Note:

heyyy so I did that thing again as a writer where an idea for a story lodges itself into one's brain and refuses to budge despite the MULTIPLE works in progress you have yet to finish... and I really wish I could be sorry for that but honestly this story! This story has my mind buzzing, my heart pumping hard and my anxiety screaming!. It is another Hermione centric/purebloodHermione fic but I would like to just warn you all, I have changed many a thing and most of my characters if not all will likely be rather ooc, the changes I've made are big ones and I'm not gonna divulge them all at this moment in time, I want ya'lls genuine reactions... I'm excited though. I can tell you though that this will be a Hermione/Nymphadora fic because there really isn't nearly enough of them.

A word of warning for triggers though, this story touches on some subjects readers may struggle with. There will be talk and brief descriptions of the following, child abuse, child abduction, torture, murder, etc. Nothing too graphic but as always I will always put a trigger warning at the beginning of each chapter where necessary. This chapter does contain mention of child abduction and the irreparable harm it brings to a family. So please read with caution if you may struggle with this.

A little bit of housekeeping, I don't know how many of you have read the updated intro to my fic I need you but they say I'll never know you but unfortunately I have decided to pause the updates on that fic for now. Don't worry I won't abandon it, I just feel its a little too rushed, I will begin editing and rewriting that fic in the new year so there should be updates no later than the beginning of February. The last thing I want to do is disappoint anyone but as a creator I am extremely unhappy with the pacing of the fic so hope to fix that. (The story will most likely end up longer with more chapters) although I hope the chance to read the beginning of this fic counts towards a peace offering.

On a lighter note, I get to spend Christmas with my mamma this year, and I am super excited for it. So I wish to wish all those that celebrate a day filled with love and happiness. For those that don't celebrate I send you my love also, stay safe this winter and as always if anyone needs a listening ear, I'm always willing to listen. I meant to post this on one of my earlier fics but if anyone wishes to contact me I have a public twitter account that you can reach me on Nell Black is the account name and the twitter handle is NellBla77596599 feel free to pop me a message and I'll do my best to respond.

Sending you all my love.

You guys heal me everyday.

Nell xoxo

Disclaimer: all characters, creatures, places etc. recognisable from the Harry Potter franchise are the property of JK

Rowling, I do not own them unfortunately and do not benefit financial from the consumption of my written works.

Note: Edited 27/12/2024

Prologue - Torn

I would like to begin this story with the proverbial, Once Upon a Time...

Or tell you a tall tale of a world where life is a dream and wishes are fulfilled.

But that would be an awful illusion to set at this point in this story, especially when it is one only just beginning. For too many, this was no fairy tale of princesses in towers nor of queen's in castles. There was no Prince Charming nor white Knight coming to save the day. There was no dragons keep and no epic tale of redemption. No, not here. Though one could accurately say that like our beloved fairy-tale this story here has its own healthy dose of good versus evil. A distinction that upon first glance seems startlingly obvious to even the most simplistic of minds. However the truth in such a statement is not for me to decide dear reader.

Me as I sit upon the reading stool, your curious minds feasting upon my every word. Baited breath and sweaty brows glistening as you stare with beaded eyes. Good versus Evil is your proverbial tale as old as time but which is which? I shall let you decide such a thing for yourselves. Where shall you draw the line of good and evil? Is there no hope for a middle ground I hear you ask. Well that again is not for me to decide. My only task is to dutifully bring this story to you...

And as all tales must, ours too has it's start, and as mundane as it may seem upon first glance ours may very well start here...

~December 22nd 1981, Wiltshire, London~

She sat up quickly, confusion lingering at the edges of her consciousness. Her mind was foggy and her head felt too heavy for her to hold up without struggle as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The witch felt anxious, unsure as to what had woke her but she was sure something had. Her heart was pounding, her entire body tense. Everything within her knew that something was amiss. It was an awful feeling, something deep within her gut that screamed WRONG! but she couldn't think through the haze that clung to her mind. Dread had begun sinking into her stomach as she furiously shook her head, clearing it finally, she pushed damp curls behind her ears, as she strained to hear anything through the eerie quiet that surrounded her. She glanced at the old grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the room, opposite the bed. The antique piece was something she had inherited from her father upon his passing the previous year, it was a rather dated piece and she and her wife both hated it but somehow the witch had been unable to part with it. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she realised that even the insistent tic...tic...tic... of the clock hands was strangely absent, despite the clock hands still moving ever round as they had done for many a year. 1 AM: flashing brightly to indicate the new hour.

With dread tightening in her stomach, she didn't think twice before grabbing her wand and dashing to the door. Cursing Salazar Slytherin himself that she wasn't as athletically inclined like her wife as she stumbled over unsteady feet in her panic. The Blonde haired witch headed for the one place she needed to be the most with the determination only a mother seeking the safety of her young could possess. She ran along the hall, straight to her children's nursery, where her three little ones should lay in slumber, safely tucked in soft sheets.

As she neared its entrance she was startled by the sudden return of sound. Two piercing cries rung loud and insistent, the sound turning her heart to ice in horror, her feet uncooperative as she tried to reach her babies. The nursery door stood ajar, her children's tear filled cries reaching out through the darkness of the hallway. The open door along with the heartbroken screams of her girls confirmed to the blonde that her gut had been dreadfully right as she knew that door to be closed earlier, as it was every night after she had tucked her little one's in for the night. With no other in the house except her infant children and their nanny elf the witch knew with certainty that someone or something had penetrated the security of their home.

Her hand tightened on her wand. The other clutching her chest in silent prayer to Morgana that her babies were okay as she rushed forward and through the door. Stopping abruptly in shock as the blood in her body froze in all consuming horror, her usually pale features turning a greying white in all consuming fear as she took in the sight in front of her. The nursery was in disarray, signs of accidental magic littered the walls, flowers and vines climbed every surface and all unsecured items were strung in mid-air in reaction to her children's distress and lying, in amongst the chaos, dead on the floor, in the middle of the room was her children's Nanny Elf - Liza. Her eyes wide and glassy, blood seeping steadily but slowly from the Elf's eyes and ears. A permanent expression of anger clung to the little elf's features. Though devastating in itself to the blonde, this was not the only cause of her sickened horror.

The room held two cots and a third smaller cradle. The cots at either side of the room, one to the left of the door against the wall, one to the right in a similar position, held her two eldest babies. The eldest at three years old, stood in hers, looking up at her with an anguished expression as little fingers clung with an iron clad grip to the bars in front of her. Tears streaming down her flushed face. Her second eldest at almost two years old, also stood, her little arms gripping the cot sides desperately as she stared back, her little face screwed up and agonised cries falling from her lips, short bursts of air escaping in gasps as if she had been screaming for hours. The blonde couldn't help but let out her own agonised scream when her gaze swept frantically over her youngest child's cradle. Where her darling girl of not even two months old should have lay, now stood an empty bed. Both child and blankets gone. As if her little one had not just lay in it hours prior. All that remained was a lilac coloured plush dragon in the centre of the cradle. A cherished favourite bought for her youngest by her baby's godmother. The cradle itself stood abandoned and alone no hint of the little girl that had occupied it mere hours before.

Her eyes filled with tears, her heart breaking on repeat as she summoned the teddy to her. Clutching it to herself in grief. Her own gasping cries harmonising with those of her two eldest babies The reality of what she was seeing, or wasn't seeing rather in the room, destroying her from the inside out. Her baby was gone. Her little one had been stolen from her and their adored nanny Elf had been murdered in front of her other children. Her baby had been snatched from her and she had slept right through it all. She had failed to protect her, she had failed her family and the blonde would never forgive herself.

She wailed, heartbroken. With no real idea of just what to do or were to start she forced herself up, off her knees. Hands trembling as she summoned her Patronus through her grief in only the way an extremely skilled witch or wizard could. She sent message to her wife to call for the aurors. She gently grabbed hold of her other two babies, the blonde using strength she didn't know she had lifted them both from their cribs and held them tight to her chest, shielding them from the awful sight of their Nanny Elf, she left the room.

All the witch could do was her best to soothe them, despite her own devastation as she waited for her wife and the aurors to arrive. Though she knew that her eldest daughters broken, whispered words would haunt her forever as the three year old clutched her and sobbed. Head of sleep tousled blonde hair buried against her breast. "my baby Ria gone mama, she gone, a bad man took her" forced out from cracked little lips repeatedly. The broken voice of her eldest daughter, shattering her heart further as the blonde clung as hard as she could to what she needed to do, shushing her heartbroken little girl gently as her own grief threatened to consume her.

As the night wore on, filled with questions, tears, aurors and no success in finding her youngest, the two parents grieved hopelessly. Having exhausted every tracking spell themselves, their families and the ministry knew. Their baby was gone, the only thing they knew for certain was that whoever had taken her had to possess power, the spell that had been cast was a powerful silencing and sleep charm. Placed skilfully on their bedroom as the intruder had entered making it so that the occupants wouldn't wake while their child was so cruelly stolen from them.

No rhyme or reason could they fathom, nor was one ever found. As the days turned into weeks, then months, then years, the hole left behind in their hearts that night, never healed. Their baby being taken had broken something within them that was irrevocably permanent. The little family, once whole and happy beyond all belief now felt the lingering clouds of heartache every day. Their family had fractured and had been unable to heal fully as they tried to keep moving forward for the sake of their other children.

No spell nor potion could take their pain away and despite throwing all their remaining love at their two eldest girls, they knew that only one thing could ever heal their broken hearts.

And that was the one thing that was out of their reach.

Their youngest child.