It was a quiet evening in the Tonks' little country house. Andromeda and Ted Tonks, having fled the country during the Blood War led by you-know-who, had been back for a few years now. Thanks to Ted's thriving law practice, handling legal matters with a foot in both the magical and muggle worlds, and Andromeda's work, formerly a renowned healer, and now a potions master. The couple had amassed a small fortune. A significant part of it had been invested in the purchase of a small country house to the north west of London.
The neighbourhood was peaceful, with only a few houses occupied by wizarding families in the vicinity. The house was made of stone, and stood on top of a small hill. Behind it was a small forest, and in front of it lay fields and hedgerows. Andromeda had convinced Ted to buy this house for its tranquillity. She had grown tired of the noise and hustle and bustle of the cities and wanted to get away from the political scene in Greater Britain. The Blacks in general had a terrible reputation after the last Dark Lord, and as a result Andromeda found herself both rejected by her family for marrying a muggleborn, but also enduring the suspicion of society at large because of her maiden name.
She had even decided to stop working as a healer because of the overwhelming and stifling prejudices of some of her colleagues. She was quite happy to have made this choice. Now she was only taking on a few patients through friends and acquaintances, and had used all this new free time to pursue her old passion for potions. She grew half of the ingredients she needed on a regular basis in her garden and supplied St. Mungo's and a few other magical hospitals with various potions. Sometimes basic, sometimes rarer, more difficult and expensive to concoct depending on her orders.
Working at home had many advantages that Andromeda would not give up for anything. In addition to having the time to dedicate herself to her research and a few hobbies, she had the privilege of spending a lot of time with her daughter, Nymphadora. Which was not a bad thing, as the young shapeshifter needed a lot of attention. Her bubbly, cheerful and trouble-making personality could be really exhausting at times. Furthermore, although Nymphadora would never admit it, she was a real mummy's girl and despite the fact that she would be starting her second year at Hogwart's next September, she could be a real koala bear.
She could never thank Cassiopea enough for informing and helping her through the difficulties and dangers of having a metamorphagus daughter. Without her, the chauvinistic specialist in special magical conditions in Britain might have killed her daughter. Before Cassiopea's intervention, one of them had recommended that Andromeda give her daughter regular stability draught, to keep transformation to a minimum and help her form a "basic appearance". As if the very concept of a basic appearance existed among the metamorphagus... idiocy! She had been deeply shocked when Cassiopea had stepped in and explained that limiting a metamorphagus' transformations during childhood was a recipe for them not mastering their power during adolescence and ending up accidentally killing themselves in a poorly controlled transformation. Furthermore, the very concept of basic appearance in a metamorphagus was a complete nonsense and a sign of an aberrant misunderstanding of the metamorphagus condition. They have no physical age, no defined sex, no defined appearance. They are what they want when they want. Andromeda had discovered that among scholars in Britain, especially those aligned with the current philosophy of the 'light' side, the concept of no defined gender or appearance was seen as a 'disease'... utter idiocy.
Cassiopea had even agreed to delay her change of identity for the time being, as metamorphagus tend to do when they have been in one place for too long and everyone they care about has died, to help her raise Nymphadora. Andromeda didn't know if she would ever be able to thank Cassiopea enough for her help.
As for him, Ted, on weekdays he went to his lawyer's office to attend to his various cases. At the moment his latest activity was helping the Roberts, a middle class wizarding family to sort out the legalities of adopting a muggleborn and making him an identity in the magical and muggle world. The fact that he had less time at home had the unfortunate consequence that Nymphadora tended to stick to him when he came home.
Last year, to everyone's surprise, Nymphadora had been sorted into Hufflepuffs. Andromeda had put her money on Slytherin, seeing how mischievous little Nym could be she was sure she was right. Ted had bet on Ravenclaw and Cassiopea, Griffindor. All had been wrong. Only Emily Fernsby, Nymphadora's childhood friend, had been right. Nymphadora had been heartbroken to learn that Emily would not be going to Hogwart's but to 'Boggart Hole Clough Academy' in Manchester. Throughout the school year they had maintained a close correspondence.
This year had been particularly nerve-wracking for Andromeda. Several times, Nymphadora had found herself in serious medical conditions, and once she had to be hospitalised at St Mungo's. All the simple little hallway jinxes based on transfiguration could have terrible consequences for a metamorphagus. After all, any transfiguration brought to a metamorphagus was permanent, until the metamorphagus managed to regain a normal form. For this reason she had been reluctant to send Nymphadora to magic school, and wanted to offer her an education by private teachers, but Nymphadora had insisted heavily. This summer, she was taking intense dueling lessons to limit her exposure to the risk of the casual pranks that the other students were playing on each other.
Tonight was a quiet night. Nymphadora was having a sleepover at Emily's with some friends and Cassiopea was on a trip to Spain to attend the Dueling competition there this summer. Andromeda and Ted were home alone that night, together, on the living room couch. A warm room with a warm wooden floor and many rugs. A large fireplace stood against a wall in the corner of the room, with a floo-powder jar and a vase of dried plants on top. A table was available in the room, and various sofas and armchairs around the hearth created a cosy, family-friendly corner in which to relax in the late evening. A large bookcase was leaning against a wall at the other end of the room, Andromeda had already read all the books, and planned to buy more soon.
The sun was low on the horizon, it would soon be ten o'clock in the evening. The rain that had fallen on the house earlier in the evening had stopped, leaving behind only clear, clean air, washed of all dust, and a few ragged clouds high in the sky, Bathed in the orange light of the evening. Andromeda loved the smell of damp earth after the rain, when the plants catch their breath and the earth releases its freshness. The crystal clear air and the beautiful amber light she could see through the window made her want to go out and take an evening walk in the countryside around the house. However, Ted had had a particularly long day and was exhausted. Andromeda didn't want to leave her husband alone this evening, so she decided to sit next to him under the warm orange candlelight in the living room.
He was telling his story of the day. Apparently, the orphanage and the Muggle authorities made adoption difficult, and required more documents and accreditations than expected, which the Roberts, being a pureblood family with little connection to the Muggles, did not have.
Ted finished his long tirade and sighed, "Anyway, this case is much more complicated than I expected. Muggle England has been tightening its adoption laws in recent years, and for purebloods with no real mundane identity, it's getting more and more difficult."
"While I think about it. Is it unusual to have a pureblood family adopt a muggleborn? I mean... you know the type purebloods I've known." Andromeda said thoughtfully.
Ted shrugged. "The problem with blood, with purity and all that, if it seems to be so widespread, it's because of the blood nobility, who by their wealth and power have the loudest voice and the legislative power. The majority of the pureblood population are not distant nobles in large powerful families. And unless they are trying to imitate the nobility, the blood problem is not really an issue. The only real problem that middle-class purebloods have with the muggleborn is not a blood problem, but a cultural problem. As the muggle population has grown exponentially since the turn of the century, there are more and more muggleborn. What the middle-class purebloods fear is that the old traditions will be diluted and lost. The ministries are not helping, as instead of making laws to help the introduction of muggleborn into the magical world and revising school curricula to teach the traditions, they have split into two poles. The old pureblood nobility passing segregationist laws against muggleborns and half-bloods, and the light camp fighting back by trying to speed up and ease the integration of muggleborns by spitting on the old magical culture. All in an escalation of animosity. And we saw what happened when the Blood War broke out. And its resolution did nothing to ease the underlying tenions.
Ted blushed as he realised the long exasperated rant he had just let out against the pathetic government of magical Britain. "Sorry, darling, I got carried away. It's just so frustrating. I feel like they're doing everything they can to cultivate a new war..."
Andromeda smiled, amused. "It's okay, I understand."
"By the way, how was your day?" Ted asked in an effort to change the subject to more comfortable territory.
"Nothing more than usual. Nym's been sticking to me all day again. She's a real clingy one, that girl. I sent a batch of squelegro to Marine's Hospital, chased a group of Pixie's that had settled in the garden... other than that, nothing notable."
Ted laughed lightly. "As long as the little demon didn't break anything, I think we can call this day a victory."
Andromeda grimaced." The flowerpot in the upstairs bathroom window. The geraniums didn't make it. I don't know how she managed to knock them over. Luckily no tiles were broken."
"I shouldn't have spoken so soon." Ted said with a long sigh. "It's a miracle there's still a vase in this house with that girl around."
After that the conversation fell into a comfortable silence. Andromeda returned to her reading of "The European herald of research in potion science" The only journal of potion research worth reading allowed in Britain. Andromeda turned the page, having read an interesting article on the use of Tormentine root in a space stabilising potion. It could, according to the research paper, make learning apparition much easier and without the risk of splinching, with the possibility of being able to apparate over much longer distances with much less magic. Interesting, but Andromeda was more interested in the research of medicinal potions.
Andromeda raised an eyebrow. It was an article on an advanced research theory about the possible improvement of dreamless sleep. According to it, it would be possible to greatly reduce or even eliminate the addictive aspect of the potion by reducing the amount of moonstone, replacing the black poppy seeds with chamomile root extract, and other minor adjustments. In theory, it could work. The article called for peer review. Andromeda smiled, she would be happy to test the theory, make her own adjustments and publish a reply whatever the result. She looked down at the end of the article. 'Master Snape in Independent Study' was the author. Andromeda was surprised, she didn't know Severus Snape published in the Herald. How the Hogwart's potions master managed to handle his multiple duties and research work would remain a mystery. And from what Nym said about him, the overwork was taking its toll on his health.
Professor Snape was a problem at Hogwart's. His favouritism for his Slytherins was understandable. In this climate of hostility that the house suffered because of its strong bond with the last dark lord, someone had to be partial to them. However, Andromeda did not agree with Professor Snape's teaching method. His method ignored the basics and pushed talented students to the top. This was reinforced by the fact that he only accepted into his NEWT classes those students who had an O on their potion OWL. The results were there. Under his tutelage, Hogwart had produced some extremely competent and rigorous potions masters in recent years. Andromeda could see that this method worked in some ways, but it had the drawback of losing any students who did not have the talent or interest to practice the art at a high level. As a result, Hogwart's was producing some extremely competent young mages of a very high standard, but the majority were leaving Hogwart's with insufficient understanding of potions for their everyday lives or access to many professions requiring a minimum level of potion skill...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the entrance bell ringing. Andromeda frowned. She wasn't expecting anyone at this hour and neighbours weren't used to visiting unannounced, let alone at such an ungodly hour. She turned a questioning look towards Ted. Maybe he was expecting someone and had forgotten to tell her, even if it seemed terribly out of character for her usually serious and protocol-conscious husband. Unsurprisingly, he nodded, looking just as surprised as she was.
At the second bell, before Ted could react, she put a bookmark in the Herald and stood up, grumbling. "I'll see who it is." She said as she walked down the hallway to the front door.
She heard Ted's voice behind her. "Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, I'll be fine. I'll call you if I have to."
Andromeda went into the hall, and looked out onto the landing through the porthole, the lens had been enchanted to see through the illusions. Old habits learned during the war had never really gone away, and Andromeda believed that one could never be too careful. Through the small lens, she could make out the face of Xenophilius Lovegood. A friend hiring out her services as a healer to take care of her daughter. For as long as she had known him, despite the man's strange tendencies, she now considered him more of a friend than a client. Xeno's features were tense, dark circles surrounded his eyes and he looked exhausted. He was holding something in his arms, but through the lens of the porthole, Andromeda couldn't see very well. Little Luna was right next to him, a little behind. She looked terrified, exhausted, and worried in equal measure. Andromeda's quick analytical eye took less than a second to make its observations. Something was wrong. Something was seriously wrong.
Without further ado, she opened the door.
"Xeno, Luna, to what do I owe your vis..." The words died in her throat at the sight of what Xeno was holding carefully in his arms. A child, she would not give her ten years. Her beautiful face seemed to be asleep, her long, jet-black hair framed her face, and a few strands of it fell over her brow and cheeks. She wore a simple black dress, the length of which looked as if it had been adjusted by hand, chisel or knife, if the torn edges were any indication. What froze her completely were the large black, or very dark blue, wings folded behind her back, her forearms covered and her legs feathered, and the grey scaled talons ending her legs. She was roused from her shock by Xeno's tired voice.
"Good evening Andy. Sorry to drop in like this unannounced. The little lady needs urgent care. Please."
Indeed, she immediately noticed that the poor girl was trembling, that she was more than a little pale, and that her breathing seemed difficult. Her blood seemed to run cold in her veins as she went into professional mode. Xeno would have to explain, but for now she had a young girl to care for, or save, depending on the severity of her condition. She couldn't just leave her to die, plus no Ministry of Magic Britain hospital would accept a being, or 'creature', according to the Ministry, without discussion.
"Come in, Xeno, Luna. Follow me to the guest room."
Xeno nodded, and without further discussion followed her to the room. Ted, curious, stood and watched the little group in the hall from the doorway of the living room. Without looking at him, Andromeda said. "Later, Ted. A medical emergency." Andromeda realised she apparently didn't need to say that to stop an overly curious Ted from getting in their way when he froze, his mouth half open, whatever he was about to say stuck in his throat as he stared at the young girl Xeno was holding in his arms.
She opened the door to the guest room, and let Xeno through. As he laid the girl on the bed, she addressed little Luna, who apparently had no intention of leaving her young patient alone. "Luna, please wait with Ted in the living room. Your daddy will join you soon. I'll take care of the young lady."
Luna frowned as if she were about to ask to stay, but immediately changed her mind. Her lips thin and tight, the fear and worry evident on her face, she nodded before wisely making her way to the living room.
Andromeda entered the guest room, and before doing anything, she turned to Xeno. She needed some basic information before she could do anything.
"Xeno, what species?"
"Veela."
She turned her gaze to the child for a moment. Yes, she had the characteristic angelic features of the Veela, as well as the wings, but from what little she knew of the species, they had no other avian characteristics than the wings in their untransformed state.
She frowned. "A Veela? Are you sure."
" Definitely, I've seen her transformation. One of an unusual race, but a Veela nonetheless." He replied gravely.
A transformation? So young? Among beings capable of transformation, it only appeared in teenagers and was often seen as a marker of coming of age. The amount of magic required... The damage it could do to the network of magical veins... Wizards bitten by a werewolf too young often didn't survive their first transformation. This was not a good sign.
"How old?"
"Nine in a few days."
"Very, well. Go join Luna in the living room. I'll stabilize her. You owe me an explanation, Xenophilius Lovegood."
"Well, sure. Courage, Andy. Any opinion on her condition so I can reassure Luna?"
"At first glance, acute exhaustion, and an overload of her magical vein network. She should be fine with the proper care."
Xeno left the room, leaving Andromeda alone with her young patient. She couldn't use analysis charms on her for fear of completely depleting the young Veela's magical reserves and causing her death. A supply of neutral magic was urgently needed, and from her appearance it was obvious that the child had not had an easy life so far. She would also need to identify and begin treatment for any underlying medical problems the child might have.
oOOOo
Two hours later, Andromeda slowly closed the door of the guest room behind her. Her gaze was hard. She needed answers now more than ever. With a determined step, she entered the living room. A heavy silence hung over the room. Ted was sitting in an armchair reading, but she could see from his face that he was not serene. Xeno and little Luna were sitting next to each other on a sofa near the fireplace. Xeno's face was tense and he was running his hand through his daughter's hair and whispering something in her ear. Luna had her face buried against Xeno's chest. Her hands were clutching his shirt with enough force to turn her knuckles white. As she entered, everyone turned their heads towards her.
"Well?" Xeno asked in a worried voice.
"She will live. If she follows her treatment, she won't have any after-effects.
"Good." Xeno replied, shaking his head in relief.
Andromeda turned to Luna. "Luna, me, your daddy and Ted need to have an adult conversation. Can you move to the second guest room upstairs please?"
Luna looked her straight in the eye, a determination she hadn't expected to see in such an innocent looking little girl. "Can I go see Myo?"
"Is that what she's called?"
"Yes."
"She needs to rest, I'm not sure that..."
"I'll be careful. Please, Andy." She asked with wide, pleading eyes.
"Okay, fine. But don't wake her up, and don't rush her. Okay?"
"Yes Andy." Luna said before heading without further ado to the room where the young Veela was.
Once the door to the living room was closed, and the sound of Luna's footsteps could no longer be heard, Andromeda sat down in the armchair opposite Xeno and next to Ted. Xeno looked mostly exhausted, but neither guilty nor repentant of anything. Andromeda let out a long, painful sigh. Ted held his tongue, he wouldn't dare say anything that would upset his wife in such a tense situation.
"Xenophilius Lovegood. It's time to explain. Tell us everything, in order, and without omitting anything."
It was Xeno's turn to sigh. He ran his hands over his tired face before beginning a long story.
oOOOo
"... knowing her to be in danger, and as you are one of Myosotis Potter's close cousins, a professional carer, and far from the most racist circles of the dark side, as well as the light side, I decided to apparate at your door. You know the rest."
"So to sum up. My cousin, Myosotis Potter, who I thought was safe in Dumbledore's care, had been living with a muggle family so abusive that she didn't consider them human. She then flew from who knows where to the north of Scotland. She settled in a abandoned tower, and for the past year has lived off hunting, fishing, gathering and plundering. Your daughter befriended her, and tonight she saved your life when you were caught in the storm and took you to the tower she has taken over.
"That's right."
"Thank you, Xeno, for bringing the poor thing here directly."
"It was the right thing to do."
Ted, who had been silent until now, seemed to finaly find his tongue, and asked. "Andy, what about her health. The muggle..." he preferred not to finish his sentence.
Andromeda nodded. "There were signs of severe abuse. Scars on her back, badly healed broken bones, and traces of severe nutritional deficiencies. The scars were already well on their way to disappearing thanks to her Veela metabolism. The deficiencies are also in the past. She must have done extremely well on her own in terms of food for her problems to be on the mend so well. Ideally, she would need to take a regular nutritional potion to reach her optimum health. As for the bones, it was more serious. I had to act directly. By tomorrow her bones will have grown back in much better condition. She will remain small all her life though. Deprivation at a young age tends to have a lasting effect."
Xeno looked outraged at Andromeda's revelation, but mostly relieved that Myo would be fine without too much damage. A moment of silence stretched between the group. Everyone was deep in thought.
Ted cleared his throat. "If not, are we going to talk about the fact that Myosotis Potter, The Girl Who Lived, is a Veela. And what's more, a race of Veela even less human-looking than the one known to the Great Bretons? A 'creature' according to the Ministry. A being with whom only families, grey, dark non-extremist and light non-extremist will have no problems with?"
"That's right." Said Andromeda. "However. Everyone here is exhausted, especially you Xeno. It's best to talk about this later with a clear head. Xeno, you know the second guest room. Good night" She got up, followed closely by Ted, and headed for her room, at the moment the idea of her bed seemed like the most attractive thing in the world.
oOOOo
The mattress was comfortable, the blanket was warm and soft. She ached everywhere. A nagging pain in all her limbs. Like a burn but all inside her body. Her wings were sore, her arms and legs were sore, her head was sore. She felt something warm against her. Something that she seemed to instinctively clutch in her arms and wrap her wings around.
Wait a minute. A mattress? Myo never slept on a mattress! What had happened? Myo grunted softly, trying to remember what had really happened to her before she started to panic stupidly. The storm, her strange sense of dread. Her flames had seemed both worried and enraged. The sky and the ocean angry. The last thing she remembered was seeing Luna's small form in the distance with her father in a tiny boat near a burning ship. Then her vision had turned entirely blue with flame, and nothing... She felt her heart quicken. What had happened to her then? Had she managed to save Luna? She slowly opened her eyes, her eyelids were heavy, she didn't even have the energy to panic or scream or run away. Luna, what had happened to her? The light hurt her eyes, everything was blurry. She blinked several times, trying to get used to the light.
When her vision was more or less clear she turned her gaze to the warm shape she felt on her chest. She saw a mass of blond, slightly silver hair she knew well. A wave of relief ran through her. Luna was safe, apparently curled up against her. Myo had never really cuddled before. Physical contact had always scared her. But now? She had never realised that it could feel so good. She tightened her arms around Luna and closed her wings around her, covering her completely with her feathers. At that moment, the thought of letting go of Luna, of seeing her go again, was inconceivable to her. In this moment, Luna was hers. Hers to comfort, hers to protect. She didn't even dare to think what she would have done if Luna had been swept into the abyss of the sea. She lay motionless in the bed (since when did she have a bed?). She never slept on a mattress... not important. Luna was there). She almost hummed with contentment knowing her friend was safe against her, covered by her wings.
After she couldn't tell how long, she felt Luna shift against her. The younger girl slowly opened her eyes and turned her head towards Myo. Immediately her eyes moistened and she buried her face in Myo's neck, crying softly. Myo felt Luna's arms around her, holding her tighter than she thought Luna could.
"Luna? What's wrong?" Myo asked in a worried voice.
"I was... so scared, Dady and I were going to drown. But you came and saved us both. I was so relieved. But when you took us to your tower, your flames disappeared, and you fell unconscious. I was so worried. I, I thought you were going to die!" replied Luna between sobs.
"I'm here, everything's fine, I just hurt a little and feel exhausted. I'm fine. I'm glad I could save you and your father." Myo reassured her, stroking her hair. She never realized that Luna's hair was so soft... it could become a habit...
Luna slowly stopped crying, the silence only interrupted by a few sniffles. Myo let her hands play with and smooth Luna's hair, stroking her head. "Thank you," Luna finally said almost inaudibly.
"I came because I wanted to. I was worried about you being at sea in such a storm. I couldn't not come." After that they both fell back into a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's reassuring touch.
After a long and surprisingly pleasant time. (Luna had often preached to her about the joys of cuddling, but Myo, having only had experience with the Dursley pack, couldn't imagine that any kind of physical contact could be enjoyable. But now... She regretted not accepting Luna's many more or less subtle offers of a hug earlier). Myo said. "Where are we?"
"At Aunt Andy's. She's a friend of my dad's. She's a healer. She's the one who looked after you yesterday."
Myo growled. Only Luna was allowed to see her... But now wanting to stay hidden seemed stupid, especially if she had already been seen. "I see... She... She doesn't have anything against bird things? right?"
"No," Luna replied confidently. Yes, Myo conceded, her question had been stupid. Why would someone who didn't like bird things care for one. Tended... had she needed tending? If Luna told her she was safe here, she could trust her. She relaxed a little more. Luna trusted these people, they wouldn't hurt her.
Myo sighed, "Was I that bad?"
"Yes, Andy took you straight here for treatment when you arrived. She looked very worried."
"That explains why I hurt all over like this..."
"Myo?"
"Yes?"
"You're not a bird thing."
"What do you mean?"
"When Dady saw you change back..."
"I transformed?"
"Yes. Into a very large firebird. Like a giant raven. That's how you saved us."
"I knew my flames were weird, but not that weird... So. What am I if I'm not a bird thing."
"Dady said you were a Veela."
"A Veela?"
"Yes, Dady said it's the only species of humanoid being with bird-like characteristics that can transform. He had his doubts before because he thought the Veela just had wings and not the rest, but after seeing your transformation and your flames he's sure."
"Thank you Luna. Veela is a nicer name than 'bird thing'." Myo let the silence stretch for a few seconds before asking. "Luna, how are you?
"Fine." she replied without looking at Myo.
"I mean. How are you seriously feeling? I've already seen a storm or two since I moved into the tower and they're terrifying."
Luna mumbled something, but far too faintly for Myo to hear.
"Excuse me?"
"...Never again...Never ever again will I get on a boat. I want to stay with you. Can I?"
"Always," Myo replied, hugging the younger girl a little tighter between her arms and wings.
oOOOo
It was 10am and Andromeda had just finished breakfast. Ted and Xeno were already waiting for her in the living room to finish their discussion that they had chosen to put aside the day before so they could talk about it with a clear and rested mind. Before joining them, she had one last thing to do, check that Myosotis was all right and that her condition had improved as hoped.
Not wanting to wake her in case the young Veela was still asleep, with a wand movement and a whispered incantation, she cast a silencing spell on the door. She then opened it and poked her head inside.
A smile spread across her face. The room was quiet, in the bed she could see Myosotis lying with her wings unfolded from underneath her, enveloping the sleeping form of Luna. She had noticed that Luna had a strong bond with Myosotis, but she hadn't realised it was that strong. Without a sound, she walked over to the bed and cast a light diagnostic spell on her vitals, then a second spell focusing on her magic. All was well. The young Veela was stronger than Andromeda had thought. Her network of magical veins was well on its way to being restored and Myo was no longer at risk. She would need a few weeks of rest, but that was nothing, as her condition could have deteriorated much worse.
Without a word and in silence she left the room, leaving the two children to rest in peace. She sighed and started walking towards the living room, the discussion the adults of the house were going to have this morning would not be pleasant. Besides, she couldn't drag this out if she wanted to be done with it before her devil of a daughter got home.
She entered the living room to find Ted drinking coffee and Xeno drinking a cup of what was probably spicy red tea. She sat down without hesitation in her appointed chair and grabbed her cup of coffee waiting for her, steaming on the coffee table, she could use it.
"Honey, Xeno. I hope you slept well.
"Very well, my sweet."
"Yes, thank you, Andromeda. I hope you did too."
"Yes, last night exhausted me. Well, no need to beat about the bush. What is the most pressing matter we need to discuss?"
"Myosotis' health." Xeno immediately said with a serious air unusual in a man who was usually so gentle. "She's a Veela, and none of us know much about the species beyond the basics and the Ministry's stupid propaganda. Ideally, we should be able to get a Veela healer to take a look at Myosotis. That will also let us know if there are any special precautions to take for the well-being of a young Veela."
"A good point Xeno, but I have no idea how to reach a Veela. I know there are some in France... but that's it. And we have to be discreet, if in addition to being the reason for their lord's death, the Death Eaters discover that The Girl Who Lived is also a Veela, they'll go on a rampage to avenge their lord for the shame of being slain by a creature," Andromeda replied thoughtfully.
Ted's voice interrupted their thoughts. "Beaubaton."
"What? What does that have to do with anything?"
"It's not a well-known fact, but I seem to have read somewhere that the Beaubaton High School and University Academy of Magical Research has a habit of having a sizeable number of Veelas among their students. A former client told me about this. I think it was part of a cultural exchange with a hidden Eastern European nation and a large French Veela enclave or something. I can't remember the details, it was a long time ago. I think we can send a letter to the administrative department at Beaubaton and hope to be redirected to Veela healers."
"Brilliant idea, honey. We'll just have to be discreet and find an alias for Myosotis. I can't think of anything better to do with the information we have. Does anyone have any objections?"
Ted and Xeno shook their heads, clearly satisfied with this solution.
Ted says "There is also the fact that Dumbledore has obviously been lying to us about his arrangements for Myosotis. I remember there was an article in the Prophet about Dumbledore saying that he would personally look after Myosotis Potter."
Xeno, nodded and said. "I don't understand what happened. From what I gathered Myosotis ended up with a muggle family. How could Dumbledore have put her with muggles knowing that she is a Veela. Beings like her simply cannot live in the muggle world. They are walking status breaches."
Andromeda sighed." The only explanation is that Dumbledore didn't know at the time that Myosotis was a Veela."
"How is that possible?" Xeno asked. "I know that beings like them are like that by birth. It should have been obvious."
"I have a pretty good idea how that happened," sighed Andromeda. "I can't be sure, but it's the only theory that makes sense to me right now. Put yourself in Lily Potter's shoes. You've just given birth to your beloved daughter. She has wings and claws and you don't know why or how. Lily was muggle born after all. But you know your husband's political leanings. You know that the extremist light side sees all non-human magical things as aberrations of nature. You don't know how your husband will react. You are afraid and lost. An obliviate on the midwife, a glamour spell on your little girl that you want to protect, and there goes your husband. From what I remember, Lily was excellent at potions. Surely it didn't take her long to find a potion that could conceal her daughter's appearance temporarily."
"That unfortunately makes sense." Ted said with a deeply saddened look on his face. "But how could Dumbledore not see through the spell or the potion?"
"The same carelessness or twisted purpose that would have caused him to put a young witch in a muggle family. Here she is, completely ignorant of the wizarding world and her future importance in the government." Xeno said darkly. Andromeda was very uncomfortable. Seeing Xeno so gloomy and serious was unnatural. However, she ignored this feeling and answered.
"That's just it, Xeno, I'm afraid that won't be a problem. I think it's time to address the elephant in the room. What can we do about the fact that The Girl Who Lived, happens to be a Veela? The current ministry's agenda is anti-creature. The Loucissian party of Dumbledore will be outraged and feel betrayed. The Parse-Umbrae party, close to Voldemort's ideology, will try anything to get rid of her or bring her down in disgrace. It's hard to say for the Lux-Mane, Ars Medula and Des-Publica parties. In any case, the fact that Myosotis is a creature will create a huge outrage in the Wizengamot. I anticipate that they will arrange for her to at least lose her title of nobility."
Ted looked outraged. "You seriously think so?"
Xeno looked resigned. " No way would they let a creature lord over a noble house. They would feel demeaned to the same level as a Veela."
" I understand, and i don't think there's anything we can do about that. Dumbledore will realise the truth sooner or later, and people will know," said Ted, saddened.
"All we can do is support Myosotis when the time comes, and plan an escape route to a more tolerant country if things get too far out of hand. I'd also like to try to become Myosotis' magical guardian, if you don't mind Ted, but that would require bringing the ministry into the loop, and I think Myosotis is still too young to deal with that kind of attention." Concluded Andromeda.
"I can start preparing a case and amassing evidence against Dumbledore in the meantime. The man proved himself untrustworthy by throwing Myosotis at the mercy of... you know what the family she lived with was called, Xeno?
"The Dursleys."
"There."
"She could live here in the meantime." Andromeda said wistfully. "I know the neighbours well, they won't have a problem with a Veela living here."
"I don't think that's a good idea," interrupted Xeno.
"What do you mean?" Andromeda asked, surprised and a little shocked at the opposition. Wasn't giving Myosotis a real family the right thing to do?
"From what Luna told me, I think that Myosotis has already made a home for herself out of her tower. It would be better to ask her directly what she prefers when she recovers. Forcing her to stay here won't do her any good."
"Maybe you're right... We'll ask her when the time comes." Andromeda didn't like the idea of letting her cousin, whose custody she had long wanted, go back to living in a tower by herself, but in such a particular case, even if she didn't like it, Xeno was probably right. Andromeda should let her return to her tower. Most of the concerns had been addressed, there was just one more thing to mention, she was about to say, but Ted beat her to it.
"I think we should also ask for an appointment with the genealogical and inheritance department of Gringotts. How Lily Potter, a Muggle born could have given birth to a Veela is a mystery I'd like to see solved. It would save us all a lot of trouble in the future and shed some light on the mystery."
"Yes, we'll have to write them a letter and ask for their home service." Andromeda replied.
Xeno nodded approvingly.
The discussion had taken less time than expected, Andromeda was happy to leave her difficult subjects behind. The conversation then turned to Xeno proudly recounting his beloved daughter's new magical and artistic exploits to her amusement. Deep down, she prayed that the whole thing would end well, and that the goblins, and hopefully the healer Veela, whom she hoped to be able to contact, would come up with some welcome explanations.
oOOOo
For two days and half, Myo had been living with Andromeda, ("please call me Andy"), Ted, and the one whose name must not be spoken, Tonks. (Yesterday, Myo had still earned the privilege of calling her Nym.) At first, Myo had been very uncomfortable, and had had a hard time dealing with meeting all these new people. But fortunately Luna's presence had calmed her down and assured her that nothing bad would happen to her with them. The Tonks were not part of the Dursley species after all...
Myo admitted that she was still very shy with Ted, Andromeda and Xeno (Xeno had finally left yesterday to contact Luna's mum and take care of things at their house). Myo could see that Ted and Andromeda were sad to see her so closed off with them, but Myo couldn't help it. Adults were just scary! With an adult, especially an adult who could do magic, Myo was the prey, and she hated it. Myo was too often forced to use Luna as an intermediary to communicate with Ted and Andromeda. They were nice people, and Myo realized that they wanted what was best for her... but it was just... arh. It would take a long time for her to start trusting them.
With Nym, it wasn't the same. Nym was nice too, but less serious, her look, her way of acting was different. With her Myo did not feel oppressed. She didn't feel pressured by an invisible force as with the adults. And then Nym, besides being nice and quite funny, was a bit like Myo! She too had some strange things about her, even for wizards. She wasn't a Veela bird thing like her, no, but something just as cool. She was a meta... Mena... mopo, moro... Menamonogus or something. Anyway. She could be anything! Anything at all! As long as the thing she wanted to be was physically viable of course. Becoming a rock was not possible for example. But getting a skin the colour of a rock was! Myo had asked her if she could grow wings and feathers like her. Nym had said that it was possible but very complicated and that it would take a long time and that it could be dangerous. If she didn't transform herself exactly right for this kind of transformation she could get hurt. Myo was a little disappointed at this, she would have liked to have someone to fly with.
Apparently it wasn't a problem because wizards could fly on broomsticks. This was completely silly to Myo, why brooms? Wouldn't flying chairs be more comfortable? In the witch stories she had 'retrieved' from the book box she had read that flying on a broom was part of the cliché about witches and wizards. Were witches making a conscious effort to fit the cliché of normal people? Or were the stories of normal people derived from people who saw witches flying on broomsticks? The egg, the chicken... all that. Myo was leaning towards the latter because Andromeda didn't have a wart on her nose, and according to the stories, every self-respecting witch had to have a wart on her nose. So if witches wanted to fit the stories of normal people (muggles, as Ted said), then Andromeda should have a wart.
Well, it wasn't like it mattered at the moment, since Andromeda had forbidden her to fly. Something about having pushed her wings too hard while saving Luna and her father and taking time to recover and get healthier again. Which more or less made sense. Also Andromeda lived in a place where a small muggle village was about fifteen kilometres away so if she flew as usual without paying attention she might be seen (the Dursleys hadn't been completely wrong so if non-wizards weren't allowed to see the Veela bird thing).
While waiting to recuperate, Myo had spent her time with Luna and Nym. They had gone to explore the woods behind the house (Myo had managed to catch a hare and had brought it back to share at lunchtime. Andromeda had given her a funny look but had not commented further. At least Luna, Nym and Ted were happy, the hare had turned out to be very good).
They had gone for walks in the fields, on closer inspection the fields were not as awful as Myo had thought on her first big fly. Yes, they trapped the ground, but there were plenty of bugs and birds in the fields, and they were quite pretty up close. But most of all, they had hedgerows, and Myo loved hedgerows, how could you have a field without hedgerows? In the hedgerows there are all the birds' nests and all the animals, hedgehogs and so on. Luna had also said that hedgerows prevented the ground from slipping and the good soil from leaving. Afterwards, according to Nym, it was a farm belonging to wizards, and she had seen a strange wooden automaton engraved with runes working in a field. It was a bit scary, but it was rather neat. It was also thanks to the fact that the corner had magic to repel people-normals-muggle-something that Myo was allowed to walk around so freely. Apparently being seen by non-magics was really a big problem... She thought for a moment about the young boy who had seen her the first time she had looted a house's pantry... oops...
She had also asked Luna to ask Andromeda if she was allowed to have something to draw. Andromeda had immediately given her a nice notebook with nice, thick sheets of paper and pencils whose lead could sharpen itself if asked. Neat... Maybe Andromeda wasn't so scary after all. She'd nursed and fed her as if it was normal, and someone giving her pencils couldn't be bad. So she'd started drawing portraits of Luna, Nym, Andromeda, and Ted. It was so much better to just sit at the kitchen table and draw Andromeda without having to hide from being seen like she was forced to do when drawing mugglenormalpeople.
On the second night, after she'd drawn four portraits of Andromeda in a row, Andromeda had asked her why she liked drawing portraits so much and didn't seem to draw much else. To this Myo didn't really know what to say... Drawing portraits was... good? Pleasant? If she really thought about it for a few minutes, she might have an answer. She had the impression that drawing a person's portrait allowed her to understand them better, to get a better idea of them. In any case, after drawing Andromeda's and Ted's portraits several times, she had the impression that she understood them better and was less afraid of them... Maybe that was just it. Still, she had the feeling that she was missing something... well, not important.
Nym had made it her mission to show Myo around the house (Luna already knew everything but had come to accompany Myo. Myo was grateful for this, she liked Nym, but the idea of being alone with her since she had known her for such a short time was a bit scary). The house had a kitchen, a living room, bedrooms, offices, and a potion workshop. (A sort of second kitchen but not for eating. Apparently magical people could create magical liquids that with the right recipe could make just about anything and everything. When Myo had asked more questions, Luna had talked about liquids that could make plants grow faster, heal cuts, and stuff like that. Then she had told her to ask Andromeda her questions if she was interested in the subject because Andromeda (call me Andy) was an expert in the field. Myo had nodded, but knew she wouldn't dare for a while. Andromeda was just too... intimidating.
The last room in the house where Nym had taken them was the library. Myo had been speechless. So many books in one place... so many things to discover. It was a good thing that Nym had visited this room last, because Myo had refused to leave it for the rest of the afternoon, until Andromeda called them for dinner. Myo had discovered a spell book specialising in household utilities. According to it, by waving a small piece of wood called a wand and saying strange words, magical people could do all sorts of things. The book talked about spells to wash windows, wash dishes, remove dust, do the laundry and much more. The library contained many other things, from fiction to storybooks to recipes (who knew that snails could be eaten if they were well prepared and properly cooked... Myo would remember this crucial information. )
That evening, after eating a gratin of courgette, Myo returned to the guest room that had been offered to her. She had wanted to apologise in advance for the mattress being ruined by her claws, but Andromeda had said that it didn't matter and that she had put a spell on the mattress to make it more resistant. Yes, because apparently there were magics to make mattresses stronger... seriously.
Myo hadn't dared complain, but she preferred to sleep in the pile of pillows and blankets in her tower, it was just more... comfortable? Normal? Obvious? But until she got back to her tower she would have to deal with it. She missed her tower, she missed flying, she missed hunting... She loved her tower and just... living in a house with other people who weren't Luna was just weird... She hoped Andromeda would let her go back soon. She'd asked Luna to ask Andromeda why she'd been treating her, and Andromeda had just raised an eyebrow and said that it was normal, and that she'd be a bad person if she refused to treat her cousin. (Because yes, Myo was cousins with Andromeda and Nym, it was weird, why weren't Andromeda and Nym Veela bird things if they were cousins with her?) Myo hadn't looked any further. Andromeda seemed like a good person after all.
Tonight was the end of the third day since Myo had woken up with Luna in her arms in that strange house, and the last two nights Luna had come to sleep with her. Myo didn't mind, for reasons beyond her, having Luna against her, under her wings was something she appreciated. And since Luna had come back to sleep with her, she was hardly the only one who enjoyed it. Was it normal for friends to sleep together? Well, it didn't matter, what was normal for human friends and Veela bird friends was maybe different... And since Luna was acting like it was normal, it must be. The only thing that made her even wonder was the raised eyebrow and questioning look on Nym's face when she had seen Myo and Luna leave the room together on the morning of the second day. Luna had blushed for some reason and it had gone on from there. Humans were weird sometimes, really.
Luna had also been a bit strange since they arrived at the Tonks. She hadn't left Myo's side for a second, following her like her shadow. And then she seemed to take the first night together as a license to stick to her and cuddle whenever the opportunity arose. Myo thought it was a bit weird but didn't mind either. It wasn't as if having Luna take advantage of every possible opportunity to snuggle was awkward or disturbing. She enjoyed the little blonde's company.
Tonight, as Myo undressed to put on the specially tailored nightgown for her wings and tail that Andromeda had made for her, ( should Myo be happy or should she find it suspicious that Andromeda seemed so concerned about her well-being?) Luna was blushing again. Was she sick? She was blushing much more than usual these days. She was holding a pretty little blue paper envelope and seemed hesitant, but that wasn't what was important now. Luna seemed to have a fever or something. It just wasn't normal to blush so much. Maybe she should get up the courage and finally dare to really talk to Andromeda and ask her to check on Luna. In the meantime the right thing to do was to verify if her hypothesis was right. From what she knew, humans with fevers were warmer than normal.
She had a good idea of Luna's normal warmth having touched her several times during their long walks on the cliffs and in the plains around the tower. After putting on her nightgown she approached Luna with determination, not noticing that Luna was about to lift the pretty little blue letter. Before Luna could react, Myo put both hands on her shoulders and gently pressed her forehead against Luna's to feel a possible difference in heat...
Nothing, no temperature, yet at this moment Luna was red as a tomato and was trying to stammer something. Was it an allergy? Does an allergy give you a fever? Myo didn't know. If in doubt, she might as well ask the main person involved.
"Luna?"
"... Yes?" stammered her first friend.
"Are you feeling okay? You've been acting all weird lately."
Luna blushed even more. There was definitely something strange at work.
"It's nothing, I'm just... it's nothing to worry about."
"If you say so..." Myo wasn't convinced, but if Luna said she was fine, then there was nothing to worry about. Myo pulled her face away from Luna and was about to walk to the bed when she was interrupted by Luna's voice.
"Myo, I... I wanted to give you this." She said in a small voice as she handed her the letter with both hands.
Raising an eyebrow, Myo took it. What could have gotten Luna into such a state? She carefully opened the letter, taking care not to tear it (the blue paper was really pretty). Inside was a beautiful folded document. Myo looked at Luna. She seemed to be waiting with apprehension for Myo's reaction to what was on the paper. With increasing curiosity she unfolded it and read.
Dear Myosotis Potter.
As a friend of my daughter Luna, I would like to invite you on August 2nd at 6pm for a small party hosted by my family to welcome back my wife, Pandora Lovegood. The party will be casual and small, limited to family and very close friends. Come as you are.
With my sincere greetings and thanks.
Xenophilius Lovegood
Myo blinked several times. She folded the letter carefully and put it back in the envelope. She looked up at Luna. Luna was fidgeting nervously with apprehension.
"Do you want me to come?"
Luna nodded vigorously. She seemed to be on the perfect boundary between excitement and disappointment, not knowing which way she would fall.
Myo looked again at the pretty blue envelope. This was the first time she had ever received a letter in her life. Should she come? She would be meeting new people... and that fact made her uncomfortable. She was already struggling with Andromeda and Ted. Was seeing new people really a good idea or would she panic stupidly? But Luna would be there. She could hide behind her if need be. And Luna looked like she really wanted Myo to come. She had spoken of her mother with such adoration. Luna had told her several times that she was sure she would get along with her mother. Myo also knew Xeno already. The man seemed to be good. After all, he was the one who had brought her here to be treated by Andromeda, and from what she had deduced, her situation had been rather serious. Luna was also Xeno's daughter. Xeno seemed to love Luna, as Luna liked Myo, Xeno wouldn't hurt Myo, if only not to make Luna sad.
Seeing Myo hesitate, a small tear appeared in the corner of Luna's eyes. As if she was expecting a refusal, her shoulders tensed and stiffened. Myo's last resistance melted away.
"I'll come." She said in a determined tone. Whatever her discomfort or fears, she didn't like seeing Luna like this.
Luna's face lit up, a big, bright smile lighting up her face. Without warning she threw herself on top of Myo and hugged her, burying her face in her neck, murmuring something.
Myo, recovering from the surprise of being hit in the chest by a small blonde bullet, let her arms go around Luna and her wings wrap around her, wondering what she had really gotten herself into.