got the witches and Scorpius Malfoy back to the drawing room. "Honestly, I don't know what to do for her. Sirius didn't help things when he was alive. They had already broken and distanced themselves. She could really get going on him. I can't quote her, not with the children within hearing distance. All that emotional discharge, I don't know why the portrait hasn't gone dormant. Guess back in the day they had someone who knew their enchantments working on it."
Astoria Malfoy was watching the young witches. Delphi sat with her bear on her lap, the two of them keeping an eye on Scorpius. Ane seemed focused on the bear.
Astoria noticed the arrangement.
"Ane—it is Ane, isn't it?" she asked.
Ane nodded before she spoke.
"It's Anemone, but you can call me Ane," she said.
"Lovely! That's a flower, I think," said Astoria.
"Da-da says the Black witches are named for flowers, like Auntie Narcissa," said Ane.
Draco, Astoria and Narcissa looked back and forth, among themselves, before Narcissa spoke, in her very low voice.
"Did he?" she asked. "Was there anything else?"
Ane shook her head—'No!'
Narcissa nodded.
'That's good,' she assured her niece.
A short time later, Kreacher announced that dinner was served and Potter directed his guests and the young witches to the dining room.
"I thought we would all eat together today," he said. "We can go formal another time. The witches need to see some family around a dinner table. Otherwise it is the three of us, over and over and over again."
Narcissa and Draco sat still, observing, hoarding their opinions. Astoria Malfoy smiled a huge smile and lay her arm over Scorpius' shoulders. Potter speculated Astoria had been seeking an opportunity for Scorpius to demonstrate his pureblood manners.
Potter also knew pureblood manners dictated that Draco and Astoria would have to return his invitation within two weeks. He expected the invitation would be for him alone. Potter took the witches to Andromeda Tonks' that Sunday and brought her up to date.
"I think I'll be invited back soon, so can I impose on you…"
"Of course, it's no imposition! Far from it. Teddy has been pestering me to get them over so whenever the Malfoys want you, just let me know," said Andromeda.
"Oh!" said Potter. "That was easy enough."
When the date arrived, Potter took Ane and Delphi to Andromeda's, where they made small talk and discussed topics of interest to young magicals until it was time for him to leave. Potter wondered what he would be walking into but resolved to keep to generalities and let the Malfoys bring up their business concerns. He didn't doubt they would because the Malfoys always had concerns of some kind.
Potter apparated from Andromeda's to Malfoy Manor, materializing about fifty yards distant from the iron gates in front of the house. He took his time walking to the perimeter hedge, confident the white peacocks Lucius Malfoy loved so much would be an effective herald of his arrival.
Potter drew his wand when he reached the gates. He knew there were charms at work to convey the information inside. Even so, he was surprised when, almost immediately, Scorpius Malfoy opened the front door and walked down the steps. When he reached the bottom, Scorpius broke into a run.
"Scorpius!" said Potter when he arrived.
"Lord Harry, welcome!" said Scorpius. "My mum said…"
"Come let me in?" Potter finished.
"Yes! Right this way."
There really wasn't any other way but Potter added some mental points to Scorpius' total. The greeting formalities weren't elaborate and were over quickly. Draco, meeting the party just inside the front door, brought Potter through the ground floor to the garden, where Narcissa and Astoria were sitting in iron chairs equipped with puffy cushions, tall glasses of fruit juice at the ready.
"Lord Harry," said Astoria, standing up.
"No, absolutely not," said Potter, pointing at the three of them in turn . "Astoria, Draco, Harry. Madame Malfoy."
As he finished, Potter bowed to Narcissa Malfoy. Narcissa stepped forward, extending her hand.
"My lord."
Her voice was low and husky. Potter liked the sound of it.
"Delighted," he said as he bent low, just brushing Narcissa's knuckles with his lips.
Potter came back to attention. He kept his two hands elevated before him. Narcissa let her right hand rest, clearly in no hurry at all to retrieve it. Potter sensed Astoria and Draco looking at them, not staring, just not looking away. Narcissa sent him a little smile as if, in the whole world, only the two of them were in on the joke. She took back her hand.
"Please," she said as she gestured to the available chairs.
Potter was soon sitting in a comfortable patio chair holding a tall glass of cold fruit juice. He didn't know what the protocol was for speaking first so he took a chance.
"Thanks, again, for coming to dinner," he said. "They need to see people. Wish they had more friends but I'm very careful about that."
"Don't worry about it, that will all get worked out," said Astoria, getting a nod of approval from Draco.
Astoria crooked a finger at Scorpius and whispered something in his ear. No one said anything as Scorpius returned to the house. Astoria watched him go, speaking only when the door closed.
"Thank-you for inviting us," she said. "Scorpius is quite taken by the Black witches and their mad auntie. How are you going to do this?"
Potter was surprised as well as pleased. He always preferred getting straight to business.
"I'm working my way through, a little at a time," Potter answered. "I didn't know about Delphi until a few weeks before…before Bella died. Just Ane, with the two of us, was no trouble. Boat's big enough to be safe. We found some places to be anonymous. We had our own transportation for when we felt like moving. Then she died. I can't be a single father on the boat. Too many things can go wrong with a child and no second pair of adult eyes. Ane and I were coming back anyway so I kept my promise to Bella and checked on Delphi. Once I saw Mrs. Rowle's place and sized her up, my decision was made. Made for me, I'd say. All I had to do was come up with a plan. Was she really born right here?"
Narcissa and Draco snapped upright, looking back and forth, one to another, then a glance at Potter. Astoria leaned a bit toward Draco and put her hand on his.
"Yes," said Narcissa, her tone indicating that was all she cared to say.
"Amazing. Well, I've got two Black witches for which I'm responsible. We own a house in London. They had nothing to do with any of that past nonsense and I believe I have a responsibility to keep the prejudiced and narrow-minded away from them. Between Kreacher, Number Twelve, and me, we should be able to manage security. That leaves the social, family and all the things the young have to learn to be ready for Hogwarts."
Potter stopped talking and looked around.
"Oddly enough," Draco began.
Draco Malfoy outlined his and Astoria's situation. Scorpius did not have any close family near his age. Astoria's sister hadn't married and she didn't have any cousins nearby with children. She was concerned that their son wouldn't develop social skills unless he had more opportunities to get out and see people.
Potter decided to take a chance.
"Does he know Teddy?" he asked.
Draco and Astoria looked back and forth.
"Yes. Not well," said Draco.
Potter nodded. He understood mending those fences would take time, even if Narcissa and Andromeda decided they wanted to mend them.
"Do you know anyone else?" asked Astoria.
"Neville and Hannah haven't started a family," said Potter. "Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger…they took one look at them and, ah…It didn't go well. I honestly don't know if they will be able, in the future."
Potter's answer sputtered out, a candle in a breeze.
"So," said Draco as he stood. "We thought we'd bring our meal out here so let me check on our progress."
He left Potter with Narcissa and Astoria and went inside.
"Are you getting out? Of the house, I mean," asked Narcissa.
"Oh, sure," said Potter. "I can do some simple glamour and we stick to Muggle London, unless there is something we just have to do in one of the magical districts. We're anonymous."
"They seemed very happy the other night," said Astoria.
"Thank-you," said Potter. "When I was their age, I lived with my aunt's muggle family. For my protection, allegedly."
"Oh! I heard rumors, but…that was a true story? Morgana have mercy! Did they accept the usual magical events, the kind that occur around us, when we're little?" asked Astoria.
"No, they denied the existence of magic. Still do, as far as I know," said Potter. "Not my aunt. She knew what happened to my parents, and why. She was, and is, desperate to stay out of it. As if."
"Oh, yeah," said Astoria.
Draco returned with the news that the elves had dinner ready. Everyone went inside to fill plates while the elves took care of the table setting. Potter listened more than he talked. The conversation was rich in Malfoy news bits. Scorpius was working through the standard preparatory course to get ready for Hogwarts. He had thrown off enough magical phenomena to assure his parents he was a young wizard, no doubt about it.
Potter asked what Draco and Astoria thought of the course and if they would recommend the same one for the Black witches. Astoria liked it because she had worked with an earlier edition before her own matriculation at Hogwarts. Draco was more ambivalent, having looked through the other two popular lines and noticed very few differences. Potter said he had to start somewhere so he would give Scorpius' curriculum a try.
Astoria excused herself to check on Scorpius. An elf appeared and cleared the tableware.
"A little after-dinner, Harry?" asked Draco.
"Are you?" Potter inquired.
"I could. Something not too heavy," Draco said as he looked across at Narcissa, who raised one eyebrow in answer.
Draco stood and walked to the door where he muttered something Potter couldn't understand. Shortly after Draco's return an elf appeared, bearing a tray with three pieces of stemware. The liquid in the glasses was not fire whiskey, Potter could see. It was much too light in color.
"It's an apricot wine," Narcissa explained. "An old Wiltshire traditional craft. The magical folk keep it alive."
Potter took a taste, liked it and took another. He let his eyelids descend while the bit of wine lay on his tongue. The sensations were an odd mix. The wine had a cooling effect while, at the same time, Potter could tell it was served at room temperature. Some phantom lights played on his closed eyelids. He smelled apricot blossoms and heard bees buzzing about. Potter let the liquid cross the back of his tongue and proceed on down his throat.
"Pity," said Potter. "What a mix of sensations. Is the next step vulnerability to interrogation?"
Draco and Narcissa laughed.
"Not at all," said Narcissa. "Like I said, traditional, local folk craft. Slowly disappearing."
"Well, I'll take a few kegs for the cellar if you hear that any are available," said Potter.
Something passed between the other two.
"Scorpius was about ready to turn in," said Draco as he stood. "I'll just…"
He waved toward the door. Narcissa didn't speak until it closed. She looked at Potter, who looked back.
"What was she like?" Narcissa's asked in her soft voice.
Potter took a moment to consider, then drew his wand. He took one of the napkins that the elves brought with their drinks. The napkin became a color snapshot of Bellatrix Black Lestrange with a single wave of his wand. She had short, silvery hair. While the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were appropriate for her age, the lifelong natural beauty of her face shone through. Potter thought it was enhanced by the evidence of a life lived and lessons learned.
"Absolutely beautiful," murmured Potter.
"Did you love her? You did, didn't you?" asked Narcissa.
"I've never felt anything like what I felt for her," said Potter. "I had nothing for comparison. We confessed we'd always felt some pull, of affection, even back when we were enemies. Don't ask me what I was thinking when we met in the forest, or when I testified, or when I went to fetch her. I don't know. It might as well have been immaturity, pranksterism. Then we started sailing. A couple of days after I picked her up, the sun came out. We sailed west, into the sunset, just enough swell to make it interesting. She sat beside me and we started to talk. So many things in common. People in authority making decisions for us. They told us we would understand someday. Sure."
"There were no lengthy gaps in that conversation all the years we were together. We just fit."
Potter stopped, looked down at the flagstones and shook his head.
"Yes, that sounds like the beginnings of love," said Narcissa. "Do you mind if I ask when your physical relationship began?"
Potter did mind, at first, but didn't see any reason to refuse to answer. His lover, Bella Black, now of the Jamaica Blacks, was gone from his world. Her sister spoke of her in soft, almost reverential tones. He wouldn't be disrespecting her memory.
"We had anchored a short way inland on a minor river in Maine. I don't remember the name, oddly enough. Without any helm watches to stand I guess we were left to our own devices. Afterwards, she said no one had ever done that to her in such a nice way. It wasn't—ahhh—epic? But she was very kind to me. We got better, with practice. Before long, you know?"
Narcissa started to laugh.
"That night in the woods, she told me about you, Andy and her going out there to collect plants and get loud, without parents around to be a pain. She said you all went for a dip…"
Narcissa put a hand over her mouth and turned her head to the side.
"Did she?" Narcissa said, not sounding completely pleased by that news.
"She became quite fond of sailing nude," said Potter.
"Oh, Bella!" moaned Narcissa.
"One day, when she was just starting to show with Ane, we were cruising in the Grenadines, not going anywhere in particular. It was hot. She looked around and didn't see any other boats and took everything off. She laid a towel out on deck and then she laid down, her back on the towel. I looked at her and saw Anemone Euphemia Black just making a little hump in her middle and I felt Destiny come down on me like the Apocalypse. There would be no escape. But so what? I had a boat under my hand and everything I could ever want in this life, right there on my boat. Around three years later we had to bury her at sea. I hope she is at peace. At least I know and I can tell the girls someday, no one will ever bother their mother again."
"Oh, Harry!" wailed Narcissa, laying her arm on the table and her forehead on her arm.
As her head went down on Narcissa's arm, Draco showed up at the door and came outside. Potter motioned to him, to come on over.
"Mother?"
"Mother, is everything alright?" asked Draco.
Narcissa sniffed a few times. She raised her head and looked at the little napkin, the one Potter had printed with Bella's image, smoothing it with her palm.
"Yes, Draco," said Narcissa. "If I didn't have you and Astoria and Scorpius to look after, I could die happily right now."
Draco looked at Potter.
"Wha…?" he began.
"You might want to start getting used to the idea of Uncle Harry, Draco," said Narcissa. "It sounds to me as if, by the action of Blood and Magic, he and your Aunt Bella were joined together by a bond of some power and permanence."
Potter nodded his agreement.
"That could be," he said. "It just could be."