Chapter 17
AN: I really, really hope you like this chapter. PLEASE let me know what you think.
Ever since Minerva left Albus and Aberforth have been sitting in silence either side of Mie, Albus holding his daughter's hand while Aberforth watches his niece, remembering something from a long time ago. As they sit in silence Albus notices his daughter's eyes flicker.
"Annemie?" Albus asks, leaning forward. "Annemie, it's Dad, can you hear me?" Albus asks concerned, and for a few moments Albus thinks Annemie actually still asleep then her eyes open and Albus sees his daughter's blue eyes looking back at him.
"Dad," Mie says, looking back at her father, her voice quiet and a little horse.
"I'll get Poppy," Aberforth says, getting out of his chair and heading to the office, as Albus gets the cup of water off Mie's bedside table.
"How are you feeling?" Albus asks his daughter, as he gives her some water to drink.
"A little sore," Mie says, once she drinks some of the water, trying to push her herself up in the bed but Albus gently pushes her down, as he doesn't want her to try to do too much. "It was the explosion, right? I thought the force was strong," Mie admits, feeling like an idiot for not realising how bad it was.
"From what Poppy has found it seems like it," Albus tells his daughter, pushing her hair out of her face. "I'm sorry Annemie, I should have realised that it wouldn't have been a good idea for you to Apparate," Albus tells his daughter, guilt in his voice.
"It's okay Dad, I didn't even realise I was injured that badly," Mie tells her father, being pretty sure that the feelings she had about facing Bellatrix again overshadowed everything.
"I'll be the judge of how badly your injured," Poppy says, walking up with Aberforth, having heard what Mie said.
"Uncle Ab, sorry if I scared you," Mie says to her uncle, feeling bad as she remembers the look she saw on his face before she collapsed, as Poppy waves her wand over her.
"It's alright, I'm glad you're okay," Aberforth says, giving his niece the closest thing to a supportive look he can manage as when he saw Mie collapsed, he had a horrible sense of Déjà vu.
"Mie, my scan is showing that you have a slight concussion, so I just want to check a few things," Poppy inform Mie. "Do you know where you are?" Poppy asks, knowing the questions she needs to ask could be complicated for Mie because she has two timelines in her head.
"Hogwarts Hospital Wing," Mie answers.
"And your full name?" Poppy asks.
"H-Annemie, Annemie Ariana Kendra Harriet Dumbledore," Mie answers, and everyone notices what she almost said, though only Poppy is confused about what she was about to say.
"Date of birth?" Poppy asks, knowing that question will tell her a lot about how Mie is doing.
"September nineteen, nineteen fifty-nine," Mie answers.
"Do you recognize the people standing around you?" Poppy asks and Mie nods.
"My Dad, Albus Dumbledore," Mie answers, smiling at him. "My Uncle, Aberfroth Dumbledore," Mie says, smiling at him too. "My friend Madam Pomfrey," Mie says, looking at her, and Poppy nods.
"Now a difficult one, up until a few weeks where were you?" Poppy asks.
"Nineteen ninety-eight," Mie answers, smirking slightly.
"Good," Poppy answers, conjuring a potion. "Drink this," Poppy says, handing a potion and Mie reluctantly takes it. "I want you to stay here tonight so I can keep an eye on you," Poppy says as Mie drinks the potion, pulling a face as she does.
"Is that really necessary?" Mie asks once she drinks the potion, honestly really not wanting to do that.
"Annemie," Albus says in a warning tone of voice, and Mie knows exactly what he is saying by that.
"Fine, I'll stay tonight," Mie responds, and as she does, she notices the clock. "I would have thought the Minster would still be grilling you for details," Mie admits, looking at her father, purposely changing the subject.
"He wants to be," Albus answers, but before he can explain further the door to the hospital wing opens and Regulus hurries in, as soon as he hurries in he looks around the room, clearly searching for Mie.
"Reg," Mie says, looking glad to see him.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Regulus asks worried, as he hurries to Mie's side, unintentionally taking the seat that Aberforth was sitting in before he went to get Madam Pomfrey.
"Bellatrix," Mie answers. "We dueled," Mie explains. "She was particularly fond of using Avada Kedavra, so I moved objects in her way, there was an explosion," Mie explains. "I think I succeeded in pissing her off," Mie admits.
"That's not good," Regulus says worried, as Aberforth and Albus exchange looks. "If they didn't succeed today then Voldemort is going to blame her, and she's going to blame you," Regulus tells Mie, knowing that will not be good for her as Bellatrix will likely want revenge.
"As soon as Bellatrix decided to stop 'playing' with me and rather decided to try to kill me I knew that would be coming," Mie admits, as she reaches out and takes Regulus's hand. "I'm okay," Mie says, doing her best to give Regulus a reassuring look.
"You're not afraid anymore," Regulus says, sounding shocked.
"No, I am," Mie confirms, as she is sure that she will always be afraid of Bellatrix. "But I'm never going to let that fear stop me from doing something," Mie admits, and as she does Regulus leans down and kisses her, something which both Aberforth and Albus avoid looking at.
"You're incredible," Regulus tells Mie once they break apart.
"No, I just do what I can," Mie admits. "And you should be at lunch," Mie tells Regulus, squeezing his hand.
"I needed to know you're okay," Regulus admits.
"I am," Mie admits. "But I won't be okay if your cover is jeopardised because of me," Mie informs Regulus, causing Aberforth to frown, like he just put pieces together. "I'm okay, Reg, I promise," Mie assures him. Feeling lost, not sure what to do, Regulus looks around, searching for someone to tell him what to do. "We've got a mission Reg, we've got to focus on….." Mie says and she stops herself before she says 'the greater good' but judging by the look on Albus's face he realised exactly what she was going to say and they are going to have a conversation about that. "What we've got to do," Mie says. "I'm okay,"
"Are you actually going to listen to Madam Pomfrey?" Regulus asks curious.
"I am," Mie confirms, with a nod.
"Okay, when you're out of here we'll meet up again," Regulus says to Mie. "We'll figure out when somehow," Regulus says. "Maybe Sev can pass a note," Regulus theorises.
"Maybe," Mie responds, knowing they may have to be even more careful than that, and she notices Regulus looking hesitant. "I'll be okay, Bellatrix hasn't beaten me now, I'm not going to let her beat me now," Mie says, and Regulus gets an amused look on his face as he is pretty sure that only Mie would phase it like that.
"Okay, I'll see you soon," Regulus says, kissing Mie once more before leaving.
"You should get some rest," Albus tells his daughter, knowing that she needs that.
"Yeah," Mie admits, and even though she knows she should remind her father that he should talk to the Minister she doesn't want him to leave and so she doesn't say anything, rather she just makes herself a little more comfortable in her bed.
In the Great Hall, as she notices Regulus join his fellow Slytherin's for lunch, Minerva decides that she knows the best way to let the people who care about Mie know what happened as before long she assumes everyone will know.
Walking down from the head table Minerva walks over to where the Gryffindor seventh years are sitting together.
"Professor?" Lily asks, being the first one to spot her. "Is everything okay?" Lily asks concerned, knowing about the attack that was supposed to happen and what Mie was going to attempt to do, though she doesn't know all the details.
"As I'm sure you are all aware a lot of Mie's possessions were destroyed in the attack that killed her Aunt and Uncle, this morning she went to Diagon Alley to collect a few things and while she was shopping there was a Death Eater Attack," Minerva explains. "Mie duelled with Bellatrix Lestrange," Minerva explains.
"Is Mie okay?" Sirius asks concerned, there being a double meaning to his question that only those who know the truth know.
"She has some minor injuries, including a concussion, which will require Mie to spend tonight in the hospital wing, but she is okay," Minerva explains.
"Is there anything we can do?" Emmaline asks, looking concerned.
"Not right now, I'm not sure how long Mie will be out of class for," Minerva admits.
"We'll take notes for her," Mary promises.
"I'm sure that will be appreciated Ms McDonald," Minerva says.
"Can we see her?" Alice asks, as she really wants to see her friend.
"Not right now," Minerva answers, feeling that it would be best for the Dumbledore's to have their privacy, and as she does, she sees the teenagers exchanging worried looks.
Hours later Albus hasn't left his daughters side in the hospital wing, even when the Minister showed up to talk to him. While Aberforth is sleeping in one of the chairs, and Madam Pomfrey is in her office, Albus is sitting in his chair watching his daughter.
While he has only known Mie for a few weeks he loves her like he's known her a lot longer. When he knew that he wanted to offer Blood adoption it felt like it was the first right thing in a very long time. Albus assumed he would never be a father, but now he cannot imagine not being Mie's father.
When Minerva showed up in the alley and told him what happened to Mie it felt like his heart stopped beating, and he realises that there is one thing in the unpredictable world he is sure of and that is that he never wants to lose Mie; he will do whatever he can to keep her safe, as losing her is something he cannot handle.
Unknown to Albus, as a previous blood ritual has been a part of him for so long, is so embedded in who he is that he doesn't give it a second thought, far away from Hogwarts cold and alone, seeing flashes that make no sense, another person is feeling exactly what Albus is feeling; but is also feeling incredibly confused about why that is, what he is seeing, and what it means.
After a night in the hospital wing, several potions, and many more tests by Madam Pomfrey, Mie has been allowed to go, but after everything that has happened rather than going straight back to the Gryffindor Tower Mie is going to spend a couple of days with her father in their tower.
"How are you feeling?" Albus asks concerned as he and Mie walk into their living room, knowing that it was a bit of a walk.
"Okay," Mie answers. "I'm okay, Dad," Mie tells him, as she walks over to the couch so that she can sit down. While she appreciates his concern it's not something she is used to as she is used to parents not caring.
"Madam Pomfrey is concerned," Albus tells his daughter.
"Yeah, she often is," Mie comments.
"Not without a reason," Albus informs Mie, and as he does Mie notices the Daily Prophet which she knows is the perfect way to change subjects.
"Really? We made the front page?" Mie asks, picking up the paper and seeing that the picture of Albus hugging her and kissing her head is on the front page.
"Yes," Albus confirms. "There must have been a photographer there," Albus comments.
"Yeah, guess so," Mie says, reading the article. "Is the prophet lying again or are you fighting with the minister?" Mie asks her father curious as she knows that it could be either.
"I believe he is currently not happy with me, but I do not believe we are actually fighting," Albus explains.
"What happened?" Mie asks curious.
"I didn't answer all his questions," Albus explains.
"So, no Minster likes that, good to know," Mie says, looking amused, but then she realises why Albus may not have answered the Minsters questions. "Dad, did you not talk to the minster because of me?" Mie asks concerned.
"I left Diagon Alley to see you, and I did spend yesterday by your side," Albus tells his daughter. "But Annemie I do not want you to feel guilty because of that, the Minster is constantly unhappy with me," Albus tells Mie.
"Yeah, but I'm not helping matters," Mie tells her father. "I don't want to make things harder for you,"
"Annemie, you make my life better," Albus tells his daughter and Mie smiles slightly. "I never want you to doubt that," Albus tells Mie, who nods.
"That's not something I find easy to accept," Mie admits, as her parents made her seem like a burden, and the way she was often treated by the Wizarding World and sometimes treated by Ron, didn't help her believe that she makes life better for people.
"That is very sad, Annemie," Albus tells her daughter. "You've made not just my life, but so many others better, and you will continue to," Albus says and Mie shrugs because while she thinks that her actions can make things better for others, she isn't sure that her mere presence can. "Annemie, what was your mother like?" Albus asks curious, knowing he has to be delicate about how they talk about this.
"Why do you ask?" Mie asks curious, wanting to avoid answering.
"Other when you talked about modifying her memory, I don't think you've talked about her," Albus admits, sounding concerned, as he has searched his memory, and for a few moments Mie debates the best way to answer Albus.
"Daniel, my biological father, things with him were clear. I needed to be perfect, and he didn't approve of things been less than, but my mother…. Emma, she never physically hurt me," Mie says, moving so that she is sitting with her legs against her chest, hugging them, closing herself off. "But in a lot of ways what she did hurt a lot more than all the physical scars Daniel gave me," Mie admits, voicing that for the first time ever.
"What do you mean?" Albus asks concerned as he moves so that he is sitting cross-legged on the couch and looking directly at Mie, all his attention on his daughter.
"She was indifferent," Mie admits. "It was like I was just there, something in her life that she didn't like or hate, but had to deal with," Mie admits. "The only times she hugged me was when we in situations where other people were around and it would be odd if she didn't; like when I was getting off the train," Mie admits, as that's why she smiled when the book described her as hugging her parents at the end of fifth year. "With Daniel, I knew what I did wrong, I failed, I could do better, and not fail," Mie admits. "But with her it was like nothing I did was not only not good enough, but not even worth attention, or even acknowledgement," Mie admits, and once she does Mie gets up and walks across the room, not being able to sit still anymore.
"Annemie, what is it?" Albus asks his daughter concerned, realising that his daughter is clearly thinking about something that she is debating whether to share.
"You know what Daniel did when I was five and PE for the first time," Mie says, referring to how her father turned on the stove, picked her up, and held her against the hot plates causing scars she still has, and Albus nods. "Well, the second time I failed I tried to hide the report… bad idea," Mie admits, and as he knows that Mie needs to get this out on her own terms Albus doesn't push her, he's going to let her talk about it on her own as he thinks it's the best way to get her to open up. "Daniel dropped weights on my foot and left me in my room with the weights still on me, making it impossible to move," Mie admits, turning away from Albus so she doesn't see the reaction, and Albus is trying very, very hard not to show the horror he is feeling as he knows that won't help matters. "It was almost as painful as the Cruciatus Curse," Mie admits, thinking it is the best way to explain the pain she was in, and knowing from a scan that future Madam Pomfrey did just how much damage was done because of that. "It was ninety-three minutes before I got them off," Mie admits, being pretty sure accidental magic helped her to do that otherwise she can't see how she succeeded, and Albus, to his horror, can easily picture young Mie counting every second as she desperately tried to get weights off her foot. "I screamed in pain, for help, no one came," Mie admits, her voice struggling with her explanation. "I could hear Emma, but she didn't come, didn't check on me," Mie admits, sounding like she is close to crying. "I couldn't walk once I was free, I pulled myself downstairs. Emma was in the kitchen she looked at me, didn't ask anything, just said 'he's told you what you need to do' and went into the other room," Mie explains to Albus, who feels a rush of anger, as he cannot imagine someone reaction with that much indifference to that situation. "The next day I could walk, but not well, I think accidental magic healed me, because two weeks later I was fine," Mie admits, leaving out that both Emma and Daniel were shocked, didn't understand, and not very impressed about that. "I spent the rest of the summer learning everything I could, trying to get as far ahead as I could, the local library was where I spent all my time," Mie admits, being pretty sure she was never once asked where she was going, and that summer often resulted in her not eating dinner for days in a row as if she wasn't home for dinner she didn't eat. "I didn't fail anything that semester, but that got no reaction, the next semester did," Mie says and even though he is across the room Albus can see Mie shiver at that, and he dreads that story. "What Daniel did hurt, but Emma not even caring, not acknowledging my pain…. That hurt more," Mie says, her voice breaking as she tries to wipe the tears that are rolling down her face.
Not being able to do nothing any longer Albus gets up and walks over to his daughter hugging her and kissing the top of her head.
"That should never have happened," Albus tells his daughter as he continues to hug her. "Annemie, you didn't deserve any of that," Albus tells her daughter. "Failure is a part of life, it's normal, it's not something to be punished," Albus tells his daughter. "You were a child, you deserved to be looked after and cared for," Albus tells his daughter. "You should have had parents who wiped away your tears not caused them," Albus tells Mie as he wipes her tears.
"If I had just not failed…" Mie starts to say.
"Annemie, I want you to listen to me," Albus says, putting his hands either side of Mie's face. "What Emma and Daniel did to you wasn't your fault," Albus tells her. "They hurt you, they neglected you, that is not your fault," Albus tells her. "You didn't do anything to deserve the pain they inflicted on you, there is nothing you could have done to deserve that," Albus tells his daughter. "You're an incredible young woman, and I'm sorry that Emma and Daniel never gave you the childhood you deserved," Albus tells his daughter. "A childhood full of nurture, and love, of developing your incredible mind not out of necessity but passion," Albus tells Mie. "I'm sorry that they caused you pain rather than taking it away," Albus tells his daughter, once more kissing the top of her head.
"I love you, Dad," Mie says, feeling overwhelmed, as she isn't sure she can believe that she didn't deserve what happened to her.
"I love you too, Annemie, so much," Albus assures his daughter as he continues to hug her.