Chapter 3 - Quidditch World Cup

"I thought we'd be beyond the herding cats stage by now," Lizzie groaned indignantly. Charlie hoisted a bag onto his shoulders and straightened a dorky looking hat on his head that she cringed at.

"You know being middle aged doesn't absolve you of horrible fashion choices. Did dad give you that?" She asked indignantly.

"He did. You know my darling, I cut you a lot of slack this early in the morning, but the hostility is uncalled for, you shouldn't be this mean before at least the age of 35 and you have a ways to go," he said, kissing her cheek.

"Come on!" She yelled up the stairs for the hundredth time at the kids. "We were supposed to be there an hour ago!"

James ran down the stairs with a snitch in his hand Lizzie had to pry free. "Jamie, honey, these cannot get lost, I mean it. Don't play with them, please, please, please," she said and set the snitch in a locked box on the bookcase.

"Annie! Teddy! You have five seconds before I start chopping off toes and fingertips!"

"Charlie! She's had some caffeine, right?" Teddy yelled down.

"That's not the point!" Lizzie shouted back up.

"That's the entire point!" Annie yelled from behind her bedroom door.

Remus appeared at the top of the stairs. "Liz, I'm gonna sit this out, not feeling up to it."

Lizzie nodded but didn't mask the disappointment. "Can you drag them out by the ears at least? We were supposed to be at the Burrow an hour ago," she pled with a convincing pout. Remus sighed and knocked on Annie's door.

"Just two seconds! I can't get this braid right," she complained. Remus opened the door and watched her abuse her uncooperative black hair into a sad excuse for a french braid.

"Ponytail, your mom is about to breathe fire, get, go, downstairs, now," he said sharply and shooed her into the hallway and down the stairs. He knocked on Teddy's door once before opening it.

"What's your excuse?" He asked curtly, but his face softened at the sight of his son. "You alright? You look pale," he said, concerned. Teddy tugged on sleeves and swallowed a breath. Full moons had made him sick since he encountered his dad years ago, but he'd never admitted to anyone how severe it was.

"Didn't sleep well last night, feeling sick to my stomach. I'm fine," he said.

"You can sit it out and hang out with me," Remus offered. Teddy gave him an incredulous look. "Stupid, I know," Remus conceded.

"Aunt Ginny and Angelina are playing," Teddy said apologetically, not wanting to hurt his dad's feelings.

"Say no more, just get going before Lizzie bites heads off, please, I'm not in the mood to dispose of bodies today," Remus said.

"She's only edgy because she's not the one playing," Teddy retorted.

"Tell her that to her face and you won't have one anymore," Remus chuckled, then gave him a hug and kiss on the head goodbye. His eyes followed his son down the stairs in thought, and his heart sank with the guilt he knew in his bones he'd eventually die from.

"Your ponytail looks stupid," Teddy said facetiously just to watch disdain wash over his god-sister's face. Annie stuck her tongue out at him when she could see he was joking. Lizzie bounced into the living room assertively and handed Annie, Teddy, and James each a bag that contained whistles and goodies from George's shop.

"The red ones are for if you're in trouble, got it? If you get lost, kidnapped, eaten... Don't waste them on celebration. We bleed Harpie blood and Harpie blood only or your aunties will disown you," she lectured.

"Encouraging," Teddy grumbled and Charlie chuckled and winked at him.

"Now set your ass on fire and I'll see you at the Burrow. If they already left, that's going to blow goats," Lizzie said and pointed to the fireplace, shooing the kids through. Something caught her eye as she waited for them all to disperse in the green floo powder flames, and she picked up a muggle addressed letter from a stack by the fireplace. The return address was for Dudley Dursley in London. Lizzie frowned and pocketed it to read later.

Once they spilled into the living room at the Burrow, Molly wasted no time brushing her grandson off as he ran off with Ron's son, Hugo. "Sorry, Mum," Charlie said, embarrassed by the tardiness.

"It's alright, we tell you an hour earlier than we really need to leave for this reason," she said, getting on her toes to kiss Carlie on the side of the face, and squeezing the kids into big hugs. "No Remus?" She asked. Lizzie shook her head as Molly leaned in for a kiss on her cheek.

"Buddy system! Teddy and Freddy, keep an eye on Hugo and Jamie. Annie, Violet, Molly, stay together," Charlie demanded as the kids dispersed. Bill was hand-in-hand with his youngest son, Vinnie. Their daughter, Violet, was already lost in conversation with Annie as George's daughter, Molly, trailed behind a couple years their junior. Hermione had her daughter, Rose, in hand, and Lizzie longed to go back to what she called the cuddle years with her kids, because even James had left her for Ron's son Hugo. They were close in age. It wasn't enough to make her want another baby, but she would absolutely dote over another niece or nephew if one of her many siblings decided they weren't done.

Charlie assumed a godfather role over Teddy by default with Lizzie, but Teddy had grown close to Bill, and they assumed it was their shared experience with werewolves. Bill and Remus were close for this reason as well. As they hiked up the path toward wherever the portkey to the tournament was buried, Teddy jogged ahead to Lizzie and Charlie.

"Liz, can I have some money?" Teddy asked.

"Already out of your allowance?" She asked. He rolled his eyes.

"You don't pay us an allowance," he retorted.

"Not true, it's just extremely inconsistent," she said defensively. He gave her pleading eyes.

"How much do you want?" She asked.

"Mmm ten galleons," he said candidly.

"Here's 20, but you have to buy me one of the Ginny plushies that flies around breathing fire, or you pay me back with interest," Lizzie said and handed him the money. He stared at her incredulously.

"You're a child," Teddy said. Charlie chuckled through closed lips.

"Turning 13 made you what? An adult?" She asked a little indignantly. They had a dynamic nobody could place. There had been drunk late night debates with the others about whether Lizzie was more of a big sister to Teddy because Remus treated them both like his children, or if Teddy saw her as a mom. Lizzie was first to insist he was her godson, not her god-brother, that she raised him alongside Annie, almost like twins despite a seven-month age difference since Annie was born early. The retort always was that she treated Annie more like a sister than a daughter too. Since her birthday fell after Christmas, she was starting Hogwarts this year while Teddy had already started last year. He was sorted into Hufflepuff, just like Tonks. He never called Lizzie 'mom,' and she didn't want him to.

Truth be told, everyone had a point, it was an interesting dynamic that might have been different if Lizzie hadn't disappeared following the war for the first year of his life. She still felt a great deal of shame for that. It wasn't a terrible outcome, she was welcomed back and didn't know how it was forgiven. Especially by Charlie who didn't meet his daughter or know she existed until she was a few months old. Lizzie remembered being terrified to go back and now couldn't place exactly why and blamed it on the trauma of the war and grief from the losses of the final battle. It was hazy.

She grew closer with Dudley during that time as he helped one of her former Sacred Heart classmates escape an abusive marriage, and raised her daughter as his own. They had another shortly after Lizzie had Annie. It was Aberforth who she stayed with at the end, he was the only one who understood and didn't insist she go back until she was ready.

Since then, they'd built a home, had another child, gotten married, and the kids in the family were getting older, most on the verge of starting Hogwarts. Annie would start this year, Violet would start next, followed by George and Angelina's twins, Freddy and Molly in the next. James and Hugo had some years to go. Rose and Vinnie even more so. Ginny had been with Neville for thirteen years, but had no interest in marriage or kids, his job at Hogwarts made it perfect for her to continue in the leagues without the guilt Angelina had of doing the same.

Lizzie saw Neville often since she started as the Transfigurations Professor a couple of years ago. Charlie headed up the quidditch program, he taught Care of Magical Creatures for the NEWT students exclusively while Hagrid taught the rest. Neville taught Herbology, easing the burden on Sprout who wanted to focus on research and NEWT students. McGonagall needed to offload her teaching course as she rolled out summer programs for students and overhauled curriculum standards. Remus taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, the curse on the position had long since broken, and between Lizzie and Charlie he was well-covered for the dreaded portion of the lunar cycle.

Lizzie was looking forward to her daughter starting school. They lived close to the school so they would be home with the kids who hadn't yet started. Hermione had gotten them all into a private muggle primary school for more comprehensive youth learning programs. It was a small school, but it kept them well occupied.

The festival erupted around them when they arrived by portkey. Charlie became a sort of hawk and paired up the group of kids, so nobody was lost. Upon pitching the tents, they gathered in the largest one for a round of butterbeer and Harpy face paint in anticipation of the game. Lizzie did Annie's and took in her daughter's features with motherly adoration. Annie had almost black hair, so did James. James looked in features otherwise just like Charlie. Annie had green eyes like Lizzie and had started to look a lot more like her mother in features as she got older. "You excited?" Lizzie asked. Annie nodded and admired the face paint in a hand mirror.

"Can I do yours?" Annie asked, grabbing the supplies.

"Go for it, babe," Lizzie said with a smirk as her daughter applied it. "Don't go overboard though, this stuff makes my face itch," she added. Annie giggled.

"You wish you joined, don't you?" She asked.

"The Harpies? Nah. If you told me when I was 17 and recruited, right before the war went into the dark ages, that I would decide not to pay professional quidditch, I would have wanted to kill future me because nothing beats flying..." Lizzie said. "But your dad would say the same. He denied playing for England over and over because dragons were his calling," she continued.

"What was your calling then?" Annie asked.

"You, sweetheart. After the war I didn't feel the same about anything or anyone, including myself. I didn't work the same. The drive for anything felt detached. I just wanted to enjoy my family, it was the first time I had one," Lizzie said.

"Well, you're going to need some paint to cover up the green jealousy nonetheless. I know you wish you were out there," Annie said.

"Had I had a remotely normal life I would be, but I'd change nothing that gave me you," Lizzie said. Annie squeezed her hand.

"Ground rules though," Annie demanded, Lizzie raised her eyebrows incredulously.

"Skeeter is here, don't get drunk. I'm starting at Hogwarts and don't want mom-gossip in the Prophet," she said. Lizzie scrunched her face a little.

"Ok, that's fair," she conceded. "Anything else?"

"Don't get into any quarrels, and wear a bra, please," Annie demanded.

"No promises," Lizzie said, belly laughing at the sentiment. She looked down at herself in a Harpies jersey Ginny and Angelina gifted her from the team. She'd filled in once for their seeker in a tournament years ago, and it took all her willpower not to take the bait and join. It said L. POTTER 8 on the back, and despite not being see through, it was obvious she wasn't wearing anything underneath. "It's not like I'm flashing anyone, Annie."

"No, but Teddy has told me what some of the boys say about you at school. You're still a..." she retorted.

"Don't finish that sentence, I know what people think, I'm a legilimens and dressing like a nun won't change that. In all fairness, McGonagall would give me detention for eternity if I showed up to teach class dressed like harlet. I ridded our world of the New Wizard Order and bloody pure evil; I think I can forfeit the medieval torture device they call a bra in exchange."

"Yeah, whatever," Annie chuckled. "What do you think?" She handed her the mirror.

"Lovely, darling, thank you," Lizzie said sarcastically and kissed her forehead. Her cheekbones had yellow lines. Annie had painted a snitch over her scar and a broom over the long cut by her temple she sustained in the Little Hangleton graveyard sixteen years ago.

Annie sat down next to her father who passed her a bag of chocolates. "Special just for you, don't share them," he said. Annie nodded and understood. She leaned into his arm and he hugged her close. "You going to try out for quidditch?" He asked. Annie smirked.

"If there's an opening," she said. He kissed the top of her head.

"Don't let anything stop you, alright?" He said quietly near her face. "Nothing should stop you." She went a little grim for a moment and so did he.

They filed into the stands and had by far the best box seats in the stadium. Lizzie spotted Skeeter eyeballing her from a couple boxes away and clenched her jaw with animosity. The kids got comfortable, and Charlie was pulling Lizzie toward their seats when a hand reached out for her shoulder. Charlie stopped and Lizzie spun to see Draco Malfoy, his wife Astoria, and his son, Orion, who was Annie's age. She hadn't seen him since his parents' criminal trials. He was absolved on testimony that sent at least a dozen death eaters falsely claiming imperious curses to prison. His son was less than a year old at the time his family was convicted.

"Azalea," he said, and smiled. Lizzie gave him a weak, polite look, but Charlie's was more intense.

"Hello, Draco. Astoria... Orion, correct?" She asked. He nodded and introduced his son.

"He's starting Hogwarts this year, but I'm sure he's in good hands with you heading up McGonagall's old position," Astoria said. Lizzie smiled weakly. She'd heard about Astoria's work on the muggle born commission and rather admired her for deconstructing much of the rhetoric that had surrounded it for years. Draco, on the other hand, she still had animosity toward.

"Well, I doubt she hands out many detentions, you'd have to be the biggest hypocrite," Draco said facetiously with a wink.

"No, nowhere near the number of detentions your father handed out as a prefect," Lizzie said back with a scathing undertone that hardened Draco's demeanor. He knew what she was referring to even though nobody else did. The sinister affair he'd coerced between them years ago wasn't forgotten by Lizzie, and if not for his obvious conflict and desire to escape his father's cult, she might have killed him for it like she had everyone else who took advantage of her. Instead, she'd saved his life and he surrendered his wand which she used to win the war. But not after threatening to run away and drag her along with him altogether. Little did she know at the time she was pregnant with Annie, and Astoria was pregnant with Orion. She wondered if her son was conceived in a vacant room at Hogwarts, since Astoria left prior to the battle and never went back for her final year when she had Orion at 17.

"I just wanted to say hello. Also, Charlie, I wanted to thank you, I think the last round of those potions is really doing wonders for Astoria's condition," Draco said appreciatively. Lizzie iced over and Charlie gave him a polite acknowledgement knowing he'd have to explain to his wife what it meant.

"Enjoy the game," Draco said, and went to find seats for his family.

"Explain, please," Lizzie said through gritted teeth.

"Not here," Charlie whispered. Lizzie felt anxious and angry that something was being kept from her, and it was at the forefront of her mind through the match.

Ginny and Angelina played immeasurably well, each scoring record numbers of points. Lizzie broke her promise to Annie and got rather drunk on whiskey to get her mind on the game and not on Charlie or Draco. There was nothing quite like watching the world cup, and Lizzie desperately wanted to be on a broom whipping around the stadium instead of in her head dwelling on what Charlie had been doing with Draco's family.

The Harpies won and it was a thrill for the family. The after party in the team tent was lively. After one whiskey too many Lizzie insisted she talk with Charlie outside.

"Not here..." he hissed, but she nearly pulled his arm from the socket how hard she pulled for him to follow her to a private area.

"Explain," she said. He stared at her for a moment and sighed.

"Astoria is a meladictus," he said. "That's why she didn't finish school, had she had a daughter instead of a son, she would be one too. She doesn't transform anymore, but she's still sick. It's still killing her," he explained.

"Where do you come into this?" Lizzie asked.

"When Draco discovered I'd partially cured the ophidians for you, he was interested in the dragons blood research. He offered to pay me for whatever I could do to tailor it to meladictus..." he said.

"Why didn't you tell me? Confer with me before you got involved with that family?" Lizzie asked.

"You weren't there, you'd disappeared off the face of the bloody earth," Charlie said a little reproachfully. Lizzie seethed for a moment.

"You've been taking money from him?" She asked indignantly.

"Initially I did, but I haven't in at least 11 years," he said. Lizzie frowned.

"Astoria is a good woman, Lizzie, I've... wanted to help. It had helped, I think it has extended her life greatly. This isn't for Draco, this is for her and their son, so he doesn't lose his mother..."

"You saw Teddy in him," Lizzie said.

"I saw an innocent kid who shouldn't lose his mother. I know his father is awful," he hissed back.

"Draco is a master manipulator and will cause trouble if he doesn't get his way, if this goes south, if she dies, he's a threat to us," Lizzie retorted.

"No, I don't agree with you," Charlie said.

"You don't agree with me? You don't know him like I do," Lizzie growled.

"I know he raped you, held Sirius's freedom over your head and took advantage of you after Cedric died. I know he's awful," Charlie hissed back. Lizzie scowled at him.

"And you still helped him?!" She roared. "Who told you, Hermione?" She asked.

"He told me!" Charlie roared back. "As much as I wanted to stick a dagger in his neck, I didn't because he also told me he did what he could to get you out of the Manor, that you saved his life in the battle, and despite it all you still wanted to help him. You killed everyone who hurt you the way he did, I don't believe for a minute you spared him without a shred of compassion for his position in that war," he added disdainfully.

"I don't want to help him, I'm more concerned about that poor girl he married. So, forgive me for trying to do right by her. She's done a lot of good. If you're too blinded by hatred for Draco to see that..." he said. Lizzie tried to slap him, but he caught her hand by the wrist.

"Don't you dare," he breathed, his eyes were mean, and his grip hurt.

"You should have told me," she hissed. Her eyes were swimming and she stormed off. Charlie gritted his teeth so hard a blood vessel might have popped.

Ginny caught up with her with a fresh bottle of whiskey. "No, Gin, I can't go back to the kids anymore wasted than this... you were incredible, I could cry," Lizzie said.

"You are crying, the bloody hell is the matter, Lizzie? I know it's not the win, we all knew we'd slaughter them," Ginny asked, concerned.

"I can't get into it. Charlie's been lying to me about something with Draco. I just need to sleep it off and reevaluate when I'm not fuming..." she said.

Neville came out of the tent and exchanged Ginny the bottle for some leaf he was holding. "So, you won't get hung over, it's a Tricampilon leaf, emits anti-histamines, stops inflammation..." he explained. Ginny choked on a laugh and told him to shove it somewhere inappropriate. He pulled her in for a hug and kissed her before pulling Lizzie in for a hug all the same.

"You take it then, Lizzie, please tell me someone cut you off," Neville said. Lizzie obliged.

"I'm going to head back," Lizzie said.

Lizzie spent the rest of the evening catching up with Ron and Hermione about work. Ron was about to be promoted to heading the auror department and Hermione was working alongside Kingsley on reform policies. When Charlie stumbled in with Bill, the lingering resentment filled the air and he turned in for bed without a word. Lizzie followed him.

"I'm not going to sleep mad at you, but for the love of God, how could you help someone who admitted that to you without telling me?" She asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, really I am," he said apologetically.

"That's, fine, but it doesn't answer why," she said.

"I told you I wanted to help and didn't want your animosity to get in the way of that," he responded. He wouldn't look at her which was telling. He was good at closing off his mind to her, but it was wavering now. Lizzie exhaled feeling slighted. He tried to kiss her, and she turned away. She could feel his frustration and left the tent.

About an hour passed and she hadn't returned. Lizzie wandered, hoping to run into a friendly distraction but ended up alone in the surrounding forest of trees processing a mixture of anger and trepidation involving the Malfoy family that hadn't surfaced in years. She heard a tree branch snap behind her and turned abruptly with her wand lit to see what was lurking. At the edge of trees, she made out the shape of Draco and headed toward him. His hands were lifted in a weak gesture of surrender.

"I'm not stalking, I saw you roam this way and..." he said defensively.

"Why did you seek out my husband's help?" She asked curtly.

"He... cured you," Draco said.

"No, he didn't, he killed a parasite with a mixture of dragons blood and a poison, it didn't cure me of the blood curse, killing Voldemort did that," Lizzie said.

"It was in the realm of what I needed for Astoria," Draco retorted.

"What happened to her?" Lizzie asked.

"Her father initially refused to join the death eaters. The dark lord gave him an ultimatum, he would either kill him and imprison his daughters since he would never waste magical blood that could breed or let him live and curse one of his daughters. He didn't get to pick which. The curse was similar to what he did to you, except it was meladictus blood, not ophidian. She wasn't bound to anyone; it would just eventually kill her. If he won the war, he swore to cure her, enticing her father to join the forces. Only... he didn't win, did he?" Draco explained.

"You were still trying to convince me to run away and flee with you during the battle, knowing Astoria was pregnant?" Lizzie asked.

"I didn't know she was pregnant; I had been confined at the Manor for weeks after your escape. Besides, I doubt you slept with your husband in the condition you were in that night, so you didn't know you were expecting either," he retorted.

"Neither of you should have had children with those blood curses, I was lucky that Orion was born a boy, but he's lived in fear of losing his mother his entire life," Draco added contemptuously.

"What are you implying about Annie, she's fine," Lizzie hissed back. It was too dark to see the grim look he gave her. Lizzie couldn't read him either, he was long a master occlumens.

"Yeah, thank God for that," he said quietly with an underbelly of concern.

"You told Charlie about what you did," Lizzie said.

"I've never apologized for that," he said.

"No, you haven't," she said, not sure what to anticipate. He stared for a long moment at her.

"And I'm not going to," he said darkly. Lizzie's blood boiled and she reached for her wand in her pocket, but he grabbed her arm hard.

"That doesn't mean I think you deserved it," he said close to her ear and kissed her forehead the way he had in the storage closet fifteen years ago. Her skin crawled and he left. Lizzie felt a strange sensation and impulsive urge to disapparate suddenly that she couldn't control. When she opened her eyes, Charlie was standing in front of her and they were near the tent.

"You didn't..." she growled, realizing he'd used what she called husband privileges to summon her like a house elf. He grabbed her arm as she tried to leave.

"I was worried, just stay, damn it," he said. When she begrudgingly entered the tent, Annie watched them argue in sharp whispers from her bunk before her father turned in for bed, very much upset with each other.

Lizzie sat by the low burning fire and pulled something out of her jumper. She opened the envelope with Dudley's London return address and pulled out the contents.

Dear Lizzie,

Writing to confer with you and ask for a visit. You're free to come any time. My daughter, Alyssa, received a letter to inviting her to your school and Jenny and I would really like to talk to you more about it, among some other things.

Warmest regards,

Dudley

Lizzie took a deep breath to process the information. She'd been on good terms with her cousin for many years, despite keeping her distance because he reminded her more and more of his father as he got older. He'd surprised her, much like Draco had surprised her, in doing the right thing by Janine, or better Jenny, and her daughter. Dudley wasn't legally married because Janine was too afraid to initiate divorce against her Cyprian husband, Dennis Landry, and lose custody of her daughter, Ivy. They would also likely be punished criminally for in all respects kidnapping her from her father, despite how awful he was.

They had their daughter, Alyssa, not long after Annie was born. Alyssa and Lizzie in fact shared a birthday. She'd never observed magical tendencies over the years, but really only saw them on Christmas and stopped by for a birthday dinner every year on whatever closest weekend the day fell on. His girls got along well with Annie. Lizzie knew Dudley still had trepidation toward her, they didn't get along perfectly well, but they set aside a lot of history to do right by Jenny and the girls.

Lizzie sunk back and started to forgive Charlie in his intentions, but not for the secrecy. If it was about helping Astoria and Orion, it would be the most nobel to set aside differences with Draco for the same reason.